॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
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Sage Shuka narrated: King Vasudeva had been touched deeply by the sages. When his two sons came and bowed low, he said:
कृष्ण कृष्ण महायोगिन् सङ्कर्षण सनातन । जाने वामस्य यत् साक्षात् प्रधानपुरुषौ परौ ॥
यत्र येन यतो यस्य यस्मै यद् यद् यथा यदा । स्यादिदं भगवान् साक्षात् प्रधानपुरुषेश्वर: ॥
एतन्नानाविधं विश्वमात्मसृष्टमधोक्षज । आत्मनानुप्रविश्यात्मन् प्राणो जीवो बिभर्ष्यज ॥
T: "Dear Krishna! Krishna! The best of Yogis!And hh eternal Sankarshana! I know that you two are personally the source of universal creation and the constituents of creation as well. Bhagavan, you manifest as the Lord of both Nature and the Creator of Nature. Everything that comes into existence, however, and whenever it does so, is created within you, by you, from you, for you and in relation to you!"
Vasudeva described how everything variegated and active in the material world is set into motion by the Supreme Lord. Water gets its taste from the Lord, as does Sun his radiance! And so on. Prana which gives energy to the body is nothing but his manifestation. In addition, the false ego, expressed through the three Gunas that control the mind, is also his Maya! Because of this ignorance of Jivas, the entanglement of Karma forces them to wander in the cycle of birth and death.
Vasudeva said he was surrendering to Sri Krishna's lotus feet seeking his grace for freedom from Maya. He recalled how, at birth, Bhagavan appeared in front of him and Devaki and explained the purpose of this Avatara as Sri Krishna.
Bhagavan heard all this with a smile. He now spoke in a very gentle voice.
श्रीभगवानुवाच
वचो व: समवेतार्थं तातैतदुपमन्महे । यन्न: पुत्रान् समुद्दिश्य तत्त्वग्राम उदाहृत: ॥
T: The Supreme Lord said: "My dear Father, I consider your statements appropriate since you have explained the various categories of existence by referring to us, your sons. Not only I, but also you, along with my respected brother and these residents of Dwaraka, should all be considered in this same philosophical light, oh best of the Yadus! Indeed, we should include all that exists, both moving and nonmoving."
Bhagavan now expounded the concept of Atma. It is Atma that is in everything, eternal and inextinguishable. When one connects with the Atma, all existence becomes one.
खं वायुर्ज्योतिरापो भूस्तत्कृतेषु यथाशयम् । आविस्तिरोऽल्पभूर्येको नानात्वं यात्यसावपि ॥
T: "The elements of ether, air, fire, water and earth become visible, invisible, minute or extensive as they manifest in various objects. Similarly, the Atma (= Paramatma, the Creator-Sustainer-Destroyer), though one, appears to become many."
Vasudeva now became freed from all ideas of duality. Satisfied at heart, he remained silent.
All the while, Devaki was seated there, listening to this most uplifting conversation. However, Sage Shuka says, owing to Bahagvan's Maha Maya, all she could think of was her six babies killed at birth by Kamsa. She also knew that Bhagavan had gone to Patala and brought back Sage Sandipani's dead son. She now pleaded, in a voice choking with emotion: would her two divine sons bring her lost babies back to her!?
Bhagavan said, "Be it so." He went with Balarama to the netherworld, the Sutala region reigned by King Bali. Bali received them with the greatest of devotion, saying their visit was the fruition of all his Punyas. Bhagavan explained how there were long ago six sons of Sage Marichi. When Brahma wanted to marry his own daughter, Saraswati, they mocked his indecent wish. Angered by this, Brahma banished them.
They were first born as sons of Hiranyakashipu. Then they took birth as each of the six sons of Devaki, to be slain promptly at birth. They had all gone into a type of suspended animation in Sutala in Bali's kingdom. Would King Bali kindly oblige and release them for Sri Krishna to take them back to his mother Devaki?
Bali was readily glad to release them. Bhagavan explained to Bali, "By my grace these six — Smara, Udgitha, Parishvanga, Patanga, Kshudrabhrit and Ghrini— will meet my mother and when she is satisfied, they shall return to the abode of pure saints."
When Devaki received the six babies, imagine her ecstasy! Sage Shuka narrates that she breastfed each of them to her full satisfaction. Since her breasts had suckled at birth Sri Krishna, the breasts now produced Amrita, and all the six souls were liberated instantly.
Devaki also now realised that all this was nothing but the Leela of Bhagavan and she had been labouring under his spell of Maha Maya.
Sage Shuka says each of these exploits of Bhagavan Sri Krishna is most sacred as a narrative and uplifts the listener without fail.
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