Srimad Bhagavatam – day 463
Vāmanāya namah
Lord Rudra, who is ever engaged in ensuring the well-being of all living entities, addressed his dearest wife Pārvati and said,
“O Bhavani! The terrible kālakūṭa poison has emerged when the milk-ocean is being churned. Isn’t this an illusion? It has created untold suffering to all living entities. They are begging me to save their lives. As I am their Lord, it is my duty to save them. All the worlds are being burnt due to this poison which is soon going to devour all living entities. Hence I need to step in and save them”.
A tiny nuclear bomb can cause huge devastation. Kālakūṭa poison was far more powerful and dangerous than even a nuclear bomb.
“It is the duty of the leader to alleviate the suffering of the helpless. When analysed from any angle, it is my duty to protect them all! Living entities who are influenced by my illusionary energy, have feelings of enmity and hatred towards one another. Only the noble people realize that life-span is fleeting”.
Inevitably one day or the other, the bird called life-force will discard this body and fly away. Even if the bird is locked in a golden cage, it will fly away at some point of time. Can anyone prevent it from escaping? You take so many measures to protect this gross body made up of the senses. You undergo operations, replace limbs and so on to extend its longevity. Even then, can you prevent the life-force from escaping? Even if you close all the doors it will escape one day. Even after spending millions of rupees, despite giving the best treatment, the life-force will depart one day or the other. Even doctors cannot catch the life-force and bind it. Can any doctor guarantee deathlessness? Through ventilators they can artificially sustain the person for some time, but the life-force would have escaped.
“For this reason, noble persons even at the cost of their lives, strive to save the lives of others. They are willing to endure limitless suffering for ensuring the well-being of others.
Puṁsaḥ kṛpayato bhadre sarvātmā prīyate hariḥ
Prīte harau bhagavati prīye ’haṁ sacarācaraḥ
Tasmād idaṁ garaṁ bhuñje prajānāṁ svastir astu me
O auspicious one! Srihari, the Supreme Lord, will undoubtedly be pleased with the person who shows compassion towards other forms of life. He eternally protects a person who has feelings of compassion towards other forms of life!”
‘Aha! This living entity is extremely compassionate towards the living entities created by me!’- thinking thus He personally protects the person. They are very dear to Him. When such people call Him, He responds instantly. He talks to them directly and not merely through dreams. It is not limited to this! He becomes that person (non-dual relationship). How wonderful it is to develop compassion towards all forms of life! The Lord eternally resides besides such person! The Lord envelops such person completely.
“When the Lord is pleased, then along with all moving and non-moving entities in this creation, I too will be pleased. Therefore, my dear, I shall drink this poison.
O Bhavani! I cannot hide this poison which is burning all the worlds. The Earth will be burnt if this poison is retained on it. Oceans will dry up if the poison is stored in them. In this creation of mine, I alone need to drink it. May my action cause the well-being of all living entities!”
In this way, Lord Rudra who protects the entire creation, obtained the permission of his wife Bhavani. In normal circumstances will a wife or well-wisher allow a person to risk his life merely because it will lead to the well-being of the world? They will vehemently object or convince the person to retract from his decision. Listening to this convincing message given by her husband, Mother Parvati who was aware of his supernatural power and competence agreed.
Shiva immediately took into his palms the hālahala poison which was spreading in all the ten directions and gulped it!
Keshavaya namah