DEIVATHIN KURAL # 11 (Vol #4) Dated 16 May 2010.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 11 (Vol #4) Dated 16 May 2010.

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by Periyaval of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, over a period of some 60 years while he was the pontiff in the earlier part of the last century. These have been published by Vanadi Padippagam, Chennai, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each as Deivathin Kural. Today we are proceeding from the second paragraph on page 67 of Vol 4 of the Tamil original. The readers are reminded that herein 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too, mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://Advaitham.blogspot.com constantly.)

54. Akrura was an ardent devotee of KrishNa and Krutavarma was at least a friend of KrishNa. They were openly anti-Satrajit and spoke in support of KrishNa. But, the scenario changed when Satrajit became the father-in-law of KrishNa, giving his daughter Satyabhama in marriage to him and also gave him the Symantaka MaNi as a dowry almost. Though KrishNa did not accept the Syamantaka MaNi, the attitude of Akrura and Krutavarma changed completely. All devotion turned into one of hate and jealousy. The story teaches us as to how the best of intensions can change when pride and prejudice comes into play!
55. When KrishNa went to Hastinapura, it gave an opportunity to Akrura and Krutavarma to hatch a plan of deceit! Having lost the girl Satyabhama anyhow, they thought of getting at least the gem! They even thought of doing away with Satrajit! Not having enough courage to do it themselves, they approached Satadhanva to act as the hired killer! As aspirants for the hand of Satyabhama, they should have been mutually at logger heads with each other. But as they say, ‘enemy’s enemy is a friend’, the three of them having a common enemy in Satrajit, were thrown together by the circumstances! Knowing that Satrajit did not have KrishNa’s immediate support, they thought that the time to strike was when Krishna was still away in Hastinapura.
56. Satadhanva killed Satrajit by using deceit in a despicable manner and not by direct fight. He grabbed the Syamantaka MaNi. Satyabhama came to know about this and was grieved. She was waiting for the return of KrishNa to punish Satadhanva. Though it is said that due to the power of Syamantaka MaNi, the one having it will have access to all riches and that it will be a source of happiness and good health! What we have so far seen is the opposite! Nothing is free in life and there is always a cost.
57. In this case the cost was physical and inner cleanliness, as clarified by Surya Bhagawan initially, while handing over the gem to Satrajit. In this Strajit failed badly because, he was suspicious of everyone including KrishNa, as far as the Syamantaka MaNi was concerned. This distrust in the heart is dirt! If Prasena had to give his life because of physical lack of cleanliness, Satrajit was nursing doubt and distrust for long, ending in his having to die for it, at the end.
58. Even ‘chiran jeevi’ Jambavan could not keep the gem for long with himself! Under these circumstances, how long could the gem have lasted in the hands of the cruel and scheming Satadhanva? Would it have let him live for long? When KrishNa returned, his loving wife cried her hearts out as to how Satadhanva had killed her father by deceit! KrishNa had decided that her father’s death will be avenged!
59. The moment Satadhanva had knowledge about KrishNa’s decision to avenge the death of Satrajit, he started shivering in mortal fear. Only recently, KrishNa had defeated Jambawan in physical combat over 21 days, as known to everyone! Once he knew that, such a great warrior’s attention was focussed on the killer of Satrajit, Satadhanva’s courage deserted him. He ran away from Dwaraka.
60. Before that, he dropped the Syamantaka MaNi in the hands of Akrura! He could have surrendered it to KrishNa and begged of him to spare his life. But that would have been tantamount to acceptance of the crime of killing Satrajit, on the one hand! On the other, his devious mind wanted to deny KrishNa a double victory of defeating him as well as getting his hands on the gem! Another way of looking at it was that, as he had known as to how, whosoever became owners of that gem Symantaka MaNi had suffered, he wished Akrura to suffer the same fate! Evil minds work in deviously evil ways! May be this tactic would divide the attention of KrishNa in two different directions!
61. KrishNa came to know that Satadhanva was getting away on a fast moving horse. He was neither annoyed nor furious. Satadhanva who had murdered his father-in-law by deceit, had to be punished. It was his duty to do so. With his brother Balarama, he chased Satadhanva on a chariot. The horses of the chariot started at a gallop. After much chasing, Satadhanva and his horse were seen at a distance, losing speed. His horse physically carrying Satadhanva’s weight, was visibly in its last legs, virtually. It stumbled and fell down dead, foaming in its mouth.
62. Satadhanva started running away. KrishNa thought that it was not fair (not ‘dharmam’) to chase a man running, on a chariot. So he got down from the chariot and started running himself! Balarama remained seated in the chariot, as he considered that it was not in the rightness of things for one opponent to be attacked by two! Bhagawan cought hold of Satadhanva. There was a fight. Who can last long against the might of KrishNa? Satadhanva was killed and attained to heavens as all his sins were done away with by the grace of KrishNa. As it happened with Jambawan, KrishNa proved to be the stronger and got the name and fame for that, as an effect of the Symantaka MaNi. He searched for the gem in the dead man’s body in vain. With name and fame, he was also due for an equal amount of blame!
63. Talking of His Omniscience, Bhagawan Sri KrishNa says in Bhagawat Gita, “I know all that happens in the past, present and future, Arjuna; at the same time, it is true that nobody can ever know me”. Such an omniscient being only play acts as though that, he did not know about the whereabouts of the Syamantaka MaNi. He had brought his elder brother with that expectation that the gem was probably to found in the person of Satadhanva. Balarama, who was also another Avatara of the ultimate only, was equally omniscient about everything including the gem’s location.
64. Having subjected himself to much unfounded accusations and going through the human foibles and fallibilities, KrishNa seems to have placed himself in a quandary, as far as his relations with his elder brother is concerned. He told Balarama, “Brother, I have killed him but, could not locate the gem in his person!” Balarama played his part in the drama equally well!
65. He told KrishNa the following words, “KrishNa, you have always been a double dealing rogue! You are afraid that I will ask for the gem. So you have already played your trick! There is no doubt that you are bluffing. I am ashamed of having you as a relative and live with your pranks!” This ‘PoorNa Avatara’ of the Parabrhmam in human form, without losing his balance, calmly replied with due respect, “My dear Brother, you should not doubt me like that. You can check me thoroughly, if you want!”
66. Balarama’s anger was not to be so easily appeased. However much KrishNa pleaded, he was no convinced. “There is no meaning in checking you in person. You have always been a master of illusion and magic. You will use ‘thiraskaraNi vidya’ to hide the location of the gem from me. It is no good to keep your company. I will not wish to be seen with you anymore.” So saying he walked away from the scene to Videha Rajya, a neighbouring state.
67. KrishNa came back with much anxiety. As though he had not suffered enough, the public ire was again directed against him. They accused him of having killed again for the sake of the gem. They also accused him of antagonising his own elder brother and expelling him from the country, for the same reason!
68. It is the human tendency to look at the mistakes in others than the good points. What somebody could have done or not done, with all possible combinations, fill up the gossip pages of newspapers. Then there is much discussion on individual opinions and interpretations! More than praising the good qualities in our leaders, we show more interest in their weaknesses and fallibilities! The PuraNas bear out that such has been the case always!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.