Srimad Bhagavatam

Till about 22 years of my age, my spiritual antenna remained utterly undeveloped. I had no strong religious beliefs and even my faith in any God was nominal. But from my childhood, I was being taken to see the Param Acharya (Sri Shankaracharaya of Kanchi Mutt) very often (till I was 15 years old), whose blessings I had received in plenty. Perhaps, as a result of this Satsanga with a realized Soul, when I was 22 years of age (i.e. by 1950), I took sudden interest in "THE GOSPEL OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA" - a book which came my way through providence and became my first Guru. Then a longing for God-realization began to take shape. I began to do meditation and reading of biographies of saints etc. Then my journey on the spiritual path started without a spiritual guide. I decided that my Guru should be only from the lineage of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and should resemble him in all respects, primarily in Desirelessness and love for God. I used to pray to God for His grace and to give me faith in Him and strengthen it too.

The Grace of the Lord flows perennially. It was that alone which started me on the path in 1950 even though I had remained unaware of either God or His grace earlier. I was on my own. The entire Sadhana was an uphill task, or rather it looked like so.

There were ups and downs in my Sadhana and even after coming under the refuge of my Guru, for years in between, when I was abroad mainly, I forgot prayers, meditation, my Guru and the Lord. But the Lord and my Gurudev never forgot me. Again in surprisingly unexpected ways, they brought me back to active Sadhana. Lord ever remains behind the child who starts walking on this path on its own, but the child is unaware of it. He ever remains alert to catch the stumbling child.

Through all this period, I never parted company with reading Bhagavatam at home. I look upon Bhagavatam as Lord Krishna himself and Krishna is the Supreme Formless Brahman, my very own Self.

It is Srimad Bhagavatam (given to me by my Guru) that made me grow from a crass donkey to an Arab Stallion. It led me smoothly to the state of formal Sannyasa (monk-hood). It made me desireless, free from attachment and ego and I matured into the mental stage of a Sannyasin long before I donned the ochre robe formally after initiation. The grace of the Lord is always with us, but it is our own efforts (Purushartha) under the watchful, encouraging and benign eye of the Lord, that takes us to an advanced spiritual state. In the ultimate state again, it is the gravitational pull of the Lord's grace that catapults us into the final God realization and consequent liberation. The Lord rushes to the rescue of an aspirant at the appropriate time and smoothens the way by relieving him of all worldly burdens. I am reminded of an anecdote of Krishna. One Gopi, who had once filled up a pitcher with water from a well, requested Krishna who happened to be standing nearby, to lift and place the pitcher on her head. Krishna flatly refused and walked away. After a little while, when the Gopi had managed somehow to carry the pitcher home, Krishna came rushing and voluntarily helped her in placing the pitcher down. On being questioned by the Gopi to explain his perplexing conduct, Krishna answered with a smile: "People have to strive and carry the burden on their own, but 1 rush to relieve them of their burden at the proper time". Lord's Grace follows Purushartha (own efforts).

My main Sadhana was reading Bhagavatam as often as possible but certain other Sadhanas (spiritual practices) I was made to do by the invisible hand in the same way as claimed by the flute of Lord Krishna. The Gopis, who were very much jealous of the flute which never parted from the proximity of Krishna's lips enquired from the flute as to what Sadhana had been done by it to deserve the constant companionship of Lord's, lips. The flute answered thus (according to a Hindi poet):

"My Sadhana was in no way different from that of a full-fledged, sincere and persevering spiritual aspirant. It started with my sacrifice and renunciation of my beautiful abode of bamboo bushes where I had been enjoying with my near and dear ones. My body was subjected to severe austerity (it was cut to size). My Mano-Nasha took place as my 'Man' - meaning also the maundage (a unit of weight called 'MAN’ in Hindi) was all removed from inside and I was made hollow. I had also Granthi - Cheda i.e., my knots were cut (to make me, smooth). Last but not the least, I always bowed to and accepted my Lord's desire as paramount. Whatever tune or Raaga my master wanted me to play, I played it and never exercised my own will in choosing the tune. It was only then that my master Krishna accepted me and took me to his lips".

As proved by my own experience and confirmed by the teachings of Srimad Bhagavatam repeatedly, any one or a combination of any of the following Sadhanas alone can lead us to a high state of spirituality and towards God realization also, if done with faith, sincerity and fervour.

AN INSIGHT

0                                                A Perception

00                                            Two words from the Author

AUM

SRI MAATRE NAMAH

OBEISANCE TO THE UNIVERSAL MOTHER

SRI GURUBHYO NAMAH

OBEISANCE TO THE GREAT PRECEPTORS

SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM:

ITS MESSAGE FOR THE

MODERN MAN

6)

A great and unique feature of the Bhagavatam which needs to be stressed is that it is not a common Purana containing mythological stories, events, incidents, hymns of praise and numerous spiritual instructions, but that it inheres the very presence of the Lord and has immense power in the form of words. It is stated in the Bhagavata Mahatmya that when Lord Sri Krishna was preparing to leave the world, he wished to ensure that his devotees did not experience a sense of bereavement and so he infused his own splendor (Tejas) into the Bhagavatam.

Note: The third Skandha does not have a popularly known esoteric name although it is sometimes referred to as 'Sarga Pratisarga Skandha', ' Visarga Skandha', 'Jnana Kriyanvayana Skandha' etc.

We shall now see the message of the Bhagavatam Skandha by Skandha.

8) The next important message is that external harmony is absolutely essential for an aspirant seeking inner harmony and peace. In particular, the aspirant must completely eschew hatred and cultivate forgiveness and love towards even those who do him grievous harm. This point is emphasized in the episode of Draupadi who pleads with her husband Arjuna for sparing the life of Ashvatthama whose hands were still warm and wet with the blood of her own five innocent children who were assassinated while asleep. It is no wonder then that from such a noble lineage sprang up an ideal aspirant (Sadhaka) like King Parikshit.

9) The next important episode is that of Uttara, Draupadi's daughter-in-law and Parikshit's mother.

When the fetus in Uttara's womb is threatened to be burnt out by the terrific weapon, Brahmastra, directed by the vengeful Ashvatthama, she unconditionally surrenders to Lord Krishna, ignoring the presence of her stalwart in-laws, namely the five Pandavas.

Some of the essential ingredients of Saranagati (Surrender) as prescribed in the scriptures have been demonstrated here, namely, (i) absolute faith that the Lord will protect, (ii) seeking the Lord's protection at the time of crisis, and (iii) the state of absolute helplessness (surrender).

10) In this Skandha, Vyasa raises the character of women to the highest pinnacle. He shows how Parikshit's mother Uttara, her mother-in-law Draupadi and Draupadi's own mother-in-law Kunti, excelled one another in their devotion to the Lord, manifesting unconditional forgiving nature and other characteristics of spiritually evolved personalities. The hymns of praise sung by Kunti Devi, Parikshit's great-grandmother, also contain methods of indirect Sadhana.

This is an oft-quoted verse from Kunti's hymn of praise. In her inimitable style, Kunti seeks a strange boon from the Lord, beseeching Him to continue bestowing on her calamity after calamity. The message is that every calamity or tragedy visited on an aspirant is a shock-treatment by the ever-compassionate Lord to awaken him or her from the stupor of ignorance - a sure sign that the Lord's full attention is on the aspirant and that He tries to turn the aspirant's mind more towards the spiritual path for a quicker progress, away from the frustrations and shocks in the worldly life.

In another verse extracted as above, Kunti Devi tells Krishna -- "A person who is full of ego and is intoxicated with his noble birth, learning or riches, is not even fit to take Your name, much less to seek You, Who is easily accessible to the poor and the humble people." Humility is a sine qua non to spiritual progress. The context brings to mind the Biblical saying -- " It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to pass through the gates of Heaven."

13) In one of the closing verses of Chapter 8 of this Skandha (I-8-41) Kunti prays to the Lord to sever her mind from her sons and relatives to whom it is firmly attached and to direct it towards the Lord. Such a detachment, which is a "must" for God-realization is not easy of achievement solely through our own efforts without the Grace of the Lord. So we have to keep on praying to the Lord again and again, seeking his help to release ourselves from our deluded attachment to our kith and kin. The efficacy of prayer to the Lord is indirectly stressed in the Bhagavatam repeatedly. Whatever be the problems that arise during the course of our spiritual Sadhana - due to lack of proper environment, lack of concentration, disturbance due to sleep or other causes - they can all be solved by resorting to sincere prayer. Prayer is thus a potent, all-purpose tool or weapon in the hands of the aspirant and its benefits can easily be experienced by practice.

14) Vedavyasa indirectly exhorts aspirants to avoid reading books containing stories of sex, violence, hatred, murder, etc., and to read only those things that extol the glories of the Lord and contain His names. In order to make our minds stay one-pointed on God alone, to the exclusion of all else, the practice of reading useless or base books of fiction, romance, crime, etc. - to which a good proportion of the younger generation seem to be so very unfortunately addicted - will have to be given up as it can only take the mind away from the goal.

Says Vyasa in the above Shloka: "Wise and holy people read, hear and appreciate only those books which are replete with the names and glories of the Lord which have the capacity to purify all sins even though every para / stanza may be full of grammatical irregularities."

15) The story of an earlier life of Sage Narada illustrates the importance of Satsanga, namely, the company of holy persons and rendering personal service to them as well as to the Lord's devotees. Narada had then been born as the son of a servant - maid in a charitable guesthouse. As a young boy, he used to voluntarily serve an assemblage of holy persons who sought the guesthouse during the rainy season and listen to the stories of the Lord narrated by them. One of the holy men initiated the boy into the Lord's mantra (holy incantation). As a result of severe penance and meditation, the boy in his subsequent birth became the direct son of the creator Brahma and also attained the position of a Divine Sage - Deva Rishi. The unique importance of Satsanga is emphasized again and again at many places in the Bhagavatam.

17) Armed, fortified and consoled by these rare gems of wise counsel, practical tips and sagacious messages of the very first Skandha of the Srimad Bhagavatam, the modern aspirant can now march forward on his self-chosen spiritual path to see what treasures the Sadhana Skandha holds for him.

The Sadhana Skandha begins with a straightforward and clear-cut answer to the question posed by King Parikshit in the first Skandha. Sukadeva answers: "The Supreme Being, the Lord who is immanent in all beings as the Self of all, is alone to be constantly remembered. His glories and names should be narrated and chanted in order to attain the supreme state of fearlessness and bliss. Even to remember the Lord at the last moment in one's death-bed leads to the fulfillment of life's entire objective." The crux of all Sadhanas is constant remembrance of the Supreme Being or Self. What is sought to be connoted here by the words Lord or Supreme Being is not what resides only in a temple or in an idol; the stress is on the Lord who is the Self of all and who is very much present in all beings, be they birds, animals, insects or human beings. This Sarvatma Bhava, i.e. considering the Lord as the Self of all beings including the aspirant, will by itself rid us of all our Vasanas (latent tendencies) of attachment towards some and hatred or ill-will towards some others, fear, desire, jealousy, violence, anger, greed, etc., as in the entire world the aspirant will begin to see nothing but the Self.

Two instances of this Sarvatma Bhava are illustrated in the Bhagavatam.

Firstly, in the invocatory verse of Sukadeva while starting to narrate the Bhagavatam, there is a beautiful episode about him that, as soon as he was born after remaining sixteen years in his mother's womb, renounced his parents and house and ran towards the forest. His father, Sage Vedavyasa, overcome with love and grief, ran behind Sukadeva calling " Oh son! Oh son! "As Sukadeva was in such an exalted state that he had identified himself with everything around him, that all the trees there began to respond on his behalf, asking Vedavyasa to go back.

Secondly, in the fourth Skandha (IV-8-80), Vyasa describes the severe penance (Tapas) done by the child Dhruva at the age of five, meditating on the entire universe as his own Self and holding his breath. Because of Dhruva's total identification with the entire universe, the breathing of all the creatures in the worlds also became affected and they had to struggle hard to keep themselves alive.

In the 14th chapter of the seventh Skandha, Narada says -- "As the Lord is the root of all, serving and pleasing all the beings is worship of the Lord".

20) Incidentally, while answering Parikshit's question, Sukadeva stresses that taking the names of the Lord and chanting them loudly is an easy path for those who wish to reach the state of fearlessness and desire to cultivate dispassion (Vairagya). This aspect will be dealt with in greater detail while dealing with the sixth Skandha.

This idea of holding steadfast on to the Lord's feet in one's mind is brought out beautifully when Brahma the creator tells his son Narada --

"As 1 am holding fast to the thought of the Lord in my heart with all my yearning, no lie ever comes out of my mouth automatically, my mind never goes towards unreal objects and my senses never take me to the wrong path". Thus all the qualities required of an aspirant are effortlessly achieved.

23) Traditionally the most important part of the second (Sadhana) Skandha is the "Chatuhsloki Bhagavatam" (the four-verse Bhagavatam) where, in four small verses, Lord Narayana expounds to Brahma, the creator, the entire philosophical essence of the Bhagavatam (II-9-32 to 35) in four divisions -- (i) Brahma Tattva; (ii) Maya Tattva; (iii) Jagad Tattva; and (iv) Jijnasa Tattva, as follows:

(i) Even before the universe came into existence, i.e. even before creation, the Supreme Being (Brahman, the Self, the Lord) alone existed. It continues to exist even after the entire universe disappears in the great deluge - (Brahma Tattva).

(ii) That which appears on the Self (a false super-imposition) without any reality behind it - just like the vision of a serpent on a rope lying in the darkness - is called Maya (illusory power of the Lord) - (Maya Tattva).

(iii) The Lord, being the material cause of the entire universe, is immanent in all the beings and he transcends them all - (Jagad Tattva).

(iv) For a sincere aspirant desirous of real knowledge, this constitutes all that should, or needs to be known by him, by applying the method of agreement and difference (Anvaya and Vyatireka) to find out that reality that exists at all places and at all times. - (Jijnasa Tattva).

25) If we desire to escape from the various fears relating to wealth, house, friends, relationships, etc., as also from the miseries of bereavement, desires, failures, greed, etc. - all mainly resulting from the ideas of "I" and "MINE", we should seek the sanctuary of the Lord (III-9-6).

26. A very common, but significant, feature of the Bhagavatam is that most of the names of the characters appearing in it are not just arbitrary names: they have a deep symbolic significance elaborated through various illustrative episodes. For example, the names of the two fierce demons, Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu represent respectively the demoniacal qualities of "greed for wealth (Lobha)" and "Desire for enjoyment (Bhoga)". Hiranyaksha means one whose covetous eye (Aksha) is always on gold (Hiranya), while Hiranyakashipu means 'one whose sleeping cot (kashipu) is made of gold (Hiranya). Naturally Lobha tries to overcome the entire world, and it can meet its death only in the hands of the Lord. Similarly in the sixth Skandha we have the anecdote of Ajamila. Ajamila means one who is involved (Mila) in Aja (Maya) and is thus immersed in it.

28) Again, in the latter part of the third Skandha, Devahuti completely surrenders herself at the feet of her own son Kapila who was the Lord's own incarnation, and looks at him as her Guru. Kapila gives elaborate instructions to his mother, known as the Sankhya philosophy (different from the Sankhya philosophy of the Sutras attributed to Kapila). The salient features of Kapila's teachings are:

It is the mind that is responsible for both bondage and liberation. Mind is the steering wheel, which if turned towards worldly things, leads us to bondage, while, the same mind, if turned towards the Lord, leads us to Mukti (liberation). In order to keep the mind trained towards the Lord constantly, it is necessary that the mind should be purified and cleansed of the dirt, namely desire, greed, etc. arising out of the ego, which manifests itself in the form of "I" and "MINE" (III-25-16). In order to rid the mind of its attachment to worldly objects as " mine", one must resort to the company of holy persons, Sadhus, which is the direct doorway to liberation. Thus attachment to Satsanga leads finally to detachment (III-25-20 and 24).

30) Kapila also mentions practicing the immanent presence of the Lord and talking to the Lord as one of the Sadhanas. He says that at a certain stage of Sadhana, the devotees (aspirants) are able to see various beautiful forms of the Lord which are capable of granting boons, and they converse freely and enchantingly with those forms (III-25-35). In this very century of ours - the 20^th century - Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, his chronicler Mahendra Natha Gupta and Paramahamsa Yogananda were well-known luminaries who were on talking terms with the Divine Mother.

"A fully enlightened Siddha is not aware of his body at all while sitting down or getting up. As one gets the body at birth and relinquishes it at death, as per the will of the Lord (as per Prarabdha), the Siddha is not aware of it at all just like a drunken person is not aware whether he is wearing his clothes or is naked" (III-28-37). This is one of those rare and casual verses translated into Tamil and Malayalam by Sri Ramana Maharshi of Arunachala.

The first anecdote of the fourth Skandha relates to the destruction of Daksha Prajapati as also of the elaborate sacrifice (Yajna) performed by him. It illustrates that no amount of Vedic rituals or other virtuous acts, however efficiently performed, will bear any fruit unless accompanied by faith (Shraddha) and devotion to the Lord who is the sub-stratum of all rituals, things and activities in the world.

At one stage of Sadhana, we should shun completely the company of worldly persons and all discussions and conversations, which will not help us in the progress of our spiritual life. Sati, Lord Siva's consort, preferred self- immolation in yogic fire to the ignominy of having a father who had no love for the Lord (IV-4-22). In almost every episode throughout the Bhagavatam, Vyasa stresses again and again that love for the Lord and constant remembrance of the Lord are the only ways for salvation.

"Seek him and pray to him fervently. All our desires for wealth, fame, promotion, success in enterprises, etc. will get fulfilled. He will grant to the devotee even the most impossible boon".

35) Dhruva as a child of five years was determined to worship the Lord and do penance although he did not have the faintest idea of how to go about it. Just as in the case of Parikshit, dealt with in Chapter I, Dhruva was also fired by an intense determination to reach the goal, undeterred by the prospects of sufferings in an unknown forest. Dhruva's sincere and intense longing for a vision of the Lord attracted and brought a competent Guru to him. Sage Narada met the child on his way to the forest and after testing the child's firmness in his resolve to attain the Lord, initiated him and gave him all necessary instructions. The term "Dhruva" means a person with a firm determination and this name fits the child very well. Here again there was no need for the child to search for a Guru - in fact he never even knew the first thing about the need for a Guru. The Guru is always internal as Ramana Maharshi has averred, and he manifests externally according to the need, aspiration and yearning of the Sadhaka. One has to become like a child and cry and weep in order to attain the Lord.

In the anecdote of king Prithu, his conversation with the Lord is illuminating. The easiest Sadhana one can do is to keep the company of holy persons and to go on listening to the glories, of the Lord. No amount of such hearing will become surfeit. So Prithu asks for a boon from the Lord, to bestow on him ten thousand ears so that he can taste the nectar of the glories of the Lord's disports (Leelas) emanating directly from the hearts of great saintly persons and issuing forth as words from their mouths.

This significant truth has been illustrated in a story form (Rupaka) by the anecdote, of Puranjana. Puranjana was a Hamsa (swan) living with another swan by name Ajnata (the unknown Paramatman). Puranjana goes out and meets a beautiful girl whom he marries (intellect or Budhi) and begets children. He gets wholly immersed in a worldly life. Finally the demon Kala (time), the demoness Jara (old age) and Jvara (fever) attack his kingdom and he finally dies, thinking of his wife. He is born as a princess in the next birth and when her husband dies, she weeps and is disconsolate. Then the friend Ajnata appears before her and reveals the latter's true form, which is identical with that of Ajnata himself.

40) Having seen four of the twelve Skandhas, we have so far traversed about a third of our spiritual journey. Many are the priceless gems of practical advice and meaningful messages that this ocean of knowledge has so far placed at our disposal to initiate us into our spiritual adventure. Before we proceed further, let us sit back for a moment, collect our thoughts and set down here, all in one place, the salient messages we have picked up so far.

(i) However uninitiated or inexperienced an aspirant may be, even if he were to be totally unaware of the need for a Guru, a competent Guru will come knocking at his door, uninvited, provided the aspirant has a keen, deep and intense longing and yearning to achieve the goal. Two striking illustrations are: Parikshit - Sukadeva and child Dhruva - Sage Narada. The Guru is always internal, and he manifests himself externally according to the need, aspiration and yearning of the Sadhaka.

(ii) External harmony is essential for an aspirant seeking inner harmony and peace. Forgiveness and love must replace hatred and ill will. Humility is a sine qua non to spiritual progress.

(iii) Sitting quietly and offering gratitude to the Lord by recollecting again and again those incidents in which He saved us from the verge of utter ruin and disaster is an easy way of meditating on the Lord without the mind getting diverted, Kunti Devi and the Gopikas being the best examples.

(iv) True dispassion and total detachment (Vairagya) - that is, cutting asunder the deluded attachment to our kith and kin and our possessions - is a "must" for God-realization; but this can only come to us with the Lord's Grace. So, repeated prayers to the Lord to help us tide over all our obstacles through His Grace are the only answer. Prayer is thus a potent weapon in the hands of the aspirant.

(v) It is not advisable to read books, which cater to the baser instincts of man. Aspirants must read only those books that extol the glories and names of the Lord and listen only to such names and glories.

(vi) No Yajnas, virtuous deeds, study of scriptures, Vedic rituals, etc. will ever take us as easily to the Lord as does Satsanga, the company of holy persons and service to them and to the Lord's devotees.

(vii) The crux of all Sadhanas is constant remembrance of the Supreme Being or Lord, who is immanent in all beings as the Self. Narrating the glories and chanting the names of the Lord enable us to attain the supreme state of fearlessness and bliss. This Sarvatma-Bhava, namely, seeing the Lord in every creature and in everything will by itself help us rid ourselves of our Vasanas (latent tendencies). Sukadeva and Dhruva represent the pinnacle of this Sarvatma-Bhava.

(viii) While the path of Knowledge, i.e. Jnana Marga, requires the aspirant to possess certain essential prerequisites such as control of the mind, control of the senses, Vairagya (dispassion), Viveka (discrimination), etc., the only thing needed by an aspirant following the path of devotion is the ability to hold on to the feet of the Lord in his mind, to the exclusion of all other thoughts, with a yearning and longing in his mind to have a vision of the Lord.

(ix) It is a good practice to remember the Lord briefly and take his name before we answer any question put to us, even on trivial matters, and also on completion of the answer. When all reading, hearing and talking is only about the Lord and his names and glories, there will be nothing that will distract the mind away from its goal.

(x) It is the mind that is responsible for both bondage and liberation. The mind is the steering wheel, which if turned towards worldly things, leads one to bondage and, if turned towards the Lord, leads to liberation.

(xi) Satsanga, the company of and service to holy persons is the direct gateway to liberation. Thus attachment to Satsanga leads finally to detachment.

(xii) When we come across a person with absolute forbearance; who is calm and collected; is a friend of all beings; is extremely compassionate, is firmly devoted to the Lord; has renounced his all - family, kith and kin, possessions - exclusively for the sake of the Lord; is willing to undergo any amount of suffering; and spends all his time chanting or listening to the names of the Lord, we can be sure that he is a holy person, a Sadhu, whose company we should cultivate.

(xiii) The sustenance, activities, growth, decay, death, etc. of the body are all pre-programmed and pre-determined by the will of the Lord and so a Sadhaka should not concern himself with his body at all.

41) This Skandha contains two main stories, one of Rishabha Deva who became an ideal Avadhoota of the highest order, a state where one lives as Brahman, the Supreme Being. The other story is that of Bharata, Rishabha Deva's son, who went to the forest to do spiritual Sadhana but slid down the spiritual ladder owing to, the overwhelming attachment he developed towards a deer. He had to have two more births before he could remove his worldly Vasanas and reach the highest state. Both these stories are to illustrate how advanced souls remain established in the Turiya (ultimate) state of Pure Consciousness. In the very prelude to these stories it is stressed that it is not necessary that one should renounce one's household and proceed to a jungle in order to progress spiritually. It is said -- "So long as one continues to live with the six enemies, Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Matsarya (i.e., desire, anger, greed, delusion, arrogance and jealousy), even if one retires to a forest, one will continue to be fear-ridden and cannot hope to have any peace of mind."

Even an enlightened person has to maintain his body, experiencing the results - good or bad - of the activities of his previous births (Prarabdha) without the least ego. For the wise person engaged in the contemplation of the Self, having controlled his senses, even remaining as a householder will not cause any harm to his spiritual interests.

The same idea occurs in the Yoga Vasistha thus -- "For a person who has not got over his attachment to the world, defects leading to impediments will crop up even in a forest. For one who has controlled all his five senses, remaining within the household itself is a penance".

42) King Bharata, even after retiring to the forest, brought a helpless fawn (deer child) to his hermitage in the name of compassion and developed such an attachment for the animal that he totally forgot his spiritual Sadhana and worship of the Lord. Because of this deep attachment, he was born in the next birth as a deer (what a fall!) himself. In contrast, in the seventh Skandha, in the story of Prahlada, the son of the demon-king Hiranyakashipu, Prahlada had the worst imaginable domestic environment in which even taking the Lord's name constituted the most unforgivable offence. But, heedless of the sufferings heaped upon him such as being poisoned, being pierced by the sharp weapons of his father's attendants, being pushed down from a mountain-top, being roasted in a fire, etc.

Prahlada openly continued chanting the Lord's name and defied his father, the demon-king. Eventually the Lord had to take the form of Narasimha (half-lion, half-man) and appear before him. Environment being determined by Prarabdha (past actions), irrespective of whether the environment is conducive or not, one should persistently continue with one's Sadhana. Spiritual success is dependent on oneself and not on the environment. As one progresses with one's Sadhana, automatically a day will come when the environment will also become favorable. "Sarvah Sukhamaya Dishah" (All the directions - i.e. the entire atmosphere - are peaceful and joyous).

43) In his lectures to his sons, Rishabha Deva advocates the following practices and procedures as part of the Sadhana for eschewing the ego and attaining the Self (V-5-10 to 13).

(i) Following the instructions of the Guru and devotion to the Guru and to the Lord.

(ii) Identity of approach to all pairs of opposites in life, such as happiness and misery, heat and cold, riches and poverty, etc.

(iii) The realization that misery alone can result from all worldly things.

(iv) Enquiring incessantly into "Who Am I?" and contemplating on it.

(v) Eschewing greed and cultivating dispassion.

(vi) Eliminating all desires from the mind.

(vii) Worshipping the Lord; listening to the names, glories and stories of the Lord; Satsanga, i.e. company of holy persons and rendering service to them and to the Lord's devotees.

(viii) Eschewing enmity and hatred; cultivating the practice of seeing everything with the same Bhava or vision; withdrawing all sense of identification with the body, one's kith and kin, household, possessions, etc.

(ix) Practicing Yoga Sadhana in solitude; maintaining control of the Pranas (vital breath or bio-energy), the senses and the mind.

(x) Cultivating complete faith in the Sat (Being, the Reality,

Existence); celibacy (Brahmacharya), always remaining vigilant and alert and controlling one's speech.

(xi) Performing all spiritual Sadhanas with patience, perseverance and enthusiasm.

(xii) Seeing the Lord in all things in the world, acquiring scriptural knowledge and confirming it by actual experience.

It is not necessary that one should follow all the above injunctions at the same time. Even if one is able to practice just one of the relatively more important instructions, the others are sure to follow automatically. So one should not be alarmed or discouraged on seeing such a seemingly formidable list.

46) This chapter deals with the unknown - but most essential - factor in one's spiritual life, known as the Grace (Anugraha) of the Lord. Paul Brunton calls it an x-factor, as it is both unknown and unpredictable. This Skandha also prescribes "Nama Smaranam", remembering or chanting any of the names of the Lord - whether from the bottom of one's heart with deep faith and devotion, or even unintentionally - as also prayers from the heart, as the sure means to attain the Grace of the Lord.

"Even the worst of sinners who have killed women and cows or committed regicide or patricide or are given to drinking, stealing, etc., get purified of all their sins by just uttering the name of the Lord once" The Lord's names have such a strong vibration that even the sins committed in millions of births get washed away by merely uttering His name once. Even if one takes that name unintentionally while slipping or falling down, or on being bitten by a scorpion, serpent, etc. or even in a joke while making fun of others, all the sins get washed away.

Yama, the god of death, sums up the glory of the Lord's devotees when he exhorts his messengers thus:

"Those devotees who have surrendered themselves to the Lord, possessing equal vision, have their glories sung by the gods and the demigods. They are always under the protection of the mace-wielding Lord. For heaven's sake never dare approach them as 1 have no control or jurisdiction over such devotees (VI-3-27). On the contrary, bring those wicked persons before me whose tongues have never even once uttered the name or glory of the Lord or whose hearts have never even once remembered the Lord's feet or those who have never even once bent their beads in reverence before the Lord" (VI-3-29).

51) The second main episode in the sixth Skandha is that of Vritrasura. Vritra, a demon of unconquerable strength, while fighting against Indra, the king of the gods, takes time to openly pray to the Lord in the battlefield. The last six verses of his prayer have been extolled by Vallabhacharya (a renowned devotee of the Lord and the founder of the Pushti Marga) as "the essence of the Bhagavatam".

Vritra prays thus: "O Lord! When a person faces obstacles in his material progress and gets frustrated in his objectives, it is indeed a clear sign that your Grace has begun to work to turn him towards the spiritual path. For, O Lord, you are unattainable by anybody except the poor who possess nothing and who deem themselves to be nothing.

"O Lord! Please grant me that in my future births I should be born as the servant of a servant of the Lord's feet, and that, with my mind, body and speech, I should worship You only.

"O Lord, I do not want to rule over the heaven, the earth or the nether regions (reputed for their untold riches) as a monarch. Nor do 1 want any mystic power or even liberation. I want nothing but You.

"Lord, how shall I describe my intense longing for You? My mind is yearning to see You just like the hungry fledglings waiting expectantly for the return of the mother bird; like the hungry calves waiting for the mother cows; and like the wife waiting for the arrival of her husband from tour.

"Lord, in case You do not find me worthy enough to be born even as the servant of a servant of Yours, then please deign to give me at least the company of holy persons. If You find me unworthy of this boon too, then consider to give me at least a negative boon - kindly let me not be born among those persons whose minds are steeped in the Maya of their bodies, their sons, wives, households and other possessions. Let me not have the company of such wicked persons who never think of the Lord and are completely materialistic in their outlook". (VI-11, 23 to 27). In the early stages of Sadhana, the company of purely worldly people is very harmful and it is to be avoided at all costs.

Even Indra could not believe his own eyes when he saw Vritra praying so loudly. He praises him openly - "What a wonder that you could shake off the choking coils of Maya which deludes all people! You have annihilated your demoniacal nature and have risen to the status of a Maha Purusha (a great person)."

53) There is no one in the world that is outside the ambience of the Lord's Grace. Whether a person be a sinner of the worst order (Ajamila) or a demon (Vritra), the divine thermostat of the Lord's Grace begins to work on him one day or the other and they are all taken to the Lord in due course by one or the other of the spiritual paths. The Lord is Infinite and the paths to Him are also Infinite, though some holy persons who have reached the goal swear (but for a few notable exceptions like Ramakrishna Paramahamsa) that theirs is the only path, the direct and the easiest path to reach the Lord. This is only for the purpose of creating an unswerving faith in the minds of their own followers and devotees. A doctor prescribes different medicines for different patients suffering from identical ailments, depending on their individual constitutions. It is so in the spiritual path too - that one is compelled by the Divine Will to choose that particular path that suits one's "spiritual constitution" best i.e. one's aptitude, state of preparedness, ability, longing, yearning to reach the goal, etc., - in other words inherent capabilities and Vasanas - which vary from person to person.

55) The main story in the seventh Skandha is that of Prahlada and his father Hiranyakashipu, the former being a paradigm of an ideal devotee with all the good Vasanas, and the latter an example of ego at its worst, full of evil Vasanas. Many Sadhakas do various Sadhanas for twenty or thirty years (often in a half-hearted manner) and bemoan their lack of spiritual progress. This is just like the case of a young married woman who had been advised to do Pradakshina (to circumambulate) of the Peepal tree a hundred and one times a day for a full one year in order to beget a son; and her trying to test whether there is any heaviness in her womb or abdomen soon after completing one or two rounds of Pradakshina. For countless births, we have reveled in worldly life, forgetting the Lord completely and we expect spectacular results after a Sadhana of just twenty or thirty years in a single life. Let us see how we stand in comparison with a child like Prahlada whose spiritual consciousness has been described so very superbly by Vedavyasa.

Not to think of violence to any creature - whether human, animal, bird or insect - i.e. Ahimsa - is a prime prerequisite for any person on the spiritual path. Prahlada exhorts his classmates and companions – "Cultivate friendship and compassion towards all beings by renouncing the demoniacal quality of violence as this alone will please the Lord".

The highest goal for oneself is achieved by exclusive devotion to the Lord, manifested in the practice of' seeing the Lord everywhere and in everything. Desirelessness alone can take one to the ultimate spiritual goal.

Prahlada desires only one boon from the Lord - "Let no desire at all arise in my mind. This is the only boon 1 wish to ask of you". Only when a person can renounce all desires from his mind, does he become worthy of seeking divinity

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59) The first and the penultimate episodes in the eighth Skandha relate to the liberation of the king of elephants (Gajendra Moksha) and Mahabali's self-sacrifice (the Lord's incarnation as Vamana) respectively. The first episode shows that the Sad-Vasanas (good tendencies) come to be of immense help in a subsequent birth and can be life saving in a crisis situation. It is the Sad- Vasanas that activate the inbuilt divine thermostat. However much we may be involved in worldly life, a moment comes when a tragedy or a calamity strikes us, and at that moment, we are forced to think of the Lord as the only saviour in such an emergency. Did we not see Kunti Devi in the first chapter, praying to Lord Krishna to let calamities befall her continuously? Moments of utter misery and suffering are indeed the stepping-stones to a higher life leading to absolute bliss and they are to be eagerly welcomed.

61) The episode of Gajendra Moksha is really the story, put in an allegorical form, of every Jivaatma (the individual soul) in this world. Every Jiva is engrossed in worldly affairs, replete with the three modes (the Trikuta), namely Satya, Rajas and Tamas in the company of wife and children, totally unaware of what is in store for him. Suddenly by the will of the Lord, a serious calamity overtakes him in old age --- say a crippling attack of rheumatoid arthritis, which prevents him from moving about. It is only a question of time before his entire kith and kin desert him and abandons him to his miserable fate, and even the medicines he takes seem to be of no avail. And lo, when everything about him is pitch dark, he suddenly remembers the Lord who is really the only friend in need and invariably, the Lord takes him in hand.

Alfred Johnson Budfair was a pearl diver in a small village on the seashore. He was a drunkard, with no reverence for church or God, given completely to hedonistic principles of ‘eat, drink and be merry'. One day, while diving under water, he was accosted by an octopus, which wound round his body with its frightening tentacles. His mask was torn and the short sword kept by him as a weapon slipped into the water. While looking at the baleful eyes of the malevolent animal, the cry, "O Lord!" involuntarily escaped from his lips and he lost consciousness. When he regained consciousness, he found himself lying on the seashore, with the octopus lying lifeless beside him, cut into pieces. His diving companion told him that, when he dived in search of him, he found him with the tentacles of the octopus wound round his body, but the octopus itself had been cut in various places and was lying lifeless. Johnson's eyes filled with grateful tears as he realized for certain that it was none other than the Lord who had saved him. In order to propagate Johnson's message,  Charles Philmore who was an eyewitness to the incident established the Unity School of Christianity.

63) An elephant with a huge body but with a disproportionately small brain, symbolizes an average human being. To remember the Lord while facing a calamity is one way of wiping out the bad Vasanas, which rule us in our present life. Similarly in the next episode (relating to Mahabali) it will be proved that an easy way of removing our Vasanas when we are in prosperity is to give away all our possessions in charity (Dana). Both the episodes bring out that apparent calamities can be converted into ladders for spiritual progress. We should, therefore, welcome such calamities instead of bemoaning them and lapsing into depression.

64) The next episode is the churning of the milky ocean for attaining immortality. Here, in order to make the gods immortal, the churning of the ocean is undertaken jointly by both the gods and the demons (Asuras) on the advice of the Lord. As the Mandara Mountain, used as the churning rod, would not remain steady in one place, the Lord Himself manifests as a tortoise (Kurma Avatara) and places Himself under the mountain in order to make it steady. At the outset a terrific poison gas (Halahala) emanates from the mouth of the serpent king, which acted as the churning rope, and threatens to immobilize the entire universe. But Lord Siva saves the situation by gobbling down the poison himself.

65) Various attractive and invaluable items - like the Ucchaisravas, a meritorious horse; Airavata, a white elephant of unparalleled strength; Kaustuba, a rare and invaluable gem; attractive and beautiful divine nymphs; and Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth - came out of the ocean and they were all appropriated by the leaders. Lastly, the Ambrosia (Amrita or divine nectar) came out.

66) The story of the churning of the ocean is broadly an allegory of the process of meditation, which is a principal gateway to immortality and absolute bliss. The process of meditation is in effect a churning of the mind, weeding out the poison gas of Vasanas and worldly thoughts (Vishayan Vishavat Tayjaya, " shun the worldly things as though they are poison" - Ashtavakra Gita) and finally drinking the nectar of Bliss. The very thought of doing meditation comes to the Sadhaka only by the Grace of his Guru or the Lord. Various impediments arise during its implementation. The mind refuses to become steady and always moves from thought to thought. One easy way of steadying it is to pray to the Lord Himself, Who is always with us right from the start.

The significance of the tortoise form of the Lord as the steadying base for churning is that one should try to withdraw oneself from all contact with the world just as the tortoise withdraws itself into its shell whenever threatened. The restlessness of the mind is because of its being constantly engaged in worldly affairs. At one stage of meditation, one is apt to find that the dirty and poisonous thoughts of sex, hatred etc. appear more strongly and in plenitude. This is indeed the Halahala poison. When a gutter is being cleaned out, the bad odour or stench becomes much stronger or even unbearable. The only way to tackle the situation is to become Lord Siva who is the symbol of dispassion and detachment (Vairagya). We should not then try to enjoy and relive those thoughts of sex or hatred but, with utter indifference, watch them trooping out helplessly, without cooperating with them or even recognizing their existence or departure. The impure thoughts lying embedded in the sub-conscious have simply to go out, and all we have to do is to sit back and watch them escape. A worldly thought by itself is not bad, but when we begin to extend and consolidate it by repeatedly ruminating on it, it becomes toxic.

67) The next stage while getting established in meditation is the acquiring of 'Siddhis' or mystic powers, e.g. reading the minds of others, visualizing incidents happening elsewhere, foretelling incidents yet to take place, etc. These have been symbolized in the attractive gems, nymphs, and other items that came out of the ocean. These mystic powers are very tempting as name and fame come easily to those dabbling in these 'miracles'. In truth, however, these Siddhis are nothing but impediments meant to distract the Sadhaka from reaching the ultimate goal; and many Sadhakas simply get lost in these Siddhis, being unable to make any further progress in their spiritual journey. Being indifferent to such Siddhis and patiently continuing with the meditation would reward the aspirant with the nectar of God-Realization ultimately.

68) The next main episode is the self-sacrifice of King Bali. The Lord Himself comes in the form of the young, short-stature Vamana Brahmachari to King Bali who was performing a large sacrifice and begs that the King kindly grant him land admeasuring his (Vamana’s) three small footsteps. Proud of his unlimited riches and surprised at the extremely trifling nature of the gift sought, the King tries to persuade Vamana to ask for a sufficiently large gift, which would be adequate to take care of his requirements for the rest of his life; but Vamana sticks to his humble request. The moment Bali accepted the request and formalized the gift by relevant rituals, the Lord assumed His huge cosmic form extending from the Netherworlds right up to the topmost world. With one step Vamana covered Bali's world, with a second step the heaven (and all other intermediate worlds) and his body occupied the entire space and there was no space to measure the third step. When the Lord asked Bali where he should place his third step as all his possessions had been occupied already by the two steps, Bali did not hesitate or waver, but bent down and indicated his own head.

69) Esoterically, the story is significant in many ways. If only we allot a little space in our heart for the Lord and also earmark a few moments out of the 24 hours in a day for remembering Him, worshipping Him, chanting His names, then very soon a day will come when the Lord will occupy the entire heart and also take up all of our 24 hours. When we take a single step towards the Lord in all sincerity, He takes several steps towards us - that is the secret of all Sadhana.

The Lord tells Bali, in the presence of Prahlada, Brahma and the other gods, that even when He is stripping a person of his riches and power and humbles him, it is only out of His Grace and that it is a blessing. Once a person becomes proud of his riches and status, he goes to the extent of disregarding and insulting the Lord and the entire world. In prosperity, the easiest way to purify one's heart to attain God-Realization is by giving away one's possessions in charity, if need be, to the extent of reducing oneself to utter penury.

72) Another important aspect is Bali's uncompromising adherence to the truth even in the face of his Guru's curse, and even after he hears that adherence to the truth would cost him all his possessions and his status. Such an absolute adherence to the truth is an indispensable sine qua non to spiritual progress.

(i) It is not necessary to renounce one's household and proceed to a jungle to progress spiritually. For a person who has not got over his attachment to the world, impediments will crop up even in a forest. For one who has controlled all his five senses, remaining within one's household itself is a penance.

(ii) Summary of Rishabha Deva's multi-pointed Sadhana program that he gave in his advice to his sons is as follows:

74) This Skandha contains a number of miscellaneous stories of certain prominent kings of the two main dynasties and of some devotees of the Lord.

The story of King Ambarisha shows how a real devotee does not retaliate even when others openly try to destroy him, but how the Lord Himself is ever alert in protecting such a devotee even though the devotee may not appeal to Him for help. It also establishes another very important point, namely, that if a person causes harm or grief to a devotee who is fully surrendered to the Lord as a result of which the Lord's avenging wrath is directed against the offender, then no other god or power can intervene or save him unless the devotee who is the victim, himself relents and requests the Lord to spare the offender. At the same time, a true devotee never bears the slightest ill will, hatred or rancour against any such offender and is only too willing and ready to forgive. These characteristics are signs by which any spiritual Sadhaka may assess his own progress vis-à-vis an ideal devotee.

Suddenly wisdom dawns on Soubhari and he exclaims - "Alas, just by looking at the fish, I slipped from the highest state in which 1 had been meditating on the Supreme Being for a long time. A Sadhaka should always avoid the company of worldly persons and should never allow his senses to go to outside objects. He should either remain in absolute solitude, constantly remembering the Lord; or be in the company of holy men (if company becomes unavoidable)."

76) The story of the Ramayana is summarized in this Skandha.

When Yayati found that even then his senses had not reached satiety, he exclaimed in repentance - "Sexual desires can never be fulfilled or exhausted by their enjoyment. The more one tries to satisfy or fulfil them, the more do they blaze forth and grow like the fire, which is nourished by the pouring of ghee. One should not remain in the company of a woman alone, even if she were to be one's own mother, sister or daughter, as the senses are too strong and they may force even a wise man into the wrong path".

77) The last main episode in this Skandha is that of King Rantideva. At the time of acute famine in the country, having exhausted all the stocks of grain in his granary and all the water in the reservoirs by distributing them to starving subjects, he starved for 48 days without even having water to drink, along with the members of his family. By chance, when he got some food and water, several hungry people came to him in utter distress one after the other, seeking food and water and he distributed all the available stock, seeing the Lord in each one of them. Just as he was at the point of death and was about to sip a drop of water, a down-trodden person rushed to him and begged for the water to wet his parched mouth and lips, and the King obliged him without the least hesitation.

Rantideva prays to the Lord: "0 Lord! I do not want liberation or any high position or immense riches. Kindly grant me that I could remain in the hearts of all beings and take unto myself all their unhappiness and misery, thus ridding them of all sorrows."

CHAPTERS 10, 11 and 12

THE AUTHOR

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