yadhavabhydhaya-end of 17th chapter

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Indra praises Krishna and asks forgiveness

 

Indra said that he realized that all that was due to the arrogance of Sachi, his wife in not showing respect to Sathyabhama, considering her as a human being and his own foolishness. He said that to be defeated by Krishna itself was like victory because it destroyed his ego and attachment. He realised that all devas are ordained by the Lord to do their duties and He alone gives them the power to do so. Hence all are powerless to resist Him.

 

Desika refers to the episode in Kenopanishad and to Valmiki Ramayana in the next sloka.

 

Na kshipeth apithrNam sameeraNah

thvath prayuktham analo na nirdhaheth

na prajA paSupthee nachethare

thvath vipaksham abhirakshithum kshamAh

(Yad.17.95)

 

The wind cannot move even a blade of grass without your will nor can the fire burn it. No one including Brahma or Siva can save your enemy.

 

In Kena Upanishad, this episode is found. The devas became arrogant with victory over the asuras , each one proclaiming his power and there appeared a form in front of them whom they could not recognize. Indra sent the wind-god to enquire about the identity of the Being and when he approached the divine form the latter asked him who he was. Vayu replied professing his powers that he can move anything. The Being then put a blade of grass in front and asked him to move it. Vayu tried with all his might but was not able to move it by even an inch. He felt ashamed and returned to Indra and said that he could not find the identity of the form . next Indra sent Agni and same thing happened . Agni was not able to burn the blade of grass though he tried with all his strength. Then Indra himself went and with a submissive attitude asked the Being who he was. Then the divine being disappeared and Goddess Parvathi appeared and instructed Indra about the form who was Brahman without whose will nothing can happen and who is the power behind all.

 

Then the next reference that neither Brahma nor Siva can save one who has incurred the wrath of the Lord is to Valmiki Ramayana where in Sundarakanda, Sita narrates the incident of Kakasura when even Brahma or Siva was not able to save Kakasura from the missile of Rama.Also Hanuman advising Ravana says that Brahma, Siva or Indra cannot save one whom Rama descides to kill in battle.

 

brahmAssvayambhooh chathurAnano vA

rudhrasthrinethrasthripurANthako vA

indhro mahendhrassuranAyako vA

thrAthum na SakthAH yudhi rAmavaDhyam

(Val. Ram.sun.51-44)

 

Indra further said that he was ashamed to act like a monkey ( acting inconsistently) while the Lord honoured him by manifesting Himself as his younger brother in Vamanavathara. ( Lord was born as Vamana to Adhithi and Kasyapa, the parents of Indra.)

 

He said that people like himself who are affected by the three gunas and exhibit the sentiments of SAntha, ghora and thAmasa, that is different rasas in different times, evoke only one rasa to the Lord, that is hAsya or amusement.

 

Indra said that the wise shun the pleasures of the heaven only for this reason and aspire for the eternal abode of the Lord. The devotion at the feet of the Lord is the only means of destroying the beginningless ignorance.

The next few slokas are steeped in bhakthi.

 

Dhesa kAla gaNanAthilanghibhih

mAthum AgamagaNena vAnchithaih

bhooshitho guNa vibhoothisAgaraih

thavthsamah thvam ithare miThassamAH

(Yad.17.101)

 

"You contain the oceans of auspicious attributes and glories which the multitudes of Vedas wish to know, and which transcend time, space and number and you are equal only to yourself. The rest are comparable to each other.

 

kA kaThA thava same aDhikepi vA

heena ithyapi ka eva gaNyathe

merusarshapanidharSanam cha the

mA sma bhooth tvath itharasya cha Athmanah

(Yad.17.102)

 

"There is no question of someone being equal or greater than You because no one can even be counted as less than You." That is, even to mention one as inferior there must be some aspect of comparison. But the difference between the Lord and others are like that of Meru and mustard seed, which is not fit for comparison.

 

This reminds one of the famous sloka on Kalidasa,

 

purA kaveenAM gaNanAprasange

kanishTikADhishtitha kAlidhAsA

adhyApi thathulya kaverabhAvAth

anAmika sArThavathee babhoova

 

The meaning is that when they started to count the poets in olden days the little finger stood up to indicate Kalidasa. But the second finger which is called anamika, or nameless, justified its name because there is no one to count as second to Kalidasa even today. This was said in praise of the poet.

 

The next sloka reflects the one in the first chapter (Yad.1.9) where the Lord is described as the artist who has painted the universe with His brush of mercy etc.

 

jAthi varNa rachanA vichithritham

viSvachithram udhameelayth bhavAn

Athmabhitthiniyathah sThirASrayah

thoolikAm thriguNa lakshaNAm vahan

(Yad.17.104)

 

"You have painted (made manifest) the wonderful picture of the universe comprising of generality, colour and form on Yourself as the wall which alone is everlasting, by means of the brush made up of three gunas." (Here in connection with the earlier sloka it should be read as "You paint with the brush dipped in the water of Your mercy.")

 

Indra then referred to his own folly of not understanding the real identity of Krishna.

 

Janmakarmabhirasou nibaDhyathe

thAni yah thava na vetthi thathvathah

thvathkaThAn mrtha rasam pibanthi ye

the bhaveyuh apuanh sthananDhyAh

 

"The one who does not understand the birth and the actions of You in reality is bound by samsara. The one who drinks the nectar of your story never has a chance to drink his mother's milk again, that is, he is never born again."

 

This reflects the words of Krishna in Bhagavatgita,

 

Janmakarma cha me dhivyam evam yo vetthi thatthvathah

thyakthvA dheham punarjanma naithi mAmeti so arjuna

(BG.4.9)

 

"The one who knows my birth and actions as it is in reality never comes back to this earth but attains Me."

 

Next sloka outlines the philosophy of visishtadvaita.

 

kaThyathe chidhachith antharAthmanah

SasthraSuddhahrdhayaih maneeshibhih

Srshti samharaNa rakshaNeshu the

visvaroopa nanu karmakarthrthA

 

"Those who have clear intellect due to the l knowledge of the sasthras say that You are the inner self of the sentient and insentient beings which form Your sarira. You are the created and the creator, the protected and the protector and the annihilated and the annihilator. This is because You are Visvaroopa, that is, You yourself manifest as the world."

 

In visishtadvaita philosophy sookshma chidhachith viSishta Brahman, that is, Brahman in unmanifest state, is the cause and the sThoola chidhachith viSishta Brahman, that is Brahman manifest, is the effect. Hence both the cause and the effect is the Lord Himself, because there is none else than Him everywhere. This has got reference to the Upanishadic statement `there was only sath in the beginning ,one only without a second and it willed to become many. Then it entered into everything and created name and form.' (chan.6.1.2,6.2.1 and 6.3.2) which proves that Brahman is the material as well as the efficient cause.

 

Indra said that while the glory of the Lord is known to all right from the young boys, ( may be the gopa lads were meant here) one who denies this is comparable to the thief who tries to hide the Sun in the darkness. Indra means that he himself was like the thief because he thought everything belonged to him without realizing that all belonged to the Lord.

 

He expressed his anguish that he did not remember the real nature of Krishna even though he knew it only too well because of the delusion that Krishna was a human being. He asked forgiveness for wielding weapons against Him whose lotus- like feet should be worshipped. Indra said that the Lord who possesses the six guNas , namely jnana, bala,veerya, aisvarya,shakthi and thejas and manifest as Sankarshana, Pradhyuman and Aniruddha, with two gunas each, had nothing to do with the parijatha tree but He enacted the carrying off of the tree only to teach devas a lesson. Finally he asked the forgiveness of Krishna saying that all of them were like puppets on a string activated by the three gunas and hence they should be blessed with the grace of the Lord as they were all His dependents.

 

Then Krishna showed that the retribution of the Lord is only for redemption and spoke to Indra with eyes full of mercy. He promised that the devas will be protected by Him as always and blessed them saying,

 

manthrapootham anupaplavam havih

yAYAJookaparishath nivedhitham

anthrAthmani nivishtam antharA

vindhatha sThirasuDhArasAntharam

 

"May you feed on the nectar of Vedas which is everlasting, purified by the manthras, without obstacles offered by those who perform the yagas and which will lead you to me eventually."

 

Krishna offered the tree back to Indra who said that it will accompany Krishna to Dvaraka. The Krishna started for Dvaraka accepting the salutations of the devas.