Direct descent of the Spirit of God Vishnu
Biography of Lord Sri Krishna
Central Figure of the Sacred Scripture of Bhagavad Gita
Lord Sri Krishna is considered as an Avatar or the direct descent of the Spirit of God Vishnu. Lord Krishna gave the sacred scripture of Bhagavad Gita to the entire humanity as the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu.
Sri Krishna was born in northern part of India in approximately 3,228 BCE or 5247 years ago. The Puranas consider Sri Krishna’s life to mark the crossing between the time periods of Dwapara Yuga and the Kali Yuga (current age).
Sri Krishna was born in a prison to the devout parents — Devaki and Vasudeva. At that time, his life was in danger because the tyrant ruler of that time ‘Kamsa’ wanted to kill him.
It had been foretold to ‘Kamsa’ that he would be killed by Devaki’s eighth child.
Sri Krishna was the eighth child and to save his life, he was smuggled out of the prison and raised by his foster parents Nanda and Yashoda in Gokula.
Nanda lived a simple lifestyle and was a chief in the local cow herding community.
The young Sri Krishna is often depicted in those days as being a mischievous divine child, who enjoyed playing pranks and having fun. Some worship Sri Krishna’s childhood pranks as a symbol of innocence.
As he grew up, Sri Krishna killed demons Trinavarta and Putana. He also lifted the nearby hill mountain Govardhana to protect the villagers against the wrath of Indra which resulted in heavy rains and floods.
In the early stage of his life, Sri Krishna as a boy is often depicted as playing the flute. The young village maiden girls (Gopis) were drawn to the soul enchanting music of his flute.
As a young 12 year old boy Krishna used to play childhood pranks with Gopis or village maiden girls by stealing their clothes when they took bath in the river.
This act has deeper significance in spirituality as human beings have to get rid of their false ego before merger with the Spirit of God.
This ego is the false covering of clothes on the body to hide imperfections before the eyes of the God. Is everyone not born naked?
Do the new born babies have any ego or double standards as with grown up human beings?
Bible says: ‘ Become like an innocent child to enter the kingdom of heaven.’
It has a symbolic meaning to indicate that individual souls of beings, long and yearns for union with the Divine cosmic Soul of God from which they had emerged.
This life episode of Sri Krishna is crucial in the development of the path of ‘Bhakti’ and devotion which is the easiest path of Self-realization. It is in the tradition of ‘Bhakti Yoga.’
On his return to Mathura, Sri Krishna killed his demon uncle Kamsa who was the ruler at that time. Kamsa had earlier made several attempts to kill Sri Krishna.
In Mathura, he befriended the Pandava Prince, Arjuna. — Sri Krishna became the counsellor and a friend to Arjuna.
Sri Krishna and Bhagavad Gita:
The Kurukshetra war was a battle between the Pandavas and Kauravas to fight for their rights, inheritance in the kingdom and dignity of life.
Sri Krishna tried to mediate to avoid the conflict between the two warring groups, but it was of no avail. — Once the war had become inevitable he offered a choice to Arjuna that he could either choose Sri Krishna himself, or he could choose his vast army.
Arjuna chose to have Sri Krishna on his side, rather than his vast army. It was a choice to either choose God himself or the worldly power.
Bhagavad Gita says: “Wherever is Lord Sri Krishna, and wherever is archer Arjuna (to represent humanity); there is prosperity, victory, glory, firmness and right decisions. This is my declaration as the spirit of God.” (Book: Word of God Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 18 verse 78)
It was on the battlefield of Kurukshetra that Sri Krishna gave the immortal dialogue of the Bhagavad Gita, which is an exposition of Sri Krishna’s ‘Yoga Shastra,’ on how an aspiring seeker should seek union with the spirit of God.
During the battle, Lord Krishna occasionally intervened as a counsellor to help Arjuna and the Pandavas to take correct decisions and win the war.
Having heard so much about Krishna’s glories, Arjuna asks Krishna to reveal his splendour, his vishwaroopa or Cosmic Form as God. However, Krishna tells Arjuna that he cannot see his Cosmic Form with normal eyes; hence he gives him divine eyes with which Arjuna would be able to see the Universal Form of God.
This is described in Bhagavad Gita as ‘Viraat Swarupa’ or the form of God as the supreme Lord of the entire Universe.
Arjuna queries to Sri Krishna in Bhagavad Gita: “O Supreme Lord! You have declared Yourself as the embodied incarnation of the Supreme God. I greatly desire to see Your Divine Sovereign form. (Book: Word of God Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 11 verse 3)
O Sri Krishna! Lord of the Yoga! If You think that it is possible for You to reveal Your Imperishable Cosmic form, then kindly show Your Universal form to me.” (Book: Word of God Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 11 verse 4)
Sri Krishna said:
O Partha Arjuna! Behold My manifold and Divine forms in different colours and shapes, by hundreds and thousands. (Book: Word of God Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 11 verse 5)
The splendour of that cosmic form of God was so dazzling, as if all of a sudden a thousand Suns had suddenly blazed forth in the sky. (Book: Word of God Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 11 verse 12)
Then Pandava Arjuna, saw within the cosmic form of God, the entire Universe drawn together into one place. (Book: Word of God Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 11 verse 13)
Upon seeing the vast universal form of Sri Krishana, Arjuna became the disciple of Sri Krishna, rather than just being an admirer or a friend.
Lord Sri Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita: “ O Dhananjaya Arjuna! Perform all actions, ever remaining balanced, renouncing attachments; keeping evenness of mind in success and failure. This equipoise and equanimity is verily known as ‘yoga’.” (Book: Word of God Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2 verse 48)
Copyright © Ajay Gupta — Reference books: Amazon: Ajay Gupta: Amazon.in: Kindle Store : Word of God Bhagavad Gita by Ajay Gupta
