30 Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

loving service of the Lord. The Lord could have awarded Préni and Sutapa
immediate liberation, but He preferred to keep them within this material
world for His different appearances, as will be explained in the following
verses. On receiving the benediction from the Lord to become His father
and mother, both Prsni and Sutapa returned from the activities of austerity
and lived as husband and wife in order to beget a child who was the
Supreme Lord Himself.

In due course of time Prsni became pregnant and gave birth to the child.
The Lord spoke to Devaki and Vasudeva: “At that time My name was
Prsnigarbha. In the next millennium also you took birth as Aditi and
Kasyapa, and I became your child of the name Upendra. At that time My
form wasjustlike a dwarf, and for this reason I was known as Vamanadeva.
I gave you the benediction that I would take birth as your son three times.
The first time I was known as Prénigarbha, born of Prsni and Sutapa, the
next birth I was Upendra born of Aditi and Kasyapa, and now for the
third time I am born as Krsna from you, Devaki and Vasudeva. I appeared
in this Visnu form just to convince you that I am the same Supreme
Personality of Godhead again taken birth. I could have appeared just like
an ordinary child, but in that way you would not believe that I, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, have taken birth in your womb. My dear
father and mother, you have therefore raised Me many times as yeur
child, with great affection and love, and I am therefore very pleased and
obliged to you. And I assure you that this time you shall go back to home,
back to Godhead, on account of your perfection in your mission. I know
you are very concerned about Me and afraid of Karnsa. Therefore I order
you to take me immediately to Gokula and replace Me with the daughter
who has just been born to Yasoda.”

Having spoken thus in the presence of His father and mother, the
Lord turned Himself into an ordinary child and remained silent.

Being ordered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva
attempted to take his son from the delivery room, and exactly at that
time, a daughter was born of Nanda and Yagoda. She was Yogamaya, the
internal potency of the Lord. By the influence of this internal potency,
Yogamaya, all the residents of Karnsa’s palace, especially the doorkeepers,
were overwhelmed with deep sleep, and all the palace doors opened, al-
though they were barred and shackled with iron chains. The night was
very dark, but as soon as Vasudeva took Krsna on his lap and went out, he
could see everything just as in the sunlight.

In the Caitanva-caritamrta it is said that Krsna is just like sunlight, and
wherever there is Krsna, the illusory energy, which is compared to darkness,
