Sanaathana Saaradaa — 23 : Dynamics of Divine Exploits — Part 1.

Sree Saaradaa Karunaa Kowmudi :—
15—12—2017; Friday.

Sanaatana Saaradaa—23 : Dynamics of Divine Exploits— Part 1.

From this week onwards, for three weeks, we try to understand the extremely important aspect of the Dynamics of the Divine Exploits, especially from a dedicated devotee’s perspective.

The Divine Exploits play a supreme role in the intense pursuits of the devotional seekers of the personal Brahman with name, form, qualities and exploits. The narration of these enchanting exploits casts a profound and inescapable magic spell on the mind of the devotee. Otherwise the devotee’s mind offers a vexatious riddle to her/him to maintain it singularly focussed in her/his spiritual endeavours. When it comes to the facet of  Divine Exploits, the mind of the devotee is, by itself, fully predisposed to get absorbed in those Divine Exploits because such an inclination is the very fabric of human mind with which it is made. Irrespective of all times and climes we can observe this proclivity or even weakness of human mind. This is the very reason for the world-wide popularity of fictional literature in the form of short/long stories, novels, plays, theatrical shows, film-shows and so on and so forth. Content-wise, it is the same in every bit regarding the fundamental theme of the stories of the Divine Exploits of one’s chosen Deity (Lord Krishna), as in the case of the fictional literature, concocted by the mind of a human writer.

Though strong likes and dislikes are depicted in the stories of the Exploits of the Lord, such as rescuing the lives of the virtuous beings from the cruel clutches of the diabolical souls, such stories contain in them a profound cathartic property in purifying the subtle-body-components of the devotees, when they come in contact with the stories of the Lord, in one way or the other. Such a purified being naturally gets enlightened inwardly, to deserve the unqualified grace of the Lord.

We have wonderful examples in these stories that demonstrate the boundless love and grace of the Lord, for instance, the story of Gajendra’s emancipation, or that of Prahlaada, or Dhruva, or Ambareesha, or Draupadi.

Almost all of them are very well-known to the world of the devotees of the Lord. Even the Leelaa of protecting the honour of Saadhvi Draupadidevi is a highly popular one. This is the ugliest episode in Mahaabhaarata, which left an ineradicable disgrace on the entire history of the civilization and culture of the whole humanity in general, and of India in particular. A special aspect of this has to be brought into the focus in this part of our feature, which defines the immense love of the Lord towards His devotees.

Even after having saved the womanly honour of Draupadidevi, from the atrocious hands of the despicable Dussaasana, the kindest Lord Sri Krishna,with a sense of deep regret, sends a word of caution through Sanjaya, to King Dhritaraashtra and prince Duryodhana as under:-

“Rinam etat pravriddham may

Hridayaat naapasarpati |

Yat Govindeti chukrosa

Krishnaa maam doora vaasinam” ||

(Vyaasa Mahaa Bhaaratam – Udyoga parvam – 59th Chapter – verse:22.)

“(While helplessly suffering the attempts of dishonour from the wicked four(Dushta Chatushtaya), in the court of Dhritaraashtra, in front of all the elderly dignitaries) Krishnaa (christened name of Draupadidevi) bewailed for me calling me “Govinda!” loudly,  as I was far away in another place (Though I protected her fully, from incurring the intended dishonour in the hands of Dussaasana), My indebtedness to my  devotee, Draupadidevi has been increasing (day by day) without moving out of My heart“! (So, Dhritaraashtra and his sons are being warned by Sri Krishna to face the Divine wrath, consequently, in the ensuing war in Kurukshetra).

That is the quality of the love of the Lord towards His devotees. Even after having fulfilled the desire of His devotee, Draupadidevi, in protecting her honour,  He explicitly declares that the pre-eminence of the devotion of hers is so superior to His Divine intervention and protection that they are totally inadequate to match the sublimity of the love and the devotion of His devotee for Him.

Here, again, we have a glorious verse of the Lord, in Ambareesha’s story, wherein He declares openly to Durvaasa, as under:–

“Aham bhakta paraadheenah

Hyasvatantrah iva Dvija! |

Saadhubhih grasta hridayah

Bhaktaih bhakta jana priyah” ||

(Bhaagavata : IX : 4–63.).

“I choose to be dictated by the absolute devotion of my beloved devotees. O Durvaasa! I pledge my freedom of choice with them. My Heart is taken hold of by my saintly devotees. My devotees love Me absolutely. (or I love my absolute devotees)”.

This is one of the most quintessential messages of the Bhaagavata Mahaa Puraana.

Swasti ||