Secret appearance of Vrajendra Nandan Krishna!

Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam are two most important scriptures for Kali
Yuga, they have specifically manifested for us kali yugians. If we sincerely try to serve
these two transcendental scriptures then we can unlock many hidden gems. Let us
take a look at the famous verse from Bhagavad gita

जन्म कर्म च र्े दिव्यर्ेवं यो वेदि तत्त्वतः ।

त्यक्त्वा िे हं पु नजमन्म नैदत र्ार्ेदत सोऽजुमन ॥

One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon
leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode,
O Arjuna.
(Bg 4.9)

As we read the above verse it looks too simplistic, as if Krishna is simply encouraging
everyone to accept His shelter by holding a big carrot in front of us! Rather, coming out
from the lotus like mouth of Krishna, every single verse of Bhagavad Gita is Absolute
and so is its conclusion and promise. Srila Prabhupada further declares in his purport –

He who accepts this truth on the strength of the authority of the Vedas and of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead and who does not waste time in philosophical
speculations attains the highest perfectional stage of liberation. Simply by accepting this
truth on faith, one can, without a doubt, attain liberation.
(Bg 4.9p)
The above statements may baffle us, especially devotees. We already know that
Krishna is the Supreme personality of Godhead, we know about Krishna’s
transcendental appearance and activities but liberation seems a bit far. But then how
much do we even really know Vrajendra Nandan Krishna, Krishna of Vrindavan.

Both the verse and its purport are ‘packed’ and we can unpack then in multiple ways.
Today, however let us unpack it from the angle of Krishna’s birth, how and where
exactly did Vrajendra Nandan Krishna appeared.
Scriptures say that Svayam Bhagavan, Sri Vrajendra Nandan Krishna, does not take
one step out of Vrindavan. Many of us may have read the pastime when Akrura came
to invite Krishna and Balaram to Mathura, the two brothers he took with him to Mathura
were a little different then whom he assumed accompanied him.

Vrajendra Nandan Krishna

Nanda Maharaj returned to Vrindavan without Krishna and Balaram. He was

accompanied only by the cowherd boys and men. It was certainly a very pathetic
scene for the gopis, Mother Yashoda, Srimati Radharani and all the other residents of
Vrindavan. Many devotees have tried to make adjustments to Krishna’s being away
from Vrindavan because, according to expert opinion, Krishna, the original Supreme
Personality of Godhead, never goes even a step out of Vrindavan. He always remains there.
The explanation of expert devotees is that Krishna was actually not absent from
Vrindavan; He came back with Nanda Maharaj as promised.

When Krishna was starting for Mathura on the chariot driven by Akrura and the gopis
were blocking the way, Krishna assured them that He was coming back just after
finishing His business in Mathura. He told them not to be overwhelmed and in this way
pacified them. But when He failed to come back with Nanda Maharaj, it appeared that
He either cheated them or could not keep His promise. Expert devotees, however,
have decided that Krishnawas neither a cheater nor a breaker of promises. Krishna, in
His original identity, returned with Nanda Maharaj and stayed with the gopis and
Mother Yashoda in His bhäva expansion. Krishna and Balaram remained in Mathura
not in Their original forms but in Their expansions as Vasudeva and Sakarshana. The
real Krishna and Balaram were in Vrindavan in Their bhäva manifestation, whereas in
Mathura They appeared in the prabhava and vaibhava expansions. This is the expert
opinion of advanced devotees of Krishna. Externally, however, They were absent from
Vrindavan.
(Krishna Book, chapter 46)

Now a natural question may arise that if Vrajendra Nandan Krishna, the original
Supreme Personality of Godhead, never takes even a step out of Vrindavan then
how did He take birth in Mathura?

Let us try solve this mystery by seeing it from the eyes of our acharya and the
scriptures.

Thereafter, exactly when Vasudeva, being inspired by the Supreme Personality of

Godhead, was about to take the newborn child from the delivery room, Yoga-māyā, the
Lord’s spiritual energy, took birth as the daughter of the wife of Mahārāja Nanda.

Srila Vishvanath Chakravarty Thakura discusses that Krishna appeared simultaneously

as the son of Devaki and as the son of Yashoda, along with the spiritual energy Yoga-māyā.
As the son of Devaki, He first appeared as Vishnu, and because Vasudeva was not in
the position of pure affection for Krishna, Vasudeva worshiped his son as Lord Vishnu.
Yashoda, however, pleased her son Krishna without understanding His Godhood. This
is the difference between Krishna as the son of Yashoda and as the son of Devaki.
This is explained by Vishvanath Chakravarty on the authority of Hari-vaṁśa.
(SB 10.3.47+p)
What Srila Prabhupada is disclosing above is simply astonishing! Prabhupada is
divulging to us that Krishna appeared simultaneously in two places- as the son of
Devaki and as son of mother Yashoda, in Vrindavan.
Let us read the exact commentary of Srila Vishvanath Chakravarty Thakura, which
Srila Prabhupada quoted above.

In the Hari Vamsa is says that that in the eighth of her pregnancy Devaki and Yashoda
gave birth at the same time to their Children. But here in Bhagavatam it is stated that
that Yashoda gave birth after Devaki. How to correlate the two contradictory
statements? Exactly when Devaki gave birth to Krishna, Yashoda also gave birth to
Krishna. After that, as described in this verse, Yashoda birth to Yagamaya. Yashoda
gave birth to two children at different times. This is confirmed in SB 10.4.9, for when
Yogamaya falls from the hands of Kansa, she is called younger sister of Krishna. But
when Krishna was born to Yashoda it is not stated that he had four hands. It is
understood that He was born from Yashoda with two hands.
(Srila Vishvanath Chakravarti Thakura purport to SB 10.3.47)

Srila Vishvanath Chakravarty Thakura is revealing to us that mother Yashoda gave

birth to two kids. A son, Krishna, was born at the very same time when Lord Vishnu
appeared as the son of Devaki. (Hence Krishna’s birth is rightly celebrated as
Janamashtami everywhere and not on Nandotsava as some devotees tend to
suggest.) Second child, as we know, was Yogamaya, Krishna’s ‘younger’ sister.

How can the umbilical cord be still intact if kids were exchanged in the night!

Srimad Bhagavatam itself gives us a hint about this secret while describing how Nanda
Maharaj celebrated Krishna’s ‘Jata-Karma’ ceremony, cutting of the umbilical cord
connecting the child and placenta.

nandas tv ātmaja utpanne jātāhlādo mahā-manāḥ

āhūya viprān veda-jñān snātaḥ śucir alaṅkṛtaḥ
vācayitvā svastyayanaṁ jāta-karmātmajasya vai
kārayām āsa vidhivat pitṛ-devārcanaṁ tathā

Sukhdeva Gosvami said: Nanda Maharaj was naturally very magnanimous, and when
Lord Sri Krishna appeared as his son, he was overwhelmed by jubilation. Therefore, after
bathing and purifying himself and dressing himself properly, he invited brahmanas who
knew how to recite Vedic mantras. After having these qualified brahmanas recite
auspicious Vedic hymns, he arranged to have the Vedic birth ceremony celebrated for his
newborn child according to the rules and regulations, and he also arranged for worship of
the demigods and forefathers.
(SB 10.5.1-2)
Srila Prabhupada writes in the purport of the above verse :
The jāta-karma ceremony can take place when the umbilical cord, connecting the child
and the placenta, is cut. However, since Krishna was brought by Vasudeva to the
house of Nanda Maharaj, where was the chance for this to happen? In this regard,
Vishvanath Chakravarty Thakura desires to prove with evidence from many shastra
that Krishna actually took birth as the son of Yashoda before the birth of Yoga-maya, who is
therefore described as the Lord’s younger sister.
(SB 10.5.1-2p)

Srila Rupa Gosvami also gives away the secret!

preshthanandair vraje tais tair atmano ‘pi vimohanaih

lilollasair vilasati shri-lila-purushottamah
Because He enjoys many happy pastimes, delighting His dear associates, and even
enchanting Himself, Lord Krishna is called “lila-purushottama” (the most playful person).

asamordhvena bhagavan vatsalyena vrajesayoh

sutatvenaiva sa tayor atmanam vetti sarvada
Because the parental love of Vraja’s king and queen has no equal or superior, Lord
Krishna eternally thinks Himself their son.

kecid bhagavatah prahur evam atra puratanah

vyuhah pradurbhaved adyo griheshv anakadundubheh
goshthe tu mayaya sardham shri-lila-purushottamah
In ancient times some devotees have said that the Lord appeared in His Vasudeva feature
in the home of Maharaja Vasudeva, and at the same time He appeared, along with
Yogamaya, in His original form as Sri Krishna in the village of Vraja.

gatva yadu-varo goshtham tatra suti-griham visan

kanyam eva param vikshya tam adayavrajat puram
pravisad vasudevas tu shri-lila-purushottamam
When Maharaja Vasudeva arrived in Vraja, he entered the maternity room, saw
(Yashoda’s, daughter and, taking her with him, returned to Mathura. The Vasudeva
expansion (Maharaja Vasudeva carried with him, then merged in the body of Sri Krishna.

etac cati-rahasyatvan noktam tatra katha-krame

kintu kvacit prasangena sucyate shri-sukadibhih
Because this pastime is very confidential, it was not related in the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Nevertheless, Sukadeva Gosvami and other great devotees have indirectly described it in
some of their writings.

Srila Rupa Gosvami then quotes below four verses from Srimad Bhagavatam which
specifically describe Krishna as son of Nanda Maharaj.
“Nanda Maharaj was naturally very magnanimous, and when Lord Sri Krishna appeared
as his son, he was overwhelmed by jubilation.”
(SB 10.5.1)

“Nanda Maharaj was very liberal and simple. He immediately took his son Krishna on his
lap as if Krishna had returned from death.”
(SB 10.6.43)
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, the son of Mother Yashoda, is accessible
to devotees engaged in spontaneous loving service, but He is not as easily accessible to
mental speculators, to those striving for self-realization by severe austerities and
penances, or to those who consider the body the same as the self.”
(SB (10.9.21)

“Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the son of Maharaj Nanda, who is standing
before me with conchshell earrings and peacock feather on His head. His face is beautiful,
He is wearing a helmet, garlanded with forest flowers, and He stands with a morsel of food
in His hand. He is decorated with cane, flute, and a bugle made of buffalo horn. He stands
before me with small lotus feet.”
(SB 10.14.1)

tatha shri-yamala-vacanam samudaharanti

“krishno ‘nyo yadu-sambhuto yah purnah so ‘sty atah parah
vrindavanam parityajya sa kvacin naiva gacchati

The different between Krishna’s appearance in Vrindavan and His appearance in

Mathura and Dvaraka is described in, Yamala Tantra:

“The Krishna known as Yadukumara is Vasudeva Krishna. He is different from the

Krishna who is the son of Nanda Maharaj. Yadukumara Krishna manifests His pastimes
in the cities of Mathura and Dvaraka, but Krishna the son of Nanda Maharaj never at any
time leaves Vrindavan.
(Laghu-bhagavatmrta 1.5.452-461)

The above verse has also been quoted in Caitanya Caritamrta, it was spoken by
Caitanya Mahaprabhu to … who else…. Srila Rupa Gosvami!
Caution- One should not misunderstand that there are multiple Krishnas! This verse is
showing that Vrindavan Krishna, Vrajendra Nandan Krishna, is the original personality
of Godhead and rest all are His various plenary expansions/ incarnations. Vrajendra
Nandan Krishna is the original source.

pūrṇa bhagavān kṛṣṇa vrajendra-kumāra

goloke vrajera saha nitya vihāra
Lord Krishna, the son of the King of Vraja, is the Supreme Lord. He eternally enjoys
transcendental pastimes in His eternal abode, Goloka, which includes Vrajadhama.
(CC Adi 3.5)

I hope we got a little taste of sweet undercurrents flowing via, seemingly, straight
verses of Bhagavad Gita, and also Srimad Bhagavatam, if we simply serve these two
scriptures by studying them regularly, then, by the mercy and potency of Srila
Prabhupada, many intricate aspects of Absolute Truth, Sri Vrajendra Nandan Krishna,
can manifest in our heart.
He who accepts this truth on the strength of the authority of the Vedas and of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead and who does not waste time in philosophical
speculations attains the highest perfectional stage of liberation. Simply by accepting
this truth on faith, one can, without a doubt, attain liberation. The Vedic version tat
tvam asi is actually applied in this case. Anyone who understands Lord Krishna to be the
Supreme, or who says unto the Lord, “You are the same Supreme Brahman, the Personality
of Godhead,” is certainly liberated instantly, and consequently his entrance into the
transcendental association of the Lord is guaranteed.
(BG 4.9p)

aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavanam

ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena va kalpita
srimad bhagavatam pramanam amalam prema pum-artho mahan
sri-caitanya mahaprabhor matam idam tatradarah na parah

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna, the son of Nanda Maharaj,
is worshiped along with His transcendental abode Vrindavan. The most pleasing
form of worship for the Lord is that which was performed by the gopis of
Vrindavan. Srimad Bhagavatam is the spotless authority on everything and pure
love of Godhead is the ultimate goal of life for all men. These statements, for
which we have the highest regard, are the opinion of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
(Caitanya-matta-manjusa by Srila Viswanatha Cakravarti Thakura)