Sri Krishna’s Brindavanam and Dvarka Lilas : 8. Glory of Srimad Maha Bhagavatam : Swami Krishnananda

06/05/2019
8.

Here again we are hypocrites. Our religion is a bundle of contradictions and meaningless performances which cannot take us anywhere, finally. We must be honest to our own selves if we are really lovers of God. Who can love God? It is impossible. We can love only man, woman, children, wealth, egoism and power. What else can we love? Have we ever conceived the possibility of thinking of such a Perfection, which is the very meaning of the demonstrations of Bhagavan Sri Krishna?

Sri Krishna had a reason to behave in the way that is described in the first part of the Tenth Skandha of the Srimad Bhagavata, and he behaved in a different way altogether in the Uttarardha, or the second part of the Tenth Skandha. Bala Lila is the predominant theme of the first part of the Tenth Skandha. The maturity of a world-wise householder is depicted in his Dvarka Lila. Sri Krishna’s whole life can be classified into three parts: the Vrindavan Lila, which is also called the Mathura Lila, the Dvarka Lila, and the Kurukshetra Lila.

In the Vrindavan Lila, Sri Krishna was a child, though he may be naughty, beautiful, enchanting, incomparably gracious, the sweetest, and the dearest of all. But in his Dvarka Lila, he became a mature gentleman of the world, and a statesman to some extent. After Krishna killed Kamsa, Kamsa’s two queens, Asti and Prapti, repaired to their father’s house in grief, and complained to him of the cause of their widowhood. Jarasandha, their father, was enraged, and attacked Mathura seventeen times, all of which were repelled by the forces of the Yadus. But it was too much for the residents of Mathura, and Sri Krishna thought it better to leave that place. He did not want to end Jarasandha, because he had many things to do through him. Balarama would have caught him and killed him on the spot, but Sri Krishna prevented him. He said, “Let him bring more forces. We will see to it later on.” So, Jarasandha was allowed to live, and he was not destroyed.

Then Krishna and Balarama scaled the mountain Gir, as it is known today, and crossed over it to Dwarka on the shore of the ocean and, through Vishwakarma, built a fort that was so great it was humanly inconceivable. It is said that Sri Krishna’s palace was practically ninety miles long, consisting of many, many palaces for everyone every one of his queens and his relatives. It extended ninety miles along the coast, right from Dwarka to Prabhas and Somnath. That entire area—you can imagine the length was covered by Sri Krishna’s palace. Sri Krishna lived wonderfully in all the palaces. He received guests, meticulously following the rules and regulations laid down for a Grihastha. He would get up in the early morning, offer prayers to the sun, take a bath, touch the cow, give charity, feed people, and then receive people as a majestic well-wisher of all.

To be continued ...