Bhagvat: The Supreme Vishnu is Krshna. Krshna is the cause of Vishnu, not vice versa. Similarly, Brahman is not the cause of Krshna; Krshna is the cause of Brahman. Therefore Krshna is the Parabrahman. Sisupäla and Dantavakra were formerly Jaya and Vijaya, the doorkeepers of Vaikuntha. Merging into the body of Krshna was not their final destination. For some time they remained merged, and later they received the liberations of särüpya and sälokya, living on the same planet as the Lord in the same bodily form. The sästras give evidence that if one blasphemes the Supreme Lord, his punishment is to remain in hellish life for many millions of years more than one suffers by killing many brähmanas.
TRANSLATION
Formerly, O King, when Mahäräja Yudhishthira was performing the Räjasüya sacrifice, the great sage Närada, responding to his inquiry, recited historical facts showing how the Supreme Personality of Godhead is always impartial, even when killing demons. In this regard he gave a vivid example.
PURPORT
This relates to how the Lord exhibited His impartiality even when killing Sisupäla in the arena of the Räjasüya yajïa performed by Mahäräja Yudhishthira.
TRANSLATION
O King, at the Räjasüya sacrifice, Mahäräja Yudhishthira, the son of Mahäräja Pändu, personally saw Sisupäla merge into the body of the Supreme Lord, Krshna. Therefore, struck with wonder, he inquired about the reason for this from the great sage Närada, who was seated there. While he inquired, all the sages present also heard him ask his question.
TRANSLATION
Mahäräja Yudhishthira inquired: It is very wonderful that the demon Sisupäla merged into the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead even though extremely envious. This säyujya-mukti is impossible to attain even for great transcendentalists. How then did the enemy of the Lord attain it?
PURPORT
There are two classes of transcendentalists—the jnänis and the bhaktas. The bhaktas do not aspire to merge into the existence of the Lord, but the jnänis do. Sisupäla, however, was neither a jnäni nor a bhakta, yet simply by envy of the Lord he attained an exalted position by merging into the Lord's body. Certainly this was astonishing, and therefore Mahäräja Yudhishthira inquired about the cause for the Lord's mysterious mercy to Sisupäla.
TRANSLATION
O great sage, we are all eager to know the cause for this mercy of the Lord. I have heard that formerly a king named Vena blasphemed the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that all the brähmanas consequently obliged him to go to hell. Sisupäla should also have been sent to hell. How then did he merge into the Lord's existence?
TRANSLATION
From the very beginning of his childhood, when he could not even speak properly, Sisupäla, the most sinful son of Damaghosha, began blaspheming the Lord, and he continued to be envious of Sri Krshna until death. Similarly, his brother Dantavakra continued the same habits.
TRANSLATION
Although these two men—Sisupäla and Dantavakra—repeatedly blasphemed the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Vishnu [Krshna], the Supreme Brahman, they were quite healthy. Indeed, their tongues were not attacked by white leprosy, nor did they enter the darkest region of hellish life. We are certainly most surprised by this.
PURPORT
Krshna is described by Arjuna in Bhagavad-gitä (10.12) as follows: param brahma param dhäma pavitram paramam bhavän. "You are the Supreme Brahman, the supreme abode and purifier." Herein this is confirmed. Vishnum yad brahma param avyayam. The Supreme Vishnu is Krshna. Krshna is the cause of Vishnu, not vice versa. Similarly, Brahman is not the cause of Krshna; Krshna is the cause of Brahman. Therefore Krshna is the Parabrahman (yad brahma param avyayam).
TRANSLATION
How was it possible for Sisupäla and Dantavakra in the presence of many exalted persons, to enter very easily into the body of Krshna, whose nature is difficult to attain?
PURPORT
Sisupäla and Dantavakra were formerly Jaya and Vijaya, the doorkeepers of Vaikuntha. Merging into the body of Krshna was not their final destination. For some time they remained merged, and later they received the liberations of särüpya and sälokya, living on the same planet as the Lord in the same bodily form.
The sästras give evidence that if one blasphemes the Supreme Lord, his punishment is to remain in hellish life for many millions of years more than one suffers by killing many brähmanas. Sisupäla, however, instead of entering hellish life, immediately and very easily received säyujya-mukti. That such a privilege had been offered to Sisupäla was not merely a story. Everyone saw it happen; there was no scarcity of evidence. How did it happen? Mahäräja Yudhishthira was very much surprised.
TRANSLATION
This matter is undoubtedly very wonderful. Indeed, my intelligence has become disturbed, just as the flame of a candle is disturbed by a blowing wind. O Närada Muni, you know everything. Kindly let me know the cause of this wonderful event.
PURPORT
The sästras enjoin, tad-vijnänärtham sa gurum eväbhigacchet: when one is perplexed by the difficult problems of life, to solve them one must approach a guru like Närada or his representative in the disciplic succession. Mahäräja Yudhishthira therefore requested Närada to explain the cause for such a wonderful event.
