The Hindu : Miscellaneous / Religion : God favours His devotees

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Saturday, Jan 22, 2005

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous - Religion

God favours His devotees

CHENNAI, JAN.22 . Among the incarnations of the Supreme Being that of Lord Krishna has been hailed traditionally as a complete manifestation. While the Valmiki Ramayana describes the life of the Lord during His advent as Rama, the life and deeds of Krishna have been portrayed in two scriptural texts— the Mahabharata and the Bhagavata Purana. Sage Vyasa composed both these works. A unique feature that can be seen in them is that the epic which was written first by the sage deals with His adulthood while the Purana, which is definitely a later work elaborates His birth, childhood life and divine deeds. The Purana itself relates that Vyasa composed this work at the instance of Sage Narada because he did not attain peace of mind even after accomplishing the marathon task of codifying the Vedas into four, composing the Mahabharata, which is hailed as the fifth Veda and numerous Puranas. It was only after glorifying His childhood deeds in the Bhagavata Purana that Vyasa realised his life's objective.

In his discourse, Sri B. Sundar Kumar said the Mahabharata was a documentation of Lord Krishna's singular grace showered on the Pandavas and not just the depiction of the fratricidal war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. The epic also connotes victory and it highlights how adherence to Dharma ultimately ensures success to the person who upholds it. Deprived of their birthright and driven to the forest without even the love and care of relations, the Pandavas and their mother Kunti survived in the forest only because of the vessel (Akshayapatra), which the Sun-god bequeathed to them. That they faced all the ordeals during their exile and ultimately won back their kingdom was solely due to Krishna's compassionate grace.

Were not the Kauravas also Lord Krishna's kinsmen? Was He then partial towards the Pandavas? Certainly He was. The Almighty is impartial and dispenses according to man's Karma. But, in the case of His devotees even though they may have to face trials and tribulations in their lives, He stands by them and ultimately blesses them with success. The Pandavas always remembered Lord Krishna and never forsook Dharma even in the most trying situations they faced. The true test of virtue in a person's life is when the odds are against him and he is able to face them without compromising on his principles. Hence the Pandavas were privileged to be the Lord's chosen friends and favoured devotees.

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