15.EXPLOITS OF KRISHNA

WITH  THE  GREAT

Source: ISKCON. Krishna lifting Govardhan Hill. Gratefully acknowledged.


15. EXPLOITS OF KRISHNA

Avatar is divine!

Sri Krishna says in the Gita that His birth and activities are divine.

जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः।

त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म नैति मामेति सोऽर्जुन।।4.9।।


 O Arjuna! My birth and activities are divine. He who knows the truth of this  is not born again, after leaving this body. He attains to Me.

 All forms of life are born due to karma. But Avatara has no karma. Bhagavan takes Avatara by his own will. This is also stated by Bhagavan in the Gita.


अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन्।

प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय संभवाम्यात्ममायया।।4.6।।


 I am unborn, of changeless nature and the Lord of all beings. Yet subjugating My Prakriti, I come into being by My own Power .


यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत।

अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदाऽऽत्मानं सृजाम्यहम्।।4.7।।

O Bharata! Whenever there is a decline in Dharma, and rise of Adharma, then I body Myself forth.


परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम्।

धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय संभवामि युगे युगे।।4.8।।


For the protection of the righteous, for the destruction of the wicked, and for the establishment of Dharma, I come into being in every yuga.


This makes one point clear.  People have to take birth based on their karma. Arunagirinatha says : விதி  காணும்  உடம்பு. Karma  in the form of fate causes the body.  Bhagavan has no Karma for which he has to take a body. Bhagavan comes as Avatara based on the conditions of the world., He does not abandon the world. He comes to set things right and show the path. Even so, it is not possible for us to understand the Avatara properly. Indeed , only a few Rishis could know that Rama was an Avatara. Krishna was even more mysterious- ie divine.

Krishna- Govardhandhari!

From Halebid.
Taken from: swamisblog.blogspot.in

We see this divine nature on display fully in the exploits of  Krishna as a child in Gokula and Brindavan. Our master sings about it in several hymns.


குன்றால்விண் டாழ்க்குங் குடைகொடு
     கன்றாமுன் காத்துங் குவலய
          முண்டார்கொண் டாட்டம் பெருகிய ...... மருகோனே

( பொன்றா மன்றாக்கும்)

From: kaumaram.com. Thanks.


Here, he is dealing with two episodes.

Kunraal   : with the mountain

vin thaazhkkung kudaikodu :   using it as an umbrella to prevent rain from falling.

kanraa mun kaaththum : saving the cows with their calves in the olden days.

kuvalayam undaar:    swallowing the earth

kondattam perugiya :  increasing celebrations/ attracting praise all round

marugonae   : (addressing Kumara, he says) you are his nephew/son in law.

Like Andal, Arunagiri is also celebrating the one who took the hill as an umbrella: குன்று குடையாய் எடுத்தாய் குணம் போற்றி !

The episode connected with  Govardhangiri is very important. Krishna changed a historical practice. The gopas were in the habit of celebrating Indra. (This we see in the ancient Tamil land too, in the Sangam age, and is even recorded in Silappadhikaram). But Krishna questioned it.  Seeing the preparations being made,He asked Nandagopa why they were so excited. Nandagopa explained that they depended on rain for prosperity, and with the things obtained by rain, they performed yajna for Indra, and enjoyed whatever was left over, to obtain the 3 purusharthas. Those who do not follow this practice do not become prosperous.

To this, Krishna gave a reply, which is worth studying:

karmaṇā jāyate jantuḥ
karmaṇaiva pralīyate
sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ bhayaṁ kṣemaṁ
karmaṇaivābhipadyate     13

asti ced īśvaraḥ kaścit
phala-rūpy anya-karmaṇām
kartāraṁ bhajate so ’pi
na hy akartuḥ prabhur hi saḥ      14

kim indreṇeha bhūtānāṁ
sva-sva-karmānuvartinām
anīśenānyathā kartuṁ
svabhāva-vihitaṁ nṛṇām             15

svabhāva-tantro hi janaḥ
svabhāvam anuvartate
svabhāva-stham idaṁ sarvaṁ
sa-devāsura-mānuṣam                16

na naḥ purojanapadā
na grāmā na gṛhā vayam
vanaukasas tāta nityaṁ
vana-śaila-nivāsinaḥ               24

tasmād gavāṁ brāhmaṇānām
adreś cārabhyatāṁ makhaḥ
ya indra-yāga-sambhārās
tair ayaṁ sādhyatāṁ makhaḥ     25

These are from Bhagavatam, Skandam 10, chap.24

This is what Krishna says:

13. Lives are born according to their karma. They die because of their karma. Sukham, sorrow, happiness and fear are all due to the effect of their karma.

14. Even if there is an Easwara to assign the results of karma, he would do so only according to their karma. How will he lord over those who have no karma?

15. When things happen according to their karma. what will people gain by Indra who cannot alter the effect of karmas?

16. Man is governed by his past karma. He acts as prompted  by his past karma.  This  whole world, consisting of  Devas, Asuras and men is subject to past karma.

24. Father! We do not have a kingdom, township, or village or even a house of our own. We are only living in the forest and on hills all the time!

25. Therefore, begin the yajna of the cattle, Brahmins  and this hill. Whatever materials have been gathered for the yajna of Indra, let us use for this (new) yajna.

It is thus that the celebrations of Govardhana Hill started. It is because of this Indra was enraged and sent down torrential rains. That is why Krishna lifted the Govardhan Hill to prevent the rain from falling on their dwelling.

From: hariharji.blogspot.com

This whole chapter of the Bhagavatam should be studied carefully. Superficially, it may appear that Krishna is overemphasising karma- prarabda. But what he is saying is that doing yajnas for the deities like Indra who cannot adjudicate or alter karma is useless. Instead, we should foster cows, learned people and the natural environment which facilitate living.

It is also to be noted that Krishna identifies himself with the  forests and hills. In sangam literature too, Mayon-Tirumaal- Krishna- is held as the God of Mullai- the forests and lands adjoining it! As Tholkappiam says: மாயோன் மேய காடுரை உலகமும்..

In fact, Krishna is the original God of Ecology and Environment. If we don't foster forests, we won't even get rains! 

This episode is covered in another hymn also:

மந்தரங்குடை யென நிரை யறு துயர்

சிந்த அன்றடர் மழை தனில் உதவிய

மஞ்செனும்படி  வடிவுறும் அரி

The second episode here is Krishna swallowing the world. (Kuvalayam undaar.) We are not sure what this refers to. It may refer to his eating the mud and on opening his mouth, making Yashoda see the whole world! This too is mentioned in another hymn.

பகைத் தரக்கர்கள் யமனுலகுற அவர்

தொடுத்த சக்கிர வளை கரம்  அழகியர்

படிக் கடத்தையும் வயிரடை நெடியவர்

Krishna showing the universe in his mouth to Yashoda.

From: www.vidursury.com

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