| Aghasura Vadham |
| One day Krishna desired to have breakfast in the forest. He rose early in the morning and played on his flute. The gopas heard the sweet melody and woke up t0oo. They came out of their houses in thousands, their calves following them.
They were truly in high spirits as they made their way to the forest. Some gopas played their flutes and some blew their horns. Some hummed like the bees and some cooed like the kokilas. Some chased the shadows of birds; others imitated the graceful gait of swans, some stood still like storks and some danced the proud dance of the peacocks. Some gopas pulled the tails of monkeys and climbed trees after them; they pulled faces like them and jumped from tree to tree after them. It was all tremendous fun. They skipped and romped about. They playfully wrestled and joked and chartered ceaselessly. They teased and raced and laughed and sang. And not one of them were aware of the danger that lay ahead of them!
There was a demon called Agha who was the younger brother of Poothana and Bakasura. He was fully determined to avenge their deaths. He swore to himself that he would kill Krishna and all the laughing, chattering gopas. Agha stretched himself into the form of a huge python, one Yojana long. He opened wide his mouth. His lower jaw rested on the earth and his upper jaw touched the clouds. He lay quite still, and waited patiently for the gopas to draw near.
When the gopas came near the waiting asura, they playfully started speculating about the nature of the huge monstrosity before them. Some said it was a colossal serpent, others said it was the goddess of Virindavana, and yet others said it was a colossal serpent, others said it was the goddess of Vrindavana, and yet others said it was just a geographical feature of the forest. Then they said, “So what if it is a serpent? We sill surely be saved from it like we ware saved from the crane, Baka. “So saying, they walked straight into the mouth of the serpent. They called their hands joyfully and bubbling with laughter, they, with the calves, walked on the tongue of the villainous asura, thinking it to be a smooth, broad road!
Now Krishna had known of this death – trap. But he had no time to warn his compendious, so engrossed were they in their merry – making. The demon Aghasura did not immediately close his mouth, because his main aim was to kill Krishna. Krishna pondered for a while as to what would be the best course to take. After a moment or two, he himself entered the mouth of the giant serpent. Carefully, he wedged himself in Agasura’s throat preventing him from breathing. Aghasura choked and then breathed his last. With great speed, Krishna brought his friends out and saved them just as they were about o be consumed by the demon’s gastric-fire.” The devas again rejoined and burst forth into songs in praise of the Lord. Kamsa his scheming uncle, found himself in deep distress. His evil intentions had again been defeated.
Moral: Evil leads only to destruction.
|
|
|
|
