Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 10, Chapter 2, Text 20 titled “How to Know God” given by Jivananda das.
Dallas, TX
2011-02-03
TRANSLATION
Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead was within her womb, Devaki illuminated the entire atmosphere in the place where she was confined. Seeing her jubilant, pure and smiling, Kamsa thought, “The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vishnu, who is now within her, will kill me. Devaki has never before looked so brilliant and jubilant.”
PURPORT
The Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (4.7):
“Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion — at that time I descend Myself.” In this age, at the present moment, there are inordinate discrepancies in the discharge of human duties. Human life is meant for God realization, but unfortunately the materialistic civilization is stressing only the senses of the body, not understanding the living force within the body. As clearly stated in Bhagavad-gita (dehino ‘smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]), within the body is the body’s proprietor, the living force, which is more important. But human society has become so fallen that instead of understanding the living force within the body, people have become busy with external things. This is a discrepancy in human duties. Therefore Krishna has taken birth or taken shelter within the womb of the Krishna consciousness movement. Men of Kamsa’s class, therefore, are very much afraid and are busy trying to stop this movement, especially in the Western countries. One politician has remarked that the Krishna consciousness movement is spreading like an epidemic and that if not checked immediately, within ten years it may capture governmental power. There is, of course, such potency in the Krishna consciousness movement. As stated by authorities (Cc. Adi 17.22), kali-kale nama-rupe krishna-avatara: in this age, Krishna has appeared in the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. The Krishna consciousness movement is spreading like wildfire all over the world, and it will go on doing so. Men who are like Kamsa are very much afraid of the movement’s progress and acceptance by the younger generation, but as Krishna could not be killed by Kamsa, this movement cannot be checked by men of Kamsa’s class. The movement will go on increasing more and more, provided the leaders of the movement remain firmly Krishna conscious by following the regulative principles and the primary activities of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra regularly.