Illustration : Smt. Vandana Karatagi
athāparo daityakadaṃbakāsurivoddhatho vātaśarīradhārī
pragṛhya kṛṣṇaṃ gaganaṃ jagāma snāśayogya sthalakāṃkṣayeva ||
Once a demon named tṛṇāvarta, came in the form of a gale to kill Lord Shri Krishna. He was like the Prana Vayu (one among the pancha pranas or primary winds in the body) of all the demons. He was very arrogant. Like the gale that blows up dry leaves, he took Lord Krishna towards the sky. It seemed as if his demise was planned in the skies.
His name itself was tṛṇāvarta, He could only lift straws and petty sticks, but surfaced to lift Lord Krishna, as if the Lord was a strand of straw. This is called “vinAsha kAlE viparEta buddhihi” which means – destruction of intellect due to a forthcoming disaster.
dustarkāyita śarkarābhimalaṃ cakṣuḥ sa muṣṇan gavām
āvāse vasatāṃ satāmurutamo vistārayan vārayan |
tadvākyaśravaṇaṃ kaṭhorakutiladhvānairyaśodāsutaṃ
daityaॊ’gūhayadāgamāṃtalalanāgarbhaṃ kuvādīva tam ||
The gale caused a lot of dust, which blinded the eyes of people and cows of Nandagopa’s clan. Darkness filled everywhere, and people could not hear each other because of the rumbling sounds of the gale. Everyone was worried about Krishna. The demon took away Lord Krishna. Shri Vadirajaru explains this with an example from Vedanta.
tadā khālasyotpatanam sa śauriḥ hṛdānumene patitasya dūrāt |
girīṃdrakalpotpatitātmamūrtyā śarīramācūrṇayiuṃ dhiyeva ||
Krishna wanted to be on the skies with the demon. He wanted so, because when He would fall on the demon with His big body, the demon would be slashed to pieces. During the flight upwards, the Lord increased His bodily size. It is apparent, when a heavy object falls on the small one from top, the smaller one breaks!
hariṃ sa saṃsthāpya hṛdi svakīye paribhraman vyomni muhuḥ śvasaṃśca |
garaṃ nipīya bhramitāṃtarātmā sarodhiyā’bhraṃ praviśannivāste ||
The demon held Krishna inside and circled around. It is natural for tornadoes to revolve at high speeds. Since he held Lord Krishna who was hefty, the demon started breathing heavily and frequently. Holding Krishna was like having poison, as both Krishna and poison were black, and both would inflict death upon him. Like a poisoned man who cannot bear inflammation jumps into water, the demon entered the blue skies thinking it was water,
“vinAsha kAlE viparEta buddhihi.”
muradviṣaṃ mūrdhni nidhāya viṣṇoḥ padaṃ praveṣṭuṃ tvarayā gatopi |
asau papātāmaravairyadhastāt ayogyakāmasya kathaṃ na pātaḥ ||
This demon held the Lord and tried entering the skies (Lord’s feet – Akasha) and fell. These demons are enemies of Devatas (demi-gods) and Haribhaktas (Lord’s devotees). This enmity culminates in the enmity of Lord. Enemies of Lord do not qualify to enter Lord’s abode (His feet). Desiring for something beyond our qualification, surely leads to downfall. “ayOgyamicChan puruShaha patatyEva na samshayaha.”
sa vātarūpī ditijyo mukuṃda bharāsahiṣṇurnipāta bhūmau |
tathā hi vātasya javodhikopi kathannu viśvaṃbharamudbibharti ||
The demon was unable to bear Lord’s weight and fell. God is Vishwambhara. He holds the Universe within Him; thus, He is the heaviest. Whatever be the speed, wind cannot hold an object of very heavy weight. Even if it does, it must let go of its speed.
cakṣuḥ cauryaphalaṃ jagāma parivṛttākṣaḥ pabhorojasā
viṣvaksaṃbhramaṇena dattatamaso vibhrāṃtamūrdhā phalam |
sādhūnām hṛdayārtidānaphalitaṃ kleśaṃ prapanna kṣitau
mātuḥ pātakaraḥ parasya sa khalajh pāṣāṇapṛṣṭhepatat ||
Lord Krishna held the demon’s neck, which caused the demon’s eyes to pop out. This was because he blinded the people of Gokula. As a result of spreading darkness everywhere, his head started spinning. When the head spins, everything appears dark. For causing trouble to righteous people, he had to suffer in misery. He had pushed Krishna’s mother Yashoda, for which he fatally fell on a hard rock. The lesson is – we will pay for all the difficulties we inflict upon righteous people.
Ramaa-kalatrana Daasa-vargake Namipenanavarata || Always at the humble feet of Sri-Hari’s dasas!!