Text 8] The Birth of Lord Krsna 209
was the sound of mild waves, and above the sea there were clouds in the
sky which began to thunder very pleasingly.

When things were adjusted like this, Lord Visnu, who is residing
within the heart of every living entity, appeared in the darkness of night
as the Supreme Personality of Godhead before Devaki, who appeared as
one of the demigoddesses. The appearance of Lord Visnu at that time
could be compared to the rising of the full moon in the sky on the eastern
horizon. The objection may be raised that since Lord Krsna appeared on
the eighth day of the waning moon, there could be no rising of the full
moon. In answer to this it may be said that Lord Krsna appeared in the
dynasty which is in the hierarchy of the moon; therefore, although the
moon was incomplete on that night, because of the Lord’s appearance in
the dynasty wherein the moon is himself the original person, the moon
was in an overjoyous condition, so by the grace of Krsna he could appear
as a full moon. To welcome the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the
waning moon became a full moon in jubilation.

Instead of deva-riipinyam, some texts of Srimad-Bhagavatam clearly
say visnu-ripinyam. In either case, the meaning is that Devaki has the
same spiritual form as the Lord. The Lord is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha,
and Devaki is also sac-cid-Gnanda-vigraha. Therefore no one can find
any fault in the way the Supreme Personality of Godhead, sac-cid-
Gnanda-vigraha, appeared from the womb of Devaki.

Those who are not in full knowledge that the appearance and disap-
pearance of the Lord are transcendental (janma karma ca me divyam)
are sometimes surprised that the Supreme Personality of Godhead can
take birth like an ordinary child. Actually, however, the Lord’s birth is
never ordinary. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is already situated
within the core of everyone’s heart as antarydmi, the Supersoul. Thus
because He was present in full potency in Devaki’s heart, He was also
able to appear outside her body.

One of the twelve great personalities is Bhismadeva (svayambhar
naradah sambhuh kumarah kapilo manuh prahlado janako bhismah).
In Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.9.42), Bhisma, a great authority to be
followed by devotees, says that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is
situated in the core of everyone’s heart, just as the sun may be on every-
one’s head. Yet although the sun may be on the heads of millions and
millions of people, this does not mean that the sun is variously situated.
