THE UNIVERSAL PRAYER

8THE DIVINE LIFEAUGUST 2021KRISHNA AVATARASri Swami ChidanandaRadiant Atman!As we move towards theauspicious and blessed day of SriKrishna Janmashtami, we are movingtowards a divine advent that wasextraordinary in its nature. Therecould not have been more negativefactors, all combining together, thanwhen the Supreme Being, AdiNarayana, was born as Bhagavan SriKrishna. We cannot help wonderinghow and why it could come about, thatthe moment of Lord Krishna's adventwas a moment lled with everythingundivine, everything Tamasic andRajasic, everything unspiritual andAsuric.On the other hand, it is said thatat the time of the advent of LordBuddha, everything becameauspicious and beautiful. Though itwas not the season for owers to bloom,suddenly ower trees were full of owers, trees bereft of fruits becameladen with fruits, lotuses bloomed inthe lakes. Waters of rivers that weremuddy suddenly became crystal clear,and everywhere cool breezes wafted thefragrance of the owers. Everythingwas auspicious and beautiful– Satyam,Sivam, Sundaram. Lord Rama too wasborn in a palace—in wonderful,auspicious surroundings.Taken from DL 1996Lord Krishna, however, wasborn in a set of circumstances mostundivine, most unspiritual, mostnegative. He was born in prison; bothHis father and His mother wereshackled to the walls, their handschained. Their cells were closed, cutoff, barred and locked with cruelguards watching them. It wasmidnight in the month of Sravana. Itwas pitch-dark; the sky was overcastand it was raining heavily. Thuseverything, as the Bhagavad Gita saysis inauspicious: night time, the darkhalf of the month, the sun on itssouthward journey— were present.Lord Krishna thus hadeverything inauspicious; but even insuch a set of absolutely negativecircumstances, there was ultimately aglorious triumph for the Divine. Allthat stood in opposition, all the Asuricforces that time and again mostdeterminedly tried to put an end tothis advent were overcome! And inspite of the most dire, unfavourable,dark and Asuric circumstances,which seemed hopeless, Devaki andVasudeva never lost faith!They were absolutely certainthat the divine advent would overcomeeverything that stood against it. Therewas in their hearts Parama Sraddha;

AUGUST 2021KRISHNA AVATARAthere was in their hearts greatVishvasa, faith and trust in thepromise of the Divine. This enabledthem to face all opposingcircumstances and never lose faith.They had absolute trust in God,which made them strive through allthe dif culties and to ultimatelyhave the blessedness of beingliberated directly through thehands of the Lord.Perhaps this is an indication ofhow the Sadhaka, the devotee, theaspiring soul has to be rooted in rmfaith, no matter how adverse thecircumstances, how dark theprospects may seem. For ultimately ifyou persist in absolute faith, trust anddevotion and carry out the divineinjunctions to the letter, then triumph9is yours! You overcome all obstacles,become free and attain BhagavatSvarupa! Lord Krishna Himself cameto the prison house, took away thechains of His parents and made themfree. This is so special of Sri KrishnaAvatara—extraordinary from start to nish!May that Supreme Lord whowas born in adverse circumstances,in the dark of night under greatdanger and stress, who triumphedover all and came and liberated Hisbound parents, may this Lordshower divine grace and blessingsupon you all and grant you successin your journey from darkness toLight, from unreality to Reality, fromdeath to Immortality. This is myhumble prayer. God bless you!Lord Rama and Lord Krishna had no physical bodies. Their bodies werenot made of ve elements. They had divine forms. They had Chinmaya bodies,though to all appearance, it looked like esh. They had no real birth and deathlike human beings. They appeared and disappeared, just as a Yogi does. Theirbodies were not left in this world. There is no destruction for their bodies.Just as a tailor who makes coats for others can make a coat for himselfalso, God who has created bodies for others, can create a body for Himself aswell. There is no dif culty. He is omnipotent and omniscient. As He hascontrol over Maya, He is fully conscious of His divine nature though Heassumes a form. Still, He is in nite and unconditioned.Sometimes, the king visits the jail and enters the cell of a prisoner tosee how matters are getting on in the prison. He does this for the good of theprisoners. He is quite independent, and yet, out of his own free will, he himselfenters the cell. Even so, an Avatara puts on a body out of His own free will forthe ascent of man. He is quite independent and has absolute control overMaya, like the king; while the Jiva is a slave of Avidya, so long as he has noSelf-realisation.Swami Sivananda

THE DIVINE LIFE10AUGUST 2021LORD SRI KRISHNA –THE MAJESTY OF THE ALMIGHTYSri Swami KrishnanandaNarayana and Nara, the greatsages who are supposed to beperforming eternal penance in theholy shrine of Badrikashrama(modern Badrinath), and who are therepresentations of Vishnu's presenceon earth, are regarded to have takenbirth as Krishna and Arjuna,respectively, for the redemption of theworld from sin and evil. Krishna, whois considered to be the Purna- Avatara(full incarnation) of Vishnu or,according to some, of the UniversalNarayana who transcends evenBrahma, Vishnu and Siva, revealedHimself, in Mathura as the child ofVasudeva and Devaki. We need not gointo details of the miraculous anddramatic events of His early life inVrindavana, such as the spontaneousopening of the gates of the prisonwhere Vasudeva and Devaki werecon ned; the ebbing of the riverYamuna when Vasudeva tried to crossit with the child Krishna; thedestruction of Putana and otherAsuras like Shakata, Trinavarta,Vatsa, Dhenuka, Baka, Agha,Pralamba, Keshi, Chanura andKamsa at the hands of the boyTaken from DL 1973Krishna; the release of the sons ofKubera from their curse, due to whichthey were born as trees; His selfmultiplication as thousands of cows,calves and cowherds in place of thereal ones that were lost; thesubjugation of the serpent Kaliya; theswallowing of the forest re; the liftingof the Govardhana mountain and thehumiliation of Indra; the bringingback of the dead sons of Sandipani;and several other incidents of thisnature which revealed the divinity ofKrishna even at an early age.The most intriguing andsigni cant incident in the early life ofKrishna is what has been called theRasalila or His love-dance with theGopis of Vrindavana. Commentatorshave tried to interpret the romanticseeking of Krishna by the Gopis andHis response to their search in adalliance that surpassesunderstanding as the eternal quest ofobjects for the Universal Subjectwhich is present in everyone of themas their Atman, the seeking of theindividual for the Absolute in anecstasy of feeling that the intellectcannot measure or estimate, a rapture

AUGUST 2021LORD SRI KRISHNA – THE MAJESTY OF THE ALMIGHTYof love for God in which all rationalityis hushed, and the divine reactionfrom the Supreme Atman in arevelation of multiple immanence or auniversal Self-manifestation, a stateof spiritual super-consciousness inwhich one forgets one's ownpersonality and becomes consciousonly of God's existence everywhere inan emotion of love which bursts thebubble of individuality, which,indeed, was the condition of theGopis. There was nothing of thehuman lust or physical passion in theimmortal dance of Rasa, whenespecially the age of Krishna was onlyof a small boy who could not beexpected to excite carnality in theminds of elderly women in such largenumbers. Another interpretationregards this incident as an occasionwhen Krishna, though to physicalperception He was a small boy,appeared as a charming young heroin the eyes of every Gopi, witheveryone of whom He was individuallypresent by a multitudinousness ofform which He assumed in themajesty of the power of His Yoga.To a doubt expressed byParikshit on this question, sage Sukagives an adequate answer. The Lord,Shuka replies, appeared in humanform to shower His grace on thosewho came in contact with Him and tocreate devotion in those who listen to11the greatness of His deeds and of Hislife. It is strange that the husbands ofthe Gopis never missed their wives,having had them, by the power of theLord, always by their sides, evenwhen the Rasa dance was going on.How then, can human judgment ofvalues be applicable here? Further,Shuka prescribes a study of the Rasachapters of the Bhagavata as aremedy for lust and a means toacquire self-control and mastery overall desires.While the early life of Krishnastimulates the tenderness of divinedevotion and love for a spiritual unionwith God through Madhurya Bhaktior romantic aspiration and a silentmelting of oneself in His sweetness,His later life opens an entirely newchapter in the book of humanevolution, and stirs in one's mindAishvarya-Bhakti or devotion by anirresistible attraction for the glory ofHis power and knowledge.Krishna closes His sportful lifeas a child and an adolescent with thedestruction of Kamsa, and suddenlyassumes a stern outlook of life andturns His attention to the work offreeing the world from all sources ofwickedness. The rst seriousopponent whom Krishna had to meetwas Jarasandha, king of Magadha, aworshipper of Rudra and a menace toall good and Sattvika natures. He

12THE DIVINE LIFEattacked Mathura repeatedly and,after being harassed several times,Krishna and His elder brotherBalarama determined to rout hisforces, sparing his life alone to allowhim opportunities for collecting largerforces which were destined to beuprooted. It was here that Krishnaassumed the weapons of Vishnu,which all descended from theheavens, together with a celestialchariot which He rode in war. With aview to the ful lment of futurepurposes politically manoeuvred byHim as the world's greatest statesmanand spiritually ordained as the world'sgreatest Yogin, Krishna gotconstructed a mighty and gorgeousfortress at Dvaraka, in the Westernocean, from where He began to rulethe fortunes of people.The rst question that arose inHis mind was to enquire into the fateof the Pandava brothers, with whicherrand He sent Akrura toHastinapura. His rst meeting withthe Pandavas was during themarriage of Draupadi in the palace ofDrupada. After the marriage,Krishna offered them costly presentsas a mark of respect. WhenYudhishthira expressed his desire toperform the Rajasuya sacri ce,Krishna pointed out a great obstacleto it in Jarasandha and cleverlyarranged to get rid of the latterAUGUST 2021through a private deal with Bhima.The occasion of the Rajasuyasacri ce of Yudhishthira becamealso the scene of the death ofShishupala whose head Krishnasevered with His discus,Sudarshana. This event is the themeof a famous poem of that name by thepoet Magha and the incident may beregarded as the background of thebigger and more complicated scenesof the Mahabharata war. In thecelebration of this sacri ce, Krishnais said to have allotted morehonourable duties to other kings andreserved for Himself the humblerservice of washing the feet of theguests who came for the functionand of removing the remains afterthe banquet served by Yudhishthirato all those who attended thesacri ce. It is here again that thedivinity of Krishna was publiclyannounced by Bhishma, to whichShishupala took exception and withinsolent words challenged Krishnafor battle.Krishna met the Pandavas nowand then even while they were in exile,encouraging them with comfortingwords and promise of help to vanquishtheir foes and regain the kingdom. Theincidents of Krishna's miraculoushelp to Draupadi in the form ofunending clothes in the court of theKauravas and His sudden appearance

AUGUST 2021LORD SRI KRISHNA – THE MAJESTY OF THE ALMIGHTYbefore her in the forest anddemanding of her a little food by theacceptance of which He lled thestomachs of sage Durvasa and hislarge following of disciples are toowell-known to need any description.On the completion of the period ofexile by the Pandavas, Krishnaarranged for a conference in thecourt of Virata to decide the questionof taking up arms against theKauravas. As a measure of intelligentstatesmanship, Krishna, however,accepted to go for a mission of peacewith the Kauravas, though He knewwell that the mission was not going toserve its purpose. As He Himselfexpressed in His talk withYudhishthira, it was more adiplomatic move than a step that wasreally necessary or meaningful.Sanjaya's description of Krishna toking Dhritarashtra in his court isagain a public proclamation of thedivinity of Krishna. Krishna revealedHis powers to the apprehensiveYudhishthira when He said that ifthe Kauravas attempted to do Himany harm when He went to them forpeace, He would not wait for the warto destroy them, but burn themdown, singlehanded, and relieve theburden of Yudhishthira. The missionof Krishna to the court ofDhritarashtra, His famous speech inthe assembly and the stunning13cosmic form which He showed beforethe Kauravas, mark a wondrousscene in the great drama.The next scene is the delivery ofthe gospel of the Bhagavadgita at thecommencement of the war. His goingfor Bhishma with the Chakra, Hishypnotisation of the Kaurava forces byHis looks, the confusion He caused inthe minds of the opposing army bymaking everyone in the battle- eldlook like Krishna and Arjuna, Hisdexterous moves which assistedArjuna in vanquishing theSamsaptakas, His intelligence whichdestroyed the invincible Bhagadatta,His Yogic power which worked inovercoming Jayadratha, His cleverstratagem, again, which foiled theShakti of Karna while simultaneouslygetting rid of the demoniacalGhatotkacha, the way in which Hesaved the Pandavas from theNarayana-Astra of Ashvatthama andinvoked the help of Rudra Himself inthe war for the victory of Dharma inthe cause of the Pandavas, the powerwhich He exercised in vanquisingKarna's weapons sent against Arjunaand in the saving of the latter frombeing burnt while His chariot itselfwas reduced to ashes by the Astras ofBhishma and Drona, Hiscommonsense in the event of thekilling of Duryodhana, and themysterious instructions of His which

14THE DIVINE LIFEsaved the Pandavas from beingdestroyed by the icy hands ofAshvatthama, His succour of the childin the womb of Uttara, His greatunderstanding which saved Bhimafrom being crushed at the embrace ofDhritarashtra, are all highlyinteresting and instructive episodesdescribed in the Mahabharata. Heshowed His cosmic form four times inHis life— rstly to His motherYashoda, secondly in the court of theKauravas, thirdly to Arjuna on the eveof the war, and fourthly to sageUttanka. The prayers offered by Kuntiand Bhishma to Krishna, as recordedin the Bhagavata and theMahabharata, are magni cent notmerely as forms of literary force, butalso as specimens of the glori cationAUGUST 2021of God in His Avatara as Krishna.There are many other incidentsin the personal life of Krishnamentioned in the Harivamsa, VishnuPurana and Bhagavata which inspireone spiritually and provide astimulating reading in the biographyof one who demonstrated to the worldthe character of all-round perfection.The birth of Krishna is celebrated onthe eighth day of the dark half of themonth of Bhadrapada (AugustSeptember) every year.The purpose of the KrishnaAvatara was not only to destroyunrighteousness but also to reveal tothe world the glory and greatness ofGod. In the well-adjusted integralconduct of the life of Krishna ismanifest the majesty of the Almighty.God reveals Himself to His devotees in a variety of ways. He assumes thevery form which the devotee has chosen for his worship. If you worship Him asLord Hari with four hands, He will come to you as Hari. If you adore Him as SivaHe will give you Darshan as Siva. If you worship Him as Mother Durga or Kali, Hewill come to you as Durga or Kali. If you worship Him as Lord Rama, Lord Krishnaor Lord Dattatreya, He will come to you as Rama, Krishna or Dattatreya. If youworship Him as Christ or Allah, He will come to you as Christ or Allah.All are aspects of one Isvara or Lord. Under whatever name and form, itis Isvara who is adored. Worship goes to the Indweller, the Lord in the form. It isignorance to think that one form is superior to another. All forms are one andthe same. All are adoring the same Lord. The differences are only differences ofnames due to differences in the worshippers, but not in the object of adoration.The real Jesus or Krishna is in your own heart. He lives there for ever. Heis your Indweller. He is your partner always. There is no friend like theIndweller. Resort to Him. Take refuge in Him. Realise Him and be free.Swami Sivananda

AUGUST 2021SWAMI KRISHNANANDA — A PERFECTIONIST15SWAMI KRISHNANANDA— A PERFECTIONISTSRI SWAMI PREMANANDAINDIA is one country in thisworld which, all along, has based itsculture and civilization on thefoundation of spiritual values. For anIndian, even today, the ideal continuesto be the realization of the Self or Godconsciousness; a man of renunciationtherefore still commands greaterrespect than a political potentate. Intimes of yore, the emperors, ministersand administrators used to approachsages and saints for their blessings,guidance and Upadesh. And eventoday, the presidents and primeministers in this blessed land continueto seek the blessings of great saintsand realised souls.This is one reason why evenwhen waves after waves of foreigninvaders with different value systemsstruck at the frontiers and shores ofthis land, the inhabitants were notswept off their feet. They clung to theirvalues and continued their spiritualpursuits. And when violent stormsthreatened to swallow them, somegreat souls appeared on the scene tostand as a bulwark against the franticfury of an alien culture. The peoplerallied round them and considered nosacri ce great to safeguard their ideal.This country has been veryfortunate indeed to have had a longand unbroken line of saints and sagesto keep its traditions intact. Rather,whenever there has been great dangerthreatening the spiritual way of life,equally great has been the number ofsaints emerging in different parts ofthe country to irrigate the roots ofspiritualism which were beingscorched by the heat ofproselytisation. Perhaps the dangerwas the greatest during the reign ofsome of the alien rulers from the 13thto the 16th centuries, when thiscountry saw the largest number ofsaints. There were Ramanujacharyaand Vallabhacharya in the south,Guru Nanak in the Punjab, ChaitanyaMahaprabhu in Bengal, Sant Kabirand Sant Tulsidas in Uttar Pradesh,Samarth Guru Ramdas inMaharashtra and several others atdifferent places.That unbroken line hascontinued in modern times also. SriRamakrishna Paramahamsa,Maharshi Swami DayanandaSaraswati and Sri Swami Sivanandajiformed organisations whichblossomed into numerous branchesthe world over. Likewise, the lives andteachings of Sri Swami Vivekanandaji,Sri Swami Ramatirthaji, Sri SwamiChidanandaji and many others willTaken from Sri Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj's Diamond Jubilee SouvenirBIRTH CENTENARY YEAR OF SRI SWAMI KRISHNANANDAJI MAHARAJ

16THE DIVINE LIFEprovide unbroken inspiration andguidance to the modern world for theiruplift and welfare.Sri Swami Krishnanandaji isone of the great saints in the above linewho has appeared on the world stageto spread the message of spiritualismand inspire the devotees of variouslands. Impressed by his penance,renunciation, dedication, simplicity,sharp intellect, deep learning,Vedantic approach and application,Sri Gurudev Sivanandaji Maharajconferred on him the title of “VedantaKesari”

Yogis and the Supreme Lord of the three worlds, the Soul of the Universe? His immortal teachings to Arjuna and Uddhava (His Bhaktas) on Yoga, Bhakti and Jnana are unique. SRI KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI MESSAGE Sri Swami Sivananda AUGUST 2021 SRI KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI MESSAGE 5 Taken from DL 1962 This year the holy Sri Krishna Jayanti comes of on the .