Thursday, December 18, 2008
Story 50 – Story of Dwaraka Nirmaanam - 16
Having been blessed by the Lord, Muchukunda prostrated to the Lord with devotion and left the cave. Muchukunda attained Sayujya (oneness) with the Lord after seeing everything as filled with the Lord.
Explanation
We come to the conclusion of this story. As we discussed in the previous day, Muchukunda got the reward of moksha or merging unto blissful Lord. This means that Muchukunda was ever blissful irrespective of situations, surroundings, environment etc. It is this bliss that is being sought by each and every person at all times. Unfortunately most of us are unable to get this bliss and hence keep searching it. This search spans across many births and still it isn’t successful. Until this search is successful, we will ever be sad and never content with life. Contentment comes with bliss or being happy whatever be the situation or things around us. Such contentment is due to the knowledge that we have become one with perfect and blissful Lord. It is that Lord who alone exists here amidst the illusions of names and forms.
Even as the dreamer world is nothing but an illusion in the dreamer, similarly the world that we perceive now is only an illusion of names and forms in the reality of Lord. As long as we don’t realize our very Consciousness (that which pulsates as “I-exist, I-exist”) as the ultimate reality of Lord, we will never be blissful and content.
What do we have to do in order to become ever blissful like Muchukunda?
Bhagavatham here summarizes this as “seeing everything as filled with the Lord”. Even as the dream world is pervaded in and out by the dreamer, this entire world is pervaded in and out by the Lord. When we don’t realize this, we enter into the illusory names and forms which can give us only sorrow (like the water seen in desert can only give sorrow unless we see desert as pervading the water). But once we get the right vision of seeing everything as nothing but the Lord, we will be progressing towards bliss (which is the ultimate goal of life). When everything is seen as the Lord, this is the right vision and this removes the notion of one thing being different from another – it is this notion that takes us to the dual notions of likes and dislikes. Likes and dislikes in turn lead us to attachment and aversion which in turn leads us to sorrow and happiness. Bliss is when we are ever happy and untainted by sorrow. When everything is just one entity, then how can there be any sorrow?
Ishavasya Upanishad says
Yasmin sarvaani bhoothaani atmaivaabhoot vijaanatah
Tatra ko mohah kah shokah ekatvam anupashyatah
When a person knows that everything is one entity alone, where is there delusion or sorrow as he sees only oneness everywhere?
Mundaka Upanishad also speaks about the same in a different way thus:
Sa yo ha vai tat paramam brahma veda brahmaiva bhavathi
Tharathi shokam tharathi paapmaanam guhaagranthibhyo vimuktho amritho bhavathi
He who knows Brahman (the ultimate reality of Lord) becomes Brahman (as knowing the Lord is merging unto the non-dual reality of Lord). Such a person crosses over sorrow and all sins; by getting liberated by the bondage of ignorance-desire-action, he becomes immortal (ever blissful).
Thus in short the only thing we have to do in order to attain bliss like Muchukunda is always remembering the Lord as pervading the entire world. This in itself will slowly take us away from our sorrows. Day by day we will feel bliss pervading our life. Ultimately wherever we are, we will be surrounded by bliss like Lord Krishna who was ever blissful even when his son was kidnapped, his entire clan were killing each other etc.
Conclusion
Krishna returned back to Dwaraka which was surrounded by Yavana’s army; killed all of the army and gave the wealth from the army to Dwaraka. At that time, Jarasandha had reached there to try to kill Krishna for the 18th time. Seeing this, Krishna and Balarama started running away as if they were cowards. Jarasandha followed them. Krishna and Balarama went and hid inside the Pravarshana mountain. Jarasandha set the entire forest surrounding the mountain on fire. At the same time, Krishna and Balarama escaped from the mountain through space and reached safely to Dwaraka without being noticed by Jarasandha. Thinking that Krishna and Balarama would have been burnt to ashes, Jarasandha returned to his capital as a contended man.
Explanation
We come to the end of this story of Dwaraka Niramaanam. The very name of the story is building or construction of dwaraka (houses in dwaraka). Any construction or new creating activity requires lot of money. The Lord in killing the Yavana not only gave blessings in the form of moksha to Muchukunda but he also found out the way to accumulate wealth for construction activities in Dwaraka from Yavana.
But there was also a big hurdle that stood in between the Lord and Jarasandha. Though the Lord could have stayed and fought with Jarasandha thereby killing him, the Lord decided that it was not yet time for Jarasandha to be slayed. Hence he not only acted as if he was a coward (running away from Jarasandha), he also gave Jarasandha the feeling that he had tasted victory in killing Krishna and Balarama.
This is in a way indicating to all the seekers that until the time is ripe, the Lord will not kill our Ego (thereby making us realized).
When will the time be ripe?
The ripe time is the time when the seeker completely surrenders unto the Lord. Vamana could have destroyed Mahabali himself but he waited until Mahabali surrendered completely unto the Lord by lowering his head. This is like a doctor cannot perform operation on the patient until the patient fully consents to the operation. Similarly until a seeker completely surrenders unto the Lord, the Lord cannot and will not destroy the seeker’s Ego. When the seeker surrenders unto the Lord, he might still get carried away by Ego but the Lord will ensure that at the right time the Ego is completely destroyed. If the Lord tries to destroy the Ego when the seeker hasn’t surrendered, then the seeker’s Ego will get affected more which might in turn cause the seeker to even commit suicide. Thus the Lord will destroy the Ego of the seeker only when the time is apt and only when the seeker will really benefit out of the killing of the Ego.
If we look at the life of the Lord, we will find that all of his actions did something good to some or the other. This is because the entire world is a play of the Lord – this can be compared to the film created by a director. Even as the director’s thoughts can be found in each and every part of the film, similarly the Lord’s thoughts/intentions can be found in all of his actions – the only thought/intention that the Lord has is to give bliss to whoever really seeks him. Hence all of the Lord’s actions will only give good to others.
Explanation
We come to the conclusion of this story. As we discussed in the previous day, Muchukunda got the reward of moksha or merging unto blissful Lord. This means that Muchukunda was ever blissful irrespective of situations, surroundings, environment etc. It is this bliss that is being sought by each and every person at all times. Unfortunately most of us are unable to get this bliss and hence keep searching it. This search spans across many births and still it isn’t successful. Until this search is successful, we will ever be sad and never content with life. Contentment comes with bliss or being happy whatever be the situation or things around us. Such contentment is due to the knowledge that we have become one with perfect and blissful Lord. It is that Lord who alone exists here amidst the illusions of names and forms.
Even as the dreamer world is nothing but an illusion in the dreamer, similarly the world that we perceive now is only an illusion of names and forms in the reality of Lord. As long as we don’t realize our very Consciousness (that which pulsates as “I-exist, I-exist”) as the ultimate reality of Lord, we will never be blissful and content.
What do we have to do in order to become ever blissful like Muchukunda?
Bhagavatham here summarizes this as “seeing everything as filled with the Lord”. Even as the dream world is pervaded in and out by the dreamer, this entire world is pervaded in and out by the Lord. When we don’t realize this, we enter into the illusory names and forms which can give us only sorrow (like the water seen in desert can only give sorrow unless we see desert as pervading the water). But once we get the right vision of seeing everything as nothing but the Lord, we will be progressing towards bliss (which is the ultimate goal of life). When everything is seen as the Lord, this is the right vision and this removes the notion of one thing being different from another – it is this notion that takes us to the dual notions of likes and dislikes. Likes and dislikes in turn lead us to attachment and aversion which in turn leads us to sorrow and happiness. Bliss is when we are ever happy and untainted by sorrow. When everything is just one entity, then how can there be any sorrow?
Ishavasya Upanishad says
Yasmin sarvaani bhoothaani atmaivaabhoot vijaanatah
Tatra ko mohah kah shokah ekatvam anupashyatah
When a person knows that everything is one entity alone, where is there delusion or sorrow as he sees only oneness everywhere?
Mundaka Upanishad also speaks about the same in a different way thus:
Sa yo ha vai tat paramam brahma veda brahmaiva bhavathi
Tharathi shokam tharathi paapmaanam guhaagranthibhyo vimuktho amritho bhavathi
He who knows Brahman (the ultimate reality of Lord) becomes Brahman (as knowing the Lord is merging unto the non-dual reality of Lord). Such a person crosses over sorrow and all sins; by getting liberated by the bondage of ignorance-desire-action, he becomes immortal (ever blissful).
Thus in short the only thing we have to do in order to attain bliss like Muchukunda is always remembering the Lord as pervading the entire world. This in itself will slowly take us away from our sorrows. Day by day we will feel bliss pervading our life. Ultimately wherever we are, we will be surrounded by bliss like Lord Krishna who was ever blissful even when his son was kidnapped, his entire clan were killing each other etc.
Conclusion
Krishna returned back to Dwaraka which was surrounded by Yavana’s army; killed all of the army and gave the wealth from the army to Dwaraka. At that time, Jarasandha had reached there to try to kill Krishna for the 18th time. Seeing this, Krishna and Balarama started running away as if they were cowards. Jarasandha followed them. Krishna and Balarama went and hid inside the Pravarshana mountain. Jarasandha set the entire forest surrounding the mountain on fire. At the same time, Krishna and Balarama escaped from the mountain through space and reached safely to Dwaraka without being noticed by Jarasandha. Thinking that Krishna and Balarama would have been burnt to ashes, Jarasandha returned to his capital as a contended man.
Explanation
We come to the end of this story of Dwaraka Niramaanam. The very name of the story is building or construction of dwaraka (houses in dwaraka). Any construction or new creating activity requires lot of money. The Lord in killing the Yavana not only gave blessings in the form of moksha to Muchukunda but he also found out the way to accumulate wealth for construction activities in Dwaraka from Yavana.
But there was also a big hurdle that stood in between the Lord and Jarasandha. Though the Lord could have stayed and fought with Jarasandha thereby killing him, the Lord decided that it was not yet time for Jarasandha to be slayed. Hence he not only acted as if he was a coward (running away from Jarasandha), he also gave Jarasandha the feeling that he had tasted victory in killing Krishna and Balarama.
This is in a way indicating to all the seekers that until the time is ripe, the Lord will not kill our Ego (thereby making us realized).
When will the time be ripe?
The ripe time is the time when the seeker completely surrenders unto the Lord. Vamana could have destroyed Mahabali himself but he waited until Mahabali surrendered completely unto the Lord by lowering his head. This is like a doctor cannot perform operation on the patient until the patient fully consents to the operation. Similarly until a seeker completely surrenders unto the Lord, the Lord cannot and will not destroy the seeker’s Ego. When the seeker surrenders unto the Lord, he might still get carried away by Ego but the Lord will ensure that at the right time the Ego is completely destroyed. If the Lord tries to destroy the Ego when the seeker hasn’t surrendered, then the seeker’s Ego will get affected more which might in turn cause the seeker to even commit suicide. Thus the Lord will destroy the Ego of the seeker only when the time is apt and only when the seeker will really benefit out of the killing of the Ego.
If we look at the life of the Lord, we will find that all of his actions did something good to some or the other. This is because the entire world is a play of the Lord – this can be compared to the film created by a director. Even as the director’s thoughts can be found in each and every part of the film, similarly the Lord’s thoughts/intentions can be found in all of his actions – the only thought/intention that the Lord has is to give bliss to whoever really seeks him. Hence all of the Lord’s actions will only give good to others.
# posted by vedanta : 5:54 AM
