Sunday, November 12, 2006
Story 38 – Story of the churning of the ocean - 02
Brahma praised Vishnu who is the ultimate reality of Lord.
Avikriyam satyam anantham aadhyam guhaashayam nishkalamapratarkyam
Mano agrayaanam vachasaa aniruktham namaamahe devavaram varenyam
We prostrate the Lord who is without any activities, of the nature of Existence, without any beginning and end, first person, residing in the heart of all beings, devoid of any impurities, unconceivable, who is beyond words and thoughts, dear to everyone.
Explanation
Vedanta which speaks about the indescribable ultimate reality of Brahman not objectified through words and thoughts, is tough indeed to apprehend and assimilate in life. Hence we find in the various Upanishads and other literature repetition about the ultimate reality of Lord in one way or the other. Here we find Bhagavatham once again emphasizing on the nature of the ultimate reality of Lord. Vedanta puts forth the three steps of sravana or listening to the import of the scriptures as non-dual reality of Brahman, manana or reflecting on the ultimate reality by proper usage of logic and nidhidhyaasana or contemplation of the ultimate reality of Lord as one’s own very nature of Consciousness – as the way to realization. A seeker has to constantly contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord. Contemplation is possible only when the seeker knows the nature of that which is to be contemplated upon. Contemplation on the ultimate reality of Lord is possible only when the nature of such a Lord is known.
Even though the Lord is beyond words and thoughts still he can be pointed out through words as the subject of all objects, witness of all activities and the indwelling Self of all beings. It is these ways of explaining about the Lord that Vedanta and the various puranas follow. In this part of Bhagavatham, we find Brahma prostrating the ultimate reality of Lord in a single verse. Let us try to see the nature of the Lord who is being prostrated by Brahma so that we may be able to contemplate on such a Lord as our very nature thereby leading us to liberation from the bondage of sorrows-sufferings in the illusory world.
The Lord is avikriyam or without any activities. Activities are all propelled by one or the other desire. Activity is not possible without desire. Desire is present when there is something lacking and a seeker strives towards perfection. The Lord is infinite and hence perfect in all aspects. As the Lord is perfect, there cannot be any desire in the Lord. Since there is no desire possible for the Lord, there is no activity possible in the Lord. Thus the Lord is devoid of attachment to activities either as the doer or as the enjoyer. It is only the individual jeeva who identifies himself with a particular activity through doership and enjoyership. As there is no activity possible in the Lord, there is no activity possible in each one of us as well as we are not different from the Lord. Activities which we do are only activities of the ego or ahamkaara. The identification of the individual with those activities is what causes the problems of enjoying happiness and sorrow. When we realize our own nature of Lord as the mere witness to all activities, the happiness & sorrow arising out of those activities vanishes. Thus we will ever rejoice in our very nature of Consciousness and Bliss absolute.
The Lord is satyam and anantham. The Lord is described in the scriptures as sat chit ananda or existence consciousness and bliss absolute. The Lord is sat because he never ceases to exist. The Lord is beyond the three times of past, present and future. Hence the Lord is Sat or existence. The Lord is not insentient like a rock because the Lord is conscious of his own very existence thereby giving existence to even insentient objects like a rock. Thus the Lord is Chit or Consciousness in nature. Since the Lord is sat and chit, he is anantha or infinite as he is beyond all limitations. Any object in the world is bound by the three limitations of time, space and causation. The Lord is beyond time as explained. The Lord is also beyond space because he is all-pervasive and the scriptures speak about space being created from the Lord. The Lord is also beyond causation because he is the cause of all causes as the substratum of all illusory causes-effects of the world. Thus the Lord is infinite. Since the Lord is infinite, therefore he is blissful in nature. Bliss is possible only when there is no limitation else it becomes limited happiness. As the Lord is infinite, therefore he is blissful.
The Lord is aadhyam or first being – the Lord is the first being because he is beyond causation and ever present. The Lord himself becomes the illusory cause of the world and other beings. Hence he is called the first being. In fact, the lord is the only being as he alone exists beyond all limitations. The Lord is called the first being from the perspective of all other limited beings we see in the world.
The Lord resides in the heart of all beings as existence and consciousness. The Consciousness that is present in each one of us and pulsates as “I exist, I exist” is none other than the Lord. The Consciousness seems to be limited by the body-mind complex and hence seems to be suffering at times & different from the Lord. When the limitations of body and mind are known to be of the ego alone and not of the real “I”, we will realize our own very nature of Lord who is the very nature of all beings.
The Lord is devoid of all impurities because impurities are caused by external things. We say a cloth is impure when other things (different from the cloth or threads of the cloth) stick to it. The Lord is pure because there is nothing apart from the Lord. The Lord is also pure because he is devoid of parts. A cloth becomes impure because it has parts. Only that which has parts will be able to make conjunction with other entities. Any object with parts is subject to birth and death like the body and cloth. Since the Lord is devoid of birth & death, he is partless. Since the Lord is without any parts, there cannot be any conjunction with anything else. As there cannot be any conjunction of the Lord with other things, he cannot have any impurities – therefore the Lord is ever pure.
The Lord is dear to everyone as bliss. It is bliss that we all are seeking each and everyone. We seek things when we know that it gives us bliss. We don’t seek fire because we know it will burn us thereby giving us sorrow. We seek partners and children thinking that they give us bliss. They don’t give us bliss instead give us sorrow alone. The Lord alone is blissful and hence is dear to all as we all seek the Lord alone.
Thus the Lord as bliss and as one’s own very nature is dear to everyone. Some know that what they consider as dear (their own Self or existence) is none other than the ultimate reality of Lord – some don’t know. A seeker should know the Lord alone as the indwelling Self of all beings thereby seeking the Lord devoid of all impurities and limitations. Such a seeker will disengage himself from the limitations of body and mind thereby realizing his own very nature of Kutastha atman (witness Self) or the ultimate reality of Lord.
We will continue with the story in the next day.
The Lord became happy hearing the essence of the Upanishads as praise. He appeared before the devas even as thousands of Sun had taken form. The brightness of the Lord was so strong that they couldn’t differentiate between space or earth. They experienced only the ultimate reality of Lord Vishnu. Seeing Vishnu’s form, Brahma realizing that it was Parabrahman alone taken the form of Vishnu started praising again. The Lord became happy with the devotion of the devas.
Explanation
As we have learned many times, the Lord alone is the reality amidst all empirical realities in the world. The world itself being an illusion in the reality of Lord is but dependent on the Lord for its existence. As the Lord alone is independent, the limited individuals that we are identified with have to take refuge in the Lord alone. Seeking the ultimate reality of Lord alone can save us from the illusory bondages which causes sorrow and suffering in the world. The infinite and unlimited Lord alone is blissful in nature & hence realizing the Lord alone can give us eternal bliss, that which we have been seeking each and every moment in the illusory world.
In this particular part of Srimad Bhagavatham we find as to how we can become eligible to experience the ever present grace of the Lord. Experiencing the grace of Lord is nothing but experience of one’s own nature of eternal bliss as the Lord himself. This is what Vedanta calls as moksha or liberation. If we want to seek liberation or eternal bliss, we have to become eligible to apprehend the grace of the Lord. This is achieved through pure devotion to the ultimate reality of Lord. As we have seen again and again, devotion is not different from knowledge. As Narada mentions in the bhakthi sutras that in pure devotion, there is no forgetting of the glory of the Lord – glory of the Lord is knowing the real nature of Lord as the non-dual reality of Consciousness.
We saw in the previous mail Brahma praising the Lord by propounding the nature of the ultimate reality. Real devotion is complete and total surrender to the ultimate reality of Lord knowing the nature of such a Lord. The Lord is propounded in various ways in the upanishads. The very nature of Lord is Sat Chit Ananda (existence, consciousness and bliss). The Lord is anantha or infinite. The Lord is beyond the three limitations of time, space and causation as he is unlimited. The Lord is ekam eva adviteeyam or one without a second – the Lord is non-dual and there is nothing apart from the Lord either internally or externally. Whatever is perceived is only an illusion of names and forms in the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus a devotee sees everything as the Lord alone. He sees everything in the Lord and the Lord in everything. This is pure devotion wherein the devotee doesn’t know anything apart from the Lord – the devotee himself doesn’t exist apart from the Lord, he merely merges unto the Lord.
When a seeker has pure devotion, he experiences that there is nothing here but the Lord alone. This is what devas experienced here. The devas experienced only the Lord undifferentiated by even space which limits everything that we can perceive. It is for this reason that the Lord is mentioned as beyond perception as he pervades everything and is formless. But when the mind becomes purified through devotion and knowledge, the devotee transcends space thereby seeing the Lord in his true form of all-pervasive non-dual Consciousness.
This is the realization that is achieved by the grace of the Lord. Through this, Bhagavatham is emphasizing that pure devotion (which is not different from knowledge) alone can lead a seeker to realization of the ultimate reality of Lord. There is no other way than this to get eternal ever-lasting bliss – that which we all have been seeking each and every moment.
Bhagavatham also beautifully says as to what would a devotee do if he sees the ultimate reality of Lord – the devotee will praise the Lord. Each and every word of the devotee is directed towards the Lord alone. This is a best way to identify a real devotee. A real devotee will always be speaking about the Lord whatever be the topic of discussion. The moment discussion goes away from the Lord, the devotee will not be interested in the same. This is exactly what Brahma did here – when he saw the Lord, he started praising the Lord again. We may get tired of doing things again and again but for a devotee, each experience of being of any service of the Lord or remembering the Lord doesn’t tire him instead it gives the devotee more and more power. The devotee is ever waiting to remember the Lord in one way or the other whether it is by praise or by doing service to his devotees.
Bhagavatham also is pointing out here that to constantly remember the Lord, one of the way is to keep praising the Lord all the time. By constantly praising the Lord, a seeker will always be fixing his mind unto the Lord all the while remembering the glory of the Lord as the non-dual reality of Consciousness.
We will continue with the story in the next day.
Avikriyam satyam anantham aadhyam guhaashayam nishkalamapratarkyam
Mano agrayaanam vachasaa aniruktham namaamahe devavaram varenyam
We prostrate the Lord who is without any activities, of the nature of Existence, without any beginning and end, first person, residing in the heart of all beings, devoid of any impurities, unconceivable, who is beyond words and thoughts, dear to everyone.
Explanation
Vedanta which speaks about the indescribable ultimate reality of Brahman not objectified through words and thoughts, is tough indeed to apprehend and assimilate in life. Hence we find in the various Upanishads and other literature repetition about the ultimate reality of Lord in one way or the other. Here we find Bhagavatham once again emphasizing on the nature of the ultimate reality of Lord. Vedanta puts forth the three steps of sravana or listening to the import of the scriptures as non-dual reality of Brahman, manana or reflecting on the ultimate reality by proper usage of logic and nidhidhyaasana or contemplation of the ultimate reality of Lord as one’s own very nature of Consciousness – as the way to realization. A seeker has to constantly contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord. Contemplation is possible only when the seeker knows the nature of that which is to be contemplated upon. Contemplation on the ultimate reality of Lord is possible only when the nature of such a Lord is known.
Even though the Lord is beyond words and thoughts still he can be pointed out through words as the subject of all objects, witness of all activities and the indwelling Self of all beings. It is these ways of explaining about the Lord that Vedanta and the various puranas follow. In this part of Bhagavatham, we find Brahma prostrating the ultimate reality of Lord in a single verse. Let us try to see the nature of the Lord who is being prostrated by Brahma so that we may be able to contemplate on such a Lord as our very nature thereby leading us to liberation from the bondage of sorrows-sufferings in the illusory world.
The Lord is avikriyam or without any activities. Activities are all propelled by one or the other desire. Activity is not possible without desire. Desire is present when there is something lacking and a seeker strives towards perfection. The Lord is infinite and hence perfect in all aspects. As the Lord is perfect, there cannot be any desire in the Lord. Since there is no desire possible for the Lord, there is no activity possible in the Lord. Thus the Lord is devoid of attachment to activities either as the doer or as the enjoyer. It is only the individual jeeva who identifies himself with a particular activity through doership and enjoyership. As there is no activity possible in the Lord, there is no activity possible in each one of us as well as we are not different from the Lord. Activities which we do are only activities of the ego or ahamkaara. The identification of the individual with those activities is what causes the problems of enjoying happiness and sorrow. When we realize our own nature of Lord as the mere witness to all activities, the happiness & sorrow arising out of those activities vanishes. Thus we will ever rejoice in our very nature of Consciousness and Bliss absolute.
The Lord is satyam and anantham. The Lord is described in the scriptures as sat chit ananda or existence consciousness and bliss absolute. The Lord is sat because he never ceases to exist. The Lord is beyond the three times of past, present and future. Hence the Lord is Sat or existence. The Lord is not insentient like a rock because the Lord is conscious of his own very existence thereby giving existence to even insentient objects like a rock. Thus the Lord is Chit or Consciousness in nature. Since the Lord is sat and chit, he is anantha or infinite as he is beyond all limitations. Any object in the world is bound by the three limitations of time, space and causation. The Lord is beyond time as explained. The Lord is also beyond space because he is all-pervasive and the scriptures speak about space being created from the Lord. The Lord is also beyond causation because he is the cause of all causes as the substratum of all illusory causes-effects of the world. Thus the Lord is infinite. Since the Lord is infinite, therefore he is blissful in nature. Bliss is possible only when there is no limitation else it becomes limited happiness. As the Lord is infinite, therefore he is blissful.
The Lord is aadhyam or first being – the Lord is the first being because he is beyond causation and ever present. The Lord himself becomes the illusory cause of the world and other beings. Hence he is called the first being. In fact, the lord is the only being as he alone exists beyond all limitations. The Lord is called the first being from the perspective of all other limited beings we see in the world.
The Lord resides in the heart of all beings as existence and consciousness. The Consciousness that is present in each one of us and pulsates as “I exist, I exist” is none other than the Lord. The Consciousness seems to be limited by the body-mind complex and hence seems to be suffering at times & different from the Lord. When the limitations of body and mind are known to be of the ego alone and not of the real “I”, we will realize our own very nature of Lord who is the very nature of all beings.
The Lord is devoid of all impurities because impurities are caused by external things. We say a cloth is impure when other things (different from the cloth or threads of the cloth) stick to it. The Lord is pure because there is nothing apart from the Lord. The Lord is also pure because he is devoid of parts. A cloth becomes impure because it has parts. Only that which has parts will be able to make conjunction with other entities. Any object with parts is subject to birth and death like the body and cloth. Since the Lord is devoid of birth & death, he is partless. Since the Lord is without any parts, there cannot be any conjunction with anything else. As there cannot be any conjunction of the Lord with other things, he cannot have any impurities – therefore the Lord is ever pure.
The Lord is dear to everyone as bliss. It is bliss that we all are seeking each and everyone. We seek things when we know that it gives us bliss. We don’t seek fire because we know it will burn us thereby giving us sorrow. We seek partners and children thinking that they give us bliss. They don’t give us bliss instead give us sorrow alone. The Lord alone is blissful and hence is dear to all as we all seek the Lord alone.
Thus the Lord as bliss and as one’s own very nature is dear to everyone. Some know that what they consider as dear (their own Self or existence) is none other than the ultimate reality of Lord – some don’t know. A seeker should know the Lord alone as the indwelling Self of all beings thereby seeking the Lord devoid of all impurities and limitations. Such a seeker will disengage himself from the limitations of body and mind thereby realizing his own very nature of Kutastha atman (witness Self) or the ultimate reality of Lord.
We will continue with the story in the next day.
The Lord became happy hearing the essence of the Upanishads as praise. He appeared before the devas even as thousands of Sun had taken form. The brightness of the Lord was so strong that they couldn’t differentiate between space or earth. They experienced only the ultimate reality of Lord Vishnu. Seeing Vishnu’s form, Brahma realizing that it was Parabrahman alone taken the form of Vishnu started praising again. The Lord became happy with the devotion of the devas.
Explanation
As we have learned many times, the Lord alone is the reality amidst all empirical realities in the world. The world itself being an illusion in the reality of Lord is but dependent on the Lord for its existence. As the Lord alone is independent, the limited individuals that we are identified with have to take refuge in the Lord alone. Seeking the ultimate reality of Lord alone can save us from the illusory bondages which causes sorrow and suffering in the world. The infinite and unlimited Lord alone is blissful in nature & hence realizing the Lord alone can give us eternal bliss, that which we have been seeking each and every moment in the illusory world.
In this particular part of Srimad Bhagavatham we find as to how we can become eligible to experience the ever present grace of the Lord. Experiencing the grace of Lord is nothing but experience of one’s own nature of eternal bliss as the Lord himself. This is what Vedanta calls as moksha or liberation. If we want to seek liberation or eternal bliss, we have to become eligible to apprehend the grace of the Lord. This is achieved through pure devotion to the ultimate reality of Lord. As we have seen again and again, devotion is not different from knowledge. As Narada mentions in the bhakthi sutras that in pure devotion, there is no forgetting of the glory of the Lord – glory of the Lord is knowing the real nature of Lord as the non-dual reality of Consciousness.
We saw in the previous mail Brahma praising the Lord by propounding the nature of the ultimate reality. Real devotion is complete and total surrender to the ultimate reality of Lord knowing the nature of such a Lord. The Lord is propounded in various ways in the upanishads. The very nature of Lord is Sat Chit Ananda (existence, consciousness and bliss). The Lord is anantha or infinite. The Lord is beyond the three limitations of time, space and causation as he is unlimited. The Lord is ekam eva adviteeyam or one without a second – the Lord is non-dual and there is nothing apart from the Lord either internally or externally. Whatever is perceived is only an illusion of names and forms in the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus a devotee sees everything as the Lord alone. He sees everything in the Lord and the Lord in everything. This is pure devotion wherein the devotee doesn’t know anything apart from the Lord – the devotee himself doesn’t exist apart from the Lord, he merely merges unto the Lord.
When a seeker has pure devotion, he experiences that there is nothing here but the Lord alone. This is what devas experienced here. The devas experienced only the Lord undifferentiated by even space which limits everything that we can perceive. It is for this reason that the Lord is mentioned as beyond perception as he pervades everything and is formless. But when the mind becomes purified through devotion and knowledge, the devotee transcends space thereby seeing the Lord in his true form of all-pervasive non-dual Consciousness.
This is the realization that is achieved by the grace of the Lord. Through this, Bhagavatham is emphasizing that pure devotion (which is not different from knowledge) alone can lead a seeker to realization of the ultimate reality of Lord. There is no other way than this to get eternal ever-lasting bliss – that which we all have been seeking each and every moment.
Bhagavatham also beautifully says as to what would a devotee do if he sees the ultimate reality of Lord – the devotee will praise the Lord. Each and every word of the devotee is directed towards the Lord alone. This is a best way to identify a real devotee. A real devotee will always be speaking about the Lord whatever be the topic of discussion. The moment discussion goes away from the Lord, the devotee will not be interested in the same. This is exactly what Brahma did here – when he saw the Lord, he started praising the Lord again. We may get tired of doing things again and again but for a devotee, each experience of being of any service of the Lord or remembering the Lord doesn’t tire him instead it gives the devotee more and more power. The devotee is ever waiting to remember the Lord in one way or the other whether it is by praise or by doing service to his devotees.
Bhagavatham also is pointing out here that to constantly remember the Lord, one of the way is to keep praising the Lord all the time. By constantly praising the Lord, a seeker will always be fixing his mind unto the Lord all the while remembering the glory of the Lord as the non-dual reality of Consciousness.
We will continue with the story in the next day.
# posted by vedanta : 7:14 PM
