Bhakti to any form of the Lord is rare; rarer indeed is Bhakti to Lord Narayana; rarer
still is Bhakti to the form of Krishna, the Beloved of the Gopis. Bhakti sprouts in one’s heart
through mere ‘sravanam’ (listening) of the Lord’s Lila (Divine Play). And, Srimad Bhãgavatam
is a Bhakti ‘Granta’. Just as the Ganga is the best amongst rivers, Vishnu the best amongst
gods, Vãrãnasi the best amongst Holy cities, so too, is Srimad Bhãgavatam the best amongst ‘Grantãs’ (Holy Texts). It is the quintessence of the Vedas.
It is said that the Lord sported human form to kill Kamsa the son of Ugrasena, king of Mathura, who had become a menace to the whole world. But, is it necessary for the Supreme Entity to come into this world in a human form, to destroy a Kamsa, who is but a speck in His creation? No! What then could be the reason for His Avatar? To perform Lila! The Lord’s compassion for the suffering humanity brought Him down to enact His Lila. By just listening/remembering/singing His Lila, a ‘jiva’ very easily attains to the state that the Yogis of yonder times struggled to attain.
The kaleidoscopic life of Krishna was full of enthralling incidents. How joyful it is to read/listen to the wonderful Lila of the Lord as Krishna! Reading/hearing the Lila of Lord Krishna is verily the panacea for the disease of ‘samsãra’.
being born in the prison cell at Mathura as the son of Vasudeva-Devaki
moving surreptitiously to Vraja to the home of Nanda-Yasoda
His very first Lila – Putana ‘vadam’ (destruction) being one of sheer compassion [bestowing Moksha on one who tried to kill Him with the poisonous milk in her breast] Here Suka asks, ‘if the Lord bestowed Moksha on the one who fed Him with poisonous milk with the intention of killing Him what then to speak of those mothers and cows that fed Him with their milk with love?
killing Sakatasura, who came in the form of a cart, with just a push of His little foot!
killing the demon Trinãvarta who came in the form of gale
showing the whole Universe in His little mouth, stunning mother Yasoda
stealing butter from the homes of Gopis thus earning the name ‘Navaneetha chora’ (stealer of butter)!
drinking up the milk from the udders of the cows
untying the calves so that they drank up all the milk from the cows sparing nothing for the Gopis!
carrying the young thirsty calf to the Yamuna and quenching its thirst
Himself sitting on His knees and sucking up the Yamuna waters just as the cows and calves do! Spitting the water in His mouth into the Yamuna. Hence, the Sadhus call the Yamuna Holier and blessed than the Ganga!
feigning fear and running away from mother Yasoda after breaking the butter pots. Teasing mother Yasoda who tries to tie Him up to the mortar; finally, permitting Himself to be tied to the mortar; bestowing salvation on Nalakubera-Manigreeva, (sons of Kubera) cursed by Sage Narada to be born as Arjuna trees in the home of Nanda
playing various sports with the cowherd boys
killing Bakasura; killing the demon Agha who came in the form of a huge python
humbling Lord Brahma by Himself becoming the innumerable cowherd boys and calves, when the former spirited away the cowherd boys and calves and hid them in a cave
killing the demon Dhenuka who came in the form of an ass
reforming Kaliya the serpent – His enchanting dance on Kaliya’s hood!
killing the demon Pralamba who came in the form of a Gopa
drinking up the forest fire to save the cowherd boys
Krishna playing the flute – revealing the sheer magic of His flute!
stealing the Gopis’ clothes while they were bathing in the Yamuna
bestowing His darshan and blessings on the pious and devoted Brahmana ‘patniis’ (wives of Vedic Brahmins)
humbling the pride of Indra and protecting the cowherd settlement – by lifting and holding the huge Govardhana Mountain on His little finger for seven days [Here, the Lord says, ‘humbling the proud [here it is Indra] is a blessing upon them. The cowherd settlement has surrendered unto Me and look upon Me as its leader. It is my resolve to protect them]
the title of Govinda bestowed upon the Lord by Indra
restoring Nanda from the loka of Varuna and revelation of Vaikunta to the Gopas
enticing the hearts of the Gopis with His ethereal music on the flute in the Sarat season and fulfilling their desire by performing ‘rasa’ on that full moon night, on the banks of the Yamuna
humbling the pride of the Gopis with His disappearance
reappearance and the carnival of rasa dance
salvation of Sudarsana from the form of a python with the touch of His Feet
saving the Gopis from the clutches of Sankhachuda by killing him and removing the crest jewel on his head and presenting it to Balarama
destroying Kesi who came in the form of a horse
destroying Vyomãsura who came in the form of a Gopa
leaving Vrindavana for Mathura with Akrura amidst the heart rendering wailings of the Gopis – “Oh! Our Govinda! Oh! Our Damodara! Oh! Our Madhava!”
revealing His Divine form to Akrura, on their way to Mathura
entry into Mathura – killing the abusive washerman; blessing the friendly weaver and garland-maker
bestowing beauty on the hunch-backed young woman Trivakra, for lovingly offering sandalpaste and promising to visit her home
breaking the Dhanus (bow) and destroying the army sent by Kamsa
destroying the elephant Kuvalayãpeedam
inspiring the various ‘rasãs’ (feelings/sentiments) on the onlookers in accordance with his/her attitude (the wrestlers looked upon Krishna as a thunderbolt; to the common men He appeared a hero; to the women verily the Cupid; to the Gopas a kinsman; to the despotic kings He appeared as the punisher of their evil doings; to their parents an infant; to Kamsa the very Avatar of death; to the ignorant a human like themselves; to the Yogis as the Supreme Entity and to the Vrishniis as their Deity)
destroying the wrestlers
killing Kamsa and restoring the throne to Ugrasena
learning under Guru Sandeepani
retrieving the Guru’s dead son as Guru ‘dakshina’
sending message to the Gopis through His dear friend Uddhava
visiting Trivakra
visiting Akrura
sending Akrura to Hastinapur to learn about His cousins, the Pandavas
confronting Jarasandha
building the wonderful city of Dwaraka
having kãlayavana killed by Muchukunda, and bestowing His Blessings on the latter
carrying away Rukmini and marrying her
Pradyumna’s birth
the incident of Syamantaka jewel
Krishna’s marriages – with Jambavati, Satayabhãma, Kalindi, Mitravinda, Satya, Bhadra and Lakshmana
killing Narakasura; releasing the 16000 captive women and marrying them
carrying the Devaloka tree of Pãrijãta
Krishna teasing and testing Rukmini
killing Rukmi, Rukmini’s brother
bringing back Aniruddha from Bana’s kingdom along with his bride Usha, Bana’s daughter
reedeming Nriga cursed to become a Lizard
killing Paundraka who proclaimed Himself as the real Vãsudeva and challenged Krishna!
killing the king of Kasi; saving the people of Dwaraka from Kritya (the fire-spirit) sent to destroy Him. Destruction of the son of the king of Kãsi and the whole of Kãsi with Sudarsana Chakra
Narada witnessing the performance of the duties of the householder by Lord Krishna in His 160008 homes!
destruction of Jarasandha and freeing the imprisoned kings
Helping Yudhishtira in performing Rajasuya Yaga
liberating Sisupãla
destroying Sãlva
liberating Dantavaktra
Love and Grace bestowed on the Gurukula friend Sudãma
meeting Nanda, Yasoda and His beloved Gopis at Syamantapanchaka festival
embracing each one of the Gopis and assuring them of His love
Krishna serving His parents Vasudeva-Devaki
fulfilling the desire of mother Devaki to see her dead sons
fulfilling Arjuna’s desire to marry Subhadra
blessing His devotees – Srutadeva, the pious Brahmin and Bahulasva, king of Mithila – with visit to their homes along with many Sages, simultaneously!
retrieving the children of a Brahmin from Vaikuntha
visiting Hastinapur as the messenger of the Pandavas for peace talk
Krishna helping the Pandavas in the great war of Kurushetra and His ‘upadesa’ to Arjuna (the Bhagavat Gita) on the battlefield
Lord Krishna’s decision to end His earthly sojourn
Lord Krishna’s instructions to Uddhava (Uddhava Gita)
Lord Krishna blessing His Pãduka to the aggrieved Uddhava and instructing him to stay at Badari
Sage Maitreya also imbibing the instructions of the Lord quietly
Lord Krishna advising Maitreya to pass on His ‘upadesa’ to Vidhura thus remembering him in His last moment on earth!
“Srimad Bhãgavatam is ‘svayam’ (in ‘Itself’) Bhagavãn. Srimad Bhãgavatam is greater than the Ramayana, the Bhagavad Gita
or any other great Epic because mere listening to the Bhãgavatam takes one to Moksha. Once the work of His Avatar was
completed, Lord Krishna entered Srimad Bhãgavatam, as He desired to remain in this world in Kaliyuga. Srimad Bhãgavata
‘pãrãyana’ (reading) bestows liberation even if done imperfectly. Even mere listening (to Srimad Bhãgavatam) bestows
Moksha. Sage Vyãsa had given it to Sukãchãrya who in turn passed it on to Parikshit. That which is attained by Karma,
Bhakti and Yoga is easily attained by merely listening to Srimad Bhãgavatam. The proof of this is king Parikshit himself.”
…………….
His Holiness Sri Sri Swamiji in His upanyãs at Premika Bhavanam,
on Saturday the 16th December, 2000.
Performance of Srimad Bhãgavata saptãham during Janmãshtami Utsav (commencing from 6th September) is auspicious
and bestows on us Bhakti to the Lord. Though Srimad Bhãgavatam details the Lila of the Lord through His various Avatars,
it is above all hailed by all Holy men for its narration of His colourful Lila as Sri Krishna.
Says the Bhãgavatam:
“Ityetanmunitanayãsyapadmagandhapeeyoosham bhavabhayabhit parasya pumas: |
sushlokam ssravannaputyh pipatyabheeshnam pãnthodhvabhramannaparisramam
jahãti ||” (10:89:21)
One who drinks, through his ears, this narrative of the Supreme Lord’s Divine Play flowing from the lotus lips
of Suka Maharshi stands relieved of ‘samsãra tãpa’.
“Matryastayãnusavamedhitayã mukunda-sreemat-kathã-sravanna-keertana-chintayaiti |
taddhãma dustarakrutãntajavãpavargam gramãd vanam shitibhujoapi
yayuryadarthãh ||” (10:90:50)
By continually listening, singing and remembering the Divine Play of the Lord, man’s Bhakti for the Lord grows;
through this he is able to cross over the ocean of ‘samsãra’ and attains to the state of the Lord desiring which
kings relinquished their kingdoms and retired to forests.
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