Chapter 36
Comrade and King
"Listen
O King! God is omnipotent, He knows no distinction
between the possible and the impossible. His Wizardry,
His Sport, His Play, His Pranks cannot be described with
the vocabulary that man commands. Though He has no Rupa
or Form, He can assume the Form of the Universal Person,
embodying all Creation in His Form. He is One but He
makes Himself Many. Matsya,
Varâha,
Narasimha,
[Kurma],
Vâmana,
Parasurâma,
Râma,
Krishna, Buddha, Kalki - people relate to each other that
these are the Divine Forms He has assumed. But, that is
not describing Him as vast as His magnificence! We have
to visualize all forms as His; the vitality of every
being is His Breath. In short, every bit in Creation is
He, the manifestation of His Will. There is nothing
distinct or separate from Him.
But, for the protection
of the world, for the upholding of Dharma, for fulfilling
the yearnings of devotees He wills specially and assumes
a special Form and moves in the world; He confers great
joy on the devotees by His divine acts, which convince
them of His Advent; they are thus confirmed in their
faith and prompted to dedicate their activities to God
and thus save themselves, and liberate themselves.
Therefore people consider the Forms aforesaid which were
assumed with this end in view, as specially sacred and
they worship God in those incarnated Forms. On certain
occasions, for resolving certain urgent crisis, God has
incarnated with Forms embodying part of His Divinity,
with some Divine powers and potentialities. Examples of
such incarnations for the protection of the world are
plenty."
When the Sage Suka
spoke thus, Parikshith lifted up his face lit with a
strange joy and exclaimed, "Ah, did the charming Lord
assume such Forms through a part of Himself? Of course,
it is all Play for Him. Tell me about these Forms taken
by Him for the preservation of the world; make me happy,
listening to that narrative". Praying thus, he prostrated
before the Preceptor.
Suka continued,
"Listen, O King! Kapila, Dattatreya, Sanaka, Sananda,
Sanatkumara, Sanatsujatha, and other sages, Rshabha,
Nara-Narayana, Vishnu, Dhruva, Hayagriva, Prthu,
Kachchapa, Dhanvanthari, Hamsa, Manu, Balarama, Vyasa and
many such Divine Personages are but Name-Forms assumed by
the Lord, for granting boons to devotees, for saving the
world from ruin, for laying down the Code of Morality and
Right Behaviour for humanity, and the restoration of
traditional and well-established ideals and modes among
mankind. There are many more such Amsa
(partial) Avatharas
(incarnations). But, we have no time for the detailed
description of each. Moreover they are not so important
as, to merit detailed consideration. I responded to your
request because, I felt a short review is enough."
[see also Srimad
Bhagavatam,
Canto 2, Chapter 7, Brief Description of the Past and
Coming Avataras]
But, Parikshith
intervened. He said, "Master! Tell me at least very
briefly the reasons for the Lord incarnating so, even
though only a part of Him incarnated, as Kapila, Dhruva,
Dattatreya, Hayagriva, Dhanvanthari etc.; tell me about
their achievements and the significance of each Advent.
That will afford me purifying enlightenment." So, Suka
said, "King! Devahuthi, the wife of Kardama Prajapathi
bore nine daughters, and as her tenth child, the Kapila
Form was born. The Lord appearing as Kapila became the
Preceptor and spiritual Guide to the mother, Devahuthi
herself! He taught her the secret of attaining Liberation
and vouchsafed to her the teaching that led to final
release. (see also Srimad
Bhagavatam,
Canto 3, Chapter 25,The Glories of Devotional
Service)
The consort of the sage
Athri, Anasuya by name, prayed that the Lord may be born
as the child of her womb and the Lord replied, 'Granted'
(Datta). Since the father's name was Athri, He was called
Datta-athreya, Dattathreya. He showered on
Karthaveeryarjuna and Yadu, emperors of high renown
endowed with all glory, the great treasure of Yogic
wisdom. It is in this Form that God, in the beginning of
this Kalpa or Age, moved about as the four child sages,
Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanathkumara and Sanathana. They were
ever at the age of five, so innocent that they wore no
clothes, so divine that they spread Wisdom and Peace
around them. The Lord was born as the twins, Nara and
Narayana, and they lived in the forests around Badri in
the Himalayas, practicing austerities. They had
Murthidevi as their mother. The Lord appreciated the
intensity of the austerity of the boy Dhruva; He
conferred on him the Blessing of His Vision in concrete
Form; He sanctified the lives of the parents of Dhruva.
He crowned him as the Lord of the polar regions, and set
him in the sky as the Pole Star. When the downward -
falling wicked Vena was cursed and destroyed by the
sages, and when his body was churned, the first sovereign
ruler of the world emerged, because the Lord took that
Form; he was Prithu, the first Iswara (Lord) of Prithvi
(the Earth). By his austerity and good conduct, Prithu
saved his father from hell. He restored prosperity and
morality in the entire world. He built villages, towns
and cities on the earth and ordered that men dwell
peacefully therein, each performing in loving cooperation
with the rest, the duties assigned to him.
The Lord was born again
as the child of Nabhi and Sudevi; He manifested as a
Paramahamsa, a realized sage, and He taught the supreme
remedy for all ills, viz., renunciation (thyaga)
and the ways of cultivating it. Later, the Lord took Form
as Yajna,
in a Brahma-yajna, and since, above the neck, He had the
Form of a Horse, He was called Haya (horse)-griva (head).
The breath of Hayagriva became manifest as the Vedas.
Meanwhile the wily ogre, Somaka, stole away the Vedas and
hid them in the surging floods of Pralaya
(The Great Dissolution). So, the Lord had to assume the
Form of a Fish, search for the Vedas amidst the depths of
the sea, destroy the ogre and bring the Vedas over to be
restored to Brahma and thus, re-establish on earth the
ways of living laid down in the Vedas and the goal of
life marked out therein. The Lord has thus assumed many
forms appropriate for each need and manifested Himself on
countless critical occasions and showered His Grace on
the World; He has destroyed the fear and agony of
mankind; He has rescued the good and the godly. Countless
are the narratives of such advents. His Will results in
His advent; so it is foolish to investigate into the
reasons that prompted Him to incarnate.
Those who seek to know
or lay down the causes for the Lord willing, one way and
not another, are really fools venturing on an impertinent
adventure; so too are those who assert that His Power and
His Plans have such and such characteristics,
qualifications and limits, and those who claim to know
that the Lord will act only in this particular mode, and
those who declare that the Divine Principle is of this
nature and not otherwise!
There can be no limit
or obstacle to His Will. There can be no bounds to the
manifestation of His Power and His Glory. He fructifies
all that He wills; He can manifest in whatever Form He
wills. He is unique, incomparable equal to Himself alone.
He is His own measure, witness, authority. (see also
Srimad
Bhagavatam, Canto 1, Chapter 3: Krishna is the Source of
all Incarnations
Once, the Lord was so
touched by the sincerity of Narada's devotion to Him that
He assumed the Form of a Hamsa (Celestial Swan) and,
elaborated to Him the nature of Bhaktha,
Bhagavan
and of the relation between the two, so that all
aspirants may be led and liberated. He placed the Wisdom
and the Path on a foundation strong enough to survive the
end of this present age, without any fear of defeat or
decline. He rendered the Seven Worlds shine in purity,
through the splendour of His spotless renown. During the
Great Churning of the Ocean of Milk, the Lord assumed the
Form of the Tortoise, to hold up the Mandara Mountain
Peak, which was the Churning Rod. At that very time, the
Lord took another Form too, as Dhanvanthari, to bring the
Divine Vessel filled with Amrith
(Immortality-granting Nectar). As Dhanvanthari, He taught
the means of conquering disease and enable men to cure
their physical ills. He rendered many, famous as
physicians and doctors, skilled in diagnosis and
cure.
He did much more, O
King! Physicians and doctors were until then not entitled
to receive a share of the offerings made to the Gods in
sacrifices. Dhanvanthari laid down that they must be
given a share and thus, He raised their status, in
society.
Did you note the
inscrutable sport of the Lord, evident in these
manifestations? God! God alone knows the ways of God! How
can others gauge their grandeur and their glory? How can
they successfully measure them with their poor equipment
of intellect and imagination? Since men are bound by the
shackles of Ajnana
(ignorance), they argue and dilate, long and loud, on God
and His attributes and flounder in the sin of sacrilege.
Instead, man can win the Grace of God, if only he
discards doubt when he sees Divine manifestations, if his
picture of God is untarnished by passing moods and
events, and if he transmutes his own moods and acts, in
conformity with the manifestations of God he is
privileged to witness. If he acts otherwise, he cannot
hope to win the Grace, or taste the Bliss.
Next, the mystery of
the Krishna incarnation! That embodiment of sweetness is
most captivating! Exquisite charm, unrivalled sweetness,
incomparable love - the Krishna Form was the
concretization of all these! That Form was the
treasure-house of Bliss; it was the Ocean of Virtue; 0,
what Innocence! What Superhuman Excellence! The mere
sight of Him is enough; listening to His words is enough;
merely touching Him is enough; one's life will find its
goal! All rituals, all sacrifices, all scriptural
ceremonies have as their goal only this, this sight, this
listening, this touch. The gain that accrues from the
rites etc., are nothing when compared to the gain from
the sight and the touch, and the listening to His voice.
No. They are nothing at all. Ah! What immeasurable
sweetness! Contemplating on that Form, recollecting the
charm and the loveliness, the sage started shedding
profuse tears of joy; he was so full of inward bliss that
he stopped his narration and lost all consciousness of
himself and his listeners.
The ascetics around him
and the King himself were overcome with wonder at the
rare sight of the sage's
Samadhi; the
illumination on his face had an overpowering impact on
all. They sat like statues, afraid to disturb the sage
and immersed in their own amazement and joy."
After some time, Suka
opened his eyes, and exclaimed! "How fortunate were the
Gopas
and Gopis (the
herdsmen and maids) who lived then. How their bodies must
have shone with the Divine Joy they experienced, when
they moved in His Company, played with Him, talked with
Him, sang with Him and shared supreme Ananda
with Him! Gods envied their luck, for, it was a chance
they could not secure. Those simple illiterate folk could
get the singular good fortune as a consequence of the
merit acquired by them in many previous lives. Those
Gopas and Gopis were not just common men and women. No.
At first sight they struck one as simple unlearned folk,
that was all. But, they had, within them, a vast treasure
of revealed wisdom, which only a few could appreciate and
understand. Or else, how could they secure the Bliss of
the Lord's Touch, which even Rukmini and Sathyabhama
could not win so easily! The Gopas and the Gopis can be
said to be more fortunate than those Queens. Their good
fortune was the fruit of the good deeds done by them
during, not one, but, three previous lives!"
The sage's eyes closed
again. He was in Samadhi,
tasting the sweetness of the Krishna Incarnation; there
was a beautiful smile beaming on his lips. Parikshith was
astounded at the sight of the waves of joy that
overpowered the great sage, whenever he allowed his mind
to dwell on the Divine career of Krishna. He too yearned
with enthusiastic impatience to listen to those
enrapturing incidents and activities of the
Lord.
When Suka resumed,
Parikshith too lost all consciousness of his
surroundings; he was so struck with wonder, that he could
not believe that some of the incidents could ever have
happened! This gave him immense pain, and caused
unbearable agony, at the thought of his own inconstancy.
So, he placed his problem before the Sage and won peace
of mind. after hearing his explanation and elaboration.
While proceeding thus, on one occasion, the King
developed serious doubts about the Bhakthi
(devotion) of the Gopis; he argued within himself
and sought remedial assurances through his own
understanding and faith. But, the doubts would not
vanish. Nor had he the courage to ask the Sage who might
consider them as too childish. So, he was suffering and
smothering the suffering. This became evident to the Sage
and, so, he asked the King with a smile, "It is evident
that some insane idea is distracting you. In this crisis,
it is not beneficial to suffer from repressed emotions.
If some doubt is simmering in you, or if a thirst to know
about something is hurting you, do not hesitate to ask
me; I shall resolve the doubt, I shall quench the thirst
and ensure joy and contentment of mind." When the Sage
encouraged the King in this manner, the King spoke,
"Master! You know the Past, the Present and the Future.
You have the vision and the capacity to cure me of the
doubt that is pestering me. Therefore, please do not
misunderstand me; hear me and resolve the doubt; Cure me
of the anguish I have on account of it. Restore the peace
of mind, I had, before it entered my heart". The King
fell at the Sage's Feet and continued, "Master! I have
heard much, in various versions, of the sport and pranks,
of the Rasakrida
(the Raasa
Dance) of Krishna, with the cowherd maids (the Gopis) of
Brindavan. They appear to be sensual pastimes of ordinary
mortals. If such incidents had happened in truth, how can
they be interpreted as Divine? Are they not disapproved
by the world? These incidents at Brindavan, on the Yamuna
banks, where such loose sensual lascivious play was
enacted, besmirch the Divine Nature of Krishna, I am
afraid. It is said that ultimate release or
Moksha
can be attained only by those who transcend the
Gunas
or qualities. These Gopis were afflicted with qualities,
and the desires born out of them, mostly sensual, and
objective. When it is said that the Gopis too were able
to attain Moksha, it causes amazement; indeed, it appears
even ridiculous! If, however, these immoral activities
have some inner significance which justifies their being
accepted as praise-worthy, please enlighten
me."
When Parikshith prayed
thus, Suka had a hearty laugh. He said, "0 King! Do not
think that You are afflicted by a doubt; it is much
worse! For, those who have realized that Krishna is the
Lord Himself will not entertain such doubts! This is the
final period of the Dwapara
Age; the
Kali
Age is
beginning soon. It is the Kali spirit, the spirit of the
Age of Wickedness that has entered into you, that has
prompted you to lodge such ideas in your mind. Or else,
you had unshaken faith that Krishna is the Sovereign
Supreme God. Every incident in His Career shines in your
heart with Divine Brilliance. The moment you recollect
His Name, you are overcome by joy and your thoughts merge
in Him. So these doubts cannot arise in such as you! You
are defiling your personality by them. Again, consider
what type of person I am. You know that there is no place
in my heart for activities born out of Gunas or the
impulses created out of those qualities. Just consider
how such a one as I is overpowered with supreme joy, when
I contemplate the Divine Sport of Krishna with the Gopis!
Consider how I praise the good fortune of the Gopis who
got that precious Companionship. Can they be ordinary
sensual sport?
Or are they the pure
and genuine exuberance of Divine intoxication? Think a
while. Sensual exultation and Divine exhilaration might
appear, the same, in their external manifestations, to
the untrained eye. But, when the senses are transcended,
when the Individual and the Universal have merged into
one Thought and Consciousness, when all awareness of the
body has been negated - to interpret these activities as
objective and sensual is sheer stupidity, to say the
least.
A knife in the hands of
a murderer is fraught with danger to all; a knife in the
hands of a surgeon confers freedom from pain, though in
both cases, there is a hand that holds the knife. So too,
the acts of those whose self is centered in the body are
to be condemned; those of people whose self is centered
in the Atma
or Inner Reality are highly beneficent and
praiseworthy.
Be devoted to Me and
receive power from Me. To the extent to which you
enthusiastically intensify and quicken up this process of
give and take, to that extent you will be successful and
happy. Deliver all your anxieties, troubles, travails and
desires to Me and in return receive joy, peace and
strength of mind from Me. During this Advent, only
spiritual aspirants and righteous persons are relatives,
friends and recipients of My Grace."
contents
of this Vahini|previous
page |next
page