Narayana Krishna

The wives of Kamsa lamented saying, ‘Krishna is none other than the Supreme Lord who creates, sustains and absorbs back into himself all the living entities in the creation. Anyone who abuses such Lord can never obtain happiness at any time’.

The Supreme Lord Srikrishna consoled the weeping widows of Kamsa”.

What to say of the Lord’s broad-mindedness and compassion! He consoled these widows and pacified them.

“He ensured that the prescribed death-ceremonies were conducted for Kamsa and others who had been slain by them.

Mātaraḿ pitaraḿ caiva mocayitvātha bandhanāt

Kṛṣṇa-rāmau vavandāte śirasā spṛśya pādayoḥ

Thereafter, Balarama and Krishna released their parents from imprisonment and offered obeisance to them by placing their heads at the feet of their parents”.

This is a very divine moment wherein they met their parents for the first time, offered obeisance to them and released them from imprisonment. Seeing her son Krishna for the first time, mother Devaki was elated beyond limits. The happiness experienced by Devaki and Vasudeva at that moment is truly indescribable.

“Recognizing the sons, who were bowing before them, to be the Supreme Lord himself, Devaki and Vasudeva desisted from embracing them- fearing that it would be a wrongful deed on their part”.

With this, the forty-forth chapter of the tenth canto comes to an end.

Tenth Canto Chapter Forty-five

In this chapter, the thread-ceremony of brothers Srikrishna and Balarama, their entry into the Gurukula school, their schooling days and their offering Guru-dakshina (fees to their teacher) are covered.

Maharishi Śuka continued, “Srikrishna understood that his parents had recognized their (Balarama and Krishna’s) true form as the Supreme Self (Paramatma). Believing that it was not right, Srikrishna cast upon them His illusion (yoga-maya) which throws living entities into infatuation”.

When Vasudeva and Devaki refrained from embracing their sons, Krishna thought, ‘Oho! These two have understood my true form and are hesitating to approach me’. Killing of Kamsa, the elephant Kuvalayapida, Cānura and other mighty wrestlers was a humanly impossible task, nevertheless, Krishna and Balarama had single-handedly accomplished it. Devaki and Vasudeva who knew that their sons were the Supreme Lord himself, refrained from embracing or kissing their sons, fearing that they would be transgressing their limits. ‘It will be wrong on our part to embrace the Lord. We should not behave improperly with the Supreme Lord’. With such thoughts and with full knowledge of His true form, they hesitated to hug their own sons.

At the time of His incarnation, the Lord had shown to them His original form with four arms. From then on, they were filled with reverence and fear towards Him. After having shown them His true form, He transformed into an infant before their eyes. Hence they remembered that form. Krishna now thought, ‘My parents are afraid to touch me, embrace me or talk to me. It is not apt’. Having concluded thus, He graced them by covering them with His veil of illusion. All these years He had put the Gopikas under this spell.

Maharishi Śuka continued, “Thereafter, together with elder brother Balarama, Srikrishna, the best among the Yadavas, approached Devaki and Vasudeva and bowing to them in all humility, addressed them saying, ‘O mother, father’ and thus brought joy to them.

‘O father, on account of us you both had undergone a lot of pain and suffering during these years. You have never enjoyed our infancy, childhood and boyhood days’.

The joy given by children to their parents when they are 2,3,4,or 5 years of age is the ultimate. Devaki and Vasudeva had never had the privilege of enjoying those beautiful days with their sons.

‘You could never experience such joy. All that we have given you until now is only sorrow and suffering. Living in their parents’ home, children enjoy being pampered and loved by their parents. Destiny snatched away from us the joy of living along with you both and of enjoying such love and pampering.

Sarvārtha-sambhavo deho janitaḥ poṣito yataḥ

Na tayor yāti nirveśaḿ pitror martyaḥ śatāyuṣā

For the fulfilment of all the goals in life, this human body is the foundational base. Parents provide the living entity with such body and they also nourish it. As such, the human being cannot completely repay his parents even after serving them for a hundred years”.

A human being can never completely repay his mother or father. Just as Guru ruṇam (indebtedness to Guru) and God (Daiva runam) can never be repaid, a person eternally remains indebted to his mother. Even after serving the parents for a hundred years, it remains incomplete.

“The son who, despite possessing the ability, fails to provide his parents with money and other materials necessary for their sustenance and who does not serve them, will land in hell upon death. Here the attendants of Yama will make him eat his own flesh”.

Such is the sin incurred by neglecting one’s parents! Srikrishna is saying this to his parents. He is teaching us to revere our parents and serve them lovingly.

Mātaraḿ pitaraḿ vṛddhaḿ bhāryāḿ sādhvīḿ sutam śiśum

Guruḿ vipraḿ prapannaḿ ca kalpo ‘bibhrac chvasan-mṛtaḥ

The man who, despite possessing the required resources, fails to support his aged parents, his chaste wife (pativrata), his young children, his spiritual Guru, the learned Vedic Brahmins as well as the person/s who seek refuge under him, is nothing more than a living corpse”.

This lesson is most needed for the present times!

“Therefore, we who feared Kamsa were rendered incapable all these years and thus wasted these years without worshipping, serving or honouring you both”.

Krishna Narayana