Srikrishna Narayana

Tenth Canto Chapter Thirty-four.

In this chapter, Krishna uplifts Shankachuda.

Maharishi Śuka continued, “One morning, the cowherds desired to proceed on a pilgrimage in order to worship Lord Mahadeva (Iśwara). Tying their bullocks to their carts, they rode to the sacred pilgrim centre known as Ambika vana.

Having bathed in River Saraswati, they devotedly made offerings and worshipped Lord Mahadeva, the all-pervading Lord who is the controller of all living entities, together with His spouse Mother Parvati. They desired to please the Lord and obtain His grace. Towards this, in devotion, they gave away gold, cows, clothing, honey and other delicious foods in charity to the Brahmins.

Nanda, Sunanda and other virtuous people began to observe the Shivaratri vows. Sustaining only on water through the day, they remained awake and spent the entire night on the banks of River Saraswati.

In that Ambika vana forest, there lived a huge python. Providence caused this python, which was hungry and looking for food, to slither gradually and arrive at this place. It caught Nanda who was lying down the next morning after having remained awake the entire night.

Nanda who was being swallowed by the python screamed loudly, “Srikrishna! Krishna! Please save me. Rescue me from the jaws of this python. I seek refuge under you. Help me”.

Nanda believed this to be a punishment for having slept during the daytime after having remained awake the entire night.

“Hearing Nanda’s shrieks all the cowherds were rudely awakened. Seeing Nanda’s plight all of them were agitated and nervous. Using huge burning wooden torches (kāgada) they thrashed the python. Nevertheless, the python refused to release Nanda from its grip.

At that moment, Srikrishna, the protector of the virtuous, approached the reptile and touched it with his foot. With the mere touch of the Lord’s feet, the python’s sins were burnt down totally. Discarding this body of a python, it assumed the illumining body of a Vidyadhara celestial. The Vidyadhara who was illuming radiantly and who was wearing a sparkling golden garland stood beside Srikrishna and offered obeisance to Him.

Srikrishna then enquired, “Your appearance fills me with astonishment. Who are you that are shining so resplendently? What is the reason for you to helplessly accept this body of a python which is so repulsive?”

Krishna, the omniscient Lord, enquired from the Vidyadhara for the benefit of all his kith and kin.

“I am a Vidyadhara known as Sudarshana. I was endowed with prosperity and renown. Seated in the celestial aircraft, I would travel in all the directions. I who was soaking with pride at my handsomeness, derided some sages who belonged to the Angirasa clan. Angered with me, the sages cursed that I should be reborn as a disgusting python. The ever-compassionate sages were kind to pronounce this curse upon me as now I was blessed with the touch of Your lotus feet due to which all my sins have completely evaporated”.

This birth as a snake was for my benefit. Else, what was the need for me to take this despicable, cruel birth as a snake and suffer? This curse enabled me to be blessed with Your darshan O Lord.

“O ever-compassionate Lord! O Srikrishna, who destroys all my sorrows and sins! You destroy the fear of worldly bondages in those who, fearing these bondages, seek refuge under You. With the touch of Your feet, I was freed from my curse. Please permit me to leave for my abode”.

When Mahatmas curse, it is for the well-being of the person being cursed. At times, sinners are cursed to fall to degradable levels only in order to be blessed with the highest Yoga.

“prapanno ‘smi mahā-yogin mahā-puruṣa sat-pate

anujānīhi māḿ deva sarva-lokeśvareśvara

O Lord, You are the master of Yoga. You are the Supreme Self. You who are the controller of the virtuous are the Lord for all the planes of existences and for their Guardian-deities. I seek refuge in You.

O Achyuta! Merely with Your darshan I was redeemed from the curse of supreme saints. The person who chants Your name purifies himself and all those who listen to Him. I was blessed to be touched by such lotus feet. O Lord, can there be any fortune greater than this?’- In this way Sudarshana, the Vidyadhara, prayed to Srikrishna and begged for permission to return to his abode. He circumambulated the Lord and then, with the Lord’s permission, he returned to his celestial abode”.

Krishna Srihari