KRSNA The Supreme Personality of Godhead Vol. 2 ... - Prabhupada

The Story of the Syamantaka Jewel 5fought like two opposing vultures. Whenever there is an eatable corpse thevultures fight heartily over the prey. KrJ}a and Jambavan first of all beganfighting with weapons, then with stones, then with big trees, then hand tohand, until at last they were hitting one another with their fists, and theblows were like the striking of thunderbolts. Each was expecting victoryover the other, but the fighting continued for days, both in daytime andat night, without stopping. In this way the fighting continued for twentyeightdays.Although Jambavan was the strongest living entity of that time, practicallyall the joints of his bodily limbs became slackened and his strengthreduced to practically nil after being constantly struck by the fists of SriKrJ}a. Feeling very tired, with perspiration all over his bddy, Jamb a vanwas astonished. Who was this opponent who was weakening him? Jambavanwas quite aware of his own superhuman bodily strength, but when hefelt tired from being struck by Kr)}a, he could understand that Krwa wasno one else but his worshipable Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.This incident has a special significance for the devotees. In the beginning,Jambavan could not understand Krsna because his vision was obscured. . .by material attachment. He was attached to his boy and to the greatlyvaluable Syamantaka jewel, which he did not want to spare for KrJ}a. Infact, when KrJ}a came there he became angry, thinking that He had cometo take away the jewel. This is the material position; although one is verystrong in body, that cannot help him understand KrJ}a.In a sporting attitude, KrJ}a wanted to engage in a mock fight with Hisdevotee. As we have experienced from the pages of the Srimad-Bhiigavatam,the Supreme Personality of Godhead has all the propensities and instinctsof a human being. Sometimes, in a sportive spirit, He wishes to fight tomake a show of bodily strength, and when He so desires, He selects one ofHis suitable devotees to give Him that pleasure. KrJ}a desired this pleasureof mock fighting with Jambavan. Although Jambavan was a devotee bynature, he was without knowledge of Krwa while giving service to theLord by his bodily strength. But as soon as KrJ}a was pleased by thefighting, Jambavan immediately understood that his opponent was noneother than the Supreme Lord Himself. The conclusion is that he couldunderstand Kr!la by his service. KrJ}a is sometimes satisfied by fightingalso.Jambavan therefore said to the Lord, "My dear Lord, I can now understandwho You are. You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, LordVi)}U, the source of everyone's strength, wealth, reputation, beauty,wisdom and renunciation." This statement of Jambavan's is confirmed bythe Vediinta-siitra, wherein the Supreme Lord is declared to be the source