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Source: The Hindu (http://www.the-hindu.com)

 

Inimitable qualities of Lord Krishna

 

CHENNAI, JUNE 6. Sacred works throwing light on the inimitable

qualities of God state emphatically that He is never partial. He

has no animosity towards anyone nor does He go out of the way,

during His incarnations, functioning like any mortal, to support

or vanquish anyone. No doubt He will offer His guidance, directly

or obliquely to His devotees who solely depend on Him. Even then

He will not violate the norms of virtue or tamper with the

inviolable destiny. The purpose of His descent on the world is to

punish evil-doers and those who stand in the way of men of

righteousness in the pursuit of their duties. But religious texts

point out how on certain occasions, where there was blatant

injustice when He could have saved devotees from the jaws of

death, He did deliberately refrain from interfering with the

course of fate.

 

The Mahabharata gives several instances of how the Lord, as

Krishna had protected the Pandavas from innumerable ordeals.

Once, when a powerful dart was aimed at one of His devotees,

Krishna saved him by receiving it on His chest when it got

converted itself as a flower garland. However, it baffles laymen

why He did not prevent the death of young, brilliant warrior

Abhimanyu, who was killed by unethical steps taken by his

opponents who could not face his bravery directly.

 

This incident brings out one of the natural attitudes of men who

will not fail to sermonise to others who are placed amidst

calamities, not to lose courage but be brave. But when they

themselves are immersed in grief they will break down completely

and will not recover from the shock and will forget the words of

solace offered by them to others. As Krishna could guess how

Arjuna would react on hearing the death of his son, He created a

scene wherein an old man was about to enter flames as he could

not bear the death of his son in the battlefield. Arjuna calmed

him by explaining that the deceased had indeed died as a hero and

there was nothing to regret. ``Will you be calm if such a

situation arises in your case'', he asked for which Arjuna

replied ``I will not be upset'' adding that he would stand by his

statement. This was Krishna's stratagem, said Sri K. P.

Arivanandam. He made the old man to appear before Arjuna when the

latter was furious at his son's death and reminded him about his

brave statement made earlier. The gloom in the Pandavas' camp was

lifted after Arjuna vowed to rout the enemies and avenge his

son's loss. His wish was to crush the murderer of his son and the

noise as he twanged his bow filled the four corners.

 

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