Jagadguru Sri Krishna's Earliest Students - His Parents
(Scene and Context: Sri Krishna's birth in Jail)
Background (from Bhagavatham 10th
Skandham, 3rd Chapter)
Now came the most auspicious time
full of all blessings when the constellation Rohini presided over by Sri
Brahma, the son of Sri Visnu, was at the ascendant and all constellations of
stars, planets and stars assumed peaceful aspects. All the directions became
clear and propitious. The sky became illumined with innumerable clusters of
stars shining clearly. The waters of the rivers became crystal clear; the lakes
were blooming with lotuses; the rows of forest trees laden with bunches of
flowers were resounded with swarms of the sweetly humming bees and cooing of
birds. Overwhelmed with joy the gods and sages showered (heaps of) dowers;
following the roaring of the seas, clouds gave forth a low rumbling sound.
devakyāṁ
deva-rūpiṇyāṁ
viṣṇuḥ
sarva-guhā-śayaḥ
āvirāsīd yathā prācyāṁ
10.3.8
X.3.8th verse: At midnight when the
darkness tormenting the people was thickening, Lord Visnu, the Indweller of the
hearts of all (viṣṇuḥ sarva-guhā-śayaḥ), manifested himself in his own complete
divine form, like the full moon rising in the East, through Devaki who was like
unto a goddess (devakyāṁ deva-rūpiṇyāṁ)
Having first embraced the Lord as
his son
Sri Vasudeva said :
śrī-vasudeva uvāca :
-
vidito ’si bhavān sākṣāt puruṣaḥ
prakṛteḥ
paraḥ
kevalānubhavānanda- svarūpaḥ
sarva-buddhi-dṛk
10.3.13
13. How blessed I am that I have seen you directly - You the Supreme Person, transcendental to and distinct from Prakti absolute wisdom and supreme bliss incarnate, and (as inner controller) the witness of all minds and intellects
EXT: This Shows how Sri Krishna
as Guru had revealed Himself to Sri Vasudeva by his mere presence, as the Sarvantaryaami -
Nitya Suddha Buddha Mukta Atma Swarupam ! Hence he described
Bhagavan with four arms, discuss, gadha as his very Self - Pure
Consciousness - which is the sarva-buddhi-dṛk ! He also describes
Swaami as kevalānubhavānanda- svarūpaḥ - Pure Bliss Experience -
the swarupa lakshanam of BrahmAtman (as outlined in Brahma Vidya, i.e.
Upanisads)
Our experience of our Self as
"I am" and "I exist" is alone free from all doubt and can
be truly called anubhooti.
Everything else
is only witnessed - prateeti not experienced anubhuti !!
Later when Mother Devaki speaks, she
reveals the same Brahma Vidya !
śrī-devaky uvāca
sattā-mātraṁ
nirviśeṣaṁ
nirīhaṁ
sa tvaṁ
sākṣād
viṣṇur adhyātma-dīpaḥ
10.3.24
24. You are verily Lord Visnu
himself, the inner illuminator (i.e. Atman as Pure consciousness revealing all
instruments of knowledge and action); and that indescribable Reality whom the
Vedas declare as the unmanifest primordial cause, the Supreme Brahman, Pure
Consciousness beyond all gunas and evolutes (world of naes and forms); absolute
existence (sattā-mātraṁ) attributeless (nirguṇaṁ) and devoid of activity
(as Swami is beyond time, space, cause-effect) !
EXT: See the terms Mother uses - brahma jyotir nirguṇaṁ
nirvikāram + sattā-mātraṁ (Pure Existence) + tvaṁ
sākṣād viṣṇur adhyātma-dīpaḥ (Your are verily Visnu - the inner light
!)
Here too we see Mother Devaki,
experiences the clarity of Brahmavidya! All Swarupa Lakshana, revealed by
Upanisads are recognized by Mother Devaki.
Thus, Sri
Krishna's Avataara Prayojanam, as Jagadguru started with illuminating his
parents first !
To ensure his
parents, do not get veiled by the Maya... he proceeds to give them the recipe
for making sure their AtmaJnAnam is held intact, in the midst of their
prarabdha as parents.
Only way out as parents, is to look upon Him, not only with love and affection (as a parent normally would) while not forgetting Him as the Supreme Brahman.
This constant recollection of the divinity in children, is the only medicine to overcome "attachment" !!
Now let's proceed to listen to Sri
Krishna speaking to Devaki and Vasudeva in the prison cell : -
=====================
The Lord said :
32. “Oh chaste lady ! In your previous birth in the age of Svayambhuva Manu, you were Prsni and this sinless Vasudeva your husband, was then a Prajapati named Sutapas.
33. When both of you were directed by god Brahma to create progeny, you subdued all your senses and performed a very austere penance.
37-38 Being continuously contemplated upon in the heart with faith, devotion and asceticism, I was highly pleased with you and manifested myself before you in this very form with a desire to fulfill your cherished objects. Oh sinless one, When I, the foremost bestower of boons, told you to ask Me for a boon, the boon for having a son like Me was sought by you.
41 - .....I Myself was born as your son and became known as Prsni-garbha.
42 - And again of you both (as Aditi and Kasyapa) I was born of Aditi from Kalyapa and was famous as Upendra and also as Vamana due to shortness of stature.
43. Now even in this third incarnation, I am verily born with that very form again ofyou both (who are former Aditi and Kasyapa). In this way, my word has been kept, Oh pious lady.
=====================
Now Comes the Important Verses :
-
=====================
44. I have revealed this form of
Mine to you in order to remind you of my previous births (from you); otherwise
the knowledge about my real being is not possible if I only appeared in simple
human form.
- When Swami says "this form of
Mine" - he refers to his form as Sri Visnu - four hands, brilliant
effulgence and so on...
- It also assumed significance,
since Brahma Vidya - i.e. unity of all existence beyond gunas, as pure
consciousness was revealed to both Father and Mother (verse 13, 24 above).
- In essence Sri
Hari as Guru, ensured this birth of His parents is their last birth !!
yuvāṁ
māṁ
putra-bhāvena
brahma-bhāvena cāsakṛt
cintayantau kṛta-snehau
10.3.45
45. Thinking of
Me constantly as your son as well as contemplating upon Me as Supreme Brahman
and loving me affectionately, both of you will attain to the highest state
46. Sri Suka said :
Having spoken thus, Hari became silent. With his Maya power, the Lord immediately became an ordinary human baby, while the parents were simply looking on (with wonder).
|| Sri Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum ||
=====================
Epilogue:
- (After Thoughts - Reflection on the episode above)
Sri Krishna says, in this chapter
that in the past - as Prsni, Sutapas and later as Aditi, Kashyapa - they did
not practice this Viveka/JnAna - which resulted in thier subsequent births.
So Sri Krishna, made sure this time,
the clarity (JnAna) about Sri Krishna as Supreme Brahman, never leaves them !!
This allowed them to escape Samsaara !!
This is very important lesson to us.
This teaching will also help us overcome our attachment to our children and
purify "attachment" into "Love"
- Love or Priyam is Atma Swarupam.
- Love is Essential Nature - Swarupa Lakshanam
- Asti - Existence, Bhaati - Consciousness, Priyam -
Love- these are Svarupa Lakshanas - indicators of our Real Self.
Normally worldly transactions -
including emotional transactions have "terms and conditions apply".
However , all "terms and
conditions" on manifestation of love - are upAdhis - mere superimpositions
on Atman/Brahman. Let's think about this clearly...
Upadhis (or "terms and
conditions") are like the red-flower next to sphatika lingam, which do not
constitute essential nature of the sphatika lingam. Here in this analogy -
Sphatika Lingam is Atman or Love (i.e. Atman is essentially Priyam). So
all "terms and conditions" are super impositions like red-flower.
So like Sri Rama said in RamAnanda
Sagar's version of Ramayana "O Innocent One ! If you love me so
dearly, why put a price tag on your love for Me!"
"O Innocent One ! If you love me so dearly, why put a price tag on your love for Me!"
So to ensure our ability to manifest love, does not affect our peace of mind - we have to constantly recollect that "This Chaithanya Swarupi - my child - is Ishwara himself ".
There is no other way !
Even Sri Krishna had to adopt the same method with his parents, to ensure they do not suffer due to attachment and take birth again. So what choice do we have ?
- None except taking refuge in Ishwara as SarvAntaryAmin
Concluding verses from Svetashvatara Upanisad.
त्वं स्त्री त्वं पुमानसि त्वं कुमार उत वा कुमारी।त्वं जीर्णो दण्डेन वञ्चसि त्वं जातो भवसि विश्वतोमुखः।।4.3।।
tvaṃ strī tvaṃ pumān asi tvaṃ kumāra uta vā kumārī /
tvaṃ jīrṇo daṇḍena vañcasi tvaṃ jāto bhavasi viśvatomukhaḥ // 4.3 //
You are Woman; you are Man; you are Kumaara & Kumaari too. You as an old man who totters leaning on this staff. You appear as the cosmos with have faces in all directions !!
Swami Shivanandaji: If you constantly remember this verse you will be freed from likes and dislikes. You will realise unity of the Self.
O Sahasraśīrśhavadanāyai Namaha (Sri Lalitha Sahasranaama)
नीलः पतङ्गो हरितो लोहिताक्षस्तडिद्गर्भ ऋतवः समुद्राः।
अनादिमत् त्वं विभुत्वेन वर्तसे यतो जातानि भुवनानि विश्वा।।4.1.4।।
nīlaḥ pataṅgō haritō lōhitākṣastaḍidgarbha ṛtavaḥ samudrāḥ.
anādimat tvaṅ vibhutvēna vartasē yatō jātāni bhuvanāni viśvā ৷৷4.4৷৷
4. 4. Thou art the dark blue fly. Thou art the green parrot with red eyes. Thou art the thunder-cloud, the seasons and the oceans. Thou art without beginning, Thou art the Infinite. Thou art He from whom all the worlds are born.
yasya dēvē parābhaktiḥ yathā dēvē tathā gurau.
tasyaitē kathitā hyarthāḥ prakāśantē mahātmanaḥ.
prakāśantē mahātmana iti৷৷6.1.23৷৷
।।6.1.23।। If these truths have been told to a high-souled one, who has supreme devotion to God and as much devotion to his Guru or preceptor as to God, then only, they will shine forth, then only, they will shine forth indeed.
|| Sri Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum ||
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