Miscellaneous - Religion   

God's power of Maya

CHENNAI: The Bhagavata Purana contains numerous instances to reveal the Supreme Being's power of Maya that easily bewilders even great mystics. During His incarnation as Lord Krishna He revealed His identity to those who were devoted to Him.

The incident describing the cowherds seeking food during a sacrifice performed by austere holy men who were well versed in the Sastras proves that when caught in a daily routine it is easy to deviate from the real purpose of life and it is not possible to fathom the ways in which the Lord chooses to alert His devotees about the ultimate truth, said Sri B. Sundarkumar in a lecture.

Lord Krishna sent the cowherds who were hungry and thirsty after trudging through the uninhabited woods to the place where the Yagna was in progress. Since the men folk placed much emphasis on scriptural laws and ritualistic activities, they failed to realise that the very person in whose honour the Yagna was being performed had come personally to partake of the offerings, and paid no heed to the request of the Supreme Lord. They saw Him as a mere cowherd.

In contrast, when the cowherds approached their wives, they offered all the delicacies they had prepared to Lord Krishna and His friends.

They considered themselves most fortunate to serve Lord Krishna. These women were enchanted by His stories, and were longing to see the Lord and when they saw Him in person they greedily drank with their eyes His ineffable beauty, and were touched by His extraordinary compassion that revealed His divine presence to them.

Though unlearned and lacking in spiritual training, they were able to detach themselves from life because of their unlimited love for Lord Krishna.

Pleased with their offering the Lord reassured them that He would take care of the repercussions that are likely to follow because the ritual food had been given to Him. Neither the lesser gods nor the husbands would hold the women responsible for any transgression.

The Lord stated that by listening to His glory, worshipping Him and attending to other devotees, meditating and singing about Him, His devotees become close to Him, and not through physical proximity.

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