Why do Indra, Brahma, and other great devotees sometimes make mistakes?

How can we understand Indra trying to inundate Vṛndāvana and kill all the Vrajavasis, and Brahma kidnapping the cowherd boys and calves, depriving Krsna of His associates?

Lord Indra is a very exalted devotee who receives a very important post in the universe. He is like Krsna's prime minister in universal affairs. Similarly, Lord Brahma is the creator of this universe and the head of our sampradāya. Understanding their exalted position, how can we understand that Indra tried to inundate Vṛndāvana and kill all the Vrajavasis, and Brahma kidnapped the cowherd boys and calves, depriving Krsna of His associates? How can such exalted personalities commit such serious offenses?

The answer is that this ultimately happens due to Krsna's internal potency. No one can attack Vṛndāvana or kidnap Krsna's personal associates if He doesn't desire so. Even the most powerful demons can enter Vṛndāvana only because Krsna wants to use their presence to play pastimes. Otherwise, they could be easily destroyed by the material nature herself, without ever having the opportunity of challenging the Supreme Lord.

This is the same divine potency that made the four Kumāras quarrel with Jaya and Vijaya and made Arjuna bewildered before the beginning of the battle of Kurukṣetra. Although the actions of Brahma and Indra may sound like serious offenses, they actually did an important service.

Every day, Krsna goes with the cowherd boys to tend the cows, and at night, He has His pastimes with the Gopis. When Krsna is with the cowherd boys, the Gopis are pained by the separation from Him, and similarly, when it is night, the cowherd boys are pained for not being able to stay with Krsna. Similarly, Mother Yaśodā stays with Krsna only in the morning and evening, and she strongly misses Him the rest of the time. However, because of the service of Indra, trying to inundate Vṛndāvana, Krsna had an opportunity to stay simultaneously with everyone for seven days and enjoy the sweetest moments in the company of all His associates.

Similarly, all the elderly Gopis had maternal affection for Krsna. Although they loved their own children, their feelings for Krsna were actually much stronger. Not only the elderly Gopis but also all the cows of Vṛndāvana desired to have Krsna as their son. Although Krsna reciprocates this desire by taking their milk and butter, as well as reciprocating in other ways, He doesn't have the opportunity of directly living in their houses and accepting their service. However, due to the actions of Brahma, Krsna was able to expand Himself and simultaneously become the child of all the mothers of Vṛndāvana for a whole year. Thanks to this wonderful service, Krsna had the opportunity to increase the affection of His devotees for Him.

In the same way, Arjuna became bewildered because it was time for Krsna to recite the Bhagavad-Gita, and Indra and Brahma became bewildered when it was time for Krsna to execute the appropriate pastimes. Similarly, Krsna may sometimes make advanced devotees quarrel, like when the four Kumāras cursed Jaya and Vijaya, or when Parvati cursed Citraketu. We should not think badly of such great personalities, since their actions are ultimately guided by Krsna. This becomes possible because pure devotees dovetail their desires to the desires of the Lord, and accept to be guided by His internal potency in the direction He wants.

In reality, this superior control is present even in ordinary dealings. Good and bad things happen to us, and although the immediate effects may be unpleasant, we should understand that it is actually for our ultimate good. Ultimately, the only purpose of this whole material creation is to help souls go back to Godhead. Krsna arranged things in a way that things happen in a way that everyone may have an opportunity to advance and eventually go back to Godhead. If this concern exists even for the materialist, what to say about devotees who are trying to follow the spiritual path? Krsna is looking after us, and the proof is that He is always with us, inside our own hearts. We may or may not be able to hear Him, but He is always there.

Read also:

When Brahma personally met the Lord

Indra and Vrtrasura, the tale of the pure devotee and the materialist

Reflections on the history of Ajamila

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