॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Srimad Bhagavatam - Skandha XII.12 Part B Friday, 25 August 2023 - The unique blessings accruing to one who studies or listens to Srimad Bhagavatam.
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The Suta continues to narrate the major events covered in the Srimad Bhagavatam.
Sri Krishna served the Yadu dynasty well with Uddhava and Balarama as his deputies. He warded off Jarasandha’s innumerable attacks and finally moved the Yadu people to safety in Dwaraka. Jarasandha and Kalayavana were taken care of. Banasura, who fought under Lord Shiva’s protection, was neutralised after Shiva allowed himself to fall off to sleep! Sri Krishna married Rukmini after fighting off Shishupala and Rukmi, and later freed the women held captive by Naraka in Pragjyotishapura. Many more stories, including the slaying of Dantavaktra, Shishupala, the Mahabharata war that relieved the earth of her burden, and finally the ending of the Yadu dynasty itself as the Lord’s final act of fulfilling his promise to restore Dharma. Kali’s play and four types of Pralaya are described, with a detailed account of how Rajarshi Parikshit gave up his body.
Sage Markandeya, perhaps the greatest example of a Jnani-Tyagi-Bhakta in the entire Bhagavatam, living forever and receiving by Bhagavan’s grace a ringside view of Maya and the vision of the Lord as a tender baby boy!
लीलावतारकर्माणि कीर्तितानीह सर्वश: Holy sages, I have faithfully narrated the Leela Avataras of Bhagavan, extolled everywhere and forever.
पतित: स्खलितश्चार्त: क्षुत्त्वा वा विवशो गृणन् । हरये नम इत्युच्चैर्मुच्यते सर्वपातकात् ॥
Suffice it to say that if anyone slips and falls, suffers pain, or even sneezes, and at the same time says, “Sri Hari, My Pranams to you!”, that’s enough to save him from sin!
सङ्कीर्त्यमानो भगवाननन्त: श्रुतानुभावो व्यसनं हि पुंसाम् । प्र
विश्य चित्तं विधुनोत्यशेषं यथा तमोऽर्कोऽभ्रमिवातिवात: ॥
मृषा गिरस्ता ह्यसतीरसत्कथा न कथ्यते यद् भगवानधोक्षज: ।
तदेव सत्यं तदुहैव मङ्गलं तदेव पुण्यं भगवद्गुणोदयम् ॥
तदेव रम्यं रुचिरं नवं नवं तदेव शश्वन्मनसो महोत्सवम् ।
तदेव शोकार्णवशोषणं नृणां यदुत्तम:श्लोकयशोऽनुगीयते ॥
न यद् वचश्चित्रपदं हरेर्यशो जगत्पवित्रं प्रगृणीत कर्हिचित् ।
तद् ध्वाङ्क्षतीर्थं न तु हंससेवितं यत्राच्युतस्तत्र हि साधवोऽमला: ॥
तद्वाग्विसर्गो जनताघसम्प्लवो यस्मिन् प्रतिश्लोकमबद्धवत्यपि ।
नामान्यनन्तस्य यशोऽङ्कितानि यच्छृण्वन्ति गायन्ति गृणन्ति साधव: ॥
नैष्कर्म्यमप्यच्युतभाववर्जितं न शोभते ज्ञानमलं निरञ्जनम् ।
कुत: पुन: शश्वदभद्रमीश्वरे न ह्यर्पितं कर्म यदप्यनुत्तमम् ॥
Glorifying Bhagavan or even hearing about his divinity drives away every misfortune, as the Lord shines in one’s heart like the sun shines when the winds blow away the clouds. Words uttered to deal with impermanent issues and matters are so wasteful and foster our delusions. Instead, words should describe only the Lord’s glories as they confer great auspiciousness! The Lord’s stories are ever-fresh and invigorating. There is a constant festive celebration in a mind so engrossed!
Worldly narratives are like shelters for crows, bringing no grace. The holy men avoid material discussions, thronging where the Lord is discussed!
Even poorly written literature about the Lord is sanctifying! Saints love to hear his stories, however, presented, as they bring a revolution in the lives of men.
Even a person intellectually established in the Self, freeing himself from material attachments, yet lacks something if he has no idea of Bhagavan. What then is there to say of all the Karmas done seeking rewards!!!? Any work is meaningless and painful unless it becomes worship.
यश:श्रियामेव परिश्रम: परो वर्णाश्रमाचारतप:श्रुतादिषु ।
अविस्मृति: श्रीधरपादपद्मयोर्गुणानुवादश्रवणादरादिभि: ॥
Know this. The Varna Ashrama Dharma is good as it fosters social development. Even the study of Vedas is good. But both stop at accruing name and fame for the man. If he is serious about receiving the grace of the Lord, the Consort of the Goddess of Fortune Devi Lakshmi, let him engage in listening to and singing the glories of Bhagavan!
अविस्मृति: कृष्णपदारविन्दयो: क्षिणोत्यभद्राणि च शं तनोति ।
सत्त्वस्य शुद्धिं परमात्मभक्तिं ज्ञानं च विज्ञानविरागयुक्तम् ॥
Not forgetting Bhagavan Sri Krishna’s lotus feet is the surefire remedy for removing distress and conferring liberation. Man’s core is purified thereby, confers deep Bhakti to Bhagavan, Paramatma, establishes him in true knowledge of the self, and instils dispassion. fourfold benefits!
यूयं द्विजाग्र्या बत भूरिभागा यच्छश्वदात्मन्यखिलात्मभूतम् ।
नारायणं देवमदेवमीशमजस्रभावा भजताविवेश्य ॥
अहं च संस्मारित आत्मतत्त्वं श्रुतं पुरा मे परमर्षिवक्त्रात् ।
प्रायोपवेशे नृपते: परीक्षित: सदस्यृषीणां महतां च शृण्वताम् ॥
Eminent sages, blessed are you all. You have placed yourselves in Bhagavan Narayana, the Lord of lords and supreme in every way. So continue to pray to Bhagavan ceaselessly!
I too am most lucky to have narrated the Srimad Bhagavatam to you, as I could recall every detail I heard firsthand when Sage Shuka narrated it to King Parikshit!
PhalaShruti
एतद्व: कथितं विप्रा: कथनीयोरुकर्मण: । माहात्म्यं वासुदेवस्य सर्वाशुभविनाशनम् ॥
य एतत् श्रावयेन्नित्यं यामक्षणमनन्यधी: । श्लोकमेकं तदर्धं वा पादं पादार्धमेव वा ।
श्रद्धावान् योऽनुशृणुयात् पुनात्यात्मानमेव स: ॥
द्वादश्यामेकादश्यां वा शृण्वन्नायुष्यवान्भवेत् । पठत्यनश्नन् प्रयतस्पूतो भवति पातकात् ॥
पुष्करे मथुरायां च द्वारवत्यां यतात्मवान् । उपोष्य संहितामेतां पठित्वा मुच्यते भयात् ॥
देवता मुनय: सिद्धा: पितरो मनवो नृपा: । यच्छन्ति कामान् गृणत: शृण्वतो यस्य कीर्तनात् ॥
ऋचो यजूंषि सामानि द्विजोऽधीत्यानुविन्दते । मधुकुल्या घृतकुल्या: पय:कुल्याश्च तत्फलम् ॥
पुराणसंहितामेतामधीत्य प्रयतो द्विज: । प्रोक्तं भगवता यत्तु तत्पदं परमं व्रजेत् ॥
विप्रोऽधीत्याप्नुयात् प्रज्ञां राजन्योदधिमेखलाम् । वैश्यो निधिपतित्वं च शूद्र: शुध्येत पातकात् ॥
कलिमलसंहतिकालनोऽखिलेशो हरिरितरत्र न गीयते ह्यभीक्ष्णम् ।
इह तु पुनर्भगवानशेषमूर्ति: परिपठितोऽनुपदं कथाप्रसङ्गै: ॥
Holy sages, Bhagavan Vasudeva’s glories and extraordinary Leelas have been narrated by me, and it is most auspicious. Anyone who hears this constantly, or even once, or even one verse, or even half a verse, is bound to purify himself. Especially sacred are Ekadashi (fasting) and Dwadashi for this. Fasting at holy places like Pushkar, Mathura, and Dwaraka, studying Srimad Bhagavatam and becoming fearless (of death)! One who extols Srimad Bhagavatam is the beneficiary of gifts from gods, sages, ancestors and kings. It is as nectarine as the Vedas! Puranas take one to the same destination – i.e. Mukti as instructed herein by Bhagavan himself!
तमहमजमनन्तमात्मतत्त्वं जगदुदयस्थितिसंयमात्मशक्तिम् ।
द्युपतिभिरजशक्रशङ्कराद्यैर्दुरवसितस्तवमच्युतं नतोऽस्मि ॥
उपचितनवशक्तिभि: स्व आत्मन्युपरचितस्थिरजङ्गमालयाय ।
भगवत उपलब्धिमात्रधाम्ने सुरऋषभाय नम: सनातनाय ॥
स्वसुखनिभृतचेतास्तद्वयुदस्तान्यभावोऽप्यजितरुचिरलीलाकृष्टसारस्तदीयम् ।
व्यतनुत कृपया यस्तत्त्वदीपं पुराणं तमखिलवृजिनघ्नं व्याससूनुं नतोऽस्मि ॥
I bow down to that Lord, infinite, eternal, the inner soul of all, the creator-preserver-destroyer of all universes, worshipped by Indra, Brahma, Shiva and others, yet beyond even their knowing, that Lord Achyuta (Infallible)! The Lord that permeates the creation of animate and inanimate beings, through his nine Shaktis, and yet is fully transcendental, in and of himself always!
My eternal gratitude to my Guru, Sage Shuka, son of Sage Veda Vyasa, ever established in Atma Jnana and a total recluse, who yet chose to go around and narrate with utter joy the glorious Leelas of Bhagavan Sri Krishna, knowing how it will help all mankind, this Srimad Bhagavatam which sheds the eternal light of wisdom that liberates!
Postscript: We have only one chapter left to read of this incredible scripture. I shall do so on Sri Krishna Janmashtami, 4th September. In the interim, I shall read some interesting stories and takeaways we have covered in the past 1 year and more!
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