Nitai: "My dear Krsna, Your Lordship has protected us from a poisoned cake, from a great fire, from cannibals, from the vicious assembly, from sufferings during our exile in the forest and from the battle where great generals fought. And now You have saved us from the weapon of Asvatthama."
Prabhupada: So in the last verse, Kunti accepted, vimocita aham ca sahatmaja vibho: "My Lord, there were so many dangers, and You saved us, along with my sons." Muhur vipad-ganat: "One after another, dangerous position." So some of them are being described.
Visat: "from poison." The Dhrtarastra group, Dhrtarastra and his sons, they conspired to give them poison. They were transferred to a house. They were so obedient because Dhrtarastra happened to be the superior in the house, and he took care of the Pandavas when they were small children because their father died at an early age. So it was the duty of the elderly members of the family. After all, they were very respectable ksatriya family. So the elderly members means Dhrtarastra and Vidura and Bhismadeva. Bhismadeva was the grandfather of the family, and Dhrtarastra was the elder brother of Pandava, and Vidura was also brother, Vidura, also elder. Pandu was the youngest, the father of Maharaja Yudhisthira and... So it is, after all, a, what is called, varnasrama family, Vedic family. So the elderly people had the responsibility to raise the fatherless children. So Dhrtarastra took charge as the eldest member. So maya is very strong. He began to think that "Actually this kingdom belongs to me. I am the eldest son, but because I am born blind, therefore it was given to my younger brother. Now he is dead. Now he's dead, so the property belongs to me. Some way or other, it was transferred to my younger brother. Now the younger brother is dead. Then again I become proprietor. So at least I could not rule over the kingdom, why not my sons?" This was the beginning.
Just like one of our Godbrothers, he's thinking that "This institution was started by me and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati as partners. Now the senior partner is dead. Therefore I am the sole proprietor. Who are these Godbrothers? Let them go away." So this is maya, the same maya Dhrtarastra was thinking. And his brother-in-law, Sakuni, was very expert in conspiracy. So he was advising him, "Yes, you are the proprietor. At least your sons should be..." This is natural. Every... Everyone has got some affection for the family. So this is the beginning of the conspiracy. Otherwise, he was taking care of the children very nicely. But maya was dictating that "You are taking care of the children of your brother. What about your own children?" "Yes, why not my children?"
So attempt was being made how to kill these boys. The first attempt was to administer poison. They... Dhrtarastra constructed a house of shellac. So they were transferred: "My dear boys, for some days you can live in that house. That is very nice." So Vidura gave him hint, so, that "You are being sent there. Be careful for being killed. The house will be set fire." So Vidura was very favorable to the Pandavas. So they made a subway in that house, and when the house was set fire, they escaped through the subway. In this way, it is said, visan mahagneh, set fire in shellac house... Just like nowadays this, what is called, plastic. It gets set fire very soon. Then purusada, they took shelter in a house where there was a raksasa, cannibal. He was disturbing the whole village. So the settlement was that every day one family should hand over one man to him for eating, then he will not create disturbance. So the Pandavas were taking shelter in a house after escaping from the fire, and the... One day the turn came to that family that they would have to hand over one member of the family to that cannibal. So the Pandavas were present. They thought, "We are guest here, and they are in danger, so we must save them." This is obligation. If you become guest in a house, he's receiving you well, he's supplying you your necessities, so you are considered to be very intimate friend. So when they are danger, you must help. This consideration... Then it was decided that "This man should be hand over. Bhima shall go." So when Bhima was handed over to that cannibals, so he was killed. So... But it was a great danger.
So in this way, danger after danger. Then asat-sabhayah: "The assembly of crooked persons." Draupadi was lost in bet, betting. So Karna, he had some attraction for Draupadi from the beginning, when there was svayamvara. So Karna also went to contest, and he had very much attraction for Draupadi, but Draupadi wanted to get Arjuna as her husband. So she pointed out... Because she knew that "If Karna takes the contest, he will be victorious. Karna is more expert than Arjuna"; therefore she played a trick that "This svayamvara ceremony is meant for the ksatriyas, not for others. I cannot accept my husband, anyone else except the ksatriya.
So Karna is not a ksatriya." Karna's history is that Karna is the pre-marriage son of Kunti. Before her being married, she was born of Kunti from the ear. Therefore his name is Karna. But still, out of social fear, Kunti did not kill the child. Nowadays they kill. But he floated the child on a boat, and the boat was let loose, go anywhere. So one carpenter collected Karna and raised him. But he was ksatriya. He was Kunti's son, born by sun, sun-god, Surya. So Kunti had the power of calling. He got the benediction from Durvasa. Durvasa gave her the benediction that "You can call any demigod, and at once he will come by this mantra." So when Kunti was young, not married, so Durvasa became the guest of her father, and she served Durvasa Muni very nicely, attending as maidservant. Although she was king's daughter, but because Durvasa was guest, he was taken care of very nicely. So Durvasa became very pleased and gave her this blessing, that "You can call any demigod, as you like." So out of curiosity she chanted the mantra and called the sun-god, Vivasvan. So he came. So he wanted to give her a child, benediction. She said that "I am unmarried. I cannot have child." "No, this child will be born from your ear." Aksata-yoni. Aksata-yoni means a girl who has no union with any other man. That is called aksata-yoni. So in this way Karna was born, but he was raised by a carpenter. Therefore he was not considered to be a ksatriya. So Draupadi knew that Karna, if he contests, then he will be victorious, so she played a trick that "I cannot allow anyone else except the ksatriyas to contest in this svayamvara."
So Karna had attraction for Draupadi, and he remembered the insult also, that "Draupadi has insulted me, not to allow to take part in the contest." Now that old grudge, he wanted to fulfill. When Draupadi was lost in the gambling, so this Duryodhana and others, they are... They were very friendly to Karna. So he advised, "Now this woman is lost. We can use her as we like." So they decided, "Yes, why not? So make her naked in this assembly." So it was decided that they would see this woman naked, naked beauty. Therefore, asat-sabhayah. This assembly was not of gentlemen. Asat. This word is used. Sat and asat. Sat means gentle, and asat means uncivilized. So they were so much uncivilized that they wanted, "Never mind. That woman was lost. It was a betting." Her husbands were quite competent, but because that they thought that "We are lost," they did not take any part: "You can use her as you like." But that was not the duty of gentlemen, a ksatriya. Therefore it is mentioned as asat-sabhayah. A woman is asked to be naked in the assembly -- that assembly is not gentlemen's assembly. That is meant for the uncivilized, crude. The woman is respected everywhere.
So in India, especially, women are still respected. Therefore Canakya Pandita says, matrvat para-daresu: "Any woman who is not your wife, she should be treated as your mother." This is moral instruction. Matrvat. At the present moment, they have invented the word bahinaji, "sister." No. In the Vedic culture, there is no such thing as "sister." "Mother," that is Vedic culture. Because mother is always respected, so any woman, if she is called "Mother..." The brahmacari would go to the householder's house and address the ladies, "Mother. Mother, give us some alms." So from the childhood, a brahmacari is trained to address all women as mother. Therefore, when they are young, they cannot see women in any other way. This is Vedic culture. So therefore it is said, asat. The woman, who is respected as mother, and this, in this assembly, Draupadi was to be naked by the order of Karna? It is uncivilized, unlawful. So Krsna remembered this. When Karna was killed, it was not... He was not killed lawfully because he fell down from his chariot, and he was trying to repair the chariot, and Krsna advised Arjuna, "This is the opportunity to kill him. Otherwise you cannot kill him. Kill him immediately." So when Karna protested, "Arjuna, what you are doing? I am not fighting. I am repairing my chariot and you..." So Krsna said, "Yes, you did unlawful action by making Draupadi naked. So you should be unlawfully killed. This is justice. This is justice to you." So everything has got so much history in the episode of Mahabharata. Therefore it is called Mahabharata, "Greater India." Mahabharata.
So asat-sabhayah. Then again, vana-vasa. Next betting was vana-vasa, that "If this time you lose, then twelve years, for twelve years you'll have to go to live in the forest. And one year, incognito. If you are caught up within that one year, then again twelve years." Just see. So vana-vasa-krcchratah. There were so many dangers. So just imagine that the Pandavas, they had their wife, Draupadi... She is incarnation of goddess of fortune. And friend, Krsna, who is always protecting them... But still, there are so many dangers. This is the instruction, that because Krsna is protecting you, you cannot expect that you'll be out of danger. Danger you must meet, because..., then you'll know that this material existence is full of dangers. Padam padam yad vipadam. This we always remember. We should not be so fool that "I am living very now comfortably." No, sir. You are in danger. That is said by Krsna. Duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. You do not take this material existence as comfortable at any moment. Then you'll not be able to make progress in spiritual life. As soon as you think that "I am very comfortable here," then you are spiritually fall down. That is maya. As soon as...
So at the present moment, people are becoming implicated with maya more and more because foolishly they are thinking that "I am now very comfortable. I have got this skyscraper building. I have got so much bank balance. I have got so nice wife. So I am comfortable." They are thinking like that. They do not know that it is not comfortable life. It is dangerous life because you have to change your body. Tatha dehantara-praptih. Why don't you remember that? Because as soon as death will take place next moment... You are proprietor of this house; next moment you become dog of this house. If you have got very much attachment for the house, and at the same time your activities have been like dog's, then you get the body of a dog, and you may remain in this quarter and bark, "Gyeow! Gyeow! Gyeow! Gyeow! Gyeow!" That they do not know. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. When there is nice building, nice comfortable life, they do anything sinful without knowing that "I am not going to be escaped by these sinful activities. I will have to suffer for this. As I am enjoying now material comforts due to my some pious activities in the past, similarly, if I commit sinful life, then I'll have to suffer next life." That they do not know.
Therefore it is always dangerous. To enjoy in this material life is dangerous because you are creating next life very, very abominable. That... The only escape is... That will be explained by Kuntidevi in the next verse, that they were in danger, but they were simply thinking of Krsna, "Krsna, we have no other shelter." This position should be taken. We are always in danger, and we should always think of the lotus feet of Krsna. Then we are safe. Otherwise it is very dangerous. Even Kunti and others, Pandavas.
Then mrdhe mrdhe aneka-maharatha astratah. Then at last, after all these tribulations, at last it was decided... Krsna wanted to settle up that "You have given these Pandavas so much trouble. Never mind. But they are ksatriyas. They cannot become vaisya or sudra or brahmana. So they must have some place to rule over. So you give these five brothers five villages so they can rule and live." "No, that is not possible. We are not going to leave a spot of land which can contain the upper portion of the needle without fight." So then there was fight. The Battle of Kuruksetra was forced upon the Pandavas by the Kurus. Still, Arjuna was not willing to kill them. Just see. He's Vaisnava. He never thought of, that "My, these cousin-brothers, they have given us so much trouble. Why I shall be sympathetic upon them?" No. Still, he was sympathetic. Why? Now, because he was a Vaisnava. That is Vaisnava. Para-duhkha-duhkhi krpambudhir yas tam aham prapadye. Vaisnava is so tolerant. They suffer; still, they do not want others' suffering. So this is Vaisnava.
So in that battlefield, mrdhe mrdhe, there were Bhismadeva, Dronacarya, Karna, Krpacarya. They were so big fighters, maha-ratha. Maha-ratha means... Maha-ratha, ati-ratha, eka-ratha. A fighter who can fight with one man, he is called eka-ratha. And one who can fight with thousands of men, he is called maha-ratha. And more than that, he is called ati-ratha. So these generals, Bhismadeva, Karnadeva, Karna and others, they were very, very powerful than Arjuna. Therefore Arjuna took the opportunity of killing Karna in a precarious position. Similarly, Bhisma was... Karna was almost dead when Bhisma was fighting. So Bhisma promised that "Today, either Arjuna will die or his dear friend, Krsna, will have to break His promise. Then I'll give up this fight." So Arjuna was almost shattered, his chariot broken, and he was exasperated. So at that time Krsna took one wheel and went to kill Bhismadeva. So Bhismadeva saw that "Krsna has broken His promise. Therefore I give up this fight." Krsna came to threaten him. That means He has broken His promise. "So I wanted to see that Krsna breaks." This is also affection, love, between devotee... Just like in sporting, just like you want to see your friend defeated, but that does not mean you are enemy. In sporting, there is fight. That one party is defeated. That does (not) mean they are enemies. Next moment, they shake hands, sit together, dine together. It is like that.
So in this way Krsna saved. Therefore maharatha astratah. And at last, Drauni, the son of Dronacarya, Asvatthama. He was so crooked that he killed the five sons of the five Pandavas, and at last, Maharaja Pariksit was in the womb of his mother. He wanted to kill him also. Brahmastra. Brahmastra, atomic bomb nowadays. It is almost similar, but it is still dangerous because atom bomb, you release -- it has no aim. It will kill with..., aimlessly. But the brahmastra is so accurate that if you want to kill somebody, it will go there, wherever he is, and it will kill. So Pariksit Maharaja was in the womb of the mother. The brahmastra entered the womb of the mother and was trying to kill this Pariksit Maharaja in the womb, and Krsna saved. He entered also within the womb and saved the child. Therefore it is said that drauny-astratas casma hare 'bhiraksitah. Krsna saved them in so many ways, so many ways. So that is being admitted. That is the behavior of Krsna and His devotees.
So we should not be afraid. Because this place is dangerous, we should expect always danger. But if we are faithful to Krsna, if we simply, I mean to say, expect help from Krsna, then Krsna will save you. These are the examples by the fight of Mahabharata.
Thank you very much. (end)
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