Astonished by Kṛṣṇa - The Wondrous Pastimes of the Supreme Lord
The activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are inherently inconceivable, continually generating a deep sense of wonder in the hearts of those who witness them. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that whether Kṛṣṇa is displaying His absolute supremacy over the greatest demigods, exhibiting the entire universe within His mouth, or humbly submitting to the loving demands of His intimate friends, He leaves everyone perfectly astonished. By exploring these wondrous pastimes, we can glimpse the boundless opulence and unparalleled sweetness of the Lord.
Bewildering the Creator of the Universe
Lord Brahmā is the chief engineer of the material universe, yet even his vast intelligence is insufficient to comprehend the Supreme Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how Brahmā attempted to test Kṛṣṇa by stealing His friends and calves, only to find himself completely overwhelmed and struck with wonder by Kṛṣṇa's effortless expansions.
- When Brahmā, the chief person within the universe, tried to bewilder Kṛṣṇa, he himself was bewildered and astonished. This is the position of the conditioned soul. Brahmā wanted to mystify Kṛṣṇa, but he himself was mystified.
- All the cowherd boys began to express their joyfulness for being with Kṛṣṇa, the supreme Brahman. At that time, Brahmā showed his astonishment by exclaiming, "What am I seeing here?" This is an instance of astonishment in ecstatic love.
- Brahmā was falling down in ecstasy. Because of the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who exactly resembled a human child, Brahmā was naturally astonished.
- When Lord Brahmā described this incident to his associates on the Satyaloka planet, they all became astonished. Brahmā told them that after taking away all the boys, he saw Kṛṣṇa again playing with the same boys in the same fashion.
The Awe of Mother Yaśodā
In the village of Vṛndāvana, the Supreme Lord played the part of a dependent infant. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights how Kṛṣṇa repeatedly displayed His divine majesty—such as showing the cosmic manifestation within His mouth—keeping Mother Yaśodā in a constant state of loving astonishment and anxiety.
- From the very beginning of His childhood, Kṛṣṇa killed Pūtanā, Tṛṇāvarta and Śakaṭāsura and showed the entire universe within His mouth. Thus the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, one after another, kept mother Yaśodā and all the inhabitants of Vraja in great astonishment.
- Feeling the child (Kṛṣṇa) to be as heavy as the entire universe and therefore being anxious, the astonished Yaśodā put the child down on the ground and began to think of Nārāyaṇa - Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.7.19.
- When mother Yaśodā saw the whole universe within the mouth of her child (Kṛṣṇa), her heart began to throb, and in astonishment she wanted to close her restless eyes - Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.7.37.
- Quite astonishingly, mother Yaśodā was afraid because of intense maternal affection. She could not believe that within the mouth of her son such things (cosmic manifestation) could appear. Yet she saw them, and therefore she was struck with fear and wonder.
The Astonishment of the Great Sages
The majestic pastimes of the Lord in Dvārakā are a profound source of wonder for advanced transcendentalists. Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals how even Nārada Muni, the greatest of mystic yogīs, was left speechless by Kṛṣṇa's ability to expand into sixteen thousand forms and maintain absolute opulence.
- He (Nārada) was astonished that Lord Kṛṣṇa had expanded Himself into sixteen thousand forms and married these wives simultaneously in different palaces.
- Lord Kṛṣṇa has unlimited power, and Nārada's astonishment was boundless upon observing again and again the demonstration of Lord Kṛṣṇa's internal energy.
- There were more than 900,000 big palatial buildings there to house all the people, and everyone in them respected Kṛṣṇa as the most worshipable. Devotees were astonished to see the opulence of Kṛṣṇa.
- The goddess of fortune Rukmiṇīdevī personally began to fan him with the cāmara fan, but the other women in the palace were astonished at Lord Kṛṣṇa's behavior in receiving the brāhmaṇa in that way.
The Wonder of Divine Humility
Perhaps the most astounding aspect of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is His voluntary submission to His pure devotees. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that Kṛṣṇa's willingness to perform menial tasks and accept the playful chastisement of His friends is the ultimate source of astonishment for self-realized souls.
- When child Kṛṣṇa was dancing in response to the singing of the old maidservant Jaratī, Nārada was astonished. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who controls all the movements of great demigods like Brahmā and others, was now dancing to the indications of an old maidservant.
- The most astonishing feature was that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, took charge of washing the feet of all the incoming guests (during the Rājasūya Sacrifice).
- Great expert devotees like Rūpa Gosvāmī and others express their astonishment at the inconceivable feelings which are in Kṛṣṇa and His cowherd boy friends.
- A friend of Kṛṣṇa informed Him, "It is certainly astonishing how You could forget Your mother while You are off somewhere engaged in Your playful activities!" This is another instance of deep anxiety in ecstatic love.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa are designed to completely captivate the minds of the conditioned souls and the liberated sages alike. Śrīla Prabhupāda masterfully illustrates that the astonishment generated by the Lord operates on multiple levels. To the great demigods like Lord Brahmā, Kṛṣṇa’s ability to flawlessly expand into countless forms demonstrates His absolute, unchallengeable supremacy over the material cosmos. To the residents of Vṛndāvana, like Mother Yaśodā, His majestic displays only serve to heighten their intense, protective love. And to the advanced transcendentalists, the most wondrous realization is that the supreme controller of all universes eagerly subjects Himself to the love of His devotees, whether by washing the feet of guests or dancing for a maidservant. Ultimately, to be astonished by Kṛṣṇa is the supreme spiritual awakening, for this transcendental wonder eternally binds the soul to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in ecstatic love.
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