yadhavabhyudhaya

[Guest guest]

The devas started to tell the Lord that rakshasas who were

extinguished previously by Him like moths by the fire, have come back

to earth in the form of kshathriyas and the earth is suffering by

their misdeeds and if the Lord does not intervene the earth will be

submerged into the sea, not being able to bear their weight. The

idea here is that the wicked are burden to the earth. They entreated

Him thus: ‘This earth which has You, who is full of with mercy, as

its helmsman, should not be allowed to go under.’

 

Desika provides a beautiful metaphor by referring to the

Lord as the central jewel of the girdle of the earth. The devas

claimed that the earth deserves the protection of the Lord from the

oppression of the wicked kshathriyas . The earth is surrounded by the

ocean like a girdle of the Bhoodevi and the Lord shining in the

middle of the ocean like a sapphire is like its central gem. Further

the devas said that He should free the earth from the burden of

these wicked kings and make her shine as the crest jewel of

Aadhisesha., meaning that the earth should be made light as a crest

jewel for Sesha who supports it on his head.

 

Desika , the bhaktha, here comes out with beautiful

expression. He makes the devas say ‘Prabhodhasubhagaih smeraih

prasannaih sheethalaischa nah kataakshaih plaavaya kshipram

krpakodhanvadhoormibhih,’ They pray to him to direct His merciful

glances towards them. The glances of the Lord are, Prabhodha subhaga,

attractive, He just being awakened from His yoganidra, smera,

accompanied with His charming smile, prasaana, pleasing, sheethala ,

cooling with love and they are like the waves of the sea of His

mercy, krpakodhanavadhoormibhih. Imagining the Lord thus is enough

to send a devotee to ecstacy. With these words devas concluded their

entreaty asking the Lord to forgive them for their impudence in

informing Him the reason of their approaching Him as though He did

not know everything being the antharyami, indweller of all.

 

Then Bhoodevi bowed down to Him, who has vowed to protect

His dependents, along with the devas and informed Him of her plight.

Desika describes her as being beautiful like the Maya of the Lord.

The earth assuming the form of an exemplary damsel,

vanithaarathnarupini, of slender waist and large eyes , thanumadhyaa

visaalaakshi , is compared by Desika to the enchanting Maya of the

Lord. The whole Universe constituted of the five elements is the

product of Prakrthi, otherwise known as the Maya of the Lord. ‘

 

Desika’s poetic skill is seen in his further description of

Bhoodevi. She was sporting beautiful hair , the natural scent of

which attracted the bees that hover on her head presenting a

spectacle of her being covered with an umbrella made of peacock

feathers. The tears of joy on seeing her Lord formed the beads of

pearls that adorn her chest. Her left shoulder throbbed as though

desiring the embrace of her Lord which was welcomed by her as a good

sign. Desika uses the word Dhakshinaa for the Bhoodevi to imply that

she is knowledgeable about the meaning of signs and employs the word

dhakshinaadhitharam , the one other than the right to denote left

arm thus enhancing the poetic beauty.

 

The Lord replied to them in a voice that echoed the sound of

His Paanchajanya. He reassured them by saying that those who follow

His command will never come to harm. [ Vide: Bhagavatgita-6-40- ‘ na

hi kalyanakrth kaschith dhurgathim thaatha gachchathi.] The Lord then

promised that He will descend to earth as an incarnation to lessen

the burden of the earth by destroying the evil kshathriyas and will

establish dharma and He asked them to take birth as kings to

partake the result of His deeds. So saying the Lord awaited the

right time to enter the garba of Devaki to be born as Krishna. Thus

the one in whom all the world resided came to reside in Devaki.

 

End of the 1st chapter of Yadhavabhyudhaya by Vedantadesika