From The Hindu- Hymn of Kunti

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Hymn of Kunti

 

CHENNAI: During the incarnations of the Lord, many

realised souls have recognised and paid obeisance to

Him. Bhishma Stuti and Kunti Stuti in the Bhagavata

Purana are hymns directly addressed to Him, that extol

His supremacy and auspicious qualities while alluding

to the personal rapport of these two great devotees

with Lord Krishna whom they understood as the Supreme

Being incarnate, said Sri M.V. Anantapadmabhachariar

in a lecture. The hymns contain a spontaneous outburst

of the divine mercy that they had individually

experienced in many unique and subtle ways.

 

Bhishma's ecstatic eulogy as he lay on the bed of

arrows sought the Lord's grace to lead him to the

release from further births. Overwhelmed by the Lord's

infinite mercy towards His devotees that manifests

unfailingly in unexpected ways, he recaptured the

battle scene when the Lord forsook His vow not to take

up arms in the battle merely to enable Bhishma to keep

up his word.

 

The hymn addressed by Kunti when she became distraught

at the imminent departure of Lord Krishna to Dwaraka

after the war affirmed the ultimate truth of the Lord.

He is the one who is extolled in the Vedas and He

pervades each and every aspect of all created beings

manifesting as both the form and essence in them. His

Maya continues to baffle and perplex and is most

difficult to assess. He had protected her family from

a series of calamities — poison, fire, man-eating

demons, assembly of the wicked, the perils of forest

life, during the war, and later from the missile of

Aswatthama. In happy times one does not think of God.

But when confronted with difficulties His support is

sought. So it is that Kunti wishes to experience

adversities as this will be a ploy to think of Him

always.

 

The Lord is the only relation to all created beings.

Neither wife/husband, children, friend nor parents who

may appear as close allies will be able to be as

supportive as the Lord for He has taken the vow to

protect each and every one of the created beings and

loves all the Jivatmas with an amazing degree of

impartiality and compassion. He is the greatest wealth

to those who have no sense of possession.

 

None can fully comprehend the extent of support He

alone can give and has given and continues to give to all