SATYAN
-15. The Lord And Vasudev

And lo!  There was Lord Krishna standing in front of him with a light still glowing brightly behind his glittering crown.  A peacock feather was attested to the ornamental headdress of the Lord.  He also wore a colourful garland round his neck and held a golden flute in his hand.  Vasudev rubbed his eyes in disbelief!  Was this for real?  Indeed it was!  The Lord was still standing in front of him with a mischievous smile playing on his rosy lips.  Vasudev was filled with immense joy and happiness seeing the placid face of the blue – coloured deity.  The Lord wore a ‘U’ red-coloured tilak on his forehead, had eyebrows that looked like two crescents of the moon gently touching the horizon and had lambent eyes which appeared like an ocean of serenity and peace.  Vasudev ran towards the Lord and fell at his lotus feet.  “Oh Lord! It’s you! Words fail me to express my happiness at this blissful moment!”

 Lord Krishna bent down and helped Vasudev to his feet.  Looking at his devotee endearingly, the Lord addressed him in his deep voice, “You have done what you had promised me, Vasudev.  When you lost your idol that fateful day, you had told me that some day I would be proud of you!  Indeed, today you have made me proud of all your noble deeds!  You have set an exemplary example for others to follow in your footsteps.  You have proved that if a person is determined and has the will power, nothing can impede his way in achieving his goals.  You have certainly come a long way, Vasudev!  A boy who was even prepared to double-cross his friends so that he could keep all the wealth he had amassed from Dyanchand’s servant did not have the slightest hesitation in drinking an ‘amrit’ that would later turn to be venomous for him, only for the sake of his ruler.  What a commendable sacrifice!” As Vasudev looked at his lord with folded palms mesmerised by his majestic presence, he continued, “Do you know why such an odd condition was laid for drinking that ‘amrit’, Vasudev?  It was because destiny did not want Sage Pradayumna to benefit from it!  True beauty lies in one’s inner qualities and not in the physical appearance.  More than an elegant personality, what matters is the purity of heart.  Being a Maharishi, Pradayumna should have laid emphasis on this factor which he did not. It does not befit a sage like him to develop such desires like mortals and therefore it was important to make him realize that he is a sage and thus should act like one.  This was achieved when you met him.”  Vasudev grasped what the Lord was trying to tell him.  Lord Krishna continued, “You have shown that if one performs noble deeds and has a heart of gold, he can be a greater Mahatma than a rishi or a Tapasvi.  The metamorphosis you underwent benefited not only your ruler but also the entire kingdom.  Due to you, King Bharadwaj realised the best way where he could forget his own sorrow – which was to serve the people and get to know the various problems and grievances faced by them.  People tend to attach less significance to their personal sorrows only when they witness the pain and suffering of others.” 

Vasudev nodded his head in understanding at these words of wisdom of the Lord even as he continued, “You saw how being honest and virtuous worked to your advantage, Vasudev!  Had you not confessed before the King about running away with the wealth robbed by Dyanchand’s servant, he would have never realised that it was you who may liberate him from his curse some day. As a result, your close proximity with the King may have never surfaced.  You had to pay a price for speaking the truth about the people’s opinion regarding the King. The path of truth is not always devoid of hardships, Vasudev.  He, who does not deviate from the path of ‘dharma’ even after facing any number of difficulties, is truly a great soul, which you have amply proved.  After that incident, you climbed the ladder of success quite rapidly.  You became a darling of the King and the masses due to your sincerity and devotion towards your work.  You also did the right thing by asking Bharadwaj to be honest about the curse while asking for Chitralekha’s hand in marriage from Dharmaraja.  One should not worry about the consequences of speaking the truth.  People should realise that since God is always on the path of righteousness, the outcome of being virtuous would be fruitful.  Vasudev, you have still a long way to go!  I want you to dedicate your life spreading the message of love, uprightness and brotherhood among the people.” 

“I will, O Lord!”  Vasudev promised. 

“And now let me give you something you have been longing for all these days.”  Lord Krishna opened his right hand and lo!  His idol, which was so dear to Vasudev, appeared in his hand! 

“Here, Vasudev!  Take this idol!  This is your possession!”  The Lord said still smiling mischievously looking at his devotee.

Vasudev took the idol in his hands with his eyes raining tears of joy. 

“Remember, O Vasudev” addressed the lord, “.. I have no form!  Since you invoke me through this idol, I have come to you in this form.”

(To Conclude)