Sachi R

Friday, December 30, 2022

Srimad Bhagavatam VI.07 - 30 December 2022

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥

Friday, 30 December 2022 VI.07 - Indra gets into major trouble by dishonouring in his assembly Brihaspati the Guru of all gods. Brahma explains that without a Guru, the gods are lost. Therefore on his advice, the gods manage to secure a new Guru in the young Brahmin, Vishwaroopa.

***

In the previous chapter, Sage Shuka has mentioned that Indra lost his Guru, Brihaspati, by offending him. Naturally, Parikshit is most interested to understand how such a thing happened, as Guru is held in paramount status by all wise people. Sage Shuka tells the story.

Indra, the lord of all gods, was seated in his splendid heavenly assembly, with all the gods and celestials in attendance and offering their praises to him. Lord Brihaspati, the spiritual Guru of the gods, entered the assembly. Indra, being too absorbed in his own power and opulence, forgot himself and did not show respect to his Guru. Brihaspati realised that Indra's arrogance had to be tamed. he at once left the assembly, clearly indicating he had disowned Indra and the gods.

Indra quickly realised the enormity of his misbehaviour. He and the gods were most worried as they were in a constant race against the asuras/demons who were powerful and also had Sage Shukracharya as their Guru. It was now easy for the asuras to come and take over from the gods. Indra could not locate Brihaspati who had rendered himself invisible. The asuras grabbed their chance and hurt the gods badly, physically. All the gods approached Lord Brahma for a solution.

त्रिपिष्टपं किं गणयन्त्यभेद्यमन्त्रा भृगूणामनुशिक्षितार्था: । न विप्रगोविन्दगवीश्वराणां भवन्त्यभद्राणि नरेश्वराणाम् ॥

T: "Deeply devoted to their Guru, Bhrigu's descendant Sage Shukracharya, the asuras have become invincible, and don't fear the gods anymore. Indeed, anyone who disrespects Brahmins, injures or mistreats cows, or has no devotion to Bhagavan/Ishwara, brings misfortunes upon himself!"

"Go at once to Sage Vishwaroopa, son of Sage Tvashta. Beg him to accept the position of your Guru, although he has earlier shown his inclination towards the asuras. Save yourselves!"

Indra and the gods lost no time in rushing to Vishwaroopa and pleading, importuning, begging him to be their Guru and the official priest of the gods to avert their vulnerabilities against asuras.

Vishwaroopa acquiesced.

"Oh, gods, although the acceptance of priesthood is decried as causing the loss of previously acquired brahminical spiritual merit and power, how can someone like me refuse to accept your personal request? You are all exalted commanders of the entire universe. I am your disciple and must take many lessons from you. Therefore I cannot refuse you. I must agree for my own benefit."

"A Brahmin true to his vocation should subsist only on grains fallen in the fields, with no pursuit of any monetary or material gain. This principle is violated by accepting the job of a priest. But I wish to honour your request as you are worthy of my respect."

Vishwaroopa assumed the position of the Guru and priest of the gods. He composed and taught them the Narayana Kavacha, a powerful mantra to offset the powers conferred on the asuras by the grace of Shukracharya. Therefore Indra thus reclaimed his former status of superiority over the asuras.

***

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥

Thursday, December 29, 2022

Srimad Bhagavatam VI.06 - 29 December 2022

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥

Thursday, 29 December 2022 VI.06 - Brahma advises Daksha to extend his progeny through daughters. The various wives of Sage Kashyapa and their famous progeny.

***

This chapter discusses the progeny of the daughters of Daksha. Lord Brahma asked him not to be discouraged by the way his many sons were converted to a non-worldly spiritual path by Narada. The daughters, who were later begotten, were spared the influence of Sage Narada who was merely an actor in the drama of life called Maya.

There are so many names mentioned in this chapter that anyone would be overwhelmed. Also, many gods are mentioned. It appears that the circular nature of Time and creation in the Srimad Bhagavatam implies that we come across the same personalities again and again in different contexts. I am not going into all the names.

Ten of the daughters of Daksha were given in marriage to Yama/Dharmaraja, thirteen to Sage Kashyapa, and twenty-seven to the moon god, Chandra. In this way, fifty daughters were distributed, and of the other ten daughters, four were given to Kashyapa and two each to Bhoota, Angiras and Krishashva. Because of the union of these sixty daughters with various exalted personalities, the entire universe was filled with various kinds of living entities, such as human beings, gods, demons, animals, birds and serpents.

Kashyapa, who is also named Tarkshya, had four wives — Vinata (Suparna), Kadru, Patangi and Yamini. Patangi gave birth to many kinds of birds, and Yamini gave birth to locusts. Vinata gave birth to Garuda, the carrier of Lord Vishnu, and to Anooru, or Aruna, the chariot driver of Surya, the Sun-god. Kadru gave birth to different varieties of serpents.

Krittikas were all wives of Chandra, the Moon-god. It seems he was partial to Rohini, one of the wives, and this caused Daksha to curse him. This made him childless. In fact, we read that the waxing and waning of the moon are due to this curse. However, because Prajapati Daksha had cursed him to suffer from disease and decay, the moon god could not beget children in any of his wives.

Kashyapa’s wives produced children from whom the population of the entire universe has come. Their names were Aditi, Diti, Danu, Kashtha, Arishtha, Surasa, Ila, Muni, Krodhavasha, Tamra, Surabhi, Sarama and Timi. From the womb of Timi, all the water creatures took birth, and from the womb of Sarama, ferocious animals like tigers and lions took birth.

From the womb of Surabhi, the buffalo, cow and other animals with cloven hooves took birth, from the womb of Tamra the eagles, vultures and other large birds of prey took birth, and from the womb of Muni, the angels took birth.

The sons born of Krodhavasha were the serpents known as Dandashooka, other types of serpents and mosquitoes. All the various creepers and trees were born from the womb of Ila. The Rakshasas, bad spirits, were born from the womb of Surasa.

The Gandharvas were born from the womb of Arishtha, and animals whose hooves are not split, such as the horse, were born from the womb of Kashtha. From the womb of Danu, came sixty-one sons.

Paulomas and Kalakeyas, sons of Kashyapa, were physically very strong and expert in fighting, and their aim was to disturb the Yajnas performed by the great sages. Arjuna went to heaven and singlehandedly killed all these demons, and thus Lord Indra became extremely affectionate toward him.

Rahu and one hundred Ketus attained important planetary positions.

Aditi's children were the gods, including the Bhagavan himself. The names of the sons of Aditi are Vivasvan, Aryama, Pushan, Tvashtha, Savita, Bhaga, Dhata, Vidhata, Varuna, Mitra, Shatru and Urukrama.

Sanjna, the wife of Vivasvan/Surya, the sun god, gave birth to the twins Yama and the river Yamuna. Yami, while wandering on the earth in the form of a mare, gave birth to the Ashvini-kumaras.

Chaya, another wife of the sun god, begot two sons named Shani and Savarni Manu, and one daughter, Tapati.

And so on.

***

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥

Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Srimad Bhagavatam VI.05 - 28 December 2022

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥

Wednesday, 28 December 2022 VI.05 - Narada incurs Daksha's curse for putting his sons on the path of Bhakti instead of Tapas to produce children.

***

We read here how all the sons of Daksha were delivered from the clutches of Maya by following the advice of Sage Narada, who was in turn cursed by Daksha for scuttling his plan to extend his male progeny.

Influenced by Maya of Lord Maha Vishnu, Prajapati Daksha begot ten thousand sons in the womb of his wife, Panchajani. These sons, who were all of the same character and mentality, were known as the Haryashvas. Ordered by their father to create more and more population, the Haryashvas went west to the place where the river Sindhu meets the Arabian Sea. In those days this was the site of a holy lake named Narayana-saras, where there were many saintly persons.

The Haryashvas began practising austerities, penances and meditation, which are the engagements of the highly exalted renounced order of life.

विनिर्धूतमलाशयाः धर्मे पारमहंस्ये च प्रोत्पन्नमतयोऽप्युत ...प्रजाविवृद्धये यत्तान् देवर्षिस्तान् ददर्श ह

T: Being purified of all shortcomings/sins, by dedicating themselves to the supreme level of austerities as practised by Paramahamsas, they engaged in Tapas, to acquire progeny as directed by their father. Just then, Sage Narada came there and met them.

When Sage Narada Muni saw these boys engaged in such commendable austerities simply for procreation, he thought it better to release them from this tendency. It is interesting that Narada told the boys something very enigmatic:

"There is a kingdom where only one man lives and where there is a hole from which, having entered, no one emerges. A woman there who is extremely unchaste adorns herself with various attractive dresses, and the man who lives there is her husband. In that kingdom, there is a river flowing in both directions, a wonderful home, made of twenty-five materials, a swan that vibrates various sounds, and an automatically revolving object made of sharp razors and thunderbolts. You have not seen all this..."

After Narada went away, the sons of Daksha meditated deeply and realised that the story is a paradigm for the soul controlled by the outgoing mind in the body with twenty-five aspects. They realised the futility of living in the body as its slave and merely carry out the play of Maya when there was every opportunity to secure liberation through single-minded Bhakti to the Lord. That is the path they now chose.

Thus, all the sons of Daksha became enlightened by taking to the path of Bhakti and left, never to return.

Prajapati Daksha, who was very sad at the loss of his sons, begot one thousand more sons in the womb of his wife, Panchajani, and ordered them to increase progeny.

These sons, who were named the Savalashvas, also engaged in worshipping Lord Vishnu to beget children, but Narada again came and convinced them to become mendicants and not beget children. They also realised the supreme path was not one of living in the world and extending progeny but of surrendering to Bhagavan. They said a prayer.

आरधयन्मन्गत्रमिममभ्यस्यन्त इडस्पतिम् ॐ नमो नारायणाय...

T: They thus worshipped with their mantra the Supreme recipient and Lord of all mantras - Om Namo Narayanaya...

Again Daksha lost his sons to the spiritual path and could not secure his desire for progeny.

Foiled twice in his attempts to increase population, Prajapati Daksha became extremely angry at Narada Muni and cursed him, saying that in the future he would not be able to stay anywhere. Since Sage Narada, being fully realised, was full of forbearance, he accepted Daksha’s curse.

***

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥

Vedanta Deshika - Gopala Vimshati

Tuesday, December 27, 2022

Prof. H.V. Nagaraja Rao - Gopala Vimshati quote

I am fortunate to watch this video, thanks to Samskrita Bharati

(भगवान् श्रीकृष्णः) (Bhagavan Sri Krishna)

विनिहितकरः = having put his hand

कुम्भे - in the pot

हर्तुम् = to steal

स्वादु हैयङ्गवीनं = most tasty, freshly made butter*

दृष्ट्वा = on seeing

मातरम् = mother Yashoda

जातरोषाम् = with her anger rising

दामग्रहणचटुलाम् = ready to fetch the rope to bind him

प्रचलितपदः = started to run

ईषत् = a little

पायात् = to save himself

न अपगच्छन् = but did not run away

न तिष्ठन् = but did not stay still either

(अभवत्) = (was thus seen)

मिथ्यागोपः = In order to hide his theft

सपदि = at once

मीलयन् = closed

नयने = his eyes

विश्वगोप्ता = the One who takes care of the Universe, the Lord!

The Lord, Bhagavan Sri Krishna, a precocious child, was dipping his hand into the pot to steal freshly churned butter, when he saw his mother Yashoda come in, being provoked instantly into anger by his misdemeanour, and ready to catch him and tie him with a rope as punishment(as was her wont). So he tried to feign innocence, closing his eyes, and also tried to run away, but stayed back to get the butter he wanted so much to eat! This was the Lord who takes care of the Universe, come as baby Krishna to play his pranks!

*हयङगवीन पदविभागः - नपुंसकलिङ्गः

कन्नडार्थः - ಸದ್ಯಃ ಕಡೇದ ಬೆಣ್ಣೆ /ಮೊದಲ ದಿನದ ಹಾಲಿನಿಂದ ಕಡೆದ ಬೆಣ್ಣೆ /ನವನೀತ

निष्पत्तिः - ह्योगोदोह - हियङ्गुरादेशः विकारार्थे "खञ्" च निपा० (५-२-२३)

Srimad Bhagavatam VI.04 - 27 December 2022

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥

Tuesday, 27 December 2022 VI.04 - Prachetas Prajapati Daksha prays and secures the boon of progeny from Bhagavan.

***

Parikshit wants to go back to the story of how the world was populated by the Prachetas. Sage Shuka is happy to oblige.

When the ten Prachetas emerged from the ocean after their great Tapas, they encountered the earth filled with dense forests cramping all life. They went into a rage and invoked fire and wind to burn down the forests.

As we have read before, Chandra or Soma is the god in charge of nourishing all vegetation and in turn all creatures with food. Naturally, he had to stop this inferno. He appeared and said,

मा द्रुमेभ्यो महाभागा दीनेभ्यो द्रोग्धुमर्हथ। विवर्धयिषवो यूयं प्रजानां पतयः स्मृताः ॥

T: The moon spoke: "Oh Prachetas! Don't burn down all these forests in your rage! You should not destroy these forests when people look up to you as their saviours! Know that under my watch, all these trees selflessly nourish all life. Without these trees, there would be no nourishment for either gods, or humans, or animals, birds and insects. The trees are a sacred part of the circle of life."

"Just as the eyelids protect the eyes, just as parents lovingly raise children, kings should take care of all their citizens including forests and rivers and all forms of life. That is their bounden duty assigned by Bhagavan. If anyone is provoked any time into a rage, he is well advised to introspect and deal with what gave rise to rage and calm himself down. That is indeed the mature way to deal with provocations."

"Protect whatever trees have survived. I bless you to marry this Apsaras damsel, born of this forest and raised by the forest, and beget your progeny."

The Prachetas did as told. In time they had a great son who was none other than Daksha Prajapati reincarnated as a Prachetas.

When Daksha grew up, he did carry out his responsibility of populating the earth in many ways, by using his spiritual powers. But finally, he wanted to get the Lord's grace for continuing the line of his succession. Therefore he went to a region near the Vindhya mountains with a holy lake called Aghamarshana. There he performed Tapas and chanted a prayer called हंसगुह्य - Hamsaguhya.

न यस्य सख्यं पुरुषोऽवैति सख्युः सखा वसन् संवसतः पुरे अस्मिन्।

गुणो यथा गुणिनो व्यक्तदृष्टेस्तस्मै महेशाय नमस्करोमि॥

यस्मिन् यतो येन च यस्य यस्मै यद् यो यथा कुरुते कार्यते च।

परावरेषां परमं प्राक् प्रसिद्धं तद् ब्रह्म तद्धेतुरनन्यदेकम् ॥

T: "What a wonder, oh Lord, that when You are within everyone, as the the indweller and their dearest friend, man fails to recognise You! It is like form, sweetness, and fragrance themselves do not recognise the senses that sense them and enjoy them. You are the eternal Witness whom no one recognises within."

"This world is entirely within You. You alone have created it all, by Yourself, as both the means and the material. So You are the maker and You take the form of this world! You preexisted the chain of cause-effects that make up this creation. You are that Brahman, Supreme, without a second!"

स मह्यं परमः प्रसीदतु - T: "May that Supreme Bhagavan grace me compassionately!"

Out of His infinite compassion, the Lord manifested Himself.

त्रैलोक्यमोहनं रूपं बिभ्रत् त्रिभुवनेश्वरः। वृतो नारदनन्दादैः पार्षदैः सुरयूथपैः॥

T: "Bhagavan Maha Vishnu, in His divine form with eight hands holding Shankha, Chakra and so on, wearing divine ornaments, looking His famous self that bewitches the three worlds, appeared in front of Daksha, accompanied by Sage Narada, His attendants like Nanda, and the retinue of gods."

As the celestials were singing the Lord's glories, Prajapati Daksha fell down in obeisance. He was overwhelmed in all his senses like a river is flooded from a cascade of water down the mountain. He stood tongue-tied.

Bhagavan smiled and spoke. प्रीतोऽहं ते प्रजानाथ T: "I am pleased with you, oh King!"

'Your Tapas has been fruitful. You have worshipped me for boons of progeny. Your wish coincides with My own will for the propagation of humans on earth. Know that all the gods including Brahma and Shiva are parts of Me, supporting all creation."

एषा पञ्चजनस्याङ्ग दुहिता वै प्रजापतेः। असिक्षी नाम् प्त्नीत्वे प्रजेश प्रतिगृह्यताम् ॥

तत्वोऽधस्तात्प्रजाः सर्वाः मिथुनीऊय् माय्या ...

T: "Here is the daughter of Prajapati Panchajana, her name is Asikshi. Take her as your wife. You two shall procreate by your physical union. Thus would the world be populated through male-female union, as a part of the Maya arrangement! The world shall prosper, and people will do well and also propitiate Me!"

***

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥

Monday, December 26, 2022

Srimad Bhagavatam VI.03 - 26 December 2022

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥

Monday, 26 December 2022 VI.03 - Yama explains to his messengers the truth behind Ajamila's emancipation.

***

यमस्य देवस्य न दण्डभङ्गः कुतश्चनर्षे श्रुतपूर्व आसीत्

T: Nobody had ever heard of anyone being able to avert or veto Lord Yama's dispensation.

This is the question on Parikshit's mind. Yama is asked the same question by his messengers who rush to him very flustered after Ajamila was freed from their binds by those "divine" beings. They ask even this question: Does creation accommodate more than one law-giver? Can two law-givers cancel each other's orders? If yes, how can there be a uniform law of Karma and Dharma in this world?

Yama smiles and answers them.

परो मदन्यो जगतस्तस्थुषश्च ओतं प्रोतं पटवद्यत्र विश्वम्

T: "Dear fellows, know that indeed there is One, other than me, under whose order the world runs. Indeed it is like a fabric woven with His threads of influence."

Yama lists all the gods including himself, the Trinity, Indra, Agni, Chandra, Surya and so on, all of whom have been given positions of authority and responsibility to function under the regime of the Supreme Being, Ishwara. In the apparent social order of Varna and Ashrama, the Dharma organisation, all such arrangements are only mini ropes binding men like cattle tied with ropes. But these mini ropes are all tied to a giant master rope pulled by Ishwara whose rule is final.

तस्यात्मतन्त्रस्य हरेरधीशितुः परस्य मायाधिपतेर्महात्मनः

T: That Bhagavan Hari is supreme, the master of all rules. As per His rule runs the universe, under the influence of His Maya. His messengers are always everywhere, overseeing that the hierarchy of creation from gods to humans and animals are all functioning as per His will. So these messengers can overturn anyone's intent or order subordinate to His will.

स्वयम्भूर्नारद: शम्भु: कुमार: कपिलो मनु: । प्रह्लादो जनको भीष्मो बलिर्वैयासकिर्वयम् ॥

द्वादशैते विजानीमो धर्मं भागवतं भटा: । गुह्यं विशुद्धं दुर्बोधं यं ज्ञात्वामृतमश्नुते ॥

T: "Only Brahma, Narada, Shiva, Kapila, Manu, Prahlada, Janaka, Bhishma, Bali, Shuka, and I are privy to this matter that Maha Vishnu's messengers are up and about to see that His will prevails. No one else can even see them, for their sight itself is grace enough to confer liberation!"

नामोच्चारणमाहात्म्यं हरे: पश्यत पुत्रका: । अजामिलोऽपि येनैव मृत्युपाशादमुच्यत ॥

T: "See this wonder, my dear boys, the wonderful power of Sri Hari's name! A fallen one like Ajamila himself was saved from certain death and hellish punishment waiting for him, on account of uttering the Lord's name!"

"It is a greater wonder that Vedic scholars and ritualists miss the hidden power of chanting His name. That is the effect of His Maya!"

एवं विमृश्य सुधियो भगवत्यनन्ते सर्वात्मना विदधते खलु भावयोगम् ।

ते मे न दण्डमर्हन्त्यथ यद्यमीषां स्यात् पातकं तदपि हन्त्युरुगायवाद: ॥

T: "The wise ones understand this, and devote their entire being to worshipping the Lord and practising Bhakti Yoga. They are therefore spared the rod of my punishment. Even if they do some wrong, they can quickly atone for it by singing the glories of the Lord."

Sage Shuka concludes this wonderful story of Ajamila by saying that he has heard it from Sage Agastya.

***

Now a question arises. Is this not like that confession box which makes everyone easily escape the consequences of their misdeeds by simply paying lip service to the Lord? A cheap atonement!

No way!

I will give you my two pennies. Ajamila was a good man. He fell into wrong ways and ruined himself. He was about to be taken to hell. By uttering "Narayana", he drew the merciful attention of Maha Vishnu's messengers, who freed him from Yama. But all this happened within his direct experience, much like a policeman's warning. That meant he got a second chance to mend his ways. He then went to Haridwar and did enough to save himself.

Point 1: He got a warning. Point 2: He mended his ways. Point 3: He was saved.

If we see carefully, every moment, God, Ishwara, Paramatma, who is within each Jiva, is giving us a chance, telling us to change our worldly ways. Do we listen? This is also strongly reinforced in the Bhagavadgita.

***

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥

Sunday, December 25, 2022

Srimad Bhagavatam VI.02 - 25 December 2022

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥

Sunday, 25 December 2022 VI.02 - How Ajamila is saved.

***

The bottomline in this chapter is that Ajamila is saved.

The reason given by Vishnu's messengers is simple. If the Lord is all-powerful and merciful, and if the declaration that His name alone will emancipate man were to be true, Ajamila should be saved!

They point out that Ajamila has uttered the name of Narayana so many times when calling or speaking about his dear son.

स्तेन: सुरापो मित्रध्रुग् ब्रह्महा गुरुतल्पग: । स्त्रीराजपितृगोहन्ता ये च पातकिनोऽपरे ॥

सर्वेषामप्यघवतामिदमेव सुनिष्कृतम् । नामव्याहरणं विष्णोर्यतस्तद्विषया मति: ॥

T: "Even a thief, a drunkard, a person betraying his friend, or even a Brahmin-murderer, or one who commits adultery with his Guru's wife, ... and so on, by simply uttering the name of the Lord, secures protection since the Lord has vowed, “Because this man has chanted My holy name, My duty is to give him protection.”

Vedic rituals are ineffective because they do not instil devotion. Chanting the holy name reminds one of the Lord’s fame, qualities, attributes, pastimes and paraphernalia. Even after ritualistic atonement, one’s mind again runs toward material activities. By chanting "Narayana" at the moment of his death, Ajamila deserves to be set free!

Supposing an ignorant or innocent man has laid his head in a wise and powerful one's lap and has gone to sleep, it becomes the duty of the wise one to protect him! Similarly, even an ignorant chant of the Lord's name should work in favour of the man. It is also like medicine. The doctor knows how it works, and it should work even if the patient is ignorant of its functioning.

Yama's men freed Ajamila from their grasp and left. The messengers of Vishnu too, after accomplishing their goal, disappeared. Now Ajamila got a clear sense of what had happened and how he had been saved even by an inadvertent reference to Narayana. This was his moment of epiphany.

Ajamila was full of contrition. He also recalled his earlier Dharmic life and how he had incurred many sins by his conduct of late. He felt overwhelmed by the Lord's grace even when he had only inadvertently uttered "Narayana". He thought, "Alas, being a servant of my senses, how degraded I became! I fell down from my position as a duly qualified Brahmin and begot children in the womb of a prostitute! Alas, all condemnation upon me! I acted so sinfully that I degraded my family tradition. Indeed, I gave up my chaste and beautiful young wife to have sexual intercourse with a fallen prostitute accustomed to drinking wine. All condemnation upon me! My father and mother were old and had no other son or friend to look after them. Because I did not take care of them, they lived with great difficulty. Alas, being an abominable man, I ungratefully left them in that condition."

"Henceforward I shall not identify myself with the body. I shall give up false conceptions of “I” and “mine” and fix my mind on the lotus feet of Bhagavan."

Thus freed from all material attraction, he immediately started for Haridwar. He practised Bhakti Yoga very sincerely.

When his intelligence and mind were fixed upon the form of the Lord, tAjamila once again saw before him four celestial persons. He could understand that they were those he had seen previously, and thus he offered his obeisances by bowing down before the messengers of Vishnu. Ajamila gave up his material body at Haridwar on the bank of the Ganga. He regained his original spiritual body, which was a body appropriate for an associate of the Lord and was transported to Vishnu Loka.

***

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥

Saturday, December 24, 2022

Skandha VI -VII

Saturday, 24 December 2022 VI.01 - The story of Ajamila.

Sunday, 25 December 2022 VI.02 - How Ajamila is saved.

Monday, 26 December 2022 VI.03 - Yama explains to his messengers the truth behind Ajamila's emancipation.

Tuesday, 27 December 2022 VI.04 - Prachetas Prajapati Daksha prays and secures the boon of progeny from Bhagavan.

Wednesday, 28 December 2022 VI.05 - Narada incurs Daksha's curse for putting his sons on the path of Bhakti instead of Tapas to produce children.

Thursday, 29 December 2022 VI.06 - Brahma advises Daksha to extend his progeny through daughters. The various wives of Sage Kashyapa and their famous progeny.

Sunday, 1 January 2023 VI.09 - Indra kills Vishwaroopa for betrayal. Tvashta then creates a monstrous adversary to finish off Indra.

Monday, 2 January 2023 VI.10 - Indra confronts Vrittra with the special weapon fashioned with Sage Dadhichi's bones into the famous Vajrayudha.

Tuesday, 3 January 2023 VI.11 - Vrittra faces Indra with courage and resilience and says he is surrendered to the will of Bhagavan Maha Vishnu who has advised Indra to use the Vajra to kill him.

Wednesday, 4 January 2023 VI.12 - Vrittra dies a great hero's death as he shows how he is also a great Jnani and Bhakta to the astonishment of all the gods and Rishis.

Thursday, 5 January 2023 VI.13 - Indra is chased by Brahma Hatya Dosha for killing Vrittra and manages to cleanse himself by the Lord's grace.

Friday, 6 January 2023 VI.14 - How Vrittra, an asura full of Rajas and Tamas, developed such high devotion to Bhagavan Maha Vishnu - Sage Shuka tells his antecedents.

Saturday, 7 January 2023 VI.15 - Sage Angiras and Narada explain the impermanent nature of all existence and relationships in life.

Sunday, 8 January 2023 VI.16 - Sage Narada shows Chitraketu the reality of relationships and teaches the prayer that grants him the Darshan of Bhagavan Sankarshana.

Monday, 9 January 2023 VI.17 - The strange story of Chitraketu offending Parvati and her curse.

Tuesday, 10 January 2023 VI.18 - The failed attempt of Diti to avenge Indra who made Maha Vishnu kill her two sons Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu and how Indra secured the allegiance of her 49 sons who became Maruts.

Wednesday, 11 January 2023 VI.19 - Sage Shuka explains the spirit and content of Pumsavana Vrata performed by Diti.

Thursday, 12 January 2023 VII.01 - Examples of how Bhagavan manages this creation and deals with even bad people for their own good.

Friday, 13 January 2023 VII.02 - Sage Narada begins the story of Hiranyakashipu most impressively.

Saturday, 14 January 2023 VII.03 - Hiranyakashipu does severe penance to get boons from Brahma.

Sunday, 15 January 2023 VII.04 - Sage Narada introduces the magnificent character of Prahlada.

Monday, 16 January 2023 VII.05 - Hiranyakashipu hates Prahlada's devotion to Maha Vishnu and tries his best to kill him.

Friday, 27 January 2023 VII.14 - Yudhishthira learns about the ideal life of a householder from Sage Narada.

Tuesday, 17 January 2023 VII.06 - Prahlada astonishes his classmates with high spiritual wisdom and instruction for correcting their lives and says he has received this wisdom from Sage Narada.

Wednesday, 18 January 2023 VII.07 - The story of how Sage Narada takes care of Prahlada's mother during her pregnancy and the spiritual instruction he imparts to Prahlada in the womb.

Thursday, 19 January 2023 VII.08 - The incarnation of Bhagavan Narasimha and the killing of Hiranyakashipu.

Friday, 20 January 2023 VII.08 contd. - The prayers of Lord Brahma Lord Rudra, and others to Bhagavan Narasimha.

Saturday, 21 January 2023 VII.09 - The wonderful prayer of Prahlada pleases Bhagavan.

Sunday, 22 January 2023 VII.10 Part 1 - The story of Prahlada and Lord Narasimha concludes.

Monday, 23 January 2023 VII.10 Part 2 - Lord Shiva becomes Tripurari.

Tuesday, 24 January 2023 VII.11 - Sage Narada lists the qualities that typify a good Brahmin and how a housewife should conduct herself.

Wednesday, 25 January 2023 VII.12 - Sage Narada explains the tough standards of conduct for a Brahmacharin and a Vanaprastha.

Thursday, 26 January 2023 VII.13 - The life of a Sannyasi and Bhagavan Dattatreya's instruction to Bhakta Prahlada.

Friday, 27 January 2023 VII.14 - Yudhishthira learns about the ideal life of a householder from Sage Narada.

Saturday, 28 January 2023 VII.15 - How does a householder achieve liberation? Sage Narada explains.

Srimad Bhagavatam VI.01 - 24 December 2022

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥

Saturday, 24 December 2022 VI.01 - The story of Ajamila.

***

This chapter begins with a retrospect of what has been covered so far in the first five Skandhas in the words of King Parikshit. The process of creation, the impetus for the liberation of the Jiva, the grace of the Lord in different circumstances, the great rule of Manu's progeny, and the role of Yajna, Tapas, Dharma, and most importantly the practice of Bhakti, have all been discussed.

Now Parikshit has a concern. If a person has committed misdeeds deemed to be sinful, and he is going to suffer the hellish consequences, is there any way he can avert the results? How can he atone for his sins?

Sage Shuka begins with a clear statement on this:

If, before one’s forthcoming death, whatever impious acts one has performed in this life with one's mind, words and body are not counteracted through proper atonement according to shastras, one will certainly enter the hellish planets after death and undergo terrible suffering. As an expert physician diagnoses and treats a disease according to its gravity, one should experience atonement according to the severity of one’s sins.

No doubt anyone can see the consequences of sins just as citizens learn to be righteous and dutiful by witnessing a public administration of punishment to criminals meted out by the government. But what about the natural tendencies which impel one to wrong conduct by the force of the Gunas? Therefore, this process of repeated sinning and atoning has to be useless. It is like an elephant has a fine bath in the river but comes out and splashes mud all over himself in great joy.

What causes wrong conduct? Ignorance of the eternal verities. Thus even though one may be superficially pious, one will undoubtedly be prone to act impiously. Therefore real atonement is enlightenment in perfect knowledge by which one understands the Supreme Absolute Truth.

केचित्केवलया भक्त्या वासुदेवपरायणा: । अघं धुन्वन्ति कार्त्स्‍न्येन नीहारमिव भास्कर: ॥

T: Devotion to Bhagavan Vasudeva is the best cleanser. It dispels sin as quickly as the sun dispels darkness completely.

The role of cultivating devotion is illustrated now by the recounting of the famous story of Ajamila.

Ajamila was a high-class Brahmin in Kanyakubja. He was brought up well but eventually adopted a despicable lifestyle of sin given to looting, dacoity, and so on. He managed to bring a prostitute home, and ignoring his chaste and beautiful young wife, spent all his time and energies on that fallen woman. He begot ten sons in that prostitute, the last one of whom was named Narayana and was Ajamila's favourite as he was a very young lad. Ajamila had a great attachment to Narayana and his childhood pranks, spending most of the time with the boy and cuddling him and playing with him.

When Ajamila was eighty-eight years old, Yama sent his messengers to bring Ajamila whose time was up, Ajamila saw extremely ugly creatures coming to him and cried out, in utter dismay, his dear son's name, "Narayana!" Upon hearing that, the messengers in the employ of Maha Vishnu Sriman Narayana rushed to the spot as was their practice, to help any devotee of Narayana who called out in distress.

Yama's messengers were snatching the soul from the core of the heart of Ajamila, the husband of the prostitute, but with resounding voices, the messengers of Lord Vishnu forbade them to do so. Naturally, Yama's messengers asked who these newcomers were, and how they had the audacity to challenge the jurisdiction of Yama. "Who are you, sirs? Are you gods from the heavenly planets, are you celestials, or are you the best of devotees? You are dressed divinely with four arms each, carrying swords, conches, clubs, lotuses, and discs (Chakras) like Lord Vishnu!"

Vishnu's messengers replied with a smile. "If you are messengers of Yama, pray, tell us what is the rationale for meting out punishments. What is right conduct and what is punishable? What is the process of punishing others? Who are the actual candidates for punishment? Are all karmis engaged in fruitive activities punishable, or only some of them?"

Yama's men answered simply.

"The Vedas state what is Dharma, and they are the tenets of Bhagavan Narayana. This is what we have been taught by our Lord Yama. It is Narayana who runs this creation through the three Gunas. People follow the Varna-Ashrama Dharma under His order. The sun, fire, sky, air, gods, moon, evening, day, night, directions, water, land and Paramatma Himself all witness the activities of the Jiva."

"The candidates for punishment are those who are confirmed by these many witnesses to have deviated from their prescribed regulative duties. Everyone engaged in fruitive activities deserves punishment according to his sinful acts. Unlike you, who dwell in Vaikuntha, those within this material world are all karmis, whether acting piously or impiously. Both kinds of action are possible for them because they are contaminated by the three modes of nature and must act accordingly. One who has accepted a material body cannot be inactive, and sinful action is inevitable for one acting under the modes of material nature. Therefore all the living entities within this material world are punishable. In proportion to the extent of one’s religious or irreligious actions in this life, one must enjoy or suffer the corresponding reactions of his Karma in the next."

"It is interesting that every Jiva's journey through happiness and sorrow is very much like the seasons that come in a predictable cycle. So also man acts in Karma and reaps its results cyclically."

"Yama is like Lord Brahma or even Bhagavan as he mentally observes the past activities of a living entity and thus understands how the living entity will act in future lives."

"Both the gross body and the transmigratory subtle body are made up of sixteen parts — the five knowledge-acquiring senses, the five working senses, the five objects of sense gratification, and the mind. This subtle body is an effect of the three modes of material nature. It is composed of insurmountably strong desires and therefore it causes the living entity to transmigrate from one body to another in human life, animal life and life as a god. When the living entity gets the body of a god, he is certainly very jubilant, when he gets a human body he is always in lamentation, and when he gets the body of an animal, he is always afraid. In all conditions, however, he is actually miserable. His miserable condition is called अनुसम्स्रति or transmigration in material life."

"In the beginning this Brahmin named Ajamila studied the Vedas. He was a reservoir of good character, good conduct and good qualities. Firmly established in executing all the Vedic injunctions, he was very mild and gentle, and he kept his mind and senses under control. Furthermore, he was always truthful, he knew how to chant the Vedic mantras, and he was also very pure. Ajamila was very respectful to Guru, Agni Devata, his guests, and elders. Indeed, he was free from false prestige. He was upright, benevolent to all living entities, and well-behaved. He would never speak nonsense or envy anyone."

"Once, Ajamila, on the order of his father, went to the forest to collect fruit, flowers and two kinds of grass, called samit and kusha. On the way home, he came upon a shudra, a very lusty, low-born man, who was shamelessly embracing and kissing a prostitute. The shudra was enjoying himself, and both the shudra and the prostitute were drunk. The prostitute’s eyes were rolling in intoxication, and her dress had become loose. Such was the condition in which Ajamila saw them."

"Ajamila's dormant lusty desires in his heart awakened, and he fell under the control of Maya. His efforts to pull himself together with his better sense failed. Soon afterwards, Ajamila brought the prostitute to his house as a servant. He began spending whatever money he had inherited from his father to satisfy the prostitute with various gifts so that she would remain pleased with him. He gave up his Brahminical way of life just to satisfy the prostitute. He even gave up the company of his very beautiful young wife, who came from a very respectable family. Eventually, Ajamila's life was steeped in sin. Now he is unclean and is addicted to forbidden activities."

"We shall take him into the presence of Lord Yama for punishment. There, according to the extent of his sinful acts, he will be punished and thus purified."

***

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥

Friday, December 23, 2022

Srimad Bhagavatam V.26 - 23 December 2022

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥

Friday, 23 December 2022 V.26 - Here is a blood-curdling description of hell and what takes man to hell. Finally, Sage Shuka reinforces the importance of Bhakti. End of Skandha V.

***

A question arises from King Parikshit. Why do people behave the way they do? The answer from Sage Shuka is simple. Everyone is driven by his nature, composed of his Samskaras manifesting as the admixture of the three Gunas - Sattva, Rajas, Tamas. The Lord has given ample scope for man to think through the consequences of his action and learn from the past. But Maya or the play of Gunas is also a very strong force. Life is nothing but a tussle between the higher wisdom of man and the lower nature of Guna-driven instincts.

अथेदानीं प्रतिषिद्धलक्षणस्याधर्मस्य तथैव कर्तु: श्रद्धाया वैसाद‍ृश्यात्कर्मफलं विसद‍ृशं भवति या ह्यनाद्यविद्यया कृतकामानां तत्परिणामलक्षणा: सृतय: सहस्रश: प्रवृत्तास्तासां प्राचुर्येणानुवर्णयिष्याम: ॥

T: Just as by engaging in various pious activities one achieves different positions in heavenly life, by acting impiously one achieves different positions in hellish life. Those who engage in impious activities according to the extent of their ignorance are placed in different grades of hellish life. If one acts in the mode of ignorance because of madness, his resulting misery is the least severe. One who acts impiously but knows the distinction between pious and impious activities is placed in a hell of intermediate severity. And for one who acts impiously and ignorantly with an incorrigible nature of Adharma, the resultant hellish life is the worst. Because of ignorance, every undergoes suffering in hell since time immemorial. I shall try to describe them as far as possible.

Now Sage Shuka gives a blood-curdling description of different types of hell, the different punishments there, and what transgression takes one to which hell. It pretty much covers the gamut of man's misdeeds we can imagine. I am unable to write all that myself. However it is surely worth a reading. So I have scanned Swami Tapasyananda's translation with the Sanskrit verses which I share below.

***

The final word that Sage Shuka has on this is as follows:

श्रुत्वा स्थूलं तथा सूक्ष्मं रूपं भगवतो यति: । स्थूले निर्जितमात्मानं शनै: सूक्ष्मं धिया नयेदिति ॥

T: Having heard of Bhagavan and the path of liberation, the aspirant called Yati (one who strives) meditates constantly on the gross and eventually the subtle form of Bhagavan and attains liberation as mentioned before.

This Skandha covered several descriptions of the universe and the different beings and their ways. It is encyclopedic and gives the world view in Sanatana Dharma. We should remember that Sage Vyasa lived at least 5000 years ago and wrote all this.

***

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥

Thursday, December 22, 2022

Srimad Bhagavatam V.25 - 22 December 2022

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥

Thursday, 22 December 2022 V.25 - Description of Lord Sankarshana, or Adishesha, also called Ananta, and a prayer to him.

***

Far below Paataala, the bottom of the netherworld we described, is the thousand-hooded Adishesha. he is also called Lord Sankarshana because he is so attractive. He is also called Ananta, and we read early on how Lord Brahma found his way about through his guidance. Lord Sankarshana is also a manifestation of Bhagavan Maha Vishnu alone, and he resides in the heart of Lord Shiva. Often, the Jiva can mistake Ananta for Bhagavan Himself.

Adishesha supports the entire creation of this earth on one of his heads, and he is so huge that the earth appears like a mustard seed in relation to his thousand hoods!

At the time of devastation, when Lord Ananta desires to destroy the entire creation, he becomes slightly angry. Then from between his two eyebrows appears three-eyed Rudra, carrying a trident. This Rudra, who is known as Sankarshana, is the embodiment of the eleven Rudras, or incarnations of Lord Shiva. He appears in order to devastate the entire creation. That is the dissolution.

There is a description of Ananta as a most attractive being, with hands and mirror-like shiny nails in which all his devotees see their beautiful reflections! When the beautiful princesses of the serpent kings, hoping for the Lord’s auspicious blessing, smear his arms with aguru pulp, sandalwood pulp and vermilion, the touch of his limbs awakens lusty desires within them. Understanding their minds, the Lord looks at the princesses with a merciful smile, and they become bashful.

There are more descriptions of his beauty, and that he holds the plough on his back, a reference to his incarnation as Balarama later.

Ananta is also another way of saying that the Lord is constantly, uninterruptedly established in Brahman consciousness.

The gods and other celestials and sages offer fervent prayers to Ananta. One of them is:

मूर्धन्यर्पितमणुवत्सहस्रमूर्ध्नो भूगोलं सगिरिसरित्समुद्रसत्त्वम् ।

आनन्त्यादनिमितविक्रमस्य भूम्न: को वीर्याण्यधिगणयेत्सहस्रजिह्व: ॥

T: This is the Lord of unlimited powers! He bears the world with all its great mountains, rivers, oceans, trees and living entities on his hood. Look at it, it is resting just like an atom on one of his many thousands of hoods. Is there anyone, even with thousands of tongues, who can describe his glories?

Sage Shuka now concludes this description of creation and various beings born in different bodies to work out their Karmas. He now asks, what would King Parikshit want to hear, next?

***

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥

Index - Skandha IV-

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Srimad Bhagavatam V.24 - 21 December 2022

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥

Wednesday, 21 December 2022 V.24 - Description of the nether regions like Patala. Sage Shuka permits himself some commentary on the episode of Bali.

***

Sage Shuka describes in this chapter the nether regions, the seven regions called Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talātala, Mahātala, Rasātala and Pātāla. These are inhabited by serpent-like creatures with extraordinary powers of magic, might, and longevity. These are the abodes of famous serpents like Vasuki and Takshaka. They are extremely violent and poisonous and quarrelsome. They have created worlds of pleasure superior to any heaven and live in total abandon, addicted to sexual pleasures and other excesses. They are afraid of only Bhagavan Maha Vishnu's Sudarshana Chakra which can decimate them easily. Even Indra is afraid of them and takes Maha Vishnu's help when needed. They share a chronic animosity towards the gods, sons of Aditi, as they are all offspring of Danu, Diti and so on. Garuda is often their nemesis.

On the planet Atala, the yawning of a demon has produced three kinds of women, called svairiṇī (independent), kāmiṇī (lusty) and puṁścalī (very easily subdued by men). These women capture any stranger who dares enter their domain and subjugate him through sex.

(👆Copied from Shila Prabhupada in parts).

***

Below Atala is the planet Vitala, wherein Lord Shiva and his wife Gauri reside. This aspect of Shiva is called Hatakeshwara, as because of their presence, a kind of gold is produced called hāṭaka.

***

I give below an interesting section where Sage Shuka muses on the fate and fortune of Mahābali, the great devotee of Bhagavan Maha Vishnu, the grandson of Prahlada himself, who allowed his pride in his generosity to get the better of him momentarily when Maha Vishnu came as Vamana. I have scanned this section from Swami Tapasyanandaji.👇

***

Sutala and Mahābali (18-27)

18. Below that is the region called Sutala, where the great one Mahābali, noted for his generosity, lives. In order to help Indra, Lord Mahavishnu was born in Aditi as Vämana and took away the mastery of the worlds from Mahābali by a stratagem. But out of His grace, He sent Bali to Sutala where he lives in the midst of splendour, to which even Indra is a stranger. But in the midst of it all Mahābali continues to worship the Supreme Being by the discharge of his ordained duties as an offering unto Him.

19. This attainment of Sutala cannot be considered a direct result or reward for offering the world to the Lord. For, such a petty worldly fulfilment like the attainment of this subterranean heaven can never be an adequate reward for making an offering of this whole world with firm faith (Sraddha), readiness and concentration, to that Supreme Being Vasu- deva-the soul of all Jivas, the inner pervader, the controller of everything- when he presented himself before Bali as a worthy seeker of a favour. Such a whole-hearted adoration of the Lord should have brought on Bali the bliss of Moksha itself, not the paltry reward of a subterranean heaven.

20-21. By uttering His name once even with a feeling of distress while yawning, falling, or sustaining an injury, a man Overcomes the bondage of Karma, an at- Tainment for which aspirants following the disciplines of Samkhya and Yoga put themselves to endless troubles and difficulties. For making a true devotional and dedicated offering of the whole world to such an exalted Divinity who bestows Himself as also reveals Himself as one's own Self to all great devotees and men of the attainment of the joy of this enlightenment, such a worthless thing as a subterranean heaven is an absolutely incompatible reward.

22. The attainment of prosperity and facilities for enjoyment cannot even be considered a blessing in the case of a devotee; for prosperity is likely to make one forgetful of the Lord. So Mahābali's attainment of the subterranean heaven of Sutala should be attributed to his Prarabdha.

23. Finding no other way, the Lord in this incarnation as Vāmana adopted the stratagem of begging and thereby deprived Mahābali of all his possessions. Mahābali was then bound with the Varuna noose and shut up in a mountain cell. Even then, he says as follows without any dismay:

24. Indra and his trusted adviser Brihaspati are persons with little understanding of what constitutes the highest value of life. Abandoning Him, the Lord, who is the highest end for man to attain, they have utilised Him to get back from me such petty things as the world and its riches. They did not pray to be admitted as His servants. How insignificant is the lordship of these three worlds lasting for the duration of a Manvantara (about 71 Chatur-yugas) before infinite Time which is awe-inspiring to contemplate!

25. My grandfather Prahlada, after his father Hiranyakasipu's death, was offered by the Lord the whole of his patrimony which he could enjoy without fear of any rival, but he did not accept it, as those positions and riches would be disparate from the Lord. He sought only the privilege of being His servant. He is indeed a fortunate person! 26. It is impossible for persons like me, whose tendencies for worldly enjoyments have not been effaced and who have not received the Lord's grace, to think or dream of following the example of that great personage.

27. Later on (in the eighth Skandha) will be told the story of Mahābali, at whose gate stands Maha Vishnu Himself as a gatekeeper!

***

तस्यानुचरितमुपरिष्टाद्विस्तरिष्यते यस्य भगवान् स्वयमखिलजगद्गुरुर्नारायणो द्वारि गदापाणिरवतिष्ठते निजजनानुकम्पितहृदयो येनाङ्गुष्ठेन पदा दशकन्धरो योजनायुतायुतं दिग्विजय उच्चाटित: ॥

T: The Lord, overcome by His passionate love for devotees, the Supreme Lord, Sri Hari, Narayana, stands guard, armed with a mace as a gatekeeper outside the abode of his devotee, Mahābali. In that capacity, He threw the ten-headed Ravana several thousand Yojanas away with a flick of his toe when that Rakshasa approached the realm of Mahābali to challenge him in the course of Ravana's ugly march of conquest over the whole universe.

***

Then the chapter covers the personality of Rahu. Rahu is a terrible demon disguised as a god and seated between Surya and Chandra at the time Mohini comes to distribute Amrita after the churning of the ocean (this story is narrated in detail later). Rahu is exposed by Chandra and Surya as an imposter in their midst. Mohini strikes him and denies him Amrita. This engenders eternal enmity between him and Surya and Chandra. Sage Shuka says that Rahu tries to swallow the moon or the sun during an eclipse and only the fear of Maha Vishnu's Sudarshana which is released during the eclipse makes him run for his life and end the eclipse. Sage Shuka clarifies that calling it Grahana (swallowing) is the wrong term as Rahu does not succeed in swallowing either the moon or the sun. Interestingly, the idea of interposing the earth and sun/moon and obstructing the view of the other is what astronomers describe as an eclipse. Since Rahu is evil, we are advised to stay indoors and pray to Maha Vishnu during an eclipse.

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥