Frequently Asked Questions -Final part on Krishna (Let us understand and meditate on His Lotus Feet)

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SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

 

Dearest Srivaishnavas,

 

Saturday (AvaNi RohiNi) is Sri Krishna Jayanthi

Continuing on our FAQ (concluding part)

 

Question 4: Still, one thing is not understood. Deva

sthrees could have simply got married to KaNNan and

enjoyed Him as His spouses. They could have got their

prayers fulfilled; instead, why should they be born as

Gopa sthrees, leave their husbands, in-laws, children

and run to KaNNan? Why should KaNNan allow this? How

can this be establishment of Dharma? This act is

against the manushya dharma.

 

Answer: Firstly there are two issues that need to be

understood. The husband-wife, father-son relations are

all not permanent- everyone knows. These all come due

to this sareera sambandham (due to the association

with this body); For this body, these relations come.

They are present as long as this body exists. After

that these relations vanish. In next birth different

parents, children, spouse etc.. Thus the relations are

only temporary and are for this birth; Being a wife,

husband is due to the body taken by this Jeevathma and

these roles will change next birth.

 

But the relation between Paramathma and Jeevan is

always permanent. He is Swami; We are dAsars. This is

always so. It is natural for all jeevaathmas. It is no

way associated with the body of jeevathma and does not

change when bodies change for various births. Whatever

number of births we take; this relation will never

ever change. unthannOdu uRavEl namakku ingu ozhikka

ozhiyaadhu, Govinda – says GodhA PiraaTTi. Hence

desiring for the Lord, devoted to Him, performing

service to Him are all to be sought after. They are

normal for jeevathma and are perfectly in accordance

with dharma, saasthrAs. This is to be actually the

welcome one and should necessarily be sought after by

every jeevan for redemption. To achieve that and in

course of achieving the same, if there is a choice

between this versus the bodily relation, one can

choose the relation (eternal) with the Lord. There is

absolutely nothing wrong with that. Kaikeyi wanted to

coronate Bharathan and let him separate from the Lord

Rama. But Bharatha, who wanted to serve the Lord,

brushed aside even the bodily relation of Kaikeyi as

his mother as she was the stumbling block for that

service. He hated her for such thoughts and preventing

him from performing kaimkaryam for Rama. For us, the

Bhagavad, BhAgawatha anubhavam alone is prime and

important. It is in line with our nature. If the

relations are in line with this want of ours and they

work towards, support the same for us, then they can

be with us; if they work against this and do not

support our Bhagavad BhAgawatha anubhavam, they can be

brushed aside like Bharathan. Nothing wrong. The

cowherd women did that. It is no way termed as

incorrect; in fact, it is most appropriate for

jeevaathma by its nature.

 

This is very clear in Srimad Bhagawatham. When KaNNan

sees them devotedly running towards Him leaving the

elders, husbands, children, and others- and asks:

“what do you want me to do for You all? Go back

quickly and serve your husbands. Do not leav the

dharma meant for women and ladies, wives and mothers?

This not correct. Do not come here. If you want, you

do keerthanam, sing my name, utter my name and think

of me from your hoems. Go home.â€.

 

Gopikas could not control their tears; Their throats

choked; their eyes welled. Their hearts broken; Their

words did not come out of their mouths, tongues

refused to co-operate due to the emotions and sorrows.

Mouths quivered. Our KaNNan- our Lord- KaNNan- is he

saying this? Our only Master, Swami- to Him we belong

to- does He ask us not to come to Him any more and ask

us to go back? They started appealing to Him.

 

yathpathyapathyasuhadhAmanuvrtthiranga sthreeNAm

swaDharma ithi DharmavidhA tvayOktham |

asthvEvamEthadhupadESapadham tvayeeSE preeShtO

bhavAmsthanumruthAm kila bandhurAthmA ||

 

kurvanthi hitvayi rathim kuSalA: sva Athman

nithyapriyE pathisuthAdhibhiraarthidhai: kim |

thanna: praseedha paramEswara maasma ChinDhyA ASAm

bruthAm tvayi ChirAth aravindha nEthra ||

 

Husband, children- serve them- You are advising us.

Let that be there. You are the permanent relation for

all jeevans. You are darling bandhu too for us. You

are the AtmA for us as well. Due to our puNya,

paapams, the karma phalam, there is only dukkham

(sorrows) due to these relations and association with

them. What is the use of that? You are Priyaml darling

for us. The buddhimaans (intellect) realizing this

eternal relationship with You and Your darling form,

ParamAthmic nature, would get eternal enjoyment from

You only. ParamEswaraa! PankajaakshA! Lotus eyed lord-

most merciful One! Please bless us; do not break the

love that we have for You from time immemorial and for

long time.

 

This is what is Parama hitham for Jeevathma. Most

pleasing to the Lord as well.One should have longing

for Bhagavad vishayam,. Interest and longing for other

matters- one should attempt to get rid of. For that

one should wlawys contemplate on : God alone is

eternal relation for us; All others are only

temporary; Due to karma, these relations exist. Thes

sukhams, dhukkhams are due to Karma. This is what is

insctruced bt Sage Yaagnyavalkya to MaithrEyi and is

in BrahadhAraNyaka Upanishad.

 

Gopikas realized this from their experience; and

enjoyed His relationship with them. KaNNan also [as is

His nature as the most merciful Lord who runs to

devotees to be with them] blessed them with such

experience. This greatest ultimate of all saasthrAs is

established to us in this Gopika charithram. KaNNan

also, in order to establish this wonderful Bhaagawatha

saasthra dharmam, made this act as His leelA; and

blessed them especially. He wanted His avathAram to

glorify this jeevathmA’s longing for association and

relationship with Him for ever and desire for

enjoyment of His swaroopa, roopa sowndharyam. That was

one of His yet another special [visEsha] Dharma

sthApanam. Thus, it lays down the path for the highest

Vaishnava, prapannan quality and way of life and

establishes the most wonderful way of VaidIka life.

Gopikas are the highest form of devotees and

prapannans the world has ever seen. This is the

greatest of Upanishad DharmA; the pinnacle of

saasthrAs; The jeevathmAs’ nithya niroopAhika

ananhaarya sEshathvam is well established in Gopika

Charithram.

 

The Paramabhakthi [intense devotion] of Gopa sthrees!

What a great devotion! What a mind set of Them ! what

a manO bhAvam! All deeds completely in accordance with

saaathrAs- [not disliked or hated by even their

spouses!] These marvelous dhiva chShtithams of KaNNan

as leelAs should always be contemplated, enjoyed and

read, listened to by us; if one does that, the desire

for lowkika kaamam would vanish; the desire for

sensual pleasures would disappear slowly and

KaNNanukkE Avathu kaamam (desire for KaNNan alone)

would linger and grow in us. Swamy desikan says: This

charithram on Gopikas is the best medicine for the

diseases [like Kaama, krodham] in our minds; This is

the one praised and prayed by Rishis and Saints.

 

raagAdhirOga prathikAra bhUtham rasAyanam sarvadhaSAnu

bhAvyam |

AsIdhanuDhyEyathamam muneenaam dhivyasya pumsO

dhayithOpavhOga: || [4.101]

 

Srimad BhAgawatham also mentions bhakthi parAm

prathilabhya kAmam hadhrOgam ASvapahinOthi aChirENa

DhIra: - based on which swamy Desikan composed the

above sloka. Here, the sains follow this charithram

and and declare and enjoy as the Grandest One- says

Swamy. He refers to Sri NammAzhwAr “kuravai

aacchiyarOdu kOttathum†and then “en appan than

maayangaLE ninaikkum nenjudaiyEn.. [i am blessed with

the mind that contemplates only on my Father’s leelAs

and dhivya chEsthithams].

 

Thus we enjoyed the Gopika charithams. We need to

touch upon one of last slokas of Yadhavaabhyudhayam

before completing this series for completion’s sake.

That tells us how one should enjoy the

KrishnAvathAram.

 

nAreeshtaChhA miyamithadhiyO nAkanAThESwarathvam

samyOgE Cha pravaNamanasa: SASvatham brahmacharyam |

athraikasyAm purinivasatha: sarva lOkADhikathvam

niDhyAyantha: swarithamatharan dhustharAm thasya

leelAm ||

 

The subjects discussed here are:

 

1. Bhagawaan Sri KaNNan is Devaadhi Devan- He was

always at the beck and call of Gopika girls. Once when

one girl complained to Him that her legs are paining

and can not keep walking. He lifted her and carried

her on His shoulders. Thus he listens to his devotees

and allows himself to be at their service. But we

should not be misled to believe that He is not the

Lord; He listens to these young girls of Gopas and the

young Gopa boy friends. Though he does that, He is the

lord of all Devas; Devaadhi Devan. Devendra, Brahma,

et al came and prayed to Him and praised Him.

 

We are bounded to someone due to our karma and its

association on us. It is mandate on us; There is no

esacpe and it is due to our karma bandham. For

SarvEshwaran, it is not the case. He is bound down and

tied down to devotee’s pleas and requests due to his

own sankalpam. “kaTTuNNa paNNiya peru maayan- paNNiya

is important. All this is due to His mercy and

anugraham on the devotees and that’s why comes Sri

KrishNAvathArams says Srimad Bhagawatham. anugrahA

bhakthAnAm maanusham dhEhamAsThitha: Thus listening

and heedimng to the request of His devotees, He thus

becomes easily accessible and sowlabhyan. That is His

Greatness; That is the greatness of Sri

KrishnaavathAram.

 

KaNNan alone is SarvEshwaran; He alone due to His

sowlabhyam blesses the devotees should be fully and

properly understood – this is what is contemplated by

KaNNanallaal Deivam illai; [There is no God other than

KaNNan]. Can there be any one equal to Him with such

Parathvam and still exhibit such greatest sowseelya,

sowlabhyathvam!

 

2. KaNNan- who was involved in his affair with

sthrees- is eternal Brahmachaari! -

 

KaNNan had 16000 women as his spouses and was

conducting his family with each one of them

individually – as seen and enjoyed by Sage Narada. He

also had enjoyed being united with Gopa sthrees. In

spite of all these, KaNNan is declared as the eternal

ever Nithya Brahmachari. When Pareekshith was born

from utthara’s womb, it feels as a charcoal [due to

AsvatthAmA’s asthira’s power]. The only lineage – heir

from Paandava vamsa was Pareekshith and hence they

were grief struck looking at the lifeless char coal

child. It was told by one of the elders that if pure

Bramachari’s foot touches the child, it would be

alive; become normal and active- said KaNNan. But none

dared come near as they felt scared that their true

nature would be revealed. [sri Ramanuja defines the

term Brahmacharyam in GitA BhAshyam as: “not having

even a thought at any time that women are the objects

of enjoymentâ€. What a great and wonderful definition!]

 

Thus, since none came forward, Bhagawaan KaNNan

himself come forward: If I am the true purest

Brahmachari and if I am SarvEshwaran, let the child

come back alive and become normal.†He touched the

baby’s body in full with His divine Lotus Feet.

Immediately the baby became fair complexioned and was

full of life, alive and crying.. In front of everyone,

this had happened. This is mentioned by Swamy

Desikan:

 

vimOhanE vallabagEhineenAm na brahmacharyam bibhidhE

thadhIyam |

sampathyasthE bAlakajeevanam thath sathyEna yEnaiva

sathAm samaksham ||

 

Thus KaNNan is the purest Brahmachari is Sathyam. It

was also true that He had played and enjoyed with

cowherd women; 16000 spouses; How could that both be

possible. Answer is: Only Bhagawaan can make that

happen. We should never ever equate Him with us. Sage

Narada once – came into Krishna’s palace saw KaNNan

welcoming him and asking his wife to bring waters for

argyam, pAdyam etc.. and honoured the sage; in the

next house he went into and saw KaNNan eating with his

wife serving him; third house he saw Him doing

ThiruvArAdhanam; fourth house, he was playing dhAyam

with his wife; The wonderstruck Narada came out and

after some time, all KaNNans came out to become one to

board the chariot and reach the palace. He realized

the Lord’s Iswarathvam and sang in praise of Him; The

Lord too replied to the Sage: oh Brahma rishI! I am

the one instructing DharmA; I am also following the

same in strict sense; I have come here to protect

dharma; and establish the same; Do not worry.â€

 

He conducted his grahAsthama dharmam with His 16000

spouses; with no grievance from any one; KaNNan

Himself says in GitA: DharmAvirudDhO bhUthEshu

kAmOsmi-. Swamy Desikan also says:

 

AvidhitharaChanEna swEna pArThAya gItha:

Swayamajani kaama: kO(S)pi DharmAvirudDha:

 

It is possible only for Bhagawaan; The ultimate

GrahasthAsramam and the love, desire’s extent therein

was well established here and to establish that

dharma, this leelA of KaNNan was played. By the GopikA

charithram, the greatest Upanishad Dharmam was

established and shown to us…

 

The Lord’s ThirumEni (Body) is completely Suddha

sathvam; aprAkrutham- unaffected by matter (that we se

and have); Hence, His natural Brahmacharyam can never

change; It is also told that with His mere sankalpa

(will), He gave the sambOga sukham to Gopikas. Sage

Suka says the same in: avarudDha sairEtha: his

brahmacharyam thus never changed or was affected.

KaNNan only blessed them with His grace and anugraham

and granted what they desired for; He never desired

the same for; He did not consider them as objects of

enjoyment and hence in Ramanuja’s definition he was

full Brahmachari and Nithya Brahmachari.

 

3. The One who resided in the corner of Dwaraka is the

Lord of entire worlds; when Jarasandham came to fight

in the battle field, KaNNan [in order to protect the

people from destruction from the battle] built a city

in the centre of an ocean and stayed there with His

people. Jaraasandhan and others mistakenly thought

that He felt scared and hence ran away; They laughed

at His running away with fear. But as a matter of

fact, they were completely shivering with fear.

 

It is completely wrong to belittle KaNNan as the one

staying in a corner of Dwaraka city; He is the Lord

of all; He is Devas’ Devan. He is the One who grants

to these Devas what they grant to their devotees. As a

matter of gratitude, they gave little of what He had

given them, when he built this Dwaraka city. KubEra

gave away some wealth; Varunan gave Him some horses;

Devendra gave the paarijatha tree etc.. They grabbed

the opportunity to show their gratefulness.

 

One should enjoy KrishNAvathAram thus and contemplate

on His glorious deeds and leelAs. Then only can one

get rid of the maayaa (samsaaric affliction). If one

learns in half baked manner about His dhivya

chEshthithams, then we will end up arguing with

kutharkam and never ever be able to cross the ocean of

samsara. Thus with Gopika charitham, the highest

Upanishad saasthrA and VaidIka dharmam is established.

 

 

We should place our heart and mind at the lotus Feet

of KaNNan and Swamy desikan thus established the same

in Yadavabhyudhayam.

 

Anything found good in these posts is only due to the

wonderful original article written by Sri U Ve Dr

Vasudevachar Swami from Swamy Desikan’s excellent

analysis. Mistakes, errors, omissions are entirely

mine

 

Sarvam SrI KrishNArpaNamasthu

AchAryan ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo Narayana

dAsan