Srimad Bhagavatam – day 556
Narayana Narayana
“At that moment when the inherently birthless Lord Srihari took birth in a human form, the minds of the noble saints were filled with peace and happiness. On the other hand, the minds of Kamsa and other demons, who desired to torment the Devatas, experienced anxiety and turbulence”.
Birds, animals, Devatas and noble beings experienced peace and calmness. However demonic forces experienced mental disturbance and were enveloped with fear.
“Kettle-drums were sounded from heaven. Gandharvas and Kinnaras danced joyously. The celestial Apsaras and the Vidyadhara women-folk, danced merrily. Siddhas and Cāraṇās sang in His praise. In great delight, saints and Devatas rained flowers. Clouds thundered as gently as the ocean’s waves.
It was midnight, the time that causes hardships to all living entities. Everything was enveloped in darkness. Just as the Full moon emerges from the eastern direction, at that moment, the Supreme Lord who resides within the heart-cave of every living entity, emerged from the heart of Mother Devaki in His complete transcendental form!
Krishna! Srihari!
“Tam adbhutaṁ bālakam ambujekṣaṇaṁ catur-bhujaṁ śaṅkha-gadādy-udāyudham
Śrīvatsa-lakṣmaṁ gala-śobhi-kaustubhaṁ pītāmbaraṁ sāndra-payoda-saubhagam
Aha! The lotus-eyed little infant, had four arms in which He held the four important weapons viz., conch, mace, discus and lotus. On His chest, the golden Srivatsa mark was glittering. The Kousthuba gem was glowing on His neck. His form was wondrous! He, who was glowing like the dense black clouds, was wearing a golden-yellow garment around His waist. His head was adorned with a glittering crown made of many precious stones. He was wearing shining golden earrings”.
The Lord manifested with all these ornaments and weapons! Krishna! What a wonderful scene it was!
“The rays emanating from His ornaments enveloped His black curly hair. He was wearing a very valuable waist-band. He was also wearing expensive armlets and wristbands. Vasudeva saw Lord Srihari who was illumining extraordinarily with all His weapons and ornaments”.
Aha! How fortunate was Vasudeva! Narayana! What an unimaginable boon he had secured!
“Without batting an eyelid, in deep astonishment, Vasudeva kept gazing at the Lord who had incarnated as his son. Unable to contain his happiness seeing the Lord in front of him Vasudeva at once he decided to donate 10,000 cows to Vedic Brahmin scholars. He was in a state of total bliss.”
After all, what else could Vasudeva, who was locked in a jail, do beyond making a mental promise? Had he been a free citizen, he would have engaged in many more charitable activities.
What a wondrous sport the Lord displayed through this birth! Did he have to take birth in a jail? Could He not have selected a more affluent situation for His birth?
In that era, the Yadavas donated cows as it was considered auspicious. Based on the number of cows a person possessed, his ranking in society was judged. A person who owned thousand cows was a leader. A person who owned 10,000 cows was even better positioned in the social hierarchy. The owner of ten million cows was a small king. A great emperor was he who owned a crore cows.
“The rays emanating from the little infant brightened the entire room. Vasudeva understood that his son was none other than the Supreme Lord himself. He was totally absolved from fear of Kamsa”.
In the presence of divine illumination, how could one fear Kamsa?
“Vasudeva, who was now fearless, fixed his mind with absolute concentration upon the Lord and extolled Him as follows,
‘Vidito ’si bhavān sākṣāt puruṣaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ
kevalānubhavānanda-svarūpaḥ sarva-buddhi-dṛk
O Lord! I know Your true identity. You are the Supreme Lord (Puruśottama) who is over and above Nature (Prakṛti). The non-dual bliss experienced by the living entity is Your original form”.
Living entities are ignorant of true bliss, which I am able to experience now.
“Existing as the Self within every living entity, You remain witness to all their mental modifications”.
Normally different interpreters give different explanations to Bhagavatam. It is our fortune that we are travelling within the limits of the original Bhagavatam. Swamiji has given explanation without deviating from the original text. This above hymn has been interpreted differently by different commentators. All of them give wonderful explanations for the same hymn in their own styles.
“O Lord, in the beginning of creation, You, who are beyond Nature, used Your own illusory energy to create this world which is composed of three attributes of Nature known as sattva, rajas and tamas. Vedas declare that You enter into this creation although, in reality You did not materially enter into this creation.
Cosmic intelligence (Mahat), egoism (ahamkara), the subtle perceptions (tanmatras) of sound, touch, form, taste and smell are the seven principles of creation which are beyond transformation. The five gross elements beginning with earth, the five organs of action, the five organs of perception are the principles that are subject to transformation. Although the principles that are beyond transformation do not materially enter into the principles that are subject to transformation, they appear as if they enter into them and undergo transformation.
The changeless Supreme Lord is beyond transformation. However, it appears as if He undergoes transformations. All this is His divine sport”.
Narayana.