Hare Kṛṣṇa,
Kṛṣṇa possesses unparalleled mercy, compassion, and forgiveness. This mercy is not limited to His devotees, but extends to all living beings, even His enemies. He is said to alleviate suffering and guide beings towards spiritual liberation through His grace. His mercy is not based on any external condition or calculation but is a natural expression of His love. His mercy may not always appear outwardly kind, but it is always ultimately for the devotee’s spiritual benefit.
In His dealings with Indra, Kṛṣṇa displayed the same mercy even though He had many reasons to punish Indra. There is a famous saying often attributed to the Holy Bible – “Love the sinner, hate the sin.” [I was trying to find the exact Biblical quote, but my research showed that this statement is not explicitly found in the Bible. However, biblical passages do express both God’s hatred of sin and his love for individuals who have sinned. Anyway, it drives home the point I am trying to make.]
Kṛṣṇa’s dealing with Indra is based on the same principle. Kṛṣṇa expressed His intention and mood earlier in Chapter 25 (March Lesson 9) wherein He says in SB 10.25.16-17:
“By My mystic power I will completely counteract this disturbance caused by Indra. Demigods like Indra are proud of their opulence, and out of foolishness they falsely consider themselves the Lord of the universe. I will now destroy such ignorance. Since the demigods are endowed with the mode of goodness, the false pride of considering oneself the Lord should certainly not affect them. When I break the false prestige of those bereft of goodness, My purpose is to bring them relief.”
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura further reveals Kṛṣṇa’s intention in his commentary on Text 17: “I am not going to completely crush this weak Indra out of spite, but I will correct this fault of false pride which has arisen in My devotee.”
With this mood, Kṛṣṇa tells Indra in this chapter:
“My dear Indra, it was out of mercy that I stopped the sacrifice meant for you. You were greatly intoxicated by your opulence as King of heaven, and I wanted you to always remember Me. A man blinded by intoxication with his power and opulence cannot see Me nearby with the rod of punishment in My hand. If I desire his real welfare, I drag him down from his materially fortunate position. Indra, you may now go. Execute My order and remain in your appointed position as King of heaven. But be sober, without false pride.” (SB 10.27.15-17)
Kṛṣṇa did not dethrone Indra as the King of heaven or disown him as a devotee but cautioned him to be careful of pride. An important lesson for all of us. We may be empowered to perform various services for Kṛṣṇa, and we may see fair amount of success in the course. But this should not make us proud. One should not think, “I am a great fund-raiser. I built magnificent temples. I am a great preacher. I am a great pujari. I am the top book distributor. I am a great scholar of Krsna consciousness philosophy. And so on.” These are all material thoughts. The Lord and His representatives may empower us for certain services depending on our ability and purity. But this should not bring pride in us. If too much pride creeps in, Kṛṣṇa, out of His mercy, will create situations to remove our pride. He will make us “eat the humble pie.” Just as He did to Indra and Brahma.
Therefore, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s 3rd verse of Siksastaka should be eternally etched in our consciousness:
tṛṇād api su-nīcena
taror iva sahiṣṇunā
amāninā māna-dena
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
“One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.”
This is the divine nature of Kṛṣṇa. He disapproves of the deviant deeds and moods of His devotees, but He never disowns them or deprives them of His shelter.
“The real purport is that when a person is a pure devotee, but at the same time, by miscalculation, he wants to lord it over material nature, the Lord shows His special mercy by taking away all material opulences until at last he surrenders unto the Supreme Lord.” (Srila Prabhupada in Kṛṣṇa Book)
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 