Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Story 20 - Chathushloki Bhagavatham – Summary
Srimad Bhagavatham - A Spiritual Insight - Story 20 - Chathushloki Bhagavatham – Summary
Verse 1
Before creation, I alone existed – there was nothing superior or different from me in the form of Sad or really existing objects or asad or unreal objects which are illusions. After that (after creation started) also, whatever exists is ME alone. Once this ends (creation ends), what remains behind is I alone.
Verse 2
That which is temporarily seen and then not seen in the Self – know that to be an illusion in the Self like reflection and darkness (which are temporary existences in the original object of reflection and light).
Verse 3
As the five elements (pancha bhootaas of ether, air, fire, water and earth) are present in all the gross objects which are created and destroyed (have birth and die) but still remains independent of the gross objects, similar “I” the ultimate reality am present in the world but am independent of it (without getting affected by the world and its objects)
Verse 4
This alone is to be known by the seeker of the reality – Find out through the logic of Anvaya (co-existence) and Vyatireka (co-absence) what is present at all times and at all places (beyond time and space). (This sloka explains the way or means to realizing the ultimate reality propounded in the last 3 slokas)
Explanation
The final and ultimate aim of human life is eternal bliss – happiness that is permanent and ever-lasting. Each and every person irrespective of what he is currently doing or what he is seeking is seeking happiness either directly or indirectly. A person who works is working for money. This money is used to live happily with his family (wife and children). Thus, again we come back to the final aim or goal of happiness. It is happiness that drives any action. A person who is happy and content with whatever he has will never crave for anything – he might or might not work like Swami Vivekananda or Ramana Maharshi. Those saints who have got eternal bliss and still working work only for the welfare of the world and according to them, they are not working but for them there is only eternal bliss everywhere. Therefore, we see that whatever are the fruits of the actions that these great saints do, they are unaffected by it. Swami Vivekananda was stranded in US after having lost his Visa and all letters – but still he was happy and not sad or depressed.
Thus, everyone is searching of eternal bliss – some knowingly pursue it while others unknowingly pursue it. Now the question comes – where are we searching happiness??? Humans normally are searching for happiness in the external world – in the worldly objects. Man (human in general) thinks that by conquering the world or by acquiring more and more objects of the world he gets happiness. But this is a wrong notion which is very well proved from the life of Alexander. Alexander conquered the entire world and came to India. There a saint stopped him and asked him “You want to conquer the world??? After that!!!!” The word of the realized saint pierced into the intellect of Alexander. He understood that after having conquered the world also, he was not happy and at the end of the life of the body he will not be taking anything with himself. Therefore, he told his soldiers to carry the coffin with hole in two sides through which his hand should be shown outside – to show to the world that he did not take anything with him.
The world is always changing and impermanent. Any changing entity cannot give one eternal bliss – it might give temporary happiness but that happiness itself will be mixed with sorrow in the form of efforts for gaining it and maintaining it & grief once the happiness vanishes. Let’s take an example to understand this. I think I will get happiness from my children. This is right only when the children themselves exist (as the physical and mental person). But the character or mental nature of my children also change (even as my nature or character also changes). Therefore, once the mental nature of my children change – I don’t like them because I wanted them to look after me more than anybody else – I wanted them to respect me – but none of these things happen due to the so-called generation gap or western culture (no offense is meant towards the western culture but it is only shown that India is so rich in its culture that there is no need to borrow any culture from anywhere else – the culture of India is so vast that various westerners including the great Prof. Max Muller, H H Wilson, Cohen etc. have borrowed from India – it is also interesting to note that B K S Iyengar is famous for Yoga in the west rather than the east – thus we see the west turning towards east and getting pleasure and eternal bliss whereas the east is turning towards west for so-called happiness which is only sorrow). Since my children and their character are constantly changing, they can never give me eternal bliss.
Any changing entity cannot give a person eternal bliss. Puranaas speak about the story of King Yayaathi who wanted to regain his youth which he did by the sacrifice of his son but still he couldn’t regain youth and then he realizing the futility of depending on changing entities. Since the world or the experience realm is full of changes, it cannot give eternal bliss. The reason why humans don’t get eternal bliss is that they are searching for bliss in the wrong place. Bliss is not in the changing world but it is in the changeless substratum of God or Brahman or Self or Consciousness which is one’s own very nature. Any change requires a changeless substratum which is eternal. Since this changeless substratum is eternal, it will give eternal bliss when it is known. This changeless substratum of God is what is capable of conferring eternal bliss – the final goal of each and every person in the world.
Now, the goal of realizing God or Brahman is clear. Next question comes – Am I different from God????? This question has been answered by various acharyas in various ways. Any happiness will be temporary if it is based on an external object – whether that external object is Brahman or God as any object depends on the Subject for its existence and hence is not independent and hence will always be changing according to the Subject. This takes us to the conclusion that Brahman or God is not different from Me. I am the God who is all-pervading, eternal and of the very nature of bliss. This is what various scriptures and great mahatmas proclaim. This is the same what Srimad Bhagavatham also propounds in the chathusloki 4th verse (“I” alone always remains beyond time and space – and as Vishnu says that know that which is always present – that which is always present is “I” alone and therefore “I” am God alone and not different from God).
Thus, eternal bliss is in ME who am God or Brahman or Consciousness.
Then, what is being seen as the world??? Also, I don’t find myself as the creator God or I don’t find myself as blissful in nature but only as a limited being engulfed in a 6 feet body.
This is what is called as Avidya or ignorance. Ignorance is that which veils the reality of Brahman or God. “I” am God alone – this reality is veiled by ignorance. This ignorance is being ignorant or unaware of one’s own very nature of God. How did this ignorance come??? There is no answer to this question as ignorance is without any beginning. Ignorance cannot be answered in any way because it is only an illusion in the ultimate reality of God or “I”. “I” is of the nature of light or illumining nature and “I” am that in which the world seems to exist (the illusion of world seems to exist) and hence “I” am one without a second. Therefore, there is no second entity of ignorance which can veil my real nature – and also “I” am like light whereas ignorance is like darkness – these both can never stay together. Wherever there is light, there can never be darkness. Thus, ignorance is only an illusion which seems to be present.
There can never be an answer to the question: where did the water come from in the desert (in mirage)? The only thing that can be done is to know the reality of desert so that the water which was non-existent but seemed to exist vanishes and then the ultimate reality that there never was any water but only desert will be realized.
Similarly, the only thing that can be done about ignorance is to know one’s own real nature of God. This is done through various spiritual disciplines or practices. One of the intellectual practices shown here by Vishnu is the logic of co-existence and co-absence which proves that God alone exists here and everything else is only an illusion in the reality of God.
Therefore, the path to realizing the reality is also very clear – to contemplate on the ultimate reality that “I am God and whatever is being seen is the Lord alone”. Each moment a seeker has to remember this ultimate reality that there is no duality here but only the non-dual ultimate reality of Lord exists. The objects which seem to be dual in nature are only illusions in the reality of Lord and as any illusions are the reality alone, therefore the world itself is Lord alone. When thus the seeker sees Lord everywhere and perceives only the Lord – ignorance completely vanishes and he realizes the ultimate reality that “I am God of the nature of bliss”. When this realization dawns, then the seeker rejoices in the eternal bliss inherent in the Self – the bliss which is the ultimate and final goal of all beings.
Eternal bliss can be achieved only through this path – there is no other short cut or any other path to this – the path to realization is knowing the ultimate reality that everything is non-dual God or Consciousness or Brahman and contemplating on this reality at all times.
How can I work when everything is seen as God? Wont my efficiency come down if I remember God during work?
These are all wrong notions. Work will continue even when everything is seen as God. Doesn’t a lover remember her love and also work??? Yes, but in that case work may or may not happen properly J But when the Lord is remember or the ultimate reality is remembered and work is performed, the fruits of the actions will be good only – it will bring benefit not only to the seeker but to all the people who are present or associated with the seeker (the people themselves are Lord alone but the difference seems to be there at the empirical level even as dream world is experienced during dream and it vanishes only after waking up). These are not mere words but statement of Lord Krishna who has to this date kept his promises.
Krishna says in Gita
“Kaunteya Prathijaanihi na me bhakthah pranashyathi”
O Arjuna! Know that my devotee never perishes
Sarva Dharmaan parityajya maam ekam sharanam vraja
Aham tvaa sarva paapebhyo mokshayishyaami ma shuchah
Renounce all actions (by renouncing the Ego and offering them unto Me) and take refuge in Me alone (remember Me at all times without any gap). I will take care of all your sins and will make you liberated – don’t worry.
Many incidents can be quoted in the life of great saints where the Lord has always protected his devotees. And Sri Krishna in Gita says that the devotee who is jnaani (meaning one who knows the ultimate reality that there is only Lord or Brahman or Consciousness present here which is my own very nature) is my greatest devotee and he is my own very nature only.
Any search into the life history of saints will reveal this to be true. Just to quote one incident from the life of the great sant Jnaaneshwar (who composed the advaitic but yet devotional commentary on Gita entitled Jnaaneshwari at the ripe age of 16!!!!!). Jnaaneshwar’s father took sanyaas and went with his Guru leaving behind his wife. Jnaaneshwar’s father’s Guru once came to the place where Jnaaneshwar’s mother was there. He blessed the mother by telling that “you will have good children” (at that time they did not have any children). Hearing this, she started crying. The Guru understood – he then sent Jnaaneshwar’s father back home. Then three children including Jnaaneshwar was born. Jnaaneshwar’s father was a Brahmin.
It is against vedic dharma to return back to grihastha ashrama after entering Sanyaas. But one has to remember that vedaas are limited only to the intellectual level – these dharmaas don’t affect the self-realized Guru or avatars. Hence Sri Krishna has said that renounce all dharmaas. So, the people in the village did not accept them and hence they were ill-treated. Jnaaneshwar’s father died shortly leaving behind his children. Jnaaneshwar’s sacred thread ceremony was not yet over (Upanayana as termed in Sanskrit) and nobody was willing to do it. Then one day Jnaaneshwar had an argument with the Brahmins in the village. They started questioning his knowledge that everything is God only and even God is present in animals and insentient items. Jnaaneshwar understood that they will not accept until something is shown to them. Hence, he told them to bring a cow (or buffalo) to him. A cow along with its owner was brought. The Brahmins asked Jnaaneshwar that if everything is God, can this cow chant Vedas. Jnaaneshwar replied yes and on his command, the cow started chanting vedic hymns!!!! The Brahmins couldn’t believe and they accepted the great realized saint of Jnaaneshwar – the owner of the cow left it and ran away!!!! J It is also said that Jnaaneshwar compiled the Jnaaneshwari commentary on Gita in Marathi and showed each line to the cow after writing it. He also got approving nod from the cow for each of the lines (if the nod was not there, he used to change the content and then show it).
The above is not a mere fictional story but a real incident in the life of Jnaaneshwar – this shows that the ultimate reality of God will protect those who know the reality and remember it at all times.
The work will happen more better than normal if the reality is remembered and work is offered to the Lord. This is the one and only way to realize eternal bliss which is inherent in the Lord who is present in the heart of all beings. The ultimate reality is not something which is based on blind-faith that there is God but it is based on reasoning and experience also. This reality that there is only the Lord here nothing else is the only logical explanation of the illusory world and the substratum of God or Brahman and the individual self or jeeva. This reality is beyond any faults and instantaneously gives one eternal bliss (because bliss is inherent and all practices are to remove the ignorance which veils the bliss and not to attain bliss). Bliss which is being searched can be realized here and this very moment itself if the ultimate reality is known, remembered, contemplated and all actions are performed with the knowledge that everything is the ultimate reality of Lord alone.
It would be good to conclude here with the most famous sloka chanted by Brahmins as part of Sandhya Vandanam (even though most of the Brahmins chant it mechanically without imbibing the meaning at the time when it is chanted and at other times too).
Kaayena vaacha manasaindriyaairva budhyaatmanaavaa prakritheh svabhaavaat
Karomi yad yad sakalam parasmai naaraayanaayethi samarpayaami
Whatever is being done through body, words, mind, sense organs, intellect, Ego and as addiction to one’s character – I offer all that to the ultimate reality of Narayana who is residing in the heart of all beings as their very nature and is non-dual in nature – one without a second.
Let us all at least try to spend some time in a day trying to remember this ultimate reality that everything is Lord alone and offer all actions unto the Lord and rejoice in the eternal bliss (unaffected by the good and bad fruits of the actions as everything is Lord only then where is good and where is bad).
Srimad Bhagavatham - A Spiritual Insight - Story 20 - Chathushloki Bhagavatham – 10 lakshanas (topics that are dealed) of Bhagavatham
Brahma after having got the knowledge from Vishnu used his intellect and realized the ultimate reality of non-dual Brahman.
Brahma thus explained this knowledge to Narada (who had questioned him and the answering was for the same). Also, Brahma answered all the queries of Narada which was then imparted to Vyaasa. This is what is now available as Srimad Bhagavatham. I will explain to you this Bhagavatham – thus said Shuka Brahmarishi.
(Any knowledge will have some internal topics or parts which are dealt within the book). Srimad Bhagavatham has 10 topics which are dealt in it (any purana is said to have 5 parts or topics mainly).
What are these 10 topics? Shuka says
Atra sargo visargascha sthaanam poshanam oothayah
Manvantharam eeshaanukathaa nirodho muktiraasrayah
Sargam – creation of the five primal elements (cosmic creation)
visargam – internal creations or sub creations (creation of individual jeevas or beings)
sthaanam – glory of the place of Vaikunta (here it should be inferred that it is not just Vaikunta that is meant here but the place where the ultimate reality of Lord is present).
poshanam – grace of the Lord
oothayah – the latent tendencies or karma vaasanaas
manvantharam – the description of the various Manus or the descendents from the first manifested being (all humans trace their origin to Manu – there are said to be fourteen manus in total – the current clan is the 8th manvanthara meaning “the time of seventh manu”)
eeshanukathu – the stories of the Lord and his manifestations
Nirodha – explanation of Atman along with the power of Maya
Mukthih – liberation or establishing oneself in the ultimate reality of Self
aasrayah – support which is the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord
Why are there 10 topics when the ultimate reality is just ONE alone? Shuka answers this by telling
Dashamasya vishudhyartham navaanaamiha lakshanam
Varnayanthi mahaatmaanah sruthena arthena cha anjasaa
It is for the 10th lakshana that all other topics are being discussed (meaning that 10th alone is the final goal of Srimad Bhagavatham) – thus say various Mahatmaas who describe all these 10 topics.
Explanation
As we have been discussing so far, the ultimate reality is that there is no duality here – whatever exists is only the Lord of the nature of Consciousness who is being described as Brahman, Self, Atman etc in various scriptures.
The world that is being perceived is similar to the dream world. It is only an illusion seen in the ultimate reality of Lord because without the Lord, the world doesn’t exist at all.
Oft quoted examples of illusions are snake seen in rope, water seen in desert, silver seen in nacre and the dream world seen in the dreamer. The snake that is seen in the rope is unreal – it has no existence at all. It only seems to exist when it is perceived. The moment a person realizes the substratum of the seemingly appearing snake – which is the rope – the snake ceases to exist & the person realizes that there never was any snake at all and whatever existed was the rope alone. The dream world seems to be real when it is being perceived. The moment the dreamer wakes up, he realizes that there never was a dream world – all the dream world was an illusion in the dreamer. The dream world, even when it is perceived, is the dreamer alone. It is the dreamer who has become the entire objects of the dream world.
Similarly the world that we perceive now is also an illusion in the ultimate reality of Lord which is one’s own very nature. As any illusion is the substratum alone & real perception of illusion is perception of the reality – therefore the world and its objects are nothing but the Lord alone. This is the reason why we have been taught from our childhood that “God resides in mud and a pillar – he is all-pervading and whatever is seen is HIM only”. This is the ultimate reality behind the illusion of the world that we are currently perceiving.
A person need not run away from the world when he is told the reality that the world is only an illusion and hence unreal. A real seeker should remember the ultimate reality that the world is only an illusion in the Lord and hence the world is the Lord alone. The world exists as the Lord --- the world is unreal as the diverse world but it has existence as the non-dual reality of Lord or Consciousness. Therefore a seeker should always contemplate on this ultimate reality and perceive oneness everywhere. Such a person is a real seer of the reality behind the illusory dual objects of the world. He is the real knower of the Lord who is the essence of everything that is being seen or perceived.
The scriptures or sruthi which are the Vedas propound this ultimate reality in each verse, in each Upanishad, in each part. But it is not easy to understand the sruthis or scriptures as these are tough for a normal seeker to apprehend. Hence the various puranaas was composed by Veda vyaasa which explains the reality in the form of various stories and glories of the Lord. It should be remembered here that puranaas also propound the same reality of non-dual Lord alone and not anything else. As a small child understands things easily if explained with an example or analogy similarly the puranas explain the reality through various stories and illustrations.
This is what is being stressed by Shuka before starting the Bhagavatham. Any purana is said to have five parts or topics. But here Shuka says that Bhagavatham has 10 topics in it. But he also says that the final goal is the ultimate reality alone and to make a seeker understand the reality 9 other topics have been included which slowly and progressively take a person to the ultimate reality. The final goal or the ultimate topic that Bhagavatham propounds has been stated by shuka as Asraya or support.
This word “Support” has a lot of significance in spirituality as well as in logic. Brahman or the ultimate reality of Lord is the cause of the world that we perceive – it is said to be the support of the illusory world. Any real object or illusory object needs to have a substratum or a real cause. For a real object, there is a real cause from which the object takes birth. The pot that we see has the real cause of mud (which is real from the empirical view and as real as the pot). But the world that we see has no existence at all – it is not real as it ceases to exist when the ultimate reality of Lord is known – it was also not present before creation of the world. Therefore, here the world is not real but only an illusory effect. For any illusion, there is no cause as cause itself means that there is a real effect which has come out of the cause (as pot came out of mud). Hence, for any illusion there is only a support or adhistaana or asraya. This support is the ultimate reality of Brahman and termed in English as substratum of the illusory world.
Thus, everything that we see has the substratum of the Lord. If the Lord is not known, then the object that is known is an illusion and any illusion can never give eternal happiness instead it will lead only to sorrow when the object ceases to exist. Therefore, the final goal or ultimate thing propounded by Srimad Bhagavatham is stated as Asrayam or substratum or support. This asraya is the ultimate reality of Lord knowing which everything become known, knowing or realizing whom alone a person gets eternal bliss.
In this part of Srimad Bhagavatham, shuka also refutes the views that Srimad Bhagavatham propounds Bhakthi or devotion of a particular deity of Narayana or Siva and is a scripture which propounds that Vishnu is supreme God and other Gods are not supreme – as well as the views that attaining Vaikunta or Kailas is liberation.
Instead Srimad Bhagavatham – following the path of the Upanishads and Vedas, propounds that the ultimate reality of non-dual Brahmna or Lord of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute alone is import presented in it.
The Lord alone is the ultimate reality behind all illusory and temporary existences – he remaining, everything remains. And that Lord is not different from oneself, but it is one’s own very nature. Realizing the Lord who is one’s own very nature is the aim of human life which is also what Srimad Bhagavatham propounds for the benefit of the seeker (as a way to realization).
Why then are the rest 9 topics being discussed?
It is not very easy to completely and totally surrender to the ultimate reality of Lord – it is also not easy to always remember the ultimate reality that everything is Lord alone. For people to remember the Lord and to develop surrender, the other 9 topics are mentioned. These pave way to achieving the asraya or realizing the Lord through complete surrender and total remembrance of the ultimate reality of Lord. These 9 topics are mentioned so that the intial seeker progressively moves towards the reality and it is ensured that there is no fall down from the reality as well as the faith of seeker is enforced with all these topics. When the seeker reaches the final topic of Asraya, his faith is very strong and hence he is able to contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord without any doubt or hesitation.
The final goal of life is remembrance of the ultimate reality of Lord at all moments. This alone is the way to realizing one’s own real nature of bliss. This alone can remove all sorrows and sufferings which we continuously face in our daily life – which are due to ignorance of the ultimate reality that everything is the Lord alone.
With this, the 2nd skanda ends and the stories of Bhagavatham start wherein Bhagavatham mentions different stories or real life incidents of saints and kings who have realized the ultimate reality through contemplation on the ultimate reality of Lord – one without a second.
Let us all pray to the Almighty that by his grace, we may be able to remember him at all times and cherish hearing his glories along with the import that everything is Lord alone – nothing but Lord alone is present.
Verse 1
Before creation, I alone existed – there was nothing superior or different from me in the form of Sad or really existing objects or asad or unreal objects which are illusions. After that (after creation started) also, whatever exists is ME alone. Once this ends (creation ends), what remains behind is I alone.
Verse 2
That which is temporarily seen and then not seen in the Self – know that to be an illusion in the Self like reflection and darkness (which are temporary existences in the original object of reflection and light).
Verse 3
As the five elements (pancha bhootaas of ether, air, fire, water and earth) are present in all the gross objects which are created and destroyed (have birth and die) but still remains independent of the gross objects, similar “I” the ultimate reality am present in the world but am independent of it (without getting affected by the world and its objects)
Verse 4
This alone is to be known by the seeker of the reality – Find out through the logic of Anvaya (co-existence) and Vyatireka (co-absence) what is present at all times and at all places (beyond time and space). (This sloka explains the way or means to realizing the ultimate reality propounded in the last 3 slokas)
Explanation
The final and ultimate aim of human life is eternal bliss – happiness that is permanent and ever-lasting. Each and every person irrespective of what he is currently doing or what he is seeking is seeking happiness either directly or indirectly. A person who works is working for money. This money is used to live happily with his family (wife and children). Thus, again we come back to the final aim or goal of happiness. It is happiness that drives any action. A person who is happy and content with whatever he has will never crave for anything – he might or might not work like Swami Vivekananda or Ramana Maharshi. Those saints who have got eternal bliss and still working work only for the welfare of the world and according to them, they are not working but for them there is only eternal bliss everywhere. Therefore, we see that whatever are the fruits of the actions that these great saints do, they are unaffected by it. Swami Vivekananda was stranded in US after having lost his Visa and all letters – but still he was happy and not sad or depressed.
Thus, everyone is searching of eternal bliss – some knowingly pursue it while others unknowingly pursue it. Now the question comes – where are we searching happiness??? Humans normally are searching for happiness in the external world – in the worldly objects. Man (human in general) thinks that by conquering the world or by acquiring more and more objects of the world he gets happiness. But this is a wrong notion which is very well proved from the life of Alexander. Alexander conquered the entire world and came to India. There a saint stopped him and asked him “You want to conquer the world??? After that!!!!” The word of the realized saint pierced into the intellect of Alexander. He understood that after having conquered the world also, he was not happy and at the end of the life of the body he will not be taking anything with himself. Therefore, he told his soldiers to carry the coffin with hole in two sides through which his hand should be shown outside – to show to the world that he did not take anything with him.
The world is always changing and impermanent. Any changing entity cannot give one eternal bliss – it might give temporary happiness but that happiness itself will be mixed with sorrow in the form of efforts for gaining it and maintaining it & grief once the happiness vanishes. Let’s take an example to understand this. I think I will get happiness from my children. This is right only when the children themselves exist (as the physical and mental person). But the character or mental nature of my children also change (even as my nature or character also changes). Therefore, once the mental nature of my children change – I don’t like them because I wanted them to look after me more than anybody else – I wanted them to respect me – but none of these things happen due to the so-called generation gap or western culture (no offense is meant towards the western culture but it is only shown that India is so rich in its culture that there is no need to borrow any culture from anywhere else – the culture of India is so vast that various westerners including the great Prof. Max Muller, H H Wilson, Cohen etc. have borrowed from India – it is also interesting to note that B K S Iyengar is famous for Yoga in the west rather than the east – thus we see the west turning towards east and getting pleasure and eternal bliss whereas the east is turning towards west for so-called happiness which is only sorrow). Since my children and their character are constantly changing, they can never give me eternal bliss.
Any changing entity cannot give a person eternal bliss. Puranaas speak about the story of King Yayaathi who wanted to regain his youth which he did by the sacrifice of his son but still he couldn’t regain youth and then he realizing the futility of depending on changing entities. Since the world or the experience realm is full of changes, it cannot give eternal bliss. The reason why humans don’t get eternal bliss is that they are searching for bliss in the wrong place. Bliss is not in the changing world but it is in the changeless substratum of God or Brahman or Self or Consciousness which is one’s own very nature. Any change requires a changeless substratum which is eternal. Since this changeless substratum is eternal, it will give eternal bliss when it is known. This changeless substratum of God is what is capable of conferring eternal bliss – the final goal of each and every person in the world.
Now, the goal of realizing God or Brahman is clear. Next question comes – Am I different from God????? This question has been answered by various acharyas in various ways. Any happiness will be temporary if it is based on an external object – whether that external object is Brahman or God as any object depends on the Subject for its existence and hence is not independent and hence will always be changing according to the Subject. This takes us to the conclusion that Brahman or God is not different from Me. I am the God who is all-pervading, eternal and of the very nature of bliss. This is what various scriptures and great mahatmas proclaim. This is the same what Srimad Bhagavatham also propounds in the chathusloki 4th verse (“I” alone always remains beyond time and space – and as Vishnu says that know that which is always present – that which is always present is “I” alone and therefore “I” am God alone and not different from God).
Thus, eternal bliss is in ME who am God or Brahman or Consciousness.
Then, what is being seen as the world??? Also, I don’t find myself as the creator God or I don’t find myself as blissful in nature but only as a limited being engulfed in a 6 feet body.
This is what is called as Avidya or ignorance. Ignorance is that which veils the reality of Brahman or God. “I” am God alone – this reality is veiled by ignorance. This ignorance is being ignorant or unaware of one’s own very nature of God. How did this ignorance come??? There is no answer to this question as ignorance is without any beginning. Ignorance cannot be answered in any way because it is only an illusion in the ultimate reality of God or “I”. “I” is of the nature of light or illumining nature and “I” am that in which the world seems to exist (the illusion of world seems to exist) and hence “I” am one without a second. Therefore, there is no second entity of ignorance which can veil my real nature – and also “I” am like light whereas ignorance is like darkness – these both can never stay together. Wherever there is light, there can never be darkness. Thus, ignorance is only an illusion which seems to be present.
There can never be an answer to the question: where did the water come from in the desert (in mirage)? The only thing that can be done is to know the reality of desert so that the water which was non-existent but seemed to exist vanishes and then the ultimate reality that there never was any water but only desert will be realized.
Similarly, the only thing that can be done about ignorance is to know one’s own real nature of God. This is done through various spiritual disciplines or practices. One of the intellectual practices shown here by Vishnu is the logic of co-existence and co-absence which proves that God alone exists here and everything else is only an illusion in the reality of God.
Therefore, the path to realizing the reality is also very clear – to contemplate on the ultimate reality that “I am God and whatever is being seen is the Lord alone”. Each moment a seeker has to remember this ultimate reality that there is no duality here but only the non-dual ultimate reality of Lord exists. The objects which seem to be dual in nature are only illusions in the reality of Lord and as any illusions are the reality alone, therefore the world itself is Lord alone. When thus the seeker sees Lord everywhere and perceives only the Lord – ignorance completely vanishes and he realizes the ultimate reality that “I am God of the nature of bliss”. When this realization dawns, then the seeker rejoices in the eternal bliss inherent in the Self – the bliss which is the ultimate and final goal of all beings.
Eternal bliss can be achieved only through this path – there is no other short cut or any other path to this – the path to realization is knowing the ultimate reality that everything is non-dual God or Consciousness or Brahman and contemplating on this reality at all times.
How can I work when everything is seen as God? Wont my efficiency come down if I remember God during work?
These are all wrong notions. Work will continue even when everything is seen as God. Doesn’t a lover remember her love and also work??? Yes, but in that case work may or may not happen properly J But when the Lord is remember or the ultimate reality is remembered and work is performed, the fruits of the actions will be good only – it will bring benefit not only to the seeker but to all the people who are present or associated with the seeker (the people themselves are Lord alone but the difference seems to be there at the empirical level even as dream world is experienced during dream and it vanishes only after waking up). These are not mere words but statement of Lord Krishna who has to this date kept his promises.
Krishna says in Gita
“Kaunteya Prathijaanihi na me bhakthah pranashyathi”
O Arjuna! Know that my devotee never perishes
Sarva Dharmaan parityajya maam ekam sharanam vraja
Aham tvaa sarva paapebhyo mokshayishyaami ma shuchah
Renounce all actions (by renouncing the Ego and offering them unto Me) and take refuge in Me alone (remember Me at all times without any gap). I will take care of all your sins and will make you liberated – don’t worry.
Many incidents can be quoted in the life of great saints where the Lord has always protected his devotees. And Sri Krishna in Gita says that the devotee who is jnaani (meaning one who knows the ultimate reality that there is only Lord or Brahman or Consciousness present here which is my own very nature) is my greatest devotee and he is my own very nature only.
Any search into the life history of saints will reveal this to be true. Just to quote one incident from the life of the great sant Jnaaneshwar (who composed the advaitic but yet devotional commentary on Gita entitled Jnaaneshwari at the ripe age of 16!!!!!). Jnaaneshwar’s father took sanyaas and went with his Guru leaving behind his wife. Jnaaneshwar’s father’s Guru once came to the place where Jnaaneshwar’s mother was there. He blessed the mother by telling that “you will have good children” (at that time they did not have any children). Hearing this, she started crying. The Guru understood – he then sent Jnaaneshwar’s father back home. Then three children including Jnaaneshwar was born. Jnaaneshwar’s father was a Brahmin.
It is against vedic dharma to return back to grihastha ashrama after entering Sanyaas. But one has to remember that vedaas are limited only to the intellectual level – these dharmaas don’t affect the self-realized Guru or avatars. Hence Sri Krishna has said that renounce all dharmaas. So, the people in the village did not accept them and hence they were ill-treated. Jnaaneshwar’s father died shortly leaving behind his children. Jnaaneshwar’s sacred thread ceremony was not yet over (Upanayana as termed in Sanskrit) and nobody was willing to do it. Then one day Jnaaneshwar had an argument with the Brahmins in the village. They started questioning his knowledge that everything is God only and even God is present in animals and insentient items. Jnaaneshwar understood that they will not accept until something is shown to them. Hence, he told them to bring a cow (or buffalo) to him. A cow along with its owner was brought. The Brahmins asked Jnaaneshwar that if everything is God, can this cow chant Vedas. Jnaaneshwar replied yes and on his command, the cow started chanting vedic hymns!!!! The Brahmins couldn’t believe and they accepted the great realized saint of Jnaaneshwar – the owner of the cow left it and ran away!!!! J It is also said that Jnaaneshwar compiled the Jnaaneshwari commentary on Gita in Marathi and showed each line to the cow after writing it. He also got approving nod from the cow for each of the lines (if the nod was not there, he used to change the content and then show it).
The above is not a mere fictional story but a real incident in the life of Jnaaneshwar – this shows that the ultimate reality of God will protect those who know the reality and remember it at all times.
The work will happen more better than normal if the reality is remembered and work is offered to the Lord. This is the one and only way to realize eternal bliss which is inherent in the Lord who is present in the heart of all beings. The ultimate reality is not something which is based on blind-faith that there is God but it is based on reasoning and experience also. This reality that there is only the Lord here nothing else is the only logical explanation of the illusory world and the substratum of God or Brahman and the individual self or jeeva. This reality is beyond any faults and instantaneously gives one eternal bliss (because bliss is inherent and all practices are to remove the ignorance which veils the bliss and not to attain bliss). Bliss which is being searched can be realized here and this very moment itself if the ultimate reality is known, remembered, contemplated and all actions are performed with the knowledge that everything is the ultimate reality of Lord alone.
It would be good to conclude here with the most famous sloka chanted by Brahmins as part of Sandhya Vandanam (even though most of the Brahmins chant it mechanically without imbibing the meaning at the time when it is chanted and at other times too).
Kaayena vaacha manasaindriyaairva budhyaatmanaavaa prakritheh svabhaavaat
Karomi yad yad sakalam parasmai naaraayanaayethi samarpayaami
Whatever is being done through body, words, mind, sense organs, intellect, Ego and as addiction to one’s character – I offer all that to the ultimate reality of Narayana who is residing in the heart of all beings as their very nature and is non-dual in nature – one without a second.
Let us all at least try to spend some time in a day trying to remember this ultimate reality that everything is Lord alone and offer all actions unto the Lord and rejoice in the eternal bliss (unaffected by the good and bad fruits of the actions as everything is Lord only then where is good and where is bad).
Srimad Bhagavatham - A Spiritual Insight - Story 20 - Chathushloki Bhagavatham – 10 lakshanas (topics that are dealed) of Bhagavatham
Brahma after having got the knowledge from Vishnu used his intellect and realized the ultimate reality of non-dual Brahman.
Brahma thus explained this knowledge to Narada (who had questioned him and the answering was for the same). Also, Brahma answered all the queries of Narada which was then imparted to Vyaasa. This is what is now available as Srimad Bhagavatham. I will explain to you this Bhagavatham – thus said Shuka Brahmarishi.
(Any knowledge will have some internal topics or parts which are dealt within the book). Srimad Bhagavatham has 10 topics which are dealt in it (any purana is said to have 5 parts or topics mainly).
What are these 10 topics? Shuka says
Atra sargo visargascha sthaanam poshanam oothayah
Manvantharam eeshaanukathaa nirodho muktiraasrayah
Sargam – creation of the five primal elements (cosmic creation)
visargam – internal creations or sub creations (creation of individual jeevas or beings)
sthaanam – glory of the place of Vaikunta (here it should be inferred that it is not just Vaikunta that is meant here but the place where the ultimate reality of Lord is present).
poshanam – grace of the Lord
oothayah – the latent tendencies or karma vaasanaas
manvantharam – the description of the various Manus or the descendents from the first manifested being (all humans trace their origin to Manu – there are said to be fourteen manus in total – the current clan is the 8th manvanthara meaning “the time of seventh manu”)
eeshanukathu – the stories of the Lord and his manifestations
Nirodha – explanation of Atman along with the power of Maya
Mukthih – liberation or establishing oneself in the ultimate reality of Self
aasrayah – support which is the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord
Why are there 10 topics when the ultimate reality is just ONE alone? Shuka answers this by telling
Dashamasya vishudhyartham navaanaamiha lakshanam
Varnayanthi mahaatmaanah sruthena arthena cha anjasaa
It is for the 10th lakshana that all other topics are being discussed (meaning that 10th alone is the final goal of Srimad Bhagavatham) – thus say various Mahatmaas who describe all these 10 topics.
Explanation
As we have been discussing so far, the ultimate reality is that there is no duality here – whatever exists is only the Lord of the nature of Consciousness who is being described as Brahman, Self, Atman etc in various scriptures.
The world that is being perceived is similar to the dream world. It is only an illusion seen in the ultimate reality of Lord because without the Lord, the world doesn’t exist at all.
Oft quoted examples of illusions are snake seen in rope, water seen in desert, silver seen in nacre and the dream world seen in the dreamer. The snake that is seen in the rope is unreal – it has no existence at all. It only seems to exist when it is perceived. The moment a person realizes the substratum of the seemingly appearing snake – which is the rope – the snake ceases to exist & the person realizes that there never was any snake at all and whatever existed was the rope alone. The dream world seems to be real when it is being perceived. The moment the dreamer wakes up, he realizes that there never was a dream world – all the dream world was an illusion in the dreamer. The dream world, even when it is perceived, is the dreamer alone. It is the dreamer who has become the entire objects of the dream world.
Similarly the world that we perceive now is also an illusion in the ultimate reality of Lord which is one’s own very nature. As any illusion is the substratum alone & real perception of illusion is perception of the reality – therefore the world and its objects are nothing but the Lord alone. This is the reason why we have been taught from our childhood that “God resides in mud and a pillar – he is all-pervading and whatever is seen is HIM only”. This is the ultimate reality behind the illusion of the world that we are currently perceiving.
A person need not run away from the world when he is told the reality that the world is only an illusion and hence unreal. A real seeker should remember the ultimate reality that the world is only an illusion in the Lord and hence the world is the Lord alone. The world exists as the Lord --- the world is unreal as the diverse world but it has existence as the non-dual reality of Lord or Consciousness. Therefore a seeker should always contemplate on this ultimate reality and perceive oneness everywhere. Such a person is a real seer of the reality behind the illusory dual objects of the world. He is the real knower of the Lord who is the essence of everything that is being seen or perceived.
The scriptures or sruthi which are the Vedas propound this ultimate reality in each verse, in each Upanishad, in each part. But it is not easy to understand the sruthis or scriptures as these are tough for a normal seeker to apprehend. Hence the various puranaas was composed by Veda vyaasa which explains the reality in the form of various stories and glories of the Lord. It should be remembered here that puranaas also propound the same reality of non-dual Lord alone and not anything else. As a small child understands things easily if explained with an example or analogy similarly the puranas explain the reality through various stories and illustrations.
This is what is being stressed by Shuka before starting the Bhagavatham. Any purana is said to have five parts or topics. But here Shuka says that Bhagavatham has 10 topics in it. But he also says that the final goal is the ultimate reality alone and to make a seeker understand the reality 9 other topics have been included which slowly and progressively take a person to the ultimate reality. The final goal or the ultimate topic that Bhagavatham propounds has been stated by shuka as Asraya or support.
This word “Support” has a lot of significance in spirituality as well as in logic. Brahman or the ultimate reality of Lord is the cause of the world that we perceive – it is said to be the support of the illusory world. Any real object or illusory object needs to have a substratum or a real cause. For a real object, there is a real cause from which the object takes birth. The pot that we see has the real cause of mud (which is real from the empirical view and as real as the pot). But the world that we see has no existence at all – it is not real as it ceases to exist when the ultimate reality of Lord is known – it was also not present before creation of the world. Therefore, here the world is not real but only an illusory effect. For any illusion, there is no cause as cause itself means that there is a real effect which has come out of the cause (as pot came out of mud). Hence, for any illusion there is only a support or adhistaana or asraya. This support is the ultimate reality of Brahman and termed in English as substratum of the illusory world.
Thus, everything that we see has the substratum of the Lord. If the Lord is not known, then the object that is known is an illusion and any illusion can never give eternal happiness instead it will lead only to sorrow when the object ceases to exist. Therefore, the final goal or ultimate thing propounded by Srimad Bhagavatham is stated as Asrayam or substratum or support. This asraya is the ultimate reality of Lord knowing which everything become known, knowing or realizing whom alone a person gets eternal bliss.
In this part of Srimad Bhagavatham, shuka also refutes the views that Srimad Bhagavatham propounds Bhakthi or devotion of a particular deity of Narayana or Siva and is a scripture which propounds that Vishnu is supreme God and other Gods are not supreme – as well as the views that attaining Vaikunta or Kailas is liberation.
Instead Srimad Bhagavatham – following the path of the Upanishads and Vedas, propounds that the ultimate reality of non-dual Brahmna or Lord of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute alone is import presented in it.
The Lord alone is the ultimate reality behind all illusory and temporary existences – he remaining, everything remains. And that Lord is not different from oneself, but it is one’s own very nature. Realizing the Lord who is one’s own very nature is the aim of human life which is also what Srimad Bhagavatham propounds for the benefit of the seeker (as a way to realization).
Why then are the rest 9 topics being discussed?
It is not very easy to completely and totally surrender to the ultimate reality of Lord – it is also not easy to always remember the ultimate reality that everything is Lord alone. For people to remember the Lord and to develop surrender, the other 9 topics are mentioned. These pave way to achieving the asraya or realizing the Lord through complete surrender and total remembrance of the ultimate reality of Lord. These 9 topics are mentioned so that the intial seeker progressively moves towards the reality and it is ensured that there is no fall down from the reality as well as the faith of seeker is enforced with all these topics. When the seeker reaches the final topic of Asraya, his faith is very strong and hence he is able to contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord without any doubt or hesitation.
The final goal of life is remembrance of the ultimate reality of Lord at all moments. This alone is the way to realizing one’s own real nature of bliss. This alone can remove all sorrows and sufferings which we continuously face in our daily life – which are due to ignorance of the ultimate reality that everything is the Lord alone.
With this, the 2nd skanda ends and the stories of Bhagavatham start wherein Bhagavatham mentions different stories or real life incidents of saints and kings who have realized the ultimate reality through contemplation on the ultimate reality of Lord – one without a second.
Let us all pray to the Almighty that by his grace, we may be able to remember him at all times and cherish hearing his glories along with the import that everything is Lord alone – nothing but Lord alone is present.
# posted by vedanta : 9:49 AM
