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| A beautiful masterpiece depicting Sri Krishna with the Gopikas. Photo courtesy of www.exoticindiaart.com |
For those who question why Sri Krishna is depicted with Gopikas, Agathiyar reveals the mystery behind Sri Krishna's play known as Rasa Leelai and clears the air in today's edition (17.7.2014) of Siththan Arul by Velayudham Karthikeyan.
Plainly said, what was considered unfinished business during Sri Rama's Avatharam gets done during his next incarnation as Sri Krishna.
During the Treta Yuga, when Sri Rama was wondering as a hermit, many Rishis yearned for Sri Rama to grace their ashrams. As these Rishis were engaged in severe austerities or tapas, they could not leave their dwellings to meet Sri Rama. Sri Rama on his part could not visit every single ashram of these Rishis. Sri Rama could only meet Agathiyar, Bharatvajar, and Sabari. Sri Rama too had to move on to Kishkinta, Sundara and Yutta Kaandams. Hence he could not grace the ashrams of hundreds of Rishis. These wishes of the Rishis became Vasanas and got attached to Sri Rama. Hence Sri Rama had to exhaust these Vasanas by granting their wishes in his next incarnation as Sri Krishna.
Although during the Yutta Kaandam, Agathiyar managed to bring along some Rishis with him to have the Darshan of Sri Rama and to serve him, but there were many more yearning for his Darshan but could not make it as they were engaged in austerities at Thandakaranyam. They were disappointed.
Agathiyar asked Sri Rama how he was going to satisfy their wishes. "Could you satisfy their wishes before this incarnation is over?", he asked. Sri Rama agreed that he could not do so before his time was up. Sri Rama was saddened that he was the cause of disappointment to these Rishis. Sri Rama realized that he could not meet them and sought advise from Agathiyar.
Agathiyar reveals to Sri Rama, "In your next incarnation as Sri Krishna in Dwabara Yuga, these Rishis who had cherished to have your Darshan and serve you, will take rebirth as Gopikas and through play and devotion and service to you, attain bliss and fulfillment."
"This is the secret (mystery) behind incarnations and rebirth", reveals Agathiyar.
அப்போது, அகத்தியர், "ஸ்ரீ ராமா! நீ சாட்சாத் நாராயணனின் திரு அவதாரம் என்பதை அவர்கள் அறிவார்கள். உனது அடுத்த அவதாரத்தில், துவாபர யுகத்தில் நீ ஸ்ரீகிருஷ்ணனாக அவதரிக்கும் பொழுது, ராமாவதாரத்தில் உன்னை கண்டு சேவை செய்ய ஏங்கிய மகரிஷிகள், உன் ஸ்ரீ கிருஷ்ணாவதாரத்தில் கோபிகா ஸ்த்ரீகளாய் பிறந்து உன்னுடன் தவழ்ந்து விளையாடி, அற்புதமான பக்தி பரவச நிலையை அடைவார்கள். இது அவதார இரகசியமாகும்" என்று அருளினார். (Source: Siththan Arul)
Hence the reason Sri Krishna was with these Gopikas is revealed to us by the most compassionate Agathiyar.