340 Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

ask the identity of a person of higher importance without first disclosing
his own identity. King Mucukunda therefore informed Lord Krsna, “My
dear Lord, I must inform You of my identification. I belong to the most
celebrated dynasty of King Iksvaku, but personally I am not as great as my
forefather. My name is Mucukunda. My father’s name wasMandhata, and
my grandfather’s name was Yuvanaégva, the great king. I was very much
fatigued due to not resting for many thousands of years, and because of
this all my bodily limbs were flattened and almost incapable of acting. In
order to revive my energy, I was taking rest in this solitary cave, but I have
been awakened by some unknown man who has forced me to wake up
although I was not willing to do so. For such an offensive act, this person
has been burnt into ashes simply by my glancing over him. Fortunately,
now I can see You in Your grand and beautiful features. | think, therefore,
that You are the cause of killing my enemy. My dear Lord, I must admit
that due to the effulgence of Your body, unbearable to my eyes, I cannot
see You properly. I can fully realize that by the influence of Your efful-
gence my powerful potency has been diminished. I can understand that
You are quite fit for being worshiped by all living entities.”

Seeing King Mucukunda so anxious to know about His identity, Lord
Krsna began to answer smilingly, as follews: “My dear King, it is practically
impossible to tell about My birth, appearance, disappearance and activities.
Perhaps you know that My incarnation Anantadeva has unlimited mouths,
and for an unlimited time he has been trying to narrate fully about My
name, fame, qualities, activities,appearance, disappearance and incarnation,
but still he has not been able to finish. Therefore, it is not possible to
know exactly how many names and forms I possess. It may be possible for
a material scientist to estimate the number of atomic particles which make
up this earthly planet, but the scientist cannot enumerate My unlimited
names, forms and activities. There are many great sages and saintly persons
who are trying to make a list of My different forms and activities, yet they
have failed to make a complete list. But since you are so anxious to know
about Me, I may inform you that presently I have appeared on this planet
just to annihilate the demoniac principles of the people in general and to
reestablish the religious principles enjoined in the Vedas. I have been
invited for this purpose by Brahma, the superintending deity of this
universe, and thus I have now appeared in the dynasty of the Yadus as one
of their family members. I have specifically taken My birth as the son of
Vasudeva in the Yadu Dynasty, and people therefore know Me as Vasu-
deva, the son of Vasudeva. You may also know that I have killed Karhsa,
who was in a previous life known as Kalanemi, as well as Pralambasura
