Akrūra’s Realizations - From Anticipation to Vision

This article presents a thematic survey of Akrūra's anticipation of meeting Kṛṣṇa, his profound prayers within the Yamunā river, his invitation to the Lord, and his political counsel to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. It organizes the profound verses found in the Vanisource category Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Verses Spoken by Akrūra.

Akrūra is a unique figure in the history of the Yadu dynasty. He is a mahā-bhāgavata whose devotion is characterized by intense humility and philosophical depth. His journey from Mathurā to Vṛndāvana serves as the archetype for the aspiring devotee approaching the spiritual master or the Deity: filled with eagerness, self-doubt, and ultimately, the joy of darśana. His prayers reveal a comprehensive understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead's simultaneous immanence and transcendence.

The Journey to Vraja (Anticipation)

Commissioned by King Kaṁsa to bring Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma to Mathurā for a wrestling match, Akrūra sets out on his chariot. Externally, he is on a diplomatic mission; internally, he is on a pilgrimage. His monologue on the way to Vṛndāvana captures the mood of a devotee who cannot believe his good fortune.

Destiny and Duty

Akrūra first acknowledges the role of destiny in human affairs. Though sent by a demon, he sees the hand of providence.

  • "Śrī Akrūra said: O King, you have expertly devised a process to free yourself of misfortune. Still, one should be equal in success and failure, since it is certainly destiny that produces the results of one's work."
  • "An ordinary person is determined to act on his desires even when fate prevents their fulfillment. Therefore he encounters both happiness and distress. Yet even though such is the case, I will execute your order."

Unworthiness and Hope

Akrūra reflects on his own fallen condition. As a diplomat involved in materialistic court life, he feels unqualified to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead, yet he takes solace in the idea that even a fallen soul can be saved by time and chance.

  • "Śrī Akrūra thought: What pious deeds have I done, what severe austerities undergone, what worship performed or charity given so that today I will see Lord Keśava?"
  • "Since I am a materialistic person absorbed simply in sense gratification, I think it is as difficult for me to have gotten this opportunity to see Lord Uttamaḥśloka as it would be for one born a śūdra to be allowed to recite the Vedic mantras."
  • "But enough of such thoughts! After all, even a fallen soul like me can have the chance to behold the infallible Supreme Lord, for one of the conditioned souls being swept along in the river of time may sometimes reach the shore."
  • "Today all my sinful reactions have been eradicated and my birth has become worthwhile, since I will offer my obeisances to the Supreme Lord's lotus feet, which mystic yogīs meditate upon."
  • "Indeed, today King Kaṁsa has shown me extreme mercy by sending me to see the lotus feet of Lord Hari, who has now appeared in this world. Simply by the effulgence of His toenails, many souls in the past have transcended the insurmountable darkness of material existence and achieved liberation."

Meditation on the Lotus Feet

Akrūra visualizes the Lord's lotus feet, which are the ultimate object of meditation for great sages and the Goddess of Fortune.

  • "Those lotus feet are worshiped by Brahmā, Śiva and all the other demigods, by the goddess of fortune, and also by the great sages and Vaiṣṇavas. Upon those lotus feet the Lord walks about the forest while herding the cows with His companions, and those feet are smeared with the kuṅkuma from the gopīs' breasts."
  • "Surely I shall see the face of Lord Mukunda, since the deer are now walking past me on my right. That face, framed by His curly hair, is beautified by His attractive cheeks and nose, His smiling glances and His reddish lotus eyes."
  • "I am going to see the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu, the reservoir of all beauty, who by His own sweet will has now assumed a humanlike form to relieve the earth of her burden. Thus there is no denying that my eyes will achieve the perfection of their existence."
  • "Today I shall certainly see Him, the goal and spiritual master of the great souls. Seeing Him brings jubilation to all who have eyes, for He is the true beauty of the universe. Indeed, His personal form is the shelter desired by the goddess of fortune. Now all the dawns of my life have become auspicious."

Philosophical Understanding

Even in his anticipation, Akrūra understands that Kṛṣṇa is not an ordinary boy but the witness of material cause and effect.

  • "He is the witness of material cause and effect, yet He is always free from false identification with them. By His internal potency He dispels the darkness of separation and confusion. The individual souls in this world, who are manifested here when He glances upon His material creative energy, indirectly perceive Him in the activities of their life airs, senses and intelligence."
  • "All sins are destroyed and all good fortune is created by the Supreme Lord's qualities, activities and appearances, and words that describe these three things animate, beautify and purify the world. On the other hand, words bereft of His glories are like the decorations on a corpse."
  • "That same Supreme Lord has descended into the dynasty of the Sātvatas to delight the exalted demigods, who maintain the principles of religion He has created. Residing in Vṛndāvana, He spreads His fame, which the demigods glorify in song and which brings auspiciousness to all."

Anticipating the Interaction

Akrūra imagines how the Lord will receive him. Will He embrace him? Will He speak to him? These thoughts reveal his intense desire for a personal relationship.

  • "Then I will at once alight from my chariot and bow down to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, the Supreme Personalities of Godhead. Theirs are the same feet that great mystic yogīs striving for self-realization bear within their minds. I will also offer my obeisances to the Lords' cowherd boyfriends and to all the other residents of Vṛndāvana."
  • "And when I have fallen at His feet, the almighty Lord will place His lotus hand upon my head. For those who seek shelter in Him because they are greatly disturbed by the powerful serpent of time, that hand removes all fear."
  • "By offering charity to that lotus hand, Purandara and Bali earned the status of Indra, King of heaven, and during the pleasure pastimes of the rāsa dance, when the Lord wiped away the gopīs' perspiration and removed their fatigue, the touch of their faces made that hand as fragrant as a sweet flower."
  • "The infallible Lord will not consider me an enemy, even though Kaṁsa has sent me here as his messenger. After all, the omniscient Lord is the actual knower of the field of this material body, and with His perfect vision He witnesses, both externally and internally, all the endeavors of the conditioned soul's heart."
  • "Thus He will cast His smiling, affectionate glance upon me as I remain fixed with joined palms, fallen in obeisances at His feet. Then all my contamination will at once be dispelled, and I will give up all doubts and feel the most intense bliss."
  • "Recognizing me as an intimate friend and relative, Kṛṣṇa will embrace me with His mighty arms, instantly sanctifying my body and diminishing to nil all my material bondage, which is due to fruitive activities."
  • "Having been embraced by the all-famous Lord Kṛṣṇa, I will humbly stand before Him with bowed head and joined palms, and He will address me, 'My dear Akrūra.' At that very moment my life's purpose will be fulfilled. Indeed, the life of anyone whom the Supreme Personality fails to recognize is simply pitiable."
  • "The Supreme Lord has no favorite and no dearmost friend, nor does He consider anyone undesirable, despicable or fit to be neglected. All the same, He lovingly reciprocates with His devotees in whatever manner they worship Him, just as the trees of heaven fulfill the desires of whoever approaches them."
  • "And then Lord Kṛṣṇa's elder brother, the foremost of the Yadus, will grasp my joined hands while I am still standing with my head bowed, and after embracing me He will take me to His house. There He will honor me with all items of ritual welcome and inquire from me about how Kaṁsa has been treating His family members."

The Vision in the Yamunā (The Akrūra-stuti)

During the return journey to Mathurā, Akrūra stops to bathe in the Yamunā. While underwater, he sees the transcendental forms of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, and simultaneously sees Them seated on the chariot on land. Realizing the Lord's mystic potency, he offers profound prayers.

The Vision

  • "Akrūra thought, 'How can the two sons of Ānakadundubhi, who are sitting in the chariot, be standing here in the water? They must have left the chariot.' But when he came out of the river, there They were on the chariot, just as before. Asking himself 'Was the vision I had of Them in the water an illusion?' Akrūra reentered the pool."
  • "Śrī Akrūra said: I bow down to You, the cause of all causes, the original and inexhaustible Supreme Person, Nārāyaṇa. From the whorl of the lotus born from Your navel, Brahmā appeared, and by his agency this universe has come into being."

The Cause of Creation

Akrūra identifies the Lord as the source of all material elements and the knower of the field, unknowable to material nature.

  • "Earth; water; fire; air; ether and its source, false ego; the mahat-tattva, the total material nature and her source, the Supreme Lord's puruṣa expansion; the mind; the senses; the sense objects; and the senses' presiding deities—all these causes of the cosmic manifestation are born from Your transcendental body."
  • "The total material nature and these other elements of creation certainly cannot know You as You are, for they are manifested in the realm of dull matter. Since You are beyond the modes of nature, even Lord Brahmā, who is bound up in these modes, does not know Your true identity."

The Unity of Paths

He explains that all religious paths, whether Vedic, Vaiṣṇava, or Śaivite, ultimately lead to the same Supreme Personality of Godhead, just as all rivers flow to the sea.

  • "Pure yogīs worship You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by conceiving of You in the threefold form comprising the living entities, the material elements that constitute the living entities' bodies, and the controlling deities of those elements."
  • "Brāhmaṇas who follow the regulations concerning the three sacred fires worship You by chanting mantras from the three Vedas and performing elaborate fire sacrifices for the various demigods, who have many forms and names."
  • "In pursuit of spiritual knowledge, some persons renounce all material activities and, having thus become peaceful, perform the sacrifice of philosophic investigation to worship You, the original form of all knowledge."
  • "And yet others—those whose intelligence is pure—follow the injunctions of Vaiṣṇava scriptures promulgated by You. Absorbing their minds in thought of You, they worship You as the one Supreme Lord manifesting in multiple forms."
  • "There are still others, who worship You, the Supreme Lord, in the form of Lord Śiva. They follow the path described by him and interpreted in various ways by many teachers."
  • "But all these people, my Lord, even those who have turned their attention away from You and are worshiping other deities, are actually worshiping You alone, O embodiment of all the demigods."
  • "As rivers born from the mountains and filled by the rain flow from all sides into the sea, so do all these paths in the end reach You, O master."

The Universal Form

Akrūra visualizes the universe as the body of the Lord.

  • "Goodness, passion and ignorance, the qualities of Your material nature, entangle all conditioned living beings, from Brahmā down to the nonmoving creatures."
  • "I offer My obeisances to You, who as the Supreme Soul of all beings witness everyone's consciousness with unbiased vision. The current of Your material modes, produced by the force of ignorance, flows strongly among the living beings who assume identities as demigods, humans and animals."
  • "Fire is said to be Your face, the earth Your feet, the sun Your eye, and the sky Your navel. The directions are Your sense of hearing, the chief demigods Your arms, and the oceans Your abdomen. Heaven is thought to be Your head, and the wind Your vital air and physical strength. The trees and plants are the hairs on Your body, the clouds the hair on Your head, and the mountains the bones and nails of You, the Supreme. The passage of day and night is the blinking of Your eyes, the progenitor of mankind Your genitals, and the rain Your semen."
  • "All the worlds, with their presiding demigods and teeming populations, originate in You, the inexhaustible Supreme Personality of Godhead. These worlds travel within You, the basis of the mind and senses, just as aquatics swim in the sea or tiny insects burrow within an udumbara fruit."

The Incarnations

Akrūra glorifies the various avatāras who appear to relieve the burden of the earth.

  • "To enjoy Your pastimes You manifest Yourself in various forms in this material world, and these incarnations cleanse away all the unhappiness of those who joyfully chant Your glories."
  • "I offer my obeisances to You, the cause of the creation, Lord Matsya, who swam about in the ocean of dissolution, to Lord Hayagrīva, the killer of Madhu and Kaiṭabha, to the immense tortoise [Lord Kūrma], who supported Mandara Mountain, and to the boar incarnation [Lord Varāha], who enjoyed lifting the earth."
  • "Obeisances to You, the amazing lion [Lord Nṛsiṁha], who remove Your saintly devotees' fear, and to the dwarf Vāmana, who stepped over the three worlds."
  • "Obeisances to You, Lord of the Bhṛgus, who cut down the forest of the conceited royal order, and to Lord Rāma, the best of the Raghu dynasty, who put an end to the demon Rāvaṇa."
  • "Obeisances to You, Lord of the Sātvatas, and to Your forms of Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha."
  • "Obeisances to Your form as the faultless Lord Buddha, who will bewilder the Daityas and Dānavas, and to Lord Kalki, the annihilator of the meat-eaters posing as kings."

Confession of Delusion

Akrūra humbly admits his entanglement in family life and the false ego, recognizing that only the Lord's mercy can save him.

  • "O Supreme Lord, the living entities in this world are bewildered by Your illusory energy. Becoming involved in the false concepts of 'I' and 'my,' they are forced to wander along the paths of fruitive work."
  • "I too am deluded in this way, O almighty Lord, foolishly thinking my body, children, home, wife, money and followers to be real, though they are actually as unreal as a dream."
  • "Thus mistaking the temporary for the eternal, my body for my self, and sources of misery for sources of happiness, I have tried to take pleasure in material dualities. Covered in this way by ignorance, I could not recognize You as the real object of my love."
  • "Just as a fool overlooks a body of water covered by the vegetation growing in it and chases a mirage, so I have turned away from You."
  • "My intelligence is so crippled that I cannot find the strength to curb my mind, which is disturbed by material desires and activities and constantly dragged here and there by my obstinate senses."

Surrender

He concludes his prayers by surrendering to the Absolute Truth.

  • "Being thus fallen, I am approaching Your feet for shelter, O Lord, because although the impure can never attain Your feet, I think it is nevertheless possible by Your mercy. Only when one's material life has ceased, O lotus-naveled Lord, can one develop consciousness of You by serving Your pure devotees."
  • "Obeisances to the Supreme Absolute Truth, the possessor of unlimited energies. He is the embodiment of pure, transcendental knowledge, the source of all kinds of awareness, and the predominator of the forces of nature that rule over the living being."
  • "O son of Vasudeva, obeisances to You, within whom all living beings reside. O Lord of the mind and senses, again I offer You my obeisances. O master, please protect me, who am surrendered unto You."
  • "Śrī Akrūra said: Whatever wonderful things the earth, sky or water contain, all exist in You. Since You encompass everything, when I am seeing You, what have I not seen?"
  • "And now that I am seeing You, O Supreme Absolute Truth, in whom reside all amazing things on the earth, in the sky and in the water, what amazing things could I see in this world?"

Invitation to Mathurā

Upon reaching Mathurā, Akrūra pleads with Kṛṣṇa to visit his home, explaining that the presence of the Lord purifies the existence of a householder.

Purifying the Home

He cites the examples of Bali Mahārāja and the Ganges to illustrate the purifying power of the Lord's feet.

  • "Śrī Akrūra said: O master, without the two of You I shall not enter Mathurā. I am Your devotee, O Lord, so it is not fair for You to abandon me, since You are always affectionate to Your devotees."
  • "Come, let us go to my house with Your elder brother, the cowherd men and Your companions. O best of friends, O transcendental Lord, in this way please grace my house with its master."
  • "I am simply an ordinary householder attached to ritual sacrifices, so please purify my home with the dust of Your lotus feet. By that act of purification, my forefathers, the sacrificial fires and the demigods will all become satisfied."
  • "By bathing Your feet, the exalted Bali Mahārāja attained not only glorious fame and unequaled power but also the final destination of pure devotees."
  • "The water of the river Ganges has purified the three worlds, having become transcendental by bathing Your feet. Lord Śiva accepted that water on his head, and by that water's grace the sons of King Sagara attained to heaven."
  • "O Lord of lords, master of the universe, O You whose glories it is most pious to hear and chant! O best of the Yadus, O You whose fame is recounted in excellent poetry! O Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa, I offer You my obeisances."

The Lord's Visit

After killing Kaṁsa, Kṛṣṇa eventually visits Akrūra's home. Akrūra receives Him with great reverence and philosophical praise.

  • "The Supreme Lord said: I will come to Your house with My elder brother, but first I must satisfy My friends and well-wishers by killing the enemy of the Yadu clan."
  • "[Akrūra said:] It is our good fortune that You two Lords have killed the evil Kaṁsa and his followers, thus delivering Your dynasty from endless suffering and causing it to flourish."
  • "You both are the original Supreme Person, the cause of the universe and its very substance. Not the slightest subtle cause or manifest product of creation exists apart from You."
  • "O Supreme Absolute Truth, with Your personal energies You create this universe and then enter into it. Thus one can perceive You in many different forms by hearing from authorities and by direct experience."
  • "Just as the primary elements—earth and so on—manifest themselves in abundant variety among all the species of mobile and immobile life, so You, the one independent Supreme Soul, appear to be manifold among the variegated objects of Your creation."
  • "You create, destroy and also maintain this universe with Your personal energies—the modes of passion, ignorance and goodness—yet You are never entangled by these modes or the activities they generate. Since You are the original source of all knowledge, what could ever cause You to be bound by illusion?"
  • "Since it has never been demonstrated that You are covered by material, bodily designations, it must be concluded that for You there is neither birth in a literal sense nor any duality. Therefore You never undergo bondage or liberation, and if You appear to, it is only because of Your desire that we see You in that way, or simply because of our lack of discrimination."
  • "You originally enunciated the ancient religious path of the Vedas for the benefit of the whole universe. Whenever that path becomes obstructed by wicked persons following the path of atheism, You assume one of Your incarnations, which are all in the transcendental mode of goodness."
  • "You are that very same Supreme Person, my Lord, and You have now appeared in the home of Vasudeva with Your plenary portion. You have done this to relieve the earth's burden by killing hundreds of armies led by kings who are expansions of the demigods' enemies, and also to spread the fame of our dynasty."
  • "Today, O Lord, my home has become most fortunate because You have entered it. As the Supreme Truth, You embody the forefathers, ordinary creatures, human beings and demigods, and the water that has washed Your feet purifies the three worlds. Indeed, O transcendent one, You are the spiritual master of the universe."
  • "What learned person would approach anyone but You for shelter, when You are the affectionate, grateful and truthful well-wisher of Your devotees? To those who worship You in sincere friendship You reward everything they desire, even Your own self, yet You never increase or diminish."
  • "It is by our great fortune, Janārdana, that You are now visible to us, for even the masters of yoga and the foremost demigods can achieve this goal only with great difficulty. Please quickly cut the ropes of our illusory attachment for children, wife, wealth, influential friends, home and body. All such attachment is simply the effect of Your illusory material energy."

Advice to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Kṛṣṇa sends Akrūra to Hastināpura to inquire about the welfare of the Pāṇḍavas. There, Akrūra speaks frankly to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, advising him to treat his nephews and his own sons equally, warning him of the fleeting nature of worldly power.

The Temporary Nature of Relations

Akrūra reminds the King that we are born alone and die alone, and that family members are like strangers who temporarily meet.

  • "Akrūra said: O my dear son of Vicitravīrya, O enhancer of the Kurus' glory, your brother Pāṇḍu having passed away, you have now assumed the royal throne."
  • "By religiously protecting the earth, delighting your subjects with your noble character, and treating all your relatives equally, you will surely achieve success and glory."
  • "If you act otherwise, however, people will condemn you in this world, and in the next life you will enter the darkness of hell. Remain equally disposed, therefore, toward Pāṇḍu's sons and your own."
  • "In this world no one has any permanent relationship with anyone else, O King. We cannot stay forever even with our own body, what to speak of our wife, children and the rest."
  • "Every creature is born alone and dies alone, and alone one experiences the just rewards of his good and evil deeds."

The Fate of the Foolish

He warns that those who maintain their families through sin are ultimately abandoned by those very families.

  • "In the guise of dear dependents, strangers steal the sinfully acquired wealth of a foolish man, just as the offspring of a fish drink up the water that sustains the fish."
  • "A fool indulges in sin to maintain his life, wealth and children and other relatives, for he thinks, 'These things are mine.' In the end, however, these very things all abandon him, leaving him frustrated."
  • "Abandoned by his so-called dependents, ignorant of the actual goal of life, indifferent to his real duty, and having failed to fulfill his purposes, the foolish soul enters the blindness of hell, taking his sinful reactions with him."

Dreamlike World

Akrūra advises the King to view the world as a dream and control his mind.

  • "Therefore, O King, looking upon this world as a dream, a magician's illusion or a flight of fancy, please control your mind with intelligence and become equipoised and peaceful, my lord."

The Syamantaka Jewel Incident

In a darker episode, Akrūra is implicated in the plot to steal the Syamantaka jewel. He initially conspires with Śatadhanvā but later refuses to protect him against Kṛṣṇa, acknowledging the Lord's supreme power.

The Conspiracy and Refusal

Akrūra encourages Śatadhanvā to take the jewel, citing Satrājit's broken promise. However, when Śatadhanvā seeks shelter, Akrūra wisely backs down, fearing the power of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

  • "Taking advantage of this opportunity, O King, Akrūra and Kṛtavarmā went to Śatadhanvā and said, 'Why not take the Syamantaka jewel?'"
  • "Satrājit promised his jewellike daughter to us but then gave her to Kṛṣṇa instead, contemptuously neglecting us. So why should Satrājit not follow his brother's path?"
  • "His appeal refused, Śatadhanvā went to Akrūra and begged him for protection. But Akrūra similarly told him, 'Who would oppose the two Personalities of Godhead if he knew Their strength?'"
  • "It is the Supreme Lord who creates, maintains and destroys this universe simply as His pastime. The cosmic creators cannot even understand His purpose, bewildered as they are by His illusory māyā."
  • "As a child of seven, Kṛṣṇa uprooted an entire mountain and held it aloft as easily as a young boy picks up a mushroom."
  • "I offer my obeisances to that Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, whose every deed is amazing. He is the Supreme Soul, the unlimited source and fixed center of all existence."

Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani

This article is a thematic compilation of the teachings presented in the Vaniquotes category Bhagavatam Verses Spoken by Akrura. We invite you to visit the link to read the complete collection of verses presented in alphabetical order.

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