When to hold-on and when to be carried. What Monkeys and Kittens teach us about Vishnu Aditya.
In this month’s episode of “The Healing Power of Mythology”, we explored the mythology of Viṣṇu Āditya through a story Nadamayi shared contrasting the approach of monkey babies and kittens. The monkey clings tightly to its mother, hanging on with all its strength. The kitten, by contrast, simply relaxes and allows itself to be carried. Both are forms of devotion, but they have very different qualities.
What struck me in the mythology we discussed is how often the deepest transformations happen when we surrender the plan to a higher power. The nāgas Aśvatarā and Kambala wanted to help their grieving friend, but they had no idea how to bring a human back to life!! So, they turned toward Sarasvatī and appealed to her. She taught them music (a transformative way to process grief) and this lead them to Shiva who was able to grant their wish. Through devotion, they found a path that no amount of planning could have revealed. There is something deeply Viṣṇu-like about that trust.
We also spoke about Bali, the Asura who’d conquered the three worlds and whose great lesson was discovering that his own power was not the greatest power. Faced with Viṣṇu's cosmic form, he ultimately bowed his head and surrendered. Have you had that experience in your own life where you suddenly realise you were trying to control the whole universe and recognised that something far wiser is already carrying it!
Even Viśvāmitra, one of mythology's great spiritual heroes, reached enlightenment through countless mistakes, detours, frustrations and restarts. Again and again he thought he knew the way, and again and again life humbled him. Yet each setback eventually brought him closer to truth. I find his story inspirational, that we can achieve whatever we set out to - but we might have a lot of learning to do along the way :)
Perhaps that is the gift of Viṣṇu Āditya. Not certainty, but trust. Not control, but surrender. Some seasons call for effort, discipline and determination. Others invite us to soften our grip and become the kitten, allowing ourselves to be carried by a wisdom larger than our own. In today’s episode you’ll see I was practising the second path :D
