Vision of the Universal Form
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and by the result of such activities one may enjoy or suffer in this life.
Nanda Mahārāja also addressed Gargamuni as the “best of the  brāhmaṇas .” A  brāhmaṇa  is one who is expert in the knowledge of the Supreme. Without knowledge of the Supreme Absolute, one cannot be recognized as a  brāhmaṇa . The exact word used in this connection is  brahmavidām , which means those who know the Supreme very well. An expert  brāhmaṇa  is able to give reformatory facilities to the sub-castes—namely the  kṣatriyas  and  vaiśyas . The  śūdras  observe no reformatory performances. The  brāhmaṇa  is considered to be the spiritual master or priest for the  kṣatriya  and  vaiśya . Nanda Mahārāja happened to be a  vaiśya , and he accepted Gargamuni as a first class  brāhmaṇa . He therefore offered his two foster sons—namely Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma—to Him to purify. He agreed that not only these boys, but all human beings just after birth should accept a qualified  brāhmaṇa  as spiritual master.
Upon this request, Gargamuni replied, “Vasudeva has sent me to see to the reformatory performances of these boys, especially Kṛṣṇa’s. I am their family priest, and incidentally, it appears to me that Kṛṣṇa is the son of  Devakī .” By his astrological calculation, Gargamuni could understand that Kṛṣṇa was the son of  Devakī  but that He was being kept under the care of Nanda Mahārāja, which Nanda did not know. Indirectly he said that Kṛṣṇa, as well as Balarāma, were both sons of Vasudeva. Balarāma was known as the son of Vasudeva because His mother Rohiṇī was present there, but Nanda Mahārāja did not know about Kṛṣṇa. Gargamuni indirectly disclosed the fact that Kṛṣṇa was the son of  Devakī . Gargamuni also warned Nanda Mahārāja that if he would perform the reformatory ceremony, then Kaṁsa, who was naturally very sinful, would understand that Kṛṣṇa was the son of  Devakī  and Vasudeva. According to astrological calculation,  Devakī  could not have a female child, although everyone thought that the eighth child of  Devakī  was female. In this way Gargamuni intimated to Nanda Mahārāja that the female child was born of Yaśodā and that Kṛṣṇa was born of  Devakī , and they were exchanged. The female child, or  Durgā , also informed Kaṁsa that the child who would kill him was already born somewhere else. Gargamuni stated, “If I give your child a name and if He fulfills the prophecy of the female child to Kaṁsa, then it may be that the sinful demon will come and kill this child also after the name-giving ceremony. But I do not want to become responsible for all these future calamities.”
On hearing the words of Gargamuni, Nanda Mahārāja said, “If there is such danger, then it is better not to plan any gorgeous name-giving ceremony. It would be better for you to simply chant the Vedic hymns and