॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Friday, 26 August 2022 - Chapter 2 of the first skandha - Raumaharshini begins to describe the glory of Bhakti and Bhagavatam.
Suta Ugrashravas, son of Romaharshana, is the one who has arrived at Naimisharanya. He is most pleased to begin his narrative in response to the questions raised by the sages there.
"Obeisances to my guru, the incomparable realized master Shuka, dear son of Sage Vyasa, who has given the world Srimad Bhagavatam. Indeed, devotion to Sri Krishna is the ultimate path to liberation.
अहैतुक्यप्रतिहता ययात्मा सम्प्रसीदति
T: Unstinted, desireless love for Sri Krishna is the sole means to the delight of the Atman in all.
Vairagya and Jnana naturally follow from Bhakti.
Men engage in several activities and religious rituals, all with the desire for worldly benefits.
नोत्पादयेद्यदि रतिं श्रम एव हि केवलम् - T: All such religious efforts that do not develop unstinting devotion are a mere waste of effort and sweat with no benefit at all.
Many maintain that Dharma - righteous living and ritual, is after all for securing worldly good and a better life in heaven thereafter. But the desire for pleasures and wealth cannot ever be true Dharma, as it does not evoke a search for ultimate liberation, the summum bonum, which can be obtained only by the search for Brahman (formless Godhood), Paramatman (the Supreme Being), Bhagavan (the lovable and worshippable God with form), these three ideas all leading to the same state of liberation.
पश्यन्त्यात्मनि चात्मानं भक्त्या श्रुतगृहीतया -
T: The sages who listen to Bhagavatam and cultivate unstinting devotion are bound to find the Supreme Being in their own hearts.
Those who pursue devotion and listen to Bhagavatam will discover that the fetters of past Karmas that bind them in this world will be broken.
वासुदेवकथारुचिः स्यान्महत्सेवया विप्राः पुण्यतीर्थनिषेवणात् T: Just as resorting to holy places gives an opportunity to serve the saints there, an earnest devotion will intensify through listening to the Bhagavatam and foster further interest in the Bhagavatam.
सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति प्रकृतेर्गुणास्तैर्युक्तः परः पुरुष एक इहास्य धत्ते।
स्थित्यादये हरिविरिञ्चिहरेति संज्ञाः श्रेयांसि तत्र खलु सत्त्वतोनोर्नृणां स्युः ॥
T: The Yogamaya Shakti of the Lord manifests as three Gunas (forces) - Sattva (pursuit of peace and enlightenment), Rajas (passion and activity), and Tamas (darkness and inertia). These are worshipped as Brahma (Rajas), Vishnu (Sattva), and Shiva (Tamas) respectively as they are aspects of Vasudeva controlling creation, sustenance, and dissolution of all existence as we perceive it. Indeed, the Sattva aspect of Vasudeva (Vishnu) will foster the development of devotion and liberation.
Rajas is superior to Tamas, but it is Sattva that leads to Brahman. Maha Vishnu, the pure embodiment of Sattva, has been worshipped for long by the sages for this reason.
The wise do not worship elemental deities of fierce nature but only Sriman Narayana. In any case, all worship of any deity ultimately reaches the Supreme Being, Vasudeva.
Yoga, Tapas, Dharma all finally lead to the same Being.
तया विलसितेष्वेषु गुणेषु गुणवानिव। अन्तःप्रविष्ट आभाति विज्ञानेन विजृम्भितः॥
T: In a wonderful way, the Supreme Being, through the Yogamaya Shakti (creative power) under His control, combines with the three Gunas and manifests in all creation. He is yet untainted therefrom while infusing all existence with consciousness emanating from His pure Supreme Being.
भावयत्येव सत्त्वेन लोकान् वै लोकभावनः। लीलावतारानुरतो देवतिर्यङ्नरादिषु॥
T: The Lord alone manifests through His Leela (sport) as gods, humans, animals, and everything else. He protects and nourishes all creation.
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
