A Study of the Bhagavata Purana or Esoteric Hinduism Part 66

Sisupala went on in this way and Krishna did not say a word. The lion heeds not the jackal's cry. The members of the a.s.sembly closed their ears and went away, cursing Sisupala in anger. They could not hear the calumny of Bhagavat. For he who hears the calumny of Bhagavat and of those that are devoted to him and does not leave the place goes downwards, deprived of all merits. The sons of Pandu and their allies of Matsya, Kaikaya and Srinjaya, took up arms to kill Sisupala. Sisupala also took his s.h.i.+eld and sword and reproved the kings on the side of Krishna. Krishna then rose up and asked his followers to desist. He cut off the head of Sisupala with the Chakra. A flame like a glowing meteor rose from the body of Sisupala and entered Sri Krishna. For three births, Sisupala had constantly followed Vishnu in enmity. By this constant though hostile meditation, he attained the state of that he meditated upon. (The readers are reminded here of the story of Jaya and Vijaya, the gatekeepers of Vishnu in Vaikuntha).

The Rajasuya sacrifice came to a close. Raja Yudhisthira performed the bathing ceremony, enjoined at the close of a sacrifice (_avabhritha_).

THE SLIGHT OF DURYODHANA.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 75.*

The fame of Yudhisthira went abroad. All sang the glory of the Rajasuya sacrifice. Duryodhana became filled with jealousy. One day king Yudhisthira was seated on a golden throne in the a.s.sembly hall, prepared by Maya, with Krishna and others around him. The proud Duryodhana, surrounded by his brothers, entered the place with crown on his head and sword in his hand, showering abuse on the gate-keepers and others. He took land to be water and drew up his clothes. He also took water to be land and wet himself. The Maya (Magic), displayed by Maya, in the preparation of the a.s.sembly ground, caused this delusion. Bhima laughed, and the females and other kings laughed too, though forbidden by Yudhisthira. Krishna however approved their laughter.

Overpowered with shame, with his head cast down, Duryodhana silently left the place and went to Hastinapura.

Krishna kept quiet. He wished to relieve the Earth of the weight of the Daityas who were oppressing her. It was only His will that Duryodhana should thus be deluded (and the disastrous results would follow).

SaLVA.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 76-77.*

When Krishna carried away Rukmini, he defeated the kings in battle and, amongst others, he defeated Salva, king of Soubha, the friend of Sisupala. Salva vowed at the time to kill all Yadavas. He ate only a handful of dust and wors.h.i.+pped Siva. After a year Siva became pleased with his wors.h.i.+p and asked the king to name a boon. He prayed for an invulnerable chariot that would carry terror to the Yadavas. At the bidding of Siva, Maya prepared an iron chariot, called Soubha, which could move at will to any place. Mounted on this chariot, Salva attacked Dvaraka, with his large army. He threw weapons, stones, trees and serpents from above and demolished walls and gardens. The people of Dvaraka became very much oppressed. Pradyumna and other Yadavas engaged in fight with Salva and his army. Salva's chariot was sometimes visible and sometimes not. It now rose high and now came low. With difficulty, Pradyumna killed Dyumat, the general of Salva. But still the fight went on for seven days and seven nights. Krishna had been at Hastinapura. He felt misgivings and hurried to Dvaraka with Rama. The fight was then going on. Krishna placed Rama in charge of the town and himself went to fight with Salva. Salva tauntingly addressed Krishna who gave the king a heavy blow with his club. Salva disappeared. Instantly a man came and informed Krishna that he was a messenger from Devaki. Salva had carried away his father Vasudeva.

Krishna asked: - "How could Salva conquer Rama so as to carry away my father?" But he had scarcely finished when Salva appeared with somebody like Vasudeva, saying "O fool, here is your father. I will kill him in your presence. Save him, if you can." He then cut off the head of Vasudeva, and entered the chariot. Krishna found this was all the Maya of Salva and in reality his father was neither carried off nor killed.

He broke the chariot Soubha with his club. Salva left the chariot and stood upon earth, club in hand. Krishna cut off his hands and then cut off his head with the Chakra.

DANTA VAKRA AND VIDURATHA.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 78.*

Danta-Vakra was the friend of Sisupala, Salva and Paundraka. He came to attack Sri Krishna with club in hand and, seeing him, exclaimed: "It is good fortune, that I see you. You are our cousin. But still you have killed our friends and you now want to kill me. I will therefore kill you with this club." (Sridhara gives a second meaning to this Sloka. At the end of his third birth Danta Vakra was to regain his place in Vaikuntha. Sisupala and Danta Vakra, as explained before, were Jaya and Vijaya, gate-keepers of Vaikuntha. By the curse of the k.u.maras, they incarnated as Asuras. The third and last cycle of material ascendancy was to be ended. Jaya and Vijaya were not to incarnate any more.

Therefore Danta-Vakra exclaimed that it was his good fortune to meet Krishna and so on). Krishna struck him with his club and killed him. A flame arose from the body of Danta-Vakra, as from that of Sisupala, and it entered Sri Krishna.

Viduratha, the brother of Danta-Vakra was afflicted with grief at the death of his brother. He now attacked Krishna. Krishna cut off his head with the Chakra.

BALARaMA AND THE DEATH OF ROMAHARSHANA.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 78-79.*

Balarama heard that the Kurus and Pandavas were making preparations for a mutual fight. He belonged to neither side. So he went out on pretext of a pilgrimage. He went to Prabhasa and performed the ablution ceremonies. He went to several other places and at last reached the Naimisha forest. The Ris.h.i.+s all rose up to receive him. Romaharshana, the disciple of Vyasa, did not leave his seat. He belonged to the Suta community, - a mixed cla.s.s, born of Kshatriya father and Brahmana mother, - but he took his seat higher than that of the Brahmanas.

Balarama thought that the Suta had learned the Itihasas, Puranas and all Dharma Sastras from Vyasa but he had not learned humility and self-control and that he had become proud of his wisdom. Balarama cut off his head with the tip of a Kusa gra.s.s. The Ris.h.i.+s broke forth into loud cries of lamentation. Addressing Balarama, they said: "O lord! thou hast done a wrong. We gave him this seat of a Brahmana. We gave him age and freedom from fatigue, till the Yajna was completed. Not knowing this, thou hast killed one who was, while on his seat, a Brahmana. Thou art not regulated by the Vedas. But of thy own accord, do thou perform some Prayaschitta, and thereby shew an example to other people."

Balarama enquired what he was to do. The Ris.h.i.+ asked him to do that by which their words as well as the act of Balarama both might prove true.

Balarama said: "One's son is one's own self. So say the Vedas. Therefore the son of Romaharshana, Ugrasravas, shall be your reciter of Puranas.

He shall have long life and freedom from fatigue. What am I to do, O Ris.h.i.+s, by which I may atone for my deed?"

The Ris.h.i.+s asked Balarama to kill Valvala, son of the Danava Ilvala, who used to pollute the sacrificial ground on certain days of the moon. They also asked Rama to travel all over Bharata Varsha for twelve months, and take his bath at the sacred places.

Rama killed Valvala and went out on pilgrimage. On his return to Prabhasa he heard about the death of the Kshatriya kings in the war between the Kurus and the Pandavas. He went to Kurukshetra. Bhima and Duryodhana were then fighting with each other with their clubs. Balarama tried to bring about peace. But they did not heed his words. He then returned to Dvaraka.

Balarama once more went to Naimisha and he was adored by the Ris.h.i.+s.

SRiDaMAN.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 80-81.*

Krishna had a Brahmana fellow-student, by name Sridaman. He was well-read in the Vedas, self controlled and contented. He had a wife. He lived on whatever was freely given to him by others. His wife was ill-clad and ill-fed, like himself. One day she approached her husband and said: -

"Husband, your friend is the Lord of Lakshmi (the G.o.ddess of wealth) herself. Go to him and he will give you wealth. He gives even his own self to those that meditate on his lotus feet. What can not that Lord of the Universe give to those that wors.h.i.+p him with some desire?" Being repeatedly pressed by his wife, he at last resolved to go to Krishna, thinking that the sight of his friend would be his greatest gain. He asked his wife for some offering for his friend, She begged four handfuls of flattened rice (_Chipitaka_) from the Brahmanas and tied that up in one corner of her husband's rag. The Brahmana went to Dvaraka, thinking all the way how he could meet Krishna. He pa.s.sed through certain apartments and went into one of the rooms. Krishna was seated with one of his wives. He saw the Brahmana from a distance and rose up to receive him. He came down and embraced his former companion with both his hands. Krishna gave him a respectful welcome and a seat by his own side. He then talked with him about the old reminiscences of student life, how they pa.s.sed their days at the residence of Sandipani, how faithfully they carried out the behests of the Guru and his wife, how necessary it was to respect the Guru and such other topics. He then smilingly looked at the Brahmana and said: -

"What have you brought for me from your house? Even the smallest thing brought by my Bhaktas becomes great by their love, while the largest offerings of those that are not devoted to me cannot please me." The Brahmana, though asked, was ashamed to offer the flattened rice to the Lord of Lakshmi and he cast down his head. The all-seeing Sri Krishna knew the object of the Brahmana's coming. He found that the Brahmana had not at first wors.h.i.+pped him with the object of attaining wealth. It was only to please his devoted wife that he now had that desire. The Lord therefore thought he would give him such wealth as was difficult to acquire. He then s.n.a.t.c.hed away the flattened rice from the rags of the Brahmana saying, "What is this! O friend you have brought this highly gratifying offering for me. These rice grains please me, the Universal atma." So saying he partook of one handful. When he was going to take the second handful, Lakshmi held his hand, saying, "O Lord of the Universe, this much will quite suffice to give all such wealth as can be needed for this world as well as for the next, such that it will even please thee to see that thy votary has got so much wealth."

The Brahmana pa.s.sed the night with Krishna. The next morning, he went home. Krishna went a certain distance with him to see him off. Krishna did not give him wealth nor did he ask for any. He thought within himself "What am I, a poor Brahmana and a sinner and this Krishna, whose breast is the abode of Lakshmi, gave me a reception as if I were a G.o.d.

The wors.h.i.+p of His feet is the root of all Siddhis, all enjoyments, of Svarga and even of Mukti. Kind as he is, he did not give me any the least wealth, lest a poor man should forget Him by the pride of wealth."

When he reached home, he found palatial buildings, gardens and lots of well-dressed male and female attendants. They received him with valuable presents. His wife also came out to receive him, with a number of female attendants. The Brahmana was surprised. He saw this was all the outcome of his visiting Sri Krishna. He controlled himself while enjoying this immense wealth and, meditating on Sri Krishna, he at last attained His supreme abode.

THE MEETING AT KURUKSHETRA.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 82-84*

There was a total eclipse of the sun. Krishna and all the Yadavas went to Kurukshetra to bathe on the occasion. Nanda, the Gopas and Gopis, all came there. Kunti and her sons, Bhishma, Drona and all the kings also went. They all went together. (The Bhagavata Purana carefully avoids the battle at Kurukshetra. It barely mentions the duel between Bhima and Duryodhana. According to the Mahabharata, Bhishma, Drona and all the brothers of Duryodhana had been killed before the fight took place between Bhima and Duryodhana. But we find here that they were all present at the Kurukshetra meeting. A slight explanation will be necessary to put the readers on the right line of thought. The ideal of the Mahabharata was Tatva-masi, the unity of Jiva and ishvara. Krishna and Arjuna looked alike. They were close companions. This Advaita view struck at the root of Upasana excepting as a means to an end; it put into the shade altogether the Path of compa.s.sion, the Path of service of which Narada is the guide for this Kalpa. So we find even Bhishma being killed. Bhishma died at Uttarayana and necessarily pa.s.sed through the Devayana Marga, as an Upasaka. Whatever might be the goal of Upasana, the Bhagavata Purana treats of Upasana as an end and not as a means. The Bhagavatas, the Satvatas, the Vaishnavas do not ask for Nirvana Mukti they ask for devotion to the Lord of the Universe. They work in the Universe as servants of the Lord, taking the whole Universe to be their own selves. The Kurukshetra battle is therefore out of place in the Bhagavata Purana. This explains the great meeting at Kurukshetra instead of the Great Annihilation.)

Kunti complained to Vasudeva that he did not make any enquiries about her and her sons, in her many afflictions. Vasudeva said, for fear of Kansa the Yadavas had scattered themselves, and they could not make enquiries about one another. The Kurus, Pandavas and the kings were all glad to see Krishna and his wives. Rama and Krishna duly honoured them all and made valuable presents. They all admired the good fortune of the Yadavas, in having Krishna always in their midst.

Nanda and Yasoda were duly respected by Vasudeva and his wives.

Krishna met the Gopis in privacy. He embraced them all, and, after enquiry about their safety, said smilingly: - "Do you remember us, O friends? For the good of those whom we call our own, we have been long in putting down the adverse party. Or do you think little of us, feeling that we have been ungrateful to you? Know for certain, it is the Lord who unites and separates all beings. As the wind unites ma.s.ses of clouds, gra.s.s, cotton and dust particles, and again disunites them, so the creator does with all beings. Devotion to me serves to make beings immortal. How glad I am that you have this love to me, for by that love you gain me back. I am the beginning and end of all beings, I am both inside and outside. As the material objects resolve themselves into the primal elements, (Akasa, air, fire, water and earth), so (the material parts in) all beings resolve themselves into the primal elements. atma pervades all beings as the conscious Perceiver (atma). Know both (the Perceiver and the Perceived) to be reflected in me, the Supreme and the Immutable."

The Gopis were taught this Adhyatma teaching by Sri Krishna. Bearing this teaching constantly in mind, they cast off the Jiva sheath (Jiva Kosa) and they attained Krishna. And they said: - "O Krishna let thy lotus feet be ever present in our minds, home-seeking though we may have been. The lords of Yoga by their profound wisdom meditate on thy feet in their hearts. It is by thy feet that those that have fallen into the well of Sansara are raised."

(Here we take a final leave of the Gopis. They had known Krishna as the Purusha of the Heart. They now knew him as the all-pervading Purusha.

They were drawn back into the bosom of that Purusha, their Linga (Sukshma) Sarira destroyed. They now entered the divine state, but even there they did not forget the lotus feet of Krishna. They became centres of devotional love in the bosom of the Universal Lord.)

Yudisthira and other friends of Krishna addressed him as all-incarnating Purusha. The wives of Krishna related to Draupadi how they came to be married to him. The Ris.h.i.+s addressed Sri Krishna as ishvara. They then took leave of him. Vasudeva however detained them, saying they should instruct him as to how he could exhaust his Karma. Narada said it was no wonder that he should ask this question of them and not of Krishna. For proximity is the cause of disregard.

The Ris.h.i.+s, addressing Vasudeva, said: -

"Karma is exhausted by Karma. Wors.h.i.+p Vishnu by Yajna. He is the lord of all Yajnas. Wise men do not wish for riches by the performance of Yajna, nor do they wish for men or enjoyments. They give up all desires and then go to the forest for Tapas. The twice-born are indebted to the Devas, Ris.h.i.+s and Pitris, by their birth. You have paid up your debts to the Ris.h.i.+s and to the Pitris. Now pay up your debts to the Devas, by the performance of Yajna and then give up your home." Vasudeva then performed Yajna, and the Ris.h.i.+s officiated. The Yajna over, the Ris.h.i.+s went away. Dhritarashra, Vidura, the Pandavas, Bhishma, Drona, Kunti, Narada, Vyasa, his friends and relatives, parted with a heavy heart.

Narada and his followers were detained for three months by the Yadavas, such was their love for them. They then received many presents and left for Mathura. Seeing the approach of the rainy season, the Yadavas also went back to Dvaraka.