Chapter 8: Prayers of Queen

Kunti and Pariksit Saved

 In chapter 7, we heard how Krsna
protected Arjuna from the brahmästra
thrown by Açvatthämä and then the Lord
solved his dilemma: What to do with this
heinous murderer, Açvatthämä? Should he
be killed or be spared because Drauni (kill
him, do not kill him).
 In this chapter we see further evidence of
how Krsna deals with His devotees in a
personal way and also how the devotees
exclusively depend on His protection and
mercy, especially from Kuntidevi’s prayer.
 Chapter 8 Contd
 From the mentality of the devotees,
who are eligible to going back to
Godhead, as expressed through their
louts mouths, we get a glimpse– and
thus it is a great beacon for us because
it reveals Krsna’s personality—teaches
us how to mold our own KC.
 Thus we should be very attentive in
hearing SB.
 The Pändavas were more fortunate
than Prahläda because Krsna not only
protected them, but actually lived with
 Chapter 8: Themes
 Lord Krsna and the sages pacify the
kurus, who were experiencing
extreme grief for their losses in the
war, citing stringent laws of the
Almighty and their reactions upon the
living beings (1-6).
 Uttarä’s prayer to Krsna to save the
life of Pariksit in her womb from the
scorching heat of another brahmästra
thrown by Açvatthämä. Krsna
personally saves both Pariksit and the
 Chapter 8: Themes
(Contd)
Kuntidevi’ prayers (18-43)
Upon Krsna preparing to
leave, but Yudhisthira
Maharaja implored Him
lovingly to stay (44-45)
Yudhisthira Maharaja’s
lamentation (46-52)
 Verse 3
 Grief has to be experienced and
shared—philosophy must come
later.
 Does Krsna experience material
grief?
– Sat-cit-änanda
– The Lord has to descend to the
material world to experience
suffering (exs: Lord Räma, Jesus,
etc.)
 Does He lack compassion?
 Stringent Laws of the
Almighty (4)
 Non-devotees are subjected to the
laws of action, but the devotees are
under personal care of Krsna. Why?
– Unalloyed bhakti ahaituki…….
– Avasya raksibe krsna visväsa pälanam
– Give 1’s life for Krsna
– Always serving Krsna
 Krsna’sreciprocation is proportionate
to the devotees’ degree of surrender.
(Contd)
 Stringent Laws of the
Almighty (4)
 Why do even the devotees have to
suffer?
– Krsna has certain overall plan and
desire
– Nature of the material world
(duhkhälayam açäsvatam)
– Even Krsna’s own parents (Devaki
and Vasudeva) had to suffer
 Stringentbecause of the time
factor, which is imperceptible
 Stringent Laws of the
Almighty (4)
Krsna is mysterious and His
relationships with His devotees are
also very mysterious
Both the material and spiritual worlds
function according to His desire and
care
Even the Lord is surprised how things
turn out
Is that possible? Isn’t He omniscient? If
He knew everything, how can He enjoy?
If He does not know everything, how
 Suffering in the spiritual
life
(Sri Madhvendra Puri Dasa)
 Is the spiritual life full of bliss or is it
filled with suffering?
 Is the suffering on the path of
devotional service accidental, or is it
necessary, or is it just the inevitable
result of our past activities, or is it the
Lord’s special mercy? Scriptures give
ample substantiation to each of these
statements.
 Devotees needs to learn how to take
suffering in a proper mood, conducive
 Suffering in the spiritual
life
(Sri Madhvendra Puri Dasa)
 Devotee accepts everything that is
happening with him as the Lord’s
dealings with him.
 SP presents a very insightful
commentary on Pändavas’ suffering in
the purport to SB 1.9.19: “Tribulations
imposed upon the devotees by the
Lord constitute another exchange of
transcendental bhäva between the
Lord and the devotees. The Lord says
“I put My devotee into difficulty, and
 Suffering in the spiritual
life
(Sri Madhvendra Puri Dasa)
 Placing the devotee into material
troubles necessitates delivering him
from the illusory material relations.
 “…Tribulations offered by the Lord to
His devotee are different from the
tribulations resulting from vicious
action.”
 If a devotee is fully mature and expert
in using everything in Lord’s service, he
may be given all the facilities for his
service. But before that one should not
Suffering in the spiritual
life
(Sri Madhvendra Puri Dasa)
 So, suffering is always a part of
our material existence, but in
devotee’s life it serves higher
purpose.
 We must accept sufferings as
means of purification, sent by
Lord Himself. For one who has
taken shelter in descriptions of
Lord Sri Krsna’s glories, suffering
 Verses 10-17
 SP said that many brahmästras
were actually thrown at the
Pändavas.
 No time this time even less than
in the case of Arjuna with
Açvatthämä
 Only the persons to whom the
brahmästra is hurled at can see
it coming.
 Why Krsna gave Himself to the
Pändavas? Because they have
 Krsna as bhakta-vatsala
aiçvarya-mädhurya-käruëye svarüpa-
pürëatä
bhakta-vätsalya, ätma-paryanta
vadänyatä
“Kåñëa’s transcendental qualities of
opulence, sweetness and mercy
are perfect and full. As far as
Kåñëa’s affectionate leaning
toward His devotees is concerned,
He is so magnanimous that He can
 Verses 10-17
 Uttarä was protected from outside
with Sudarçana, which eliminated the
number of brahmästras
 From inside her womb, Krsna
protected Pariksit by covering the
embryo with His personal energy.
– How did it look from inside? (SB 1.12.7-
11)
 Actuallythe 1st body of Pariksit was
burnt by the weapon. The Lord gave
2nd body to him within the womb (SB
Kuntidevi’ prayers (18-
43)
Who’s Kuntidevi?
Her prayers in 26 verses (18-
43)
Krsna, the original person
and His wonders (18-22)
Recognition of how Krsna
protected the Pändavas from
their dangerous encounters
 Kuntidevi’ prayers
(Contd)
Krsna, the property of the
impoverished (26-28)
Krsna’s bewildering pastimes
(29-31)
Different opinions about why
Krsna, the unborn appears to
take birth (32-36)
Full surrender and cutting ties
of affection (37-43)
 Who Is Kuntidevi?
 Kuntidevi is the daughter of
Çurasena, the chief of the glorious
Yadu dynasty, the father of Vasudeva,
who is in turn the father of Lord
Krsna, and that makes her Krsna’s
aunt.
 In her childhood, she was given in
adoption to Çurasena’s childless
cousin and close friend Kuntibhoja—
hence the name “Kunti.”
 As a host in the her step-father’s
home, she pleased sage Durväsa by
 Who Is Kuntidevi?
(Contd)
 After Kunti married King Pändu of the Kuru
dynasty, the couple could not conceive
because the sage Kindam’s curse. There
Kunti’s special benediction enabled her to
conceive (at her husband’s request), along
with the other queen Mädri, the Pändavas
as their sons by union with the demigods.
 She along with her sons and their common
wife Draupadi underwent series of
calamities by Duryodhana and Krnsa
protected them in every instance.
 She was a great devotee with incredible
 Her prayers in 26 verses
(18-43)
 Considered as a philosophical,
theological, and literary
masterpiece.
 Important enough for SP to gave
further explanations in a series of
lectures on these prayers in Los
Angeles in 1973—Teachings of
Queen Kunti.
 Very sweet and wonderful and
carry deep meanings.
 Krsna, the original person and
His wonders (18-22)
Verse 18
 The original person—tvädyam—and the
controller--içvaram
 Beyond the senses—prakrteh-param
 Existing both within and w/out everything
and everyone—antar bahir avasthitam
– All-pervading and in the hearts of all living
entities as the Supersoul
– Krsna sitting on the chariot in front of Kuntidevi
and at the same time she observed him entering
in Uttarä’s womb to save the embryo of Pariksit
from the brahmästra weapon of Açvatthämä
(Contd)
Krsna, the original person and
His wonders (Contd) (18-22)
– And yet invisible—alaksyam sarva-
bhutanäm
What makes Him the invisible? (19)
– Mäyä-javanikäcchannam—covered by the
deluding curtain of mäyä
– Ajnä—to those who are foolish and ignorant—
mudha-drçä
– Two reasons why the mudhas cannot see Krsna?
 Poor fund of knowledge/stubborn obstinacy &
their imperfect senses
 Adhoksja—beyond the range of material
conception and senses (transcendental)
simultaneously all-pervasive & localized SB
 Krsna, the original person and
His wonders (Contd) (18-22)
 Verse 20
– Paramhamsänam muninäm amal
ätmanäm—of the advanced
transcendentalists and the great
philosophers or mental speculators
whose minds are competent to
discern between spirit and matter
– Katham paçyema hi striyah—how
can then we women know You
perfectly?
 Displaying great humility while playing
Sincerity of Purpose (20)
 Although Kuntidevi explains how the Lord is
unapproachable materially, her heartfelt
prayers indirectly indicate the method of
understanding the Lord.
 Although the Lord will not come under the
control of knowledge, He can be known by
His mercy.
 The Lord’s mercy can be attracted by our
sincerity of purpose.
 A devotee’s sincerity is his desire to serve
Krsna without motive. Kuntidevi’s exclusive
dependence on the Lord thus makes her the
object of the Lord’s mercy and
demonstrates the way in which the Lord can
 Krsna, the original person and
His wonders (Contd) (18-22)
 Verse 21
– Primary (in relationship with His devotees) verses
secondary (related to the material creation)
names of Krsna
 The lotus verse 22
– Comparison with lotus indicate Krsna’s capacity to
bring happiness to the living entities (Srila Jiva
Goswami)
– Analogy of the lotus: Panka (muddy water)-aja
(born from) and yet remains untouched. Similarly,
Krsna comes in the material world, but remains
transcendental to the modes
– “Soothing atmosphere in the temple of worship to
 Recognition of how Krsna
protected the Pändavas from
their dangerous encounters
(23-25)
 Release of both Devaki and Kunti
from their distresses—Kuntidevi was
shown more favor because she was a
widow (23)
 Protection from a poisoned cake, from
a great fire, from cannibals, from the
vicious assembly, from sufferings
during exile in the forest, and from
the battle where great generals
fought. Finally, saved from the
 Recognition of how Krsna
protected the Pändavas from
their dangerous encounters
(Contd) (23-25)
 “Letthere be more calamities because
that means seeing Krsna again and
again and thus no more repeated
births & deaths” (25)—vipadaù santu
täù çaçvat  vipadaù—calamities;
santu—let there be; täù—all; çaçvat—
again and again
– Devotees understand the nature of the
material world full of calamities, but the
spirit soul is transcendental and thus
accept them.
 Krsna, the property of
the impoverished (26-28)
 The 4 principles of material advancement
are disqualifications for progress on the
path of spiritual advancement—decreasing
the fever of illusion (26)
– High parentage—janma, good wealth—aiçvarya,
high education—çruta and attractive beauty—
çrébhir
– Should not use these 4 as independent shelter,
they will fail on us
 The Lord and the devotees are reciprocally
the properties of each other and therefore
 Krsna, the property of
the impoverished (Contd)
(26-28)
 namo ’kiïcana-vittäya  namaù—all
obeisances unto You; akiïcana-vittäya—
unto the property of the materially
impoverished (part of 1st para)
 nivåtta-guëa-våttaye  nivåtta—
completely transcendental to the actions of
the material modes; guëa—material
modes; våttaye—affection (3rd and 4th para)
 ätmärämäya çäntäya kaivalya-pataye
namaù  ätma-ärämäya—one who is self-
satisfied; çäntäya—the most gentle;
kaivalya-pataye—unto the master of the
 Krsna, the property of
the impoverished
(Contd) (26-28)
 Wonderful how Kuntidevi prays for
more calamities to get Krsna’s
association.
 What is valuable to them is not
the protection as such but always
be in the Lord’s association. How
wonderful must be this
association?

 What we are seeing
here? (Bhurijana Prabhu)
 Chapters 7-11  Theme (how Krsna
deals with His devotees)
 Understanding of the interactions of
the rasas will help us to appreciate
krsna-liläs
 We should look for service--keeping
our consciousness.
 Do not look for difficulties, depend on
Krsna all the time, and devotee does
not try to put his effort into
mitigating miseries of the material
 The touch of superior
energy (28)
 Another name of the Paramätmä
feature of the Lord is käla, or eternal
time.
 Käla offers the conditioned soul both
happiness and miseries. It is all
predestined by eternal time. As we
have miseries uncalled-for, so we may
have happiness also w/out being
asked (SB 1.5.18).
 Form is limited by space and time,
but Krsna, while having a personal
 Krsna’s bewildering
pastimes
(29-31)
 samaà carantaà sarvatra (29) the SPG
being = & merciful to all His parts &
parcels descends by His free will to
evoke surrender that will make us
receptive to His mercy (Jiva Goswami).
 What does that mean that He descends
by His free will?
– No one is forcing Him even though He
comes on schedule, no one is forcing Him
to follow the schedule, freely chooses to
What does that mean that
He descends by His free
will?
– Performs liläs that are so
wonderful that we (jivas) we
will surrender to Him
– What is the result of that
surrender? Makes one receptive
to Krsna’s mercy.
– Did you notice when you are
not surrendered? turning our
back on Krsna, not receptive to
our mercy, channel of His
 Krsna’s bewildering
pastimes
(29-31) (Contd)
 Not only bewildering, but also
apparently contradictory—
inconceivable to the limited thinking
power of the human being (30).
 He is unborn and yet appears to take
birth
 All-pervading Supersoul in every living
entities, and yet He appears in various
species of life forms
 Verse 31 speaks the most sublime
truth  that krsna is conquered by
 Krsna’s bewildering
pastimes
(29-31) (Contd)
 How more expanded is this concept of
god here? the parents of the lord
(who are all pure devotees) consider
him a child only. the lord accepts the
chastisements of the parents more
cheerfully than the prayers of the
Vedic hymns. Similarly, he accepts
the reproaches of his fiancees more
palatably than the Vedic hymns
(Vraja-bhäva). This picture of the lord
 Krsna’s bewildering
pastimes
 mamat(29-31) (Contd)
ä—intimacy  complete
manifestation of Krsna—Param-
ésvara under the control of His
devotee (mother Yaçodä) deep
science of KC (aisvarya-jnäna is
completely forgotten.
 Kunté was conscious of the
exalted position of Krsna, whereas
Yaçodä was not. Therefore
Yaçodä’s position was more
 Different opinions about
why Krsna, the unborn
appears to take birth
(32-36)
 Just as sandalwood made the Malayan
hills famous, similarly Krsna made the
yadus famous by appearing in their
family (32).
 Due to the full-hearted prayers of
Devaki and Vasudeva  get rid of
asuras’ overburdening the earth (33).
 Some say that the lord appeared
because of the prayers of Brahmäjé
 Different opinions about
why Krsna, the unborn
appears to take birth
(32-36) (Contd)
 Krsna’s advent, out of His causeless
mercy, rejuvenate navadhä- bhakti—How?
Jivas under nescience are suffering in the
material existence. However, the practice
of any of the 9-fold ds, releases the jivas
from their material sufferings due to
mäyä’s illusory influence (35).
 There are different transcendental
activities of the Lord, and each and every
one of them is competent to bestow the
desired result, provided the hearing
 Full surrender and cutting
ties of affection (37-43)
 Now, Kunti will reveal her mind, what she
fears  emphasis is on how much we
ought to depend on Krsna? What does it
mean?
 The Päëòavas are most fortunate because
with all good luck they were entirely
dependent on the mercy of the lord (37).
 Dependent on the mercy of the lord  only
way out—accept His mercy whatever form
it comes
 Separation is so deep & intolerable
 Full surrender and cutting
ties of affection (37-43)
(Contd)
 Why Krsna is leaving (38)?
– See His friends in Dvärakä
– mission is over
– wants to  Kunti’s attachment to Him.
 Dependence on Krsna = essence of
surrender
 Most praised possession  imprints of lotus
feet of Krsna (39).
 Whatever Krsna touches becomes
beautiful. Whatever beautiful devoid of
Krsna becomes hollow (40).
Full surrender and cutting
ties of affection (37-43)
(Contd)
Why is she asking Krsna to cut ties of
affection (41-43)?
 Nothing in existence, collectively &
individually therefore, sever my tie of
affection for my kinsmen, the
Päëòavas and the Våñëis  Both the
families required the lord’s help
because both were dependent
devotees of the lord. Which side would
she take? (41).
 Upon Krsna preparing to
leave, but Yudhisthira
Maharaja implored Him
lovingly to stay (44-45)
 Kunti did not ask Him to stay because she
is caught between the two families. Krsna
has not revealed His intention.
 täà bäòham accepted the prayers
 premëä räjïä niväritaù Yudhisthira stopped
Krsna with prema (45)
 “He is fully independent in all His dealings,
but He voluntarily accepts obligations by
the loving affection of His pure devotees.”
(45p)
 Yudhisthira Maharaja’s
lamentation
(46-52)
 “The pious King Yudhisthira was mortified
because of the mass massacre of human
beings in the Battle of Kuruksetra,
especially on his account (640 million
people were killed)” (46).
 Yudhisthira’s speaking & lamentation was
orchestrated by Krsna just like Arjuna.
 Vyas & others knew that their preaching
would not work, yet they did it to follow
Krsna’s order (Srila Jiva Goswami) Why
Krsna arranged that this way? So we can
hear the philosophy through Bhésma (46-
47).
 Yudhisthira Maharaja’s
lamentation (46-52)
(Contd)
 Krsna causes His own failure to pacify
Yudhisthira. What is Krsna up to?
– He desired that the King hear instructions from
the dying Bhéñmadeva, who was another great
devotee of the Lord. Wanted to glorify and
immortalize the position of Bhéñma as
mahäjana.
– The Lord wanted that at the last stage of his
material existence the great warrior
Bhéñmadeva see Him personally and see his
beloved grandchildren, King Yudhiñöhira, etc.,
now situated on the throne, and thus pass away
Yudhisthira’s lamentation
Contd
– Bhéñma witnessed everything
(all ordeals of the Pändavas),
Krsna wanted Bhéñma to be
pacified at death by bringing
the Pändavas in their rightful
position.
– Wanted to personally appear for
Bhéñma’s demise even though
he is on the other side