Krsna Book Audio Dictation - Chapter 88
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Next, Chapter Eighty-eight: "Liberation and Material Opulence."
King Parīkṣit, being already liberated as a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa, was asking various questions from Śukadeva Gosvāmī to clarify the whole matter. In the previous chapter, King Parīkṣit's question was, "What is the ultimate goal of the Vedas?" And Śukadeva Gosvāmī explained to him for the ultimate goal of Vedas taking authoritative description, beginning from Sanandana down to Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi and Nārada, in disciplic succession to Vyāsadeva, and then to Śukadeva Gosvāmī himself. The conclusion arrived as devotional service, or bhakti, is the ultimate goal of the Vedas.
Now, a neophyte devotee may question, "If the ultimate goal of life, or the conclusion of the Vedas, is to elevate oneself on the platform of devotional service, then why it is so observed that a devotee of Lord Viṣṇu is generally not very much materially prosperous, whereas a devotee of Lord Śiva is found to be very much materially opulent?" In order to clarify this matter, Parīkṣit Mahārāja inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī as follows: (within quotation) "My dear Śukadeva Gosvāmī, it is generally found that all living entities, including the human society, the…”
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On the inquiry of King Parīkṣit about the contradictory action in the matter of worshiping Lord Śiva and Lord Viṣṇu, Śukadeva Gosvāmī replied that Lord Śiva is the master of this material, or energy. The material energy is represented by goddess Durgā, and Lord Śiva happens to be her husband. Goddess Durgā being completely under subjugation of Lord Śiva, it is to be understood that Lord Śiva is the master of this material energy. The material energy is manifested in three qualities, namely goodness, passion and ignorance. Under the circumstances, Lord Śiva is also a master of these three qualities. Although he is in association with these three qualities for the benefit of the conditioned soul, he is the director, but he is not affected. The conditioned soul is affected by the three qualities, but Lord Śiva himself is not affected but he is disposer of these three qualities.
In this statement of Śukadeva Gosvāmī, we can understand that the effects of worshiping different demigods are not always one and the same, as some less intelligent class of men suppose. There it is clearly stated that by worshiping Lord Śiva one achieves a different reward, whereas by worshiping Lord Viṣṇu one achieves a different effects. In the Bhagavad-gītā also this is confirmed, that "Those who are worshiping different demigods, they will achieve the desired result which is possible to be awarded by such demigods, and similarly, those who are worshiping material energy, they will receive reward of such activities. Similarly, those who are worshiping the pitris, they will also receive similar result. But one who is engaged in devotional service, or worship of the Supreme Lord—Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, they will go to the Vaikuṇṭha or Kṛṣṇaloka."
It is not that by worshiping Lord Śiva or Brahmā or any other demigod one can approach the transcendental region, or paravyoma, the spiritual sky. This material world being products of the three qualities of material nature, there are varieties of manifestation, just like in the modern civilization, by the aid of materialistic science people have created so many machines and comforts of life. But they are only varieties of the interaction of three material qualities. When a devotee of Lord Śiva is able to acquire all this material acquisition, we should know that they are simply collecting things manufactured by the three qualities. The three qualities are again subdivided into sixteen, namely the ten senses, namely five working senses and five knowledge-acquiring senses, and the mind, altogether eleven, and the five elements, namely earth, water, air, fire, sky. These sixteen items are further extension of the three qualities.
Material happiness or opulence means sense gratification, specifically the genital, the tongue and the mind. By exercising our mind, we are creating so many pleasurable things for enjoyment by the genital and the tongue. When we think of an opulent person within this material world, we estimate the value in terms of his exercise of the genital and the tongue, or in other words, how one is able to utilize his sexual capacities and how one is able to eat nice, palatable dishes according to one's fastidiousness. Material advancement of civilization means that they are creating by mental concoction so many things just to become happy based on these two principles, namely pleasurable things for the genital and pleasurable things for the tongue.
Therefore, the question of King Parīkṣit to Śukadeva Gosvāmī why the devotees or worshiper of Lord Śiva are so opulent: they are so-called opulent by the material qualities. Actually, such advancement of civilization is the cause of entanglement in material existence. Actually they are not advancement; they are degradation. Therefore, the conclusion is that because Lord Śiva is the master of the three qualities, so things manufactured by the interaction of these three qualities for satisfaction of senses are given to the devotees.
In the Bhagavad-gītā, however, we get instruction from Lord Kṛṣṇa that one has to transcend the qualitative existence. Nistrai-guṇyo bhavārjuna (BG 2.45).
Nistrai-guṇya—transcendental to the three qualities. That is the mission of human life. Without being nistrai-guṇya, nobody can get free from material entanglement. In other words, favors received from Lord Śiva are not actually beneficial to the conditioned soul, although apparently such environment seems to be materially opulent.
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Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued to say: (within quotation) "The Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari is, however, transcendental the three qualities of material nature." Or in other words, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that anyone who surrenders unto Him surpasses the control of the three qualities of material nature. When Hari's devotee is transcendental to the control of the three material qualities, what to speak of Him? It is stated, therefore, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that Hari, or Kṛṣṇa, is the original Supreme Personality.
There are two kinds of prakṛti, or nature, or potency, namely the internal potency and the external potency, and Kṛṣṇa is overlord of all these prakṛtis, or potencies. He is sarva-dṛk, or the overseer of all the actions of internal potency and external potency. Not only that, He is described as upadraṣṭā, or the supreme advisor. Being the supreme advisor, He is above all demigods, who follows the direction of the supreme advisor.
As such, if one directly follows the instruction of the Supreme Lord, as it is inculcated in the Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then naturally the follower of such instruction gradually becomes nirguṇa, or above the interaction of the material quality. To become nirguṇa means to be bereft of material opulences because as we have explained above, material opulence means increase of actions and reactions of the three material qualities. So by worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one, instead of becoming puffed up with material opulences, he becomes enriched with spiritual advancement of knowledge in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. To become nirguṇa means to achieve eternal peace, fearlessness, enriched in religious activ…, activities full of knowledge, renunciation. All these are symptoms of becoming nirguṇa, or free from the contamination of material qualities.
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Śukadeva Gosvāmī in this connection cited the instance of history about Parīkṣit Mahārāja's grandfather, King Yudhiṣṭhira. He said that King Yudhiṣṭhira, after finishing the Aśvamedha sacrifice in the great sacrificial arena and in the presence of great authorities, inquired that very question, namely, why the devotees of Lord Śiva becomes materially opulent whereas the devotees of Lord Viṣṇu are not like that. Śukadeva Gosvāmī specifically said that "your grandfather" so that he would be encouraged that Kṛṣṇa had some family relation with their family, and his grandfathers were very much intimately connected with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
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When this question was asked by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Kṛṣṇa, although He is very satisfied always by nature, He became still more satisfied on the inquiry of King Yudhiṣṭhira because his question and the answer of the Supreme Personality of Godhead would bear a great meaning for the whole Kṛṣṇa conscious society. Whenever Lord Kṛṣṇa speaks something to His specified devotee, it is not only meant for the devotees but it is meant for the whole human society. Such instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is equally important to the demigods, headed by Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and others. The Supreme Personality of Godhead descends within this world for such beneficial work for all living entities. Anyone who does not take advantage of the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is certainly very much unfortunate.
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So Lord Kṛṣṇa answered the question of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira as follows: "Anyone who is favored by Me and I take special care for such devotee, the first business in dealing with him is that I take away the riches of such devotee. In this way, when the devotee becomes a penniless pauper or put into comparatively poverty-stricken position, at that time his relatives and family members do not take any more interest in him, and in most cases they give up their connection. So the devotee becomes doubly unhappy."
First of all he becomes unhappy on account of his riches being taken away by Kṛṣṇa, and another unhappiness is that on account of his poverty-stricken position his relatives also desert from his connection. We should, however, note in this connection that the devotee fallen into miserable condition in such a way is not due to his past impious activities, known as karma-phala. This poverty-stricken position of the devotee is a creation of the Personality of Godhead. Similarly, a devotee, when he becomes materially opulent, that is also not due to his pious activities. In both the cases, either the devotee becomes poorer or the devotee becomes richer, the arrangement is made by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
This arrangement is specially made by Kṛṣṇa for His devotee just to make him completely dependent upon Him, or being freed from all material obligations, he can concentrate his energies, mind, body—everything—for the service of the Lord, and that is pure devotional service. In the Nārada Paṣcarātra it is explained, therefore, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (Cc Madhya 19.170).
(Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.)
Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam means "being freed from all designation." So long one works for the family, for the society, for the community, for the nation or for the humanity, they are all work in designation. "I belong to this society," "I belong to this community," "I belong to this nation" or "I belong to this species of life," they are all different designations only.
So by the grace of the Lord, when a devotee becomes freed from all these designations, his devotional service is actually naiṣkarmya. Jṣānīs are very much attracted by this position of naiṣkarmya, which means that your action will have no more any effect. So the devotee's action being freed from effects, it is not under the category of karma-phalam, or fruitive activities. As it is explained before in the words of personified Vedas that unhappiness and distress of a devotee is produced by the Personality of Godhead for the devotee, and the devotee therefore does not care whether he is in happiness or he is in distress. He goes on with his duties of executing devotional service. The idea is that although he seems to be under the action and reaction of fruitive activities, he is freed from such resultant action of designation.
It may be questioned in this connection that why the devotee is put into such tribulation by the Personality of Godhead. The answer is this kind of arrangement by the Personality of Godhead is just like the father becomes sometimes unkind to his son. The devotee being a surrendered soul and taken charge by the Supreme Lord, whenever he puts him in any condition of life—distress or happiness—it is to be understood that there is a big plan behind this arrangement made by the Personality of Godhead. For example, by such arrangement Lord Kṛṣṇa put the Pāṇḍavas in distressed condition, and the distress was so much acute that even grandfather Bhīṣma could not estimate how such thing could happen.
He lamented the condition of the Pāṇḍavas, that the whole family was headed by King Yudhiṣṭhira, the most pious king, and protected by two great warriors like Bhīma, Arjuna, and above all, they were all intimate friends and relatives of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and still they had to undergo such tribulation. But later on it was proved that such plan was made by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa to execute His great mission, namely, annihilating these miscreants and protecting the devotees.
In this connection, a question may be raised that if the devotee is also subjected to different kinds of condition, happiness or distress, by the arrangement of the Personality of Godhead, and if a common man is put into such condition as resultant action of his past deeds, then what is the difference, and in which way the devotee is better than the ordinary karmī? The answer is that they are not one and the same. But the karmīs, in whatever condition of life he may be, it continues birth after birth because the seed of karma, or fruitive activity, is there and it fructifies whenever there is opportunity. That means in the law of karma a common man is perpetually entangled in the repeated birth and death, whereas the devotee's distress and happiness, not being under the laws of karma, it is temporary arrangement by the Supreme Lord, without any entanglement by the devotee.
Such arrangement is made by the Lord to serve a temporary purpose only. For a karmī, when he acts something auspicious he is elevated to the heavenly planets, and if he acts impiously he is put into the hellish condition of life. But a devotee, either he acts in so-called pious or impious position, he is neither elevated or degraded but he is transferred to the spiritual kingdom. Therefore, a devotee's happiness and distress and a karmī's happiness and distress are not on the same level.
This fact is corroborated by the speech of Yamarāja to his servants in connection with liberation of Ajāmila. He advised to his followers that persons who had never uttered the holy name of the Lord, neither he has ever remembered the form, quality, pastimes of the Lord, such persons should be approached by the watch guards of Yamarāja. Yamarāja also advised that for the devotees, they should never approach. On the contrary, if they meet sometimes a devotee, they should offer their respectful obeisances. So there is no question of devotees being promoted or degraded within this material world. As there is gulf of difference between the punishment awarded by the mother and the punishment by an enemy, similarly, a devotee's distressed condition is not the same as the distressed condition of a common karmī.
Here another question may be raised, that God is all-powerful; why He should try to reform His devotee putting him into distressed condition of life? The answer is that when the Supreme Personality of Godhead puts His devotee in such distressed condition of life, it is not without purpose. Sometimes the purpose is that in a such distressed condition, a devotee's feelings and attachment for Kṛṣṇa becomes magnified. The evidence is Kuntī. When Kṛṣṇa was leaving the capital of the Pāṇḍavas for His home, and when He was taking permission from Kuntīdevī for going back to home, Kuntīdevī said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, in our distressed condition You were always present with us. Now, because we have been elevated to the position of royal order, You are leaving us. I would therefore prefer such distressed condition of life instead I'm losing You."
So in the distressed condition of a devotee, his devotional activities become accelerated. Therefore the Lord, to show a special favor to the devotee, He puts him sometimes in the distressed condition. Besides that, there it is stated that the sweetness of happiness is sweet to those who have tasted the bitterness of it. The Supreme Lord descends on this material world just to protect His devotees from distressed condition. In other words, if the devotee is not into a distressed condition, the Lord would not have come down. So far His killing the demons, or the miscreants, He can do it easily by His various energies, just like many asuras are killed by His external energy, goddess Durgā. So He does not require to come down to kill such demons, but He has to come down when His devotee is in distressed condition. Just like Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva appeared not for killing Hiraṇyakaśipu but to see Prahlāda and to give him blessings. In other words, because Prahlāda Mahārāja was put into so much distressed condition, the Lord appeared.
Besides that, there is another analogy: just like after dense, dark night when there is sun rising in the morning, it is very pleasant. When there is scorching heat, cold water is very pleasant; or when there is suffocating winter, hot water is very pleasant. Similarly, when a devotee, after distressed condition of this material world, relishes the spiritual happiness awarded by the Lord, position becomes still more pleasant and enjoyable.
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The Lord continued to say, (within quotation) "My devotee, when he is bereft of all material riches and deserted by his relatives, friends and family members, at that time, because he has nobody to look after him, he completely takes shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord." Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung in this connection, "My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, You are now standing before me along with Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu. So I am surrendering unto You. Please accept me. Please do not kick me away, because I have no other shelter than Yourself."
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When a devotee is thus put into so-called miserable condition, being bereft of riches and family, first of all he tries again to revive his original position of material opulence. But again and again he tries, and again and again Kṛṣṇa takes all his resources. Thus at the end he becomes disappointed in his material activities. Practically in the stage of frustration from all endeavors, one can fully surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such devotees are advised by the Lord from within that he may associate with devotees, and by associating with the devotees naturally he becomes inclined to render service to the Personality of Godhead, and immediately he gets all facilities from the side of the Lord for advancing in his mode of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
The nondevotees, however, are very careful about their material condition of life. Generally, such nondevotees do not therefore come to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but they prefer to worship Lord Śiva or any other demigods for immediate material profit. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, therefore, kāṅkṣantaḥ karmaṇāṁ siddhiṁ yajanta iha devatāḥ (BG 4.12).
Which means that "The karmīs, in order to achieve success within this material world, go to worship different kinds of demigods." In another place it is also stated by Lord Kṛṣṇa that those who go to worship other demigods, their intelligence is not mature. The devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are not therefore foolish to go to any other demigod, and on account of their strong attachment for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without being deterred by any kind of adverse condition of life, remains firm and steady, and "Thus I give Myself to him, and thus he is favored by Myself to achieve the highest success of life."
LA tape number thirty-nine.
(break) Los Angeles tape number forty. Kṛṣṇa, Chapter Eighty-eight continued.
The mercy bestowed upon the tried devotees by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is described as brahma, which means that the greatness of the mercy at that time is compared only with the all-pervasive greatness. Brahma means unlimitedly great and unlimitedly expanding. At the same time, it is stated that mercy is paramam: there is no comparison of that mercy within this material world. At the same time sūkṣmam, it is very fine. That means the mercy upon the tried devotee is not only great and unlimitedly expansive, but it is of the finest quality, which means transcendental love between the devotee and the Lord. Such mercy is described as cin-mātram, completely spiritual. The word mātram is used, which means absolutely spiritual, in which there is no tinge of material quality. Such mercy is sat, eternal, and anantakam, unlimited.
When the devotee of the Lord is awarded such unlimited spiritual benefit, why he should go to worship other demigods? Therefore, a devotee does not go to worship Lord Śiva or Brahmā or any other subordinate demigods. They completely devote themselves to the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued to say, (within quotation) "Except the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, other demigods, headed by Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, including Lord Indra, Candra, Varuṇa and various others, they are apt to become very soon satisfied or very soon angry by the good behavior and ill behavior of the devotees. This means within this material world any living entity, including the demigods, are conducted by the three modes of material nature, and in that way the quality of ignorance and passion are very much prominent within this material world. Therefore, the devotees who take blessings from the demigods are also infected with the material qualities, especially passion and ignorance.”
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa has therefore stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that to take the blessings from the demigods is meant for the less intelligent class of men, and even though they take some benediction from such demigods, the result of such benediction is temporary. Although it is easier to get material opulence by worshiping the demigods, but the result is sometimes disastrous. As such, the benediction derived from demigods is appreciated by less intelligent class of men. Persons who derive benediction from the demigods gradually become puffed up with the material opulence and neglectful even to the benedictor.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī addressed the king Parīkṣit, (within quotation) "My dear King, Lord Brahmā, Lord Viṣṇu, Lord Śiva, the principal trio of this material creation, are able to benedict or to curse anyone. Out of this trio, Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva very easily become satisfied, at the same time very easily become angry. When they are satisfied, they give benediction without any consideration, and when they are angry they curse the devotee without any consideration. But Lord Viṣṇu is not like that. Lord Viṣṇu is very considerate. Whenever a devotee wants something from Lord Viṣṇu, He first of all considers whether such kind of benediction will be ultimately good for the devotee. Lord Viṣṇu never bestows any benediction which will ultimately prove disastrous to the devotee. He is by His transcendental nature always merciful; therefore, before giving any benediction, He considers whether such benediction will be ultimately good for the devotee. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, being always merciful, even sometimes it appears that He has killed some demon. Such killing or apparently becoming angry upon the devotee is also auspicious for the devotee. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is therefore known as all-good. Whatever He does is good."
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So far the benediction given by demigods like Lord Śiva, there is a historical reference generally cited by great sages which it is understood that sometimes Lord Śiva, after giving benediction to a demon of the name Vṛkāsura, he himself was entrapped in great dangerous position. This Vṛkāsura was the son of Śakuni. He was searching after some benediction and was thinking of selecting out of the trio whom he would worship and get the benediction. In the meantime, he happened to meet the great sage Nārada and consulted him to whom he should approach to achieve quick result of his austerity. He inquired, "Out of the three deities, namely Lord Brahmā, Lord Viṣṇu and Lord Śiva, who is very quickly satisfied?" Nāradajī, however, could understand the plan of the demon, and he advised him that "You better worship Lord Śiva, and then quickly you will get the desired result. The reason is Lord Śiva is very quickly satisfied, and at the same time he becomes very quickly dissatisfied also. So you try to satisfy Lord Śiva."
Nāradajī also gave instances that demons like Rāvaṇa and Bāṇāsura were enriched by great opulences simply by satisfying Lord Śiva offering some prayers. The great sage Nārada was aware of the nature of the demon Vṛkāsura. Therefore, he did not advise him to approach Viṣṇu or Lord Brahmā, as it will appear from the next verse that Vṛkāsura was existing in the modes of material nature of ignorance. Such person cannot stick to the worship of Viṣṇu.
So after receiving instruction from Nārada, the demon Vṛkāsura went to Kedāranātha. This Kedāranātha pilgrimage is still existing near Kashmir. It is almost always covered by snow, but in some part of the year, during the month of July, there is some facility to see the deity, and devotees go there to offer their respects. This place of pilgrimage known as Kedāranātha is a place for the devotees of the Lord Śiva. According to Vedic principle, when something is offered to the deities for eating, it is offered to the fire. Therefore, fire sacrifice is necessary in all sorts of ceremonies. It is specially stated in the śāstras that gods are to be offered something for eating through the fire. So this demon Vṛkāsura went to Kedāranātha and ignited fire for making sacrifice to please Lord Śiva.
After igniting fire there in the name of Śiva, he began to offer his own flesh cutting from the body just to please Lord Śiva. Here is an instance of worshiping in the modes of ignorance. In the Bhagavad-gītā, there are different types of sacrifices. Some of the sacrifices are in the modes of goodness, some of the sacrifices are in the modes of passion, and some of them are in the modes of ignorance. There are different kinds of tapasyas and worships, because there are different kinds of people within this world. But the ultimate tapasya, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is the topmost yoga, the topmost sacrifice. As they are confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, the topmost yoga is to think of Lord Kṛṣṇa always within the heart, and the topmost sacrifice is performing the saṅkīrtana-yajṣa.
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In the Bhagavad-gītā, it is stated that the worshipers of the demigods are less intelligent, or lost of their intelligence. This instance of Vṛkāsura, as it will be revealed in the following chapter, that his ultimate goal to satisfy Lord Śiva was most third-class materialistic objective—such objective, temporary and without any real benefit. Still, the asuras, or the persons in the modes of ignorance, will accept such kind of benediction from the demigods. And in complete contrast with this sacrifice in the modes of ignorance, there is arcana-vidhi of Lord Viṣṇu; or the worshiping process for Lord Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa is very simple. Lord Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that He accepts from His devotee even a little fruit, little flower, little water, which can be gathered by any person, poor or rich. Of course, those who are rich, they are not expected to offer a little water or a little piece of fruit or little piece of leaf to the Lord. A rich man should offer according to his position. But the Lord wants the lowest possible things if the devotee happens to be a very poor man.
Anyway, the worship of Lord Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa is very simple and can be executed by any man within this world. But in the worship in the modes of ignorance, as it is exhibited by the Vṛkāsura, is not only very difficult and painful but also they are useless waste of time. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says that the worshipers of the demigods are lost of intelligence, because their process of worship is very, very difficult, at the same time the result obtained is flickering and temporary.
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The Vṛkāsura continued his sacrifice for six days; still he was unable to see personally Lord Śiva, which was his objective, because he wanted to see him face to face and ask him for the benediction. Here is another contrast between a demon and a devotee. A devotee is confident that whatever he is offering to the Deity in full devotional service is being accepted by the Lord. But a demon wants to see face to face his worshipable deity so that he can directly take the benediction. Devotee, however, does not worship Viṣṇu or Lord Kṛṣṇa for any benediction. Therefore a devotee is called akāma, and the nondevotee is called sarva-kāma, or wanting everything.
On the seventh day, the demon Vṛkāsura decided that he should offer his head, cut it off from the body, to satisfy Lord Śiva. Thus he took bath in the nearby lake and, without drying the body and the hair, he kept himself wet and wanted to cut off his head, for which he prepared himself. According to Vedic system, a animal which is to be offered as sacrifice has to be bathed first, and while the animal is wet he is sacrificed.
When the demon was thus prepared to cut off his head, Lord Śiva became very much compassionate. This compassion is, however, a symptom of the quality of goodness. Lord Śiva is called tri-liṅga, therefore his manifestation of the nature of compassion is the sign of the quality of goodness. This compassion is, however, present in every living entity. Compassion of Lord Śiva was aroused not because the demon was offering his bodily flesh to the sacrificial fire, but it is quite natural. We also, common man, if we see somebody is prepared to commit suicide, it is the duty even of a common man to try to save him. That is automatically done. There is no need of appealing to a person. Therefore, when Lord Śiva appeared from the fire and to check him from such kind of suicidal policy, it was not very much favor for the demon.
The demon was, however, saved from committing suicide by the touch of Lord Śiva, and his injuries on the body immediately became cured and his body became as it was before. Then Lord Śiva began to address the demon, "My dear Vṛkāsura, you do not require to cut off your head. You can ask from me any benediction, whatever you like; I shall fulfill your desire. I do not know why did you prepared yourself to cut off your head to satisfy me. I become satisfied even by offering of a little water."
Actually, according to Vedic process, the śiva-liṅga in the temple or the form of Lord Śiva in the temple is worshiped simply by offering Ganges water, because it is said that Lord Śiva is very much satisfied when Ganges water is poured upon his head. Generally, devotees they offer Ganges water and the leaves of bilva tree. This bilva tree is especially meant for offering the leaves to Lord Śiva and goddess Durgā. The fruit of this tree also are offered to Lord Śiva. Lord Śiva therefore assured him that he is satisfied with the simple process of worship. Why he so much anxious to cut off his head and why he was taking so much pain by cutting his body into pieces and offering in the fire? There was no need of such severe type of penances. Anyway, out of compassion and sympathy, Lord Śiva was prepared to give him any benediction he liked.
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When the demon was offered by Lord Śiva such facility, he asked some benediction which is very, very fearful and abominable to be asked from Lord Śiva. The demon was very, very sinful, and such a sinful person do not know what sort of benediction has to be asked from the deity. He asked the favor of Lord Śiva to be benedicted by the power that as soon as he would touch anyone's head, immediately the man's head will fall down or will be cracked and the man will die. The demons are therefore described in the Bhagavad-gītā as duṣkṛtinaḥ, which means miscreants. Kṛtī means "very meritorious," but added with duṣ: "abominable."
So these duṣkṛtinaḥs, or the miscreants, instead of surrendering unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they worship different kinds of demigods to derive some material benefit which are abominable. Sometimes such demons, material scientists, also discover some lethal weapon for killing. They cannot show the power of their merit for discovering something which can save the man from death, but they can discover some weapon which can accelerate the process of death.
So this demon could have asked from Lord Śiva… Because Lord Śiva is also powerful to give any benediction. So instead of asking from him something beneficial to the human society, for his personal interest he asked that anyone whose head would be touched by his hand be killed at once. Lord Śiva, however, could understand the motive of the demon, and he was very sorry that he had given assurance to the demon to offer him any benediction he liked. He could not withdraw his promise, but he was very sorry in his heart that he was to offer him some benediction which is so much dangerous to the human society.
The demons are therefore described in the Bhagavad-gītā as duṣkṛtinaḥ, which means miscreants. They have got brain, they have got merit, but the merit and brain is used for abominable activities. Just like sometimes the materialistic demons discover some lethal weapon for killing men. While this discovery, scientific research, requires certainly very good brain to work on, but instead of discovering something beneficial to the human society, they discover something to accelerate the death, which is already assured to every man. Similarly, this demon, instead of asking benediction from Lord Śiva something beneficial to the human society, he asked which is very dangerous to the human society. Therefore, Lord Śiva was very sorry within himself.
Devotees, however, never ask any benediction from Lord Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, and even they ask something from the Lord, that is not at all dangerous for the human society. That is the contrast between the demons and the devotees, or the worshiper of Lord Śiva and the worshiper of Lord Viṣṇu.
While Śukadeva Gosvāmī was narrating the history of this Vṛkāsura, he addressed Mahārāja Parīkṣit as Bhārata, referring to the context of King Parīkṣit's born in a family of devotees. This Mahārāja Parīkṣit was saved by Lord Kṛṣṇa while he was in his mother's womb. Similarly, he could ask the benediction from Lord Kṛṣṇa for being saved from the curse of the brāhmaṇa, but he did not ask anything from Kṛṣṇa for saving himself. The demon, however, wanted to become immortal by killing everyone with the touch of his hand. Lord Śiva could understand it, but because he promised to him to give the benediction, he gave it to him.
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The demon, however, being very sinful, immediately conjectured that he would kill Lord Śiva by the same benediction and take away Gaurī, Pārvatī, for his personal enjoyment. The demon immediately wanted to place his hand on the head of Lord Śiva. Thus Lord Śiva was put into an awkward position, because he was endangered by his own benediction to a demon. This is also another instance of misusing the power derived from the demigods by a materialistic devotee.
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The demon Vṛkāsura, however, without waiting for further decision, immediately approached Lord Śiva to place the demon's hand on the head of the lord, and Lord Śiva was so much afraid of him that his body became trembled, thus began to flee from land to the sky, from the sky to the other planet, till the end of the universal limitation, above the higher planetary system. The result was that Lord Śiva began to go away from one place to another, and the demon Vṛkāsura continued his chasing after him. The predominating deities of other planets, like Brahmā, Indra, Candra and similar other demigods, could not find out any way how to save Lord Śiva from the impending danger. Wherever Lord Śiva went, they remained silent.
At last Lord Śiva approached Lord Viṣṇu, who is situated within this universe on the planet known as Śvetadvīpa. This Śvetadvīpa is the local Vaikuṇṭha planet, beyond the jurisdiction of the influence of external energy. Lord Viṣṇu in His all-pervasive feature remains everywhere, but wherever He remains, that is Vaikuṇṭha atmosphere. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated that the Lord remains within the heart of all living entities. As such, the Lord remains within the heart of many low-grade living entities, but that does not mean He remains in that low-grade condition. Wherever He remains, that is transformed into Vaikuṇṭha. So the planet known as Śvetadvīpa within this universe is also Vaikuṇṭhaloka.
It is said in the śāstras that residential quarter within the forest is in the mode of goodness, residential quarters in big cities, towns and villages are in the modes of passion, and residential quarters in an atmosphere of four sinful activities, wherein indulgence of illicit sex, intoxicants, meat-eating and gamblings predominate, such places are in the modes of ignorance. But residential quarters in the temple of the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu temple, is Vaikuṇṭha. It doesn't matter where the temple is situated, but the temple itself, wherever it may be, is Vaikuṇṭha. Similarly, the Śvetadvīpa planet, although within the material jurisdiction, it is Vaikuṇṭha.
So in this Śvetadvīpa Vaikuṇṭha, at last Lord Śiva entered. In this Śvetadvīpa planet, great saintly persons who are completely freed from the envious nature of the material world, beyond the jurisdiction of the four principles of material activities, namely religiosities, economic development, sense gratification and liberation—anyone who enters into that Vaikuṇṭha planet never comes back again to this material world. Lord Nārāyaṇa is celebrated as a lover of His devotees, and as soon as He understood that Lord Śiva was in great perplexities, He appeared Himself as a brahmacārī, and He personally approached Lord Śiva to receive him from a distant place.
The Lord appeared as a perfect brahmacārī, with belt on His waist, sacred thread and the deerskin, brahmacārī stick and beads of raudra. (within bracket) (This raudra beads are different from tulasī beads. Raudra beads are used by the devotees of Lord Śiva.) (close) Lord Nārāyaṇa in that dress of a brahmacārī, when He was standing before, glaring effulgence from His body were emanating, which attracted not only Lord Śiva but also the demon Vṛkāsura.
Lord Nārāyaṇa thus offered His respect and obeisances unto Vṛkāsura, just to attract his sympathy and attention upon Him. Thus checking the demon Vṛkāsura, the Lord began to address him as follows: "My dear son of Śakuni, you appear to be very much tired, as if coming from a very distant place. What is your purpose? Why you have come so far away? I see you are very much fatigued and tired, so I request you take a little rest. You should not put your body unnecessarily unto such tiresome condition. Everybody has got a great value for this body, because with this body only we can fulfill all the desires of our mind. We should not, therefore, unnecessarily give trouble to this body." (quotation close)
Lord Nārāyaṇa addressed the Vṛkāsura demon as the son of Śakuni just to convince him that the brahmacārī was known to his father, Śakuni. Thus Vṛkāsura took the brahmacārī as somebody known to his family, and the brahmacārī's sympathetic words appealed to him. Before the demon could argue that he had no time to take rest, the Lord began to inform him about the importance of the body. The demon was convinced with the argument of the brahmacārī. The body of any man is very important, and what to speak of the body of the demon, which was so important. Thus the demon became convinced about the importance of his body.
Then the brahmacārī asked the demon, "My dear lord," just to pacify him, "if you think that you can disclose your mind about your mission for which you have taken so much trouble to come here, maybe I shall be able to help you so that your purpose will be easily served." Indirectly, the Lord informed him that the Lord being Supreme Brahman, certainly He would be able to adjust things which has been created by Lord Śiva for his indiscriminate benediction upon a demon.
The demon, thus being very much pacified by the sweet words of Lord Nārāyaṇa in the form of a brahmacārī, and thus the demon disclosed all that had happened before in respect of his benediction offered by Lord Śiva. To this the Lord replied to the demon as follows: "If Lord Śiva has given you such a benediction, then at least for Myself I cannot believe that it is a truth. So far I know that Lord Śiva is not in sane condition of his mind. Since there was a quarrel between his father-in-law, Dakṣa, he has been cursed to become a piśāca (within brackets) (ghost). Thus he has become the leader of the ghost and hobgoblins. So therefore, I cannot put any faith in his words, my dear king of the demons. But if you have still any faith on the words of Lord Śiva, then why don't you make an experiment by keeping your hand on your head? If it however proves false, then you can immediately kill this liar, Lord Śiva, so that in future he will not dare not giving false benediction."
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The demon Vṛkāsura, in this way, by the sweet words and expansion of a superior illusion, the demon became bewildered and he actually forgot the power of Lord Śiva and his benediction, and thus he very easily put his hand on his own head. And as soon as he placed his hand on his own head, it appeared that the head became cracked, as if by the thunderstruck, and the demon immediately died. On this, the demigods from the heaven began to shower flowers on Lord Nārāyaṇa, praising Him with "All glories!" and all kinds of thanksgiving and obeisances were offered to the Lord. On the death of Vṛkāsura, all the denizens in the higher planetary system, namely the demigods, the pitṛs, the Gandharvas, the inhabitants of Janaloka, began to shower flowers on the Personality of Godhead. And thus Lord Viṣṇu in the form of a brahmacārī saved the whole situation, and Lord Śiva became released from the impending danger.
Then Lord Nārāyaṇa informed Lord Śiva that this sinful demon is killed by the result of his sinful activities. His sinful activities was especially strained on his offense that he wanted to make experiment on his master, Lord Śiva. Lord Nārāyaṇa then addressed Lord Śiva, "My dear lord, a person who commits offense on great souls cannot exist. He becomes vanquished by his own sinful activities, and what to speak of this demon, who has committed so much offensive act against you."
Thus anyone who hears about this liberation of Lord Śiva from being killed by a demon by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Nārāyaṇa, who is transcendental to all material qualities, anyone who hears this history with faith and devotion becomes liberated from this material entanglement, as well as from the killing of his enemies.
Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of Eighty-eighth Chapter Kṛṣṇa, "Deliverance of Lord Śiva."