॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Saturday, 28 January 2023 VII.15 - How does a householder achieve liberation? Sage Narada explains.
This is the end of the Seventh Skandha!
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श्रीनारद उवाच
कर्मनिष्ठा द्विजा: केचित्तपोनिष्ठा नृपापरे । स्वाध्यायेऽन्ये प्रवचने केचन ज्ञानयोगयो: ॥
ज्ञाननिष्ठाय देयानि कव्यान्यानन्त्यमिच्छता । दैवे च तदभावे स्यादितरेभ्यो यथार्हत: ॥
द्वौ दैवे पितृकार्ये त्रीनेकैकमुभयत्र वा । भोजयेत्सुसमृद्धोऽपि श्राद्धे कुर्यान्न विस्तरम् ॥
T: "Brahmins, here meaning spiritual seekers, take different approaches. Some engage in many fruitive activities thinking Artha is Dharma. Others perform austerities. Many engage in elaborate Vedic rituals. Many study the scriptures. Very few practise Yoga, especially Bhakti Yoga. This means one should carefully choose the Brahmin to whom as a householder one wants to give many gifts. Elaborate worship of the gods/deities by the householder requires offering food and gifts to worthy Brahmins. This is more true during ceremonies for the departed forefathers. But ostentation should be avoided."
Narada explains many more details of rituals and ceremonies. He stresses that meat and such should not be served on such occasions. Adharmic activities are strictly to be guarded against.
यस्य साक्षाद्भगवति ज्ञानदीपप्रदे गुरौ । मर्त्यासद्धी: श्रुतं तस्य सर्वं कुञ्जरशौचवत् ॥
षड्वर्गसंयमैकान्ता: सर्वा नियमचोदना: । तदन्ता यदि नो योगानावहेयु: श्रमावहा: ॥
T: The spiritual Guru is the embodiment of Bhagavan Himself as far as the householder is concerned. If the householder does not serve the Guru and revere him, all the rituals and practices conducted by the householder are wasted just like the bathing of an elephant who pours mud on himself just after a fine river bath!
Also, we should recognise that the acid test of any spiritual practice is whether it has helped us to overcome the six inner enemies of man - Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Matsarya ( Lust/desire, anger, greed, infatuation, arrogance and jealousy).
Narada goes on to prescribe various practices such as meditation and Pranayama. These are very much like the details given in Dhyana Yoga, Chapter Six of Srimad Bhagavadgita.
Then, Narada goes on to give an analogy of the Jiva being compared to the rider of a chariot, a simile made famous by Kathopanishad.
आहु: शरीरं रथमिन्द्रियाणि हयानभीषून्मन इन्द्रियेशम् ।
वर्त्मानि मात्रा धिषणां च सूतं सत्त्वं बृहद् बन्धुरमीशसृष्टम् ॥
T: This body is the chariot, the senses are the horses. The mind is the rein, and the charioteer is the intellect which is capable of discrimination. The rider or occupant is the Jiva, the eternal consciousness who has taken a human form due to Samskaras or acquired Karmas.
Controlling the Rajas and Tamas tendencies in oneself should be done through cultivating Sattva. Then the one who has become a true Sannyasi also gives up Sattva after realising that all activity is only an ephemeral play.
Narada reiterates many of the messages of the previous chapters. Then he tells an astonishing story about himself!
"Long, long ago, in another millennium of Brahma, I existed as the Gandharva known as Upabarhana. I was very respected by the other Gandharvas. I had a beautiful face and a pleasing, attractive bodily structure. Decorated with flower garlands and sandalwood pulp, I was most pleasing to the women of my city. Thus I was bewildered, always feeling lusty desires."
"Once there was a musical chanting festival to glorify the Supreme Lord in an assembly of the gods, and the Gandharvas and Apsaras were invited by the Prajapatis to take part in it. Being invited to that festival, I also joined, and, surrounded by women, I began musically singing the glories of the gods. This was a violation of the spirit of the entire session because it was meant to be a true worship of Bhagavan and not meant to be the musical panegyrics of the gods assembled. I was lusty and reckless."
"Because of this, the Prajapatis, the great gods in charge of the affairs of the universe, forcefully cursed me with these words: “Because you have committed an offence, may you immediately become a Shudra/lowly person, devoid of beauty." Although I took birth as a Shudra from the womb of a maidservant, I engaged in the service of holy men who were well-versed in Vedic knowledge. Consequently, in this life I got the opportunity to take birth as the son of Lord Brahma."
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Narada concludes his teaching to Yudhisthira by making an example of himself. That is his glory.
Finally, after Narada wraps up, Yudhishthira worships the sage, and Bhagavan Sri Krishna who is also present receives both their prayers.
Sage Shuka thus concludes the narrative about the various progenies that emerged from the daughters of Daksha and Sage Kashyapa.
This ends the Seventh Skandha of Srimad Bhagavatam.
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
