Article sent from The Hindu

================================================== ===========
This article is emailed to you by Ram Chandran ( rchandran@... )
================================================== ===========
Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com)

God manifests in different forms

CHENNAI, AUG. 15. It is ironic that even the best of devotees at
times lose sight of the fact that it is the one Supreme Being who
assumes several forms during His incarnations and is also
worshipped variously in the different sects. This He does with
specific purpose but it should not make the devotee forget that
the underlying Reality is the same in every form. This truth has
been highlighted in the Bhagavata Purana in the context of Lord
Krishna's marriage to Jambavati which is intertwined with the
story of the famous gem Syamantaka.

Satrajit obtained this gem from the Sun-god and when he entered
Dwaraka wearing this gem, the guileless people of the town
mistook him for Sun-god himself because of the brilliance of the
gem and reported the matter to Lord Krishna. He consecrated the
gem for worship in his home and it yielded gold everyday and
coveting wealth, Satrajit did not pay heed to Krishna's advice to
hand it over to King Ugrasena. One day his brother Prasena went
hunting on horseback wearing the Syamantaka and a lion attracted
by its lustre made short work of him. The lion too lost its life
at the hands of Jambavan, the king of bears (of Ramayana fame),
and the bear on his part gave it as a toy to his young one.

In the meantime Satrajit became worried and alleged that Krishna
had killed his brother and when the rumour reached His ears, the
Lord set off to the forest with some citizens of Dwaraka to clear
His name. They found the carcasses of the animals and Prasena's
dead body. Asking them to wait Krishna entered the cave where
Jambavan lived and found an infant playing with the gem. A fight
ensued between Jambavan and the Lord when His intention to take
the gem away became clear as the bear mistook Him for an ordinary
mortal, said Sri B. Sundar Kumar in his discourse.

Jambavan was a great devotee of Lord Rama, but in his rage, he
did not identify the Lord who had come in the form of Krishna and
hence fought with Him. The duel went on for 28 long days without
a break and finally the mighty bear started feeling weak. Greatly
surprised that none other than the Lord could have had an
advantage over him, he supplicated to Him with the words, ``I now
conclude You to be the all-powerful Vishnu, the most ancient
Person, the suzerain Lord... I now understand You are the same
Lord Ramachandra (my Master) to whom the ocean allowed passage
yet by whom a bridge was constructed as an embodiment of His own
glory...'' He handed over the Syamantaka to Krishna and also gave
away in marriage his daughter Jambavati to Him out of devotion.


Copyrights: 1995 - 2001 The Hindu

Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly
prohibited without the consent of The Hindu