॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Thursday, 1 December 2022 V.05- Rishabha Deva gives spiritual instruction and then takes up the life of a Paramahamsa Avadhuta.
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There is a starkness in this chapter that those familiar with Adi Shankaracharya's Nirvana Shatkam and Bhaja Govindam will be able to relate to. The spiritual message is consistent with what we have read so far in Srimad Bhagavatam but is presented in a stark way.
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ऋषभ उवाच
नायं देहो देहभाजां नृलोके कष्टान् कामानर्हते विड्भुजां ये । तपो दिव्यं पुत्रका येन सत्त्वं शुद्ध्येद्यस्माद् ब्रह्मसौख्यं त्वनन्तम् ॥
T: Rishabha Deva addressed his sons, the princes, in the assembly: "Dear sons, know well that this human body is given to men not for mere sense gratification that suits lowly, scavenging animals. Man should perform divine Tapas which purifies the heart and confers the eternal bliss of Brahman."
"Seek the company of Mahatmas, who are equanimous and dispassionate, kind-hearted and pure. That will lead you to liberation. The company of sensuous, indulgent people will lead you to eternal darkness."
"Those devoted to Me, Bhagavan, are not interested in mingling with people who are busy maintaining their bodies, eating, sleeping, mating and defending. They are not attached to their homes, although they may be householders. Nor are they attached to wives, children, friends or wealth. At the same time, they are not indifferent to the execution of their Swadharma. Such people earn just enough to keep body and soul together."
"This human body brings with it the desires and experiences passed through past Karmas. Knowing this, one should not pamper the body and just indulge in bodily pleasures."
"Desire-driven activities build Karma and bind the body. The only escape is to gain spiritual insight into the nature of Atma, our core."
एवं मन: कर्मवशं प्रयुङ्क्ते अविद्ययाऽऽत्मन्युपधीयमाने । प्रीतिर्न यावन्मयि वासुदेवे न मुच्यते देहयोगेन तावत् ॥
T: "A mind engrossed thus in desire-driven activities indicates that the inborn Atma awareness is covered up. Therefore until the mind turns to Me, Vasudeva, in worship, it will not be released from the bondage of the Karma cycle."
"Even a learned man may be so foolish that he is fully occupied only with bodily pleasures. Such a materialistic man is busy with home and such; enjoying sex pleasures and so on. All these are bound to heap misery on him eventually. Such thinking and behaviour suits an animal."
"The basis of ignorance is the mutual attraction of the male and female. This leads to attachments to the body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way, one increases life’s illusions and thinks in terms of "I and mine.""
"When the binding rope of ignorance begins to loosen, the man starts thinking of liberation from these attachments."
हंसे गुरौ मयि भक्त्यानुवृत्या वितृष्णया द्वन्द्वतितिक्षया च । सर्वत्र जन्तोर्व्यसनावगत्या जिज्ञासया तपसेहानिवृत्त्या ॥
T: "Dear sons, seek the Paramahamsa Guru, develop steadfast devotion to Me, Bhagavan, overcome the illusory like-dislike dualities, witness the basic misery of bound existence in this and other Lokas too, meditate deeply on the eternal Truth, practising Tapas and self-abnegation."
"Seek the compassion of Bhagavan through Bhakti. That alone liberates. Also, when you rule over your subjects, explain this truth to them in affectionate ways. Do not mislead them into the downhill way of sense gratifications touting them to be the be-all and end-all of life."
"A stage will then come in your spiritual growth when you give up even that attachment to the idea of liberation! That indeed is an indicator of your progress."
गुरुर्न स स्यात्स्वजनो न स स्यात्पिता न स स्याज्जननी न सा स्यात् । दैवं न तत्स्यान्न पतिश्च स स्यान्न मोचयेद्य: समुपेतमृत्युम् ॥
T: "Know that one is NO true Guru or NO true mother, or NO god/deity or NO husband/master who does not inculcate the search for liberation in the people and avert the future cycles of birth and death for them."
"Know that I assume the body out of My Divine Will, I am not bound to take any form, human or otherwise. I transcend name and form. I am firmly established within Dharma, and I am far away from Adharma. That is why people call me Rishabha (The Supreme One)."
"My dear sons, you are all born of My heart, which is the seat of all spiritual qualities. Therefore you should not be like materialistic and envious men. You should accept your eldest brother, Bharata, who is exalted in Bhakti, as your king. If you engage yourselves in Bharata’s service, your service to him will become My service, and you will lord over the citizens well, automatically."
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Bhagavan now describes the hierarchy of different material and living forms in creation. The hierarchy goes up from dull matter through the echelons of creation up to humans, gods, Shiva, Brahma and finally to HImself, Bhagavan Maha Vishnu.
Bhagavan then says emphatically that true Brahmins who live the righteous life taught in the scriptures are the noblest of men. Any food that they consume is more sacred than any Yajna offering. A true Brahmin has mind control, sense control, truthfulness, true knowledge of Vedas, ability to teach others, practice of Tapas, forbearance, and the quality of seeing the Lord in all beings. In total, these eight qualifications are needed for a true Brahmin.
"My dear sons, you should not envy any living entity — be he moving or nonmoving. Knowing that I am situated in them, you should offer respect to all of them at every moment. In this way, you offer respect to Me."
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After this spiritual instruction, delivered not only to his one hundred worthy sons but also to the others including sages and Brahmins assembled, Rishabha Deva anointed Bharata, his eldest son who was full of nobility and devotion, as the king. Thereafter, Rishabha Deva assumed the life of a Paramahamsa Avadhuta.
As an Avadhuta, Rishabha roamed the world, totally unmindful of his body. He was easily mistaken for a madman. He was naked, and dirty, and lived a life no different from that of animals, unmindful of cleanliness or material aspects. His beautiful body was still most attractive, but in a repulsive condition in terms of upkeep. He was teased and tormented by people unaware of who he was. This is described in some detail. Sage Vyasa says that finally, the Lord assumed the body/life of a python that stays in one place with no care. He eats, sleeps and defecates in the same place unmindful of what others think.
The Lord was only showing the world that one who has truly become a Brahman-conscious Avadhuta has no interest in anything of this world that is related to the body.
Rishabha Deva's life on earth as an avatara of Bhagavan was fully accomplished. All the special mystical powers or Siddhis that a Yogi hopes to acquire went begging as he did not care for superhuman powers of vision, hearing, disappearance, taking over another body, and so on.
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
