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The tale of Santhana Gopala, a manifestation of Vishnu, intertwines with a story of Krishna and Arjuna, where Krishna taught Arjuna a lesson in humility.
Characters in the story:
Lord Krishna: Lord Krishna is one of the most popular and revered deities in Hinduism. He is worshiped as the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu and is known for his divine teachings in the Bhagavad Gita and for his role in the epic Mahabharata.
Arjuna: Arjuna is a skilled and virtuous warrior prince and one of the central characters in Mahabharata. He is renowned for his archery prowess and is a key figure in the Kurukshetra War, where he faces moral dilemmas on the battlefield, eventually receiving divine guidance from Lord Krishna.
Lord Vishnu: Lord Vishnu is one of the three major deities in Hinduism, known as the preserver of the universe and the protector of dharma (righteousness). He is often depicted with four arms holding a conch shell, a discus, a mace, and a lotus flower.
After the Kurukshetra war, Arjuna, brimming with pride, believed himself invincible, capable of resolving any issue with his bow and arrow. Recognizing the danger of Arjuna’s arrogance, Krishna resolved to teach him a lesson and humble him.
In Hastinapura, lived a Brahmin couple who suffered the tragic loss of eight children at birth. Each newborn passed away shortly after entering the world. Distraught and desperate, the Brahmin sought out Arjuna for help. Arjuna assured them that their ninth child would be safe under his protection. He vowed to prevent Yama, the god of death, from claiming the child’s life.
Arjuna stood watch outside the house as the Brahmin’s wife went into labor with her ninth child. Tragically, despite his vigilance, the ninth child also perished. Enraged and grief-stricken, the Brahmin berated Arjuna for his failure to safeguard the child. In response, Arjuna vowed to ensure the safety of the tenth child at any cost, even pledging to sacrifice himself if he couldn’t fulfill his promise.
As the Brahmin wife prepared to give birth to her tenth child, Arjuna crafted a protective barrier of divine arrows encircling the Brahmin’s home. However, once the child was born, it vanished without a trace.
Arjuna searched in every direction for the child until he reached Yama’s abode. Yama informed him that he wasn’t involved because it wasn’t the child’s time to die yet.
Arjuna went back to the Brahmin and admitted that he couldn’t find the child. Feeling defeated, Arjuna made the decision to end his own life by jumping into a fire.
All at once, Krishna appeared and whisked Arjuna away to Vaikunta, guarded by Jaya and Vijaya. There, Arjuna witnessed the nine children of a Brahmin couple playing with Mahavishnu and Lakshmi Devi. The tenth child sat comfortably on Mahavishnu’s lap.
Arjuna’s pride crumbled as he came to terms with his limitations. He humbly sought forgiveness and brought the ten children of the Brahmin couple back to earth with him.
In South Indian temples, especially in Kerala, people worship the Santhana Gopala form of Vishnu. This form shows Vishnu sitting with his 10th child. People believe that praying to this form of Vishnu can solve pregnancy and childbirth issues.
In humility, Arjuna learned the limits of his power, finding solace in the divine order, and bringing forth blessings to those in need through the grace of Krishna.
