Srimad Bhagavatam – day 639
Krishna walks into the Python’s mouth
Narayana
Maharishi Śuka continued, “Seeing his friends who had, due to their destiny, landed in this situation wherein they were on the verge of death, Krishna’s mind overflowed with compassion. He was saddened and perplexed. He pondered about the right steps to be taken, ‘He, who is filled with wicked demonic tendencies has, with his extra-ordinarily wonderful appearance swallowed all these innocent children. The time for his death has neared. This demon should not be let to live. At the same time, the children who have entered his stomach should return unharmed. What is the way by which both these goals can be achieved simultaneously’?”
Krishna wanted to ensure the safety of the children, while ensuring the demon met his end. He wanted to hit two birds with one stone.
“Having thought deeply, Krishna entered into the mouth of the demon. ‘Does destruction of spiritual ignorance lead to gaining of Spiritual Knowledge (jnana)? Or does acquisition of Spiritual Knowledge destroy spiritual ignorance? – this is a matter worth deep contemplation. Ultimately, both these situations result in acquiring Spiritual Knowledge. When spiritual ignorance is destroyed, all that remains is Spiritual Knowledge’- thought Krishna. He further thought, ‘Irrespective of whether spiritual ignorance is destroyed or Spiritual Knowledge is acquired, I can no longer remain aloof’.”
Through this incident Krishna clarified that acquiring Spiritual Knowledge is the same as destroying spiritual ignorance.
“He further thought, ‘Will the killing of the demon save the lives of these cowherd boys? Or will the attempt to save these cowherd boys lead to the death of the demon? To save the lives of these boys it is necessary to kill this demon. Only if the demon is destroyed, these boys can be saved’- Krishna who was walking into the mouth of the demon was thinking thus.
He finally concluded that through a single action he will achieve both the goals. ‘Killing the demon and saving the boys should take place simultaneously. Before the demon closes his mouth and swallows them all, I have to do something. Without giving him a chance, I need to kill him. Yet at the same time I need to provide a chance to these boys to escape from his abdomen. I need to kill two birds with a stone. I have to strive to destroy their spiritual ignorance and ensure they obtain Spiritual Knowledge’.
The hordes of Devatas who were watching this incident from behind the skies, were alarmed and began to fret upon seeing Krishna enter the demon’s mouth. They presumed that Krishna was entering the demon’s mouth mistaking it to be a mountain cave. They worried for Him”.
Little did they know that Krishna had entered the demon’s mouth after great deliberation.
“On the other hand, Kamsa and other relatives of Aghasura rejoiced when they saw Krishna enter the mouth. It was as if neither the Devatas nor the demons were aware that Srikrishna is none other than the indestructible Supreme Lord.
As soon as Krishna entered his mouth, Aghasura decided it was time to crush all the boys to death”.
Both the jaws of this gigantic demon were so far apart that perhaps it would need an hour for him to bring them together and close his mouth.
“The Supreme Lord Krishna, who is all-pervading and who is aware of the thoughts that run in every mind, was aware of the demon’s intention. Soon after entering the demon’s throat, He, who was as tiny as Vāmana, suddenly began to expand like Lord Trivikrama, who had covered the entire universe. With the Lord suddenly blocking his throat from within, Aghasura turned breathless. Standing in the throat, Krishna blocked the pathway taken by the life-force. It is life-force that primarily sustains this body. In its absence, the demon, who could no longer breathe, could not survive. His eyes popped out”.
Krishna