Immortal Devotees of the Lord
The inextricable relationship between the devotees and the Lord, a relationship maintained by unassailable and unflinching faith on one side and a continuous and loving care for the devotee on the other, was the central theme of the discourses given by Bhagavan to students during the 10-day Summer Course held in Brindavan from May 20-30, 1995. For each discourse, Bhagavan used one episode from the Bhagavatham [book on the glory of the Lord] to introduce illuminating lessons about the nature of devotion and significant role of the Divine in coming to the rescue of the devotee. This is the pilot to a series of stories narrated by Bhagavan Baba from May 21 to May 29, 1995.
The Krishna Avatar
(From the discourse on May 21, 1995)
There are four qualifications needed by anyone to understand the underlying significance of the Bhagavatham, which describes devotion as a bridge between the Divine and the devotees. They are:
1. Flee from evil company.
2. Seek the company of the pious.
3. Indulge always in meritorious deeds.
4. Discriminate between the eternal and the transient.
Shura, a king of the Yadava dynasty, had two sons, Ugrasena and Devaka. The former had a son, Kamsa, and the latter had only one daughter, Devaki. Kamsa had great affection for Devaki and considered her as his own sister. He celebrated her marriage to Vasudeva with great enthusiasm.
While driving the chariot of the newlywed couple to the bridegroom’s place, Kamsa heard an ethereal voice declare that the eighth child of Devaki would kill him. On hearing this voice, Kamsa immediately unsheathed his sword and decided to kill Devaki on the spot to prevent the predicted catastrophe.
Vasudeva appealed to Kamsa to spare Devaki, and he assured him that he would hand over all Devaki’s newborn babies as they were born. Kamsa relented and allowed them to go. The pious Vasudeva kept his word and gave each newborn baby to Kamsa. On learning from Narada [a sage] that the threat to his life might come from any one of Devaki’s children, Kamsa killed six of them.
Kamsa’s hatred for the Yadavas increased because he perceived that they threatened his life, and also because, according to Narada’s words, the gods were to incarnate as Yadavas with the advent of Krishna.
However, God had a master plan to punish the wicked and help the pious and pure devotees. Vasudeva’s other wife, Rohini, was staying at Nanda’s [Vasudeva’s friend] house away from Kamsa’s tyranny. By His maya shakti (deluding power), the Lord transferred Balarama, Devaki’s seventh child, to Rohini’s womb. Balarama, who was always with Krishna, was also called Sankarshana (transferred from one womb to another).
The Lord incarnated as Krishna, the eighth child of Devaki. Both Devaki and Vasudeva had a vision in which the Lord directed Vasudeva to take the newborn child [Krishna] to Repalle (Gokulam), a village on the other bank of the Yamuna River. When Krishna was born, Vasudeva and Devaki were in prison, on Kamsa’s orders. According to the Divine plan, all the wardens were fast asleep and the doors and gates of the prison opened of their own accord. The waters in the flood-swollen river diminished, while Adisesha [the serpent] protected the child from the torrential rains as Vasudeva carried Him in a basket. No power can stand against the Divine will. Due to Yogamaya [Lord’s spiritual energy], nobody knew that the child was exchanged with the child born to Yashoda.
Vasudeva returned to his cell. The child started to cry and immediately the wardens woke up and informed Kamsa. Kamsa rushed to the prison, seized the baby and lifted it up to kill it. The baby escaped from his clutches, went up in the air, and announced that the slayer of Kamsa had taken birth and was alive somewhere else. Enraged by this, Kamsa started killing all newborn babies. He sent his demons to Repalle, but Krishna, even as a tiny baby, destroyed the demons.
While Yashoda had vatsalya (maternal love) for Krishna at the physical level, the gopikas [milkmaids] of Gokulam had real devotion. This was symbolically demonstrated by Krishna, who used to go after their [gopikas] butter rather than accept that offered by his mother, Yashoda. Butter signifies the spiritual heart of the devotee, which Krishna shared as the Divine. Krishna demonstrated His Divine power to the innocent devotees of Repalle in many ways.
Ambareesha’s Devotion
(From the discourse on May 22, 1995)
Lord Shiva rewarded Ambareesha’s [a devotee of the Lord] father, Nabhaga, for his attitude of detachment to worldly things.
Ambareesha was pious and devout and adhered firmly to the truth. He performed a Yajna (ritual sacrifice) with such great devotional fervor that Lord Narayana was pleased and blessed him with sudarshana [good vision], which manifested as prosperity, peace, and security for his [Ambareesha’s] kingdom. On Sage Vasishta’s advice, Ambareesha performed another Yajna called the dwadasi vrata. An important rite to be observed in this vrata [fast] was that the king must start a fast on the day prior to dwadasi (the 12th day after the new moon), break it at the start of dwadasi, and feed all the people.
Just before breaking the fast, the mighty Sage Durvasa arrived and was received with honors by Ambareesha. Durvasa agreed to the king’s request to be his honored guest and asked the king to wait until he [Durvasa] returned from his bath in the river. Durvasa did not turn up as the auspicious moment approached for the king to break his fast to fulfill the vow of the Yajna. On the advice of Sage Vasishta, the king broke his fast by taking a tulsi [holy basil] leaf with water, and he waited for the arrival of Sage Durvasa to offer him food.
Durvasa was well known for his short temper; he felt that Ambareesha had violated the respect due to a guest by breaking his fast before the guest had taken his meal. In his rage, Durvasa created a demon to kill Ambareesha. Lord Narayana’s Sudarshana (discus) intervened, destroyed the demon, and started chasing Durvasa. Durvasa went to Brahma [ceator of the universe] and Shiva [Lord of destruction in the Hindu trinity] for protection. Both pleaded their inability to save him. He went to Lord Narayana Himself, who said that He could do nothing as He was bound by the flawless devotion of Ambareesha, and suggested that the sage seek the pardon of the king. Durvasa went to Ambareesha, who prayed to Lord Vishnu to recall the Sudarshana and save Durvasa.
The lesson of this episode is that God regards Himself as a servant of His true devotee. Students need to learn the lesson that it is not enough if they do good work, but should do this with humility and devotion. Ambareesha was the embodiment of humility.
~ To Be Continued ~
Source: Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 28
