When Bhagavan Hanumana was going to Lanka, one of the obstacles/Rakshasis that challenged him was Simhika. She could latch on to any shadow that flew over her and pull the being down. Hanumanji defeated and destroyed her when she tried to catch Hanumanji’s shadow. Simhika symbolizes jealousy. When we feel jealous of someone, we try to pull them down. When we are confused (or distracted) then we start to compare, compete and feel jealous. The way to defeat this Simhika/jealousy is by focusing (on our purpose and responsibilities). This is the vision of our Narada Bhakti Sutra course, to encourage focus on Bhagavan. Our lives are much easier because of Bhagavan’s grace.
Recap:
Sutra 64: Rishi Narada is teaching us to give. First give resources, through that training give resources and time, and through that training give resources, time and effort. That way we will be able to give up our vices, vasanas and ego. If we cannot give the outer, we will never be able to give the inner.
Sutra 65: Rishi Narada shares that we should give all of ourselves, not just the positive but the negative also. We should be vulnerable with our trust triangle and not try to hide our vices, vasanas and ego. That way our guide is able to help us work on it.
When halahala came out of the Ksheerasagara, Bhagavan Narayana told the Suras and Asuras to ask Bhagavan Shiva for support. God was telling the seekers with positive and negative qualities to ask their Guru for support, because only their Guru can help them to burn what is burning them.
Sutra 66: Rishi Narada is encouraging us to move from being self absorbed to being absorbed in the Self. When we are self absorbed, there are multiple factors in how we go about living – the experiencer, the experiencing and the experienced. But when we are absorbed in the Self all of that separation is merged into oneness.
This Class:
Sutra 67: bhaktā ekāntino mukhyāḥ
Those devotees (bhaktaaH) who have one ends (single purpose) are the best/foremost (mukhyaaH). These teachings are intense. This Bhakti (anuraaga) is uncompromised, that is when the word ekAH comes into reality. The single purpose is to live for and by Bhagavan.
In Srimad Bhagavatam and in Ramayana, we have studied that there are five purposes (not four) in life, the fifth Purushartha is Bhakti (past mukti).
Sutra 68: kaṇṭhāvarodha-romāñcāśrubhiḥ parasparaṁ lapamānāḥ pāvayanti kulāni pṛthivīṁ ca
Kanthaavarodha is when one’s neck/throat is choked, romanchaH is having goosebumps, ashrubhiH is tears, parasparam lapamanaH is sharing with each other in a natural way, pavayanti kulani means having purified their families, ca prithivim means also all humans, animals, plants and stones. The one who is living for and by eka-anta (single purpose of divinity) – this is what they feel and cause to feel for those around them and far from them.
In Bhagavad Gita chapter 1 and some details in chapter 2, Prince Arjuna also goes through this but the reason he goes through this is not positive but negative, it is not out of fulfillment but fear. In this verse, a love language is described. One who loves and feels Bhagavan, express themselves in the way described in this verse. Such Bhaktas are completely natural and they are with their Bhagavan.
Swami Chinmayananda writes “Those who have liquidated their ego in the ocean of their love for the Lord, who have discovered the infinitude in themselves, whose physical body is breaking up, as it were, by the infinite experience flooding through this finite, limited little dust piece of matter”
Sutra 69: tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni, su-karmī-kurvanti karmāṇi, sat-śāstrī-kurvanti śāstrāṇi
Tirthani means pilgrimages, tirthi kurvanti means the bhaktas purify them, karmani means actions, sukarmi means they purify actions, sastrani sat shastri kurvanti means they purify scriptures. The bhakta makes pilgrimages, noble actions and scriptures more pure. Swami Tejomayananda has shared that when Devi Ganga left Bhagavan Shiva’s jata (His hair), she said she would purify those who come to Her when she descends to earth but she asked Bhagavan Shiva what would happen to Her if she took all the impurity, because then she would become impure. So Bhagavan Shiva shared with Devi Ganga that the Bhaktas will come to Her and purify Her! Particularly, it is the self sacrifice of the Bhaktas that makes all of this real for us!
Swami Chinmayananda writes “thereby bringing about a general purification of the total vasanas of the world, the very destiny of man is directed thus by their mere presence. The mental and the intellectual behavior of the entire world becomes thereby improved, for improved individuals create an improved world.”
The greatest gift is to reduce the vasanas of humanity, because many do not even know they have vasanas. This is like proactively taking away a disease from humanity when they do not even know they have that disease, is efficiency/effectiveness.
Sutra 70: tat-mayāḥ
Tat means divinity, mayah means they are filled with this (tat).
In the 9 forms of devotion, the last three are daasya, sakhya and nivedana. Daasya is the feeling ‘i am His’, sakhya is the feeling ‘He is mine’ and nivedana is ‘He’ (there is no more reference to i). Emotionally ‘i am His’ is an expression of respect, ‘He is mine’ is an expression of love, ‘He’ is reverence (beyond respect and love). Reverence is where there is no more ego.
Sutra 71: modante pitaro nṛtyanti devatāḥ sa-nāthā ceyaṁ bhūr-bhavati
Modante pitaraH means one’s present family and past family rejoice, devataH nrityanti means the semi Gods are dancing, bhuH sa-naathaH means the earth now has a protector/savior, bhavati means plays out.
Everyone who is on this quest to joy, relates completely to the one who is trying to do the same or has completed this.
Swami Chinmayananda writes “Their collective activities, their cultural contributions, their personal sacrifices have all been fulfilled in this one solitary individual who has come to experience Truth.”
The primary proponent for Bhagavan Krishna to incarnate is Prithivi Devi/Bhu Devi. She is struggling by the amount of selfish people and selfishness, so when there is this one personality who has become the savior, She feels relieved. That personality is the Avatara. Pujya Swami Chinmayananda writes that Bhu Devi’s spouse is Bhagavan Narayana. So this verse is sharing that the one who has completed this journey has become Bhagavan.
Sutra 72: nāsti teṣu jāti-vidyā-rūpa-kula-dhana-kriyādi-bhedaḥ
Tesu is in them (those who have realized Bhagavan), na-asti means there is not bhedah (sense of separation or distinction) along the lines of jati (caste), vidya (education), rupa (appearance), kula (family), dhana (wealth), kriya (profession/vocation).
For the one who has seen Bhagavan, they cannot help but continue to see and feel Bhagavan, so they ignore all others. They no longer are their upadhi, and so there is no Dvaita. Since they are not their equipment, there is no experiences in the form of separation or competition. For example, the pure white light turns into a rainbow only on account of the prism. If there is no prism, then there is only pure white light.