[Advaita-l] Various faces of Narayana

[Kaushik Chevendra]

In the mahabharata as well as in the bhagavata purana Bhagavan does various
leelas and takes up various attires.
Yashoda matha saw him as her own child and hence he appeared to be the most
adorable and innocent toddler one can see. He was so innocent that he was
caught talking to his own reflections.
The other children in the gokula saw him as a friend and leader. Hence he
appeared like a true friend who had nothing but love for his friends.
The gopis saw him as an enchanting youngster and hence he appeared as an
intoxicating youth whose splendor can never be matched.
Kamsa saw him as death personified and hence he appeared like the supreme
time which eats up all the lokas at the time of pralaya.
The rakshas saw him as an opponent and hence he appeared like an opponent
who never saw defeat.
Shakuni saw him as a cunning strategist and hence he appeared like a
strategist whose intellect has no bounds.
Arjuna saw him as a friend and he appeared like a brother who held Arjuna
more dear than his own life( Krishna says in mb that Arjuna's life is more
important to him than his own).
Bhisma saw him as thes supreme ruler hence the lord awarded him death for
being on the side of adharma yet he blessed him due to his bakthi.
Draupadi saw him as a protector of her family and her, hence he became the
eternal protector of her and the unborn one(parikshit).
Bakthas see him as the most compassionate one and hence he comes running at
their every call (to protect and grace them).
Finally the vedantins see him as the giver of knowledge and the one who has
the vedas as his breath hence he gave the gita which is the essence of
upanishads.
Verily this is why Narayana says that "in whatever way one worships me, I
bless them in that way".
Eternal is his greatness, infinite are his gunas and absolute is his
compassion.

namo narayana