Slokam 1

Nandagopa on his way back to Vraja,  sees the form of Puthana crashing down trees and leaving no remenants.  

It is said that Puthana’s huge body is said to flatten the ground off all trees which fell like twigs overran area of  six kroshas.

Nandagopa seeks the feet of the Paramathma for protection from the disaster that occurred.

The premonition of Vasudeva is correct.  Nandagopa did the right thing by returning.  It is to Nandagopa’s credit that he surrenders to the feet of the Paramathma to provide guidance and support in resolving the problem. In times of crisis,  we should never attempt to resolve issues on our own.

Nandagopa, like us has the Paramathma and Puthana, battling within him. When the residents of vraja witness Puthana’s destruction, they are witnessing the victory of Dharma over Adharma.  They see the revelation of the true form and self of Putana who is demoness that masqueraded as a gorgeous and helpful woman. 

Dangers in our world lurk at every turn of our life.  Many of these come and go without our being ever unaware of them.  Many of these dangers are well beyond our capabilities to recognizeand resolve.  None of the residents of Vraja were adversely affected by the arrival of Puthana, simply because the Paramathma was already among them to protect them. 

Assuming there was no Puthana in our lives to entrap us,  all the doors to our internal house will be ever open for invasion,  like the residences of Vraja.  We would be taken over by demons and destroyed in no time at all.

Like us, no one in Vraja knows the forms that the Paramathma takes on to be with us.  We all know and recognize the forms that Putana takes on.  Even if we know the dangers of Putanas charms,  we are unable to prevent ourselves from succumbing to them because of the intricate weaving of the fabric with the threads being desire, lust, and need.  We know we are walking into danger but we are unable to resist the temptations offered by Putana.

Like the residents of Vraja,  we know that the Paramathma is everything and is everywhere, but we do not succumb to Him like we should.  The primary reason is that the Paramathma does not seek to fulfill our desires or satisfy our needs.  He wants us to discard our needs and desires. When we have already surrendered to the inticate web of Putana, how is it possible to extricate ourselves from her clutches?  We have to recognize that we have been trapped,  and then we have to extricate ourselves, by learning to transform and discard each thread that binds us.  As we attempt to do this unravelling process, we learn about our limitations and then, when we recognize that our inner self is not within our control, that is when we turn to the Paramathma for help and surrender.

If we could extricate ourselves from Putanas web with out “own” abilities,  then what will actually happen is that our ahankara will grow and we will assume that we are almighty himself.  We will then never seek self realization or surrender. So we are never granted the ability to overcome the hurdles on our own.

This is why the Paramathma does not reveal his identity upfront.  We are first entangled helplessly in the world of maya.  Then, exposed to our own limitations,  and in a completely helpless state, we become aware our limitations to overcome the obstacles.  Only then do we seek the hand of the Paramathma.

The Kauravas chose the Yadava army,  clearly indicating that they had no faith that the Paramathma. They went by their confidence in mere strength of numbers. They had absolutely no trust in the overriding ability of the Paramathma to vanquish the entire army singlehandedly.

If he could defeat the Kauravas with his army, why would Arjuna need Sri Krishna as the Charioteer,?  This is why the Paramathma offers the choice of His Yadava army to one side and    Himself to the other.  The side that chooses Sri Krishna is foregoing the physical support of numbers and size of the forces.  So, there is an apparent vast difference in strengths and numbers between the two sides. 

This is exactly what each and everyone of us does, when we choose to pursue worldly recognition, pleasures and accumulation of wealth, rather than seeking the Paramathma’s path to eternity.

Likewise, the one choosing the Paramathma, although not lavished with wealth,  will be getting what is essential to carry on life, plus the expansive and all encompassing support and guidance of the Paramathma, whenever it is needed.

The residents of Vraja (which is us) would surely now learn to be more careful and show restraint in allowing open admittance to the demonic forces.

The residents of Vraja now realize that there are many dangers in this world of which they are unware of and which they cannot control,  or subdue without the direct intervention of the Paramathma.

We may realize that the obstacles of life are set up way beyond our abilities to resolve.

May we realize that this is to ensure that we are correctly positioned in life  to seek the support of the Paramathma in overcoming obstacles that are laid on the pathway to moksham