Akrura's Devotion to Sri Krishna
April - 5 - 2012 (Thursday)
Akrura is the finance minister at Kamsa's palace — a post that demanded a person with stringent honesty and selflessness. Kamsa knew that Akrura could be trusted absolutely. Though committed to his work, Akrura yearned to see Krishna. Since his work tied him to Mathura he was content with only mental trips to Brindavan. He envied the good fortune of the people of Brindavan, the cows, calves, trees, etc. So, when Kamsa deputed Akrura to summon Krishna from Brindavan, it came as an unasked boon to him. Throughout the journey to Brindavan, he constantly meditated on the Lord Sri Krishna. On reaching the place, when he saw the footprints of the Lord on the sand, he became so ecstatic and overwhelmed that he jumped from the chariot and rolled on the ground. Akrura realised that his desire to see Krishna was more than fulfilled because he got the chance to escort Krishna and Balarama to Mathura, a chance which allowed him to be in close association with the Lord. Akrura became protective of the boys whom he escorted. He askeds them to be wary of the turbulent Yamuna. Vishwamitra had told Dasaratha that he knew the true identity of Rama when he sought Rama's help. But he became concerned about the welfare of Rama and Lakshmana when he took them to the forest. He forgot this Vedantic awareness of Rama when he saw Him in human form. Would they not be tired? Or hungry? So he taught them the mantra Bala and Atibala to conquer hunger. Similarly, on their way, when Akrura did his daily puja in the waters of Yamuna, he asked the boys to remain in the chariot. At the river, he had a vision of the two boys in the waters. He wondered if this was true and hence rising from the waters looked into the chariot. The two boys were very much there. Thinking to himself that it must have been a hallucination, he immerseed himself in the waters for a second time. The Lord was very well aware of Akrura's innermost feelings. He now gave Akrura a vision of Himself as Padmanabha on the serpent bed Adisesha. Akrura thus got Sri Krishna’s special grace on him.----------------
Compiler : Prof. Komaragiri Venkata Ramana Rao. Ph.D., (Retired Professor; Andhra University College of Engineering); Astrologer-Scienitst. Durham. NC; U.S.A.: (Tatayya = Grand-father). My e-mail address : pandit@jyothishi.com ----------------- I dedicate all these stories in the blog to Sri Parama Paalakas (Supreme Rulers of this entire Universe): Bhagavan Sri Siddhi Vinayaka, Sri Lakshmi Narayana and Sri Gouri Sankara and Sri Saraswathi and Bhagavan Sri Venkateswara !
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