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Hymn of Kunti

CHENNAI: During the incarnations of the Lord, many realised souls have recognised and paid obeisance to Him. Bhishma Stuti and Kunti Stuti in the Bhagavata Purana are hymns directly addressed to Him, that extol His supremacy and auspicious qualities while alluding to the personal rapport of these two great devotees with Lord Krishna whom they understood as the Supreme Being incarnate, said Sri M.V. Anantapadmabhachariar in a lecture. The hymns contain a spontaneous outburst of the divine mercy that they had individually experienced in many unique and subtle ways.

Bhishma's ecstatic eulogy as he lay on the bed of arrows sought the Lord's grace to lead him to the release from further births. Overwhelmed by the Lord's infinite mercy towards His devotees that manifests unfailingly in unexpected ways, he recaptured the battle scene when the Lord forsook His vow not to take up arms in the battle merely to enable Bhishma to keep up his word.

The hymn addressed by Kunti when she became distraught at the imminent departure of Lord Krishna to Dwaraka after the war affirmed the ultimate truth of the Lord. He is the one who is extolled in the Vedas and He pervades each and every aspect of all created beings manifesting as both the form and essence in them. His Maya continues to baffle and perplex and is most difficult to assess. He had protected her family from a series of calamities — poison, fire, man-eating demons, assembly of the wicked, the perils of forest life, during the war, and later from the missile of Aswatthama. In happy times one does not think of God. But when confronted with difficulties His support is sought. So it is that Kunti wishes to experience adversities as this will be a ploy to think of Him always.

The Lord is the only relation to all created beings. Neither wife/husband, children, friend nor parents who may appear as close allies will be able to be as supportive as the Lord for He has taken the vow to protect each and every one of the created beings and loves all the Jivatmas with an amazing degree of impartiality and compassion. He is the greatest wealth to those who have no sense of possession.

None can fully comprehend the extent of support He alone can give and has given and continues to give to all.

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