Canto 37

The slokams of Canto 37 provide the backdrop of the settings into which the Paramathma takes Krishna avataram.

The dominance of the asuras on earth causes extensive misery to mother earth.  Removing the misery imposed by the asuras and allowing the devas to progress on the path of spirituality, is the primary purpose of the Paramathma being born on earth as Sri Krishna. 

The troubles and turmoils that need to be overcome to establish dharma are indeed humongous.  There is never any let up in the constant battle between asuras and devas.  Each has a period of ascendancy and a period of downfall.

Ultimately, the battles of the Paramathma in the “external” world are only to demonstrate what is happening with us.  The ultimate purpose of the Paramathma is to destroy the asura within us and establish his reign of eternity within the domain of what we think is our consciousness.

Our domain of existence is our consciousness.  Our consciousness belongs only to the Paramathma.  It is however pulled and pushed by opposing forces,  represented by the Devas and Asuras.  

The source of all physical action in this world happens due to imbalances.  The imbalances tend to equalize always.  This tendency to equalize, between the opposing forces, is the cause of manifestation of all action on this planet.  Our perception of the action that is taking place is also the result of imbalances in our mind.  The imbalances in the physical world manifest as the various forces of mother nature, such as gravity, light, heat,  etc.  These forces of nature act on objects to keep them in motion and sustain all physical action.  The action is separated and sequenced by consciousness into distinct events that are then perceived through the senses. 

The cause of the imbalances is what we call as “energy”.

The assertion of the scriptures is that this source of all manifested energy is the supreme consciousness of the Paramathma. 

Any system built out of imbalances ultimately equalizes into a tranquil state. This is very much like the waves on the ocean emerging, only to fall back onto the level surface.  Mother nature is constantly trying to balance the opposing forces. 

The slokams of Canto 37 have to be read with the understanding that all of the avatars of the Paramathma is undertaken to maintain the balance of the opposing forces with which we are made and to ultimately establish eternity. 

The grant of eternity for the forces of our consciousness is entirely dependent on whether we attain the state of balance of the opposing forces within us (our gunas), and we are able to hold this balance on a permanent basis without deviation, regardless of what may transpire in the world around us.  This is the Paramathma’s challenge to all of His creations. 

Giving up all attachments and unconditional surrender is the key to this attainment.