ViBha Class Notes: October 31, 2021

Typically, Shrimad Bhagavata is known as a katha or story, however it is not a katha but a Purana — that which is ancient, yet applicable. We have heard many stories that have no relevance to our lives. A Purana demands that we not just be a hearer, but that we be a listener. In the Ramayana, the original teacher is Bhagavan Shiva. He had contemplated and felt Bhagavan Rama. And he was waiting to share this and one day he found the ideal student that was Devi Parvati. Devi Parvati asked Bhagavan Shiva what makes her ready to listen to the Ramayana. And Bhagavan Shiva shared with her that a listener must have the following 6 gunas or qualities. Let us score ourselves from 1 to10 (1 is awful and 10 is awesome) on these qualities.

1. Shrota — focused on what is being shared
2. Sumati — an agile mind — Do we have the agility to understand, appreciate a thought that is shared with us?
3. Susheela — careful — Are we careful about what we say and act?
4. Shuchi — nobility — how noble our thoughts are
5. Rasika — cheerful — enjoys, interested in what is being shared
6. Dasa — being open to applying to ourselves what is being shared, can we develop virtues to be more of a dasi / dasa?

These qualities need to be in place for us to be a listener of a self-development manual, instead of a hearer of a story. Any number above 40 makes us a listener. We can hear an objective science, but for a subjective science, we have to listen!

This year, we started with a focus on Vivaha (special upliftment) which means we feel more evolved.

Chapters 54–58 — focus on Bhagavan Krshna’s vivahas with Devis specific in name and nature. He uplifts all of them, so that is why we remember them.

Chapter 59 — Bhagavan Krshna’s vivahas with Devis with no names, but by nature, they are all seekers or mumukshus

Chapter 60 — To solidify this whole teaching on vivaha, Bhagavan Krshna provokes or prods Devi Rukmini, sharing that she made a mistake. She reflects on this deeply and shares the most beautiful responses indicating that she is a seeker. She is actually not a mumukshu; she is a mukta; she is free.

Chapters 61–68 — are more of a katha than a Purana. There is not a lot of content for us to reflect on.

• Chapter 61– we find out about how grand Bhagavan Krshna’s family is with 16,008 wives, each with 10 children, so 160,080 children.
• Chapter 62 — about Bhagavan Krshna’s son Pradhyumna and grandson Aniruddha. Aniruddha is transported to be with Devi Usha.
• Chapter 63 — Bhagavan Krshna goes to bring His grandson back to Dwarka, but Bhagavan Shiva stops Him and they both fight each other, like brothers fighting each other. Let us not take this seriously. It is shared that Bhagavan Krshna shoots an arrow or missile that makes Bhagavan Shiva dazed, then makes him yawn and then sleep. And finally Bhagavan Krshna is able to free His grandson Aniruddha and bring him and his wife Devi Usha back to Dwarka and there is a big celebration.

Chapter 64 — One day Bhagavan Krshna’s grandkids, they are exploring the outer gardens of Dwaraka and they come across this well and when they look into this well they find a giant Chameleon in the well. They try to save this chameleon, but are unable to. So Bhagavan goes and frees this chameleon and asks, “Who are you, and how did you get stuck here?” This chameleon describes himself that in his previous life he was a most generous personality. One day, he had given a gift to a teacher, and that gift accidentally came back to him and he gifted it again. And when he died, his record showed that he regifted it. When he died, his record was being kept and this incident was isolated. So the record keepers asked him what he would like to experience first, his punya first or papa and he chose papa. And his papa was to be born as a chameleon. But why a chameleon? Because a chameleon keeps changing how it looks, colors particularly. He did the regifting accidentally, but as he was confused about what he was giving, he was given the form of a chameleon in his next birth. As it was done accidentally, it was Bhagavan Krshna who came and freed him. This was just a learning lesson for him, to be more careful on what one gifts, how one gifts. In summary, Swami Tejomayananda has shared that we should be supportive of Brahmanas. Brahmanas are not a caste, but a guna. They are the ones who study and share the Shastra. That is all of us too, and us living this is sharing this. There is a significant amount of foreshadowing here. When Brahmanas are not supported, which means no studying happening, no sharing happening, then there will be a destruction of society.

What is going to happen at the end of Bhagavan Krshna’s life? His own kids and grandkids are the ones who are going to stop supporting the Brahmanas and that is the cause for the destruction of Bhagavan Krshna’s family. And Vivekji has shared that if our kids don’t listen to us, we don’t have to worry as Shri Krshna’s kids didn’t listen to Him either!

Chapter 65 — We shift our focus from Bhagavan Krshna to Shri Balarama, His elder brother. Shri Balarama, a fascinating personality, just as a joke, felt superior to Bhagavan Krshna — I am older. But everywhere Shri Krshna was, He got more attention. So one day, Shri Balarama went back to Vrajabhoomi and while he was there, he got to meet his adopted parents. He also interacted with all of the people he grew up with and many of them were being sarcastic with him, saying Shri Krshna said He was going to come back, but He had not come back. So why should they even talk about Him as He didn’t talk about them? There was no difference, but some of the commentaries share that the difference is that Shri Krshna never felt sad, but they all felt sad without Him. As sarcastic as their comments were, they all missed Bhagavan Krshna lots. They were feeling sad without Him.

Shri Balarama engaged with his Superfans, the Gopis and Gopas. And with his sense of superiority, one day he was feeling hot and thirsty and wanted the River Yamuna to be closer. So he told the river to come closer so that he could drink and play. And since she didn’t know who he was, she disobeyed. So Shri Balarama took out his plough and started to carve this path for River Yamuna to come closer for him to drink and play. And finally, River Yamuna recognized who he was. A simple sentiment for us is that the Creator can do anything to creation. The cause can do anything to the effect. So how are we supposed to feel this? Whenever we feel there is an impossibility, understand and appreciate that the Creator can make this possible. He can change the course of a river, change the course of our lives.

Chapter 66 — There is a character, Paundraka, who was surrounded by those who were ignorant. And these ignorant people convinced him that he is Bhagavan Krshna, like when children enthrone a certain child — You be the King or Queen today, and imagine that the child starts to believe that! So Paundraka started to feel that he was Bhagavan Krshna and sent a message to Bhagavan Krshna sharing “You are a fake, and all of Your gear — the Sudarshana Chakra, Garuda, Devi Rukmini and more should be be returned back to me”. When all the people around Bhagavan Krshna listened to this message, they all started laughing. And then Bhagavan Krshna and others gathered and went to where Paundraka was and when they saw Paundraka, he said “I’m getting my weapons back”, and the Sudarshana Chakra destroyed Paundraka. So what happened to Paundraka then? As we think, so we develop. When we lie, we think about that lie more. That is how Paundraka’s devotion was. He too was a bhakta.

Skanda 10:66:24 — Paundraka was perpetually contemplating on whom? Bhagavan Krshna. And when Paundraka was destroyed, he became Bhagavan Krshna’s svarupa. He was granted a certain type of mukti or freedom to actually look like Bhagavan Krshna. How loving is our Bhagavan, that even if we fake-look like Him, that He will grace us to actually look like Him!

How can we not smile and laugh all day knowing that our Original parent Bhagavan’s DNA and ours is the same? See the depth of our Avidya or forgetfulness. So let us just revel in our Bhagavan.

We should all commit to live like Bhagavan Krshna.

Discussion: What has been the most moving part of Shrimad Bhagavata? Share this with others in your group because when Bhaktas meet Bhaktas, what do they talk about? Bhagavan!