Fwd: [Jai Srimannarayana] Om Sthaviraya Namaha - 54

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TILLER OF TIME

---------------

 

" Can anyone from the audience tell what was Radha's age when Lord

Krishna was just two years old as the naughty child in Gokula? "

 

Vedantacharya put forth this question in his mettalic voice. The

audience was all ears listening to him Vedantacharya was discoursing

on the Taittiereeya Upanishad in the Town Hall. The hall was overflowing.

 

Vedantacharya put this question to the audience. None from the

audience responded to the question from Vedantacharya.

 

Inducing them to come out, Vedantacharya made his question objective

giving them multiple choice!

 

(a) Was Radha still not born when Krishna was two years?

 

(b) Was she born but younger than Krishna?

 

© Was she of the same age as Krishna?

 

(d) Was she older than Krishna?

 

Many answers came out. Some chose (a); few opted for (b); a few stuck

to ©, But none chose (d).

 

" None of you has the support of Jayadeva, the author of Geetagovindam,

an analogy on the love of Radha and Krishna. According to

Geetagovindam, Radha was nubile when Krishna was an infant in Gokula! "

said Vedantacharya.

 

Continued Vedantacharya, " Lets us recall the final benedictory verse

of Geetagovindam. "

 

He recited the sonorous song.

 

Vedantacharya gave the purport of the song thus:

 

" One of the days when Krishna was just two years old, Nanda (Krishna's

father) was going to his orchard on the banks of the river Yamuna. The

child was also eager to go his father. But Yashoda was not prepared to

send the child with him because she was not confident of Nanda paying

attention to the super-active child, which as ill-luck would have it,

was being the target of the ghost, Putana, the demon hidden in the

cart, and the demon in the disguise of storm, but somehow had survived

because of the grace of Lord Ramapriya, the presiding deity of Gokula.

 

While the couple was debating on this, Radha, the nubile from the

neighbor's house peeped in.

 

" I will come with you Uncle " she offered. " I will take care of this

naughty boy. "

 

Yashoda was confident because she knew that the nubile girl was

capable and responsible.

 

Nanda left for the farm. Radha accompanied him carrying the child on

her hips!

 

They had hardly reached the orchard; Just then the sky became cloudy

plunging the whole orchard (which was already void of light due to the

dense dark barks of the Tamala trees) in darkness.

 

" Radha! " says Nanda.

 

" You please carry Krishna back home for he is phobic to darkness. "

 

Carrying Krishna, Radha started her return journey.

 

But at each and every shrub along the banks of the Yamuna, Radha

courted Krishna who transformed himself into a handsome young man and

enjoyed His company now, a perfect match to Radha!

 

But at long last when Radha reached Nanda's place, Radha was carrying

Krishna on her hips, who again transformed himself into a child. "

 

" Do you get the answer now, Vadhoola? "

 

Vedantacharya looked into the eyes of Shri Vadhoola seated in the

front row.

 

It takes years for you and me to complete childhood to become youth.

We need time. Time controls us. It is not so in His case. He has

control over time, His appearing, as if He were dependent on time, is

a part of His leela!

 

Thus He is the sole cause - the Effective and the Instrumental

(including time) all the three in one.

 

That is what is conveyed to us in short by the Taittireeya Upanishad

in its passage, meaning:-

 

" The Lord desired `Let me become many. " He became whatever there is here. "

 

Vadhoola had actually raised the doubt that we see causes generally

depend on time to transform into effect. So, time should also be

included as part of the instrumental cause.

 

This intervention was after Vedantacharya had explained the concept of

causes thus:-

 

" For anything to emerge as an effect, there should be a host of

causes. To cite an instance, for an earthen pot to emerge, as an

effect, primarily, clay, the raw material is needed. The scholars

classify the raw materials as the Material Cause (Upadaankaaranam).

 

We see that to convert clay into pot, an agent, a potter is needed.

The agent is one of the host of causes. The learned term, the agent is

the Efficient Cause (Nimmiththakaaranam).

 

Besides the potter and clay, we have also observed the need of certain

instruments of production like the blender, the vessel in which the

pottery ingredients are mixed, the potter's wheel on which the clay is

shaped or rather thrown, as per the potters' argot, the muffle to dry

the pots etc.

 

The short and long of this is that even a person possessing the skill

to produce an item is found to be in need of instruments and

equipment. These parameters also form part of causes and are

classified under Instrumental Cause (Sahkaarikaaranam).

 

When it comes to creation of the Universe, the Vedas declare that

Sriman Narayana is the Sole Cause. In other words He is the Material,

Efficient and Instrumental Cause - all three in One.

 

He transforms as Universe. He is not in need of anybody else external

to Him as Efficient cause or any other equipment as Instrumental Cause. "

 

One need not wonder at this. See the case of milk. It transforms

itself into curd. So does the Lord. "

 

Vadhoola was not comfortable at this.

 

" Vadhoola! You seem to have some doubts. Come out " said the Acharya.

 

On this invitation, Vadhoola had come up with the concept of time as

part of Instrumental Cause and the Acharya had used this episode of

Radha - Krishna's love to explain to him that time placed no

constraint on the Lord. When Milk transforms into curd, it looses

identity as Milk. The Lord undergoes transformation and there is no

change in Him (transformation takes place only on the inanimate items

which form the Universe, which cannot exist independent of Him and so

are identified as He!)

 

He transforms into Universe without His Self Changing; He is the

Changeless forever. And He does not depend on time to achieve this. In

other words, He is the Tiller of Time - Sthavira.

 

Dear Readers, Time is the one big resource available to all of us.

Yet, we appear to be at its mercy. To control this resource

effectively, let us meditate on the form of Balaji and chant:

 

" Om Sthaviraya Namaha "

 

Industrialists! Chant this. You will maintaindelivery schedules,

delight your customers and your profits will grow manifold.

 

Students! Chant this. You will complete your answer papers in time and

succeed in exams with color!

 

Let us all chant:

 

" Om Sthaviraya Namaha "

 

Source: VAK , May 05.