॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Wednesday, 21 September 2022 - The ninth chapter of the second Skandha- Shuka narrates how the Bhagavan gave His Darshan to Brahma and gave him the essence of Srimad Bhagavatam.
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आत्ममायामृते राजन् परस्यानुभवात्मनः। नघतेतार्थसम्बन्धः स्वप्नद्रष्टुरिवाञ्जसा॥
बहुरूपा इवाभाति मायया बहुरूपया। रममाणो गुणेष्वस्या ममाहमिति मन्यते॥
T: “Oh, King, it is indeed the delusory power of Maya that makes one see the variety of things and lives around when their differentiation is entirely illusory. Just as a dreamer makes his attachments and associations with the unreal experiences he undergoes, and these disappear completely on his waking up, the soul when awakened at once goes beyond these material and bodily associations and attachments, which he is presently enjoying as “I and mine.”
आत्मतत्त्वविशुद्ध्यर्थं यदाह भगवानृतम्। भ्रह्मणे दर्शयन् रूपमव्यलीकव्रतादृतः॥
T: “When Lord Brahma meditated intensely with devotion, Bhagavan revealed His glory and His abode and also taught him the eternal truth of how Jiva can obtain release from bondage.”
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“Lord Brahma is the first god. He creates and rules this world. When he came into being, he wondered what he should do and how he should go about it. Then he heard an unseen being's voice from the heavens speak the two syllables “Ta Pa”. Tapa indeed forms the core of all spiritual endeavour. So Brahma undertook a severe penance for a thousand divine years (several million human years) with intense devotion. At last, Bhagavan Maha Vishnu revealed Himself to him, saying He was greatly pleased with the way Brahma had heeded the unseen voice which was that of Maha Vishnu Himself extolling intense tapas to secure His revelation.”
“Lord Maha Vishnu revealed His Vaikuntha Loka to Brahma. It was a world free from the three Gunas (Sattva Rajas Tamas) and there was no suffering, delusion or fear. That world was free from Maya too. The Lord’s attendants themselves looked godly, each with four hands, and received prayer from all the gods and demons everywhere. The Goddess Sri (Maha Lakshmi) served the Lord with divine love and infinite grace, and recited prayers to Him sitting on her swing. Her prayers took the form of divinised bees that hovered around her, joining with their buzz which resonated with her prayer!”
भृत्यप्रसादाभिमुखं दृहासवं प्रसन्नहासारुणलोचनाननम् । किरइटिनं कुण्डलिनं चतुरभुजं पीताम्बरं वक्षसि लक्षितं श्रिया॥
T: “Lord Brahma beheld the infinitely beautiful and gracious form of Maha Vishnu, revealed only for the upliftment of His devotees, giving a most bewitching smile and looking with compassion and love from his rising sun-tinted eyes, with His diadem (crown), His ear-ornaments, with His four hands, and sporting Goddess Sri on His chest.”
“His twenty-five Vibhutis viz., Prakriti, Purusha, Mahattattva, Ahankara, Manas, the ten indriyas (of perception and action), the five Tannmatras, the five elements, were arrayed around Him as his attendants. The Lord was truly Ishwara with his six Bhagas - Aishwarya, Dharma, Kirti, Sri, Jnana and Vairagya, and yet these sat lightly on Him as He was indeed beyond all.
These six attributes are constant and complete only in Him, although they manifest in varying degrees in Jivas fleetingly. The Lord can be described as the true embodiment of eternal bliss.”
“After this vision, Lord Brahma was experiencing indescribable joy and gratitude. He shed tears of bliss, and bowed low at the Lord’s lotus feet.”
“The Lord was satisfied that Brahma was now ready and qualified to undertake the job of creation. He touched Brahma lovingly and spoke:
“Dear Brahma, you, who hold the Vedas within yourself in latent form, have pleased Me immensely with your intense and devoted tapas. You can ask of Me any boon! But know that this vision of Mine can come only to those who have transcended material wants. This vision is the summum bonum of all existence. You followed my order to perform “Tapa” even before you saw Me. Know indeed that “Tapa” was needed to be performed for you to be qualified to undertake the task of creation. Know that “Tapa” is indeed I alone! I create, sustain and dissolve all existence only through “Tapa”.”
“Brahma spoke: “Oh Lord, You dwell as the Inner Witness of all and so know every thought and deed. So You know my desire to know You in Your dual forms of Saguna and Nirguna (with form and without). I also want to understand Your Maya power with which You create, sustain and dissolve everything. This is Your divine play. More than anything else, I don’t want to be caught up in the world I am going to create! So please teach me how to remain above Maya. You have held my hand as a dear friend. So please guide me so that I don’t develop the attachment of doer-ship in my creative role!”
The answer Bhagavan gave Brahma is often called the Chatusshloki Bhagavatam, meaning the core teaching or essence of the scripture condensed from around 16,000 shlokas into just four.
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The Bhagavan spoke.
“Oh, Brahma, what I am going to tell you is the most hidden truth, the greatest of science, and can be discovered only by devotion. Receive it with full attention. What are my attributes, forms and activities? What is the core truth in them all? Know that, by My grace.”अहमेवासमेवाग्रे नान्यद् यत्सदसदसत्परम्। पश्चादहं यदेतच्चयोऽवशिष्येत सोऽस्म्यहम्॥ऋतेऽर्थं यत्प्रतीयेत न प्रतीयेत चात्मनि। तद्विद्यादात्मनो मायां यथाभासो यथा तमः॥यथा महान्ति बूतानि बूतेषूच्चावचेष्वनु। प्रविष्टाप्रविष्टानि तथा तेषु न तेष्वहम्॥एतावदेव जिज्ञास्यं तत्तवजिज्ञासुनात्मनः। अन्वयव्यतिरेकाभ्यां यत् स्यात्सर्वत्र सर्वदा॥T: “Before creation, and after dissolution, I alone was. I mean beyond the gross and subtle aspects of existence. Whatever is created is from Myself, as nothing exists outside of Me, despite appearing to be separate and bound by cause and effect principles.”“Whatever appears superimposed on Atman, remains separate, and leaves no residue behind when it goes, leaving Atman alone. This phenomenon is due to My divine power, Maya. All these appearances are like reflections or shadows, with my substance.”“The great basic elements constitute all Nature by combining in various ways to take on the resultant properties, but indeed the basic elements remain separate from the objects of Nature. Similarly I constitute all beings, by entering into them, and yet I remain pristine as I am not affected by the beings.”“The seeker of Truth should realize the core essence that remains constant, unaffected, and pure despite being a part of the manifestations during their existence. That core is the Pure Spirit - it is eternal, unaffected and ultimate.”“Practise the highest samadhi and absorb yourself totally in Me. As such perform according to my orders, and you shall remain unaffected during all the cycles of creation that you engage in.”***
“Bhagavan Maha Vishnu, Sri Hari, after giving this instruction, vanished from Lord Brahma’s vision. Saluting the Lord within, Brahma started the process of creation. His spiritual son Sage Narada served him ardently during this period. Brahma taught Narada the holy scripture of Srimad Bhagavatam, which Narada in turn gave Sage Vyasa on the bank of the Saraswati river. The Bhagavatam captures all the answers to the questions you have asked, Oh, King Parikshit!”
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
