ViBha Class Notes: Sept 26, 2021

Bhava patti — the path to feeling Happiness. This is a very technical and important path which we should remember and note. There are three points on this path:

1. Abhavana — This means the sense of feeling that Independent Joy is impossible or not a possibility. The Bhavapatti or the way to come out of this is through Shravana or listening. When we listen to one who is trying to be or is independently joyous, we start to feel that this is a possibility and that this is the message we need for our life. In summary — Inspiration.
2. Asambhavana — This means having the feeling that this message is unreal or impractical. So we follow this path through Manana or when we reflect and those doubts about this message get purged. So not only is this The message, but this message is real. The summary word is Reflection.

So we first need inspiration, and next need reflection.

3. Vipareeta bhavana — which means that this message doesn’t apply to us. This message is real, but is not applicable to us. It applies to someone who has purity of mind or someone who is older. Vipareeta bhavana means erroneous notion. The way to come of this is Nidhidhyasana, where we are constantly keeping this real message in our hearts so that we start to feel that not only is this message real, but also personal. This applies to us. The summary word is Contemplation.

So Bhava Patti is our fall from Independent Joy, but in a subjective science, the way we have fallen is the same way we have to rise up or flow. So if there abhavana, we need listening or inspiration. If there is asambhavana, we need reflection to make it real. If there is vipareeta bhavana, we need contemplation so that this message is personal. Then this becomes Bhava which is feeling that Independent Joy.

We have now heard ‘Satyam Param Dhimahi’ ninety-five times, the first verse of Shrimad Bhagavata. Though these are the last few words in the verse, in Sanskrit, the most important words come at the end. So the most important message in Bhagavata is “Satyam Param Dhimahi”. Dhimahi means to contemplate, but contemplate on what? Satyam Param or the sacred or subjective truth. This is very pertinent to Chapter ten which is focused on Shri Krshna. After almost hundred classes of studying the Bhagavata together, are we feeling less interested in our body and more interested in Bhagavan? One of the strongest reasons for vipareeta bhavana or erroneous notion is we are this body, but for anyone who is contemplating on the Absolute, they are identifying more with Bhagavan than their body.

The portion of Skanda ten where we are in, is all about Bhagavan’s Vivahas or marriages. The philosophy of the word Vivaha is Vishesha Vahati. Vahati means to lift. The prefix vi is special lift or upliftment. If we ask a typical person the happiest day of their life, they will say it was the day they got married. See how we remember? Because it is all related to us — my graduation, or my birthday or my marriage. Shrimad Bhagavata is so scientific in the sense that Bhagavan Krshna is going through multiple marriages and we should remember those marriages, so that we are shifting our identification from this body to Bhagavan. That is why we are moving slowly through this portion of Bhagavata to remember the context of His marriage, to remember whom He got married to, to remember those children, to remember HIM. That is what this is designed for.

Bhagavan Krshna’s first vivaha was with Devi Rukmini, the Jagat Janani or the Creator of the universe. The second vivaha was with Devi Jambavati, and His third vivaha was with Devi Satyabhama. Bhagavan is going to have sixteen thousand five more vivahas. In our last class, one of the main happenings related to the Syamantaka mani, this jewel that produced gold for an hour each day. The symbolism was for us to enjoy being a jewel and for us to learn that whatever comes from us, to share that.

The last scene was about how someone like Akrura, who we studied earlier as being most noble, but when in ignoble company experiences vipareeta, becomes confused, and tells everyone that Shri Krshna stole the Syamantaka mani. Shri Krshna makes Akrura show the Mani to everyone so that Shri Krshna’s name is cleared. Then Shri Krshna tells Akrura to keep the jewel. Those who are blessed more are not blessed with wealth, but with devotion.

Skanda 10:58:29 — This relates to Shri Krshna’s fourth vivaha. Shri Krshna brings Devi Kalindi to Dwaraka. Their vivaha is then facilitated in the right way.

What preceded this — Shri Krshna had heard a rumor that all the Pandavas had died in the fire in the palace made of wax. But they escaped and now Shri Krshna finds out that they are safe, so He quickly goes to be with them. He is so happy, and there are such details that are shared — Shri Krshna prostrates to Yudhishtira and Bhima. He hugs Arjuna and Nakula and Sahadeva prostrate to Him. And the messaging here is that as Shri Krshna is younger than Yudhishtira and Bhima, He prostrates to them and such is the humility by which Shri Krshna lived and is teaching us. The Pandavas are naturally happy that He is with them and Shri Krshna stays with them for four months during the rainy season, the varshikan masaan.

Previously, during one of the monsoon seasons in Vrajabhoomi, we saw how much Shri Krshna learned from nature. Now He is an adult and has so many more responsibilities. He can’t just live in a hut anymore and enjoy nature. He has to be in the kingdom. While He is with the Pandavas for these four months, one day He and Prince Arjuna go into the jungle. As they are travelling, they get close to the River Yamuna, and near this river, they see this beautiful Devi.

The first thing we see is physicality. She is just waiting near this river, so Prince Arjuna goes to her and asks who she is. She says that she is Yamuna. Another name for Yamuna is Kalindi. She says that she is the daughter of Surya Sura, the Semi God, and is waiting for Bhagavan Vishnu to marry her. And when Prince Arjuna reports this back to Shri Krshna who knows all of this, that is when He takes Devi Kalindi in the chariot, and brings her back to Dwaraka and they both get married.

Vedanta: Just like Devi Rukmini, Devi Kalindi is a mumukshu or one who is never satisfied with any state or experience less than Moksha. She is waiting for Bhagavan Vishnu to marry her. Now if we put ourselves in this position, how long are we willing to wait for Bhagavan’s darshan? How much effort are we willing to invest to be free? Any answer less than infinity, then more mumukshutvam is needed. It is like having our hair on fire, or running out of air. We should have this intensity, where our only thought is about letting go of these limits. And what happens to a mumukshu is Moksha and that’s what this marriage is. One of Shri Krshna’s name is Mukunda which means Moksham dadati, or the one who gives Moksha or freedom. So we should not be interpreting these vivahas in a limited way.

Skanda 10:58:31 — Another vivaha in this same chapter is to Devi Mitravinda. The build- up to this vivaha — The palace that the Pandavas were living in is burned down. Shri Krshna, who is fond of the Pandavas, asks Vishwakarma, who is an Astro Architect. to build them a new palace. During this time, Shri Krshna and Prince Arjuna go to the jungle together and continue to explore their relationship, and as they explore, Shri Krshna would be Prince Arjuna’s charioteer.

Once they go into the jungle, they help Agni Sura, the Semigod, who is fighting this jungle called Khandava. And when Prince Arjuna helps Agni Sura, what Agni Sura gives Prince Arjuna are four white horses and the Gandiva, the indestructible bow, two quivers with inexhaustible arrows, and an armor that could not be penetrated. So Prince Arjuna is building up his weaponry.

When Shri Krshna was in Dwaraka, He had heard about two people who were friends with Duryodhana. Their names were Vinda and Anuvinda and their sister’s name was Mitravinda, and Mitravinda wanted to only marry Bhagavan Krshna. When Shri Krshna heard about this, as He can read everyone’s mind, He went into their kingdom and took Mitravinda in His chariot and brought her back to Dwaraka and married her.

Vedanta: Bhagavan Krshna can read our minds and He’s ever available. The reciprocity is, are we thinking about Him? Are we ever available, like Devi Mitravinda who was ever available. She was ready, as if to be captured by Bhagavan.

Summarizing, the wives of Bhagavan so far are Devi Rukmini, Devi Jambavati, Devi Satyabhama, Devi Kalindi and Devi Mitravinda. Sixteen thousand wives of Shri Kshna do not have names, but eight do. What does the number eight symbolize? Bhagavan Krshna is One which is the symbol for Brahman. The number eight, these Devis are symbolic for Maya, and Brahman expresses through Maya. These eight technically symbolize the five elements — earth, water, fire, air and space. The next three are the mind, intellect and ego. And the implication is that whether it is our outer world — the five elements, or the inner world — the mind, intellect or ego — both the worlds depend on Bhagavan or Existence, Awareness, Joy. These sixteen thousand only represent further modification. The One gets expressed as eight, which gets expressed as sixteen thousand, which gets expressed as many more. The focus should be to come back to this entity that is never changing and is the locus for all else.

Skanda 10:58:47: Nagnajiti is the next Devi that Bhagavan Krshna will marry. There is a Raja whose name is Nagnajit, and he has a daughter named Nagnajiti. He is great and is living in Ayodhya with his daughter who is equally great. To ensure that she finds someone equally great as a husband, they have seven wild bulls and whoever could tame and tie these bulls, only that person could be wedded to Nagnajiti. And many try and are gored or maimed by these bulls. This is in Ayodhya and Shri Krshna is in Dwaraka.

Shri Krshna is a mind reader so we should be very careful on what we think. The implication is that Shri Krshna knows our intention, so let us not be hypocrites. He hears in her prayers that she is meditating on Shri Krshna so that He would be her spouse. So Shri Krshna comes to Ayodhya and when He comes to the area where the bulls are kept, He becomes seven prototypes. He ties them and is playing with these wild bulls like they were toys. And Nagnajit’s father is very happy as he knows about Sri Krshna, and Devi Nagnajiti and Shri Krshna get married.

Vedanta: What are we thinking about everyday, every week, every month? As we think so we develop.

Q & A: What should karma be when we are retired, and how is it different from our current karma?

Retirement in the sacred sense is expanding in our selflessness. For those who are between:

• Ages of 24–47 — Our samyama or purpose should be on kriya or more responsibilities. So work harder and smarter.
• Ages 48–59 — Samyama is on seva. The training purpose should no longer be family. We should have loved our family in such a way that at least internally they are independent. We should serve the community, better yet society and better yet humanity.
• Ages 60–72 — For ages over 72, every day should be a bonus day and there should always be a smile. And the samyama or purpose at this age is Indriya samyama. The training should be to not find any source of happiness outside of you. We use the indriyas to see stuff etc, but we should be disciplined with them. These senses are only used to be alive, but we should know that the only happiness is inside. That is the sacred sense of retirement.

Now the secular or modern sense of retirement — most people engage in their professions not as karma yoga, but as karma, even those who are students of Bhagavad Gita and Vedanta in Bhagavata. Corporate life sucks us in, medical, educational, and we get trapped, except for those very vigilant seekers. Most families think they are engaged in their nishkama karma, that they are looking after their family as their responsibility. But if we have stress, then we are not thinking about someone else, but about ourselves. This is a trap. Some teachers say, don’t get married, but Vivekji shares that we should just be more vigilant. Why escape? Just be more vigilant.

If we find that we don’t have the vigilance, then we should retire from that and increase our bandwidth for sacred retirement or more seva. Final seva is to give up this body. So anyone who is thinking that karma yoga ends, they are living based on likes and dislikes. It is more of an escapism than an understanding.

So we should each decide for ourselves. If we are ages 2 or 72, we should be a Gopi, everyday Antahkarna Shudhi. If our personalities are so clean, then Bhagavan will ask us to come home. These are gray questions or subjective questions. But our ego wants a black and white or objective answers. Those two do not mix with each other. Just like we don’t measure sound in litres, they are not the same measurables. We should measure sound in decibels and water in litres. The more reflective we are, the more we will resist on how we should get our answers. Where will our answers finally come from? Our own intellect. Nobody is our Guru, our intellect is our Guru.