324 The Nectar of Devotion
the lips of his mouth, nor did he ever show his face filled with tears.
He would always glance only at the lotus feet of his father.

There is another example of steady and fixed love for Krsna in the
instance of Arjuna’s informing Him of the death of Arjuna’s son,
Abhimanyu, who was also the nephew of Krsna. Abhimanyu was the
son of Subhadra, Krsna’s younger sister. He was killed at the Battle
of Kuruksetra by the combined efforts of all the commanders in
King Duryodhana’s army—namely, Karna, Asgvatthama, Jayadratha,
Bhisma, Krpacarya and Dronacarya. In order to assure Krsna that
there was no change of love on Subhadra’s part, Arjuna informed
Him: ‘Although Abhimanyu was killed almost in Your presence,
Subhadra’s love for You is not agitated at all, nor has it even slightly
changed its original color.”

The affection that Krsna has for His devotees was expressed by
Himself when He asked Pradyumna not to feel so bashful before
Him. He addressed Pradyumna thus: ‘“‘My dear boy, just give up your
inferiority complex, and do not hang your neck. Just talk with Me in
a clear voice, and do not shed tears. You can look straight at Me, and
you can place your hands on My body without any hesitation. There
is no need of exhibiting so much reverence before your father.”

Pradyumna’s attachment for Krsna was always exhibited by his
action. Whenever he was ordered by his father to execute something,
he would immediately execute the order, taking the task as nectarean
even though it may have been poison. Similarly, whenever he would
find something to be disapproved of by his father, he would im-
mediately reject it as poison, even though it may have been nectarean.

Pradyumna’s attachment in anxiety for Krsna was expressed when
he said to his wife Rati: “The enemy, Sambara, is already killed. Now
I am very anxious to see my father, who is my spiritual master and
who always carries the conchshell known as Pajicajanya.”’ Pradyumna
felt great separation from Krsna when He was absent from Dvaraka
at the battlefield of Kuruksetra. He said, “Since my father has left
Dvaraka, I do not take much pleasure in practicing fighting, nor am I
interested in any kind of sporting pastimes. And what need is there
to speak of these things? I do not even wish to stay at Dvaraka in the
absence of my father.”
