Srimad Bhagavatam – day 637
The boys admire the pythonn
“The wide-open mouth of demon Agha resembled a huge mountain cave. Such was its beauty that the cowherd boys stared at it in awe mistaking it for one of nature’s wondrous creations of Brindavan.
‘Aha! What a wonder! O dear friends, do you all agree that this huge mountain-cave in front of us closely resembles a python?’- the boys began to excitedly discuss thus. Presuming it to be a huge boulder that was made to resemble the reptile, they continued, ‘Dear friends, is this truly a mountain rock or do you suppose it is a python that has opened its mouth wide just to swallow us?’ In great perplexity they minutely observed this python-like structure that was in their path.
‘Isn’t this astonishing? The clouds that shine in red hue due to the falling of the sunrays appear like its upper lip. Its lower lip resembles river banks that glisten due to the reflection of these reddish clouds.
Look here. The cave-like hollows that exist on either side of this vast structure perfectly resemble the corners of a python’s mouth. This statue is an exact replica of a python’s mouth’- in this way the boys admired the huge statue that stood before them.
‘Isn’t it astonishing that it appears to be alive? Don’t these huge mountain peaks resemble a python’s sharp teeth? Doesn’t this huge pathway leading to the cave resemble the python’s tongue? Doesn’t the darkness deep within the cave appear like the darkness within the deep hollow of a python’s mouth?
Don’t the hot winds that are being emitted from the burning fire appear like a python’s breath? The bad smell these winds carry is like the bad smell emitted by the burnt flesh of the dead animals eaten by a python”.
The breath of this demon was like the hot air which emerges from a burning volcanic mountain. In these hot, fiery winds many small creatures were getting burnt. A terrible stench pervaded the area.
“The boys continued, ‘If this is truly a python, then it surely has come here to swallow us. If it does swallow us, then Krishna, the slayer of demon Baka, will destroy it within a fraction of a second. Krishna will not spare it. Then they all looked at the beautiful face of Krishna, the slayer of demon Baka, and laughing loudly and clapping their hands joyfully, walked towards the python”.
They recollected the incident when Krishna had slayed demon Baka. They then laughed and danced merrily. Cheering loudly and joyfully, they walked towards the entrance of the cave.
“The Supreme Lord Srikrishna resides as the inner Self within the hearts of all living entities”.
The Lord was also the inner Self of that python. He was the inner Self who resided within all the cowherd boys. He was the one who existed as the inner Self within all the calves.
“The all-pervading Supreme Lord, who envelops everything in the creation, who is the protector of the entire universe, and who is the Lord of this universe, exists as the inner Self within the heart of every living entity. The cowherd boys who were unaware of the true nature of the python were talking among themselves in this manner. They were unaware of the transcendental nature of the Lord”.
Had they realized Krishna’s transcendental nature, they would not discuss unnecessarily among themselves. They would have directly gone to the Lord and reported the matter to Him. None of them could understand the Lord’s form and the Lord’s illusion.
“Krishna who had heard the discussion of the cowherd boys knew the truth that the python was in reality a demon and that the boys had failed to recognize its identity. He wanted to inform them of the truth.”
Krishna wanted to reveal the truth to the cowherd boys who had erroneously considered the demon to be a stone statue resembling a python. How to communicate to them effectively? Even though the truth was visible before their eyes, they were deluded”.
Krishna. Jagadeshwara