Srimad Bhagavatham

Sankarshana thus continued to Chitrakethu:

O King! In this world if a person gets the manushya shareera and still doesn’t know through enquiry me as the ultimate reality of Consciousness, then he will not get peace anywhere at all.

If a person is born in human body, then there is only one goal to be achieved by him which is knowing the ultimate reality of Lord as pervading each and every entity that is perceived – this is achieved through the sharpness of the intellect sharpened through concentration and contemplation.

O King! Therefore you thoroughly analyze my statement and after intellectually knowing the ultimate reality of Consciousness as the one and only entity, experience the reality as pervading everything (experiencing that there is nothing here but the ultimate reality of Lord of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute. With this, your life will become blessed.

Explanation

Bhagavatham says here that peace can be achieved only by realizing the ultimate reality.

What is the ultimate reality???
Ultimate reality is that there is nothing here but the Lord alone of the nature of Sat, Chit, Ananda. Whatever is being perceived as differences in the world is nothing but the ultimate reality of Lord alone. There is nothing whatsoever apart from the Lord, one without a second.

Until a person realizes this reality that there is nothing here but the Lord alone; there will be differences or duality perceived. As long as duality is perceived, there will always be likes and dislikes. These likes-dislikes will lead to attachment and aversion. These in turn will lead to happiness-sorrow. Thus the individual who is in fact one with the ultimate reality of Lord will consider himself as different from the Lord and will be deluded in the ocean of samsaara where there is only sorrows and sufferings in the long run.

Peace is achieved when a person is content with what he has. Contentment is possible only when there is eternal happiness and no more seeking. Thus peace, contentment, happiness are synonyms. When one is achieved, others are automatically achieved. Eternal happiness is achieved only when the eternal entity of Lord is realized. There is no other eternal entity in the world other than the Lord. Thus until a person realizes the reality of Lord, there will not be any eternal happiness. Unless there is eternal happiness, there will not be contentment or peace. Thus the seeker will be searching for peace in all places of the world. This is why we see people going from countries to countries, continents to continents, hills to hills in search of peace. We find the people from India going to the West in search of peace and happiness (which is generally termed as heaven or svarga). On the other hand, we find the people from the West imbibing the teachings of the spiritual masters in the East getting peace from the same.

Thus we have to remember that there cannot be any peace unless a person realizes his own very nature of Lord.

As Swami Chinmayananda mentions in many places, we have to start thinking about the purpose of life. Even though many western philosophers like Plato etc. have given much thought to it, it is only Vedanta which gives a crystal clear answer for this question of the purpose of life.

As Sankara mentions in Vivekachoodamani, human birth is very precious and it is only after lakhs of births in different species that we get a human birth. The very aim of human birth is to realize the underlying reality of the illusory world. The world of duality that we perceive is only an illusion in the reality of Consciousness or Lord. Whatever is seen as the world is only an illusion of names and forms of the reality of Lord. Thus to know that everything is the Lord and experience each and everything in the world as the Lord is the very aim of life. Until this aim is fulfilled, there will neither be peace nor happiness – these are two things that we are searching in life. This constant search for peace and happiness will end only when the ultimate reality of Lord is realized.

Thus life becomes fulfilled only by realizing the ultimate reality of Lord. When a person knows intellectually through the scriptures that everything is the Lord alone, then his conviction about the reality becomes strong. Once conviction becomes strong, even though he might see different things in the world – still he will see everything as the Lord. Thus he is ever established in the reality of Lord. He neither has likes nor dislikes – thus he neither becomes happy nor sad – he is ever blissful being immersed in the Lord at all times. This is what Bhagavatham tells as “blessed life” – life becomes blessed when a person gets what is to be really achieved – what is to be achieved is eternal bliss and peace – this is achieved when the seeker realizes the ultimate reality of Lord amidst illusory things of the world.

We will continue with the story the next day.

Having instructed Chitrakethu, Sankarshana Devata vanished. Chitrakethu started roaming around with siddhas and yogis praising the Lord. One day while he was traversing in space he saw Lord Siva with his bhootaganaas.

He saw Siva embracing Parvathi in the midst of all sages. Chitrakethu was very angry as Siva was doing adharma in public and as he (chitrakethu) hadn’t overcome the illusion of dvaita (he hadn’t yet realized the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord completely). He thus laughed aloud and mocked at Siva. Siva who was a poorna brahmanista did not get affected even a little by Chitrakethu’s statements. But Devi Parvathi was very angry and thus responded back: “Oh! Is this guy the one who is controlling the world? Who is he to advise Lord Siva who is prostrated by Brahma, Kapila and other gods? So I will teach this egoistic person a lesson”.

Therefore Parvathi cursed Chitrakethu that he may be born in the sinful asura vamsa or clan.

Explanation

We come to a very interesting part of the story of Chitrakethu. As we have already seen previously, realization or vision of any particular form God is not eternal realization or moksha. Moksha is realization of that Lord who is behind the illusory duality that is currently perceived. So long as duality is perceived, realization is not complete. Realization is when the seeker realizes the dual objects in the world to be nothing but names and forms of the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus such a seeker even though might be seeing duality will not be affected by the duality due to the conviction that there is no duality at all, but the ultimate reality of Lord alone exists. This is similar to each one of us dreaming daily even though we know that dream is not real. Thus such a seeker becomes a jeevan muktha when he realizes the ultimate reality of Lord as underlying the dual objects of the world. A jeevan muktha might be meditating, preaching, enjoying worldly pleasures etc. but his mind is always established in the ultimate reality of Lord. He always knows that there is nothing at all here – that the differences that are seen is only an illusion in the ultimate reality of Lord.

It is the very goal of human life to become a jeevan muktha who is beyond all limitations and is one with the ultimate reality of Lord. Such a jeevan muktha will not be affected by the activities in the world whatever it be. Thus we find here that even though Siva was insulted by Chitrakethu, Siva was always the same – Chitrakethu’s words did not create any tension or ripples in Siva’s mind. Such a mind is one which is totally immersed in the reality of Lord.

Thus we all have to yearn and try to have such a mind which is always established in the reality of Lord thereby not getting affected by the activities in the world. We may think that becoming a jeevan muktha is very tough indeed – but this is wrong. It is not at all tough to become a jeevan muktha because that is our own very nature. WE all are jeevan mukthas but unaware of our own nature. As we very well know, it is very tough to be something different from our nature. But to be our normal self, it is very easy. Thus we just have put an initial effort to come out of our wrong identification with the body-mind complex. Then it will be very easy to be the Self and hence we will become jeevan mukthas – ever established in the ultimate reality of Lord.

Bhagavatham through the illustration of Lord Siva shows us how a jeevan muktha behaves in the world and in turn directs each one of us to become like Siva – which is our own very nature.

As explained earlier, Chitrakethu was not yet realized & hence he became egoistic. This is what happens when a seeker gains little knowledge. When he gains some knowledge about the Lord, he becomes proud about the same. Add to it, if there is vision of some form of Lord – this ego grows very high. As Ramana points out, the toughest thing in realization is to overcome the ego by killing it & finding its source of Self. Thus Chitrakethu became egoistic and started judging people by their actions. It is but a fact that we cannot judge the actions of a jeevan muktha. A person who doesn’t know about computers cannot judge Bill Gates or James Gosling. In order to judge such a person, the seeker has to first learn about computers. Similarly we will not be able to judge the mahatmas by their activities. Instead we should always try to avoid judging and be ever established in the reality underlying the dual objects. But Chitrakethu was unable to do that & hence mocked at Siva. Siva who was a poorna brahma nista (one who is ever established in the reality of Lord or a jeevan muktha) did not get affected by this. But parvathi was affected & thereby cursed Chitrakethu. Thus we have to remember that the moment we try to differentiate things and judge people, we are entering into a realm of total sorrow like the curse which Chitrakethu received. Thus we should never indulge in such activities but ever be established in the ultimate reality of Lord.

We will see as to how the Lord plays with his devotees and how Chitrakethu was benefitted by the curse of Parvathi in the next day.

When Parvathi cursed Chitrakethu, he realized his mistake. He remembered all about the ultimate reality of Lord and knowledge that he had attained. Without getting disturbed even a little, he got down from his vimaana and approached Parvathi Devi. He said to Devi that the dual experiences in the world is only an illusion and therefore devi’s curse is only a boon to him, devi’s curse was just a means to test him & bring him back to knowledge. He said to Devi to forgive his mistakes. Then he got into the vimaana and went away. Parvathi-Parameshwara were surprised at Chitrakethu’s poised and calm nature.

Explanation

As is the case with normal studies, Vedantic study also will be accompanied with forgetting and again remembering. It is wrong and foolish to become sad when the reality is forgotten – instead the seeker has to again and again bring the mind back to the reality whenever it is forgotten. This is what Lord advised arjuna as to control the uncontrollable mind – “O Arjuna! Whenever the restless mind goes into objects, control it and bring it forcefully to the Self”.

Faults and forgetting the Self are but very natural. We have accumulated millions of vaasanas that it is not easy to give them up all of a sudden. It is dangerous also to suddenly control the vaasanas. Instead we should try to reduce them by inducing good vaasanas. It will definitely happen that time and again we will be tempted into bad vaasanas but we should control it and again-again return back to the ultimate reality of Lord. This is the reason why Lord proclaimed to Arjuna that he who remembers the Lord while doing actions is a saint even though he might be doing the worst action ever possible. Thus whenever we forget the reality, we have to remember the reality again. If we are really devoted to the Lord, the Lord himself will make us remember the reality either through good ways or through harsh ways.

The Lord is so compassionate that he will not rest until the last person in the world has discovered his own very nature of Lord. It is but the duty of the Lord to reveal himself to the seeker who considers the Lord as different from himself.

Thus we find here that the Lord made Parvathi curse Chitrakethu so that he may remember the reality and overcome the sense of ego. The Ego will never die until the seeker gets the firm conviction that there is no duality whatsoever in the world. Ego is nourished when the seeker differentiates himself from other things. It is only then that the individual “I” starts creeping in. It is this individual “I” which clings to the body-mind complex and is called as Ego. The ego can be vanquished only when the sense of duality vanishes. Sense of duality vanishes the moment a seeker gets the firm conviction that there is no duality here – whatever is seen is but a name and form of the ultimate reality of Lord.

Chitrakethu had ego and hence the Lord through curse of Parvathi made him remember the reality of Lord which he had forgotten. When Parvathi cursed him, Chitrakethu remembered the reality all of a sudden. When a devotee remembers the reality that there is nothing at all but the Lord alone, then he is not at all affected by the activities of the world. This doesn’t mean that he will not be doing actions but just that he will be a mere witness to all activities happening in the world. He will be as if playing a role in the huge film of WAKING WORLD. Thus Chitrakethu become poised and calm. He thus approached Parvathi Devi and asked for forgiveness. This is the real sign of the Ego being killed. When a person differentiates between things/people in the world, he doesn’t want to bow down to anyone – he considers himself as greater than others. But once the ego is killed, then there is complete humility in such a jeevan muktha. He might seem to be lacking humility as he might not even respect other people – but that in itself is because he doesn’t differentiate anything & hence doesn’t see any other people to respect. But such a jeevan muktha who doesn’t mingle with the world is very rare – the mahatmas that we see around are all full of humility. With true knowledge comes humility. Thus when Chitrakethu remembered the reality of Lord, his ego was killed & humility came into his nature. He realized that there is nothing here but the Lord alone.

Therefore he asked for forgiveness with Devi and started from there. Parvathi Devi and Parameshwara were surprised at Chitrakethu’s calmness. It is but surprise for people to find Jeevan mukthas in the world. We can very rarely find such realized saints in the huge number of people in the world. Thus Parvathi Devi was surprised.

We have to constantly remember even here that a saint who has realized the ultimate reality of Lord doesn’t differentiate between anything. Thus even though Siva was surprised at Chitrakethu’s behavior, this surprised-attitude was only externally and not internally. A Jeevan muktha can never be judged by his actions – we can never judge him except rejoice in the bliss that emanates from his presence, still the mind with the peace that comes from his mere presence.

This part of the story points out that if a devotee is really devoted to the ultimate reality of Lord, then the Lord himself will make the devotee realize the reality by any means. Thus the devotee who has surrendered everything unto the Lord need not worry about anything. The Lord takes care of everything of such a devotee – the devotee just needs to constantly offer everything to the Lord, remembering the Lord at all times.

Angiras continued:
O King! All the worldly objects give delusion, sorrow, greed and fear. And the sensual pleasures are like gandharva nagaram, dream etc. After analyzing the same, renounce the delusion that dvaita is real. See everything as the ultimate reality of Lord. The people from time immemorial have been provided with this path and they have followed the path. If you follow this mantra of seeing everything as the Lord and knowing that the duality is unreal then you will realize the ultimate reality of Lord in seven days.

Explanation

Here we find Bhagavatham briefing and giving the direct path to realization. One thing a seeker should constantly remember is that the duality which is being currently perceived is only an illusion in the ultimate reality of Lord. There is nothing here apart from the Lord. Whatever exists is only the ultimate reality of Lord who is the substratum of all existences. This reality that there is only one thing here has to be constantly remembered by the seeker.

Bhagavatham here points to us that the worldly objects can give delusion, sorrow, greed and fear only. The main point to be remembered is that these objects cannot give us happiness – that happiness for which we are seeking these objects. Even if they don’t give happiness, it would have been fine if they don’t give sorrow. But in the long run, these objects delude a person from the ultimate reality of Lord – the underlying substratum of all illusory objects. These objects give sorrow when they cease to exist or go from one person to another person (a person loses them). Greed occurs when a person wants to either constantly maintain the worldly objects or get more of such objects. Fear is caused when a person thinks that he might lose those objects.

Thus the worldly objects are not capable of giving eternal bliss to the seeker. Instead they give only sorrow and sorrow alone. Bhagavatham encompasses the essence of all scriptures by the statement that “everything is but the Lord”. This is from the famous sruthi statement that “Sarvam khalu idam brahma” and “sarvam brahma mayam jagat”.

Yoga Vasistha speaks thus about the reality:

Sarvam khalu idam brahma sarvam aatmedamaatatham
Aham anyad idam cha anyad ithi braanthim thyaja anagha

Everything is verily Brahman – everything is the Atman alone. Renounce the delusion that “I am different and this is different”.

Here we might have a doubt as to whether this path of seeing oneness everywhere will lead to eternal bliss. Therefore bhagavatham says that from time immemorial, sages have been following this path and have attained the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus it is an assertion of what Lord says to Arjuna that this has been given to the Sun Lord by Lord Krishna and that many sages have attained the reality through this path.

Bhagavatham also gives the mantra to attain realization instantly. It is but wrong to think that realization can be attained in a second or minute. But we have to remember that realization is not something to be attained new but it is one’s own very nature itself. We all are the ultimate reality of Brahman at all times. We never are different from Brahman in order to become Brahman. It is only that we have forgotten our own very nature of Lord and when we follow the mantra given by Bhagavatham, the forgotten nature will be again remembered.

Bhagavatham says that a person will realize the ultimate reality of Lord in seven days if he follows this mantra. Parikshit’s life itself is an example for the same. Parikshit was totally immersed in the ultimate reality of Lord for seven days when Suka was propounding the ultimate reality. Thus Parikshit was following the mantra and thereby realized the ultimate reality of Lord on the seventh day. We would have heard in our childhood as to that Parikshit died at the end of the seventh day but Bhagavatham shows us what really happened on that day. Bhagavatham clearly points out that Parikshit realized the ultimate reality of Lord and that the snake Thakshaka never really killed Parikshit who was not the body but the ultimate reality of Lord alone.

What is the mantra that Bhagavatham is giving here????
The Mantra is remembering that the duality perceived is only an illusion in the ultimate reality of Lord & thereby seeing everything as the ultimate reality of Lord. Whenever the seeker sees any object, he has to constantly remind himself that the object is only an illusion in the reality of Lord & that the object is nothing but a name and form of the Lord. Thus remembering continuously, dvaita bhaava or duality concept will vanish. When dual perception vanishes from the mind, what remains behind is the non-dual reality of Lord. When the mind is rid of dual perceptions, it becomes calm and without thoughts. Such a mind verily merges into the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus there is nothing but the ultimate reality of Lord who is one’s own very nature of Consciousness. This is what is called as Moksha. Any person who constantly follows this mantra for seven days continuously will realize the reality of Lord. This is not a mere statement of Bhagavatham but a fact which can be very well experienced by any seeker. But we have to constantly remember the Lord during the 7 days. If we don’t do that, we will not be able to realize the Lord instead we will just be getting the bliss of the Lord for some particular time.

After instructing Chitrakethu, the sages called the prince (the child of Chitrakethu who had died) and requested him to enter into the dead body so that the relatives among others will be happy. The jeeva (the soul of the child) proclaimed thus “As a result of various karmas, I roam having born as animal, human, bird etc. As a result of the flow, I was once born as the child of Chitrakethu. As items in the grasp of a person keep changing, similarly jeevas keep changing. All these are just names and forms in the ultimate reality of Consciousness or Brahman. As long as there is bondage, there will be the notions of “I” and “mine”. This illusion of Maya (which creates names and forms in the ultimate reality of Lord) doesn’t affect the ever-pure Self. Therefore I cannot stay here”. Saying thus, the Jeeva left the place. Seeing this amazing incident, everybody renounced sorrow and the sages also left from that place.

Explanation

Srimad Bhagavatham here gives a beautiful incident through which the ultimate reality of Lord has been expounded clearly and as concise as possible.

A seeker must constantly remember that there is nothing here apart from the ultimate reality of Lord. Whatever is there, whatever was there and whatever will be there are nothing but mere illusions of names and forms in the ultimate reality of Lord. Without the ultimate reality of Lord, there is no existence at all as the Lord is of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute. Without consciousness, there cannot be any existence at all as consciousness is the light that illumines all existences. The Consciousness which pulsates in each one of us as “I-exist” is nothing but the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus without the Lord, there can be no existence at all. Thus whatever seems to be existent is nothing but the ultimate reality of Lord.

If everything is the Lord, then why do we see things as different from one another?
This is what is called as Maya or illusion. Whatever we see is nothing but name and form of the ultimate reality of Lord.

Drig Drishya Viveka explains the experience of the world and its objects thus:

Asthi bhaathi priyam roopam naamam cha ithi amsa panchakam
Adhyatrayam brahmaroopo jagadroopo tatho dvayam

The objects that we perceive has five components of Sat (existence), Chit (consciousness), Ananda (bliss), naama (name) and roopa (form). The first three of Sat, Chit and Ananda denote the ultimate reality of Lord whereas naama and roopa denote the world.

Naama roopa never creates any new entity but they are just mere illusions in the ultimate reality of Lord. As the various gold ornaments are nothing but names and forms of gold, similarly the dual world which we perceive is nothing but names and forms of the ultimate reality of Lord.

Naarayana Sookta proclaims thus:
Yatcha kinchit jagat sarvam drishyathe srooyathe api vaa
Anthar bahischa tat sarvam vyaapyan naaraayana sthitah

Whatever is seen in the world through sense organs are filled in and out by the ultimate reality of Lord.

Thus the dual world that we see is nothing but names and forms of the ultimate reality of Lord who alone exists. These names and forms are mere illusions in the reality of Lord – illusion is termed in Vedanta as Maya or that which never really exists but merely seems to be existent. Since the names and forms are mere illusions in the reality of Lord, therefore they don’t affect the Lord in any way as the various gold names and forms don’t affect gold at all.

Even though everything is but the Lord alone, why doesn’t everybody realize it and why are people bonded to actions-fruits?
This is what is called as anirvachaneeya or inexplicable. This question is like a person asking as to why he dreamt about himself being a king. The question is futile because there never was any dream at all but it was just a mere illusion in the dreamer. Similarly the dual world as well as the concept of bondage-liberation is but an illusion in the ultimate reality of Lord. There is neither bondage nor liberation because there is nothing apart from the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus everybody is realized as each and everyone is nothing but the ultimate reality of Lord.

But so long as a seeker doesn’t realize his own very nature of Lord, the names and forms will seem to be real even as the dreamer who hasn’t yet woken up finds the dream world as real. So long as a person is bonded in the world, there will be actions and fruits. As the Lord proclaims in the gita “Karma is inevitable” – a person overcomes action only through the knowledge that there is nothing here but the ultimate reality of lord. There is no other way to overcome actions. As long as a person doesn’t gain knowledge about the ultimate reality of Lord, actions will be binding the person. Thus the way out of action-fruits is also very clear – it is knowledge of the ultimate reality of Lord as one’s own very nature which negates all actions.

As long as there are actions, there will be births and deaths. Thus those are fools who brood over death of relatives or friends because death is but a beginning to another birth. This cycle of birth and death will always be there until the seeker realizes that there is neither birth nor death but only the ultimate reality of Lord exists. As Yudhisthira answered to the Yaksha that the most strange and amazing thing in the world is that each person sees other person dying but still thinks that he is going to be eternal in the body and this birth.

Death is but a way of the Lord to point out to each one of us that time is nearing and we shouldn’t thus waste the precious human birth by getting deluded into the illusory world. Instead we should try to realize the ultimate reality of Lord by learning the scriptures and implementing them in life as soon as possible. As Sankara says in Bhaja Govindam, death is always waiting at our doorstep and hence we should seek the ultimate reality of Lord. The cycle of birth-death is so strange that we never know whether we will be born as humans next – which is purely determined by actions and fruits. But if we start now itself to seek the ultimate reality of Lord amidst the illusory names and forms, then there will no turning back. As Bhagavatham gives many stories like jada bharatha etc. where knowledge of the ultimate reality of Lord was carried from birth to birth, if we start now to seek the Lord – we will at least be assured of realization at least in a birth or two.

Remembering that the human birth is sacred and not to be wasted on futile things, let us all try to seek the ultimate reality of Lord amidst all illusory names and forms.

Once the sages left, Chitrakethu did tapas with concentration and focus for eight days. Thus he was able to experience sankarshana saakshaatkara which is nothing but realization of the praana devataa and this happens just before poorna brahma anubhava. Chitrakethu thus prayed to Bhagavan who appeared in front of him thus:

“O Lord! Those who are devoid of any desires attain you instantly. The world consisting of creation, protection and destruction is nothing but manifestation of you in the form of praana. You alone are the beginning, middle and end of the world. Without knowing this reality, people go behind other vibhuthis and worship them. Therefore they are taken to destruction alone. He who sets aside the king and goes for the servants of the king is led to destruction. Sages attain moksha in the form of complete cessation of sorrow through your worship. I prostrate to you who are the substratum of creation, protection and destruction.”

Explanation

Moksha or liberation is nothing but complete cessation of sorrow. This is but the goal of each and every being in the world. This complete cessation of sorrow is accompanied by eternal bliss which is ever-lasting and full in all aspects. Liberation is achieved through removal of ignorance of one’s own very nature of Lord. This ignorance is termed in Vedanta as avidya. As long as avidya is there, there will be sorrow and sufferings or a person will continuously be immersed in the ocean of samsaara. In order to come out of this ocean of samsara, a person has to do sadhana. Nothing in the world whether it is removal of ignorance or other worldly motive is achieved without any actions. Thus when a person does sadhana to remove ignorance, ignorance vanishes. Thus sorrow is totally removed and a person realizes his own very nature of non-dual Self.

What is the sadhana to remove ignorance????
Knowledge is the sadhana to remove ignorance. Knowledge is nothing but being totally focused on the ultimate reality that there is nothing here but the Lord alone, one without a second. This is otherwise called as Tapas or austerity. Tapas is nothing but being totally focused onto the ultimate reality of Lord so that all sins, actions etc. are burnt in the ashes of knowledge. The word TAPAS means that which is burning. When the knowledge of the ultimate reality of Lord is burning in the mind of the seeker, the actions and all sins are totally burnt. Thus ignorance completely vanishes and realization of one’s own very nature of Lord happens.

Thus the sadhana to realize the ultimate reality of Lord or for moksha is one-pointed concentration on the ultimate reality of Lord – always thinking about the Lord, seeing everything as the Lord and offering all actions unto the non-dual substratum of Lord.

Chitrakethu followed this sadhana and thereby got sankarshana saakshaatkaara. Sankarshana is none other than Praana or the cosmic hiranyagarbha who controls the entire world. This is termed as Brahma or Vishnu or Siva who all are but three parts of the ultimate reality of Lord doing specific activities of creation, protection and destruction respectively. When a person does intense sadhana, he gets the glimpse of the Lord. This glimpse is not a real glimpse or is not realization because the Lord is beyond all forms – he is the formless reality behind all forms. Thus Bhagavatham here tells that Chitrakethu attained sankarashana saakshaatkaara which is different from moksha or poorna brahma anubhava. Poorna brahma anubhava is when duality totally vanishes. But in this case where Chitrakethu saw the Lord and prayed to the Lord, there still exists the difference between him and the Lord. And since the Lord appeared in a particular form, therefore it is not realization of all-pervasive Lord.

But this form of the Lord is benign and good for the seeker. As a seeker sees the Lord, he then sees the Lord everywhere and pervading in and out of each thing in the world. Thus in his vision there is nothing other than the Lord alone. Thus a glimpse of the ultimate reality of Lord leads to more intense sadhana which directly leads to moksha or realization.

Chitrakethu prays to the Lord and tells that those who go behind the vibhootis of the Lord are like going behind the servants of the king. The Lord is the greatest vibhooti being of the nature of eternal bliss. There is no greater magic or power than eternal bliss which we all are seeking every moment. The Lord alone is of the nature of eternal bliss. All other things that we perceive are illusory existences in the reality of Lord. Thus they cannot be eternal bliss. Thus he is to be considered a fool who goes behind worldly pleasures and not the ultimate reality of Lord. Here Bhagavatham is pointing out to each one of us to seek the ultimate reality of Lord and not go behind siddhis-powers in the world. Whether it is the siddhi of entering into other bodies or traveling through space, they are all temporary and cannot confer eternal bliss. Eternal bliss alone can satisfy the seeker as that alone can totally remove sorrow and sufferings. This eternal bliss is achieved only by seeking the ultimate reality of Lord who is the substratum of all existences & the only being that really exists.

Thus through Chitrakethu, Bhagavatham is strongly advising each one of us to constantly seek the ultimate reality of Lord through the intense sadhana of constant contemplation of the Lord at all times, at all places and in all situations.

We will continue as to what happened to Chitrakethu after sankarshana saakshaatkaara in the next day.

Having heard the prayer of Chitrakethu, Bhagavan thus said to him:
“O King! By hearing the words of the sages, you have become established in the Self & hence you have been able to see me. I who am of the form of Prana am the objects of the world. I am the person by whose sankalpa these objects come into existence and it is I alone who separates them from the Self. Sabdha Brahman and Bodha Brahman – these two are my eternal bodies.

Explanation

Bhagavatham here through the Lord propounds the subtle reality behind the entire world. It is but Consciousness or Bodha which is the substratum of the entire world. Without Consciousness, there is nothing at all. Everything is thus an illusion in the reality of Consciousness. This ultimate reality of Consciousness is termed as Bodha or Para Brahman – that which alone exists, one without a second. It is this reality that is termed as Lord or Bhagavan in the puranaas. As scriptures point out, before creation there was nothing but the Lord alone – creation is nothing but a sankalpa of the ultimate reality of Lord.

We shouldn’t doubt as to how can the Lord think or have sankalpa. Sankara anticipates this and says in his Aitareya Upanishad commentary that the Lord who is all-pervasive and all-knowing can think or create things out of imagination. If normal human beings like us can create a world in our dream, the ultimate reality of Lord can create the entire world that we are currently seeing. But it is also illogical that the Lord thought – because for thinking, there should be some motive. This motive is possible only if there is some desire for perfection. The Lord is ever perfect & hence there cannot be any desire in the Lord. Since desires are ruled out in the Lord, the Lord cannot think. Since the Lord cannot think, there cannot be any creation. Thus the creation of the Lord is but an illusion and not real. Creation seems to be present only for the ignorant seeker. For the person who knows the ultimate reality of Lord, there is no creation at all – there is no duality but only the non-dual reality of Lord exists.

Remembering that the creation is only an illusion, let us see how the Sankarshana Devata or Prana (who is instructing Chitrakethu here) has two eternal bodies.

As explained, Consciousness is the very essence of any existence. Thus Consciousness is the first body of the devata. From Consciousness thoughts are born. Thoughts are nothing but words or sounds. This is what is termed in Sanskrit as Sabdha. We find in many vedantic works the mention of Sabdha Brahman. Sabdha Brahman is nothing but prana spandana or energy in scientific terms. Thus sounds are also eternal with respect to the creation and the creator.

So long as there is the creator of Sankarshana, there has to be the creation as well. Thus the creator has the two eternal bodies of Consciousness and Words or Prana. It is praana or energy which gets transformed into the gross objects that we perceive. Science also does accept the fact that matter is full of energy. It is but a pity that ages before itself, Vedantic seers have proclaimed the same – and that none of the so-called scientists have been able to either appreciate this or go beyond the creation through the study of vedantic scriptures.

Consciousness gets reflected in each of the praana spandana. Prana spandana starts from the subtle organs and ends up in the gross objects. This reflection of Consciousness on the inner equipment or antah karana is called Jeeva. Jeeva gets his existence on the sound of “I” or “I-exist”. This “I” is different from the real Self or Consciousness in that this “I” is related to a particular organ or body as such. Thus from Consciousness and the subtle organs comes the sound or sabdha.

Thus the very base of any jeeva is sadbha or praana and bodha or Consciousness. Vedanta proclaims that there are as many jeevas or individual beings as the inner equipments. Thus we have the jeeva of Rama different from the jeeva of Krishna. The inner equipments are different and hence the sadbha or prana or jeeva also is different. But the inner essence of Consciousness whose reflection is the jeeva is one alone. Consciousness is not multiple but one alone. As long as the jeeva sees duality through the various inner instruments and external objects, so long will there be multiple existences. But once a jeeva progresses beyond the sadbha or praana and goes towards the ultimate reality of Consciousness, the duality that he was perceiving just sublates. This is what is termed in Vedanta as realization or moksha.

As explained previously, viewing the form of Sankarshana or Vishnu or Brahma or Siva is not brahma anubhava because it is also as illusory as the other names and forms of the world. So long as there is duality, it is only an illusion in the non-dual reality of Consciousness or Lord.

Lord himself proclaims in Uddhava Gita thus:
Pumsoyam ayuktasya nana artho brahmaa

The duality that is perceived by a not fully developed intellect is only an illusion and not real.

We have to thus constantly remember this ultimate reality that there is nothing here but the Lord alone, one without a second. Any name and form cannot limit the limitless Lord. Thus whether it is the form of Chaturbhuja Vishnu or Chathurmukha Brahma, it is only an illusion and not eternally real. The eternal reality of Lord is formless as he is all-pervasive and the substratum of all illusory names and forms that we currently perceive.

We will continue with what the Lord proclaimed to Chitrakethu in the next day.

We saw that Sage Angiras and Narada came to guide Chitrakethu into the ultimate reality of Lord. Today we will try to analyze on the grace of the Lord and how it works on each and every person irrespective of whether he is a believer or not.

Explanation

It is generally a wrong notion in our minds that the Lord hates all those who dont seek him or love him or accept him. This is a notion which is kind of prevalent in Christianity as well as in certain systems of Vedanta.

If we consider the ultimate reality of Lord as one who is beyond everything, then he has to be beyond like and dislike as well. Thus such a Lord cannot be partial to any person whether it be a disbeliever or a believer. It is but a fact that we have been brought up in utter ignorance with stories and fables pointing out that a person who doesn’t accept the Lord goes to hell. Those stories are just meant to bring the attention of the seeker towards the Lord. Statements which have no real meaning but are just praises or things to get the attention of the seeker is called ARTHAVAADA in technical terms.

It is sure that a Lord who is impartial and above everything as the creator-sustainer-destroyer of the world cannot like a particular person and dislike another person. The Lord is ever present and waiting for each seeker to seek him so that he can reveal himself as bliss absolute. As Swami Chinmayananda beautifully puts it “God is not a sultan of sky sitting amidst clouds showering blessings on selected individiuals”. Instead God is the indwelling Self of all beigns – God is the ultimate reality behind all illusory existences. As the various hymns and scriptures speak, God is the inner nature of all beings – we all are but God only – there is nothing apart from God – whatever is there, whatever was there and whatever will be there is only God, one without a second.

Thus it is illogical to say that the Lord hates some people and sends them to heaven (like certain people in Vaishnava clans say).

Let us now try to see what the Lord himself speaks about the same in Bhagavad Gita:

Bhoktaaram yajnatapasaam sarvaloka maheshwaram
Suhridham sarvabhootaanaam jnaatvaa maam shaanthim ricchathi

A person who knows Me (the ultimate reality of Lord) as the enjoyer of all yajnaas, peace-giver of all worlds and friend of all beings in the world – he attains eternal peace.

Samoham sarvabhooteshu na me dveshyosthi na priyah
Ye bhajanthi tu maam bhakthyaa mayi te teshu chaapi aham

I treat each and every person in the same way – I neither have hatred nor love towards any person. But those who worship me, they are in me and I am in them.

As the above sloka tells, the Lord never either hates or loves any person. He cannot love any person because he is the very nature of each person. He cannot hate any person because in such a case, he would be hating himself which is impossible. Thus the Lord has the same feeling with each and every person in the world.

Then what is the use of worship, seeking etc. --- can’t we then ignore the Lord and hate him as then also we are the same only????
The difference is in the fruit for the individual. As the Lord says, he who worships the Lord, he is in the Lord and the Lord is in him. This means that he who worships the ultimate reality of Lord, he realizes his own very nature of Lord and therefore finds himself as the non-dual reality of Lord.

What is the worship that the Lord mentions here????
The worship is that of seeing the Lord everything and everything in the Lord. When a person remembers the ultimate reality that there is nothing here but the Lord alone, he realizes that everything is but the Lord alone (an illusion in the Lord) and everything is in the Lord as an illusion is in its substratum. Thus when a person sees the Lord alone as existing and doesn’t even differentiate his own very nature with the Lord, he realizes that he is in the Lord and the Lord is in him. This is what is termed as moksha or realization or getting eternal bliss – the primary goal of life.

On the same line, we have to remember that since the lord is impartial --- the grace of the Lord is ever present for everyone. Thus it is wrong to say that “I dont get the grace of the Lord”. It is our fault if we dont open our hearts, surrender to the ultimate reality of Lord and remember that everything is the Lord alone. As AMMA says, if we close the doors and windows & say that “sun is not giving light to my house”, it is wrong. The sunlight is ever present but we will be able to grasp it only if we open the doors and windows. Similarly the grace of the Lord is ever present but we will be able to get it only when we open our hearts. Thus we need to be capable and eligible to grasp the ever present grace of the Lord.

This is possible when we follow the spiritual path of seeing oneness everywhere, always surrendering unto the Lord and doing all actions without craving for the fruits. When we follow this, we will be able to see the grace of the Lord working at all times and situations. Thus we will be able to realize that the Lord cannot hate or love anyone because there is nothing apart from the Lord. Whatever does exist is only the Lord.

We find in the story of Chitrakethu that he respected angiras and was devoted to the Lord. Thus when he was in grief, he could feel the grace of the Lord by the presence and arrival of Narada and Angiras. Thus if we are totally devoted to the Lord by remembering him at all times, then we will be able to feel the presence of the Lord at all times in one way or the other.

Remembering that the Lord is ever impartial but we will be able to get eternal bliss which is the nature of the Lord only when we open our hearts to the ultimate reality of Lord, let us all try to become eligible for the ever present grace of the Lord.

We will continue with the knowledge imparted by Narada and Angiras to Chitrakethu in the next day.

Angiras said thus to Chitrakethu:
O King! We have come here to get you rid of all sorrows. I had the desire to give you the knowledge about the ultimate reality of Lord but during that time, desire for a son was very strong in you. Hence I gave you the son that you desired. And as a result of that, you have now understood as to what is the sorrow from a child. The situation of all happiness and prosperity is the same. They all lead to sorrow and sorrow alone. Even great Vibhootis or siddhis are also endowed with sorrow alone.

Explanation

Srimad Bhagavatham drives here one of the eternal rules of desire fulfillment in this part. The rule is called eternal only from the empirical level and not from ultimate level as ultimately there is only the Lord, one without a second.

The Lord says in Gita that whoever seeks me in whatever form, I appear to them in that form. This is the eternal rule for desire fulfillment. A person who seeks mathematical knowledge and seeks it completely, he gets it. Thus any person gets whatever he desires.

This doesn’t mean that a mere desire will make it be fulfilled in life. But fulfillment depends on the strength of the desire. As strong the desire, so is the probability of its fulfillment.

Mahatmas speak that fulfillment of desire is a very complex thing as it involves not just a single person but multiple people. The farmers pray to the Lord for rain whereas normal people pray to the Lord that rain is not there.

We also have to remember that the more and more we have the thought of the Lord in the mind & offer the desires as well to the Lord, the more chances of it getting fulfilled. Thus we find in the lives of great saints that they were not short of anything at all in the world. Whatever they wanted and even more than whatever they wanted, was given by the Lord to them.

Thus if a person requires something to be achieved in life, he has to first strongly desire for it & work towards fulfillment of the desire. All the while, he has to remember the ultimate reality of Lord and offer the desire as well as actions to the Lord. If a seeker follows thus, he will see that the desire gets fulfilled very easily and without much hurdles-obstacles.

We find here that Chitrakethu had the strong desire to have a son even though Angiras was ready to give him the ultimate knowledge – knowing which nothing ever remains to be known. As a result of this desire, Chitrakethu got a son by the grace of the Lord. Also the way the Lord follows to teach the seeker and make the seeker realize the futility of things in the world is strange --- many a cases, we find that the Lord teaches through experience. Thus Chitrakethu experienced the futility of a son who gave him nothing but sorrow alone. Similarly each and everything in the entire world is full of sorrow alone. They can give nothing but sorrow alone. Thus only fools follow and seek temporary happiness from the worldly objects which will finally lead to sorrow alone. But the wise do not seek temporary happiness, instead they seek eternal happiness through knowledge of the ultimate reality of Lord – the one and only eternal entity in the world.



Even great siddhis like aakaasha gamanam (traveling through space) is also temporary and will lead to sorrow alone. All worldly objects whether they are living or non-living will lead only to sorrow. Thus a seeker has to realize the futility of seeking out these objects & instead should seek out the ultimate reality of Lord who is the only permanent and blissful entity. Once a person seeks out the ultimate reality of Lord, he develops a dispassion towards the worldly objects which is accompanied by discrimination between real and unreal. Such a person who is endowed with viveka or discrimination and vairagya or dispassion is eligible to know and apprehend the ultimate reality of Lord. This is what Vedanta calls as Saadhana Chathustayam or four-fold qualifications of a seeker which include discrimination between real-unreal, dispassion, the mental qualities of mental calmness-control of sense organs-withdrawal of sense organs from sense objects-forbearance-faith in the scriptures-tranquility of the mind and Mumukshutva or burning desire for liberation.

We can very rarely find a seeker who is endowed with all of these qualities. Thus when Vedanta says that a seeker should be endowed with these qualities, it only means that he who is endowed with these alone will be able to apprehend the reality – others will just be able to know the reality at the mental or intellectual level. Knowing is something different from experiencing. Experience is when the seeker is ever established in the ultimate reality of Lord ever thinking about the Lord and ever calm. Such a seeker always knows the reality behind the illusory world & that everything is but the ultimate reality of Lord. Vedanta calls such people as Jeevanmukthaas or liberated beings.

The aim or goal of human life is to become jeevan muktas or realization of one’s own very nature of eternal bliss – it is only by this that human life is satisfied by getting that which everyone is striving for – eternal bliss.

We will continue with Angiras instructing Chitrakethu on knowledge of the ultimate reality of Lord in the next day.

Parikshit thus question Shuka after he heard the story of vritrasura:
“O Brahmin! Tell me how did vritrasura who was of the nature of ignorance get to realize the ultimate reality of Lord?”

In answer to Parikshit’s question, Shuka started narrating the story of Chitrakethu.

Once there was a king named Chitrakethu in the place called Surasena. Of all the innumerous wives he had, he didn’t have any children. This was the only concern and sorrow for him that he didn’t have any children.

Explanation

We find here Parikshit asking Shuka as to how come vritrasura who was an asura realized the ultimate reality of Lord. As the scriptures proclaim, to realize the reality of Lord, one has to go beyond all the three gunas of sattva, rajas and tamas. Most of the people are in the rajas and tamas level. Thus the first step from a seeker will be to go from rajas and tamas to sattva. Once a person establishes himself in sattva, he has to beyond even sattva – this is what Lord says in gita as GUNA ATHEETHA or that state beyond all gunas.

But since we find vritrasura in the tamo guna level, it is tough to apprehend that he realized the reality of Lord. Moreover it becomes a mystery as to how he realized the reality as he was predominantly in the tamoguna level.

This is where we should remember that external actions can never be taken as such to determine the internal nature of the person. A realized saint will always be acting in the world but still will always be immersed in the reality which is beyond all the three gunas. Any activity at the worldly level is only rajas or tamas. Thus a mahatma or jeevanmukta will be at the tamo or rajo guna level while doing actions in the world. But internally he will always be immersed in the reality of Lord or at the level beyond all gunas.

This is where we need to understand the karma yoga which is nothing but offering all actions unto the Lord and doing actions without any craving for the fruits. When a person offers all actions unto the Lord, there is no doership in him. As long as a person identifies himself with the doer of Ego, he will associated with one or the other guna. But once the doership notion vanishes, he is not at all attached to any gunas but he is the saakshi or witness of all gunas and activities. Thus such a person is above all gunas and not affected by the gunas.

To sum up the answer in short to Parikshit’s question, it is not the activity that one does which matters but the attitude with which the activity is done. As long as there is the attitude of surrendering and offering all actions to the Lord, there is no activity at all – the seeker is thus not at all doing any actions but is just playing a part in the big drama of waking world. This is like the dream world wherein nothing really happens but it is just a play of the mind.

When we have this attitude, there is no doer and hence the seeker goes beyond the three gunas of sattva, rajas and tamas. Vritrasura as we already saw was fully established in the ultimate reality of Lord knowing that whatever is happening is just a mere play in the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus he was implementing karma yoga and was able to realize the ultimate reality of Lord even though empirically was working and doing all activities.
Through this particular question of Parikshit, we come to know another beautiful story wherein we will see how that particular king of Chitrakethu will be instructed by Narada and angiras among other sages.

The biggest problem for any married couple in life is CHILDREN. Either the problem is with no children or with the children who are already there. During initial periods, the couple crave for a child and cry when they dont have one. But once they get a child, they cry because the child gives lot of tortures for them. Whether the torture is while it is a kid or a young person or a middle-aged householder, the problems from CHILDREN are always there. It is but ignorance of the reality that there is nothing here but the Lord alone that causes a person to crave for children.

We find Chitrakethu crying for a child. It is our general wrong notion that only a person who has a child goes to heaven. Even though scriptures proclaim the same, vidyaranya among other acharyas have clearly shown that such statements are arthavaada alone. Even if a person goes to heaven, does he get peace there???? We already have dealt with many stories wherein Indra and others struggle whereas vritrasura was ever blissful. Thus it is not the place that is important but the attitude of knowing the reality and being ever established in the reality. If a person is able to do it this very moment, then he creates a heaven for himself and others surrounding him.

We will start with the story and analysis of the same next.

Once Sage Angiras visited Chitrakethu. Chitrakethu offered his salutations and welcomed the sage. The sage then asked Chitrakethu about welfare of all things. Chitrakethu then replied thus:
“O Sage! You know everything and yet are asking about my welfare. Yet, I will tell you the same. Can a king ever remain happy without any heir to the throne??? O Sage! Save me and my forefathers from darkness by getting me a son”

Angiras was touched and out of compassion prepared a rice and offered it to Thvasta in a sacrifice. The remnants of the sacrifice was offered to Krithadhyuthi, the first and foremost wife of Angiras.

Krithyadhyuthi partook the remnant of the sacrifice and a son was born to them. The king was overjoyed and distributed food, clothes, money etc. to the people in the kingdom.

Explanation

As the Lord promises in Gita that he will always be there to protect his devotees at any time, we find the Lord keeping his promises in the various stories in Srimad Bhagavatham. Chitrakethu was a pious and devoted king even though didn’t have much knowledge about the ultimate reality of Lord as such. But whoever is devoted to the Lord remembering the Lord at all times & opening up to good-bad-everything to the Lord, the Lord will be there always to solve the problems for such a devotee.

When Chitrakethu was in sorrow as he didn’t have any children, the Lord was there to help out through Sage Angiras.

This is thus a strong statement to each one of us that whoever has taken refuge in the Lord will be protected and saved. We will be seeing in the coming days as to how Chitrakethu was imparted knowledge about the ultimate reality of Lord thereby realizing the ever blissful Lord in each one of us.

As we discussed the previous day, on the one hand couples without children cry for children whereas couples with children cry because of their children. This is what is the way of the life in the world. We think that we can get happiness from external things but forget the sorrowful nature of the external things. The same entity which seems to give happiness currently will lead to sorrow in the future. This is because the external entities all are temporary – therefore full of sorrow as they will vanish one day or the other. All problems in life arises when we fail to realize this temporary nature of the world. A person who realizes the temporary nature of life in the world will never go behind the sensual pleasures. Instead he will be seeking out eternal bliss in the form of the ultimate reality of Lord. But those who fail to apprehend the temporary nature of the world or are bound by attachment to the external world will be depending on the external objects for happiness.

Those who know that the objects in the world cannot give eternal bliss but still pursue it are addicted or a prey to the sense organs. This is what Vedanta calls as vasana or latent tendencies. These are tough indeed to conquer but those who are endowed with knowledge and dispassion put the knowledge into practice and overcome these passions as time passes.

Here in this story, we find Chitrakethu falling a prey to the object called children. The scriptures mention in some places that those who are without children will go to hell. This is what is the reason that elderly yet ignorant people say when somebody in their family wants to take up the path of sanyaas or renunciation. It is but utter ignorance which causes these people to think the same. If we consider this particular statement that those who dont have children will go to hell, then Narada should be the first person to go to hell. But we dont find this – instead we find Narada creating a heaven of his own wherever he goes giving eternal bliss and peace to those whom he meets. Thus acharyas mention that such statements of scriptures are ARTHAVAADAS or futile statements made to create a desire in individuals to certain prescribed actions. It is but a fact that human birth is rare indeed and hence those who have sexual desires still left in them should keep it in control and direct it towards welfare of the world.

The arthavaada statements of scriptures are to be ignored once a person gets over the nitya-naimittika karmas (regular and certain timely activities). These karmas are prescribed for purity of mind when they are offered to the Lord. Once a person starts taking refuge in the ultimate reality of Lord, he overcomes all activities & therefore his activities or actions are not bound by scriptural injunctions. Instead he starts into the path of knowledge where all actions are burnt to ashes.

Chitrakethu like most of us didn’t have knowledge about the reality and hence was deluded into having children. It is but a pity that those who have children worry about why they begot children whereas those who dont have cry over their not having children.

We should remember that anything in the world whether it is even the form of the Lord or one’s own Guru is prone to vanish one day or the other thereby giving only sorrow in the long run. Anything apart from the ultimate reality of Lord cannot give eternal bliss to the seeker. Thus a wise person who is really seeking eternal bliss instead of temporary bliss filled with sorrow, will seek the ultimate reality of Lord.

We will see in the next day as to how Chitrakethu had to suffer because of the child who gave him lot of happiness when the child was born.

Bhagavatham is here pointing to each one of us that the external objects can never give eternal bliss but they can give sorrow & only sorrow in the long run. But when a person seeks the ultimate reality of Lord, he gets eternal bliss – the bliss which we all are currently seeking each and every moment.

We will see the play of the Lord through Sage Angiras in this particular story in the coming days.

Once a son was born to Chitrakethu, his affection towards Krithyadhyuthi and the child increased (than to other queens). This made the other queens jealous and envious. Thus they all together gave poison to the child and killed it. Thus the child was killed. Seeing the child dead, Krithyadhyuthi and Chitrakethu became very sad and started crying aloud.

Sage Angiras knowing that the misery that fell upon them as they had lost their senses and were helpless, came there with Narada to impart knowledge.

Explanation

Here in this part we find the same child who gave happiness to Chitrakethu is giving sorrow. Chitrakethu is totally out of his senses as a result of this. This is what happens with possession of worldly objects. Any object in the world whether it is the body of the son or the wife is temporary and will vanish one or the other day. It is for this reason that wise people are totally detached from the worldly objects. Even though they might seem to be getting attached to or affected by the activities in the world, still they will be totally detached. Any moment they will be able to detach totally from the attachment to sensual pleasures.

Lord knowing this says thus in Gita:
Ye hi samsparshajaah bhogaah dukhayonaya eva te
Andhyanthavantha kaunteya na teshu ramathe budah

That pleasure which is achieved by sense organs getting attached to sense objects is full of sorrow alone. And since the sensual pleasures and objects have a beginning and an end, the wise never take resort to them.

There is one and only real permanent entity which is termed as Brahman or Lord in the scriptures. Knowledge of the Lord as one’s own inner Self is the only way to eternal bliss. All other happiness which is derived from worldly sense objects will only lead to sorrow in the long run. This is because those objects themselves are temporary – anytime they will vanish. That which is vanishing or will vanish can never give eternal bliss. Thus the ultimate reality of Lord alone can give eternal bliss.

It is not only that these objects will not give happiness but they also lead to sorrow as we see in the case of Chitrakethu here. Thus seekers of eternal bliss should never take resort to sensual pleasures. This doesn’t mean that a seeker shouldn’t eat or enjoy sense objects but only that they should enjoy it knowing that it is temporary and will vanish anytime.

AMMA says that seekers should be like the bird sitting on a branch – the bird is always alert and whenever some strong wind comes, it is ready to fly. The bird knows that the branch cannot give eternal protection and hence will not help it always. Therefore it is ever ready to get rid of the branch – but takes resort to the branch until such situation comes. Similarly we should always remember that there is only one eternal entity and that alone can give eternal bliss. All other things are temporary and cannot give eternal bliss. They are mere illusions in the ultimate reality of Lord. These illusions will only give sorrow. Knowing this reality about the world objects & remembering the ultimate reality of Lord, a person should always enjoy sensual pleasures. In such a case, whenever such an incident as what happened to Chitrakethu happens to us, we will not be affected. Instead we will still remain established in the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus we will remain equipoised and ever blissful.
We find this clearly in the lives of great avatars like Rama, Krishna, Jesus, Buddha etc. Rama was ever blissful and hence was not affected by whatever happend to him. Krishna in a similar way was ever blissful – even at that time, when he was insulted by duryodhana or even when his entire clan fought with each other and died. Jesus even though was insulted and crucified was ever fixed on the Lord. He was ever happy and always wanted welfare of the world even though himself knowing that this “welfare-activity” will not take him far.

Thus all these great saints showed us the path as to how to live in the world yet being fully detached to the world. This is possible only when we are aware of the reality that all that is present in the world is only temporary and an illusion in the ultimate reality of Lord --- with this comes dispassion towards temporary objects & attachment to the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus the seeker gives utmost importance to the ultimate reality of Lord than to anything else. He also gives only due importance to the worldly objects. It is only when we give undue importance to temporary things that problems start creeping in. We should know that the objects in the world cannot really save us even as the bird knows that when there is a strong wind, the branch cannot save it.

The Lord is so compassionate that he never ends up without making the seeker realize the temporary nature of the world. This is what we find in the case of Chitrakethu as well. The Lord was so compassionate and Chitrakethu also had devotion to the Lord that angiras and Narada came to impart knowledge to Chitrakethu.

We will see as to what Angiras and Narada said to Chitrakethu in the next day.