॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Saturday, 20 August 2022 - The Bhagavata Mahatmyam Ch.2 and the second part of the Introduction by Swami Tapasyananda.
Bhagavata Mahatmyam Ch.2
Sage Narada begins to instill courage and hope in the beautiful maiden Bhakti. He reminds her how remembering Sri Krishna had saved Draupadi from ignominy heaped by Kauravas, how the gopis were always cared for by Sri Krishna. Indeed Mahavishnu had created Bhakti out of infinite love in his own image and would never let her be unhappy.
Stressing that liberation might have been possible in the earlier Yugas through Jnana and Vairagya but the only means to liberation in Kali Yuga was Bhakti and Bhakti alone, Bhagavan had created Bhakti. Bhakti gladly undertook her role and thus,
अङ्गीकृतं त्वया तद्वै प्रसन्नोऽभूद्धरिस्तदा । मुक्तिं दासीं ददौ तुभ्यं ज्ञानवैराग्यकाविमौ ॥
T: Once Bhakti accepted her mission, a delighted Hari then assigned Mukti as the handmaiden of Bhakti! And He also gave her two sons to care for - Jnana and Vairagya.
I find this shloka so beautiful and trenchant. Since in Kali Yuga Bhakti was the sole way, she was created and was given Mukti as a servant - that means Bhagavan places Bhakti above Mukti - as dearer and superior to Himself! Mukti, the agenda of all spiritualists, thus becomes subservient to Bhakti. And Jnana and Vairagya are childen who need care and nourishment from Bhakti.
***
But then a much-restored Bhakti begged Narada to wake up her derelict sons. Narada shook them, spoke words of the Upanishads and Gita into their ears, and tried hard. They did somewhat wake up, but slipped again helplessly into slumber. They looked emaciated and wasted like dried wood.
Devarshi Narada was at his wits' end. Just then he heard a divine oracle. "Oh, Narada! Don't lose heart! You shall indeed succeed in waking up and restoring Jnana, Vairagya and cheering up Bhakti. But you have to find the correct solution by asking the wise."
This cryptic oracle made Narada take leave, and start going around all holy places and meeting the wise and sagely folk, asking what was the cryptic key that the oracle had spoken of.
The poet Vyasa does not lose an opportunity for humour. He says the wise shook their heads, showed confusion, and muttered incoherent words implying the matter was too complicated and unclear. Some even ran away! A distressed Narada continued his travels and finally came to Badarinath, resolving that he would do severe penance to find the solution. Just then he met the foursome- Sanatkumaras, the eternally wise, eternally youthful, liberated beings who always dwelt in the presence of Hari.
भक्तिज्ञानविरागाणां सुखमुत्पद्यते कथम्। स्थापनं सर्ववर्णेषु प्रेमपूर्वं प्रयत्नतः ॥
T: "Oh Kumaras! I need your grace! Pray tell me what should be done to restore Bhakti, Jnana. and Vairagya to their glory and instill them in people of all callings and classes in a loving manner for the people's emancipation!?"
I love these words of Narada. They epitomize the great sage's missionary zeal that he is famous for in the three worlds and for all time. No wonder he is called the supreme devotee of Narayana.
"Oh, Sage! Have you forgotten your own words to Sage Vyasa after his having composed the Mahabharata!? Remember how he was plunged into confusion and melancholy? You told him in four succinct verses the essence of Srimad Bhagavatam and how he should spread it for everyone's upliftment and his own spiritual well-being. After all, Mahabharata had upheld the principles of Artha and Dharma and not Bhakti. Bhagavatam was therefore the panacea.
भक्तिज्ञानविरागाणां तद्घोषेण बलं महत्। व्रजिष्यति द्वयोः कष्टं सुखं भक्तेर्भविष्यति ॥
T: "Oh Sage Narada, the recital of Srimad Bhagavatam will most definitely empower Bhakti, Jnana and Vairagya. It will remove the diseased predicament of Jnana and Vairagya and cheer up Bhakti."
इक्षूणामपि मध्यान्तं शर्करा व्याप्य तिष्ठति। पृथग्भूता च सा मिष्टा तथा भागवती कथा ॥
T:" Just as sweetness pervades every part of sugarcane, but only when extracted is it concentrated in its glorious sweetness, likewise, Srimad Bhagavatam has the same instant, concentrated effect on people!"
The chapter concludes भाग्योदयेन सत्सङ्गं च लभते पुरुषो तदोदयते विवेकः T:" "Only by his great good fortune does man secure the company of the truly noble souls who will then kindle the much needed wisdom and discrimination in him."
******
Part 2 - Swami Tapasyananda's Introduction
There are several most interesting and informative parts. I cannot hope to convey everything. I shall simply quote a few lines:
The main thesis of the Bhagavatam is to inculcate the glory and greatness of Bhagavan Sri Krishna and the necessity of cultivating devotion to him. Therefore more than 70% of the work covers Sri Krishna's stories and themes.
In the view of the Bhagavatam, there was a fuller manifestation of Divine excellences in Krishna than in any other incarnation.
Bhagavatam extols the supremacy of Maha Vishnu and Krishna but does not belittle other deities. All deities are manifestations of the Supreme Divine Being. The Pauranika methodology deploys the same Saguna Brahman of Vedanta but presents a threefold conception of Rajas-Sattva-Tamas as Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva (conveying that every part of creation which manifests these three qualities is imbued with God's presence) to draw people to Godhead through attractive stories and depictions. Time stands testimony and demonstrates how eminently the Puranas have succeeded in their difficult task of distilling Vedanta into engrossing stories of timeless import.
"Bhagavan" Vishnu has six Bhagas - and so He is called Bhagavan. Aishwarya=Omnipotence, Dharma=Virtue, Glory=Yashas, Sri=Beauty of all kinds, Jnana=Omniscience and Vairagya=Detachment.
Then there is a wonderful description of Maha Vishnu's appearance and the way that vision is detailed in Bhagavatam. This will come in the body of Bhagavatam later and so we shall now skip it.
॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
