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ChithrabhAnu Samvathsara SrI KrishNa Jayanthi (2002 C.E): Part II , Lord KrishNA's AvathAram

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • August 30, 2002 


SrI:

Dear SrI KrishNa BhakthAs:

Let us start with the prayer of Swamy Desikan 
to the "Jayanthi Sambhavan " ( One who was born 
on the SrI Jayanthi day):

VandhE BrundhAvanacharam vallavI-jana-vallabham
Jayanthi Sambhavam dhAma VaijayanthI vibhUshaNam

--First slOkam of Sri Gopala Vimsathy and
  YaadhavAbhudhaya MahA Kaavyam

Swamy Desikan commences the Kaavyam with 
the word "VandhE" (adiyEn salutes) consistent
with "VisishtEshta DevathA-namaskaara lakshanam"
according to the famous commentator SrI Appayya
DhIkshithar.What is that lakshaNam for offering
praNAmams to the ParamamAthmA incarnating as 
the child on the SrI jayanthi day and who is
going to be the  heart throb of the Gopikais
of BrundhAvanam ? Sri UtthamUr Swamy observes:
Here the LakshaNms in the order of priorities for 
the composer of SrI YaadhavAbhudhayam are: 
(1) Vaathsalyam to the aasritha janam is the first
visEshaNam (2)Souseelyam (3)soulabhyam (4) Swamithvam
indicated by the adornment of Vyjayanthi maalai on
His sacred chest .He was born on the AavaNi ashtami
day , when the star RohiNi is in ascendance 
( ashtami sahitha ROhiNyAm sambhUtha:).The commenttors
point out that He demonstrated His Supermacy as God of
Gods by being born with the never-fadign wild flower
garland(Vaijayanthi ) and all weapons (Sankha-chakra-
gadhA et al) . " Sa: NaarayaNathvam Svasya sarvathOmukham
pradarsayan ayam Vyjayanthi VibhUshaNa: ithi VailakshaNyam"
according to UtthamUr Swamy.

It is indeed SrIman NaarAyaNan , who was born on that 
dark rainy night inside the prison of KamsA and blessed
His "parents" with the above adhbutha darsanam .In this
incarnation of SrIman NaarAyaNan , VasudEvan , the descendant
of the famous king Yadhu was the father. In earlier birth ,
VasudEvar was Kasyapa PrajApathi ,the father of DevAs 
and asurAs .Kasyapar had two wives then by the name of
Surabhi and Adhithi; they incarnated as Devaki and 
RohiNi during KrishNAvathAram. King Kamsan , who in
previous birth was the asuran, KaalanEmi imprisoned 
VasudEvar and Devaki in his prison because he was
afraid of being killed by the child born to them 
based on the pronouncement of asarIri Vaak .Responding
to the prayers of the DevAs at the milky ocean , SrIman
NaarAyaNan took birth as the child of VasudEvar and
Devaki to reduce the burden of BhUmi Devi .

That Lord born to the blessed parents is 
saluted by Swamy Desikan as:

ThrivEdhI-madhya dhIpthan ( one who is shining
in the middle of three vEdaas); He is ThridhAmnan
( He has residences at the three places: Milky Ocean,
Soorya MaNDalam and Parama Padham);He is PanchAyudhan
(Chakram, Sankham , Sword, Mace and Bow).He is Varadhan
( Celebrated boon grantor)."BaahyAnthara Havirbhujan"
(One who partakes the sacred Havis of two forms :
external and internal ).He is DayAmbhudhi (ocean of 
DayA guNam).He is beyond the comprehension of the VedAs
(nigamai: anigamyam). He is NirAdhAran( He does not need
a base for His existence). He is nijasTEman( He is the aadhAram
for all sentients and insentients).He is nirupAdhika sEshi
( He is the Supreme Master without any limitations).
He is NissAmyAdhika GuNa Poornan ( One who has no equal 
or superior, when it comes to His adhbhutha guNams).
He is known by the LakshaNams on His chest: MahA Lakshmi
and Kousthubham gem). He is ananya rakshA vrathI ( He has
the vratham to come to the protection of those , who
has no other means for protection ).

Responding to the moving prayers of the DevAs for 
their rakshaNam , SrIman NaarAyaNan (KshIrAbdhinATan)
left His bed of AdhIsEshan and entered the garbham of
Devaki languishing in the prison of Kamsan at Vada Mathurai. 
He was born as the eighth child of Deavaki on the Ashtami day.
Next day , during Navami tithi,VishNu Yoga MaayA 
was born as the daughter of YasOdhA in Gokulam.

The avathAra Kaalam of KrishNa ParamAthmA
******************************************
It was rainy season . The skies were dark with
rain-laden clouds . All the directions (dhig)were cool 
with the blessing of rain waters . It was midnight,
when the Moon , Kumudha pushpams and the Nakshathrams
were awake and the people were asleep:

prabuddha tArA kumudha abdhichandrE 
nidhrANa nissEsha  janE niseeTE
--YaadhavAbhudayam: 2.89

Chapter 3 of the Dasma skandham of Srimad BhAgavatham 
describes beautifully the avathAra Kaalam:
Peaceful silence reigned every where The stars shone 
clear in the sky .The rivers flowed with clear water.
The forests were resonant with  chirping of happy birds.
The bees hummed as they flew from the trees heavily
laden with honey filled flowers. Soft and fragrant 
breeze blew.The Kinnaraas and GandharvAs sang their 
divine chorus.The siddhAs and ChAraNAs joined.
The VidhyAdarAs and the Apsaras engaged themselves in
joyous dance. 

This midnight was the avathAra muhUrtham.
It was SrI Jayanthi dinam , which banishes all
sins; the pancha grahams, Chandran, AnkArakan,
Budhan , Guru and Sani , were in ascendance. 
It was vrushabha lagnam. Deva dhundhubhis were
heard and Celestials played on their instruments.
The rain of divine flowers fell . Our Lord was born. 
In the ten directions , "Jaya , Jaya " sabdham
was heard.It was the first month of the VarshA kaalam 
(rainy season ): AavaNi month. It was Saradh ruthu.
Bad omens appeared in the house of Kamsan and other 
asuras. The dhivya tEjas of the Lord was 
heightened by the JyOthi of MahA Lakshmi on
His chest and the darkness of the prison was 
destroyed by that combined jyOthi.

Swamy Desikan salutes this SubhAsraya Vigraham of
the newly born SrI KrishNan this way:  

Sruthi-kirIDa-subhAsraya vigraha:
paramasathva nidhi: prathipadhyasE
jagadhanugraha-maarutha-chOdhithO 
vividharoopa-taranga-vikalpanAm
-- YaadhavAbhudhayam: 3.18

Oh Lord ! YOur dhivya MangaLa vigraham shines
in the Veda Siras (Upanishads ) as their crown.
That Vigraham will banish all sins.It will facilitate
meditation on You. It is suddha satthva mayam.
Just as the ocean winds raise many waves , You
have been motivated to protect this world and for 
that purpose have taken many avathArams.

Srimad BhAgavatham describes the advent of the Lord 
on that midnight of SrI Jayanthi:

nisITE tamaudhbhUthE jAyamAnE JanArdhanE
DevakyAm dEvaroopiNyAM VishNu: sarva-gruhAsaya:
aavirAseedh yaTA prAchyAM dhisIndhuriva pushkala:
--SrImad BhAgavatham: 10.3.8

" At such a time , in the pitch darkness of 
midnight , MahA VishNu , the resident of 
the hearts of all , was born of the divinely
beautiful Devaki , like the full Moon rising on
the eastern horizon."

Tamadhbutham Baalakam ambhujEkshaNam 
Chathurbhujam sankha-gadhAryudhAyudham
SrIvathsa Lakshmam galsObhi-kousthubham 
pIthAmbharam saandhra-payOdha-soubhagam
-- SrImad BhAgavatham: 10.3.9

mahArha-vaiDUrya kirIDa-kunDalathvishA 
parishvaktha sahsra kuntalam
uddhAma-kaanchyangada-knkaNAdhibhi-
virOchamAnam VasudEVa eikshatha
--SrImad BhAgavatham: 10.3.10


" Lotus-eyed, four-armed , sporting the conch ,
mace and other weaponds ; with the luminous 
SrIvathsA mark on the chest and the shining
KaustubhA gem on the neck; wearing a yellow
raiment; possessed of the majesty and grace
of a heavy rain cloud ; with locks gleaming with 
the lustre of the diadem and ear-rings studded with 
preciuous stones; bedecked with splendorous ornaments 
like bracelets , armlets and waist girdle --
such was the luminous form of the unique child 
that greeted the vision of VasudEvar".

Devaki also saw her newly born son with all
signs and symbols of divinity. Both the parents began 
to eulogize the Lord , who elected to become their son
for avathAra purposes:

VidhithOsmi BhavAn SaakshAth Purusha: prakruthE: Para:
kEvalAnanubhava-anandhasvaroopa: sarva buddhi dhruk
--VaasudEvA's prayer: SrImad BhAgavatham: 10.3.13

" I have known who Thou art. Thou art the Supreme Being
Himself , beyond Prakruthi , of the nature of pure
consciousness-bliss , the witness of all mentations ".

Through nine exquisite slOkAs , VasudEvar saluted the Lord 
and at the end expressed his fear about harm coming His way 
from Kamsan if He styed with VishNu lakshaNams.

Devaki now joined in the salutations of the Lord :

" Thou art verily MahA VishNu , the light spirtual--
what philosophers describe as the First , the unmanifested ,
the vast , the luminous , the One beyond the GuNAs , 
the changeless, the pure being ,the unmodified and
the desireless.....Thou art verily the saviour of
Your servants.And May Thou be pleased not to reveal
this divine form , perceivable only in meditation  
to unregenerate people , who have only their fleshy
eyesight.Oh MadhusoodhanA ! Let not that sinful
Kamsan know that Thou hast been born of me.
The timid one that I am , anxiety for Thy safety
makes me afraid of Kamsa. O Soul of the worlds!
Therefore withdraw this transcendental form ,
glorious with its four arms sporting discus ,
mace lotus and conch ".

The Lord obliged and commanded VasudEva to transfer 
Him to Gokulam as an ordinary infant and then bring 
back Yoga Maaya born of YasOdha back to the prison 
so that Kamsa would not know His whereabouts.

VasudEvar took the baby on a basket and placed 
that basket on his head to proceed to Gokulam ,
which was situated on the other bank of YamunA
river. At that time , the doors of the prison
opened and the servants of Kamsa fell into a deep
sleep.Garudan circled above the basket carrying
his Lord . AdhisEshan served as an umbrella to
protect his Lord against the rain drops. The gems on 
the heads of AdhisEshan lit the way . YamunA river ,
the daughter of Sooryan , controlled her floods 
so that VasudEvar could travel effortlessly 
across her breadth to reach Gokulam for
the exchange of infants at YasOdhA's house. 

The Lord's birth was celebrated by the cowherds
and their king , NadhagOpAlan as described by 
PeriyAzhwAr in his divine paasurams."ambhOruhastha-
kalahamsa kiSora-ramyam" ( Lord shone like 
the infant Hamsam on the Lotus flower)reached
the eleventh day  when he had NaamakarNam ceremony .
Our Lord recieved the name of KrishNa from Sage Gargar.
He chose the unique name of KrishNa from the combination of
a dhAthu and a letter. The dhAthu was Krishi and the aksharam 
was "Na": " krishibhur-vaachaka sabdha: Nasccha 
nivrutthi vaachaka:,  TayOraikyam Param Brahma
Krishna ithyabhidhIyathE"( Krishi denotes BhU
(Sath) ."Na" denotes Aanandham . The combination of 
the two signifies the One with the name of 
KrishNa , Sath-chid-Aanandha Para Brahmam.Additional
name of VaasudEvan was also given by the Rishi to
KrishNan , the son of VasudEvan. 

REST IS HISTORY CELEBRATED IN THE DASAMA SKANDHAM 
OF SRIMAD BHAAGAVATHAM AND YAADHAVAABHUDHAYAM. 

KRISHNAAYA VAASUDEVAAYA DEVAKI NANDHANAAYA CHA
NANDHAGOPA-KUMAARAAYA GOVINDHAAYA NAMO NAMA:

With all best wishes for a wonderful SrI Jayanthi
celebrations at Your homes and Temples, 
 
Sarvam KrishNArpaNam ,
SrImath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan  



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