The Srimad Bhagavatam


In homage – Bharat Bhushan

An attempt to understand the magnificence of ancient India, through its puranas, knowledge systems and its presentation through the Srimad Bhagavatam


Prelude –

An attempt to understand –
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Notes –

Adi Badri
Saraswati River – The mystery of the disappearance

Continuing with meditation - Srimad Bhagavatam - 7.9.49

Canto 7: The Science of God Chapter 9: Prahlāda Pacifies Lord Nṛsiḿhadeva with Prayers

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.9.49

naite guṇā na guṇino mahad-ādayo ye

sarve manaḥ prabhṛtayaḥ sahadeva-martyāḥ

ādy-antavanta urugāya vidanti hi tvām

evaḿ vimṛśya sudhiyo viramanti śabdāt

[From - http://vedabase.net/sb/7/9/49/en ]

TRANSLATION

Neither the three modes of material nature [sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa], nor the predominating deities controlling these three modes, nor the five gross elements, nor the mind, nor the demigods nor the human beings can understand Your Lordship, for they are all subjected to birth and annihilation. Considering this, the spiritually advanced have taken to devotional service. Such wise men hardly bother with Vedic study. Instead, they engage themselves in practical devotional service.

PURPORT

As stated in several places, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti: [Bg. 18.55] only by devotional service can the Supreme Lord be understood. The intelligent person, the devotee, does not bother much about the practices mentioned in text 46 (mauna-vrata-śruta-tapo-'dhyayana-sva-dharma). After understanding the Supreme Lord through devotional service, such devotees are no longer interested in studies of the Vedas. Indeed, this is confirmed in the Vedas also. The Vedas say, kim arthāvayam adhyeṣyāmahe kim arthā vayam vakṣyāmahe. What is the use of studying so many Vedic literatures? What is the use of explaining them in different ways? Vayam vakṣyāmahe. No one needs to study any more Vedic literatures, nor does anyone need to describe them by philosophical speculation. Bhagavad-gītā (2.52) also says:

yadā te moha-kalilaḿ

buddhir vyatitariṣyati

tadā gantāsi nirvedaḿ

śrotavyasya śrutasya ca

When one understands the Supreme Personality of Godhead by executing devotional service, one ceases the practice of studying the Vedic literature. Elsewhere it is said, ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. If one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead and engage in His service, there is no more need of severe austerities, penances and so on. However, if after performing severe austerities and penances one does not understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, such practices are useless.

Nor all the modes of nature, nor their predominating deities; nor the complete of the cosmic intelligence, the false ego, the gross and subtle elements, the senses and their objects; nor those who are so mindful together with all the godly and the mortals who all have a beginning and an end, o Lord glorified by all the saints, is truly capable of covering all that is Yours, and thus do the purest consider the end of their studies [and the begin of their devotional service, see also B.G. 2: 52].

Nor all the modes of nature nor their predominating deities, nor everything to the Mahat of the elements, the senses and their objects, nor those of the mind with all the godly and the mortals who all have a beginning and an end, o Lord Glorified by All the Saints, may truly understand Yours and so do the purest consider the end of their studies [and the begin of their devotional service, see also B.G. 2.52].' 

[From - http://www.srimadbhagavatam.org/canto7/chapter9.html#Text%2049 ]

An attempt to understand - by Bharat Bhushan 

Which form of meditation is good? Correct? Useful? Harmful? Dangerous? The simplest of all styles is to meditate by shutting one's eyes and use meditation beads or do not use beads or any support. I would think the most crucial choice is to meditate. Actually start on meditation and keep doing it without fail. Meditate daily. This is the most difficult hurdle to cross. 


There are many advisors in the world who would be only too willing to deny you the direction to the correct path. Friends, relatives, colleagues, acquaintances and strangers, will all have advice on suggesting that it is not necessary to take up meditation. There are many theories and theorists out there. Let them be, I think. I feel very strongly that meditation exists as a pathway to better knowledge and experience, clarity and holistic sharing within oneself, and therefore, one should begin. 


The second most difficult aspect in meditation is to continue at meditation, once you have begun. It is easy to assume that there are no visible or tangible benefits, and therefore, one need not continue with meditation. The entire aspect of meditation is to explore your inner self, and understand yourself. Your own understanding of yourself can never be visible or tangible. One needs to be able to continue to meditate with easy discipline, i.e., without prejudice or punishment. 


I was taught that if I failed, I should start again. If I failed again, I should once again, start again. 


That is what life is all about. As human beings, we are frail, and we fail again and again and again. Therefore, we should start again. 


It does not mean, that consciously one should want to stop and start one's life or for that matter, meditation. The aspects of our mind are very strange, mysterious and worrisome, if we allow it to be exploited. We can deny ourselves the torture. It is upto us to strengthen ourselves, through regular and easy meditation. 


8 January 2011

Long term memory - Srimad Bhagavatam - 12.5.6

Canto 12: The Age of Deterioration Chapter 5: Śukadeva Gosvāmī's Final Instructions to Mahārāja Parīkṣit

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 12.5.6

manaḥ sṛjati vai dehān

guṇān karmāṇi cātmanaḥ

tan manaḥ sṛjate māyā

tato jīvasya saḿsṛtiḥ

[From - http://vedabase.net/sb/12/5/6/en ]

TRANSLATION

The material bodies, qualities and activities of the spirit soul are created by the material mind. That mind is itself created by the illusory potency of the Supreme Lord, and thus the soul assumes material existence.

The physical bodies, qualities and actions of the spirit soul are the result of having a materially oriented mind; and it is mâyâ, the illusory potency of the Lord, that brings about the mind with the consequent material existence of an individual living being [through ahankâra, see also 2.5: 25, 3.26: 31-32, 3.27: 2-5].

The mind is causal to the bodies, the qualities and the activities of the soul; while it is mâyâ, the illusory potency of the Lord, that brings about the mind [through ahamkara] and thus the material existence of the individual living being[see also 2.5: 25, 3.26: 31-32, 3.27: 2-5]. 

[From - http://www.srimadbhagavatam.org/canto12/chapter5.html#Text%206 ]

An attempt to understand - by Bharat Bhushan 

Why do people seem to remember only to keep score? I have had situations where people keep going back several years to remember what had happened ot others, through the actions by others. I feel pity, that they feel the need to carry that burden through their lives. What happens if they forget some of these events? Would they panic? When does one stop forgetting? Do memories serve to only add to hate and anger within oneself? 

It is said through many a story-teller that Buddha was being requested by one of his favourite chosen disciples to recognise him as an arahant. Buddha refused to do so, while he repeatedly recognised many others as arahants. Finally, one the day previous to the one when Buddha had chosen to travel to a higher temple, the favourite disciple recognised himself and understood the distance that he had to travel in knowledge to become an arahant and confessed thus in acceptance to Buddha. The Most Enlightened One in turn declared that the disciple was finally worthy of becoming an arahant.

This is indeed a strange parable for modern times, but has much to do with the logic that people apply to understand the memories of events of several years gone by. They seem to think that they have understood the relevance of the memories with the events that are yet to unfold or are happening. They seem to think that their logic and reasoning is correct. This flaw in retaining extended memory over several years to utilise in hate and anger is unfortunate. But it does happen. 

It recurs in several situations where people tend to meet up and congregate. Relatives meeting after many years in weddings or funerals, is a good venue to reconfirm anger, hate and enmity. Single families, living by themselves, may not face such situations, but then, in today's age of instant communications, the protection offered by distance and isolation would also be lost. Memory is a good thing, but to use one's own RAM and HDD to store hate and anger is very unfortunate. 

7 January 2011

Greater forces at work - Srimad Bhagavatam 3.6.5

Canto 3: The Status Quo Chapter 6: Creation of the Universal Form

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.6.5

pareṇa viśatā svasmin

mātrayā viśva-sṛg-gaṇaḥ

cukṣobhānyonyam āsādya

yasmin lokāś carācarāḥ

[From - http://vedabase.net/sb/3/6/5/en ]

TRANSLATION

As the Lord, in His plenary portion, entered into the elements of the universal creation, they transformed into the gigantic form in which all the planetary systems and all movable and immovable creations rest.

PURPORT

The elements of cosmic creation are all matter and have no potency to increase in volume unless entered into by the Lord in His plenary portion. This means that matter does not increase or decrease unless it is spiritually touched. Matter is a product of spirit and increases only by the touch of spirit. The entire cosmic manifestation has not assumed its gigantic form by itself, as wrongly calculated by less intelligent persons. As long as spirit is within matter, matter can increase as needed; but without the spirit, matter stops increasing. For example, as long as there is spiritual consciousness within the material body of a living entity, the body increases to the required size, but a dead material body, which has no spiritual consciousness, stops increasing. In Bhagavad-gītā (Chapter Two) importance is given to the spiritual consciousness, not the body. The entire cosmic body increased by the same process that we experience in our small bodies. One should not, however, foolishly think that the individual infinitesimal soul is the cause of the gigantic manifestation of the universal form. The universal form is called the virāṭ-rūpa because the Supreme Lord is within it in His plenary portion.

The moment He thus entered there with His plenary expansion [of the material power], all the elements of creation that thus found each other therein transformed into the worlds of organic and anorganic existence.

The Lord entering by a plenary portion of His own self [Kâlî] all the elements of creation, transformed that way into the forms that He came to in combination, in which all the moveable and immovable [of the creations] of the worlds finds its peace.

[From - http://www.srimadbhagavatam.org/canto3/chapter6.html#Text%205 ]


An attempt to understand - by Bharat Bhushan 


Do you sometimes feel that there are greater forces at work? And that they will bring about the changes in your life only if and when you earnestly want them to do so? It seems to happen to one and all, most of the time, except that we do not pick up on the signals and we do not manage to recognise the image when we zoom out of our lives and events. 


We tend to get too close to ourselves. 


We do not recognise the larger circle of events that are taking place all about us. So, do the greater circle of events happen because we want them to do so? Does that mean that our inner mind can communicate with the outer world and cause events to unfold? Is there a medium through which the inner mind sends out its messages to the outer world? It sounds too strange and wierd to wander about in our thoughts even thinking of such absurd possibilities. Such thinking is not scientific. 


Since when did thinking have to be done on scientific lines? Isn't that a paradox by itself? One needs to believe in oneself. That is so very true and extremely important. Belief in oneself leads to resolve which in turn leads to greater inner strength. Resoluteness and a strong belief that one can achieve the impossible would definitely lead to challenging dreams and ideas. It is only in the mastery of one's ideas that one can proceed to perfection. 


Can one work at perfection? Yes. 


If one relates to one's own work as a painting, one needs to be totally accurate in the planning, the choice of tools, the location, the ambience, the state of mind, the isolation towards silence within oneself, to "see" the painting even before it has been attempted. It may turn out to be different. The colours may not merge, as one would have hoped. The ambience would have disturbed the inner silence. Several actions may have gone wrong. But, the canvas can be painted upon, again and again. 


Even an unfinished painting is a form of existence that was not "there", before you had started. It is in one's belief that one could paint a masterpiece. It is in the attempt. 


January 6, 2011.

Allusion or real - Srimad Bhagavatam 6.13.3

Canto 6: Prescribed Duties for Mankind Chapter 13: King Indra Afflicted by Sinful Reaction

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.13.3

śrī-rājovāca

indrasyānirvṛter hetuḿ

śrotum icchāmi bho mune

yenāsan sukhino devā

harer duḥkhaḿ kuto 'bhavat

[From - http://vedabase.net/sb/6/13/3/en ]

TRANSLATION

Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī: O great sage, what was the reason for Indra's unhappiness? I wish to hear about this. When he killed Vṛtrāsura, all the demigods were extremely happy. Why, then, was Indra himself unhappy?

The king asked: 'O my Lord, great sage, I'd like to hear about the reason of Indra's being troubled; from where came his gloom while all the godly of Indra were so very happy?

The king asked: 'O my Lord, great sage, I'd like to hear about the reason of Indra's being troubled; from where came his gloom while all the godly of Indra were so very happy?

[From - http://www.srimadbhagavatam.org/canto6/chapter13.html#Text%203 ]

An attempt to understand - by Bharat Bhushan 

Can one maintain discipline in one's life? Is humanity devoid of discipline? Why do human beings indulge in good or bad deeds? Harmful speech and action? Is it within them, innate in them, to do bad and good? Can humans avoid being bad? Can maintaining discipline in one's life help in these behavioural tendencies? 


Some aspects of discipline required in life include a fixed periodicity of waking up and going to sleep. But there is so much to lose if one goes to sleep early. All the good TV programmes are at late hours. Most such programmes are windows to knowledge, though most such knowledge is serendipitous and random. One takes what one gets. The other option is to download stuff on the internet and watch on the computer.


All that internalisation of knowledge is through the eyes. So, how do the blind and the aged keep up with the eyes? T olearn from the TV and the NET, one has to stay still. One loses on the knowledge that one can get by travel to different places. That seems to be real knowledge, in visiting a place and going through the experience. That is why people travel, to visit a place and return to their earlier location. 


So what happens within ourselves? We see what we see when we travel. But to retain our memories of that journey, we need to take photographs. If all memory is retained through photographs, and record, either from ourselves, or through allusion, from photos and records by others, then, which part of the experience was real? Which part of our life continues to stay real? 


Are all events to be forgotten once they have occurred? People go through their lives carrying memories of events, gossips, accusations and arguments. Are they burdens? People change all the  time. Children grow up to be different persons every year. I think that they change each year within their own self. They discover and make their own world. Should they be asked to carry the burden of the actions of their elders, their memories? We seem to expect them to do so. 


5 January, 2011

Changing our lives - Srimad Bhagavatam 9.5.26

Canto 9: Liberation Chapter 5: Durvāsā Muni's Life Spared

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 9.5.26

śrī-śuka uvāca

athāmbarīṣas tanayeṣu rājyaḿ

samāna-śīleṣu visṛjya dhīraḥ

vanaḿ viveśātmani vāsudeve

mano dadhad dhvasta-guṇa-pravāhaḥ

[From - http://vedabase.net/sb/9/5/26/en ]

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, because of his advanced position in devotional life, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, who no longer desired to live with material things, retired from active family life. He divided his property among his sons, who were equally as qualified, and he himself took the order of vānaprastha and went to the forest to concentrate his mind fully upon Lord Vāsudeva.

S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus did Ambarîsha, as the wisest dividing his kingdom among his equally qualified sons, enter the forest setting his mind to the True Self that is Vâsudeva and vanquished he the waves [the gunas] of the material ocean.

S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus entered Ambarîsha, as the wisest dividing his kingdom among his equally qualified sons, the forest setting his mind to the True Self that is Vâsudeva and vanquished he the waves [the gunas] of the material ocean.

[From - http://www.srimadbhagavatam.org/canto9/chapter5.html#Text 26 ]

An attempt to understand - by Bharat Bhushan 


How does it feel to wait for a situation to develop and play out by itself? It is indeed very difficult. You are tempted to try out some options. First, you want to plan and prevent it from happening. You think you will have the power. There is the old adage, "Prevention is the best cure." I wonder if it is true. I heard about a technique that instructed that one should write away one's worries on a clean sheet of paper. Does that work? Will it be sufficient to just write down your worries and hope they will go away? 


It's like allowing troubles to collect in the front like a dam, and delay their release, and not allowing them to float away. Yet, the waters keep coming in, and collecting more mass, speed, velocity and momentum. The backwaters of the dam are also equally dangerous as much as the headwaters are. The backwaters usually hit the most vulnerable with the most force and cause the most destruction. The headwaters can be controlled, regulated and managed. The backwaters cannot be managed.


They require management and control at places far away from the dam. That is the power of Shiva. Like the taming of the Ganges. The most powerful of forces can be controlled and regulated for the good of many. This is similar to the manner in which we tend to face our problems. We tend to try and shout them down. We tend to divert our attention from our problems. 


So, how does one face up to problems that are going to come up and try to change our lives? If it is going to blow up in our faces, we should act fast and work upon the situations. The displaced volume of water from a vessel can be seen in a different manner, e.g., the displaced volume can be used for refilling. 


It is thus, also within the perspective that one needs to unlearn everything before having to start learning new stuff. Can one learn something where the mind is overflowing with assumptions about knowledge? No. We need to start with a clean mind. The mind is indeed a strange and funny place. 

January 4, 2011

Mental Stability - Srimad Bhagavatam 5.18.37

Canto 5: The Creative Impetus Chapter 18: The Prayers Offered to the Lord by the Residents of Jambūdvīpa

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 5.18.37

dravya-kriyā-hetv-ayaneśa-kartṛbhir

māyā-guṇair vastu-nirīkṣitātmane

anvīkṣayāńgātiśayātma-buddhibhir

nirasta-māyākṛtaye namo namaḥ

[From - http://vedabase.net/sb/5/18/37/ ]

TRANSLATION

The objects of material enjoyment [sound, form, taste, touch and smell], the activities of the senses, the controllers of sensory activities [the demigods], the body, eternal time and egotism are all creations of Your material energy. Those whose intelligence has become fixed by perfect execution of mystic yoga can see that all these elements result from the actions of Your external energy. They can also see Your transcendental form as Supersoul in the background of everything. Therefore I repeatedly offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

From the mâyâ to Your form raised by the objects of the senses, the controlling deities over the senses, the body, the predominating time, by false ego and the modes of nature observed as a fact, are those whose intelligence found its stability the careful consideration of all the different limbs of the yoga system, completely freed; unto that Supreme Soul my reverential homage.

From the mâyâ to Your form raised by the objects of the senses, the controlling deities over the senses, the body, the predominating time, by false egotism and the modes of nature observed as a fact, are those whose intelligence has become fixed through the careful considering of all the different limbs of the yogasystem, completely freed; unto that Supreme Soul my reverential homage.

[From - http://www.srimadbhagavatam.org/canto5/chapter18.html#Text%2037 ]

An attempt to understand - by Bharat Bhushan 


Life goes topsy turvy all of a sudden. Its extremely painful when one knows that something that you dread is going to happen, so slowly building up for the final avalanche. It is unlike a cyclone. You know that a cyclone has a beginning, an eye, and an end. Or is that a hurricane? But with an avalanche, you have only one option - keep running ahead of it. Can you stand still, face the avalanche and threaten the avalanche? When it is rushing towards you? Will that scare the avalanche? You hope that it will perhaps frighten the avalanche. Should one accept the inevitable? Should one continue to keep working as if nothing has happened? Is there a way to avoid the hit by the avalanche?


There may be two more options. First,  hide under a shelter, before the avalanche begins to move, let it crash down all around you, and allow it to wash away. Second, you can dig down, underground, if there is no shelter around you. Dig deep down, pull everything else above you, and hope that you can breathe afterwards, and walk safely past he damage that the avalanche has caused in the area. 


An avalanche is an avalanche and will not change its behaviour. It will destroy everything on its route and will also destroy its own speed when it eats up its own mass. Hide. Dig. Go deep. Events far away can have an impact all around you. If planets far away can have an impact and predict your future, then events on the planet can have a bigger impact. 


Get ready. Be prepared. Work at it and organise oneself. How much can one hope that the fallout should not consume oneself? Main focus, simple clear objective, is to take care of one's own health, one's mental stability and well being. If one is health, thinking well, keeping the mind clear, and being very stable, then one can stay healthy, be strong and face another day.


3.1.2011