Krushna
an Evolved Soul
Shri Krushna was a very special person because he was aware of his own divinity – or rather the divine that existed within HIM.
Most
of us are afraid to even acknowledge that divinity resides in us, let alone
accept that we are part and parcel of the divine ! The three Semitic
faiths are horrified that Hindus think GOD resides “in them” and therefore
reject Hindu philosophy in its totality.
To us
Hindus, death of a body is a natural process of decay and as such, soul has
nothing to do with it. Divine personages live on as realised souls - souls
that have realised that they are divine ! All of us have to get to that
stage of realisation. Its not a magic pill – it’s simply a matter of fact
! In that sense, Shri Krishna was a highly evolved, realised soul, who
knew of his own divinity and hence could play with karmic bonds like a magician
playing with knots on a string. Like a skilful chess player, he could
anticipate the actions and reactions of people around him and act accordingly to
make sure he always came out on top. For those who had the intelligence
and foresight to see this, it was / is a fascinating play / lila of evolved
souls.
Like many heroes of the Mahabharta, Krushna had an unusual birth and growing-up tale.
Unlike many heroes of the Mahabharata, Krushna smiled through life rather than complain about it.
Like Karna, Krushna was also abandoned by his parents at birth.
Like the Pandavas, Krushna lived his childhood frolicking in forests. Formal education came much later in life.
Like many others of his time, Krushna was plagued by unfriendly neighbours like Jarasandha and Shishupal.
Like most of us, Krushna had some unpleasant family members and many unruly relatives.
Unlike others though, Krushna wasn't limited by his birth, social position,
resources, relatives etc. He accepted things as they were and moved them to where he
wanted things to be. He did this by the sheer force of his own will –
utilising sama – dama – danda and bheda to achieve his aim.
However, Krushna never compromised on his high standards of integrity to reach
his goal. Nor was his goal for personal gain. Reason people worship
Krushna despite knowing him to be a 'rule-breaker' is because he ALWAYS worked for
the good of society as a whole and never for himself.
Krushna tried to show Karna that he too could do this, but, Karna was too bound by his own mental limitations (set by himself) to be able to do this. Krushna was patient with the Pandavas after they lost everything at the throw of a dice. He forgave them and continued to work with them to get justice for them.
Like all of us, Krushna had some "challenging relatives".
Some he loved, some he ignored, some he reformed, some he reasoned with and some
he had no choice but to kill. Krushna accepted that there is no one
prescription for life. You have to deal with each situation as it arises
and learn to accommodate with life as required. He also knew everyone has
to reach their own level of realisation at their own pace. Krushna was
patient enough to wait for people to do this. This is why he was "friends"
with both sides of the warring parties and could stand as advisor to both.
Krushna was aware of everyone’s limitations and accepted them as they were. He did not expect people to change or reform overnight. He advised them, cajoled and corrected their mistakes, but he never forced HISs will upon anyone. For example, even after having given Arjun a lengthy lecture on morality, duty, righteousness, spirituality and philosophy (SMB Gita), Shri Krushna left the final decision “to fight or not to fight” on Arjun.
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