THE MASTER PLANNER

In Bhagavad-Gita chapter VII Verse-26, Lord Srikrishn says, -"I know all the creatures that lived in the past, that live in the present and those who will live in the future. But all such beings do not know me."

The limitless sky containing all is present even within an atom, the tiniest particle of matter. Yet sky is independent and unaffected by all. So is unique and playful Lord Srikrishn who creates, sustains and annihilates all but remains away from all, being the container of all.

Sage Ved Vyas, the great grandson of one of the saptarishis (seven divine sages) named Vasishtha, in Puranas asserted that a human being might claim to have counted all the atoms present on earth but can never claim to have known God completely. All beings take refuge in him yet experience and perceive him differently. Innumerable people who are devoted to Lord Srikrishn experience that Lord Srikrishn keeps guiding them about their past and future happenings through dreams and visions in meditation. His words are therefore, no exaggeration. One can experiment and test the veracity of his words enshrined in 'Bhagvad Gita'

Arjun was the cousin of Lord Srikrishn who had to fight in the battlefield at Kurukshetra with his cousins, grandfather and gurus for they took the side of his jealous cousin Duryodhan who had deceitfully exiled him with his brothers( Pandav)  to deprive them of the inherited kingdom. Arjun along with his wife Draupadi and brothers suffered miserably out of the conspiracies hatched by his cousins but Lord Srikrishn kept on helping and guiding him throughout. Lord Srikrishn even acted as a messenger to persuade Duryodhan to make peace with them. But Duryodhan did not agree and finally they had to enter the battlefield.

At the very outset of war, the scene of belligerent forces consisting of honourable warriors unnerved Arjun. Trembling with fear he got down his chariot and told his charioteer and benevolent cousin Lord Srikrishn that he would prefer to be a beggar then shed their blood. Lord Srikrishn then enlightened him to perform his duty of eliminating evil forces from the face of the mother earth, which is the prime duty of a Kshatriya (the warrior class). He divulged that even if Arjun refused to fight; Lord Srikrishn was there to eliminate them all, having descended to unburden earth from evil forces.

Arjun, unaware of spiritual loftiness of his charioteer, got aghast to see the cosmic vision of Lord Srikrishn who appeared as Mahakaal sucking, licking chewing and devouring all warriors with his mouth, lolling out gigantic flames. Horrified Arjun knelt down and humbly prayed, - "Please show me your same divine form. For this form is unbearable to me." When Lord Srikrishn reappeared before Arjun as a smiling four armed Lord Vishnu, he regained poise and felt convinced that the Almighty was beside him in his hour of trial.

Such is the approach of Lord Srikrishn as he puts every seeker to a litmus test at every step in life. Attaining him is no easy task. One who has risen above the consideration of 'I' and' mine' alone can be his favourite.  But as one advances in sadhana one realizes that most of the events happening in life have roots in the past. Life is merely a drama in continuation of the past that goes on as planned by God. Lord Srikrishn revealed this in Puranas. He told Radha at the time of Maharaas in Vrindavan that not to talk of Lord Brahma even Lord  Srikrishn himself cannot change the chain of events planned by him for every being.

Every human being realizes this in one's own life that things do not always happen as per one's own wish and planning.  Element of uncertainty keeps looming large in the life of all. However rich and powerful one may consider oneself, the stream of life is not in one's own control all the time. Puranas that depict an enlightening, amusing and amazingly candid account of lives of ancient kings, sages and deities give a vivid picture of this eternal truth.

Those who did and make concerted effort to communicate with superior forces do get such revelations. Lord Srikrishn is the creator and ruler of all forces superior to human beings whom we call as deities, spirits; angels etc. deities are closer to Lord Srikrishn as their life and powers are superior to men's. During the stay of Lord Srikrishn on earth he always helped and guided sincere seekers by giving them knowledge and divine experiences. As his consciousness is omnipresent, whenever ticklish situation arose between deities and their counterparts, deities sought His intervention. He divulged the root cause of the problem and resolved the issue dramatically.   No one can alter what Lord Srikrishn has conceived.

There are however, stories, which prove that man can change one's destiny by performing tapasya or prayer. But the major events in creation are well conceived and pre-planned. The truth is that only through uniting with the Supreme Being can one change the course of life.

The Danav and the Gopi on the earth

As cursed by Radha in Golok, Sridama was born as a danav named Shankhchood on earth. Tulasi, being a partial incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi and Gopi Tulasi was born to a pious and prosperous couple. Being a matchlessly beautiful one that could not be compared with anyone she was christened Tulasi (i.e. who has no comparison) by her parents. She grew up as an enlightened girl who refused to toe the line of laymen and set down at Badrika ashram to perform great tapasya to please Lord Srikrishn.  Lord Brahma, pleased with her, appeared. Tulasi expressed her desire to marry Lord Srikrishn. Lord Brahma explained to her that on earth she would have to marry Shankhchood who was actually Sridama of Golok and had been blessed by him to wed Tulasi. Later on, at the appropriate time Lord Vishnu was destined to marry her.

As guided by Lord Brahma, she agreed to marry Shankhchood but asked Lord Brahma to show her a way of becoming the consort of Lord Srikrishn ultimately for Lord Vishnu did not appeal to her as much as Lord Srikrishn. Lord Brahma gave her Radha's mantra and asked her to practice it. He told her that on being pleased Radha would herself allow her to marry Lord Srikrishn. Tulasi took the mantra, practiced it and attained siddhis. She then married ardent suitor Shankhchood who was deeply enamoured by Tulasi. By the grace of Lord Srikrishn after marrying Tulasi who chanted a mantra to please Lord Srikrishn all the time, he became so powerful that he dethroned even the celestial beings.

Terrified and exasperated, they all prayed to Lord Brahma to restore their status. Lord Brahma failed to understand the cause of his peerless position and led them to Lord Shiv who also expressed inability to help them and guided them to approach Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu, being a prototype of Lord Srikrishn meditated and learnt the history of the danav. He divulged to them that Shankhchood, being a former gopa of Lord Srikrishn would be invincible so long as he had Lord Vishnu's 'kavach' in his throat and his wife remained chaste. He therefore, gave Lord Shiv a trident to kill the danav, promised that he himself would take away the 'kavach' from the danav and would desecrate his wife so that Lord Shiv could kill the danav in the battlefield.

Convinced of the plan of Almighty, Lord Brahma left for his loka asking Lord Shiv to kill the danav. Lord Shiv then sent his messenger to danav to return the thrones of celestial beings usurped by him. But Shankhchood being a devotee of Lord Srikrishn remained unperturbed and did not yield. Lord Shiv then, took him on and a fierce battle followed. Even the most dreadful and blood thirsty Goddess Kali who is well known for having chewed up mammoth demons in a sport, failed to kill him. Lord Vishnu then, disguised as a Brahman asked Shankhchood to give away his 'kavach' (astral armour) in alms. Hypnotized by Lord Vishnu the danav obliged him. Lord Shiv then threw the trident on him. Seeing death near, the danav closed his eyes and meditated on Lord Srikrishn. A chariot appeared in subtle form from Golok.  Shankhchood shed the body of a danav lying on the earth, pierced by the trident of Lord Shiv. As a sparkling divine being, he set in the chariot and reached Golok where Radha-Madhav ushered him affectionately.

Lord Shiv threw his bones into the sea from which developed animals dwelling in conch shells. Their shell, called 'Shankh' (conch-shells) is placed in the temples and considered auspicious by the devotees of Lord Srikrishn.

After taking away 'kavach' from Shankhchood, Lord Vishnu took to his form and entered Tulasi's palace. Without sensing the foul play she welcomed him and slept with him. On getting inkling about the identity of the imposter, she sternly asked him to reveal his identity lest she should curse him. Lord Vishnu revealed himself. On seeing that the imposter was none other than her favourite Lord Vishnu, she was taken aback. Enraged to learn that Lord Vishnu had tricked her, such heartlessly, she cursed him, -"O, Lord Vishnu! You are callous like a stone. You have desecrated me deceitfully. This does not behove you. Lord Vishnu! I curse you. Better be a stone from now onwards on earth." Her wrath irrupted as lava irrupts from the mouth of a live volcano towards the person who stood in front of her as inertly as an idol of wax. She had no doubt been dreaming and longing to have him as her eternal consort. But that he would fulfil her that wish in such a bizarre and unimaginable manner, sent a current down her spine that inundated her being with a perfect contempt and repugnance to him. Lord Vishnu, despite witnessing her sordid plight showed not an iota of regret to the helpless victim of his ploy. He stood there, as if he were a tree rooted to the ground, zooming his foliage delightedly, almost unruffled by the stormy tornado of a feminine outburst. Rather he sported a calm smile and accepted her curse with matchless modesty. He gloating at the red hot countenance of furious Tulasi, murmured in a clear voice, -"Dear, you have forgotten that in Golok you had wished to be my wife. In this life also you did great tapasya for me. I have fulfilled your wish thus. I honour and accept your curse. I will be a mountain and you will flow beside me as river Gandaki. We would thus remain together on earth. Insects will cut and drop tiny pebbles of that mountain in river Gandaki.  These will be called Shaligram shilas. From your hair shall grow plants of Tulasi. Your husband Shankhchood was my devotee in Golok in the past. From his corpse shall develop animals whose conch shells shall be worshipped along with Shaligram and leaves of Tulasi on Bhulok."

Tulasi was left speechless. Lord Vishnu consoled her, assuring that she would remain his beloved wife in Vaikunthalok and Golok. Tulasi was beside herself. Having lost her earthly husband and also the purpose of existence on earth, she renounced her body. Her hair turned into a forest of Tulasi plants named Vrindavan and body turned into river Gandaki that flows in Nepal. When Lord Srikrishn took birth he enjoyed roaming in Vrindavan and performed Maharaas with her beloved Gopis in that forest. He does not forget the love of his devotees asserts Lord Srikrishn, a lovelorn God. From the mountain still keep falling Shaligram shilas (which have symbols of chakra or lingam engraved naturally inside) into the river Gandaki.

Seers believe that because of this act of Lord Vishnu he had to lose his wife Sita to a demon king, Ravan who deceitfully took away Sita from Ram, the prince of Ayodhya and incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Thus the chain of events went on, based on boons and curses.

Sridama and Tulasi went back to Golok but their relics in the form of Tulasi plant, conch shell and Shaligramshila are still worshipped by the devotees of Lord Srikrishn.