I am fortunate to be a student of Dr. Sowmya Krishnapur in the Vyoma Labs online course on the Mahā-kāvya of Śrī. Vedanta Deśika, The Yādavābhyudaya. It tells the story of Bhagavān Ṣrī Kṛṣṇa in 24 Sargas comprising 2500+ślokas.
The way the great poet introduces the hero of the epic poem is this:
क्रीडातूलिकया स्वस्मिन् कृपारूषितया स्वयम् ।
एको विश्वमिदं चित्रं विभुः श्रीमानजीजनत् ॥१ - ०९॥
The supreme Lord, with His limitless powers of creation, sustenance and dissolution, dipped his sporting brush in the infinite colours on His palette of compassion, and painted this creation within His own Being, by Himself with no other medium or aid, by the resplendence of His Consort of Prosperity and Grace.
As the teacher was explaining this verse, my mind went to the first verse in Bhagavān Ramānuja's Śrī Bhāṣya :
अखिलभुवनजन्मस्थेमभङ्गादिलीले....That Lord who sports in the creation, sustenance and dissolution of this entire universe...
I recalled also the several times that Bhagavān proclaims in the Śrīmad Bhagavadgīta how He has created this world and its relation to Him :
एतद्योनीनि भूतानि सर्वाणीत्युपधारय । अहं कृत्स्नस्य जगतः प्रभवः प्रलयस्तथा ॥ ७-६॥
मत्तः परतरं नान्यत्किञ्चिदस्ति धनञ्जय । मयि सर्वमिदं प्रोतं सूत्रे मणिगणा इव ॥ ७-७॥
Understand Me to be the creation and dissolution cause of all this creation and all beings born in various wombs. There is nothing beyond Me, as indeed, everything is within Me like many gems strung in a necklace .
मम योनिर्महद् ब्रह्म तस्मिन्गर्भं दधाम्यहम् । सम्भवः सर्वभूतानां ततो भवति भारत ॥ १४-३॥
The primordial Nature is but my womb wherein I place the seed and cause all creation.
गतिर्भर्ता प्रभुः साक्षी निवासः शरणं सुहृत् । प्रभवः प्रलयः स्थानं निधानं बीजमव्ययम् ॥ ९-१८॥
For all, I am the Destiny, the Provider, The Lord, the Witness, the Abode, the Refuge, the Friend, the Creation, the Dissolution, the Habitation, and the Treasure as well as the Inexhaustible Seed.
I do believe that the spirit of the verses quoted from the saints aligns perfectly with the message of Bhagavān in the Śrīmad Bhagavadgīta. I am immensely lucky to be studying this under an incomparable teacher, Dr. Sowmya Krishnapur.
