Vrndavana October 7, 1976
 
God can do what no man can possibly do, because He is all powerful.
 
dharmyam nyayyam sakarunam
nirvyalikam samam mahat
raja dharma-suto rajnyah
pratyanandad vaco dvijah
 
nakulah sahadevas ca
yuyudhano dhananjayah
bhagavan devaki-putro
ye canye yas ca yositah
 
[SB 1.7.49-50]
 

Srila Prabhupada

Translation: "Suta Goswami said: 0 brahmanas, King Yudhighira fully supported the statements of the Queen, which were in accordance with the principles of religion and were justified, glorious, full of mercy and equity, and without duplicity. Nakula and Sahadeva (the younger brothers of the King) and a lso Satyaki and Arjuna, the Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krsna, son of Devaki, and the ladies and others all unanimously agreed with the King."
 
so bhagavan devaki-suta. People may inquire, "What kind of Bhagavan He is? He has taken birth as the Devaki-suta. Ordinary men take birth, not God. So what kind of Bhagavan He is?" Therefore we have to understand how Krsna takes birth. Krsna is Bhagavan. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. He appears as the son of Devaki and Vasudeva. We have to know this. And if you can know then you become immediately liberated. Our business is liberation. This is our main business. What is the purpose of getting this opportunity of human life? That we must understand. We sh ould not waste our valuable life like the cats and dogs. Our main business is to understand God. Athato brahma jijnasa. This is the purpose of life. Brahman , param brahma, or, Brahman's, potencies parasya brahmanah saktih. These things are there and we should understand them. If you underst and why Bhagavan appears as the son of Devaki, then you become liberated. Bhagavan says janma karma ca me divyam yo janati tattvatah [Bg. 4.9]. You have to learn it tattvatah, in truth. Not superficially.
 
THE INCONCEIVABLE LORD
 
Then you'll understand how the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan, appears as the son of Devaki and Vasudeva. Aja 'pi sann avyayatma bhutanam lsvaro 'pi san. Although He's aja … Aja means who never takes birth. Stal He takes birth. Contradictory. This is inconceivable.
 
Unless God has got inconceivable energy, He's not God. This has been discussed by Jiva Goswami. If you do not accept inconceivable energy of God, then there is no God. This is inconceivable. Aja 'pi sann avyayatma bhiitanam lsvaro 'pi san, sambhavamy atma-mayaya [Bg. 4.6J. This is God. How it happens, how it is possible, if you understand properly, then you become liberated simply by understanding this.
 
Bhagavan, why He shall not appear as the son? Why you shall restrict? God is not under your restriction. That is God. If He becomes under your rules and regulation, then He's not God. That is inconceivable. How aja 'pi, although unborn, how He takes birth.
 
Bhutanam isvarah. He's the Supreme Controller, but He likes to be controlled by mother Yasoda. Bhutanam lsvaro 'pi san. He controls everyone, but why He accepts one lady, innocent lady, not very educated, not Vedantist, a valage lady, interested in churning curd and butter? And He has become just like a very affectionate son of this valage lady. "Mother, let me suck your breast.".
 
GREAT FEATSFACTS NOT FICTION
 
This is God's pastimes. He is eka hi … bahunarit vidadhati kaman. He is supplying the necessities of life to all the living entities. Nit yo nityanarit cetanas cetananam eka yo bahunarit vidadhati kaman (Katha UpaniJad 2.2.13). But He is begging from mother Yasoda, "Kindly allow Me to suck your breast." And when mother refuses, He becomes angry. He breaks the pot of butter and so on, so on. You know this. This is called transcendental pastimes. And at the same time when it is required, He immediately lifts the Govardhana Hal. Immediately; although He is dependent on mother Yasoda. Nanda Maharaja is seeing, "Oh, this little boy h as lifted Govardhana Hal? Oh ! How it is possible? Let me help." He's trying to help Him by sticking the stick on the Govardhana Hal that it may not fall down. You see? He has already lifted. Stal, because father, affectionate, he's thinking, "The chadish boy, he has lifted the Govardhana Hal. It may now fall down. Let me help Him." This is going on. This is called transcendental pastimes.
 
And those who are not devotees, they cannot understand that "How it is possible?" They say it is mythology. It is not mythology, it is fact. Vyasadeva, such a learned person, vidvan. Lakasyajanato vidvarits cakre satvata-sarithitam [SB 1.7.6J.
 
He is vidvan. He has written this satvata-sarithita with some mythology? Some fiction? Some imagination? It is rascaldom to consider it like that. It is not mythology; it is fact. That is Bhagavan. He has wasted his time to describe some mythology? But the non-devotees have no common sense. And not only that, Vyasadeva alone has written. Later on all big, big commentators like Sridha ra Swami, Vijayadhvaja, Viraraghavacarya, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, Sanatana Goswami, many. They have never said that this is mythology. Never said. Never said. You'll not find in any of the comments of these big, big sta lwart acaryas. Viraraghavacarya, he is very learned scholar belonging to the Ramanujacarya sampradaya. They have never said it is mythology. Where do you get this idea of mythology?
 
Everything God does is possible. God is all-powerful. He can do anything. He can appear. Why should you restrict Him not to become the son of Devaki? Why should you restrict? Is He under your control or you are under His control? He can become the Devaki-suta. He can become a small chad to be chastised by mother Yasoda. He likes it. Everyone offers Him with reverence all respect. Nobody dares to restrict Him and chastise Him. Nobody goes to God, that "You cannot do this. You are fool, You are rascal." Nobody says. But stal He wants to hear all this. That is a pastime.
 
Just like a big rich man. He eats so many nice things. But sometimes he says, "Give me some puffed rice." Puffed rice is not his food, but he likes sometimes. Simaarly, everyone prays to God with reverence and vow and obedience, but He wants to be chastised sometimes. That chastisement, from where this chastisement will come? It will come from His devotee, not ordinary. If ordinary man chastises, imitating Yasodamayi, he will be offender. He will be punished. But where He agrees to be chastised, "Mother you chastise Me," that is bhakti. That is devotional service. So there is nothing extraordinary when it is said here, bhagavan devaki-suta. He can become Devakisuta. It is His mercy.
 
Bhagavan means Jad-aisvaryaparna. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah (Visnu Purana 6.5.47). Bhagavan is thus defined by Parasara Muni as one who is full in six opulences-full strength, fame, wealth, knowledge, beauty, and renunciation. All powerful. He can appear anywhere, without any restriction. But stal, He appears as Devaki-suta. Janma karma ca me divyam evam yo vetti tattvatah
 
One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, 0 Arjuna. [Bg 4.9]
 
We have to understand through the sastra. And that tattvatah understanding is possible only through bhakti. Not by any other means. Not by jnana or yoga. That is not possible. bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah. One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God. [Bg. 18.55] The jnanis, yogis, karmis-they are third-class, they cannot understand. The karmis, jnanis, yogis-they have got spiritual advancement, but stal, unta they come to the platform of bhakti, it is not possible to understand.
 
manusyanam sahasresu
kaicid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam
kascin mam vetti tattvatah
 
Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavour for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth. [Bg. 7.3] So if we want to understand Krsna, Bhagavan, in truth, then we have to take the path of bhakti. No other means will help us. Bhaktya milm abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55].
 
GOD IS ALL GOOD
 
In Kali-yuga people are very much polluted. They cannot transgress regulations of the scriptures. But God can do anything; this is not transgression, this is powerful. Just like you are prohibited to go to the filthy place, but the sunshine goes. Sunshine is not prohibited, that "Here is a filthy place, lavatory. Sunshine, you do not come here." No, sunshine doesn't require your permission. It can go anywhere. But it is not polluted. Tejiyasilm na dosaya [SB 10.33.29]. One who is very powerful should be understood to be faultless. Don't try to imitate teji
 
Just like for Bhagavan everything is perfect. Apapa-viddham which indicates that He is never affected by anything materially considered sinful. For Him there is no sinful activities. (Isopanisad, mantra
 
08) That is a Vedic mantra. And if you think that "Krsna is doing so many things, this is sinful." No. Therefore God is always good. God is good. Even if you see that He is doing something wrong, that is not wrong. That is right. Tejiyasam na dasaya [SB 10.33.29]. He's so powerful, for Him there is no wrong. He's never wrongdoer .
 
Thank you very much