Yadhavabhyudhaya-chapter9-Akruraarrives

April 17, 2007

Yadhavabhyudhaya

Story of Krishna-Part2

chapter9-The Arrival of Akrura

The state of kamsa, on hearing from Narada that the Lord Narayana, who is superior to devas and asuras, having been born as Krishna and growing in Gokula, is described by Desika as vyaThayA peethavishOpamO abhavath.

He became like one who has drunk poison. Thinking how Krishna had destroyed all the asuras sent by him and also hearing about the episode of govarddhanOddhAraNam ,Kamsa started palnning what to do next.Desika says,

ithi viprathisAra vihvalaH

svayam utthApitha mrthyuchOdhithaH

prathihanthum iyEsha chakriNam

Salabho dheeptham iva ASu SukshaNim

He resented his inability to do what was required with respect to the rise of Krishna, became intent on a plan to destroy Krishna because he was forced by fate as his end was nearing.Here Desiks refers to krishna as chakree, one who wields the disc, meaning He is Sreemannarayana Himself.So the act of Kamsa is compared to that of a moth attacking the burning fire.

Kamsa tossed his head with a resolve and he looked like the sun at the end of the day. Fear, anger and surprise all mingled together in his heart and he felt as though his life was hanging on a thread.

Then he called Akrura, and told him to go to Gokula and bring Krishna and Balarama to Mathura along with Nanda and others.He told Akrura that he should bring Krishna and Balarama by hook or crook and in order to ward off any suspicion as to is real intention, he said that Nanda and others should also be brought under the pretext of paying their tribute to the king. Desika says that these words of Kamsa was like raising a sword to kill himself, 'svavadhopAttha krpANikopamAm vAcham udheerya.'

Even before this order can be executed he wanted to try once more to dsetroy Krishna and sent Kesi to Brindavan for the purpose. Kesi took the form of a mighty horse. Desika devotes 13 slokas to describe the fearful appearance of Kesi as a horse to show that he was much more frightful thatn any of the demons sent by Kamsa earlier.His teeth were like vajrayi udha, hoofs were blasting the earth, with his foaming mouth resembling the ocean,his tail raising dust like smoke and spittibng fire. He managed to press down the earth with his weight which caused much effort even for Adisesha to lift it up again and his neighing was thunderous and deafening.

Seeing such an animal enough to defeat even a lion the gopas in brindavan were frightened and Krishna gave out a laugh loud enough to quell the pride of the asura and to reassure the gopas 'avamathya thurangadhAnavam Samayan gOpagaNasya sAdhvasam prajhAsa hariH.' Then Krishna inserted his arm deep into the mouth of the horse and broken him into two halves as though cut by a knife into two equal parts. Then the gokula became sanAtha with the yadhunAtha.

In the meanwhile Akrura started from Mathura as per the command of Kamsa which was agreeable to him because it gave him an opportunity to see Krishna.The thoughts that ran in the mind of Akrura on his way to Brindavan is described beautifully by Desika.

The Brindavan was compared by Akrura to the place of Upanishads, as the Supreme Purusha described in the upanishads resided there and he looked forward to see Him and attain the supreme bliss.The place , he thought was purified bythe dust of the feet of Krishna, which are the remedy for the woes of samsara.

He considered Krishna as the elixir that gives incomparable joy, which destroys all sins of those who come to Him and it was enjoyed ever by the Sridevi and Bhoodevi.He wished that Krishna will put His divine foot on his head and bless him.

Krishna's face would be like the moon , thought Akrura, the rays of nectar from which, together with his speech with the fragrance of the vedas, removes the fever of samsara.He wondered whethe rkrishna would speak to him when he surrenders himsej lf. At the same time he had trepidation thinking that whether he will get the darsan of Him whom even the yogis try to see with much effort and penance.He yearned for the glance of Krishna which would n be like the waves of the ocean of nectar.

He felt gratified that inspite of his serving a wicked man like Kamsa he had the good fortune to see Krishna by which all his sins would be washed off. Even if Krishna would not shower His grace on him , Aj krura thought that His darsan itself is enough and there is now wish for anything else.

He expressed his hope that Krishna and Balarama will agree to come to Mathura and adorn the city as he wished.He wondered at the good fortune og the residents of mathura who were going to see Krishna and Balarama from where they were.

Akrura wished that people like him who had charmadhrk, physical eye and not divine eye to know the gory of the Lord, would also see the exploits of Krishna if He would come to Mathura and destroy Kamsa. Desika says 'ramayA kshamayA cha mAdhavaH ramamANaH prathigamya thAm pureem, returning to Mathura, because that is where He belonged , and enjoy with Sri and Bhoodevi,' meaning that He would become the king.He explicitly mentions this in the next sloka.

avaruddha bhujAntharaH Sriya

vidhaDHAno vasuDhAkaragraham

abhishEkam ul pEyivAn asou

kimu nAthO bhavitha kulasya naH

" Would He who has made His chest the abode of Lakshmi,and who grasps the hand of Bhoodevi agree to have coronation and to become the Lord of our clan?" Grasping the hand of Bhoodevi means to become the king.

But immediately Akrura became afraid of the harm that Kamsa would do to Krishna, m nevertheless assuring himself that Krishna would surely kill Kamsa because nothing is impossible to the glorious.'na hidhurAsadhamachinthyathEjasaH.'

Thinking thus Akrura reached Brindavan and alighted from his chariot still riding on the chariot of his wishes, manoratha which had his satthvaguNa as the sArathi.Honoured by Nadnda and others,he looked for Krishna here and there and saw hHIm coming with the cows after KesivaDha.

Then follows the description of Krishna as seen by Akrura.