SRI KRISHNA - THE PURNA AVATARA

 

By HH Sri Swami Sivananda Saraswati

 

 

 

The auspicious hour came. The star Rohini was shining. It was Vijaya Muhurta. The elements were extremely pleasant. Winds were blowing auspiciously. The stars were shining with luster. The lakes were filled with lotuses. Lord Krishna incarnated at midnight on this earth. The gods played divine music. The Kinnaras and Gandharvas sang. Siddhas and Charanas praised. The Vidyadharas danced along with the Apsaras, sages and Devas. There was a rain of flowers from the heavens in joy.

 Vishnu incarnated with lotus eyes, with four hands armed with conch, disc, mace and lotus, with the mark Srivatsa adorning the chest. Vasudeva saw this marvel of a divine child.

 Vasudeva praised Him: "Thou art known to me already as the Supreme Being. Thou art an embodiment of knowledge and bliss. Thou art seated in the hearts of all beings. Thou art the witness of the minds of all. Thou art beyond Maya and Avidya".

 Devaki beheld marks of Vishnu on her son and praised Him: "Thou art beginningless, omnipresent, self-luminous, attributeless, changeless and actionless. Thou art the source, and place of dissolution, for everything. Kindly do not show me this form with four hands. Let me see You as an ordinary child.

Withdraw this divine, transcendental form. We are afraid of Kamsa".

 The Lord said: "Let both of you often meditate with love on Me as a son and as the Supreme Being, and you will obtain eternal bliss and immortality".

 The Lord assumed the form of a handsome baby through the power of His own Maya.

 

THE PURNA AVATARA

Lord Krishna was the highest incarnation of the great Vishnu. He was the Purna Avatara. He had all the sixteen Kalas or rays of the Lord. He was a noble scion of the illustrious Yadava dynasty. He was the world-teacher. He was the one Lord of love. He was the lover of men. His enchanting form, with flute in hand, beholds the heart of India captive in chains even today.

The object of Sri Krishna's Avatara was three-fold: to destroy the wicked demons, to take the leading part in the great war fought on the battlefield of Kurukshetra where He delivered His wonderful message of the Gita, and to become the center of a marvelous development of the Bhakti Schools of India.

The purpose of the Krishna-Avatara was not only to destroy Adharma, but also to reveal to the world the magnificence of God. Sri Krishna was the symbol of the Absolute, the representation of the mighty Sovereign of the universe. In His well adjusted, symmetrical conduct of life is portrayed the majestic perfection of God.

Sri Krishna's life is the Bhagavad-Gita in action. In Him are found the supreme knowledge and the supreme power blending to form the God-man of all times. In Him the highest Vidya and Vinaya coexist, as inseparable virtues of the Great Hero of the world.

 Sri Krishna was a perfect Master. He was a Karma Yogi, Bhakta, Raja Yogi and Jnana Yogi. He preached Karma, Upasana, Yoga and Jnana. Lord Sri Krishna drove the chariot in the battlefield, and danced with the Gopis in the shady retreats of Vrindavan, and taught Yoga and Jnana to Uddhava and Arjuna. The four Yogas are blended in His Gita or the Immortal Song.

 Lord Krishna was great in knowledge, great in emotion, great in action, altogether. The scriptures have not recorded any life more full, more intense, more sublime, and grander than His.

 The Bhagavad-Gita contains the teachings of Sri Krishna to Arjuna. It is a wonderful book for constant study. Aspirants study this book with great care daily. The first six chapters deal with Karma Yoga and represent the 'Tat' Pada of the "Tat Tvam Asi" Mahavakya. The next six chapters deal with Bhakti Yoga and represent the 'Tvam' Pada. The last six chapters deal with Jnana Yoga and represent the 'Asi' Pada.

 

STUDENT DAYS WITH SAGE SANDEEPANY

Sri Krishna received His instructions from Sandeepany, a sage of Avantipur. He lived with His teacher like an ordinary student. He was meek, humble and obedient. He led a laborious life. He gathered fuel from the woods for His preceptor's household. He inspired His classmates with love.

 Sri Krishna had wonderful retentive memory. He mastered the sixty-four arts in sixty-four days.

 

THE LORD'S LIFE OF SELFLESS ACTION

Krishna was a man of action. He was a history-maker and righter of wrongs. He stood for justice and righteousness. His policy was to defend the oppressed from the oppressor.

Lord Krishna was the greatest Karma Yogi of all time. He held up the torch of wisdom. He was an embodiment of wisdom and selfless action.

He was all love for the cowherd boys, cows and Gopis. He was the friend and benefactor of the poor and the helpless. He was extremely kind and merciful towards the meek and the humble.

Krishna was the thunderbolt to the wrestlers assembled in the arena of Kamsa, and yet, He had the softest heart among men. He was Yama unto Kamsa, a Cupid unto Gopis, and the object of constant meditation for Yogins and devotees, the form of bliss and beatitude to the sages, and a child to His parents. He was Cupid unto Cupid himself.

 Lord Krishna was an embodiment of humility, though He was the Lord of the universe. He became the charioteer of Arjuna. He accepted the duty of washing the feet of the visitors voluntarily at the time of the Rajasuya Yajna performed by Yudhishtira.

 

A GREAT STATESMAN

Sri Krishna was a great statesman. The world has not witnessed a greater statesman than Sri Krishna. He was a champion of liberty and a peacemaker. He had wonderful foresight, and held extremely liberal views. Even when He was a boy, He taught people the essentials and the true significance of religion, when He rose against the popular worship of Indra for getting rains.

Krishna was a kingmaker. He was the founder of the city of Dvaraka. He was the towering genius of His Age. He was a great historical figure.

 He was appointed as peacemaker to stop the civil war that was to be fought between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. Yudhishthira sent Krishna to negotiate with the Kauravas. Krishna made a long and wise exhortation to Duryodhana. The thrilling and soul-stirring speech delivered by Sri Krishna before the court of Dhritarashtra proves that He was the greatest statesman. He said to Duryodhana: "O Prince of the Bharata race! Make peace with the wise, brave and righteous Pandavas. Peace alone brings happiness to friends, relations and the whole world. He who does not act according to the wise instructions of his friends meets with destruction and sorrow".

Sri Krishna's political insight and wise statesmanship were admired by the ablest rulers of His time. Kings and rulers sought His wise counsel.

 

LORD OF THE YOGINS

You can count even the stars and the particles of sand on the seashore, but it is not possible to count the marvelous and heroic deeds and glorious actions of Sri Krishna, the Lord of the three worlds.

When He was a child, He did countless miracles. He showed Visvarupa to His mother, Yashoda, in His mouth while He yawned. He uprooted the Yamala-Arjuna trees. He danced on the Kaliya serpent. He raised the Govardhana Hills on His little finger to protect Gokula from the heavy rains caused by Indra.

 He multiplied Himself into various forms, when Brahma kept the Gopas and Calves away from Krishna's view. He multiplied Himself and appeared in countless forms in the Rasa-Lila. Can a human being do this? It is only a Yogeshvara who can perform these great miracles.

 Krishna gave eyesight to the blind Vilvamangal. He gave unlimited clothes to Draupadi. He gave cosmic vision to Arjuna.

 Who can describe the glory of Lord Krishna, Lord of the Yogins and the Supreme Lord of the three worlds, the Soul of the universe? Durvasa and his countless disciples were satisfied when Lord Krishna

ate a small particle of vegetable. This in itself clearly proves that Lord Krishna is the One Soul that dwells in all beings.

The sage Narada wished to find out how Krishna could lead a happy married life with His sixteen thousand wives. He visited their mansions, and found Krishna in every one of their homes engaged in a variety of duties. What a great marvel! Narada was stunned. Does this not prove that Krishna is the Lord of Yogins and is Lord Hari Himself'?

 Krishna is the Lord of all beings. He is, in fact, the husband of all women in this world. The real husband is the Lord only. It is to demonstrate this to the world that Lord Krishna incarnated Himself as the son of Devaki and Vasudeva.

 

AN EMBODIMENT OF LOVE AND MERCY

 

 Lord Krishna is styled as one who steals butter, because He used to eat stealthily the butter in the houses of the Gopis on account of His extreme love for them. This stealing of butter was a sort of sport or Lila when He was a boy, to instill delight in the hearts of the Gopis who were His devotees. The Gopis liked this immensely. They were eagerly expecting Krishna to come and eat their butter. Krishna really steals or captivates the hearts of His devotees, makes them forget the world, draws their minds towards His blessed feet, and makes them enjoy everlasting peace and bliss.

Krishna had the Bhava of mother even for Putana who came to kill Him, and gave her salvation. He gave salvation even to His bitterest enemies, Kamsa and Sishupala, who insulted Him openly in the Rajasuya Yajna, Then, what to speak of those who are highly devoted to Him?

 

THE LORD'S TEACHINGS

  Sri Krishna was the friend of Arjuna and Uddhava. His immortal teachings to Arjuna and Uddhava on Yoga, Bhakti and Jnana are unique. They even now stir the hearts of the readers and goad them towards the spiritual path, and instill peace into their hearts.

 Arjuna had various kinds of doubts. Lord Krishna cleared his doubts one by one. He pushed Arjuna up in the ladder of Yoga from one rung to another rung. Ultimately Arjuna placed his step in the highest rung of the ladder, attained Knowledge of the Self, and then exclaimed in joy, "O my Lord! My delusion is destroyed. I have attained Knowledge through Thy grace. I am firm now. My doubts have now vanished in total. I will act according to Thy command".

Sri Krishna asked man to consider himself a doll in the hands of God. He asked man to think himself as a soldier, God as his great general, his worldly acts as duties under orders. He asked him to act on the faith and belief that whatever he does is the work of God. He asked man to act, but act only with devotion to God without desire for fruits.

 The teachings given by Lord Krishna to Uddhava, on the eve of His departure from this world are wonderful. He gives instructions on a variety of subjects. But the one ringing note is: "See Me in everything. Surrender yourself to Me. Do all actions for My sake. Cut off all sorts of attachments. Have perfect unswerving devotion to Me, Sing My glories".

 

CALL OF THE FLUTE

  The flute is the symbol of the Pranava. It is this flute that attracted the devoted Gopis, the maidens of Vraja, to meet their beloved Lord on the banks of the sacred Yamuna. The sound of this divine flute thrilled the heart with rapturous delight, and instilled new life and joy. It produced God-intoxication in all beings and infused life even in insentient objects. The sweetness of the music was unsurpassed. He who heard once the music of Krishna's flute cared not for the nectar of heaven or the bliss of Moksha.

 The Lord's flute and its music had stirred the souls of the Gopis. They lost all control over themselves. The world was nothing to them. They felt irresistibly drawn towards Sri Krishna. They had neither shame nor fear in leaving their homes. There was a soul awakening in them. Their mind was not of this world. Their husbands and brothers stopped them in vain. Who can resist the torrent of divine love for the Lord?

 he love that the Gopis bore towards Krishna was a divine love. It was the union of souls. It is no union of sex. It is the aspiration of the Jivatman to merge in the Paramatman. It is the blending of the individual soul with the Supreme Soul.

The Gopis were the sages of Dandaka forest in their previous births. At that time, they wished to embrace Lord Rama. They were promised satisfaction in the later Avatara. They got blended into the Paramatman in the Krishna-avatara.

Krishna has preached 'Prem' through His flute. Radha asked Krishna: "O my dear! Why do You love the flute more than me? What virtuous actions has it done so that it can remain in close contact with Your lips? Kindly explain to me, my Lord, the secret of this. I am eager to hear". Sri Krishna said: "This flute is very dear to Me. It has got some wonderful virtues. It has emptied off its egoism. It has made its inner hollow quite void and I can bring out any kind of tune, Raga or Ragini, to My pleasure and sweet will. If you also behave towards Me in exactly the same manner as this flute, if you remove your egoism completely and make perfect self-surrender, then I shall also love you in the same manner as I love this flute".

This body also is the flute of Lord Krishna in the macrocosm. If you can destroy your egoism and make total self-surrender, unreserved Atma-Nivedana to the Lord, He will play on this body-flute nicely and bring out melodious tunes. Your will shall become merged in His Will. He will work unhampered through your instruments of body, mind and Indriyas. You can then rest peacefully without cares, worries or anxieties.

 0 my dear children of Immortality! Lord Krishna is still roaming about in the gullies of Vrindavan. Just as Lord Dattatreya is still moving about with His astral body in the reputed Girnar Hills and gives Darshana even now to His sincere Bhaktas, just as Sri Jnana Dev is still moving about with his astral body in Alandi, near Poona, and gives Darshana even now to His sincere devotees, so also, Lord Krishna is still moving about in Vrindavan and gives Darshana to His sincere Bhaktas. You can find Him in the Seva Kunj in the Kunj gullies, if you really want Him. He is the Brij Raj, the unprecedented Monarch of the three worlds. He is waiting with outstretched arms to embrace you with His warm love in His sweet bosom, as He did with Mira, Surdas and others in days of yore. Purify your mind. Destroy your evil Vasanas and egoism. Hear once more the flute of the Bansiwala, Bankebehari of Vrindavan and His immortal song of the Gita. Allow Him to play in this body-flute of yours. Lose not this rare opportunity. It is very difficult to get this human body.

     

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