What caution is still necessary after initiation and instruction? / The liberation of Bakasura and Vyomasura // 11/10/2026

Satsang of Pujya Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj. To hear the full discourse, watch the video above.

Full Discourse

Vrindavaneswari tav padarvindm premik makrand rasau purnam. Haditam madhupte smarta mugram nirvai param shital mashyam param shital shraya param sacchidanand ghan Premanand swaroop navni nikunj mahmmahim param pavan shri Vrindavan dham
O Vrindavaneshwari, your lotus feet are full of the nectar of pure love alone. O Madhupati, remembering you… supremely cool… the supreme, pure Sachchidananda-ghana, the very form of love and bliss, the ever-new Nikunj, supremely glorious and supremely pure Shri Vrindavan Dham.

To the feet of the beloved royal couple of Shri Vrindavan Dham, the life-worshipped, life-dear Shri Priya-Pritam, and of all the assembly of sakhis, the birds, deer, animals, creepers, Yamuna, Ras Rani, Raj Rani, and the whole Brajvasi parikar, I offer crores of salutations and crores of namaskar. This path of Bhagavat is not something for a day or two. The whole life has to be dedicated, for those who walk the path of nivritti, that is, the path of renunciation (viragya).

A person who is weary does not have this supreme benefit. The weary mind says, "In four days, let all lust and anger be destroyed quickly, and let me become completely happy." It does not work like that. One must be patient, with steady patience. Our Prabhu is watching our shortcomings and the burning inside us, and it is in the result of that watching that he will meet us. What we are enduring, separating from family, renouncing worldly pleasures, giving up self-willed conduct and entertainment, while we remain on the path of the Lord, its fruit is very excellent.

Every pebble of the Gandaki river becomes a Shaligram. Every pebble of the Narmada, tumbling along, becomes a Shankar. In the same way, the traveller on this path, tumbling along, becomes siddh. If one remembers even one shloka of that calm and serious Acharya Charan, life becomes very meaningful.

duradpasta swajan sukhmartha koti sarveshu sadhan varesh chiram nirasha to varsh mein sahjadbhut dhara shri Radhika charan renu maharam
Turn away from the happiness of kin and relatives, the crores of wealth and comforts, the sadhanas and their rewards… Let the wondrous stream of joy flow, the dust of the feet of Shri Radhika.

This shloka was written by Shri Hit Harivansh Mahaprabhu Ji. Dooradapaas means to stay far from the happiness of one's own family. When a sadhak has affection for mother, father, kin and relatives, which is called worldly attachment, they get outward support, because there is affection there. In vairagya, one does not see the vatsalya of the Lord anywhere. Yet the Lord's vatsalya is boundless, infinite and limitless. In that vatsalya, you can give up the refuge of worldly ties and the guru's path, because you will see such affection. You people are so well settled. I am speaking from the land of Vrindavan. For 20 or 25 years, have you never sat in a ras rasoi and eaten, feeling that someone is giving and we are receiving?

For 25 years in Kashi, at Jugal Kishor, it never occurred to me to go home. By the grace of Bhagavan and the grace of the guru, no calamity, however great, ever came to that situation. Should I describe the hardships? All the hardships on the path of one's Beloved are great happiness. At night, when we sleep on the ghat, the ghats, heated all day, throw out fire. We wear the same cloth (achala) and lay it down to sleep on. We get up at 2:00. We cannot sleep until 2:00 because of the burning. Even when we pour Ganga water from the kamandal there, it stays hot.

The stomach is tormented by hunger, and the body is burning with heat. When it rains, we spend the night sitting in the small temples of Shankar Ji. Then at 3:00 we have darshan of Vishwanath Ji, following the discipline, and we endure hardship on the bank of the Ganga. Never have we thought of giving happiness to a family member. But we also never think of taking happiness from you. Wishing well for all, with a selfless mind, we have no desire to take anything from anyone. This is our path. Even if we cannot walk it perfectly, stumbling along, one day we will become siddh, stumbling along.

This path is like that. One who lies on it becomes siddh. The love of kin and relatives is poison for vairagya. Bhagavan Shri Krishna says: "Tyakt svajan bandhava," the one who has given up his kin and relatives for my sake, how can I give him up? Renouncing kin and relatives is very hard from the heart.

Secondly, Mahaprabhu said: dooradapaas, stay far from your kin. Thirdly, if you give up the happiness of crores of rupees, and give up the happiness obtained through sadhana, and place complete trust at the lotus feet of Radha, Radha, then a wondrous stream of joy and sorrow will flow for our beloved. How many days will mother and father live? How many days will the bank balance work? How many days will you remain young? Shripad is saying: the youthful body is merely covered by maya. Patiently hold in your heart the teaching that is being given. O dear Beloved, how many days will this dear body of yours remain healthy?

How many days will you remain fit for enjoyment? How much happiness will the youthful body give you? Hold to the teaching you have received, the initiation and the instruction. If you do not accept what we say, however learned you are, you will fall. Have you not enjoyed all these pleasures in many births? Did you not have a family in many births? Did you not take on a body in many births? But what result do you have today? What siddhi do you have?

Kaam vijay, krodh vijay, lobh vijay, moh vijay. Do you have these? It is the same cycle again. Therefore, the one whose intellect has taken sensory pleasures to be happiness will be ruined, whoever he is.
bhogaishwaryaprasaktanan tayaphritchetsam. Vyavsayatmika buddhih samadhau na vidheeyte ॥
For those attached to enjoyment and power, whose minds are carried away by them, the resolute intellect is not established in samadhi.

The one whose intellect has been carried away by bhog and aishwarya can never hold the goal of attaining the Supreme Soul. But if he does hold that goal, then even with a hundred thousand faults, he will still attain Bhagavat. He may have a hundred thousand faults, lust, anger and greed may all be in him, but he has one firm conviction: "I belong to Shyamsundar." With that, he will attain Bhagavat.

Whatever faults a person has, even as vast as the ocean, the Lord does not count them as his own. He takes even a tiny bhajan as equal to his own. Bali, who acted like a hunter, and Sugriv were both given his grace, and Ram did not even look at Vibhishan's wicked deeds in a dream.

Even if a devotee is still ruled by the senses and their objects, crores of disciplined karmis who have conquered their senses cannot equal him.

Our Prabhu has this nature. But to remain on the path of Prabhu, three things are essential, as Hit Harivansh Mahaprabhu said. First, do not keep any kind of relationship with your family. Give up the desire for comforts. Come to us, and in naam, vani, Bhagwat charcha and Bhagwat Dham you will find happiness.

"I have no relation with you." In the relationship with Ram, you have come into the heart of the Prabhu. You are the devotee of the Prabhu, you are the form of the Prabhu. Okay, our relationship is with so-and-so. No. Reject this idea from the heart.

A renunciate does not enjoy family property or comforts. A renunciate lives by the arrangement God provides. Not even a lota of water from ancestral wealth should be part of your life, not even a lota of water from family inheritance for your whole life. God arranged things so that no one even knew whether you were alive or dead. I only came to know here in Vrindavan, when everyone is watching on YouTube. Otherwise nobody knew whether he was alive or dead. On the banks of the Ganga, nobody knew. I never kept a phone in my life. Even today I don't have a phone, and by the grace of God I don't need one.

The happiness that comes through wealth is not God's grace. Such is his grace: when you are hungry there is no food, and when there is food you have no hunger. The liver is damaged, the kidneys are damaged. How immense is the grace he shows to his own people. What do you consider this, if not grace? There is no peace day or night. Someday you will die, so do bhajan, do bhajan with full commitment. We have been sitting since 11:30. From 11 until 8:00 you must have been sleeping. You don't sleep in the daytime, but day and night Priya Pritam must come to you. Shri Ji must come to you. Who will stay with you day and night? Will mother, father, brother or relatives stay with you? As long as the body lasts, they will stay with you. They will fill your stomach, give you clothes you like, pamper you, do all these things for you. And this pampering, this filling of your stomach, creates attachment inside you.

"This is my papa, this is my mummy, this is the world." What sits inside you will not let you surrender completely to the feet of Shri Ji. Until we depend entirely on Shri Bhagwan, we will not be able to. Those who have been rejected are greatly blessed. Mataji died. The maidservant who served Tulsidas ji also died. Because his wife died, her father lost faith in him, thinking, "The moment this boy was born, he ruined our entire household." His wife died, and the maid who served him also died within a few days. The whole thing became famous. "Unfortunate one!" Who knew that no one as fortunate as him would be born in the whole world? An incomparable great soul, at whose door people come distraught with worldly suffering. "O unfortunate one, if you stay here, something inauspicious will happen. Move aside!"

A little boy, Lord Shankar himself, and Annapurna came in disguise and gave food to Tulsidas ji every day. He became such a great soul that in Kashi, his unmatched scholarship, his unique compositions and his unique devotion, how can we describe all of it? Unmatched Vaishnav, an ocean of knowledge, Brahm-gyan, vairagya, bhakti, Sankhya, yoga. Everything is written in the Ramcharitmanas in simple language.

There is no episode, no principle, no love that Goswami Tulsidas ji did not explain fully. And what else did he say? "Unfortunate one!" We consider those fortunate who have no arrangements and have been rejected. They see only one path: one reliance on the Prabhu, one strength, one hope, one faith. Shri Ji wants only one thing: a sense of belonging, a sense of "mine" toward him.

Whatever faults a person has, even as vast as the ocean, the Lord does not count them as his own. He takes even a tiny bhajan as equal to his own.

Even if a devotee is still ruled by the senses and their objects, crores of disciplined karmis who have conquered their senses cannot equal him.

Shripad is saying that the initiation of such a person is futile and his teaching is futile. See for yourself, both are futile. So, considering this carefully, if you honour shiksha and diksha, you will attain God.

If you disrespect shiksha and diksha, then surely neither our body nor your body will remain. The refuge of Truth and Sachchidanand will remain, and we keep placing it in your heart again and again, yet you do not accept it. The same world, the same rupees, the same money: the soul is destined for great ruin.

There was a time when Duryodhan walked under the royal parasol, while the Pandavas wandered from forest to forest. Then time turned. They cut it down and threw it away, and in Hastinapur a parasol was raised over the emperor, Maharaj Yudhishthir.

Yatra yogeshwaro Krishno yatra Partho dhanurdharah, tatra shrir vijayo bhutir dhruva neetir matir mama.

Where Krishna, the lord of yoga, is, and where Arjun, the archer, is, there is prosperity, victory, well-being and firm morality. This is my conviction.

This is a battle greater than the Mahabharata. In the Mahabharata the war is fought openly, in front of everyone. This is an inner battle, a battle within. The five senses of knowledge, together with the mind, want to pull us down. The six enemies, lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and envy, and the six waves, old age, death, grief, joy and sorrow, hunger and thirst, must be conquered at all times. Then one becomes a jivanmukta, a liberated great soul, and all of this will happen. Say it is effortless: what can grace not do? In a single moment Bhagavan will reveal His vision within, the wish of every heart. But He will reveal it only when there is one trust, one strength, one hope, one faith. Here, though, faith is scattered and wandering about.

Shripad is saying: "Have you not had so many births?"

pad kah rahe hain kya itne janm hue ta sampadita bahujan nijam kim pratishthansi divya sh chandan striya adik vishay bhuja kanu tripti stava bhut

Your many births have already passed. You have been held in high regard, and you have enjoyed many beautiful women, divine garlands, sandalwood and other sense objects. Are you satisfied now? The same hunger and the same craving remain.

So, accept my prayer. Tasmanu prayatna vimukha sukhasya: stop striving for the pleasures of the senses.

saram sarangwat suchar madhur bane Radhika keli dhamni tu ek praytn kar shri dham Vrindavan aa ja aur satsang sun

Like a bee, come to the sweet and beautiful dham of Radhika's leela in Vrindavan, and listen to satsang.

And see the nectar-like leelas of Radha and her life-beloved Shri Shyamsundar.

Such nectar-like naam. Such nectar-like glory of the dham. It will transform your mind, but when? When there is no kusang. If you stay here and still keep kusang, that too is kusang. Any hope or trust that arises apart from the Lord is kusang, however dear the person may be. The one who falls from dharma is the one who is swayed by either fear or temptation. Whoever does not turn back from fear or temptation in any way will find Bhagavan standing ahead.

When Bhai Ji Maharaj resolved to do bhajan in complete solitude, a man with billions in wealth, ten factories and a vast estate came to Bhai Ji and said, "You should know that I have no heir who could look after all this. I give it all to you."

Bhai Ji said, "No, no." The man said, "You are the most fitting person, you will never find another. Take everything." Bhai Ji said, "No, absolutely not. Please leave, and do not say these words again."

Bhai Ji wrote: see, as soon as the first step towards attaining Bhagavan was taken, a great temptation came. When Dhruv Ji left the city, Devarshi Narad Ji said, "Go back now, and I will have you crowned as king by Uttanpad right away." Dhruv Ji said, "No, I am a kshatriya boy." Once he had resolved, he never wavered. So the guru gave him the mantra, and patted his back.

Shripad is saying: divya chandan striyadik vishaya bhuja kaan tripti vaa bhoot. "Until today, have you ever been satisfied? You have enjoyed these in many births. Therefore, turn away from striving for the objects of the senses." Whoever lets the senses roam free and gives them to the objects of enjoyment is surely fallen. Give up enjoying the objects of the senses. Like a bee that drinks the pollen of the flower, the Lord's sea of bliss, the pollen of His love, will grant you Vrindavan dham. The one whose mind has been defeated by the three, his initiation is futile and his teaching is futile. Gold, a woman, and fame, covered only by the flesh, a body full of fat and filth, a corpse, a sight to be avoided by the learned. When the mind has been seized by wealth, when the one who was to be protected has been taken by a woman, when the hope of fame has awakened, what remains of devotion? What remains of detachment? Your attention is still drifting into thoughts of worldly entanglement, Vrindavan.

There is a state you do not know about. No vritti of joy arises. No vritti arises at all, nothing rises, it is silent, like deep sleep where no vritti arises. Even in the waking state, there is no sat-vritti; that is called the brahmakar vritti. The seekers, the mumukshus, those who attain liberation through great effort, reach a state where no vritti arises at all, only a silent, deep brahmakar state. But when they receive the happiness of the Beloved and the Beloved's love, Prabodhanand Ji says, "O mukti." Because this is the state of liberation while living, the jivanmukta state.

Do not do this great harm to us. We need vritti. Let our vritti be the beloved and the Beloved. We do not want the dissolution of vritti. He says, "Go to the homes of those who have a desire for moksha. For us, passionate lovers, there is no need to come to you. Shame on you! If you come towards us, towards the house of my heart, shame on you. I do not want moksha." Do not commit any wrongdoing with me, O moksha, by dissolving my vritti. I want vritti, reflection on the beloved and the Beloved, and service to the Beloved with love and together with service to Shyam. This is the great soul who has given brahmabodh to thousands.

They are saying: "Now I do not want that absorbed state (laya-vritti). I do not want moksha. Why? Because I have received the direct darshan of Priya-Pritam, seated in Vrindavan, and the good fortune of serving them. That is why I give you a name: from Dushtyaam to Dushtyaaste jagat namaa bhavita. You will feel that Shripad is speaking very angrily to moksha."

So Shri Rupa Goswami ji says that bhakti and mukti are pishachini (witches). Dushtyaam, pishachini, and Harivansh Mahaprabhu says vibhemi kaivalyata: "I am afraid of kaivalya, of moksha. It should not come near me at all." What kind of love is this of Priya-Pritam? They are terrified of moksha! Look, in Kashi lakhs of sadhaks are doing sadhana to attain moksha.

This is the prem ras of Vrindavan: the constant, sacred discussion of Bhagwan, in the sacred dham, the sacred naam kirtan, the sacred seva. To abandon all this, and to desire the enjoyment of bodies that are vessels of stool and urine, and jump into the well of samsara, is like that. This is the fierce maya of Bhagwan. Remember this: deceit toward the guru and theft from the hit mitra. Whether one becomes poor or becomes a leper, why can't they escape? Because they deceive the guru. Deceit and trickery are dear neither to our Bhagwan nor to the bhakt.

Moh kapat chhal chhidra na bhaava, nirmal man jan so paava.
Attachment, deceit, trickery and faults are not pleasing; the one with a pure mind attains Him.

If there is lust in your heart and you describe it clearly, saying, "O Gurudev, O Sant, O Bhagwan, I am troubled by lust, save me," then something may go wrong with you. He is so kind. Whether He drives it away by scolding or removes it with love, it will go. It will surely go, 100 out of 100 percent. Now, that vision, whether He removes it by scolding, by discipline, or by love, requires ananyata (exclusive devotion). In ananyata, Bhagwan sets right all the matters within.

We are not giving a discourse here. We are stating the principle of our Swami. When ananyata arises, when you feel "I have no one else," then all the responsibility becomes ours. It becomes our Priyatam's. "We will hold you like this, they will hold you like that." Where will you run? You cannot go anywhere at all.

There is one thing called making a guru, and another called a Sadguru. A guru is made, and you follow behind him. Whichever lane you like, you turn into it, and you run away. A Sadguru takes your hand and says, "Except you, there is no one." Then he drags you along and places your hand at Shri Ji's feet. This is how one walks on this path. The path of paramarth is very subtle and very bitter. In the beginning some things seem sweet, but later they are very poisonous. This is yad agre visham parinaame amritopamam: at first it seems like poison, and in its result it is like nectar.

And how do worldly enjoyments seem? Yat tad agre amritopamam parinaame visham iva: whose beginning is like nectar, its result will come out like poison. Therefore, O brother, the good fortune of countless births has dawned on you. You have received this fortune, the path of Bhagwat. Whether you are a householder or a renunciate, never give it up. Rolling and tumbling along, you will attain siddhi. Accept our word. So do not worry. Keep only the shelter of Bhagwan. However you are, "how are you?", that responsibility is ours. "Whose are you?" That you have to hold. It is your side, our Swamini's side.

"Whose are you?" None but You. No other refuge. That is your side. Now, all the responsibility, "how are you," they will see. "Whose are you," you see that. There should be no question in you. Without anyone else, without any other refuge, the supreme state is certain. We are speaking very plainly here. If there is someone else in your life, some other refuge, then such a storm will blow that you will be seen standing right there. And if there is no other refuge, you will attain perfection by rolling along. This is the Bhagwat path.

Let us go on. By drinking the sacred leela-charitra of Bhagwan Shri Krishnachandra ji, we awaken prema-lakshana bhakti in our hearts.

Poojya Shri Radha Baba: the leela he has sung was sung after contemplation. Whatever is the leela in Shrimad Bhagwat, he contemplated it, and he inscribed the leela he saw in that contemplation. Bhagwan is the sustainer of countless universes with seven heavens and seven netherworlds, so he has become the protector of calves (vatsa-palak). He grazes calves, the infinite, immeasurable ocean of the nectar of opulence, who immerses his devotees and makes them intoxicated in love. Brajendra, in this form, the darling of Nand Baba, goes every day to graze calves. He who holds the entire universe on his hood like a mustard seed.

He goes to graze calves with Shri Krishna in the form of Rohini-nandan Balram. Here is the Lord who is worshipped.

Sahasra sheersha purusha sahasraakshah sahasrapaat.
The Purusha has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, and a thousand feet.

In this, no seat is offered to the Paramatma, no padya, no arghya, no bath, no incense, no lamp, no naivedya. The supreme Brahman, the Paramatma, carrying a stick, of whom the scripture says: "shastra sheersha purusha saakshaat sahasrapaa sabhoom sarva pravaa tash dashaangulam." It is written in the Yajurveda: "baba likhe sabhoomi vishwato vrittya tash dashaangulam." When Mother, having brought back the calves in the evening, comes to the Lord, the first thing she does is hug him to her chest. Then she applies beautiful angraag and other fragrances, bathes him, rubs him with ubtan and other things, and bathes him. Then she dresses him in new clothes, and then offers the shayan bhog. Then, slowly, when she puts him to sleep, she presses her son's feet. He has come back from grazing calves, so slowly she presses his feet. All night she wakes several times to look at her darling's face, to see whether he has fallen into sound sleep.

Morning comes. The Lord is still sleeping. Mother goes near him and calls:

jago ho tum nand kumar
Wake up, O Nand Kumar.

bali bal jaun mukharvind ki got melo karo sambhar
I sacrifice myself for your lotus face. Gather yourself and wake up.

jago ho tum nand kumar aaj kaha sovat tribhuvan pati
Wake up, O Nand Kumar. Why are you sleeping today, O Lord of the three worlds?

aur bar tum uthat savar barambar jagavti mata kamal nayan bhyo bhavan ujar jago ho tum nand kumar
Again and again you stir and turn over, and again and again Mother wakes you: "Lotus-eyed one, the house is bright. Wake up, O son of Nanda."

kaun pari Nandlal ba prat samay jagan ki biriya sovat hai Pitambar tan kaun pari Nandlal ban mata joshoda kab ki thadi le on bhojan ghrit shaan jago Shyam kale ki jai sundar badan dikhao an
Why, O Nandlal, are you sleeping with your yellow silk pulled over you, when it is the hour to wake at dawn? Mother Yashoda has been standing here a long time with food and ghee. Wake up, Shyam, glory to the playful one. Show us your beautiful face.

Yashoda Maiya, what is this habit? One should wake at dawn. You are sleeping with your yellow silk pulled over you. Look, I am standing here with the bhog (offering), and all your sakhas are standing at the door.

Your sakhas, who are going to Madhuban to graze the cows, have come and are standing at the door, and you are still asleep. Mother wipes his face with the edge of her cloth.

"Get up, Lala." She makes him rise, then washes his face, cleans his teeth and cleans his body. Then she seats him and offers a beautiful bhog. While feeding him, she forgets herself. Out of vatsalya (parental tenderness), when Krishna and Balram have both taken the bhog, she embraces them both.

karo kale Ram Krishna mil kahat Yashoda maiya uthat prat kachu mat Yashoda mangal bhog det do chora makhan mishri dahi malai doodh bhare do kanak katra
"Come, playful Ram and Krishna," says Mother Yashoda as you rise at dawn. Mother Yashoda gives auspicious food to the two boys: butter, rock sugar, curd, cream and milk, in two golden bowls.

Beautiful butter, rock sugar, milk, curd and cream. This is how Queen Yashoda feeds them so generously. She is so immersed in vatsalya that these two keep eating, and she keeps feeding them. Sometimes she is never satisfied with feeding them.

See, the Lord needs love. The Lord needs affection. Whatever the bhav (mood), when a bhog is offered, the feeling of vatsalya should remain, just as a mother feeds her child. This is how one should offer bhog to one's Thakur. It is not good at all to prepare an offering, set it down like this, and walk away. No, they are beloved darlings. Sit near them. Hold a fan in one hand and slowly feed them at least 101 morsels. After this, meditate: "My Gurudev, in the form of a sakhi, the Acharya in the form of a sakhi, is seated here, feeding Priya and Pritam." Walking away after putting it down like this is a different matter. Arre, do they have any hunger? Your wish to feed them is itself complete, and that wish will awaken in them the wish to eat. Yashoda Maiya is never satisfied in feeding, and Lala's face is happy and he keeps eating.

Then, suddenly, Mother feels that the blue-jewel one is eating so much, on and on. She worries that he may get indigestion. "Lala, just take achaman (sipping water). He has been eating for a long time." In vatsalya, doubt also arises.

The Lord who protects all the worlds has become the protector of the calves, along with Balram ji, and the gopi damsels are beholding them. In everyone's heart, a wonderful dance of bliss is taking place.

Now, as quickly as possible, gathering all the calves together with the sakhas, to graze the calves in Vrindavan at the foot of Giriraj ji, at early dawn..

When Vatsasur was killed, the sakhas held a meeting: "None of you should go and tell this in Braj, in your own homes. If you do, our calf-grazing will stop from tomorrow. Mother and Baba will not let us come at all." The Lord killed Vatsasur, but no one came to know of it; only the sakhas know. If the news of Vatsasur's slaying spreads in Braj, there will be apprehension, and all of our meeting and calf-grazing will stop.

Shri Krishnachandra, moving freely with Balram ji as always, continues his going to the forest, grazing calves and playing in the forest. Some people said that Vatsasur had been killed, but no one believed it. If he had been killed, Shri Krishna and Balram would have said so too. No one paid attention to this matter.

But when Vatsasur was killed, Mathuradhipati Kansa became frightened. A spy reported: it was the one who killed Putana, killed Shakatasur, and killed Trinavarta. The same one has killed Vatsasur. It became clear to Kansa: "This is the one who will kill me." It was as if poison had entered his ears.

kansastu tasmat padap vatsur nirwasan mapas sarp mukh sparsh matra samu bhasam daso nimya mas
Kansa, hearing of Vatsasur's death, felt as though a serpent had touched his mouth, and he closed his eyes.

Kansa began to take long, deep breaths. He is utterly numb: "What can be done now?" This time is very painful for Kansa. Otherwise, he was very famous and very strong, and there was no problem at all. Now it is as if he has become lifeless.

"Who now can save me?"

ten dashmi dasha prapita sat mantr bhi kathan vadha pita
Kansa was struck with such distress, and the ministers spoke.

The ministers said, "Why are you worried? He will be killed. There are many means."

hant sambhavita dabhavita bhava prasthapita natu tabhdam kinchitam
Kansa said: "I have sent demons, disguised in many forms, but none of them succeeded against him. They were killed."

Then Kansa became grave, and the council of ministers began to deliberate again.

dev kevalam vakmatra balmavlamba yat jat sanra
Master, in all seriousness, there is one solution.

Master, in all seriousness, there is one solution. You know Bakasur, of course. He is your very dear friend. He is mighty, and his beak has such strength that he could gather up the whole world. He will kill him. Shri Krishna comes to the forest to graze calves. Bakasur will go and kill him.

Kansa smiled. "Oh, call my friend Bakasur! I had forgotten him." One by one, the offerings are being made.

aam mamsa evlatra prasthapna sthapta
Filled with delight, Kansa approved and said: "Yes, very good."

Yes, yes, very good. Let that Bakasur be summoned before me. Bakasur is Putana's brother.

Bakasur appeared before Kansa. The extremely valiant Bakasur had been a friend since then. Earlier, Kansa had tested his strength. When the contest began, Bakasur took Kansa into his mouth as a test. Kansa displayed fierce valour, Bakasur spat him out, and Bakasur showed his full valour with his beak. Then both Bakasur and Kansa said, "We are both friends. We are only displaying our strength, so we are equally powerful."

Now Kansa was greatly delighted: "I have seen Bakasur's valour." He told Bakasur, "You must kill that very boy who killed your sister." Tears came into Bakasur's eyes at the memory of his sister, and he said, "If I get just one chance, I will crush him to powder."

Bhaiya, I will take revenge for my sister, and by killing him I will cool my sister's heart. Don't delay, go. This is the order: Kansa has issued his command. He worked out fully how it was to be done and made a plan.

The Lord, in his natural way, is grazing the calves and playing with the cowherd boys. The beauty that enchants the three worlds, the sweetest of the sweet, his childlike poses, are like waves rising in the ocean of milk. Among countless calves, Lord Shri Krishna is absorbed in supreme bliss, playing with the cowherd children. Balram is with him, and once the Lord glances over the whole area with a sidelong look.

Has someone come? Has some demon come? He takes in all the calves and all the companions in one glance. Then they play again. Slowly they moved forward. There was fresh, new grass, and the calves began to graze. There are rows of lovely creepers. This is the supremely beautiful land of Braj.

So Ram and Krishna, full of joy, with their cowherd companions, first made an effort: the calves should be given water to drink and then be let loose in the green grass. The companions did just that. They gathered all the calves, gave them good water to drink, and let them go nearby.

swsa kulam sarve pant ekda gatva jalashyasam paay papur jalam

Having once gone to the lake with all the herd and let them drink, they themselves drank the water.

When the calves had finished drinking and started grazing on the green grass, and the Lord Shri Krishna was playing with the cowherd boys, at that moment a sight caught the eye. It seemed as though a mountain had fallen. A huge beak, the lower part of it, looked as if a mountain had broken and come crashing down.

kya te tatr sur bala maha satam vasthitam tatr sur vajr nirbhinnam gire sangam chitam

It was as if a mountain peak, standing there, had been split by Indra's thunderbolt and come crashing down.

It seemed as though Indra, king of the gods, had struck a peak with his thunderbolt and it had broken and fallen. That was Bakasura, with a heavy beak, one part in the sky and one part below. The great demon Baka had taken the form of a crane.

Some of the companions said, "Shri Krishna, what is this? We have never seen anything like it before. It looks like a long peak, but it is not a peak. It is a crane's beak. Look, one end touches the sky and the other the earth. We have never seen such a crane."

dharan tal munna mayan dharan tal nihtottar chanch

Its lower beak rests on the earth, and its upper beak reaches into the sky.

The lower beak is on the earth and the upper one in the sky, as if it would uproot the earth itself. Such a heavy beak, like a thunderbolt, one above in heaven and one below on the earth. Such a demon, so huge that the boys, playing with their companions, would come right up to it all at once. The demon watches with wide, staring eyes: which of them is Krishna?

Taking the largest crane form, he saw the one with the peacock-feather crown and yellow silk garment, and he understood: this is the mighty one.

abhay bhuj dand mul peen hans sanukul kanak nikas lasit kool damini dhar ki u par mandarhar mukta larwar sudhar mat dudh gati tan ki deh dasha kar ki aise da ki

Fearless, with arms strong as pillars, gentle and pleasing, shining like a streak of gold in lightning, adorned with a mandara garland and strings of pearls..

The Lord cast his glance and said, "Ah, Bakasura, you have come. Your turn has arrived." He said to the companions, "Hey, that bird over there looks different. Brothers, come, be careful. This looks like a crane, but its conduct and behaviour are not those of a bird. It is a demon, and its actions are not right. Move away, all of you. This is a crane in appearance, but it is not really a crane."

akaratma pakshi tully sad vyapar na pakshat baka ki navka sakshat kutwat sthit rikshate

Though it resembles a bird in form, its conduct is not a bird's. It stands as a demon in the disguise of a crane.

All the companions came close to Shri Krishna and surrounded him. They began to say, "Friend, this is not a bird at all. It is a demon in disguise, and it will devour us all. Brother Kanhaiya, you say it is not a bird, it is a demon! It will swallow all of us. This is a demon in the form of a crane. You said, 'Run away,' so now we all run!"

sakhe nayam pakshi apitu saklane gil tum kritarabh guru dabhan kena danwe bhitavyam

Friend, this is no bird, but a demon, who will swallow us all.

Kailash shikhar shikhar dragi shareeradap dirgh dirgh tala chanchu putda dasam katha palam

Its body is like a peak of Mount Kailash, its long beak like a pouch. How can we escape?

"Brother, how will you run away? Its beak is long, reaching up to the sky. Wherever you go, it will catch you."

Hearing the companions' words, Shri Krishna Chandra smiled and said, "There is no need to run at all. What power does it have to touch you? Don't be afraid. Let me see its strength a little." And he set off toward Bakasura.

He is omniscient, all-knowing, the very center of all strength: the Lord himself, son of Brajendra Nanda, in child form. He knows everything, and he knows who this is, by whom he has been sent, and what he has come to do. But the demon Bakasura, seeing the simple, saintly-natured boy, thinks he has not understood anything.

Like a bewitched child, the Lord slowly drew near to him.

pundreek lochnastam jaan tas tand sanadh mein gamne vadhim chakar

The lotus-eyed Lord, knowing everything, went near the demon's beak.

The lotus-eyed Lord, though knowing everything, pretended not to know, and went close to his beak.

Now all the cowherd boys are frightened. "What if something bad happens to my brother Kanhaiya?" A great fear arises. Someone is saying, "Kanhaiya, don't go! Kanhaiya, don't go!" But the Lord, the remover of fear from all the worlds, the giver of fearlessness, has come right up to Bakasura.

He is very watchful. But Bakasura, with his head held high, is also slowly, step by step, coming close to Shri Krishna, and the Lord is walking on as if enchanted.

agat sahsa krishnam teekshan tandosat bali mahabali bakasur ne bhagwan ko apni chonch mein le liya

Suddenly approaching, the mighty Bakasura, with his sharp beak, seized Krishna.

Suddenly he pounced so fiercely that he took the Lord into his beak. Now all the companions cried out loudly in anguish, "Oh Krishna!" All the calves, seeing this, began to weep. Everyone loves the Lord. The cowherd boys and children feel as though their lives are leaving them: "My Krishna has been taken into this crane's beak!"

What will happen now? If the crane swallows Shri Krishna Chandra and I keep watching with my own eyes, what is the point of my life?

krishnam mahak grastam drishtara dabhka band bina pranam vichet

Seeing Krishna seized by the great demon, they are senseless, as if their breath has stopped.

Everyone is distraught. All the Braj boys, the cowherd children, seem almost lifeless.

[sound of coughing] [sound of throat clearing]

Immense grief is felt by everyone. Now Bakasura, with great delight, thinks: "Now he has come into my beak! All that is left is to swallow him. And the people of Braj will die anyway without Shri Krishna." With great exultation he has placed Shri Krishna in his beak, but the strength to swallow is not coming to him. How does the process of swallowing happen?

Bakasur tried to jerk him up, but the jerk had no effect at all. Shri Krishna is so heavy that wherever his beak was placed, he stayed exactly there. Who could make a jerk move him, the one in whose hair-pores are endless universes?

brahmand nikhaya nirmit maya rom rom pratibimbit kahe asankh brahmand pati jagat srashta anadi balshali bal ke samudra bhagwan shri Krishna

Whose every pore reflects the illusion-made multitude of universes, the countless lords of universes, the creator of the world, beginningless, mighty, the ocean of strength: Lord Shri Krishna.

Bakasur tried again and again to snatch him up and carry him off, but it was not possible. That great one stayed like a mountain on his beak. The Lord stood between the two halves of his beak.

Then the Lord created a burning fire on the roof of Bakasur's mouth, and his throat began to burn. Just by seeing the Lord, burning goes away and the heart becomes cool. But the Lord gives darshan according to the feeling with which one comes, and he meets each one as that one feels. Bakasur's burning became so intense that he began to feel as if Shri Krishna were a ball of fire. Only by taking the name of Shri Krishna on the tongue does the heart become cool and the fire of hell is calmed. Yet Shri Krishna himself was on his beak, and because Bakasur's attitude was not right, he burned like fire. He suffered unbearable pain.

Now he thought that swallowing was not right, so he would spit him out, and the fire would be put out. He tried to vomit, and his throat was still burning. Everyone thought that Shri Krishna had lost his life, and it could be seen from far away, caught in the grip of his beak. But on the contrary, when he loosened his beak, the Lord came out comfortably. Bakasur thought, "If he goes back like this, Kansa will say, 'This was your strength and valour.'" Filled with extreme rage, he joined both beaks together and struck at the Lord, to take away his life. The cowherd boys danced when they saw him come out.

But at that very moment they saw that Bakasur had joined both his beaks and was striking at the Lord. Shri Krishna went very close and, with his small lotus-sprout hands, seized his huge two beaks exactly where he was striking, and twisted them.

aise usko pakar ke maroda

He seized him like this and twisted him.

tamaptantam sa nigrihya tundayorbhyan bakam kansaskham satan patih

Seizing by both beaks the charging crane, Bakasur, friend of Kansa, the lord of the good, [and the rest of the verse as written].

The Lord is very tender, like a lotus hand. But how much strength is in these tender lotus hands? Putana knew this in just six days. Now the Lord did it: first he twisted him, and then he held both beaks like this, tore him apart, and threw him away. Maharaj Ji was only three years old, and he tore Bakasur apart and flung the dead body away.

Now Balram ji and the cow-boy Kanhaiya, my Kanhaiya, my Krishna, all ran forward and embraced Shri Krishna. Bakasur's body, split into two pieces, lay dead.

tadamritas das jyoti Krishna samas

Then the divine light emerged from Bakasur and merged into Krishna.

Then all the friends saw a divine light come out of Bakasur, circle Shri Krishna, and merge into him. This is what was seen in Vatsasur too.

Do you feel that this is my friend? Even in sakha bhav, bhagavatta does not last much. Because if bhagavatta remains, how can one say "friend"? Bhagavatta remains in dasya bhav. It does not remain in sakha bhav, nor in vatsalya bhav, nor in gopi bhav, nor in sahachari bhav. In these, the Lord's aishwarya and the awareness of his divinity are forgotten. "My dear friend, my life-dear son, my life-dear beloved, my life-dear divine couple": this is a very affectionate worship. The friend embraces you. Today the words of the accomplished sage Jajali came true.

This was Hayagriva's son, the demon Utkal. Hayagriva's son was the demon Utkal. Having snatched Indra's royal umbrella and seized the kingdoms of many earthly kings, he ruled as a king himself. One day this arrogant Utkal, together with his army of demons, reached the confluence of the Sindhu and the sea, where the sage Jajali had a hermitage in which he performed austerities and bhajan. Seeing the beauty of that charming ashram, the fearless one began to take the lives of the fish there. He began killing big fish and water creatures. Sage Jajali went and said, "Before our ashram, before our eyes, you cannot commit killing of living beings."

He did not listen. Then rage arose in the sage's eyes, and from his mouth came these words: "Wicked one, you are destroying fish and water creatures like a crane. Therefore, go and become a crane, taking on a demonic nature." Immediately, by the sage's power, he became Bakasur. Then he fell at Jajali Rishi's feet and offered praise. The sage said: "In the Vaivasvata Manvantara, at the end of the twenty-eighth Dwapar, when the Supreme and complete Lord Sachchidananda Shri Krishna Chandra appears, and when you go to Vrindavan's forest and strike him, then you will be liberated."

Today, the words of sage Jajali came true. Bakasur was killed by the hand of the lotus-hand of Sachchidananda Bhagwan. What excitement among the cowherd boys: "My friend is so strong! My friend is so mighty!" Some skilled friends gathered vaijanti flowers, the same vaijanti that blooms in the bushes, and made a garland from them. They chose a garland of red and yellow flowers and put it on Shri Krishna. Making a garland from chosen flowers, "My brother Krishna! My friend Krishna!" Some touched his thigh, saying "Wah, brother!", some touched his arm, saying "Wah, brother! You are so strong! You tore Bakasur apart and threw him away! Wah, Kanhaiya!" And they put flower garlands on him. Only the friends know that joy. They were so absorbed in that bliss that they did not notice the sun setting and night falling.

Lord Shri Krishna said, "Brother, look, darkness is falling. Gather the cows and let's head home." But in their excitement, the sakhas wept for the first time: "Kanhaiya, if you had not killed this Bakasura, he would have devoured all of us sakhas." Each one, with the feeling chosen by their own heart, brought something for Shri Krishna Chandra. One brought fresh, tender leaves and strung them into a garland for Krishna. Another brought minerals and painted designs on Shri Krishna's body.

baka vidh chale braj ko hari sakha sang anand karat sab ang ang ban dhatu chitra kari baka bidar chale braj ko hari vanmala pahravat shyamah ko bar-bar akbar bharat dhari kans nipat karege tum hi ham janie ye baat sahi pari

Having torn apart Bakasura, Hari returns to Braj with his sakhas, dancing in joy. Every limb is adorned with minerals and paintings. They garland Shyamsundar again and again with forest flowers and embrace him, saying, "You will slay Kansa. We know this, and it has proved true."

Now, brother, we have faith. We are no longer afraid even of Kansa. Our Kanhaiya will defeat Kansa too. Evening had fallen.

It was getting very late. Maiya's life-breath was drying up. What if some mishap had occurred?

mata param mata param kautukam kautukam na vimayat yadyat sakhyas khyapitu bhuj parakram parakram krit ri maiya

Mother, what a supreme wonder, beyond measure. What his companions have proclaimed is the prowess of his arms.

Mother, no other wonder could be more beautiful than this. Who on this earth would not be astonished? Today our sakha Kanhaiya killed a very great enemy, Bakasura. He had come to attack. Kanhaiya tore him apart with the strength of his arms and threw him aside. That's why we kept saying something must have happened, because today there was such a delay.

They became frightened of some mishap. But what mishap? We had come from Gokul to Vrindavan precisely to escape mishaps! Having already felled two demons in Vrindavan, Vatsasura and Bakasura, Yashoda kept glancing again and again at her darling's lotus face.

"Look, Maiya, let me tell you. The one who came was puffed up with great pride. He looked like a mountain, but, Maiya, he had no real strength. He was ready to swallow all of us. We did not kill him at that time; his own death killed him. We were all overjoyed. Death itself struck him down."

And we were all delighted. O Maiya, why do you worry? That crooked-gaited one would have killed all the sakhas. Call it the grace of Bhagwan. Death killed him. We were only an instrument. He was seized like this, and there was no strength in him at all. And Maiya, then I think: how could such a huge demon be killed by this little Kanhaiya? But Maiya began to say: the reason I left our old palace in Gokul is still following us. This terrible havoc caused by demons is happening here too.

My Nilmani is not under my control. He is very restless and very brave. He never becomes frightened and does not fear anyone, even a little. Alas, where shall I go? What shall I do? How can I protect my darling? Maiya stood there thinking, and then she began to weep. This is vatsalya, parental affection. A sakha whispered in her ear, "Maiya, they are only saying that death killed him, but he was completely powerless. Maiya, that demon was very strong. He once swallowed Shri Krishna Chandra, and this one came out from inside him by his own strength." Maiya became even more alarmed, that her darling had been swallowed. The news spread through the whole of Braj mandal.

Bakasura had swallowed Shri Krishna, and Shri Krishna killed him. All the Brajvasis came running. They embraced Shri Krishna Chandra to their hearts. The gopis, Prabhu, are life itself to him. They all gathered at Nand Bhavan and kept asking the sakhas again and again, "What happened? How did it happen?" They talked about everything, gazing at Shri Krishna Chandra in astonishment. Brajeshwar Nand Baba, Upanand, and the other chief gopas seated everyone, including Shridama, and listened to the entire incident to the end. Nand Baba began to weep and said, "O Narayan, O Bhagwan, you protected our child." That is the feeling of vatsalya: Baba never thinks, "My lala did this." He only thinks, "My Bhagwan Narayan protected my child." Nand Baba became completely absorbed in contemplating the feet of Bhagwan Narayan, and he touched the very tender limbs of Shri Krishna Chandra.

Oh, not even a scratch touched my tiny Nilmani, and the fierce demon was killed. This is the grace of Bhagwan Narayan. When he heard that Bakasura had swallowed him, he said clearly, "Brother, I tell you truly: our Bhagwan Narayan is always present to protect our Kanhaiya. The demon swallowed him, and it was as if death itself had come upon our darling, but our Narayan saved him." Nand Baba has this experience. He does not feel that this Narayan is himself. Not even the shadow of death could touch my darling, by the grace of Bhagwan Narayan. He ran and embraced Shri Krishna to his heart.

They kissed his forehead.

shratwa tasmita gopa gopya priyata pratyagat daksh taste kshana

Having heard this, the gopas and the gopis dear to him returned, and in that moment were all astonished.

When the flow of everyone's emotion grew calm, the gopa mandali sat down and said, "How astonishing! Many causes of death have come upon this child until now, but whoever came to harm him was himself harmed. This must have happened because those people had committed some sins earlier. Whoever plans to harm another is harmed first. This is the principle. This is the principle. When the pot of one's sins is full, while harming another, one's own harm comes about."

Just see: fearsome demons come, and they cannot harm even a hair of our Bal Krishna, who is more delicate than a flower. Instead, they lose their own lives, as if a moth had fallen into a blazing fire and perished. Oh, Gargacharya's words have proved true. Gargacharya had said that your child has boundless qualities. Nand Baba pays no attention at all to this discussion. He is absorbed in contemplating Bhagwan, saying, "Bhagwan, you saved him." Nandan Nandan is my life, Nandan Nandan is my life-breath [a nasal sound]. Maiya keeps pressing him to her chest, closing her eyes, and with great affection she offers bhog to the Lord and puts Him to rest. Shri Krishna Chandra's sacred character is such that merely hearing it destroys all sorrows.

He pampered the boy with great affection and then woke him in the morning. A spy went to Kansa and reported what had happened: it was as if someone had torn apart a stalk of veeran grass. The boy had flung Bakasura away like that. Kansa's lips went dry like a blade of grass. A painful, heavy grief settled in his heart. Now what could be done? The boy had killed Vatsasura too, and then Bakasura. For a long while Kansa's heart seemed to lose consciousness. Then, deeply distressed, he came somewhat to himself. He rose from his throne, then sat down again. Such restlessness was his particular trait.

Wherever he looked, he saw God. Whenever his gaze fell on the blue sky, he saw the dark form of God. He even saw Krishna in the cumin seeds of the lentils. He would become frightened all at once: "Blessed is his state, that he sees God everywhere." Then he would become agitated: "What has happened to my eyes? This dark-complexioned Shyamsundar has settled into my eyes." If this had been love, he would have been immersed in joy and comfort. Right now there is hatred, so there is fear. The tendency of fear is the surge of sorrow.

Now Kansa began to think: what illusion should I spread? The illusions of the great demons have had no effect on this boy. Everyone who went has been destroyed. This means the hope of my life is finished, because Devi had told me that the one who would kill you has already been born. Sweat broke out on Kansa's forehead. At that moment a memory came to him. Vyomasura is very illusory and very strong. Kansa remembered Vyomasura. He had been defeated by Kansa and had accepted Kansa's servitude. He was loyal to his master, extremely strong, and of a cruel nature. At once, the thought came: Vyomasura is the only remedy for me. Let him be summoned immediately. He can kill this child. He is the son of the great illusionist Mayadanava, supremely skilled in every kind of illusion, and renowned for his strength.

Without doubt, this task will be done. Kansa's resolve was carried out at once. Kansa summoned Vyomasura, and he came, huge like a mountain. Kansa said: "In Braj, the darling of Nand Baba must have his life taken. You can accomplish this task." He replied: "Is this a task? Killing a child is no task. Oh, if you want a whole province destroyed, then just give the order. Killing a boy? No, he is not an ordinary boy." Bakasura, Vatsasura, Trinavarta, Shakatasura, Pootana, all of them, one by one, you have gone. Only this one is to be killed. Kansa sent Vyomasura, and he came to Vrindavan. Mother said in the morning, "Today the cows will not go out." She said, "Be at ease. Do you have faith in your Narayan Bhagwan?" They said, "Yes, completely." Then Bhagwan Narayan protects, and demons keep coming every day.

"Brother, you may rest easy." Somehow Mother was persuaded, and surrounded by his cowherd friends and countless calves, Bhagwan went into the forest. There he played with his friends and played with the calves. How beautiful Vrindavan was! Here peacocks were dancing, there cuckoos were singing their sweet song, and there the parrots and mynas were singing, delighted at the sight of Bhagwan Shri Krishna Chandra. A cool, gentle, fragrant breeze was blowing. Bhagwan Shri Krishna Chandra, together with Balram, was watching the beauty of the forest in the splendour of spring. The cowherd boys played new games with Bhagwan. Today, in one game, there was a game of thief and guard: Shri Krishna Chandra and his friends played hide and seek, with some cowherd boys becoming thieves and others becoming those who would steal them, on Giriraj Govardhan. This leela continued.

Vyomasura watched Shri Krishna Chandra from afar, and the whole group was playing, absorbed in supreme bliss. He kept looking. He thought that it would be very difficult to kidnap Shri Krishna Chandra, because he had seen how alert he was in that short while. So he decided: "I will go as a friend on Shri Krishna Chandra's side, and I will kidnap Balram first, the strong one. Then this dark-radiant son will recognise me immediately in my demon form." "I have heard he is very strong, and he kills demons the moment he sees them. So right now I should go among them in the form of a child. I will kill them one by one." Vyomasura resolved on his duty. He took the form of a cowherd boy, just like the cowherd children, and joined Bhagwan Shri Krishna's side, the son of Mahamaya Vyoma, disguised as a cowherd boy. No cowherd boy realised it. Bhagwan Shri Krishna Chandra was absorbed in the game, while Vyomasura was anxious to complete his plan. The great demon began to take the boys who were being hidden, one after another, to Shri Krishna's side. In an instant he went to a mountain cave, pushed the boys inside, and rolled a stone over the opening. Four or five boys remained. In the game of hide and seek, Bhagwan wondered: where are all these friends disappearing to, one by one?

Almighty power, the all-knowing one, signalled to the divine Leela Mahashakti. Shri Krishna Chandra cast his glance: who is it? There was no delay. His gaze fell on Vyomasura, who was posing as a friend. Look, this is not the sort of sight that sages and seers have. It is a divine gaze, by which everything is seen. "Then Shankar, in meditation, knew all that Sati had done." Bhagwan, the lover of devotees, saw: "Oh, this is the mighty Vyomasura! He will kill all our friends!" Bhagwan became alert. The one who was carrying off the children, disguised as a thief, was seized by Bhagwan. His hands were so tender, like small lotus buds.

"Knowing his deed, Krishna, the giver of refuge to the good, seized the wolf-demon." (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 10.8)

Now Vyomasura, the mighty demon, is making every effort, but he cannot free his wrist from the fist of the little Lord. Then he revealed his demon form. Terrifying, very large, and the little Bal Gopal was holding his hand. His huge form was like a mountain, and Bhagwan had gripped him tightly. He kept trying again and again to break free. Pain ran through every limb, and only his wrist was held, yet he exerted his full strength, but he could not free himself from Bhagwan Shri Krishna. Shri Krishna Chandra then seized his other hand as well.

He grabbed both his arms and gave one jerk, and the demon fell face down. Then, with his nose and mouth pressed to the ground and fingers placed on his nostrils, the breath stopped. The Lord kept him pinned like that for a long time. When the breath had stopped and He saw the demon was still not dying, He released the mouth and nose, seized his neck and twisted it. Still he was not fully dead, so He grabbed him and slammed his head down. Against the Lord's strength, whose strength can stand? He smashed Vyomasura down on a rock again and again.

The Lord immediately knew through His meditative vision where the sakhas were. Following the footprints of Vyomasura, He reached that place, lifted a huge mountain boulder, and found all the sakhas shut inside the cave. They would have died there, for no air could reach them. Going near the cave, Shri Krishna Chandra saw that the entrance was blocked by a huge stone. The Lord moved the stone aside as if it were a game.

We are servants of such a Lord. What fear is there, what dread? He was there then; He is not gone now. The Lord is eternal. The Lord is Sachchidananda. The Lord is everywhere. But in the true sense, we do not have trust in the Lord. In the true sense, we do not have trust in the Lord.

We trust in money. We trust in our own intellect. We trust in our loved ones. We trust in some official of this world. Trusting in the Lord is very difficult. But if trust in the Lord arises, then the biggest problems are destroyed in that very moment.

The Lord removed the stone and in a moment looked at all the sakhas. They were drenched in sweat, and the text says their lives had reached the final condition, for they had almost died. Then the Lord restored everyone's life with a nectar-like glance, and everyone saw that Shri Krishna Chandra was standing before them.

All the sakhas began to weep. "Shri Krishna, I was not afraid of this suffering. I was afraid of being separated from you. Of your absence." Everyone's speech was stunned, yet still. The sakhas embraced Shri Krishna Chandra again and again. "Friend, if you are a friend, then you are like this. If you are a sakha, then you are like this. We would have died. Vyomasura had shut us in a cave where even air could not enter. Make Him your friend. Make Him your beloved. If nothing else exists and only He exists, then you will be happy, ever happy."

brahmabhut prasannatma
One who has become one with Brahman, whose self is serene, ..

"Brahman is the one whose self is serene. If this serenity is not in one's life, then, brother, know this: however much you do, you cannot be content."

You may be delighted, but then you will have to grieve. At the foot of Giriraj Ji, all the sakhas were weeping in embrace with Shri Krishna, filled with sorrowful wailing. "Friend, if today you were not our friend, we would all have died. Bhimasura, I mean Vyomasura, would have killed us." Sarve tasmai duhkhitā rodantaḥ (all, grieving, were weeping). Shri Krishna said to everyone, "Do not weep. Everyone, be joyful." From there He showed them everything: "Look, the one you were shut inside the cave by, he is lying dead here." The enormous demon was now dead. No one's mind was on play anymore. Everyone quickly returned.

Gathering the cows and calves, they came back early. Bakasura had been killed, so there had been a delay. Today they came back early, and that raised a question. "Why did all of you bring the calves back so early today? Is there some festival to celebrate, some game to play? The sun is still up; evening has not come. Why has Yashoda Maiya come back early today? Do all of you have some other purpose for playing?" They answered, "No, Maiya, this was the command of our Nilamani, the command of our Lord Kanhaiya. But we were saved from a very inauspicious event, and Kanhaiya saved not only himself but all of us." Bhaiya asked, "What happened?" They said, "A demon as big as a mountain came, named Vyomasura. He shut all of us in a cave. He saved our lives, and then our Kanhaiya, Bhaiya, twisted him and slammed him down again and again until he was killed. After that our minds no longer stayed on play, and we felt we should bring the calves home now."

When Kamsa heard that Vyomasura had also been killed, his senses fled. "Bring water quickly, bring water!" Some minister sat down beside him. "What can be done now? Is there anyone? Is there anyone who can save our lives?"

Aghasura said, "Until now you have not given us any service. What is the matter with Brajendra Nandan? If we wished, we could swallow the entire Braj Mandal in one bite." Taking the form of a huge python, Aghasura was greatly honored by Kamsa. Kamsa garlanded him and held him to his chest. "Brother, only you are left to rely on. Only you remain, the one who walks on the altar of sacrifice. We hand this vow to you."

He replied, "Understand that just by saying this, I have gone. I have gone, and I will come back." Kamsa could not understand. Kamsa thought he was saying he would go, do the task, and come back. But he had said, in effect, "Understand that I am gone." Yad gatvā na nivartante, whoever goes to the Lord does not return. Tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (that is My supreme abode).

Aghasura, describing his own strength and valor, with the intention of killing Nanda Nandan, expands his form in Shri Vrindavan Dham.

This text is taken from the video's auto-generated subtitles and may contain word errors. For authentic words, please do listen to the video.

Original video: Shri Hit Radha Kripa (YouTube)