The Hindu : Miscellaneous / Religion : Divine will prevails

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Wednesday, Apr 06, 2005

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous - Religion

Divine will prevails

CHENNAI, APRIL 6 . The Supreme Being ordains His manifestations in this world and it is by the study of the Puranas and the epics, which describe His incarnations that one can appreciate the secret and purpose of His descents. The Krishna manifestation is a case in point. An ethereal voice announced the death of Kamsa by the eighth-born son of Vasudeva and Devaki when he was affectionately escorting their bridal procession. His love for his cousin Devaki instantly evaporated, and overcome with fear of death, he instantly tried to finish her off. It was only at the instance of Vasudeva who promised to hand over their children to him that he refrained from killing her and imprisoned them.

In his discourse, Nagai Sri Mukundan said the heart of even a tyrant like Kamsa underwent a change when Vasudeva kept his word and handed over his firstborn son, Kirtiman to him at birth. Looking at the infant Kamsa told Vasudeva to take the baby back as his end was decreed only at the hands of his eighth child. But Vasudeva did not rejoice for he knew that he was fickle-minded. Before long Sage Narada appeared before Kamsa and told him about the secret of the Lord's manifestation in the world and how the celestials had taken birth in the cowherd community of Vraja to aid in the purpose of His descent. After such a warning there was no stopping him and he killed one baby after another. A doubt is bound to arise as to why Vasudeva and Devaki obliged the tyrant by having the children at all. They could have thwarted his designs in so many ways.

It is such doubts that the Purana dispels. It highlights how it was the divine will that all these events should happen and that human beings are only instruments in His hands and, cannot overcome His inscrutable power of Maya without His grace. When the time came for the Lord to manifest as Devaki's child the entire creation rejoiced that the burden of the Earth would be lessened. Kamsa, on the other hand, awaited the birth of his cousin's eighth child with great trepidation in his heart taking every precaution to protect himself.

The Bhagavata Purana describes how Lord Krishna's divine nature was apparent right from the moment of His birth when He enabled His parents to behold His divine form. They prayed to Him to appear as a human child as they feared Kamsa. The Lord obliged and at His instruction Vasudeva transferred Him to Nanda's household.

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