KRISHNA AND GOD’S RENEWAL OF RELIGION GRADE 3 LESSON 6

SET 1

Glory be to Thee, O my God!  Make manifest the rivers of Thy sovereign might, that the waters of Thy Unity may flow through the inmost realities of all things, in such wise that the banner of Thine unfailing guidance may be raised aloft in the kingdom of thy command and the stars of Thy divine splendour may shine brightly in the heaven of thy majesty. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee.  Thou, verily, art the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

SET 2

I beseech Thee, O my God, by all the transcendent glory of Thy Name, to clothe Thy loved ones in the robe of justice and to illumine their beings with the light of trustworthiness.  Thou art the One that hath power to do as He pleaseth and Who holdeth within His grasp the reins of all things, visible and invisible.

SET 3

I have wakened in Thy shelter, O my God, and it becometh him that seeketh that shelter to abide within the Sanctuary of Thy protection and the Stronghold of Thy defence.  Illumine my inner being, O my Lord, with the splendours of the Dayspring of Thy Revelation, even as Thou didst illumine my outer being with the morning light of Thy favour.

SET 4

O my God, my Master, the Goal of my desire!  This, Thy servant, seeketh to sleep in the shelter of Thy mercy, and to repose beneath the canopy of Thy grace, imploring Thy care and Thy protection. I beg of Thee, O my Lord, by Thine eye that sleepeth not, to guard mine eyes from beholding aught beside Thee.  Strengthen, then, their vision that they may discern Thy signs, and behold the Horizon of Thy Revelation.  Thou art He before the revelations of Whose omnipotence the quintessence of power hath trembled. No God is there but thee, the Almighty, the All-Subduing, The Unconditioned.

Krishna passed His childhood and youth among the villagers, most of whom were cow herders who spent their days in the open countryside. He was known for His kindness, His wisdom, and the beauty of His spirit. He was gentle, loving, and humble. He served others and was loved by all. He defended those who were weak and always sought to bring peace when any dispute arose. There are many stories of Krishna’s childhood that tell of His extraordinary knowledge and powers. It is said that, on one occasion, He saw the villagers, fearful of an approaching storm, praying to the god of thunder. Krishna turned to them and asked them why they prayed to such a god, for what was the use of praying to a minor spirit? He told them to be devoted to the Supreme God and to see His presence in all human beings. He encouraged them to engage in service to others, to feed the poor, and to give to those in need. You see, in India at that time, most people worshipped spirits in nature, like thunder, and this story tells us that, from a young age, Krishna began to teach them about the oneness of God and guide them in His ways, encouraging them to tame their earthly desires and recognize their higher nature.

Krishna knew, while still a youth, that He would not remain among the villagers, and that He had a greater duty to the people of India. Injustice, cruelty, and evil had taken over the land. People’s hearts were no longer close to God. Wars broke out between kings of different kingdoms; suffering was everywhere. The first task before Him, of course, was to restore the rule of justice to His native city. The city was still controlled by His cruel uncle, the Crown Prince, while the rightful king, His grandfather, remained in prison. Krishna had attracted a large number of followers even before entering the city, and once He arrived there, many more were drawn to His pure spirit and majesty. Together with His followers, He made His way to the palace, and there a battle took place between the Crown Prince’s army and the growing number of Krishna’s supporters. The unjust Prince was killed, and the throne was offered to Krishna, Who was now entitled to become king. But He was not interested in worldly power. He chose, instead, to reinstate His grandfather, who had been wrongly overthrown, and helped him to restore justice and peace in the realm.

Krishna was still a young man when He reclaimed the throne for His grandfather, and His parents wanted Him to complete His education. Of course, like all the Manifestations of God, Krishna was endowed with innate knowledge and was not in need of schooling, but in obedience to His parents, He went to study under the guidance of Sandipani, a teacher known for his wisdom. While a student, Krishna became close friends with a young man named Sudama. Though the two led very different lives after completing their studies, they never forgot their friendship. Many years after they had gone their separate ways, Sudama fell on hard times. He knew that Krishna could help him, but he did not want to take his troubles to his old Friend. Sudama’s wife, thinking of the well-being of their family, encouraged her husband to visit Krishna, even if only to lift his spirits. So Sudama went to see Krishna, bringing as a gift a little bit of powa, a food made of rice that he remembered was a favorite of Krishna. When Sudama arrived, Krishna embraced him with joy. He relished the gift Sudama had brought, and they spent long hours talking in friendship. As Sudama returned home, he was filled with happiness at having seen his Friend once again. And when he arrived, though he had said nothing to Krishna of his difficulties, he found that his family had everything they needed to live in comfort.

Story 4

Krishna was often asked to intervene in battles between the still-warring kings in the land. He tried at all times to resolve conflict using peaceful means. The last of the battles in which He was involved was between two factions of the same royal family, the Pandavas and the Kauravas, all of whom were His cousins. Both sides called on Krishna for help, for He was well respected and highly trusted. Using every means at His disposal, He tried His utmost to settle the dispute so that violence between the two sides would not ensue. Yet, when it became clear that nothing could be done to create a just and peaceful settlement, Krishna put forward to both sides a most interesting proposal. He asked them each to make a choice: They could be assisted either by His army, in its entirety but without Him to command it, or by His Person alone, on the condition that He would not raise a single weapon. The Pandava Prince Arjuna chose to have the help of Krishna alone, and the Kauravas, thinking Arjuna’s decision was foolish, chose to be assisted by the army. Krishna agreed to act as the charioteer for Arjuna since, in this position, He would not need to make use of any weapons. You realize, of course, that by making this choice, Arjuna showed that he had justice on his side.

The battle that followed came to be known as Kurukshetra, and it has long been remembered by the people of India. According to historical accounts, it was on the eve of that famous battle that Krishna conversed with Arjuna and revealed to him the teachings of God for a new stage in the life of the people of India. He made His station known to Arjuna, who recognized in His Person the glory of all God’s perfections. Krishna spoke, as well, about the battle into which Arjuna would enter the next day. The human soul, He explained, is connected to God and is eternal; we are to work for that which is good and shun all that is evil. Though Arjuna was reluctant to engage in warfare, Krishna taught him the importance of standing firm in the face of injustice and cruelty and championing the cause of righteousness and justice. In the end, Arjuna’s side was victorious.

Using the imagery of battle, Krishna helped people to see that, in their everyday lives, too, they had to make choices between good and evil. He taught them to center their thoughts on God and to strive to draw nearer to Him. He told His followers to love and worship God and to show their devotion through prayer and contemplation. He encouraged them to serve humanity selflessly, entirely for the sake of God, without hope of reward, or attachment to the outcome of their efforts, but with the sole purpose of educating others and contributing to the welfare of society. He made clear that work is holy when the heart of a person is fixed on God and when preoccupation with the outcome is abandoned and replaced by trust in God. He gave the example of a farmer who is responsible for working his land but who has no control over the harvest—he must work hard without knowing what result he will obtain, relying instead on the bounties of God.

Through the power of His teachings, Krishna educated the people of India about their true nature and helped them to draw nearer to God. The teachings of Krishna are recorded in a Holy Book known as the Bhagavad-Gita, which means the “Song of God”. In that great Book, Krishna speaks of humanity’s need for a Divine Being to appear from age to age to restore peace and justice. Let us end the account of His life with His words:

"When Righteousness Declines, . . . when Wickedness Is strong, I rise, from age to age, and take Visible shape, and move a man with men, Succoring the good, thrusting the evil back, And setting Virtue on her seat again."