118. Bhagavatha -Chp 10 -(38) Akrura's Anxiety and Profound Devotion Towards Srikrishna

 118 - Srimad Bhagavatha  - Chp 10 - (38) Akrura's Anxiety and Profound Devotion Towards Srikrishna 

Akrura, as per the instructions of King Kamsa,   began his journey to Vraja to bring Srikrishna and Balarama to Mathura. He completed his morning ablutions and left in the chariot. 

Akrura was excited for the only reason that he would be seeing Srikrishna,  the Lord who descended to destroy evil forces and thereby remove the burden of Mother Earth.

Akrura is duty bound. Though he had heard a lot about Srikrishna and his leela, he did not yearn to see Him, probably due to the fear of Kamsa and his associates.  Now that Kamsa himself had assigned him to bring them to Mathura, Akrura had no boundaries to reveal his inner feelings and devotion towards the Lord.

During the journey Akrura thought how gifted he was, what good deeds he had done in the past lives to get such an opportunity to meet the Lord face to face and offer himself at the feet of Srikrishna.

 

I will reach Gokula by evening and will certainly see Keshava. I am unable to understand how people like me got this opportunity so easily. It's the foremost blessing in my life. Indeed, why is He giving me an opportunity? For one who is attracted towards information, getting darshan of the Lord is prohibited as per the scriptures.

Probably, my darshan of Achutha is like a stick in the river, which at some point in time reaches a river bank.  Time is like a flowing river, and sticks are in comparison to jeevatma. At some point in time, the jeevatma reaches the Lord either in this birth or later.

Today, all my bad deeds have vanished, and I have achieved the purpose of my life. I am seeing the Lord and offering my pranams to Him. 

Everyone says Kamsa is cruel, but to me, he has done a great favor. One can cross the darkness of ignorance by falling on God's feet. I am seeing His feet today. 

Earlier too King Ambarisha, Brahma,  Maheshwara, and SriLakshmi Devi  sought His feet. Such is the greatness of His feet.

I will see Mukunda's reddish  lotus-like eyes, His smile,  face, and curly hair. I see good omens of specific birds and animals moving around me in a clockwise direction. I will certainly see Mahavishnu avatar of Srikrishna, who has descended as a human to destroying adharma.

Why was He born as human?

He is Sarvagna. He sees both Karya (action) and Karana (reason behind it), but we only see Karya.  People like me are born to get rid of past karma, but God has no such need. He is independent and seeks no fruit for action. He is beyond ignorance.

Why did God take up this human form? What was the need for such a small work?

God has descended to grace us. By hearing about Him, by speaking about Him, all our sins get destroyed.  It purifies the soul. Any other talk other than praying Srihari is useless.

The journey to Vraja was full of these thoughts. Akrura reached Vraja by the evening of the day.

Source: Bhagavatha Mahapurana 

Akrura, in his previous birth as Sumantra, was King Dasaratha's aide and charioteer and had arranged the coronation of SriRama. While he took Lord Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita devi to the forest,  he was blessed that in his next birth, he would bring the Lord from Vraja to Mathura..