Universal Appeal of Krishna Purnavatar

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Universal Appeal of Krishna Purnavatar

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/841267.cms

by Girish Bhandari

 

In the Hindu pantheon the only purnavatar is Krishna. He is also

described as Sodash Kala Avatar — a divinity perfect in the 16 arts and

accomplishments comprising the entire gamut of knowledge and fine arts.

He was rigorously trained in the classical system of knowledge in the gurukul of Sandipani, where Sudama

was his closest friend.

 

When Krishna became the king of the Yadavas, he did not forget his old

ashram-mate when Sudama, at his wife's prodding, visited Krishna in

Dwarka. Narottamdas in the Sudama Charit describes this meeting of

friends. When the messenger announced that a half-naked, emaciated man

named Sudama, who claimed he was an old friend, was standing at the

palace gates, Krishna rushed out barefoot and embraced Sudama. Krishna's

tears on seeing Sudama's state were so copious that they washed the feet

of the weary Sudama. And when Sudama returned home he was surprised to

see that a huge palace waited for him. He had been crowned a king!

 

Krishna struck a powerful blow against the concept of transient and

vengeful gods. When Indra, having been denied the traditional obeisance,

vowed to submerge the local populace, Krishna propped up the Govardhan

hill on his finger and saved everyone. To make it a community effort he

asked all the Gopa boys to prop the hill up by their sticks. The great

stress on and the reverence to the cow was because Krishna saw their

potential as powerful contributors to the village economy. His feat of

dancing on the hydra-headed demon in the Yamuna showed that evil,

however powerful, can be overcome by determination.

 

He had a special bond with Draupadi, who addressed him as sakha , or confidante. She would

often talk more freely with Krishna than with the Pandavas. In the

Bhagavad Gita Krishna not only counsels Arjuna; he also finally reveals

to him His cosmic form. Krishna knew that though Arjuna's doubts had

been resolved, he would still retain the feeling of guilt at killing

those he held in reverence. The Vishwarupa Darshan solved that problem

for Arjuna. He knew he would only be the notional instrument and not the

real killer of anyone.

 

In the Gada Yuddh, Bhim hit Duryodhana below the waist on the thigh and

broke his femur. Balaram, angry by this breach of rule, rushed forward

with the ploughshare to punish Bhim. "The rules are not for those who

perpetrate adharma," said Krishna.

 

Krishna has endeared Himself to us — whether through His divine

Rasleela, his ability as a great warrior, a great Gnana Yogi, or as

Balagopal, the little prankster, Natkhat Nandlal. He is a colossus of

the collective consciousness of India. Whether it is the Gita, the

Bhagavad Purana, the Geet Govinda, the songs of Meera or Chaitanya's

songs, one sees a glimpse of the infinite attributes of Brahmn, who

graced this hallowed land in the form of an avatar. He was Ananda and

brought it to those whose life he touched and all those whose thoughts

and minds he dominates.

 

Krishna did not grieve when the Yadava clan was obliterated. He knew

that their time had come. He also predicted the doom of his beloved

Dwarkapuri, as all constructs must of necessity dissolve in time. Did He

end his Leela at the hand of a hunter, who mistook his lotus red sole of

foot for a bird? Most probably not. Cosmic consciousness is not born.

Therefore it does not die. It materialises in what appears as a

panchbhautic body. It is not. That is why we use the word avatar.

 

Having accomplished what He wanted to, He just returned to His higher

realm.