PARITHRANAYA SADdHUNAM.......

 “Parithranaya Sadhunam”………

Lord Vishnu killed Hiranyaksha and

Hiranyakasipu in Krutayuga and saved the earth from the demons! Later in Threthayuga Ravana and Kumbhakarna were got rid of during his incarnation as Sri Rama. Dwapara yuga was infested with a number of demons like kings Sisupala and Dantavaktra whose atrocities could not be endured by  mother earth. She appealed to the Lord who promised to incarnate soon and rid the world of these demons! Thus the Lord incarnated as Krishna  and chose Vasudeva and Devaki as his parents! It was Divine  conception for Devaki and the child Krishna an absolute incarnation of Vishnu-’ Swayam Bhagawan. Unlike the others, Krishna’s is a ‘ purnavatar’. Krishna was born on the eighth day of the waning moon of the month of Shravan as per the lunar calendar. The Lord was born in his original form, with four hands and the disc and the conch, in the prison cell but soon became a child!

Krishna was exceptionally beautiful. The word means ‘ black, dark,or dark blue. ‘ karshati iti krishna’-means one who attracts others. He is called  Govinda, finder of ‘go’-cows or Vedas, Gopala-protector of cows or souls. Like cowherds who protect the cows, the Lord protects the souls of the living beings! Krishna is described as an infant eating butter, as a young boy playing flute, as a  young man with Radha and other women and also as a mentor clearing the doubts of Arjuna in the Bhagavad-Gita!  Krishna is depicted as a God child, a prankster, a model lover, a Divine hero, and the Supreme being! Srimad Bhagavata glorifies Krishna’s sports as a child. He is all pervading in the Mahabharatha. Vishnu Purana and Harivamsa enumerate the greatness of the avatar. Whenever Dharma is endangered and adharma raises it's ugly head the Lord takes avatar to destroy evil and protect the good!

The first act of destroying evil commences with the killing of Putana, sent by Kamsa. Child Krishna sucks her life along with the poison from her breasts! A series of demons like Bakasura, Sakatasura and others are despatched to death playfully.Kamsa is killed next along with the wrestlers and the elephant that had run amuck. Later Krishna kills Sisupala and helps Bhima to kill Jarasandha who were terrorizing the people. Many other rakshasas were eliminated by Krishna as and when it became necessary. The most important role of Krishna in protecting Dharma commences during the Mahabharatha period. He becomes the friend, philosopher and guide to the Pandavas who were the embodiment of Dharma.It was Krishna who came to the rescue of Draupadi when

she was disrobed in the court in the presence of her husbands and the elders like Bhisma and Drona and others.

In the great Kurukshetra war that lasted for eighteen days, Krishna becomes ‘ parthasarathy ‘- driver of the chariot of Arjuna and leads him to victory! He dispels all the relevant doubts of Arjuna over killing his teachers, kith and kin. He counsels Arjuna to give up attachment and understand that the atma or soul is Indestructible, eternal and all pervading and manifest in every living creature.The paths of Karma, Bhakti and Jnana are explained to the Pandava warrior. In the forest Krishna saves Draupadi from the anger of sage Durvasa by just taking a morsel of food from her. Again and again he goads Arjuna to kill the Kauravas as they are the personification of evil and deserve to be killed mercilessly.

Krishna even goes as a messenger of peace to avoid war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas but as fate would have it they refuse to listen to him. Krishna plays a crucial role in killing Jayadratha who along with Karna and others killed Abhimanyu in the ‘Padma vyuha'. He brings him out of his hiding by covering the Sun with his Chakra when Arjuna beheads him with his arrow! He persuades Arjuna to kill unarmed Karna when his chariot sank into the earth by reminding the cruel manner by which Abhimanyu was killed. Finally he saves the foetus in the womb of Uttara from the terrible arrow of Aswatthama! Thus the only heir of the Pandavas, Parikshit, was left to rule after the all destructive war! Thus the Lord was always by the side of Dharma or righteousness, established it, and true to his word, destroyed the  evil and sinister forces!