Srimad Bhagavatam – day 770
The divine from vanishes and Akrura returns to the chariot
Krishna Nārayana
Akrūra continued,
“O Lord, due to being totally drowned in spiritual ignorance, I have foolishly considered the results of the fruitive actions, which in reality are impermanent, to be permanent. I have falsely considered this body, which is reality is non-self, to be the Self. I have considered wealth and other material possessions, which are the root for sorrows, to be the root for all happiness. With such thoughts, I have been delighting in heat-cold and other dualities.
O Lord, filled with spiritual ignorance, my mind has always considered unreal as real, impermanent as permanent. Filled with feelings of ‘me and mine’ I am clinging to all these dualities. As such, I am unable to understand You, who are the form of my inner Self and who are most dear to me”.
Akrura implies- O Lord, You are most dear to me. You are the closest relative I have. Being very close to me, You are the one who gives darshan from a very close angle. Yet, I am unable to know You. This is because I am bound by my strong karmic balance, which is deluding me and which is causing me to believe it is real.
“Just as a foolish man abandons the water-body covered with algae, which is its own creation, and instead chases a mirage, I who considered this non-Self body and bondages created by it to be real, have been drawn towards them while abandoning You, who are my innermost Self.
O my saviour! You are most competent. Although being aware that You are the one that would uplift me, due to my inclination towards this material world I have foolishly been chasing these material comforts and pleasures.
O Lord, the inclination towards lust and other desires as well as the inclination towards the resultant fruits of fruitive actions has rendered my mind turbulent”.
Our tongue demands tasty food. Ears demand to hear tasty news and gossip. Eyes want to see dirty, impure tasty objects. Mind is filled with lust and other desires. We seek newer varieties of tasty food every day. It is the impression of past actions (karma vasana) which causes it. For two consecutive days we have been craving for a particular dish. Now when it is available, our mind tastes it and even before it completes the food on the plate, it desires to taste another different dish. Such karmas throw us into deep trouble. We should strive to get rid of these impressions which are clinging to us. Karma vasana implies that our mind is inclined towards that particular object/ taste.
“The powerful senses always pull my mind towards the objects of their desire. The senses seem to derive great pleasure in the happiness and sorrows which emerge as a result of their activities. Helpless, I am unable to control these senses. Therefore, I have sought shelter in Your holy feet which are beyond the scope of the wicked”.
Despite being a sinner, despite being caught up in these afflictions and bondages, despite having a tainted mind and senses, I am fortunate to get hold of Your feet.
“O Ishwara! I consider this to be Your blessing. This is because, O lotus-eyed Lord, when the living entity is freed from the shackles of worldly bondages, his mind fixes itself upon You due to satsang”.
As the inclination towards worldly bondages and as the influence of the karma vasana tends to decrease in the person, his mind begins to fix more and more upon the Lord. The mind desires to think more of the Lord. The mind yearns for Him. We should therefore aspire to reduce the bondages. More importantly, we need His grace. When these bondages are almost washed away, the person, through the medium of satsang, gets nearer to God.
“Effulgence is the form of the Supreme Entity. This effulgence causes different forms of knowledge to sprout in the intellect. Such Supreme Entity takes on bodies (carriers) and is known as God, conditioned soul and Nature (prakriti). O Lord, You are none other than that Supreme Entity, who is of unlimited potencies. To You, O Lord, I offer obeisance.
Namas te vāsudevāya sarva-bhūta-kṣayāya ca
hṛṣīkeśa namas tubhyaḿ prapannaḿ pāhi māḿ prabho
O Lord, You are Vāsudeva, the residence for all forms of living entities. You are the inner witness that resides within the senses. I offer obeisance to You. I seek shelter under You. Please offer me protection”. In this way Akrūra prayed to the Supreme Lord.
With this, the fortieth chapter of the tenth canto comes to an end.
Narayana Krishna
Tenth Canto Chapter Forty-one
In this chapter, Srikrishna stepping into Mathura and blessing the florist who would string flower garlands is covered.
We do not know whether the florist was a Devata as he was the first person chosen by Krishna in Mathura to shower His blessings.
Maharishi Śuka continued, “The Supreme Lord Srikrishna showed to Akrūra His true form in the waters of Yamuna. Even as Akrūra was glorifying Him, the Supreme Lord withdrew His divine form as easily as an actor shuns his act. Akrūra, who was filled with deep astonishment upon seeing the Lord, now understood that the Lord had made Himself invisible.
Akrūra came back to reality. Immediately he came out of the waters and after completing his daily obligatory rituals, he quickly rushed towards the chariot. Addressing Akrūra who had returned back to the chariot, Srikrishna, who was seated therein enquired,
‘Upon seeing your face it appears as if you have seen something wondrous either on the earth, or in the skies or in the waters. What could it be?”
The Lord had shown to Akrūra His original form and now after bringing him back to reality was asking as if He was ignorant about it. ‘Why does your face appear different from usual? Did you see anything strange in the skies? Did you see anything strange in the waters or on earth?’
Akrūra replied, ‘All the wondrous strange happenings which take place on earth, in water and in the skies actually exist within You alone, O Lord. When I have the chance to directly look at You, such Supreme Lord, what can be more wondrous than that’?”
Krishna Narayana