Devotee: Vyasadev wrote the supreme pastimes of Krishna in the 10th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam. What is the necessity of the 11th and 12th Cantos?

Guruji: Vedavyas Muni has not unnecessarily written the 11th and 12th Cantos. He has narrated the highest pastimes of Krishna with the Gopis, parakiya, in the 10th Canto. It is very difficult to understand this. We have the habit to imitate, especially elevated persons and people of respect. We may think “Krishna is the Supreme Lord. If he has 16,108 wives, then we can also have two or three. Krishna may be powerful. But Krishna will be the only enjoyer? This is not good. It is unjust. He may have 95%. We should have 5%”.

Previously Vedavyas Muni gave a warning about this: ‘You must not go directly to the 10th Canto. You should first study the 1st Canto through to the 9th. You should hear from a bona fide sadhu. After hearing, when you become competent and have knowledge of who is Krishna, who are the Gopis and what is their relationship; then you will be entitled to hear the pastimes in the 10th Canto. Not before that.’ When Sukadev Goswami narrated the Bhagavatam to Pariksit Maharaj, he did not start with the 10th Canto. He started with the first. Then the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, Drhuva Charitra, Prahlad Charitra, eighth, ninth, Ambarish Maharaj. After that, after hearing all of this, then Sukadev narrated the 10th.

We might hear these pastimes. But we may be unmindful; if we do not meditate on the subject, we may make a wrong interpretation of it. So Vedavyas Muni has warned us before the 10th Canto and is again warning us in the 11th. He has doubt. Have we really heard the first nine Cantos? And if we did hear, when we listen to the 10th, are we meditating on those past teachings?

In the 11th Canto, Vidhey Raj Nimi asked this question: ‘We are enslaved jivas. We are slaves of the sense organs. We are running after enjoyment. We are enveloped by the illusory energy. We have a misconception of the self. How can we surmount the cycles of births and deaths and the three-fold afflictions? What is the easiest way?’

Prabhudh Muni answered: ‘In this world, everyone is doing something. For what purpose? For removing sufferings and getting happiness. When someone is unable to get that by their single effort, they marry. Then together they work towards happiness but just the opposite happens. But still, together they want to remove suffering and get happiness. They think it will help if they have a son. So they do that and the trouble increases. Then a daughter, three, four, five children and jointly they try to get happiness and with the growing family, the troubles also grow.’

We can get pure love through devotion to Krishna. Krishna has all the loving relationships; master-servant, friendship, parental, husband-wife and ultimately, after being married, having loving relations with others outside of marriage. Although this is the highest spiritual love (as narrated in the 10th Canto), it is the most abominable in this world. The highest in the spiritual world is the lowest here.

All these relationships that Krishna has are also seen here. But we should not think it is the same. He is the master. We are not. He enjoys with friends, parents, wives and consorts. As much as we try to enjoy like Him, so much suffering we will get. So after narrating Krishna's highest pastimes in the 10th Canto, Vedavyas Muni is again warning us. Our loving relationship is with Krishna. All are trying to remove their sufferings and increase happiness. If we try to enjoy all the loving relations in this world, misery will not be removed. It will only increase.