The Supreme Lord Is Equal to Everyone – Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 7 Chapter 1

Section 1 – Verses 7.1.1 – 7.1.3 – Mahārāja Parīkṣit asks Is Lord partial?

Mahārāja Parīkṣit puts up questions with Śukadeva Gosvāmī – Is the Supreme Lord partial? Why did he take sides with the demigods in killing a demon, Hiraṇyākṣa?

Philosophical conclusions

• Krishna is equal to everyone
• Supersoul is extremely dear to everyone
• Kṛṣṇa is absolute, whether He is in the material world or spiritual world
• Therefore, His punishments and His offerings of favor are both of the same value
• His enmity and friendship are external features presented by the material energy

Section 2 – Verses 7.1.4 – 7.1.12 – Śukadeva Gosvāmī answers Lord is absolute

Śukadeva Gosvāmī answers Mahārāja Parīkṣit questions.

Philosophical Conclusions

• One must first offer one’s respectful obeisances to one’s spiritual master.
• One should chant and hear about Krishna always
• Fools impose material qualities on the always transcendental Krishna
• One who understands Krishna’s activities becomes transcendental and goes to the spiritual world upon leaving the body
• Material nature (prakṛti) works under Krishna’s order.
• Kṛṣṇa is never influenced by material qualities, therefore He is never partial.
• Due to the interaction of the modes, dualities occur and result in a perception of victory-loss, partial-impartial etc.
• The living entity is originally transcendental
• Everyone in the material world works under the influence of the material modes. When a particular mode becomes prominent, people under its influence appear victorious.
• All modes do not become prominent or diminish simultaneously.
• Krishna instructs a devotee to the level one is capable of receiving it.
• A devotee understands Krishna’s favor upon another devotee by seeing the activities of the devotee.
• A Vaiṣṇava should appreciate the service rendered to the Lord by other Vaiṣṇavas, without envy. (nirmatsarāṇāṁ satām)
• Rajo Guna and Tamo Guna develop incapability to understand Krishna’s instructions.
• Kṛṣṇa is equal to everyone, and according to one’s ability to receive the favor of Kṛṣṇa, one advances in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
• The body is produced by material nature according to the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
• Krishna creates and controls time and never vice versa.
• Everything created by the Lord is factual, it may be temporary, but it is not false.
• The Lord is always impartial and always very kind to all living entities.

Section 3 – Verses 7.1.13 – 7.1.15 – Śukadeva Gosvāmī quotes a conversation between Yudhiṣṭhira and Narada

Śukadeva Gosvāmī further elaborates his answer by quoting from disciplic succession (quotes conversation between Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja and Narada Muni)

Philosophical Conclusions

• Krishna is never impartial even while killing the demons

Section 4 – Verses 7.1.16 – 7.1.21 – Yudhiṣṭhira asks Narada about Śiśupāla’s liberation

Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja is wonderstruck by seeing Śiśupāla merge into the body of the Supreme Lord. He asks Narada Muni about how it was possible for such a sinful man.

Philosophical Conclusions

• Jnanis aspire to merge in the existence of the Lord, but not the Bhaktas
• A person remembering the Lord always out of envy also gets liberated by merging in the body of the Lord
• Kṛṣṇa is the cause of Viṣṇu, not vice versa.
• Kṛṣṇa is the cause of Brahman and therefore He is Parabrahman
• Sastras enjoin on blaspheming the Lord one suffers punishment in hell more gruesome than killing many Brahmanas
• To solve perplexities of life one should humbly approach a bonafide spiritual master coming in disciplic succession

Section 5 – Verses 7.1.22 – 7.1.33 – Narada Muni describes Śiśupāla’s liberation

Narada Muni answers Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja and out of his humbleness compares himself lower than Śiśupāla.

Philosophical Conclusions

• External energy manufactures the material body according to the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
• The conditioned soul suffers due to his bodily conception of life
• Dualities are felt due to the material conception of life
• Lord Krishna is transcendental to material conception, therefore free from dualities
• Lord does not feel any extra pleasure when devotee offers nice prayers, but devotee benefits.
• Chastisement or Praise is felt by the conditioned soul when he considers the body as the self.
• Krishna and His body are non-different and thus He is kaivalya.
• Krishna remains outside of the bodily concept of life even while residing in everyone’s body as Paramatma.
• Blaspheming Krishna is not a regulative principle, therefore not a good approach to remember Krishna.
• One should perform Bhakti yoga favorably.
• Blaspheming Krishna will lead one to punishment, birth among the asuras, at least for one life to purify.
• The attitude of people being enemies of Krishna will baffle them.
• A pure devotee always thinks himself more deficient than everyone else.
• One should be fully absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa, twenty-four hours a day.
• Full absorption in thought of Kṛṣṇa is the highest platform of bhakti-yoga.
• To think of Kṛṣṇa in any way, in terms of His name, form, qualities, paraphernalia, or anything pertaining to Him, is beneficial for everyone.
• Thinking of Kṛṣṇa, hearing the holy name of Kṛṣṇa or hearing the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa will make one pure, and then he will become a devotee.
• One may think of Krishna with great attention in lusty desires, inimical feelings, fear, affection or devotional service.
• Devotees, therefore, who constantly think of Kṛṣṇa’s form, are certainly liberated.

Section 6 – Verses 7.1.34 – 7.1.35 – Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja inquires about Bhaktas coming to the material platform

Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja further inquires how Vishnu Bhaktas can be cursed and come to material platform?

Philosophical Conclusions

• One who purifies of material contamination and returns back to Godhead never returns
• One who knows Krishna’s birth and activities does not take birth again
• Associates of the Lord who descends from the spiritual world do not fall down. They come with the purpose of fulfilling the desire of the Lord, and their descent to this material world is comparable to that of the Lord.
• The Lord comes to this material world through the agency of His internal potency, and similarly, when a devotee or associate of the Lord descends to this material world, he does so through the action of the spiritual energy.
• Yogamaya arranges the pastimes of the Lord and His associates
• Impersonalist who takes shelter of the Brahman effulgence must surely fall down. Since sāyujya-mukti is partial mukti, they must fall again to this material world.

Section 7 – Verses 7.1.36 – 7.1.47 – Narada Muni narrates the story of Jaya and Vijaya

Narada Muni narrates the story of Jaya and Vijaya.

Philosophical Conclusions

• The personal associates of Lord Viṣṇu in Vaikuṇṭhaloka are always liberated souls even if they have to come to the material world due to curse or blessing.
• The Lord is equally situated in the core of everyone’s heart. Therefore, never envious or friendly to anyone.
• His punishment is like chastisement to beloved child and thus He is equally disposed toward everyone.
• Sisupala reentered Vaikuntha loka through Krishna’s body although he seemed to have attained Sayuja mukti.

Section 8 – Verses 7.1.48 – Why Hiranyakashipu was inimical to Prahlada

Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja further inquires about the enmity between Hiraṇyakaśipu and Prahlāda.

Philosophical Conclusions

• All the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa are called acyutātmā, because the devotees are attached to the infallible, they are called acyutātmā.