Srimad Bhagavatham

Remembering the ultimate reality of Lord, let us start with a short introduction to the next story of Srimad Bhagavatham. The story we are staring is the story of Yayati. This is a story of a king who wanted to be ever youthful.

Youth as well all know is a stage in life when beings enjoy the most because they have all the vigor, energy, enthusiasm and courage to do things. This is one the stages where a person can either use all his strength to concentrate on good things or can be lead in the wrong direction never to come out of it. There are people who have concentrated fully on their youthful age to achieve things in life like power, money, education etc. On the other hand, we also have people who have been lead into drinking, smoking, sex etc. during their youth. This is the age when if the intellect is not properly guided, the person will be lead into the wrong direction taking into addictions coming out of which is almost impossible.

Since this is an age where a person can enjoy anything and everything in life (as there is sufficient energy and power in the body-mind-intellect for the same), everybody seeks to be in this stage of life. If we ask the majority of people in the world as to if they are given an option to go back to a particular age what would they choose, the answer would be “youth”. In this story of Yayati, we find the king Yayati exactly asking for youth like the majority of the people in the world. This asking of youth is because we are so much into identification with the body-mind-intellect complex that we don’t even bother to know our very nature of Consciousness or Self as distinct from the body-mind-intellect complex. Since youth is the stage of life when all the three of body, mind and intellect are perfect and at their full potential, therefore a seeker who is identified with these seeks to be ever in youth. Yayati thus in this story asks all his children as to whether they are willing to give up their youth so that he (Yayati) can be ever youth.

There are always two ways to learn things – one is the direct and simple way of learning using the intellect and logic; the second is the difficult and tough way of learning things by experiencing it. Taking the example of knowing that putting one’s hand in fire will burn it, the easy way is to use the intellect to ascertain that fire is hot and hence if we put our hand into it, the temperature will cause our hand to get burnt. The second and difficult way of learning it is by putting one’s hand into it. Once a person puts his hand into it and thereby gets his hands burnt, he will never again burn his hand.

Yayati here instead of learning that youth cannot give a person permanent happiness in the simple way, learns it in through the difficult way. Even if a person is given thousands of years for his youth, still the passion and desires will remain. Desires of the mind are so spread and increasing that is very tough to satisfy all of those. Once one desire is satisfied, ten other desires spring up in its place. This goes on and on without any ending and satisfaction. If at least a person was able to be content and happy with desires getting fulfilled, then it would have good to fulfill each and every desire in the mind. But this is not the case; all the desires in the mind are for temporary objects of the world which are present today but will surely vanish tomorrow. Such temporary objects of the world can never give eternal bliss but will only lead the seeker to sorrow and sufferings in the long run. Therefore a wise seeker will never go behind worldly pleasures. Since youth is also desired by people for enjoyment of worldly pleasures, a wise seeker will never go behind youth. Even though Yayati had got a lot of youthful years, still he found that the passion, desire and craving was not fulfilled (or completed). The passion to have more and more was still there. Thus he found out that youth cannot give a person eternal bliss and the bliss can be achieved only through realization of the non-dual reality of Lord.

Thus Bhagavatham through this story tells each of us to not to go behind worldly pleasures including youth as that will only lead us to sorrow and will never make a person content. Contentment can be attained only through realization of one’s own nature of Lord through constant contemplation of the Lord with the knowledge that there is only the Lord here and everything else is only an illusion of names & forms in the Lord.

We will start with the story from the next day.

Yayati was a King in the moon dynasty and a son of the famous King Nahusha. Nahusha did hundred ashwamedha yajna and got to the place of Indra. But he desired for Indrani and due to his mocking of the saptharishis, he had to be born as a snake on Earth. At that time, Yayati took over the kingdom and starting ruling. He married Devayani who was the daughter of the asura guru Shukracharya. Now there will be doubt as to how a kshatriya married the Brahmana putri Devayani – I will explain that to you.

Explanation

We have just started the story of Yayati here. We haven’t yet entered into the story but we find here two important points regarding the life of Yayati’s father Nahusha. The story of Nahusha is quite famous and would be known by many. Nahusha did hundred ashwamedha yajnas. Indra, Brahma, Vishnu, Siva etc. are different posts in the various lokas even as we have President-ship, Primeminister-ship etc. The more good karma a person does the higher loka or world he will be in. As President-ship has certain prerequisite activities, these positions of Indra etc. also have some prerequisite. If a person is able to do those particular prerequisite activities, then the person will be eligible to take over that position. The position of Indra is given to any person who does hundred ashwamedha yajnas. Nahusha did that and hence was granted the position of Indra. But as we know, there is no end to desires. Whether we go to svarga or vaikunta or Kailas, still desires will be pending in the mind. We cannot put an end to desire unless we take the path of knowledge realizing the futility of worldly pleasures and desire only realization of the ultimate reality of Lord. This isn’t that easy to do. When there are worldly pleasures in front of our eyes, we tend to desire the same; this is because of lack of knowledge of the temporary nature of the objects thereby not getting control of the mind. Exactly the same happened with Nahusha as well. He did ashwamedha yajnas in order to rule heaven. But once he reached heaven, still his desire was not finished. He desired for Indrani – the wife of Indra. Kaamini Kanchanam are the two things that delude a person (kaamini is women and kaanchanam is sense objects). Indrani didn’t know how to tackle Nahusha. But she was intelligent and decided smartly that if Nahusha has to come and see her, he should be carried in the palanquin by the saptha rishis. One among the saptha rishis is Agastya who is shorter than other rishis. Nahusha when he was carried in the palanquin found that one of the sides was lower than the others and was moving slower as well (because of the shorter saint carrying it). He started tattering and finally ended up with a curse from the sage that he will be born as a snake.

Though Nahusha had worldly pleasures but still there was lack of knowledge of the temporary nature of the objects. Therefore he sought Indrani. He thought that he had everything under his control – thereby Ego was nourished and Ego came up when he found the saint not carrying the palanquin properly. Most of us face the same in the world. Since we are not endowed with knowledge or devotion or surrender to the ultimate reality of Lord, we end up being egoistic and doing mistakes. This Ego and the mistakes lead us in the wrong direction and into more and more sorrows in the illusory world. This story of Nahusha clearly shows us that our desires will never end but they will certainly lead us into troubles and sorrows alone. Thus a wise seeker should control his desires and direct it towards realization of the ultimate reality of Lord. A seeker thus should always remember the Lord – he should be satisfied with whatever he has. There is no problem in seeking things in the world (without which a person cannot survive in the world). But these seeking should be associated with constant thought about the Lord as the only real entity and as the substratum of the temporary and illusory world. This association with the Lord in our mind alone will save us from all troubles. Thus if something good happens, the seeker will consider it as the grace of God. If something bad happens, then the seeker considers it as the will of the world. Moreover the seeker knows that the world is only an illusion of names and forms in the Lord. As a person doesn’t cry over the death of his son in dream, similarly the seeker doesn’t worry about worldly possessions and activities. He ever remains focused on the non-dual reality of Lord – doing all activities as an offering to the Lord and constantly remembering the Lord at all times.

We will continue the story in the next day.

Story of Khatvaanga – Summary

Let us today summarize this story of Khatvaanga before entering into the next story. We found in this story that contemplation on the ultimate reality of Lord can happen only after proper reflection about the reality behind the illusory world. Reflection can happen only on that which has been properly listened. Hence Vedanta speaks about the three-step path of sravana or listening to the scriptures with the main import being the ultimate reality of Lord, manana or reflecting on whatever has been listened and nidhidhyaasana or contemplating on the ultimate reality of Lord.

This three-step path is very important because each serves a particular purpose in the spiritual path. The process of listening or sravana helps us in removing the basic doubts regarding whether there is something called Lord, whether the world that we see is real, what is the real goal of life, are we in the right direction in search of eternal bliss etc. Through sravana, we understand that the world is an illusion and that the Lord alone exists. We also get clear knowledge that contemplation on the Lord and realizing our very nature of Lord alone can give us eternal bliss, that which is the ultimate goal of life. After listening and gaining knowledge about the Lord, still doubts might persist. These doubts are not mere doubts but confusions in the form of how can such a Lord exist, how can the world be an illusion, how can the Lord be the substratum of the world and how can I be of the nature of Lord. These confusions are termed in Vedanta as asambhaavana or the impossibilities. These are not doubts but confusions because our experience contradicts whatever we have listened. WE don’t experience the Lord, we don’t experience the world to be an illusion and we don’t experience ourselves as the Lord. These confusions are removed through reflection using the intellect. Reflection involves use of logic to ascertain whatever we have listened and to remove our confusions.

We know that there is no water in desert but still we see water. This confusion is removed when we use our logic to analyze the water – we analyze that “if there were water, I should be able to get it; but I am not able to get it and therefore there is no water”. Thus the confusion that whether water exists because we see it is removed through reflection. Similarly when we reflect as to whether the world really exists through analysis, we will remove confusions. If the world really exists, then it should be ever present. Anything that is always present will be changeless. Since the world changes, therefore it cannot be ever-present. Also we don’t experience the world in dream and deep sleep state. Therefore the world is not ever-present. That which is not ever-present is only present temporarily. Anything temporary is only an illusion that seems to be present when we experience it. Thus the world is proved to be an illusion. If the world is an illusion, then there should be a substratum for the world (as any illusion appears in a real substratum). This substratum has to be ever-present. The substratum is therefore of the nature of Existence or Sat. Sat cannot exist of its own without Chit (Chit or Consciousness alone experiences its own existence and existence of other illusions in it). Thus the substratum is of the nature of Sat and Chit. That which is ever-present is limitless or infinite. Anything which is infinite is blissful (that which is limited will give limited happiness whereas unlimited will give unlimited happiness or bliss). Thus the substratum is of the nature of Sat (existence), Chit (Consciousness) and Ananda (bliss). This Satchidananda substratum is termed as Brahman or Lord.

This substratum of Lord exists is now proved. “I” always exist and am conscious in nature. I am as well blissful which is experienced in deep sleep state (after waking up I say “I slept happily”). Thus I am Satchidananda. There cannot be two satchidananda as then one will limit the other. Therefore “I” am the Lord. This is not really known due to ignorance. Thus reflection proves that “I” am the Lord.

Though intellect has been convinced about “I” as Lord but still “I” don’t experience bliss alwaysJ. This is due to ignorance still remaining when “I” interact with the illusory world. This inexperience of oneself as Lord is removed when the seeker always contemplates on his very nature of Lord. This contemplation removes the wrong notions that “I am the body, mind etc”. It is these wrong notions that cause a person to consider himself as limited and suffering. When these wrong notions are removed, the seeker realizes his very nature of Lord. This process of contemplation is called nidhidhyaasana and is essential after reflection.

Thus the three-step path is very important for a seeker to realize his very nature of Lord. Khatvaanga followed this three-step path and hence realized his very nature of Lord. After that nothing seems important for the seeker. Thus even though he was offered all pleasures in heaven, he didn’t want it – he merely neglected it. For a person who has realized eternal bliss, all temporary happiness from the world will be futile and useless. Swami Rama Teertha of the 20th century was offered doctorate from almost 5-6 universities in US for one of his lectures – he rejected all of them because he was ever immersed in bliss. We seek things only because we aren’t satisfied and content (as bliss hasn’t yet been found). But when the seeker realizes his very nature of Lord, then there is bliss alone – thus nothing else is sought. Whatever is present will be accepted – whatever happens will be accepted but nothing will be important or necessary for such a realized saint.

The ultimate reality – an analysis

Since we have completed the story of Khatvaanga and are about to start with the story of Srimad Bhagavatham, let us once again bring our focus back to the ultimate reality of Lord.

Why is it that we are again and again trying to focus on the ultimate reality of Lord?
This question has been answered again and again in many postings but it is better to repeat this until it naturally stands in our minds.

The ultimate reality of Lord alone is real – everything else is only an illusion of names and forms in the reality of Lord. The moment we forget the Lord, we are into an illusion of names and forms. Any illusion can lead us to only one destination which is sorrow and sorrow alone. A person who forgets the desert but goes behind the water in the desert will end up in sorrow not finding water. Similarly the moment we forget the ultimate reality of Lord, we will end up in sorrow and sorrow only. Thus a wise person should always remember not to forget the ultimate reality of Lord.

How is everything apart from the Lord an illusion?
If the Lord of the nature of Consciousness exists, then the world exists. If the Lord is not there, then the world itself doesn’t exist. Thus the world is dependent on the Lord for its existence. As the variable which depends on a constant for its existence is only an illusion in the constant, similarly the world is only an illusion in the ultimate reality of Lord. The duality and differences that we perceive is only in names and forms. As various gold ornaments are nothing but mere illusions of names and forms in gold, similarly the world is only an illusion of names and forms in the Lord. If we are bold enough to remove the external appearing name and form, we will end up with the ultimate reality of Lord of the nature of Satchidananda.

Let us try to see if we will really end up with the Lord when we remove name and form. Let’s take the example of a pot in front (pardon this exampleJ - traditionally acharyas are used to using the example of pot maybe because it was most common in all places and they always wanted to give examples which can be related to the life of every person). The name of pot and a quite ellipse form can be removed. If we remove this name and form, what will remain behind???? Existence in its pure form. Existence cannot exist by itself without Consciousness because Consciousness is the light that shines existence. Thus what will remain behind is Existence and Consciousness. Both Existence and Consciousness is blissful in nature because it is unlimited and infinite. Thus if we remove name and form from the pot, we will end up with the ultimate reality of Lord.

Can I really do it? Yes, it is possible and this is experienced in the state of deep Samadhi. But who would really want to remove the name and form of something which is illusory? Will a person be worried and go to remove the name and form of water in desert? No, he will not. Similarly a wise person will and doesn’t have to remove the names and forms of things in the world. What is required is to remember that the name and form is only an illusion in the ultimate reality of Lord. Without the Lord, what exists is mere illusion of name and form which will give only sorrow. See beyond the name and form – there will be experience of the ultimate reality of Lord of the nature of bliss. It is this bliss that we all are seeking every moment. If we don’t focus on the Lord, then we will be focusing on the illusion of names and forms. This focus on names and forms will give us only sorrow and sorrow alone.

In order to not get sorrow and be blissful, we have to constantly focus ourselves on the ultimate reality of Lord. Keeping this in mind, we will start the next story of Bhagavtham from the next day.

Everything that is seen is an illusion in the reality of Lord (also termed as Brahman in the Upanishads). The Lord is the supreme cause of all beings that seem to be present. The Lord is of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute. This Lord alone is to be sought by seekers of eternal bliss.

Any person who contemplates on the ultimate reality of Lord from this moment, he will definitely cross over the ocean of samsaara; for such a person, even the pleasures of svarga are tuccha or useless for he is ever immersed in eternal bliss inherent in the Lord.

Explanation

We come to the end of this short story of Srimad Bhagavatham. Bhagavatham through the words of Veda Vyaasa who winds up this topic by propounding about the ultimate reality of Lord and mentioning that any person who follows the path of contemplation on the ultimate reality of Lord based on mental reflection will be ever immersed in eternal bliss.

The ultimate goal of all beings is eternal and ever-lasting bliss – happiness that stays forever. It is this eternal bliss that we have been seeking throughout our lives and this search has spanned many births. This search continues on and on until we direct our search towards the ultimate reality of Lord who is our very nature of Consciousness. Bhagavatham here thus says that by realizing the Lord alone will a person become satisfied and content with life. Such a person alone can claim to be ever blissful and unaffected whatever be the situation. Even when there are sorrows and when the entire world is about to be destroyed, such a realized saint alone will be unaffected and smiling. This attitude of being ever blissful is the highlight of the avatar of Krishna. Bhagavatham itself speaks about Krishna as the Lord himself (krishnaastu svayam bhagavaan). Krishna’s avatar is considered as a purna avatar or full descent for the same reason. Krishna was surrounded fully by sorrows and sufferings alone. The birth itself was in a prison and his parents had to struggle while giving birth to him – it didn’t stop there, the children who were born along with Krishna were killed by Kamsa. Once kamsa was killed by Krishna, still the sufferings didn’t end. Krishna who was tied up with Pandavas (as a relative of them) gave nothing but sorrow to them. Pandavas had to spend years in exile and fight for their own very right even though Krishna was with them. When the war of Mahabharatha ended, the yadavas started fighting amongst themselves in intoxication of liquor. Krishna had to see all his fellow-beings including his many children die in the fight. But amidst all these, he was ever blissful and smiling. It was as if there was nothing happening in the world. When Uddhava at that moment asked Krishna to advise him, Krishna explained in depth knowledge which is now found as the Uddhava Gita. And finally when the hunter hit him with an arrow thinking him to be a bird, Krishna happily left his mortal coil.

Thus in each and every activity of Krishna, we find him to be fully immersed in the ultimate reality. Never, not even for a second, was Krishna affected by the situations. He himself was blissful and imparted this bliss to those whoever came to him. This attitude of being blissful always is possible only when a seeker realizes that there is nothing here but the Lord alone exists; and that the world is nothing but an illusory dream going on in the substratum of Lord. Such a seeker will be a mere witness to the illusory activities going on in the world.

Thus knowledge that the Lord alone exists and contemplation of the ultimate reality of Lord alone will lead us from sorrows and make us ever blissful – giving us the happiness that we have been seeking and are seeking.

Once a person tastes this bliss through a glimpse while contemplating on the Lord, then all other pleasures will seem to be futile. Everything apart from the Lord will consider equal to mud and clay. This is how Khatvaanga through reflection came to be ever immersed in the Lord – this in turn lead him not to get attracted to the pleasures of heaven and reject the pleasures that was offered by the Devas. We all have the abundant bliss inherent in us but we just have to constantly contemplate on the Lord and open this treasure in our heart. This alone can give us eternal bliss.

With this we come to the end of this story. We will summarize the story in the next day and then start with the next story of Srimad Bhagavatham.

Khatvaanga continued:
“Whatever be, I will always be immersed in the experience of the ultimate reality of Lord. How? In the ultimate reality of Lord, Maya seems to make as if appear the various worlds and the thoughts of “I”-“mine” which is caused out of attachment towards the objects of the world; I will renounce this limited I-mine and be ever immersed in contemplation of the Lord and consider everything as but an illusion of names-forms in the Lord.”

Explanation

Here Khatvaanga clearly gives the way out of the illusion of maya and the way to realize the ultimate reality of Lord. This way out is nothing but knowing the reality of the temporary and illusory world. The world that we see is ever changing. Such a changing and temporary world cannot be real. Real entity is that which is without any change – anything that undergoes change undergoes the six modifications of birth, existence, growth, change, decay, disease and death. That which is born and dies is not real because of being temporary and present only during its life-time. Thus the world that we see now is not real but only an illusion. The world is an illusion of names and forms. Any illusion is nothing but its substratum. The water seen in desert is nothing but the substratum of desert. Similarly the world is nothing but an illusion in the substratum of the ultimate reality of Lord of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute. Remove the Lord or Consciousness, the world will cease to exist. This is what happens when a person becomes unconscious – the world ceases to exist for him. Thus if the Lord is removed, the world will cease to exist. As long as the ultimate reality of Lord exists, the world also exists.

Even as various gold ornaments are illusions of names and forms in the reality of gold, similarly the world is an illusion of names and forms in the ultimate reality of Lord. If we are deluded into the names and forms, we will end up with temporary objects of the world. Those temporary things will lead us only into sorrows and sufferings as they are temporary. But if we remember the underlying reality of Lord, then we will be constantly contemplating on the reality of Lord. This means that instead of seeing the illusion, we will be piercing through the illusion and seeing the underlying substratum.

This is the way out of sorrows and sufferings in the world: we have to remember that the world is only an illusion of names and forms in the reality of Lord & thereby we have to constantly contemplate on the non-dual reality of Lord. We thus have to remember always that there is nothing here but the Lord alone exists, one without a second. The duality that is seen is only an illusion in the non-dual reality of Lord. This illusion is caused by the illusory power of Lord termed as Maya. Maya makes things appear as real – thus we find the world to be real when it is not real. When we consider the world as real, we consider things to be “mine”. We get attached and associated with things and people. Association with the body causes the ego feeling of “I” and association with people/things causes the feeling of “mine”. When there are the feelings of “I” and “mine’, we will be affected by the state of the things or people to whom we are attached to. Thus when “my friend” becomes sad, I also become sad. But when “my friend” becomes happy, I also become happy. This happiness and sorrow is from an illusory friend who is only a name and form in the reality of Lord. We have to constantly remember that everything is but the Lord alone – when everything is seen as the Lord, there is nothing that we get attached or averted to. We will be seeing everything even as we view the characters in a film. We will be a mere witness to all activities remembering that everything is an illusion in the Lord. This attitude of witness-hood will lead us to ever rejoice in bliss which is our very nature of Lord. It is this witness-hood in the state of deep sleep wherein there are no objects to experience that gives us bliss throughout the state. But as soon as we wake up, we again get deluded into the notions of “I” and “mine”. If we are able to constantly not get deluded into the notions of “I” and “mine” – always remembering that everything is but the Lord alone, we will be ever blissful. This is the direct way out of the sorrows and sufferings which we experience because of considering the world as real and getting attached to it.

We will continue with the story in the next day.

Khatvaang’s minda thereby always contemplating on the ultimate reality of Lord became merged into the Lord. When the notion that “there is duality” is removed completely through contemplation of the non-dual reality of Lord, the mind knows the reality that there is only the non-dual reality of Lord.

This alone is Brahman (or Lord) – that which is indivisible and Consciousness in nature and thought to be non-existent (by ignorant people). That Lord who is worshipped as Krishna by bhakthas is the same ultimate reality of Brahman.

Explanation

As we discussed in the previous day, the sorrows and sufferings are caused due to the illusion of considering the dual world as real. This duality that we perceive is only an illusion of names and forms in the ultimate non-dual reality of Lord. When the mind contemplates on this non-dual reality of Lord, then the notion that duality is real vanishes. The mind totally merges into the ultimate reality of lord. The world and the duality that we perceive is but an illusion caused by the mind – when the mind merges completely into the ultimate reality of Lord, then the illusion caused by the mind also vanishes. Thus the world will then be seen as nothing but an illusion of names and forms in the reality of Lord. Even as a person sees the water in desert as desert after realizing that it is only desert there, similarly once a seeker’s mind has totally merged unto the ultimate reality of Lord then the seeker sees everything as filled in and out by the Lord.

Since such a seeker sees everything as the Lord alone, therefore there is neither like nor dislike for such a seeker. Such a seeker is ever blissful – whatever happens in the illusory world, the seeker is ever immersed in the bliss in the Lord. If something bad happens to the seeker, still he knows that there is nothing here but the Lord – thereby he is blissful. If something good happens, still the seeker is blissful and unaffected. Thus the seeker will be unaffected by the activities of the world though he might still be doing activities in the world. Even as an actor plays his role to perfection all the while remembering who he really is, similarly the seeker who has realized that everything is but the Lord alone will do activities in the world remembering that there is nothing here but the Lord alone exists, one without a second.

We may here have a doubt as to whether this Lord is the same as Krishna or Vishnu propounded in the puranas and Brahman as propounded in the Upanishads. This is being answered by Bhagavatham here by stating that the ultimate non-dual reality of Lord is the same Krishna or Vishnu worshipped by bhakthas and Brahman of the Upanishads. Brahman is propounded in the scriptures as of the nature of Sat (existence), Chit (consciousness) and Ananda (bliss). Brahman is indivisible as it is Consciousness which doesn’t have any parts therefore cannot be divided. Anything that has parts alone can be divided. The tree is divided into branches, leaves etc. because it has parts. The body is divided into hands, feet, face etc. because it has parts. Space or ether cannot be divided as it has no parts. The scriptures speak about the space as having come from the Atman (Brahman). Since space is indivisible so its cause of Atman also has to be indivisible. Also Consciousness doesn’t have any parts and therefore is indivisible. Such an indivisible entity is without any change and death (any entity with parts like the tree or body is subject to change and death – therefore temporary and illusory). Therefore indivisible Brahman is eternal and non-dual as well. Brahman is also proclaimed in the scriptures as the cause and substratum of the illusory world – from whom the world has come, in whom the world resides and unto whom the world merges after destruction. The Lord proclaims in Gita that the world has come from him and that all beings are situated in “me” (the Lord). This is not possible unless the Lord is none other than the Brahman of scriptures. There are many other places where the Lord proclaims himself as not different from the ultimate non-dual reality of Brahman.

Thus the Brahman of Upanishads is the same as the Lord or Krishna of bhakthas. It is only foolish and ignorant people who fight over as to whether Krishna is great or Siva is great etc. A real bhaktha and a real jnaani know that there is nothing here but one entity alone exists – whether we call it Brahman or Krishna, it is the same – it is the substratum of all illusory names and forms. The Krishna who propounds Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna is not limited to a form – Krishna himself calls such people fools who consider him to be embodied. The underlying “I” or Consciousness in all beings whether it is an avatar of Krishna or an ignorant being is nothing but the ultimate reality of Lord. A wise person instead of fighting over such futile things will contemplate on the all-pervasive non-dual reality of Lord like Khatvaanga does in this story. Bhagavatham here is indirectly thus telling us that we shouldn’t be foolish enough to fight over the illusory names and forms – instead we should contemplate on the all-pervasive Lord who alone exists.

We will continue with the story in the next day.

We saw in the last day as to Khatvaanga reflecting in his mind thus: "from childhood itself, my mind hasn't sought out anything apart from the ultimate reality of Lord". This attitude of being focussed in the goal of the ultimate reality of Lord is very essential for a seeker. As long as the goal is in our focus, we will give high-priority to achieving the goal than to anything else in the world. As long as we give high-priority to realization and the spiritual path, we will be ensured that we dont deviate from the path of spirituality.

Once a person knows that the worldy entities will give only sorrow, he will not again run behind the sensual pleasures of the world. Yoga Vasistha calls such people who run after worldly pleasures even after knowing them to seeds of sorrows as "donkeys". It is but foolish to run behind worldly pleasures though a little bit of logic would clearly show us that worldly pleasures are seeds of sorrow. Only a fool will run after the water seen in desert even after knowing that there is no water in the desert; similarly any person who runs after the worldly pleasures after knowing that there are seeds of sorrow is but a fool only.

A seeker has to first assert himself the real nature of the world as an illusion of names-forms and that the objects of the world are seeds of sorrow. When a person asserts the nature of world through logic and experience, he will never be deluded into seeking worldly objects. Instead he will start his search for that entity which is permanent and can give eternal bliss. Such an entity is what Vedanta calls as Brahman or Ishwara or Paramaatman or Atman or Self. The Self of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss alone can give a person eternal bliss, contentment and satisfaction.

The more and more a person gets into worldly possessions, his desires will become more and more. There will be no end to desires as worldly entities keep on continuously changing and are temporary. Therefore the happiness derived out of the worldly entities will be limited and the desire for more pleasures will be there always. Thus a seeker who wants to get eternal bliss should be focused on the ultimate reality of Lord. This doesn’t mean he has to renounce everything externally – but just that he has to be keep his mind focused on the Lord and should give high-priority to the Lord than to anything else. The ultimate reality of Lord should have the maximum priority for the seeker – if the seeker is offered any worldly pleasures, he shouldn’t accept it. He should live with whatever is barely necessary for sustenance. In case the seeker has worldly desires and seeks them, he should always remember the ultimate reality of Lord and that everything is only an illusion in the ultimate reality of Lord. This knowledge will keep him focused on the reality and not get diverted into the illusory pleasures of the world.

Since khatvaanga was ever immersed in the contemplation of the ultimate reality of Lord, he didn’t seek any worldly pleasure; neither did he show any desire towards worldly possessions. He who has tasted eternal bliss which is the very nature of Lord will not be willing to taste the temporary happiness from worldly objects (which is filled with sorrow and will finally lead to sorrow alone).

Bhagavatham here is thus telling us through Khatvaanga that we shouldn’t seek anything and if we seek worldly pleasures, we should seek remembering the ultimate reality of Lord. We will continue with Khatvaanga’s reflection in the next day.

Khatvaanga continued his thoughts
“These devas whose intellect and mind are ever fluctuating as they are ever immersed in sense objects and sensual pleasures don’t realize the ever present blissful Atman in their heart; if this is the case with devas, what to speak about other people?”

Explanation

Bhagavatham is here explaining as to why realizing our very nature of Lord is tough even though the Lord is in our hearts and our very nature. Devas are considered to be higher than manushyas or humans because of divine qualities and gunas in them. If such devas aren’t able to realize the ultimate reality of Lord, then what to speak about normal human beings?

Here Bhagavatham is not frightening us into thinking that realization is impossible for human beings but just that the path is not as easy as we think it to be. Though realization is nothing but realizing our very nature of Lord and that the lord alone is present everywhere as the substratum of illusory world, still it is tough.

Why is realization of our very nature of Lord tough?
It is tough because of the delusion of worldly entities and sensual pleasures. The sense objects are so alluring and deceiving that the mind constantly seeks pleasure from them. The mind is so made that it cannot stay without sensual pleasures. As Arjuna mentions in the sixth chapter of Gita that the mind is very tough indeed to control. Controlling the mind is compared by Arjuna to controlling air! The mind constantly seeks sense objects and it gets used to enjoying sensual pleasures that it becomes an addiction. A samsaari or a normal worldly person cannot live without sense objects. Take away a single possession from him and the person will either cry or become angry. It is this aspect which we see in day to day life as people killing even their parents for the sake of worldly pleasures. Sankara mentions in his bhashya on the sanatsujaatheeya that there are only two options for a seeker – either his sense organs are turned inward contemplating on the ultimate reality of Lord or they are turned outwards seeking sensual pleasures in sense objects.

As long as a person is seeking sensual pleasures, he will not be able to get eternal bliss which is inherent in the Lord in his heart. Since it is the very nature of the mind to go outwards and seek sensual pleasures, it is very tough indeed to control and direct the mind inwards into contemplation of the Lord. The Lord thereby mentions in Gita that though it is tough to control the mind, it is possible to control it through abhyaasa or practice and vairagya or dispassion towards sense objects due to the knowledge that there are temporary and sorrowful.

When a person constantly remembers that the sense objects are temporary and sorrowful, seeking them will get reduced. When the seeking for sense objects is reduced, it is easy for the seeker to contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus practice becomes easy and constant. Therefore a seeker requires dispassion through knowledge about sense objects and constant practice in order to divert the mind from sense objects to the ultimate reality of Lord. When the seeker does that, he finds eternal bliss inherent in the ultimate reality of Lord. Compared to the eternal bliss, all sensual pleasures are nothing but sorrowful. Once a seeker has got a glimpse of the bliss of the Lord, he will strive more and more for the bliss. Thus seeking of worldly sensual pleasures will get reduced which in turn will help the seeker in constant contemplation of the ultimate reality of Lord. When the seeker constantly contemplates on the ultimate reality of Lord, he will realize that the sense objects which seem to be present are only an illusion in the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus everything will be seen as the ultimate reality of Lord thereby making the seeker ever rejoice in bliss which is the very nature of the ultimate reality of non-dual Lord.

But we have to remember that preaching about realization is very easy when compared to implementing it. We are used to so much addictions that it becomes impossible to divert the mind to the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus the Lord proclaims in Gita to remember the Lord even while doing worldly actions. Even if we are addicted, we have to remember the Lord as well during those addictions. In such a case, the addictions will cease to be addictions and slowly the seeker overcome those addictions due to constant contemplation of the ultimate reality of Lord. Thereby finally the seeker will realize the worldly objects to be mere illusions and the Lord alone to be real.

We will continue with the story in the next day.

Khatvaanga, when knew that he had less time before leaving the body, gave everything to his children and after renouncing all attachments got fully immersed in Brahman.

Explanation

Bhagavatham in a particular place speaks about the ultimate goal of human life as realization of the ultimate reality of Lord and remembering the Lord at the time of death. Generally at the time of death, we tend to think about that which has been thought most in our life – generally people have lot many desires left in their mind at the time of death. It is these desires which lead a person taking another birth. This vicious circle of birth and death will never end unless desires are completely fulfilled or removed. As we have seen previously, desires can never be fulfilled completely. Instead a person can get rid of desires only through knowledge that there is nothing here but the ultimate reality of Lord alone exists.

A realized person will always be contemplating on the ultimate reality of Lord. Hence even at the time of death, there will not be any desires in the mind of such a jeevan muktha. His last thought also will be remembrance of the ultimate reality of Lord only. When a person thinks about the Lord at the end of his life, he doesn’t have any more desires to be fulfilled and he merges into the ultimate reality of Lord never to return back in the ocean of samsaara.

Thus we can briefly say that the goal of human life is to end one’s life through remembrance of the Lord – to have no desires at the end of our life. If yama is to come to us this very moment, we should accept him happily without any regret or sorrow. We find Khatvaanga doing exactly the same here.

When the mind is purified through nishkaama karma (action done without seeking any fruit), the mind becomes like a mirror without taints – such a mind can vaguely see the future through indications. Thus a jeevan muktha will very well be able to judge the time when he has to leave the body (in fact, the jeevan muktha clearly knows that the body itself is only an illusion – and that it is like a dream world wherein a person does activities). Each one of us, if we purify our minds, will be able to judge the same through indications in our lives. Khatvaanga thus was able to foresee death and hence he renounced everything contemplating on the ultimate reality of Lord.

The Lord tells in Gita that whatever a person thinks or desires at the end of life in this birth will be carried over in the next birth. This carry-over continues until the seeker wakes up from the long dream of waking world thereby realizing his very nature of non-dual Lord and then never again returns back. As explained earlier, it is not that easy to think about the Lord at the end of our life. We will be thinking about that which we have been contemplating all our lives. If we have been contemplating all our lives about our children, we will think about our children only at the end of our life. Thus Bhagavatham is here indirectly telling us that we should spend each moment of our life thinking about the ultimate reality of Lord alone. This way we will be ensured to think about the Lord at the end of our life – thereby getting out of this delusion of samsaara.

Before it is late, we have to start contemplation on the ultimate reality of Lord now itself. Those are foolish people who claim that Vedanta is to be learnt after retirement and in old age. In old age, because of the various samskaaras developed during the first 60-70 years, we will have many other things to think about – moreover, such a person will not have the necessary intellect or mind to concentrate on the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus it is essential that we all start thinking and contemplating on the ultimate reality of Lord from now itself. This will make us get out of the ocean of samsaara like Khatvaanga.

Bhagavatham will be explaining next as to how Khatvaanga came out of this delusion and was able to think about the Lord at the end of his life. We will see that in the coming days.

Khatvaanga before merging into the ultimate reality of Lord had thought about it in depth thus:

I am not interested in anything except sanga with realized saints. From my childhood itself, my mind has ever been immersed in the Lord. My mind hasn’t rejoiced in anything other than the ultimate reality of Lord. I gained this establishment of the mind through seeing the Lord in everything as the substratum of the illusory names and forms. Though the devas had offered all sensual pleasures, I didn’t accept it as my mind was ever established in the ultimate reality of Lord.

Explanation

We find Bhagavatham starting the explanation of the mental process undertaken by Khatvaanga which in turn lead him to merge into the ultimate reality of Lord at the time of death never to return back. These explanations are very important for seekers as it is by following these thoughts in action that Khatvaanga was able to be ever established in the ultimate reality of Lord.

Vedanta speaks about the three-fold path to realization of the ultimate reality of Lord. The three-fold path is SRAVANA, MANANA and NIDHIDHYAASANA. Sravana is listening to the scriptures and puranas with the main import as the ultimate reality of Lord. Manana is reflection using logic in the intellect about whatever has been heard about the ultimate reality of Lord through sravana. Nidhidhyaasana is constant contemplation of the ultimate reality of Lord without any doubts and obstacles – contemplation should be pure like water and constant like flow of ghee. A seeker will be able to contemplate on the Lord only after clearing doubts about the Lord through manana. Contemplation here doesn’t mean mere thinking of the Lord at all times but it is thinking about that Lord who alone exists here and that Lord in whom everything else (illusion of names and forms) is seen. In order to make the intellect convinced that the Lord alone exists, we have to do manana or reflecting within ourselves. It is for a very few intellectually strong seekers that the step of manana is not present – they just realize the Lord by contemplation from the moment they hear about the Lord. For the majority of seekers, manana is essential. When we go to a bhaagavatha sapthaaham and sit there listening to the discourse of Nochur or Balakrishnan Nair, everything will seem clearJ. But once we reach home, the same fight with wife, the same disturbing children, the same distractions in the form of TV serials, the same mental disturbances about work, family etc. arise. Though everything seemed to be fine while listening, we tend to forget it afterwards. Therefore it is essential for a seeker to go through the step of manana or reflecting within oneself at times of solitude or otherwise about the ultimate reality of Lord.

If it is questioned as to why everything seems to be fine when in front of Mahatmas but there still are doubts, confusions and lack of experiencing the same thing at other times, Vedanta gives a beautiful analogy to prove the same. A seeker is like an iron piece whereas a Mahatma is a magnet. When the iron piece is near a magnet, it gets the characteristics of the magnet. But it still hasn’t been converted into a magnet. Therefore once the iron piece is taken away from the magnet, it behaves normally like an iron piece.

When we are in the presence of a Mahatma, we tend to apprehend everything because of the light of the Lord emanating from them. It is as if we become luminous because of the light of the Mahatmas. We still haven’t really being illuminated and hence afterwards the luminosity is lost. To become a permanent magnet, we have to always be in touch with the real magnet of thought of the Lord. In order to be able to ever contemplate on the Lord, we need to reflect about the Lord so that our mind and intellect is convinced about the non-dual reality of Lord.

It is this process of reflection that Bhagavatham is pointing out clearly through the though process in Khatvaanga. This step of manana is essential and there cannot be any seeker who can even dream of overcoming and passing-over this step. Even devotion to the Lord cannot make us pass-over this step. Devotion to the Lord only will lead us to a proper Guru who will then guide us in this process of manana.

Remembering that manana or logical reflection is essential, we will see Khatvaanga’s thought process starting from the next day.

Story of Khatvaanga - Introduction

It is very important to remember the main import of the ultimate reality of Lord while learning the stories of Srimad Bhagavatham. Remembering the Lord as the one and only entity present, let us start the next story of Bhagavatham. The next story that we see is the story of Khatvaanga who was a chakravarthi in the soorya vamsa (sun dynasty).

We see in the puranas as well as the Upanishads mention about more kings who were realized than sanyaasins. This is mainly taking into consideration that external sanyaas is not meant for all and it is undertaken only by one in a crore. Thus the majority of people are still in the world living like a normal worldly person. In order to show to all such people that living in the world is not against being realized or progressing in the spiritual path, puranas explain the stories of various kings as jeevan mukthas.

Though it is very hard indeed today to find jeevan mukthas as grihasthas, it is not impossible. It doesn’t matter as to where we are, but what matters is the attitude that we have towards the world. The world in reality is only an illusion of names and forms in the ultimate reality of Lord. If this is so, then the environment, the surrounding, the place, the time etc. are only illusions in the Lord. When a seeker understands and remembers that there is nothing here but the Lord alone, it doesn’t matter where he is or what he is doing. For such a seeker who remembers the non-dual reality of Lord as the only entity present in the illusory world – since he knows and remembers the Lord alone to be present, the environment doesn’t affect him. He remains as a mere witness to all the activities in the world even as a person watching a movie is a mere witness to the activities in the movie.

Khatvaanga similar to Ambariksha and other saints was a jeevan muktha who had ascertained about the ultimate reality of Lord very early in his life. Once a seeker ascertains that there is nothing here but the Lord alone, then there cannot be a single moment when the seeker is not contemplating on the Lord. A person who knows that there is no water in desert will always remember desert when seeing water – similarly once a seeker knows that the world is only an illusion in the Lord, each time he sees the world it will be ascertaining that there is no world but the Lord alone exists.

This path of constant remembrance of the Lord as the only real entity present is simple and easy to follow for everyone. This doesn’t need specific time and place like meditation; this doesn’t require a person to go to the forest or take sanyaas; this doesn’t require a person to renounce anything; this doesn’t even require lot of intellectual thinking also; the only requirement for such a saadhana is constant remembrance of the Lord and that the Lord alone exists here.

If chakravarthis like Janaka and others could achieve it, we also can achieve it easily as we aren’t involved in too many worldly activities like them. Bhagavatham is again and again reasserting that we all can do it quite easily since great kings have achieved it. This story doesn’t involve much of the story components but knowledge about the reality is explained beautifully and in depth which we will see starting the next day.

Khatvaanga was a king in the sun dynasty. He was ever immersed in the ultimate reality from his childhood. Once when Indra was attacked by asuras, he sought the help of khatvaanga. Khatvaanga obliged and with his help, Indra won the battle with the asuras. Indra offered the pleasures of heaven to khatvaanga. Khatvaanga was ever rejoiced in the eternal bliss which is the very nature of Lord. And hence khatvaanga refused whatever Indra had offered.

Explanation

Srimad Bhagavatham is here emphasizing through khatvaanga that all sensual pleasures are of no use and importance to a seeker who is ever immersed in the thought of the Lord. Such a seeker has eternal bliss - that which everyone is seeking irrespective of caste, creed etc. Since such a seeker has achieved that by achieving which nothing else remains to be achieved, therefore there is nothing to be achieved by such a seeker. Moreover a person who seeks temporary and sorrowful things of the world when he knows that they will give sorrow only is a fool.

This is simlar to a person running after the water in the desert knowing that there is no water. Such a person who goes after sensual pleasures after knowing that there are illusory and sorrowful is called a donkey by yoga vasistha. Lord Krishna calls such people as moodaah or foolish people in the Bhagavad Gita.

It is but sad that most of the people in the world are running after the worldly pleasures which give sorrow and sorrow only in the long run. Though these worldly pleasures seem to give happiness initially, they give sorrow only in the long run. The same object which seems to give happiness now will give sorrow once the object itself vanishes. The world and its objects are constantly changing. That which is changing constantly will be subject to birth and death. If a seeker gets attached to such an object which will die one day, he will become sad once the object dies. Thus the objects of the world will give sorrow only in the long run. Therefore a wise person and a realized saint will never seek the objects of the world. The wise person will always seek the eternal reality of Lord who is ever present and blissful in nature. Here we find such a realized saint in khatvaanga who refused the worldly pleasures of heaven offered by Indra. He refused the worldly pleasures because he knew that those worldly pleasures will give sorrow and sorrow only. Moreover once a person tastes the eternal bliss inherent in the Lord, then nothing will attract him. Even as the addiction of drug attracts a person again and again, similarly the addiction of eternal bliss of the Lord will attract the seeker again and again until he realizes his very nature of Lord.

We will continue the story in the next day.

Summary

We saw in this story of Srimad Bhagavatham as to where will a seeker be lead if there are desires in his mind and he goes after the desires. There will be no end to desires if we try to fulfill them without knowledge and contemplation of the ultimate reality of Lord. Instead if we fulfill those desires into actions and fruits with remembrance of the ultimate reality of Lord (and the knowledge that there is nothing here but the Lord alone), then we will not be bound by the desires. Life will become beautiful and blissful though there will still be sufferings, problems etc. The problems that a mother faces with her child when the child is naughty and playful are not problems in the eyes of the mother. Though we all face problems in dream, we never consider them as problems after waking up. An actor acting in a play doesn’t consider the problems that his character undergoes as problems; instead those are also blissful for the actor because internally he will always know that “I am not this character”. Similarly when a seeker is ever contemplating on the ultimate reality of Lord knowing that there is nothing here but the Lord alone exists and everything else is only an illusion of names-forms in the Lord, the seeker will not be affected by problems at the empirical level.

The problems that the seeker faces will be seen as nothing but activities in an illusory world. With this attitude of remembrance of the Lord and knowledge about the reality of the illusory world, we will be always happy and peaceful. Though externally we may act as if we are angry or attached, internally we will be always blissful. Sankara and yoga vasistha explains this beautifully through an analogy; such a seeker will externally be acting in the world whereas internally he will be stern and steady like the Meru Parvatha (mountain) – a seeker will be going through waves of thoughts but internally steady and thoughtless like the bottom of the ocean.

Finally what matters to a seeker is not whether he has learnt the entire scriptures or got a vision of the Lord or developed supreme devotion to the Lord; what matters is whether the seeker has got bliss and he is content, peaceful and satisfied. This bliss or contentment or satisfaction is what Vedanta calls as moksha – the ultimate goal of all beings irrespective of caste, creed etc. It doesn’t really matter whether we know the Bhagavatham or the Bhagavad Gita but it matters whether we are really happy and content. A person who would have learnt the entire scriptures but still is unhappy about things around him is surely in bondage – he hasn’t achieved that by achieving which there remains nothing else to be achieved. The very aim of scriptural study of Bhagavatham learning is eternal bliss. This eternal bliss is not something different from our very nature but it is our very nature of Lord. As long as we don’t realize our nature of Lord, we will be seeking bliss. But when we know that there is nothing here apart from the Lord and that “I am the Lord” through constant contemplation on the non-dual reality of Lord, we will be ever blissful – at that time, all seeking will end and there will be bliss, bliss and bliss alone.

If we don’t remember the ultimate reality of Lord who alone exists, we will be lead into the vicious circle of desires and actions. This circle will only give us sorrow because never will these end as we will still be seeking something or the other. Seeking will end only when we realize the ultimate reality of Lord knowing which nothing remains to be known or sought. Therefore a seeker has to constantly remember the Lord while desiring anything or doing any activities. What is important is remembrance of the Lord and not the activity that we are doing. Even if the activity is purely worldly, still if the thought of the Lord is associated with it – that action will lead to realization of the ultimate reality of Lord and the seeker will not be bound by the action.

Though initially Saubhari didn’t have any possession yet desire lead him into the ocean of samsaara because he didn’t remember the ultimate reality of Lord. But later he realized his mistake; then though he was living with his family of 500 people (including wives and children), he was realized and unbound because of the thought of the ultimate reality of Lord.

Therefore Bhagavatham through this story is telling us that desires are not by themselves binding but if they aren’t associated with thought of the Lord, then they will surely bind the seeker and lead him into the ocean of delusion. Hence a seeker should always remember the ultimate reality of lord and do all actions as an offering to the Lord; in this way, though there may be desires or actions, the seeker will ever be unbound by those and be rejoicing in the bliss inherent in the Self.

We will start the next story of Bhagavatham in the next day.

Focusing on the ultimate reality

We just finished a story in Srimad Bhagavatham. Before entering into the next story, we need to focus ourselves back onto the reality and remember that the ultimate reality of Lord is the main import of the stories of Srimad Bhagavatham.

As long as we don’t remember the ultimate reality of Lord, learning of the stories of Bhagavatham will not do us any help. We all irrespective of any limitations of caste, creed etc. are seeking the ultimate reality of Lord in the form of eternal bliss. We all are searching bliss in the external world each moment of our lives. It is only because we don’t get bliss that we go on seeking it again and again. This seeking never ends because we are seeking the Lord in the temporary world. This is like seeking water in the desert. There is no water and hence we will never get water in the desert.

The Lord cannot be found in the temporary world because the world is changing whereas the Lord is eternal and changeless. The Lord is not the world but he is the substratum of the illusory world composed of names and forms. The moment we split through the names-forms, we will realize the ultimate reality of Lord as the underlying substratum of the world and that the Lord alone exists, one without a second.

As long as we don’t know the underlying substratum, we will be deluded in the names-forms of the world. Thus we will keep on searching the eternal Lord in the changing names-forms. The various stories of Bhagavatham speak about names-forms but indirectly pointing out the substratum of Lord. As long as we don’t remember the substratum of Lord, we will be deluded into the names-forms of the stories. It is such people who try to analyze as to whether Siva is great or Vishnu is great; whether Vishnu did save a person from maya or is Vishnu capable of giving realization to a person. A wise person who knows the world to be an illusion and that the Lord alone exists will never get deluded into such arguments and thoughts. Instead he will always remember that the Lord alone exists. Such a person will remember and be focused on the reality of Lord even while learning the illusory stories of Bhagavatham.

Are the stories illusory???
Yes, everything apart from the Lord is an illusion. The Lord alone is real. Therefore even the stories of Bhagavatham and even Bhagavatham itself is only an illusion in the Lord. These stories and puranas are only meant to take us away from the delusion of samsaara and lead us to the ultimate reality of Lord. Even as the dream lion in dream makes a dreaming person to wake up, similarly the stories in the puranas and scriptures (though they are also illusory) help us in waking up from this long dream of illusory waking world.

This waking up alone can give us eternal bliss – that which we have been seeking each and every moment in our life. There is no other way than constant contemplation of the ultimate reality of Lord in order to overcome the delusion of samsaara and rejoice in eternal bliss which is our very nature of Lord. It is thus very important that we don’t get deluded into the illusory names-forms in the story forgetting the ultimate reality of Lord. Such a study will be as useless as other worldly activities and will not lead us out of the bondage in the world. In order for us to get the real benefit of realization out of study of the stories of Bhagavatham, we need to always remember the ultimate reality of Lord as the main import of the stories. We have to remember the Lord while learning the story and be ever focused on the Lord. Before we start the next story, let us pray to the Lord that we be focused on the ultimate reality of Lord and not get deluded into the illusory names-forms so that we will realize our very nature of non-dual Lord.

We will start the next story from the next day.