॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
8 May 2023, Monday - Srimad Bhagavatam X.a37 - Keshi the Asura comes as a demoniac horse to kill Sri Krishna but is easily slain. Sage Narada comes and explains His entire mission to Bhagavan incarnated as Sri Krishna. Sri Krishna slays Vyomasura who comes to abduct the cowherds.
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I typed a long blog post with several shlokas etc. and before I could save it, the usual power shutdown in my area killed the post. I have neither the energy nor enthusiasm now to recreate the post. However duty calls and I give it a try, this time wiser and so on my Macbook.
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श्रीशुक उवाच
केशी तु कंसप्रहितः खुरैर्महीं महाहयो निर्जरयन् मनोजवः । सटावधूताभ्रविमानसङ्कुलं कुर्वन्नभो हेषितभीषिताखिलः ॥
तं त्रासयन्तं भगवान् स्वगोकुलं तद्धेषितैर्वालविघूर्णिताम्बुदम् । आत्मानमाजौ मृगयन्तमग्रणीरुपाह्वयत्स व्यनदन्मृगेन्द्रवत् ॥
T: Keshi came to kill Sri Krishna in the form of a demoniac horse and scared the wits out of Gokula with his neighings; his was a massive, fiery form with hairs and tail swishing to scatter clouds. As everyone ran away, Sri Krishna came, confronted him like a lion would any predator, and uttered a roar. He side-stepped a deadly kick from Keshi's hind legs, and in turn, caught them like Garuda would the king of serpents, and twirled and threw Keshi away a hundred yards. Keshi recovered and came rushing back, mouth wide open to swallow Sri Krishna. Sri Krishna coolly thrust his left arm into Keshi, made it red hot and swelled it so big Keshi choked and bled to death. The gods showered flowers on Sri Krishna.
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Soon, Sage Narada, the foremost of devotees, came and met Sri Krishna in secret. He offered his obeisances and prayed fervently to the Lord who had incarnated to save the world from evil forces. He gave in a nutshell the entire story of the Avatara - past, present and future.
देवर्षिरुपसङ्गम्य भागवतप्रवरो नृप । कृष्णमक्लिष्टकर्माणं रहस्येतदभाषत ॥
कृष्ण कृष्णाप्रमेयात्मन् योगेश जगदीश्वर । वासुदेवाखिलावास सात्वतां प्रवर प्रभो ॥
त्वमात्मा सर्वभूतानामेको ज्योतिरिवैधसाम् । गूढो गुहाशयः साक्षी महापुरुष ईश्वरः ॥
आत्मनाऽऽत्माऽऽश्रयः पूर्वं मायया ससृजे गुणान् । तैरिदं सत्यसङ्कल्पः सृजस्यत्स्यवसीश्वरः ॥
स त्वं भूधरभूतानां दैत्यप्रमथरक्षसाम् । अवतीर्णो विनाशाय सेतूनां रक्षणाय च ॥
दिष्ट्या ते निहतो दैत्यो लीलयायं हयाकृतिः । यस्य हेषितसन्त्रस्तास्त्यजन्त्यनिमिषा दिवम् ॥
चाणूरं मुष्टिकं चैव मल्लानन्यांश्च हस्तिनम् । कंसं च निहतं द्रक्ष्ये परश्वोऽहनि ते विभो ॥
तस्यानु शङ्खयवनमुराणां नरकस्य च । पारिजातापहरणमिन्द्रस्य च पराजयम् ॥
उद्वाहं वीरकन्यानां वीर्यशुल्कादिलक्षणम् । नृगस्य मोक्षणं पापाद्द्वारकायां जगत्पते ॥
स्यमन्तकस्य च मणेरादानं सह भार्यया । मृतपुत्रप्रदानं च ब्राह्मणस्य स्वधामतः ॥
पौण्ड्रकस्य वधं पश्चात्काशिपुर्याश्च दीपनम् । दन्तवक्त्रस्य निधनं चैद्यस्य च महाक्रतौ ॥
यानि चान्यानि वीर्याणि द्वारकामावसन् भवान् । कर्ता द्रक्ष्याम्यहं तानि गेयानि कविभिर्भुवि ॥
अथ ते कालरूपस्य क्षपयिष्णोरमुष्य वै । अक्षौहिणीनां निधनं द्रक्ष्याम्यर्जुनसारथेः ॥
विशुद्धविज्ञानघनं स्वसंस्थया समाप्तसर्वार्थममोघवाञ्छितम् ।
स्वतेजसा नित्यनिवृत्तमायागुणप्रवाहं भगवन्तमीमहि ॥
त्वामीश्वरं स्वाश्रयमात्ममायया विनिर्मिताशेषविशेषकल्पनम् ।
क्रीडार्थमद्यात्तमनुष्यविग्रहं नतोऽस्मि धुर्यं यदुवृष्णिसात्वताम् ॥
T: "Dear Lord, My obeisances! You are Parama Purusha, Ishwara, who have created everything through Your Maya. You permeate this universe composed of three Gunas as Consciousness and are yet above all Gunas. You have incarnated here as the scion of Yadus only to save the world from evil."
"I have witnessed your slaying of Keshi, whose neighing used to scare even the gods in heaven. I shall soon witness, oh, Lord, in a couple of days, Your slaying of Mushtika, Chanura, and other killer wrestlers as well as Your slaying of the evil King Kamsa. You shall also soon take care of others like Kalayavana, Mura, Naraka.
You shall win the hand of great princesses in bridal contests by Your immeasurable valour. You shall defeat Indra and bring the holy Parijata to earth. You shall turn Kashipur to ashes.
You shall build the great city of Dwarka. Your glorious deeds there will be the subject of songs and prayers for long by holy saints and poets.
I shall witness Your glory as You are worshipped in Yudhisthira's Rajasuya, and You will end the transgressions of Chedi King Shishupala and later his younger brother Dantavaktra. You shall bring back from Your abode the dead son of a Brahmin out of Your grace. You shall retrieve Shyamantaka gem from the deep jungle and also win the hand of the daughter of Jambavan."
"Oh, Lord, as Kaala or Death itself, You shall enact your Leela as the charioteer of Arjuna in a battle of huge forces each with crores of soldiers (Akshauhinis), to end the burden of evil on this earth. Dear Lord, You are Paramatman and beyond anyone's understanding. I can only witness Your Leela as Sri Krishna and offer my prayers."
So saying, bowing low, Sage Narada took his leave of a benevolent Bhagavan Sri Krishna.
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Sage Shuka narrates how, soon afterwards, the cowherds were once playing several games like robber police, hide and seek, etc. while grazing their animals. The son of the magician Asura Mayaa, Vyomasura came and as a cowherd, mingled with them. Soon, he abducted many cowherds and hid them in a cave. Sri Krishna at once sprang into action and caught him by the scruff of his neck as would a lion a wolf stealing goats. Vyoma at once assumed his original form as the Asura, and he was as huge as a mountain. Sri Krishna did not release him. In fact, he smashed him to death. He then went and removed the rock blocking the mouth of the cave and released the abducted cowherds to the infinite relief of all in Gokula.
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
