Conquering Kṛṣṇa - The Victory of Pure Love
In the material world, to conquer someone implies using superior force, strategy, or intellect to force them into submission. However, in the spiritual realm, the dynamic is entirely different. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that while the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is absolutely unconquerable by any mundane power, He happily allows Himself to be conquered and controlled by the pure, unmotivated love of His devotees. Understanding this divine paradox is the ultimate key to achieving perfection in bhakti-yoga.
The Unconquerable Lord (Ajita)
Kṛṣṇa is supreme and self-sufficient. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that the Lord's name is Ajita because no one in the three worlds can ever defeat Him in battle or surpass His supreme intelligence and opulence.
- God, Krsna, is called Ajita. Ajita means nobody can conquer God. Therefore His name is Ajita.
- Krsna always stands victorious over everything. No one can conquer Him. One can attain the stage of pure devotion simply by fully surrendering.
- When Krsna was personally present on this earth, no one could conquer Him. There is no record of His ever having lost a battle.
- Knowing that no one could conquer Krsna, who would certainly emerge victorious, she (Rukmini) addressed Him as Ajita, "the unconquerable Lord."
The Power of Submissive Hearing
To capture the Lord, one must completely abandon the pride of academic speculation. Śrīla Prabhupāda advises that by simply remaining in one's position and submissively hearing the message of Godhead from a realized soul, the unconquerable Lord becomes captivated.
- Don't become over-intelligent. Just hear from the self-realized soul. If you sincerely, seriously hear from the realized soul, then one day, although nobody can conquer Him, you will be able to conquer Krsna.
- If this process is for simply hearing, aural reception, sincerely, then by this process, whatever position I may be, in whatever position I may be, I can conquer the Supreme Lord. He agrees to be conquered.
- Remain in your position. But, but try to hear from the proper source, and try to understand. That will make you so strong that, Krsna is ajita, unconquerable, but you will conquer Him. Ajito 'pi, jito 'py asi, He becomes conquered.
- Sthane-sthitah sruti-gatah tanu-van-manobhih (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.3). Another name for Krsna is Ajita. No one can conquer Krsna, but Krsna can be conquered by His devotee.
Defeated by Pure Devotion
True victory over the Lord is achieved only when the heart is completely purified of selfish motives. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that when a soul fully surrenders with deep attachment and unalloyed bhakti, Kṛṣṇa willingly places Himself under their control.
- A pure devotee is completely surrendered to the lotus feet of the Lord, and only by his love does he conquer Krsna, who cannot be conquered by anyone.
- Arjuna was very intelligent because he simply chose Krsna, whereas Duryodhana took Krsna's soldiers. It is not possible to conquer Krsna, but the devotee can capture Krsna with bhakti, love.
- It is by attachment and bhava that the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna is conquered by His devotees. These two characteristics are present before any symptoms of love of Godhead are manifest. This was all explained to Sanatana Gosvami by Lord Caitanya.
- A devotee can bring Krsna perfectly under his control. This is explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.3): ajita jito ’py asi tais tri-lokyam. Krsna is never conquered by anyone, but a devotee can conquer Him through devotional service.
The Supreme Examples of Loving Control
The most intimate and exalted examples of this spiritual conquest are found in the eternal realm of Vṛndāvana. As Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals, the residents of Vraja, out of sheer love, completely bind the Supreme Lord, who joyfully subordinates Himself to their desires.
- The Supreme Godhead is unconquerable; no one can conquer the Lord. But He voluntarily accepts subordination to the devotional qualities of His devotees. For example, Lord Krsna accepted subordination to the control of mother Yasoda.
- Who can conquer God? Only the devotees. Just like in Vrndavana, the gopis, the cowherd boys, Mother Yasoda, father Nanda and all of them, even the cows and calves, they conquered God, Krsna.
- The highest perfection of this mutual conquering is exhibited by Krsna and the gopis. The gopis conquered Krsna, and Krsna conquered the gopis.
- Although Krsna is never conquered, still, you can conquer Him. How? Simply by becoming His beloved devotee. Just like Bhismadeva. Bhismadeva is one of the recognized stalwart devotee of Krsna, mahajana, authority.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Śrīla Prabhupāda masterfully reveals the most profound and endearing secret of the Absolute Truth: the unconquerable Supreme Lord, Ajita, is effortlessly conquered by pure love. While mundane scholars waste lifetimes trying to capture God through complex empiric speculation, and while demons vainly attempt to challenge Him with force, the simple, sincere devotee captures Him merely by submissively hearing His glories. As this practice of bhakti-yoga matures into deep, unmotivated affection, the Lord willingly accepts a subordinate position to His devotee. Whether it is Arjuna capturing Kṛṣṇa's friendship, Bhīṣmadeva capturing His admiration, or Mother Yaśodā and the gopīs completely controlling Him with their intense, intimate love, the conclusion remains the same. The Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be purchased by wealth or conquered by power, but He gladly allows Himself to be bound by the strong ropes of unalloyed devotion.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Conquering Krsna. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.