॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Thursday, 8 December 2022 V.12 - For the benefit of King Rahugana,Bharata gives invaluable insights into the path of liberation.
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Not for the first time, I am so moved by the nuggets of wisdom contained in the lines of Srimad Bhagavatam. I am only regretful of my long years wasted in other pursuits rather than in reading and living the precepts of this godly scripture.
In order to share my excitement, I have created a video with the text and the chanting by Brahmacharini Devaki Chaitanya. Kindly listen to it and read the words yourself. I shall confine myself to quoting only a few Sanskrit words, but shall cover all important points in this blog.
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"I plead with you, oh, Sage! Please retell what you have instructed so far in a simple way, as only then can I understand it. My mind is very inquisitive, and I want to understand this clearly."
Sage Bharata replies.
"King, all, the beings moving about are but earthly combinations of creative cosmic components that function and hide the reality by their diversity. This body is made of earth and stone in the form of feet, ankles, calves, knees, thighs, torso, throat and head. Upon the shoulders is the wooden palanquin, and within the palanquin is the so-called King of Sauvira. The body of the king is simply another transformation of the same earth, but within that body, your highness is situated, alsely thinking that you are the King of the state of Sauvira."
"By compelling these palanquin bearers, by the force of your authority, and enjoying their menial labour for free, you are cruel and unkind. Yet, you have been thinking that you are protecting the citizens. This is ludicrous. You were such a fool that you could not have been adored as a great man in an assembly of persons advanced in knowledge."
"Different bodies and capacities are simply transformations of the earth. They exist in name only, for everything grows out of the earth and when everything is annihilated, it again mingles with the earth. In other words, we are but dust, and we shall be but dust. Everyone should understand this point."
"Although the universe may temporarily appear to be the truth, it ultimately has no real existence. The earth was originally created by a combination of atomic particles, but these particles are impermanent. It is not also a fact that the varieties found in this material world simply result from atomic juxtaposition or combination. There is something, far bigger, behind all this"
ज्ञानं विशुद्धं परमार्थमेकमनन्तरं त्वबहिर्ब्रह्म सत्यम् । प्रत्यक् प्रशान्तं भगवच्छब्दसंज्ञं यद्वासुदेवं कवयो वदन्ति ॥
T: "The original cause of the world is what is described by the knowers of truth as Para Brahman, Paramatma, Vasudeva. He is the totality of pure, eternally true, creative, blissful, consciousness that has created and permeated all existence. He is distinct from what we mistake here for existence which is changing and impermanent. He is Supreme Peace, too."
रहूगणैतत्तपसा न याति न चेज्यया निर्वपणाद् गृहाद्वा । नच्छन्दसा नैव जलाग्निसूर्यैर्विना महत्पादरजोऽभिषेकम् ॥
T: "Rahugana, How can one realise this Supreme Truth? Not by Tapas. Not by Yajnas. Not by relinquishing hearth and home as a Sannyasi! Not by studying Vedas. Not by torturing the body in water, fire and the blazing sun. It can be known ONLY by being blessed to smear oneself with the dust of the feet of His exalted devotees!"
Let us pause here for a bit. So we say all creation comes from Eternal Consciousness and Knowledge called Para Brahman. It is knowledge. But that does not come from any study or austerity or physical effort! It only comes from contact with true devotees, full of the blissful ecstasy of Bhakti! Is this not a contradiction? No!!!!!
Understand this. Indeed, when the Supreme Reality is beyond the body and mind, how can using these very instruments accomplish that ultimate realisation? One has to transcend them! That is only possible if we are touched by the Divine who walks on this earth as His devotees. That is true alchemy. Simple. Proof of this point - Bharata meeting Rahugana and telling him all this!!!!
यत्रोत्तमश्लोकगुणानुवाद: प्रस्तूयते ग्राम्यकथाविघात:
T: How do we recognise an assembly of exalted devotees? Simple. They are singularly immersed in discussing the glories of Bhagavan. NOTHING ELSE - No worldly matters are ever discussed by such exalted devotees.
So what will be the mechanism of transformation by such contact?
निषेव्यमाणोऽनुदिनं मुमुक्षोर्मतिं सतीं यच्छति वासुदेवे
T: The constant immersion of the seeker in such an assembly channels the mind ceaselessly into Bhagavan Vasudeva!
Bharata tells Rahugana how he was King Bharata who gave up everything for spiritual practice, fell from the path by being attached to a young deer in the forest, and then had to take birth as a deer. But by Bhagavan's grace, he remembered what had happened. So, in this birth as a Brahmin, he has maintained, unrelentingly, his prayer within and his aloof madness outside.
तस्मान्नरोऽसङ्गसुसङ्गजातज्ञानासिनेहैव विवृक्णमोह: । हरिं तदीहाकथनश्रुताभ्यां लब्धस्मृतिर्यात्यतिपारमध्वन: ॥
तस्मात् = Therefore, नरः= man, असङ्गः = detached from this world, सुसङ्गजात-= and empowered by the holy company of devotees, ज्ञानासिना = by the sword of that transcendental knoweldge, हि = indeed, एव = alone, विवृक्णमोह: = his worldly infatuation being cut to pieces, and हरिं तदीहाकथनश्रुताभ्यां = Listening to recitations about Bhagavan Sri Hari, His glories and pastimes, लब्धस्मृतिः = regains his lost primordial memory of Divinity intrinsic in every Jiva (THIS IS THE EMBEDDED SECRET CODE IN EVERY HUMAN BEING - GOD'S DESIGN OF OUR PATH BACK!) याति = travels अतिपारमध्वनः= on the path to the Ultimate!
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
