November 19, 2011
At different places in the Bhagavad Geeta, Śrī Kṛṣṇa describes the qualities of perfection. Swami Swaroopanandaji ticked off several such instances.
तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात् |
भवामि नचिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम् ||१२-७||
teshhaamahaM samuddhartaa mR^ityusa.nsaarasaagaraat.h .
bhavaami nachiraatpaartha mayyaaveshitachetasaam.h .. 12-7..
For them, whose minds are immersed in Me, O Partha, I become, before long, the Saviour, to lift them out of the ocean of finite experiences, the Samsara.12-7
The Lord takes on the onus of lifting the bhakta, the devotee from whatever may afflict him. Swami Swaroopanandaji couldn't resist a few more stories in referring to this shloka.
He told the story of how Gajendra, the king of the elephants was rescued from the jaws of a crocodile by Narayana in answer to Gajendra's prayer.
When Draupadi was being humiliated by Dushasana and Duryodhana, Śrī Kṛṣṇa responds instantly to her prayer and becomes the very sari and protected her from being shamed in open court.
Even though Duryodhana tried to kill Śrī Kṛṣṇa, when the time came for battle, Sakuni tells Duryodhana, "There is one aspect of Śrī Kṛṣṇa that you do not understand. He will give you whatever you ask." Arjuna and Duryodhana, both set out to ask Śrī Kṛṣṇa for help. Duryodhana is satisfied with Lord's army while Arjuna wants none other than Śrī Kṛṣṇa himself.
Thus it was that Śrī Kṛṣṇa becomes Arjuna's charioteer. How fortunate was Arjuna that when he was steeped in विषाद dejection at the beginning of the war, Śrī Kṛṣṇa himself assumes the role of the Guru and systematically lifts Arjuna out his state of dejection and shows him the Truth and directs him to fight and win the war. That is how the Lord lives up to the declaration, तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता - I lift up my devotee!
I wish I could convey the emotion that Swamiji so beautifully did. Yet, being in the talk, listening intently in the atmosphere that is created by an effective teacher is a joy in itself.
Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post.
PS: The picture shown is titled "Gajendra Moksha: The Salvation of the King of the Elephants" ca. 1880 from the San Diego Museum of Art
At different places in the Bhagavad Geeta, Śrī Kṛṣṇa describes the qualities of perfection. Swami Swaroopanandaji ticked off several such instances.
- In chapter 2, in स्थितप्रज्ञ लक्षण, there is an elaborate description of the man of perfect wisdom.
- In chapter 5, Śrī Kṛṣṇa narrates the qualities of the perfect renunciate, सन्यासी।
- In chapter 6, we come across the qualities of the one perfectly established in meditation.
- In chapter 13, again we understand the qualities of one who has realized the Truth as being different from all fields of experience.
- In chapter 12, Śrī Kṛṣṇa highlights the qualities of the devotee and yet chapter 12 is unique in one respect. It is here that Śrī Kṛṣṇa repeatedly declares यो मद्भक्त स मे प्रियः, "such a devotee is dear to me." So, while the Lord loves everyone, yet the ones who love the Lord demonstrate the qualities that Śrī Kṛṣṇa describes in verses 13-19, such devotees are particularly dear to the Lord. To such a devotee is reserved the emphatic assurance of the Lord:
भवामि नचिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम् ||१२-७||
teshhaamahaM samuddhartaa mR^ityusa.nsaarasaagaraat.h .
bhavaami nachiraatpaartha mayyaaveshitachetasaam.h .. 12-7..
For them, whose minds are immersed in Me, O Partha, I become, before long, the Saviour, to lift them out of the ocean of finite experiences, the Samsara.12-7
The Lord takes on the onus of lifting the bhakta, the devotee from whatever may afflict him. Swami Swaroopanandaji couldn't resist a few more stories in referring to this shloka.
He told the story of how Gajendra, the king of the elephants was rescued from the jaws of a crocodile by Narayana in answer to Gajendra's prayer.
When Draupadi was being humiliated by Dushasana and Duryodhana, Śrī Kṛṣṇa responds instantly to her prayer and becomes the very sari and protected her from being shamed in open court.
Even though Duryodhana tried to kill Śrī Kṛṣṇa, when the time came for battle, Sakuni tells Duryodhana, "There is one aspect of Śrī Kṛṣṇa that you do not understand. He will give you whatever you ask." Arjuna and Duryodhana, both set out to ask Śrī Kṛṣṇa for help. Duryodhana is satisfied with Lord's army while Arjuna wants none other than Śrī Kṛṣṇa himself.
Thus it was that Śrī Kṛṣṇa becomes Arjuna's charioteer. How fortunate was Arjuna that when he was steeped in विषाद dejection at the beginning of the war, Śrī Kṛṣṇa himself assumes the role of the Guru and systematically lifts Arjuna out his state of dejection and shows him the Truth and directs him to fight and win the war. That is how the Lord lives up to the declaration, तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता - I lift up my devotee!
I wish I could convey the emotion that Swamiji so beautifully did. Yet, being in the talk, listening intently in the atmosphere that is created by an effective teacher is a joy in itself.
Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post.
PS: The picture shown is titled "Gajendra Moksha: The Salvation of the King of the Elephants" ca. 1880 from the San Diego Museum of Art
@Sadhaka
ReplyDeleteThe way I understood this chapter, Shri Krishna says: the one who has qualities like "adveshta sarva bhutanam, maitra, karuna ....", 20 such qualities from shloka 13 to 19 are dear to HIM.