॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Monday, 17 October 2022, III.25 - On Devahuti’s request, her son Lord Kapila Muni begins his instruction about Sankhya and its path of devotion.
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As we have seen before, having the urge to seek and find the ultimate truth is a voluntary choice. We are all swimming in the ocean of Time and Space, birth after birth, carrying our tendencies and subconscious memories. Only by the Lord’s grace do we begin to seek the higher goals of life. A seeker, when ready, will always be found by a Guru who will guide him. This is an inviolable principle enunciated in Sanatana Dharma. The Srimad Bhagavatam is full of stories of many seekers in this way. Devahuti, daughter of the world’s first king, Svayambhuva Manu, married to Sage Kardama, a realised master, is now ready, and lo and behold, her seeking is answered by Kapila Muni, none other than her own son! Indeed, this is a rare kind of fortune.
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I must say here that the structure of Srimad Bhagavatam is that of a conversation between a wise one and the seeker. Each episode is narrated by someone to someone else. I am leaving out those kernels of names every time as I have already introduced that the Bhagavatam we are reading is what the Suta told Shaunaka and other sages in Naimisharanya, and he is currently reporting the stories given by Sage Maitreya to Vidura.
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At this juncture, Shaunaka asks the Suta eagerly what Lord Kapila Muni did next, a question that had been asked by Vidura to Sage Maitreya. In reply, Maitreya replied as follows.
After Kardama left for the forest, Lord Kapila stayed near the Bindu Sarovara to please His mother, Devahuti.
Devahuti recalled what Lord Brahma had told her. She decided to obtain spiritual instruction from Lord Kapila Muni.
देवहूतिरुवाच
निर्विण्णा नितरां भूमन्नसदिन्द्रियतर्षणात् । येन सम्भाव्यमानेन प्रपन्नान्धं तम: प्रभो ॥
तस्य त्वं तमसोऽन्धस्य दुष्पारस्याद्य पारगम् । सच्चक्षुर्जन्मनामन्ते लब्धं मे त्वदनुग्रहात् ॥
य आद्यो भगवान् पुंसामीश्वरो वै भवान् किल । लोकस्य तमसान्धस्य चक्षु: सूर्य इवोदित: ॥
अथ मे देव सम्मोहमपाक्रष्टुं त्वमर्हसि । योऽवग्रहोऽहंममेतीत्येतस्मिन् योजितस्त्वया ॥
T: Devahuti said: “Lord, I am tormented by the bondage of the senses. I am in absymal ignorance. You are my only saviour, my transcendental eye. I have gained my proximity to You only by Your grace. You are the Supreme Being. You are the sun to dissipate the darkness of ignorance in the universe. Therefore, oh, Lord, kindly dispel my delusion. I am caught in Your own Maya play and have identified myself with the falsity called “I” and “Mine”, this body and its attachments.”
“Lord, You are my only shelter. You are the axe to cut down this tree of material existence in me. Kindly tell me the relationship between man and woman and between spirit and matter.”
Lord Kapila Muni answered in words filled with compassion and love for His mother.
श्रीभगवानुवाच
योग आध्यात्मिक: पुंसां मतो नि:श्रेयसाय मे । अत्यन्तोपरतिर्यत्र दु:खस्य च सुखस्य च ॥
तमिमं ते प्रवक्ष्यामि यमवोचं पुरानघे । ऋषीणां श्रोतुकामानां योगं सर्वाङ्गनैपुणम् ॥
T: “ The yoga system which relates to the Lord and the individual soul, which is meant for the ultimate benefit of the living entity, and which removes attachments to all happiness and distress in the material world, is the highest Yoga. My blessed mother, I shall gladly teach you this Yoga, as I taught it long before to great sages. It is most practical.”
“The state when the Jiva is attracted by the three Gunas is called the conditional life. When the same Jiva is attached to the Supreme Being, that state is liberation!”
“When one is completely cleansed of the impurities of lust and greed produced from the false identification with the body as “I” and bodily possessions as “mine,” one’s mind becomes purified. In that pure state, the Jiva transcends the stage of so-called material happiness and distress. At that time the Jiva can see himself as transcendental to material existence and always self-effulgent, never fragmented, a drop in the ocean. In that position of self-realization, by the practice of knowledge and renunciation in devotional service, one sees everything from the right perspective; the Jiva becomes indifferent to material existence, and the material influence acts less powerfully upon him.”
न युज्यमानया भक्त्या भगवत्यखिलात्मनि । सदृशोऽस्ति शिव: पन्था योगिनां ब्रह्मसिद्धये ॥
प्रसङ्गमजरं पाशमात्मन: कवयो विदु: । स एव साधुषु कृतो मोक्षद्वारमपावृतम् ॥
तितिक्षव: कारुणिका: सुहृद: सर्वदेहिनाम् । अजातशत्रव: शान्ता: साधव: साधुभूषणा: ॥
T: “For any Yogi to attain Brahman. there is no path comparable to the auspicious path of Bhakti to the Lord who dwells in all. Every wise seeker knows very well that material attachment is the greatest entanglement of the Jiva. But that same attachment when directed towards Sadhus, or holy men of wisdom, opens the door of liberation. This is Satsang. The characteristics of a Sadhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, is peaceful, abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime.”
मय्यनन्येन भावेन भक्तिं कुर्वन्ति ये दृढाम् । मत्कृते त्यक्तकर्माणस्त्यक्तस्वजनबान्धवा: ॥
T: “Such a Sadhu has a single-pointed devotion to Me. He thus renounces all else- worldly, family relationships and friendly attachments.”
“Sadhus constantly engaging in chanting and hearing about Me are indifferent to any worldly miseries. Oh, My mother, oh, virtuous lady, these are the qualities of great devotees who are free from all attachment. You must seek attachment to such holy men, for this counteracts the pernicious effects of material attachment.”
“Listening to the pastimes and glories of the Lord from Sadhus will please the ear and the heart. Thus one advances spiritually and experiences a firm connection with the Lord. Then the real Bhakti dawns. This path to Bhakti is the most efficacious to get rid of worldly miseries.”
Devahuti now had a request.
तदेतन्मे विजानीहि यथाहं मन्दधीर्हरे । सुखं बुद्ध्येय दुर्बोधं योषा भवदनुग्रहात् ॥
T: “ Lord, I am dull-witted. Kindly explain to me in a way that I can understand this path better.”
मैत्रेय उवाच
विदित्वार्थं कपिलो मातुरित्थं जातस्नेहो यत्र तन्वाभिजात: । तत्त्वाम्नायं यत्प्रवदन्ति सांख्यं प्रोवाच वै भक्तिवितानयोगम् ॥
T: Maitreya tells Narada, “ The Lord had great understanding and love towards His mother. He therefore slowly and clearly elucidated for her, as handed down to disciples over ages, the Sankhya system, which is a combination of mystic realisation and the Bhakti path.”
“The senses are under the control of the gods. The mind is under the control of the Lord. The mind can naturally be attracted to the Lord in Bhakti. Bhakti is a state of selfless devotional service to the Lord that is considered far superior to salvation.”
नैकात्मतां मे स्पृहयन्ति केचिन् मत्पादसेवाभिरता मदीहा: । येऽन्योन्यतो भागवता: प्रसज्य सभाजयन्ते मम पौरुषाणि ॥
T: “Those devoted in Bhakti to Me and placing My lotus feet in their hearts never wish to become one with Me. They revel in exchanging stories of My glories with other devotees.”
“Oh, My mother, My devotees always see the smiling face of My form, with eyes like the rising morning sun. They like to see My various transcendental forms.”
“Upon seeing the charming forms of the Lord, smiling and attractive, and hearing His very pleasing words, the pure devotee’s senses are freed from all other engagements, and he becomes absorbed in Bhakti. Although it is not his priority, he attains liberation without any separate endeavour.”
“The devotee never hankers after the higher heavens and their pleasures and comforts. By virtue of his single-pointed Bhakti, this very life is full of felicity.”
नङ्क्ष्यन्ति नो मेऽनिमिषो लेढि हेति: । येषामहं प्रिय आत्मा सुतश्च सखा गुरु: सुहृदो दैवमिष्टम् ॥
T: “Nothing can change or damage their state of transcendental bliss because the devotees accept Me as their friend, their relative, their son, preceptor, benefactor and Supreme Lord.”
“The terrible fear of death is gone for such a devotee. I am the Supreme Being, the cause of all causes. My supremacy is such that the wind blows, the sun shines, there is rain, the fire burns, and Death acts, all out of fear of Me.”
“The Yogis who practise Bhakti go beyond death and fear of death.”
“Bhakti is the only means for the attainment of the final perfection of life.”
Bhagavan's instruction continues in the next chapter.
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
