Krishna’s handling of different problems is providing us with a plenty of practical insights which can help us approach it with the right attitude. It so happens that our experience is not too different from Krishna’s, except in its magnitude. At times, we are faced with multiple problems. Usually we struggle with them and manage to arrive at some acceptable solution. Years later, if we reminisce, we wonder that how we didn’t think of better options, as our life’s trajectory would have drastically altered. This is especially true when we face multiple problems at the same time.
For the ideal approach, we have to merely look at how the different characters in various itihasapuranas have handled and emulate them to our perfection. Krishna’s entire life is a saga of skillfully solving numerous problems. One such complexity was when Kalayavana arrived at Mathura’s gates to decimate it.
Storytime:
We already saw Jarasandha was a long term problem for Krishna and more so to the citizens of Mathura. As he was preparing for the eighteenth time to bring his twenty three akshauhini army, as if he inspires the Vikram-Betal in the Betal-Pachisi stories in a never dying effort to avenge, there was a new danger in the form of Kalayavana, a non native of the dharmic civilisation. Kalayavana raised a three crore strong army and was considering himself without a match. Through Narada Maharishi he came to know about the Yadavas, especially Krishna.
Understanding the magnitude of a possible near simultaneous attack by two powerful foes and with the intention of avoiding any loss of life, Krishna had a new well planned city, Dwaraka, constructed in a far off island by Vishwakarma, the architect of Devas. The lokapalas offered numerous treasures to enrich this brilliant city. Krishna had all the citizens transferred to Dwaraka and appeared out of the gates of the city with a simple lotus garland and no weapons. Kalayavana’s image as provided by Narada tallied all the features from blue complexion to yellow silk, from Kaustuba to Srivatsa mark, from the peacock feather to even four powerful arms. Since he found Krishna weaponless, Kalayavana resolved to attack him with bare hands. Being pursued, Krishna ran tantalizingly close that Kalayavana felt he would catch him with another step. Yet without his realization, Kalayavana found himself being led to a far off mountain cave.
Krishna was abused by Kalayavana, yet as he let him exhaust his Karmas. (इति क्षिपन्ननुगतो नैनं प्रापाहताशुभ: iti kṣipann anugato nainaṁ prāpāhatāśubhaḥ SB – 10-51-8). Krishna hid in the dark cave. Finding someone asleep, the foolish Kalayavana without even pondering how a person he was chasing for such a long time can be fast asleep kicked him hard. As soon as the person woke up and cast his glance on Kalayavana, he was reduced to ashes from a fire that emanated from the sleeping person.
The person in deep sleep was Muchukunda, son of the famous Mandhata, in the illustrious Ikshavaku lineage, one of the ancestors of Rama. For his excellent services rendered during a devasura war and also long all what he had to time, as the time calculation is different in that plane, the devas granted him any boon except Kaivalya, Moksha, which can be given only Mahavishnu. (वरं वृणीष्व भद्रं ते ऋते कैवल्यमद्य न: । एक एवेश्वरस्तस्य भगवान् विष्णुरव्यय: ॥ varaṁ vṛṇīṣva bhadraṁ teṛte kaivalyam adya naḥ eka eveśvaras tasya bhagavān viṣṇur avyayaḥ SB-10-51-20) Muchukunda sought a long sleep without any disturbance. The Devas not only granted it, but also gave a guarantee that anyone who disturbs his slumber will be burnt to ashes.
Krishna then appeared in front of the puzzled Muchukunda, who was a devotee of Mahavishnu. Despite appearing in his classical form in complete majesty, Muchukunda was wondering who was in front of him. He was also confounded by the stranger who got burnt due to his boon, when he cast his first glance.
Krishna gave a brief history of his avatara and told him that for all the
devotion in his past, Muchukunda
deserved some worthy boon. Muchukunda
broke into a glorious hymn in praise of Viveka
and Vairagya and was thankful that he
was able to spend some time thinking about Bhagawan
despite being immersed in samsara. The
essence of Muchukunda’s prayer is his
seeking the feet of Bhagawan as he
lamented that he could never satiate the six enemies (five senses and manas) and sought tranquility at the
Lotus feet. (चिरमिह
वृजिनार्तस्तप्यमानोऽनुतापै-
रवितृषषडमित्रोऽलब्धशान्ति:
कथञ्चित् । शरणद समुपेतस्त्वत्पदाब्जं परात्म-नभयमृतमशोकं पाहि मापन्नमीश ॥ ciram iha vṛjinārtas tapyamāno ’nutāpair avitṛṣa-ṣaḍ-amitro ’labdha-śāntiḥ
kathañcit śaraṇa-da samupetas tvat-padābjaṁ parātman abhayam ṛtam aśokaṁ pāhi
māpannam īśa
SB-10-51-57)
Krishna applauded Muchukunda for not falling into the trap of seeking worldly pleasures. Krishna declared that a true Bhakta is never distracted by sensory temptations, as he is immersed in thoughts of Bhagawan. In case of abstract disciplines, the subtle sensuous tendencies do not get destroyed completely and their mind can turn to sensory objects. Krishna blessed him that Muchukunda will have unwavering bhakti under all conditions. Great acharyas opine that Bhagwan even grants Moksha easily, but is reluctant to offer unconditional true bhakti.
Krishna reminded Muchukunda had killed many innocent animals during hunting while performing his role as Kshatriya, which had no connection to his swadharma. Krishna recommended him to take the path of tapasya with his mind sheltered on HIM, to burn all these vasanas. (समाहितस्तत्तपसा जह्यघं मदुपाश्रित: ॥ samāhitas tat tapasā jahy aghaṁ mad-upāśritaḥ SB 10-51-62) He lays a yardstick to attain सर्वभूतसुहृत्तम: sarva-bhūta-suhṛttamaḥ (SB 10-51-63). We see this as a distilled essence of the list of qualities he gives Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 12. (Read more in Whom does God love? – Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3) Having cleansed his vasanas in his next birth through tapasya, Krishna assures Muchukunda that he will attain Kaivalya.
Muchukunda left the cave after prostrating to Krishna in a northerly direction. At Gandhamadhana Mountain with his heart firmly fixated on Krishna, he engaged in tapas, deep rooted in shraddha, firm, devoid of any attachments – physical or mental and free of any doubts. (तप:श्रद्धायुतो धीरो नि:सङ्गो मुक्तसंशय: । tapaḥ-śraddhā-yuto dhīro niḥsaṅgo mukta-saṁśayaḥ SB 10-52-3) Then at Badarikashrama he did tapasya overcoming the dvandvas (pairs of opposites) and filled with peace.
Krishna went back to destroy the Yavana army and had his men carry the booty gathered from the enemies and head towards Dwaraka. Jarasandha intervened in this journey and we saw that in detail Practical Krishna – Big problem different solutions.
Understanding Krishna – applying in our lives
- Prioritize: Krishna faced with twin attacks of powerful forces had the priority of his citizens in focus. The very first task he does is getting Dwaraka built on an island and transporting his citizens. Keeping our priority on the order of tasks and their magnitude is a basic lesson in any project management.
- Break the big problem into smaller parts: Krishna broke the multilayered problem into smaller parts. He knew Jarasandha was atleast a day or two away from attacking. To deal with Kalayavana he lured him by appearing unarmed and to run away as if afraid. Having handled him at the cave with his secret knowledge of Muchukunda, he returned in time to destroy the Yavana forces. He later executed the plan he had for Jarasandha. Breaking the problem – big or small, into manageable portions will increase our chances of resolving it.
- Efficiency / multi-tasking / timing: We already noted that Krishna broke the big unmanageable problem into smaller pieces. But doing them in order and timing the sequence is a very key lesson to learn. He handled both blessing Muchukunda, his devotee a darshana and eliminating Kalayavana in a wonderful sequence. As also timing the Muchukunda effort not too long before the suspecting Yavana forces could mount an attack. He also cleaned up the Yavana army ahead of Jarasandha’s arrival, lest they combine their lethality. Thus we have a beautiful example of efficiency, multi-tasking and timing from this episode.
- How to motivate others: Krishna lured and motivated Kalayavana in a way that works on the psychology of any individual. Every step of the way, Kalayavana felt he could catch Krishna with the next step. (हस्तप्राप्तमिवात्मानं हरीणा स पदे पदे । नीतो दर्शयता दूरं यवनेशोऽद्रिकन्दरम् ॥ hasta-prāptam ivātmānaṁ harīṇā sa pade pade nīto darśayatā dūraṁ yavaneśo ’dri-kandaram SB-10-51-7). If Krishna was a tad slower, he would have risk getting caught and a fight on his hands. On the other hand, if he was much faster, a dejected Kalayavana could have changed his minds to fetch his troops or return some other day. While setting goals, it should not be way too far off our comfort zone, yet they must stretch us. If they are too within our limits, the motivation factor will be non-existent and if the goals set are unattainable, the mind will tend to justify and not go after this seemingly futile effort.
- Overcome Tamas: Muchukunda gives us a deep insight into the horrible effects of Tamas. First off, a person of his caliber settling for a long slumber as a boon should highlight the importance of working on our tamasic tendencies. Secondly, when Krishna himself presented with his classic insignia, despite being a Mahavishnu bhakta, he is overcome with doubts and is unable to find who was in front of him. It is not this groggy feeling one gets waking up sleepy, but the tamasic drag that one feels on the personality, that should make us work on being saatvic.
- Spiritual pointers: The important lesson we learn from Muchukunda episode is we are responsible for our Karmas and its karmaphala. Krishna blessed him with extraordinary, undiluted bhakti, yet made him spend his remaining time and another janma, purifying his vasanas and burning his karmaphala. Contrast this with the idea of free saranagati or Abrahamic idea of merely signing up to get rid of karmaphala and vasanas. Such a thing is impossible in nature. The universe Bhagawan has ordained operates under certain dharma and everyone is subject to it. His grace can certainly give us immunity from samsara and strengthen our bhakti.
The bigger lesson one can glean from Muchukunda is that all the bhakti and sadhana he had done long ago is secure. Due to this despite the long tamas, as soon as he got the darshana of Krishna, his viveka came to the rescue. When he could have wasted his opportunity on any sensory pleasure, he chose to stay on the highest goal, Kaivalya. He lamented to Krishna on being enslaved by the senses and the mind. Krishna understood his real issue and fear of samsara. He gave the assurance to the bhakta that his true wealth of bhakti will remain unaffected during his cleansing period. The gravest fear for any sadhaka is to get pulled back into the mires of samsara due to a misstep of sensory distractions.
Krishna cautions that for this Yuga without a portion of Bhakti in our sadhana, mere abstract spiritual practices, as advised by many new age babas are a recipe for spiritual disaster. (युञ्जानानामभक्तानां प्राणायामादिभिर्मन: । अक्षीणवासनं राजन् दृश्यते पुनरुत्थितम् ॥ yuñjānānām abhaktānāṁ prāṇāyāmādibhir manaḥ akṣīṇa-vāsanaṁ rājan dṛśyate punar utthitam SB 10-51-60) The mind is already used to sensory objects and is firmly associating itself. Bhakti uses the same sense objects to be trained on a superior goal, ishtadevata. As it traverses this journey, it gets elevated little by little, imbibing the qualities it is focused on. Thus Bhakti is a powerful, yet sureshot way to extricate the manas away, yet subtle enough to the manas to realize and resist. In this process of Bhakti, one develops the right intelligence, viveka to discern and stay away from material entrapments. (न धीरेकान्तभक्तानामाशीर्भिर्भिद्यते क्वचित् ॥ na dhīr ekānta-bhaktānām āśīrbhir bhidyate kvacit SB 10-51-59)
Krishna gives an excellent yardstick to measure our spiritual progress – having a heart of kindness, compassion and prosperity for all living beings (सर्वभूतसुहृत्तम: sarva-bhūta-suhṛttamaḥ). In Bhagavad Gita, Bhagawan Sri Krishna stresses this wisdom as one attains peace as he realizes that Bhagwan is the one who is the real enjoyer of all sacrifices and austerities and is the Lord of all the worlds and a friend of all living beings. (भोक्तारं यज्ञतपसां सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम् । सुहृदं सर्वभूतानां ज्ञात्वा मां शान्तिमृच्छति ॥ bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati BG 5-29). The true essence of Krishna, Paramatma, shines in every living being, hence when evolves with the maturity to see HIS presence in all, it is a benchmark of the highest culmination of bhakti and jnana. Such a candidate is ripe for Kaivalya, Moksha. May we all strive our best to imbibe this wonderful quality to see Paramatma in every living being instead of seeing it as a body or with our ahamkara. For this we need to realize who our own Atman is, then only we can see the oneness behind all. May Krishna’s grace and his words guide us to work on our tamas constantly and replace it with Sattva which will eventually merge us with his lotus feet.
ॐ तत् सत
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