[Advaita-l] Srikrishna karnaamrutam-8

[Kuntimaddi Sadananda]

Continuing the series from my book ‘Self and the Supreme’ published by the Indic Academy

 

Sri Krishna Karnaamrutam -VIII



Krishna performs many miracles while he was growing in theGokul. One of the biggest ones for which he earned the name ‘Govinda’ islifting the whole Goverdhan Mountain. In the South, while going up the hills ofTirumala foot, every step the devotees take, they shout – Govindaa! Govindaa!In chanting the name of the Lord, they forget all the hurdles they are facing -or should I say - all the hurdles become insignificant.

There used to be a TV advertisement in the seventies thatsaid – ‘Name goes before the quality goes.’ However, the Lord's name goes withqualities – or with infinite auspicious qualities, as Bhagavan Ramanuja says – anantakalyana guNas. The form of the Lord cannot be apprehended, but the name canbe on the tongue. The form of Lord Rama might have blessed a few when he wasalive, but the name of the Lord is blessing generations that came afterward andwill be blessing the generations to come. In Thailand, the kings were namedafter Rama since, as per their story, Rama the king disappointed about Ayodyapeople for insulting Sita mayyaa, left Ayodhya and settled in Thailandas a king. The kings took the name of Rama as Rama II, Rama III, etc. Thailand'skings later took up Buddhism. 
We have thousands of names for the Lord chanted as Vishunusahasranamavali– that starts with Viswam and then VishunH, etc. Interestinglythe first name is Vishvam – which means the whole universe – that is thefirst name of the Lord. If we understand the implied meaning, then we cannoteven go further to the other names, since we cannot go beyond the wholeuniverse! The implication is the whole universe is the Lord – as the scripturesays, He became the universe – that is every name and form that I see is nothingbut Him only – and yet he is not any particular name and form which is limitedsince he is the entire universe with of all forms and names. Krishna says:
यो माम् पस्यति सर्वत्रसर्वम् च मयि पस्यति|

तस्याहम् न प्रणस्यामिस च मे न प्रणस्यति||

yomaam pasyati sarvatra sarvan ca mayi pasyati|

tasyaaham napraNasyaami, sa ca me na praNasyati||

Whoever sees me everywhere and sees everything in Me, hecan never be away from Me, nor I can be away from him since the distinctionbetween the seer and seen ceases to exist in the very vision of the Lordeverywhere and in everything. Hence every name and form, in essence, is thename of the Lord only. Thus, all names and forms are included in the first nameitself. Just to ensure we do not get carried away with superficial names andforms of things and beings, the next name in the shaasranaamaavali is – VishnuH– vyaapakatvat vishunuH – the one who pervades every name and formproviding the very support for their existence – …ya yedam dhaaryate jagat– that paraa prakRiti providing the support for all this apraaprakRiti - is the Lord. Hence all the names and forms that I encounter inthis universe become his manifested names and forms, while He remains asunmanifested in all the names and forms. Hence the whole Vedanta is packed inthese two names itself as Ch. Up. Says – aitadaatmya idagam sarvam tatsatyam – sa aatmaa - tat tvam asi, swetaketo – the essence of all names andforms that you see – idam sarvam – is the fundamental truth – the veryexistence – the sat that pervades –and that which is also chit – and that is Vishvamand VishnuH. 
Most of the names of the Lordfollow the Vishunu swaruupam or his attributes. However, Govinda's name,he earned by protecting all gokul – gopaalas – gopies and all go-s (cows)and animals by lifting the Govardhan Mountain. 
As the story goes, the Gokul was getting ready to celebratethe festival where they normally worship God Indra, the king of all gods. Godsare called devas –as they give results for our actions. Devas are productionpotential in any field of action – that is, they rain down the resultsappropriately depending on the actions performed. Krishna approached his elderswho are preparing for the worship, and he asked -why are they performing thisworship? To his surprise, they said - we have to please the God Indra by doingthis worship so that he can give us the rain at the appropriate time and theappropriate amount. If we do not do this prayer, Indra will get mad, and hewill make us suffer. Krishna provides an eye-opening lesson for the gopasand through them for all of us. If gods give only, if we worship and punish usotherwise, then they are not different from merchants that bargain. Actionsproperly performed will give the results that we deserve. The results aredetermined not only by the current action, but the actions are done in thepast. We must worship, however, for the results that we have received bythanking. We were given plenty to eat to enjoy the benefits of nature. HenceKrishna says we need to worship – the cows who are eating the useless grassthat nobody wants to eat and convert that into useful, delicious milk thateverybody wants to enjoy.
Krishna is teaching all of us - be grateful for what youhave. Gurudev used to say: What you have is His Gift to you, and what you dowith what you have is your gift to Him. We cannot offer Him anything sinceeverything belongs to Him. The only thing that we can offer is prayerful tearsof gratitude. 
The Govardhan Mountain is providing plenty of food, fruits,and vegetables, including the grass that cows can subsist. We must perform theworship thanking the nature that gives us in abundance, not the egotisticalgods who demand worship in turn for giving what we should be giving evenotherwise. Convinced of the arguments of Krishna, the whole Gokul switch theirparty to worship Govardhan Mountain and the cows. Krishna, through this, isteaching all of us how to live – by maintaining the natural balance. Protectingnature is man’s primary responsibility and not to misuse it by polluting it anddestroying the ecological balance. 
When the Gokul started worshiping the Govardhan Mountainand the cows instead of Indra, he got mad, while Govardhan mountain blesses thepeople. Indra, to teach them a lesson, and to show them He is more powerful,starts pouring down fierce rain with thunderstorms, causing unending floods anduprooting many buildings. The people run for Shelter, and Krishna assures themthat He will protect them. Taking approval from Goverdhan, he lefts the wholemountain and asks everybody to come under it to get protection, assuring thatIndra can never do anything as long as they are all under his protection. 
The whole town assembles under the mountain, along with allthe cattle and animals and other creatures. Krishna stands holding the mountainon his little finger while still playing his flout, providing the soothing divinemusic for all those who have taken shelter under him. Leelasuka gives asnapshot of this scene, giving the inner thoughts of all beings that arewatching this wonder of how a little boy can lift the whole mountain while rainis pouring down outside, non-stop. The Gopaalas are unconcerned by what ishappening outside and are so confident that Lord in the form of little Krishnathat they love is with them. Leelasuka says:

आनन्देन यशोदया, समदनम्गोपन्गनाभि, श्चिरम् 

साशान्कम् बलविद्विषा,सुकुसुमै सिद्धिः पृथिव्याकुलम्|

सेर्ष्यम् गोपकुमारकैःसकुरुणम् पौरैः जनैः सस्मितम्

यो दृष्टः स पुनातुनो मुररिपुः प्रोत्क्षिप्ति गोवर्धन||



Aanandena yashodayaa,samadanam gopanganaabhi, shciram 

SaashankambalavidviShaa, sukusumaiH siddhiH, pRithivyaakulam|

serShyam gopakumaarakaiH,sakaruNam pauraiH, janaiH sasmitam,

yo dRiShTaH sa punaatuno muraripuH protkshipti govardhana||II-54

 

Yasoda mayyaa was overwhelmed with happiness; shecould neither believe her eyes – that mischievous Kanna, who was playing somany pranks with her and growing up drinking her milk is now lifting the wholemountain single-handedly and holding on his little finger – she cannot believewhat she is seeing and admiration mixed with wonder on one side, and full oflove on the other and proud that this is my Khanna that is protecting us allwhile listening everybody praising her Khanna– so she is overpowered with loveexpressed as happiness. 

 

The gopika maids have a different feeling. The one whomthey love who played hide and seek with them and to whom they have giveneverything they have – their heart and soul - is now single-handedly able tolift the whole mountain – they are looking at him with love and passion that Heis ours – gopaaganaabhiH samadanam. 

Shiram saashankam balavidviShaa – theIndra in the sky was also wondering how this little body can lift the mountainand holding for days and protecting everybody day in and day out – He starteddoubting his own judgment and wondering about the wonder boy, who can this boybe. SiddhiH sukusumai – all the siddha purushaas are watching thedivine, and delicate play of the Lord from a distance thanking their goodfortune to be witnesses of these activates of the Lord as a child. pRivyaakuam– the mother earth, on the other hand, was getting worried as on one side Indrais pouring down rains and thunder without giving up and another side thislittle Krishna lifting the whole mountain making everything around tremble. 
Sershyam gopakumaaraiH – thegopalas are somewhat jealous of Krishna, for one thing, they cannot do any ofthese, and for the other, all the Gopika ladies are paying more attention toKrishna than to them; pouraiH sakarunam – the senior citizens of thetown are compassionately looking at Krishna and wanting to help Krishna tocarry the mountain so that he can be relieved of the burden, but unable to doso; janaiH sasmitam – the people are enjoying and laughing at thefoolishness of Indra and confident that no god on earth can bother them as longas their Khanna is there; That everyone is looking at Krishna and enjoying thatdivine play and be part of it while it is happening and thanking their starsthat they are witnessing this scene directly in front. That Krishna whomeverybody is looking at with adoration, the one who is carrying that Govardhan mountainthat GOVINDA may He protects us all.
 

--------------------------
Hari Om!
Sadananda