Unlimited powers of Krishna

January 30, 2005

Pranam to all Vaishnavas,

If someone raises a doubt whether Krishna , who is Supreme, has a foe since instances are replete in holy texts about the manner in which He, in His incarnations as an ordinary person, has dealt with some people, the answer will be a firm ``no''. Many characters have indeed extolled Krishna's innumerable auspicious qualities and His personal charm. But He definitely gets annoyed when those who have chosen to repose total faith in Him are tortured by wicked elements and those who hold on to the rules of virtue. These

vicious forces had not known about the unlimited powers Krishna wields as against their own limited strength. Nor had they the wisdom to listen to the advice tendered by sane men. In their case, ``Truth'', though a strong dose of medicine to cure any imbalance in mind, was unpalatable and a bitter pill. Some genuine friends would have kept aloof when they saw the wicked tendencies of their near and dear while a few others might have tried to check them, though in vain.

In the Ramayana, when the mighty Ravana, incensed by the description given by his sister about Sita, requested Mareecha to help him in abducting Her, the latter not only condemned the very plan but also tried to dissuade him from antagonising Rama.

His words are of great value for all, at all times : ``It is easy enough to find sycophants who always utter what is pleasing ; all too are the men who can speak unpleasant but wholesome truths or the man who heeds him. A slave of passion like you, evil in disposition and advised by evil counsellors, brings destruction on himself, his people and his realm. Rama has not violated any rule of propriety. He is a replica of virtue and is Dharma in human form. You should not throw yourself into the fire that is Rama by carrying by force His spouse. Analyse the pros and cons of your design and then decide

what seems best.''

Ravana, who initially desisted from this idea, returned, smitten by passion, determined to implement his plan. Mareecha then told him of his personal experience with the Divine Prince but he had to yield under coercion.

It is interesting to see the life of extreme austerity of sages whom Rama visited earlier and assured them of His support to see that those who caused them hindrance while pursuing their spiritual obligation were punished. The sages who were so pious that they would not even pluck fruits from the trees, because that act might amount to killing lives, were able to thrive on dried leaves and other products which naturally fell from the tree.

Lord Krishna says in Gita, Chapter 9, Sloka 16-19 :

aham kratur aham yajnah / svadhaham aham ausadhammantro 'ham aham evajyam / aham agnir aham hutampitaham asya jagato / mata dhata pitamahahvedyam pavitram omkara / rk sama yajur eva cagatir bhartta prabhuh saksi / nivasah saranam

suhrtprabhavah pralayah sthanam / nidhanam bijam avyayamtapamy aham aham varsam / nigrhnamy utsrjami caamrtancaiva mrtyus ca / sad asac caham arjuna

( O Arjuna, I am the Vedic rituals such as agnistoma, the smarta-yajnas such as vaisva-deva, and I am sraddha, the oblation to the forefathers. I am the potency of the healing herb, the mantra, the ghee, the fire and I am homa or yajna. I am the mother, the father, the maintainer and the grandsire of the universe. I am the object of knowledge and the purifier. I am the syllable om and I am also the Rg, Yajur and Sama Vedas. I am destiny in the form of the fruit of karma, the sustainer, the Lord, the witness, the abode, the refuge and the dearest well-wishing friend. I am the creation, the dissolution, the basis, the resting place and the eternal seed. I give heat and I withhold and release the rain. I am immortality and I am death personified. I am the cause of everything and also the effect; spirit and matter are both in Me).

"Why do people worship You in various ways?". Anticipating this question in these four slokas, Sri Krishna is giving a detailed explanation of His nature by which He is everything within the universe. In other words, He is describing His cosmic form. The word kratuh means yajnas such as agnistoma which are prescribed in the Vedas, as well as yajnas such as vaisva-deva which are described in the smrti-sastra of the smartas. The word ausadham means the potency produced from the

ausadhi, herbs which have medicinal benefit. The word pita signifies that because He is the efficient material cause of the universe either individually or collectively, He is therefore the father. The word mata means that, because He holds the universe in His womb, He is the mother. He maintains the universe and nourishes it, therefore He is dhata, the sustainer, and since He is the father of Brahma, who is the creator of this universe, He is the grandfather. The word vedyam means the object of knowledge and pavitram means that which purifies. The word gati means fruit in the sense of result or destiny, either good or bad, of our past and present actions. Bharta means the husband or protector, prabhuh means the controller,

saksi means the witness of auspicious and inauspicious activities, and nivasah means the abode. Saranam means one who delivers others from calamities and suhrt means one who does welfare work without any motive. Prabhav-adya means, "Only I perform the actions of creation, destruction and maintenance." Nidhanam means, " I am the treasure, being endowed with padma, sankha, gada and cakra." The word bija means the cause or seed. However, evyayam means "I am not perishable like seeds of rice. I

am imperishable, eternal and unchanging. I provide heat in the summer season in the form of the sun. I award the rains in the rainy season. I am amrta (immorality), mrtyu (the cycle of birth and death), sat (subtle substance, or spirit) and asat (gross matter). Knowing Me in this way, they worship Me in My universal form."This is how this sloka relates to the previous one.

OM NAMO BHAGAVATHE VASUDEVAYA!!!

Krishna’s Dasi, Jayamma.