Stories from Srimad Bhagavatam
Chapter 46: Beloved Sudama
Childhood
friendship is quite often forgotten when individual careers lead to different
roads. Friends also fall out when one becomes prosperous and the other writhes
in poverty. But the friendship of Krishna and Sudama that blossomed during
their stay in the gurukula, never faded, even though Krishna
had become a king and Sudama was struggling for one meagre meal.
Sudama was a Brahmana, married to a devoted woman who ungrudgingly accepted his
poverty. Sudama never went seeking for food but was satisfied with whatever
came voluntarily from people. Insufficient food reduced them to a skeleton and
their clothes were in tatters that barely covered them. Yet they led a peaceful
happy life.
One day, the pangs of hunger were so severe that the wife was on the verge of
collapse. She was reminded of Krishna, known
for his generosity and who was also Sudama’s dear friend. She approached her
husband and said, “O lord! Hunger has driven me to a state of faint. So much is
spoken about the large heartedness of your childhood friend, Krishna,
the king of Dvaraka. For old acquaintance sake, he will surely be charitable to
you and do something about our dire poverty.” Sudama welcomed the suggestion
not for the prospect of getting monetary assistance but for the opportunity of
meeting his childhood friend, the Universal Lord. He enthusiastically started on
his journey to Dvaraka. Though he did not have any present worth the name, he
carried with him four handfuls of beaten rice in a small bundle, the only thing
his wife could offer as a humble gift.
Sudama was admitted into the portals of Krishna’s
palace. Krishna was excited to meet his old
friend and went forward to welcome him. His affectionate embrace revealed his
immense happiness. Krishna honoured Sudama by
seating him on the bed and washing his feet. The women in the household
attended on him with respect and saw to it that he was comfortable and at ease.
Sudama was exhilarated to see Krishna’s
humility even as a king and the bond of friendship between them still holding
strong. The relish with which Krishna ate the
poor man’s beaten rice made Sudama feel that henceforth poverty had no meaning
in his life. The very sight of Krishna had
alleviated his misery and his wife’s advice to him evaporated into thin air.
His contentment was so satisfying that he could not care to ask him for help.
He thought money had no value after he had seen Krishna
so unassuming and simple in his approach to life.
After an unforgettable stay at Dvaraka, Sudama took leave to go back home.
Throughout the return journey, he was thinking how to give a picturesque
description to his wife about his wonderful stay with Krishna.
He knew the nature of his wife. Seeing him back with only a heart full of
delightful contentment, his good wife would not entertain any grouse against
him. Being an understanding wife, he knew she would excuse him for avoiding the
mention of their poverty to Krishna and let go
a golden chance of seeing better days. She would surely not rub in her
frustration endlessly and make their happy life a misery. Thus, confident of
his wife’s reaction, he reached home floating in the pleasant memory of the
best days of his life. To his utter astonishment, he found a large beautiful
castle in the place where his dilapidated hut had previously stood for years. A
chariot, horses and cattle could be seen in their sheds outside the house and
men came hurrying to attend on him. For a moment, all this unexpected
prosperity seemed very unreal, creating a doubt as to whether he was at the
wrong place. He had not come out of the bewilderment, when his wife walked out
of the palatial house, gorgeously dressed with fineries and maids following
close behind. She greeted him with a broad smile and happily expressed her
gratitude to Sudama for agreeing to approach his generous friend. Sudama stood
speechless but he mentally went back to Krishna
to convey his heartfelt gratitude for all that the Lord had done for him. Aware
of Sudama’s sincere devotion, the Lord had bestowed his benevolent grace
unobtrusively.
Sudama lived the rest of his life with his wife in luxury though never
enamoured by the worldly attractions. He had given himself to meditation of the
Lord and in due course reached the feet of God in Paramapada.
Chapter 47: Wishes of Devaki
Devaki had
never reconciled to the death of her sons at the hands of Kamsa. She heard that
her sons Krishna and Balarama had brought to
life the dead son of their preceptor. With great hope she requested them, “You
have taken birth here to lighten the burden of mother earth. I, your mother
also carry a heavy burden in my heart, an unbearable sorrow which could be
relieved by you. You have also resuscitated your guru’s son. Could you do a
similar act of kindness for me by reviving my dead sons?” Very much moved by
their mother’s grief, they instantly repaired to the Netherlands,
to the kingdom of the daitya king Bali.
Bali was pleased to offer his respects to the
two brothers and expressed his gratitude for their visit to a wicked person’s
region. He said, “My constant prayer is to seek shelter under your trees of
benevolence, you who are the Universal protectors and enjoy the fruits of mercy
you drop down to us. I would then have cleansed my sins and instilled spiritual
life within me. Besides this, I have no other aspirations. I now stand before
you with folded hands, eager to serve you to the best of my abilities. I await
your commands.”
Krishna told him the purpose of his visit was
to revive his six brothers and present them before his pining mother Devaki. He
explained to Bali the misconception under
which Devaki was mourning. He told Bali the
past life of his brothers. Prajapati Marichi had six sons by Uma who were
cursed by Brahma. Brahma created Sarasvati as pretty as the apsaras Tilottama.
Captivated by her beauty, he decided to make her his consort. The six sons of
Marichi went into a fit of laughter to find a person desirous of marrying his
own daughter. Brahma was angered by the flippant attitude of the boys towards
him. He cursed them to be born as asuras. Though in reality the six sons of
Marichi were born as the sons of the Bhoja king Hiranyakashipu, they were
placed in Devaki’s womb by the power of Yoga-maya. Not knowing the secret,
Devaki thought they were her sons killed by Kamsa. Depression due to his
mother’s mourning and also her pleadings for the revival of her dead sons had
impelled Krishna to come to Bali for the boys.
Krishna said he would take the six boys
residing in his kingdom to let Devaki see them alive just once. Then by his
grace, they would be freed from the effect of the curse and enter the order of
the pious.
Bali
readily agreed and Krishna took them to his
mother who was overjoyed with happiness. Her fondling of the sons revealed, to
what extent her motherly emotions had been bottled up all these years. Everyone
was thrilled at the reunion, when their mutual affection manifested to the
maximum. Finding all round satisfaction, Krishna
freed his brothers from the curse. Due to their association with their mother,
denied so far, having eaten out of the plate of Balarama and the contact with
the sacred body of Krishna, the six boys
became spiritually enlightened. Paying their respects to their parents and
brothers, they moved towards the celestial region. Devaki was astonished to
watch the miraculous happenings before her eyes and was convinced it could not
have been possible without the divine power of Krishna.
Chapter 48: Arjuna weds Subhadra
Arjuna during his rounds of the pilgrim spots reached the sacred
place named Pravasa. There he heard that the marriage of Subhadra, sister of
Balarama and Krishna, was being contemplated.
Balarama had decided to give her in marriage to Duryodhana. Arjuna had an eye
on Subhadra. With the intention of winning Subhadra, he entered Dvaraka in the
guise of a Tridandi sage. In his own interest, he stayed there for twelve
months. He impressed everyone including Balarama who could not see through the
disguise.
Balarama took a liking for the sage and invited him for food one
day. Arjuna enjoyed the delicacies served and his eyes were all the time
looking for Subhadra. As if in answer to his wishes, he chanced to see the
pretty woman, when cupid, the love god, overpowered him. Subhadra too was
attracted by the handsome personality of Arjuna. She discreetly conveyed her
mind by her side glances and smiles.
Arjuna’s
infatuation for her had robbed his peace of mind. Luckily, a convenient
situation arose making it possible for him to elope with her. The festivities
during the propitiation of a deity brought Subhadra out of the fort in a
chariot. Availing the opportunity, he carried away his love bird with the prior
permission of Krishna and Vasudeva.
Majestically driving the chariot, he skillfully opposed those who challenged
him. Balarama was furious at Arjuna for thwarting his plans. He was however
pacified by Krishna’s entreaties along with
other revered people. Having calmed down, Balarama realised nothing untoward
had happened for he too was favourably disposed to Arjuna. He happily performed
the marriage of his sister with lots of gifts and presents.
Chapter 49 Krishna blesses Mythila
The marriage of Arjuna and Subhadra was over and Krishna
then thought about his next port of call. He went to Mythila to bless
Shrutadeva and Bahulasva in appreciation of their devotion to him. Shrutadeva
was a brahmana who had graduated to the intellectual maturity of detachment
towards worldly desires and prosperity. His mind was ever engrossed in the
meditation of Krishna. He subsisted on meagre
unsolicited food to keep his body and soul together and led a family life as a
matter of duty. Bahulasva was the king of Mythila, a descendent of the sage
king Janaka. He was a great devotee of Vishnu. His mind was occupied in
pleasing the Lord for the well-being of his subjects. Krishna
thought it would be a good gesture towards Shrutadeva and Bahulasva to visit
Mythila to bless the people.
Krishna in the company of some intellectual pious sages entered the city of Mythila. They were
invited by these dedicated devotees and he thought it his duty to satisfy both
impartially. Therefore he used his illusory yogic power to be present in their
places simultaneously without either of them knowing about it. Each felt
honoured at the Lord’s visit and extended the hospitality in his own way.
In the palace, Krishna received all the
comforts and attention as expected from a king. Soft beds were provided and
many attendants stood by to serve him. The king asked his wife and children to
bathe in the water used by him for washing the Lord’s feet. The king requested
the guests to extend their stay in his house to sanctify it by the dust of
their feet. Moreover, Krishna recognized that
the people of Mythila had honoured them on their arrival in the traditional way
with respect. Having all this in mind, he agreed to stay on and also blessed
the people with welfare and happiness.
In the humble cottage of the brahmana, the guests were honoured with reverence.
The Brahmana danced in ecstasy on having Krishna
as his guest. He considered himself twice blessed, as his poverty stricken
house was, according to him, not worthy of having such distinguished guests. He
offered them wooden planks as seats and kusha grass for beds. He washed their
feet and offered fruits, roots, water purified by tulasi leaves and everything
within his means to express his sincere devotion to the Lord.
After they had rested, the brahmana asked Krishna
how he had chosen to favour a poor man who had nothing but his dedicated prayers
to offer. From the time of creation, the association of man and the Lord has
existed but only a few fortunate ones get to see God on this earth. Such being
the situation, he said it was unbelievable that he has been one of those whose
cottage has been graced by the Lord. To this Krishna
replied, “I make no distinction among my devotees. They are uniformly dear to
me, no matter poor or rich. I am pleased with those who respect the well-versed
brahmanas and those who show interest in adhering to the spiritual injunctions
of our scriptures. Reverence to brahmanas is reverence shown to me. Some
ignorant people do not understand this and are disrespectful to pious people.
Know them to be always in my company and also part of me. Propitiation of pious
people would deliver one from this world more easily than performance of
penance or going on pilgrimages. People favourably inclined thus, receive my
blessings. There is no doubt about my grace for those who are directly devoted
to me. You are one of them.” On hearing this from the Lord himself, the
brahmana understood the profound universal principle of God towards his
devotees- “EQALITY FOR ALL, PRIORITY FOR NONE.”
Chapter 50: Shiva is saved
From time
immemorial, intellectuals had been pondering over a very puzzling question.
Dharmaputra Yudhishthira was struggling to find a convincing answer to the same
question. The million dollar question was, “Those who propitiate Shiva easily
enjoyed the pleasure of prosperity, while the devotees of Vishnu had to struggle.
The two deities Shiva and Vishnu are diametrically opposed to each other. Shiva
is the god of destruction while Vishnu is the protector but their favours on
their devotees are contrary to their character. Why is it so?” The explanation
for this is, Shiva is easily susceptible to the prayers of his devotee. His ego
has various attributes and even if one of these receives special attention, he
feels exalted. Prompt comes the grant of a boon offering worldly luxuries.
Parallel to this is the angry aspect of Shiva. He does not tolerate the
slightest folly and a curse is pronounced outright. Vishnu, on the other hand
is the Supreme Purusha beyond the influence of Prakriti tandem with the
transient aspects of creation and life. Krishna gives a lucid explanation to
Yudhishthira, “Brahma and Shiva have a highly volatile temper which can be
emotionally manipulated favourably or otherwise without much effort. Whatever
be their reaction to the actions of the devotees, it is only in relation to
worldly matters. Shankara’s boons lead to more entanglement in actions and
increase the possibility of subjecting us to his anger or pleasure. A boon or
curse cannot be retrieved or made ineffective.
“I confer favours in an entirely different manner. My
efforts are aimed at drawing my devotees away from any kind of involvement with
the material world. When the mind is trained to evolve an attitude of
detachment, emotional gratification or disappointment has no meaning and mental
cravings become non-existent. Relatives and friends are only fair weather
friends. They would offer no consolation or encouragement at times of need.
Besides, they would prefer distancing themselves to avoid obligation.
Association with pious people will stand in good stead and help rise above the
apparent changes in circumstances unaffected. There will be spiritual bliss,
reaching you to the highest abode free from rebirth.”
There is an ancient popular story describing how Shiva was cornered by
Vrikasura by granting him a boon. One day, Vrika asked sage Narada as to who
could be easily propitiated among the trinity- Brahma, Shiva or Vishnu. Narada
advised him to propitiate Shiva for effortless success.
Vrika engaged himself in pleasing Shiva by burning his own flesh
in the sacrificial fire. He got desperate as there was no sign of the god
showing any favour. Disappointed at his failure, he was about to chop off his
head with a sword, when Shiva rose from the sacrificial fire and stopped him
from committing suicide. Shiva restored the flesh to Vrika’s body and told him,
he was pleased even if his devotees offered plain water with sincerity. There
was no need to torture ones body to seek his blessings. He asked him what he
would like to have as a boon. The wicked asura was delighted and asked for the
most evil boon. He said, “Let instant death come to the man on whose head I
place my palm.” Shiva was shocked to hear the treacherous wish but could not go
back on his promise. With a forced smile on his face, he said, “Be it so.”
Having received the boon, Vrika exposed his ungrateful nature and
rushed to test its potency on Shiva himself. A vigorous chase followed while
all the gods were tense about the serious consequence that might be in store
for Shiva. Shiva, unable to tackle the asura, resorted to Vishnu in Vaikuntha.
Vishnu, as a brahmachari clad in black deer skin, holding a staff, approached
Vrika, and was over solicitous to him with his kind words. He said, “O son of
Shakuni! You seem so exhausted and fatigued. It appears you have come a long
way with an important goal in mind. Or else you would not have taken the
trouble. Please relax and allay your tired nerves. Later, if you please, you
may tell me the purpose of your exertion.”
Vrika was taken in by the bramachari’s concern for him. Vrika
confided in him all that transpired between him and Shiva as well as the reason
for the hot chase. With sarcasm and mockery in his voice, the bramachari said,
“How could you believe the words of Shiva who is the Lord of goblins and evil
spirits? O king of the danavas! I never expected you to be so naïve to have
faith in a person who has assumed the form of a Pishacha after a friction with
the preceptor of the world, Prajapati Daksha. That there is no truth in what he
has said can be proved by placing your palm on your own head. Once Shiva is
proved to be a lier, you can deal with him in a way that will not give him
another opportunity to wag his tongue in falsehood.” These convincing words
fooled Vrika and without a moment’s hesitation, he placed his palm on his head.
Before he knew what was happening, his head smashed into thousand pieces. That
was Vrika’s entry into, and Shiva’s exit from, the jaws of death.
Chapter 51: Salva
Salva was the friend of Shishupala and he had a hatred for the
Yadus especially Krishna who had denied his
friend of his prospective bride Rukmini. He had vowed to destroy the Yadavas
and relieve the earth of these undesirable people. To carry out the resolve,
Salva began to worship Shiva living on a handful of dust. After nearly a year,
Shiva appeared with the offer of a boon. Salva asked for a chariot that could
traverse the entire universe unhindered, strike terror in the hearts of the
Yadavas, and also help him from succumbing to the attacks of the celestials,
asuras, mortals, gandharvas, reptiles or rakshasas. Ordered by Shiva, the asura
architect Maya created an iron chariot named Soubha, and gave it to Salva.
Salva, still obsessed with the old enmity and prejudiced
against the Yadus, started towards Dvaraka in his pleasure chariot. He poured
weapons devastating the entire city and caused all conceivable miseries to the
lives. Pradyumna, the heroic chariot warrior, came out in his chariot, not
being able to bear the sufferance of his subjects. Pradyumna was able to overcome
all the hallucinations created by Salva. The soldiers of Pradyumna were unable
to aim directly at the chariot which altered its position at lightning speed
by magic powers. Then, they decided to shoot the arrows straight at Salva,
whether he could be spotted as a soldier or as an ordinary man. It was a war of
one upmentship between the two resolute armies, each desiring to establish
victory over both heaven and earth.
Dumana, a minister of Salva, struck hard on Pradyumna’s chest with
an iron mace, which incapacitated him to fight further. His charioteer Daruka
brought his master out of the battlefield to save his life. Pradyumna was
disappointed at having to turn his back and told his charioteer that he should
not have saved him. He said he was ashamed to face his people having lost in
the battle. Daruka tried to explain to him that the charioteer as well as the
master should be concerned about each other while fighting and rise to the
occasion to act promptly when there is danger to life. He said since this was
the shastric injunction, he could not abandon his master to die. But Pradyumna
was insistent on going back to continue his fight against Dumana. Going close
to him, Pradyumna aimed his eight arrows at the minister. Four of them killed
his steeds, one took the life of his charioteer, two destroyed his bow and
banner and the last one pierced through his head.
Krishna, at that time, away in Indraprastha for the Rajasuya, was
returning to his city. Worried over the evil omens, he expected the partisan
kings of Shishupala to have taken advantage of the absence of the two brothers
and invaded Dvaraka. Seeing the despicable plight of his people, he left
Balarama to guard the city, while he went to challenge Salva whom he located in
his chariot Soubha. He warned his charioteer not to be afraid of the magician
Salva who could assume forms at will, appear or disappear if he wished. Krishna sent a number of arrows against Salva and
perforated his chariot in response to his powerful weapon shakti. When the bow
sharnga of Krishna was struck by the enemy, it
accidently slipped from his hand. Thrilled to see the weapon fall, Salva
thought Krishna was staggering, unable to
withstand his fierce attack. Salva shouted at Krishna
for stealing his dear friend’s bride in public and also killing him in the
assembly. Excited Salva said it was now his chance for victory, if Krishna could pick up courage to stand before him for a
little while. He said he had the strength to tear to pieces Krishna's
body whose invincible character he was so proud of. Krishna, in reply, said
Salva's death was imminent. There was no meaning in boasting about his
prowess unless he proved it in action. Krishna
threw his mace with great velocity at Salva’s collarbone and he began bleeding
profusely. He suddenly disappeared when he had somewhat recovered from the
blow.
Next moment, Krishna saw a person
bowing at his feet who said he had been sent by Devaki. He informed Krishna about the capture of his father Vasudeva by
Salva. For a split second Krishna was deep in
thought. He was astonished, how a weak person like Salva could carry away his
father when the strong muscular Balarama was standing on guard. He was
depressed at the turn of destiny. While still sadly brooding about his father’s
fate, he was once again taken by surprise. He saw Salva with a person in
captivity whom he claimed to be Vasudeva. He threatened to kill him if Krishna did not act swiftly to save his father to whom he
owed his birth. Hardly giving Krishna a moment
to act, Salva cut the head of Vasudeva. With the head he rose up to the clouds
on his chariot. Krishna was stunned in
stupefaction when asura Maya came to inform him that it was only an illusory
set up. Krishna then came out of the magic
spell and found neither the messenger nor the headless trunk of his father. Krishna decided not to encourage Salva’s tom foolery any
further. With his mace he broke into pieces the chariot and the bow. His
sudarshana chakra knocked down his kireeta [crown], kundala [ear-ring] and also
his head.
[That
the concept of aerial transport like the modern aeroplane existed in the
ancient days is evident from the aerial chariot of Soubha of Salva, Pushpaka
vimana of Ravana and that of Uparichara.]
Chapter 52: Mission Accomplished
The Yadavas were thriving under the protective grace of Krishna which had made them insolent and indestructible
by any power. So Krishna thought he had to do
the needful to balance evil and piety on earth. Vanquishing the community of
the Yadus was the only way it could be brought about. This action of Krishna might give an impression of his hard hearted
treatment of his own people. Emotional or sentimental affinity had no place in
Vishnu’s scheme of things. Destroying the wicked and arresting the
proliferation of sin was the aim of his descent on earth and he did what was
right to achieve the end. Moreover, we must not lose sight of one important
fact. The incarnation of Vishnu as Krishna
took place with the prior arrangement that the celestial gods would be born in
the Yadava community to assist the Lord. Their appearance on earth was illusory
and an excuse had to be created to dissolve the illusion.
When the curtain had to be finally drawn, Krishna
thought of creating a situation conducive for the execution of his plan. The
destruction of the Yadus started with the departure of some intellectual sages
to a sacred shrine, a little distance from Dvaraka. A group of princes sporting
there were tickled to have fun at the expense of the sages. The princes took
Jambavati’s son Samba in a woman’s attire and addressed the sages with great
humility about a matter of genuine concern. They said, “This lady with us is
nearing her full term of pregnancy. She is shy to ask you, who can look into
the future, whether the baby to be born would be a male or a female. Her wish
is to have a boy. On her behalf could we request you to satisfy our curiosity?”
The sages were furious at the impudence of the princes who were trying to test
their intellectual acumen. The anger burst out as a curse and they said, “She
will give birth to an iron club which will wipe out the entire community of the
Yadavas from the face of the earth.” The princes panicked because their
thoughtless fun had led to a disastrous consequence. Instantly an iron rod
emerged from the deceptive pregnancy. They were trembling, not knowing how to
reveal the secret story of the iron rod to the people. They presented it before
the king, apologetically coming out with the truth. The Yadus were confused
about the best means to avert the calamity. It occurred to them, they could
pulverize the iron club and throw it into the ocean. The fine powder sunk in
the deep ocean, they thought, could do no harm. So they carried out the plan. A
small bit remained which could not be reduced any further. Not anticipating any
danger from the negligible piece, they flung that also into the water. The
Yadus were at peace after successfully getting rid of the iron rod, as they
thought the curse could not take effect now. But to nullify a curse was not
that easy. The small iron piece was swallowed by a fish and it finally reached
the hands of a hunter. The hunter named Jara shaped the piece into arrow heads,
and preserved it for future use.
In Dvaraka, Krishna observed some ill omens in
heaven, earth and all the celestial regions. He knew the gloomy signals as
portending the impending disaster that would overcast the city of Dvaraka. Krishna called the Yadavas and said, “I foresee a
formidable occurrence in this city. I feel we take note of the alert warning
and evacuate the city with immediate effect. The women, children and the old
can be transported to Sankhyadhara while we take up residence at Pravasa along
the banks of river Sarasvati. We will cleanse our sins by serving the sages
through gifts to provide them comforts in every way possible. Know it is
destiny that steers one to the heights of prosperity and also throws into the
abyss of misery. We must try to shape our destiny by meritorious deeds.” Krishna’s advice was acceptable to them.
The Yadus,
who were following the ceremonial injunctions, suddenly indulged in heavy
drinking which made them lose their sobriety. Mentally unstable
due to intoxication, they started fighting fiercely among themselves for no
reason. They picked up their swords, maces, bows and arrows in a killing
frenzy. When the weapons were broken, they pulled the araka grass to strike at
each other. The grass stems were as hard as an iron mace. It is believed by
people even today that the powdered iron rod in the ocean took the form of the
araka grass because according to the curse the iron club was to be instrumental
in the extinction of the Yadus. When Krishna
and Balarama tried to dissuade them from the madness, they began to attack them
as enemies. Krishna and Balarama protected
themselves by raising their mace. The Yadavas went at one another ferociously
till the whole race went down without trace, with the exception of Krishna and Balarama. Krishna then breathed a sigh of
relief, satisfied with the completion of his targetted mission.
Balarama seated at the brink of the ocean, unified his soul with the Supreme
Universal Soul in meditation. Renouncing the world of humans, he returned to
his abode of ultimate bliss.
Krishna was depressed to find himself isolated
and felt the need to relax at the foot of the ashvattha tree. He assumed the
divine effulgent form with four arms adorned with the distinct identities of
Vishnu. Spreading the weapons around him on the ground, he lay resting his left
leg on his right thigh. Then the fowler, possessing the special arrow heads
made out of the cursed iron club piece, mistook the red foot of Krishna for the face of a deer. He aimed his dreadful
arrow, striking deep at the Lord’s foot. Durvasa had given Krishna
a boon that his entire body except his feet would be invulnerable. So when the
hunter’s arrow pierced Krishna’s feet, the
Lord knew that it was the cause for the end of his incarnation
On closer
look, the hunter identified the divine form with four arms. He regretted for
his cruelty, fell at Krishna’s feet and begged forgiveness. He chose death
sentence as most appropriate. It would, in future, save virtuous and pious
people from such condemnable acts from professional hunters like him. He
praised the Lord, “You are beyond the cognition of even Brahma and Shiva. How
can I, an ignorant man of low lineage, understand your greatness?”
Krishna was sorry for the hunter who was blaming himself for what had happened.
He consoled him saying, “Whatever has happened was contrived by me and not due
to any fault of yours. You may now depart to heaven, the abode of the holy
persons. Treat it as my command.” Jara went round Krishna in obeisance,
ascended the celestial balloon to reach heaven.
Daruka, the trusted charioteer of Krishna, came by in search of his Lord. He
was thrilled at the sight of Krishna who narrated the entire happenings and
ordered him to return to Dvaraka without delay. Daruka was to inform of the extinction
of the Vrishnis, the disappearance of Balarama and also the condition in which
Krishna was lying. Krishna also cautioned about the upsurge of the ocean after
his departure from earth resulting in a deluge over the city of Dvaraka. He
further advised him to go to Indraprastha with his family and relatives. Arjuna
should be instructed to take responsibility of the safe custody of his parents
Vasudeva and Devaki. Finally Krishna gave Daruka a parting guidance on how he
should lead his life. He said, “Virtuous life will help in acquiring spiritual
knowledge, cleanse the mind of worldly attachments and direct it to the
ultimate beatitude.”
Amidst the conversation between the two, Daruka noticed with astonishment,
Krishna’s weapons rising upwards to heaven in a brilliant chariot. Realising
that the time to be separated from Krishna had approached, the charioteer
offered his heartfelt respects. With a heavy heart, he took leave of his
beloved Lord to go to Dvaraka. Falling at the feet of Vasudeva and Ugrasena,
Daruka sorrowfully narrated every detail as advised by Krishna. Permanent
separation from Krishna was an unbearable shock to them and they fell in a
faint. Devaki and Rohini soon breathed their last, with the sorrow of losing
Krishna and Balarama. Arjuna was depressed on being deprived of a dear friend
and a mentor. He moved the surviving women, children and the old to
Indraprastha. He installed Vajra, the only surviving Yadava on the throne.
Krishna
departed to his abode in his mortal form. He did not consign his body to the
flames because of his strict ascetic discipline on fire. Since he had revealed
to the pious that virtue is the source of salvation and also presented his
divine person as an incarnation striving hard for the benefit of human beings,
he did not wish to leave his body on earth. When Krishna was about to depart,
Brahma, Shiva, Indra and other celestial gods assembled to witness the Lord
retiring to his heavenly residence but the miraculous disappearance escaped the
sight of most gods except Brahma and a few others. Soon after Krishna left the
world, there was a tremendous deluge that submerged the city of Dvaraka.
Everything disappeared except Krishna’s palace, which majestically stood
unscathed through the floods.
The songs and verses sung by the sages and poets about the
childlike pranks of Krishna and also the miraculous feats of the Lord are
wonderful renderings. They would reach us to the Paramapada, even if they are
merely heard with devotion.
वनमाली गदी शार्ङ्गी शंखी चक्री च नन्दकी |
श्रीमन्
नारायणॊ विष्णुर्वासुदॆवॊsभिरक्षतु ||
Vanamali gadi sharngi shankhi chakri
cha nandaki
Shriman narayano vishnur
vasudevobhirakshatu
May Shriman Narayana, who is Vishnu and
Vasudeva protect us. He wears the vanamala. He weilds the mace, the bow
sharnga, the conch, the discus and the sword nandaka.
SHUBHAM
Om Tat Sat
(A Tribute to the great Bharatiya Samskruti)
No comments:
Post a Comment