282 Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

by Our own parents to enjoy childhood pleasures at home. My dear father
and mother, a man has a debt to pay to his parents, from whom he gets
this body which can bestow upon him all the benefits of material existence.
According to the Vedic injunction, this human form of life enables one to
perform all kinds of religious activities, fulfill all kinds of desires and
acquire all kinds of wealth. And only in this human form is there every
possibility that one can get liberation from material existence. This body
is produced by the combined efforts of the father and mother. Every
human being should be obliged to his parents and understand that he
cannot repay his debt to them. If, after growing up, a son does not try to
satisfy his parents by his actions or by an endowment of riches, he is surely
punished after death by the superintendent of death and made to eat his
own flesh. If a person is able to care for or give protection to old parents,
children, the spiritual master, brahmanas and other dependents, but does
not do so, he is considered to be already dead, although he is supposedly
breathing. My dear father and mother, you have always been very anxious
for Our protection, but unfortunately We could not render any service
unto you. Up to date We have simply wasted Our time; We could not serve
you for reasons beyond Our control. Mother and father, please excuse Us
for Our sinful action.”

When the Supreme Personality of Godhead was speaking as an innocent
boy in very sweet words, both Vasudeva and Devaki became captivated by
parental affection and embraced Them with great pleasure. They were
amazed and could not speak or answer the words of Krsna, but simply
embraced Him and Balarama in great affection and remained silent, shed-
ding incessant tears.

Thus consoling His father and mother, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, appearing as the beloved son of Devaki, approached His grand-
father Ugrasena and announced that Ugrasena would now be the King
of the Yadu kingdom. Kamsa had been forcibly ruling over the kingdom
of Yadu, in spite of the presence of his father, whom he had arrested. But
after the death of Kamsa, Kamsa’s father was released and announced to
be the King of the Yadu kingdom. It appears that in those days, in the
western part of India, there were many small kingdoms, and they were
ruled by the Yadu dynasty, Andhaka dynasty, Vrsni dynasty and Bhoja
dynasty. Maharaja Ugrasena belonged to the Bhoja dynasty; therefore
Krsna indirectly declared that the king of the Bhoja dynasty would be em-
peror of the other small kingdoms. He willingly asked Maharaja Ugrasena to
rule over Them because They were his subjects. The word praja is used both
for the progeny and for the citizens, so Krsna belonged to the praja, both
