GITA 4.17

GITA 4.17

Kamsa's palace at Vishram Ghat

One of the lifeline rivers of India is Yamuna. Today's [5th October,2007] lecture is from Vishram Ghat in Mathura. Yamuna is considered sacred as Sri Krishna played and gargled into this river. This river is closely associated with Child Sri Krishna's plays. The river is just touching the palace of Kamsa and flowing. Unlike another river, Yamuna served the Lord and got its sanctity. When Ravana abducted Sri Sita, from above, She cried and prayed river Godavari to inform Sri Rama when He searched and searched for Her. But the river Godavari, afraid of Ravana living thousands of miles away, remained silent and Sri Rama was not informed. Thus, Godavari lost an opportunity to serve the Lord. On the contrary, in spite of the proximity to Kamsa, Yamuna gave way for Vasudeva to carry the Child Sri Krishna from Kamsa's palace and cross over to Gokulam. It served the Lord and so, is considered pious. We see two places in the river here. One is called Sangamana theertham or Nagatheertham. From here only, Vasudeva carried the Child Sri Krishna and crossed the river to reach Gokulam, where the Child was placed in the house of Nandagopa. The other is Vishram ghat or resting ghat. Here Sri Varaha, an avatar of Sri Vishnu, rested after rescuing Mother Earth. So this place is also called Sri Varaha kshetram. Near this place is Kamsa sheela, where the Lord killed Kamsa. Gokulam got the reputation that anyone who goes into it never returns. Devotees when go into Gokulam are so much attracted that they never feel like leaving that place and so remain there permanently. Evil persons dispatched by Kamsa to kill Sri Krishna in Gokulam, went there and never returned, as Sri Krishna killed everyone of them. So Kamsa decided to send Akrura to Gokulam to fetch Him to Mathura. For this he arranged a grand bow and arrow feat display for Sri Krishna to participate. In that place, he kept a giant elephant to kill Sri Krishna. In case He escaped this, two mighty wrestlers -Mushtika and Chanoora- were standing to take on Him. Then there is Kamsa sheela hall, where Kamsa was seated on a high pedestal. But Sri Krishna overcame all these hurdles and dragged down Kamsa by his hair and killed him. After this, Sri Krishna arranged for the last rites of Kamsa on the other side of the river. Later, finishing that, He came back crossing the river and took rest in this place and so is called Vishram ghat. There is yet another importance also for this place. Sri Krishna as a Child spent five years in Gokulam. Then another five years in Nandagrama. Then He came to Mathura and reinstalled His grandfather as the King. He studied from sage Sandeepa, when He was in Mathura. Later, when Jarasanda started troubling Sri Krishna, He decided to leave Mathura and settle in a newly established city of Dwaraka in the West. Sri Krishna could not part the company of Yamuna, and so placed His crown here and reluctantly departed.

 Now we will see the 15th sloka:

evam jnatva kritam karma
purvair api mumuksubhih
kuru karmaiva tasmat tvam
purvaih purvataram kritam

All the liberated souls in ancient times acted with this understanding and so attained liberation. Therefore, as the ancients, you should perform your duty in this divine consciousness.

"All the liberated souls in ancient times acted with this understanding of My transcendental nature. Therefore you should perform your duty, following in their footsteps."

Tasmat = therefore, kuru =do, karmaiva = your duties without interruption, purvai = our ancestors, purvataram = from long since, kritam = have been doing [these karmas]. This way He shows sishtacharam or the necessity to follow elders' practices. Earlier, He told that He created this universe with the four divisions, and everyone was to do the duties assigned to him as a Karma yoga. But the differences arising out of this in no way would affect Him nor He had any interest in the fruits of this division. He further told that the person who understood this way and performed his duties, is unaffected by papa and can commence Karma yoga. Iti jnatva = thus understood, karma kritam = duties were done, mumukshbi = by persons desirous of Moksham and get released from the shackles of birth cycle, api purvair = even long back. Who are those ancestors? In the first sloka He mentioned about His teaching Vivaswan, who taught Manu, who taught Ikshvaku, etc. So He wants this karma to be done as practiced by ancestors, from very ancient times. Sishtacharam is what Sri Andal says as melayar seivana (actions of nobler). If we follow what our elders have been doing, we will be benefited. In modern times there is a tendency to ignore our elders' path and practices. This is not correct. We can not say generation gap, and do as we feel. We have to remember that our elders cared for our welfare and they never expected anything in return. Gita pronounced in the past will do us good, and this we have to constantly bear in mind. We have to do the assigned duties with the knowledge that God is not affected. This was practiced by our ancestors. This will destroy our papa and take us to the point to start Karma yoga. 

                                                                                               (continued)