Devaki, the Mother of Krishna
Wednesday February 23 2005 07:56 IST
By Karmayogi
Devaki was the fortunate mother of Balarama and Krishna, the two avatars. The normal human expectation is that long before the birth of this God and long after that, the mother would have been blessed with fortunate circumstances. The facts are otherwise.
Krishnas birth was preceded by his mothers long years of incarceration. Also it was prolonged long after his birth. She lost six of her children in gruesome circumstances. How do we mortals understand it? Even if we accept it as an act of God, we need an explanation for it.
The four great plays of Shakespeare were tragedies. Could not the greatest of poets have revealed to the world his poetic vision in happier circumstances? Hamlet is a tragedy of seven murders where the hero was tormented by the idea of his mother being unfaithful to his father.
Gokulam, where Krishna was growing up, was overwhelmed by the vibration of joy. He broadcast cheerfulness among the inhabitants there. Even his pranks were loved by all. Lord Krishna, whose presence carried so much of joy and prosperity, did not give his parents some of it. They suffered in prison.
The same question can be asked about Ramas life. Valmikis vision of Ramarajya could have spared the avatar the trials of losing the wife and the tribulations of restoring her. The father of the avatar need not have died of sorrow – putrasoka. Indian philosophy has its own explanation. We will appreciate a fuller and better explanation and more so, a solution to such a situation.
Before the advent of Sri Aurobindo, life was dark, cruel, and tyrannical. Even the avatar had to pay the price for his avatarhood. Sri Aurobindos mother lost her sanity on his birth. Sri Aurobindos father died of a heart attack on receiving the telegram that the ship on which Sri Aurobindo was sailing back to India had sunk. Actually, he was travelling by another ship.
Sri Aurobindos brother suffered imprisonment for life. He himself was hounded all his life by the British police. His wife died before she could join him. His Force brought down on earth in 1956 offers all those who avail of it a shield from the cruelties of life.
We, His devotees, under one impression or another, want to serve our enemies which brings back that tragedy to our house.
We dont see cruelty can come to us in the shape of those whom we respect for any reason. The most dangerous camouflage is devotion to Mother or nearness to Her. Life evolves through good and evil. To life, good as well as evil is acceptable. We would prefer good to evil.
Mother offers us that protection if we have the right discrimination, regardless of the fact of who it is or what the place is.