Krishna – The supreme godhead

On the occasion of Krishna Janmashtami, our building organised a programme that included a discourse by HG Ram Rup Prabhu from ISKCON, Juhu. Actually, I have heard Ram Prabhu on several occasions thanks to devout ISKCON devotee couple Vidhi and Sushil, who stay in our building and who used to regularly organise kirtan and katha by Ram Prabhu, a sequence that broke post Covid epidemic. I have always felt more at peace after listening to his explanation of the teachings of Krishna as interpreted by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Today Ram Prabhu narrated a very interesting story. There was a king who was so deeply entrenched into committing sins that he notoriously came to be known as Paapsingh. Once Narad Muni wanted to have a discussion, but he was avoiding the wandering saint. Narad Muni assured him that he’d give him no lengthy discourse but would tell him only one thing to ask Lord Yama during his final journey as to the merits of the company of a pure and godly soul. When Yama came to fetch Paapsingh after his death, he posed the same question to Lord Yama. Yama felt confounded, admitting that he didn’t know the answer, but would seek guidance from Lord Brahma. Two of them went to Lord Brahma, who also expressed his inability to answer the posed question, suggesting that they should go to Lord Shankar. As three of them went to Lord Shankar and sought enlightenment from him, he too expressed perplexity, proposing that they should go to Lord Vishnu. As four of them went to Vaikunth, Lord Vishnu smiled and told Paapsingh, “ Can’t yo see that company of good soul (Yama) brought you right into Vaikunth though you deserved Narak ( hell) and that too in the August company of Lord Brahma and Lord Shankar. A simple story highlighting the need of keeping good company made deep impression on the minds of people listening to the discourse.

An explanation of why Lord Krishna’s birth was very special and different from how ordinary mortals are born infused the spirit of Krishna Leela into the entire gathering.

Happy Janmashtami to each one of you.