Srimad Bhagavatam – day 47
Addressing Yudhisthira who was deeply aggrieved and agitated upon not finding his paternal uncles and aunt in the palace, Narada said as follows:
“Just as a player unites and separates toys per his whims, so also the Supreme Lord based on His will unites and separates human beings! Why then do you grieve for them? Everything happens per divine will.
Irrespective of whether you consider this world to be permanent or temporary, or a mixture of both or whether you consider this entire universe to be the Supreme Lord himself, it is wrong to grieve for them.
To console the grieving persons we say, “Anyway this world is impermanent. Why then do you grieve for them? What is the use of crying? Will your tears bring him/ her back to life?” In this way we give them courage to handle the situation. But when we are faced with the similar circumstances we do not experiment this theory upon ourselves. It would be so nice if we would try the experiment upon ourselves. Utterly dejected we lament a lot. Then when others come to console us with words of wisdom, we think, “Oh, I already know this logic”. But still we continue to lament. What could be the reason for this grief? It is the extreme attachment and infatuation that we had developed towards those who left us.
Therefore O Dharmaraja! Give up your anxiety and ignorance that Dhritarashtra cannot survive without your help. You believe that they are old, helpless and blind and that they cannot survive without your support. You love your uncle Vidura dearly. Hence you believe that you need to protect them all. Give up this illusion totally.
Who are you to offer protection? It is God who protects! He will ensure their protection! Did He not protect you when you had lost your kingdom? Has He not protected you after you have regained it back? At every stage and in every circumstance, it is only Paramatma who protects! Why then are you weeping in this manner? Why are you so agitated? Are your actions correct? Go and attend to your duties.
This body is composed of the five basic elements. The three modes of nature (trigunas), the eternal time and the prārabhda karma keep this body completely under their control. How can a person who has been swallowed by a python, offer protection to others? Likewise this body, which is under the control of time, cannot offer protection to others.
A person who has been swallowed by a python cannot protect others. What is the use of him thinking that he has to protect others?
Similarly, is it possible to save a person who has been swallowed by a python? If the person who has thus been swallowed grieves that no one is helping him, is it of any use? He has got sucked into it, he has to face it. His time is up in this world and he needs to exit. What is the use of crying?
In this world, beings that are deprived of hands become food for those beings that have hands. Beings that are devoid of legs become food for those animals that are 4 legged. Small beings are the food for the strong. In this way they survive.
O King! This entire world is nothing but Paramatma! He pervades everything within it. He is the one who pervades everything outside of this creation. With His power of illusion He appears differently within and outside of everything. He appears in varied and strange forms. Practice to see Him in everything. Stop grieving.
so ‘yam adya mahārāja bhagavān bhūta-bhāvanaḥ
kāla-rūpo ‘vatīrṇo ‘syām abhāvāya sura-dviṣām
That Supreme Lord, who is the cause for the creation of all beings, has presently incarnated on this earth in the form of time for the purpose of destruction of demons.
His task is almost coming to an end. Just a small balance is left to be complete. Srikrishna is eagerly awaiting this completion.
Datta Narayana! Datta Narayana!