Krishna Narayana

Maharishi Śuka is describing the divine vision with which Akrūra was blessed. He continued,

“su-mahārha-maṇi-vrāta kirīṭa-kaṭakāńgadaiḥ

kaṭi-sūtra-brahma-sūtra hāra-nūpura-kuṇḍalaiḥ

His crown, bracelets, armlets and earrings were laden with many precious gems. He was wearing glittering waist band, anklets and earrings.

Bhrājamānaḿ padma-karaḿ śańkha-cakra-gadā-dharam

śrīvatsa-vakṣasaḿ bhrājat kaustubhaḿ vana-mālinam

He was holding a lotus, conch, discus and mace in His hands. The birth mark Srivatsa, the Kausthuba gem and the garland of forest flowers were glittering on His chest. Nanda, Sunanda and other attendants who possessed pure mind and intellect were worshipping and serving Him considering themselves to be His servants.

Sanaka, Sananda and other Yogis were worshipping Him believing Him to be the Supreme Lord”.

Akrūra saw the complete form of the Lord in those waters.

“Brahma, Shiva and other Gods were worshipping Him, their foremost leader. The nine Prajāpatis (leaders of mankind) namely Marīci, Atri, Angīrasa, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Bhrigu, Vasiṣṭa and Daksha, the foremost devotees of the Lord such as Narada, Uparicara vasu and others, were worshipping Him treating Him as their soul-relative (atma bandhu).

Each of them was worshipping the Lord differently based on his own inner feelings towards Him.

Prosperity, robustness (puṣṭi), speech, effulgence, renown, contentment (tuṣṭi), Earth, omnipotence (urja), knowledge (vidya), spiritual ignorance (avidya), energy (vicchakti) and His own illusionary energy had taken on forms and were serving the Supreme Lord.

Akrūra who observed this complete form of the Supreme Lord was overjoyed and was overcome with feelings of affection and devotion. The hair on his body stood up. Feelings of devotion totally drenched his heart. His eyes welled up with tears. Akrūra, the virtuous and pious member of the Yadu lineage, gathered himself together and with total reverence joined his hands and bowed before the Lord. with an absolutely focussed mind and with a voice that was choking due to emotion, he gently glorified the Supreme Lord Srikrishna.

With this, the thirty-ninth chapter of the tenth canto comes to an end.

Tenth Canto Chapter Forty

In this chapter, Akrūra glorifies the Lord.

Akrūra sang,

“Nato ‘smy ahaḿ tvākhila-hetu-hetuḿ nārāyaṇaḿ pūruṣam ādyam avyayam

yan-nābhi-jātād aravinda-koṣād brahmāvirāsīd yata eṣa lokaḥ

I offer obeisance to You, O Supreme Lord. You are none other than Nārāyana, the cause of all causes. You are complete in all aspects and have existed eternally (even before creation). You are indestructible and undecaying. Lord Brahma, who emerged from the lotus arisen from Your navel, has created this universal egg (Brahmānda).

The five basic elements known as earth, water, fire, air and space together with their supportive cause known as composite egoism (samiṣṭi ahamkara); along with Mahat (cosmic intelligence) which is the cause for the cosmic egoism; together with illusionary energy (māya shakti) which is birthless, eternal and which is the cause for mahat; together with Self (Puruṣa) who is the cause for the illusionary energy; the mind; senses; the five subtle sensory perceptions known as sound, touch, form, taste and smell and their presiding deities, have all emerged from Your form alone!

Illusionary energy (māya shakti), cosmic intelligence (mahat) and others have come to be known as perceivable objects (dŗṣya) and as such they fail to understand Your original form as Self.

Although the embodied soul (jeeva) is none other than the Supreme Self (Parabrahma), he is bound by the three attributes of Nature (triguṇa) and hence fails to understand Your true form which exists beyond the sphere of these three attributes (guṇa).

Even Lord Brahma failed to understand Your true complete essence which is beyond the sphere of the trait of action/ passion (rajas).

The combination of the body, senses and mind which constitutes the adhyātmika, the five basic elements that constitute the ādhi-bhūtam and the Devatas who constitute the ādhi-daivam are nothing but partial portions within Your complete form and hence exist within You alone.

You are the Supreme Puruśottama, the ruler and director of the entire creation. Noble, virtuous spiritual aspirants who are filled with sattva worship You as their inner Self (atma). Yogis perceive You as their inner Self, as the five basic elements and as the form of Devatas.

Through the utterances of the Vedic chants from the Rig, Yajur and Sāma, some Vedic Brahmins, perform different types of sacrificial rituals (Yagnas) and in the name of worshipping different Devatas, they in reality are worshipping You alone.

A few wise Yogis, who are embodiment of knowledge, who are calm and are disinclined towards this material world, discard their actions in entirety and worship You, the embodiment of all knowledge, through the medium of sacrifice known as Jnana Yagna.

Some abide by the methods as prescribed by You and through these, reform themselves. Perceiving You as existing within them, they worship You in multitude of forms such as Rama, Krishna etc., and thus merge into You.

O Supreme Lord! Adhering to the path prescribed by Shiva himself, Dadhici and many other Yogis follow the practices recommended by many eminent masters and worship Shiva, when in reality they are worshipping You alone. Others worship You, who have manifested as Shiva.

O Lord, followers of other Gods who have fixed their mind exclusively on their favourite deity falsely perceive their deity to be different from You. Although they worship their favourite deity, in reality they are worshipping You, the embodiment of all Gods and the director of the entire universe”.

All the different forms of worship, the different deities worshipped, the different Yagnas performed, the different types of penance performed, all reach same Supreme Lord. They merge into Him alone.

“O Lord, the rivers which originate from the mountains and which are abundantly filled by the rain-bearing clouds, ultimately merge into the ocean”.

Irrespective of whether the river originates in the mountains, flows through the plains or rocky surfaces, becomes a tributary of another river or has many distributaries, the water in the river ultimately reaches the ocean!

“Similarly, every form of worship, although appearing different, culminates into Your worship alone! O Keshava! O Nārāyaṇa! O Mādhava! Every form of worship merges into You!

O Lord, Your illusionary energy comprises of the three attributes of Nature known as sattva, rajas and tamas. All living entities - from Lord Brahma and up to the immobile tree - possess bodies that emerge due to the illusionary energy and, having attained oneness with such bodies they associate with the three attributes of Nature.

I offer obeisance to You, O Lord whose knowledge is unattached. You are the Self that remains eternal witness to all the mental modification within ever living entity. Unable to realize Your true form, the spiritually ignorant take on celestial, human, bird and animal bodies and identify with them. Unable to grasp Your true essence, they take on multitudes of bodies and associate with them. All of them ultimately need to merge into You alone, O Lord”.

Krishna Vāsudeva