Canto 38

Sri Krishna’s birth is in the hostile environment of Kamsa’s prison. The Paramathma is pure consciousness.  Pure consciousness takes root in the captivity of ahankara, fear, insecurity, desire etc. It is never born in its pure state.  Like a large tree always has to begin as a sapling or a seed,  and has to be nurtured by fertilizers and watering, and most importantly to be protected from being consumed by herbivorous animals,  so also the seed of pure consciousness has to be shielded and nurtured.

Sri Krishna is born to two noble parents,  who have the sattvic guna as the dominant nature.  They are in the captivity of Kamsa, who has the rajasic guna as the dominant nature.  When a baby takes birth in a mothers womb, it is shielded, protected,  and nurtured. It has to travel through the various paths, exit from the mothers body,  into this world of gunas.  Till the point of delivery,  there is complete peace and protection.  All the needs of the fetus are met. On entering into this world, chaos and confusion sets in.  The baby’s umbilical cord with its mother is disconnected,  and from that point onwards, the jivatma begins its journey through the twists and turns of life.

The seed of consciousness, needs to be protected and nurtured,  until it is in full bloom.  The fetus in the mother’s womb develops the required biological and mental capabilities to take birth and survive on its own.  Once it is ready,  the mothers body begins the process of expelling the fetus from its confines.  Our consciousness, which takes root in the confines of the mother’s womb, is shielded and nurtured by the mind and body.  An attachment is developed by the Jiva Atma with the body and the mind during their life of 100 years.  The body and mind are transient.  During the process of our lifetimes,  the events of life are designed to disengage this dependance of the JivaAtma from the body and mind. 

In order for the disengagement to happen,  there is no alternative except to follow the spiritual path. The interconnections between the Jivaatma and the mind are the most complex.  All worldly needs and desires are the source of illusory attachment.  As long as consciousness is fully absorbed in sukham and in dukham,  there can be no release.  Once our jiva atma,  casts off its dependance on the physical body and the senses,  it becomes infinite and bouindless.  It merges with the Paramathma.

When we are born and re-born,  the cause is only our attachment, from previous births, to worldly objects, that we have not been able to discard.

Sri Krishna Paramathma has already transcended these attachments.  He does not ever need to be born on earth.  He takes on a birth that is initiated only by the need to establish or restore dharma.  As Krishna Paramathma tells Arjuna in the Bhagavath Gita,  He has no assigned duties to perform.  Yet, if He did not take the initiative to act to establish and protect Dharma,  there would be chaos on this planet,  with a huge outgrowth of unnecessary population.

What Sri Krishna is saying is doing is of His own free will.  This is what He means when He says that He has no assigned duties to perform. On the other hand all our actions are directed by needs, necessities and desires. We are in bondage.

Canto 38 is a mingling of the extraordinary circumstances of the avatar of the Paramathma,  with the experiences of each one of us.

The birth of the Paramathma as Sri Krishna is a revelation on the human condition and the journey of life. 

May we imbibe these eternal lessons of truth about the self with absolute equanimity,  and free of fear, desire, and attachment.