Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura describes in Krishna-samhita that in each of the pastimes of Krishna where confrontations come, like with either demons or in some cases with Indra or Brahma, Krishna is removing the obstacles on the path of bhakti. In this case of Damodara-lila with Nalakuvera and Manigriva, Krishna is removing the pride and arrogance coming from the feeling that one has an aristocratic birth and is wealthy. Just exactly as Narada described in his contemplation, this kind of pride gives rise to cruelty. This cruelty manifests in various ways - cruelty to innocent animals, cruelty in the form of lust for women, indulgence and intoxication etc. In that condition, once that pride takes root, then all kinds of uncontrolled habits can form, like hard heartedness, shamelessness, and all sorts of disgraceful activities.
Krishna does not like that. If that happens in the heart of a devotee who is practicing, ie. if there is pride in the heart, Krishna will remove that pride in the heart. In this case, He did so by the Damodara-lila, as reasoning with them would not have worked as they were in an intoxicated state. They were instead deprived of that opulence and position that had made them proud. So, that can happen. If some opulence is taken away from our life, "so be it", as far as a devotee is concerned.
Hearing this pastime, as well as the Govardhana-lila pastime in which the pride of Indra is crushed, has the potency to remove pride from the heart. The pastimes themselves have that potency. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura describes in Hitopadesh this way, "One may have a pride in a particular opulence. One camel has a nice big bell. He says to another camel who does not have a bell that he can't associate with him as he can't lose his caste. He thinks, he is the camel with the bell caste. But as the camel walks in the forest, the tiger hears the bell ringing and the camel with the bell looses his life".
So, we can pray to Krishna that, as through the association of Narada, the pride of Nalakuvera and Manigriva were removed from their hearts and they became pure devotees, may the pride that is in our hearts also be taken away by the association of those in pure devotion and bearing the message of pure devotion, by Krishna's mercy.
From a lecture by HH Romapada Swami on 'Damodara Lila Part 2', Hyderabad, Oct 2008
-Vrajesvari dd
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