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The Qualities of Sri Krishna - Strength
By HH Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami
Submitted by Manoj
If Sri Krishna were beautiful but not strong, He would be incomplete. Who would protect us? Without Krishna and Balarama, the pastimes would end in disaster when the demons attacked. Sankacuda ran away with all the gopis. Sometimes it so happens in the world that merry-making is intruded on by murderers. Peaceful sages cannot meditate when Dvivida gorilla comes and pollutes their bhajana-kutirs. Yogis are killed and eaten by raksasas. Ravana plots to kidnap Sita-devi. But Krsna is baliyan.
"When Krsna killed Aristasura, some of the gopis said, 'My dear friends, just see how Krsna has killed Aristasura! Although he was stronger than a mountain, Krsna plucked him up just like a piece of cotton and threw him away without any difficulty!"'
(NOD, Chap. 21, p. 159)
As defined by Parasara Muni, strength is one of the six opulences of Bhagavan. There are many strong men, but He who has unlimited power is Bhagavan. Krsna is so powerful that He does not have to personally maintain the universes, but maintains them through His expansions and energies. "Sometimes we see a picture of Atlas holding the globe on his shoulders; he seems to be very tired, holding this great earthly planet. Such an image should not be entertained in connection with Krsna's upholding this created universe." (Bg. 9.5, purport)
Krsna can do anything. Any one of His senses can perform the function of another. He can impregnate by His glance, and He can accept food simply by hearing His devotees' prayers. He can kill whole armies of demons as many-armed Nrsimhadeva, and He can understand a devotee's heart without either of them ever speaking. But He prefers to play in Vrndavana with His parents, boyfriends, and beautiful gopis. When strength is required, then by His will, everything is performed perfectly and inconceivably.
If Krsna kicks a demon or punches Kamsa or Kamsa's washerman, that is for sport and for the pleasure of His devotees. Krsna is many-faceted. We have already heard that He is pleasing and beautiful to behold. His body is delicate to the touch. But those who are opposed to Krsna experience His hard side. They feel His hot, iron-like fist in their mouths or His strong dancing feet upon their heads.
In Vrndavana, Krsna appears as a young boy, yet Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe, admits, "There is so much difference between Your body and mine that I cannot estimate the potency of Your body." When Krsna was only six years old, He crushed the hundred-headed serpent, Kaliya, who had poisoned the Yamuna. Just by Krsna's jumping into the Yamuna to fight with Kaliya, the river overflowed its banks as if something very large had fallen into it. "This exhibition of Krsna's strength is not at all uncommon because He is the reservoir of all strength." (Krsna, Chap. 16, p. 156)
Krsna's strength is spiritual. If He were only another strong man of this material world, He would eventually slacken with age and be replaced by younger, more powerful men. Krsna is not like that. He is the prowess of all powerful men (tejas tejasvindm aham). In Bhagavad-gitd, Krsna declares, "I am the strength of the strong." Prabhupada writes, "When Krsna was present on earth, no one could surpass Him in strength. Even in His childhood He lifted Govardhana Hill. No one can surpass Him in cheating, no one can surpass Him in splendor, no one can surpass Him in victory, no one can surpass Him in enterprise, and no one can surpass Him in strength." (Bg. 10.36, purport)
May Krsna protect us. We are weak in every way. The strongest among us is a plaything against the power of maya. We try to control our minds, but it is as difficult as controlling the wind. We want to be renunciates, but we feel weak in the grip of our own lust. We want to defeat the demons, but sometimes they defeat us. In all circumstances, we have no recourse but to seek shelter in all-powerful, all-good Krsna. The demigods know this well, and whenever a demon like Hiranyakasipu or Hiranyaksa appears, they pray to the Lord to please destroy the evil force. Krsna complies with their prayers, appearing in the world to rescue the devotees and to destroy the demons.
In Kali-yuga, it often appears that the devotees are hopelessly outnumbered and in no position to fight. Even when they lack physical strength, however, devotees can appeal to the ultimate power. Srila Prabhupada writes, "There are two kinds of strength-daiva and purusakara. Daiva refers to the strength achieved from the Transcendence, and purusakara refers to the strength organized by one's own intelligence and power. Transcendental power is always superior to the power of the materialist.... We should fight our enemy to the best of our ability, but for victory we must depend on the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." (Bhag. 9.10.20, purport)
In this age of quarrel, Lord Caitanya advises that we fight with the divine weapon of harinama-sankirtana. "Think of Me and fight," Krsna tells Arjuna. Prabhupada has encouraged us, "Go on chanting. Be tolerant. You will be victorious. There s no other way."
"O my dear devotees of Lord Krsna, may the left hand of Krsna, which has lifted Govardhana Hill like a ball, save you from all dangers."
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