Krishna And Rama

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Krishna And Rama

"If you recognise the distinction between Krishna and Rama, you will appreciate

better the nature of Krishna. Krishna always smiled at the outset and carried

out his task later. For Rama, the deed came first and then the smile. Krishna

made women cry. Rama wept for the sake of women. Rama went into the battle only

after having a strong cause for it. Krishna first provoked the conflict and

determined its outcome.

The Krishna principle revels in delight. The Rama principle is based on the concept of obligation.

The Ramayana is intended to promote the reign of truth and righteousness on

earth. The Krishna Avatar was intended to give a perennial message to the

world. He sought nothing for himself. He gave away everything to the people. He

slew his maternal uncle, Kansa. He installed on the throne Kansa's father

Ugrasena. He did not covet the kingdom. He befriended the Pandavas, defeated

the Kauravas and crowned Dharmaraja as emperor. He did not make himself king.

He was a king without a crown. He was the King of kings. He had no kingdom of

his own. But he rued over the hearts of the millions. It is this profound truth

that is proclaimed by the Krishna principle (Krishna Tatwa).

If you inquire deeply, you will find that every Avatar has incarnated to convey

a special message and carry out a particular mission." Sai Baba, SS, 10/96, p.

256

Message Of The Gita

"The message of the Bhagavad Gita has been interpreted by scholars in many

different ways. They have argued that it prescribes the Karma Marga (the Path

of Action), the Janana Marga (Path of Wisdom) and the Bhakti Marga (the Path of

Devotion) as the primary path. But the real message of the Gita is to be got

from the first word of the first Shioka (verse) 'Dharma' and the last word of

the last Shioka 'Mama'. "Mama Dharma' - each individual has to act according to

his duty - that is the lesson of the Gita. Householders should follow the

'Grihasta Dharma' (the duties of householders), old people should follow the

'Vaanaprastha' Dharma (the duties of those who have withdrawn from family

duties). There are Sanyasa Dharma (the duties ofarenunciant) and Brahmachaari

Dharma (the duties of a celibate during the

years before marriage). These duties are prescribed for each in his particular

stage in life and they should not be mixed up. The Gita taught these duties for

people in different stages ('Ashramas')." Sai Baba, SS, 11/91, p. 299

 

Gita-Jayanti

"The Bhagavad Gita contains the sacred lore of the spirit. Krishna gave unto

mankind through Arjuna, the core of the Gita Message on the battlefield at

10.30 a.m. on the 'Kaartika Bahula Amaayasya' day. This was the day on which

the great Mahabharata war commenced. Ten days later, when Bhishma fell in the

battle, Sanjaya was informing Dhritarashtra of the proceedings on the

battlefield. Dhritarashtra asked Sanjaya:

' Dharmakshetra Kurukshetra Samavetaah yuyutsavaha Mamakah Pandavashchaiva kimakuvata Sanjaya'

Meaning: Gathered on the holy plain of Kurukshetra, 0 Sanjaya, what did my sons

and sons of Pandu do?'

This was on 'Margasira Suddha Ekadashi' day. Some consider this day as the 'Gita

Jayanti' or the day on which Krishna vouchsafed the message of the Gita to

Arjuna. But this was the day on which Sanjaya narrated the story of the battle

to Dhritarashtra. Gita was actually was given by Krishna to Arjuna on the

'Kaartika Bahula Amaavasya' day.

Why did Krishna choose the Amaavasya day for the commencement of the battle and

so for the teaching of the Gita? Normally, nothing auspicious is done on an

Amaavasya day. However, such examples of Krishna's divinely enigmatic ways are

there in other episodes of his life too. His birth on an Ashtami day is a case

in point." Sai Baba, Summer Showers in Brindavan- 1979, pp. 158&159

Bhagavatam

In His first discourse of the Summer Course, held in Brindavan from May 20th to

May 30th, 1995, Bhaeavan pointed "the four qualifications needed by anyone to

understand the underlying significance of the Bhagavatam, which describes

devotion as a bridge between the Divine and the devotees. They are:

(1) Flee from evil company

(2) Seek company of the pious

(3) Indulge always in meritorious deeds

(4) Discriminate between the eternal and the transient. " Sai Baba, SS. 7/95, p. 175 & 176

"In the Bhagavatam, the lessons you leam are according to the state of your

mind. To understand the glories of the Lord, you have to enjoy the 'Leelas' of

Krishna and realise their inner meaning." Sai Baba, SS, 10/96, 257

Gita Govidam

"Gita Govindam, the Book of Songs ofGovinda (Krishna) by the great mystic and

poet, Jayadeva of Orissa, is immortal portrayal of Radha Bhakti in its manifold

manifestations.

Jayadeva could express it with such charm and clarity that even the man behind

the plough sang those songs and filled hisJheart with divine delight. The ruler

of the land, Lakshamana Sena, was stricken with envy. He prepared a parallel

book of songs and ordered that they be sung, instead of Jayadeva's outpourings,

in the temples of the land, including the greatest of them all - the Jagannath

Temple at Puri. When his order was received with protest, the king had both

books placed at the Feet of Lord Jagannath and the shrine was locked and kept

under strict vigilance. When the doors were opened in the morning, the king saw

the Lord having Jayadeva's 'Gita Govindam' in His Hand, while his rival book

written out of envy and pride was thrown into a far comer. The Lord has

announced that he showers Grace on inner

purity, not outer pomp." Sai Baba, 9/85, p. 232

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