[On this most excellent and auspicious day of Janmashtami, the Appearance Day of Lord Krishna, under the guidance and by the unlimited and causeless mercy of Guru and Gauranga, we are allowed the opportunity to present this nectarean hari-katha spoken by the sweet, lotus lips of our beloved Srila Gurudeva, Srimad Bhaktivedanta Vana Gosvami Maharaja on August of 2014, during his preaching mission in London.] Today is Janmashtami, the appearance day of Lord Krishnachandra, who

In early times, there was a king, Rukmangada and his son, Dharmangada, who both were very religious, pious and always followed Ekadashi-vrata (vow to observe Ekadashi). Our scriptures state that there are six types of debts— the first of which is a debt to the king. As a representative of the Lord, the king must discuss religious commandments with the sages and preach them to his subjects. He must also take care of the city’s infrastructure, and the welfare of its citizens,