The Hindu : Miscellaneous / Religion : Glory of the Lord's advents

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Friday, Dec 03, 2004

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous - Religion

Glory of the Lord's advents

CHENNAI, DEC.3 . Among the advents of the Supreme Being in the world that of Krishna has inspired many including men of wisdom (Jnanis) to compose works on His divine sports. In His incarnation as Rama He endured the travails of forest life for upholding His father's promise to Kaikeyi and a devotee is bound to shed tears while reading about the plight of the Divine couple like walking on the thorny ground of the forest. What is the rationale of studying such a poignant narration? First and foremost must be the development of gratitude that the Almighty incarnated for humanity's sake. The benefit of listening to the glory of the Lord's incarnations is the destruction of Karma leading to liberation from bondage.

In his discourse, Sri Kesava Dikshitar said the Lord's divine nature was evident in His Krishna incarnation. King Pareekshit who listened to the Bhagavata Purana from Sage Suka was so immersed in the glory of the Lord that he remarked when the sage was about to recount Krishna's descent, "Hunger, which is so difficult to bear, does not afflict me, although I have given up even water, drinking as I am the nectar of the Lord's story flowing from your lotus lips." The king ought to know better than anyone else because he invited the curse of a sage's son to die of snakebite for committing a grave sin driven by thirst and hunger.

Pareekshit recalled how Krishna had with discus in hand protected him from being burnt by the missile hurled by Aswatthama when his mother Utthara was expecting him. Eager as the king was to know about this incarnation in detail, Suka told him that Mother Earth approached the creator (Brahma) in the form of a disconsolate cow oppressed by the tyranny of the arrogant kings (Daityas). Understanding her predicament Brahma along with Lord Siva and the gods went to the abode of Lord Vishnu and prayed for His intercession.

An ethereal voice then commanded the gods to be born as part manifestation among the Yadus and prophesied that Lord Vishnu would be born in the house of Vasudeva; that the thousand-headed Lord Ananta would precede Him as His elder brother and the Lord's potency, Maya by whom the entire creation stands bewitched would also be born as a part manifestation to aid Him. The Purana then describes the marriage of Vasudeva and Devaki and how Kamsa who had escorted their marriage procession imprisoned them after hearing the prophecy that their eighth child would kill him.

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