Bhagavata Condensed in the Poetʼs Own Words /12

Bhagavata himself raises the question and
suggests an explanation that super-men
are not to be judged by the standards of
ordinary humanity. Many interesting
questions are raised by this riddle. Are
the incidents historical facts or were they
merely the outcome of the luxuriance of
the poet's voluptuous imagination? OF CULTURE
 
GOVERne
circumstance which may throw light in
forming an opinion upon this question is
that Krishna has always been depicted in
the Bhagavata as an incarnation in which
he asserted and manifested his omnipot-
ence and other divine attributes from
time to time. He often declared himself
to be divine and was believed by his
kinsmen and followers to be divine.
When the sage NMENT OF
 
INA
363
 
FOREWORD
 
Si
 
Are
 
Bhagavata himself raises the question and
suggests an explanation that super-men
are not to be judged by the standards of
ordinary humanity. Many interesting
questions are raised by this riddle.
the incidents historical facts or were they
merely the outcome of the luxuriance of
the poet's voluptuous imagination? One
circumstance which may throw light in
forming an opinion upon this question is
thatarada wished to find
out how Krishna has always been depicted in
the Bhagavata as an incarnation in which
he asserted and manifested his omnipot-
ence and other divine attributes from
time to time. He often declared himself
to be divine and was believed by his
kinsmen and followers to be divine.
When the sage Narada wished to find
out how Krishna could lead a happy
could lead a happy
married life with his 16,000 wives, he

visited their mansions and found Krishna

in every one of their homes. We must

interpret the story and judge of the
characters with due regard to the setting

characters with due regard to the setting
of the story and its milieu. Even the

Gopis who ardently loved him addressed

him as being not the son of a Gopi, but

as the divinity residing in the hearts of

all persons, who had taken a human form

for the protection of the world. They

idolised him as the Paramatman in the

flesh.
 

 
Hinduism often depicts God as the