Practical Krishna - Caring for others

             Purnavatara Krishna simultaneously manifests Parabrahman, Ishwara, Avatara and human aspects. (Read more in Krishna’s life – a saga of problem solving). In this Practical Krishna series, our endeavor is to constantly focus on the human dimension and extract as many useful tips for applying in our personal lives. We need to make the Itihasapuranas, Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita as guiding beacons, the way the rishis intended it to be used and not a mere text for worship. We have distanced these by placing them on pedestal and made them into unachievable objects of worship.

            In this series our endeavor is to look at the different incidents of Bhagawan Sri Krishna, given in Srimad Bhagawad Purana, from purely a superlative human’s example for us to emulate. We will filter out the Avatara or Ishwara aspects deliberately and let it not flame our prejudice or bhakti.

 

Storytime:

Mission of hope for Gokula: After the death of Kamsa, Krishna and Balarama had their Upanayana through the Yadava Kula guru, Garga. Eventually they mastered the sixty four arts in sixty four days from the illustrious Avanti residing Guru, Sandipani and returned back to Mathura.

            Krishna was very concerned about his hasty exit from Gokula. To assuage the grief of Gopis and cheer his parents Nanda and Yasoda, he decided to send Uddhava as an emissary. Uddhava was the best educated amongst Vrishnis having tutored under Brihaspati (spiritual Guru of Devas), a minister, a beloved friend and devotee of Krishna, endowed with excellent intelligence. (वृष्णीनां प्रवरो मन्त्री कृष्णस्य दयित: सखा । शिष्यो बृहस्पते: साक्षादुद्धवो बुद्धिसत्तम:  - vṛṣṇīnāṁ pravaro mantrī kṛṣṇasya dayitaḥ sakhā śiṣyo bṛhaspateḥ sākṣād uddhavo buddhi-sattamaḥ SB-10-46-1). The choice of Uddhava is outstanding if we can recall that he alone was the sole recipient of Krishna’s departing words in the form of Uddhava Gita or Moksha Gita. It is so special that it is the only Gita named after the recipient.

It appears to the normal eye that Krishna has abandoned Gokula and Gopis. To the trained eye, Gopis are the highest category of Bhakta, exhibiting more than all the qualities that endear Bhagawan (Whom does God love – Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3) and hence always on the top of Krishna’s mind.

            Uddhava reached Vraja towards sunset and spent the night exchanging stories of Krishna and the hospitality of Nanda. Finding their exalted love for Krishna, Uddhava tried to uplift the spirits of Nanda and Yashoda, by highlighting the Avatara, Ishwara and Parabrahman aspect of Krishna. It was after dawn when the Gopis discovered the gleaming golden chariot and wondered if Akrura (the one who took Krishna away to Mathura) had returned only to wonder more as they found Uddhava instead, who looked similar to Krishna and who wore Krishna’s clothes. Understanding him as an emissary of Krishna, they poured their anguish caused due to the deserting of Gokula by Krishna. They felt cheated like a flower that has yielded all its nectar to the bee that is happy to leave. Then in a beautiful outburst of poetry, heart and pure devotion, the state of mind of these highest bhaktas is captured as Bhramara Gita as sung by the Gopis.

            Uddhava, now having understood and witnessed the highest bhakti possible, begins to share Krishna’s message. Krishna enlightened the Gopis the subtleties of Atman and asked how can HE be ever separate from the Gopis? (भवतीनां वियोगो मे न हि सर्वात्मना क्व‍‍चित् । bhavatīnāṁ viyogo me na hi sarvātmanā kvacit SB-10-47-29) HE permeates the panchamahabhutas, manas, indriyas and gunas. Atma is distinct from the body or mind, not affected by the gunas and is Pure Consciousness. Controlling the manas and indriyas is the purpose of Vedas. This may be done through many disciplines like Yoga, Sankhya, Sannyasa, Tyaga, tapas, sense control and satyam and they all lead like different rivers ending in the same sea. (एतदन्त: समाम्नायो योग: साङ्ख्यं मनीषिणाम्। त्यागस्तपो दम: सत्यं समुद्रान्ता इवापगा: ॥ etad-antaḥ samāmnāyo yogaḥ sāṅkhyaṁ manīṣiṇām tyāgas tapo damaḥ satyaṁ samudrāntā ivāpagāḥ  SB-10-47-33) He wanted the Gopis to master the Meditation upon HIM, though HE was far away. It was only for this purpose, he left them physically, but was connected to them spiritually all the time. (मनस: सन्निकर्षार्थं मदनुध्यानकाम्यया - manasaḥ sannikarṣārthaṁ mad-anudhyāna-kāmyayā SB-10-47-34) Just as the lover’s fondness grows in absence, Krishna assured their meditation will be incessant due to this separation.

            Krishna didn’t abandon them just as our popular poor misunderstanding makes us wonder. He created the best environment for them to evolve on a fast track based on their already exalted states. Though thankful at the grace of Krishna for sending a message to uplift and guide them, they were still immersed deeply in their love for Krishna. Uddhava stayed with them for few more months, which was mutually beneficial. As all the time was spent only talking about Krishna, the Gopis felt their mind engrossed in Krishnaprema all the time. Uddhava learnt about all the pastimes of Krishna, visited the places where those leelas happened and greatly profited from it. His state of mind and spiritual evolution is captured in the Pancharatna, five gems (SB 10-47-58 to 62) where he glorifies the superlative state of Gopis. With the love and permission of Nanda, Yashoda, Gopas and Gopis, Uddhava returned to Mathura with all the messages and hearts from Gokula and their gifts.

 

Mission to aid Pandavas: When Akrura requested Krishna to come to Mathura, he also pleaded Krishna to visit his house. Using this pretext, he visited him one day with Balarama and Uddhava. Akrura, overjoyed, gave him a warm cordial welcome, washed his feet and worshipped him with flowers and sandal paste.  He broke into a hymn on Krishna. Understanding his mindset and that he was much elderly, Krishna used his entire charm offensive with a broad smile and spoke many honeyed words about the revered personage that he was. He pleaded to Akrura that as a first among friends and well-wisher to Krishna, he wanted Akrura to visit Hastinapura and know about the status of the Pandavas, after the death of Pandu and owing to the biased treatment of Dhritarashtra.

            Akrura went on Krishna’s assignment and blended with all the prominent people in Hastinapura. He stayed there for few months to get a first hand understanding of the activities. Akrura was a brother of Vasudeva and Pritha (Kunti) and thus Kunti opened her woes and anxiety of her children’s well being to him. Kunti’s primary concern was if she was under the protection of Krishna as also her children.

Akrura approached Dhritarashtra on the eve of his return and advised him. By following Dharma alone, one gains fame and good. He reminded about his responsibility and duty towards the young Pandavas and advised him to treat them as his own children. One cannot remain even in one’s own body forever and hence the impermanence of relationships including wife and children. Every creature is born alone and dies alone. One enjoys one’s merits by oneself and suffers for the demerits also alone.   (एक: प्रसूयते जन्तुरेक एव प्रलीयते । एकोऽनुभुङ्क्ते सुकृतमेक एव च दुष्कृतम् ॥ ekaḥ prasūyate jantur eka eva pralīyate eko ’nubhuṅkte sukṛtam eka eva ca duṣkṛtam SB-10-49-21).

Wealth obtained by Adharmic means will be destroyed by others. (अधर्मोपचितं वित्तं हरन्त्यन्येऽल्पमेधस: । adharmopacitaṁ vittaṁ haranty anye ’lpa-medhasaḥ SB-49-22). The foolish person wrongly thinks the body, wealth and children as one’s own, due to the wrong understanding. He even adopts Adharmic ways to sustain them, only to find all these things dear to him abandon him at the end, leaving only frustration. (पुष्णाति यानधर्मेण स्वबुद्ध्या तमपण्डितम् । तेऽकृतार्थं प्रहिण्वन्ति प्राणा राय: सुतादय: ॥puṣṇāti yān adharmeṇa sva-buddhyā tam apaṇḍitam te ’kṛtārthaṁ prahiṇvanti prāṇā rāyaḥ sutādayaḥ SB-10-49-23)

Akrura cautioned the outcome of such a disastrous mindset and that it may be easier to mend it now.  The man of Adharma, blinded by the impermanent objects of love drifts in life without a purpose, achieves nothing worthwhile enters the self created tamasic hell. (स्वयं किल्बिषमादाय तैस्त्यक्तो नार्थकोविद: । असिद्धार्थो विशत्यन्धं स्वधर्मविमुखस्तम: ॥ svayaṁ kilbiṣam ādāya tais tyakto nārtha-kovidaḥ asiddhārtho viśaty andhaṁ sva-dharma-vimukhas tamaḥ SB-10-49-24)

Dhritarashtra expressed his gratitude at this sage wisdom of nectarine words, but comes out with an important confession. His unsteady mind, prejudiced by its extreme love for his own children cannot retain this wondrous advice, just like a lightning cannot reside permanently in a cloud. (तथापि सूनृता सौम्य हृदि न स्थीयते चले । पुत्रानुरागविषमे विद्युत् सौदामनी यथा ॥ tathāpi sūnṛtā saumya hṛdi na sthīyate cale  putrānurāga-viṣame vidyut saudāmanī yathā SB-10-49-27) He kind of justified his actions by deeming it as ordained by fate and Ishwara’s law. He even acknowledged that Krishna has taken avatara to reduce the burden of the earth.

Dhritarashtra paid his obeisance to the Parama Ishwara, who creates this world, enters and regulates it through his inconceivable Maya. Both Samsara and liberation are a mere sport for HIM.  (यो दुर्विमर्शपथया निजमाययेदं सृष्ट्वा गुणान् विभजते तदनुप्रविष्ट: । तस्मै नमो दुरवबोधविहारतन्त्र-
संसारचक्रगतये परमेश्वराय ॥ yo durvimarśa-pathayā nija-māyayedaṁ sṛṣṭvā guṇān vibhajate tad-nupraviṣṭaḥ tasmai namo duravabodha-vihāra-tantra- saṁsāra-cakra-gataye parameśvarāya SB-10-49-29)

Akrura returned back to Mathura to update Krishna and Balarama of the attitude and actions of Dhritarashtra and the situation of the Pandavas.

 

Understanding Krishna – applying in our lives:

• Be always invested in the overall welfare of the people who are dependent on you: Krishna’s treatment of Gopis and Vrajavasis appears to be crude and ruthless. Yet after listening to his specific message through Uddhava, one gets a glimpse of his long term vision for them. Similarly, though young, he wanted to keep a tab on the Pandavas and their welfare, which he did till their very end.

• Choice of emissary / Learning to delegate: Picking the right person to delegate is a very crucial skill. As also preparing ahead of the task. Imagine if Krishna had switched the people for the missions? Akrura was already in the bad books of the Gopis for having snatched their highest possession away, forever. Even if he brought Krishna’s words, they would have not worked the same way. Uddhava was able to bring the real effect what Krishna wanted to, as he brought his highest wisdom and the likeability of Krishna, being a devotee himself.

Akrura on the otherhand, brought his diplomacy, relationship and maturity to the table during his Hastinapura visit. He was able to further every cause for Krishna, even tried to knock some sense into the blind King. If Uddhava tried the same on Dhritarashtra he could have been even punished. Secondly he would lack the serious diplomatic skills that Akrura had.

• Think long term: The Pandavas were too young and barely knew the dangers of their environment. But Krishna had a long term foresight about their future. This is especially true for Purusharthas – Dharma, Artha and Kama, with the exception of Moksha, which is not a planned activity or outcome. Some long term thinking is necessary. Sow seeds and prepare with a futuristic vision, unattached.

• Benefit the team player: Uddhava was an excellent jnani, yet had not reached the pinnacle through Bhakti. Krishna exposed him to the Gopis so he was an equal beneficiary. Uddhava spent his lifetime evolving based on this mission to qualify for Uddhava Gita.

• Don’t resign to Tamas: Through Akrura, he began a mission to fix the tamasic mind of Dhritarashtra which culminated during his personal visit to broker peace prior to Mahabharata. The message for us normal people is a warning that Tamas can be so dark that even numerous attempts even by Paramatma will find it hard to break. The warning for us is to constantly keep working on our saatvic guna through satsanga and studying scriptures, so we will have a mind open enough to receive.

• Be a hopegiver: Be it Kunti or others, Krishna was a source of hope through his words and actions. Now we cannot emulate an avatara, but our dharmic rooting will let others pin some hope for themselves.

• Understand the problem, before you solve: Krishna was heavily involved in the Pandavas life. To be effective in his objective, he had to have a good understanding in the affairs of Hastinapura.

• Spirituality is a journey, with a guide assured for all: Even the highest level Bhaktas in Gopis, Nanda and Yashoda had to have guidance through their stages. The choice of Uddhava also was to the same purpose. Krishna was personally available as they went through the different levels. Even in our journey, we can begin where we are. It may not be in the same league, but it is the same road. If we take the toddler steps in this journey using all the pointers given in itihasapuranas, Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita, then we are given the assurance that Krishna will send his emissary to guide us.

• Primary focus in life: The only things that light up on Krishna’s radar is Mokshakamana/bhakti and dharma. He is most concerned with our spiritual aspirations and sends out his feelers to guide and protect it. He also is equally concerned about the ones trying to fight for dharma. His first two missions, after sportfully dealing with Kamsa, highlight his focus. We must aspire to keep either Dharma, which is containing Artha and Kama within or Moksha as our top priority in life.

 These two incidents are ripe with so much wisdom that it is enough for a bhakta or sadaka to immerse into Brahma vichara. It has Bhramara Gita, Pancharatna and Akrura’s stuthi, besides his advice to Dhritarashtra. All these gems can elevate any person who is willing to apply it on their mind. The purpose of dwelling on these small incidents in Krishna’s life is to profit both our vyavaharika life and our spiritual inner journey. May Krishna’s grace be upon us that we will retain enough Sattva to gain from this deep wisdom.

 

ॐ तत् सत