40 TEACHINGS OF QUEEN KUNTI
whom Krsna protects, no one can kill, but if Krsna wants to kill some-
one, no one can give him protection.’’ For example, suppose a very rich
man is suffering from disease. He may have a first-class physician,
medicine, and hospital available for him, but still he may die. This means
that Krsna desired, ‘“This man must die.’’ Therefore, the so-called pro-
tective methods we have devised will be useless if Krsna does not desire
us to live. The demon Ravana was very powerful, but when Krsna in the
form of Lord Ramacandra desired to kill him, no one could protect him.
Ravana was a great devotee of Lord Siva and was praying to Lord Siva,
‘Please come save me from this danger.”’ But Lord Siva did not come.
Then Parvati, Lord Siva’s wife, asked Lord Siva, ‘‘What is this? He is
such a great devotee and has served you so much, and now he is in
danger and is asking your help. Why are you not going to help him?”’
Then Lord Siva replied, ‘‘My dear Parvati, what shall I do? I cannot
give him protection. It is not possible. Why shall I go?’’ Therefore, if
God wants to kill someone, no one can give him protection, and if God
wants to protect someone, no one can kill him. Rakhe krsna mare ke mare
krsna rakhe ke.

Thus Kunti is remembering how Krsna saved her and her sons one
time after another. This is smaranam, thinking of Krsna. ‘‘Krsna, You are
so kind to us that You saved us from many great dangers. Without You
there was no hope.”’

Then the last danger was drauny-astra, the weapon of Asvatthama, the
son of Drona. Asvatthama performed a most abominable act by killing
the five sons of the Pandavas. Of course, in the Battle of Kuruksetra both
sides belonged to the same family, and practically everyone was killed,
but the five sons of the Pandavas survived. So Asvatthama thought, ‘‘IfI
kill these five sons of the Pandavas and present their heads to
Duryodhana, he will be very much pleased.’ Therefore, when the five
sons were sleeping, he severed their heads, which he then presented to
Duryodhana. At that time, Duryodhana was incapacitated. His spine was
broken, and he could not move. Asvatthama said, ‘‘I have brought the
five heads of the Pandavas, my dear Duryodhana.”’ At first, Duryodhana
was very glad, but he knew how to test the heads to see whether they
were in fact the heads of the Pandavas. When he pressed the heads, the
heads collapsed, and Duryodhana said, ‘‘Oh, these are not the heads of
the Pandavas. They must be the heads of their sons.’’ When Asvatthama
admitted that this was so, Duryodhana fainted, and when he revived he
said, ‘You have killed all our hopes. I had hoped that in our family at
