SB 1.9.22 (1964)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 22
Tathapi ekanta bhaktesu pasya bhupa anukampitam Yat me asuns tyajatah sakshat krishno darsanam agatah.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Tathapi—still, Ekanta—unflinching, Bhaktesu—unto the devotee, Pasya—see here, Bhupa—oh the king, Anukampitam-how much sympathetic, Yat—for which, Me—mine, Asuns—life, Tyajatah—ending, Sakshat—directly, Krishna—the Personality of Godhead, Darsanam—in my view, Agatam—has kindly come.
TRANSLATION
Thus inspite of His becoming equal to everyone, He has very kindly come in my view while I am ending my life, because I am His unflinching servitor.
PURPORT
The Supreme Lord Absolute Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna although equal to everyone still He is more inclined to His unflinching devotee who is completely a surrendered soul and knows nobody else as his protector and master. This conception of life having unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord as one's Protector, Friend and Master is the natural condition of eternal life. A living entity is so made by the will of the Almighty and, therefore, he is mostly happy by placing himself in that condition of absolute dependence.
The opposite tendency is the cause of fall down of the living entity. He has this tendency of falling down by dint of misidentifying himself as fully independant to lord it over the material world. The root cause of all troubles is there in the false egoism. One must give up this false sense of complete independence and thus draw more attention of the Lord in all circumstances.
Appearance of Lord Krishna at the death-bed of Bhismaji is due to his becoming an unflinching devotee of the Lord. Arjuna had some bodily relation with Krishna because the latter happened to be his maternal cousin. But Bhisma had no such bodily relation. Therefore the cause of attraction was due to the intimate relation of the soul. Of course the relation of the body is more pleasing and natural. The Lord is more pleased when he is addressed as the son of Maharaj Nanda, the son of Yasoda, the Lover of Radharani. This affinity by bodily relation with the Lord is another feature of reciprocating loving service to the Lord. Bhismadeva is conscious of this sweetness of transcendental humour and therefore, he likes to address the Lord Vijoya Sakhe, Partha Sakhe etc. exactly like Nanda-Nandan, Yasoda-Nandan. The best way of establishing our relation in transcendental sweetness is to approach Him through His recognised devotees. One should not try to establish the relation directly, there must be via-media which is transparent and competent to lead us to the right path.