“Whenever righteousness is on the decline and unrighteousness is on the ascendant, then I embody Myself for the protection of the virtuous, for the destruction of unrighteousness and for the re-establishment of righteousness.”
These words of Bhagavan Shri Krishna in Chapter Four, verses 7-8 of Bhagavad Gita ring true from age to age and are borne out clearly in the ‘leelas’ or dramas of the various incarnations during their sojourn on earth. The sustaining aspect of Divinity, Bhagavan Vishnu manifests on earth for the following reasons:
1) For the protection of the virtuous
2) For the destruction of unrighteousness
3) For the restoration of righteousness.
Various scriptural texts record the activities of the Lord on earth in His many manifestations. The Shrimad Bhagavatam is one such compilation, documenting at great length, the many ‘leelas’ of the Divine as He champions the cause of His devotees, destroys evil and restores the state of righteousness to the world.
Through the example of Bhagavan Shri Krishna, man is provided with a treatise on life. Philosophically represented, Shri Krishna symbolises ecstasy borne out of perfection. Lessons on the paths of ‘karma’, ‘gyaan’ and ‘bhakti’ thread through the myriad episodes as the various characters replicate qualities within that need to be illuminated or extinguished. Outlined below are a few of the many characters of Krishna ‘leela’ as they interacted with the Divine manifest on earth. True to his name of ‘Nandalal’, He brought delight and joy by championing the cause of the virtuous, in restoring righteousness and eliminating the unwholesome. From the babe in the prison cell to Gokula, Vraj or Mathura, whatever His ‘leelas’, wherever the circumstances, His ultimate aim was to re-establish order in the world and to bring mankind closer to realising his own Nature, that of Divinity itself.
- The fruit seller happily handed her fruits to the child Krishna and received in return, some handfuls of rice as payment. On returning home she realised that the rice was no longer there. In its place were a bagful of jewels, precious and rare.
- In Mathura, Koobja most readily offered sandal paste to Bhagavan Krishna and was freed of the scourge of scoliosis that had rendered her handicapped in many ways.
- Brahma was delivered from the state of egoism and arrogance that overpowered him when, in His ignorance, saw the child Krishna as a simple ordinary cowherd’s son. He was stunned into reality when He realised that Krishna was Brahman. Similarly, Indra realised his folly when He set out to drown the villagers of Vraj after they worshipped the Goverdhan mountain instead of Him, the Lord of rain.
- Wickedness was allowed to thrive in the presence of characters such as Kans, Pootana, Aghasura, Bakaasur and countless other demons of Shri Krishna’s time. However, with His timely intervention, Shri Krishna eliminated these negative forces and re-established dharma in the village.
- Shri Krishna danced on the head of Kalia, indicating to humans that the individual ego, portrayed by Kalia Naag, must be transformed into the Cosmic Ego, represented by Shri Krishna Himself.
Indeed, countless are the ‘leelas’ of Bhagavan Shri Krishna , in His manifestation as Vyuha Avataar, (transcendental Immanation ) as He sought to exercise different cosmic functions and control the activities of living beings.
As the Hindu world marks Krishen Janam Ashtmi 2013 on August 27, it is necessary to ponder upon some of these ‘leelas’, the transcendent pastimes of Bhagavad Krishna and derive ecstasy and supreme Bliss. In this way the journey towards liberation draws closer.
