Continued
From: http://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.ca/2013/12/srimadh-bagawatham-ramayanam-part-6.html
Krishnavataram:
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There
are many esoteric meanings in Krishnavataram. Lord Krishna performed many
divine acts (leelai) during Krishnavataram.
The greatness of Yadu
The
Lord’s first leelai was when He chose to incarnate in the lineage of Yadu the
son of Yayati and Devayani.
Devayani
was the daughter of Sukracharyar the preceptor of the Asuras. She with her
father lived in the kingdom of an Asura king. The King treated Sukracharyar with respect. The king had a beautiful daughter
called Sarmishtai. Devayani grew up in the company of Sarmishtai and her
friends. Devayani did not fit in to the group as she felt that Sarmishtai held
a superior position in their group since she was the princess. One day the
girls went for a swim. After returning to the river bank, Sarmishtai wore
Devayani’s clothes by mistake. As Devayani was secretly holding a grudge
against Sarmishtai, she exploded and yelled at sarmishtai, ‘don’t you have any
sense? How dare you take my clothes? You may be the princee but it does not
give you a right to take those things which belong to others!’
Sarmishtai
felt very angry when she heard Devayani’s words.
‘I
took your clothes in error. Even if I had intentionally taken your clothes its not
a mistake for afterall it was purchased by your father with the salary paid by
my father!’
Sarmishtai
did not stop with her arguments but pushed Devayani in to a deep well and left
to the palace with her friends.
Devayani
called for help and King Yayati who was passing through that area heard her
cry. He found her inside the well and helped her out by grabbing her arm.
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Devayani
saw the handsome king. She wished to become a queen to teach Sarmishtai a
lesson. She said to yayati, ‘you have grasped my arm and as I am an unmarried
girl, you have to accept me as your wife!’
‘I
only grabbed your arm to help you out of the well. I can’t wed every girl I
help. I don’t even know anything about you.’
‘I
am the daughter of Sukracharyar; my name is Devayani.’
‘If
you are Sukracharyar’s daughter you are a Brahmin. It is prohibited by shastras
for a Kshatriya man to marry a Brhamin girl though a Kshatriya woman could
marry a Brhamin man. I can’t go against the shastras in order to marry you.’
At
that moment Sukracharyar came looking for Devayani. Sukracharyar spoiled
Devayani by letting her have what ever she wished to have. Devayani complained
to her father and informed him that she had to marry the king.
‘What
you say about the shastras prohibiting a kshatriya man from marrying a Brahmin
girl is correct but I can use my powers to make sure that you are not affected
by any sins but if you disappoint my daughter, you will have to face my wrath!’
Yayati
did not wish to be cursed by Sukracharyar. He agreed to wed Devayani. The Asura
King gave many gifts since his preceptor’s daughter was getting married.
Devayani made an extraordinary request to the king.
‘Along
with all these gifts, I wish to take your daughter Sarmishtai as my personal
maid servant!’
The
Asura King acceded to Devayani’s request because of his repect for
Sukracharyar.
Sukracharyar
was worried. He knew that Sarmishtai was beautiful and knew how to conduct
herself regally. Over time Yayati could fall in love with the fashionable Sarmishtai
and Devayani would be upset. He therefore called Yayati aside and warned him, ‘If
you are ever unfaithful to my daughter, you will have to face my wrath!’
Devayani
and Yayati lived happily and had four sons. The eldest son was named Yadu. One
day Yayati went on a hunting trip and Sarmishtai accompanied him. Yayati fell
in love with Sarmishtai and secretly married her. They had four sons and the
eldest son was called as Puru.
After
a few years Devayani came across Sarmishtai’s sons and realized that they
resembled Yayati. She soon found out the truth and rushed to her father and
complained to him.
Sukracharyar
was seething with anger. ‘May Yayati turn into a decrepit old man!’ he cursed.
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Yayati
heard about this curse. He went to Sukracharyar.
‘Your
curse will only make matters worse for your daughter since she has to live with
an old man,’ said Yayati. ‘Please reverse your curse.’
‘Alas!
I do not have powers to reverse a curse but if any of your sons are willing to
exchange their youth for your old age, you will become youthful again.’
Yayati
said, ‘I must warn you; I will give my kingdom only to my son who relieves me
of my old age. Do you have any concerns?’
‘There
are four types of sons,’ said Sukracharya. ‘The first type is the best son for
he knows automatically his parents wish and fulfills it. The second type of son
can find out about their parent’s wish from their body language and then makes
it come true. The third type will fullfill wishes when parents ask him to do
so. The fourth is the lowest as he is disobedient. I agree with you that the
kingdom shouldn’t be given to the disobedient son.’
Yayati
first approached Devayani’s son Yadu. As Yadu refused, the other sons of
Devayani refused as well.
Next
Yayati approached Puru who readily exchanged his youth with his father. Thus
Yayati crowned Puru and cursed Yadu that he should never wear a crown or be
treated as a royal personage.
Why
did Lord Krishna choose the lineage of the disobedient Yadu?
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