Fw: Krishna Janamashtami - An Exposition by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
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KRISHNA JANAMASHTAMI
Birth Of Krishna "Krishna was born during the Krishna Paksha (the dark fortnight of the month). The effulgence of the Lord is seen with greater effect when it is dark. In a world of disorder, Krishna was born to establish order. He was born on Ashtami day. Ashtami is associated with troubles and difficulties. When do troubles arise? When righteousness is forgotten. Krishna's advent therefore signifies removal of darkness, end of troubles and effulgence of Supreme Wisdom." Sai Baba, SS, 10/99, last cover page. Naming Of Krishna "Sage Garga was highly respected by both the Pandavas and the Kauravas. He was Kula Guru (preceptor of the clan) of the Yadavas. He was a great scholar, having profound knowledge of the scriptures. He was endowed with great wisdom. Nanda and Yashoda invited him to their house for the naming of their baby. Incarnations usually are Shukia (white), Aruna (orange) or Pita (yellow). But here was a child who was black. Hence Garga considered the name Krishna (black) as most appropriate for the child. After naming the child, Garga narrated several wonderful incidents that were to take place in the life of the child before departing from the house of Nanda." Sai Baba, SS, 9/2001, p. 259 Birthdate Of Krishna "Krishna was born on 20 July, 3227 B.C., during the early morning at 3 a.m." Sai Baba, Summer Showers in Brindavan-1979, p. 159 Meaning Of Krishna "The name Krishna has to be properly understood. 'Krish' + 'Na' = Krishna. This means that He is one who cultivates (Krish) the heart. 'Karsh' + 'Na' is another derivation, which indicates that Krishna is one who attracts ('Karshati iti Krishnah'). Krishna attracts people not only by the matchless beauty of his form. He attracts people by his music, his dance, his sports and his words. Krishna, by his winsome ways, could turn the anger of the Gopis towards him because of his pranks, into an enjoyable joke." Sai Baba, SS, 10/94, pp. 259 &260 "For the Krishna Avatar, the pundits have offered different interpretations from the name alone. The letters in the word Krishna - ka, ra, sha, na and a - have been interpreted as signifying the glorious attributes of Krishna. 'Ka' represents 'Kamalakanta', the Lord of Lakshmi. Other meanings given to the letter are: Kamaleshwara and Kamalagarbha, Lord of the lotus and one from whose navel the lotus has issued. He is also known as 'Kamalabandhu', the kinsman of the lotus. The inner significance of these interpretations is that when divinity manifests within us, the heart blooms like a lotus before the sun. 'Ka' thus symbolizes the sun principle also. 'Ra' represents the principle of delight. 'Sha' represents Vishnu, the source of all wealth and prosperity. 'Na' signifies the Narasimha Avatar, the combination of man and animal in an integral unity. 'A' reveals the 'Akshara swarupa' of the Lord, His imperishable and eternal quality. Going by these letters in the name alone, scholars have derived the divine attributes of Krishna as Avatar. Some others have regarded Krishna as the very embodiment of bliss (Ananda.)" Sai Baba, SS, 9/86, p. 205 Triple Attributes Of Krishna "Krishna is omnipresent. The word has three meanings: 'Krishiti iti Krishna': (The man who ploughs is Krishna). The heart is the symbol of a field. The heart should be cleared of weeds (evil qualities). It should be filled with love. The seeds of the Lord's name should be sown in it. Krishna encourages the devotee to do all this. 'Karshati iti Krishna': (because he attracts, he is Krishna). Krishna has the supreme power of attraction. By his words, his sports, his music and all his actions, he attracts all people. This power of attraction is present in everyone. Hence, everyone is potentially Krishna. 'Krushyati iti Krishna': (Because he imparts bliss, he is called Krishna). Everyone seek? happiness. The Divine, who is the embodiment of happiness, is in you." Sai Baba, SS, 9/97. p. 229
Kleem Krishnaaya Govindaaya
Gopi-jana-vallabhaaya Swaaha.
"After Kansa was killed, Nanda and Yashoda made arrangements for the education of Krishna and Balarama in the traditional manner, by sending them to a Gurukula. In those days, even princes had to go to the ashram of a Guru to study, and no distinction was made between the rich and the poor or high and low among students. Even though Krishna and Balarama had exhibited super-human powers in vanquishing Kansa and other demons, they had to learn the regular lessons in Brahma Vidya from sage Sandeepani, in his ashram in the forest. They had to go to the forest and gather firewood for the Guru's household. All the students had to share the work in the ashram among themselves equally without any distinction. At the end of the educational course, the students used to give 'Guru-dakshina' (offering to the preceptor). Krishna and Balarama asked their preceptor what he would like them to give. The teacher, who was well aware of the divine powers of Krishna, told him that since he was the incarnation of the Supreme, He could do anything, and so he would like to have his son, who had died some time earlier, restored to life, as his wife was very much attached to the son and was in great grief after his death. Krishna and Balarama chanted some Mantras and brought back the Guru's son back to life. The Guru was immensely pleased and expressed his gratitude to Krishna and Balarama." Sai Baba, SS, 7/95, p. 188
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Krishna's Pranks With His Mother "Yashoda, the mother, put Krishna to sleep and while singing a lullaby, she was immersed in that ecstacy. She tried to put Krishna to sleep for a long time, but in spite of all her attempts, he would not sleep. She was wondering why Krishna was unable to sleep. She was praying to the goddess of sleep 10 come to her help. All actions that are selfless and sacred can be regarded as Leelas of the Lord. After sometime, she found that krishna was sleeping. But, in fact, he was pretending to be asleep. She told the servants to be quiet. She addressed Krishna and said: 'You have the entire world encompassed in you and how can anyone build a mansion for you? You shine with the effulgence of a million suns and how can anyone show any light to you? In a similiar manner, Yashoda was addressing Krishna and saying: 'How can anyone wake you up, if you are pretending to be asleep. You must stop your pretense.' The Devas (gods) and Devatas (goddesses) were looking at this conversation and were telling themselves that Yashoda was the most fortunate person because she was able to play with the Lord. On another occasion, when Krishna was just getting in the middle of his sleep, she came and sang a lullaby: 'I have made the four Vedas as the four corners of your cradle and I have made me nine precious stones decorate your cradle. The king of cobras is guarding you, in your cradle. This is the cradle of Omkara and in it, 1 have made a bed for you in the form of Tatwamasi. You symbolize all the seven worlds and they are united in you. In such a cradle you should sleep soundly.' The mother knew that Krishna was Almighty God and yet she was often steeped in such Maya (delusion). Gradually, Krishna was growing up in the house of Nanda and he learnt to move about the house and play. The mother was, at all times, attached to him and was looking after him. On one occasion, when some Gopikas came to his mother to enquire about his welfare, Krishna went to mirror and was pretending to feed butter to his own image in the mirror, as if he was very innocent. The mother was greatly surprised to see how innocent Krishna was. All actions of Krishna appeared as if they were being performed by a very young innocent person, but they caused a great deal of surprise. Krishna used to come and ask his mother why his hair was not growing as nicely as his brother's hair. In order to satisfy him, his mother always used to tell him that his hair would also grow nicely, if he drank a lot of milk and eat plenty of butter. After some days, he came to his mother again and asked why his hair was not growing although he was drinking plenty of milk and eating butter. The mother gave a a somewhat harsh reply to this and said: 'Your brother is drinking well boiled milk and eating butter only if he is given, but he does not steal them. You are always impatient and you snatch away the milk as soon as I milk the cows and even before the butter is ready, you cry for butter. Your brother is very patient and quite while you are not.' She thus admonished Krishna. From that day, Krishna was determined not to ask his mother for milk and he used to go to neighboring houses and ask for milk. Because he did many unusual things like killing the Raakshasi Putana, he endeared himself to all the people in the village and they used to love him. He used to be freely welcomed in any house that he went and from that day the thefts increased. The Gopikas used to complain about Krishna. One day, Yashoda caught Krishna and admonished him saying' you do not eat what is given to you but you go to the houses of other Gopikas and steal butter and milk. You are a small boy and yet your entire mouth is smelling butter and this whole village is complaining about you.' In this manner, Gopikas were always complaining about Krishna. We must understand the inner meaning of the action of Krishna. The word 'Navaneeta' means a pure heart. Pure butter here is compared to a pure heart. Ksheerasagara means ocean of milk and Samsarara (world) is sometimes described as an ocean. Here we should interpret Krishna's actions by saying that he steals the pure and clean hearts of people who was steeped in the ocean of Samsarara. In this manner, Krishna's actions have a deep inner meaning. On one occasion, Krishna came crying to his mother like an ordinary child. When the mother asked why he was crying, he replied that he was unhappy because his brother Balarama was always quarrelling and not playing properly with him. There was some kind of disagreement between Krishna and Balarama. While playing, Balarama would always ask him if he was truly the son of Yashoda and he used to humiliate him in the presence of other children by saying that he was actually purchased by Yashoda from some other mother and that he was not truly the son of Yashoda. This used to hurt Krishna and he would always assert that he was the son of Nanda and Yashoda. Balarama would then retort and ask why Krishna was dark if he was truly the son ofNanda and Yashoda who were of fair complexion. He used to argue that if Krishna was really the son of Nanda and Yashoda, he should also be fair. Krishna used to bring such arguments before mother Yashoda and start crying. At this, Yashoda was deeply moved and she told Krishna that Balarama was always jealous and hence keeps on cooking up such stories. She asserted that she was indeed the mother and he was the son. Here, we must notice that she did not say Krishna was her son or that she was his mother." Baba, Summer Showers, 1978, pp. 96-99
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Krishna's Childhood Miracles Out Of Compassion "The childhood episodes relating to Krishna have an esoteric meaning. For instance, when his mother, Yashoda, chided Krishna for eating mud (as alleged by Balarama), Krishna replied: 'Mother am I a child, or a silly brat or a crazy fool to eat mud.' In this way, Krishna though he was a child, was affirming his divinity indirectly. The Divine teaches profound lessons to mankind in this indirect manner. God's actions should be understood not by external events but by the inner meaning." Sai Baba, SS, 10/96, p. 254 "When Krishna was three years old he saw an old lady carrying a basket of fruits from the jungle. Krishna told her he would like to have some fruits. The old woman said he could get them only if he paid the price. Krishna innocently asked the meaning of the word 'price'. The woman said that something should be given in return for the fruit. Krishna went in and brought a palmful of rice. The woman placed the rice in her basket and gave Krishna some fruits. She was charmed by the beauty of the child. As she was returning to her cottage, she felt that basket was getting heavier. When she placed it down in her hut, she was amazed to find that all the rice grains had turned into precious gems. She thought the child must be divine. Otherwise how could the rice turn into gems? Considering herself supremely lucky, she invited her neighbours to see the miracle." Sai Baba, SS, 10/94, p. 256 Significance Of Krishna's Childhood Pranks . "The Gopikas used to complain to Yashoda about Krishna's pranks. But whatever Krishna said in fun or did as a prank was based on truth. Krishna never indulged in untruth even by way of a joke. But those who could not understand the inner meaning of his statements used to accuse him att lying. This kind or misunderstanding has been a disease in all ages. When a Gopika complained to Yashoda that Krishna had entered the house of a cowherd at night and played mischief, Krishna pleaded before his mother how he could have gone out anywhere when he was sleeping beside her. The truth was that Krishna was in both places because of his divine power. Krishna displayed a number of such baffling miracles. Against each complaint, Krishna had a convincing alibi. Indirectly Krishna was revealing his divinity. Krishna explained to his mother the ways of the Divine in a way she could understand."Sai Baba, SS, 10/96. p. 256 "One day Balarama brought a few cowherd boys with him and started complaining to mother Yashoda: '0 mother, Krishna is always so hungry? He eats at home as well as outside like a glutton. Why should he eat mud? Today he started eating mud.' Yashoda felt sad and was furious. She caught hold of Krishna's hand and asked: "Krishna, am 1 not serving you enough food? Are you not eating enough butter in the neighborhood? Why have you started eating mud? Then Krishna started explaining: "0 mother, to eat mud am I a child or a madcap?' Though Krishna was only five years old at that time, by telling his mother that he was neither a child nor a madcap. He meant to indicate indirectly that he was the mighty Great One. Thus Krishna conveyed many inner secrets. No one can understand in depth Krishna's Leelas. They have got some external implications and inner significance. But, today very few people know the inner reality. People are full of doubts. Mother Yashoda saw all the worlds in Krishna's mouth, but she herself doubted. What was the main reason? It was the feeling that Krishna was her son. It is the physical attachment that causes doubts." Sai Baba, SS, 9/98, p. 229 Krishna's Cosmic Vision And Childhood Might "Krishna was pleading with Yashoda (Krishna's foster mother) that he should be allowed to go to the forest with other cowherd boys. Thinking that if he were put to sleep he would forget his desire to go to the forest, Yashoda gave him milk. Krishna was no ordinary child. While drinking the milk, he pretended as if he was sleepy. He made pretence of yawning to indicate his drowsiness. In that wide-open mouth of Krishna, Yashoda saw all kinds of things - all the worlds in motion and many deities. She could not make out what it meant. 'Is it a dream or Vishnu's Maayaa? Or is it some fantasy of mine? Or is it real? Am I Yashoda? Have I gone somewhere?' These thoughts racked her mind. 'My son is an infant. How can all the worlds appear in his tiny mouth? It must be my imagination.' Such doubts arise in the minds of those who are caught in the delusion of the body complex. Yielding to his entreaties, Yashoda allowed Krishna to go to the forest with cowherd boys. Almost every day Krishna encountered some ogie or ogress and slew them. His playmates used to describe to their elders these exploits of Krishna, how he fought with the demons and finished them off. Yashoda, however, used to say, 'God is taking care of my child. Otherwise how could he overcome these encounters?' The cowherd boys observed: 'when he himself is God, why does he need anybody's protection, Oh Mother! Yashoda felt that the boys were naive in their judgment. 'Will God come to one's rescue so easily? It is only because of my prayers, my child is protected.' With this belief, Yashoda used to perform various rites, when Krishna returned from the forest, to express her gratitude to Providence for saving him from the evil eye and other dangers." Sai Baba. SS, 10/94, pp. 256 & 257 |
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Akrura's Vision Of The Lord "Everyone in the world loves objects or persons or even God, for his or her own selfish purpose. No one laves God for God's sake. Man exists in three states: waking, dream, and deep sleep. In the waking state all his senses and mind are at work, while in the dream state only the mind is active, and in the deep sleep everything merges in the Self and one enjoys bliss. Man should make efforts to experience the reality beyond all the three states. Narada told Krishna in advance about the impending visit ofAkrura and mentioned that Akrura would perceive him as Narayana and Balarama as Adishesha. Akrura arrived shortly afterwards with an invitation to Krishna and Balarama to attend the Dhanur-yagna to be performed by Kansa. Akrura was very devoted to Balarama and Krishna and so he informed them that Kansa's invitation was only a part of his nefarious scheme to lure them to Mathura and kill them. The Gopikas and Gopalas tried their best to prevent Akrura from taking Krishna and Balarama in his chariot. They were not worried about what might be caused by the evil-minded Kansa. Their fear was that Krishna might not return from Mathura. Krishna told them, 'We must go to Mathura to fulfill our mission. You are not the body. The Indweller in the heart is directing the whole show. That is the Atma. You are in Me. I am in you. Understand this troth and you will know everything.' After thus pacifying the Gopis and Gopikas, Krishna and Balarama left in the chariot driven by Akrura. In the evening Akrura alighted near a river to perform his ablutions. While having a dip in the river, he had the vision of Lord Vishnu reclining on Adishesha.. On hurrying back, he saw Krishna and Balarama sitting in the chariot unperturbed. Krishna asked Akrura what he had seen to make his face. radiant. Akrura was thrilled at the experience and praised them. He requested both of them to stay his house, but Krishna politely declined, promising to visit him after finishing his mission in Mathura. The next day, while they were walking along the road, they spotted the royal washer man and asked him for some royal clothes. The washer man rudely replied that the royal clothes could not be touched by lowborn cowherds. Infuriated at this, Krishna struck the Dhobi (washer man), who fell down. They took some of the royal clothes, and went on their way. Later, they met an old hunch-backed lady, Kubja, who was providing scents and perfumes for Kansa. She had a beautiful face but an ugly body, bent over in three ways.
Seeing the two brothers, she was overjoyed and gave away all the perfumes to them. Though God never asks anything from anyone, if someone offers something. He returns it a hundred-fold. Krishna planted His foot on her feet, caught hold of her chin and lifted it up. Lo and behold! Her crooked back was gone. She shed tears of gratitude to Krishna for restoring her beautiful shape and prayed to visit her house to accept the prayerful offerings. Krishna promised to do so after finishing his mission.
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Parents Freed Kansa heard of these exploits of the young lads and tried to send an elephant in rut, but it was the elephant that was killed. Next Kansa had two of his best wrestlers challenged them in combat. The wrestlers met with their end and realised that the Divine had come in the form of Krishna and Balarama. Then Kansa ordered his troops close in on them. But, Krishna, in a trice, jumped on the platform where Kansa was seated and rained severe blows on him till he dropped dead. After the death of Kansa, Krishna and Balarama went to the prison where Devaki and Vasudeva were confined, freed them. Krishna reinstated Kansa's father on the throne. Later, Krishna went to Akrura's house. Akrura referred to the inexplicable ways of the Lord in His various incarnations and said that he was greatly blessed by Krishna's visit to his house. He hugged Krishna, who was well aware of Akrura's boundless devotion." Sai Baba, SS, 7/95, p. 186 Establishment Of Dwaraka "After (completion of their education at sage Sandeepani's ashram) Krishna and Balarama returned to their kingdom from the forest. Jarasandha, the ruler of Magadha, who had given both his daughters in marriage to Kansa, and bore grudge against Krishna, invaded the Yadava kingdom and caused considerable destruction. Krishna strategy was to weaken Jarasandha after each encounter and finally destroy him. The followers of Jarasandha harboured hatred towards Balarama and Krishna and were harassing the Yadavas during Yajnas. Krishna wanted to settle his people in a secure place. He had an inland city constructed by Vishwakarma, the architect of the gods. That city was Dwaraka, a city of unmatched splendour and beauty. The Yadavas began to lead happy lives in the new place " Sai Baba, SS, 7/95, p. 188
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How Krishna Foiled Brahma "There was great rejoicing among the celestial beings (Devas) when they heard about the slaying of many demons on earth by Lord Narayana in his incarnation as Krishna. On hearing these stories, Brahma wanted to verify the truth about Krishna's prowess and the miracles attributed to him.
That same night Krishna gave a directive to his mates. 'Today do not take cows for grazing. Let us take the calves. Come together with your respective musical instruments. We spend the day with music.' Most of them came with flutes on which they could play well, holding a stick in one hand and flute in the other. Only two boys brought two mud-pots to be used as drums. Playing on the mud-pot is known today as 'Ghata-vaadyam'. This art is as ancient as Dwapara Yuga. The cowherd boys gathered on the bank of the Yamuna River with their calves. Some of them played on their flutes; some drummed their mud-pots while Krishna danced to the music. When Krishna stopped dancing, others started dancing. After sometime, Daama, one of the two intimate friends of Krishna (the other being Subaala), told Krishna that he was feeling hungry and would like to have some palm-fruits from palm-trees a little far away. Balarama, who was close by, said he would fetch the fruits. Balarama went near the trees and shook them. All the fruits dropped down. At that time, a huge donkey appeared there. All were frightened. The donkey was getting bigger and bigger. Balarama seized the donkey by the forelegs and dashed it to ground. It died on the spot. The cowherd boys hailed Balarama as a hero and danced in joy. Biding his time, Brahma created at that moment a huge cave. He took into the cave all the calves, while cowherd boys were immersed in merriment. Missing the calves, the boys started searching for them, shouting 'Krishna!' Krishna!. Krishna knew what was afoot. And directed his mates to search for the calves in the cave nearby. They all went into the cave. Immediately the mouth of the cave closed in. The boys and the calves were caught inside. They were there for a whole year. Krishna wanted to teach Brahma a lesson. He took the form of all the calves and all the Gopalas imprisoned in the cave. In the evening Krishna and Balarama took the calves and boys to their homes. This went on day after day for a whole year. The elders assumed that the calves and the boys were their own. Brahma wondered what was happening? Had Krishna managed to free the boys and the calves from the cave? When he went into the cave, he found all of them inside as well as outside. He then realised the inscrutable ways of the Lord. 'How can anyone know you. Oh Krishna! You are subtler than the atom and vaster than the vastest in creation. You dwell in all the myriad species in all the worlds, how can anyone know you? He prayed to Krishna to forgive him and released the calves and cowherd boys from the cave." Sai Baba, SS. 10/94, pp. 257 & 258
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Krishna's Departure From His Mortal Body "In the 3102 B. C., between the dates 17-18 February, at midnight, Krishna gave up his mortal body. Before that, in year 3138 B.C., Krishna crowned Dharmaraja.
Between these two periods and for a total duration of 36 years, Krishna enabled Gopikas to experience the divinity in Krishna. This was the good fortune of many other people in Dwaraka also." Sai Baba, Summer Shower, 1978, p. 82
"After Krishna's Niryana (death), Arjuna was returning to Hastinapura, in a very dejected manner and even as he was walking back, he witnessed a large number of bad omens. As soon as Arjuna reached the palace, he gave the news of the Niryana of Krishna and all the Pandavas were grief-stricken. 'Although Arjuna was very strong person, he could not even draw his bow after the Niryana of Krishna. Then Arjuna realised that all his strength, by which he won the battle of Mahabharata and by which he burnt down the Khandavavan, was in reality the strength acquired by his proximity to Krishna. He realised that he had no intrinsic strength of his own. Arjuna was also wondering as to how he could convey the sad news to the old blind mother. As they (Pandavas) entered the mansion, Kunti was informed that Arjuna was coming. Because of her old age, it was natural that she could not see or hear properly. As she realised that Arjuna was coming, she thought that Arjuna was bringing the news of Krishna. She began to shower a number of questions about Krishna. Arjuna was greatly worried as to how he could convey the news to Kunti. Unable to give a reply to her questions, Arjuna cried out and said that Krishna was no longer alive. As soon as she heard of this sad news, she left her life as if „ she were going in search of Krishna. She could not live even for a moment without Krishna. Pandavas also had great affection for Krishna and they were not ordinary people. The Pandavas were like the five Pranas for Krishna and Krishna was the mainstay of the Pandavas." Sai Baba, Summer Showers, 1978, p. 37
Krishna's Divinity
"Krishna's Leelas (sports) were intended in one way or another to reveal his divinity. Once Balarama teased Krishna by declaring: 'You are not Yashoda's son. You may ask why I say so. This is because Nanda and Yashoda are of fair complexion and you are dark. You are not their child. You must have been born somewhere else.' What Balarama said was true and Krishna knew it. But assuming an air of innocence, Krishna went to Yashoda and complained ' Mother! Balarama is saying that I am not your son. Tell me the truth.' Yashoda replied, 'Krishna! What does Balarama know? He is an innocent boy. You are very cute. You are very intelligent. Don't pay any heed to his words. You are truly my son. The colour given by God is permanent. Colour as such is not important. Many people paint themselves in different ways to conceal their identity. All these are momentary. The colour given by God cannot be changed by anyone. God likes the dark complexion. You have got the colour of the Divine." Sai Baba, SS.
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Gopikas Meaning "The syllable 'Go' in the word "Gopika' has four meanings: The Veda, the cow, the earth and the faculty of speech (Vaak). The Gopikas derive their attributes from these different meanings. They chant the Vedas, protect the cows, nourish the earth and proclaim the glories of the Divine by their speech." Sai Baba, SS, 2/98. p. 38 , "Gopi means sense control; one who controls the senses. It is not a lady's name." Sai Baba, Conversations with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, p. 18 Narakasura And His Sixteen Thousands Imprisoned Gopikas "The capital of the kingdom ruled by Narakasura was known as 'Prag-jyoti-sha-puram'. The name consists of four syllables: Prag, Jyoti, Sha and Puram. 'Prag' means before, 'Jyoti' means light, 'Sha' refers to forgetting. The inner meaning of this name is that the inhabitants of this city have forgotten the ancient and eternal light (Atma Jyoti). Narakasura, the king of Prag-jyoti- sha-puram had totally forgotten the Atmic Principle, identifying himself with the body, leading a life full of darkness of ignorance. One has to develop attachment to the Self, not to the body. Attachment to the body is the main cause for all sufferings. One who travels towards ignorance is Naraka and the one who travels towards wisdom is Nara, the human. To travel along the path of wisdom, one needs to develop sacred thoughts, sacred words and sacred actions. God does not like to kill the wicked Himself. So, Krishna decided to weaken him gradually by subjecting him to fits of anger. The modus operand! was to provoke Narakasura and when he would come chasing in a fit of anger, Krishna would withdraw. Anger is the main cause for man to lose his physical and mental powers. If one gets angry, one loses energy obtained from the food partaken over a period of three months. When Narakasura lost all his strength due to his anger, Krishna made Satyabhama kill him. God has His own master plan for everything because He is the master of everything. Narakasura committed many sins in his life. He imprisoned thousands of women and tortured them. They were the sixteen thousands Gopikas. They could neither live nor die. After Narakasura was killed, Krishna freed them from prison and asked them to return to their respective homes after being prisoners of Narakasura. They said, 'Krishna was their only refuge and prayed that he should take care of them. Krishna agreed to take responsibility of protecting them. The Gopikas sang in praise of Krishna thus:
'O Krishna! It is impossible to describe your glory in word's. Even Brahma, the Creator, cannot understand you. We have been longing/or Your Divine Grace. You freed Devaki-Vasudeva from prison. You protected the Pandavas. You removed the poverty of Kuchela. You turned ugly Kubja into a beautiful -woman. You freed sixteen thousands Gopikas from prison.' Sai Baba, SS, 11/12-98, p. 290 Simultaneous Vision Of Krishna To 16000 Gopikas "Is it possible for any ordinary individual to make his appearance simultaneously in the homes of 16,000 Gopikas, not only will people today disbelieve it, but many will ridicule it. But this is the reaction of petty, unthinking people, who have no spirit of enquiry. If one enquires into the truth, it will be seen that even in the modern times such a phenomenon is taking place. The broadcast of a music programme from Delhi is heard in millions of homes in its completeness, all at the same time in myriad different places. A person, speaking on TV, can be seen in a million homes. If a man-made contrivance (Yantra) can have such a far-reaching power, why should it not possible for the power of " Mantra to reach millions simultaneously? The image of Krishna could appear in the hearts of the Gopis, though they were far away from him. What is necessary is to purify the heart. The image of the Divine will not be reflected in an impure heart. There is no limit to the power of the Divine. Only the small-minded have limited power" Sai Baba, SS, 9/93, p. 228. Spiritual Symbolism "In commenting on Krishna story in the Bhagavatam, many writers have indulged in all kinds of misinterpretations. One such misinterpretation relates to Krishna's wives. In the human body, there are what are called "Shadchakras", six spiritual centers. Of these, the two most important are: the Hridaya-chakra (the Heart Centre) and Sahasraara (the thousand-petalled centre). The Hridaya-chakra is also known as the Lotus of the Heart. It has (Hridayakamala) and Sahasraara is called the Thousand-Petalled Lotus. The Lotus of the Heart has eight petals. These eight petals symbolize the eight worlds, the eight directions, the eight guardians of the world, me eignt spirus (Bhaias) and eight parts of the earth. Because Krishna was the Lord of these eight petals, he was described as the husband of these eight queens. The 'master' is called 'Pati' and those under him are described as wives. This is a symbolic relationship in the worldly sense. It is because the esoteric significance of these relationships was not properly understood; the Bhagavatam came in for misinterpretation. It is also stated that Krishna was wedded to 16,000 Gopikas. Who are these Gopikas? They are not cowherdesses in physical form. In the human head, there is a lotus with a thousand petals. Each of these petals has 16 kalas. The Lord is described as the embodiment of the 16 kalas. As the Lord of the Sahasraara (thousand-petalled lotus), He presides over the 16,000 kalas which are present in this lotus. The Kundalini Shakti, which starts at the bottom of the spinal column (Moolaadhaara), rises and merges with 16,000 entities in the Sahasraara. This is the esoteric significance and meaning of the role of the Divine within the body. Oblivious to this inner meaning, people indulge in misinterpretations and perverse expositions." Sai Baba, SS, 1/90, p. 10 "The Sahasraara Chakra (in the body) has a thousand petals. Each petal carries sixteen phases (Kalas). Thus the Sahasraara Chakra is said to represent of 16,000 Gopikas, while the eight petals of the Hridaya Chakra are adored as the eight consorts of Krishna." Sai Baba, SS, 2/98, pp. 37 & 38 "The ancient sages reached the thousand petalled Sahasraara through the adoration of the Lord in the eight-petalled lotus of the heart. They used all their God-given intelligence for this spiritual goal. But modem man is using his intelligence only for worldly ends. The ancient sages considered cultivation of virtues and good qualities and righteous conduct as the true education. What do the eight petals of the heart represent? They are love (Prema), truth (Satyam), forbearance (Sahanam), sacrifice (Tyaga), compassion (Daya), beauty (Sundram), bliss (Ananda) and Shanti (peace). To realise the bliss of the Divine, all other qualities have to be fostered. God is the embodiment of these eight attributes. Sacrifice is the most important of them." Sai Baba, SS, 2/98, p. 38 "In every human being, there are what are known as the 'Shadchakras' (the six Chakras). Among them, two are important. One is the 'Hridaya Chakra', the Chakra relating to the heart. The other is the 'Sahasraara Chakra'. The 'Hridaya Chakra' is described in Vedantic parlance as 'Hridaya Kamala (the Lotus of the Heart). The 'Lotus' has eight petals. Every petal is called 'Prakrit!' (Nature). All the eight petals are under the sway of the Lord. This means the God is the master (Adhipati) of the eight petals. Because Krishna is the 'Pati' (husband) of these eight petals, he is said to have eight 'queens', according to the scriptural text. Those who did not understand the esoteric meaning of all this, described Krishna as having eight queers and as having sported with 16,000 Gopikas. The real meaning of the reference to Krishna's 'eight queens' is that He is the Lord of the lotus of the human heart. As such. He holds sway over the heart. When this is rightly understood, the supreme greatness of the Divine will be apparent." Sai Baba, SS, 9/93, p. 226
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Gopikas' Devotion "Whatever you do to please God that must be in harmony with the perfection of the Divine. Your words should be absolute truth. Your actions should be totally God-oriented. All thoughts should be divinized. It should be realised that God is the Indweller in all beings. Because man has failed to realise this truth, he leads a double life and is prey to troubles and worries. Only by leading a godly life can man redeem himself. The Gopikas are perfect examples of total devotion. They were totally absorbed in Krishna. They ignored the message brought to them by Uddhava. They told Uddhava that they were so totally immersed in the adoration of Krishna that they had no time or inclination to do anything else. They had totally identified themselves with Krishna. Krishna was a six-year-old boy when he was sporting with the Gopikas. Even Bharatiyas (Indians) have wrong notions about Krishna's sports with cowherdesses. His sports were those of a young child with his brothers and sisters. By his sports, Krishna moved the hearts of the Gopikas. The Gopikas saw the image of Krishna in every creeper, every flower and every plant. When Krishna was away from Gokulam, the Gopikas went to Brindavan and appealed to every creeper and flower to let them know where Krishna is, who had stolen their hearts, was hiding himself. The Gopikas had only one image before them, that of Krishna. The nature of true love between the devotee and God cannot be understood by the unbelievers, the atheists. Only the loving devotee can experience the effulgence of the Divine." Sai Baba, SS, 8/95, p. 229 "The Gopikas and Gopalas prayed to Krishna that they could not live apart from him and therefore they should be endowed with forms related to whatever forms he took, so that they should stay with him. Separation from God is the cause of men's wallowing in sensuous pleasures." Sai Baba, SS, 2/96, p. 32 , "The devotee must acquire the yearning that will melt the heart of God. Even butter, which is so soft, melts only when heat is applied. Likewise, the warmth of Bhakti (devotion) has to be applied to the butter of the human heart to make it melt. It was their intense devotion, which made Krishna dwell in the heart of Gopikas. They became God-intoxicated. Once, when Krishna disappeared from their midst, they started searching for him everywhere, among the trees and the bushes of Brindavan, oblivious to everything else. Their appeals to creepers to tell them whether their Krishna was hiding amongst them might seem "hysterical". But it would be a good thing if such "hysterical" love of God fills people's hearts today. Then world would be a calmer and better place." Sai Baba, SS, 10/94, p. 262 "Once Gopikas prayed to Krishna thus: '0 Krishna! Your mother is trying to catch you, to chastise you for your mischievous deeds. You don't need to run hither and thither to hide yourself. There is a place, which is beyond the reach of your mother, that is our heart. Our heart is filled with the darkness of ignorance. So, enter our heart and banish the darkness of ignorance." Sai Baba, SS, 11/12-98, p. 289
"The Gopikas used to describe Krishna in many ways. Their love for Krishna was entirely spiritual. Their feelings were absolutely pure." Sai Baba, SS, 10/94, p. 259 "Men should strive to lead a virtuous life. The Gopikas provide the supreme example of how to lead a life dedicated to the Divine. The episode of Uddhavaha's mission to the Gopikas and their reactions to it, as described in the Bhagavatam, show what true and one-pointed devotion to Krishna meant for the Gopikas. They had surrendered their minds and hearts to Krishna." Sai Baba, SS, 2/98, p. 39
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The Selfless Devotion Of The Gopikas "Without renunciation if a person is immersed in worldly pleasures and leads a mundane life, all his devotion is only artificial and a kind of self-deception. Such devotion will not lead him to God. Today the world is full of such persons. People claim that they love God. I have not seen a single person who really loves God. Everyone loves God for his own sake and not for the sake of God. This is pure selfishness. The Gopikas, however, dedicated their hearts to one person alone. All their thoughts were centered on Krishna. All their senses were dedicated to the Divine. They spoke only about God. Their thoughts were centered on God. They listened only to the Divine words. Their hands were engaged in divine work. All their limbs and senses were dedicated to the Divine. They did not consider anything as their own. Krishna was their all." Sai Baba, SS, 9/92, p. 217 "Uddhava has described Gopikas' devotion for Krishna in the following words: 'Though their mothers-in-law were not happy with them and their husbands were against Krishna, they neither uttered a single word, nor got angry.' They bore it all with patience. They were not afraid of anybody. Just as a picture is imprinted on a paper, Krishna's form was imprinted in their hearts. Gopikas had no other thoughts than that of Krishna. Once Gopikas came to Krishna's house. Krishna pretended to be asleep. They tried to wake him up by catching his feet, but Krishna turned the other side and continued to snore. Then they sang: 'Tt is possible to wake up someone'who is in deep sleep, but it is impossible to wake up someone who pretends to be asleep. Krishna! You don't sleep at all. If you sleep, the whole world will sleep. We know that in this world there is none who can understand your mystery. How cany we know you, Krishna? Please put an end to your pranks and make us happy. We cannot be separate from you any longer." Sai Baba, SS, 2/99, pp. 48 & 49 |
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A Dialogue Between Uddhava And The Gopikas "Once, Uddhava went to Gokulam with a message from Krishna to the Gopikas. Uddhava told them: 'I have brought for you a remedy for the pain you are suffering as a result of separation from Krishna. You must take this medicine. Through this Yoga you will be relieved of the Roga(the ailment) from which you are suffering.' The Gopikas replied: '0 Great One! We do not suffer from any malady. Hence, we do not need any Yoga. It is enough to know the Yoga by which we can get back Krishna. Uddhava asked: 'What is this Yoga?' A Gopika replied: 'The ordeal we enjoy on account of renunciation itself is a kind of Yoga.' Uddhava observed: 'How can there be anything common between renunciation and enjoyment? The one who enjoys is not concerned about renunciation. As the two are irreconcilable, how can you regard the enjoyment of separation as a form of Yoga?' The Gopikas said: 'You simpleton! Is this all you have learnt from your nearness to Krishna? When a person gives up egoism in his doings and attachment to the enjoyment of their fruits, then Tyaaga (sacrifice). Yoga (spiritual austerity) and Bhoga (enjoyment) become one. First get rid of the conceit that 'I am the doer.' Then free yourself from the 'desire to enjoy the fruits of your actions and have no sense of ego in which you do, then there is no difference between Yoga and Bhoga (enjoyment).' In this world, you have rains and rivers, which enable crops to grow. The sun and the moon illumine the sky. For whom does all this happen? All this is not for the sake of any single individual. It is for the benefit of all mankind. Everyone is entitled to benefit from these phenomena. All beings in the natural state are entitled to enjoy the benefits provided by the nature. But only a few can acquire the competence to experience the Divine. Only those who have firm faith in God can secure this blessing. Uddhava asked the Gopikas: 'If you are not prepared even to listen to Krishna's message, what sort of devotion do you have towards Krishna? What is the form of your devotion? The Gopikas gave the essence of Yoga in one sentence: 'Uddhava! We have only one mind. That mind is no longer with us. It has gone to Mathura along with Krishna. As we have no mind of our own and are totally mindless, how can we receive your message? If we had ten different minds like you, we could listen to your message, think about Krishna, attend to the commands of our mothers-in-law and husbands and do other things. The essence of all the Shastras (scriptures) can be declared in one sentence: we have to believe firmly that the same Divinity dwells in all beings. The mind is the cause of all worries. Even the yearning for God is through the mind. Man is pursued by worries from birth to death, all through his life. There is only one means by which all worries can be banished and that is love (Prema)." Sai Baba, SS, 9/89, pp. 228 & 229
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An Episode On Gopikas Devotion Once Krishna feigned that he was suffering from a headache for which the cure was the application of the dust from the feet of a devotee to His head. Sage Narada sought to collect the dust froln Satyabhama, Rukmini and others, whom he regarded as great devotees of the Lord. But all of them declined to give dust from their feet because they considered it sinful to offer their dust to be placed on the Lord's head. Ultimately Narada went to the Gopikas, who did not have the slightest hesitation to offer the dust from their feet if only it would give immediate relief to the Lord, regardless of the consequences to themselves. The Gopikas did not consider whether it was right or wrong for them to offer the dust of their feet. They were only concerned with giving relief to their Lord. 'Our entire life is dedicated to Krishna. His joy is ours.' This was the spirit of oneness with which they offered the dust of their feet. And that very moment Krishna was rid of His ailment. By the time, Narada reached Krishna, the Lord was found wreathed in smiles. Krishna told the sage: 'You are boasting that you are devotees of the Lord. But none of you has the utterly selfless devotion of the Gopikas.' Today, there are many who claim to be devotees of the Lord and close to the Lord. But few can be described as real devotees of God." Sai Baba, SS. 9/92, p. 217 "Follow My Footprints, You Shall Find Me" "Krishna had always eluded the Gopikas after playing his mischief. But once, out of compassion for them, he wanted to provide a clue by which they could trace him. One day all lay in wait round their houses to catch Krishna. Krishna went into a house stealthily, broke a pot of milk and quietly hid himself. The Gopikas found that he had broken the pot and tried to trace him. The milk-white steps, which he had left, revealed to them his hideout. Then Krishna revealed to them the spiritual truth that if they cling to the Feet of the Lord they will realise Him. "Follow my footsteps and you shall find me.', Krishna told the Gopikas." Sai Baba, SS, 10/96, p. 257 "I Want To Remove The Burdens Borne By People And Not To Add To Them" "Once a Gopika went to a well to bring two pitchers on her head. She wanted someone to place the other water-filled pitcher on the first one. At that time, Krishna came there and she asked him to place the other water-filled pitcher on the first one.
Krishna refused to do so. Soon another Gopika came along and helped the first Gopika. The Gopika carrying the two pitchers reached her home. Krishna followed her to the house and without even waiting to be asked he took the top pitcher from the Gopika's head and placed it down. She was surprised at Krishna's strange behaviour. She asked: "Krishna! At the well, you refused to place the pitcher on my head when I appealed to you to help me. Now you took it down from the head without my asking. What is the inner meaning of this action? Krishna replied: "Oh Gopika! I want to remove the burdens borne by people and not to add to them.'" Sai Baba, SS, 4/92, p. 74 "This (Bhagavatham) sacred epic describes at length Gopikas' yearning for Krishna when He left Gokul for Mathura where he was fully involved in the affairs of the kingdom. The Gopikas were unable to bear the pangs of separation from their dear Lord (Krishna) and were anxiously waiting for his return. The entire Gokul bore the look of a barren land. There was no dearth of food and comforts in Gokul, yet the Gopikas could not enjoy any of them as they thought life was not worth living without Krishna, whom they considered as their very life-breath. They lost their health and happiness, as they were unable to bear the pangs of separation from him. Krishna, being aware of Gopikas' plight, summoned His friend Uddhava and asked him to proceed to Gokul to console the Gopikas and give his message to them. Uddhava was a great philosopher and Jnani (one of wisdom). He realised that Krishna was omnipresent. As per the command of Krishna, he went to Gokul and conveyed Krishna's message to the Gopikas and Gopalas. He told them that they should not limit Krishna to a small physical frame thinking that he was present in Mathura. He tried to explain to the Gopikas that He is present everywhere. There is, therefore, no need for them to feel sorry that he is away. Since the Gopikas had totally surrendered themselves to Krishna, they would not look at or talk to a stranger. So, they made a Bhramara (buzzing bee) as an intermediary and talked to Uddhava while addressing the bee. Having been used to worship Krishna's beautiful form, they could not really think of Krishna as a formless entity. Making fun of Uddhava's preaching, they asked, 'Do you practise what you preach? You are enjoying the proximity to our Lord Krishna, but are telling us to experience his attributeless and formless aspect. We don't want your preaching or philosophy. We are not interested in your formless, attributeless God. Bring our dear Krishna to us.' They said,' Krishna has stolen our heart and soul. We have only one mind and that has gone with Him to Mathura. We do not have another to listen to what you are preaching.' The declaration of the Gopikas that they had only one mind made Uddhava recognise their one-pointed devotion. He realised that the pure, unsullied and eternal divine principle could be attained only through fixing the mind on God. The Gopikas lamented at their separation from Krishna and said, 'We want to see nothing but Krishna's beautiful form; hear nothing, but melodious music flute and experience nothing but his divine love. We have cried for Krishna so much that our eyes are swollen and there is not a drop of tear left in them. How can the ship of your message sail in the dry sands of our hearts? So, go back to the place you have come from. We are not interested in the formless aspect of Divinity. We want to see the enchanting form of our Lord.' Hearing the words of the Gopikas, Uddhava realised that all his Jnana (wisdom) was worthless. He considered himself to be totally ignorant, as he had underestimated the love and devotion of the Gopikas for Krishna.
He stopped preaching and tried to hand over Krishna's letter to the Gopikas, saying that it contained Krishna's message for them. He wanted them to read it. They refused to accept the letter, saying that they could not read it, as they had no knowledge of Akshara (alphabet). But their minds were merged in the Akshara Swarupa (immortal form) of Lord Krishna. Uddhava was a bit angry with the Gopikas, thinking that they had no respect for even Krishna's message. Then one of the Gopikas started explaining, There is no point in accepting Krishna's letter as we, being illiterate, cannot read it. There may be one or two amongst us who can read. But we are afraid that our tears may drop on the letter and wash out words written in it. There is another reason too. Our whole body is heated up on account of separation from Krishna. So, it is possible that the letter may get burnt to ashes if our hands were to touch it. You are unable to understand our plight.' They sent a message to Krishna addressing the bee, '0 bee! Why don't you go back and tell Krislma that He should look at us at least once? Can you not tell Krishna to illumine our dark hearts with his resplendent form? Our life has become like a dried tree. Please tell Krishna to put some life into it?' Thus, Gopikas always craved for divine proximity. That is the sign of true devotion. True philosophy comprises of establishing a relationship between the individual and God. The Gopikas never gave scope for narrow feelings. They aspired for the intimate relationship with God. There is no place where God does not exist. But you cannot see God as long as there is the sense of 'I' (ego) in you. The Gopikas had absolutely no sense of ego. There 'I' had merged with Krishna. So long as there is ego in you, you will find only multiplicity. Once you realise that you and I are one; you will find unity everywhere, which is true and eternal." Sai Baba, SS, 1/2000, pp. 4-7 "The heart of Uddhava, who was considered one of wisdom, was transformed on seeing the love and devotion of the Gopikas for Krishna. He approached with a prayer that he may he blessed with at least a fraction of their devotion. Gopikas said, 'they had only one mind and that was centered on Krishna. But men have many minds! This statement of the Gopikas is in itself the highest philosophy." Sai Baba, SS, 1/2000, p. 9 |
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The Relationship Between Krishna And Gopikas "The coming together of Gopikas and Krishna became exemplary to the world and represented the coming together of Prakriti (nature) and Purusha (God). Whatever has been said or done by them appears as of low level because of our low thoughts, but actually whatever they had done or said was of great significance." Sai Baba, Summer Showers, 1978, p. 121 "The life of the Gopikas was indeed exemplary. In none of their actions, can one detect untruth, unjustness or unfaimess. They led perfect lives. The coming together of Krishna and the Gopikas is regarded as one of bodily attachment because of the cinemas and dramas that we see today. The confluence of the Gopikas and Krishna is truly divine. All actions of Krishna are truly to be treated as ideal examples. Whatever he did was intended to destroy and remove the little attachment they had to their body and life. The aspect of love in Krishna got imprinted in their minds and they got immersed in that ecstasy." Sai Baba, Summer Sho\vers, 1978, pp. 122 & 123
"In the Bhagavatam, the Gopikas from the very beginning used to tell Krishna, 'We belong to you.' This is the characteristic feature of true devotion and surrender. Therefore, Krishna protected them at all times wherever they were. On the other hand, the people ofDwaraka regarded Krishna as their possession. "Krishna is our brother, our aunt's son, our uncle's son, our cousin, our nephew', they thought. Such relationships clouded their attitude towards Krishna. This feeling that Krishna belonged to them made them feel that the Pandavas triumphed because of Krishna, who belonged to the Yadava clan, and therefore, the credit should go to the Yadavas. Thus, they developed Ahamkara (pride) ^ also and this marked the beginning of their destruction, taking the shape of a catastrophe (Pralaya) and wiping out the entire race itself. On the other hand, the Gopikas were safe and happy because they were devoid of ego, possessiveness and pride. In Arjuna's case, however, the Lord Himself claimed him as His own. How fortunate Arjuna was! Krishna and Arjuna were described Nara (man) and Narayana (God). Krishna showed Arjuna as the ideal man and the model representative, through Arjuna as his medium. He communicated to mankind the sanctified message." Sai Baba, Summer Showers in Brindavan-1979, pp.39 & 40 Gopikas' Love For Krishna
"The Gopikas were illiterate and totally innocent. But their love for Krishna was unalloyed and exclusive. Even while engaged in their daily activities, their thoughts were centered on Krishna. Hence, they experienced indescribable joy." Sai Baba, SS, 10/96, p. 257 "Kansa having come to know that he would die at the hands of Krishna, decided to kill Krishna and Balarama. Immediately, he called Akrura and commanded him to go and fetch Balarama and Krishna saying, '0 Akrura, you are a good friend and devotee of Krishna. If you go, they will surely condescend to your request.' Since he could not disobey the command of the king, Akrura went and met Yashoda and Nanda and told them that Kansa was performing a Yajna and wanted Krishna and Balarama to attend it. Yashoda and Nanda were not in favour of their children's going to Kansa's palace.
Gopikas, having heard of this (departure) surrounded Nanda's house, said 'Krishna should not go to Mathura, as he was their life and they could live without him. They raised objections in several ways. Krishna is the very form of mystery and wonder. He did not utter a word, since he knew that Gopikas would not be convinced so easily. So he sat in the chariot and made it disappear with his divine power. Until he reached the banks of the Yamuna (river), no one could see the chariot. As the Gopikas found themselves helpless, they returned to Brindavan. Gopikas had this intense love for Krishna, so they could see this love pervading all over." Sai Baba, SS. 9/98, p. 227 ' The hearts of the Gopikas were soft, sweet and blissful like the butter. Hence, Krishna relished their pure love even more than the delicacies his mother offered out of maternal affection." Sai Baba, SS, 9/97, p. 227 Misunderstanding Of Gopikas' Love "The experiences of the Gopikas and Gopalas of Brindavan during Krishna's early years at Repalle have been misinterpreted. Krishna was in the village for five years only. It is absurd to suggest that a five-year old child behaved in an objectionable manner. After going to Mathura, Krishna did not return to Repalle. To ascribe anything to the pure and divine life of Krishna is sheer blasphemy. The true nature of the Divine has to be fully understood." Sai Baba, SS, 10/96. p. 254 "It is not as if there were no Gopikas who had bodily attachments. Even such Gopikas, put the path of divinity at a high level and always adopted a sacred path. It was the normal practice that Krishna visited all the homes in Gokulam. He could assume any number of forms. There was, however, no scope for any misinterpretation because at that time Krishna was about seven years old. On the other hand Gopikas were about thirty years old. The Gopikas had no attachment to Krishna even as a brother or as a son. They regarded him as a Divine Incarnation. Because of this, Krishna had no bad thoughts at all. He used to freely enter the house of the Gopikas." Sai Baba, Summer Showers, 1978, p. 108 "In the Bhagavatam, the connection between the Gopikas and Krishna was pictured as a sacred connection between their hearts. There was no further scope for misinterpretation. They were fully merged in each other and there was no feeling whatsoever relating to their body, and in such a case how can there be any distortion? Sai Baba, Summer Showers, 1978, p. 109
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Symbolism Of Krishna's Leelas With The Gopikas
"Gopikas were only interested in the spiritual aspects and whatever actions they had actually indulged in, were only Leelas (sports)." Sai Baba, Summer Showers, 1978, p. 121 "Krishna's sacred Leelas are infinitely deep and understandable. Unless you learn the significance of these teachings and put them into practice, all this description of Krishna's qualities would be waste. Krishna used to look upon all the creation with an equal mind. Here, you might get a doubt as to how he undertook to kill and exterminate 40 lakhs (4 millions) of the Kaurava army, if indeed he looked upon all creation with an equal mind." Sai Baba, Summer Showers, 1978, p. 47 Significance Of Krishna's Breaking Of Gopikas' Pots "When Krishna went to visit a Gopika. Recognising that the Gopika was not at home, he broke the pot of the milk which was hanging from the roof and spilt the milk and went out of the house leaving footprints on the ground. The Gopika came back and found the footprints of Krishna. She followed the footprints of Krishna and found where he was. Then Krishna said: 'If you desire to reach me, then you must follow my footprints and that is only way by which you can reach me..' Thus, Krishna was showing the method or path by which the devotees can reach him. Krishna was the one who showed the path oftruth." Sai Baba, Summer Showers, 1978, p. 122 Symbolic Meaning Of Piercing Holes In Milk Pots "On another occasion, the Gopikas tried to make Krishna speak untruth. They complained that when the cowherd women were carrying the pots of milk and curd, Krishna came and pierced holes in those pots. They accosted mother Yashoda by saying 'Ask your son if he had not done this.' Here also, we must understand the significance when Krishna explained by saying: 'Perhaps God came and pierced the pots; I do not know.' He is indirectly saying that the one who had pierced the pots was God Himself." Sai Baba, Summer Showers, 1978, pp. 122 & 123 Symbolic Meaning Of Stealing Butter From Gopikas' Homes "Krishna used to visit the houses of the cowherds and drink curds and milk. The symbolic meaning of this action is Krishna's preference for 'Satva', represented by the pure white curds and milk. Krishna explained to Yashoda the reason why he preferred the butter in their homes to the butter offered by Yashoda. The hearts of Gopikas were pure and filled with selfless devotion to Krishna. Their devotion was superior to the maternal affection of\ asnoda, wnich bore a taint of selfishness. Krishna told Yashoda: 'I am attracted to the hearts of those who are pure and selfless.' Krishna always eluded the Gopikas after playing his mischief." Sai Baba, SS, 10/96, p. 256 "On one occasion, Krishna stole butter. He was not available to his mother that day. Yashoda knew very well that if Krishna saw the big stick, he would not come. So she held the stick with one hand behind her back and held butter in the other hand and tried attract Krishna by showing him the butter. Here, we must notice that Yashoda realised that Krishna will come only if he sees a pure Chitta or mind as exemplified by butter in this analogy." Sai Baba, Summer Showers, 19878, p. 123 "Once Yashoda appealingly asked Krishna as to why he was going to the Gopikas' houses to steal their butter when there was so much butter in their own house. The Child Krishna replied 'Mother, I am not stealing butter but the hearts of the Gopis.' 'Their hearts are pure and full of devotion,' said Krishna. 'Their butter is filled with devotion with which they churn the buttermilk. Their bangles keep time as they sing Krishna's name while churning. The butter that is got contains the essence of the Vedas.' Krishna asked Yashoda whether this kind of churning was taking place in her house. In this manner, every word of Krishna was replete with spiritual significance. Sai Baba, SS, 10/94, p. 262 Symbolic Meaning Of Tying The Hair Of The Gopikas "On one occasion, the Gopikas tried to go close to Krishna and they tried to find some excuse to do so. They joined together and came to Mother Yashoda with a long list of complaints. When Yashoda asked them for the cause of their visit, they all said: "Krishna came up to the terrace at midnight and tied up the hair of one Gopika with that of another.' The inner meaning of this has to be carefully understood. The Gopikas said that Krishna came at midnight. Here midnight means neither day nor night. The Gopikas are in a state of half knowledge. That is why they are neither divine nor human. To such Gopikas, Krishna came and tied their ignorance." Sai Baba, Summer Showers, 1978, p. 122 Symbolic Meaning Of Krishna's Taking Away The Clothes Of The Gopikas "Another complaint Gopikas made (to mother Yashoda) was "When they were bathing in the river, he (Krishna) gathered all our Saris and went and sat on the top of a tree and would not come down even if we call him.' To this Krishna said: 'When they were bathing, there was big whirlwind, which gathered all these saris and put them on the tree.' Here, the whirlwind has to be identified as a form of God. The basic elements of creation are earth, fire, water, air and sky, and air is one form of the Divine. In truth, the Gopikas had very sacred heart." "God is one who is attracted by pure minds. The meaning of saying that he (Krishna) took away all the clothes is that he took away all your bodily attachments. The clothes are a cover to the body and in reality, the body is an attachment or a cover for the Atma that is residing inside the same. The body is therefore only a dress for this life. When we say that one is dead, we mean that the body is dead and discarded. Thus, it is to be interpreted as saying that so long as you have attachment to your body, you cannot find the real aspect of the Atma. We should not be under an illusion about the importance of the body." Sai Baba, Summer Showers, 1978, p. 123
"The real meaning of story about Krishna taking away the clothes of the Gopikas while they were bathing is that to realise the Lord, they have to abandon the attachment to the body, which is the vesture of the spirit. These stories should not be treated in a spirit of levity or profanity." Sai Baba, SS, 10/96, p. 257 "Krishna Is Creating Trouble Between Husband And Wife" - The Inner Meaning "On one occasion, the Gopikas went to Yashoda and told her that the kind of mischief that Krishna was doing was indescribable. So they asked her to call him in their presence and take steps to see that he should never enter their houses again. They complained by saying: "Krishna is creating trouble between husbands and wives. He comes in the night and bangs the doors. If we open the doors, our husbands get angry. If we do not open the doors, Krishna gets angry. So we are put to constant trouble because of such situations. It is not possible to describe all our troubles to you. A situation has arisen when we have to either forget Krishna or abandon our husbands.' Faced with these allegations, Krishna replied: 'Mother, you are a very innocent lady and so, you are believing all these stories. I will give you a simple answer and you judge for yourself the truth of these stories. I have been sleeping silently in your bed. So, how can I go out in the nights without disturbing you? Now you can yourself see the truth.' Yashoda felt that all the complaints were false and she sent away all the Gopikas. The meaning of this is that in order to set right the husbands of the Gopikas, He (Krishna) played all this drama. There is one small fact that we have to notice here. Krishna was actually a seven-year old boy at that time while the Gopikas were much older. Under these conditions, there cannot be any chance for misunderstanding by the husbands. Such misunderstandings are simply because of the bad qualities and bad ideas which men have. Even if a wife is playing and spending too much time with her small son, the selfish husband does not like it and attempts to stop it. This can be recognised as unsacred behaviour. If he gets selfish ideas and doubts, even if a mother plays with her own son, will he not get doubts when she plays with other children? It is the bad quality of men to doubt everything that comes in the way of their own selfish interests. Krishna said that he was undertaking all these tasks only to purify the husbands and create a pure heart in them. Gopikas had very sacred minds and doubt them is a great sin and Krishna was a seven-year-old bov and to have any misunderstanding about his actions with regard to the Gopikas is even a greater sin. There is no room whatsoever for any bad interpretation here. Because the husbands did not fully recognise the aspect of divinity, they were having all kinds of doubts. The Gopikas, who were subjected to this kind of unnecessary blame and blemish, were being protected by Krishna. In this way, Krishna propagated the aspects of an Avatar. We should not try to understand and interpret all actions of divinity at the human level." Sai Baba, Summer Showers, 1978, p. 125 |
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Difference Between The Gopikas And The Yadavas "Understand the difference between the Yadavas and the Gopikas. The Yadavas considered Krishna as their relative, and were proudly proclaiming Krishna as their own kinsman. Because of their pride, they finally perished in mutual strife, after Krishna's exit from the world. In contrast, the Gopikas considered themselves as Krishna's worshippers, and were humble and devoted to the Divine." Sai Baba, SS, 7/95, p. 188 'Meaning Of Radha ' "Radha does not simply mean the form of a woman. It is something far more important. The language develops as a confluence of several letters. In the word, RADHA, we have the letters R-A-D-H-A. When we commence with 'A' we get 'Adhar'. When we commence with 'D' we get 'Dhara' and in reverse direction, it reads Aradh. Thus, the word 'Radha' means, one who constantly chants the name of the Lord. Everyone who does the Aradhana (chanting) can be described as Radha. The word does not relate to a feminine gender indicating the name of a woman at all. Krishna's aspect demonstrates that there is no such a difference at all in the presence of divinity. In this manner, Krshna has been spreading the concept of pure love." Sai Baba, Summer Showers, 1978, p. 60 Radha's Total Surrender "You set up a door to separate one place from a place outside it. If there is no place outside, there will no need for a door. There is no place where the Divine is not present. Where, then can the Divine come or go? Such questions are products of confused book knowledge. The state of mind of the confused person is described in a song of a Gopika. The doubting mind calls for closing the door of the mind (to truth). The person with faith asks for the opening of the door. Seeing the plight of the Gopika, who is racked by both doubt and faith, RADHA was amused. Radha observed:' When the whole universe is the mansion of the Lord, where is the need for a street or a door?' When the cosmic Lord is shinning within, where is the need for a door?' (Poem). When one offers one's entire life to the Lord and sheds tears of bliss, that is all, which is needed. As long as there is no such complete surrender, there will be need for doors and the like." Sai Baba, SS, 1/92, p. 13 Relationship Between Krishna And Radha "Very close to Gokulam, there used to be a village by a name Vrishabhapura. Radha was living in Vrishabhapura and knew from the very beginning her being an embodiment of Prakriti and her connection with Paramatma. Since the entire creation was only a projection of Paramatma, in the context of Radha signifying creation and Krishna signifying Paramatma, the Creator, the relationship of Radha between Radha and Krishna was one like the relationship between an object and its image. Radha, in the bodily aspect, was nine years older than Krishna. She was also a cousin sister of Nanda and thus was closely connected with Nanda. Ever since Krishna reached the home of Nanda and Yashoda, Radha's ideas began to take shape in the direction of wanting to move closer and closer to Krishna. At all times, Radha was thinking of Krishna and uttering the name of Krishna. Her daily routine was filled with work connected with Krishna. Krishna was seven-year-old at that time. Every day, as soon as he got up from bed, Krishna used to take milk from his mother, walk to Vrishabhapura and come back. The mother did not know anything about this. If the mother asked him where he went, he used to tell her that he went in search of the cows. Hence, if we get a doubt whether Krishna had spoken untruth, we should remember that Krishna never spoke untruth in all His life.
To some persons amongst us, as a result of the impurities, in our own minds of the ill-conceived thoughts in us, it may appear to be untruth but whatever Krishna spoke was always truth. When he said that he had gone in search of the cow, it was the truth. We regard the earth, according to our Vedas, as the cow since it yields all that the man needs for his sustenance. We address them as mother earth, mother cow, mother Veda, and so on. In this respect, all human beings are the dear children of these three mothers. Therefore, to regard Radha, who symbolizes creation as a cow is no untruth. In this manner, ever ' since Krishna was born, the thought of Radha was imprinted on his mind." Sai Baba, Summer Showers, 1978, p. 115
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Symbolism Of Radha And Krishna Relationship
"In order to demonstrate to the people and to bring human beings into confluence with God, their Creator, Krishna who is Paramatma himself came in a human form. Dhara, the Prakriti took the form of Radha, a position symbolizing all creation. Thus, we should regard Radha as the messenger of Prakriti symbolizing all that is typical in creation. She has been demonstrating many types of ideals, as an example for the purpose of reaching the Divine Lord in the form of Krishna. In all this, we should make an effort to recognise the close relationship that exists between the efforts of Radha and the responses of Krishna." Sai Baba, Summer Showers, 1978, pp. 114 & 115 "Radha exhibited the totality of the stream of love. Prakriti has taken the form of Radha. If Radha was attached to Krishna and Krishna was attached to Radha, it simply means that Paramatma (God) and Prakriti (nature) were attached to each other. This is a silver tumbler. It is not possible for us to remove the silver from the tumbler. Because, the silver and the tumbler have joined together, we call it a silver tumbler. In the same manner, it is not possible to separate Radha and Krishna from each other. Because Prakriti and Paramatma are identical with each other; it is not one single entity. Without Prakriti or creation, there is no Krishna. Without Krishna, we will not be able to see creation. We cannot have a cloth without the thread and the thread without cloth. The oneness of the cloth and the thread exemplifies the aspect ofRadha and Krishna. Sai Baba, Summer Showers, 1978, p. 60 On The Cosmic Stage All Are Women "On a stage, in a particular drama, several actors may put on several parts, but these parts played by the actors are not real. They are intended only for the purpose of the stage and the drama. In a girls' college, on a stage, in a drama, several parts such as a boy, an old man, a king and queen are all put on. But in truth all the actors are girls. In the story, the part of a husband and the part of a wife are both played by girls. Thus in fact, the man and woman so appear only for the purposes of the stage, but both are women. In the same manner, the whole world is one stage and all people are actors. They are all putting on one part or another and are acting on the stage. The only Purusha is God. Everyone else is a weakling or 'Abala' or a woman. This is the reason why individuals in this world are always suffering and are afflicted by one kind or another." Sai Baba, Summer Showers, 1978, p. 114 Last Moments Of Radha's Life "In the case of Radha, Krishna churned her heart and gave her the nectar of Divine bliss. Radha had no attachment to any of her kith and kin. Krishna appeared before Radha before she gave up her life and blessed her. God will give anything for the devotee including Himself. No one can equal Him in the sacrifice He will make for the sake of the devotees. Krishna asked Radha what she wanted at the last moment other life. Radha said: T don't want anything except to listen to the music of your flute once more before I pass away.' (Sing, Oh Krishna, speak to me to fill my heart with bliss', sang Radha. 'Distill the essence of the Vedas and make it flow into the eternal music of your flute. Oh Krishna). Krishna took out his flute and played on it and when Radha closed her eyes, He threw it away. He never touched it again. He dedicated the flute to give delight to Radha." Sai Baba, SS, 10/96, p. 257 Yashoda And Radha "The power of love is illustrated by an episode in the Bhagavatam. Once Yashoda went in search of Krishna and could not find h'm anywhere. She met Radha and asked her whether she had seen Krishna. Radha closed her eyes and meditated intensely on Krishna. That very moment Krishna appeared there. Yashoda realised that the love of a devotee, like Radha, for Krishna was infinitely greater than her own maternal love for him. This is how the Divine reveals Himself to devotees. Krishna appeared instantaneously before Radha because of her pure, intense and selfless love. If the heart is polluted or filled with pride, God cannot be experienced even if one tries for endless years. Yashoda confessed to Radha that her devotion had removed the veil of ignorance and pride including her vision all along. She admitted that there were many who loved krishna more than she did and requested Radha to teach her how to love Krishna. Radha told Yashoda that this love cannot be taught by others. Each one has to develop it by one's own pure and total devotion." Sai Baba, SS, 8/96, p. 204 Surrender And Attain Krishna - An Episode "At the time of Krishna-avatar, there were two sisters Radha and Radhika. Radhika was a Sagunopaasaka (worship of God with a Form) and Radha was Nirgunopaasaka (Worship of Formless God). Radha constantly chanted the name of Krishna, while Radhika was engrossed in the physical form of God. She was extremely sad because Krishna had gone away to Mathura. She gave up food and drink and said, 'Krishna! In my heart, I have been keeping your lotus form fresh with my tears. Now my tears have gone dry. How can I now preserve your form in my heart? My heart, which is your gift, I am now returning to you. What else is there that I can offer at your (Lotus) Feet? Accept my salutations and myself.' She surrendered herself to Krishna. P-adha saw this. She had thought that Nirgunopaasana was superior to Sagunopaasana, but after seeing that total surrender of Radhika, she realised the greatness of Sagunopaasana. After this, she constantly meditated on the name and form of Krishna. You must have heard this song of Tulsidas: 'Nava Kanja Lochana Kanja Mukha Kara Kanja Pada.' In this song, the hands, feet, face eyes, etc. of the Lord are compared to the lotus flower. He prayed for that lotus to stay in his heart forever. Both Radha and Radhika prayed to Krishna to dwell permanently in their heart. Such intense devotion is rare these days." Sai Baba, SS, 10/99, p. 259
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Krishna's Grace "God alone knows to whom, in what circumstances, at what time, to what extent and in what form His grace should be showered. For example, take the case of Draupadi. In his vast audience-hall, Duryodhana was inflicting humiliation on Draupadi. Unknown and unseen by anyone, Krishna was giving to Draupadi an endless number of saris. How are ordinary persons likely to view the situation? They might ask: How is Krishna tolerating this kind of disrobing of Draupadi? Why does he not reduce Duryodhana to ashes at that very moment? Why does he not put an end to his life? When the devotees are in agony, should he merely look on? The ignorance may tend to react in this fashion. But the Divine, who is the embodiment of peace, love and truth, has to take note of the cause (karana), the remedy (Kaarya) and the task (Kartavya) to be done. In the great cosmic drama, the Lord is also an actor. The time should be ripe for the role He has to play in a particular sequence of events. His action should be appropriate to His role. He cannot act otherwise. For instance, if Krishna decided to kill Duryodhana at the very moment of Draupadi's humiliation, he would be going against his role in the play. He has to play his specific part. Krishna knew that Duryodhana's end lay in the hands of Bhima and not in his. It would be against his Dharma if he did what Bhima had to do. Bhima alone should slay Duryodhana with his mace. Krishna waited for the ordained event. Likewise, in various situations, the Lord remains as a witness." Sai Baba, SS, 9/93, p. 228 Krishna's Foes "There are deep inner meanings for the actions of the Lord. Kansa tried every conceivable means to kill Krishna. But the Lord is beyond the grasp of everyone. Small-minded persons, consumed by hatred and jealousy, may entertain such designs. But these evil plans only recoil on the plotters and can cause no harm to God. They will enhance His glory. There were reasons for Kansa's hatred. An ethereal voice had declared that Kansa would meet with his death at the hands of the eighth child of Devaki. Out of selfish desire to save his own life, Kansa sought to do away with Krishna by various means. All his efforts were of no avail. Kansa carried a slaughter of children in Repalle in the hope of killing Krishna.. Krishna eluded his grasp. A man's intellect turns crazy when he is facing destruction. Because of his wicked actions, Kansa came to a disastrous end. This, however, is not the end of the story. Two other wicked men, Shishupala and Dantavakra, rose against Krishna. After these two were slain by Krishna. Jarasandha came forward. Many demons in human form sought to eliminate Krishna. They all failed utterly. They brought disasters upon themselves. Thus, from aeon to aeon, the Divine, is confronted with such hostile elements. Happiness cannot be got without going through differences. Fame is the product of blame. Such incidents happen in the life of every Avatar and in every age. They serve to promote the greatness of the Avatar and not to tarnish it." Sai Baba, SS, 9/93, pp. 227 & 228
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Krishna's Role In The Mahabharata War "Krishna told Arjuna, 'Although I have no desire and am not bound by Karma (action), I undertake work. I have entered this battle and become your charioteer not because I do not have horses of my own to look after, but because I have vowed to restore Dharma. Arise Arjuna! For the peace and prosperity of the world, the clash of arms and the shower of arrows are inevitable." Sai Baba, Summer Showers in Brindavan-1979, p. 45 Date of The Mahabharata Battle And The Gita Message "The battle of Mahabharata took place in the year 3141 B.C., when Krishna was 86 years old." Sai Baba, Summer Showers in Brindavan-1979, p. 159 "The Bhagavad Gita contains the sacred lore of the spirit. Krishna gave unto mankind through Arjuna, the core of the Gita message on the battlefield at 10.30 a.m. on the 'Kaartika Bahula Amaavasya' day. This was the day on which the great Mahabharata war was commenced." Sai Baba, Summer Showers in Brindavan-1979, p. 158 Age Of Arjuna And Krisna At The Time Of The Mahabharata War "At the time of the war, Arjuna was eighty-four year-old and Krishna was eighty-six, the difference in their ages being only two years." Sai Baba, Summer Showers in Brindavan-1979, p. 48 Symbolism Of The Wicked Quartet "In the Mahabharata, Shakuni represents doubt (Anumaana). Kama symbolizes lack of faith (Avishwaasam). When these two come together, envy (Asuuya) in the fprm ofDuryodhana emerges. Envy is accompanied by wickedness in the form of Dushaasana. When the four come together, the fate of the Kauravas is sealed. The Kauravas represent bad thoughts, bad intentions, and bad attachments. Krishna clearly foresaw the fate of the Kauravas long before the Kurukshetra war. He told Arjuna: 'Get up. Be prepared for war. Justice will prevail. Selfishness will suffer disaster. This is the Dharma of every age." Sai Baba, SS, 9/93, p. 229 No Escape From The Consequences Of One's Bad Actions "Over the ages, the wicked have behaved in the manner of the Kauravas and have met with the fate they deserved. There is no escape for anyone from the consequences of his actions. Death may come at any time, in any place, in any form. No one can tell the time or manner of anyone's death. It is preordained. There is no meaning in analyzing the pros and cons of such happenings. Even the good devotees sometimes develop doubts and argue over trifles." Sai Baba. SS, 9/93, p. 230 Difference Between The Kauravas And The Pandavas "The difference between the Kauravas and the Pandavas was this: the Kauravas had no faith in the Divine and turned away from Krishna. They believed only in worldly pleasures. The Pandavas had implicit and unwavering faith in Krishna and did not care for anything else. In the conflict between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, the Kauravas were utterly destroyed, while the Pandavas were victorious. The Mahabharata reveals the difference between the Kauravas and the Pandavas in their attitude toward Krishna and what reliance on Krishna as the divine means for believers. The Pandavas placed God first, the world next, and 'I' (themselves) last. The Kauravas placed 'I' (self-interest) first, the world next, and God last. Whoever places God first and foremost is bound to be successful in life. This was the lesson, which Sanjay gave to Dhritarashtra at the end of the Bhagavad Gita. Faith in God is the guarantee of victory." Sai Baba, SS, 9/89, pp. 231 & 232 Doubts About The Krishna Avatar "While Parikshit was listening to Suka's narration of Krishna's Leelas, many doubts occurred to him. Shuka resolved all the doubts. 'Parikshit! You are viewing things from a worldly point of view and missing the truth. No one can determine the form of the Divine. He can assume any form at any time. But, when He has to demonstrate the nature of the Divinity to mankind, He has to come in human form. But man, because of his polluted mind, is unable to recognise the Divine in human form.' Even Yashoda, despite many occasions in which Krishna demonstrated his divinity, continued to regard him as a human child and frequently thanked the Lord for saving her child from many dangers. But Krishna tried to change her view by the words he used on different occasions. Once when Yashoda asked Krishna whether it was true, as alleged by Balarama, that he was in the habit of eating of mud, Krishna replied: "Mother! Am I a child, or a naughty boy or madcap to eat mud? People are mad about me. I am here to cure the world of its madness." From these words Yashoda began to realise that Krishna was no longer an ordinary child but a manifestation of the Divine." Sai Baba, SS, 10/94, p. 259 There are many subtle truths relating to an incarnation, which cannot be easily understood. Merely to describe the various sports and exploits of Krishna as a child is only a pastime. God's ways are infinite and inscrutable. No one can determine or dictate to God how he should act. He can transform anything in a moment." Sai Baba, SS, 10/94, p. 259 Prayers To Krishna Kunti's prayer "Krishna was leaving Hastinapura for Dwarka. He was bidding farewell to all his kinsfolk and taking leave ofDharmaraja and others. Everyone silently accepted his decision. The chariot was ready for Krishna's departure. But the Divine can change his mind at any moment. After taking leave of all others, he went to Kunti. Kunti told him: "Krishna! All the troubles we experienced were due to our delusions. If Dharmaraja had not been lured by the game of dice, would we have been subject to exile in the forest and all the troubles we went through? Hence, my children were the root cause of all our troubles. You are always our protector. During all our troubles I always remembered you. In the world people remember God only in the times of trouble and not when they are happy. Therefore, Krishna! As long as I have the body, give me always difficulties. However, having had with us all these years, we are deeply distressed to see you part from us. I have no power to change your mind. I only pray do not forget this aunt of yours." Sai Baba, SS, 10/94, p. 261 Uttara's Prayer To Krishna "Hearing that Krishna was leaving for Dwaraka, Uttara ran towards Krishna and fell at his feet.' Lord! Since Abhimanyu' s death, I have been trying hard to bear the pain that is gnawing at my bosom. There is a fire burning in my womb. I cannot find the reason. You should not leave for Dwaraka now. You must stay. You have been protector of my forebearers for many generations. You were the saviour of the Pandavas. The child in my womb is the only hope of the Pandava clan. If anything untoward happens to that child, the Pandavas dynasty will be extinguished. Therefore, you must not leave.'
Krishna was immediately moved by Uttara's deep devotion. The journey to Dwaraka was given up. Krishna made a promise to Uttara. "I will not leave for Dwaraka till your . child is born," assured Krishna. At that moment, Dharmaraja and his brothers, Draupadi and Subhadra praised Uttara's devotion to the Lord. Though young in years, Uttara was pre-eminent in her devotion. This was because when she was enceinte, Krishna entered her womb to protect the fetus from Brahma-astra ofAshwathama. She had a vision in a dream of Krishna entering her womb. From that moment she was ceaselessly chanting the name of Krishna and seeing Krishna in every person and object.
It is clear that the Leelas (sport) of God are inexplicable and infinite. It is ludicrous to seek the whereabouts of the Divine, who is omnipresent. Uttara was one who recognised the omnipresence of God. Recognising her supreme devotion, Krishna was prepared to change his plans. People should realise that God responds only to deep and genuine devotion. Verbal supplications will not suffice." Sai Baba, SS, 10/94, p. 261 A Lesson To The Pandavas "Doubts about God may arise sometimes even among staunch believers. This may be illustrated from an incident in the Mahabharata. Once, while the Pandavas were in exile in the forest, Krishna visited them. Krishna was told that the five brothers used to take turns during night to keep a vigil over the activities of all evil spirits and demons. One night an evil spirit appeared before the Pandava brothers and they had great difficulty in fighting it. In view of this, Dharmaraja, the eldest brother of the Pandavas, tried to dissuade Krishna from participating in the sentry duty. Krishna, however, insisted on taking his share. During that period no evil spirit appeared. Then came Arjuna's turn and Krishna watched the scene from a distance. To Arjuna's surprise, no evil spirit appeared while Krishna was there. Krishna then explained to Arjuna that evil spirits were only a reflection of one's hatred and fear. When one is free from these, no evil spirit will appear or do any harm. Krishna revealed that the Divine existed even in the so-called evil spirits and that if one gets rid of evil qualities within him, the evil spirits can do no harm. One's anger assumes the form of a demon. If you develop love, everything you confront will have the form of love. This was the lesson Krishna taught the Pandavas." Sai Baba, SS, 2/98, p. 41 Another Lesson: Dharma Is Bound To Win "The battle between the Pandavas and the Kauravas had gone on for nine days. On all the nine days, the Pandavas were the losers. Yudhishtra and Arjuna were dejected. At that time Krishna told them: "Why are you getting so impatient? Unrighteousness scores some victories in the beginning. Gradually, it declines and the forces of righteousness, peace and truth gain the upper hand. Therefore, do not worry. Get up, Dhananjya (Arjuna). Dharma is bound to win." Sai Baba, SS, 12/93, p. 332
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Unique Ways Of The Divine For Helping His Devotees How Krishna Protected The Pandavas From Romarishi's Curse "On one occasion, the Pandavas, during their exile from the kingdom, had strayed into the forest of Romarishi. Romarishi was a sage whose body was covered with hair so long that it spread as a carpet into the surrounding forest. There was a holy tree in that forest, yielding a very special fruit. The unique quality of that fruit was that once it was tasted one would not have hunger for years and years. But that fruit should not be plucked. It should be eaten after it dropped by itself. So, waiting for the fruit to fall, Romaarishi was doing Tapas there. One day, when Dharmaraja and Draupadi were on a stroll in the woods, Draupadi happened to look at this particular tree and saw the luscious big fruit hanging from it. 'Can we not take this,' she said to her husband, 'so that all of us could share it today?' Then Dharmaraja shot an aaow and uk; fruit fell to the ground. Holding hi; baw in his right hand, he went to lift the fruit with his left hand. It was so heavy that he could not move it. Draupadi also tried to help. Dharmaraja used both his hands, still the fruit would not move. In the meantime, Arjuna also came there and all three, Arjuna, Dharmaraja and Draupadi, tried to lift the fruit. But, however, hard they tried it was of no use; it would net move. Finally came the strong man, Bhima. He asked the others to move away and said, 'I will lift this.' But even Bhima could not succeed. Meanwhile, the hair of Romarishi, which had spread over all that area, began to - stir. Because these six people were trampling about to lift the fruit, Romarishi felt the disturbance, as strands of his hair were being trodden and pulled. He realised that there was someone trying to steal the fruit and he became angry. Immediately his long hairs started coming together and coil round the Pandavas and tie them up. Draupadi realised the danger, and immediately prayed to Lord Krishna. Draupadi called on Lord Krishna whenever she sensed any trouble. Krishna appeared before her. Draupadi fell at His (Lotus) Feet and prayed to Him for help to protect the Pandavas from the danger that was about to engulf them. Krishna told Draupadi that there was nothing He could do, since Romarishi was a great sage. As Lord, He resided in the hearts of all Rishis (sages), including Romarishi. So, how could he do anything against the wishes of that Rishi? But Draupadi held on to his (Lotus) Feet and said,' You alone can save us. You can do anything you wish to do, in all the three worlds.' Then Krishna said, 'All right, I will help you, but all of you should be totally silent, not to say a word. You should do exactly as I tell you. Do not have any doubt or hesitation, but do exactly as I direct.' Draupadi promised that they would obey Krishna's orders. Krishna went to each of the Pandavas and whispered his plan, in their ears. He told them: 'I will now goto Romarishi's Ashram. A little later, you must follow me there.'
In the meantime, Romarishi was furious with anger. He was about to curse the poachers. At that very moment, Krishna entered the Ashram. Romarishi fell prostrate at Krishna's (Lotus) Feet. He was overjoyed to see him and asked Him, 'What is it I can do for you. Lord?' Krishna kept Romarishi occupied, making a few casual inquiries, till the Pandavas arrived.
As soon as the six reached the Ashram and entered it, Krishna fell at the feet of the Pandavas. The Pandavas were feeling very embarrassed, but remembering Krishna's command, they said nothing. Romarishi, seeing Krishna fall at the feet of the visitors, also fell at their feet. Then Krishna introduced the Pandavas to the Rishi. As Romarishi listened to the words of Krishna praising the greatness of the Pandavas, he totally forgot his anger. When Krishna explained that these were the people who were tempted by the fruit he had awaited, Romarishi was so transformed that he said, 'Let them take the fruit. I would like them to have it.' By eating that fruit the Pandavas were able to live without hunger for a long time." Sai Baba, SS, 6/86, pp. 174 & 175 How Krishna Protected The Pandavas From Ashwatthama "Soon after the Battle ofKurukshetra, Krishna used the good offices of sage Durvasa to keep in hiding the Pandava brothers, whom Ashwatthama had vowed to exterminate, before the dawn of another day. Krishna approached the sage, who was reputed for his quick temper as well as his adherence to truth, and told him about the peril confronting the Pandavas and requested him to keep them hidden in a cellar under his seat. The sage told Krishna that he would not be able to utter falsehood if Ashwatthama came to him enquiring about the whereabouts of the Pandavas. Krishna suggested that the sage could tell the truth in a tone, which would deter Ashwatthama from questioning the sage further. The strategy was eminently successful. When Ashwatthama after the futile search for the Pandavas came to sage Durvasa and requested him to reveal to him their whereabouts, the sage ejaculated gruffly: 'The Pandavas? They are beneath me!' The roar rattled Ashwatthama so much that he did not dare to pursue the matter further, lest the sage lose his temper and curse him.' Thus, the Pandavas, beneath him, were saved." Sai Baba, SS, 6/86, p. 175
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"Krishna Took Hold Of Arjuna's Feet" - An Episode "Once Arjuna was in a greatly despondent mood. He was disgusted with life and wanted to commit suicide on that very night. The All-knowing Lord, Krishna, decided to avert this. He went to Arjuna's residence and told him that he wanted to discuss some urgent matter with him and therfore he wanted to dine with him that day. When Subhadra (Arjuna's wife) and others were engaged otherwise, Krishna called Arjuna to a private chamber. As soon as Arjuna was inside, Krishna bolted the door. He then took firm hold of Arjuna's feet. Arjuna immediately burst out,' Swami! What unworthy act have I done? Why are you acting like this?' Krishna said, 'With all your titles and achievements, it is utterly unbecoming of you to entertain the thoughts of suicide. You are the foremost among the Pandavas, you acquired the Gandiva (from Shiva) after going through severe penance and ordeals. You should be the master of your senses and not their slave. Today you have been overcome by your mind and your senses. This is unworthy of you. Give me a pledge that in no circumstances in the future you will think of suicide. Your life is mine and my life is yours. The divine is the indweller in all beings. Hence, I am present in all beings. If you contemplate suicide, you will be guilty of attempting on the life of your dear Krishna.' Arjuna said: 'Swami! I was ignorant of the subtle truths you have revealed. Please forgive me. Henceforth, in all my life I will not think of any such acts.' In this manner, Krishna, in his love for the Pandavas, was prepared to go any length and do even any menial act to protect them." Sai Baba, SS, 9/87, pp. 238 & 239 Krishna Carried The Sandals Of Draupadi "The Lord is omnipresent, His eyes, feet and hands are everywhere. There is nothing low or high for Him. On one occasion. He carried even the sandals of Draupadi when He advised her to seek Bhishma's blessings to save her husbands from destruction. For the sake of setting an example to the world, the Lord does many things in His human incarnation." Sai Baba, SS, 9/87, p. 239 Teaching For Gopalas "Krishna once questioned the Gopalas (cowherds) around Him,' Who is the true victor?' One of them said,' One who emerges victorious in the battlefield is the true victor.' 'One who can face all the difficulties and troubles with steadfastness and courage is the true victor', said a few. In this manner, each one of them gave different answers. Then Krishna smilingly said, '0 Gopalas, whatever you mentioned are temporary in nature. None of them can be termed as a true victor. True success lies in controlling one's senses. Then one will be a victor. One has to control the senses. Senses belong to the body. Make this body a temple of God." Sai Baba, SS, 9/98, p. 228 Why Did Krishna Come Late To The Rescue Of Draupadi? "Draupadi, after she had gone through all her troubles and tribulations, was sitting and talking to Krishna as her dear brother and asked, 'What is the matter? I remember having been in great difficulties and having called you with the fullness of my heart and begged you to come and save me. But you came late. You never came in time. Can you now explain to me what stood in the way of your coming in proper time?' Krishna then asked Draupadi, 'You say you addressed me and called me. May I know in what manner you called me and how you addressed me?' Then she replied, 'Yes. I said, hai krishna, hai Dwarakavasa.' The Lord replied 'You addressed as Dwarakavasa. Where is Dwaraka and where is Hastinapur to which place I had to come? That was a long distance. If only you had addressed me 'Hridayavasi' or as one who is living in your own heart, I would have appeared immediately. Because of the manner of your addressing I had to travel all the way to Hastinapur and how could I have come in time from such a long distance." Sai Baba, Summer Showers in Brindavan - 1972, p. 42 "One question is often asked. Krishna is the Lord of the universe. He is all-pervading, and yet the same Krishna was responsible for destruction of forty lakhs (or four millions) of men in the battlefield. Is it violence or non-violence?" "This is my answer to this question. An individual, let us say, has developed cancer on his back. There are millions of germs in that cancerous boil. Does the doctor pause and ask, 'Should I kill so many millions of germs?' Is it not the duty of doctor to save the life of the patient? Which is of greater importance? Should he protect the life of the patient or should he have consideration for the germs? The doctor comes to the conclusion that these germs are dangerous and kills them and saves the patient's life. In this process, the doctor has taken into consideration quality and quantity. In the same manner, the world at that time had developed a cancer in the shape ofKauravas. When Krishna found that these Kauravas were like cancer. He became s surgeon, took Arjuna as His assistant and performed the great operation. In that operation, forty lakhs of germs were killed. So we must always take into consideration the greater need for protection of Dharma. The protection of Dharma is more important than anything else." Sai Baba, Summer Showers-1972, pp. 249 & 250
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Boundless Blessing On Kuchela (Sudama) "When Kuchela (Sudama, Krishna's childhood friend) was in Krishna's palace, he forgot to ask Krishna what he had come to ask. But there is no need to ask the all-knowing Lord. After lavishing all the hospitality on him, Krishna sent Kuchela back in a palanquin. After going some distance, Kuchela reflected on his folly. 'I enjoyed the entire sumptuous feast Krishna gave me, but I forgot all about the plight of my children. I forgot to ask Krishna what I had gone to ask him. What a fool I am!' But when he neared his old home, what he saw was a magnificent mansion. His wife was dressed in fine clothes and was shining with all ornaments. She came out to welcome Kuchela like a queen. Kuchela wondered whether she was some princess or his wife. She approached Kuchela and asked him, 'Lord! What did Krishna tell you?' Kuchela described how lovingly Krishna rushed to meet him and embraced him endearingly. 'How can I describe his all-encompassing love? He is love itself. Is there anyone who could confer countless blessings in return for handful of Kuchela's parched rice.' (Swami sang a Telugu song). 'What a fool I was not to realise the boundless grace of such a Lord!' Reflecting like this, Kuchela went round the mansion, deeply moved by Krishna's love." Sai Baba, SS, 11/96, pp. 282 & 283 "Krishna Set An Example In The Elimination Of Ego" - An Episode Of Washing Feet Of The Sages And Priests "When the Rajasooya Yajna began, each of the brothers was allotted a specific function. Krishna also approached Dharmaraj a respectfully and pleaded for some function to be assigned to him, saying 'As the world sees it, you (Dharmaraj a) are the overlord and I am a subject. Hence, please assign to me some task in this Yajna.' Dharmaraja was distressed at this request, coming as it did from one whom Dharmaraja regarded as All-Knowing Omnipresent Lord. Dharmaraja said: 'I owe everything to you. You are the ruler and I am only your servant.' Krishna replied: 'What you have said as a devotee is true. But from the worldly point of view, as a king you have to respect the obligations prescribed for the king. You must distinguish between your obligations to God and your secular duties as ruier.' Krishna urged that he should be allotted a specific task. Dharmaraja said, 'Krishna! You take up any assignment that you like.' Krishna retorted: 'For taking up any assignment of my choosing, I need not ask you. I wish to do what you would like me to do.' The argument between the two went on for a long time and ultimately Krishna said he would like to be responsible for receiving the scholars and priests who would be attending the Yajna, washing their feet and doing all honours to them. Here is an illustration of how Krishna set an example in the elimination of the ego. Why should Krishna, who was such a great and powerful personality, take upon himself such a humble task as washing the feet of pundits? The moral is clear. One who aspires to be a leader should show the qualities of leadership in every field. It was to serve, as an example to world in every sphere, that Krishna undertook many tasks and never considered anything as too small or trivial." Sai Baba, SS, 9/87, p. 235
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Krishna And Rama "If you recognise the distinction between Krishna and Rama, you will appreciate better the nature of Krishna. Krishna always smiled at the outset and carried out his task later. For Rama, the deed came first and then the smile. Krishna made women cry. Rama wept for the sake of women. Rama went into the battle only after having a strong cause for it. Krishna first provoked the conflict and determined its outcome. The Krishna principle revels in delight. The Rama principle is based on the concept of obligation. The Ramayana is intended to promote the reign of truth and righteousness on earth. The Krishna Avatar was intended to give a perennial message to the world. He sought nothing for himself. He gave away everything to the people. He slew his maternal uncle, Kansa. He installed on the throne Kansa's father Ugrasena. He did not covet the kingdom. He befriended the Pandavas, defeated the Kauravas and crowned Dharmaraja as emperor. He did not make himself king. He was a king without a crown. He was the King of kings. He had no kingdom of his own. But he rued over the hearts of the millions. It is this profound truth that is proclaimed by the Krishna principle (Krishna Tatwa). If you inquire deeply, you will find that every Avatar has incarnated to convey a special message and carry out a particular mission." Sai Baba, SS, 10/96, p. 256 Message Of The Gita "The message of the Bhagavad Gita has been interpreted by scholars in many different ways. They have argued that it prescribes the Karma Marga (the Path of Action), the Janana Marga (Path of Wisdom) and the Bhakti Marga (the Path of Devotion) as the primary path. But the real message of the Gita is to be got from the first word of the first Shioka (verse) 'Dharma' and the last word of the last Shioka 'Mama'. "Mama Dharma' - each individual has to act according to his duty - that is the lesson of the Gita. Householders should follow the 'Grihasta Dharma' (the duties of householders), old people should follow the 'Vaanaprastha' Dharma (the duties of those who have withdrawn from family duties). There are Sanyasa Dharma (the duties ofarenunciant) and Brahmachaari Dharma (the duties of a celibate during the years before marriage). These duties are prescribed for each in his particular stage in life and they should not be mixed up. The Gita taught these duties for people in different stages ('Ashramas')." Sai Baba, SS, 11/91, p. 299
Gita-Jayanti "The Bhagavad Gita contains the sacred lore of the spirit. Krishna gave unto mankind through Arjuna, the core of the Gita Message on the battlefield at 10.30 a.m. on the 'Kaartika Bahula Amaayasya' day. This was the day on which the great Mahabharata war commenced. Ten days later, when Bhishma fell in the battle, Sanjaya was informing Dhritarashtra of the proceedings on the battlefield. Dhritarashtra asked Sanjaya: ' Dharmakshetra Kurukshetra Samavetaah yuyutsavaha Mamakah Pandavashchaiva kimakuvata Sanjaya' Meaning: Gathered on the holy plain of Kurukshetra, 0 Sanjaya, what did my sons and sons of Pandu do?' This was on 'Margasira Suddha Ekadashi' day. Some consider this day as the 'Gita Jayanti' or the day on which Krishna vouchsafed the message of the Gita to Arjuna. But this was the day on which Sanjaya narrated the story of the battle to Dhritarashtra. Gita was actually was given by Krishna to Arjuna on the 'Kaartika Bahula Amaavasya' day. Why did Krishna choose the Amaavasya day for the commencement of the battle and so for the teaching of the Gita? Normally, nothing auspicious is done on an Amaavasya day. However, such examples of Krishna's divinely enigmatic ways are there in other episodes of his life too. His birth on an Ashtami day is a case in point." Sai Baba, Summer Showers in Brindavan- 1979, pp. 158&159 Bhagavatam In His first discourse of the Summer Course, held in Brindavan from May 20th to May 30th, 1995, Bhaeavan pointed "the four qualifications needed by anyone to understand the underlying significance of the Bhagavatam, which describes devotion as a bridge between the Divine and the devotees. They are: (1) Flee from evil company (2) Seek company of the pious (3) Indulge always in meritorious deeds (4) Discriminate between the eternal and the transient. " Sai Baba, SS. 7/95, p. 175 & 176 "In the Bhagavatam, the lessons you leam are according to the state of your mind. To understand the glories of the Lord, you have to enjoy the 'Leelas' of Krishna and realise their inner meaning." Sai Baba, SS, 10/96, 257 Gita Govidam "Gita Govindam, the Book of Songs ofGovinda (Krishna) by the great mystic and poet, Jayadeva of Orissa, is immortal portrayal of Radha Bhakti in its manifold manifestations. Jayadeva could express it with such charm and clarity that even the man behind the plough sang those songs and filled hisJheart with divine delight. The ruler of the land, Lakshamana Sena, was stricken with envy. He prepared a parallel book of songs and ordered that they be sung, instead of Jayadeva's outpourings, in the temples of the land, including the greatest of them all - the Jagannath Temple at Puri. When his order was received with protest, the king had both books placed at the Feet of Lord Jagannath and the shrine was locked and kept under strict vigilance. When the doors were opened in the morning, the king saw the Lord having Jayadeva's 'Gita Govindam' in His Hand, while his rival book written out of envy and pride was thrown into a far comer. The Lord has announced that he showers Grace on inner purity, not outer pomp." Sai Baba, 9/85, p. 232 |
Swami holding materialized image of Krishna
on the beach near Dwaraka, May 1968
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Sai's Messages On Krishna Janmashtami "Today (September 4,1996), the day celebrated as Krishna's birthday. But it is not this celebration that is important. What is important is the adherence to Krishna's teachings. Krishna cannot be separated from his teachings. The Gita is Krishna and Krishna is Gita." Sai Baba, SS, 10/96, p. 258 "Devotees today have some form of divinity in their mind, but they perform rituals in a mechanical way without any consistency. All your charity and worship are of no significance to the Lord. Show your charity and wealth to the income tax department. God needs only your love. There is no tax on love. You may face any number of difficulties or hindrances. The Lord Himself may subject you to test. You should not waver because of these. All is for your good only. Do not grieve over any loss and exult over gain. Equal-mindedness in loss and gain is true Sadhana. There are some who sit in Dhyana (meditation), but their minds are in the market or in the hair dressing shop. Is this Dhyana or Japa? The mind must be immersed in Krishna. Instead it is filled with Trishnas (desires). Krishna will fulfill all your Trishnas. Mere chanting of the Lord's name is not enough. Otfer your love to God. Love is not your property. In fact, it is the property of God. Surrender to God what is His. What is the use of a long life without this offering? You have no right to offer your love to anyone other than God. When you offer all your love to God, He will look after your needs. There is nothing that he cannot do in this world." Sai Baba, SS, 10/99 (3 September 1999 on Krishna Janmashtami)
"Today people worship God as God, but do not try to understand the ideal human qualities displayed by an Avatar. It is only when the human ideals exemplified by Sri Krishna, when he incarnated as man and lived and moved amongst men, are recognised, then human life can be rendered meaningful. It is worth examining in what manner Krishna displayed these marks of human excellence." Sai Baba. SS, 9/87, p. 233 "Lord Krishna has said that Karma (action) is responsible for man's birth as well as death. Man is bound by action in his daily life. Right from birth to death, man spends his time in performing some activity or the other. The path of action is very dear to God." Sai Baba, SS, 10/99, p. 553 "The supreme message of the life of Krishna is the uniqueness of Love Principle (Prema Tatwa). This message is all that the world needs. Krishna is the embodiment of love. This love can be understood only through love. This love is strong, brilliant and unbreakable like diamond. If there is any defect in your love, it should be removed only through love. Love begets love. Hatred can only beget hatred, not love. Jealousy begets jealousy. Anger breeds anger. Therefore, if you want to foster love, you have to get rid of hatred, jealousy and anger." Sai Baba. SS, 9/89. p. 232 Glimpses Of Krishna Janmashtami Celebrations At Prasanthi Nilayam - 1998 "The holy festival of Krishna Janmashtami was celebrated at Prasanthi Nilayam in Sai KulwantHall on 14 August 1998 in the Divine Presence ofBhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Bhagavan came to Sai Kulwant Hall, the venue of the celebrations, at 7.00 a.m. and blessed the vast gathering of devotees with His Darshan. After taking a round of the Hall, Swami came to the dias and permitted the starting of the programme. The programme started with the chanting of Omkar and Krishna Vandana by the students. The devotees were immersed in devotional fervour when students chanted Sanskrit Shalokas melodiously with music to pay homage to Lord Krishna on the auspicious occasion of Lord's birthday, so that 'Krishnam Vande Jagatgurum' became the echo of each heart. After Vandana Shalokas and Sanskrit Bhajans, the students started the Hindi Bhajans beginning with "Giridhara Gopala, Hey Giridhara Gopala" in praise of Lord Krishna. While the Bhajans were going on, all eyes turned towards the main gate of the Hall from where exquisitely decorated Sai Geeta heralded by musicians entered the Hall at the head of the procession of cows from Gokulam escorted by students dressed as cowherds. Bhagavan also proceeded towards the gate to bless and feed Sai Geeta and the cows. He showered His love on them again and again while feeding them. The devotees were filled with delight when Sai Avatar took the role ofDwapara Yuga Avatar of Lord Krishna as Gopala
Bhagavan then blessed the Prasadam for distribution. Though the programme concluded with the offer of Mangala-arati to Bhagavan, yet Bhagavan kept moving between the rows of devotees to supervise the distribution of Prasadam which continued until 8.20 a.m. While Prasadam was being distributed, an announcement was made that Bhagavan would deliver His Divine Discourse on this auspicious occasion in the Sai Kulwant Hall at 4.00 p.m., in the afternoon. In the afternoon, Bhagavan came to the Sai Kulwant Hall at 3.30 p.m. and delighted the eagerly awaiting devotees with Divine Darshan. There was a spontaneous loud applause from the devotees when at about 3.45 p.m. Bhagavan came to the dias and sat in His chair. With the permission of Bhagavan, the programme started with the chanting of Mantras pertaining to Ganesh Vandna, Surya Vandana, by six students. Thereafter, Dr.Sandipan Chatterji introduced the first speaker of the afternoon. Prof. G. Venkata-raman, eminent scientist and ex-Vice Chancellor of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. After offering his salutations at the lotus feet of Bhagavan, Prof. Venkataraman emphasised the great significance of this day's celebrations, when the birthday of Pooma Avatar, Lord Krishna, was being celebrated in the Divine Presence of Pooma Avatar of Kali Age, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Dwelling on the concept ofAvatarhood, he said, "God is formless, yet once in a while He assumes a form. He descends to the level of man, so that man may ascend up to the level of God. This act of compassionate Lord was analogous to a mother's act of bending down to lift her child. But this did not, in any way, diminish the divinity of God. After this. Dr. Sandipan Chatterji made a brief speech. He pointed out that India the child form of Bhagavan had received extraordinary attention, which was particularly true about the divine character of child Krishna. Dr. Chatterji recalled the teachings of Bhagavan. After these two brief speeches, Bhagavan g.;.vs His Divine Discourse at 4:15 p.m and concluded it at 5:20 p.m. with the Bhajan "Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare" "Govinda Krishna Jai, Gopala Krishna Jai". The programme came to a close with the offering of Mangala-arati to Bhagavan. Before departing for His residence, Bhagavan raised both His hands to shower His blessings on the devotees." Editor. SS, 9/98, pp. 242-244 CONCLUDED AUM SAI RAM
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