A Study of the Bhagavata Purana or Esoteric Hinduism Part 55

Krishna with Balarama and the Gopas went out to see the town. The house tops became crowded with females who wanted to have a look at Krishna, whose fame had already preceded him. A washerman pa.s.sed that way.

Krishna begged him to give him some choice clothes. But he was the washerman of Kansa and he arrogantly refused to give any of the King's clothes. Krishna in anger cut off his head. The attendants left the clothes and fled away. Rama and Krishna took as many as they liked and gave the rest to the Gopas.

A weaver came forward of his own accord and gladly dressed the brothers with choice clothes. Krishna rewarded him with great powers and provided for him Sarupya (a kind of Mukti) after death.

Then the brothers went to the house of a garland-maker named Sudama.

Sudama fell down at their feet and adorned them and the Gopas with the best garlands. The garland-maker prayed for constant devotion, for friendship with the devotees and for love of all beings. Krishna gave him these boons as well as many other blessings.

A young girl went that way with fragrant paste in her hand. Though young and beautiful, she was hunch-backed.

Krishna said smilingly: - "Fine girl that thou art, tell me truly what this scented thing is for. Anoint us with this, and good shall be your lot." The girl said: - "My name is Trivakra (with three bends). I am a servant of Kansa. He likes my paste very much. Who but you can deserve to have it?" The girl then anointed the brothers, with zeal and love.

Krishna pressed her feet with the tips of his own feet and held up her chin with two fingers and with a little effort made her erect. The hunch on her back was gone and she became a beauty. She invited Krishna to her own house. Krishna knew her object and said "Let me first do my work and then I shall visit your house." He then pa.s.sed through the traders'

quarters. They made various presents. Krishna then enquired where the Yajna Dha.n.u.s (the bow to be used in the performance of the Yajna) was.

Though warned by the citizens, he entered the place and easily broke the bow asunder. There was great noise. The warders ran to kill him. He killed the guardsmen with the two parts of the bow.

It was then sun-set. The boys returned with the Gopas to their quarters.

Kansa heard of the valour of the boys and pa.s.sed the night in evil dreams. When the day broke, he made preparations for the wrestling match.

THE WRESTLING.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 43-44.*

Kansa took his seat on a raised platform with his ministers. There was beating of drums. The athletes appeared on the scene, headed by Chanur, Mushtika, Kuta, Sala and Tosala. Nanda and other Gopas made their presents and were shown over to another platform.

Hearing the noise, Rama and Krishna also came to see the match. At the entrance they were obstructed by the elephant Kubalayapida. Krishna asked the driver to remove the elephant, but he only set it upon him.

There was a fight and Krishna at last succeeded in felling the elephant to the ground. He then plucked out its teeth and with their help, he killed both the animal and its driver. Blood-stained, the two brothers entered the wrestling ground with the ivory teeth in their hands. All were struck by their appearance. The account of the elephant's death struck terror into Kansa's heart. He began to tremble. The people of Mathura were attracted by the divine form of the brothers and they began to talk about their deeds. Chanura addressing the brothers said: - "You are known as good wrestlers. The King has therefore invited you to this match. Come and do the pleasure of the King, for the King is the embodiment of all Devas."

Krishna said: - "We dwell in the forest. But still we are subjects of the King of Bhoja. That we are ordered to please the King is a great favor to us. But we are boys. We shall play with those of equal might.

There will then be a fair match and there will be no injustice attaching to those present here."

Chanura replied: -

"You are neither a boy nor a youth below fifteen, Krishna. Nor is Balarama so. You killed that elephant with the might of a thousand elephants as it were in sport. It is meet therefore you shall fight with the powerful. There is no injustice in this. You measure your strength with me and let Balarama do so with Mushtika."

So it was. The fight was a drawn one. At last the brothers killed their rivals. Kuta then confronted Balarama, who killed him with his fist.

Sola and Tosala also fell dead before Krishna. The other wrestlers fled for their lives. Rama and Krishna then called their Gopa companions and began to dance together on the wrestling ground. "Well done," "Well done," cried all, except Kansa.

THE DEATH OF KANSA.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 44.*

Kansa stopped the music. He exclaimed. "Let these two unruly sons of Vasudeva be driven out from the town. Take away the wealth of the Gopas.

Confine this wicked Nanda. Kill that vile Vasudeva. My father Ugrasena is partial to my enemies. Kill him with all his attendants." While Kansa was thus bragging Krishna got angry and with one jump, he got upon the platform. Kansa stood up with his sword and shield. Krishna held him by his hair and threw him down from the platform. He then jumped over Kansa and his life departed. He then dragged the dead body of Kansa in the presence of all. Kansa through fear and anxiety had always thought of Krishna and now being killed by his hands, he attained the Rupa of Krishna. The eight brothers of Kansa attacked Krishna but they were put to death by Balarama. There was great rejoicing amongst the Devas.

The wives of Kansa loudly lamented the death of their husband. Bhagavan consoled them. He then liberated his father and mother and touched their feet. He then took leave of Nanda and the Gopas, promising a speedy return to them.

THE THREAD CEREMONY AND BRAHMACHARYA.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 45.*

Krishna placed Ugrasena on the throne. The Yadus, Vrishnis, Andhakas, Madhus, Dasarhas and Kukkuras, who had left Mathura for fear of Kansa, now returned to that town. Vasudeva called the Purohita (family priest) Garga and performed the Upanayana ceremony (invest.i.ture of the sacred thread) of his sons. They then became twice-born. (Dvija-Brahmanas, Kshatriyas and Vaisyas are the twice-born cla.s.ses. Krishna was a Kshatriya by birth). After Upanayana, one has to practise Brahmacharya _i.e._ he has to reside at the house of his Guru, learn the Vedas from him and practise asceticism at the same time. According to practice, Rama and Krishna went to reside at the house of Rishi Sandipani of Avanti of the line of Kasyapa. The brothers learned the Vedas, the Vedangas and all the branches of learning in sixty four days. Then they requested their Guru to name his Dakshina. (When a disciple leaves his Guru after the completion of study, he has to give some Dakshina or present according to his power to the Guru). Sandipani in consultation with his wife asked for the restoration to life of his son, who had been drowned in the sea at Prabhasa Kshetra. "All right," said the brothers.

They took their chariot and went to the sea-side. The sea brought presents. But Krishna asked for the restoration of his Guru's son. The sea replied: - "I did not carry him off, but one Asura named Panchajana, who lives in my waters in the form of a conch." Krishna entered the waters and killed Panchajana. But he did not find the boy within the Asura's body. Me took the conch and came back. He then went with Balarama to the seat of Yama called Sanyamani and blew the conch. Yama adored the brothers and wanted to know their behests.

Bhagavan said: - "My Guru's son has certainly been brought here by his own Karma. But hear my command and bring him to me." "So be it" said Yama, and brought back the Guru's son. The brothers took him to their father and said: "What more do you ask, O Guru?"

The Guru said: - "I have nothing more to ask. Now you may go home."

UDDHAVA AND VRAJA.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 46.*

Uddhava was the chief counsellor of the Vrishnis, the dear friend of Krishna and the direct disciple of Brihaspati. He was second to none in wisdom. His dress and decorations were those of Krishna.

Krishna called his friend aside and said: -

"Go, Uddhava, to Vraja. Bear my love to Nanda and Yasoda, Give my message to the Gopis, which will be a relief to them in their distress.

Their desires are all centred in me. I am their life. They have given up all worldly connections for my sake. I am their dearest and nearest friend. I protect those that give up worldly duties for my sake. So painful is my separation to the Gopis that they are beside themselves.

Any how they live and that with difficulty, only because I sent word of my speedy return."

Gladly Uddhava accepted the mission. He went to Vraja and stayed there for a few months, consoling the Gopas and Gopis.

To Nanda and Yasoda he said: -

"Rama and Krishna are the efficient and the material cause of the Universe - Purusha and Pradhana. They pervade all beings and guide the workings of individual natures. Krishna would fulfil the promise he made to you on the wrestling ground and come back to Vraja ere long. Do not grieve O great ones. You shall see Krishna by your side: He is within the heart of all beings, as fire is inside all fuel, To him nothing is agreeable or disagreeable, nothing high or low. He has no father, no wife, no sons, no one near or distant, no body, no birth, no Karma. For the protection of Sadhus he manifests himself in different births at his own pleasure. Though void of all Gunas, he seeks them at pleasure for the purpose of creation. As a stationary body appears to be moving, so atma appears to be working, though Chitta is the worker. Krishna is not your son only. But he is of all the sons, the self, father, mother and isvara. Nothing exists in reality but Krishna."

Excited were the effusions of the Gopis, on seeing Uddhava. (They may be interesting to the general reader but to the student the message delivered by Uddhava is the only necessary portion at this stage of the story. The reader is therefore referred to other translations for those highly poetical effusions.)

Uddhava informed the Gopis that he was the secret messenger of Krishna.

He then delivered the following message from Bhagavan: - "You have no separation from me, for I am all-pervading. As the five elements earth, water, air, fire and ether enter into the composition of all beings, so I underlie Manas, Prana, the Bhutas and the Indriyas, as also the Gunas themselves. I create, preserve and destroy self in self by self. By my Maya, I become the Bhutas, the Indriyas and the Gunas. But atma is pure, it is all consciousness (Jnana), separate, unconnected with the Gunas.

It is only by the mental states of wakefulness, dream and dreamless sleep that egoistic perceptions are caused in atma. (The objects of perception in one state appear to be unreal in another state.) The objects of dream perception appear to be unreal to the awakened man. The mind (being the common factor in all the three states) perceives these (unreal) objects of the senses and it underlies the senses themselves.

Sleeplessly therefore control the mind. This is the final reach of the Vedas, of Yoga, and of Sankhya, of relinquishment, of Tapas, of the control of senses, and of Truth itself. This is the ocean into which all rivers fall.

"That I, though pleasing to your eyes, remain away from you is because I want you constantly to meditate on me, for such meditation will attract your mind more towards me. The mind of women does not dwell so much upon the lover, near at hand, dearest though he be, as it dwells upon a distant lover, being full of him.

"By devoting your whole mind to me, free from all other thoughts, and by constantly meditating on me you shall forthwith attain me. Even those girls that remained at Vraja and could not join the Rasa attained me by meditating on My powers." The words of Uddhava only reminded the Gopis of the doings of Krishna. They loudly took his name. They were full of Krishna and would not forget him. But they knew from His message that He was atma and their pain of separation was gone.

Uddhava remained for several days at Vraja, reminding all of Sri Krishna. When he left Vraja he wished that he could be one of the creepers or herbs in Vrindavana, that had been rendered sacred by the dust of the Gopis' feet. (With that wish let us take leave of the Vrindavana Lila of Bhagavan Sri Krishna.)

THOUGHTS ON THE VRINDaVANA LILa.