Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.2.24

āsīnah samviśams tishthan

bhuñjānah paryatan mahīm

cintayāno hrishīkeśam

apaśyat tanmayam jagat

SYNONYMS

āsīnah — while sitting comfortably in his sitting room or on the throne; samviśan — or lying on his bed; tishthan — or staying anywhere; bhuñjānah — while eating; paryatan — while walking or moving; mahīm — on the ground, going hither and thither; cintayānah — always inimically thinking of; hrishīkeśam — the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the controller of everything; apaśyat — observed; tat-mayam — consisting of Him (Krishna), and nothing more; jagat — the entire world.

TRANSLATION

While sitting on his throne or in his sitting room, while lying on his bed, or, indeed, while situated anywhere, and while eating, sleeping or walking, Kamsa saw only his enemy, the Supreme Lord, Hrishīkeśa. In other words, by thinking of his all-pervading enemy, Kamsa became unfavorably Krishna conscious.

PURPORT

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has described the finest pattern of devotional service as ānukūlyena krishnānuśīlanam, or cultivating Krishna consciousness favorably. Kamsa, of course, was also Krishna conscious, but because he regarded Krishna as his enemy, even though he was fully absorbed in Krishna consciousness, his Krishna consciousness was not favorable for his existence. Krishna consciousness, favorably cultivated, makes one completely happy, so much so that a Krishna conscious person does not consider kaivalya-sukham, or merging into the existence of Krishna, to be a great gain. Kaivalyam narakāyate. For a Krishna conscious person, even merging into the existence of Krishna, or Brahman, as impersonalists aspire to do, is uncomfortable. Kaivalyam narakāyate tridaśa-pūr ākāśa-pushpāyate. Karmīs hanker to be promoted to the heavenly planets, but a Krishna conscious person considers such promotion a will-o'-the-wisp, good for nothing. Durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-patalī protkhāta-damshtrāyate. Yogīs try to control their senses and thus become happy, but a Krishna conscious person neglects the methods of yoga. He is unconcerned with the greatest of enemies, the senses, which are compared to snakes. For a Krishna conscious person who is cultivating Krishna consciousness favorably, the happiness conceived by the karmīs, jñānīs and yogīs is treated as less than a fig. Kamsa, however, because of cultivating Krishna consciousness in a different way — that is, inimically — was uncomfortable in all the affairs of his life; whether sitting, sleeping, walking or eating, he was always in danger. This is the difference between a devotee and a nondevotee. A nondevotee or atheist also cultivates God consciousness — by trying to avoid God in everything. For example, so-called scientists who want to create life by a combination of chemicals regard the external, material elements as supreme. Such scientists do not like the idea that life is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. As clearly stated in Bhagavad-gītā (mamaivāmśo jīva-loke jīva-bhūtah), the living entities do not arise from a combination of material elements, such as earth, water, air and fire, but are separated portions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If one can understand the position of the living entity as a separated portion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by studying the nature of the living entity one can understand the nature of the Supreme Godhead, since the living entity is a fragmental sample of the Godhead. But because atheists are not interested in God consciousness, they try to be happy by cultivating Krishna consciousness in various unfavorable ways.

Although Kamsa was always absorbed in thoughts of Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he was not happy. A devotee, however, whether sitting on a throne or beneath a tree, is always happy. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī resigned from office as a government minister to sit beneath a tree, yet he was happy. Tyaktvā tūrnam aśesha-mandalapati-śrenīm sadā tucchavat (Shad-gosvāmy-ashtaka 4). He did not care for his comfortable position as minister; he was happy even beneath a tree in Vrindāvana, favorably serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the difference between a devotee and a nondevotee. For a nondevotee, the world is full of problems, whereas for a devotee the entire world is full of happiness.

viśvam pūrna-sukhāyate vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kītāyate

yat-kārunya-katāksha-vaibhavavatām tam gauram eva stumah

(Caitanya-candrāmrita 95)

This comfortable position of a devotee can be established by the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Yasmin sthito na duhkhena gurunāpi vicālyate (Bg. 6.22). Even when a devotee is superficially put into great difficulty, he is never disturbed.

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