Text 36] Prayers by the Demigods 187
Supreme, Lord Krsna exhibits His transcendental pastimes. They can
simply think of the pastimes of the Lord and get the full benefit. Since
there is no difference between the transcendental name and form of the
Lord, there is no difference between the transcendental pastimes and the
form of the Lord. For those who are less intelligent (like women, laborers
or the mercantile class), the great sage Vyasadeva wrote Mahabharata.
In the Mahabharata, Krsna is present in His different activities.
Mahabharata is history, and simply by studying, hearing, and memoriz-
ing the transcendental activities of Krsna, the less intelligent can also
gradually rise to the standard of pure devotees.

The pure devotees, who are always absorbed in the thought of the
transcendental lotus feet of Krsna and who are always engaged in devo-
tional service in full Krsna consciousness, are never to be considered to
be in the material world. Srila Ripa Gosvami has explained that those
who are always engaged in Krsna consciousness by body, mind and ac-
tivities are to be considered liberated even within this body. This is also
confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita: those who are engaged in the devo-
tional service of the Lord have already transcended the material position.

Krsna appears in order to give a chance to both the devotees and the
nondevotees for realization of the ultimate goal of life. The devotees get
the direct chance to see Him and worship Him. Those who are not on that
platform get the chance to become acquainted with His activities and
thus become elevated to the same position.

The Brahma-samhita (5.38) says:

prem4éijana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti
yam Syamasundaram acintya-guna-svaripam
govindam ddi-purusar tam aham bhajami
Although Krsna’s transcendental form is presented as black, devotees
who are in love with the Supreme Personality of Godhead appreciate the
Lord as Sydmasundara, having a very beautiful blackish form. The
Lord’s form is so beautiful that the Brahma-samhita (5.30) also states:
venum kvanantam aravinda-dalayataksam
barhdvatarhsam asitambuda-sundardnigam
