Akrura's Arrival in Vrindavana
Narada Muni did not mention Krishna's killing Vyomasura, which means that he was killed on the same day as the Kesi demon. The Kesi demon was killed in the early morning, and after that the boys went to tend the cows on Govardhana Hill, and it was there that Vyomasura was killed. Both demons were killed in the morning. Akrura was requested by Kamsa to arrive in Vrindavana by evening. After receiving instruction from Kamsa, Akrura started the next morning via chariot for Vrindavana. Because Akrura himself was a great devotee of the Lord, while going to Vrindavana he began to pray to the Lord. Devotees are always absorbed in thoughts of Krishna, and Akrura was constantly thinking of Lord Krishna's lotus eyes.
He did not know what sort of pious activities he must have performed to gain an opportunity to go see Lord Krishna and Lord Balarama in Vrindavana on that day. A pure Vaishnava always thinks himself unfit to serve Krishna. So Akrura began to think within himself that he was unfit for gaining the transcendental opportunity of seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He considered himself as unfit for seeing Krishna as a materialistic person is for understanding the science of God or as a fourth-class person (a sudra) is for studying the Vedas. But then Akrura began to think, "By the grace of Krishna everything is possible, and thus if He likes, I will be able to see Him. Just as a blade of grass floating on the waves of a river may by chance come near the shore and gain shelter, a conditioned soul carried away by the waves of material existence may sometimes be saved by the grace of Krishna." Akrura thus thought that if Krishna willed, he would be able to see Him. Akrura considered himself most fortunate that he was going to see Krishna, whom great mystic yogis desire to see. He was confident that on that day all the sinful reactions of his past life would be finished and his fortunate human form of life would be successful. Akrura also considered that he was very much favored by Kamsa, who was sending him to bring back Krishna and Balarama and thus enabling him to see the Lord. Akrura continued to consider that formerly great sages and saintly persons were liberated from the material world simply by seeing the shining nails of the lotus feet of Krishna.
"That Supreme Personality of Godhead has now come just like an ordinary human being, and it is my great fortune to be able to see Him face to face," Akrura thought. He was thrilled with expectations of seeing the very lotus feet which are worshiped by great demigods like Brahma, Narada and Lord Siva, which traverse the ground of Vrindavana, and which touch the breasts of the gopis, covered with tinges of kunkuma. He thought, "I am so fortunate that I will be able to see those very lotus feet on this day, and certainly I shall be able to see the beautiful face of Krishna, which is marked on the forehead and the nose with tilaka. And I shall also see His smile and His curling black hair. I can be sure of this opportunity because I see that today the deer are passing on my right side. Today it will be possible for me to actually see the beauty of the spiritual kingdom of Vishnuloka because Krishna is the Supreme Vishnu and He has advented Himself out of His own good will. He is the reservoir of all beauty; therefore today my eyes will achieve perfection."
Akrura knew beyond a doubt that Lord Krishna is the Supreme Vishnu. Lord Vishnu glances over the material energy, and thus the cosmic manifestation comes into being. And although Lord Vishnu is the creator of this material world, He is free, by His own energy, from the influence of the material energy. By His internal potency He can pierce the darkness of the material energy. Similarly, Krishna, the original Vishnu, by expanding His internal potency, created the inhabitants of Vrindavana. In the Brahma-samhita it is confirmed that the paraphernalia and the abode of Krishna are expansions of His internal potency. The same internal potency Krishna exhibits in Goloka Vrindavana is exhibited in the earthly Vrindavana, where He enjoys Himself with His parents and in the company of His friends, the cowherd boys and gopis. By the statement of Akrura it is clear that, since Krishna is transcendental to the modes of material nature, the inhabitants of Vrindavana, who are always engaged in loving service to the Lord, are also transcendental.
Written by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
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