CHAPTER THREE

The Birth of Lord Krsna
As described in this chapter, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Krsna, Hari in His original form, appeared as Visnu so that His father
and mother could understand that their son was the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. Because they were afraid of Karnsa, when the Lord appeared
as an ordinary child they took Him to Gokula, the home of Nanda
Maharaja.

Mother Devaki, being fully transcendental, sac-cid-dnanda, does not
belong to this material world. Thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead
appeared with four hands, as if born from her womb. Upon seeing the
Lord in that Visnu form, Vasudeva was struck with wonder, and in tran-
scendental happiness he and Devaki mentally gave ten thousand cows in
charity to the braéhmanas. Vasudeva then offered prayers to the Lord,
addressing Him as the Supreme Person, Parabrahman, the Supersoul,
who is beyond duality and who is internally and externally all-pervading.
The Lord, the cause of all causes, is beyond material existence, although
He is the creator of this material world. When He enters this world as
Paramatma, He is all-pervading (andéntara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-
stham), yet He is transcendentally situated. For the creation, mainte-
nance and annihilation of this material world, the Lord appears as the
guna-avatdras— Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara. Thus Vasudeva offered
prayers full of meaning to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Devaki
followed her husband by offering prayers describing the transcendental
nature of the Lord. Fearing Kamsa and desiring that the Lord not be
understood by atheistic and materialistic nondevotees, she prayed that
the Lord withdraw His transcendental four-armed form and appear like
an ordinary child with two hands.

The Lord reminded Vasudeva and Devaki of two other incarnations in
which He had appeared as their son. He had appeared as Prsnigarbha and
Vamanadeva, and now this was the third time He was appearing as the
son of Devaki to fulfill their desire. The Lord then decided to leave the
residence of Vasudeva and Devaki, in the prison house of Karnsa, and at

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