Sunday, June 22, 2008
Story 50 – Story of Dwaraka Nirmaanam - 05
We learn yesterday as to that the Lord left Dwaraka after creating it, today we will try to discuss the witness-attitude of the Lord in which the Lord is completely detached to everything yet still is attached as well. This is the attitude of detached-attachment or witness-hood which we will discuss today.
Attachment/aversion to anything except the ultimate reality of Lord will only lead us to sorrow and finally destruction (this means making us take birth and death again and again in this ocean of samsaara). This is because the objects of the world (except the ultimate reality of Lord) are temporary. That which is temporary is ever changing and hence subject to birth-death. That which dies (meaning ceases to exist) cannot give us happiness; but since the object used to give temporary happiness when it existed, we get addicted to the happiness; once the object vanishes, we cry remembering the happiness that we had while possessing the object.
Is the Lord alone real and everything else is temporary?
Yes – the Lord is of the nature of Consciousness from which the world is created, in which the world exists and unto which the world vanishes during destruction. This clearly shows that the world is only an illusion and the Lord of the nature of Consciousness alone is real – it is this Lord who pulsates in each one of us as “I-exist, I-exist” at all times. This temporary nature of the world becomes clear if we take the analogy of dream – the dream world is always changing during dream. The dream world is created out of the dreamer, exists in the dreamer and merges unto the dreamer when the dreamer wakes up – thus the world is only an illusion in the dreamer – this means that the dreamer alone always exists, the world is temporary.
Thus the Lord alone is real and everything else is temporary. Since the world is temporary, it will only lead us to sorrow (as we saw earlier). In order for us to get eternal bliss, we have to concentrate on the real entity of Lord – as that alone can give us eternal bliss (since it is eternal).
Though we might contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord, yet the world still goes on. We will experience the world or the duality as long as we don’t realize our very nature of Lord and ever abide in it. Thus while experiencing the world, we have to get attached temporarily to objects. If we are not attached (even little) to the computer in front of us we will not be able to discuss Vedanta through Bhagavatham mails. Thus attachment is inevitable while living in the world. The solution to having attachment and yet ever contemplating on the Lord is detached-attachment. Detached-attachment means attachment in a detached way. This is that state wherein one minute we are attached but the very next minute we can walk out of the attachment – this is possible when externally we are attached whereas internally our mind is detached completely.
An incident in the life of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa brings this out clearly. Once Mathur Babu told his servant to tell one of the devotee (who had come to see Ramakrishna) to get out of the place. The servant thought he was tell to Ramakrishna. Thus the servant told Sri Ramakrishna to get out. Sri Ramakrishna without any expression change folded his mat and keeping it under his arms started walking from the place. Mathur Babu saw this and regretted; he came running and told Sri Ramakrishna to go inside. Sri Ramakrishna, again with no expression change, walked back into his room.
Sri Ramakrishna was able to leave everything in one minute and be attached in the very next minute. This is possible only if we are detached internally while displaying attachment externally. This is very much possible for any person as the various film actors do the same – they are externally displaying attachment in the film whereas internally they are totally detached to the character, people around etc. It is this state of being detached internally while acting externally that Vedanta calls saakshi bhaava or witness-hood.
Bhagavatham is here telling us through the Lord’s saakshi bhaava that we have to develop this witness-hood by having detached-attachment instead of mere attachment. Attachment will lead us to sorrow whereas detached-attachment will make our life blissful (even when the object is there with us and it is not there with us). It is this attitude due to which the Lord was able to be blissful at all times from his birth till his death.
We will continue with the story in the next day.
Let us all try to slowly develop this attitude of detached-attachment so that we are able to rejoice in bliss through realization of the Lord in us which alone can make our life fulfilled.
Yavana came across the Lord of the yadus ( Krishna) who had taken the full form of Vishnu and was like a full-risen moon. Yavana decided that this was the Narayana mentioned by Narada.
Explanation
Though this portion seems to be something which is not that important or that which doesn’t seem to have any deeper import, yet there is some deeper significance over here with respect to Yavana’s identification of the Lord.
The deeper significance is that even a person who had devilish tendencies will very easily be able to find the divine power wherever it is and whichever form it is. It is for this reason that many people go to Mahatmas though these Mahatmas are like any normal being (even simpler than normal humans). Examples of this are Sadguru Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (commonly known as AMMA) and Prof. Balakrishnan Nair. AMMA wears white sarees and though is known throughout the world yet speaks only her native language of Malayalam. The way AMMA gives discourses itself shows that she doesn’t prepare like any great speaker and her discourses are as if she is conversing with a close person in colloquial language. Prof. Balakrishnan Nair is now quite old – wears a normal white shirt and white dhothi. He walks, speaks like any normal person.
Though these saints (who are ever residing in Brahman) live like any other human being, yet any person can clearly find them out in between a flock. It is for this reason that many people come to AMMA and they don’t agree that AMMA is God – but they say “there is some power”J.
The Lord beautifully explains as to why these Mahatmas stand out in a crowd of similar people:
Kaamakrodhaviyukthaanaam yatheenam yathachethasaam
Abhitho brahma nirvaanam varthathe vidhitaaatmanaam
One who is devoid of attachment and aversion; and has known the Self, around such person bliss dances (brahma nirvaanam).
It is this bliss which is the very nature of these Mahatmas wherever they are and whatever they are doing that attracts us quite a lot. This is because we seek bliss and that bliss is present in these Mahatmas. Thus unknowingly we are attracted to these Mahatmas though we may not believe them completely (even not believing their words that everything is Lord alone).
It is but a pity that most of fail to apprehend the reason for bliss being the essence and dancing around these Mahatmas. If only we apprehend the reason, we will also be able to become like those Mahatmas ever being blissful – this state of always being blissful is the goal of life (our life will be fulfilled and complete only we get to this realized state of being blissful).
The bliss emanating from these Mahatmas is due to their ever residing in Brahman or the ultimate reality of Lord. They are ever aware of the truth that everything (the duality that is perceived) is only an illusion of names and forms in the Lord which means that the Lord alone exists here, one without a second. This is not that tough as we think it to be; it is as simple as just remembering this truth whatever happens in life. Even as a lover remembers his love whatever happens – whether he is in office, whether he is happy, whether he is sad, whether his parents don’t like his love etc. Irrespective of the situation or surrounding, the lover always remembers his/her love. This is something that most of us have experienced or can imagine. If we are able to develop this love towards the Lord, it is called devotion and this alone is knowledge as well as we are aware of the truth that everything is the Lord alone (as the essence or substratum of names-forms). This devotion/knowledge always in our mind alone is enough to take us to the state of being blissful always.
Thus Bhagavatham here is pointing out that even a being with devilish tendency can recognize the Lord (which means that devilish tendencies can never overpower the person whose mind resides in the Lord).
We will continue with the story in the next day.
Let us all try to slowly day-by-day implement this devotion/knowledge towards the Lord irrespective of whatever we are doing externally so that we may be able to always rejoice in bliss like the Mahatmas.
Attachment/aversion to anything except the ultimate reality of Lord will only lead us to sorrow and finally destruction (this means making us take birth and death again and again in this ocean of samsaara). This is because the objects of the world (except the ultimate reality of Lord) are temporary. That which is temporary is ever changing and hence subject to birth-death. That which dies (meaning ceases to exist) cannot give us happiness; but since the object used to give temporary happiness when it existed, we get addicted to the happiness; once the object vanishes, we cry remembering the happiness that we had while possessing the object.
Is the Lord alone real and everything else is temporary?
Yes – the Lord is of the nature of Consciousness from which the world is created, in which the world exists and unto which the world vanishes during destruction. This clearly shows that the world is only an illusion and the Lord of the nature of Consciousness alone is real – it is this Lord who pulsates in each one of us as “I-exist, I-exist” at all times. This temporary nature of the world becomes clear if we take the analogy of dream – the dream world is always changing during dream. The dream world is created out of the dreamer, exists in the dreamer and merges unto the dreamer when the dreamer wakes up – thus the world is only an illusion in the dreamer – this means that the dreamer alone always exists, the world is temporary.
Thus the Lord alone is real and everything else is temporary. Since the world is temporary, it will only lead us to sorrow (as we saw earlier). In order for us to get eternal bliss, we have to concentrate on the real entity of Lord – as that alone can give us eternal bliss (since it is eternal).
Though we might contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord, yet the world still goes on. We will experience the world or the duality as long as we don’t realize our very nature of Lord and ever abide in it. Thus while experiencing the world, we have to get attached temporarily to objects. If we are not attached (even little) to the computer in front of us we will not be able to discuss Vedanta through Bhagavatham mails. Thus attachment is inevitable while living in the world. The solution to having attachment and yet ever contemplating on the Lord is detached-attachment. Detached-attachment means attachment in a detached way. This is that state wherein one minute we are attached but the very next minute we can walk out of the attachment – this is possible when externally we are attached whereas internally our mind is detached completely.
An incident in the life of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa brings this out clearly. Once Mathur Babu told his servant to tell one of the devotee (who had come to see Ramakrishna) to get out of the place. The servant thought he was tell to Ramakrishna. Thus the servant told Sri Ramakrishna to get out. Sri Ramakrishna without any expression change folded his mat and keeping it under his arms started walking from the place. Mathur Babu saw this and regretted; he came running and told Sri Ramakrishna to go inside. Sri Ramakrishna, again with no expression change, walked back into his room.
Sri Ramakrishna was able to leave everything in one minute and be attached in the very next minute. This is possible only if we are detached internally while displaying attachment externally. This is very much possible for any person as the various film actors do the same – they are externally displaying attachment in the film whereas internally they are totally detached to the character, people around etc. It is this state of being detached internally while acting externally that Vedanta calls saakshi bhaava or witness-hood.
Bhagavatham is here telling us through the Lord’s saakshi bhaava that we have to develop this witness-hood by having detached-attachment instead of mere attachment. Attachment will lead us to sorrow whereas detached-attachment will make our life blissful (even when the object is there with us and it is not there with us). It is this attitude due to which the Lord was able to be blissful at all times from his birth till his death.
We will continue with the story in the next day.
Let us all try to slowly develop this attitude of detached-attachment so that we are able to rejoice in bliss through realization of the Lord in us which alone can make our life fulfilled.
Yavana came across the Lord of the yadus ( Krishna) who had taken the full form of Vishnu and was like a full-risen moon. Yavana decided that this was the Narayana mentioned by Narada.
Explanation
Though this portion seems to be something which is not that important or that which doesn’t seem to have any deeper import, yet there is some deeper significance over here with respect to Yavana’s identification of the Lord.
The deeper significance is that even a person who had devilish tendencies will very easily be able to find the divine power wherever it is and whichever form it is. It is for this reason that many people go to Mahatmas though these Mahatmas are like any normal being (even simpler than normal humans). Examples of this are Sadguru Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (commonly known as AMMA) and Prof. Balakrishnan Nair. AMMA wears white sarees and though is known throughout the world yet speaks only her native language of Malayalam. The way AMMA gives discourses itself shows that she doesn’t prepare like any great speaker and her discourses are as if she is conversing with a close person in colloquial language. Prof. Balakrishnan Nair is now quite old – wears a normal white shirt and white dhothi. He walks, speaks like any normal person.
Though these saints (who are ever residing in Brahman) live like any other human being, yet any person can clearly find them out in between a flock. It is for this reason that many people come to AMMA and they don’t agree that AMMA is God – but they say “there is some power”J.
The Lord beautifully explains as to why these Mahatmas stand out in a crowd of similar people:
Kaamakrodhaviyukthaanaam yatheenam yathachethasaam
Abhitho brahma nirvaanam varthathe vidhitaaatmanaam
One who is devoid of attachment and aversion; and has known the Self, around such person bliss dances (brahma nirvaanam).
It is this bliss which is the very nature of these Mahatmas wherever they are and whatever they are doing that attracts us quite a lot. This is because we seek bliss and that bliss is present in these Mahatmas. Thus unknowingly we are attracted to these Mahatmas though we may not believe them completely (even not believing their words that everything is Lord alone).
It is but a pity that most of fail to apprehend the reason for bliss being the essence and dancing around these Mahatmas. If only we apprehend the reason, we will also be able to become like those Mahatmas ever being blissful – this state of always being blissful is the goal of life (our life will be fulfilled and complete only we get to this realized state of being blissful).
The bliss emanating from these Mahatmas is due to their ever residing in Brahman or the ultimate reality of Lord. They are ever aware of the truth that everything (the duality that is perceived) is only an illusion of names and forms in the Lord which means that the Lord alone exists here, one without a second. This is not that tough as we think it to be; it is as simple as just remembering this truth whatever happens in life. Even as a lover remembers his love whatever happens – whether he is in office, whether he is happy, whether he is sad, whether his parents don’t like his love etc. Irrespective of the situation or surrounding, the lover always remembers his/her love. This is something that most of us have experienced or can imagine. If we are able to develop this love towards the Lord, it is called devotion and this alone is knowledge as well as we are aware of the truth that everything is the Lord alone (as the essence or substratum of names-forms). This devotion/knowledge always in our mind alone is enough to take us to the state of being blissful always.
Thus Bhagavatham here is pointing out that even a being with devilish tendency can recognize the Lord (which means that devilish tendencies can never overpower the person whose mind resides in the Lord).
We will continue with the story in the next day.
Let us all try to slowly day-by-day implement this devotion/knowledge towards the Lord irrespective of whatever we are doing externally so that we may be able to always rejoice in bliss like the Mahatmas.
Story 50 – Story of Dwaraka Nirmaanam - 04
The Lord thought – very strong Yavana has surrounded us; Jarasandha will come today or tomorrow to attack;
The Lord after discussing with Balarama came to a conclusion; it is not easy to handle both Jarasandha and Yavana now; hence let us create a town which is very tough to reach by humans; let us take the people safely to the town and then we can slowly try to kill Yavana.
Explanation
There is a famous war rule – if the enemy is stronger than you, you should run away from the enemy and encounter him after gaining more strength.
This might seem to be a small statement but this has a deeper significance with respect to spiritual seekers. Running away from the enemy might seem to be cowardice but facing the enemy only will kill the person not even giving an opportunity to live. If a person is not living, then what is the point of trying out or planning things? The life that has been given to us is very precious as humans alone have the capability to discriminate between real and unreal; choose as to whether to do the right thing or the wrong thing. The very purpose of life is to realize one’s own nature of blissful Lord – this alone can end the search for bliss in our life; this verily fulfils life.
In order for a seeker to be able to fulfill his life, he needs to live. Thus it is appropriate to escape from enemies which symbolize the various obstacles and hurdles that he might face in the spiritual path. A person who is not used to overcoming liquor cannot sit in a liquor shop and meditate; he has to get away from the liquor shop and meditate in a proper environment. It is not possible for a person to stand under the hot sun and be unaffected by it – he has to initially practice being unaffected by sitting under the shades of a tree. But by gradual practice, it would be possible for the same person to meditate even in a liquor place – it would also be possible for a person to stand under the hot sun and remain the same as if he is under the shades of a tree. This is what we find in the lives of Mahatmas like AMMA and in the very life of Lord Krishna. Whether he was surrounded by the gopis or by Jarasandha; whether he was doing dharma of being the charioteer or Arjuna or doing the normal adharma of helping in killing Drona; he was always the same. It is this state of being unaffected to environment and ever being steadfast with the mind always maintaining equanimity that is the goal of life – but as we are seekers who are still far away from that goal, we have to stay away from troubles until we perfect the art of remaining unaffected even while encountering those troubles.
What Bhagavatham thereby is telling us here is that initial seekers should try to stay from troubles as much as possible and spend maximum time in contemplation of the Lord so that they don’t get diverted away from the path; instead they progress in the path towards the goal of realization (which is the ultimate goal of life – which is the bliss that we are seeking each and every moment of our life).
The Lord here knew that he couldn’t defeat Jarasandha and Yavana together along with protecting the people; hence he entered into thoughts as to what is the best way out of this trouble. There is nothing wrong in thinking about what to do in our life with respect to protecting our spiritual path. It is wrong if a person doesn’t think about his spiritual path and the state of bliss that he would have attained through spiritual sadhana and grace of Ishwara. Thus the Lord’s thinking about the best way to handle the situation is a message to seekers that it is very important that when required we should think a lot and then make the right decision that will help in the spiritual path towards realization.
Let us try to always be focused on the Lord with devotion and knowledge (that everything is the Lord alone) so that we are aware of the tough spiritual path yet don’t fall down from the path due to various obstacles and hurdles in the path.
Thus deciding (to create a new place and take all the people of Mathura safely to that place) the Lord created a place in the middle of ocean. It was built beautifully and as per Vaasthu shastra. Seeing the beauty, Indra gifted many things including the Kalpa Vriksha. Due to Krishna’s yogic power, all the people of Mathura were very quickly transported to the new place. After settling people in their respective houses, Krishna (without wielding any weapon) came out of Dwaraka and started walking away.
Explanation
We can ask a lot of questions while reading the puranas and the particular portions where the Lord demonstrates tremendous and impossible powers doing activities which are impossible in the current-day. There are yet others who get so deluded into these miraculous demonstrations that they start asking for various miraculous powers and materials to the Lord.
We have to remember always that neither of these people (those who doubt the statements of the puranas and those who get deluded into the miracles) are able to get eternal bliss which is what we are searching each and every moment of our life and which is the real purpose of life. This purpose of life can only be achieved when we realize that everything that exists (whether it is a miracle or not) is only an illusion of names-forms in the ultimate reality of Lord. The Lord alone exists here as the substratum of the illusory names and forms. Only a person who remembers this reality always will be able to get eternal bliss. Gaining eternal bliss or moksha is not tough at all for a seeker – it is as simple as remembering that the Lord alone exists (who is our very nature of Consciousness).
A person who doesn’t remember this reality will never be able to get rid of sorrows and rejoice in bliss even if he seeks Mahatmas like AMMA. Realization is possible only through constant contemplation of the ultimate reality of Lord remembering that the Lord alone exists and everything else is only an illusion of names-forms in the Lord. Even as various gold ornaments are mere names and forms in gold – an ignorant person might get deluded into the various names and forms whereas a gold-smith pierces through the names-forms and perceives only gold. Thus the gold-smith is not deluded and doesn’t suffer with the various gold ornaments whereas we get deluded by thinking that one gold ornament is better than the other thereby getting into the dual notions of happiness and sorrow. Similarly only a person who always remembers that the Lord alone exists and his very nature is that of Lord will be able to overcome the dual notions of happiness-sorrow thereby ever rejoicing in bliss.
People who doubt the statements of the puranas about miraculous incidents in fact forget the real essence of these statements which is that anything is possible in the world as the world itself is an illusion. Even as there are no rules in dream, similarly this world also doesn’t have any rules for the owner of this world (similar to the dreamer who dreams) who is the ultimate reality of Lord. The various avataras and Mahatmas are one with the Lord and hence they are able to demonstrate miraculous powers. The greatest miracle is that though the world is not real, yet we consider the world to be real so much that we argue at lengths about the unreality of the world. Another great miracle is that though we all are in essence the ultimate reality of Lord, we forget this – thus though we are blissful in nature, we ever are sad with respect to one thing or the other.
When we encounter such miraculous incidents, we should remember that those are only ways in which the puranas try to gain our devotion towards the Lord – that is the only purpose of mentioning these miraculous incidents. If we are able to gain devotion to the Lord by knowing that everything that is seen is only an illusion in Consciousness (which is the indwelling Lord in all beings), then we don’t need any miracles – such a seeker alone will be able to always focus on the Lord and realize the Lord in this very birth itself.
We will continue with the story in the next day.
Let us all try to always remember that we should never get deluded into miracles but always should remember the ultimate reality of Lord as the only reality behind the illusory names and forms that we are constantly perceiving.
The Lord after discussing with Balarama came to a conclusion; it is not easy to handle both Jarasandha and Yavana now; hence let us create a town which is very tough to reach by humans; let us take the people safely to the town and then we can slowly try to kill Yavana.
Explanation
There is a famous war rule – if the enemy is stronger than you, you should run away from the enemy and encounter him after gaining more strength.
This might seem to be a small statement but this has a deeper significance with respect to spiritual seekers. Running away from the enemy might seem to be cowardice but facing the enemy only will kill the person not even giving an opportunity to live. If a person is not living, then what is the point of trying out or planning things? The life that has been given to us is very precious as humans alone have the capability to discriminate between real and unreal; choose as to whether to do the right thing or the wrong thing. The very purpose of life is to realize one’s own nature of blissful Lord – this alone can end the search for bliss in our life; this verily fulfils life.
In order for a seeker to be able to fulfill his life, he needs to live. Thus it is appropriate to escape from enemies which symbolize the various obstacles and hurdles that he might face in the spiritual path. A person who is not used to overcoming liquor cannot sit in a liquor shop and meditate; he has to get away from the liquor shop and meditate in a proper environment. It is not possible for a person to stand under the hot sun and be unaffected by it – he has to initially practice being unaffected by sitting under the shades of a tree. But by gradual practice, it would be possible for the same person to meditate even in a liquor place – it would also be possible for a person to stand under the hot sun and remain the same as if he is under the shades of a tree. This is what we find in the lives of Mahatmas like AMMA and in the very life of Lord Krishna. Whether he was surrounded by the gopis or by Jarasandha; whether he was doing dharma of being the charioteer or Arjuna or doing the normal adharma of helping in killing Drona; he was always the same. It is this state of being unaffected to environment and ever being steadfast with the mind always maintaining equanimity that is the goal of life – but as we are seekers who are still far away from that goal, we have to stay away from troubles until we perfect the art of remaining unaffected even while encountering those troubles.
What Bhagavatham thereby is telling us here is that initial seekers should try to stay from troubles as much as possible and spend maximum time in contemplation of the Lord so that they don’t get diverted away from the path; instead they progress in the path towards the goal of realization (which is the ultimate goal of life – which is the bliss that we are seeking each and every moment of our life).
The Lord here knew that he couldn’t defeat Jarasandha and Yavana together along with protecting the people; hence he entered into thoughts as to what is the best way out of this trouble. There is nothing wrong in thinking about what to do in our life with respect to protecting our spiritual path. It is wrong if a person doesn’t think about his spiritual path and the state of bliss that he would have attained through spiritual sadhana and grace of Ishwara. Thus the Lord’s thinking about the best way to handle the situation is a message to seekers that it is very important that when required we should think a lot and then make the right decision that will help in the spiritual path towards realization.
Let us try to always be focused on the Lord with devotion and knowledge (that everything is the Lord alone) so that we are aware of the tough spiritual path yet don’t fall down from the path due to various obstacles and hurdles in the path.
Thus deciding (to create a new place and take all the people of Mathura safely to that place) the Lord created a place in the middle of ocean. It was built beautifully and as per Vaasthu shastra. Seeing the beauty, Indra gifted many things including the Kalpa Vriksha. Due to Krishna’s yogic power, all the people of Mathura were very quickly transported to the new place. After settling people in their respective houses, Krishna (without wielding any weapon) came out of Dwaraka and started walking away.
Explanation
We can ask a lot of questions while reading the puranas and the particular portions where the Lord demonstrates tremendous and impossible powers doing activities which are impossible in the current-day. There are yet others who get so deluded into these miraculous demonstrations that they start asking for various miraculous powers and materials to the Lord.
We have to remember always that neither of these people (those who doubt the statements of the puranas and those who get deluded into the miracles) are able to get eternal bliss which is what we are searching each and every moment of our life and which is the real purpose of life. This purpose of life can only be achieved when we realize that everything that exists (whether it is a miracle or not) is only an illusion of names-forms in the ultimate reality of Lord. The Lord alone exists here as the substratum of the illusory names and forms. Only a person who remembers this reality always will be able to get eternal bliss. Gaining eternal bliss or moksha is not tough at all for a seeker – it is as simple as remembering that the Lord alone exists (who is our very nature of Consciousness).
A person who doesn’t remember this reality will never be able to get rid of sorrows and rejoice in bliss even if he seeks Mahatmas like AMMA. Realization is possible only through constant contemplation of the ultimate reality of Lord remembering that the Lord alone exists and everything else is only an illusion of names-forms in the Lord. Even as various gold ornaments are mere names and forms in gold – an ignorant person might get deluded into the various names and forms whereas a gold-smith pierces through the names-forms and perceives only gold. Thus the gold-smith is not deluded and doesn’t suffer with the various gold ornaments whereas we get deluded by thinking that one gold ornament is better than the other thereby getting into the dual notions of happiness and sorrow. Similarly only a person who always remembers that the Lord alone exists and his very nature is that of Lord will be able to overcome the dual notions of happiness-sorrow thereby ever rejoicing in bliss.
People who doubt the statements of the puranas about miraculous incidents in fact forget the real essence of these statements which is that anything is possible in the world as the world itself is an illusion. Even as there are no rules in dream, similarly this world also doesn’t have any rules for the owner of this world (similar to the dreamer who dreams) who is the ultimate reality of Lord. The various avataras and Mahatmas are one with the Lord and hence they are able to demonstrate miraculous powers. The greatest miracle is that though the world is not real, yet we consider the world to be real so much that we argue at lengths about the unreality of the world. Another great miracle is that though we all are in essence the ultimate reality of Lord, we forget this – thus though we are blissful in nature, we ever are sad with respect to one thing or the other.
When we encounter such miraculous incidents, we should remember that those are only ways in which the puranas try to gain our devotion towards the Lord – that is the only purpose of mentioning these miraculous incidents. If we are able to gain devotion to the Lord by knowing that everything that is seen is only an illusion in Consciousness (which is the indwelling Lord in all beings), then we don’t need any miracles – such a seeker alone will be able to always focus on the Lord and realize the Lord in this very birth itself.
We will continue with the story in the next day.
Let us all try to always remember that we should never get deluded into miracles but always should remember the ultimate reality of Lord as the only reality behind the illusory names and forms that we are constantly perceiving.
Story 50 – Story of Dwaraka Nirmaanam - 03
Ashamed of his defeat, Jarasandha went back to his kingdom. But he didn’t give up. In total he fought with the yadus for 17 times with the result being defeat each time.
Explanation
We find in Magadha King Jarasandha a very good quality if it is directed towards the right goal – this quality is DETERMINATION which is the WILL to seek the goal whatever happens. We have heard about this quality many times in the form of “try until you succeed”.
There is a beautiful incident in the life of Ramanujacharya which illustrates this quality of determination. Ramanuja wanted to get the sacred narayana mantra – but it should be got from an ideal person and only then will it be powerful. Ramanuja therefore sort Nambi for the mantra. Nambi refused. Ramanuja didn’t give up and asked again. Nambi refused again. This continued for sometime that even the Lord started asking Nambi as to why he is not giving the mantra to which Nambi replied that he should get convinced whether the seeker is really worthy. Ramanuja had to ask 18 times in order to get the mantra. Finally he got the mantra. If Ramanuja would have given up the 2nd or 3rd time, he would not have been able to serve the world by spreading the powerful narayana mantra.
We need to have strong will and faith in order to proceed in the spiritual path. The goal of Brahman or Lord of the nature of bliss isn’t something that easy to achieve. Though it is our very nature of Self, still it isn’t to achieve as we have been accumulating desires, vasanas, ego over many births. It therefore requires quite a lot of time and effort to remove all these. Moreover unlike external hurdles, we also will have to face the internal demons like kama, krodha etc. As if this wasn’t enough, the Ego (as Ramana Maharshi beautifully points out) comes to us in the guise of a friend when in fact it is leading us away from our nature of bliss and deluding us into sorrows. It is very easy to stay away from an enemy but it is very tough to stay away from a friend since we are not used to saying NO and we are so dependent – and cause we fear of being left alone in the world.
Though we are like drowning in the ocean of samsara, we strive to help others in the hope of saving other drowning people. There might be times when everything would go against us – during those hard times, we might falter and get away from the Lord. If this shouldn’t happen, then we need to have the strong conviction about the goal we seek – that this goal alone is eternal and blissful; everything else is only an illusion of names and forms thereby will lead us only to sorrow and sorrow alone. If we are able to remember this at all times, then we will develop the determination to proceed in the spiritual path whatever happens. Only this determination will finally grant us the fruit of bliss.
But instead of focusing on the Lord, if we focus on the wrong object with determination it will only lead to our destruction which is shown here through Jarasandha’s continuous defeat at the hands of Krishna.
Let us try to always be determined to attain the goal of eternal bliss by always focusing on the ultimate reality of Lord remembering that everything is but an illusion of names and forms in the Lord.
18th time Jarasandha decided to fight with Rama-Krishna again. At that time by due to Narada’s instigation a yavana surrounded Mithila with many mlecchaas. Seeing this the Lord started to think and worry.
Explanation
There are times when even the Lord starts to think and worry. How is this possible? Is this really possible as the Lord is ever realized?
It is for making us remember and understand that the spiritual path is not an easy one that Bhagavatham is here telling about the Lord entering into thoughts. This shows that even a person who is well advanced in the spiritual path might enter into worries. As long as a person is not realized, he can anytime fall down from the spiritual path. One wrong step and such a person will fall down till the lowest step. Nochur Venkatraman beautifully compares this with “kandukam iva pathathi” or falling down like a ball. We are standing on the 100th step with a ball in our hand. We put the ball down into the 99th step. We might think that this is just a small fall but with each and every fall, the ball gains more momentum. Gaining more and more momentum the ball comes and stops only at the 0th or 1st step. This is how tough the spiritual path – one small mistake can take a person right down to the very first step. In spiritual path, the first step denotes a state of total ignorance and living life like an animal (just doing eating, drinking, mating, sleeping); without using our intellect to discriminate real and unreal.
Thus any mistake however small or big is not be taken lightly. This also doesn’t mean that a seeker should always brood over his mistake. AMMA says that past is a cancelled check – we shouldn’t brood over it; we should just learn the mistake so that we don’t commit the same mistake again in the future.
Krishna while explaining to Arjuna as to how to control the mind says:
Yatho yatho nischarathi manah chanchalam asthiram
Tathastatho niyamya etat atmani eva vasham nayet
Whenever the unstable and unsteady mind runs here and there, bring it forcefully back again to the Self.
Instead of brooding over the past mistakes, we should learn from the mistake while leading it again to the truth so that we are always in the spiritual path. As long as we are in the spiritual path it doesn’t matter whether we are ahead in the path or just beginners. This is like two people who went away from the house – then forgetting their house; then they started walking towards the house; one person walked just few miles away from the house and hence he is closer to the house than the other person who walked many thousands of miles. Both of them are walking towards the house – which is what is important.
Thus Bhagavatham here is warning us that we should never be egoistic about our progress; we should always be humble and be devoted to the Lord so that we don’t enter into worries thereby making us fall down till the 1st step.
The Lord is not really worried here but Bhagavatham wants to show us as to how tough the spiritual path. The Lord is just playing his part very well – the part/role requires him to worry and which is what the Lord is doing. We will also see the next day as to why the Lord entered into thoughts.
Let us try to always be focused on the Lord with devotion and knowledge (that everything is the Lord alone) so that we are aware of the tough spiritual path yet don’t fall down from the path due to various obstacles and hurdles in the path.
Explanation
We find in Magadha King Jarasandha a very good quality if it is directed towards the right goal – this quality is DETERMINATION which is the WILL to seek the goal whatever happens. We have heard about this quality many times in the form of “try until you succeed”.
There is a beautiful incident in the life of Ramanujacharya which illustrates this quality of determination. Ramanuja wanted to get the sacred narayana mantra – but it should be got from an ideal person and only then will it be powerful. Ramanuja therefore sort Nambi for the mantra. Nambi refused. Ramanuja didn’t give up and asked again. Nambi refused again. This continued for sometime that even the Lord started asking Nambi as to why he is not giving the mantra to which Nambi replied that he should get convinced whether the seeker is really worthy. Ramanuja had to ask 18 times in order to get the mantra. Finally he got the mantra. If Ramanuja would have given up the 2nd or 3rd time, he would not have been able to serve the world by spreading the powerful narayana mantra.
We need to have strong will and faith in order to proceed in the spiritual path. The goal of Brahman or Lord of the nature of bliss isn’t something that easy to achieve. Though it is our very nature of Self, still it isn’t to achieve as we have been accumulating desires, vasanas, ego over many births. It therefore requires quite a lot of time and effort to remove all these. Moreover unlike external hurdles, we also will have to face the internal demons like kama, krodha etc. As if this wasn’t enough, the Ego (as Ramana Maharshi beautifully points out) comes to us in the guise of a friend when in fact it is leading us away from our nature of bliss and deluding us into sorrows. It is very easy to stay away from an enemy but it is very tough to stay away from a friend since we are not used to saying NO and we are so dependent – and cause we fear of being left alone in the world.
Though we are like drowning in the ocean of samsara, we strive to help others in the hope of saving other drowning people. There might be times when everything would go against us – during those hard times, we might falter and get away from the Lord. If this shouldn’t happen, then we need to have the strong conviction about the goal we seek – that this goal alone is eternal and blissful; everything else is only an illusion of names and forms thereby will lead us only to sorrow and sorrow alone. If we are able to remember this at all times, then we will develop the determination to proceed in the spiritual path whatever happens. Only this determination will finally grant us the fruit of bliss.
But instead of focusing on the Lord, if we focus on the wrong object with determination it will only lead to our destruction which is shown here through Jarasandha’s continuous defeat at the hands of Krishna.
Let us try to always be determined to attain the goal of eternal bliss by always focusing on the ultimate reality of Lord remembering that everything is but an illusion of names and forms in the Lord.
18th time Jarasandha decided to fight with Rama-Krishna again. At that time by due to Narada’s instigation a yavana surrounded Mithila with many mlecchaas. Seeing this the Lord started to think and worry.
Explanation
There are times when even the Lord starts to think and worry. How is this possible? Is this really possible as the Lord is ever realized?
It is for making us remember and understand that the spiritual path is not an easy one that Bhagavatham is here telling about the Lord entering into thoughts. This shows that even a person who is well advanced in the spiritual path might enter into worries. As long as a person is not realized, he can anytime fall down from the spiritual path. One wrong step and such a person will fall down till the lowest step. Nochur Venkatraman beautifully compares this with “kandukam iva pathathi” or falling down like a ball. We are standing on the 100th step with a ball in our hand. We put the ball down into the 99th step. We might think that this is just a small fall but with each and every fall, the ball gains more momentum. Gaining more and more momentum the ball comes and stops only at the 0th or 1st step. This is how tough the spiritual path – one small mistake can take a person right down to the very first step. In spiritual path, the first step denotes a state of total ignorance and living life like an animal (just doing eating, drinking, mating, sleeping); without using our intellect to discriminate real and unreal.
Thus any mistake however small or big is not be taken lightly. This also doesn’t mean that a seeker should always brood over his mistake. AMMA says that past is a cancelled check – we shouldn’t brood over it; we should just learn the mistake so that we don’t commit the same mistake again in the future.
Krishna while explaining to Arjuna as to how to control the mind says:
Yatho yatho nischarathi manah chanchalam asthiram
Tathastatho niyamya etat atmani eva vasham nayet
Whenever the unstable and unsteady mind runs here and there, bring it forcefully back again to the Self.
Instead of brooding over the past mistakes, we should learn from the mistake while leading it again to the truth so that we are always in the spiritual path. As long as we are in the spiritual path it doesn’t matter whether we are ahead in the path or just beginners. This is like two people who went away from the house – then forgetting their house; then they started walking towards the house; one person walked just few miles away from the house and hence he is closer to the house than the other person who walked many thousands of miles. Both of them are walking towards the house – which is what is important.
Thus Bhagavatham here is warning us that we should never be egoistic about our progress; we should always be humble and be devoted to the Lord so that we don’t enter into worries thereby making us fall down till the 1st step.
The Lord is not really worried here but Bhagavatham wants to show us as to how tough the spiritual path. The Lord is just playing his part very well – the part/role requires him to worry and which is what the Lord is doing. We will also see the next day as to why the Lord entered into thoughts.
Let us try to always be focused on the Lord with devotion and knowledge (that everything is the Lord alone) so that we are aware of the tough spiritual path yet don’t fall down from the path due to various obstacles and hurdles in the path.
Story 50 – Story of Dwaraka Nirmaanam - 02
Let us today try to again analyze on attachment and aversion (raga-dvesha). This is one of the very vital analysis as understanding of this can directly take us to state of eternal bliss.
The Lord speaks about attaining of prasadam with respect to raga-dvesha thus:
Raga dvesha viyukthaisthu vishayaan indriyaaih charan
Aatma vashyair vidheyaatma prasaadam adhigacchathi
One who uses his sense organ without any attachment and aversion to the sense objects perceived by the senses, such a person is always focused on the Self; as a result of focusing on the Self devoid of attachment-aversion, he attains Prasadam.
Is the prasadam some sweet or payasam?
The Lord says that this is the greatest of all prasadams.
Prasaade sarva dukhaanaam haanih asya upajaayathe
This prasada leads to complete cessation of sorrow.
It is this prasada to complete cessation of sorrow thereby rejoicing in bliss that we all are seeking. Irrespective of wherever we are, whoever we are and whatever we are doing we are all seeking eternal bliss – happiness that is ever-lasting and untainted by sorrow. If we need to get this bliss which is our own very nature of Lord, we have to get rid of raga-dvesha. Raga-dvesha is caused out of not knowing the entire world to be one reality of Brahman; not knowing that the duality we perceive is only an illusion of names and forms in the ultimate reality of Lord; it is not that easy to get rid of duality directly but it is very easy to get rid of raga-dvesha in our mind. The way to do this is to see oneness everywhere – to know that the entire world is an illusion of names-forms in the Lord which means that the world is the Lord thereby seeing the Lord as pervading the entire world.
Though it is vision of the ultimate truth that we are having (while seeing everything as pervaded by the Lord), still a sadhaka has to do the same with effort. Once a sadhaka progresses, he will find that it becomes natural and effortless – it is this state of natural and effortless remembrance of the entire world to be pervaded by Ishwara that Vedanta terms as moksha.
Some people get afraid of the term moksha – moksha is nothing but anandam or bliss. A state wherein we are blissful irrespective of external surroundings, environment etc. is the state of moksha. This state is untainted by sorrow as there are no raga-dvesha in it. Though a jeevan muktha might appear to get attached or averted to things externally, internally he will ever be rejoicing in bliss.
Sankara beautifully explains this in Bhaja Govindam as
Yoga ratho vaa bhoga ratho vaa
Sanga ratho vaa sangaviheenah
Yasya brahmani ramathe chittam
Nandathi nandathi nandathi eva
Whether doing yoga; or doing bhoga;
Whether getting attached; or totally detached;
One whose mind is ever residing in Brahman,
Such a person rejoices, rejoices and verily rejoices.
Thus through the example of Jarasandha, Bhagavatham is telling us to get rid of our raga-dvesha in the mind all the while externally playing the role that we have got in the world to perfection (getting attached, angry etc.) so that we may not enter into troubles that Jarasandha got into and will be ever blissful.
Let us all try to always see the world as an illusion of names-forms in the non-dual reality of Lord so that we are never tainted by the dual notions of happiness-sorrow and remain ever absorbed in the bliss of the Lord.
There will be no Bhagavatham mails until 9th June as am out of town meeting AMMA.
When Jarasandha was ready to attack Mathura, divine chariots came down from heaven in order for Rama and Krishna to fight Jarasandha. Rama and Krishna got into the chariots. They had a small army and encountered Jarasandha. Jarasandha’s entire army was destroyed completely. Rama pounced ready to kill Jarasandha. But Krishna stopped him as he knew that there were many more asuric tendencies that needed to come out of Jarasandha later. Therefore Jarasandha was not killed but left alive & free.
Explanation
We learn a couple of very important concepts in this part of the story. First is that help is available wherever the Lord or his name is being spoken (wherever the Lord is remembered). Second is that the world is a divine play of the Lord (lila) – it is very strange, cannot be judged by the intellect and is always mysterious.
Wherever the Lord is present or his remembrance is there, that place is a heaven – all Gods will be waiting to serve such a place. It is for this reason that it is said that wherever Ramayana is chanted there will Hanuman present there; and wherever Bhagavatham is discussed, Shuka will be present along with other sages & Gods.
Why is that wherever the Lord is present, all protection will be there?
This is because the Lord controls his power of Maya – that divine power which is responsible for the entire world (and control of the world). Even as the magical power or display of the magician is under the control of the magician, similarly the power of Maya is under the control of the Lord. If we gain control over the magician, we can control the magical display; similarly if we gain control over Maya, we can control the entire world.
Then will this not lead to a devotee controlling the entire world?
No, because the devotee knows that the Lord (who controls Maya) is blissful and more powerful than his power. We rarely seek talents as talents are insentient – therefore we seek people with talents. It is the people who is important and not their talents. When we gain control over magical power, it is of no avail as the magician might display new powers; but if we gain control over the magician, then all magical powers that might come out of the magician is controlled. A wise person will therefore seek the owner of the magical power and not control over the magical power. Moreover a devotee knows that the power of Maya is as illusory as the magical power of the magician or the dream world displayed by the dreamer’s innate tendencies; he also knows that the Lord is eternal and constant remembrance of the Lord will grant him eternal bliss (that which is being sought by each one of us every moment of our lives).
Therefore a devotee will not control the world but enslave the Lord through devotion. When the Lord enslaved, the devotee will ever be blissful. This is the reason why Meera drank nectar happily as everything is blissful once we realize the Lord and that the entire world is only an illusion of names and forms in the reality of Lord even as the dream world is an illusion in the dreamer. But the Lord since he has been enslaved by the devotee will always protect the devotee in the illusory world. The devotee doesn’t seek this protection as the devotee is always immersed in thought of the Lord and ever blissful – but still at the empirical plane, the devotee will always be protected by the Lord.
It is in order to drive this point that Bhagavatham shows here that the Lord is being protected and served by various Gods. This only denotes that wherever there is thought of the Lord and sincere devotion (real devotion is when the devotee always thinks about the Lord as the substratum of the illusory names and forms seen as the world), there will always be protection.
Brahma Sutra characterizes the world as “lokavattu tat leela kaivalyam” – that the world is a divine play of the Lord. We cannot figure out as to why this play, how this play etc. What we can do is surrender completely to the Lord by remembering that everything is but an illusion of names and forms in the Lord thereby enjoying the divine play like a witness enjoying a movie/drama/film. The world or the divine play of the Lord cannot be grasped by logic as it is like the dream world. But the Lord pervades his divine play – it is this fact that we should always remember while being in the world whether we experience good things or bad things. If we are able to remember that the entire world is just a strange, divine and illusory play of the Lord, we will never again be deluded into sorrows and our life will be filled with bliss each and every moment. This is the goal of moksha – that eternal blissful goal which we are seeking ardently here and there every moment of our life.
We will continue with as to how the Lord continues his divine play (all the while constantly remembering that the entire world is only an illusion of names and forms in the reality of Lord).
Let us all try to always see the world as an illusion of names-forms in the non-dual reality of Lord so that we are never tainted by the dual notions of happiness-sorrow and remain ever absorbed in the bliss of the Lord.
The Lord speaks about attaining of prasadam with respect to raga-dvesha thus:
Raga dvesha viyukthaisthu vishayaan indriyaaih charan
Aatma vashyair vidheyaatma prasaadam adhigacchathi
One who uses his sense organ without any attachment and aversion to the sense objects perceived by the senses, such a person is always focused on the Self; as a result of focusing on the Self devoid of attachment-aversion, he attains Prasadam.
Is the prasadam some sweet or payasam?
The Lord says that this is the greatest of all prasadams.
Prasaade sarva dukhaanaam haanih asya upajaayathe
This prasada leads to complete cessation of sorrow.
It is this prasada to complete cessation of sorrow thereby rejoicing in bliss that we all are seeking. Irrespective of wherever we are, whoever we are and whatever we are doing we are all seeking eternal bliss – happiness that is ever-lasting and untainted by sorrow. If we need to get this bliss which is our own very nature of Lord, we have to get rid of raga-dvesha. Raga-dvesha is caused out of not knowing the entire world to be one reality of Brahman; not knowing that the duality we perceive is only an illusion of names and forms in the ultimate reality of Lord; it is not that easy to get rid of duality directly but it is very easy to get rid of raga-dvesha in our mind. The way to do this is to see oneness everywhere – to know that the entire world is an illusion of names-forms in the Lord which means that the world is the Lord thereby seeing the Lord as pervading the entire world.
Though it is vision of the ultimate truth that we are having (while seeing everything as pervaded by the Lord), still a sadhaka has to do the same with effort. Once a sadhaka progresses, he will find that it becomes natural and effortless – it is this state of natural and effortless remembrance of the entire world to be pervaded by Ishwara that Vedanta terms as moksha.
Some people get afraid of the term moksha – moksha is nothing but anandam or bliss. A state wherein we are blissful irrespective of external surroundings, environment etc. is the state of moksha. This state is untainted by sorrow as there are no raga-dvesha in it. Though a jeevan muktha might appear to get attached or averted to things externally, internally he will ever be rejoicing in bliss.
Sankara beautifully explains this in Bhaja Govindam as
Yoga ratho vaa bhoga ratho vaa
Sanga ratho vaa sangaviheenah
Yasya brahmani ramathe chittam
Nandathi nandathi nandathi eva
Whether doing yoga; or doing bhoga;
Whether getting attached; or totally detached;
One whose mind is ever residing in Brahman,
Such a person rejoices, rejoices and verily rejoices.
Thus through the example of Jarasandha, Bhagavatham is telling us to get rid of our raga-dvesha in the mind all the while externally playing the role that we have got in the world to perfection (getting attached, angry etc.) so that we may not enter into troubles that Jarasandha got into and will be ever blissful.
Let us all try to always see the world as an illusion of names-forms in the non-dual reality of Lord so that we are never tainted by the dual notions of happiness-sorrow and remain ever absorbed in the bliss of the Lord.
There will be no Bhagavatham mails until 9th June as am out of town meeting AMMA.
When Jarasandha was ready to attack Mathura, divine chariots came down from heaven in order for Rama and Krishna to fight Jarasandha. Rama and Krishna got into the chariots. They had a small army and encountered Jarasandha. Jarasandha’s entire army was destroyed completely. Rama pounced ready to kill Jarasandha. But Krishna stopped him as he knew that there were many more asuric tendencies that needed to come out of Jarasandha later. Therefore Jarasandha was not killed but left alive & free.
Explanation
We learn a couple of very important concepts in this part of the story. First is that help is available wherever the Lord or his name is being spoken (wherever the Lord is remembered). Second is that the world is a divine play of the Lord (lila) – it is very strange, cannot be judged by the intellect and is always mysterious.
Wherever the Lord is present or his remembrance is there, that place is a heaven – all Gods will be waiting to serve such a place. It is for this reason that it is said that wherever Ramayana is chanted there will Hanuman present there; and wherever Bhagavatham is discussed, Shuka will be present along with other sages & Gods.
Why is that wherever the Lord is present, all protection will be there?
This is because the Lord controls his power of Maya – that divine power which is responsible for the entire world (and control of the world). Even as the magical power or display of the magician is under the control of the magician, similarly the power of Maya is under the control of the Lord. If we gain control over the magician, we can control the magical display; similarly if we gain control over Maya, we can control the entire world.
Then will this not lead to a devotee controlling the entire world?
No, because the devotee knows that the Lord (who controls Maya) is blissful and more powerful than his power. We rarely seek talents as talents are insentient – therefore we seek people with talents. It is the people who is important and not their talents. When we gain control over magical power, it is of no avail as the magician might display new powers; but if we gain control over the magician, then all magical powers that might come out of the magician is controlled. A wise person will therefore seek the owner of the magical power and not control over the magical power. Moreover a devotee knows that the power of Maya is as illusory as the magical power of the magician or the dream world displayed by the dreamer’s innate tendencies; he also knows that the Lord is eternal and constant remembrance of the Lord will grant him eternal bliss (that which is being sought by each one of us every moment of our lives).
Therefore a devotee will not control the world but enslave the Lord through devotion. When the Lord enslaved, the devotee will ever be blissful. This is the reason why Meera drank nectar happily as everything is blissful once we realize the Lord and that the entire world is only an illusion of names and forms in the reality of Lord even as the dream world is an illusion in the dreamer. But the Lord since he has been enslaved by the devotee will always protect the devotee in the illusory world. The devotee doesn’t seek this protection as the devotee is always immersed in thought of the Lord and ever blissful – but still at the empirical plane, the devotee will always be protected by the Lord.
It is in order to drive this point that Bhagavatham shows here that the Lord is being protected and served by various Gods. This only denotes that wherever there is thought of the Lord and sincere devotion (real devotion is when the devotee always thinks about the Lord as the substratum of the illusory names and forms seen as the world), there will always be protection.
Brahma Sutra characterizes the world as “lokavattu tat leela kaivalyam” – that the world is a divine play of the Lord. We cannot figure out as to why this play, how this play etc. What we can do is surrender completely to the Lord by remembering that everything is but an illusion of names and forms in the Lord thereby enjoying the divine play like a witness enjoying a movie/drama/film. The world or the divine play of the Lord cannot be grasped by logic as it is like the dream world. But the Lord pervades his divine play – it is this fact that we should always remember while being in the world whether we experience good things or bad things. If we are able to remember that the entire world is just a strange, divine and illusory play of the Lord, we will never again be deluded into sorrows and our life will be filled with bliss each and every moment. This is the goal of moksha – that eternal blissful goal which we are seeking ardently here and there every moment of our life.
We will continue with as to how the Lord continues his divine play (all the while constantly remembering that the entire world is only an illusion of names and forms in the reality of Lord).
Let us all try to always see the world as an illusion of names-forms in the non-dual reality of Lord so that we are never tainted by the dual notions of happiness-sorrow and remain ever absorbed in the bliss of the Lord.
Story 50 – Story of Dwaraka Nirmaanam - 01
Introduction:
Once again before we start the next story of Srimad Bhagavatham today, let us remind ourselves to always remember that the import of all these stories is the non-dual reality of Consciousness who we term as “Lord” or “Ishwara” or “Bhagavan”. As we discussed in the previous day, it is very important to remember this import of Lord as anything apart from the Lord is but an illusion in the Lord – all illusions can lead us to only sorrow. But if we associate the Lord with all illusions (while experiencing the illusions), then it will lead us to a state of bliss (which Vedanta calls moksha).
This is the one recipe that the Lord gives in Gita in order for us to taste the bliss of Self thus:
Yat karoshi yad ashnaasi yat juhoshi dadaasi yat
Yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kurushva madarpanam
Whatever you do; whatever you eat; whatever you offer to yajna; whatever you give to others; whatever austerities you do – do it as an offering unto me.
This is as simple of remembering that everything is but an illusion of names-forms in the reality of Lord and thereby offering everything unto him. Offering doesn’t necessarily mean offering but it is also enough to just remember the Lord and his nature of being the substratum of the illusory world.
The purpose of Lord’s avataras has been mentioned in Gita as 3:
Parithraanaaya saadhoonaam vinaashaaya cha dushkrithaam
Dharma samsthaapanaarthaaya Sambhavaami yuge yuge
1. To protect the good people
2. To destroy the bad people
3. To uplift Dharma
It is interesting to note that these three purposes are not for the external world but it denotes the purposes of the Lord and his thought in the life of spiritual seeker. A seeker is one who has the desire to realize, is not able to maintain good thoughts always in his mind and has bad thoughts.
Dharma means that which protects or upholds us – it is the Lord who upholds everything as everything is an illusion in the Lord. Thus uplifting dharma means realizing our own nature of all-pervasive Lord. Protecting good people means maintaining good thoughts which will lead us more towards dharma (realization). Destroying bad people means removal of bad thoughts which will take us away from dharma. Thus the thought of the Lord while doing all actions will help us in realization or dharma.
Thus the Lord’s avatara is not just for the external world but it is really for the seekers like us who want to get eternal bliss but are struggling to keep up with the spiritual path. The Lord’s avatara is not in dwaraka but it is in the heart of the seeker – when the Lord falls down (avatara means falling down from formless state to form state) from the state of Consciousness to the state of mind (Ego), then the very presence of the Lord fulfills the three purposes that will purify our Ego thereby making us realize our own nature of Consciousness (Lord).
All these stories of Bhagavatham praising Lord Krishna in fact show us that the thought of the Lord in our mind constantly will help us make our life fruitful by realizing the Lord and rejoicing in bliss.
In order for the avatara to fulfill its purposes, dharma should be degrading (people don’t seek realization), bad people prospering as well as attacking good people and good people not being able to keep up with the spiritual path. All these are beautifully depicted in the life of Lord Krishna wherein the Lord fulfilled all these purposes to perfection (which we will see in the next coming days).
We will start the story from the next day.
Let us remember that the dharma of life is to realize the non-dual reality of blissful Lord as the substratum of the illusory names and forms (collectively termed as world) so that we may be able to ever rejoice in bliss.
After Kamsa’s killing, his wives asthi and praapthi went to their father Jarasandha and informed him of everything. Magadha king Jarasandha took a vow to kill entire yadukula and thereby started with a huge army towards Mathura.
Explanation
All the troubles including sorrows that a person experiences in the world is due to the dual notions of raga-dvesha. Raga is getting overly attached to something and dvesha is getting averted to something. Raga-dvesha in turn lead us to sukha-dukha. When the person we are attached to suffers, we become sad & when the person is rejoicing, we become happy. Similar with a person we hate – when the person becomes happy, we become sad & when the person becomes sad, we become happy. Thus a person who has raga-dvesha will be deluded into sukha-dukha depending on the situation. It is sukha-dukha that makes life miserable.
Therefore if we need to get rid of sorrows in life, we need to get rid of raga-dvesha. Raga-dvesha in itself is due to likes and dislikes. We get attached to someone we like and we get averted to someone we dislike. Likes-dislikes are caused out of viewing things in the world as different from one another.
Even as the dream world is but an illusion of different names-forms in the dreamer, similarly the waking world is also an illusion in the reality of Lord (of the nature of Consciousness). As long as we perceive the dream world, it will appear to be real – but the moment we wake up, we will realize that there never was any dream world at all. Similarly as long as we perceive the waking world, it will appear to be real but in fact it is as unreal as the dream world. Existence or perception of the world doesn’t cause sorrows – it is considering the world to be composed of different objects which causes sorrows.
While we are waking in the desert, we see water. We go near and find that there is no water at all. Again we see water and walk towards it. If we are aware of the truth that there is no water at all in desert, we will not be affected by the outcome of the action of “walking towards the water”. We may still perceive water (though we know that there is no water at all) and may walk towards it along with the rest of the world but the knowledge and conviction that there is no water means that once we find that there is no water, we will not be sad as we already knew that there was no water.
In a similar way, it is not the world that causes trouble but our considering the world to be composed of different objects that causes trouble. If we are able to always remember that even as the dream world is nothing but the dreamer alone, the waking world is nothing but the non-dual reality of Lord then though we may perceive the world like any other person we will not be affected by the dual notions of happiness-sorrow as we are devoid of likes-dislikes.
Likes-dislikes are caused out of seeing difference in the world (ignorance) and since we perceive the Lord everywhere, we don’t have any likes-dislikes; thereby we will not be deluded into the dual notions of happiness-sorrow etc. This means that we will ever be blissful irrespective of the situation, surrounding, conditions etc.
Jarasandha was unable to apprehend the truth of non-dual Lord behind the dual world; thereby he was attached to Kamsa and averted to Krishna for killing Kamsa. We will see in the next day as to how this raga-dvesha lead to more sorrows for him than his current state of losing his son-in-law.
Let us all try to always see the world as an illusion of names-forms in the non-dual reality of Lord so that we are never tainted by the dual notions of happiness-sorrow and remain ever absorbed in the bliss of the Lord.
Once again before we start the next story of Srimad Bhagavatham today, let us remind ourselves to always remember that the import of all these stories is the non-dual reality of Consciousness who we term as “Lord” or “Ishwara” or “Bhagavan”. As we discussed in the previous day, it is very important to remember this import of Lord as anything apart from the Lord is but an illusion in the Lord – all illusions can lead us to only sorrow. But if we associate the Lord with all illusions (while experiencing the illusions), then it will lead us to a state of bliss (which Vedanta calls moksha).
This is the one recipe that the Lord gives in Gita in order for us to taste the bliss of Self thus:
Yat karoshi yad ashnaasi yat juhoshi dadaasi yat
Yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kurushva madarpanam
Whatever you do; whatever you eat; whatever you offer to yajna; whatever you give to others; whatever austerities you do – do it as an offering unto me.
This is as simple of remembering that everything is but an illusion of names-forms in the reality of Lord and thereby offering everything unto him. Offering doesn’t necessarily mean offering but it is also enough to just remember the Lord and his nature of being the substratum of the illusory world.
The purpose of Lord’s avataras has been mentioned in Gita as 3:
Parithraanaaya saadhoonaam vinaashaaya cha dushkrithaam
Dharma samsthaapanaarthaaya Sambhavaami yuge yuge
1. To protect the good people
2. To destroy the bad people
3. To uplift Dharma
It is interesting to note that these three purposes are not for the external world but it denotes the purposes of the Lord and his thought in the life of spiritual seeker. A seeker is one who has the desire to realize, is not able to maintain good thoughts always in his mind and has bad thoughts.
Dharma means that which protects or upholds us – it is the Lord who upholds everything as everything is an illusion in the Lord. Thus uplifting dharma means realizing our own nature of all-pervasive Lord. Protecting good people means maintaining good thoughts which will lead us more towards dharma (realization). Destroying bad people means removal of bad thoughts which will take us away from dharma. Thus the thought of the Lord while doing all actions will help us in realization or dharma.
Thus the Lord’s avatara is not just for the external world but it is really for the seekers like us who want to get eternal bliss but are struggling to keep up with the spiritual path. The Lord’s avatara is not in dwaraka but it is in the heart of the seeker – when the Lord falls down (avatara means falling down from formless state to form state) from the state of Consciousness to the state of mind (Ego), then the very presence of the Lord fulfills the three purposes that will purify our Ego thereby making us realize our own nature of Consciousness (Lord).
All these stories of Bhagavatham praising Lord Krishna in fact show us that the thought of the Lord in our mind constantly will help us make our life fruitful by realizing the Lord and rejoicing in bliss.
In order for the avatara to fulfill its purposes, dharma should be degrading (people don’t seek realization), bad people prospering as well as attacking good people and good people not being able to keep up with the spiritual path. All these are beautifully depicted in the life of Lord Krishna wherein the Lord fulfilled all these purposes to perfection (which we will see in the next coming days).
We will start the story from the next day.
Let us remember that the dharma of life is to realize the non-dual reality of blissful Lord as the substratum of the illusory names and forms (collectively termed as world) so that we may be able to ever rejoice in bliss.
After Kamsa’s killing, his wives asthi and praapthi went to their father Jarasandha and informed him of everything. Magadha king Jarasandha took a vow to kill entire yadukula and thereby started with a huge army towards Mathura.
Explanation
All the troubles including sorrows that a person experiences in the world is due to the dual notions of raga-dvesha. Raga is getting overly attached to something and dvesha is getting averted to something. Raga-dvesha in turn lead us to sukha-dukha. When the person we are attached to suffers, we become sad & when the person is rejoicing, we become happy. Similar with a person we hate – when the person becomes happy, we become sad & when the person becomes sad, we become happy. Thus a person who has raga-dvesha will be deluded into sukha-dukha depending on the situation. It is sukha-dukha that makes life miserable.
Therefore if we need to get rid of sorrows in life, we need to get rid of raga-dvesha. Raga-dvesha in itself is due to likes and dislikes. We get attached to someone we like and we get averted to someone we dislike. Likes-dislikes are caused out of viewing things in the world as different from one another.
Even as the dream world is but an illusion of different names-forms in the dreamer, similarly the waking world is also an illusion in the reality of Lord (of the nature of Consciousness). As long as we perceive the dream world, it will appear to be real – but the moment we wake up, we will realize that there never was any dream world at all. Similarly as long as we perceive the waking world, it will appear to be real but in fact it is as unreal as the dream world. Existence or perception of the world doesn’t cause sorrows – it is considering the world to be composed of different objects which causes sorrows.
While we are waking in the desert, we see water. We go near and find that there is no water at all. Again we see water and walk towards it. If we are aware of the truth that there is no water at all in desert, we will not be affected by the outcome of the action of “walking towards the water”. We may still perceive water (though we know that there is no water at all) and may walk towards it along with the rest of the world but the knowledge and conviction that there is no water means that once we find that there is no water, we will not be sad as we already knew that there was no water.
In a similar way, it is not the world that causes trouble but our considering the world to be composed of different objects that causes trouble. If we are able to always remember that even as the dream world is nothing but the dreamer alone, the waking world is nothing but the non-dual reality of Lord then though we may perceive the world like any other person we will not be affected by the dual notions of happiness-sorrow as we are devoid of likes-dislikes.
Likes-dislikes are caused out of seeing difference in the world (ignorance) and since we perceive the Lord everywhere, we don’t have any likes-dislikes; thereby we will not be deluded into the dual notions of happiness-sorrow etc. This means that we will ever be blissful irrespective of the situation, surrounding, conditions etc.
Jarasandha was unable to apprehend the truth of non-dual Lord behind the dual world; thereby he was attached to Kamsa and averted to Krishna for killing Kamsa. We will see in the next day as to how this raga-dvesha lead to more sorrows for him than his current state of losing his son-in-law.
Let us all try to always see the world as an illusion of names-forms in the non-dual reality of Lord so that we are never tainted by the dual notions of happiness-sorrow and remain ever absorbed in the bliss of the Lord.
