Srimad Bhagavatam, in contrast to other Vedic scriptures, presents a refreshingly different paradigm on demons and devotees, or the heroes and villains.

We repeatedly pronounce black and white verdicts on life situations and the people we interact with. We declare them as either good or bad; humans, we tend to believe are either godly or demons. In our haste, we tend to overlook the different subtle shades of human dynamics-the accidental slips of even good men, or the divine aspirations of the villains. We also panic during stressful times and overindulge during happy moments, not realizing the fleeting nature of time.

Hope for a better future

The sixth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam reveals the tragedy of King Chitraketu’s child killed by poisoning. At this time he received spiritual knowledge, and that transformed his life. King Vena’s episode is another case in point. He was so cruel that even as a child he killed his friends during play. As he grew up, his atrocities brought immense pain to the citizens. Finally, the dark hour ended when the sages cursed the king to die instantly. Then, after churning the body of Vena, the sages brought about the appearance of an extraordinary being- the most virtuous, empowered incarnation of the Lord – King Prithu.  Srimad Bhagavatam thus reveals that even in the most terrible circumstances of our lives, there is hope of a better future.

Srimad Bhagavatam also helps us go deeper in our lives by connecting to the inner lives of pure devotees and how even the most painful situations could be transformed to an opportunity of loving service.

To be continued….

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