Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Story 5 - Killing of Draupadi's sons by Aswattaama
Srimad Bhagavatham – A Spiritual Insight - Story 5 - Killing of Draupadi's sons by Aswattaama
Slokas (Skanda 1 Chapter 7)
Having heard from Suta that Vyaasa taught Shuka Srimad Bhagavatham and Shuka learned it, Shaunaka raises an important question.
Saunaka asks
How did Shuka who had renounced everything and fully established in the Self get interest in hearing the glories of the Lord through Srimad Bhagavatham?
Suta answers this question of Shaunaka
A realized Self even though he will always be immersed in the Self (or the ultimate reality of Consciousness) and whose all knots of the heart are broken – still he will be devoted to the ultimate reality (this devotion is Paraa bhakthi which is same as Jnaana) because of the nature of the ultimate reality which is beautiful, attractive and blissful in nature. (such a person will surely be engrossed in devotion of the Lord at all points of time – he alone is a true bhaktha who is jnaani, thus says Sri Krishna in Gita).
After having answered Shaunaka’s question, Suta continues:
Now I will tell you about the story of Parikshit (through whom Srimad Bhagavatham has been handed down to us) and the story of Pandavaas journey to heaven.
Aswattaama in order to please Duryodhana (who had been defeated in battle by Bhima) killed all the children of Draupadi at night. Arjuna was angry with this & took a vow to kill Aswattama. Arjuna thus went to fight Aswattaama who was running away at the sight of Arjuna. Then Aswattaama used the Brahma Astra (which he did not know how to withdrew) the most powerful of astras. Arjuna was baffled by the fire surrounding him. He sought out the help of Krishna who then told Arjuna to use Brahma Astra and then withdraw both of the Brahma Astras. Arjuna did the same & then he caught hold of Aswattaama and took him to Draupadi. Draupadi was compassionate seeing Aswattama’s position of refugee & hence she relieved him & told Arjuna to leave him. As per Krishna’s advice, Arjuna then cut the jewel of the crown of Aswattaama and then cut off his hair as the punishment for the evil act done by him.
Explanation
Shaunaka here asks a very important question which normally comes to the mind of the individual and limited jeeva as to how can the realized being do any actions even if they are acts of devotion or acts of knowledge.
First thing to be remembered here is that the state of a realized being is not apprehendable by normal people. Only a realized person can understand that state – once a person realizes, there is no other being to understand or judge. Therefore, both ways it is futile to judge the actions of any person in the world.
The world itself being mere illusion – its actions also are only illusions which don’t have any existence at all apart from Consciousness or the Self. Therefore, the wise should never indulge in talks over actions or about judging people (whether they are realized or not).
Here Suta answers by telling that a realized being even though he is ever immersed in the bliss of the Self – he is always delighted and devoted to the ultimate reality. His speeches are praises of the reality, his songs are experiences of the reality, his very actions are manifestations of the reality. Whatever such a person does ceases to be an action as there is no doer and enjoyer in the actions of such a person. This is what is meant in Vedanta as Nishkaama Karma or action without any expectation and as an offering to the Lord or the ultimate reality of Consciousness or Brahman.
A person has to constantly remember that Lord here in Bhagavatham means not the four-handed Vishnu but the ultimate reality of Brahman or Consciousness or Self which is one’s own real nature. Because even the form of Vishnu is subject to birth & death and Srimad Bhagavatham has already explained that avataaram are the forms of the formless God & these forms are only illusions created in the Self or Consciousness or formless God.
Therefore, a realized being is always engaged in the ultimate reality whether it is through devotion or through action or through knowledge. He is ever established in the Self whatever be the actions that he is seen as doing by the ignorant person. According to the perspective view of the realized, there is no action because there is no duality but only Brahman of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute.
Maharshi was once asked as to why he did not teach the scriptures to the normal people & make them realize that the world is unreal. Maharshi replied by giving a beautiful example. As a person who has waken up will not find out who all he met in dream & go to them to tell them that the dream was unreal, similarly a realized Self doesn’t see anything other than the Self – he realizes the ultimate reality of Brahman and that everything else is only an illusion in the ultimate reality.
And hence it is possible that the realized Self even though knows everything might seem to be like learning & doing actions even though internally he remains actionless.
Saying thus, Suta continues with the story of Parikshit. He starts with the killing of Draupadi’s children by Aswattaama. Aswattaama was a Brahmin by birth & his father was Dronacharya (an acharya). But still he did the sin of killing people, that too at night when they were sleeping. This is absolutely against dharma or righteousness as proclaimed in the Vedas. Here what is thus meant is that a person even though he being high-born (in a high caste) is subject to sins because of the mind & its qualities. Unless the ultimate reality of Brahman or Consciousness is known, sins are prone to be present. Because the greatest sin in the world is ignorance of one’s own real nature of Consciousness – ignorance of the non-dual ultimate reality of one’s own blissful nature. Thus, here Srimad Bhagavatham tells to each individual that any person irrespective of caste and creed if he forgets the ultimate reality, he is prone to sins which themselves are only mere illusions in the reality caused out of ignorance of the reality.
And Srimad Bhagavatham thereby here mentions that it is not necessary for a person to be born as a Brahmin so that he can read the Vedas or realize the Self – the Self is already realized. The Vedas are only mere mirrors which point out to the ultimate reality & remove the obstructions to the ever realized Self & its experience.
When Aswattaama and Arjuna were fighting, Aswattaama used Brahma Astra and seeing which Arjuna was worried as he did not know anything. These are situations in our life when we find that we can’t do anything & feel limited and helpless. During these times, we should not lose courage and seek out the ultimate reality of Consciousness which is present in us. What is required in these times is to pray to the ultimate reality of Lord or Consciousness that these obstacles fade away and vanish. These prayers make the obstacles vanish & thereby the individual is able to realize his own very nature of Consciousness through progressing in the spiritual path which is removal of obstacles to the realization of one’s own real and natural state of Consciousness and Bliss. This is exactly what Arjuna did by seeking out the ultimate reality of Krishna and thereby got solution from Krishna & thereby was able to overcome the obstacle in the form of Brahma Astra.
Thus, Srimad Bhagavatham in this part tells us that there might be situations wherein the seeker will feel obstacles in the path of spirituality, but the seeker should not lose hope & seek the ultimate reality which in turn would guide the seeker in the form of various manifestations (like Guru and other people in the illusory world). Since the problems faced by the seeker also is illusory only, therefore the solution is of the nature of an illusion – as the dream lion causes waking up of the dreamer. But once the illusory solution negates the illusory sorrow (since sorrow and solution are of the same level of reality – they negate each other and both vanish). Thus, what remains behind is the ever present ultimate reality of Consciousness or Brahman or Self or God.
This Self is our own very nature & this is the ultimate reality that has to be realized through hearing and studying of the scriptures in the form of Srimad Bhagavatham among other works.
When we are ever steadfast in the reality like Shuka, we will always be immersed in the eternal bliss of the Self (which is the main aim of all beings in the illusory world).
We will see next as to how Parikshit was saved by Sri Krishna which gives us very good import to be implemented in life.
Slokas (Skanda 1 Chapter 7)
Having heard from Suta that Vyaasa taught Shuka Srimad Bhagavatham and Shuka learned it, Shaunaka raises an important question.
Saunaka asks
How did Shuka who had renounced everything and fully established in the Self get interest in hearing the glories of the Lord through Srimad Bhagavatham?
Suta answers this question of Shaunaka
A realized Self even though he will always be immersed in the Self (or the ultimate reality of Consciousness) and whose all knots of the heart are broken – still he will be devoted to the ultimate reality (this devotion is Paraa bhakthi which is same as Jnaana) because of the nature of the ultimate reality which is beautiful, attractive and blissful in nature. (such a person will surely be engrossed in devotion of the Lord at all points of time – he alone is a true bhaktha who is jnaani, thus says Sri Krishna in Gita).
After having answered Shaunaka’s question, Suta continues:
Now I will tell you about the story of Parikshit (through whom Srimad Bhagavatham has been handed down to us) and the story of Pandavaas journey to heaven.
Aswattaama in order to please Duryodhana (who had been defeated in battle by Bhima) killed all the children of Draupadi at night. Arjuna was angry with this & took a vow to kill Aswattama. Arjuna thus went to fight Aswattaama who was running away at the sight of Arjuna. Then Aswattaama used the Brahma Astra (which he did not know how to withdrew) the most powerful of astras. Arjuna was baffled by the fire surrounding him. He sought out the help of Krishna who then told Arjuna to use Brahma Astra and then withdraw both of the Brahma Astras. Arjuna did the same & then he caught hold of Aswattaama and took him to Draupadi. Draupadi was compassionate seeing Aswattama’s position of refugee & hence she relieved him & told Arjuna to leave him. As per Krishna’s advice, Arjuna then cut the jewel of the crown of Aswattaama and then cut off his hair as the punishment for the evil act done by him.
Explanation
Shaunaka here asks a very important question which normally comes to the mind of the individual and limited jeeva as to how can the realized being do any actions even if they are acts of devotion or acts of knowledge.
First thing to be remembered here is that the state of a realized being is not apprehendable by normal people. Only a realized person can understand that state – once a person realizes, there is no other being to understand or judge. Therefore, both ways it is futile to judge the actions of any person in the world.
The world itself being mere illusion – its actions also are only illusions which don’t have any existence at all apart from Consciousness or the Self. Therefore, the wise should never indulge in talks over actions or about judging people (whether they are realized or not).
Here Suta answers by telling that a realized being even though he is ever immersed in the bliss of the Self – he is always delighted and devoted to the ultimate reality. His speeches are praises of the reality, his songs are experiences of the reality, his very actions are manifestations of the reality. Whatever such a person does ceases to be an action as there is no doer and enjoyer in the actions of such a person. This is what is meant in Vedanta as Nishkaama Karma or action without any expectation and as an offering to the Lord or the ultimate reality of Consciousness or Brahman.
A person has to constantly remember that Lord here in Bhagavatham means not the four-handed Vishnu but the ultimate reality of Brahman or Consciousness or Self which is one’s own real nature. Because even the form of Vishnu is subject to birth & death and Srimad Bhagavatham has already explained that avataaram are the forms of the formless God & these forms are only illusions created in the Self or Consciousness or formless God.
Therefore, a realized being is always engaged in the ultimate reality whether it is through devotion or through action or through knowledge. He is ever established in the Self whatever be the actions that he is seen as doing by the ignorant person. According to the perspective view of the realized, there is no action because there is no duality but only Brahman of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute.
Maharshi was once asked as to why he did not teach the scriptures to the normal people & make them realize that the world is unreal. Maharshi replied by giving a beautiful example. As a person who has waken up will not find out who all he met in dream & go to them to tell them that the dream was unreal, similarly a realized Self doesn’t see anything other than the Self – he realizes the ultimate reality of Brahman and that everything else is only an illusion in the ultimate reality.
And hence it is possible that the realized Self even though knows everything might seem to be like learning & doing actions even though internally he remains actionless.
Saying thus, Suta continues with the story of Parikshit. He starts with the killing of Draupadi’s children by Aswattaama. Aswattaama was a Brahmin by birth & his father was Dronacharya (an acharya). But still he did the sin of killing people, that too at night when they were sleeping. This is absolutely against dharma or righteousness as proclaimed in the Vedas. Here what is thus meant is that a person even though he being high-born (in a high caste) is subject to sins because of the mind & its qualities. Unless the ultimate reality of Brahman or Consciousness is known, sins are prone to be present. Because the greatest sin in the world is ignorance of one’s own real nature of Consciousness – ignorance of the non-dual ultimate reality of one’s own blissful nature. Thus, here Srimad Bhagavatham tells to each individual that any person irrespective of caste and creed if he forgets the ultimate reality, he is prone to sins which themselves are only mere illusions in the reality caused out of ignorance of the reality.
And Srimad Bhagavatham thereby here mentions that it is not necessary for a person to be born as a Brahmin so that he can read the Vedas or realize the Self – the Self is already realized. The Vedas are only mere mirrors which point out to the ultimate reality & remove the obstructions to the ever realized Self & its experience.
When Aswattaama and Arjuna were fighting, Aswattaama used Brahma Astra and seeing which Arjuna was worried as he did not know anything. These are situations in our life when we find that we can’t do anything & feel limited and helpless. During these times, we should not lose courage and seek out the ultimate reality of Consciousness which is present in us. What is required in these times is to pray to the ultimate reality of Lord or Consciousness that these obstacles fade away and vanish. These prayers make the obstacles vanish & thereby the individual is able to realize his own very nature of Consciousness through progressing in the spiritual path which is removal of obstacles to the realization of one’s own real and natural state of Consciousness and Bliss. This is exactly what Arjuna did by seeking out the ultimate reality of Krishna and thereby got solution from Krishna & thereby was able to overcome the obstacle in the form of Brahma Astra.
Thus, Srimad Bhagavatham in this part tells us that there might be situations wherein the seeker will feel obstacles in the path of spirituality, but the seeker should not lose hope & seek the ultimate reality which in turn would guide the seeker in the form of various manifestations (like Guru and other people in the illusory world). Since the problems faced by the seeker also is illusory only, therefore the solution is of the nature of an illusion – as the dream lion causes waking up of the dreamer. But once the illusory solution negates the illusory sorrow (since sorrow and solution are of the same level of reality – they negate each other and both vanish). Thus, what remains behind is the ever present ultimate reality of Consciousness or Brahman or Self or God.
This Self is our own very nature & this is the ultimate reality that has to be realized through hearing and studying of the scriptures in the form of Srimad Bhagavatham among other works.
When we are ever steadfast in the reality like Shuka, we will always be immersed in the eternal bliss of the Self (which is the main aim of all beings in the illusory world).
We will see next as to how Parikshit was saved by Sri Krishna which gives us very good import to be implemented in life.
# posted by vedanta : 9:24 AM
