As I have been studying Srīla
Rupa Goswāmī's
Laghu Bhāgavatāmrta,
I have come across many wonderful gems. I hope that by sharing this,
more devotees will become inspired to study this work.
In Laghu Bhāgavatāmrta 1.5.50, Srīla Rupa Goswāmipada says that in the Visnu Purāna, Parāsara Muni (Vyāsadeva's father) doesn't mention that Jaya and Vijaya were associates of Bhagavān from Vaikuntha, but that they simply took three births to attain Bhagavān.
He then goes on to say, therefore we
should not consider that Bhagavān's
associates fall from Vaikuntha in every kalpa (day of Brahma) and
take the role of enemies. If this were so, making them fall so
regularly would be improper as this would go against Bhagavān's
affection for his devotees and his statements regarding never
returning from Vaikuntha.
However, we accept that Bhagavān
does perform his fighting līlās
and relish vīrya
rasa in every kalpa (day of Brahma), but that it takes place with
real enemies (who are not Bhagavān's
devotees factually). In those instances, Hiranyaksa, Hiranyaksipu,
Rāvana,
Kumbhakarna, Sisupāla
and Dantavakra are not Bhagavata pārsadas.
Furthermore, Baladeva Vidyābhusana
comments that the Vaikuntha associates Jaya and Vijaya came down to
the material world both due to Bhagavān's
will (as he could have nullified the Kumāras'
curse, see Bhāgavata
3.16.29) and the will of Jaya and Vijaya to see Bhagavān's
skill in defeating the demons. Baladeva Vidyābhusana
then cites various references showing how Bhagavān
appears for the pleasure of his bhaktas.
Ācārya
Baladeva then further explains that Jaya and Vijaya's returning to
the material world due to Bhagavān's
will is not a fault since one could therefore also criticise
Bhagavān's
own appearance in the material world too. Both are according to
Bhagavān's
desire.
If
you're wondering why it would take 3 births being killed by Bhagavān
in his forms as Narsimha, Rāma
and Krsna to attain Bhagavān
for the Jaya and Vijaya who were not associates from Vaikuntha, then
see Laghu Bhāgavatāmrta,
Part 1, Chapter 5, texts 40 – 64 in reference to Sisupāla's
complete absorption in Krsna through hatred. I may compile a separate blog later.
Gaura
Gadādhara
Narahari!
