4 sep 2007, amritapuri
It has been so wonderful to listen to Srimad Bhagavatam. Bhagavatam is a Purana written by Sage Vyasa depicting the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. A Malayalam translation of the original text is sung during Krishna’s Birthday Celebrations in Amritapuri. I had never heard such clarity, such musical tone, and nice voice. Amma was not there when a woman on the stage started reading the Bhagavatam describing the situations of the birth of Lord Krishna (usually there will be some cultural programmes, then Amma will come on stage and the Bhagavatam starts.)
As the Bhagavatam reader was swinging between ragas ‘Dwijavanthi’ to ‘Sivaranjani’ to ‘Kalyani’ the audience was absorbed either in the music or in the meaning of it. I was literally seeing in my mind what she was reading: when Vasudeva and Devaki had conversations with Kamsa. Maybe you all know the story. Vasudeva made an agreement with Kamsa (his brother in law) that he will bring all his children to Kamsa when they are born. For what? To be killed. Oh, you can imagine the pain of father or a mother as the first baby is born, Vasudeva brings a child to Kamsa and says ‘I kept my word’. Chills went up my spine. What a character! (Six innocent childern were murdered. The seventh, he could not kill. She was the Shakti power. The eight was Lord Krishna.)
While she was reading, the bell rang thrice announcing Amma’s arrival. The line that was being read at that time was “it’s ready for an Avatar and the stage has been set.” As Amma entered the stage, everybody stood up. The reader stopped. Amma told her not to stop – but to continue reading.
You won’t believe.
She continued. The next words she read from the text was ‘Iswara commanded you to do as you have been doing’. Amma was right in the middle of the stage when this was read aloud. Such a coincidence. A divine plan?