Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Story 4 Vyaasa's writing of Srimad Bhagavatham & Shuka learning from Vyaasa
Srimad Bhagavatham – A Spiritual Insight - Story 4 Vyaasa's writing of Srimad Bhagavatham & Shuka learning from Vyaasa
Slokas (Skanda 1 Chapter 7)
Shaunaka sages questioned Suta (pronounced as Soota): “After Narada went away, what did Vyaasa do? Kindly tell us about it”.
Suta thus answered: After Narada went away, Vyaasa went to his ashram named Shamyaapraasa in the banks of the river Saraswathi where lot of saints were doing penance and yaagaas.
Vyaasa then started to meditate there & he got the direct and immediate vision of Brahman or the ultimate reality of Consciousness.
When the mind is purified through devotion to the Lord, the Purusha or the ultimate reality of Brahman is known which is beyond Maya (and hence the seeker overcomes Maya or illusory power of Brahman). Vyaasa thus had the vision of Brahman everywhere and hence was liberated from the clutches of Maya.
The individual jeeva is created or the seeker understands or identifies himself as the individual and bonded jeeva when the trigunaas of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas are there (these are the various qualities which represent illumination, activity and sluggishness respectively). Such a jeeva is an illusion alone & through devotion to the Lord, this illusion is removed.
In order to make the normal people apprehend this ultimate reality of their own very nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute through devotion and knowledge, Vyaasa wrote the Srimad Bhagavatham.
Hearing to this glory of Krishna, the ultimate reality called as Purusha through the Srimad Bhagavatham – bhakthi is developed which leads the individual to the stage of non-dual knowledge through which he realizes his own very nature of Krishna or non-dual Purusha. Thereby he gets liberated from the illusory sorrows, delusions and fears.
Vyaasa then taught Srimad Bhagavatham (which he had written) to his son Shuka who studied it and was engrossed in hearing about the ultimate reality through the glories of the Lord.
Explanation
Srimad Bhagavatham propounds the ultimate reality of Brahman through various stories and avatars of Vishnu in the world. These stories are not be heard as such & one should not get deluded into the story alone and say that “Krishna did this and that, Vishnu’s poorna avatar was Krishna alone etc”. Only fools will get deluded into the stories in the Srimad Bhagavatham. The intelligent and wise person will go deep into the stories & find out the nectar of immortality which has been weaved in the stories for the benefit of the normal people. Thereby, Bhagavatham propounds the ultimate reality in each and every story. Every story is not just to be heard and remembered in the mind, but it is to be implemented in life. It gives us a clear path to the ultimate reality which is knowing one’s own real nature of Bliss or Purusha (where there is nothing other than the Self or Consciousness or Purusha).
Thus, after Narada departs, Vyaasa wrote the Srimad Bhagavatham for the welfare of the people. Vyaasa’s meditative state & his vision of the reality has been propounded by Srimad Bhagavatham in order to point out to us that each and every person can see the reality or get a vision of the reality – and not just few chosen ones who follow him or accept him can see him. Vishnu means Sarvavyaapi – one who is present everywhere. This Vishnu is termed in Upanishads as Brahman and Purusha.
What is Purusha?
Poornam anena sarvam ithi purushah – that which is present everywhere is called Purusha.
Puri shayanaath purushah – one is present in the town of this body is called Purusha.
The above two meanings tell about the oneness about the individual jeeva and the ultimate being of Brahman.
Each and every person thus can realize the ultimate reality of Brahman or Consciousness. There is no restriction for castes, creeds etc for realization of the ultimate reality because it is the very nature of each and every person.
How can the reality be known?
Through devotion which is a means to the non-dual knowledge of the Consciousness. Devotion is not mere going to temple or calling his names at selected time or place. Devotion is one-pointed concentration on the Lord knowing him as the ultimate reality. Devotion is constant thought of the Lord. Devotion is always thinking about the Lord irrespective of time and space & environmental conditions. Devotion is offering all actions to the Lord at all points of time.
Devotion is having the attitude that “God alone is the ultimate reality, this individual “I” is an illusion in the reality and is like bubbles seen in the God of ocean”.
When a person has this one-pointed concentration on the Lord, he doesn’t perceive any difference. Because of non-perception of duality and difference, there is no likes & dislikes. Since likes and dislikes are not there, the individual doesn’t feel neither attraction nor aversion. Thus, he is always immersed and established in the ultimate reality of God or Brahman or Consciousness.
As time passes, his mind is completely purified & mind ceases to exist – thus what remains is God or Brahman or Consciousness alone. The individual jeeva thus finds himself as the God who was being contemplated on, who was being worshipped at all times. This is what is called non-dual knowledge or Jnaanam. This is the ultimate and final state that each and every person has to realize – unless this is realized, there will be sorrow, imperfection and incompleteness – as Vyaasa felt before writing Srimad Bhagavatham. But once Vyaasa contemplated on the ultimate reality and wrote the work of Srimad Bhagavatham wherein the ultimate reality was given prime importance, the sorrows & sufferings vanished – because Vyaasa at that time merged into the ultimate reality of Brahman or Consciousness. Similarly any individual who follows the path of complete & total surrender to the Lord (which is called Bhakthi), he realizes his own real and natural state of Brahman or Consciousness.
Initially the devotee finds himself separate from the Lord – this bhakthi is called Apara Bhakthi or lower devotion. But when bhakthi matures, it becomes advaita jnaana & the devotee realizes that there is no difference between him and God – he realizes that his very nature was God which he didn’t realize previously as he was ignorant about his own very nature of Consciousness.
Thus, when bhakthi matures – the bhaktha realizes the non-dual state of Brahman or Consciousness. This is called Paraa Bhakthi or higher devotion which is one and the same as Jnaana or knowledge.
Thus Ramana says in Upadesa Saram 10,
Hrit sthale manah svasthathaa kriyaa
Bhakthi yoga bodhaascha nishchitam
Fixing the mind in the heart (which is the abode of the Self or Consciousness and the place where the ultimate reality of God resides) is called action, bhakthi, yoga and jnaana – beyond doubt.
Such a person who realizes the ultimate reality of Consciousness or Brahman or God alone existing, one without a second (which is the “I” and everybody’s inherent nature), is unaffected by sorrows, delusions and fear. Sorrows arise only when the Self is not known and incompleteness is there – but when the reality is known, the person becomes perfect & hence no desire comes (which when not fulfilled leads to sorrow). Delusion occurs when the reality is not known & the illusory objects are known as real. Fear arises out of duality alone – when the non-dual Self is known, there is no duality and hence there is no fear & delusion also.
Thus, the person ever rejoices in the eternal bliss of the Self – always singing the glories of the Lord who is Consciousness or Brahman or Self & one’s own very nature.
Thus Sankara says in Bhaja Govindam
Yasya brahmani ramathe chittam
Nandhathi nandhathi nandhathi eva
He whose mind resides in Brahman – he rejoices, rejoices & verily rejoices.
Thus, Vyaasa rejoiced in the eternal bliss of the Self & explained this ultimate reality in the form of Srimad Bhagavatham to his son Shuka (who is ever established in the Consciousness or Self or Brahman alone).
Shaunaka next asks an important question to Suta.
Slokas (Skanda 1 Chapter 7)
Shaunaka sages questioned Suta (pronounced as Soota): “After Narada went away, what did Vyaasa do? Kindly tell us about it”.
Suta thus answered: After Narada went away, Vyaasa went to his ashram named Shamyaapraasa in the banks of the river Saraswathi where lot of saints were doing penance and yaagaas.
Vyaasa then started to meditate there & he got the direct and immediate vision of Brahman or the ultimate reality of Consciousness.
When the mind is purified through devotion to the Lord, the Purusha or the ultimate reality of Brahman is known which is beyond Maya (and hence the seeker overcomes Maya or illusory power of Brahman). Vyaasa thus had the vision of Brahman everywhere and hence was liberated from the clutches of Maya.
The individual jeeva is created or the seeker understands or identifies himself as the individual and bonded jeeva when the trigunaas of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas are there (these are the various qualities which represent illumination, activity and sluggishness respectively). Such a jeeva is an illusion alone & through devotion to the Lord, this illusion is removed.
In order to make the normal people apprehend this ultimate reality of their own very nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute through devotion and knowledge, Vyaasa wrote the Srimad Bhagavatham.
Hearing to this glory of Krishna, the ultimate reality called as Purusha through the Srimad Bhagavatham – bhakthi is developed which leads the individual to the stage of non-dual knowledge through which he realizes his own very nature of Krishna or non-dual Purusha. Thereby he gets liberated from the illusory sorrows, delusions and fears.
Vyaasa then taught Srimad Bhagavatham (which he had written) to his son Shuka who studied it and was engrossed in hearing about the ultimate reality through the glories of the Lord.
Explanation
Srimad Bhagavatham propounds the ultimate reality of Brahman through various stories and avatars of Vishnu in the world. These stories are not be heard as such & one should not get deluded into the story alone and say that “Krishna did this and that, Vishnu’s poorna avatar was Krishna alone etc”. Only fools will get deluded into the stories in the Srimad Bhagavatham. The intelligent and wise person will go deep into the stories & find out the nectar of immortality which has been weaved in the stories for the benefit of the normal people. Thereby, Bhagavatham propounds the ultimate reality in each and every story. Every story is not just to be heard and remembered in the mind, but it is to be implemented in life. It gives us a clear path to the ultimate reality which is knowing one’s own real nature of Bliss or Purusha (where there is nothing other than the Self or Consciousness or Purusha).
Thus, after Narada departs, Vyaasa wrote the Srimad Bhagavatham for the welfare of the people. Vyaasa’s meditative state & his vision of the reality has been propounded by Srimad Bhagavatham in order to point out to us that each and every person can see the reality or get a vision of the reality – and not just few chosen ones who follow him or accept him can see him. Vishnu means Sarvavyaapi – one who is present everywhere. This Vishnu is termed in Upanishads as Brahman and Purusha.
What is Purusha?
Poornam anena sarvam ithi purushah – that which is present everywhere is called Purusha.
Puri shayanaath purushah – one is present in the town of this body is called Purusha.
The above two meanings tell about the oneness about the individual jeeva and the ultimate being of Brahman.
Each and every person thus can realize the ultimate reality of Brahman or Consciousness. There is no restriction for castes, creeds etc for realization of the ultimate reality because it is the very nature of each and every person.
How can the reality be known?
Through devotion which is a means to the non-dual knowledge of the Consciousness. Devotion is not mere going to temple or calling his names at selected time or place. Devotion is one-pointed concentration on the Lord knowing him as the ultimate reality. Devotion is constant thought of the Lord. Devotion is always thinking about the Lord irrespective of time and space & environmental conditions. Devotion is offering all actions to the Lord at all points of time.
Devotion is having the attitude that “God alone is the ultimate reality, this individual “I” is an illusion in the reality and is like bubbles seen in the God of ocean”.
When a person has this one-pointed concentration on the Lord, he doesn’t perceive any difference. Because of non-perception of duality and difference, there is no likes & dislikes. Since likes and dislikes are not there, the individual doesn’t feel neither attraction nor aversion. Thus, he is always immersed and established in the ultimate reality of God or Brahman or Consciousness.
As time passes, his mind is completely purified & mind ceases to exist – thus what remains is God or Brahman or Consciousness alone. The individual jeeva thus finds himself as the God who was being contemplated on, who was being worshipped at all times. This is what is called non-dual knowledge or Jnaanam. This is the ultimate and final state that each and every person has to realize – unless this is realized, there will be sorrow, imperfection and incompleteness – as Vyaasa felt before writing Srimad Bhagavatham. But once Vyaasa contemplated on the ultimate reality and wrote the work of Srimad Bhagavatham wherein the ultimate reality was given prime importance, the sorrows & sufferings vanished – because Vyaasa at that time merged into the ultimate reality of Brahman or Consciousness. Similarly any individual who follows the path of complete & total surrender to the Lord (which is called Bhakthi), he realizes his own real and natural state of Brahman or Consciousness.
Initially the devotee finds himself separate from the Lord – this bhakthi is called Apara Bhakthi or lower devotion. But when bhakthi matures, it becomes advaita jnaana & the devotee realizes that there is no difference between him and God – he realizes that his very nature was God which he didn’t realize previously as he was ignorant about his own very nature of Consciousness.
Thus, when bhakthi matures – the bhaktha realizes the non-dual state of Brahman or Consciousness. This is called Paraa Bhakthi or higher devotion which is one and the same as Jnaana or knowledge.
Thus Ramana says in Upadesa Saram 10,
Hrit sthale manah svasthathaa kriyaa
Bhakthi yoga bodhaascha nishchitam
Fixing the mind in the heart (which is the abode of the Self or Consciousness and the place where the ultimate reality of God resides) is called action, bhakthi, yoga and jnaana – beyond doubt.
Such a person who realizes the ultimate reality of Consciousness or Brahman or God alone existing, one without a second (which is the “I” and everybody’s inherent nature), is unaffected by sorrows, delusions and fear. Sorrows arise only when the Self is not known and incompleteness is there – but when the reality is known, the person becomes perfect & hence no desire comes (which when not fulfilled leads to sorrow). Delusion occurs when the reality is not known & the illusory objects are known as real. Fear arises out of duality alone – when the non-dual Self is known, there is no duality and hence there is no fear & delusion also.
Thus, the person ever rejoices in the eternal bliss of the Self – always singing the glories of the Lord who is Consciousness or Brahman or Self & one’s own very nature.
Thus Sankara says in Bhaja Govindam
Yasya brahmani ramathe chittam
Nandhathi nandhathi nandhathi eva
He whose mind resides in Brahman – he rejoices, rejoices & verily rejoices.
Thus, Vyaasa rejoiced in the eternal bliss of the Self & explained this ultimate reality in the form of Srimad Bhagavatham to his son Shuka (who is ever established in the Consciousness or Self or Brahman alone).
Shaunaka next asks an important question to Suta.
# posted by vedanta : 9:19 AM
