DIVINE DIRECTIVES...

Divine directives have to be obeyed. Several are the categorical assurances given by god to men of deep faith to save them from ordeals (which have been made known in the holy texts). One among such statements refers to the bad elements "who disturb the peace of devotees who abide by this Law of Righteousness".

"When hatred develops in the mind of an individual towards various gods, the Vedas, the bovine race, the pious souls, towards the virtuous and Myself, that person will surely perish before long", says the Lord in the Gita. He gave a long rope to one such individual who claimed himself to be god and forced everyone to recognize him alone as "supreme".

However, when he overstepped his limits and tortured his child, who defied him, reposing full confidence only in Divine dispensation, god interfered and protected him from different dangers and punished the evildoer. In the grand, elaborate and perfect scheme of god's administrative machinery, duties have been assigned to groups, including celestials, the aim being the strict maintenance of the Law of Righteousness.

When people fail to carry out the Divine directives, problems are bound to arise. When there is a duty for the god of rains to do his job he did so and the result was prosperity. People who were asked to perform religious austerities to satisfy gods obeyed and prospered. But people, who did not submit themselves to Divine Law and even caused disturbances to god-loving devotees, were not-spared at all.

Mention is made about the revengeful attitude of a demon king because of the death of his brother at the hands of the Lord and who thought of wiping out this "wily adversary" (Vishnu), ordered his attendants to exterminate all those engaged in pious austerities and proceeded to conduct a grim penance to obtain unquestionable authority.

He consoled his mother not to lament over the boon of her other son. Satisfied with his resolve, Brahma (god entrusted with the powers of creation) granted the boon that he would not die under normal circumstances, either indoors or outdoors, during day or night, not by any weapon, nor by animate or inanimate objects and he could exercise lordship over everyone.

Armed with such wide powers, he committed atrocities on virtuous people, who then appealed to the Lord to protect them.

As one who never fails, Vishnu, through a voice without any trace of the speakers' form, promised them of safety.

"When the demon king seeks to harm his own son who will remain attached to Me, I shall slay him in spite of Brahma's boon."