Crushing out Poison

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Crushing out poison

 

When Krishna danced on the head of Kalinga, the poison was vomited

and the serpent was subdued. When God is revered, the world and all

its poisonous fumes recede, and you are restored to original health.

Make the name and the form of the Lord dance on the hood of your

heart. Krishna had no vishaya-vaasana (attachment to worldly things)

and so He could plunge into the pool, call out to Kalinga, jump on to

its hood, trample on it, and squeeze the poison out.

 

Krishna who never parted from Balarama; came alone on this day. He

was wearing a necklace of green beads; a nose ring of pearl, and in

His right ear, a ring of pearls. He did not wear an upper garment but

just a yellow silk around His waist and a scarf wound around the

head, or rather thrown carelessly around the head, one end this way

and another end that way.

 

He did not always wear the peacock feather that is described by poets

and sages. It was stuck into the turban occasionally. Of course,

peacocks abounded in Brindavanam then, and are in plenty even today.

 

On His bare chest, there was a mole that could be clearly seen, an

inevitable mark of all avatars.

 

Krishna saw the carcass of animals that had died when they inhaled

the poisoned air near the pool; birds had fallen dead on the ground.

Nothing green could survive in the neighbourhood. As soon as Krishna

jumped into the pool to save the region from the serpent's havoc, His

companions ran home to bring His parents so that they could intercede

and stop the foolish pranks of their mischievous son. They were in

great panic.

 

Only Radha was calm and collected. She knew that for Him it was a

minute's fun, a moment's sankalpa (divine will). He had no vishaya

(attachment), so visha (poison) could not affect Him.

 

At HIS LOTUS FEET

Bharadhwaaj Ramaswamy