yadhavabhyudhaya-chapter9-Akrura sees krishna

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chapter9 continued-Akrura sees Krishna

 

Krishna was returning after killing Kesi, behind the cows, with a jumping gait,gavAm anuplavam, and Akrura saw Garuda flying overhead warding off the heat of the Sun for Krishna.Garuda perhaps wanted to do service to Krishna and the Lord being in the form of gopala he could not serve as a vehicle and so served as the umbrella, thus taking the place of Adhisesha who was born as Balarama. This is the idea implied in the description of Desika, who further explicitly refers to the parathva of Krishna by saying 'gathim aprathighAthAdhvayinAm.' Krishna is none else that Narayana who is the goal to be attained by those proceeding along the path devoid of obstacles, meaning the archirAdhimArga,'gathim aprathighAdhvayyinAm.'

 

Narada was seen behind the clouds singing the glory of the Lord by samagana and the cows smelling the feet of Krishna seemed to be the vedas themselves . Krishna was wearing a garment of the colour of the rising Sun and shining with the hue of Thamala flower.

 

To Akrura, Krishna decorated with peacock-feather appeared as the Lord Himself adorned with Lakshmi and kousthubha, who can be seen only by those with vedic perception, devoid of misconceptions.He was equal to the Sun and the Moon in lustre and comparable only to Himself as there is no one like Him, samahAneH upamEyam AthmanA. He is ever new to the vedas which sing His praise.

 

Akrura considered those cowherd boys who sang and danced with Krishna as yogis and the cows and calves were the vedas and their angas.Seeing him thus Akrura was overwhelmed with devotion and started praising Him

 

"I have fallen at your feet tormented by the demons of my sins and bound by the three gunas like ropes .(guna also meaning rope) Please take me up.You with your limitless glory are the helmsman in the sea of sin and rescues those who surrender to your feet.You are the rajahamsa that enter the manasa lake of the pure hearts of yogis."

 

Desika, speaking through the words of Akrura,says,

athirOdhi asou nidhih SruthEH

animEshavratha dhESinee dhrsOH

thanuthE thanureeSa thAvakee

smaraNam vissmaraNam cha dhuSSakam

 

The meaning of the sloka is as follows:

The Lord is hidden by the vedas like a treasure and hence could not be contemplated. Now that He is visible and has become the object of the eyes that fail to wink, he cannot be forgotten again. Hence there could be neither smarana, remembering nor vismarana, loss of memory.This is one of the many slokas illustrating the chamatkara, the skill of poetry of Desika.

 

Another beautiful sloka that is full of devotional fervour comes next.

vyapadhiSya mukundha dhEvakeem

viharanthyA vasudhEvamandhirE

janithOsi nijAnukampayA

jagathee rakshaNajAgarookadheeH

 

"You have made Devaki as a pretext to manifest yourself and she is in reality your mercy only, which alone is the cause of your incarnation because you are intent to protect the world."

 

Akrura further continues as follows:

"Those who experience the joy of seeing your form on earth, do not want even the attainment of moksha and those who understand your play on this world, unlike the ego-centric ones who are obsessed with the notion of "i" and "mine,' never return to this world again"

 

This is as Krishna says in the Gita, 'janmakarma cha mE dhivyam Evam yO vEtthi thatthvathaH; thyakthvA dhEham punarjanama naithi mAmEthi pAndava,(BG-4-9) one who knows my divine birth and my actions as they are , never are they reborn but attain me after leving their bodies.'

 

" The sins are destroyed by You like the darkness by the Sun and like the Moon you make the hearts of the yogis blossom like the lilies."

 

Next Desika reiterates the statement made by him earlier in the first chapter that the vedas themselves are not able to describe the glory of the Lord, through the speech of Akrura.(Ibid.1-2)

mahimArNavavarnanOdhyathAh

parimAthum guNamEkam akshamAH

thrapayEva bajanthi aseemani

thvayi vAchamyamatham anuSravAH

 

"The vedas trying to narrate the sea of your glory,unable to finish describing even one attribute fully, became silent as though ashamed."

 

Then Akrura started informing Krishna about the purpose of his visit.

thava viSvavidhO vadhAmi kim

jagadhEkAdhipathEH dhiSAmi kim

krpaNaH paripoorNasampadhaH

kamivAmsSam paripoorayAmyaham

 

 

 

 

This sloka means that to one who knows everything that happens in the world there is nothing to inform, there is nothing to show to one who is the Lord of the Universe and to the one who has all, there is nothing to give.Still he felt he had to carry his orders and told Krishna that it is time for him to return to Mathura and destroy the enemies. Kamsa, he said ,is plotting for his own destruction and is going to die.Thus to Krishna who enquired after the welfare of Mathura and its inhabitants Akrura informed of the intention of Kamsa to call him and Balarama to Mathura.Then the gopas including nanda started for Mathura obeying the orders of Kamsa and Akrura took Krishna and Balaarama in his chariot and started towards Mathura.

 

Next comes the description of the state of gopis grieved over the departure of Krishna.