While explaining the details of Shree Krishna’s Divine janm, it was explained to you in the previous article that when Shree Krishna appeared before Devki and Vasudev, it was in His full-grown form, as supreme God. Upon her request, He took the form of a newborn baby and began His Bal Leelas. It was also explained that He was not born from the womb of Devki, because God’s body is Divine and eternal, so it does not have to be formed in the womb of His mother. His body is synonymous with Him and is omnipresent, thus He does not have to come from anywhere – He just appears.
Was Devki pregnant with Shree Krishna?
This brings up a question regarding Devki’s pregnancy – she appeared to go through a regular 9 month pregnancy, exhibiting all the physical signs of pregnancy, like a swollen belly and the sensation of the child moving and kicking inside of her – so was she pregnant with Shree Krishna or not?
It is explained in the Garg Sanhita that Shree Krishna’s personal power yogmaya – which has the capability of making all impossible things possible – manipulated the space inside Devki’s belly, inflating it to give the appearance of a gradual progression through the stages of pregnancy. Yogmaya also gave Devki the sensation that she is carrying a weight inside her, and also made her feel that her child is moving inside of her. She had all the sensations of being pregnant, but none of the discomfort – she only felt that she was permeated with bliss.
In other words, for the sake of Devki, and for the world, Shree Krishna simulated a material pregnancy, but there was never an embryo growing in the womb of Devki, nor did Devki go into labor and deliver Shree Krishna. It is described in the Bhagwatam that at the end of the 9 month simulated pregnancy, one day Devki was reclining and thinking of Shree Krishna.
Suddenly, the vision of Him in her mind vanished, so she opened her eyes and found that Shree Krishna was standing in front of her in the jail cell in His full-grown Divine form. She also noticed that the bulge and weight in her belly were gone.
So we see that in every way, Shree Krishna’s janm was Divine. Since He did not have a material birth, can we also assume that He did not suffer a material death? Yes, it is certain that His disappearance from this world was – like His appearance – a pre-planned Divine event beyond the reach of material logic and reasoning.
Shree Krishna’s Divine disappearance from the world
The Bhagwatam describes that at the time Shree Krishna decided to leave the world, with His will, a hunter named Jaraa came along to the place where Shree Krishna was reclining under a Pipal tree. Seeing Shree Krishna from a distance, he mistook the rosy sole of His lotus foot for the face of a deer, and fired his arrow. The arrow struck the sole of Shree Krishna’s foot. After approaching and realizing that he had struck Shree Krishna with his arrow, the hunter was beside himself with grief and fell at His feet. Shree Krishna told him that he had accomplished His will, and not to worry. He sent Jaraa to swarg on an aerial chariot.
After that, knowing that supreme God Shree Krishna was about to leave the earth with His Divine body, Brahma, Shiv, Parvati, Indra, other devtas of swarg, and all the great rishis and munis gathered at the place where Shree Krishna was seated. They all sang His praises and paid their obeisances. When Shree Krishna disappeared from that spot and entered into His supreme Divine abode with His Divine body, none of them could see Him go, and none could understand the secret of His disappearance. Thus, we see that Bhagwan Shree Krishna is not born, and does not die – He appears and disappears from this world with His Divine body, and according to His own will.
Chapter 4, Shlok 6
Everything that has been explained in this regard in the last few articles is summarized beautifully in the sixth shlok of the fourth chapter. Shree Krishna tells Arjun that although He is ajah (unborn), and although He is avyayatma (non-different from His body, eternal and indestructible), and although He is bhootanamishwarah (the supreme Lord of all living beings Who resides within them, giving them life, keeping track of their karm, and giving the results of their karm), yet He sambhavami (appears in this world in His Divine personal form) atmamayaya (through His yogmaya power), while prakritimsvamadhishthaya (controlling His material power).
This verse also clarifies that even while Shree Krishna is visiting the earth, He does not cease being supreme God. It is difficult for us to imagine that even while He is crawling around like a little baby, He is still the omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent Lord of the universe. How this is possible will be described in the next article.
Disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj
Swami NikhilanandJi is a Canadian born Hindu spiritual leader based in Austin, Texas. He is a sanyasi disciple and pracharak of Jagadguru Shree KripalujiMaharaj.
Attracted to the teachings of Hinduism from a young age, Swamiji eventually let his deep spiritual longing lead him to India, where he was most fortunate to come under the guidance of Shree KripalujiMaharaj. Thereafter, living in the ashrams of JKP, he extensively studied Hindi, the philosophy of the prime Sanskrit scriptures (Vedas, DarshanShastras, Gita, Bhagwatam), and practiced meditation in the tradition of raganuga bhakti. In 2003, he was given sanyas. Now, with the blessings of his Guruji, he offers satsang programs throughout America, engaging audiences with his clear explanations of Hindu philosophy coupled with inspired chanting of Sanskrit mantras and shlokas and charming namsankirtan. His informative and compelling speeches provide practical insight into how to adopt the teachings of SanatanDharm into our daily lives, and inspire us to awaken our inner spiritual potential.
To stay in touch with Swami NikhilanandJi, like his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SwamiNikhilanand or follow him on twitter at https://twitter.com/Swami_Nikhil.
Swami Nikhilanand
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