ViBha Class Notes: November 7, 2021

Swami Tejomayananda once defined Vedanta as a mirror. When we look at the mirror, we don’t actually look at the mirror, but we look at ourselves in the mirror. The practicality of this insight is that when we look at a mirror casually, we will know how we look casually. If we look at it carefully, we will get to see who we are, carefully. Vedanta means Veda — to know, antah — the inner, or knowing the inner or Atma or the innermost or our center. We are engaged in the science of knowing the innermost thing. It is the most causal and transformative subject. Engaging in Vedanta is difficult as we are not trained in this. So we are engaging in Vedanta insulated by Bhagavata.

We have engaged in studying Bhagavata together for 100 hours. Bhagavata means the best boat to cross or go to the light. If we have the choice to follow the path of the sun or the moon, we should follow the path of the sun because the sun has independent light. The light of our being is the only independent light. We are all fortunate to be engaged in the science of Vedanta, with Bhagavata holding our hand tightly and if we try to pull our hand away, Bhagavata pulls us back.

We started our course focused on Mahatmya which is the greatness of Bhagavata. It is the prelude so that we are ready when Bhagavata begins. The Mahatmya was specifically about a Devi named Bhakti and her two sons, Viveka and Vairagya, but they looked and felt a lot older than her. The implication of this is that people’s relationship with Bhakti is superficial. It is about singing and dancing, but the authenticity and depth that is Viveka and Vairagya are not being encouraged so they are getting old and dying. At that time, Devi Bhakti was exposed to a Bhagavata Saptaha where the eighteen thousand verses of Bhagavata were shared in seven days. And those two sons became excited and enthusiastic and everyone was joyous.

Also in the Mahatmya was an interesting story about Dundukari and Gokarna. Dundukari was an icon of vices and a vicious personality. One time, he was stuck in a bamboo stick and his brother, Gokarna, who was an icon of virtues, started to share insights of Bhagavata and Dundukari became free from being trapped in that bamboo stick. The implication of this is the power of listening. Gokarna — is one who listens carefully or shravana, then naturally they can share carefully as well.

Skanda 1 of Bhagavata tunes us into Naimisharanya which is a jungle, where there is a large yaga taking place. Imagine the last puja we attended times a thousand, in terms of people and resources. And during this time, there is a great thinker called Rishi Shaunaka. He knows and feels that the people in this yaga are not interested in this ritual. Many of us are the same way, but we don’t free ourselves of the ritual out of fear. So Rishi Shaunaka approaches Rishi Ugrashava and asks him 6 questions on behalf of all of the thinkers there.

1. What is the greatest good for all?
2. What is the purpose of Avatara?

3. What is the performance of Avatara?

4. What are the passings of Avatara?

5. What is the play of Avatara?

6. What is the home of Dharma, or how can one tune into Dharma since he knows that Bhagavan Krshna’s Avatara does not last forever.

When Bhagavan Krshna was around there was Dharma. But now that Bhagavan Krshna is no longer there, where is Dharma? Rishi Ugrashava most humbly states that this question was asked before and answered before.

Skanda 2 — Rishi Ugrashava then takes us to the second Skanda where we get to know Raja Parikshita who Vivekji describes as Rishi Parikshita. The word Parikshita is the one who is ever inquiring or ever engaged in vichara. As soon as he was born, he was asking who saved him because as a foetus someone tried to murder him and he wanted to know who saved him. He is inquiring and his inquiry is not shallow so Rishi Shuka comes to him. Rishi Shuka is one who is enlightened because they have tasted that which is sweetest. And when he felt Raja Parikshita’s inquiry into that sweetness, he came there to answer his questions. Essentially what Raja Parikshita’s question is — What should a dying human do? If we are finite, we are dying. If we are humans, we are dying. Do we see the connections of these questions? What is the greatest good for all and what should a dying human do? The essential answer is “Satyam param dhimahi”. We should contemplate on Sat or Satya. Because if we contemplate we come to realise that dying does not apply to us, fear should not apply to us.

Skandas 3–5 are technically focused on Sarga, Visarga and Sthana. These three sections are to encourage us to be believers. They are more extroverted by nature — inquiring about creation, about how humans lived.

Skandas 6–8, focused on Poshana, Uti and Saddharma, are subtler, more causal by nature. These were summarized for us as evolving from being a believer to being faithful. Those who are more faithful need less evidence — don’t care about how creation started as long as one knows what to do with it.

Skandas 9–10 — Focus on Nasha and Ashraya (surrender). We have spent 100 hours preparing ourselves for surrender. Swami Tejomayananda has shared that the greatest use of free will is to surrender our free will to God’s will. We are not used to this.

Bhagavata is often described as a leela. The etymology is — Leenam Bhavam Lati Prakatayati. A leela is that which releases our potential or that which melts our heart or melts our sense of ego. So Bhagavata is a leela to learn to love ourselves (superficial self) less and love Bhagavan more who is our factual Self.

Bhagavata has 2 messages about Avataras or Leela Avataras. The purpose of an Avatara is leela. The first message comes in –

Skanda 1:3:6 — Rishi Vyasa lists out 23 Leela Avataras. There are 24 Avataras that are focused upon in Bhagavata, since Nara, Narayana are listed as 2 Avataras, but both are right.

1. Avatara 0 — Narayana (Absolute or Brahman)
2. Avatara 1 — Bhagavan Brahma
3. Avatara 2 — Sanata Kumaras
4. Avatara 3 — Bhagavan Varaha
5. Avatara 4 — Rishi Narada
6. Avatara 5 — Rishi Nara Narayana
7. Avatara 6 — Rishi Kapila
8. Avatara 7 — Rishi Dattatreya
9. Avatara 8 — Rishi Yajna
10. Avatara 9 — Bhagavan Rshaba
11. Avatara 10 — Raja Prithu
12. Avatara 11 — Bhagavan Matsya
13. Avatara 12 — Bhagavan Kurma
14. Avatara 13 — Bhagavan Dhanvantari
15. Avatara 14 — Bhagavati Mohini
16. Avatara 15 — Bhagavan Narasimha
17. Avatara 16 — Bhagavan Vamana
18. Avatara 17 — Bhagavan Parushurama
19. Avatara 18 — Rishi Vyasa
20. Avatara 19 — Bhagavan Rama
21. Avatara 20 — Shri Balarama
22. Avatara 21 — Bhagavan Krshna
23. Avatara 22 — Gautama Budha
24. Avatara 23 — Bhagavan Kalki

The names are correct, but the order may differ.

The implication of all of this — An Avatara is one that follows, facilitates, and felicitates Dharma. Are we following Dharma? Are we facilitating dharma, that is encouraging others to do the same? Are we felicitating dharma by celebrating those who are following and facilitating dharma? So who is an Avatara? We are! We are releasing our potential and melting our ego. That is the second message of Bhagavata, that we are all Avataras. Avatara is Protector, but finally Avatara is Presence. We only need protection in dvaita, but if there is no dvaita, then what do we need protection from? So all are Avataras!

Now summarizing the last class:

• Skanda 10 — Chapter 64 was about Nriga the Chameleon
• Skanda 10 — Chapters 65, 67, 68 — Revolve around Shri Balarama. In chapter 65, Shri Balarama goes back to Vrajabhoomi to be with his parents, the Gopas and the Gopis.
• Skanda 10 — In Chapter 66 we met Paundraka who thought he was Bhagavan Krshna and had four wooden arms created and a wooden discus.

Later on in that chapter, when Paundraka was destroyed, Paundraka’s friend was the Raja of Kashi or Varanasi and he had a son called Sudakshana. He and the priests of Kasi invoked black magic and from this black magic came a demoness called Kritya and she was essentially made of fire. She started to chase Bhagavan Krshna and all associated with Him, so Bhagavan Krshna released His fire, the Sudarshana Chakra. This Chakra chased down Kritya and she realised that she was powerless so she went back to Kashi and burned all of that down. The message is that if we have power and we use it against those who are powerless, the most powerful will use that same power against us. Power is to be used to support those who are powerless.

Chapter 67 — Coming back to Sri Balarama, he came across this monkey called Dvivida. He was a Minister of Sugreeva from the Ramayana. He was friends with Paundraka, Sudakshana. He is angry at Bhagavan Krshna and starts to destroy the places where Bhagavan Krshna’s bhaktas are. It is shared that “He is picking up mountains and throwing them at country sides, and there are landslides everywhere. He would go into bodies of water and start splashing and all these villages would be flooded”. At one point, he comes across Shri Balarama who is with the Gopas and Gopis — “The monkey cast ridicule on them in the very presence of Balarama by showing his posterior at them and then wagging his eyebrows lustily.” Then Shri Balarama took his mace Sunanda and destroyed Dvivida. Some commentators share that Dvivida is an icon for dvaita. Wherever there is duality, what comes with it is revenge. So advaita’s friend is Sunanda.

Chapter 68 — Duryodhana has a daughter named Lakshmana, and she is in love with Bhagavan Krshna’s son, Samba. Samba goes to Hastinapura and forces his way into her swayamvara and the Kauravas capture him. Rishi Narada finds out about this and goes back to Dwaraka and tells Bhagavan Krshna that His son is captured and is being held by His own family. So Shri Balarama, who is a peacekeeper, goes to Hastinapura where the Kauravas are and stops at the outside of the city where Shri Uddhava meets him. He tells Shri Uddhava to go to the Kauravas and ask them their intention of capturing his nephew.

The Kauravas are very happy to hear that Shri Balarama is there and go to meet him at the end of the city. Shri Balarama then asks them to return his nephew to him. They are infuriated by what Shri Balarama has requested as they feel he is just a Gopa, a cowherd who is a coward. So Shri Balarama, who is displeased, takes his plough and lifts all of Hastinapura and puts it in the Ganga. So now Hastinapura is wobbling in the Ganga. Now, the Kauravas are all ashamed and ask for forgiveness and Shri Balarama restores Hastinapura. Then Lakshmana and Samba go back to Dwarka and are celebrated there. It is shared that Hastinapura even today has its southern side elevated, as if it is going to fall into the Ganga, thus showing the prowess of Shri Balarama.

A vedantic insight: Shri Balarama at one point is telling the Kauravas that for those who are the greatest, they don’t need a throne to prove that. He is supporting his brother saying that they all have thrones and are weak. His brother, Shri Krshna does not have a throne, but created His own and sits on it. He does not need external validation. That is a fine message for us, that if we are great, we do not need external validation.

Chapter 69 — Rishi Narada has heard about how Bhagavan Krshna was in many, many, many vivahas and is curious about it and comes to Dwarka. There are four-way crossroads in Dwarka and he walks into a palace. There Bhagavan Krshna offers him the most respect and asks him what He can do for him. Rishi Narada is just watching what Bhagavan Krshna is doing in His palace. He doesn’t have too much of a dialogue and then he gets up and goes into another place and who does he see there? Bhagavan Krshna engaged in different activities. In one palace — “In finding out at proper time, suitable husbands and wives for daughters and sons and in conducting their marriage ceremonies in all grandeur. In taking part in the festivals connected with the sending of the daughters after marriage and in the reception of newly wedded daughters-in-law causing astonishment amongst people, on seeing Him, who is the Lord of all yogis engaged in such domestic activities.” He was the Best and He is the Best Grihasta caring for every facet of His family and of the domestic affairs. Since Rishi Narada is not married, he thinks Bhagavan Krshna on the outside and on the inside are different. Bhagavan Krshna senses this and in this verse –

Skanda 10:69:40 — This is Bhagavan Krshna speaking to Rishi Narada , “I am following the dharma of a Brahmana (one who studies and shares nobility), but I do this cheerfully, to teach all those who follow, facilitate, felicitate Bhagavata that I am established in Myself and My family does not lower or weaken Me.” Bhagavan Krshna never gets cranky, but is always cheerful.

Vivekji shared that he recalls this shloka again and again as his role model is Bhagavan Krshna and that Bhagavan Krshna should be our role model as well. The higher our role model is, the more self-criticism one engages in, in a productive way. And if Bhagavan Krshna NEVER allows Himself to be cranky, and if we are Bhagavan Krshna, then why do we allow ourselves to be cranky? Why that fall? This should be our shloka on how we should live.