ViBha Class Notes: October 17, 2021
If we analyze most of the people we know, including ourselves, the common thread is indecisiveness. What this indicates or what is deeper than this indecisiveness is that there is a doubt about who we are, and that gets expressed as indecisiveness. In Sanskritam, this is called Samshaya, where one is covered in darkness. In the present Utsava we are celebrating, this is called Ratri or night or darkness.
Srimad Bhagavata is a sublime map, to follow which we have to be reflective. In fact, when Rishi Narada taught Srimad Bhagavata to Rishi Vyasa, Rishi Vyasa contemplated on what he was taught and in his contemplation he came to experience what is Brahman or the Truth and what is Maya or the relative. And only then did he share or document Srimad Bhagavata. We too have to engage in Srimad Bhagavatam in the same way. We have to contemplate on what is being shared with us. Rishi Vyasa shared this with others. We don’t have to do that, but we have to live this.
Srimad Bhagavatam is not a logical text; it is an educational text which requires us to engage in reflection and live this. When we engage in reflection, then instead of there being Samshaya, there will be Satyam. Satyam is not darkness, but is Vijaya or Light. Satyam Param Dhimahi – We engage in Bhagavata by reflecting to tune into Satya, and upon the completion of this is VIJAYA.
In Skanda 10, Chapters 54-58 explain Sri Krshna’s specific Vivahas, His eight Devis and their names. Chapter 59 shares about Sri Krshna’s unnamed Devis and there are 16000. Bhagavata is not a Katha, but is Vedanta. For anyone who has been to a traditional vivaha, one of the steps is Kanyadanam, and for most of us, this is bothersome as we are taking this instinctively, and not intentionally. All of Sanatana Dharma is meant to be intentional, but to get to that intention, we start off more instinctively.
Whenever we engage in Sanatana dharma or Bhagavata, there are two perspectives:
- Vaacha artha – instinctive meaning, for example, if we use this against kanyadana, it means donating a girl, which is highly illegal.
- Lakshartha – intentional meaning which is the true expression of Sanatana Dharma. We have to reflect to go from instinctive to intentional. In terms of Kanyadana, it means to feel that our child is Devi Lakshmi. Then one invests in their daughter like one’s Sadhana and it becomes their life. One is more dedicated, one sacrifices more. And finally, when one has engaged in this fully, who does Devi Lakshmi belong with? With Bhagavan Narayana. Dana then implies to encourage our daughter to become enlightened. The trajectory for our life should be enlightenment. Who should Rama be with? Raama, and that is why at the end of a traditional vivaha, everyone including the priest, bows to that couple because that couple is Bhagavati Lakshmi and Bhagavan Narayana. They have come together and it is a full learning experience.
We have been trying to navigate this through the last six chapters. We have to visualize Sri Krshna as Brahman. And how does Brahman express? Through Maya. And the effect is the same as the cause which means Bhagavan Krshna and Bhagavati Lakshmi or Bhagavati Rukmini are the same. Maya expresses as Gunas, gunas like laziness, aggressiveness, quietude. For us, we first have to love Bhagavati Rukminii before we can love Bhagavan Krshna. That means our gunas have to be aligned with Maya, but this Maya is not Avidya maya, rather Vidya Maya.
Guna can be a poor quality or a good quality. When we change our guna to be sattva, then we become quieter. That is us becoming Bhagavati Rukmini, and who should Bhagavati Rukmini be with? With Bhagavan Krshna. So everyday should be kanya dana. We should feel that we are giving ourselves to Rama or Joy. Another way we have explored this in Bhagavata is through Bhagavan Krshna’s most expressive Devi, Bhoomi Devi or Mother Earth. She is a fine expression of virtues, like forgiveness, endurance etc. We see that in the Earth, so we should try to become like that. Bhagavan Krshna’s subtler Devi is Bhagavati Rukmini. So from Bhoomi Devi to Devi Lakshmi to Devi Rukmini to Bhagavan Narayana. And who is Bhagavan Narayana?- Brahman. The purpose of Bhagavata is Brahman, for us to feel Infinite.
More specifically when Bhagavan Krshna sees these sixteen thousand devis, he sees them with Anasooya. He doesn’t see their weaknesses, He sees their strengths. And those devis see Sri Krshna in the same way. And that Vivaha is of a Mumukshu with Moksha. A Mumukshu is an intense seeker and that intensity is directed towards Moksha. These sixteen thousand vivahas are an expression of enlightenment. Like the Rasa leela, this is Rasa Vivaha.
The summary from the past six chapters is for us to feel that we want to be, need to be married to Bhagavan Krshna, but we may feel that we are already married or like someone else. All that is finite cannot be enjoyed by more than one person. That which is Infinite can be expressed and enjoyed by all. You can marry Bhagavan Krshna, I can marry Bhagavan Krshna. We can all marry Bhagavan Krshna. We may think these vivahas are drawn out because we are focused on the katha and not the vedanta. All this is to encourage us to be Mumukshus. We were born to marry Him. May we all Be Him!
The next chapter is a unique chapter, about the strife of living at home.
Skanda 10:60:31 – Sri Krshna is sharing with Devi Rukmini – I love you and I know You love Me. And this dialog, this argument that we just had, this is what happens with those who live at home. This is what is fun about being a Grihasta. These few moments spent at love crossings hold forth the highest Joy.
Leading up to this – One day Sri Krshna and Devi Rukmini are together. Sri Krshna is being served by those who serve Devi Rukmini. Each of the Devis had a hundred servants. And there are such details of Sri Krshna “lying down on a bed of pillows as white as milk and as soft as pillows of air”. Devi Rukmini takesk the fan from the servant and starts fanning Him, and then Sri Krshna says to Devi Rukmini, “You are great, You are the greatest. You could have married anyone. Look at Me. I am possessionless. I’m just a cowherd. There are so many rulers that you could have been married to. Look at Me. All the people who follow Me, they follow Me into the forest. There is so much grief that they have to experience. You can be on this pillow of milk and softness. Look at Me. I’m powerless. My weapon is a flute. All of these Kings, they command these great armies. I think you made the wrong decision in marrying Me. Even now I’m giving you the opportunity to reconsider. You’re Devi Rukmini, You can marry anyone you want.” We should be able to visualize this scene, these love crossings that are happening!
When Devi Rukmini hears this, she becomes very flush and then she faints. Then, “immediately, Krshna the four-armed Maha Vishnu incarnate got up from His cot, lifted her up, tied up her disheveled hair, massaged her face with His lotus palms and did everything to bring her back to consciousness”. Is this what happened the last time we had a love crossing?
This dialogue, we have already experienced in the Ramayana. There is a point where Bhagavan Shiva is being described to Devi Parvati’s mother, and Bhagavan Shiva is being described as the one who lives in a place where no one else wants to live. And Devi Parvati’s mother, gets flushed and faints as well. And we also experienced such a dialogue in the Raasa leela a few Chapters ago. Sri Krshna tells all of those Devis to go back home – Why are you wandering around at night?
Devi Rukmini is oriented again and now what happens?
Skanda 10:60:50: Devi Rukmini responds to Bhagavan Krshna and says – You are right. You are possessionless. Why? As there is nothing other than You to possess. You are right. People who follow You, do go through hardships, but these hardships make them free, as Raja Prithu and all became enlightened. You are right. You are powerless. Because there is no one You need to exert Your power over. All of those other kings are afraid of death and death is afraid of You. She says all of this to Bhagavan Krshna as she knows who He IS.
Just like Bhagavan Narayana or Bhagavan Rama had to eventually explain to Devi Parvati’s mother what it means to live where no one else wants to live – Bhagavan Shiva is most accepting. See the different perspectives. What does Powerless mean? That there is no one else on whom this power needs to be exerted over.
Now Sri Krshna replies, “You desire Me, as You want to be desireless. Your devotion, I cannot compare this. You are a Bhakta.”
Vedanta: Sri Krshna presents this option to Devi Rukmini to as if, humble her pride. She feels she is the first Devi. We should reflect on this. Whenever there is only union, we tend to take it for granted. So Bhagavan who knows us best, creates this separation, so that we feel more grateful. Just like with the Gopis, Bhagavan left when He felt they were taking Him for granted. Here, it is the same. Let us not get lost in – Does this mean that Devi Rukmini is not Devi Lakshmi? It is us. We take for granted our closeness with Bhagavan. She is desiring the desireless. Our desire should also be the same way.
“Having attained to me the master of both liberation and worldly wealth, if one still seeks worldly wealth instead of Him, who is the master of all wealth, it is only to be said that he is an ill-fated man.” The implication for us is that each of us has the opportunity of deciding who to be married to. We can be married to the world or to the Creator of the world. We can get married to valuables or to values; both are available to us.
Sri Krshna closes this chapter by saying that “Your devotion and dedication to me cannot be compensated.”. The implication being that “You and I are One”. Do we compensate ourselves for anything we do? It is us.
RAW from last week: The purpose of the previous Raw was for us to forget our own schedule and focus on the schedule of His life. We should forget our name to remember His, forget about our form to remember His form. Forget our Vivaha or lack of, to remember His.
RAW: Change our living space into Ayodhya. Who is coming home? Bhagavan Rama is coming home, so make space in our minds. Our minds are our biggest obstacle.