Kunti Sthuthi

When you watch the shores, we see the waves come and hit the rocks, the ebb and flow. Do we cry for them, life continues like these waves! We have seen so many cultures, cities, towns, that existed and perished. This is an ongoing process, nothing physical will last forever. Nothing that has a form can be permanent. That’s why path the Ishwara is the only way.

KUNTI STHUTHI

Krishna decided to seek blessings of his Aunt Kunti. Kunti had been a steadfast bhakta of Bhagwan. She saw Krishna beyond his form as did Draupadi. She was overwhelmed as to how much Krishna Bhagwan had done for her and her family. Despite all the human mistakes committed by her, he stood by her at every adverse situation. She had no doubt that he is Ishwara in form.

No one is perfect nor was Kunti in her life. She had committed many mistakes in her life. Tested the mantra given to her when she was too young and had baby and then cast him away (Karna). She by mistake asked sons to share a wife Draupadi (though it was her destiny being the rebirth of Nalayani wife of sage Maudgalya). Mistakes can make you raise above them or sink into it. Kunti rose above from her mistakes.

She was always smiling. She praises Bhagwan and this is the first sthuthi in the Bhagavatham. She bows down to the Adipurusha. He who has in fact no naamam or roopam, acknowledges the formless reality of Nirguna Parabrahmam. Maya eclipses that in us and duality becomes more of a reality. We see the actors not the person behind that façade. The thread in a garland is never visible but it holds everything together. We must keep going on the path, detached from the world. “I have only bhagwan with me.” That tatwa botham she had realised, and the fact that we are in that Ishwara. He is not beyond the closed doors of a temple but within your own self. Kunti devi is again overwhelmed that Bhagwan saved her and her children so many times.

She recollects as to how well he played in the minds of his mother and the gopikas, how well he pretended to be afraid when Mother Yasoda was chasing with a stick. People say that he was born to uplift Yadu Vamsa, some say he were born to please Vasudeva and Devaki, some say to lighten the bhu bhara (weight of earth), and some say to raise people from aviveka to viveka. She is sure that by seeing Krishna roopam, listening Krishna namam, and Krishna smarana everyone can get a step closer to Bhagwan. She recalls how bhagwan was with there with them during all adversities: When Bheema was poisoned and when they tried to drown him, Draupadi vastraharanam, in house of wax, encounters with rakshasas and so on.

She now prays to Krishna Bhagwan to give her more problems so that she can think of him all the time. She then pleads with him to let her be independent, have no feelings of dependency on her children. She wants that bandhanam/attachment and love cut off, and not be affected by any of her children’s doings. She wishes for ananya bhakti, an overflowing bhakti that’s like a river flowing towards the ocean.

“Let me no longer have Vamsa Abhimanam and Vidhya Abhimabnam. Untie these worldly knots for me, loving all is a trap, Sneha pashan chindi” Krishna held devis hand and smiled.