Krishna's Secret

by Devdutt Pattanaik

a world where what matters more than the deed is the thought behind the deed.

Devaki represents all the qualities one is born with. Yashoda represents all the qualities one acquires in life.

We are all a combination of what we are born with as well as what we are raised to be.

One can see behaviour but one has no access to beliefs. A man can dress as a cowherd and talk like a cowherd, but he may at heart be a prince. We will never know unless we open our eyes to this possibility.

With security comes freedom. There is no need to pretend.

Thus Krishna acknowledges the violence that is implicit in human survival. More than the act of violence, what matters is the thought behind the violence. The demons seek to hurt Krishna because his existence threatens Kamsa; their violence is rooted in Kamsa’s fear and his refusal to accept his fate. Such violence is adharma. Krishna’s violence is defensive, rooted in the human need to survive and thrive; he does not want to hurt or exploit anyone. His violence is therefore dharma.

The killing of Kamsa is unique because it is the only story in Hindu mythology where a father-figure is killed. Unlike Ram who submits to Dashratha, and Yadu who submits to Yayati, Krishna refuses to submit to Kamsa. This tale marks a shift in thinking where the younger generation refuses to suffer the tyranny of the older generation. This makes Krishna a radical hero in the Hindu spiritual landscape.

battle. Krishna lives to fight another day.

But when Krishna leaves Vrindavan, he enters a world of customs and laws, where no relationship is pure, where everything is fettered by expectations. The music stops. He gives up his flute and instead takes up the conch-shell of warriors. He goes about marrying women — not for love, but out of a sense of duty.

In the Hindu world, everything is God. Everything. Even the Kauravas. Everything in the world is a part of Krishna. Everything therefore can be loved and is capable of loving. He who has truly realised Krishna cannot hate the Kauravas. He cannot hate anyone.

Yes it is true to me. But if anyone is in dilemma, I would say, survival is other thing that has been described in this book on previous portion.