Miscellaneous - Religion   

Need for foresight

CHENNAI: There are interesting asides (Upakhyana) in the main narratives of the Puranas and the epics which offer invaluable insights. One such episode which occurs in the three Puranas —the Bhagavata, Vishnu and the Skanda—is about the rare gem Syamantaka in the context of Lord Krishna’s life.

Satrajit was a great devotee of Sun-god and pleased with his devotion the god bestowed on him the Syamantaka. When he entered Dwaraka wearing it shining like the Sun, no one could recognise him, and thought that the god himself had come in person. They promptly told Krishna about it who laughed and said that it was the gem that lent the glow to Satrajit.

In his discourse, Sri S.Ganesa Sarma said when the Sun-god appeared before Satrajit he did not have the foresight to seek spiritual knowledge or liberation and was thrilled to get the gem. But, there were strings attached to it. The god warned him that he should worship the gem with utmost purity when it would yield eight measures of gold daily and that famine, pestilence and other calamities, serpents, mental worries and bodily ailments would not exist where it was worshipped.

Krishna expressed that the king of the Yadus (Ugrasena) was the fittest person to possess the gem as it would then bring prosperity to all, but Satrajit coveted it without realising the consequences of rejecting the Lord’s request and did not hand it over to Ugrasena. Satrajit’s brother Prasena went hunting one day wearing the Syamantaka and attracted by its lustre a lion killed him and snatched the gem. The lion was in turn killed by Jambavan (of the Ramayana fame who was blessed with eternal life) and the bear gave it as a toy to his infant son. When Prasena did not return Satrajit started suspecting Krishna. Thus the gem did not spare even the Lord. Krishna went in search of Syamantaka to clear His name and found it in Jambavan’s cave.

A lengthy duel ensued for the Syamantaka between Krishna and Jambavan for 28 days and finally the bear recognised Him as Lord Rama he adored and had served (now in His incarnation as Krishna). He apologised for his lapse and gave his daughter Jambavati in marriage to Krishna along with the gem.

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