Text-05-07
SB 10.1.5-7
pitamaha me samare ’marañjayair
devavratadyatirathais timingilaih
duratyayam kaurava-sainya-sagaram
krtvataran vatsa-padam sma yat-plavah
drauny-astra-viplustam idam mad-angam
santana-bijam kuru-pandavanam
jugopa kuksim gata atta-cakro
matus ca me yah saranam gatayah
viryani tasyakhila-deha-bhajam
antar bahih purusa-kala-rupaih
prayacchato mrtyum utamrtam ca
maya-manusyasya vadasva vidvan
Translation by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
Taking the boat of Krsna’s lotus feet, my grandfather Arjuna and others crossed the ocean of the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, in which such commanders as Bhismadeva resembled great fish that could very easily have swallowed them. By the mercy of Lord Krsna, my grandfathers crossed this ocean, which was very difficult to cross, as easily as one steps over the hoofprint of a calf. Because my mother surrendered unto Lord Krsna’s lotus feet, the Lord, Sudarsana-cakra in hand, entered her womb and saved my body, the body of the last remaining descendant of the Kurus and the Pandavas, which was almost destroyed by the fiery weapon of Asvatthama. Lord Sri Krsna, appearing within and outside of all materially embodied living beings by His own potency in the forms of eternal time that is, as Paramatma and as virat-rupa gave liberation to everyone, either as cruel death or as life. Kindly enlighten me by describing His transcendental characteristics.
Purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.58):
samasrita ye pada-pallava-plavam
mahat-padam punya-yaso murareh
bhavambudhir vatsa-padam param padam
padam padam yad vipadam na tesam
“For one who has accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Murari, or the enemy of the Mura demon, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf’s hoofprint. His goal is param padam, or Vaikuntha, the place where there are no material miseries, not the place where there is danger at every step.”
One who seeks shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Krsna is immediately protected by the Lord. As the Lord promises in Bhagavad-gita (18.66), aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah: “I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” By taking shelter of Lord Krsna, one comes under the safest protection. Thus when the Pandavas took shelter at the lotus feet of Krsna, all of them were on the safe side of the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. Pariksit Maharaja, therefore, felt obliged to think of Krsna in the last days of his life. This is the ideal result of Krsna consciousness: ante narayana-smrtih. If at the time of death one can remember Krsna, one’s life is successful. Pariksit Maharaja, therefore, because of his many obligations to Krsna, intelligently decided to think of Krsna constantly during the last days of his life. Krsna had saved the Pandavas, Maharaja Pariksit’s grandfathers, on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, and Krsna had saved Maharaja Pariksit himself when he was attacked by the brahmastra of Asvatthama. Krsna acted as the friend and worshipable Deity of the Pandava family. Moreover, apart from Lord Krsna’s personal contact with the Pandavas, Krsna is the Supersoul of all living entities, and He gives everyone liberation, even if one is not a pure devotee. Kamsa, for example, was not at all a devotee, yet Krsna, after killing him, gave him salvation. Krsna consciousness is beneficial to everyone, whether one is a pure devotee or a nondevotee. This is the glory of Krsna consciousness. Considering this, who will not take shelter at the lotus feet of Krsna? Krsna is described in this verse as maya-manusya because He descends exactly like a human being. He is not obliged to come here, like karmis, or ordinary living beings; rather, He appears by His own internal energy (sambhavamy atma-mayaya) just to show favor to the fallen conditioned souls. Krsna is always situated in His original position as sac-cid-ananda-vigraha, and anyone who renders service to Him is also situated in his original, spiritual identity (svarupena vyavasthitih). This is the highest perfection of human life.