The Hindu : Miscellaneous / Religion : Devotion the only way

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Saturday, Jul 10, 2004

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Miscellaneous - Religion

Devotion the only way

CHENNAI, JULY 10. There is no other singular force on earth capable of fetching divine grace except unalloyed devotion to the Lord. In order to progress in the spiritual path, the Puranas, which swear by divine mercy, wield a powerful influence. Often, the Lord has offered examples devotees can empathise with. No matter what stage of life one is in, when one reposes total trust in the Lord and serves Him with devotion, his protection is guaranteed, said Sri. P.M. Vijayaraghava Sastrigal in his discourse.

In His manifestation as Lord Krishna, there are many instances when the Lord shows how to conduct family life. When Krishna marries Rukmini, it is reluctantly accepted by her brothers, but the eldest, Rukmi, continues to harbour ill-will towards Krishna and his brother, Balarama. The bitterness surfaces when Rukmi entices Balarama to a game of dice. Although the latter wins, Rukmi, with the courage rendered by the presence of his satellites, claims the victory as his own, despite the Delphic voice of justice proclaiming the true winner. When Rukmi, after blatantly cheating in the game, further taunts Balarama as incapable of excelling either in royal games (such as dice) or in reigning, since he belongs to the cowherd clan, an incensed Balarama kills him with his club. Krishna, who is witness to the events, maintains a diplomatic silence, since applauding his elder brother's action is bound to hurt his wife's feelings; on the other hand, sympathising with her brother's death will appeal to his elder brother. Hence, he maintains a balance.

The episode of Anirudda's wedding and Banasura's defeat further exemplify the fact that divine justice is tempered with mercy for a true devotee. Banasura, a descendent of Prahalad, through his devotion to Siva wins His grace and is granted the boon of thousand arms in order to be the percussionist when Siva danced. However, he soon informs the Lord that his muscles are getting atrophied since none dare challenge him due to his prowess. Keenly aware of the devotee's transcendent pride, the Lord can vanquish him, but refrains, and instead promises him his heart's desire. When Banasura's daughter captivates Krishna's grandson, Aniruddha, and her father imprisons him, the stage is set to teach Banasura his lesson. Siva, on the side of his devotee, `sportingly' fights Krishna, but the discus inexorably chops off all of Banasura's arms, until two are left. Siva's appeal to spare His devotee's life is paid heed to since Krishna too is unwilling to kill any progeny of Prahalad. Banasura too realises the error of misusing the boons procured.

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