॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
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श्रीशुक उवाच
गोविन्दभुजगुप्तायां द्वारवत्यां कुरूद्वह ।
अवात्सीन्नारदोऽभीक्ष्णं कृष्णोपासनलालस: ॥ १ ॥
T: Sage Shuka narrated: Eager to engage in the worship of Sri Krishna, Sage Narada came frequently and stayed for some time in Dwaraka, the fortress under Bhagavan's watch. Indeed, this was easy to understand, since this life of eternal fear of death can be helped only by devotion to Lord Mukunda.
During one of his visits, Sage Narada was asked by Vasudeva, Sri Krishna's father, about the path to liberation. He remarked how the company of sages like Narada was much superior to even encounters with gods whose boons brought both misery and pleasure in a fickle way, whereas saints conferred peace and bliss through their grace in many ways.
यथा विचित्रव्यसनाद् भवद्भिर्विश्वतोभयात् । मुच्येम ह्यञ्जसैवाद्धा तथा न: शाधि सुव्रत ॥
T: "My dear lord, you are always true to your vow. Please instruct me clearly, so that by your mercy I may easily free myself from material existence, which is full of many dangers and keeps us constantly bound in fear."
श्रीनारद उवाच
सम्यगेतद् व्यवसितं भवता सात्वतर्षभ । यत् पृच्छसे भागवतान् धर्मांस्त्वं विश्वभावनान् ॥
श्रुतोऽनुपठितो ध्यात आदृतो वानुमोदित: । सद्य: पुनाति सद्धर्मो देव विश्वद्रुहोऽपि हि ॥
T: A delighted Narada replied: "Oh best of the Satvatas, you have quite rightly asked about the highest duty of man - to serve Bhagavan. Such service full of Bhakti is powerful enough to save the entire universe. (This is the experiential truth for Narada, for that is what he does always!)"
"Pure Bhakti and service to the Lord is the truest Dharma. Hearing stories of such devotion, practising it or even spreading stories of such devotees can ameliorate the lot of those so low that they hate the deities!"
Sage Narada answers Vasudeva now through the story of a similar query by another great king to a set of saints and their reply. I am leaving out many names and interrelationships as that is not likely to remain in anyone's memory. Suffice it to say that the lineage of kings he refers to is that of Bharata. Sage Narada remarks that
तेषां वै भरतो ज्येष्ठो नारायणपरायण: । विख्यातं वर्षमेतद् यन्नाम्ना भारतमद्भुतम् ॥
T: "These were descendants of the great Rajarshi Bharata, a paragon of devotion to Narayana. Indeed, this land of ours is called Bharatavarsha as it is named after this glorious Rajarshi!"
Bharata was the eldest of a hundred sons of King Rishabhadeva, an Amsha Avatara of Bhagavan. The last nine sons of Rishabha became holy mendicants. They were equal in prowess to the Kumaras! None was able to ever stop them in their travels around the worlds, as they were at the highest state of spiritual realisation. Once they came to a Yajna being conducted by the King of Videha, Nimi. He asked a question very similar to what Vasudeva had just asked Narada.
दुर्लभो मानुषो देहो देहिनां क्षणभङ्गुर: । तत्रापि दुर्लभं मन्ये वैकुण्ठप्रियदर्शनम् ॥
T: "The opportunity of human birth is most precious for the tranmigratory Jiva caught in the Karma cycle. How unfortunate that man wastes this chance to cultivate holy company! Now that I have this golden chance of meeting you, oh intimate devotees of Bhagavan Narayana, kindly tell me what is man's highest Dharma! How does one serve the Lord immersed in Bhakti?"
श्रीकविरुवाच
मन्येऽकुतश्चिद्भयमच्युतस्य पादाम्बुजोपासनमत्र नित्यम् ।
उद्विग्नबुद्धेरसदात्मभावाद्विश्वात्मना यत्र निवर्तते भी: ॥
कायेन वाचा मनसेन्द्रियैर्वा बुद्ध्यात्मना वानुसृतस्वभावात् ।
करोति यद् यत् सकलं परस्मै नारायणायेति समर्पयेत्तत् ॥
T: One of the nine holy brothers, Kavi said: I consider that one whose intelligence is constantly disturbed by his falsely identifying himself with the temporary material world of this body can achieve real freedom from fear only by worshipping the lotus feet of the infallible Supreme Lord. In such devotional service, all fear ceases entirely. Even worldly men can very easily come to know Bhagavan if they follow the path upheld by Bhagavan himself. It is called Bhagavata Dharma! Following this path, the devotee, even while running with eyes closed, will never trip or fall!"
"In accordance with the particular nature one has acquired as a Jiva in this Karma-conditioned life, whatever one does with body, words, mind, senses, intelligence or purified consciousness, one should offer to the Supreme, thinking, “This is for the pleasure of Lord Narayana.”
भयं द्वितीयाभिनिवेशत: स्यादीशादपेतस्य विपर्ययोऽस्मृति: ।
तन्माययातो बुध आभजेत्तं भक्त्यैकयेशं गुरुदेवतात्मा ॥
T" Fear is inescapable for the Jiva who is misidentified with his body. He is then the grip of Maya. What is the way out? To cultivate the company of a Bhagavata, and serve the Lord unflinchingly, not caring for anything else."
"Ideally, a devotee should not see anything as being separate from Bhagavan. Ether, fire, air, water, earth, the sun and other luminaries, all living beings, the directions, trees and other plants, the rivers and oceans — whatever a devotee experiences he should consider to be an expansion of Bhagavan. Thus seeing everything that exists within creation as the body of the Supreme Lord, Sri Hari, the devotee should offer his sincere respects to the entire creation as an expression or expansion of the Lord’s body."
A powerful statement is now made. This lifestyle cultivates simultaneously three results - enhancement of Bhakti, direct experience of Bhagavan, and increasing detachment to worldly things!
Now Nimi asks. अथ भागवतं ब्रूत यद्धर्मो यादृशो नृणाम् T: "Kindly describe a true Bhagavata, whose Dharma men should emulate."
The answers:
श्रीहविरुवाच
सर्वभूतेषु य: पश्येद् भगवद्भावमात्मन: । भूतानि भगवत्यात्मन्येष भागवतोत्तम: ॥
T: " A supreme Bhagavata sees in everything Paramatma."
ईश्वरे तदधीनेषु बालिशेषु द्विषत्सु च । प्रेममैत्रीकृपोपेक्षा य: करोति स मध्यम: ॥
T: " A middle-level Bhagavata loves Bhagavan, reveres other Bhagatavas, and shows compassion to others. He ignores the non-devotees."
अर्चायामेव हरये पूजां य: श्रद्धयेहते । न तद्भक्तेषु चान्येषु स भक्त: प्राकृत: स्मृत: ॥
T: "A mediocre devotee is one who is hung up on worshipping the Lord in the temple, but has no cordiality towards others. This is the lowest status."
गृहीत्वापीन्द्रियैरर्थान्यो न द्वेष्टि न हृष्यति । विष्णोर्मायामिदं पश्यन्स वै भागवतोत्तम: ॥
T: "The supreme Bhagavata experiences in all his contact with objects the Lord alobe. He knows everything is Sri Maha Vishnu's expression. So he loves or hates none or nothing."
देहेन्द्रियप्राणमनोधियां यो जन्माप्ययक्षुद्भयतर्षकृच्छ्रै: ।
संसारधर्मैरविमुह्यमान: स्मृत्या हरेर्भागवतप्रधान: ॥
T: "The one who takes all bodily changes like birth and decay, hunger, thirst and mental turmoils as invariable aspects of this material world, and remins firmly in remembrance of the Lord's lotus feet - he is a chief devotee (an exemplar)."
न कामकर्मबीजानां यस्य चेतसि सम्भव: । वासुदेवैकनिलय: स वै भागवतोत्तम: ॥
T: "A clue to understanding who is a Bhagavatottama or supreme devotee is that he is free from Karma effects and Karma instincts to do and get and enjoy. Once he is free from all such Karma bonds, he is at the highest level."
This is best seen when a man ignores his proud lineage, wealth or status in society, but considers himself a lowly devotee and nothing more! He has no sense of "This is mine, that is his..." No sense of entitlement or privilege or possessiveness. A pure devotee of the Lord can never forget those lotus feet in any circumstance, something so precious even for Brahma and Shiva. He will not give up his shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord for a single moment — indeed, not for half a moment — even in exchange for the benediction of ruling and enjoying the opulence of the entire universe. Such a devotee of the Lord is to be considered the best of the Vaishnavas.
In conclusion, it is stated that even a chance, inadvertent or one-off remembrance of the Lord brings his great compassion. What then of these highest of Bhagavatas!? The Lord remains imprisoned in their hearts!
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
