Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Story 2 Cause for the writing of Bhagavatham
Srimad Bhagavatham – A Spiritual Insight - Story 2 Cause for the writing of Bhagavatham
Slokas (Skanda 1 Chapter 4 & Chapter 5)
Shaunaka (replies and further questions Suta to explain the story of Bhagavatham) says
The son of Vyaasa, Suka, is a great Mahayogi who sees oneness everywhere & is always immersed in Brahman & hence without any thoughts. He is always focused on the reality and hence is as if in sleep and seems to be like a madman (seems because he wears no clothes, he walks all over the earth, doesn’t mind anything – but in reality this attitude is not his real attitude but his real nature is being merged in the ultimate reality of Brahman or Consciousness).
Some ladies were having bath in a river. At that time, Suka passed by & Vyaasa came right behind Suka. Suka was not at all aware of anything around him because he was established in the non-dual Self. Seeing Vyaasa the ladies covered their body with clothes. Seeing this Vyaasa asked them “My young son who is naked went just before & seeing him you did not cover your bodies with clothes but seeing me, you are covering your body with clothes – me who am very old”. The ladies replied that suka doesn’t have any differentiation between women and men but you do have as you are perceiving the ultimate reality everywhere.
Shaunaka Sage thus praised Suka and asked Suta to explain the Bhagavatham completely. Suta replied and said that I will explain to you Bhagavatham as it was narrated by Suka to King Parikshit. But first listen to why Bhagavatham was written by Vyaasa. Suta thus starts explanation of Srimad Bhagavatham:
Vyaasa sat in the shore of Saraswathi River and was having some incompleteness, some kind of unsatisfaction with whatever he had done so far (writing of Vedas & Puranaas). He did not know why he was feeling sad. He thought whether this was due to his improper or incomplete description of the Lord. At that time, Narada came to that place & said to Vyaasa thus:
Whatever one explains different or apart from the Lord (meaning leaving the Lord out whatever is being explained), that is based on the illusory names and forms. Hence they cannot but give one various thoughts in the mind & the mind will become wavery like a boat which is caught in the ocean by strong wind (and made to float here & there without any control).
This world is Lord himself as the world is created from the Lord, exists in the Lord & merges into the Lord at the time of destruction. And as a result of this, the Lord is independent of the world but the world is dependent on the Lord.
You (O Vyaasa), yourself know this very well. But you explained only part of the Lord’s real nature & not completely – hence you feel some incompleteness.
Thus saying Narada advises Vyaasa to write the Srimad Bhagavatham depicting the stories of the Lord along with the real nature of the Lord (not leaving the real nature of non-dual Brahman or Consciousness).
Explanation
After hearing about the ultimate reality from Suta, Shaunaka (the eldest among the sages present there who had questioned Suta about the reality) praised Suka Brahmarishi (the jeevanmukta) by giving an example. He then again asked Suta to explain about the ultimate reality.
Once, Suka was going away from his home. Seeing him go away, the father Vyaasa was sad & hence he went behind Suka. At that time, Suka passed through a river where women were bathing. Suka passed by and the women did not mind anything. After that Vyaasa came that way & at that time, the women got up & dressed up – seeing this Vyaasa questioned them as to why they did not hide their bodies when the young Suka who is not clad with anything went but only when he came there. To this the women answered that Suka did not have any differentiation between women & men in the world.
This characteristic of Suka is shown to mention the state of a person who has realized the ultimate reality. It shows how a person will behave in the world & what will be his attitude to the illusory world. Bhagavatham thus says that the person who has realized the ultimate reality goes behind the illusory world & perceives the substratum of the illusory world which is the ultimate reality of Consciousness, one without a second. At that time, there is no different thing from Consciousness & hence there will be no bhedas or differences (whatsoever) for that person.
The ultimate reality is Consciousness or Brahman and it is of the nature of non-dual Knowledge as Bhagavatham has mentioned previously about the TATTVAM or reality. In that absolute reality which is devoid of any internal & external differences, there cannot arise a world full of difference. This only shows thus that the world is a mere illusion or dream in the ultimate reality. Any illusion perceived from the ignorance viewpoint is real & different from the substratum – but once the reality behind the illusion is known, then there is no illusion but only the reality. When the snake is seen in the rope, it is an illusion which hides the real nature of the rope to the perceiver. But the moment the person realizes that it is only a rope & not a snake – the characteristics of the snake vanish & they do not disturb the perceiver. Dream is yet another example of proving the illusory nature of the world. Dream and this waking world are very much similar. Both depend on the Self or Consciousness for their existence. In the dream world, the world & its objects are all mere illusions in the dreamer. At the time of dream, the world seems to exist but once the reality that it is only an illusion & therefore unreal is known, that very moment the dream ceases to exist & the ultimate reality that there was never a dream world is realized.
Similarly when the ultimate reality which is changeless & the substratum for the changing, illusory world is realized – then the illusory world ceases to exist – the dualities or differences which is the very nature of the world also ceases to exist. Thus such a person sees only ONE everywhere – he sees Consciousness everywhere. There is nothing apart from Consciousness that he either perceives or he sees. He sees nothing because there is only Consciousness or Brahman for him.
Thus, this is the ultimate reality and this Consciousness is the very nature of everyone. Each and every one of us are Consciousness in nature. This Consciousness is of the nature of Bliss also. This bliss is what is being searched in the external world, in objects, in money, in temples, in various Lords, in avatars etc, all these aims are futile & will lead to nowhere. The aim of every person should be to realize the already realized eternal blissful nature of oneself. This is termed as Moksha or liberation. A person who is thus liberated is called Jeevanmukta (liberated while living). In order to show that any person can get liberation & to show the characteristic of such a person, here this small story about Suka, Vyasa and the bathing women is being mentioned in the Bhagavatham.
Next, Shaunaka (the oldest of the sages present there) requested Suta to explain Srimad Bhagavatham. Suta thus starts the story first explaining how and why Srimad Bhagavatham was written by Veda Vyaasa. Vyaasa was sitting beside the Saraswathi river. He was not feeling happy – he felt as if he was lacking something. He had compiled the Vedas into four distinct Vedas of Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda – he also taught these to four of his disciples Paili, Vaishampaayana, Jaimini and Sumantu respectively. In order to make the reality apprehended by normal people who can’t grasp the truth of the Vedas directly, he compiled the 18 Puranas & 18 Upa Puranaas. He also wrote the Mahabharatham depicting the life of Kauravas and Pandavas along with Krishna’s life. But still he felt as if he was lacking something. He did not know the reason as to why he was feeling incomplete & hence sad.
At that time, Narada comes that way – Vyaasa then questions Narada about this. Narada then goes on to explain why Vyaasa was feeling incomplete & sad. Vyaasa had written Mahabharatham which propounded Dharma or righteousness. He did not give the ultimate reality the prime importance in Mahabharatham. This is very well known by people who know Mahabharatha which gives prime importance to Dharma alone. Thus, Narada says that whatever a person does forgetting the ultimate reality – it will lead only to sorrow & sufferings. Even if the work or action being done is a social service act or agnihotradi karma or propitiation of Lord Krishna. Any action which is done forgetting the ultimate reality of non-dual Consciousness will confer only sorrow & sufferings to the individual.
This is an important aspect which we have to remember at all points of time. Nothing except the ultimate reality & its knowledge can confer eternal bliss. The various objects that we perceive now are only illusions seen in the ultimate reality. Hence, illusions will only lead to sorrow when they vanish (as they are not permanent & not real). Therefore, a person should not forget the ultimate reality while working or acting in the illusions.
When a person sees water in desert, if he forgets the reality of desert only being present – that moment, he runs behind water & since he doesn’t get it – he becomes sad. Similarly any action in the illusory world will give only sorrow unless it is associated with the thought of ultimate reality.
The Upanishads and Srimad Bhagavtham here doesn’t say that one should renounce the world and go to a forest & do austerities. The Upanishads tell that wherever a person is, whatever a person is doing – he should remember the ultimate reality and then do all actions.
This world which is an illusion is a big drama – the actor is not really the actor but he is the witness of the actions – he is the reality in which the illusory drama is seen. Remembering this reality, a person should do actions. Such actions lead to purification of mind & the person realizes his own eternal state of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute.
Krishna says in Gita
Yat karoshi yat ashnaasi yad juhosi dadaasi yat
Yat tapasyasi kaunteya tad kurushva mad arpanam
Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever offering you do, whatever daana you do, whatever austerity you do – offer it unto Me.
What is the effect of such offering???
Shubha ashubha phalairevam mokshyase karma bandhanaih
Sanyaasa yoga yuktaatma vimukto maam upaishyasi
Thus, he becomes liberated from the bonds of likes & dislikes – and thereby gets liberated from the bondage of action – he thus becomes a detached person who is established in the reality & thus he attains Me (the ultimate reality of Brahman or Consciousness).
This is what Krishna again tells in Gita (this sloka below occurs in Vishnu Sahasranaama also)
Ananyaaschintayanthomaam ye janaah pari upaasathe
Teshaam nitya abhikyuktaanaam yoga kshemam vahaami aham
He who thinks about ME alone (as the ultimate reality) and worships me everywhere – he is always established in Me – I take of all his activities (good and bad both).
A person when he is concentrating on the ultimate reality & without forgetting the ultimate reality does all actions – he thus gets established in the Self and realizes the eternal state of Bliss which is the natural state of every person. This is the ultimate aim of life.
Thus, Narada says to Vyaasa to expound the glory of the ultimate reality which alone is capable of conferring eternal bliss which is perfection & contentment. Thus Vyaasa wrote the Srimad Bhagavatham. Each and every chapter of Bhagavatham propounds this ultimate reality. There are instances where form of Vishnu or Krishna has been praised, Bhakthi and Karma have been praised – but in all those, we can find the ultimate reality being propounded. This is also the importance of Bhagavatham being able to confer the eternal bliss to the individual who undergoes a complete study of it.
Narada then says to Vyaasa that the world is the Lord himself – world is not different from the Lord. Any illusion is the reality alone. The world which comes from the Lord, exists in the Lord & merges into the Lord cannot be different from the world. It is the Lord himself. The Lord is not with a form but he is one who transcends all form (forms are temporary and subject to destruction whereas the Lord is indestructible). This Lord is called Brahman or Self of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute. This is the very nature of every person. Knowing this nature of oneself is liberation or realization – this is what is being mentioned by Srimad Bhagavatham and Narada (in this place) as the effect of studying Bhagavatham.
Everyone is already the Self only. But this has been forgotten & one has to remember it again. Thus the study of scriptures is required to know that I am the Self and to know about the ultimate reality. This doesn’t require any external Guru – this has been propounded by various Mahatmas – the conviction that “I am the Self, I am Consciousness, I am Brahman” is the only requirement for realization. The contemplation on this reality that I am Brahman – removes all ignorance veils which obstruct knowledge about oneself. When ignorance vanishes – the reality or the Self is known as one’s own real nature of Consciousness.
After this, Narada says his own previous births and how he attained to this state of Nirvana or realization in the next chapter.
Slokas (Skanda 1 Chapter 4 & Chapter 5)
Shaunaka (replies and further questions Suta to explain the story of Bhagavatham) says
The son of Vyaasa, Suka, is a great Mahayogi who sees oneness everywhere & is always immersed in Brahman & hence without any thoughts. He is always focused on the reality and hence is as if in sleep and seems to be like a madman (seems because he wears no clothes, he walks all over the earth, doesn’t mind anything – but in reality this attitude is not his real attitude but his real nature is being merged in the ultimate reality of Brahman or Consciousness).
Some ladies were having bath in a river. At that time, Suka passed by & Vyaasa came right behind Suka. Suka was not at all aware of anything around him because he was established in the non-dual Self. Seeing Vyaasa the ladies covered their body with clothes. Seeing this Vyaasa asked them “My young son who is naked went just before & seeing him you did not cover your bodies with clothes but seeing me, you are covering your body with clothes – me who am very old”. The ladies replied that suka doesn’t have any differentiation between women and men but you do have as you are perceiving the ultimate reality everywhere.
Shaunaka Sage thus praised Suka and asked Suta to explain the Bhagavatham completely. Suta replied and said that I will explain to you Bhagavatham as it was narrated by Suka to King Parikshit. But first listen to why Bhagavatham was written by Vyaasa. Suta thus starts explanation of Srimad Bhagavatham:
Vyaasa sat in the shore of Saraswathi River and was having some incompleteness, some kind of unsatisfaction with whatever he had done so far (writing of Vedas & Puranaas). He did not know why he was feeling sad. He thought whether this was due to his improper or incomplete description of the Lord. At that time, Narada came to that place & said to Vyaasa thus:
Whatever one explains different or apart from the Lord (meaning leaving the Lord out whatever is being explained), that is based on the illusory names and forms. Hence they cannot but give one various thoughts in the mind & the mind will become wavery like a boat which is caught in the ocean by strong wind (and made to float here & there without any control).
This world is Lord himself as the world is created from the Lord, exists in the Lord & merges into the Lord at the time of destruction. And as a result of this, the Lord is independent of the world but the world is dependent on the Lord.
You (O Vyaasa), yourself know this very well. But you explained only part of the Lord’s real nature & not completely – hence you feel some incompleteness.
Thus saying Narada advises Vyaasa to write the Srimad Bhagavatham depicting the stories of the Lord along with the real nature of the Lord (not leaving the real nature of non-dual Brahman or Consciousness).
Explanation
After hearing about the ultimate reality from Suta, Shaunaka (the eldest among the sages present there who had questioned Suta about the reality) praised Suka Brahmarishi (the jeevanmukta) by giving an example. He then again asked Suta to explain about the ultimate reality.
Once, Suka was going away from his home. Seeing him go away, the father Vyaasa was sad & hence he went behind Suka. At that time, Suka passed through a river where women were bathing. Suka passed by and the women did not mind anything. After that Vyaasa came that way & at that time, the women got up & dressed up – seeing this Vyaasa questioned them as to why they did not hide their bodies when the young Suka who is not clad with anything went but only when he came there. To this the women answered that Suka did not have any differentiation between women & men in the world.
This characteristic of Suka is shown to mention the state of a person who has realized the ultimate reality. It shows how a person will behave in the world & what will be his attitude to the illusory world. Bhagavatham thus says that the person who has realized the ultimate reality goes behind the illusory world & perceives the substratum of the illusory world which is the ultimate reality of Consciousness, one without a second. At that time, there is no different thing from Consciousness & hence there will be no bhedas or differences (whatsoever) for that person.
The ultimate reality is Consciousness or Brahman and it is of the nature of non-dual Knowledge as Bhagavatham has mentioned previously about the TATTVAM or reality. In that absolute reality which is devoid of any internal & external differences, there cannot arise a world full of difference. This only shows thus that the world is a mere illusion or dream in the ultimate reality. Any illusion perceived from the ignorance viewpoint is real & different from the substratum – but once the reality behind the illusion is known, then there is no illusion but only the reality. When the snake is seen in the rope, it is an illusion which hides the real nature of the rope to the perceiver. But the moment the person realizes that it is only a rope & not a snake – the characteristics of the snake vanish & they do not disturb the perceiver. Dream is yet another example of proving the illusory nature of the world. Dream and this waking world are very much similar. Both depend on the Self or Consciousness for their existence. In the dream world, the world & its objects are all mere illusions in the dreamer. At the time of dream, the world seems to exist but once the reality that it is only an illusion & therefore unreal is known, that very moment the dream ceases to exist & the ultimate reality that there was never a dream world is realized.
Similarly when the ultimate reality which is changeless & the substratum for the changing, illusory world is realized – then the illusory world ceases to exist – the dualities or differences which is the very nature of the world also ceases to exist. Thus such a person sees only ONE everywhere – he sees Consciousness everywhere. There is nothing apart from Consciousness that he either perceives or he sees. He sees nothing because there is only Consciousness or Brahman for him.
Thus, this is the ultimate reality and this Consciousness is the very nature of everyone. Each and every one of us are Consciousness in nature. This Consciousness is of the nature of Bliss also. This bliss is what is being searched in the external world, in objects, in money, in temples, in various Lords, in avatars etc, all these aims are futile & will lead to nowhere. The aim of every person should be to realize the already realized eternal blissful nature of oneself. This is termed as Moksha or liberation. A person who is thus liberated is called Jeevanmukta (liberated while living). In order to show that any person can get liberation & to show the characteristic of such a person, here this small story about Suka, Vyasa and the bathing women is being mentioned in the Bhagavatham.
Next, Shaunaka (the oldest of the sages present there) requested Suta to explain Srimad Bhagavatham. Suta thus starts the story first explaining how and why Srimad Bhagavatham was written by Veda Vyaasa. Vyaasa was sitting beside the Saraswathi river. He was not feeling happy – he felt as if he was lacking something. He had compiled the Vedas into four distinct Vedas of Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda – he also taught these to four of his disciples Paili, Vaishampaayana, Jaimini and Sumantu respectively. In order to make the reality apprehended by normal people who can’t grasp the truth of the Vedas directly, he compiled the 18 Puranas & 18 Upa Puranaas. He also wrote the Mahabharatham depicting the life of Kauravas and Pandavas along with Krishna’s life. But still he felt as if he was lacking something. He did not know the reason as to why he was feeling incomplete & hence sad.
At that time, Narada comes that way – Vyaasa then questions Narada about this. Narada then goes on to explain why Vyaasa was feeling incomplete & sad. Vyaasa had written Mahabharatham which propounded Dharma or righteousness. He did not give the ultimate reality the prime importance in Mahabharatham. This is very well known by people who know Mahabharatha which gives prime importance to Dharma alone. Thus, Narada says that whatever a person does forgetting the ultimate reality – it will lead only to sorrow & sufferings. Even if the work or action being done is a social service act or agnihotradi karma or propitiation of Lord Krishna. Any action which is done forgetting the ultimate reality of non-dual Consciousness will confer only sorrow & sufferings to the individual.
This is an important aspect which we have to remember at all points of time. Nothing except the ultimate reality & its knowledge can confer eternal bliss. The various objects that we perceive now are only illusions seen in the ultimate reality. Hence, illusions will only lead to sorrow when they vanish (as they are not permanent & not real). Therefore, a person should not forget the ultimate reality while working or acting in the illusions.
When a person sees water in desert, if he forgets the reality of desert only being present – that moment, he runs behind water & since he doesn’t get it – he becomes sad. Similarly any action in the illusory world will give only sorrow unless it is associated with the thought of ultimate reality.
The Upanishads and Srimad Bhagavtham here doesn’t say that one should renounce the world and go to a forest & do austerities. The Upanishads tell that wherever a person is, whatever a person is doing – he should remember the ultimate reality and then do all actions.
This world which is an illusion is a big drama – the actor is not really the actor but he is the witness of the actions – he is the reality in which the illusory drama is seen. Remembering this reality, a person should do actions. Such actions lead to purification of mind & the person realizes his own eternal state of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute.
Krishna says in Gita
Yat karoshi yat ashnaasi yad juhosi dadaasi yat
Yat tapasyasi kaunteya tad kurushva mad arpanam
Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever offering you do, whatever daana you do, whatever austerity you do – offer it unto Me.
What is the effect of such offering???
Shubha ashubha phalairevam mokshyase karma bandhanaih
Sanyaasa yoga yuktaatma vimukto maam upaishyasi
Thus, he becomes liberated from the bonds of likes & dislikes – and thereby gets liberated from the bondage of action – he thus becomes a detached person who is established in the reality & thus he attains Me (the ultimate reality of Brahman or Consciousness).
This is what Krishna again tells in Gita (this sloka below occurs in Vishnu Sahasranaama also)
Ananyaaschintayanthomaam ye janaah pari upaasathe
Teshaam nitya abhikyuktaanaam yoga kshemam vahaami aham
He who thinks about ME alone (as the ultimate reality) and worships me everywhere – he is always established in Me – I take of all his activities (good and bad both).
A person when he is concentrating on the ultimate reality & without forgetting the ultimate reality does all actions – he thus gets established in the Self and realizes the eternal state of Bliss which is the natural state of every person. This is the ultimate aim of life.
Thus, Narada says to Vyaasa to expound the glory of the ultimate reality which alone is capable of conferring eternal bliss which is perfection & contentment. Thus Vyaasa wrote the Srimad Bhagavatham. Each and every chapter of Bhagavatham propounds this ultimate reality. There are instances where form of Vishnu or Krishna has been praised, Bhakthi and Karma have been praised – but in all those, we can find the ultimate reality being propounded. This is also the importance of Bhagavatham being able to confer the eternal bliss to the individual who undergoes a complete study of it.
Narada then says to Vyaasa that the world is the Lord himself – world is not different from the Lord. Any illusion is the reality alone. The world which comes from the Lord, exists in the Lord & merges into the Lord cannot be different from the world. It is the Lord himself. The Lord is not with a form but he is one who transcends all form (forms are temporary and subject to destruction whereas the Lord is indestructible). This Lord is called Brahman or Self of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute. This is the very nature of every person. Knowing this nature of oneself is liberation or realization – this is what is being mentioned by Srimad Bhagavatham and Narada (in this place) as the effect of studying Bhagavatham.
Everyone is already the Self only. But this has been forgotten & one has to remember it again. Thus the study of scriptures is required to know that I am the Self and to know about the ultimate reality. This doesn’t require any external Guru – this has been propounded by various Mahatmas – the conviction that “I am the Self, I am Consciousness, I am Brahman” is the only requirement for realization. The contemplation on this reality that I am Brahman – removes all ignorance veils which obstruct knowledge about oneself. When ignorance vanishes – the reality or the Self is known as one’s own real nature of Consciousness.
After this, Narada says his own previous births and how he attained to this state of Nirvana or realization in the next chapter.
# posted by vedanta : 9:15 AM
