Prathama skandha, astama adyaaya

After cremating the bodies of their sons the bereaved Pandavas and their relatives immersed themselves in the Holy Ganga to take ablution. In order to soothe the hearts of deeply hurt and wailing kunti, pandavas and Draupadi, the sages including Vyashadeba and Sri Krishna, who were present in the bank of river Ganga discussed instances pertaining to truth.

SriKrishna says....................................

..

mithyaa sanshaara bishnu maayaa ke satya karipaare ehaa?
kaalara kridaa ejagata kaalaku kebaa saamaratha...!
sarji paalai puna hare kaalara kridaa e sanshaare...
............................................................................................................................

This world is only the illusion (maya) formed by Sri Vishnu himself. Who ever can turn the falsehood (maya) into truth? This visible universe is a mere play of time(God), who creates, nourishes and destroys too. Who ever can be mightier than time when the universe is just a play of time? Everybody alive is to die one day.......Nothing was yours which is lost, so weeping has no meaning. With these words Sri Krishna soothed the hearts of the wailing family.

to quote few lines of a poem of Pundit Utkalamani Gopabandhu Das on kaala or "time".....

"mahaabali dhanya dhanya tumbhe kaala
ke langhiba tumbha tikhna karabaala?"

Having defeated the wicked Duryodhana and his wicked companions including the other Kaurabas through Arjun's weapon Gandiva, Srikrishna secured to King Yudhistra his own kingdom. He helped Yudhisthira the elder Pandava to govern the nation through righteousness and to perform as many as three Aswamedha sacrifices. All the sages including Vyasha deva and the Pandavas began worshiping Lord Krishna when he mounted his chariot and was just intending to leave for Dwaraka. At the very moment Srikrishna watched Uttara the widow of Abhimanu, (the son of Arjuna) rushing towards him stricken with fear.

Uttara said: Protect me, great yogi. Save me. Lord of the universe, I see no asylum other than you in this world, where everyone is death to another. The son of Drona Aswasthaama who took asylum in the forests could not forget the past as he thought to be insults to him and discharged a missile from his arrow with the vow to slay all the Pandavas. Oh lord of the Universe let the weapon destroy my body please save the Pandavas and the child in my womb.

Suta said.......

That very moment the Pandavas also saw five burning beams of lights in the sky coming towards them and took up their own missiles. Perceiving the calamity of his beloved friends, who thought of none else other than him for protection, the almighty Lord, protected them with his own weapon, the great Sudarshana. Sri Krishn, the master of the universe, enveloped the womb of Uttara by his own maya in order to protect the son of Abhimanyu and the heritage of Pandavas . Even though the Brahmastra was unfailing and irresistible, it proved ineffectual when it met the effulgence of Lord Vishnu.

jaahaara maayaa e sansaare sanchai paalai sanhaare
e ki aascharjya ate taara sarba aascharjya je iswara...........

The Brahmaasta disappeared with an honor to Bishnu's Sudarshana. The Pandavas were rescued from the blast of Brahmastra. With a great sense of pleasure and loyalty, mother of the Pandavas, Kunti along with her daughter- in- law, Draupadi, five sons and grand- daughter -in- law Uttaraa, began to worship the lotus feet of Srikrishna and said Oh merciful Lord thou art the lone defender.

Kunti said…………..

Oh Krishna, I am your servant. You are the ancient most male. Your presence is in nature, inside and outside the creatures; you are omnipresent so unknown to your creation. Beneath your maayaa (illusion) you remain in your eternal form as soul covered with several senses. The person who falls in your maayaa can’t know you. As the director in a play makes the characters dance to his tune, you make the creation run as per your own desire. Pure headed saints with their power of meditation and devotion towards you recognize your maayaa and don’t fall pray to your maayaa even though remaining a part in it. You reside in the water of desolation (pralaya jala). From your navel appeared the devine lotus carrying Brahman. I worship thee, Oh lotus feet, oh lotus eye…. As you cared for your mother Devaki who was a prisoner in her brother Kansa’s abode, you cared for me, Kunti while struggling in the forests with my five sons. When kaurabas gave poisonous sweet (ladoo) to Bhima, you saved him; you saved them all form burning Jatugruha. When Pandavas lost the game of gambling from the Kaurabas and at last lost Draupadi my daughter-in-law whom Dussaasana dragged puling her hair in the crowded meeting of Kuru (kurusabhaa) and tried to make her naked, only you saved our honor. During our secret living we lived in many places. Everywhere you were with us Oh Madhaba. You secured us from mighty enemies and made my sons get victory. You saved them from Brahmaastra send by Aswasthaamaa; you saved my family and heritage. So now I fear nothing when you are the lone protector.

If a person being born in a high class, being blessed with good education and wealth prefers darkness of pride and vanity, lust and anger, how can he recognize you, the almighty? You are the father of those who are helpless and amputees. You appear in every form your devotee calls. You remain everywhere but due to illusion and ignorance people worship you in different forms and names.

same tu basu sarba dehe praan tohari maayaa mohe
bhajanti anya anya bhaabe kali jesane kali juge

Brahmaa and Siva are are all in you. who can know your truth remaining in this mortal body? How can people know you differentiating your various forms, assessing your creation and thereby creating sense of foe and friends among themselves? Your are the soul of the universe the divine. For the welfare of your creation you incarnated yourself as fish and turtle. You too took incarnation as Parashuram son of a saint . When the world was dwindling like a drowning vessel in the weight of sin of the demons, all the God including Brahmaa prayed you. Thus you took birth as a human being to save the men and women suffering greatly falling in the dark water of illlusion, nescience and agonies on this earth. Oh Krishna, born to Baasudeva and Debaki thus named as Basudeba. Played as the son of Nanda in Gopapura. When Indra (the king of heaven) got angry upon the residents of Gopa for not getting sacrifice and when he wished to destroy Gopa with heavy rain and thunder storm, you “Banamali” took the Gobardhana hill atop your left hand to protect the residents and wealth of Gopa thus your name is Gobinda. I worship you oh Lord; with out you I know nothing. In your childhood as krishna, mother Yashodaa tied you hard with a rope. It made me baffle how come Yashodaa tied the creator himself? And how the one whom every fear succumbs, wailed being afraid of his mother ? And came to know it was Yashodaa's devotion, sacrifice and righteousness in her previous life which made you born as her son. Oh Gobinda I am your refuse. Always rain your blessings upon us.

Simply by having your thought in mind and chanting your name removes all the sufferings. Thus people surrender before you to be saved from all the illusions and bonding of this earth. Oh Gobinda rescuer of my sons may my mind always be in your lotus feet.

Suta said..........

Listening Kunti's prayerful words Srikrishna smiled a little and assured her with his magnetic voice. Srikrishna then marched towards Hastinapura and comforted blindfolded Gandhaari with warm words and after leaving Hastinapura began speaking to sages including Vyasha. At that time Yudhisthira with a mournful voice said.....

Yudhisthira said.........

Oh friend Maadhaba... I the son of righteousness(Dharmaputra) must have done huge sin in my previous birth to fall in ignorance of human bondage in this life. I must be going to suffer in hell after my death. I don't believe and understand the sayings, what is said in scriptures that killing for the good of one's nation and kingdom in the battle field is a righteous job. I know only the presence of God in every soul. I have fallen in the lust of my mortal body thereby killed my relatives in this war some young and some old. Their wives and relatives must be living miserably and must be cursing me for what I have done. How can I be able to remove such nasty stain of sin from my body and mind....! I must be going to have a tough punishment for my sins; in such way Yudhistira deplored before Srikrishna...

end of astama adhyaaya......................