Miscellaneous - Religion   

Need for detachment

CHENNAI : The Almighty taught the truth during His advent as Krishna to Arjuna in the battlefield and to Uddhava before His departure from the world and they are known as the Bhagavad Gita and the Uddhava Gita respectively. But, there is an essential difference between the two. After expounding the entire spectrum of spiritual knowledge and the means to adopt for attaining liberation from bondage to Arjuna, Lord Krishna pointed out that the path of action (Karma yoga) was suitable for him as he had to first discharge his duty as a warrior. In the case of Uddhava who was also a dear friend and devotee, Krishna told him to retire to Badarikashrama to strive for his salvation through detachment (Vairagya).

In her discourse, Srimathi Prema Pandurang said detachment to the world, which was essential for spiritual progress, could be understood as extraordinary attachment to the Lord. It is human nature to be attached to one's kith and kin but this proves to be the deterrent to spiritual evolution. The easiest way to develop detachment is to divert this love towards the Lord and in course of time the bond of devotion will become so strong that worldly attachments will drop off of their own accord.

When the purpose of Krishnavatara was over, the celestials prayed to Him to return to His divine abode. By slighting a man of wisdom the Yadu race (in which Krishna was born) was cursed to annihilation, which was the divine will for the Yadavas had become powerful and insolent.

Observing the evil portents Krishna advised those who were devoted to Him to leave Dwaraka as it would be submerged and proceed to Prabhasa. It was then that Uddhava approached Krishna in seclusion and beseeched Him to take him along with Him as he surmised that the Lord, who could have countered the curse easily, had not done so, and hence He was leaving the world. Krishna then taught him how to strive for liberation by overcoming attachment. He related the conversation between King Yadu and Dattatreya about how the sage imbibed wisdom from 24 preceptors in nature, which emphasises detachment.

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