Questions and Answers
Question 1 Why are Krishna’s pastimes superior to material sports?
Answer: Material sports provide temporary excitement and happiness, whereas Krishna’s pastimes are eternal and transcendental. Hearing about them gives spiritual happiness, purifies the heart, and helps us become liberated from the cycle of birth and death.
Question 2 What is the ultimate purpose of human life, and how can we achieve it?
Answer: The ultimate purpose is to regain our original spiritual identity and return to Krishna’s eternal abode. We can prepare for this by associating with pure devotees, studying Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, practicing sadhana-bhakti, and chanting the holy names.
Question 3 Why did Krishna appear in the material world?
Answer: Krishna appeared to protect His devotees, relieve the earth of the burden of demonic rulers, and establish spiritual understanding. He appeared in the Yadu dynasty as the son of Vasudeva and Devaki, accompanied by His associates and the demigods who assisted in His pastimes.
Question 4 What does Putana represent in our spiritual lives?
Answer: Putana represents both false spiritual teachers who give misleading philosophies and the mind when it focuses on negativity. Such influences can weaken our desire to serve Krishna and encourage false pride. We should carefully choose spiritual guidance, regulate our minds, and focus on the good qualities of Krishna and His devotees.
Question 5 How does chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra help us in Kali-yuga?
Answer: Chanting helps purify the heart, overcome material anxieties, develop peace of mind, and strengthen Krishna consciousness. Its highest benefit is attaining love of God and preparing to return to Krishna’s eternal abode.
Summary Points
The central message of this talk is that Krishna’s pastimes are eternal, transcendental, and a source of lasting spiritual happiness. By hearing about them, we can purify our hearts, develop Krishna consciousness, and prepare to return to the spiritual world.
1. Material sports and Krishna’s eternal pastimes
• Material sports, such as cricket, provide temporary excitement and happiness. The winning team changes, and new competitions bring new emotions.
• Krishna’s sporting pastimes are not temporary events. They are eternally taking place in the spiritual world and in different material universes.
• These pastimes provide spiritual happiness and help us become liberated from the cycle of birth and death.
• Krishna’s activities should not be considered ordinary material activities. As explained in Bhagavad-gita, His birth and activities are transcendental.
2. Our original identity and the purpose of human life
• We have forgotten our original spiritual identity and identify ourselves with material designations such as nationality, religion, profession, and bodily identity.
• The human form of life is rare and valuable, having been attained after many varieties of life.
• The purpose of human life is not merely to perform pious activities or attain heavenly planets, but to become permanently free from material existence.
• By associating with pure devotees and studying Bhagavad-gita As It Is, we can understand who we are, the purpose of life, and how to return to Krishna’s abode.
3. Sadhana-bhakti: The regulated process of devotional service
• Srila Rupa Goswami explains the process of sadhana-bhakti, or regulated devotional practice.
• Just as students learn through both theory and practice, devotees learn through scriptural study and the practical application of devotional principles.
• Hearing about Krishna is especially powerful. Attentive hearing can purify the heart of unwanted thoughts and habits.
• By regularly hearing Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita, we become more spiritually qualified.
4. Parikshit Maharaja and the importance of hearing
• Parikshit Maharaja was cursed to die within seven days from a snakebite.
• Instead of trying to avoid his destined death through material arrangements, he accepted the situation and used his remaining time to hear Srimad Bhagavatam from Sukadeva Goswami.
• His principal concern was how the people of Kali-yuga could be saved from material suffering and attain liberation.
• His example teaches us to utilize human life for hearing about Krishna and preparing for our ultimate destination.
5. Kali-yuga and the special mercy of Srimad Bhagavatam
• Kali-yuga is characterized by quarrelling, cheating, anxiety, and confusion about the actual goal of life.
• People often fail to understand what is beneficial for their spiritual welfare and what binds them to material existence.
• Srimad Bhagavatam provides spiritual light in this age of ignorance.
• The Lord has made the process of hearing and chanting His holy names available to everyone, regardless of their circumstances.
6. The Hare Krishna maha-mantra and its benefits
• Chanting the holy names is the recommended process for spiritual advancement in Kali-yuga.
• Sincere chanting can bring peace of mind, improve concentration, and help us overcome material anxieties.
• The highest benefit is the attainment of love of God.
• By chanting and hearing about Krishna, we can gradually develop our original spiritual consciousness.
7. Krishna’s transcendental birth and activities
• Krishna explains in Bhagavad-gita that His birth and activities are divine and transcendental.
• A person who understands the transcendental nature of Krishna’s appearance and pastimes does not take birth again in the material world after leaving the present body.
• Krishna promises that such a person can attain His eternal abode, where there is no birth, death, old age, or disease.
8. Krishna’s spiritual abode is self-illuminating
• The spiritual world is different from the material world, which depends on the sun, moon, and electricity for illumination.
• Krishna’s abode is self-illuminating, and its effulgence is the source of the Brahmajyoti.
• The spiritual planets are eternal and beyond the limitations of material existence.
• Returning to Krishna’s abode is the ultimate goal of human life.
9. Why Krishna appeared in this world
• Krishna appeared to protect the devotees and relieve the earth of the burden caused by demonic rulers.
• Kamsa and his associates, including Putana, Bakasura, Aghasura, and Vatsasura, were creating disturbances and causing suffering.
• Mother Earth, distressed by the activities of these demonic personalities, approached Brahmaji in the form of a cow and prayed for relief.
• Brahmaji and the demigods then approached Lord Vishnu and offered prayers requesting His appearance.
10. The prayers of the demigods and Krishna’s divine plan
• Brahmaji and the demigods offered Purusha-sukta prayers to Lord Vishnu at the shore of the milk ocean.
• Lord Vishnu communicated that He would appear in the Yadu dynasty as the son of Vasudeva and Devaki.
• The demigods and Krishna’s confidential associates would also appear in different families to assist in His pastimes.
• Krishna’s appearance was therefore a divine arrangement to protect the devotees, defeat demonic forces, and reestablish spiritual understanding.
11. Kamsa’s fear and the importance of Krishna consciousness
• During Devaki’s marriage procession, Kamsa heard a heavenly voice predicting that her eighth son would cause his death.
• Overwhelmed by fear, Kamsa attempted to kill his own sister.
• Vasudeva intervened with intelligence, composure, and philosophical reasoning, convincing Kamsa to spare Devaki.
• Vasudeva’s steadiness came from his spiritual strength and previous austerities.
• The episode demonstrates that Krishna consciousness helps us remain composed and make thoughtful decisions even in highly disturbing circumstances.
12. Vasudeva and Devaki’s sacrifice
• Vasudeva and Devaki accepted imprisonment and the suffering caused by Kamsa, while maintaining their faith in Krishna.
• They understood that material arrangements cannot ultimately prevent destiny or death.
• Their perseverance demonstrates the strength that comes from spiritual understanding and surrender to the Lord.
• They continued to hope for Krishna’s appearance despite the terrible circumstances.
13. Krishna’s birth and His journey to Gokula
• Krishna first appeared before Vasudeva and Devaki in His four-armed form of Lord Narayana, revealing His divine identity.
• He then instructed Vasudeva to carry Him to Gokula and exchange Him with the baby girl born to Yashoda.
• By the influence of Yogamaya, the prison guards fell asleep, and Vasudeva was able to leave with Krishna.
• When Vasudeva reached the flooded Yamuna, the river and Ananta Sesha assisted him, and Yamuna Devi touched Krishna’s feet.
• Vasudeva safely reached Gokula, exchanged the children, and returned to the prison.
14. Kamsa’s fear and absorption in Krishna
• When Kamsa attempted to kill the baby girl, she escaped his hands and appeared as Durga Devi.
• She informed him that the child destined to kill him had already appeared elsewhere.
• Kamsa became increasingly fearful and constantly thought about Krishna.
• The lecture explains that a person can become absorbed in Krishna either favorably, through devotion, or unfavorably, through envy and fear.
• However, unfavorable absorption does not produce the same spiritual benefit as loving devotional service.
15. Putana’s past and Krishna’s mercy
• Kamsa sent Putana to kill Krishna and other newborn children.
• Putana disguised herself as a beautiful woman and approached baby Krishna in Nanda Maharaja’s courtyard.
• She had smeared poison on her breast, intending to kill Krishna while nursing Him.
• The lecture describes how Putana had previously developed a desire to serve the Lord in a motherly mood, but that desire became mixed with hostility.
• Krishna accepted her offering, removed the poison, and purified her completely.
16. Putana represents false gurus and the poisonous mind
• The lecture explains that Putana represents a false spiritual teacher who appears to offer spiritual guidance but gives misleading philosophies.
• Such teachings may encourage us to become the controller or master rather than develop the desire to serve Krishna.
• Putana also represents our own mind when it focuses on the faults and negativity of others.
• We should therefore be careful about whom we accept as a spiritual guide and learn to regulate our minds.
• By focusing on the good qualities of Krishna, the guru, devotees, and the Krishna consciousness movement, we can purify our consciousness and strengthen our devotional service.
17. Krishna’s other childhood pastimes
• After delivering Putana, Krishna continued to destroy demons who came to disturb His devotees.
• Shakatasura appeared in the form of a cart, and Trinavarta appeared as a whirlwind.
• Krishna also delivered the sons of Kuvera, Manigriva and Nalakuvara, through the Damodara pastime.
• When disturbances continued in Gokula, Nanda Maharaja and the other residents moved to Vrindavan.
• Wherever Krishna went, the demons followed, and Krishna defeated them as part of His wonderful sporting pastimes.
Main takeaway
Krishna’s pastimes are not ordinary historical events or temporary entertainment. They are eternal spiritual activities that reveal Krishna’s unlimited mercy and loving relationships with His devotees.
By hearing about these pastimes, chanting the holy names, associating with pure devotees, and carefully regulating our minds, we can overcome the influence of Kali-yuga and gradually develop our original love for Krishna.
Our greatest fortune is to hear about Krishna, remember Him, and prepare to return to His eternal abode.