Narayana

The ministers continued, ‘O King Kamsa, please advise us. Whom should we kill first- Srihari or Devatas? More importantly, without any delay let us kill this infant who has been born to kill you. If he is allowed to grow, he will become unmanageable and then it will be difficult for us to eliminate him.

Mūlaṁ hi viṣṇur devānāṁ yatra dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ

Tasya ca brahma-go-viprās tapo yajñāḥ sa-dakṣiṇāḥ

Vishnu, the primary support for all the Devatas, resides in all those places where righteousness is diligently followed transcending the barriers of time. Vedas, learned Vedic-Brahmins, cows, penance and Yagnas that are coupled with giving of dakshina are the root for existence of righteousness (dharma).

Therefore, O dearest King! We shall kill all Vedic scholars who adhere to the dictates of the Vedas, ascetics who undertake penance, and cows which supply the ingredients that ensure completeness of the Yagnas’.

The demons wanted to kill cows that supply us with milk. They wanted to destroy plantations, kill those who adhere to Vedic dictates, wash out the mantras chanted by these scholars, destroy homa and other sacrificial fires. Their belief was that Srihari will make himself visible when these atrocities are carried out.

“Viprā gāvaś ca vedāś ca tapaḥ satyaṁ damaḥ śamaḥ

śraddhā dayā titikṣā ca kratavaś ca hares tanūḥ

Places where Vedic scholars and cows reside, where Vedas, penance and truthfulness exist, where inner and outer sense control is practised, where mind-control is practised, where noble traits such as dedication, compassion, patience exist and the places where Yagnas which destroy spiritual ignorance are performed, are all limbs of Srihari. More importantly, Srihari is the leader of all Devatas”.

The above is a list of places where Srihari resides. The places where truthfulness is adhered to, the places where Vedas are continuously chanted, the places where Yagnas are performed and where cows are protected are places where Srihari resides! In those people who have absolute dedication, the Lord resides. In those people who adhere to truthfulness, the Lord resides. In those who practise external sense-control, the Lord resides. In those who practise mind-control the Lord resides. In people who are filled with feelings of compassion and in people who have enormous patience the Lord resides.

As these are limbs of the Supreme Lord, the demons wanted to destroy them.

The ministers continued, ‘Srihari, the leader of all Devatas, resides in the cave called intellect. More importantly, he despises the demons. He is also the Lord for Shiva and Brahma. To trouble Srihari we need to torture the Maharishis. This is the best solution’- they concluded.

The wicked Kamsa, who was tied by the noose called death, agreed that torturing Vedic scholars was truly the best option. He commanded them to torture the noble saintly persons in all directions. He asked them to destroy the Yagnas and kill the cows”.

Narayana narayana.