॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Saturday, 8 April 2023 - X a.12 - Sri Krishna liberates Aghasura, who comes as a gigantic python and swallows all the Gopa boys. Sage Shuka is simply lost in the beauty of Bhagavan's pastimes.
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We remember how Sage Narada motivated Sage Vyasa to compose Srimad Bhagavatam. The stories of the Lord's pastimes and how His devotees are emancipated are so gripping that one is simply lost in the bliss of it all.
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Sage Shuka narrates the life and times of the cowherds. Gokula had thousands of cattle and the cowherds had incredible fun taking the cattle to graze in the woods of Vrindavan. He describes in beautiful verses their pastimes. Just a sampler here:
कृष्णवत्सैरसङ्ख्यातैर्यूथीकृत्य स्ववत्सकान् ।
चारयन्तोऽर्भलीलाभिर्विजह्रुस्तत्र तत्र ह ॥
यदि दूरं गतः कृष्णो वनशोभेक्षणाय तम् ।अहं पूर्वमहं पूर्वमिति संस्पृश्य रेमिरे ॥
केचिद्वेणून् वादयन्तो ध्मान्तः शृङ्गाणि केचन ।
केचिद्भृङ्गैः प्रगायन्तः कूजन्तः कोकिलैः परे ॥
इत्थं सतां ब्रह्मसुखानुभूत्या दास्यं गतानां परदैवतेन ।
मायाश्रितानां नरदारकेण साकं विजह्रुः कृतपुण्यपुञ्जाः ॥
यत्पादपांसुर्बहुजन्मकृच्छ्रतो धृतात्मभिर्योगिभिरप्यलभ्यः ।
स एव यद्दृग्विषयः स्वयं स्थितः किं वर्ण्यते दिष्टमतो व्रजौकसाम् ॥
T: The cowherds went in countless numbers in utter joy, accompanying Sri Krishna to graze the cattle in Vrindavan, setting out with their musical pipes, flutes, trumpets and so on early every morning. Some Gopas sang like bees, others imitated the melodious cuckoos, and competed in keeping pace with their leader Sri Krishna, boasting whenever they walked alongside or touched him! Imagine their idyllic village life in the lap of nature, under the loving watch of Bhagavan Himself! What good fortune! This must have been earned by great Punya to enjoy Sri Krishna's loving company and easy access.
The Lord plays out His Leela in Vishnu Maya. The very dust of His feet is cherished as extremely rare and attainable only by great Tapas. And here were these cowherds in His closest proximity! How to describe this phenomenon in Vraja?
अथाघनामाभ्यपतन्महासुरस्तेषां सुखक्रीडनवीक्षणाक्षमः ।
नित्यं यदन्तर्निजजीवितेप्सुभिः पीतामृतैरप्यमरैः प्रतीक्ष्यते ॥
दृष्ट्वार्भकान् कृष्णमुखानघासुरः कंसानुशिष्टः स बकीबकानुजः ।
अयं तु मे सोदरनाशकृत्तयोर्द्वयोर्ममैनं सबलं हनिष्ये ॥
एते यदा मत्सुहृदोस्तिलापाः कृतास्तदा नष्टसमा व्रजौकसः ।
प्राणे गते वर्ष्मसु का नु चिन्ता प्रजासवः प्राणभृतो हि ये ते ॥
दृष्ट्वा तं तादृशं सर्वे मत्वा वृन्दावनश्रियम् । व्यात्ताजगरतुण्डेन ह्युत्प्रेक्षन्ते स्म लीलया ॥
T: Just then, one day, a gigantic demon called Aghasura came there. He wanted to avenge the death of his sister Putana and brother Bakasura. What better chance than this, to swallow up all the Gopa children? Once Aghasura would destroy all the Gopas including Sri Krishna, Nanda's Gokula would simply die in grief and bereavement. What a great plan!
Agha assumed the form of a gigantic python whose bulk rose up into the skies, his mouth agape like a huge cave, with deadly fangs inside that looked like sharp mountain peaks. His tongue lay like a slithery red carpet inside. The boys saw this deadly-looking sight and even guessed that it must be a demon in the form of a deadly python. But they began to joke about the various features of this creature. They were full of bravado, knowing how Sri Krishna would always come to their rescue as he did with Bakasura. They therefore simply walked into Agha's mouth, in a foolhardy spirit of discovery! The gods in the heavens were most agitated to see this, whereas all the Asuras celebrated in glee, including Kamsa himself who seemed to have telepathy better than any 6G network.
तान् वीक्ष्य कृष्णः सकलाभयप्रदो ह्यनन्यनाथान् स्वकरादवच्युतान् ।
दीनांश्च मृत्योर्जठराग्निघासान्घृणार्दितो दिष्टकृतेन विस्मितः ॥
कृत्यं किमत्रास्य खलस्य जीवनं न वा अमीषां च सतां विहिंसनम् ।
द्वयं कथं स्यादिति संविचिन्त्य तत्ज्ञा त्वाविशत्तुण्डमशेषदृग्घरिः ॥
T: Sri Krishna was watching the boys' animated discussion about what this sight or creature might be, when suddenly they all went right inside Aghasura. They had gone in with all their cattle too, to be consumed in Agha's belly fire instantly. Sri Krishna was overflowing with compassion and grace and could not allow this to go on. After thinking through what he could do, he also went right in. Sri Hari was in action mode again!
ततोऽतिकायस्य निरुद्धमार्गिणो ह्युद्गीर्णदृष्टेर्भ्रमतस्त्वितस्ततः ।
पूर्णोऽन्तरङ्गे पवनो निरुद्धो मूर्धन् विनिष्पाट्य विनिर्गतो बहिः ॥
तेनैव सर्वेषु बहिर्गतेषुप्राणेषु वत्सान् सुहृदः परेतान् ।
दृष्ट्या स्वयोत्थाप्य तदन्वितः पुनर्वक्त्रान्मुकुन्दो भगवान् विनिर्ययौ ॥
पूर्णोऽन्तरङ्गे पवनो निरुद्धो मूर्धन् विनिष्पाट्य विनिर्गतो बहिः ॥
तेनैव सर्वेषु बहिर्गतेषुप्राणेषु वत्सान् सुहृदः परेतान् ।
दृष्ट्या स्वयोत्थाप्य तदन्वितः पुनर्वक्त्रान्मुकुन्दो भगवान् विनिर्ययौ ॥
T: Sri Hari entered Agha's cavernous mouth and started swelling in size. Agha had already swallowed and digested all the boys and animals, and there was a venomous stench inside. But he could not do anything as he tried his best to swallow up Sri Krishna too. Soon, Sri Krishna had grown into a very huge block in his throat and Agha writhed in anguish as he felt life ebb away from himself.
Sri Hari, Bhagavan Sri Krishna, now turned to his mates lying in the belly fire of Agha all lifeless. He used his divine will to bring them all back to life. Soon, everyone came out of Agha marching out as if from a cinema theatre after witnessing an infernal action movie.
Just then a huge body of light emerged from Agha's corpse. It hung in the air for Sri Krishna to walk out with his mates nonchalantly. This light ebbed and moved slowly to go and merge into Sri Krishna's being! This was salvation for Agha indeed!
Sage Shuka explains how any contact with Bhagavan is sure to have this effect. Those immersed in thinking of Him with love, or hate too, lose their link with their past and this world of duality. Soon they are going to be emancipated by the Lord in His own unique ways! That is Leela. Nothing else.
एतत्कौमारजं कर्म हरेरात्माहिमोक्षणम् ।मृत्योः पौगण्डके बाला दृष्ट्वोचुर्विस्मिता व्रजे ॥
नैतद्विचित्रं मनुजार्भमायिनःपरावराणां परमस्य वेधसः ।
अघोऽपि यत्स्पर्शनधौतपातकः प्रापात्मसाम्यं त्वसतां सुदुर्लभम् ॥
नैतद्विचित्रं मनुजार्भमायिनःपरावराणां परमस्य वेधसः ।
अघोऽपि यत्स्पर्शनधौतपातकः प्रापात्मसाम्यं त्वसतां सुदुर्लभम् ॥
T: Sri Hari, i.e Sri Krishna's act of bringing his mates and the cows and calves back from the dead inside Agha to life was his miraculous act done when he was only five years old. This was another astonishing act that filled the entire Vraja with wonder when this story was shared by the cowherds in Gokula when Sri Krishna turned six. Everyone discussed how Sri Krishna had saved all from Agha, the personification of evil (अघ = evil). Also, imagine Bhagavan's grace in giving Agha salvation by His very touch!!!
When Parikshit hears of Sri Krishna's exploits when he was just five, he remembers how he was saved by the Lord from death when still in his mother's womb. He however has a doubt. Why did this news reach Vraja a whole year later when Sri Krishna had turned six? What was the delay?
Sage Shuka is himself completely lost in thoughts of Bhagavan Sri Krishna and those marvellous moments. He has to shake himself into this world's reality in order to answer Parikshit. He does so with great difficulty.
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
