ViBha Class Notes: March 6, 2022

On January 6, 2019 Vivekji started sharing thoughts on Bhakti and this was the transition from Ramayana to Bhagavata. This itihasa and purana, both focus on Bhakti. We have been immersed in Bhakti for a long time now. When bhaktas meet bhaktas, they discuss Bhagavan. For at least 38 months, with reference to Bhagavata, we have been discussing Bhagavan. And one of the prominent ideas shared was that when bhaktas are with bkatas, they come to understand and appreciate that they cannot lift themselves out of the weight of their own papa, the burden of their own avidya. The perspective of Bhakti is not to lift oneself up, but rather to surrender. On Sankranti of 2019, we began Vedanta in Bhagavata. 

Bhagavata – Ta is means, a boat, Va means the best, Ga means to go or to know, Bha is Bhagavan or light or Awareness – Bhagavata is the best means to know Awareness or to know yourself. The feeling of this is Bhagavata idam or belonging to Bhagavan. We have to become Bhagavata to feel that we belong to Bhagavan. After all this time studying Bhagavata, do we feel lighter and that some of our papa has been discarded?  Do we feel the light of Bhagavan, the light of Chit? 

Bhagavata actually has thirteen Skandas. Skanda zero is known as Mahatmya or Glorification. This is like the Dhyana shlokas of Bhagavad Gita. In the Mahatmya, it is shared that Bhagavata is a katha. The etymology of the word katha is – kathyate prakashyate yatha – that which illumines. It is not a story that keeps one in darkness, but makes one feel lighter. Another highlight in this section is the presentation about Vairagya and Viveka. Through Bhagavata, Vairagya will grow.Vairagya is – This is not me. And Viveka is – This is Me. This is what contemplation is – changing one’s identification from – Not me, to Me. 

The first Skanda is on Adhikari or Qualification, who is qualified to internalize Bhagavata. This begins in Naimisharanya – naimihi shiryate yatra – where the mind is quiet. So the qualification to internalize Bhagavata is to have a quiet mind. When one’s mind is quiet, one will start to inquire into the six questions that are presented in the first Skanda. 

• Good – greatest good for humanity. 
• Purpose – what is the purpose of Avatara
• Performance – what is the performance of Avatara
• Passings – what are the passings of Avatara
• Play – what is the play of Avatara or Bhagavan Krshna’s leela in the tenth Skanda 
• Home – what is the home of Dharma – focus of the eleventh and twelfth Skandas

The second Skanda is on Sadhana or Application – how are the ones who are qualified to apply themselves. The Sadhana, the means that a student is to engage in is Muktih or whatever that will transform them to freedom. How so? That which they are not, let it go and conversely, hold on or establish oneself in one’s Nature. This is the application and Bhagavata is about contemplation on what “I” is. In this section, we see how Bhagavan Brahma practiced this. When he woke up and he was lost, what did he do? He contemplated and that was the original Bhagavata of four shlokas – Chatushloki Bhagavata.  

The third Skanda is on Sarga or Creation. When we approach Bhagavata in a scholarly way, the first three Skandas are not referenced. People feel that Bhagavata only focuses on the ten subjects from Skandas three to twelve. That would be like taking up Bhagavad Gita without Chapter 1. Why would Prince Arjuna become Bhagavan Krshna’s disciple if there is no sense of mumukshutvam that is shared in Chapter 1? It is shared in this section that Bhagavan Narayana has created the materials of this creation and Bhagavan Brahma manages these materials. Specifically, Bhagavan Brahma became the first two humans, half of him became Shatarupa and the other half of him became Manu. From Manu, we got Man or human. Let us reflect on this – Bhagavan Narayana gave birth to Bhagavan Brahma, Bhagavan Brahma gave birth to Shatarupa and Manu and they gave birth to us. So what is our DNA? – Bhagavan Narayana, our original parent. So this is our lineage.This is sarga.

The fourth skanda is Visarga or Diversification. Bhagavan Narayana created the elements and Bhagavan Brahma used these elements to create humans. And now for humans, there is more diversification – animals, plants,stones and so on. We can get lost in this diversification, so in this Skanda, the teaching is on Purushartha – Purusha Artha. What is the meaning for a human amongst so much diversification? The meaning is to feel purnatva or complete, to feel joy and go back to our original parent. In this Skanda, we came across one of the greatest leaders, Raja Prithu. Raja Prithu felt that earth was his putri, daughter, so the earth came to be known as Prithvi. As one of the greatest leaders, he shares what a mature person is to do for the less mature – rakshita or protection, vrittida or provide and stapita or progress. In the micro example, what is one to do with our children who are less mature than us? We should protect them, provide for them, and we should progress or evolve for them, so that naturally opportunities for them will evolve too. So we should ask whether we are progressing, evolving for the people we care for. Are we facilitating the same for them, for their evolution? 

The fifth Skanda is Sthana or Position. Glorification, Qualification, Application, then Creation, Diversification and Position. In this Skanda, there are a lot of details about this world, and the multiverse as well – the waters, space, and so on. There is great emphasis on Dharma or bust, which means naraka. So we are either following Dharma or leading ourselves to naraka or hell. The personality that is most lovely in this Skanda is Bhagavan Rshabha, who is commonly known as Rshabha Deva. He had many children and one of his children was called Bharata. India was originally known as Ajanabha Varsha, and after this great son, Bharata, India came to be known as Bharata – it is the land where Bharata lived and led. Bhagavan Rshabha also had nine special children who came to be known as the Navayogis. We will meet them in Skanda eleven, and they have very special teachings for us.

The sixth Skanda is Poshana or Protection. We focused on grace. The greatest protection is God’s grace. God’s grace in general is known as krpa, and God’s grace in specifics, which means guidance, is called Anugraha. The difference between grace and grace in guidance is shown in this Skanda. How does one evolve from grace to guidance? When they are practicing living in a balanced way, which is samatva. When we are working hard and smart to live in balance, we are protecting ourselves and it means we are following that guidance. We all chant before we start any endeavor.  Bhagavan Ganesha is known as Mahakaya, the biggest body, which means he can absorb the most. It does not mean that he has an elephant’s body, instead he can absorb all of the dvaita that manifests in creation. For us to practice Samatva – finally, even Brahman is called Samabrahma, the One who is even or equal. When we follow guidance, this is what it will feel like. 

Skanda seven is Uti or Inclination, and a lot is shared here about Ashrama and Varna. Ashrama means position, the stage of life we are in. Our age and relationships determine that, but deeper than position is Varna. Varna means personality and it is made up of one’s Gunas. Are we lazy or aggressive or quiet? That is not related to my age, nor relationships. So please remember that Varna is the precedent over Ashrama, and Rshi Prahlada is the greatest example of this. What is Rshi Prahlada’s Ashrama or position?  He is young and his family is the worst. What is his Varna? The best. He is the Maha Bhagavata. If we don’t know who our ideal in life is, it is Rshi Prahlada. He knows he belongs to Bhagavan like no one else. And when one feels that they belong to Bhagavan, they start to feel that Bhagavan belongs to them. And one of the greatest teachings of Rshi Prahlada is the nine practices of Bhakti. What is the fulfillment of Bhakti, the last practice of Bhakti? Atma nivedana. We cannot offer the Spirit. We can offer everything other than the Spirit. Who do we offer to? To the Spirit. 

Skanda eight is Saddharma, or Sat Dharma or Intensification. It teaches us how to intensify our Dharma. Unquestionably, we are dharmik, but how do we intensify this? Dharma is not the ends, but the means, and we have to go further into this means. We do this through – smarana, dana, pratijna and raksha. These four have to be practiced perpetually, so that we intensify Dharma. And this intensification means we are closer to Brahma or Infinity. Pratijna means to follow through, to fulfill our promise. That is where we get out of the mind – vikalpa, where we justify why we are like this or do this, and instead, we get into sankalpa, where we promise to do this and be like this and with no excuses. And a lovely example of this is Raja Bali. The first step that Bhagavan Vamana takes is what Raja Bali has conquered – past. The second step is what Raja Bali will conquer – future, and the third step is Raja Bali being a conqueror – his ego. The ego expresses through the mind – I’ve conquered this, through the intellect – I will conquer this. Mind given, intellect given and what remains is the ego, the conqueror. All of this is connected back to Satyam Param Dhimahi – to contemplate. 

Skanda nine is Nasha or Disidentification. This Skanda very much relates to Skanda seven where we all have vasanas. We have to intensify our Dharma (Skanda eight) and finally disidentify with the vasanas (Skanda nine). Practically, this was shared in three ways – 

• Light vasanas – kshaya or exhaustion – we experience it and it gets exhausted
• Medium vasanas – parivartana or substitution – whatever we’re inclined to do, we do the opposite.
• Heavy vasanas  – nasha – we cannot destroy all our vasanas. Finally, we need to disidentify from them. We need to step away from this game as this game is endless. 

In this Skanda, we were with Bhagavan Rama. When He was physically present, how much vasana nasha He was engaged in – thousands, millions. And because of Bhagavan Rama, now billions are engaged in vasana nasha – Ramayana, Vishnu Sahasranama etc,

The tenth Skanda is Ashraya or Absorption – disidentification from what I’m not and absorption into what I am. The word hrdayam is made up of two parts – hrt means “I am” and ayam is “this”. So hrdayam is “I am this”- I am this body, I am this mind, I am this varna, I am this ashrama. Absorption is where we delete ayam and absorb ayam into Bhagavan Krshna. Then it is just Hrt Krshna – I am Krshna or just Hrt – “I am”, which is Existence, Awareness. This is why the tenth Skanda is known as the Heart of Bhagavata. It is known as the Hrdaya of Bhagavata. This is what Bhagavata is. The main message is to absorb oneself in Bhagavan through any means. It could be fear, like Kamsa; it could be love, like the Gopis. To absorb, and an easy way to absorb is experiencing Bhagavan’s leela. Leela means to melt what we are not and to release what we are. When we experience Bhagavan’s leela, we just want to hear more, see more, feel more.The tenth Skanda is about Saguna Ishvara who we refer to as Bhagavan and our relationship with Saguna Ishvara is of Bhakti. And this leads us to understanding the eleventh Skanda. 

The eleventh Skanda is Mukti or Liberation. This is the head of Bhagavata. Swami Tejomayananda shares this as – When we think of Ekadasi, it is eleven – organs of perception and organs of action. The Master of all this is one’s mind. So he is referring to the eleventh Skanda to be Ekadasi. 

The last question that the Rshis ask is – What is the home of Dharma? Bhagavan Krshna’s purpose is to establish Dharma, which means He has to teach Dharma. How can one establish anything? Through one’s life and teachings. First life, and He has lived His life. Now teachings, so a significant portion of the eleventh Skanda is another Gita. The eleventh Skanda is on Nirguna Ishvara – not with qualities, but without qualities which we describe as Brahman – Bhagavan to Brahman. So the eleventh Skanda is not about Bhakti, but about Jnana. 

Skanda 11:1:6-7 – Rishi Shuka is speaking to Raja Parikshita – 

By the charming beauty of His form that excelled everything called beautiful in the world, He attracted the looks of all towards Himself. By His sweet words, He attracted the minds of all who remembered them. By the imprints He left on life, He inspired noble actions dedicated to Him in all who noticed Him. For the good of prosperity, for the good of posterity, He spread all over the world the fame of His holy deeds. Considering these to be sufficient to help people overcome the darkness of ignorance, He concluded His sport as the Incarnate and went back to His eternal realm. 

RAW: Reflect and rate how impartial you are – 1 is awful, 100 is awesome.