ViBha Class Notes: February 13, 2022
If one has been to Delhi for a vacation or to visit family, does that mean one has seen and one knows Bharat? What If one has been to more than one Indian city, like Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai? Does that mean that one has seen and one knows Bharat? A Bhagavata Saptah, that is experiencing Shrimad Bhagavata in a week is better than not experiencing Bhagavatam at all, but it is like going to Delhi only. Better than that is Bhagavatam in a summary that one has as a book, that would be like visiting more than one Indian city. The best way to experience Shrimad Bhagavata is through a course like we are experiencing which is equivalent to exploring Bharat, state by state, city by city, as each state, each city is unique. The same goes with every verse, every chapter, every skanda of Bhagavatam.
If for whatever reason, we cannot continue with Vedanta in Bhagavata, what would be the message from the 111 classes of Bhagavata together? Here is a powerful quote from Gurudev, Swami Chinmayananda –
To every thinking man, the truth is obvious that in life he is at best only an instrument in His hands!
That is the teaching of Bhagavatam. When we ignore these coverings, which means we are these covering, then we feel Baddha, which means small, sad. When we know these coverings, it means that we know these coverings are the coverings on our Center, then we are Buddha; we are Big; we are Joyous.
At the end of Chapter 86, we went to Mithila where two bhaktas lived, the Raja, Bahulashva and the praja, Shrutadeva, the King and the citizen. Both of them lived by Arpana. They both offered to Bhagavan Krshna. Raja Bahulashva offered for one month and Shrutadeva offered for one day. That is the technicality, but Arpana is not based on technicality, but on Bhakti. They both offered to Bhagavan Krshna with an equal Bhakti, which is why the Parsada for both of them was the same – They both felt that Bhagavan Krshna was with them for one day. Why is this narration shared in Shrimad Bhagavata?
Yatha shakti, tatha bhakti, which means – If we can offer lots, then offer lots and that is our Bhakti. If we can offer little, then offer little, and that is our Bhakti. If we can offer lots, but we offer little, then that is not Bhakti.
Then we experienced Chapter 87. This Chapter is an Upanishad. Upanishad is made up of three components – Upa means near. In 2022, nearness is not possible because of Covid, but instead we are in a live experience which is upa for us. Ni means Nishchayena which is with determination, so nearness with determination. For us, that translates as continuation. Year after year, month after month, week after week, we continue. Shad actually comes from Sad which means to destroy, to destroy all that is holding us back. A practical methodology to this – All of us do not want to be held back from Bhagavan. Bhagavan does not hold Himself back from us. Conversely, we are holding ourselves back from Bhagavan. How do we start destroying this holding back? It starts with, as disciples respecting the philosophy of our Sadguru. This philosophy is their shrotriya – how knowledgeable they are, how well-versed they are. That respect has to evolve to a love for our Sadguru when we observe the philosophy we respect is being practiced. They help us to respect the philosophy of the Shastra and that is to evolve to love when we start to practice what the Shastra is guiding us to, when we follow the script. And that helps us to respect Bhagavan. What this feels like in our lives is when we feel we are the Dasa. Dasyam is a form of Bhakti, but that is to evolve to loving Bhagavan when He becomes our Sakhya. Sakhyam is a friendship with Bhagavan, a closeness, which goes from respect to love. Respect and love one’s Sadguru, to one’s Shastra, to one’s Bhagavan and in Chapter 87, we hear clearly how much the Shastra loves Bhagavan. Whatever we love, we are led towards that. If we love our Sadguru, that will lead us to the Shastra. If we love our Shastra, that will lead us to Bhagavan.
Chapter 87 ended with a summary of the Parampara that was shared by Rishi Narayana with Rishi Narada. Rishi Narada then shared the same with Rishi Vyasa, who in turn shared it with Rishi Shuka, who then shared it with Raja Parikshita. And finally what did Rishi Shuka share with Raja Parikshita? Tam Kaivalya – You will be enlightened. You will be free. Nirastayonim – You will not be born again. That’s in the future, but now, in the present, Abhayam – The context of Bhagavata is that Raja Parikshita is dying. We normally fear death, ours and someone else’s. So what should you be doing Raja Parikshita? But he is already doing it, so it is actually Bhagavata speaking to us. Dhyayet ajasram Harim – Contemplate perpetually, with no break, on Harim, Bhagavan Narayana, Bhagavan Krshna.
Chapter 88 – This Chapter begins with a question from Raja Parikshita. And he says – It is generally found that amongst celestials, men and asuras, those who worship Parameshwara who is an ascetic living in unclean places like the cremation ground, become wealthy and are given to worldly enjoyments. Whereas, it is not so with regard to the worshippers of Hari, even though He is the consort of Lakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity Herself. Here, we have a grave doubt. We want to know why there is this paradox that the followers of these two types of Masters with opposite features, obtain results that are contrary to the characteristics of the Masters.
In summary, Bhagavan Shiva is poor, but gives wealth. Bhagavan Narayana is wealthy, but takes wealth. So why this paradox? A katha is shared to answer this question.
There was a personality named Shakuni and he had a son named Vrka. Vrka was an asura, with darkness inside. In Sanskrtam, vrka also means wolf. So Vrka asura is actually a werewolf. He was wandering and he came across Rishi Narada, and he asked Rishi Narada – Which of the Trimurti, Bhagavan Brahma, Bhagavan Vishnu, and Bhagavan Mahesha, is most easy to worship and seek a result from? Rishi Narada said Bhagavan Shiva. So Vrka asura traveled to Kedara, now known as Kedara Natha, where Bhagavan Shiva is. There he created this fire, and he had this visualization that that fire was the mukham, the mouth of Bhagavan Shiva. Then he started to cut off pieces of his own flesh, offering it to this fire, the mouth of Bhagavan Shiva. He did that for a whole week, but Bhagavan Shiva still did not come to give him his result. Then Vrka asura was about to cut his head off when Bhagavan Shiva manifested and asked him what he wanted. And Vrka asura said that he wanted the shakti that whoever’s head he put his hand on, they should be destroyed. Bhagavan Shiva laughed and said Tathastu He also touched Vrka asura and healed his body. Now Vrka asura had this shakti, whoever’s head he put his hand upon, they would become destroyed or bhasma. So he also came to be known as Bhasmasura.
Then looking at Bhagavan Shiva, he started thinking about Devi Gauri, and he decided to test his shakti on Bhagavan Shiva so that he could get Devi Gauri or Parvathi. And so he tried to do so, and Bhagavan Shiva started to run and first went to Bhagavan Brahma for help. But Bhagavan Brahma and others who were with him, just remained quiet. One of the reasons for this is – Bhagavan Brahma is created and Bhagavan Shiva is the Creator in a higher sense, so what can the created do for the Creator? Therefore Bhagavan Brahma just stays quiet. So then, Bhagavan Shiva ran to Vaikuntha, the abode of Bhagavan Narayana. As Bhagavan Narayana saw him running towards Him, He sheltered Bhagavan Shiva, and simultaneously transformed Himself into a Vatu, a young Brahmachari, almost like Shri Hanumana in the Ramayana. As Vrka asura arrived there, he started to look for Bhagavan Shiva and seeing the young Brahmachari, he asked him whether he had seen Bhagavan Shiva. The young Brahmachari first prostrated to Vrka asura and then they both got into this dialogue. He shared with Vrka asura – Bhagavan Shiva is like that. He gives, but really has no power to give. So do not have faith in the shakti that you have been given. Then the Vatu said to Vrka asura that he was so clear about this that he could bet that the shakti given to Vrka asura would not work if he put his hand on his own head. So Vrka asura decided to test the shakti bestowed upon him and put his hand on his own head, and what happened to him? He was destroyed!
There is another version of this katha in another Purana where Bhagavan Narayana became Mohini, and when she saw Vrka asura, she laughed. That laugh was actually yoga-maya being directed to him, and then Mohini started to dance. Every move she made, Vrka asura would make too. And one of the moves she made was putting her hand on her head! And what happened to Vrka asura when he did the same? Bhasma!
What does this katha symbolize for us? – Vrka asura is symbolic of our intellect, and the untrained intellect is always focusing on the outside. In other words, it instructs – I have to do this, I have to do that. What should be the purpose of the intellect? What should it be utilized for? It should be focused on the inside and inquiring. And Vrka asura putting his hand on his head is symbolic for us, teaching us that when the intellect inquires, it will burn down doership that lives in the intellect, which is coming from the doer which is the ego.
Some background – Sanatana Dharma is a Monotheistic Polytheism, which means oneness expressed as manyness. One of the frameworks of this Polytheism is the Trimurti – Bhagavan Brahma, Bhagavan Vishnu and Bhagavan Mahesha. Bhagavan Brahma is symbolic for rajas, Bhagavan Vishnu is symbolic for sattva, and Bhagavan Shiva is symbolic for tamas. Rajas, sattva, and tamas are the Gunas, and Gunas are an expression of Maya, and deeper than Maya is Brahman. Brahman is that Monotheism, and then come these expressions. With this background, let us explore the next verse.
Skanda 10:88:8 – Bhagavan Krshna is speaking to a group of seekers about Dharma, and Raja Yudhishthira, who is present in this assembly, asks Bhagavan Krshna this question about the differences between Bhagavan Shiva and Bhagavan Narayana. (It is interesting to note that Rishi Shuka keeps setting precedence by telling Raja Parikshita that that question was asked before.) This is a harsh verse. Bhagavan Krshna shares –
For the one I want to grace, I slowly take their wealth. Thereafter, when they become poor, their family and friends give them up. So the person I grace only goes from dukha to dukha.
The implication of this verse on a light level – When do we think of Bhagavan most intensely? In adversity. So now there is a new narrative that the more adversity we face, the more reason we have to intensely remember Bhagavan which means the more potential we have to learn. The other implication – The most awful dhana we all have is our vasanas, and the more these vasanas are taken away, the more we think about and are close to Bhagavan.
Bhagavan Shiva is poor, but gives wealth. He is like sadhana. He is testing us – what are we praying for, what are we living for? And when this wealth comes into our lives and we get distracted, it shows that we are not ready. On the other hand, Bhagavan Narayana is wealthy, but what does He give? Poorness. He keeps on advancing us, that we will not be distracted and we will continue to focus on Him, like Sudama who was given clothes by Bhagavan Krshna, but then Bhagavan Krshna took those clothes away so that he would not be distracted.
Some more vedanta: In this teaching, Bhagavan Shiva is Saguna Brahma or Ishwara. And what do we need to do? This poorness is a poorness towards the gunas that we have to renounce so that we become Nirguna Brahma, generally called Brahman. The point is about the purpose of our life and how finely we have to renounce, not externally, but internally, gunas, our vasanas. That’s the poorness that is indicated so that we are closer and One with Bhagavan.
Beginning of Chapter 89 – This Chapter also begins with a question. Rishi Shuka is sharing with Raja Parikshita – O King, on the banks of the River Saraswati, some Rishi started a satra, a sacrifice of very long duration. Among them, a dispute arose as to who among the Trimurti, Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwara, is the greatest. O King, to investigate and find out the answer, they deputed Bhrigu, the son of Brahma. Bhrigu went to the celestial assembly of Brahma first.
Rishi Bhrigu, when he went to Bhagavan Brahma, he did nothing. What was he supposed to do? He is the son of Brahma so he is expected to prostrate to his father, but he did nothing. As a result, Bhagavan Brahma became angry, seeing that his son was not respecting him. Then he went to Bhagavan Shiva as he was testing the Trimurti to see who was the greatest. When Bhagavan Shiva saw Rishi Bhrigu, he went to hug him, and Rishi Bhrigu started insulting him saying that Bhagavan Shiva was dirty and couldn’t hug him. As a result, Bhagavan Shiva became angry. Then Rishi Bhrigu went to Bhagavan Narayana who was half asleep in Vaikuntha. He knows His nature and is engaged in reality. So what did Rishi Bhrigu do? He walked up to Bhagavan Narayana and kicked Him in the chest. And Bhagavan Narayana and Bhagavati Lakshmi, both got up and started to massage his feet asking him if he was alright as Bhagavan Narayana’s chest was hard and Rishi Bhrigu’s feet were soft. There was no anger in Bhagavan Narayana, to the extent of saying “I am Shri Vatsa”. Vatsa means chest, Shri means virtues. “You are Rishi Bhrigu, and now these virtues will ever be with me”.
Rishi Bhrigu approached Bhagavan Brahma as a son, Bhagavan Shiva as a brother, and to Bhagavan Narayana, he really went as an enemy, but we see that there was no sense of anger there. With Chapters 88 and 89, we need to understand and appreciate through our reflection that Bhagavan Krshna is returning to be Bhagavan Narayana. That is why these fascinating, comparative Chapters are being shared.
One more aspect from Chapter 89: In Dwaraka, there lived a Brahmana whose infant died as soon as he was born, and he was deeply saddened by this. He then brought this infant to the palace of Bhagavan Krshna and said to Bahgavan Krshna that this happened because of Him. Sometimes there is a connection that if an unusual negativity is happening, then it is because of the leader of that environment. This happened nine times, each time an infant was born, and then died. The ninth time, Prince Arjuna happened to be there. After the death of the ninth infant, the Brahmana stood outside the palace, yelling out loud. Prince Arjuna heard this and told the Brahmana not to blame Bhagavan Krshna and said that the next time an infant was born, he himself would protect the infant and not let Yama Deva touch the Brahmana’s child. So when the tenth infant was born, Prince Arjuna was right there, ready with his bow in a fortified area. But soon after its birth, the infant died and disappeared into the sky. Prince Arjuna was so confused by this and was also angry, so he went to Samyamini, the abode of Yama Deva, the deity of death, but he couldn’t find this infant, nor any of the other infants there, so he traveled everywhere looking for them, but in vain. He was so dejected that he was going to burn himself, thinking that he couldn’t even protect an infant and that he didn’t deserve this responsibility, when at that time Bhagavan Krshna intervened.
Bhagavan Krshna asked Prince Arjuna to come with Him and they sat in Bhagavan Krshna’s chariot and started going west. After they crossed the world, they crossed this universe, and then the multiverse, then there was only darkness. Bhagavan Krshna then released the Sudarshana chakra, and then there was light everywhere. They continued to travel and they eventually saw this huge body of water which was white in color. Then they saw this huge snake, which was most beautiful, and then they saw this huge being lying on the snake, that was lying on the milky ocean. A most beautiful sight! And then what happened? Now comes a most magical verse where Bhagavan Krshna and Prince Arjuna in their chariot see Adishesha. They see Bhagavan Narayana! This is one of the last verses of one of the last chapters.
Skanda 10:89:59 – Achyuta made obeisance to Himself in a different form, as a part of His divine play. Arjuna prostrated himself before Him with great excitement born of his vision. The Supreme One, the Lord of all Divine manifestations said as follows smilingly, in His majestic voice, to the two standing before Him with folded hands – I brought the sons of the Brahmana to My realm in order that I may meet you both. You are both parts of Me born on Earth to relieve her of the burden of evil men. Having accomplished that mission, come back quickly to My realm. You leaders of men are the incarnations of the Rishis, Nara and Narayana. Though you have no desires of your own to achieve, perform your duties in the world for the good of the society and the maintenance of Dharma. – Commanded thus by the worshipful Lord, they both agreed to abide by His instruction, and they saluted Him and gladly returned with the children of the Brahmana, arriving at the home in as perfect a condition as they left. They gave all the children to the Brahmana, checking their correctness by form and age. By this experience of the supreme abode of Vishnu, Arjuna learned wisdom from the wonder it produced and came to the settled conclusion that all this success that man appears to achieve through self-effort is only by the operation of the Lord’s Grace!
RAW: Continue with your RAM – Reflection Adventure of the Month: From February 6 to March 6, one has to reflect on a verse a day, a total of 28 verses (14 – 41) from Chapter 87.