Bhagavatham Stories

Continuing his narration about Lord Krishna's activities, Maitreya Muni now describes the pastimes Krishna performed after leaving the idyllic village of Vrindavan and moving to Mathura and eventually to Dwaraka. These pastimes reveal different aspects of Krishna's personality and demonstrate how the Supreme Lord engages in various types of relationships with His devotees according to their particular mood of devotion. In Vrindavan, Krishna had played the role of a cowherd boy, the beloved son of Nanda and Yashoda, the dear friend of the cowherd boys, and the enchanting lover of the gopis. But when He moved to Mathura and Dwaraka, He assumed the role of a prince, a king, a warrior, a diplomat, and a householder, showing that He can be approached in any relationship and that devotion to Him can be practiced in all circumstances of life.

The sage described how Krishna first went to Mathura at the invitation of the demonic king Kamsa, who had imprisoned Krishna's parents and had tried repeatedly to kill Krishna during His childhood. Kamsa arranged a wrestling match, planning to have Krishna killed by professional wrestlers who possessed superhuman strength. However, Krishna and His brother Balarama easily defeated the wrestlers, demonstrating that no material power can stand against the Supreme Lord. Krishna then killed Kamsa himself, ending the demon's tyrannical rule and liberating His parents from prison. After Kamsa's death, Krishna installed His grandfather Ugrasena on the throne, showing His respect for proper authority and His disinterest in political power for its own sake. Though Krishna could have easily ruled the kingdom Himself, He preferred to act from behind the scenes, guiding and protecting righteous rulers rather than taking the position of prominence Himself.

Maitreya then described Krishna's pastimes in Dwaraka, the magnificent golden city that Krishna had constructed with the help of Vishvakarma, the celestial architect. Krishna established His capital at Dwaraka and lived there as a householder, marrying 16,108 wives and expanding Himself into that many forms to live simultaneously in separate palaces with each wife. This extraordinary pastime demonstrates that Krishna is not bound by material limitations - He can be completely present in unlimited places simultaneously, giving full attention to each devotee according to their particular relationship with Him. His principal wife Rukmini, the goddess of fortune incarnate, served as His chief queen, and together they demonstrated the ideal of spiritual marriage where both partners see each other as eternal servants of Krishna and engage their household life entirely in His service.

The chapter describes various adventures and battles that Krishna engaged in as the king of Dwaraka. He fought and defeated numerous demons who threatened cosmic order, retrieved the Syamantaka jewel to clear His name from false accusations, killed the demon Narakasura and liberated 16,000 princesses whom the demon had imprisoned, and engaged in diplomatic relations with various kingdoms. In all these activities, Krishna demonstrated perfect political acumen, military prowess, and moral integrity. However, Maitreya emphasizes that these activities were not mere worldly affairs but transcendental pastimes meant to instruct humanity about how to live righteously while remaining detached from material results. Krishna showed that one can be fully engaged in worldly duties - ruling a kingdom, maintaining a family, fighting battles - while keeping the consciousness fixed on spiritual realization and devotional service.

Most significantly, Maitreya describes how Krishna maintained His relationships with various categories of devotees throughout His life in Dwaraka. The residents of Vrindavan, especially the gopis led by Radharani and Krishna's cowherd boy friends, always remained in His heart as His most intimate and dear devotees, even though they were physically separated from Him. He maintained His friendships with the Pandavas, guiding them through their difficulties and eventually serving as Arjuna's charioteer in the great war of Kurukshetra. He gave association to great sages like Narada and Uddhava, revealing to them the most confidential spiritual knowledge. He accepted service from devotees of all types - from great kings to simple cowherds, from learned philosophers to illiterate villagers - showing that devotion to Him is not restricted by material qualifications but is accessible to anyone who approaches Him with sincere love.

The chapter concludes with the teaching that Krishna's pastimes in Mathura and Dwaraka, though appearing different from His sweet childhood pastimes in Vrindavan, are equally transcendental and equally powerful to transform consciousness. Some devotees are attracted to Krishna's childhood pastimes, others to His romantic pastimes with the gopis, others to His heroic pastimes as a warrior and king. The Lord accommodates all these different moods of devotion, revealing Himself in unlimited forms and pastimes so that every living entity can find some aspect of His personality that attracts their particular heart. The important point is not which pastime one meditates on, but that one meditates on Krishna with love and devotion. Whether one thinks of Krishna as a playful child, a romantic lover, a heroic warrior, or a wise teacher, if the meditation is done with genuine devotion, it will lead to the same destination - pure love of God and eternal residence in His spiritual kingdom.