Bhagavatha Vahini, Chapter 41 - The Divine Students - the Omniscient as Student

[Guest guest]

Chapter 41The Divine Students - the Omniscient as Student

 

"Great Master! I do not get satiated, however many stories I hear about the

boyhood sport of Krishna! Really, this lovely boy Krishna is the Divine, who

had within Him everything that exists, but, nevertheless, He played about as if

He was an ordinary human child! 0, what good fortune is mine! When I think of

it, I feel that it has accrued to me, not as a result of the merit earned in

this life. Ah! I am spending these last days of mine in listening to the

exploits of Him, who has the hooded Sesha as His couch! The curse of that sage

has helped to cleanse me of

the sin, through this means! I offer once again a thousand prostrations to the

sage's ire, for affording me this beneficent opportunity!

As the final moment draws nearer, and nearer, my yearning centres in the joyful

quaffing of the sweet narrative of Krishna's sport. It intoxicates me; it makes

me 'insane'. Give me, who is burning with that desire, the cool comforting

drink, throughout the few hours that are left of the allotted span of my life."

Parikshith, the King, fell at the feet of Suka, overwhelmed by the burden of

devotion in his heart, and prayed for more stories of the Boy Krishna. The

spring of compassion in the sage, welled forth, at this prayer. He asked, "O

King! Which among the countless delightful divine incidents do you desire to

hear from me? Their number is so large, that even if they are told continuously

for millennia, many will remain untold. No one, however proficient, can compress

the narration, into a few hours."

At this, Parikshith replied, "Master! I have heard that our dearly beloved

Krishna learnt many skills and subjects, with Balarama as His companion, from a

very fortunate preceptor Saandeepini. Does this mean there was the need for an

unlearned person, to instruct Him who is the Master of all branches of

knowledge, the Master and Sovereign of All? It must have been His Play. Only

that great Play-Director Gopala knows who has to be blessed and saved, by which

means and when. He should have enacted this play, in order to liberate

Saandeepini from the shackles of birth and death, through the merit of

association with the Lord. Let me hear the incidents of the play, centering

round Saandeepini; I will be saved, by listening to it." Suka said, O King!

What you said is the indisputable Truth. Yes, all is His play. For the Drama

which Krishna directs, the Universe is the stage there are countless screens

(curtains), stage appurtenances, shelves and compartments, for

enacting His various plots, devised to save and to liberate. Since the

propitious destiny of Saandeepini had ripened, He gave him that great chance

and blessed him in that manner. Listen! I shall relate to you that Divine

Drama.

"Balarama and Krishna, the Divine Brothers, grew like the Sun towards the

zenith, and shone with increasing splendour. The parents, Nanda and Yasoda were

concerned about their future, since they were befogged by natural delusion; they

decided that the children must be taught the arts and sciences, the skills and

attainments appropriate to their status and condition. The family priest,

Garga, was called in and in consultation with him, an auspicious day and hour

were fixed for the necessary rites. They celebrated with great pomp and

ceremonial, the rite of initiation into Brahmic wisdom, called Upa-nayana or

'the rite of leading the pupil to

the preceptor'. That day, numerous acts of charity were done and many valuable

things given away, according to Sastraic injunctions. The people of Gokula were

rendered happy by folk entertainments that were provided for them.

Then the parents invited many Pundits and conferred with them and Garga to

discover the preceptor who was most proficient and desirable for the education

of the children. The family priest Garga thought for a while and declared that

it is best to send the children to the great Saandeepini, a pundit from

Avanthi, living in Kasi the Holy City on the sacred Ganga.

Saandeepini, he said, was a saintly person. The parents could not send their

loved ones, to such a distant place; but, they were aware of the truth,

learning without a preceptor is only blind learning; so they agreed, and

themselves journeyed to Kasi with Balarama and Krishna; reaching the holy

place, they entrusted the brothers to Saandeepini and made arrangements for

their stay with the famous preceptor. They returned soon after, with a heavy

heart, to Gokula.

 

 

>From that day, Balarama and Krishna studied under Saandeepini, offering him the

tribute of fear and reverence. O King, thousands, tens of thousands, millions

of children there are, who study under teachers; but, students who behave in a

manner that gives satisfaction and joy to the teacher are very rare, not even

one in a hundred! Satisfying the teacher, studying well what has been taught,

avoiding the pursuit of sensory pleasure and attaching oneself only to the

pursuit of knowledge, ever in the consciousness that study is the task and

study is the duty, - that is how a student should be. That is what Balarama and

Krishna were.

They never, on any single occasion, interrupted the discourse of the preceptor

or interposed their will against his. They did not overstep his will or

direction, in any instance. They never challenged his authority or dared

disobey his instructions. Though they were the repositories of Supreme

authority over Earth and Heaven, they gave their preceptor the respect and

obedience, that was due to his eminence and position.

They were full of earnestness and devotion; they did not allow anything to

distract their lesson. Observing their discipline and their enthusiasm to

learn, Saandeepini felt great joy surging up in his heart. When he saw them, he

got an irrepressible yearning to train them in many more branches of learning.

He made them masters of the four Vedas, the Vedandas, the science of logic,

grammar, jurisprudence, and economics, he taught them all that he knew. King!

what can I say? How can I describe them? The world may have known of geniuses

who can master one subject in five years or in one year or in a single month;

but, listen! Balarama and Krishna were with Saandeepini for only sixty-four

days, and in that

short time, they mastered the sixty four arts and sciences! That was how they

enacted this drama of study; it was just a sport for them. How can we explain

this amazing make-believe, this Divine histrionic Leela? Can ordinary mortals

learn so quick? Can they master so much in so few days?

While exulting over the humility and loyalty of the brothers, while accepting

their salutations and homage so genuinely offered, and while engaged in

delightful conversation with them, Saandeepini used to shed tears, in spite of

his persistent efforts to curb the grief that was surging within him. Balarama

and Krishna observed this and long hesitated to question him, about the reason.

At last, one day, Krishna stood before the preceptor with folded hands and

addressed him, "0 greatest of teachers! While we are conversing with you, we

find that your eyes are occasionally filled with tears, whenever you

contemplate some incident. If you consider it appropriate that we can be told

the reason for this grief,

please tell us."

When he heard this prayer, the pent-up sorrow in his heart gushed forth;

overcome by unbearable grief, he clasped Krishna with both hands and wept aloud

in uncontrollable anguish. Krishna knew the whole story; he pretended not to; he

said, "Guruji! Tell us the reason for this agony. We will try our best with all

our strength and skill, alleviate it. No mission can be so holy and so

important for us as this - to restore joy in the heart of the Guru. Inform us

without entertaining any doubt. Do not consider us as boys, and hesitate." When

Krishna remonstrated with him thus, Saandeepini was much relieved. He recovered

himself, and drew the brothers near, making them sit close to him

on his right and left.

He said, "Dear ones! It is indeed my good fortune that I secured you. I already

derive from your very words the joy of realising my desire. My conscience is

telling me that you are no ordinary children. I feel that it may be possible

for you to fulfil this mission; that faith is prompting me; sometimes, I am,

shaken by doubt. I do not know what is in store for me. Saying this, he stopped

and the tears flowed again. At this, Balarama fell at his feet again, saying,

"Guruji! why do you doubt us and refrain from trusting us? We are as your own

sons. To give you Ananda, we are prepared to sacrifice our very lives." The

earnestness of the boys and the

firmness of their resolution caused a sense of shame in the preceptor, that he

kept back from them the reason for his sorrow "Children! I got a son, after

many years of married life. I brought him up lovingly and with as much care, as

I guarded my own life. One day, he went to Prabhasa-kshetra, on the sea, and

while taking the holy dip in the waves, he was drowned. I was deriving great

consolation and even joy, looking at you two and watching your humility and

sense of discipline. I almost forgot the loss. You have learnt all that has to

be learnt, very quick. Now, even you can not stay with me any longer. Whom am I

to watch and love, after your departure?" The preceptor burst into inconsolable

sobs.

Krishna stood before him, strong and straight. He said, "0 best of masters! We

have to offer you gratitude for teaching us in an incomparable manner all the

rare arts and sciences. That is only our Dharma, isn't it? We will proceed

immediately and fight against the sea that swallowed your precious Son, and

recover him. We shall bring him back to you and give you joy. Let us dedicate

this act as our Guru-Dakshina (ceremonial presents made to the preceptor, by

the pupil). Bless us, so that we can start on this expedition. Bless us, and

give us leave to start." They fell at his feet, rose and stood, expectant.

Saandeepini was

confident that the Boys were not of ordinary mould; he had faith that they would

succeed. He embraced them, stroked their hair and blessed them. The King said

"Master, 0, how fortunate are my grandparents that they could witness these!

Krishna was the Divine which was acting the role of a human being, though he

had immanent in Him, all that there is, was and will be."

"0 King, receiving the acceptance and blessing of the Preceptor, Balarama and

Krishna hastened to the sea and standing majestically on the shore, commanded

in a compelling voice, 'Ocean! Give back the son of our Guru! Do this

immediately or suffer the punishment we intend to give you.' The ocean shook in

fear, as soon as he heard these words. He touched the Feet of Balarama and

Krishna, and said, 'Pardon! It is no fault of mine! When the boy was bathing,

destiny drew him into a vortex and

brought him into the depths. Meantime, the ogre, Panchajana, who has been living

in the caverns there swallowed him and had him in his stomach. This is the truth

of what has happened. I leave the rest to you.' (See also Srîmad Bhâgavatam,

Canto 10 - Chapter 45)

When the sea spoke thus, Krishna nodded, "Right! I have heard your account," and

plunged into the depths of the sea, to the cavern of that ogre. He attacked him

in mortal combat, the ogre handed over the boy to the God of Death before he

himself died; so, Krishna could not recover him, when He tore open the stomach.

While searching his intestines in great anger to discover whether the boy was

any- where there, a huge Conch came into His hands. Securing this, Krishna

emerged from the sea, and went straight to the City of Death. Standing at the

Entrance, Krishna blew the Panchajana conch that he had got from Panchajana.

The sound it produced was as thunderbolt to the ear.

Yama, the God of Death rushed up to the gate, in terror. He saw Balarama and

Krishna and queried, politely, the reason why they had come so far. The

Brothers commanded him to bring the 'son of the Guru' and place him in their

custody. "As you order," replied Yama, with folded hands; he directed his

minions, and within seconds, the consecrated son of the preceptor was placed in

the Divine hands. They brought him, immediately, to the hermitage and placing

him by the side of Saandeepini, stood on one side, "This is our Guru-Dakshina,

please accept this act as such," appealed Krishna.

The joy of the parents was beyond words; they were overcome with the sudden gush

of happiness. No one who contemplates such divine achievements - the bringing

back into life of the son, who was in the arms of Death and similar miracles -

can entertain the belief that they are mortal and not Divine. What then are we

to speak of Saandeepini? He knew; he realised that they are the twins, Nara-

Narayana.

He was overwhelmed with exhilaration, when he reminded himself that he had the

fortune to have such Divine beings as his pupils and that he could call himself

their Guru. He prostrated mentally before them; with tears streaming down his

cheeks, he embraced them and arranged for their leave-taking from the Asram.

Balarama and Krishna rode on their chariot, after taking leave of the Guru and

his wife and reached the city of Mathura. The inhabitants of that City, on

hearing how the brothers demonstrated their gratitude to their Guru, extolled

them for their Divine compassion and capabilities. They felt immensely happy,

that they had come back among them.

O King, reflect for a while how inspiring was the example of Gopala Krishna

while he was undergoing his education and how much his conduct and earnestness

contributed to the joy of the elders. Every act of Krishna, however tiny and

unimportant on the surface, had a deep significance and meaning. Fools cannot

discover it so they treat these acts as insignificant. Is there in this world

any one who can affirm that he can teach the art of swimming to the fish?

Similarly, who can teach and become the preceptor of God? Though all learning

emanates from Him and is to be earned through His Grace, He plays the role of a

pupil, as a representative of the ideal pupil, in order to show the world, by

His own

example, the way in which a Guru is to be chosen and served, the quality of

humility that education must instil and the gratitude and respect that the

pupil has to offer to the teacher. It is with the intention of guiding and

prompting the students of today that Krishna Himself went through the

educational process and lived the ideal. Notice how subtle is the mystery of

God and His Leelas!" While Suka was repeating these words, tears of joy flowed

down his cheeks in streams.

 

(See also Srîmad Bhâgavatam, Canto 3, Chapter 2: Remembering Krishna)

 

Bhajan: (showing Baba singing: 45.6MB download!) Govinda Krishna Jai Gopala Krishna Jai

Bhajan: Govinda Krishna Jai Gopala Krishna Jai, sung by devotees

Contents of this Vahini

Source: http://www.vahini.org/bhagavata/chapter41.htmlVahini.org: 'Vahini' Books

written by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

 

Finance: Get your refund fast by filing online