Srimad Bhagavatham

Explanation

We will discuss on the importance of mantras and the Narayana Mantra in particular today. It might happen that we discuss the same thing over and over again – but this is not at all wrong because the concept of the ultimate reality of Lord is tough to apprehend and understand that we would require going through the same explanations again and again. That is the one and only way we can focus the mind on the reality.

The word Mantra is derived thus: Mananaat thraayathe ithi mantrah – that which uplifts a person (or protects a person) by reflection or concentration is called Mantra.

Mantras do have power in themselves but more than that is the effort an individual puts towards the mantra. When a person chants a mantra for lakh times or crore times, there is a positive vibration created in his mind towards the mantra. Thus the next time the person repeats the mantra, that positive vibration is felt by the person. Thus whenever the person is feeling down or emotionally stressed, he just needs to chant the mantra for the positive vibration to negate the emotional feelings.

We have to remember the fact that a mantra by itself is not powerful but it only the effort of the individual in chanting the mantra as well as the mental concept of the person towards the mantra which gives the mantra the power. The panchaakshara mantra of AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA is known by each and every person in the world but still it doesn’t give that much spiritual upliftment for all – but for certain few like the saiva siddhas, mere chanting or mention of the mantra is enough to take them to the Samadhi state. Thus a mantra by itself is not powerful but it is given power by the seeker who puts all his efforts into the mantra.

Any mantra will have the pranava mantra as part of it. Pranava mantra is AUM (chanted as OM). Pranava means that which supports prana or the vital force. AUM is the mantra which supports life and it is synonymous to the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord.

AUM consists of three syllables of A (akaara), U (ukaara) and M (Makaara). Other than the three syllables, AUM is composed of the ardha matra or half syllable of UM (or ending portion of the letter). A denotes beginning. Any child when it is born cries loudly – crying is nothing but opening of the mouth which indicates the letter A. Once the child is born, then it is sustained and this is denoted by the letter U. When we die we close our mouth and this is denoted by the word M. Thus AUM in itself has sristhi (creation), sthithi (protection) and laya (destruction). When we chant the letter AUM also, we can find that the first syllable indicates inhalation or taking in breath. The second syllable indicates sustenance of breath & the third syllable denotes exhalation or closing or stopping of breath.

Thus AUM in general denotes everything that we can see in the world. Mandukya Upanishad thus says that everything is AUM alone. As Bible speaks about the WORD being the Lord, AUM is the letter denoting the Lord or Brahman. AUM is thus called the Pratheeka or symbol of the ultimate reality of Lord.

There is no mantra which is devoid of the pranava mantra. Whether it is the panchakshara mantra or the navakshara mantra or panchadashaakshari mantra, every mantra has AUM as part of it.

Narayana is defined in the Vishnu Purana thus:
Aapo vai naara proktha aapo vai narasoonavah
Ayanaa tasya yah sah naaraayana prakeerthithah

Water is called Nara or water is indicating of the son of Naara. He who is established in water is called Narayana.

Narayana is thus indicative of Vishnu who is established in water or the paal kadal (milk ocean). Vishnu word denotes one who is all-pervasive or present everywhere. This is nothing but the ultimate reality of Brahman alone.

Thus NARAYANA is the all-pervasive Lord of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute. Whatever is present in the world is nothing but the Lord alone. Each and every entity that we perceive in the world is pervaded in and out by the Lord who is termed as Narayana in the Puranas.

Thus Narayana mantra indicates mantra of the ultimate reality of Lord. We may think that this mantra is AUM NAMO NARAYANAYA but it is something more than that. Mantra is that which protects a person – nothing can protect a person other than constant contemplation of the Lord. Thus mantra denotes constant contemplation – narayana is the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus Narayana mantra is nothing but constant contemplation of the ultimate reality of Lord.

If a person is constantly contemplating on the ultimate reality of Lord, then he is continuously chanting the narayana mantra. This constant contemplation of the ultimate reality of Lord is that which protects a person from bad thoughts. The very thought of the Lord is enough to ward off bad thoughts completely. Thus when a person follows this narayana mantra, bad thoughts vanish. Hence we find Indra saved from the asuras which denote bad thought by the chanting of narayana mantra. Thus we have to remember that if we have to ward off bad thoughts, we just have to constantly remember the ultimate reality of Lord. When we think of the Lord, we will not be able to do bad things and bad thoughts will automatically vanish.

Thus indra was saved from the asuras by the narayana mantra. Bhagavatham is thus pointing out that whoever wants to get rid of bad thoughts, they have to chant the narayana mantra by constantly remembering the ultimate reality of Lord. Whatever be the action a person is doing, the seeker has to offer the action unto the reality of Lord remembering that there is nothing here but the Lord alone, one without a second. Thus he will always be contemplating on the reality of Lord. As this contemplation becomes continuous and constant, the ignorance veil vanishes & the seeker realizes the reality that there is nothing here but the Lord alone – whatever duality was perceived was only an illusion in the ultimate reality of Lord.

Vishwaroopa, who was the Guru of the devas, had three heads & hence was called as Trishiras. Once while he was doing a yajna, he offered half havis (oblation) for the Devas & half for the Asuras as he was attached to them by his mother. When Indra came to know of this, he cut the three heads of Vishwaroopa. Knowing this Vishwaroopa’s father, Thvastaa, was angry & started a yajna to give birth to an asura who would kill Indra. Thus out of the yajna performed by Thvastaa was born Vritra. Vritra was so terrifying that he defeated the Devas and Devas took refuge in Lord Vishnu.

Explanation

We find in this part the concept of taking refuge in the ultimate reality of Lord. It normally happens that a person seeks the Lord only when he is having sorrows or he is suffering either physically or mentally. This is the normal tendency of the mind that it seeks the Lord only when other things are not conducive for happiness. But a seeker should be such that he should always seek the Lord irrespective of time and conditions.

That which is conditional is bound by time – and it is not permanent, it will vanish one day or the other. But that which is unconditional will never vanish – instead it will be there permanently. The love of the Lord towards his devotees is unconditional – this is the reason why whenever his devotees are in trouble, the Lord himself comes to protect them and save them. A real devotee is one who unconditionally surrenders to the Lord – there is not even a single second when the devotee doesn’t think about the Lord. The devotee’s very life is the Lord alone – the devotee will struggle like fish in land if he is not able to think about the Lord. The devotee might forget to eat, forget to sleep, forget to drink but he will never forget to remember the Lord. Such is real devotion which we find in great saints like Narada, Shaandilya, Agasthya etc, in great kings like Janaka, Ambariksha and in great devotees like the Gopis, Mira etc.

That alone is real and pure devotion wherein the devotee cannot even live for a second without the thought of the Lord. Such devotion is very rare to find and implement in life. Hence we should always strive to surrender completely to the Lord and should try to remember the Lord as much as possible. If we completely surrender to the Lord, the Lord will take care of us. Thus if we are deviated from the Lord, the Lord will give sorrows and sufferings so that we may seek the forgotten Lord. As the human nature is such that it seeks the Lord only at times of distress – therefore the Lord tests his devotees and makes them strong by giving them sorrows and sufferings. We should always remember that if a person is suffering in the world, it is nothing but the Lord testing him so that he will become strong and nothing can then stop him from constant contemplation of the Lord.

Thus we find here the Devas suffering and thereby taking refuge in the Lord. Devas represent good thoughts and strength of the mind. When we face obstacles and tough conditions, the strength of the mind becomes weak – that is when we feel ourselves to be incapable of handling the situation. Out of this incapability comes total surrender to the Lord. Thus at such times, we call out to the Lord. It has never happened till now that the Lord hasn’t helped whenever a person has called out to him. Even if the person calling out the Lord is an atheist or an asura, the Lord helps him – the Lord has no differentiation between the good person and the bad person. Good and bad are only concepts in the limited seeker’s mind – but for the Lord, everybody is his child and devotee. Thus we find the Lord giving moksha to Kamsa and other asuras who sought out the Lord at all times (even though it was out of vidvesha or enmity). Therefore whoever calls out the Lord, the Lord appears to him. This is what the Lord promises in the Gita & it is a promise which the Lord has kept till date & will be keeping it until the world exists. Each and every seeker can experience the presence of the Lord once he opens his mind & completely surrenders unto the ultimate reality of Lord.

AMMA frequently mentions about the attitude that a devotee should have in the world:
Whatever good happens is the GRACE of the Lord.
Whatever bad happens is the WISH of the Lord.

Whatever is happening in the world is controlled by the Lord & since the Lord loves all the people in the world, he cannot do bad to his children. As a father loves his children, the Lord loves his children. If the child is devoted to the father, it can feel the love of the father more than a child who is not devoted to the father. Even though the Lord has devotion and love towards both good and bad people (devotees and non-devotees) but the devotee can feel the love of the Lord as his mind is open to receive the grace and love of the Lord. As AMMA says the grace of the Lord is always there – there isn’t even a single moment when grace is not there. But if the individual closes his heart, then he will not be able to get the ever-present grace of the Lord. This is like an individual complaining that the Sun is throwing light in his house when he has all the doors and windows closed. Once the person opens the doors and windows, he can feel the light of the Sun which was ever there. Similarly once a person opens his heart by total and unconditional surrender to the Lord, he can feel the ever-present grace of the Lord.

When a seeker becomes a real devotee of the Lord, he doesn’t need to worry about anything in the world not even moksha because everything is taken care by the Lord. The moment a person surrenders completely to the ultimate reality of Lord, he is completely taken care of by the Lord – it is then the duty of the Lord to make sure that the devotee realizes his own very nature of Lord.

Thus various devotees never really bothered about things in the world as they knew that the Lord is there to protect them – the Lord who is the controller and the substratum of the illusory world.

When a devotee seeks the ultimate reality of Lord, the Lord will advise the devotee into knowledge about the ultimate reality. This is exactly Lord Vishnu does to the Devas. We will see as to what the Lord says to the Devas and as to how the devas react to the ultimate knowledge given by the Lord in the next day.

Introduction
Explanation:

We are starting with yet another story of Srimad Bhagavatham. This story is the killing of the asura named Vritraasura. Before we enter into the story, let us try to analyze the ultimate reality of Lord and the very aim of analyzing the various stories of Srimad Bhagavatham.

There is one and only entity in the entire world which is termed in the scriptures as Lord or Bhagavan or Ishwara or Brahman. The Lord is of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute. It is from the Lord that creation starts and the world that we perceive gets created. The world & objects that we perceive are nothing but the Lord alone because they are devoid of any existence apart from the Lord who is their creator. The Lord is eternal and non-changing whereas the world is ever changing. It is not at all possible that from the non-changing Lord, the changing world is created. Thus the world is only an illusion in the reality of Lord. It seems to exist so long as the reality is not known that there is nothing here but the Lord alone, one without a second. The world that we currently perceive is like the dream world which seems to exist as long as dream continues. But once the dreamer wakes up, he realizes that there neither was any dream world nor will there be any dream world – but that the dream world is nothing but an illusion in him. Similarly when a seeker realizes his own very nature of Lord, he realizes that the world which he perceived and is perceiving is only an illusion in the Lord. It is due to ignorance of our own very nature that we consider ourselves as different from the Lord. Since there is nothing other than the Lord, we all are the Lord alone. This is the ultimate reality that we all are the Lord alone, one without a second. But since there is ignorance about this reality, therefore scriptures proclaim the path of realization wherein the ignorance veil is removed & the seeker realizes his own very nature of non-dual Lord.

The various Upanishads proclaim about the reality of Lord and the path to realization of the Lord. Since Upanishads are tough to apprehend as they are logical and tough to interpret, therefore there are various smrithi works which propound the reality in the scriptures in a simple way. Some of the famous smrithis are the Bhagavad Gita, Manu Smrithi and Yajnavalkya Smrithi. But even the smrithis are tough to understand because they are full of concepts and means to realization. Since normal people’s intellect is not that developed to apprehend the reality as such with concepts, therefore Veda Vyaasa wrote down the 18 puranas which propound the reality through various stories. We all very well know that when something is put forth through a story, it is easy to understand, remember and implement in life. We all learn things only with the help of examples. Even while learning mathematical equations, we are taught examples so that we remember it easily. Thus Veda Vyaasa put forth the various puranaas embedding the reality amidst stories about the glory of the Lord so that any person can understand the reality in the stories & implements the path to realization in his life. It is but sad that today most of us remember the story alone forgetting the import of the story. Each and every puranic story has an import which is finally pointing to the ultimate reality of Lord.

After writing the 18 puranas, Veda Vyaasa also wrote the Mahabharatha emphasizing on Dharma or that which a person is entitled to do in life.

But even after writing all these puranas, Veda Vyaasa was not satisfied and content. This was because in the Mahabharatha and the puranas, emphasis was on the story and not on the import of the reality of Lord. Similarly the Upanishads and smrithis emphasize on the import alone so that it is tough to apprehend for normal people. Thus to enable normal people to apprehend the reality through stories, Veda Vyaasa wrote the Srimad Bhagavatha Purana. Srimad Bhagavatham is filled with many stories each of which points to the ultimate reality of Lord alone. This purana is distinct from others in that each and every place in the purana has the import of the reality of Lord. The Lord hasn’t been forgotten in any of the stories & each story points out the Lord alone.

Thus each story of Srimad Bhagavatham points out the ultimate reality of Lord as the final goal to be realized by a seeker. Each story is distinct from another in that it points out the means to realization of the reality of Lord. The goal being common, the means, qualities etc. required to realize the reality of Lord is different in each of the story. But if we forget the goal of the ultimate reality of Lord while learning the story, the story is of no use except that it can be used for fame or memorizing or remembering.

Thus while learning each and every story of Srimad Bhagavatham we have to constantly remember the aim of learning the stories which is constant contemplation of the reality of Lord so that we may realize our own very nature of Lord.

Remembering the main aim of learning the stories, let us continue with the next story which is the killing of the asura named Vritraasura.

Many of the puranic stories speak about Devas and Asuras – the fight between them, the asura overcoming the deva but finally deva succeeding by the grace and help of the Lord. Asura indicates the demoniac qualities in the mind which can be put as “concentration of the sensual pleasures”. Any thought which is concentrated on getting sensual pleasure is an ASURA. It is an asura because it leads the seeker away from the ultimate reality of Lord. The sense organs seek sensual pleasure from the sense objects. The sense objects are mere illusions in the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus the thought which concentrates on sensual pleasures tends to take the seeker away from the reality of Lord and into the illusion of the worldly objects. The basic thoughts of envy, treachery, cheating, adultery etc. are ASURAS because they lead the seeker into sense objects rather than the ultimate reality of Lord. DEVAS are good thoughts like bhajans, chanting etc. which lead the seeker towards the reality of Lord. We always find that bad thoughts are tough to conquer and easily overcome the good thoughts – similarly the ASURAS overcome the DEVAS very easily. But when the seeker puts effort to ward off the bad thoughts by totally surrendering to the reality of Lord and bringing in good thoughts about the Lord, the bad thoughts are completely destroyed even as ASURAS are destroyed by the DEVAS due to the grace of the Lord.

This story is also about an asura overpowering the devas but vanquished by the grace of the Lord. We have to remember here that it only the grace of the Lord due to which the bad thoughts are overpowered – nothing in the world happens without the grace of the Lord. It is but the will of the Lord that we see things happening in the world. The seeker is completely incapable of controlling the environment and hence when bad thoughts come, he totally surrenders unto the Lord. The Lord thus vanquishes the bad thoughts, protects the seeker & makes the seeker realize his own very nature of Lord.

Thus this story directly points to us that if there are bad thoughts, obstacles for us in the spiritual path – we just need to surrender unto the Lord & those will be easily conquered thereby making the spiritual path devoid of hassles and obstacles. We will start with the story from the next day.

Whether it is Indra or any other person, if he forgets the Lord and gets egoistic he will be suffering a lot. Once Indra was overwhelmed with power and was in his sabha with lot of apsaraas and indrani. He was fully in an intoxicated state. At that time, the deva guru Brihaspathi came there. Since Indra was in an intoxicated state, he did not welcome Brihaspathi. So Brihaspathi left the place as he was not welcomed & he saw that Indra was intoxicated with the various ladies etc. Suddenly, it dawned upon Indra that he had insulted the Guru & he repented for whatever he had done. So he went to the Guru’s house to ask pardon from the Guru. But the Guru was not in house & had left for elsewhere. Indra and Devas were now worried as to what happened to the Guru.

Looking for the right opportunity, the asuras attacked the Devas. Indra and Devas thus took refuge in Brahma Deva. Brahma said thus to them “O Devas! You have insulted a Brahma nista Guru whereas asuras have propitiated their Guru shukracharya. Thus find a suitable Guru now itself. For now accept Vishwaroopa, son of Thvestaa, as your Guru. Even if you see small mistakes and forgive it, the Acharya padam of Vishwaroopa will save you.”

Devas went to Vishwaroopa and praised him offering him the pada of Acharya. Vishwaroopa instructed the Nayarana Kavacha mantra to Indra. With the help of the mantra, Indra and devas got power & therefore defeated the asuraas easily.

Explanation

As Adi sankara puts forth in his bhashya on the Sanatsujaatheeya that the mind which is extroverted cannot contemplate on the reality of Lord & the mind which is introverted cannot go behind the sensual pleasures of the world. The moment the ultimate reality of Lord is forgotten, a person enters into the illusory world. This is when the Ego rises & the person forgets the Lord and thinks that he is everything.

It is but a mystery that a person considers himself as powerful and able to control the world but cannot control his own kith and kin. We find people dying each and every moment but still think we can control them!! Isn’t it the most foolish thing in the world??? When Yaksha questioned Yudhisthira in Mahabhaartha as to what is most surprising thing in the world, yudhisthira replied that “even though a person sees everybody dying but still he thinks that he will stay forever”.

AMMA says that the United States and other powerful nations proclaim that with the press of a button, they can destroy the entire world but to operate the button they need the will of the Lord (it is but the Lord as inner Consciousness who controls all actions – without this Lord, nothing can happen in the world).

Once a heart specialist was speaking about heart-attacks on stage. All of a sudden, he had an attack and died!!! Isn’t this what is happening in the world? If we just open any newspaper, we can find death spread all around. This is why Upanishads proclaim that Yama is roaming around waiting for the time to a person to die --- we have to remember Sankara’s wordings that “Sampraapthe sannihithe kaala” – the time to die is approaching & therefore BHAJA GOVINDAM BHAJA GOVINDAM GOVINDAM BHAJA MOODAMATHE – seek the Lord O foolish person, seek the Lord.

As Ramana says the Ego poses itself as the closest friend but it is in fact the enemy that veils the reality of Lord & deludes a person into the illusory world. Thus the moment Ego rises in a person, the person forgets the all-pervasive eternal reality of Lord. The moment a person forgets the reality of Lord, he enters into the illusion of names and forms. Names and forms are illusory & hence will vanish any moment. There is only sorrow in the names and forms. Thus the person who forgets the ultimate reality of Lord enters into sorrow and suffering.

Thus Bhagavatham says here that once a person forgets the ultimate reality of Lord through Ego, he is going to suffer for sure. This suffering need not be a physical one but it can be mental or emotional also. Any person who doesn’t remember the ultimate reality of Lord is suffering only. We find that Bill Gates or George Bush are suffering even though they have power, money etc. We find politicians, presidents, prime ministers, chief ministers, CEOs all suffering for one or the other reason.

How can we say that they are suffering????
If a person is not content with what he has & is not blissful, he is suffering. If a person is not happy, that only means that something is hindering his happiness & hence he is suffering.

It cannot be said that those who thoroughly enjoy life are happy --- happiness is like the fragrance of a flower, it spreads itself to others. If a person is really happy, he should be able to give happiness to others --- even by the mere presence of such a person, others will be happy and calm. A person who doesn’t have happiness cannot give happiness. We can feel this bliss, peace and contentment in the presence of Mahatmas like AMMA, Sri Sri Ravishankar, Sai Baba etc. Mere presence of such a Mahatma stills the mind & gives the eternal bliss that we are yearning to achieve. This is the reason why people from all walks and parts of the world are attracted towards such a Mahatma.

When AMMA currently visited the US (California), a ex-convict came bringing along with him a truck full of people for AMMA’s darshan. The ex-convict speaks about his life when he was convicted for a crime done by him long back and after he met AMMA & became spiritual. He speaks how the most-dangerous criminals in the prison got attracted to AMMA’s picture which he had in prison & how they also started chanting AUM in the prison.

All these are proof to the fact that mere presence of a Mahatma is enough to give eternal bliss to people. There is no need of even physical presence of a Mahatma – their photo or utterance of name itself is enough for the same. We have already seen in the story of Ajaamila how the mere utterance of the name of the Lord gave liberation to Ajaamila.

Thus Bhagavatham here stresses the truth that once Ego rises a person is going to suffer in the illusory world.

We have to remember that a Mahatma doesn’t have anything to take from the world instead he is there to give happiness and bliss to the world. When Emperor Shantanu was suffering, Veda Vyaasa (after having mastered the Atharva Veda from Atharva Jaabaala) went to heal the emperor. At that time, Bhishma thought that Vyaasa had come for alms and asked what he wants. Vyaasa replied telling that “I have come to give and not take”.

Any Mahatma is there in the world for the welfare of the world. What does a person who is fully content & satisfied want from the imperfect objects of the world???? Thus we have to remember to appreciate the Guru or Mahatmas instead of ignoring them. Ignoring one’s own Guru is the greatest sin a person can do in the world. AMMA says that if God is angry with a person, the Guru can save him. But if Guru is angry with the disciple, even God cannot save the person.
A real Guru can never get angry with the disciple even as a mother cannot get angry with her child. But still the Guru will get away from such a place where he is honoured or his presence is not required. As Manu says that “knowledge shouldn’t be given unless asked for”, so a Guru will not stay where he is not required. Cases of Sadgurus like AMMA are different because they are not normal Gurus but the very avatar of the Lord in the world to help each and every person in the world.

Since Indra out of arrogance didn’t treat Brihaspathi properly, Brihaspathi left from his house. Once the Guru leaves the disciple, the disciple cannot progress. A disciple is like a person who doesn’t know the path to the goal as well as he doesn’t know the goal also. The Guru is the person who tells the disciple as to what is goal and leads the disciple to the goal. Without the Guru, the disciple is doomed. Thus Indra became powerless without Brihaspathi. When a person insults his Guru, the asuras attack him. Insulting of the Guru is nothing but not remembering the truth propounded by the Guru which is that there is nothing here but the Lord alone. When the Guru is insulted, the asuras or the bad thoughts of the mind creep in. These thoughts hinder the spiritual progress which means they overpower the devas or good thoughts. And when the devas or good thoughts get a Guru or a Mahatma, then they overcome the bad thoughts.

So in order to overcome bad thoughts and to let the bad thoughts not creep in, a seeker should always surrender to the Guru & try not to insult the Guru by going after worldly things. The Guru and his teaching about the ultimate reality of Lord should be given the first preference above all other worldly things.

We will discuss about the Narayana Mantra and how it helps a seeker to overpower the bad thoughts in the next day.

Yama continued:

Etavaaneva loke asmin pumsaam dharmah parah smritah
Bhakthiyogo bhagavathithannaama grahanaadibhih

This alone is called as Ultimate Dharma by people in the world – which is gaining devotion for the ultimate reality of Lord through chanting of his name etc.

Ajaamila got liberated by calling the name of his son Narayana. That is the importance of the name of the Lord. But it is strange that those who consider themselves as intelligent also are deluded into the illusion of Maya thereby forgetting the ultimate reality of Lord. Those who are devoid of the knowledge of the ultimate reality of Lord are deluded into various yajnaas and other activities in the world whereas the intelligent contemplate on the reality of Lord and realize their own very nature of Lord.

Therefore O Children (addressing the yama kinkaraas), don’t go near the devotees of the Lord. Bring those people to me who haven’t even looked towards the Lord. Having heard Yama’s wonderful words, the Yama Kinkaraas returned to their place contemplating on the Lord. From that day, they never look upon the devotees of the Lord.

Explanation:

We have come to the end of the story of Ajaamila. Here Yama is making it clear as to what is Ultimate Dharma. Dharma at the empirical level is doing one’s own duties but at the ultimate level, it is nothing but constant contemplation of the ultimate reality of Lord. This is the Para Dharma or ultimate duty of any being in the world. We all are the very Lord alone – but we have forgotten our own very nature due to ignorance. When we contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord at all times, the ignorance veil vanishes & we realize that we are nothing but the Lord alone. Since our own very nature is the Lord & we have forgotten it, it is our prime duty to realize our own very nature of Lord.

We normally at the empirical level call those who don’t have any intellect and memory MAD PEOPLE. If we extend this to our own very nature of Self, then we all are MAD PEOPLE who are unaware of our own nature itself. Thus it is our prime duty to realize our own very nature of Lord. This is what is the prime duty of Dharma of each one of us.

Thus Yama says here that the prime duty is to get devotion for the ultimate reality of Lord. Devotion here is nothing but constant contemplation of the Lord through the different activitites like hearing to his glories, singing his glories, chanting his name etc.

Devotion is defined by Narada thus in Narada Bhakthi Sutras:
Naradah tu tad arpita akhila aachaarathaa tad vismarane parama vyaakulathaa cha
As per narada, bhakthi is offering all actions unto the Lord & getting dejected when the Lord is forgotten (vyaakula bhava is the feeling which a fish has when it is thrown onto land).

Only when a seeker is devoted to the reality of Lord can be constantly think & contemplated on the Lord. When the seeker realizes that he is nothing without the Lord, he is incapable of doing anything without the presence or grace of the Lord, then he completely surrenders to the Lord offering all actions to the Lord & continously thinking about the Lord. This devotion is pure love wherein there is no expectation, no limitation, no bondage but only love exists. We can find such devotion in Raadha and Meera wherein they were completely devoted to the Lord. The Lord was beyond anything and everything for them. They were completely focussed on the Lord. Meera renounced everything (even her husband) for the sake of the Lord. This is pure devotion where the devotee forgets and renounces everything for the sake of the Lord. The Lord is not sacrificed for the sake of husband or wife or children or friends – instead everything is sacrificed for the Lord.

When a seeker gains such pure devotion towards the Lord, he completely surrenders & totally merges into the Lord – thus the ignorance veil which causes the devotee to think that he is different from the Lord, he is suffering in the ocean of samsaara etc. vanish & he realizes that there is nothing but the Lord alone, one without a second.

Yama thus says that intelligent people always contemplate on the Lord through pure devotion. Intelligence as we know is knowledge about the illusory objective world. But real intelligence is knowing one’s own very nature of Lord & knowing that there is nothing here but the Lord alone. Thus those who dont strive for the reality of Lord are not intelligent people but considering themselves intelligent and free even though they dont know their own nature of Lord.

Yama finally says to his kinkaraas not to go near the devotees of the Lord. This is a kind of reinstating the Lord’s promise to his devotees in Gita that “I will take care of you”. Thus Yama or death and his followers never come near devotees. Death is forgetfulness of the Lord causing sufferings and sorrows – thus the devotee never suffers but will always be immersed in the eternal bliss of the Lord.

We come to an end of the story of Ajaamila – we will have a brief summary of the story in the next day and then continue with the next story.

Explanation

We come to the end of the story of Ajaamila in Srimad Bhagavatham. As we have been discussing till now, all the various stories are means to get devotion to the ultimate reality of Lord through which a person crosses over the ocean of samsaara (full of sorrows and sufferings) and realizes his own very nature of eternal bliss. Thus these stories are not mere stories to be listened and forgotten but these are stories which have imports in them that have to be implemented in life by each and every seeker in the world.

The ultimate reality of Lord alone is real – whatever else we see is only an illusion in the reality of Lord. The duality that is perceived is only an illusion in the non-dual reality of Lord. If the Lord is present, everything is there. If the Lord is not there, there is nothing at all. This clearly shows that the objects that we perceive are dependent on the Lord whereas the Lord is independent. Any dependent entity is only an illusion in the independent entity even as a variable is only an illusion in the constant (a variable is at any point of time a constant alone – it has no existence apart from the constant). Thus the objects which we perceive (this includes the body, mind, intellect and Ego also) are only illusions in the reality of Lord. We all are nothing but the Lord alone – but we seem to have forgotten our own very nature of Lord. Thus the primary dharma or duty of each person in the world is to realize his own very nature of Lord. This is possible only through pure devotion to the reality of Lord. Devotion has to be total and complete – there should be complete surrender on the part of the devotee so that there is no separate existence for the devotee but the devotee merges into the reality of Lord. This aspect of merging into the Lord is what Bhagavatham calls as Atma Nivedanam – the final of the nine forms of Bhakthi towards the Lord.

Thus Yama pointed out in this story that the ultimate dharma of a being is gaining devotion to the ultimate reality of Lord so that he may constantly contemplate on the reality of Lord and merge into the reality of Lord. All other things even if they are as per vedic injunctions are not dharma. An action becomes dharma when it is associated with constant contemplation of the reality of Lord. Thus even if a person does the worse action of killing another person but remembering the Lord, such an action is DHARMA alone because it is associated with contemplation on the ultimate reality of Lord.

This story also clearly brings out the fact that a devotee of the Lord never perishes. Even death fears such a devotee of the Lord. Death represents the sorrows and sufferings of a person. But for the real devotee of the Lord, there is no sorrow at all because everything is an offering to the Lord & since everything is associated with thought of the Lord, there is only bliss. If something good happens, the devotee considers it as the WISH OF THE LORD. If something bad happens, the devotee considers it as the WILL OF THE LORD. Thus there is neither good nor bad for a real devotee but everything is a presence of the Lord, all actions are means to contemplate on the reality of Lord.

We find that Ajaamila who uttered the name of his son which was the same as the name of Lord was liberated from the clutches of death. Thus here Bhagavatham points out that if mere chanting of the name of the Lord (unknowingly) has so much effect, then what to speak about knowingly chanting of the name of the Lord.

Thus Sankara points out in his Vishnu Sahasranaama Bhashya
Jnaanatho ajnaanatho va api vaasudevasya keerthanaat
Tat sarvam layam yaathi thoyastham lavanasthathaa

Knowingly or unknowingly if a person utters the name of the Lord, he crosses over the ocean of samsaara even as salt completely merges into water (similarly the devotee merges completely into the ultimate reality of Lord).

Thus Yama reinstates the promise given the Lord in Gita that “my devotee never perishes” by ordering his kinkaraas not to go near the devotees of the Lord. This in turn means that whoever is a real devotee of the Lord, he never suffers but he is always immersed in the thought of the Lord. Since Lord is of the nature of eternal bliss, the devotee is always immersed in the eternal bliss of the Lord.

Thus bhagavatham is telling each one of us to become real devotees of the Lord thereby following the ultimate dharma of constant contemplation on the Lord & merging into the Lord for ever. Let us all try to be real devotees by implementing the imports given in each of the story of Srimad Bhagavatham.

We will start with the next story in the next.

Yama continued:

Indra, Varuna, Agni, Surya etc. we all are doing our actions depending on the ultimate reality of Lord. The dhootas of that Paramatma are roaming around in all places – their very aim is to protect the devotees of the Lord. Nobody in the world can stop them from that. Dharma is decided by the Lord alone – that is dharma which is associated with the remembrance and surrender to the ultimate reality of Lord. Devas and manushyaas cannot easily understand Dharma. He who sees duality in the world and considers the duality as real will not be able to understand Dharma.

Explanation

As we discussed in the previous day, creation is nothing but an illusion in the ultimate reality of creator who is the substratum of the creation. Since creator has total control over his creation (illusory creation), things happen as a result of his wish and will. This is what the various scriptures proclaim that “fearing him, the Sun shines” etc. All the people in the world whether it is human beings or Gods or yama, all are controlled by the Lord alone.

Since Lord is the total controller of the world – therefore his devotees are being protected by the Lord through his dhootas. These dhootas keep roaming around to protect the devotees of the Lord. This is the greatness of the Lord that he himself remains a servant to his devotees. It is because of this that the Lord proclaims in many places in Gita that he takes care of his devotees welfare at all times. This is also seen in different puranic stories where the Lord has protected his devotees beyond all limitations. Since Lord is the controller of all things in the world, therefore he can protect his devotees from all sorts of troubles. Thus once the seeker surrenders unto the ultimate reality of Lord, the Lord takes care of the seeker’s welfare. Therefore what is required from the seeker is total and unconditional surrender unto the Lord. He should always remember the Lord and offer all actions unto the Lord. When he does thus, the Lord becomes his servant and remains vigilant to protect the devotee. The Lord has shown through different saints experiences as to how he protects his devotees. The story of Ambariksha in Bhagavatham itself is a testimony to the Lord’s statement that he will protect his devotee. The lives of Mira, Swami Vivekananda etc. are proofs of the fact that the Lord protects his devotees whenever they require it.

It may not be that the Lord protects his devotees through the form of Vishnu or Siva – but the reality of Lord is formless and all-pervasive Consciousness. The means through which the Lord protects his devotees is many – the various beings in the world that we see are all manifestations of the ultimate reality of Lord only. Thus we all would have experienced at one time or the other the presence of the Lord through fellow beings and even animals. Thus we find in the life of AMMA that animals gave her food to eat when she was staying outside her house after her parents has sent her out. Cows used to give AMMA milk directly. Crows, eagles and dogs used to get food and give it to AMMA. Thus for a devotee who has total surrender to the reality of Lord, everything is a presence of the Lord. And for such a devotee, help comes whenever required from all quarters.

More than physical or mental help, it is the spiritual progress and upliftment that is really important for a seeker. When a seeker completely surrenders unto the reality of Lord, the Lord himself shows the path to spiritual goal for the seeker. The Lord himself appears to the seeker as a Guru – making the seeker turn inwards to contemplate on the reality of Self or Lord & thereby making the seeker realize his own very nature of Lord. Happiness gained from the external objects cannot give long lasting bliss, peace and contentment to the seeker. It is only through realization of the ultimate reality of Lord that a person gets eternal bliss thereby remaining content with whatever is there & not seeking out anything at all.

Thus a real devotee gains by the presence of the Lord in all beings as well as gains scriptural knowledge about the reality of the Lord through the Guru who is God manifested in human form. Thus a seeker should always strive to be a devotee of the Lord so that he gets liberated from the bondages of the world and sorrow-sufferings in the Lord. Since all are seeking eternal bliss and complete cessation of sorrow, there is no other path to this than realizing the ultimate reality of Lord through constant contemplation of the Lord & becoming a real devotee of the Lord.

Ajamila took the name of the Lord – thereby was saved from death or sorrows in the world. After this, he realized his mistake of forgetting the reality of Lord and luring into worldly sensual pleasures. Thus he contemplated on the reality of Lord thereby merging into the Lord – realizing the ultimate reality of Lord as the one and only thing present in the illusory world.

Thus Bhagavatham here is telling each one of us to follow Dharma which is constant contemplation of the reality of Lord – becoming a real devotee – thereby realizing the ultimate reality of Lord.

Bhagavatham also says that he who sees duality in the world will not be able to find out what is Dharma. This means that he will not be able to see the all-pervading Lord amidst illusory objects of the world. Thus if a seeker wishes to realize the non-dual underlying reality of Lord among the illusory duality perceived, he has to renounce the notion that the duality which he see is real and contemplate on the reality of Lord as pervading all things in the world. Upanishads thus proclaim that he who sees duality as real will go from death to death. Such a person will be born again and again – entering into the ocean of samsara – as he forgets the underlying reality of Lord & goes by the external names-forms which are mere illusions in the reality of Lord.

Let us all try to not be deluded into the duality perceived – instead let us all try to be real devotees of the Lord so that the Lord will always be present to protect us and lead us to realization of our own very nature of Lord.

We will continue with the discussion between Yama and his kinkaras next.

We will try to analyze on Dharma-Adharma today and the view of the scriptures on the same. This is a very vast and controversial topic. We have already discussed this a number of times but still recollecting, refreshing and remembering what DHARMA is really important for a seeker as then he will be able to know what to do and what not to do. Moreover when this theory becomes clear, there will be no confusion between good actions-bad actions, action-inaction etc.

The general concept of Dharma is that it is those action which are as per the Vedas. Any action which is condemned in the Vedas is an adharmic action. But this defintion is valid only till the seeker is at the action level - trying to gain some fruit out of the action. Action or ritualistic part of Vedas is meant only to purify the mind and thereby make a seeker eligible to apprehend the ultimate reality of Brahman propounded in the scriptures. Thus action has no direct relationship with the spiritual path instead is just a step which makes a person eligible and efficient enough to go fast and smooth in the spiritual path.

It is therefore important to remember that defining dharma as per actions is not complete but incomplete. For a real seeker, any action which is selfless and done as an offering to the Lord is DHARMA. The word DHARMA means that which upholds the reality. The reality is upholded by the mind when it focusses itself on the reality & throughout contemplates on the reality. Thus DHARMA is that action which helps a seeker to contemplate constantly on the ultimate reality of Lord. That action which takes the seeker away from the reality (seeker's mind) is ADHARMA. Thus if a person does the bad action of cheating or telling lies but remembering the Lord & offering this act of cheating to the Lord, that action is a DHARMA. But if a person does the action of helping out the poor but with egoistic attitude and forgetting the reality of Lord, that action is ADHARMA.

To make this clear, let us analyze on ACTION and KNOWLEDGE as propounded by the Lord in Gita.

Sarvam karma akhilam partha jnaane parisamaapyathe
"O Arjuna! All actions end in knowledge"

Yathedhaamsih samiddhognih bhasmasaat kuruthe arjuna
jnaanaagnih sarva karmaani bhasmasaat kuruthe tathaa
"O Arjuna! As fire burns firewood completely into ashes, similarly the knowledge of the ultimate reality of Lord burns all actions into ashes".

DHARMA and ADHARMA with respect to action is valid only until there is ACTION. But that action which is selfless, offered to the Lord and done with the knowledge that everything is the Lord alone ceases to be an action. Thus it cannot be classified as action at all - thus the definition of dharma and adharma based on action fails.

The Lord's one of the final statements at the end of Gita is thus:
Sarva dharmaan parityajya maam ekam sharanam vraja
Aham tvaa sarva paapebhyo mokshayishyaami ma suchah

Renounce all actions and take refuge in Me alone -- I will take care of all your sins, dont worry.

This is not a mere statement but a fact which each devotee, each seeker can experience in his life. Here the Lord doesn't say to follow DHARMA instead he is instructing the seeker to renounce all dharmaas and take refuge in the Lord alone.

Thus what is really required is constant contemplation on the Lord & not separate-distinct actions to be performed. Once a person gets the knowledge that everything is the Lord alone & there is nothing but the Lord alone, actions cease. Thus in that case, there is nothing but constant remembrance of the Lord alone. This is what is real DHARMA - that which leads a person to realization of his own very nature of Lord.

Thus DHARMA is nothing but constant contemplation of the Lord and it doesn't depend on the action that the seeker performs -- but it depends on the attitude of the seeker & as to whether the thought of the Lord is associated with the action.

Lord himself says thus about actions:
Api chet suduraachaaro bhajathe maam ananya bhaak
Saadhureva sa mantavyah samyak vyavasitho hi sah

Even he who does the worse action (Lord doesn't mention bad but worse) but remembering the Me alone -- then he is to be considered as SADHU (SADHU is one who is seeking the reality and leading a pious llife) as he is ever steadfast in me.

Here Arjuna might have raised a doubt as to then what about the bad actions he does??? (since realized saints never do bad actions and seeker become realized saints in time) -- the Lord anticipates this doubt and answers this thus:

Kshipram bhavathi dharmaatma shashvat shaanthim nigacchathi
Kaunteya prathijaaneethi na me bhakthah pranashyathi

He very soon becomes a DHARMAATMA (one who does good alone and constantly remembers the Lord) & attains the eternal peaceful state -- O Arjuna! Know for sure that my devotee never perishes.

Thus DHARMA is nothing but constant remembrance of the lord at all times - ADHARMA is forgetting the Lord. Being seekers of the reality, we have to always contemplate on the reality of Lord & never do ADHARMA (which is forgetting the ultimate reality that there is only Lord here, one without a second).

Yama continued:

Brahma, Narada, Siva, Sanatkumara, Kapila, Manu, Prahlaada, Janaka, Bheeshma, Mahabali, Shuka, Yama – these 12 people know what is Dharma. Dharma in the form of the ultimate reality of Brahman is very secret indeed and tough to experience – Experiencing it alone is Amritatva or immortality.

Explanation

Here we find Yama speaking about the number of people who really know the eternal Dharma of Brahman as well as the reality about immortality.

As we have already discussed, Dharma is nothing but knowledge of the ultimate reality of Brahman. As scriptures point out that a person who knows Brahman becomes verily Brahman, therefore Dharma is realizing one’s own very nature of Brahman. As the Lord points out in Gita, out of thousands of seekers very few strive for realization. Out of those thousand strivers, only very few realize the reality. This statement that very few people have realized the reality is not to create fear in the mind of the seeker that it is very tough to realize the reality, but it is to show how great it is to know one’s own very nature of Brahman. It is but a sad truth that even though each and every person is the ultimate reality of Lord, still very few realize it. All others consider themselves as the body, mind, and intellectual complex & get deluded into the same. Once a person forgets his own very nature of Lord, his mind delves in the illusory things of the world. Thus the mind becomes extroverted. Since the mind sees only physical things, therefore it considers itself or its source of Self also as physical. This is how the various chaarvaka systems came into existence who considered either the body as the Self or the sense organs as the Self or the mind as the Self. Only when a person diverts the extroverted mind into its own very source of Lord, does he turn inward & realize his own very nature of Lord. Until then the seeker thinks himself as physical and associated with the body. That this is completely wrong is easily known through the experience of dream and deep sleep when the seeker forgets the physical body and imagines another different body. In the deep sleep state, there is no body at all but still the seeker exists as eternal Existence, Consciousness and bliss. Thus this clearly proves that the seeker is neither the body nor associated in any way with the body.

This knowledge about the ultimate reality of Lord is very secret that even though it is available to each and every person, still very few grasp it and realize it. Thus there are very few people who have realized their own very nature of Lord. Therefore this knowledge is very secret. This is what Yama also points out here by giving the names of 12 people who really know the ultimate reality of Lord. Since it is very secret and sacred, therefore each seeker should strive to realize the Self in this very moment itself. Thus Bhagavatham here is indirectly telling each one of us to realize the reality this very moment itself without any delay.

This knowledge about the ultimate reality of Lord is available to each and every person. The seeker only needs to contemplate on the reality that there is nothing but the Lord alone, one without a second. Contemplating thus, the ignorance veils which veils his own very nature of Lord is completely removed & the seeker realizes his own very nature of Lord. Experiencing one’s own very nature of Lord is what is called as immortality. As long as we consider ourselves as the body, mind and intellect complex, we will think ourselves to be “mortal” because the body, mind and intellect complex itself is mortal. Thus mortality of the body, mind and intellect complex is superimposed on the real “I” which is the Lord alone. Once a seeker realizes his real nature of “I” as distinct from the illusory BMI (body, mind, intellect) complex, he becomes immortal because “I” is that which is ever present & the only entity present.

Thus realization of one’s own very nature of Lord is immortality and this alone makes a seeker immortal and beyond death. Let us all try to realize our own very nature of Lord and become immortal.

The dhootas of Narayana stopped the yama kinkaraas from taking ajamila with them. To this, the yama kinkaraas questioned thus to the Narayana dhootas: “who are you that you stop the rule of Yamaraja? Whose dhootaas you are? Why do you stop us?”

To this the Narayana dhootas replied thus: “are you the people who follow the instruction of dharmaraja or yama? Now answer us as to what is Dharma and what is Adharma? Why do you punish people? What is the rule for the same?”

The yama kinkaraas replied thus: “Whatever is mentioned in the Vedas is dharma and that which is against the Vedas is adharma. Veda is Narayana alone as we have heard. Everybody is punished based on their karma or action. This is the rule for punishment in this loka as well as para loka.”

Explanation

Here we find Bhagavatham once again stressing on karma as well as dharma. Karma or action depends on the mental state as well as the guna of the person. But a seeker should always try to do punya karmas so that he doesn’t incur sin as well as he is not deviated from the reality of Brahman. Punya karmas are those which lead a person to the Lord – these are karmas which are selfless in nature as well as done with the attitude of offering as pooja to the Lord. Paapa karmas are selfish karmas which lead a person away from the Lord. When a person does a selfish action, he is in fact getting identified with the ego or the doer & thus he is deluded into getting attached to the action and its fruits. This is what is called papa karma as this makes the seeker deluded into the ocean of samsaara. Whereas that karma wherein there is no doership attributed to the seeker will lead the seeker more and more towards the goal of Lord as here there is no identification with ego or getting deluded into the ocean of samsaara.

Bhagavatham here points out that Dharma is that which is as per the Vedas. Veda word denotes knowledge – knowledge about the ultimate reality of Lord, that which alone really exists. Thus Dharma is following the path towards knowledge of the Lord – thus any action which leads a person to the reality of Lord is Dharma. Whereas adharma is doing those actions which not only obstruct the spiritual progress but lead the seeker away from the reality of Lord. This is the reality about dharma and adharma.

But what we normally think about dharma and adharma is that doing vedic action is dharma and doing avaidika action is adharma. But any action by itself never is dharmic or adharmic in nature – it all depends on the attitude with which the action is performed. If a person does the normally considered adharmic act of treachery but with the thought of the Lord, it is to be considered as a dharmic act only as the thought of the Lord leads the seeker towards the reality.

Thus Lord says in Gita:
Api chet suduraachaara bhajathe maam ananya bhaak
Saadhureva sa mantavyah samyak vyavasitho hi sah

That person who does the worse action but remembering me, he is to be considered as a sadhu or a seeker because of his steadfastness in me.

Kshipram bhavathi dharmaatma shashvat shaanthim nigacchathi
Kaunteya prathijaaneethi na me bhakthah pranashyathi
He very soon becomes a dharmaatma and realizes the eternal peace inherent in the Self – O Kaunteya, know for sure that my devotee never perishes.

Thus what the Lord is pointing out here is that whatever be the action, if the seeker does the action as an offering to the Lord and with constant remembrance of the Lord, such an action is DHARMA and leads to realization of one’s own very nature of Lord.

Each and every action has an equivalent reaction. Every karma bears an equivalent phala or fruit. This is the eternal law of KARMA. Nobody in the world whether it is the Lord himself can get away from this law. This law is eternal with respect to the illusory world – but once a person gets rid of all actions by burning them in the fire of knowledge, this law becomes invalid as there remains nothing but the non-dual Lord alone. Thus if a person does good actions, he bears good fruits. And if he does bad actions, he bears bad fruits. The body and birth that we attain is due to phalas of actions done in previous births. This cycle of birth-death based on karma-phala continues so long as the seeker doesn’t realize his own very nature of Lord – thereby cutting aside the illusion of karma, kaama and avidya.

The one and only way to get liberated from the bondage of karma is by renouncing the doer of Ego. This can be done in two ways – one is by knowing that “I am the Self, distinct from the doer of Ego” and the other is by completing surrendering to the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus when a seeker gets rid of the doer of Ego – he becomes a mere witness to the actions. Thus he is not affected by the karmas or the fruits of the karmas. This is what is called as SAKSHI BHAAVA or witness-hood state in Vedanta. Once a person becomes the mere witness to all activities, he realizes that the activities are mere illusions like activities in the dream world. Thus he is ever established in the reality of Lord, one without a second. Thereby very soon he realizes his own very nature of Lord – getting completely liberated from the ocean of samsaara.

Thus the one and only way to get rid of the eternal law of Karma which nobody in the world can get rid of is by renouncing the doer of Ego.

Yama kinkaraas continued thus:

Na hi kaschit kshanamapi jaathu thistathyakarmakrit
Karyathe hi avashah karma gunaih svaabhaavikairbalaat

Not even for a single second can a person remain without doing karma. He is made to do karma due to nature and qualities.

As Ajaamila didn’t do his svadharma of sticking to the Vedas, therefore he has done papa karma and hence we are taking him to naraka.

To this the Narayana Dhootas replied that once a person chants the name of Narayana, all his sins are removed instantly. Thus Ajaamila’s sins are gone and as he took the name of Narayana at the time of death, he will go to Narayana loka and not naraka.

Explanation
Karma has been a riddle for many centuries and most of the religions too. Action goes on without any end. As vidyaranya puts it, we do action for enjoying and we enjoy for doing more action. Thus this vicious circle of action-reaction goes on.

Each and every person irrespective of whether he is a saint, realized person or a worldly ignorant person has to do action in the world. The Bhoo loka is a karma bhoomi as Lord says in Gita 15th chapter. Thus there is no option given to the human being as to whether he wants to do action or not. He has to do action. Lord Krishna had to do action, Sri Ramakrishna had to do action, Ramana Maharshi had to do action (though in his case, the action he did was remaining silent which is also an action only). Thus each and every person in the world is made to do action.

What is it that forces or controls the actions from an individual???

A person does action depending on his nature and quality or guna. A person who is more of tamasic nature (indicating slumber, laziness etc.) does the action of sleeping and not doing any physical action. Similarly a rajasic person does the action of doing more and more physical activity whereas a saatvic person does the action of making his mind calm and helping out other people.

Once a person goes beyond the trigunas of sattva, rajas and tamas, then he is not under the control of action. But so long as a person is working in the world, he is under the control of the trigunas – thus he has to do action. But the choice of what action to do is with the individual. By controlling one’s own nature or quality, a person easily gets control over the action he performs either physical or mental. Thus once a person gets more and more sattvic in nature wanting to keep the mind calm all the time, he does more of sattvic karma which leads to calmness of the mind. Thus by controlling the nature, a person can control his karma.

Since we all are forced to do karma, we have to do punya karmas so that we are not affected by the fruits of the papa karma which will be like obstructing the spiritual path. Thus each and every moment, we have to punya karmas – those karmas which lead us to the spiritual path – these are very vast but general ones are chanting, meditation, bhajans, spiritual seva, learning scriptures, compassion, helping out the needy etc. Thus when a person does punya karmas, he gets punya phalas – that which help in the spiritual path rather than obstructing his spiritual progress.

Therefore a seeker should always try to do punya karmas as well as try to abstain from doing papa karmas. But once a seeker progresses, he should also try to renounce the ego by surrendering completely to the Lord. When the seeker surrenders his ego completely, the doership vanishes & thus he is not at all affected by the action or its fruits. This is what is really required from a seeker. But since initially he will not be able to renounce his ego completely at all times, therefore he should refrain from doing bad actions. But once he progresses, it becomes natural for him to surrender completely unto the Lord. Thus he is not at all affected by the actions which he performs whether they are good or bad. Thus we find many people mentioned in the scriptures as well as in our times who have been doing bad actions but still are considered spiritual saints.

This is what the Narayana Dhootas are point out that once a person takes the name of the Lord, his sins also vanish. When a person does remember the name of the Lord, sins vanish from his mind. It is like telling that when a person remembers his love, all bad thoughts vanish as the very idea of “love” is pure. Similarly when a person knowingly or unknowingly takes the name of the Lord, his sins are removed. That is the importance of the names of the Lord. Thus Mahatmas always tell seekers to chant the names of the Lord through Lalitha Sahasranaama or Vishnu Sahasranaama so that all those moments we will be remembering the Lord as well as creating the environment to remove sinful thoughts from our mind.

Thus Ajaamila who called the name of the Lord at the time of death was liberated from the bondage of action. Scriptures proclaim that a person becomes that which he remembers at the last moment of his life – this is because that thought which has been going in his mind for the rest of his life alone can be remembered at the last moment. Thus since the seeker has been always thinking about the Lord, he will remember the Lord at the last moment and merge into the ultimate reality of Lord – never to return again to the sorrowful world.

Thus Ajamila was rescued from the claws of death – the narayana dhootas also vanished. Ajamila pondered over the sins that he had done and thus contemplating on the ultimate reality of Lord gave up his body in Ganga thus merging into the ultimate reality of Lord (getting liberated).

Yama kinkaraas went back to Yama loka and questioned Yamaraaja thus: “Protecting and ordaining fruits for people as per their actions, how people are there? We thought that only you are the person doing it. But for the sinner Ajamila, some four siddha purushas came and saved him from the clutches of death. Please explain us the same if we are eligible to know it”.

For the sentient and insentient entities, there is a protector apart from me. That protector is the creator, protector and destroyer of the world and the world is in him even as threads are part of the cloth. Creation, protection and destruction are but one part of his entire activity. This world is completely under his control.

Explanation
Scriptures speak about the world being created from the cause of Brahman or Lord. Any effect has two causes of efficient and material. The pot is created out of the material cause of mud and efficient cause of potter. Similarly the Lord is both the efficient and material cause of the world even as the spider is the material and efficient cause of the web created by it.

Any creator has complete control of his creation. Thus the Lord has complete control of the creation of his world. This process of creation, protection and destruction are but one aspect of his nature alone. This aspect is valid only when there is creation really present. But the world that we perceive is always changing & any changing entity is only an illusion in the ultimate changeless entity of Lord. Thus the world is illusory and not real. Therefore creation, protection and destruction are also illusory only. The real nature of the Lord is being the substratum of the illusory creation. The Lord is propounded as being of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute. Whatever objects or entities we see in the world have five parts in general which are Existence, Consciousness, Bliss, Name and Form. The first three parts of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss form the Lord and Names-forms form the illusory part of any object. Names and forms are illusory because they have no existence of their own apart from the reality of Consciousness.

Thus the world is a mere illusion in the ultimate reality of Lord. The Lord is the controller of the world as the substratum of the illusory world. We all are in fact the Lord alone but with a particular name and form. These names and forms are illusory – once a person gets rid of the illusory names and forms of Ego, mind, body etc, he realizes his own very nature of Lord. Getting rid of Ego, mind, body etc. is what the scriptures term as liberation or realization.

Since the world is under the control of the Lord, hence once a person contemplates on the ultimate reality of Lord he gets liberated from the ocean of samsaara denoting sorrow and suffering in the illusory world. Thus the easiest and direct way to get liberated from the bondage of action-reaction, chains of suffering is contemplation on the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus a seeker should always try to contemplate on the reality of Lord. The moment a person deviates from contemplation on the Lord, he enters into the illusion of names and forms. Names and forms can give nothing but sorrow alone. Thus he suffers if he forgets the reality of Lord even for a second. Thus it is very important for the seeker to constantly contemplate on the reality of Lord without any lapse or break.

Ajamila when he was freed from the clutches of death by the chanting of the name of the Lord contemplated on the reality of Lord – thereby merging into the Lord. Chanting of the name denotes remembrance of the Lord and trying to gain pure devotion for the Lord. When this is done, a person gets rid of illusory sufferings which are denoted by DEATH. Death is nothing but sorrow and suffering. Death is thus forgetting one’s own very nature of Lord. When a person gets pure devotion for the Lord by taking the name of the Lord, he overcomes sorrow and suffering or he overcomes death. This is symbolically what Bhagavatham points out by telling that Ajamila overcame death by taking the name of the Lord. Once a person gets rid of the illusory sorrows and sufferings, then there is no obstacle for him to constantly contemplate on the reality of Lord. Thus he is able to constantly remember the ultimate reality of Lord. When the seeker thus constantly remembers the Lord, the illusion of ignorance completely vanishes & the seeker realizes his own very nature of Lord. Thus Ajamila was liberated from the bondage of ignorance and death through constant contemplation on the reality of Lord.

Thus Bhagavatham here is trying to tell us that we all should constantly contemplate on the reality of Lord through repeating his name all the time. Repeating his name doesn’t mean that a person should behave like Meera or Chaitanya Mahaprabhu – always singing the name of the Lord at all times and places. But it only means that we have to constantly call his name along with the thought that “he alone is present” internally. External chanting is just a means to getting internal control and to focus the mind unto the Lord. Thus what is really required is constant chanting of the names of the Lord in the mind. When a seeker does thus, he gets rid of death in the form of sorrow and suffering – therefore he will always be blissful. Thus continuing to constantly contemplate on the reality, he realizes his own very nature of Lord.

We will continue with the reply of Yamaraaja to his kinkaraas next.

Srimad Bhagavatham - A Spiritual Insight - Story 33 - Story of Ajamila – Suka on Punya and Papa Karmaas

Suka said thus to Parikshit:
It is karma or action that makes the cycle of samsaara rotate. Good karmas or punya karmas leads to happiness and pave way for a seeker to progress in the spiritual path. Thus a person should always abstain from doing bad actions or papa karmas. Knowing and understanding the papa karmas, a person should get rid of them even as a doctor gets rid of disease.

Explanation

We are starting a new story in Srimad Bhagavatham. This story is the story of Ajamila. This story has a very deep import of emphasis and importance on the name of Narayana or Lord. It points out that by mere chanting of the name of the Lord and contemplation of the Lord, a person gets rid of papa karmas and gets liberated. Sankara thus says in his Vishnu Sahasranaama commentary quoting from Vishnu Purana:

Jnaanatho ajnaanatho va api vaasudevasya keerthanaat
Tat sarvam layam yaathi thoyastham lavanastathaa

Knowing or unknowingly if a person chants the name of Vasudeva or the ultimate reality of Lord, he overcomes samsaara as salt gets merged and dissolved in water.

Here we find Suka explaining one of the most important concepts in Vedanta – karma chakra or cycle of action or samsaara.

Karma or action is what determines and upholds samsaara. Samsaara is nothing but filled with avidya-kaama-karma or ignorance-desire-action. It is filled with birth and death vicious circles. A person does action and that leads to a reaction. The reaction again leads to more action. As Vidyaranya says in Panchadashi, a person does action to enjoy and he enjoys to do more action – this cycle continues without any end. Thus it is karma which binds a person to the illusory world and its objects. If a person wants to get liberated from this world and its sufferings, he has to get rid of karma or actions. When karma is removed, desires vanish which in turn removes ignorance or avidya – the primal cause for bondage and that which is veils one’s own very nature of Lord. Thus a person has to come out of the cycle of karma or action. It is not that easy to come out of the cycle of karma as it is never ending and propelled by desires which is tough to overcome. Thus actions are split into two – good actions or punya karmas and bad actions or papa karmas.

The action which leads to the reality of Lord or helps in the progress of the seeker towards the reality is called punya karma. The action that leads a person away from the goal and path is called papa karma. Thus the various activities of sravana, keerthana etc. are punya karmas whereas the activities like drinking, adultery etc are papa karmas as they lead a person away from the reality of Lord.

Since it is tough to overcome karmas and vasanas (inherent tendency of getting addicted to doing karmas), therefore scriptures proclaim that a person has to get rid of papa karmas and do good or punya karmas. Punya karmas help in purification of the mind which thereby makes it easy to contemplate on the reality of Lord.

When a person constantly contemplates on the Lord, he gets rid of the vasanas and karmas – thus he gets liberated from the bondage of action-reaction. He thus is ever immersed in the reality of Lord. Always thus contemplating on the Lord, he very easily overcomes ignorance & realizes his own very nature of Lord, one without a second.

Ramana Maharshi thus speaks about punya karma leading to chitta shuddhi in Upadesa Saram
Ishwara arpitham na icchayaa kritham
Chitta shodakam mukthi saadhakam

That work which is offered to the Lord and done without any expectation leads to purification of mind and thereby helps in realization.

Lord thus says in Gita that a person should action without any expectation of the fruits of the action and as an offering unto the Lord.

In order to be able to do selfless karma and as an offering to the Lord, we need to first get rid of papa karmas. This can be easily done by offering the papa karma also to the Lord. When we have to do some bad action, if we are offering it to the Lord – we will not be able to do that action as we will not feel happy to offer bad action to the Lord. Thus if a person does bad action remembering the Lord, he will very easily overcome the bad action as he will not be able to do the action. Thus a seeker has to always offer all actions unto the Lord whether those are good and bad. When the seeker thus continues to do this, he overcomes bad actions & always does punya karmas alone and as an offering to the Lord. Thus he does punya karma and gets rid of papa karmas.

When the seeker does such good actions, as explained earlier – his mind will be purified and he will be able to contemplate on the Lord thereby making him realize his own very nature of non-dual Lord who alone exists amidst the illusory world and its objects.

We will continue with what Suka says to Parikshit and as to what is the context of narration of the story of Ajamila in the next.

We are learning the imports in the various stories depicted in Srimad Bhagavatham. It is better here to remember and keep in mind the ultimate goal to be achieved through learning of these stories.

The ultimate reality in the world is Consciousness or Brahman or Lord. Lord alone exists as the non-dual reality. The duality that we perceive in the world is but an illusion in the reality of Lord. The world and the objects that we currently perceive is not at all different from the dream world which we all perceive while sleeping. Once a person is dreaming, he thinks that the world he perceives is real – but once he wakes up he realizes that there is no dream world, there never was a dream world and there never will be any dream world. Similarly when a person wakes up from the illusory world that he is currently perceiving, he realizes that there never was any world at all nor is there any world at all but whatever is present is only the Lord alone, one without a second.

Thus whatever exists is only the Lord – we are all not different from the Lord but one with the Lord as there is no duality whatsoever here. Thus we are all the Lord alone but unaware of this ultimate reality that “I am the Lord as there is nothing but the Lord alone here”. This ultimate reality of non-dual Consciousness or Lord is what is being pointed out through each and every story in Srimad Bhagavatham. The one and only path to realization of the non-dual reality of Lord is constant remembrance of the Lord. This is what Jnaanis term as Anusandhaanam or Nidhidhyaasana whereas the Bhakthaas term this as Prapatthi or total surrender. Ramanujacharya terms the path as Saranaagathi wherein the seeker completely and totally surrenders unto the Lord – when there is total surrender, there is no seeker different from the Lord as the seeker merges into the Lord – thus there exists only Lord. Sankaracharya terms the path as that of Jnaana wherein the seeker realizes his own very nature of Lord or Consciousness and perceives the entire world as “I” or Consciousness. This way also what remains behind and what is really present is the non-dual reality of Consciousness or Lord alone.

Thus the same reality is being spoken about by various acharyas in different ways and at different levels. Whatever be the level or whatever be the perspective, that which really exists is ONE alone and that is the Lord of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute. This is the final and ultimate reality to be realized by a seeker & realizing which alone a person gets eternal bliss which he is seeking out each and every moment.

Thus the reality is that there is the Lord alone, there is nothing but Lord alone & we all are the Lord alone. The perception of duality which seems to be real is only an illusion like the dream world and water seen in desert – it is due to ignorance of one’s own very nature of Lord. The very moment the realization dawns that “I am the Lord, one without a second”, ignorance completely vanishes and what remains behind is the Lord alone.

The one and only criteria for removal of ignorance and realization is CONSTANT CONTEMPLATION on the reality of Lord. This is what is being stressed in this story of Ajaamila. Ajaamila was a Brahmin who was very pious but as a result of getting in contact with a low-caste girl, he forgot the pious activities & thereby was leading a non-pious and non-devoted life. He had a child whose name he kept as Narayana in order to remember the Lord. Thus even though he was not leading a pious life, but still he was devoted to the Lord & had the earnest desire to realize the Lord.

This is what is essential in a seeker – a seeker needs to just have the earnest and burning desire to know the Lord & the Lord shows the seeker the path to the ultimate reality. That is what exactly happened with Ajaamila too. Ajaamila was very much attached to the child & hence at the time of his death, he called out the name of his child & died. As per the activities that he had done, he had to go to hell and the soldiers of yama came to take him away. But at that time, the soldiers or bhataas of Vishnu came and stopped them. The soldiers of Vishnu mentioned that since Ajaamila took the name of the Lord (even though unknowingly), therefore he will be taken to the Vishnu loka.

This is where we find the importance of even the name of the Lord chanted unknowingly. Each and every word in the world has an import attached to it even though one may not be aware of the import of the word. The word Narayana is meant for the Lord & ajaamila had kept the name for his son so that he could remember the Lord. Thus the entire life time he was chanting the name of Narayana through calling and getting attached to his son. Thus he was contemplating on the Lord indirectly. Therefore he was benefitted by the grace of the Lord and taken to the Vishnu loka.

This particular story thus gives the importance of constant contemplation on the name of the Lord whether knowingly or unknowingly. We have thus to learn from it that the very aim of human life is to realize the ultimate reality of Lord and that can be had only through constant contemplation on the reality of Lord – not through any other means of dhyaana, bhakthi, karma, jnaana or yoga – all these paths are mere means of fixing the mind unto the Lord or to get constant contemplation or remembrance of the Lord.

We will see as to what happened in the life of Ajaamila in detail in the coming days. Let this story like any other story in Bhagavatham lead us to constant contemplation on the ultimate reality of Lord – which alone can lead us to the Lord and thereby to eternal bliss.

In Kanyakubja (place), there was a Brahmin named Ajamila who through samsarga (association) with a daasi (servant) left all brahmana aachaaras or ritualis. He thus became a prey to untruth, treachery etc. as a result of the same. Time thus passed by and he became more than 80 years old. He had ten children of which the son named Narayana was very dear to both mother and father. He got very much attached to the son – Narayana. He didn’t realize death nearing him. When his death time arrived, he saw the yama kinkaraas coming near him. At that time, he looked at the child Narayana and called out loudly the name of Narayana, at the same time leaving his mortal coil. Thus the dhootaas of Narayana came there very soon (as Ajamila had taken the name of Narayana at the time of death).

Explanation

Satsanga or association with good people or good thoughts is very important for a seeker. It is very easy in the world to get associated with bad people and bad habits but it is very tough indeed to get rid of those addictive bad habits. Thus scriptures give importance to association with sadhus or spiritual people. Yoga Vasistha mentions four guards to the door of liberation or moksha. The four guards are: Viveka, shama (calmness of the mind), santosha or contentment and sadhu sangama or association with good people. Sankaracharya saves in Bhaja Govindam thus about the way out of the ocean of samsaara:

Trijaggathi sajjana sangathireka
Bhavathi bhavaarnava tharane naukaa

There is no other boat in the three worlds other than Sadhu Sangama or Sat Sanga through which a seeker can cross over the ocean of samsaara.

There is a very famous story often quoted to show the importance of Satsanga. Once Narada wanted to know the importance of Satsanga. Thus he asked Lord Narayana about the same. Narayana told Narada to go to such and such place where an earthworm was to be born. Narada went there & found out the earthworm as it was born. That very moment it died. Narada went back to Lord sad that the earthworm had died after seeing him. Lord again asked him to go to a particular place where a particular colored cat was to be born. Narada went there and found that a mother cat gave birth to some kittens – one of the kitten was as mentioned by the Lord. Narada asked the kitten as to what is the importance of Satsanga (as he was directed by the Lord to put forth the question to the newly born kitten). The kitten saw Narada and then died. Narada went running to the Lord crying that he was the cause of the death of the kitten as it died seeing him. The Lord consoled him and said him to put forth the same question to a puppy that was to be born. Narada was not willing as he feared the worst but still did as he was told by the Lord. The puppy also died exactly as the kitten. Narada came back crying but was consoled and directed to a calf. The calf also died the same way. Narada then was completely crying when the Lord told him to ask the same question to the child who was to born to a king. Narada was afraid and did not want to do the same as it was a king!!! But the Lord said him not to worry – instead to do as directed.

Narada thus went to the king and the child was born. When Narada was taken to the child, the child jumped on the shoulder of Narada and asked him “don’t you recognize me???” Narada replied “No”. Then the child replied “I was the same earthworm who through satsanga with you got a higher birth – thus progressing through different births, I have reached the greatest of human birth. All this is because of Satsanga with you”.

Thus Narada realized the importance of Satsanga.

Hence each and every seeker should always try to be in the company of good thoughts and good people. This helps the seeker to contemplate on the reality of Lord at all times. Contemplation on the reality of Lord is the one and only way out of the ocean of samsaara filled with sorrow and sufferings. Thus those who really want to get out of the illusory world and its sorrows should try to be associated with spiritual people and environment at all times (whenever possible). Most of the saints mention about the importance of the presence of a Mahatma. AMMA says that the presence of a Guru is much powerful than 10 years of intense sadhana. This is because the very presence of the Mahatma quietens the mind thereby removing innate tendencies and vasaanas from the seeker even as the presence of an incense stick purifies the environment very easily.

There are two ways of putting forth an idea to the seeker – one is by emphasizing the positive side of the activity and second is by pointing out the disadvantage caused by the negative side. It happens with initial seekers that pointing the negative side help out to keep away from the negative things or activities. Thus Bhagavatham here points out the problems arising out of contact with bad people. Ajamila even though was a Brahmin came in contact with a dasi thus forsaking the good activities of bhajan, keerthana, chanting etc. which are the good actions that lead a person to the ultimate reality of Lord.

Ajaamila in this story depicts the seeker who has the goal of realizing the ultimate reality of Lord but whose nature is such that he can fall a prey to bad habits. The daasi denotes bad habits like untruth, treachery etc. which not only obstruct the seeker in following spiritual sadhana but takes the seeker away from the spiritual goal. Thus when the seeker falls a prey to these bad habits, he suffers through those habits entangling in the whirlpool of vasanaas and karmas.

The Yama kinkaraas here denote the continuation of the cycle of birth and death – more and more entangling into the vicious circle of ignorance and action. But when the seeker takes the name of Narayana or the ultimate reality of Lord knowingly or unknowingly, directly or indirectly – all his sins are burnt up. Thus the Narayana Dhootaas representing the good qualities that lead the seeker from the bad qualities and ignorance ocean to the reality of Lord help the seeker when he takes the name of Narayana. If the very name of Narayana (unknowingly chanted) can have so much effect, so what to speak about knowingly seeking the reality of Lord???? The effect itself will be instantaneous and spontaneous – the seeker will instantly feel eternal bliss in the mind & find that he is progressing very fast towards realizing of the ultimate reality of Lord.

Thus Bhagavatham here tells us all to constantly take the name of the Lord thereby contemplating on the Lord at all times – thus leading us to realization and liberation from the illusory bondages of the world which causes sorrow and suffering in the world.

We will continue with the discussion between the Yama Kinkaraas and Narayana Dhootaas and how the Narayana Dhootaas save Ajaamila from the yama kinkaraas in the next day.