Miscellaneous - Religion   

The Lord's power

CHENNAI : The Supreme Being, who is difficult to realise even for sages through severe penance and austerities, makes Himself accessible to whom He chooses. Such privilege is certainly because of exceptional devotion and among such devotees were the simple cowherd community of Gokul amidst whom the Lord spent His childhood in His incarnation as Krishna. Even the creator of this universe, Brahma, in his prayer wondered at the good fortune of the inhabitants of Vraja who enjoyed Krishna's company with camaraderie for knowledge of His divine nature would have distanced them from Him.

In his discourse, Sengalipuram Sri Rama Diskhitar said when Lord Krishna went to the forest along with His friends to tend the cows the fun and frolics they had the whole day made even the celestials look on in wonder. The boys would all demand Krishna's undivided attention and make Him taste the food their mothers had packed for them, and also demand their share from His lunch.

It was during one such occasion that Brahma wished to see His divine deed firsthand. So he hid the calves and cowherd boys in a cave when they strayed away. The Lord, the Self in all beings, who intuited Brahma's handiwork in the disappearance of all His friends and calves assumed all their forms including the objects they carried with them like horns, flutes, whistles, bags and ornaments, and returned them to their respective homes.

No one in Gokul had a clue of the divine drama that went on every day for nearly a year (a day according to Brahma's time) and day by day the love of the inhabitants of Vraja for their sons and of the cows towards their calves gradually grew. Returning after a year Brahma saw Krishna playing with His friends in the forest and was bewildered that they were the same as he had hidden. Thus instead of deluding the Lord he stood deceived by His power of delusion (Maya) for all the boys appeared as Krishna to him. Surrendering to Krishna, Brahma exclaimed how fortunate were the inhabitants of Vraja, whose near and dear was none other than Himself, the Almighty.

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