Bhagavan Shri Krsna & Bhagavat Dharma: English Translation of "Shri Krsna and Bhagavat Dharma"
By Shri Jagadish Chandra Ghose

By Ashim Kumar Bhattacharyya

Shri Krsna and Bhgavat Dharma by Shri Jagadish Chandra Ghose written in Bengali discusses the teachings of Shri Krsna with quotes from various books of Shstras.

Shri Krsna and Bhgavat Dharma discusses mainly four subjects: First the book considers Shri Krsna as Brahman, Ishvara or Bhagavn as is meant by "Ishvarah paramah Krsnah sacchidnandavigrahah" meaning "Krsna is Ishvara; He is Sat-Cit-nanda"; this has been supported by quotations from the Vednta, Purnas and Vaishnava Shstras. Second, the discussion is on Shri Krsna's divine love plays (Lil). Through these divine love plays the Bliss or nanda aspect of Shri Krsna, the Sat-Cit-nanda is expressed. These expressions are explained with quotes from the Purnas. Third, there is discussion about the main objectives of human life. Finally, the book explains what Shri Krsna taught His disciples Arjuna and Uddhava about His doctrines and Dharma using quotes extensively from Bhagavad Git and the Bhgavat.

This English translation Bhagavn Shri Krsna and Bhgavat Dharma follows the format as closely as possible to the original Bengali book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jul 21, 2005
• ISBN: 9780595805853

Ashim Kumar Bhattacharyya

The author performs religious worships for the community. He recently retired as Professor of Pathology and Physiology from LSU Health Sciences Center. He and his wife live in New Orleans.

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Bhagavan Shri Krsna

&

Bh~gavat Dharma

English Translation of

Shri Krsna and Bh~gavat Dharma

By Shri Jagadish Chandra Ghose

Ashim Kumar Bhattacharyya, Ph.D., D.Sc.

iUniverse, Inc.

New York Lincoln Shanghai

Bhagavan Shri Krsna & Bhagavat Dharma

English Translation of Shri Krsna and Bhagavat Dharma

By Shri Jagadish Chandra Ghose

Copyright © 2005 by Ashim Kumar Bhattacharyya

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN-13: 978-0-595-36142-7 (pbk)

ISBN-13: 978-0-595-80585-3 (ebk)

ISBN-10: 0-595-36142-0 (pbk)

ISBN-10: 0-595-80585-X (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Key to pronunciation and transliteration

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1  Sat-Chit-Ananda

Chapter 2  Brahman, Atman and Ishvara or Bhagavan

Chapter 3  Bhagavan Shri Krsna is Bliss and love

Chapter 4  Bhagavan Shri Krsna is All-Powerful

Chapter 5  Bhagavan Shri Krnsa is Knowledge

Chapter 6  Sadhana to Realize Sat-Cit-Ananda

Chapter 7

Bh~gavat Life

About the Author

Key to pronunciation and transliteration 

Preface 

This is nearly a line by line but free and liberal English translation of the well-read book in Bengali Sri Krsna and Bh~gavat Dharma by Sri Jagadish Chandra Ghose. The book was written in a question and answer format, I have preserved the format. I do not know when the book was written and year it was first published. I have the 6th edition of the book published by Presidency Library, 15 Bankim Chatterjee Street, Kolkata, 700 013.

Sri Jagadish Chandra Ghose in the book discussed the teachings by Bhagav~n Sri Krsna based on Ved~nta and Pur~nas. The book is one of the finest books about Sri Krsna and the Bh~gavat Dharma.

Earlier Sri Ghose published the book Sri Git~. The book contained the complete Git~ and the explanation which was tuned to the common reader. The book is a storehouse of ancient knowledge.

When I first read the book Sri Krsna and Bh~gavat Dharma I was pleasantly surprised. How wonderfully the difficult ideas of the Hindu Theology and Philosophy been expressed in simple language understandable by common people like us. After repeatedly reading the book I finally convinced myself that I should try to translate the book in simple English so the second generation of Indians in USA can read and understand the wonderful philosophy of the Hindu Dharma. I only hope my efforts will not be in vain.

Introduction 

Bhagavän Shri Krsna is mentioned in the Puränas, in the Mahäbhärata and in Vaishnava literature over the centuries. Bhagavän Shri Krsna is the Avatära, God-Incarnate. In the Bhagavad Gitä (4:7-8) He himself declared that when Dharma worsens that is Adharma (absence of Dharma) prevails, He using His power of Mäyä comes down to earth taking the human form to fix the Dharma in its glorious form. He said He had incarnated many times before and whenever it will be necessary He will do so again and again. This is the so-called Avatära-väda as stated in the Hindu philosophy. Some, of course, do not believe in the Avatära-väda. Whether Bhagavän Shri Krsna is Avatära (God-Incarnate) or not neither can be proven by reason or can be disproven. It is a matter of personal faith and belief. For those who do not accept Bhagavän Shri Krsna as Avatära (God-Incarnate) should remember that if they do no accept that Bhagavän or God exists and can also incarnate, then how one can realize God because that is the fundamental teaching of the Vedas, the original source of the Hindu Dharma. It should be remembered the supreme goal of Hindu life is to realize God.

Those who believe in God but do not accept the doctrine of Avatära-väda raise questions such as ‚How can God take the human form‘; ‚God who is formless (Niräkära) how He can take the human form‘; ‚He who is birthless, how He can take a human birth‘ and many more. It is true that Hindu Dharma teaches that God, the Supreme Spirit, Brahman, is not only formless, but is also with no attributes that is Nirguna. But at the same time Hindu Dharma states that He is the inner supreme spirit of all that is present in the cosmic universe. In the Bhagavad Gitä Bhagavän Shri Krsna states that ‚by using My creative power, Prakriti, I come into being by My own Mäyä‘. This Mäyä is a difficult concept to understand by ordinary human mind.

We find that Bhagavän Shri Krsna has been mentioned in the Mahäbhärata, in the Puränas, and in the Vaishnava Agamas or literature. We will now discuss these briefly.

Bhagavan Shri Krsna in Mahabharata

It is now well accepted the great Bharata war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas described in the Mahabharata is a historical fact. Many historians even consider Mahabharata as historical. However, it is also true that in the Mahabharata there are many stories which are not historical truth; they are considered supernatural. In the ancient history of all nations there are stories that are unhistorical and supernatural, such as the stories of Levy, Herodotus, Feresta and others. The Mahabharata that we find today is surely not the work of one author. Further the present version was written overtime. In the Mahabharata itself it is stated that Maharshi Vedavyasa first wrote Bharata-Samhita which contained twenty-four thousand verses (slokas) and taught that to his son Sukadeva (Mahabharata, Adi Parva 101). Vaishampayana learned this Bharata-Samhita from Sukadeva. This Bharata-Samhita was later recited to Janameyjaya when he performed the Yajna. Later many other writers anonymously added their creations and that is how the Bharata-Samhita enlarged nearly four times and thus the Bharata-Samhita became Mahabharata. Indeed, the Mahabharata is not only the history of the Bharata war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas but is also an epic and a storehouse of knowledge of Vedanta philosophy and other Shastras of the Hindu Dharma. At the same time many of the later anonymous authors who included their writings in the Mahabharata were not so versatile authors; so many of these authors while trying to praise Bhagavan Shri Krsna’s qualities could only disrespect Him.

In the Mahabharata the true historical stories that are found about Bhagavan Shri Krsna are described now in short.

In Bharata just before the Bharata war at Kurukshetra Dharma had declined and Adharma prevailed all over the country. At the time the political climate in the country as described by Shri Krsna Himself in the Mahabharata we have described that later in short. At the time in the country the kings of the different kingdoms had been trying to consolidate their powers in the pretext that they are doing some virtuous work by bringing the country under one control. They were performing a Yajna called Rajasuya Yajna. Bhagavan Shri Krsna had a similar idea in His mind. What He had in His mind was to make Dharmaraja Yudhisthira as the emperor, the supreme monarch (Samrat) of the country and set up the Dharmarajya. But there were so many problems. When Yudhisthira asked Bhagavan Shri Krsna about performing the Rajasuya Yajna Bhagavan Shri Krsna said to him "Yes, you are fit to be the Samrat of the country and it is also necessary that you become the Samrat. But not many kings in the country are under your tutelage. They are under Jarasandha. By his shear military strength Jarasandha had defeated those kings and have them under his control. He is now the Bharata Samrat. I believe that as long as Jarasandha is alive it will be not possible for you to complete successfully the Rajasuya Yajna."

Jarasandha was planning to perform a Yajna. He was determined to sacrifice one hundred kings and for that purpose he had already captured eighty six kings and put them in prison. In western India Kamsa, the king of Mathura and in central India Cediraja Shishupala was Jarasandha’s earnest friends and staunch supporters. Both kings were tyrants. In the east, Bana, the king of Sonitpura, Vasudeva, the king of Paundra and many others were also Jarasandha’s friends and staunch supporters. Most of the other kings in northern India had fled to the west and south being afraid of the tyranny of these kings who were staunch supporters of Jarasandha and also of Jarasandha himself. When Bhagavan Shri Krsna killed Kamsa, the king of Mathura Jarasandha besieged Mathura with a huge powerful army. Then Shri Krsna with other Yadavas fled to Dvaraka and started living there after building a strong fort. These are all historical facts. Jarasandha had become powerful and almost invincible because of his powerful army as well as the armies of his friends and supporters. King Yudhisthira did not have a large and powerful army or supporters to face Jarasandha and to defeat him in war. His intellectual powers rested on his friendship with Shri Krsna and his war strength with his brothers, Bhima the second Pandava and Arjuna, the third Pandava. Bhagavan Shri Krsna advised Yudhisthira that Bhima and Arjuna should go in disguise to Jarasandha and should challenge him into a duel because when a Kshatriya king is challenged into a duel he would not refuse the challenge.

King Yudhisthira first refused to accept this advice. He said "Just to win the large kingdom how can I send you there to fight such a powerful king; that will be too selfish. Even if Jarasandha is defeated and killed in the duel, his powerful army will attack you. So I think it is better for me not to plan to perform the Rajasuya Yajna."

But Bhagavan Shri Krsna’s objective was to free the eighty six kings who were in Jarasandha’s prison waiting to be sacrificed at the planned Yajna by Jarasandha. So He said to Yudhisthira "The imprisoned kings are awaiting the cruel fate of being sacrificed like animals at the Yajna. The tyrant King Jarasandha has already eighty six kings in his prison. As soon as he can capture fourteen more kings he will perform the Yajna in a hurry and will sacrifice the hundred kings cruelly. This is the only reason why I am advising you, O King Yudhisthira, to send with Me Bhima and Arjuna in disguise to Jarasandha and challenge him into a duel. Even if we are killed by him or by his powerful army our motive of freeing the imprisoned kings will get a boost."

Eventually King Yudhisthira accepted Bhagavan Shri Krsna’s advice and send Bhima and Arjuna with Him to fight King Jarasandha. In the duel Bhima killed Jarasandha.

The death of Jarasandha and subsequent release of the eighty six imprisoned kings made the Pandavas famous and powerful in the country. The kings who supported and were under control of Jarasandha now declared their loyalty to King Yudhisthira. King Yudhisthira now decided to perform the Rajasuya Yajna. However the Yajna was not completed without any trouble. There was a traditional custom that the best respected person present at the Yajna should be offered an Arghya (compliment and respect of all). So after consulting Bhisma King Yudhisthira offered the Arghya to Bhagavan Shri Krsna. But Cediraja Shishupala did not like this presentation of Arghya to Shri Krsna. He protested the act forcefully and reproached the Pandavas. He criticized Bhisma and Shri Krsna. He also tried to incite the assembled kings to revolt against the Pandavas so the Yajna could not be completed successfully. King Yudhisthira approached Bhisma and said O Grandfather, the assembly is about to flare up and create trouble for all, please do something to stop this. Bhisma replied Yudhisthira, don’t be afraid. I have already decided the way to put an end to all this. You know when a lion is asleep, dogs assemble and start barking; but that do not kill the lion. Bhisma then addressed the assembled kings "O Kings, we have offered Arghya to Govinda. Cediraja Shishupala does not want to respect Govinda as the best. That is why he is creating trouble. See, Krsna is present right here in front of you. So why don’t you, who is brave enough, challenge him to fight. That will settle the issue who is the best person in this assembly." Hearing Bhisma’s words Shishupala immediately shouted "O Janardana, I am challenging you to fight with me. Come, I will send you and your Pandavas to hell."

Bhagavan Shri Krsna had remained silent throughout. Now He started speaking, but did not address Shishupala directly instead addressed the assembled kings "This evil-mined person, though he is like my uncle, has tried always to do bad to us. This tyrant evil-minded person in my absence burned Dvaraka and stole the Yajna horse of my father. I have pardoned him previously for all his misdeeds but I will not excuse him any longer." Saying this Shri Krsna climbed onto his chariot (Ratha) to fight Shishupala. Seeing Shri Krsna on his chariot most of the kings fled out of fear leaving Shishupala alone. Bhagavan Shri Krsna killed Shishupala easily. (Mahabharata, Udyoga Parva).

Afterwards the Rajasuya Yajna was completed without any further troubles. Everyone agreed that the great Vasudeva wearing His Sankha (Conch), Cakra, Gada (Mace) and Padma (Lotus) had saved the Rajasuya Yajna of King Yudhisthira. Afterwards all assembled kings declared their loyalty to King Yudhisthira. Thus setting up King Yudhisthira as the emperor of the country Bhagavan Shri Krsna returned to Dvaraka.

King Yudhisthira’s emperorship did not last long. Duryodhana became jealous about the rise in power, money and respect of the Pandavas in the country. His maternal uncle Shakuni provided the fuel to the jealousy. Though Dhritarastra used to speak about truth all the time but he had a week mind and heart so he continued to support the evil and jealous works of his son, Duryodhana. In the Mahabharata Rajasuya Parva (chapter on Rajasuya Yajna) is followed by ambassadorial chapter (Doutta Adhyaya). In ancient literature one finds that the Kshatriyas used to follow two particular customs. One was that if a Kshatriya king was challenged to a war the king would never refuse. We have seen that following the custom King Jarasandha was killed and the imprisoned kings were set free. It was considered an act of personal heroism, sacrifice and generosity. The second custom was more interesting; if a Kshatryia was invited to take part in a betting dice game the invitation was never refused also. This custom always produced unfortunate results. Taking advantage of this custom and on the advice of cunning and sly Shakuni Duryodhana invited King Yudhisthira to the dice game. After receiving the invitation to the dice game King Yudhisthira said These people are cunning, sly and fraudulent. I do not want to go to the dice game. But since I am invited to the dice game I have to go and take part in the dice game because that is the common custom and practice which I have to follow. (Mahabharata, Sabha Parva 57). The disastrous results of this common custom namely Yudhisthira’s loss in the games, loss of the kingdom, Pandavas going to the forest, the insult of Draupadi in the court of the Kauravas etc are well-known.

These parts of the Mahabharata are a real literary masterpiece but the historicity is questionable. One episode stands out as surprising. We know that King Yudhisthira had always consulted Bhagavan Shri Krsna in all endeavors and he said so again and again. But when he received the invitation from Hastinapur to play the betting dice game he did not consult Shri Krsna even though he was not happy to accept the invitation. It was Bhagavan Shri Krsna who made King Yudhisthira the emperor of the country. But when the empire was about to be destroyed and the Pandavas with Draupadi were being tortured, humiliated and insulted again and again, where was Shri Krsna who was the best friend of the Pandavas?

When Duhshasana, the villain Kaurava was trying to undress Draupadi in the court of the Kauravas, Draupadi while crying was praying for help from Bhagavan Shri Krsna O Govinda don’t you know the Kauravas are humiliating me. Please help me.

The authors of the Mahabharata showed indirectly Bhagavan Shri Krsna’s help to Draupadi in her humiliation in the Kaurava court; but we do not see any direct role of Bhagavan Shri Krsna in helping the Pandavas as we would see later described in the epic.

We do not understand the reason of this indifference of Shri Krsna towards the Pandavas. But later what Shri Krsna said if we understand the real meaning of that statement we would realize how knowingly or unknowingly one can interpret a particular instance in different light. Kunti Devi, the mother of the Pandavas, met Shri Krsna at Hastinapur and while crying told Him how her sons and daughter-in-law were being treated so harshly and insultingly by the Kauravas. Then Bhagavan Shri Krsna said "The Pandavas now have won over enjoying sleep, anger, happiness, hunger, thirst, cold and heat and are now enjoying the happiness of being the brave. By giving up the pleasures of the senses they are happily enjoying their braveness. The powerful invincible warriors are never happy with anything less. People who have not yet won over their senses that is enjoy using their senses always suffer from pain and sorrow whereas those who have won over their senses are happy with less."

We read in the Mahabharata that during the twelve years of forest living by the Pandavas Bhagavan Shri Krsna met with them only three times. However, those meetings were social and insignificant. After that we find that Shri Krsna came to the Pandavas after their one year of secret living in the kingdom of Virata. There Bhagavan Shri Krsna consulted with Pandava’s father-in-law King Drupada and other relatives about the recovery of the Pandava’s kingdom. He said "We know that King Yudhisthira following his loss, though fraudulently, in the betting dice game against Shakuni gave up his kingdom and went to the forest and fulfilled all the promises that he made at the games. The sons of King Pandu though can win the whole world but because of their truthfulness they suffered for thirteen long years by living in the forest like beggars. The Pandavas are established in truth, truth is their religion. They fulfilled their promises but now the Kauravas are not treating them right. I would ask you all to think about ways how the situation could be corrected so Duryodhana gives back Yudhisthira his portion of the kingdom. I suggest that a religious person should be sent to meet Duryodhana with the proposal."

Satyaki, a disciple of Shri Krsna did not like Shri Krsna’s proposal. He said "King Yudhisthira has fulfilled all the promises that he made at the dice game, so he is entitled to get his kingdom back; but the sinful, wicked people are saying the Pandavas were recognized during their secret living period during the thirteenth year of their forest living. Then how can we say that those sinful, wicked Kauravas are not trying to steal the Pandavas kingdom? The Kauravas should return respectfully to the Pandavas their rightful kingdom right now otherwise we should kill the Kauravas and get the kingdom back. I have no doubt that I can defeat the wicked Kauravas and bring them to their knees in front of Dharmaraja Yudhisthira." Satyaki was a great warrior; he ranked behind Arjuna and Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna and Subhadra. So Satyaki’s statement was not just worthless pride neither was his anger unjustified. But Bhagavan Shri Krsna was above anger; though He was the chastiser of the wicked but He was merciful too. Further he was friendly to both Pandavas and Kauravas, and that is why He first proposed the peace alliance between the two parties. The old King of Virata, King Drupada, agreed with Satyaki’s proposal. He said Duryodhana will never give up the kingdom by simply sweet talks of peace. It is not wise to talk sweetly and peacefully to evil and wicked people because any softness shown to them never works. The wicked and evil people think that those people are sweetly talking about peace because they are weak. So I think and suggest that we should start building an army and send ambassadors to our friendly kings for their support. It may be all right to sent an ambassador to Duryodhana with peace proposal. But I think we should first send ambassadors to our friends and supporters.

After listening to King Drupada Bhagavan Shri Krsna said "King Drupada’s proposal is reasonable and justifiable; so it may be wise to follow the proposal. But let me remind you that my relations with the Kauravas and the Pandavas are similar. If Duryodhana rightfully accepts the peace proposal and returns the kingdom to the Pandavas then there would be no fight between the brothers and nobody will get killed either. But if Duryodhana does not accept the peace proposal and return the kingdom to Yudhisthira then after sending the ambassadors to the friendly king and hearing their responses call on me." This statement of Shri Krsna makes it clear that He did not like the possibility of a war between the brothers, rather he was trying that such a war never happens. Duryodhana was an evil and wicked person but even then Shri Krsna did not want to favor either Pandavas or the Kauravas in the event of a war between the two parties. What happened afterwards also proves this point.

Both Kauravas and the Pandavas started preparing for the war. To get the help of Shri Krsna in the war Arjuna went to Dvaraka. Duryodhana also went to Dvaraka at the same time for the same purpose. Bhagavan Shri Krsna said I will not touch the weapons in the war meaning that He will not take part directly in the war. The way He kept his neutrality in the war has been described later.

Accepting the proposal of King Drupada, the Pandavas sent King Drupada’s chief priest Dhoumya with a peace proposal to the court of Dhritarastra. Dhoumya told King Dhritarastra plainly and coldly "the Pandavas are preparing to fight the Kauravas to regain their kingdom, but they are peace loving so they want their legitimate part of the kingdom without going to war against the Kauravas. It is still not late to return the legitimate part of the kingdom to the Pandavas, so please do that at the earliest." King Dhritarastra said "well, it sounds good. I will send my minister Sanjaya to the Pandavas."

Sanjaya went to the Pandavas but what he had was not a peace proposal. He only requested the Pandavas not to fight the Kauravas because Dhritarastra was afraid of the alliance between Bhagavan Shri Krsna and Arjuna. Dhritarastra told Sanjaya "Please go to the Pandavas and request Arjuna, Vasudeva, and Dharmaraja Yudhisthira not to fight and destroy the Kauravas because of only

Duryodhana’s stubborn behavior." Sanjaya came to the Pandavas and gave a big, long speech. As Dhritarastra had asked him to say, he told the Pandavas "O Dharmaraja, people consider you as religious, so please do not engage in the war against the Kauravas and destroy them. The Kauravas will not return the kingdom to you. In my humble opinion, it is better to live as beggars than engage in war against brothers, destroy them and win the kingdom. Please consider that human life is short and full of pain and sorrow. Further you are so wise and famous so to destroy the Kauravas is not desirable. So my advice to you is to stay out of this evil war. If the war is fought then Bhisma, Drona with Duryodhana and others will be killed. Would you then be happy? So I again pray, please give up the intent of fighting the war, please do not destroy your own brothers. Please do not engage in this evil war".

Dharmaraja Yudhisthira replied "I am not in favor of the war. I want a peaceful settlement of the situation. Mahatma Shri Krsna is the most knowledgeable in religion and morality. Therefore, I ask him humbly His opinion that if I indulge in the war and destroy our brothers to regain our rightful kingdom then will we be performing wrongfully? I think that if we do not carry out our responsibilities then we can be charged, I believe, of neglecting our Svadharma. O Krsna, please tell me what is my responsibility and what I should do." Bhagavan Shri Krsna said "O Sanjaya, I always have been neutral to both Kauravas and Pandavas. I always wish the best for both Pandavas and Dhritarastra and the Kauravas. My only wish is that peace is established between the Kauravas and Pandavas. Except the peace proposal I am not giving any other advice to both parties. But unfortunately King Dhritarastra and his sons are selfish and wicked. So I think that peace is impossible between the two. You know well that Maharaja Yudhisthira and I are both have never deviated from the truth, so how could you say that King Yudhisthira is unreligious and unscrupulous." Shri Krsna then explained in detail about Svadharma and Karma Yoga which are summarized briefly later.

In the Bhagavad Gita we read that just before the start of the Kurukshetra war Arjuna became emotionally charged seeing his brothers, grandfathers, teachers and relatives in the opposition; he said O Govinda, I think it is better to beg for living than killing relatives to gain the kingdom for power, wealth and pleasure. Arjuna described the horror of war and gave his reasons such as kindness, compassion and nonviolence and expressed his wish to withdraw from the war. Bhagavan Shri Krsna taught Arjuna the wonderful Vedanta philosophy and corrected Arjuna’s wrongful attitude. As mentioned above