Aghasur killing and Brahma Vimon lila
Venue: Pune
Dated: December 2004 (Bhagvat Saptah)
Hare Krishna

Do not think that this kirtan is not part of Bhagvatam. Essence of Bhagvatam is singing.
Last verse of Bhagavatm 18,000th verse talks about this Harinam.

nama-sankirtanam yasya sarva-papa vinasanam

This is conclusion. It was last day, 7th day of Bhagavtam recitation and Sukadeva Gosvami said,

kaler dosa-nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunah
kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet

Kali yuga is full of faults and mukta sangah, one becomes free, liberated of sangah, attachment to this world by kirtan. eko mahan gunah, there is only one good quality of this age, chanting of the holy name of the Lord.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu did that. Krishna appeared 500 years ago and then in the evening He would sit down with His most confidential associates and recite Bhagvatam.

srimad Bhagvatam praman amalam prema pumartho mahan

sri ciatanya mahaprabhor matm idam, this is opinion, philosophy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And who is He? He is topmost authority. There is no one equal to Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So He says Srimad-Bhagvatam is authority, why, amalam, there is no dirt, contamination, kaitava dharma. Recitation of it develops love of Godhead, prema pumarto mahan.

Prabhupada also gave us this process. Chanting, dancing, and hearing Bhagvatam. Srimad Bhagvatam is foundation of Bhagavat dharma. By studying Bhagvatam we protect the principle of Bhagvat dharma and by doing that dharma protect us. May this Bhagvat dharma protect everybody. Soon this is going to be the dharma for everybody all over the planet.

So today we will hear killing of Aghasur and Brahma vimohan lila. We will also see drama presentations. It becomes easier. One photograph is equal to thousand words. When we go through Bhagvatam, we get to know Krishna, then we serve Him more, we love Him more. Go to the source, understanding from Sukadeva Gosvami. If there is anyone who knows Bhagvatam, that is Sukadeva Gosvami. So we follow the parampara, through acaryas, through Srila Prabhupada. First thing first, so what is the first thing, hear.

So Krishna and Balarama were 5 years old. They have become calf herds. They were very eager to go to forest, so anxious that one day Krishna had an idea. Today we will have picnic. Today we will not eat breakfast at home. We will take breakfast in forest. So that morning He blew His buffalo horn that woke up all the boys. He just blew His buffalo horn and with that goes the message also. They understood that we have to take our breakfast packets and leave early today. They all got up; there was no snooze and all, because they didn’t want to miss Krishna. What if Krishna will leave for forest and we will leave behind. What is there without Krishna? These are the thoughts. If we will have such thoughts then we are qualified to go back to Goloka. That’s why we have mangal arati, we practice getting up early everyday.

So boys got up and they are thousands of them and all of them were carrying four items, breakfast lunch packet hanging on their sticks and everyone had flutes. The calves were in the front and calf herd boys behind them. Sometimes Krishna goes ahead of everybody else. He wants to see some beauty, scenery. Then other boys would run to be with Him. Everybody would say, I want to touch first, I want to touch first. There is competition to get Krishna, catch Krishna. If this is the purpose of competition then competition is transcendental, Krishna centered.
Everyone was doing different things. Many cowherd boys were playing flutes. Some were imitating different birds, bhramars etc. Everyday they would get great pleasure doing this. Sukadeva Gosvami says oh, how fortunate are these boys to be with Krishna all the time, to play with Krishna! How many pious activities they must have performed? Even all the residents of Vrndavan are so fortunate. In what words I could describe their fortune?

Everything was going so smoothly. Everyone was absorbed in Krishna and something came to disturb. Now comes Aghasur. This is not against the will of the Lord. Lord’s Yogamaya sakti was inspired by the Lord to bring demons, because cowherd boys were not taking their meals. Everyone was just enjoying, they forgot all eating part. Now Aghasur is going to come and then will look at their watch oh it’s breakfast time. And of course Lord appears to destroy the demons, one of the reasons. Mother earth was feeling burden.  So everyday demons were being killed by Krishna; all those who were on hit list. List became smaller and smaller.

So this demon came and he was watching Krishna and cowherd boys enjoying. He was inspired by Kamsa. He was younger brother of Bakasur and Baki. Baki is Putana. So he became 12 mile long python. He was just lying on the main road. He was thinking, oh that boy is the one, leader of the team, killer of my brother and sister. Now I will kill him along with all his friends. So this was his sankalpa. He was demonic person and was very hungry. His lower lip was right on the ground and the upper lip was touching the clouds.

Cowherd boys were seeing and they could not understand what this is? His teeth were like mountain ranges. Tongue was like express highway. It was deep and dark inside, like a cave. Some cowherd boys were thinking looks like it is part of Vrndavan’s beauty. But others thought, no this is living one and waiting for us. As these two parties went closer, oh very bad smell. It is certainly a python and he had a nice breakfast and that’s why very bad smell, flesh smell. We are getting into some trouble here. But even if it is real one, we have nothing to worry. Krishna is there, let’s go. They all entered in the mouth of Aghasur, clapping and singing. Cows entered with their tails upraised. Krishna was listening all their conversation and He knew although demon was motionless, doing good act, making His friends think that it’s a statue. He wanted to stop His friends, but they were so many and it was too late. Many of them had already entered.

Krishna has now two things to do, kill the demon keeping in mind that His friends are inside the body of the demon. Demigods assembled behind clouds. They said ‘alas, so far Krishna was outside but now He also entered in the mouth of Aghasur. He has also not realized that this is Aghasur.’ They were in total anxiety and they were screaming. News reached to demons party also and they were very happy, singing dancing. ‘Finally we got him.’

Of course Krishna had a plan. He knows what to do. He is boss and boss is always right. So as everybody is inside, Aghasur closed his mouth and swallowed everyone. By this time cowherd boys each one them and cows also lost their lives. Krishna began to grow in size and forced the demon to open his mouth. Sukadeva Gosvami is describing that his eyes bulged and he lost his life.

Demon was killed but Krishna’s friends were still unconscious. Then just by the merciful glance of Krishna, all His friends and all the cows got up. They were brought back to life. They were not aware what happened. They all got up as nothing had happened and came out of Aghasur’s body. Demigods showered flowers on Krishna and His party. Apsaras began dancing. Kamsa and party were having good time but it did not last for

long. Now demigods were having good time. Gandharvas were singing and apsaras were dancing. So having described Aghasur killing pastime, Sukadeva Gosvami is concluding, Krishna killed this demon when He was kumar, 5 years old and cowherd boys were there, they had witnessed the pastime. But only when He entered in His pauganda age, that is after 6 years old, one year later, the cowherd boys talked about this pastime to their parents.

Practice was whatever wonderful they see, the highlight of that day, the cowherd boys when they return, they make their parents sit down and then evening news time. In each home, cowherd boys shared all the pastimes. This becomes talk of the town.  Whatever happens during the day, by the evening time everyone gets to know. So this was daily practice. But this particular pastime of Aghasur killing, the cowherd boys shared with their parents and others after one year. So this was final statement of this chapter. Krishna killed demon Aghasur. This was mercy on the demon because Krishna entered in the body of demon. Yogis are struggling; Krishna would enter in their heart and will sit there. Here Krishna entered in demon’s body. Sukadeva gosvami says, if one remembers Lord, brings Him into his heart once and remembers Him at least once, he will attain salvation. Even bringing Him in by force, only once, that’s enough for salvation.

So Krishna entered in Aghasur’s body and he was seeing and thinking about the Lord, he attained perfection. Sukadeva Gosvami says, if that is the case with demon then what to speak about that person who always think about Krishna, meditating on Krishna, mind is fixed upon Krishna, what to speak of him, great fortune.

So for next 30 seconds think about the Lord, bring Him into your heart, pray to Him then salvation is guaranteed. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, mora mana Vrndavan, my mind is Vrndavan for Krishna to enter. So take Krishna in. Nama prabhu is another form, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!

So end of this chapter leads next chapter. King Parikshit’s question, how come after one year everyone found out Aghasur killing. This sound very mysterious! Certainly I see Krishna’s hand here otherwise how come for one year no one heard about this pastime?

We are very fortunate because we are drinking Bhagvatam. What is easy eating or drinking? Drinking is easier.
pibata Bhagvatam rasam alayam It is juicy, so drink.

muhur aho  rasika bhuvi bhavukah

You all are rasikas, one who like rasa, juice, nectar is rasika. So Parikshit maharaj says, we are very fortunate as you are sharing this kathamrita with us. He called himself kshatra-bandhavah, so called kshatriya, because the way he had treated the Samika Rsi. He was very thirsty and he saw Samika rsi sitting in trance. For the first time king Parikshit thought look at the hospitality of this sage. I am asking for water and he is trying to avoid receiving guest. He is just making a show of being in trance. Then he takes a dead snake on his arrow and put that around the neck of the sage. Shringi had cursed, ‘the person who had done this have to die after 7 days.’ Then Parikshit maharaj sits down to listen Bhagvatam for seven days, as he was having only seven days. We also sometimes listens Bhagvatam for seven days, because we also have to die one day, each of us. Someone will die on Monday, someone will die on Thursday, so that seven days, connection.

So Parikshit maharaj is thinking, the way I have treated that sage, I am kashtra-bandhavah. You are great spiritual master, sharing kathamrita. You are doing this from last four days now. Beginning of the tenth canto was fourth day. So may be its afternoon of fourth day.We are wealthy, getting enriched. Wealth of holy name, Lord’s pastimes, these riches satisfy the soul. Other worldly riches may satisfy the body and senses but deep within there is always dissatisfaction. Again and again you are feeding us kathamrita, so he is expressing gratitude.

Suta Gosvami says, as Badarayani, Sukadeva Gosvami heard about Parikshit’s inquiry, something changed with him. For a while there was complete silence. The speaker is in trance. He looses all his external consciousness because he is reminded of exciting pastime that took place during that one year. He was thinking, this is very very confidential thing. He was trying to skip over. But immediately after the inquiry, he started looking inward, observing the pastime and lose external consciousness. It took lot of effort to Sukadeva Gosvami to come in external consciousness and respond to the inquiry made by Parikshit maharaj.

Additional information is provided by our acaryas. They said, this is not the first time that he went into trance. This used to happen from time to time. Janame jay, son of Parikshit had all the instruments ready, drum, conch shells, all the sankirtana samagri. Whenever this would happen, they would sing out loud, beating out drums, blowing conch shells, and after that Sukadeva Gosvami would be again with them and then he would continue.

Ok he is back with Parikshit and others and he addressed king Parikshit, you are Bhagavat uttam, topmost amongst all person Bhagavatas. And he said, you make the katha very fresh, the way you inquire, the way you take interest. You never said I know this, I have heard this many times. You are enlivening me making these ever fresh topics more fresh. Like debauchees, the sex mongers the way they take kin interest in sex related topics, they relish, contemplate; just like that you are also keeping the topic alive. But of course your topic is about prema love, and the other topics are about lust.

Sukadeva Gosvami said time to time, please listen with attention, that does not mean that Parikshit maharaj was sleeping, but just to get his attention more. The submissive inquiry made by the disciple, then the guru is impelled to share that is very confidential. From submissive disciple nothing is hidden. Spiritual master reveals everything to submissive disciple.

And he begins narration. Next two chapters he talks about the pastime which took one year. After killing Aghasur and bringing His friends and cows back to life, Krishna brought all of them to bank of Yamuna. Krishna said, we are now away from that ghastly scene. Do you see how nice is this place? Sand is so soft, everything so clean, nice smell of lotuses, sounds of chirping birds. So now we will take our Prasad here. Mahaprasade Govinde ….. everybody is excited. There are two popular mantras, one put you to sleep, Om namo Bhagavate Vasudevay and then Mahaprasade Govinde, you jump up in the air. `We will eat here. Let our cows drink water and graze fresh grass here. There is lot of fresh grass here.`

So they opened their packets. Krishna was in center, so that everyone could see Him. Not darshan of His back. How is it possible? If I will sit in the middle, only those who are in front and some of this side and that side could see my face. But literally they were all able to see Krishna. Our acaryas, Jiva Gosvami, Visvanath Cakravarti Thakur, they said, what Krishna does, Krishna is facing everyone. He is facing in all direction. He expands is one theory and other one is He moves so fast that everyone feels that He is right in front of them.

The cowherd boys are laughing and making others laugh while honoring prasadam. How do they offer prasadam? Krishna is there. Their Deity goes with them. So everyone was enjoying and then some of the cowherd boys noticed, where are the cows? Everyone was in anxiety. They are scared now. Some of them tried to get up to find the cows but Krishna said no no everyone sit down. You were hungry. You continue and I will bring them.

He did not even wash His hands. He got up; there was yogurt rice in His hand. He went from one forest to another but no sign of cows. It took a lot of time. When He returned to His friends to give report, all His friends were not there. And it was getting late, time to return home. Everyone’s parents must be waiting; the cows must be waiting for calves. He also searched for His friends but He could not find them. Krishna came up with idea, because these other mothers were also used to think, ‘will we ever have Krishna like son? Yashoda is so fortunate. Is it possible that we will have Krishna like son?’ Is there anybody like Krishna? So only Krishna could be Krishna. And the cows also, ‘He drinks breast milk of Yashoda but He never drinks our milk directly from our udders.’ Krishna had already taken note, so that time has now come.

So as many cowherd boyfriends he had that day and as many calves were there, he expanded Himself. Everyone’s look was different, voices were different, likings disliking was different. Age, complexion of body, the dress they were wearing that day, the long or short stick they were carrying that day, Krishna becomes like that with all those things they were carrying. And this way He was proving everything is expansion of Lord. He became all the forms and each form was Vishnu tattva, no more jiva tattva.  So they returned as usual in evening, playing flute and doing funny things as they used to do. So all the cowherd boys entered in respective homes and all the calves entered in respective goshalas. Sukadeva Gosvami describes the reactions of the mothers. It was different that day. As they were playing their flutes while returning, all the mothers stopped their household duties and ran out to greet their sons. They picked them and embraced them. But today there was some special additional rasa. They had never experienced it before. But they don’t know what’s going on. In cowsheds, the calves are drinking milk of mother cows with their tails upraised and the cows are licking the bodies of calves. Gopi mothers and cows, their affection for the children, for the calves increased.

Next morning they are getting up and going in forest and whole day different pastimes, then in evening they returned and mothers are greeting them. But today’s greeting is more pleasing than yesterday. Tomorrow’s will be even more sweeter. And as days and weeks and months passed like that, they began to experience, is this Krishna? This must be Krishna. So for one year each cowherd boy is Krishna and He is holding stick and beating another calf, beating Himself. Hundred and thousands of them, but only one person, He was playing all the roles.

Few days before completion of one year, the cows and cowherd men were on the top of the Govardhan hill and cowherd boys and calves were in the valley. Krishna and Balarama were there in the valley. So what happened? The cows noticed their calves in valley and they all came running and meet their calves. Men were trying to stop them but it was like a big powerful magnet is attracting them and they are not able to keep them. So all the cows end up in the valley and all men also were dragged there. Cows started licking bodies of their calves and the elderly men noticed that their children are in the valley.  So they left the cows with calves and they ran to their children. Each one was picking his child and smelling his head, so many sweet affectionate dealings. And Balaram is witnessing all this. He was doubting, is this normal thing? The boys and calves, something is different.

Krishna said, ‘one year before, that day, may be it was your birthday or something Balaram and you were not with us. And we were taking lunch at the bank of Yamuna and cows went missing. I went searching for them and I returned my friends also went missing. So just me, I have to do this. It is confidential, between you and me.’ Few more days passed. In fact on the day one, when Krishna did not find calves, He had realized this is job of Brahma. So after one year Brahma comes. He had taken boys and calves and hidden them. He wanted to see, without friends and cows, how Krishna functions. He must be bewildered. Our one year, is Brahma’s few moments. He had gone and quickly returned. When he returned, he was expecting there will be only Krishna, but nothing was changed. It was just as usual. Krishna’s pastimes continued like always.

Brahma was wondering, did Krishna steal and bring them back here? He wanted to double check. So with his mystic power he saw they are there. Double set! So he was thinking which one set is real one? When he was thinking like this, then there was no cowherd boys and no calves, all disappeared. There was only Krishna.  And still in His left hand He had yogurt rice. And even before Krishna made all these cowherd boys and calves disappear, Brahma also had noticed that whole creation is worshipping each of those forms. And each of those forms has become four handed form. So he realized that all those forms are Krishna and then they all disappeared and there was only Krishna.

Brahma realized that he had done blunder. He wanted to bewilder Krishna but he ended up getting bewildered himself. He immediately jumped down from his carrier and felt flat on the ground touching the lotus feet of the Lord. He paid obeisances again and again and he was crying. He was doing abhishek of lotus feet of Lord with his tears. He tried to control himself and got up. With humility, his hands are folded and his body is trembling, he offered his prayers.

He returned Krishna’s friends and calves. So now they are exactly at the same spot where they were eating their lunch, one year before. Krishna returned from forest, finding calves. Cowherd boys asked, ‘Hey, you returned so quickly. You are so fast.’ So the pastime continues, Krishna eating in the middle. And then they returned to their homes playing their flutes. That night they shared with their parents Aghasur killing pastime which was happened one year before.

Hare Krishna!