Srimad Bhagavatham

In order to witness the Divine Maya Vilaasam (play of Maya) of the Lord, Narada went into another wife’s house. There he saw Krishna playing chathuranga (sort of chess-like game) with his wife and Uddhava.

Explanation

Here we find Krishna being in two places. We find in many places in Bhagavatham the portrayal of Lord as present in multiple places. The story of destruction of Brahma’s ego wherein the Lord himself becomes the various gopaalas can be remembered here.

Is it possible for one person to be in many places at the same time?
JIn fact the entire world is one person alone – the ultimate reality of Lord. The Lord portrays different characters in this long play – this is also seen in our dream state where there is only the dreamer present but the dreamer becomes the entire world filled with many living and non-living characters. In a similar way this waking world is a long dream world in which everything is the Lord alone.

There are two perspectives possible with respect to the world. One is vision of the world as the world and second is vision of world as the Lord (real vision). The former is called loka dristhi (vision of the world) – this is a false vision wherein a person sees the world as dual with differences present everywhere and in everything. Such a person is an ignorant person – this ignorance of dual vision leads the person to believe that the duality is there thereby getting into likes and dislikes. Likes and dislikes in turn leads to attachment and aversion which in turn lead to happiness and sorrow. Dual vision also causes desires – all desires based on the desire of eternal bliss. Since this vision is out of ignorance, eternal bliss is impossible with this vision. This vision can only lead a person to more and more sorrows in life.

The latter vision is jnaana dristhi (vision of knowledge). In this the world is seen as its essence of Lord – this is vision of reality. Even as the false vision of seeing water in desert (and considering water as real) leads to sorrow, similarly the vision of ignorance leads to sorrow. Whereas the vision of water in desert as desert (though externally a person might see water but knows internally beyond doubt that there is no water at all and there is only desert) is true vision and thereby will lead to eternal bliss. A jnaani has this vision of world as the Lord.

Bhagavatham here hints at this vision through Narada seeing the Lord in all the houses – wherever a jnaani sees, whatever a jnaani sees – he sees only the Lord. Though he might see differences externally like an ajnaani, internally he sees all those differences are mere illusions in the Lord thereby seeing only the Lord internally. Such a jnaani who sees oneness everywhere will never enter into likes and dislikes thereby negating attachments and aversions thus not getting pulled into happiness and sorrow. There is no desire for such a jnaani as his mind is ever abiding in blissful Ishwara.

Spiritual goal is wherein an ajnaani transitions to a jnaani thereby seeing everything as filled with Ishwara and as Ishwara – thus ever rejoicing in bliss.

Let us try to have vision of knowledge thereby seeing Ishwara everywhere so that we will ever rejoice in bliss and never enter into sorrows and sufferings.

In the second wife’s house as well Narada was welcomed and worshipped, the same way as in the first house. Surprised Narada then went into another house and there he found the Lord bathing his children. In another house Narada saw the Lord getting ready to take bath. In yet another house he saw the Lord doing yajnaadi karmas (ritualistic actions). He saw the Lord giving daanas (offerings) to brahmanas in another house. In another house the Lord was doing Sandhya vandhanam along with vedic chants. In yet another house the Lord was making the horses and chariots ready. In yet another house the Lord was relaxing in his bed while being praised by various sthuthis (praises). In another house, the Lord was discussing kingly duties along with his various ministers including Uddhava. In another house the Lord was doing jala kreeda (playing in water). In another house the Lord was offering cows to people. The Lord was seen as listening to ithihaasa and puranas (history and stories) in another house. In another house the Lord was laughing along with his wife at the comic stories illustrated by himself. In another place the Lord was striving for dharma-artha-kaama. In another place the Lord was in deep meditation on the ultimate truth (beyond Prakrithi or Maya).

Thus whatever activities are there in the world, Narada saw the Lord performing those in many places.

Explanation

Though it is enough to say that the entire world is Ishwara alone – without the essence of Ishwara, nothing has any existence at all, still many people will raise doubts regarding the same. It is but the compassionate spiritual masters who listen calmly to these doubts (though there is no scope for doubt) and answer them in the best possible way. Here Bhagavatham anticipates doubts if it is just mentioned that “everything is the Lord alone” and hence doesn’t give any scope for doubts by clearly mentioning that everything is the Lord alone.

This same approach of clarifying things in the best possible way is followed by the Lord in many places of Gita. The Upanishads also follow the same pattern. The Mundaka Upanishad in the very beginning says that the entire world has come from Ishwara – the world which has come from Ishwara, resides in Ishwara and merges unto Ishwara cannot be different from Ishwara. The differences are just names and forms. Even as a gold ornament comes from gold, resides in gold and merges unto gold is not different from gold but is just a name and form in gold, similarly the entire world is just names and forms in Ishwara who alone exists. But as we discussed earlier, it isn’t easy to apprehend or accept this hence Mundaka Upanishad goes to extents to explain the creation process by saying this comes from Ishwara, that comes from Ishwara etc. At the end, anticipating that there might still be doubts as to whether everything is really Ishwara the Upanishad makes the below statement:

Brahmaivedam amritham purasthaath brahma paschaat
Brahma dakshinatascha uttarena adhascha urdhvam cha prasritham
Brahmaivedam vishwam idam varistam

Brahman alone is immortal and present here in front, in back, above, below, right, left – this world is Brahman alone which is to be sought out (as that alone can give eternal bliss).

If even after the scriptures explain to such detail that everything is Ishwara alone, still a seeker is unable to understand that everything is Ishwara such a seeker will never be able to realize.

There is another concept as well explained through this part of Bhagavatham wherein the Lord is shown as doing all activities in the world. In essence it is the Lord’s presence that makes activities a success. In fact all activities happen because of the presence of the saakshi Ishwara (called adhistaanam or substratum). If the Lord is remembered in actions, then actions whether they give good or bad fruit will always be successful – success of an action is not about getting good result but about the action leading to peaceful and blissful state of the mind. Peace and bliss are possible only when a seeker remembers the non-dual reality of Lord while doing activities. This is being symbolically explained in this part where the Lord is seen as doing all actions possible – all those actions give immense bliss to the Lord. Even when the action of being a dootha to kauravas didn’t work out, the Lord was still blissful. This approach to actions has been summarized by Ramana Maharshi in this short sloka very beautifully:

Ishwara arpitham na icchaya kritham
Chittha shodakam mukthi saadhakam

Actions done as an offering to Ishwara and without craving for its fruits will purify the mind and thereby lead to realization.

It is not the action that really matters but the attitude of remembering Iswhara, doing the action as an offering to Ishwara and without craving for any fruit at all that really matters – such an action is often termed nishkaama karma (action without desires) but the presence of Ishwara makes the action a jnaana sadhana and gives instant liberation in form of eternal bliss irrespective of the outcome of the action at the empirical (worldly) level.

We will continue with the story in the next day.

Let us all try to do actions as an offering to Ishwara while remembering that the entire world is only an illusion of names and forms in Ishwara so that whether the result of the action is good or bad, we are ever unaffected and thereby will rejoice in bliss.

Narada continued:

O Lord! One who is praised and worshipped by everyone, I know all of these clearly.

Explanation

Though this one sentence from Bhagavatham might seem to be quite simple yet it has a deep meaning which applies to each and every person’s life. Once we are able to appreciate the deeper meaning of this sentence, then sorrows and sufferings will be mostly negated (at least such a seeker will be able to realize in this very birth itself).

Here we are alluding to the Lord’s nature as used by Narada – the Lord is mentioned as one who is praised and worshipped by everyone.

Is it true that everyone worships the Lord? Aren’t atheists not worshippers of the Lord – aren’t they people who don’t believe in the various concepts of God?

JThe Lord is definitely worshipped by everyone – some accept it and some don’t. Some are able to acknowledge that they worship the Lord whereas others are not able to acknowledge either due to “not wanting to” or “ignorance”.

Everyone irrespective of all the distinctions of caste and creed are seeking only one thing in life – eternal bliss (happiness that is ever lasting and untainted by sorrow). Even the good and bad are seeking this eternal bliss only. Whether it is the new president of United States of America, Obama, or the Illinois governor, Blagojevich, or the great ponzi giant, Madoff, or the terror-striker Osama Bin Laden – all are seeking happiness only. A beggar and Bill Gates both want ultimately happiness only. Of what use are worldly possessions (including money, power, fame etc.) if they don’t lead a person to happiness? Ultimately it is happiness that is sought out in the form of everything else (including marriage, children, promotion etc.).

The Lord’s very nature is bliss. This is because that which is eternal alone can give a person ever-lasting or eternal happiness (termed bliss). The Lord is of the nature of Consciousness – that which pulsates in each one of us in the form of “I-exist, I-exist”. We never experience cessation or non-existence of this “I” – this “I” that pulsates in each one of us is the ultimate reality of Lord and it is eternal. The scriptures speak about the Lord as the source from which this world has come, the substratum in which the world exists and that unto which the world merges at the time of its destruction (the world is temporary).

Thus knowingly or unknowingly we are all praising and worshipping the Lord. But one who knowingly worships the Lord alone will be able to achieve or realize the Lord. One who unknowingly worships the Lord will never understand as to what he is seeking – instead such a seeker will think that he wants money, fame etc. thereby never getting eternal bliss. Such a person is compared to a musk-deer which runs here and there trying to find out from where the musk-smell is coming. It is unable to find and running here-there, it dies. It fails to understand that the smell is coming from itself and not from outside. Similarly once a seeker is able to identify his goal as eternal bliss, he will stop searching for bliss in the external world and will seek it in the all-pervasive Conscious Lord who resides in the heart of all beings.

Let us all try to identify our ultimate goal as eternal bliss so that we will start seeking the ultimate reality of Lord (along with all other desires but prioritizing the desire for realization as the highest priority desire) so that we may be able to rejoice in bliss in this very birth itself.

Narada continued:

O Lord! I have known your feet which give moksha to beings in the world - which is always contemplated (bhaavana) in the minds of realized people like Brahma (who have known the ultimate truth). For people who have fallen into the ocean of samsaara, your feet are the only way-out. I travel around the world contemplating on those feet. Bless me so that I might remember your feet at all times.

Explanation

Paada stands of that which leads a person to the goal and that which supports everything (the feet support our entire body).

What is that which supports the entire world?
It has to be that from which the world has come, in which the world resides and unto which the world merges at the time of destruction – such an entity is termed in scriptures as Brahman. Brahman, Lord, Ishwara, Paramaatman, Atman etc. all are synonymous with one entity in the entire world capable of giving light to everything (making everything exist) – Consciousness. The scriptures thus speak about Brahman as Prajnaanam or Consciousness.

That which is Conscious in nature always exist – it is the very basis of all existence and never ceases to exist. Thus Ishwara is Sat or Existence in nature. That which is Sat and Chit (Existence and Consciousness) in nature has to be blissful as it is eternal and infinite. The various limitations of time, space and causation are based on the changeless limit-less entity of Brahman or Ishwara.

It is for this reason that the Lord is the only refuge for people suffering in samsaara characterized by sorrows and sufferings. Everything else (all other refuge in the world) are temporary and therefore sorrowful (can give us nothing but sorrow). This is a matter of experience for people in the world that everything in the world will give us sorrow only in the long run. A couple is sad that they don’t have any child – they go to various pilgrimage places, take up different vows, and meet with spiritual masters etc. – finally they get a child. They are very happy – their happiness knows no bounds. The child grows up to be a very young and of course naughty (meaning rebuking) lad. When it is time for the young lad to tie knot with a girl, the parents are all anxious to find out the right girl. They search out for good girls – after horoscope matching and other formalities, they find a suitable girl. They inform the young lad about it only to find out a secret – that the lad has chosen his own girl (a co-worker in office). The parents are very sad and try to talk to the lad who wouldn’t listen to one word they utter. Finally against their wishes, the lad marries the girl. The parents stay away from the lad – the finally is broken. The same parents who were happy few decades back about getting a child are now sad that they had a child – often we see such parents saying “I wish I didn’t have any child”.

Any intelligent person would be able to anticipate this in advance or at least try to understand by looking at our neighbors or even people in our family. But during those times we just ignore them by saying “Oh! It is their family – it will not happen with us”. Death is one thing which is very popular in this attitude of “he died but I am going to be eternal” only to finally die thinking that we are the body.

Thus a person with some intellect will be able to realize immediately that the world is sorrowful and hence the only refuge from this sorrow is the ultimate reality of Lord. In order for a seeker to escape from sorrow and rejoice in bliss, contemplation on the ultimate reality of Lord (the knowledge that the Lord alone exists here as the substratum of the illusory names and forms of the world) is the only way out. And it is this great boon and blessing that Narada asks of Ishwara – blessed is a seeker who asks for nothing but contemplation of the ultimate reality of Lord as such a person will ever rejoice in bliss and materially he will have whatever is more than essential to live a happy life in the world.

Let us try to reduce all other desires and prioritize the desire of asking Ishwara for the boon of constant contemplation of Ishwara so that we might end this sorrowful samsaara and rejoice in bliss in this very birth itself.

Narada wanted to observe the Lord because a seeker of the truth will always want to see as to how the non-dual reality of Lord is acting through the various bodies of the world. Thus one day Narada reached Dwaraka. After reaching Dwaraka, the devarshi (sanyaasi and a deva) entered into one of the palace occupied by Krishna’s wives (one wife’s palace). Narada saw the beautiful scene of Krishna being served by his wife and many other daasis – Krishna was lying in his cot.

When Krishna saw Narada, immediately he jumped out of his bed and bowed the head in reverence (prostration) which had the crown. The Lord then seated Narada in his own bed. The Lord washed Narada’s feet and that sprinkled the teertha jala on his head. Narada was then worshipped as mentioned in the scriptures by the Lord.

Explanation

Generally we find name, fame, money etc. getting into the heads of people. Many a person who started off as a below average person (for eg: farmer) gets some fame and thereby forgets as to who he was earlier. This fame results in a high Ego sense – this in turn results in greed, pride etc.

The same applies for people who learn the scriptures. Knowledge is something which can easily go into the head of people. After learning a few scriptures, a seeker might get deluded into thinking that “I know a lot” thereby losing all the humility, devotion and surrender towards Ishwara who abides in the heart of all beings. We can find such people not mingling a lot with people and if they do have to mingle, they choose their own circle (people with equivalent knowledge). They will not even look at the face of poor people.

As of today this attitude isn’t just limited to people but has been extended to temples, organizations etc. where also the distinction on the basis of name, fame and money are there. A true seeker will never get the sense of Ego as he always remembers that the entire world filled with duality is just an illusion of names and forms in the non-dual reality of Lord. If everything is the Lord then how can there be any distinction whatsoever?

Thus a true seeker or true knower of the Lord will never have any sense of Ego. Such a person will respect the various rules or norms set in the scriptures (not because he is bound by them but because he is a role model for other people to follow). We find the Lord here showing true knowledge by his humility.

There is an age old subhaashitham that says that one who has vidya (knowledge) will have vinayam (humility). The Lord also speaks about a brahmana (in the 5th chapter of Gita) as endowed with knowledge and humility (vidya vinaya sampanne brahmane). We all have a lot to learn from the humility displayed by really learned people who are not at all egoistic but attribute all of the knowledge to the ultimate reality of Lord. Moreover unlike egoistic people, these Mahatmas are ever approachable and irrespective of whether stupid or intelligent questions are put to them, they willingly answer it with all earnestness and passion.

We find the Lord who is one of the perfect role model figures in the scriptures demonstrating extreme humility by showing his respect to Narada even when he was being taken care of by his wife and other daasis.

It is important to remember the true values of spirituality while living in the world. The true values of spirituality are love, vision of oneness and trying to remember the ultimate reality of Lord as pervading the entire world. These values will help a seeker progress quickly in the spiritual path towards the goal of eternal bliss (wherein one doesn’t face sorrow, even the least).

Let us all try to imbibe the true value of spirituality in seeing everyone and everything as the ultimate reality of Lord so that we can get rid of sorrow once and for all thereby ever rejoice in bliss.

After enquiring welfare, Krishna asked with humility as to what he could do for Narada.

Narada replied:

O Lord! All these activities of yours aren’t strange at all. You love everyone. You even give immortality to bad person which demonstrates your love for such people. In order to preserve and protect this world, you yourself decide and take various avataras (descents). The ultimate goal is to give moksha to the entire world – moksha which is completely cessation of sorrow.

Explanation

Here we find Narada saying that the actions of the Lord are not strange as the Lord loves everyone. Loving everyone is only possible if everything is seen as oneself – as long as a person sees duality, there will be likes and dislikes (thereby love for everyone cannot ensue). The Lord is an embodiment of love and knowledge – the Lord always is immersed in knowledge that this entire world is in essence the Lord alone (the differences are with respect to names and forms of those objects). Names and forms don’t create a new entity but they just make it appear as if there is a new entity – only fools and ignorant people will get deluded into thinking that names and forms are real. Wise people will know and keep in mind always that duality as names & forms are just illusions – in essence everything is Ishwara alone.

When a person sees Ishwara everywhere, such a person loves everything. When a person loves everything, then only sweet and good actions are possible from such a person. It is this goodness and sweetness that we see in the Lord’s actions towards Narada.

Here there can be an objection that if the Lord loves everyone then why did he kill bad people like Kamsa and others? This is answered by Narada beautifully that it is love for even bad people that makes the Lord kill them. In fact Lord is killing them from their bad qualities and thereby immortalizing them.

Kamsa was one of the two door-keepers of Vaikunta (resting place of Vishnu) – their names were Jaya and Vijaya. Once when the four sanaka sages arrived to visit Vishnu, these door-keepers who were instructed by Vishnu not to let anyone in stopped the sages. The sages got angry and cursed that Jaya and Vijaya will have to be born as humans. But immediately Vishnu came out and upon accepting the apology of Jaya-Vijaya, the sages gave two options to them – the first was that they will have to take many births as good people on Earth and the second was that they will have to take three births as bad people (people going against Ishwara). Jaya and Vijaya happily accepted the second one.

We can see in Kamsa’s life itself as to how strong the devotion is towards Ishwara – such kind of devotion wherein the devotee is devoted through the emotion of anger is called vidvesha bhakthi (devotion through anger or hatred). It is this bhakthi that made these asuras always think about Ishwara and Ishwara happily got rid of their sorrows.

Ishwara is therefore impartial and loves everyone. The ultimate goal of life which is also the goal of Ishwara is to eradicate sorrow completely (eradication of sorrow shouldn’t be mistaken as eradication of poverty, terrorism among other things – sorrow is due to lack of knowledge that this entire world is just a long drama – in this drama one person might kill millions and millions might die out of poverty). This also doesn’t mean that we can ignore poverty and terrorism – we have to play our role to eradicate all of these. But eradication of poverty and terrorism will not remove sorrow completely – it will only lead us to some other problem. Few years back, problem was in the form of AIDS – then it shifted to terrorism – later it became natural calamities like Tsunami, Hurricanes (Katrina, Ike etc.) – now it is in the form of economic crisis (global economy going down day by day). All these problems will remain – we cannot remove any of these as all of these are not real (that which doesn’t really exist cannot be removed). What we can do is get rid of sorrow by always remembering that the entire world is filled in and out by Ishwara. Complete cessation of sorrow is moksha in the form of eternal bliss that we have and are seeking each and every minute of our lives – it is possible only through constant contemplation of the ultimate reality of Lord as pervading the illusion of names and forms in the world.

We will continue with the story in the next day as to what Narada asks of the Lord.

Let us try to have vision of oneness wherein we see everything as the non-dual reality of Lord so that we are able to fulfill our lives by complete cessation of sorrow and rejoicing in bliss.

Remembering that the goal of learning Bhagavatham is to constantly contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord in our mind, let us see in brief the next story of Bhagavatham. The next story that we are going to discuss is about the daily routine of the Lord in the form of Krishna.

The Lord himself proclaims in Gita as to why a realized master (who doesn’t have any duty whatsoever as all his desires have been fulfilled) does actions like any worldly person thus:

Yad yad aacharathi srestah tad tad eva itharo janaah
Sa yat pramaanam kuruthe lokah tadanuvarthathe

Whatever actions a role-model (person looked upon as great by others) does, other people just emulate the person.

Hence various Mahatmas like AMMA, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Ramana Maharshi etc. do spiritual activities though they are ever blissful and don’t need to do any activity at all. These activities are so that other spiritual seekers who look upon them for guidance can easily emulate and implement those activities in their own lives. Even as young seeking-to-be-cricketers look upon Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, and Shane Warne etc. similarly spiritual seekers also look upon the various spiritual masters living and mentioned in the scriptures. Who better for a spiritual seeker to find guidance in other than the Lord in Krishna avataara? Each and every action of the Lord is an instruction to the spiritual seeker as to how to perform actions in the world.

Another reason for analyzing the Lord’s daily routine is that it is easy to follow when guided through action rather than mere concepts. Concepts might appear to be easy to understand but implementation is often tough. Though current-day children have everything at their finger-tips in the form of internet, teachers and professors are essential in guiding them. When it comes to practical activities like body-building, driving etc. it is very essential to have a one-on-one guidance where the master shows us how to do things. As it is said that a director is the captain of the ship of the movie, similarly a spiritual master who performs actions (not just preaching concepts) is essential for most seekers.

This also helps the seeker understand the importance and necessity of implementation and not just remembering concepts. It isn’t enough to know that “fire will burn” but it is necessary to act on it by not putting our hand on fire. Similarly merely learning the scriptural concepts isn’t enough – many people who are well-versed in the scriptures are still unable to get bliss (they feel a sort of void in their life), this is because though they know concepts they aren’t implementing it. Put in AMMA’s words, it isn’t enough to write HONEY in a paper to know the taste of honey, we have to taste HONEY. Similarly living spiritual concepts in our day-to-day life is the way to eternal bliss – leading a life filled with happiness, peace, satisfaction and contentment.

Bhagavatham through this story portraying the day-to-day life of Krishna is thus helping us not just understand concepts but making us learn as to how to implement those concepts in life thereby making us rejoice in bliss. We will start with the story in the next day all the while remembering that the goal of even this story is constant contemplation of the non-dual reality of blissful Lord.

After Aniruddha’s marriage, Krishna and Balarama returned back to Dwaraka and spent time. Narada had heard that Krishna had wed 16,000 women. Narada had the desire (anxiety as well) to see as to how the Lord spend the day (daily activities) along with 16,008 wives.

Explanation

Here we find Narada having the desire to see the daily activities of the Lord. Desire to know more and more about the ultimate reality of Lord (anything associated with the Lord) is something essential in the spiritual path. A true seeker will want to fill his mind with thoughts of the Lord at all times that he will want to talk about the Lord, hear about the Lord, see activities related to the Lord etc. The best way for current-day people to fill the mind with thoughts about the Lord is by observing true devotees of the Lord.

A true devotee is one whose mind is ever filled with thoughts of the Lord. The air and space around such a devotee verily reverberates thoughts of the Lord. Thoughts of the Lord bring in bliss which is the very nature of the Lord. Thus around such a devotee we can find bliss dancing.

The Lord speaks about this thus in Gita:

Kaama krodha viyukthaanaam yatheenaam yatha chethasaam
Abhitho brahmanirvaanam varthathe vidhitha aatmanaam

Around a knower of the Atman who has gone beyond desire and aversion, ever fixed in the Lord, whose thoughts have subdued – bliss will be dancing.

The ultimate goal of life is realization or eternal bliss which can be achieved by pervading our mind with thoughts about the non-dual reality of Lord. This can be easily achieved when we are in the presence of the Lord or devotees of the Lord. We find Narada here trying to get some satsanga by having the desire to observe the Lord.

When it comes to observing people in general, a person will be benefitted in many ways. But when it comes to observing the Lord or his devotees, a seeker will be immensely benefitted. Things that might seem to be impossible to implement become very easy when we observe somebody else implementing it. Moreover the Lord is a role-model for all seekers – therefore observing the activities of the Lord and trying to imbibe good things (that will help us in always remembering the Lord) will help the seeker stay focused and progress in the spiritual path.

We will continue with the story as to what Narada finds about the daily activities of the Lord.

Let us all try to pervade the Lord in our thoughts through satsanga (trying to think, speak, act with respect to the Lord) so that we may cross over the illusory world and ever rejoice in bliss.

As we have come to the end of this story of Baana Yudha, let us see a brief summary of this story today. We find in the beginning of the story as to what would happen due to Ego even if a person is a devotee of the Lord. This brings us to Swami Ramakrishnananda Puri’s book’s title of “walking along the edges of a razor” – spiritual path is like walking along the edges of a razor. Katha Upanishad speaks about the spiritual path as “durgam patah tat kavayo vadanthi” (knowers of the truth speak about the path as a very tough one). It is for this reason that the Lord says in Gita that “Maya is very tough to conquer”.

Each and every minute a seeker has to be focused on the ultimate reality of Lord with the knowledge that the entire world is only an illusion of names and forms in the Lord. The moment a seeker forgets this truth, that very moment he falls into the clutches of Maya which deludes him thereby making him face sorrows in life. Though Baana had devotion to Siva and was close with Siva, yet his arrogance (ego) lead to the entire war. Arrogance arises out of ignorance – if a seeker is remembering that the entire world is filled in and out with Ishwara (who alone is real), then there is no duality perceived in the mind; thereby there is no like and dislike which means there is no scope for ego at all. So ignorance or forgetfulness of the ultimate reality of Lord caused Baana to want a competent and equal enemy.

This lead to Baana’s daughter falling in love with Aniruddha. In order to help Baana’s daughter Usha, her friend kidnaps Aniruddha. Usha enjoys sensual pleasures with Aniruddha only to be caught by her father. Baana then captures Aniruddha which brings Krishna face to face with Baana in a war.

Any war is not good as lot of people die in the war – war doesn’t serve any purpose except for one person to show his supremacy over another person. A true seeker will stay away from duality and always remain focused on the ultimate reality of Lord. War will be fought by such seekers only if dire need arises (as in case of Mahabharatha Yudha, Krishna even went as a dootha to ask just one house to aver the war – when Krishna found that the war couldn’t be stopped at all, then the war started).

A seeker who has entered into war is against the ultimate reality of Lord if he seeks to achieve something out of the war. A true devotee of the Lord doesn’t want anything as he is always focused on the non-dual reality of Lord – for a person who knows that the entire world is Ishwara and thereby is ever blissful, how can desires arise? As Ishavasya Upanishad says, such a seeker will have no delusion or sorrow (and thereby is devoid of desires).

The moment a seeker forgets the ultimate reality of Lord then the seeker faces the might of Maya (the illusory power of the Lord) which is impossible to conquer without devotion to the Lord. The devotion that Baana had initially towards Siva in fact helped him save his own life – we have to remember thus that it is devotion towards the ultimate reality of Lord that can save us from the clutches of Maya and thereby make us ever rejoice in bliss.

Let this story make us remember never to forget the ultimate reality of Lord but always remember the Lord in our minds as the non-dual reality behind the illusory world so that we may ever rejoice in bliss.

An analysis of the Ultimate Reality

We have completed yet another beautiful story of Srimad Bhagavatham. Before we begin the next story, it is essential to focus back on the subject matter of Bhagavatham which is the ultimate reality of Lord (whose nature is Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute). It is often very easy to get distracted from the goal – it is still easier when we are dealing with stories illustrating the traits and miraculous deeds of the Lord. Concepts are tough to understand but they ensure that we don’t get distracted – but since concepts require a sharp intellect, therefore Bhagavatham takes up the task of explaining concepts through stories (which can make us get distracted very easily).

AMMA tells a beautiful story to illustrate this. Once in a pious person’s house, there used to daily morning pooja. There was a cat in the house. The cat would run here and there not letting the person do the pooja. In order to keep the cat busy, the person decided to feed it milk so that he would be able to do pooja without disturbance. The trick worked. His son daily saw the father feeding the cat and doing pooja – the son knew as to why this was being done. This tradition got passed through many generations. But unfortunately the import or reason for this tradition wasn’t passed correctly. After many generations, feeding the cat became part of the pooja (a ritual in the pooja). Then there was no cat in the house; so borrowing of cat from the next house and feeding it milk became part of the pooja.

Not knowing the real purpose of feeding milk to the cat, it became a tradition thereby distracting people from the real purpose (which in this case was keeping the cat busy so that pooja can be done without disturbances). Similarly while listening to the miraculous deeds of the Lord in Bhagavatham, it is very easy to get distracted. We have to always remember that any distraction, even the slightest, can lead to a downfall taking us away from the goal of eternal bliss and immersing us further in the ocean of samsaara characterized by sorrows and sufferings.

The moment a seeker forgets the ultimate reality of Lord, he enters the temporary dual world. The world is temporary and therefore cannot give us anything other than sorrow. This doesn’t mean that a seeker has to renounce the world but it just means that we have to remember the temporary and sorrowful nature of the world all the while remaining focused on the ultimate reality of Lord (the substratum of the illusory world). A seeker who is ever focused on the ultimate reality of Lord will not get sad when the world fails him, he will be ever blissful even if the entire world were to collapse.

Krishna gives this beautiful way out of sorrows:

Brahmani aadhaaya karmaani sangham tyaktvaa karothi yah
Lipyathe na sa paapena padmapatram iva ambhasaa

A person who is performing actions remaining unattached to the action and the fruits thereof by offering those actions unto Ishwara will not be tainted by sins even as the lotus-leaf is not wet by water (the lotus-leaf is in water but not wet).

This is possible if a seeker remains always focused on the ultimate reality of Lord not letting anything else distract him – with the knowledge that the dual world is just an illusion of names and forms in the Lord (existence).

Let us try always not to get distracted from the ultimate reality of Lord so that we may realize the Lord and lead a blissful life in this very birth itself. With this resolution of not forgetting the Lord at any cost, we will start the next story from the next day.

Siva continued:

Bhagavan, this Baana is my dear bhaktha (devotee). May your compassion fall upon him. People don’t kill Baana, who is Mahabali’s son, and let him go away. After losing his hands, his ahamkaara (ego) has vanished. Only four hands are left for him. He will live fearlessly and not confronting you.

Explanation

We find here Lord Siva standing by his devotee to protect him. Any person who has read ‘The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna’ will know that Sri Ramakrishna considered Devi as a mother to him – the Lord always considers everyone as his child. But many times we find ourselves as a naughty child who forgets the mother and doesn’t stick on to what the mother tells us to do – we often forget the ultimate reality of Lord and don’t heed the words of the Lord.

What are the words of the Lord? We have the various scriptures that are the words of the Lord. And a seeker who is endowed with faith in Ishwara will easily be able to find the Lord’s instruction coming through mysterious people (as the saying goes ‘mysterious are the ways of God’).

AMMA says that the grace of the Lord is like Sun which is always there but we close the doors of our heart and thereby complain that “we cannot get sun rays/grace”. A seeker who gains devotion and surrender unto the Lord will always be protected by the Lord (whatever happens).

Krishna makes this statement in Gita thus:

Kaunteya prathijaaneehi na me bhakthah pranashyathi

O Arjuna, know for sure that my devotee never perishes.

This promise of the Lord to protect his devotees at any cost is seen in the Mahabharatha. The Lord promised to be a charioteer to Arjuna and that he will not take any weapon in the war. But when Bhishma (along with others) were about to defeat and kill Arjuna, the Lord took the chariot’s wheel as a chakra and pounced to kill Bhishma. This speaks for the Lord’s compassionate and resolution to always protect his devotees. It is also true from the ultimate perspective as a devotee is one whose mind is ever filled with contemplation of the non-dual reality of Lord – for such a devote, the world is just a long drama and the devotee will never be away from bliss; any amount of sorrow will not change the blissful state of the devotee as he knows those sorrows to be like the sorrows a person faces in dream.

This always-there-to-protect-his-devotees aspect of the Lord is very easy to gain for a seeker – here the seeker doesn’t need lot of money or fame or talent or knowledge, the seeker just needs to keep the Lord always in his thoughts and considering everything as a grace/will of the Lord. If something good happens, the seeker considers it as the Lord’s grace. If something bad happens, the seeker considers it as the Lord’s will. Whatever happens, the Lord is always there in the mind of a seeker as the all-pervasive non-dual Consciousness.

Let us try to be devotees of the Lord by having the Lord as the non-dual reality behind the illusory names and forms of the world so that we may always be protected by the Lord and thereby ever rejoice in bliss.

Baana after getting refuge from the Lord fell at the Lord’s feet. He took Aniruddha in a chariot towards Krishna. Marriage of Usha happened with Aniruddha. The Lord after saying goodbye to Siva and Baana reached Dwaraka along with the newly weds and they were welcomed by the people of Dwaraka.

Explanation

We find here the Lord forgiving Baana and finally “everything ends well”. The goal of all beings is to have “everything well” at all times. Whether it is with respect to actions or thoughts or goals, everyone wants to be happy at all times. We find in all the puranas that everything finally ends up good and the good-people are happy.

This happiness though it seems to be very simple to achieve is still tough to achieve (that which is simple is also very tough to implement). It might seem very simple to walk on a very narrow bridge in theory but when we try to implement it we will find that it is very tough indeed to do so. Achieved happiness or making “everything well” is indeed very tough – but with proper knowledge about how to implement it, we will find that each and every minute of our life is a blissful moment.

The simple one-solution to eternal bliss and making our life “well” at all times is constant contemplation of the Lord – this has been variously termed as bhakthi, jnaana, yoga etc. Ramana Maharshi puts this beautifully in Upadesa Saram thus:

Hritsthale manah svasthathaa kriyaa
Bhakthi yoga bodhaascha nischitham

Fixing the mind on the heart (source of all thoughts – heart is abode of Ishwara as Consciousness) is actionl that is bhakthi; that is yoga; that is jnaana, definitely.

Krishna mentions in many places of Gita that Ishwara resides in the heart of all beings. Even as it is very tough to catch a thief who is hiding inside the police officer’s house (the same officer who is trying to catch the thief), similarly it is very tough to find Ishwara as bliss who is residing in our very heart.

As soon as a seeker surrenders completely unto the ultimate reality of Lord with the knowledge that this entire world is filled in and out by the Lord (as the world is only an illusion of names and forms), that very minute he finds the entrance to the heart (the abode of Ishwara). A seeker who has found his heart will ever be blissful – such a seeker doesn’t need a “good ending” as he is ever rejoicing in bliss. It is only when a person is suffering that we have to seek a solution from the suffering and then rejoice in bliss; a seeker whose mind is ever fixed on the ultimate reality of Lord through constant contemplation is ever blissful and hence he doesn’t face any sorrows or sufferings.

As we finally come to the end of this story where “everything ends well”, let us take up the resolution of finding out the Ishwara hiding in our hearts so that we can also say each and every moment of our life that “I am rejoicing in bliss”. Rejoicing in bliss through constant contemplation of the ultimate reality of Lord is the ultimate goal of life and a person will find his life incomplete until this goal is achieved.

We will see a summary of this story in the next day so that we can at least remember a few concepts that we have learned over the past month and thereby implement it in our lives to make our life filled with bliss.

Let us try to be devotees of the Lord by having the Lord as the non-dual reality behind the illusory names and forms of the world so that we may always be protected by the Lord and thereby ever rejoice in bliss.

Explanation

We saw in the previous day as to the Lord being all-pervasive, immovable, indivisible Consciousness. Let’s continue with analysis of the Lord’s nature.

The world that we see was created from the Lord, exists in the Lord and vanishes unto the Lord at the time of destruction. Such a world which came form the Lord, exists in the Lord and vanishes unto the Lord cannot be different from the Lord. Even as the pot that comes from mud, resides in mud and merges unto mud isn’t different from mud but is just an illusion of name and form in mud, similarly the world is just an illusion in the ultimate reality of Lord.

If the world exists, the Lord is the cause/substratum of the illusory world. Lord is both cause and substratum because the world isn’t real – if the world is real, then the Lord will be the cause of the world. But the effect of world which is just an illusion in the cause of Lord means that the Lord is both the cause and substratum of the illusory world.

This again re-iterates the truth that the Lord is all-pervasive (pervades the entire world) as any cause pervades its effect (the cause of mud is seen as pervading the effect of pot). The Lord who is the cause/substratum of the world is the light behind the very existence of the world. Any object in order for it to exist needs a light – the world which is not real but an illusion is illumined by the light of the Lord.

If it is very tough for us to remember all these various logical arguments and analysis, then we can simply remember that “the entire world is just an illusion of names and forms in the Lord”. As Prof. Balakrishnan Nair beautifully puts it, Vedanta can be summarized in just three words – Ishwara Naamam Roopam (Lord, names, forms). The Lord is real whereas the names and forms are mere illusions. We can find this in any object of the world – any object is just another name and form in the Lord. One who perceives the Lord goes beyond sorrow whereas a person who perceives names and forms while forgetting the Lord will constantly suffer in sorrow and pain. Such an ignorant person who fails to perceive the ever-present, all-pervasive and blissful Lord will take birth again and again thereby getting whirled in this vicious circle of birth-death (termed as samsaara).

Thus in order for a seeker to jump from sorrow and rejoice in bliss, he/she just needs to remember that the entire world is just an illusion of names and forms in the Lord. When a seeker remembers that the world is just an illusion, he/she goes beyond duality – duality arises only when we think two things really exist. When duality is not there, then there are no likes and dislikes. If there are no likes and dislikes, there isn’t any attachment or aversion. If there is no attachment or aversion, then there is no temporary happiness and sorrow.

Thus the simple one step solution to eternal bliss is always remembering the Lord as the non-dual reality behind the illusory world of names and forms. This is what Siva is briefly pointing out to us in the form of a praise to Lord Krishna.

Let us try to always remember the Lord as the non-dual reality behind the illusory names and forms of the world so that we never again suffer in sorrow but rejoice in eternal bliss.

Siva continued his praise:

What is seen as the world is just a part of you – as you are the supreme cause/substratum of the world. You are one without a second. But in order to reveal yourself, you have become the entire world (based on Maya).

Explanation

Many seekers get a very basic doubt as to what is the purpose of the world. Ultimately the world doesn’t exist at all but most of us are not in that state to completely reject the world as we experience the world and are suffering due to the world. As long experience and suffering due to the world is there, we have to temporarily acknowledge the world and negate it by pervading it with Ishwara.

Krishna thus says in Gita

Anityam asukham lokam imam praapya bhajasva maam
Having attained this temporary and sorrowful world, be devoted to me (devotion means seeing Ishwara everywhere).

It is one thing to say that the world doesn’t exist and is an illusion whereas it is a completely different thing to live by that statement – only a realized master will be ale to live in that truth of world not existing at all.

Once a sadhu started living near Dakshineshwar. Many ladies who used to visit Ramakrishna Paramahamsa complained about the character of the sadhu. After getting many complaints, Sri Ramakrishna decided to give the sadhu a visit. He met the sadhu and asked him about the complaints of character. The sadhu replied “even as the world is an illusion, my character is also an illusion”. Ramakrishna decried such knowledge and left the place.

What use is such knowledge wherein a person believes in something but isn’t able to implement it? Here the sadhu believed that his character was an illusion but the scriptures don’t tell us to live a bad life in the world terming the life as an illusion. If the world is an illusion, then such a person will not crave for people or fame or money. A person who remembers that the world is an illusion will live in the world without affecting others as much as possible and not depend on anybody else. Though each role in a movie is an illusion, actors like Tom Hanks don’t say “the role is an illusion” and portray in the nasty possible way. Instead they portray the role to perfection.

What we have to remember is that merely knowing something isn’t enough – trying to live by that knowledge is important in order to benefit with the fruit of the knowledge.

The world is constantly shouting at us that “I am an illusion of names and forms in Ishwara”. This is what Siva beautifully says as “in order to reveal yourself, you have become the world”. The very purpose of the world is to reveal the ultimate reality of Lord as the non-dual reality behind itself. As long as we don’t reveal this true nature of the world, the purpose of the world remains unfulfilled – this also means that the purpose of life itself will be unfulfilled (ignorance, sorrow and suffering will be the result of not understanding the true nature of the Lord).

In order for a seeker to rejoice in bliss, it is essential to contemplate in our mind that the entire world is just an illusion of names and forms in the ultimate reality of Lord. This doesn’t mean we have to renounce all actions and meditate in a forest. Externally we can do any action that we are supposed to be but internally always contemplating that the world is nothing but the non-dual reality of Lord.

Let us try to always remember the Lord as the non-dual reality behind the illusory names and forms of the world so that we never again suffer in sorrow but rejoice in eternal bliss.

Baana who had fled earlier now came in his chariot to face Krishna. The Lord cut down Baana’s hands with his Chakra even as a person cuts down the branches of a tree. Seeing that Baana’s hands were cut and knowing that Baana’s death was near, bhaktha-valsala (protector and dear to his devotees) Siva came in between and started singing praises of Krishna.

Explanation

We find here Baana going on to fight again with the Lord. This is what many of us do most of the times. Though we know something will not work out, we will still try all the means in the world to get what we want. If only this strong persistence to our goals were there for the ultimate goal of moksha, we would be realized very soon. Unfortunately our persistence is towards worldly goals. Worldly goals will only create more and more craving in us. Trying to put an end to worldly desires by enjoying them is like trying to put an end to fire by pouring ghee into it – the more a person pours ghee, the stronger fire will become. Similarly the more a person enjoys worldly desires, more desires will be created – thus a person will get weaved in an endless web of desires.

The scriptures aren’t against enjoying worldly pleasures but remembering the sorrowful nature of the world while enjoying worldly pleasures (dharma aviruddho bhootheshu kamosmi bharatharshabha – desire that is not against the non-dual reality of Lord is me O Arjuna).

This has been mentioned in simple words by Ramana Maharshi thus in Upadesa Saram:

Ishwara arpitham na icchaya kritham
Chittha shodakam mukthi saadhakam

Actions done as an offering unto Ishwara and without craving any fruit in return purifies the mind and thereby helps in liberation.

Thus a seeker just has to add the ultimate reality of Lord in the form of offering all actions unto Ishwara while enjoying even sensual pleasures – this will ensure that such a seeker is always protected by the Lord. Even the gravest danger couldn’t affect such a seeker as he is protected by all-pervasive, blissful Lord who controls the entire illusory world.

Here we find Lord Siva coming to the rescue of Baana. Even though Baana got egoistic still he had initially surrendered unto the Lord (his ego was as a result of his own foolishness). A person who worships the Lord through constant contemplation and has surrendered completely unto the Lord will always be protected by the Lord. It is the Lord’s duty and very nature to protect those who are ever immersed in him. We find many asuras like Kamsa among others being liberated from sorrow by the Lord into the state of eternal bliss (Mahabali is the best example for this). We can add Baana as well to this list of people whose surrender unto the Lord has protected them at all times.

This means that if by chance we becoming egoistic yet not letting go of the Lord, then the Lord will be there to protect us – but do we have to get to that state wherein we commit a mistake? No – as seekers of the ultimate reality of Lord we should always be focused on the Lord with the knowledge that this entire world is just an illusion of names and forms in the Lord. This knowledge will ensure that there is no sort of ego or dual notion – a seeker who always remembers this will be able to do external activities in the best possible way all the while contemplating on the non-dual Lord in the mind. Such a seeker does actions like an actor does actions while portraying his role in a movie – portraying the role to perfection while internally ever abiding in the knowledge about one’s true nature. Similarly such a seeker will do all activities externally while ever rejoicing in bliss in the mind with contemplation of the ultimate truth that the Lord alone exists here, one without a second.

We will see the praise of Lord Siva tomorrow and try to briefly touch upon the most controversial question of “which Lord is greater”.

Let us try to offer ourselves completely unto the Lord by contemplating on the non-dual Lord as pervading the world so that we may be able to get rid of sorrow and rejoice in bliss.

Siva praised Lord Krishna thus:

You are Brahman of the nature of indivisible and immovable Consciousness. You are the supreme cause and substratum of this world. You are the light behind the entire world (existence of the world depends on you). You are the reality residing in the scriptures (the world itself). One who gets rid of dual notions and perceives you like space (unassociated, untainted and unaffected from everything) will get eternal bliss.

Explanation

Siva here speaks about the nature of the ultimate reality of Lord. If a person has to go beyond sorrow and ever rejoice in blissful Lord, the Lord says that two things are essential to be implemented in the below sloka:

Mayyeva mana aadhatsva mayi buddhim niveshaya
Nivasishyasi mayyeva atah urdhvam na samshayah

Fix your mind unto me; fix your intellect unto me; thereby you will ever abide in me, there is no doubt regarding this.

Fixing the mind unto Ishwara means constantly remembering the Lord even as a mother always thinks about her child and a lover always thinks about his/her love. Fixing the intellect means knowing the nature of Ishwara as all-pervasive non-dual reality behind the illusory names and forms (collectively called world).

Thus in order to ever rejoice in blissful Lord, we need to remember the nature of the Lord. This is the reason why we find praises of the Lord in each and every story of Bhagavatham. Here Siva beautifully summarizes as to what we have to remember as the nature of the Lord.

The Lord is termed as Brahman in the scriptures (it is ok if we don’t remember the word “Brahman”). The word Brahman is derived as “brihattvaat, brimhanattvaat vaa brahma” – that which is very huge (infinitely huge as it is the entire world), that which is seen as the external world (the world is only an illusion of names and forms in the Lord).

The various words of Lord, Brahman, Ishwara etc. all stand for the one entity which is all-pervasive (non-dual reality behind the illusory world). An entity which is real should exist and experience its own existence (a rock exists but it cannot experience its own existence) – that which experiences its own existence is Consciousness alone. Consciousness is that which pulsates inside each of us as “I-exist, I-exist” – Consciousness is the light behind all existences – everything exists because of the light of Consciousness. The Sun, the moon, fire etc. and any other light sources shine because of the light of Consciousness – without Consciousness, nothing exists at all. Thus the Lord is of the nature of Consciousness.

The Lord is all-pervasive – that which is present everywhere cannot move and hence the Lord is immovable. That which is immovable also is indivisible as division is with respect to either time or space. The Lord is beyond time due to being eternal; the Lord is all-pervasive and hence beyond space.

We will continue with the explanation of the Lord’s nature in the next day.

Let us remember the nature of Lord as all-pervasive, immovable and indivisible Consciousness so that we will ever abide in blissful Lord through constant contemplation of Lord (along with remembering the Lord’s nature).

Sivajvara continued the praise:

Time, fate, action, jeeva, nature, objects, temple, prana, atman, vikara etc. are all insentient and just various forms in the Conscious principle of you even as the illusion of tree appears out of a seed. When names and forms are negated with the knowledge that they are only illusions, whatever remains behind is just you (the ultimate reality of Lord).

Explanation

Duality that is perceived through the sense organs is just an illusion in the non-dual reality of Lord. This is what Sivajvara says in this part of the praise.

Katha Upanishad says:

Manasaa eva idam aapthavyam neha nana asthi kinchana
Mrityoh sah mrityum gacchathi ya iha nana iva pashyathi

With a pure mind the ultimate reality of Lord has to be known; known as “there is no duality whatsoever here”. He who sees duality as if existing will go from death to death (will be constantly suffering and experiencing sorrow only).

What is a pure mind? A pure mind is one which can see reality as it is – such a mind is one which has used the discriminative power to find out as to what is real and what is not real. Real is that which is changeless and unreal is that which is constantly changing (that which changes is subject to the shad vikaaras of birth, existence, growth, change, disease/decay and death). Time, action, fature, svabhava – all of these are changing.

Any changing entity needs a changeless substratum and it is the substratum in which the changes are perceived. A variable is not possible without a constant – variable is nothing but a constant at all times (it is just an illusion of “a name and value” when all the while it is a constant only). When we say that the car is moving, it is with respect to the ground that is moving. Considering that the ground is part of the Earth which is constantly revolving around the Sun, we cannot say that the car is moving. We cannot even say that the Earth is revolving unless we assume that the Sun is stationary (which is not the case). The entire universe is constantly moving (subject to change) which would mean that we have to assume a changeless substratum in which all these changes are experienced.

It is this changeless substratum that is called the ultimate reality of Lord and termed variously as Consciousness, Self, Lord, Brahman, Paramaatman, Existence etc. Without this changeless substratum, no changes are possible at all. Then what are changes? Changes cannot be real as they take birth and death (that which doesn’t exist before birth and after death, doesn’t exist now at all). Thus they are mere illusions in the changeless substratum.

What is the changeless substratum in which all these changes are happening? Can there be such a changeless substratum? Yes, the changeless substratum is none other than the pure “I” which pulsates each and every minute of our life as “I-exist, I-exist” and devoid of attachments/aversions (unassociated to everything and a mere witness to everything).

Then what are changes? Changes are mere names and forms in “I” or the ultimate reality of Lord. Names and forms don’t create a new entity – they are just illusions in the entity. Wise people will go beyond names and forms (mentally negating names and forms all the while asserting that “there is only the Lord present here”). A goldsmith sees all gold ornaments as merely gold whereas we get deluded into the names and forms (ornaments are mere names and forms – the name of necklace and a particular form, the name of ring and a particular form). This vision of the goldsmith with respect to gold ornaments should be the vision of a seeker of eternal bliss towards the entire world.

If we are able to go beyond names and forms in the mind, all the while perceiving and acting in the external world as any other person then we will be able to get eternal bliss (go beyond death or sorrows or sufferings). Bhagavatham through Sivajvara here is telling us to always go beyond names and forms and perceive the ultimate reality of Lord in our mind so that whatever happens externally we are able to lead a life filled with bliss at all times.

We will continue with the story in the next day.

Let us try to always remember that the world is only names and forms in the ultimate reality of Lord so that we are able to go beyond duality and ever rejoice in bliss.

Sivajvara continued:

O Lord! Please shower your compassion upon me who am burning by your splendour; thereby protect me.

The compassionate Lord showed his compassion on Sivajvara, removed the burning sensation and blessed Sivajvara thereby letting Sivajvara go away.

Explanation

Each and every minute of our life we face sorrows. There are some people who have fun at all times even when they are facing sorrow. These people don’t know their very state. Once a fisherman caught some fish in his net – few of the fishes escaped but a few of them remained in the net thinking that they are safe as the mud of the water was there in the net (keeping the fish very comfortable). People who are facing sorrow yet enjoying their life thinking it to be fun are like these fish – they don’t know that death is lurking around each and every minute. Any moment death can pounce and take everything away from us; at that time a person will become very sad with the situation.

There is no short-cut or many alternatives for realization. Realization or moksha means complete cessation of sorrow and rejoicing of eternal bliss. This is possible only through one way which is shown here by Bhagavatham through Sivajvara’s activities. Sivajvara tried to fight the ultimate reality of Lord (many times we try to overpower the ultimate reality of Lord and try to find out alternatives) but there is no way a person can get rid of sorrow unless a person seeks the ultimate reality of Lord (total surrender unto the Lord and constant contemplation of the Lord as the substratum of the dual world).

The scriptures say tameva vidithvaa atimrityum eti, na anyah pantha vidhyathe ayanaaya (through knowledge of the ultimate reality of Lord alone a person overcomes death/sorrow; there is no other way than this to get rid of sorrow).

A seeker should always remember that people who have tried to get rid of sorrow by various worldly means have ended up in misery only (whether it is Alexander the great or Napolean or Bill Gates or George Bush). The one and only way to eternal bliss is by constant contemplation of the Lord and offering oneself completely unto the ultimate reality of Lord. This offering doesn’t mean we have to find the Lord and fall unto him but it just means that we have contemplate on the Lord in our mind with the knowledge that whatever is present as the world is in fact an illusion of names and forms in the Lord. This way of worshipping the Lord by pervading our mind with thought of the Lord is called ananya bhajanam and it is that true devotion which will take a person from worldly sorrow unto eternal bliss.

When a seeker is able to surrender completely unto the Lord and praises the Lord (praising the Lord is nothing but apprehending the entire world as an illusion in the Lord – seeing everything as pervaded in and out by the Lord), then the Lord will reveal himself out of the illusory world thereby giving us eternal bliss (which we have been seeking) and getting rid of sorrow (which is the nature of the illusory world).

We will continue with the story in the next day as to what happened with Baana.

Let us try to offer ourselves completely unto the Lord by contemplating on the non-dual Lord as pervading the world so that we may be able to get rid of sorrow and rejoice in bliss.

Seeing Baana taking rest and his gana’s running away, Siva sent Sivajvara (his greatest weapon) to face the army of Krishna. Seeing this, Krishna sent Vishnujvara to face Sivajvara. Both Sivajvara and Vishnujvara came to face to face.

The Sivajvara tired and defeated by Vishnujvara couldn’t find any place of refuge and hence it fell at the feet of Krishna; and started singing praises of Krishna.

Explanation

We find here Sivajvara facing failure and not knowing what to do. Many times we face such situations in our life where we don’t know as to what to do. If we haven’t faced such a situation till now, everyone will have to face such a situation at the end of their life – in the form of death.

Though we may successfully deal all problems, death is one thing that we cannot conquer. There is no way to conquer death – but we can eradicate death once we know that we are not the body that takes birth and death; that we are the eternal, always-present blissful Self.

A seeker who is ever contemplating on the truth that the Lord alone is present will know that the “I” which pulsates each and every minute as “I-exist, I-exist” is the Lord who is beyond birth and death. Such a seeker will boldly face death with a smiling face. All the spiritual sadhana and learning is so that when death stands in front of us, we are able to greet and welcome death with a smiling face. As Patanjali says, death or non-existence is the greatest fear which is there not just for ignorant people but for learned scholars as well.

Here in this part of the story we find the way out of all sorrows. When we face sorrow, generally we try to get rid of the sorrow in whatever way is known and accessible to us – but ultimately we will have to realize that all the solutions that we have tried and may try in the future cannot eradicate sorrow once and for all. The only way out of sorrow is by seeking the ultimate reality of Lord and always contemplating on the Lord with the knowledge that “the Lord alone exists as the non-dual substratum behind the illusory world”.

But unless a seeker has known intellectually that “there is an entity called Lord who alone is real and who can get rid of all sorrows”, he will not seek the Lord even while facing grave dangers. Thus it is essential to know about the Lord – in ancient times young children used to learn the scriptures either through gurukula or through puranic stories but this has been lost today as most parents (who should be teaching the children puranic stories) themselves don’t know those stories or are in interested in watching soap operas on TV. This doesn’t mean that we have to stop watching soap operas but it just means that we have to cultivate the good habit of knowing about the Lord whenever possible else when the time comes to give up this body, we will not be able to think about the Lord (as we have many other things to think about – those things only will fill the mind as we have always been thinking about them).

Thus Bhagavatham through the fight between sivajvara and vishnujvara here is telling all seekers to not waste time but start cultivating the good habit of filling the mind with thoughts about Ishwara. Parents should start telling about the Lord to their children through puranic stories. Unless a seeker is able to remember the Lord as much as possible during the lifetime, he will not be able to remember the Lord during death. Such a person who is unable to remember the Lord during death will face sorrows not just in this life but in many lives to come.

Let us try to always fill our mind with thoughts about the ultimate reality of Lord so that when sorrow in the form of death is standing in front of us, we can face it with a smiling face (through the knowledge that everything is the blissful Lord alone – there is no sorrow at all, whatever sorrow is being faced is just an illusion like the sorrow faced by a person in the dream world).

Sivajvara started praising the Lord thus:

One with infinite power, the ultimate cause of the world, one who is seen as the entire world, one who is the cause of sristhi (creation) – sthithi (protection) and laya (destruction) of the world, one who is made known through the Vedas, one who is of the nature of nischala (immovable) Consciousness and one who is known as Brahman, I prostrate unto you.

Explanation

Here we find a brief summary of the Upanishads given by Bhagavatham through Sivajvara. Let us try to analyze the characteristics and nature of the Lord as praised by Sivajvara today.

The Lord has infinite power and capabilities. Power or capability is with respect to the world. One who is the ultimate cause of the world, in whom the world undergoes birth, protection and destruction and one who pervades the entire world of names and forms, such an Ishwara has to have infinite power (as he pervades the entire world).

The world of names and forms is just an illusion in the Lord. The scriptures clearly say that the Lord is one from whom the world has come, the world resides and the world merges at the time of destruction. If this is the case, then the world definitely has to be an illusion in the Lord. The pot which is created out of mud, which resides in mud and merges unto mud after destruction cannot be different from mud but has to be one with mud. Then what is that differentiates the pot from mud? The name of “pot” and a particular form. Depending on the name and form, many objects will arise in mud but all those are mud and mud alone. A kulaala or potter will not differentiate between various objects made of mud – he knows them to be nothing but mud. Similar is the case with a goldsmith – for him all ornaments are just illusions of name and form in gold. He sees them as gold and gold alone. Thus he is able to accept one name-form and convert it into another name-form. This vision of the goldsmith and potter are vision of truth with respect to gold ornaments and objects made of mud. If this is extended to the world, then such a person who has vision of the world as names and forms in the ultimate reality of Lord is called a jeevan muktha – one who has gone beyond names-forms, duality and hence sorrow as well.

When duality or difference is perceived, it leads to likes and dislikes. Likes and dislikes in turn lead to attachment and aversion. Attachment and aversion in turn leads to happiness and sorrow. Thus viewing the world as duality instead of seeing it as the non-dual Lord causes a person to be whirled between happiness and sorrow. Instead a seeker should always see the entire world as the Lord alone – this is knowledge of the scriptures. The Vedas speak about the Lord as pervading the entire world of names and forms. The Lord is termed in the Vedas as Brahman – brihattvat brimhanatvaat vaa brahma – Brahman is something which is very huge and which is seen as the entire world.

We don’t need to get afraid about knowing some Brahman, it is the same Consciousness that pulsates inside us as “I-exist, I-exist” at all times which is termed as Brahman, Ishwara, Paramaatman etc. The Lord is of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute.

Having known briefly about the Lord, a seeker has to always pervade his mind with the thought of the Lord as the substratum of the illusory world of names and forms. This will in turn take a seeker beyond names and forms, duality and thereby sorrow – such a seeker who goes beyond duality will ever be blissful (rejoicing in contemplation of the ultimate reality of Lord).

We will continue with the story in the next day.

Let us try to always remember the ultimate reality of Lord as the substratum of the illusory world, one who pervades the entire world and one who pulsates inside us as “I-exist, I-exist” so that we go beyond sorrow and ever rejoicing in bliss.

A fierce war took place with Krishna and Siva taking opposite sides. Body torn by the arrows of Pradhyumna and blood dripping from his body, deva senapathi Subrahmanya escaped from the place in his peacock. Unable to withstand the attack from enemy, Baana’s army became disintegrated and thereby they ran away.

Explanation

All the puranic stories are about the fight between good and bad. This fight shown in the puranas is not something that is happening but external but it is a fight that is always happening inside a person. Good and bad are relative terms – hence we have to here understand them as the fight between Ishwara and everything that is not Ishwara. Here Ishwara means thought of Ishwara. Often while a person is traversing in the spiritual path, he or she can feel that the thought of Ishwara is losing power and thoughts of duality (world and passions about the world) are overpowering the thought of Ishwara.

Thus this fight is the fight between real and unreal. Ishwara alone is real – everything else that we collectively term as “world” is just an illusion of names and forms in Ishwara even as various gold ornaments are illusions in gold and the dream world is an illusion in the dreamer. Whenever we stand for the unreal we are bound to experience sorrow. The water seen in desert is unreal as there is only desert there. If we stand for the water, then though we might experience happiness in the beginning ultimately we will end up in sorrow when we realize that there is no water at all. Similarly if a persons stands for unreal, then he is bound to get only sorrow. On the other hand if a person stands for the real, though initially he might have to struggle to stick on to the real he will finally get eternal bliss – it is eternal bliss that is ultimate goal of life. Seeking eternal bliss only each and every person in the world does all actions irrespective of good or bad. Eternal bliss can be achieved only from that which is eternal – the ultimate reality of Lord alone is eternal. Hence worldly objects which are mere illusions cannot give us eternal bliss. They will only give us more and more sorrow.

Baahyasparsheshu asakthaatma vindathi aatmani yat sukham
Sah brahmayoga yukthaatma sukham akshayam ashnuthe

That person who gets detached from external sensual pleasures (by knowing that they will only lead him to sorrow) is one who will be ever focused on the ultimate reality of Brahman (or Lord) and such a person will attain non-decaying bliss (eternal bliss).

Krishna thus speaks about worldly pleasures as temporary and hence leading to sorrows:

Ye hi samsparshajaah bhogaah dukhayonaya eva te
Aadhyanthavantha kaunteya na teshu ramathe budhah

Whatever pleasures are obtained from sense objects are seeds of sorrow as they have a beginning and end; therefore wise people will not take resort to sensual pleasures.

The Lord also in half a sloka summarizes as to what is to be done with the fight between good and bad:

Anityam asukham lokam imam praapya bhajasva maam

Having attained this temporary and sorrowful world, seek refuge in Me.

We are always involved in the fight between good (real) and bad (unreal) in our mind. We should always remember that bad or unreal (thinking that the world is real and forgetting the Lord) will only lead us to sorrow and hence seek the reality of Lord at all times. This doesn’t mean external actions or sensual pleasures are to be renounced. It just means that we have to remember that sensual pleasures are not eternal and thereby internally remember the Lord at all times even while enjoying sensual pleasures.

Let us all try to remember to stand up for the good by constant remembrance of the ultimate reality of Lord as the non-dual reality behind the dual world so that we are ever bliss and untainted by sorrow.

Seeing his army fleeing, Baana himself started facing Krishna in the war. Seeing that Baana is approaching death in the war, Baana’s mother Kotara appeared in front of Krishna without wearing any clothes. Looking at this, Krishna changed his gaze. Seizing the opportunity tired Baana entered into his house for resting. Siva’s bhoothaganas also fled from the place.

Explanation

A seeker always has two options readily available in front of him at all times – one is choosing the ultimate reality of Lord whereas the second is choosing the external world. The first one is termed as shreyo marga (the path that leads to eternal bliss) whereas the second is termed as preyo marga (the path that is very attractive yet sorrowful) as per Yama in Katha Upanishad.

While choosing either the external world or the ultimate reality of Lord, we have to always remember as to what is going to be the fruit in the long-run even as we choose with respect to jobs and partners in life. The external world might give a person happiness in the beginning but in the long-run it will only make a person more and more sad – add to it that as a person ages, he will no longer be capable of enjoying the pleasures of the world though he will have access to them. On the other hand, the ultimate reality of Lord will give a person eternal bliss in the long-run though it might seem to be tough in the beginning. Any thing is tough in the beginning – whether it is walking or talking or some other activity, everything is tough in the beginning but as time passes by, through constant practice things become very natural. Similarly sticking on to the ultimate reality of Lord amidst all the passions of the attracting world requires some effort in the beginning but later a person will be benefitted with eternal bliss – that which is the ultimate goal of each persona and seeking which a person goes behind worldly pleasures.

This knowledge about the world leading a person to sorrow and the ultimate reality of Lord leading to bliss should always be remembered by a seeker as a person can get deluded at any point of time.

Going behind worldly pleasures means we are forgetting the ultimate reality of Lord whereas when a person seeks the ultimate reality of Lord, he doesn’t forsake anything externally. A seeker who remembers the ultimate reality of Lord as the all-pervasive, non-dual substratum of the illusory world does worldly actions, possesses worldly objects and enjoys worldly pleasures like a normal person but in the mind such a seeker is always remembering that everything is temporary and an illusion in the reality of Lord. This knowledge is enough to give a person eternal bliss in the long-run.

Here we find Baana trying to escape from the ultimate reality of Lord by seeking worldly pleasures and resorts. The worldly pleasures and resorts will not save a person nor will it give a person eternal bliss – instead a person will become sad over and over again by seeking worldly pleasures. We will see in the next day as to how everything other than seeking and surrendering unto the ultimate reality of Lord will let a person down (lead him to sorrows and sufferings).

Let us try to always choose the ultimate reality of Lord as the shreyo marga by merely remembering in our mind that “the ultimate reality of Lord alone exists” so that instead of facing sorrows we will live life blissfully.

Then Baana who was Mahabali’s son bound Aniruddha by Nagapasha (snake-rope) and thereby captured him. Seeing this Usha became very sad.

Explanation

Here we find Aniruddha being captured by Mahabali with naga pasha (snake-rope). We can find Bhagavatham indirectly hinting at that which lets down a person even though the person might be very strong. Aniruddha was very strong and could easily defeat Baana’s guards but even then he was captured by Baana. In Vedanta snakes are the passions or emotions of the mind – these emotions are put as six (kaama or attachment, krodha or anger, lobha or greed, moha or delusion, mada or pride, maatsarya or jealousy). These are the snakes that make a person die over and over again. The venom of these snakes are so powerful that it even weakens the strongest person (like Aniruddha in this case).

For Aniruddha, it was attachment to Usha that caused him to be captured. If only a person can remain unaffected by attachments internally (all the while externally showing attachment), then nothing in the entire world can capture him. Instead of trying to gain this internal detachment through offering everything unto Ishwara, people generally get captured each and every moment of their life. Thus we spent each minute of our life in the jail of emotions – we can take a brief pause here and try to see how many minutes in a day are we not affected by emotions, the count will be very less.

Even as just one drop of poison is enough to make an entire jar of milk poisonous, even as one drop of curd is enough to turn an entire jar of milk into curd, similarly just one emotion is enough to make a person bonded in the illusory world. And above all, these emotions are towards something that doesn’t really exist. What would happen if we get attached to a prince in the sky-kingdom? The result is that we will become sad always as we can never get to the prince (as the prince is not real). Even if temporarily we act as if the prince is there, sooner or later we will be made to realize that there is no prince & then the sorrow will be much more.

The world is considered like a kingdom in sky (gandharva patthanam) as it is not real, constantly changing and thereby sorrowful. Thus a seeker who gets attached to anything in this illusory world will be lead to sorrow and sorrow alone. It is up to a seeker as to whether he wants eternal bliss in the form of the Lord or sorrow in the form of the world. If a seeker chooses the ultimate reality of Lord, he gets to enjoy in the world as well – he will still do actions in the world, have emotions in the world like any other normal person but such a seeker will not be affected by the outcome of the action. He will ever be blissful irrespective of the actions performed and emotions displayed.

This is beautifully told by the Lord thus:

Brahmani aadhaaya karmaani sangam tyaktvaa karothi yah
Lipyathe na sa paapena padma patram iva ambasaa

A person who does actions as an offering unto Ishwara and without getting attached to the actions or fruits will not be tainted by the sins (sorrows) of the action even as the lotus-leaf which is in water is not wet by water (even as the lotus leaf is in water but not wet, similarly such a seeker will be doing actions but unaffected by the outcome of the actions).

This has also been explained in simple words by Ramana Maharshi thus:

Ishwara arpitham na icchayaa kritham
Chitta shodhakam mukthi saadhakam

Actions done as an offering to Ishwara and without craving for the fruits will purify the mind and thereby help in liberation.

The flag-staff of Baana fell down (indicating that the time to see/meet a person equivalent to Siva and the time to fight has come for Baana). It was four months since Aniruddha was gone from Yadukula. At that time, Narada arrived in Dwaraka and informed the news about Aniruddha to Krishna. Krishna and Balarama took their army and surrounded Shonithapuri (Baana’s town). Seeing his town being attacked, Baana took his army and went in war with Krishna and Balarama.

Siva along with his sons and the bhoothaganas and riding the Nandi came to help Baana fight the war.

Explanation

As granted by Siva the time for Baana’s ego to be destroyed has arrived here. Baana comes face to face with Krishna (a person equivalent to Siva). Thus we see as to how Baana’s ego has started its downfall in the form of war.

War or yuddham is something which is harmful to everyone. Thousands of people die in war – but unlike today ancient wars had rules. Firstly the weapons used in ancient times wouldn’t kill ignorant people, it wasn’t harmful to environment and it will kill only towards whoever it is directed at. But today with advancement of science and technology, we have got more sophisticated weapons – but these weapons have many side-effects like killing ignorant people, poisoning nature etc. Secondly the rules for war in ancient times was to come face to face in order to fight, then fight only from dawn to dusk, don’t attack a person who is unarmed, don’t attack a person who is tired and wants rest etc. There was a dharma or law in war as well which has been lost today. Today we find bombs killing innocent people and wars fought by stabbing people and often countries in the back.

JThe current day situation cannot be changed at all – as an individual we have to understand that war whether it is physical or mental is always dangerous to everyone. This means that instead of attacking people bodily or verbally or mentally we have to perceive the ultimate reality of Lord in everyone. This is the ultimate truth that everything is essentially the Lord alone – even as various gold ornaments though are externally names and forms but essentially gold only, similarly the world is essentially the Lord alone. The moment we remember that the entire world is the Lord alone; we cannot get attached or averted to anything. A person whose mind is calm and devoid of any passions is one who can remain blissful at all times – such a person will not have any grudge with anyone so will avoid war at any cost (and war will be there only if nothing works out). The Lord and all his attempts to ward off the Mahabharatha yudha clearly shows that a seeker who is trying to see oneness everywhere will try to put off the war as much as possible.

In the current day when things are tense between individuals, countries and organizations let us pray to the ultimate reality of Lord through seeing oneness that terrorist attacks and all sort of man-made harmful activities will stop or atleast get reduced.