Sudarsana and Kartavirya Arjuna

[Guest guest]

Furthering our discussion of Sri Sudarsana Chakra as

the sankalpa-Sakti of Bhagavaan, Sri Bharat sent this

followup email detailing what Sri Rangapriya Swami

graciously told him:

 

Re: KArtavIryArjuna:

 

Sri SudarSana once became proud and thought that since

he was the Mind and Sankalpa parts of the Lord the latter

was totally in his grasp.Since the Lord is the Mind behind

the Mind itself He knew his thoughts instantly and told him,

"if you want to test your theory,take birth will ALL your

power and I'll confront you only as an "AvESa AvatAra"

and let's see what happens."

 

Accordingly he was born as KArtavIrya the king of

MAhishmati.Due to his innate goodness and power

he he ruled the kingdom with total justice.Since he

was the principle of the Mind itself he knew the instant

any of his subjects had an evil thought and promptly

appeared before him to prevent it.He was so powerful

he once captured Ravana and tied him up as a "ten-

headed-insect" on his child's cradle as a plaything for

him.

 

Unfortunately Pride being his weakness he fell foul

of Rshi Jamadgni,killed him and thus made the

Lord enter the Rshi's son Parasurama as an AvESa

AvatAra and was nullified.

 

But he has his uses.He has got the power to locate

for his devotees things they have lost.As the SAstra

says-

<Nashta-dravyasya lAbhArtham KArtavIryArjunam

smarEt>

 

Swami said that this is literally true and quoted

various instances.

 

To this, I asked:

> Dear Maama,

>

> Thank you for the detailed writeup of what Swami conveyed.

> I have a rather naive question I hope you don't mind answering.

> Since Sri Sudarsana Alvan is a nitya-sUri, how can we speak

> of him getting puffed up with pride?

>

> Mani

>

 

Sri Bharat replied:

 

Right.I asked Swami just the same question.He explained:

 

If he doesn't leave Parampadam he has no problem.He doesn't even

have consciousness of his separate self since he is immersed in

the Lord.But if he comes into Prakriti Mandala as part of his

Kainkarya he may get influenced sometimes,as happened to

Garutman also.Sometimes the Lord Himself (being HrshIkESa)

may influence his mind (as He did to Arjuna)to point a moral for

the benefit of humanity.Even these cases (as in the present

instance) end up only to further glorify the Lord Himself.Hence

they also come within His Leela and the SEshabhUta's

Kainkarya.So there is no harm done to anyone.

 

Sri EmberumAnAr TiruvaDigaLE SaeraNam!