Bhagavada Vahini - Chapter 41

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Bhagavada Vahini by Sathya Sai Baba

 

Chapter 41

The 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 <http://vahini.org/glossary/u.html#Upanayana> 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 <http://vahini.org/glossary/a.html#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 <http://vahini.org/glossary/d.html#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.'

 

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

<http://vahini.org/glossary/g.html> , 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 <http://vahini.org/glossary/n.html> .

 

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.