|| Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 261 – The legend of Lord Krishna -  112

Shuka Bhramam speaks “ Oh! Rajan,  Lord Krishna had ten children in sixteen thousand and eight wives, many of the wives could not realize the divinity in him and elevate their souls, they have accepted him as an ideal husband who kindles intense passion with his attractive features, appearance, and smile.  They could not persuade the supreme Lord with their lust or desires, he performed all the duties and responsibilities of a householder, but he was not attached to any of them.  Krishna and Devi Rukmini had ten children named Pradhyumna,  Charudheshna, Sudheshna, Charudheha, Sucharu, Charuguptha, Bhadhracharu, Charuchandra, Vicharu, and Charu .  Krishna and Devi Sathyabhama had ten children named Bhanu, Subhanu, Swarbhanu, Prabhanu, Bhanuman, Chandhrabhanu, Bhrihathbhanu, Rathibhanu, Sribhanu,  and Prathibhanu.  Krishna and Jambhavathi had ten children named Sambha, Sumithra, Purujith, Thajith, Sahasrajith, Vijayachithra, Kethu, Vasuman, Dhravida, and Krathu.    Thus, years have passed, Pradhyumnas’ son Aniruddha got married to the granddaughter of Rukmi.   The grand wedding ceremony got over, and the guests began to play board games under the leadership of Rukmi with Balarama.  Every now and then, Rukmi passed sarcastic comment on Lord Balarama who is inexperienced in the board game; finally, Balaram won the board game, Rukmi was not willing to accept it, he did not stop provoking Krishna. In a sudden rage Balaram took his plow and gave a hard whip on the head of Rukmi and killed him instantly, Lord Krishna looked at Devi Rukmini, but she did not utter a word, even Lord Krishna did not take the side of his brother or his wife.”

In this legend, Rukmi did not pay attention to the divinity of Lord Krishna, even though he had a close association with the Supreme Lord.  He took extreme pleasure in the material world and comforts; he could not utilize his mind to elevate his soul.  He kept insulting Balarama which brought miserable death to him.  All the scriptures speak about the way to attain Mukthi, Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran speaks about Ananyabhakthi/intense devotion/ realization of ‘God’, and performance of righteous deeds without the expectation of its fruitful results, constant contemplation, and meditation upon supreme Lord who resides as soul in living beings.

|| Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 260 – The legend of Lord Krishna -  111

Yan Yan Kamayase Kaman Mayyakamaya Bhamini | Santhi Hyekantha Bhakthayasthava Kalyani Nithyadha | Ye Mam Bhajanthi Dhampathye Thapasa Vrathacharyaya | Kamathmano Apavargesham Mohitha Mama Mayaya || Mam Prapya Maninya Apavargasampadham Vanchanthi Ye Sampadha Yeva Thathpathim | They Mandhabhagya Nirayeapi Ye Nrinam Mathrathmakathva Niraya: Su Sangama: ||

Lord Krishna was highly pleased with the devotion of Vaidharbhi, said “ Oh! Rajaputhri, I was kindling emotions in you, all that you have mentioned are the absolute truth. I am extremely pleased to hear what I have expected from you.  Whoever worships me undertaking austerities and vows to attain blissful life and all the material welfare are not my true devotees, they are soaked in immense bodily pleasures and desires, they are completely under the influence of my Maya, it is not they should desire to achieve from me/the preceptor/Lokaguru.  An ignorant, ill fortunate one, worships me for wealth, happiness and material comforts which have impermanent nature, without knowing that I am capable to provide the highest of piousness/Apavargapradha, relieve them from sinful deeds/Papa Karma, results of the Karma/Happiness, and Sorrows/Phalam, attachments to worldly matters, body-consciousness, and attachment to people, wealth, possessions etc./Bandhanam,  fear of anxieties/Bhayam, and fear of death/Mrithyu.  Oh! Vaidharbhi, I could see all those supreme signs of devotion in you.  I have disfigured your brother and killed him; you have not uttered a single word, you were aware of the fact that If you have responded to the situation would cause distance from me, you did not leave devotion upon me, you have taken all that happened to your brother as a grace of supreme Lord, you have won over me with your sincere devotion and purity of your heart.  Oh! Devi, you have proved your intense devotion upon me, how did I abandon you?”

Shuka Bhramam speaks “ Oh! Rajan, in this way supreme Lord Hari who is Jagadheeshwara, Lokaguru/Universal preceptor symbolizes Dharma/righteousness, had a rewarding conversation with Goddess Rama.”

|| Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 259 – The legend of Lord Krishna -  110

Asthvambujaksha Mama The  Charananuraga  Athman Rathasya Mayi Chanathiriktha Dhrishte: | Yarhyasya Vridhdhaya Upaththarajoathimathro Mam Ekshase Thadhu Ha Na: Paramanukampa||

Shuka Bhramam speaks “ Oh! Rajan,  Lord Krishna pacified Vaidharbhi who was soaked in grief, he passed amusing comment on her with an effort to retrieve her from anguish.”

Devi Rukmini speaks “ Oh! Bhagavan, as you have mentioned, we are completely different from each other, women get nervous and emotional very easily, and we get disturbed with the happenings around us.  Oh! Bhagavan, you are void of changes or will not get affected with any of the happenings in this Universe.  Therefore, we both cannot be equal, so we are completely different from each other.  Oh! Bhagavan, you have run out of the battlefield and took shelter in the ocean, you have run out of the people who were soaked in worldly matters and sensual pleasures, they cannot realize your presence as supreme soul, hence Oh! Bhagavan, who resides as a soul in living beings took shelter in the majestic city of Dwaraka.  Oh! Bhagavan, the saintly people, and ascetics are beyond description, they are freed from the interest in worldly matters, they have no restriction to move around and they are free from worldly matters and bondages, therefore they are not understandable.  Even though you have married several women, you are not attached to anyone; these are not understandable for people like me, so we are completely different from each other.  Oh! Bhagavan, your splendor can be perceived by innocent and pure-hearted souls/cowherds that are free from worldly matters, people who are completely surrendered at your lotus feet.  We cannot understand your grandeur because we have soaked in the richness of worldly matters.  Oh! Bhagavan you symbolize supreme knowledge and Bhramam, we are soaked in the worldly matters are, hence we are different from each other.  Oh! Bhagavan, whoever surrendered to you attain all the Purusharththa, you have no differentiation between male or female, you are beyond happiness and sorrow.  We have the conscious of gender, dependent on our companion, children, and family,  Oh! Bhagavan, you are beyond description and perception.  You have risen to the supreme state of Bhramam, we are stuck in the Sthoola Shareera.  Oh! Bhagavan, your magnificence can be understood by saintly and pious people, they have sung in praise of you, we are not raised to that level of ascetics who have the knowledge of ‘self’ and engages in constant contemplation upon you.  Oh! Ambujaksha, the intellectuals have thorough knowledge that surrendering at your lotus feet would provide the highest of the piousness, they contemplate you while leaving the mortal coil and get freed from repeated births, and an ignorant never realizes the presence of supreme soul and chases to fulfill their sensual pleasures.  Oh! Bhagavan, I have married to you and surrendered at your lotus feet, I am confident that I can elevate my soul with the constant service at your lotus feet of Paramathma. An ignorant get attached to people, wealth, fame, and richness for pleasure, without the knowledge that it has constant transformation and ruin.  Oh! Bhagavan, kindly remove all my anxieties and fears, and give intense devotion at your lotus feet, and relentlessly serve your lotus feet to get relieved from the worldly matters, Oh! Ambujaksha, kindly shower your compassionate grace upon me.”

|| Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 258 – The legend of Lord Krishna -  109

Rajaputhripsitha Bhoopairlokapalavibhoothi: |Mahanubhavai: Srimadhbhi Roopa Audharya Balorjithai: || Than Prapthanarthino Hithva  Chaidhyadheen Smaradhurmadhan | Dhaththa Bhratha  Swapithra  Cha Kasmanno Vavrusheasman ||

Shuka Bhramam speaks “ Oh! Rajan, once Lord Krishna was relaxing on a majestic cot in his private chamber, Devi Rukmini was massaging his feet.  Lord praised the beauty and intellect of Devi Rukmini abundantly, eventually expressed sympathy for choosing him as her husband.  He reminded her of all those eligible Kings who were present in the Kingdom of Vidharbha with an earnest desire to marry her, and she did not even look at the choice of her family or parents.  Krishna asked her why did she choose him. He sternly said that she has made a mistake by choosing black-complexioned fellow as her husband, who is a weak-willed ran out of the battlefield for several times and settled in an island Dwaraka.   He sadly stated that he has no clear idea about his father and mother; he lived with Devi Yasodha and Nandbaba as a foster child for several years.

Lord Krishna speaks “Oh! Devi Vaidharbhi, You have married me even though I am not from a royal class, I have married to several women, and therefore you have married to a un-cultured and ill-mannered person.  Oh! Vaidharbhi, I belong to the clan of Yadhava, not rich like the royal families.  Oh! Vaidharbhi, none has a good opinion about me, those penniless ascetics speaks a lot about me.  Therefore, our married life remains dubious of its success as we both are belonging to two different classes, I feel we are not a suitable companion, we both have many differences, you belong to Kshatriya clan, you are stunningly beautiful women with golden complexion, you are the fortunate one, you are from a valorous Kshatriya clan, you have a rich culture and you are well mannered.  I have born in the clan of Yadhus who were cursed by the Yayathi, I have not much fortune, and I belong to Yadhus who are not so valorous. Therefore it is not advisable to remain in the wedlock if one person belongs to the illustrious clan and another one from a low class.  Oh! Vaidharbhi, there is nothing much has changed in your life; you can very well approach Shishupala and get married to him. I have abducted you from the huge army of warriors, to crush the pride of Shishupala.”

Devi Rukmini could not control her tears, eventually, she has fallen unconscious at his feet.  Lord Krishna took her head on his lap, sprinkled water on her face, and affectionately patted her face and said “Oh! Vaidharbhi, open your eyes, I was teasing you, I wanted to see that beautiful face in anger, I loved to see that curved eyebrows on your lovely face. Oh! Devi, you can’t even take humor, you are too nervous.” Devi Rukmini slowly opened her eyes and looked at the face of Lord Krishna.

|| Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 257 – The legend of Lord Krishna -  108

Shuka Bhramam speaks “ Oh! Rajan, thus Krishna released sixteen thousand women from the prison of Pragjyothishapuram, and asked them to return to their homes safely.  The women were in a dilemma, cried before Krishna and revealed their pathetic situation, they have been under the custodian of Baumasura for a long time, and if they go back to their homes they will not receive with respect, none of the youth will accept them as their wives, therefore they begged Krishna not to leave and accept them as his wives. Thus, Krishna accepted the sixteen thousand women as his wife and elevated them from ill-fortune and ill-fame.  Krishna returned to Dwaraka and married to all those sixteen thousand women, he assumed sixteen thousand forms and lived in their homes, relentlessly serving them and made them happy.”

In this legend, Krishna married to sixteen thousand women who were imprisoned by Baumasura, and gave them a decent status in the society.   If not, these women would become destitute, the society would force them to engage in various immoral deeds and manipulate them, it may result in large number of orphans appear in society.   In order to avoid the depraved act in the society, Krishna gave shelter to all those women, receiving them as wedded wife. He was neither bothered about the past history of the women in the prison of Baumasura or the society he was living in, his sole purpose was to give them a respectable position in society.

The eight wives/Ashtasakhi of Krishna represents the five elements known as Air, Water, Ether, Earth, and Fire,/Sthoola and Buddhi, Manas, Ahamkara/Sookshma.  He is Purusha who resides as a soul in living beings; he is the protector of the five elements, and the source of functioning of mind and intellect.  The sixteen thousands of wives of Krishna represents sixteen types of emotions, such as five Karmendhriyas and  Gnanedhriyas, Pancha Pranas, and Manas, therefore the supreme Lord is Purusha who is eternal and all-pervading controls the  Prakrithi which has a multifaceted nature.  Hence, the supreme Lord resides as a soul in living beings and controls the functioning of Sthoola as well as the Sookshma Shareera, once the supreme soul leaves the Sthoola Shareera is declared as a corpse.

|| Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 256 – The legend of Lord Krishna -  107

Namasthe Devadevesha  Shankha Chakra Gadhadhara| Bhakthecchopaththaroopaya  Paramathman Namosthuthe || Nama: Pankajanabhaya  Nama: Pankajamaline | Nama: Pankajanethraya Namasthe Pankajanghraye || Namo Bhagavathe Thubhyam Vasudevaya Vishnave | Purushayadhibeejaya Poornnabodhaya They Nama: ||

King Pareekshith speaks “ Oh! Brahmana kindly narrates the legend of Bhaumasura who was killed by Krishna with the assistance of Devi Sathyabhama who is extremely valorous.”

Shuka Bhramam speaks “ Oh! Rajan, there was a powerful demon Baumasura ruling the magnificent city of Pragjyothishapuram.  He was born to Lord Varaha and Mother Earth, it was while Lord Vishnu incarnated as wild boar to elevate the Mother Earth from the bottom of the ocean.  Lord Varaha had a vicious battle with the demon Hiranyaksha who hid the Mother Earth, finally, the demon was killed.  Lord Varaha’s Beeja fallen on the Earth and a child was born with demonic nature, he is Baumasura.   The city of Pragjyothishapuram has beautiful fortresses, pleasure gardens, majestic pathways, beautiful streams and creeper gardens in the courtyard.  A large number of fortresses were under the supervision of the demon Mura, he had five heads and the prowess of five people.  Baumasura abducted women between 16-20 years of age; he imprisoned sixteen thousand women and prepared to marry them all. Once, he visited Lord Varuna and stolen his Chathra, he visited Lord Indra and stolen the ear ornaments of Devi Adhithi.  The deities approached Lord Vishnu, to put an end to the atrocities of Baumasura.  Lord Krishna with Devi Sathyabhama visited Baumasura, and a fierce battle began.  Krishna destroyed the huge fortress wall with his mace, the ear-splitting noise of his conch Panchajanya brought out the demon Mura from the pool of water, a fierce battle took place between Lord Krishna and Mura, and finally Mura’s head sieved off with the divine wheel, eventually, numerous demons were killed in the battle.  The reverberating sound of the conch roused extreme fear in the demons, Baumasura entered in a vicious battle with Krishna, In the end, Baumasura’s head sieved off with the powerful disc.  The Mother Earth appeared before Krishna and eulogized “ I shall prostrate before  Lord of Lords, who is adorned in Shankha, Chakra, and Gadha, I shall prostrate before supreme Lord who is compassionate to his worshiper and assumes various forms at his own will, I shall prostrate before supreme Lord who has lotus flower on the navel, I shall prostrate before supreme Lord who is supreme Purusha adorned in a garland of lotus flowers, I shall prostrate before supreme Lord who has beautiful eyes resembles lotus flower petals, I shall prostrate before the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord.  I shall prostrate before supreme Lord Vishnu who has incarnated as Vasudeva, he is the cause of Universe and its living beings, he symbolizes supreme knowledge, he has neither birth nor death, he is supreme Bhramam with endless prowess and he is Paramathma who resides as a soul in living beings.”  The son of demon Baumasura was crowned as the King of Pragjyothishapuram at the request of Mother Earth. Krishna released the sixteen thousand women who were imprisoned by Baumasura, the precious ear ornament of Devi Adhithi was returned."

|| Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 255 – The legend of Lord Krishna -  106

Aham Devasya  Savithur Dhuhitha Pathimicchathi | Vishnum Varenyam Varadham Thapa: Paramamasthitha: || Nanyam  Pathim Vrine Veera  Thamrithe  Srinikethanam | Thushyatham Mey Sa Bhagavan Mukundhoanthasamshraya: ||

Shuka Bhramam speaks “ Oh! Rajan, Krishna visited Pandavas,  he met Devi Kunthi and offered his humble obeisance, he met  Dharmaputhra, and all the members of the family, and had a pleasurable time conversing with all.  Krishna lived with the Pandavas for quite some time, during this period, the events like the wood Gandava was burned into ashes and pacified Lord Agni who bless Arjuna with the bow Gandeeva, and a beautiful Kindom of  Indraprastha was established in the wood.   One day, Krishna and Arjuna went for hunting expedition, Arjuna saw a beautiful woman engaged in meditation on the riverbank of Kalindi. Arjuna approached her and enquired the reason for her meditation, Kalindi speaks “ Oh! Veera, I am Kalindi, the daughter of Lord Surya, I am conducting Tapasya praying to Lord Vishnu to attain Lord Krishna as my husband.” Thus Arjuna brought Kalindi to Krishna who was seated on the chariot. Krishna married to Devi Kalindi and stayed in Hasthinapur for some time, after that the couple left to Dwaraka.  While living in Dwaraka Krishna received a message from Mithravindha who was the daughter of Vasudeva’s sister Rajadhidevi, she was too devoted to Krishna from her childhood, she had two brothers Vindha and Anuvindha, decided to offer their sister Mithravindha to Duryodhana.  Krishna saved Mithravindha from the custody of her brothers, married her and brought to Dwaraka. Later, he married to Devi Bhadra who was the daughter of Shruthakeerthi, sister of Vasudeva.  There was a king Nagnachith who had a beautiful daughter Sathya.  He desired his daughter  Sathya should get married to Krishna, a grand competition was organized to select a perfect groom for Sathya, whoever fasten the seven untamed bulls from the ground would get the daughter of King Nagnachith as a wedded wife. Many kings participated in the competition were miserably failed, Krishna came to know about the competition and arrived in the ground.  He decided to perform an amusement; he went closer to the untamed bulls and affectionately patted them and fastened them.  Krishna victoriously approached the King Nagnachith, soon Sathya adorned Krishna with a magnificent flower garland.  Thus, Krishna and Sathya got married, Nagnachith offered an abundance of wealth to his son-in-law, the newly wedded couple returned to Dwaraka.  Later, Krishna had a marriage with Lakshmana, the daughter of King of Madhri.”