The Hindu : God punishes the wicked

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 28, 2002

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous - Religion

God punishes the wicked

CHENNAI AUG. 28 . Cannot God, who possesses supreme powers and who can do or undo any miraculous deed, anticipate the events, which are due to occur and thereby prevent various types of miseries which His devotees experience? He knows those who conform to the Law of Righteousness, which was presented by Him to govern men's conduct and those who are vicious in nature and who do not mind transgressing it. For instance He was quite aware of the outcome of His trip as an envoy to negotiate between two rivals and bring about a rapprochement (an episode in one the epics). In His incarnation as Krishna, His main task was to guide the virtuous and punish the wicked . In this tough assignment He had donned two different "roles" — one "visible" wherein He tendered advice, which resulted in good while as an "Invisible God", He saw to it that the wicked stepped on the wrong path.

Sri Krishna, in the Mahabharata, was dealing with one group of men who had pinned their hopes on Him and the other, comprising evil elements, bent on opposing the former. One of them had indeed openly declared that he understood the nuances of the Law of Dharma, but it was not palatable for him and so would not abide by it. "I cannot change my nature", he said. Krishna's duty was to wipe out such bad men and save the pious and the obedient. Was not God conscious of the fact that there would be constant "friction" between the two sides and that those who entirely depended on Him needed protection?

In his lecture, Sri Vidyasagara Madhva Theertha Swami referred to the various instances when "Visible" Krishna saved the Pandavas. To mention a few: He ignored the advice by Vidhura about the trap laid by the enemies and present Himself at Duryodhana's assembly; He offered to be a charioteer for Arjuna in the war; He saved Arjuna by making him jump down when his chariot went up in flames and He led all the Pandavas to Bhishma to listen to a fine treatise on polity. As "Invisible" Lord, He (indirectly) saw to it that Duryodhana rejected the compromise formula, avoided being near the capital when Yudhishtra agreed to play the game of dice; "lent" His army to fight on behalf of Duryodhana and incurred curses culminating in the destruction of all His men (Yadhavas). Those who stand by Dharma and hold to the feet of the Lord will always emerge triumphant in their trials.

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