[Advaita-l] The "adharma" of a Jnani...The inscrutable Miracles of Krishna

[S Jayanarayanan via Advaita-l]

Three parts follow:

  Section I. Playing with another man's wife is adharma.

  Section II. Krishna played around with other men's wives.

  Section III. Krishna is established in dharma.

My opinion is that the above "contradiction" disappears if one attributes the actions to a Yogeshvara. Any ordinary man will have to answer for the sins of playing around with another man's wife, but in the case of a Master of Yoga, the "sins" are automatically burned up by the power of Yoga.


Section I. Playing with another man's wife is adharma
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Manu Dharma Sutra:

Chapter 8

352. Men who commit adultery with the wives of others, the king shall cause to be marked by punishments which cause terror, and afterwards banish.

357. Offering presents (to a woman), romping (with her), touching her ornaments and dress, sitting with her on a bed, all (these acts) are considered adulterous acts (samgrahana).

358. If one touches a woman in a place (which ought) not (to be touched) or allows (oneself to be touched in such a spot), all (such acts done) with mutual consent are declared (to be) adulterous (samgrahana).


Section II. Krishna played around with other men's wives
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(Shlokas 6-7 show that Krishna 

Canto 10, Chapter 29, Krishna and the Gopis Meet for the Räsa Dance:

http://vedabase.net/sb/10/29/en1
http://vedabase.net/sb/10/29/6-7/en1

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 10.29.6-7


pariveshayantyas tad dhitva
payayantyah sisun payah
susrushantyah patin kascid
asnantyo 'pasya bhojanam
limpantyah pramrijantyo 'nya
anjantyah kasca locane
vyatyasta-vastrabharanah
kascit krishnantikam yayuh

SYNONYMS
pariveshayantyah -- getting dressed; tat -- that; hitva -- putting aside; payayantyah -- making drink; sisun -- their children; payah -- milk; susrushantyah -- rendering personal service; patin -- to their husbands; kascit -- some of them; asnantyah -- eating; apasya -- leaving aside; bhojanam -- their meals; limpantyah -- applying cosmetics; pramrijantyah -- cleansing themselves with oils; anyah -- others; anjantyah -- applying kajjala; kasca -- some; locane -- on their eyes; vyatyasta -- in disarray; vastra -- their clothing; abharanah -- and ornaments; kascit -- some of them; krishna-antikam -- to the proximity of Lord Krishna; yayuh -- went.

TRANSLATION

Some of them were getting dressed, feeding milk to their infants or rendering personal service to their husbands, but they all gave up these duties and went to meet Krishna. Other gopis were taking their evening meals, washing themselves, putting on cosmetics or applying kajjala to their eyes. But all the gopis stopped these activities at once and, though their clothes and ornaments were in complete disarray, rushed off to Krishna.


http://vedabase.net/sb/10/29/45-46/en1

Srimad Bhagavatam 10.29.45-46

nadyah pulinam avisya
gopibhir hima-valukam
jushtam tat-taralanandi
kumudamoda-vayuna
bahu-prasara-parirambha-karalakoru
nivi-stanalabhana-narma-nakhagra-pataih
kshvelyavaloka-hasitair vraja-sundarinam
uttambhayan rati-patim ramayam cakara


SYNONYMS


nadyah -- of the river; pulinam -- the bank; avisya -- entering upon; gopibhih -- together with the gopis; hima -- cool; valukam -- by its sand; jushtam -- served; tat -- of it; tarala -- by the waves; anandi -- made joyful; kumuda -- of the lotuses; amoda -- (carrying) the fragrance; vayuna -- by the wind; bahu -- of His arms; prasara -- with the throwing; parirambha -- with embraces; kara -- of their hands; alaka -- hair; uru -- thighs; nivi -- belts; stana -- and breasts; alabhana -- with the touching; narma -- in sport; nakha -- of fingernails; agra-pataih -- with the striking; kshvelya -- with playful conversation; avaloka -- glancing; hasitaih -- and laughter; vraja-sundarinam -- for the beautiful young girls of Vraja; uttambhayan -- inciting; rati-patim -- Cupid; ramayam cakara -- He took pleasure.


TRANSLATION

Sri Krishna went with the gopis to the bank of the Yamuna, where the sand was cooling and the wind, enlivened by the river's waves, bore the fragrance of lotuses. There Krishna threw His arms around the gopis and embraced them. He aroused Cupid in the beautiful young ladies of Vraja by touching their hands, hair, thighs, belts and breasts, by playfully scratching them with His fingernails, and also by joking with them, glancing at them and laughing with them. In this way the Lord enjoyed His pastimes.


Section III: Krishna did not perform any adharma
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(Note the words "yathA satyaM cha dharmashcha mayi nityaM pratiShThitau"!)


http://sanskritdocuments.org/mirrors/mahabharata/txt/mbh14.itx


14 mahAbhArate ashvamedhikaparva.n


 shrutvA sa tasyA vipulaM vilApaM puruSharShabhaH |
 upaspRRishya tataH kRRiShNo brahmAstraM sa~njahAra tat || 16||

 pratijaj~ne cha dAshArhastasya jIvitamachyutaH |
 abravIchcha vishuddhAtmA sarvaM vishrAvaya~njagat || 17||

 na bravImyuttare mithyA satyametadbhaviShyati |
 eSha sa~njIvayAmyenaM pashyatAM sarvadehinAm || 18||

 noktapUrvaM mayA mithyA svaireShvapi kadAchana |
 na cha yuddhe parAvRRittastathA sa~njIvatAmayam || 19||

 yathA me dayito dharmo brAhmaNAshcha visheShataH |
 abhimanyoH suto jAto mRRito jIvatvayaM tathA || 20||

 yathAhaM nAbhijAnAmi vijayena kadAchana |
 virodhaM tena satyena mRRito jIvatvayaM shishuH || 21||

*** yathA satyaM cha dharmashcha mayi nityaM pratiShThitau | ***
 tathA mRRitaH shishurayaM jIvatAmabhimanyujaH || 22||

 yathA ka.nsashcha keshI cha dharmeNa nihatau mayA |
 tena satyena bAlo.ayaM punarujjIvatAmiha || 23||

 ityukto vAsudevena sa bAlo bharatarShabha |
 shanaiH shanairmahArAja prAspandata sachetanaH || 24||


http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m14/m14069.htm


 SECTION LXIX


 That foremost of beings, hearing those heart-rending lamentations of hers, touched water and withdrew the (force of the) Brahma-weapon. That hero of unfading glory, belonging to the race of the Dasarhas, promised to give the child his life. Then he of pure soul, said these words in the hearing of the whole universe,--'O Uttara, I never utter an untruth. My words will prove true. I shall revive this child in the presence of all creatures. Never before have I uttered an untruth even in jest. Never have I turned back from battle. (By the merit of those acts) let this child revive! As righteousness is dear to me, as Brahmanas are specially dear to me, (by the merit of that disposition of mine) let Abhimanyu's son, who is born dead, revive! Never hath a misunderstanding arisen between me and my friend Vijaya. Let this dead child revive by that truth! *** As truth and righteousness are always established in me ***, let this dead child of Abhimanyu revive (by
 the merit of these)! As Kansa and Kesi have been righteously slain by me, let this child revive today by that truth!' After these words were uttered by Vasudeva, that child, O foremost one of Bharata's race, became animate and began gradually to move, O monarch.'