Text 33] Prayers by the Demigods 177
PURPORT

Devotees generally do not fall down, but if circumstantially they do,
the Lord, because of their strong attachment to Him, gives them protec-
tion in all circumstances. Thus even if devotees fall down, they are still
strong enough to traverse the heads of their enemies. We have actually
seen that our Krsna consciousness movement has many opponents, such
as the “deprogrammers,” who instituted a strong legal case against the
devotees. We thought that this case would take a long time to settle, but
because the devotees were protected by the Supreme Personality of God-
head, we unexpectedly won the case in one day. Thus a case that was ex-
pected to continue for years was settled in a day because of the protection
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has promised in Bhagavad-
gita (9.31), kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati: ‘“O son of
Kunti, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.” In history there
are many instances of devotees like Citraketu, Indradyumna and
Maharaja Bharata who circumstantially fell down but were still pro-
tected. Maharaja Bharata, for example, because of his attachment to a
deer, thought of the deer at the time of death, and therefore in his next
life he became a deer (yar yar vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante
kalevaram). Because of protection by the Supreme Personality of God-
head, however, the deer remembered his relationship with the Lord and
next took birth in a good brahminical family and performed devotional
service (Sucinam srimatarh gehe yoga-bhrasto ’bhijdyate). Similarly,
Citraketu fell down and became a demon, Vrtrasura, but he too was pro-
tected. Thus even if one falls down from the path of bhakti-yoga, one is
ultimately saved. If a devotee is strongly situated in devotional service,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead has promised to protect him (kaun-
teya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranaégyati). But even if a devotee
circumstantially falls down, he is protected by Madhava.

The word Madhava is significant. Ma, mother Laksmi, the mother of
all opulences, is always with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and if
a devotee is in touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all the
opulences of the Lord are ready to help him.

yatra yogesvarah krsno
yatra partho dhanur-dharah
