The Master of the Senses 33

Karnsa, who believed Vasudeva’s word that he would bring all the sons
so that if Karnsa wanted he could kill them. Vasudeva thought, ‘‘Let me
save the present situation. After all, if Karnsa later gets a nephew, he may
forget this envy.’’ But Karnsa never forgot. Instead, he kept Devaki and
Vasudeva in prison for a long time (aticiram) and killed all their sons.
Finally, Krsna appeared and saved Vasudeva and Devaki.

Therefore, we must depend on Krsna, like Devaki and Kunti. After
Kunti became a widow, the envious Dhrtarastra was always planning
ways to kill her sons, the five Pandavas. ‘‘Because by chance I was born
blind,’ he thought, ‘‘I could not inherit the throne of the kingdom, and
instead it went to my younger brother. Now he is dead, so at least my
sons should get the throne.” This is the materialistic propensity. One
thinks, ‘‘I shall be happy. My sons will be happy. My community will be
happy. My nation will be happy.” This is extended selfishness. No one is
thinking of Krsna and how Krsna will be happy. Rather, everyone is
thinking in terms of his own happiness: ‘‘How shall I be happy? How will
my children, my community, my society, and my nation be happy?”
Everywhere we shall find this. Everyone is struggling for existence, not
thinking of how Krsna will be happy. Krsna consciousness is very
sublime. We should try to understand it from Srimad-Bhdgavatam and
Bhagavad-gita and try to engage our senses for the service of the master
of the senses (hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam). Then we shall actually be
happy.
