|| Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya ||

Chapter – 164 – The legend of Lord Krishna – 15

Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran is the essence of Veda, it teaches the quintessence of Bakthi, Gnana and Vairagya.   The legends of various passionate sports of supreme Lord Krishna enhances devotion, it brings huge transformation in the listeners/readers as well.   The Veda and Upanishads are not easily understandable, therefore Maharishi Vedavyasa described the core spirit of Veda through the various Puranas. The devotion to supreme Lord would bring the serenity of mind, it removes cluster of unwanted thoughts of the listener/reader as well as the people surrounded by them, and ultimately it brings union with the Supreme Lord.  The human body is meant as ‘Shakata’/wheel, mind and intellect can wedge with body-conscious/’I’ consciousness or supreme consciousness.  The body consciousness constantly seeks people and material comforts for its well being, eventually, it will heave into extreme grief and misery.  The supreme consciousness removes the attachments to worldly matters and bondage; eventually, it leads to the state of supreme bliss, it can be achieved with the gradual process through the constant practice of meditation.  The legend of Shakatasura Vadham intends to transform the human intellect from ‘I’ consciousness to supreme consciousness. The human body is not only meant for taking pleasure in worldly matters and become ashes at the end, but it also has to be utilized for the realization of supreme Bhramam as well.

King Pareekshith speaks “ Oh! Prabho, you have described the marvelous passionate sport of Krishna, kindly narrate the various pastimes of Lord Krishna which brings the coolness of breeze to the ears. It removes unwanted thoughts in the mind and brings pleasantness to heart, and increases devotion to the supreme Lord; eventually, it creates an unbreakable companionship with the supreme Lord.  Therefore, kindly describe the passionate sport of Lord Krishna elaborately.”

Shuka Bhramam speaks “ Oh! Rajan, days have passed, Devi Yasodha immersed in attending and taking care of her little child who is Parambramam.   One day she noticed her infant on the cradle changed its position, it was turned on stomach and it was the day of the birth star of the child.  Devi Yasodha and Nandababa decided to celebrate the moment with the neighboring cowherds, and serve a sumptuous meal.  They have invited several twice-born and cowherds on that occasion, the twice-born were received with great honor and provided an abundance of charities.  Soon the whole village assembled in the palace of Nandababa.  The cowherds were received with great pleasure and offered various gifts.   Devi Yasodha fed the child and put him in the cradle to sleep and kept the cradle under the emptied bullock cart in the courtyard so that the child could get a good comfortable sleep.  The husband and wife engaged in receiving people and serving them with gifts and cooking meals for them.  None of them could attend the child, the entire village people were too busy with their work assigned in the celebration.  The divine child understood the empty cart was not an ordinary one, it slowly moved to the cradle of the baby as if it was going to crush the cradle.  Soon, the little child cried in a loud voice, no one could listen to his cries, he stretched out both the legs with a great force and kicked the cartwheel, in a moment the cart flew in the sky and fallen on the ground with a big thud, eventually it broken into pieces.  The loud voice of the broken cart took the attention of the people assembled; they were alarmed and ran out to check the baby under the cart.  They were frightened and mystified to see the wooden cart in several pieces; they looked at each other and enquired the reason for it.  The children of cowherds around the cart informed that they have seen the little child of Devi Yasodha kicked forcefully with its legs and the next moment the bullock cart flew into the sky and fallen on the ground, broken in several pieces.  Nandababa and Devi Yasodha were not willing to believe the children and called off it as made up stories,  they believed that it was something went wrong with the arrangements of things in the courtyard.  Further, they commented that nothing serious has happened because of the presence of innocent and good-hearted cowherds and the noble Bhramins and their wishes.  Devi Yasodha took the child carefully and gave a bath.  In this way, Lord Krishna performed an amusement while he was an infant, and provided Moksha to the demon Shakatasura.”