Srimad Bhagavatam Skanda 1 - Dharma, Kama, Artha, Moksha through an eye of Bhakti
|| Sri Veda Vyasaya Namaha ||
|| Hari Om ||
Srimad Bhagavatam cleanses kalimala or the pollutant of Kali, destroys sins, shows the indweller, the Lord, in oneself by bringing Vairagya towards the materialistic world, and gives pure devotion, crystal clear and clean knowledge. Always being satisfied, having no expectations with full of attributes, stainless, creates, sustains, destroys, regulates all non-living including liberates all living just by expression of his attributes is the only Lord having the Lordship. My salutations to HIM. My Salutations to Goddess Lakshmi who always wonders about the attributes of Lord to whom she is dearest. By assigning the most important and difficult task of locating Goddess Sita or getting the Sanjeevani, has been dear to Lord. My Salutations to Prasanna Hanuman in whose abode resides Goddess of Bhakti. Appearing always as sweet sixteen and bitten the sweetest fruit of all seasons and in whose orchestration only the best of Bhagavatas like Indra, Bali, SanatKumara, Uddhava, Narada, Prahlada, Dhruva, do sankeertana, my salutations to Sri Sukacharya the dear son of Lord and all the Bhagavatas. By repetition of whose name the quintessence of Vedas would be understood easily, my prostration to such Guru Sri Raghavendra.
Sri Sutacharya addressing Sri Shaunaka Rishi says that he was pleased with his question. As the question were out of bhakti and after a thorough investigation. Also, the questions and answers would bring auspiciousness to the world. He says, Krishna samprashnaha! Since questions are regarding the Lord, they are very special. Also, the answers are in your questions itself. The quest to know about the Lord and understand him in itself is very special. One should have a burning desire to know about Him. As much, as one struggles to push himself out for breath when pushed into the water. Also, the answers what I am going to give would please the Lord and would be dear to Him.
Sri Sutacharya further says,
स वै पुंसां परो धर्मो यतो भक्तिरधोक्षजे ।
अहैतुक्यप्रतिहता ययाऽऽत्मा संप्रसीदति ॥ ६॥
Of the essence of all Shastras, the one which gives special benefit is भक्तिरधोक्षजे or Bhakti in Lord Adhokshaja. The Bhakti dharma is the manner one needs to live as defined in Shastra. This is the Bull’s eye. The devotion in Lord is Param or Supreme. There are stories of those who have done great tapas. The severe austerity has also accomplished moksha. The stories of Hiranyakashipu or Hiranyaksha are glaring, though. The great Vishvamitra Rishi had to stumble before becoming Brahmarishi. So too, for Ravana or Kumbhakarna, the austerity did not guarantee success. Having done severe austerity, they had to face death. The death against which they had done austerity. However, there are no stories of failure doing Bhakti in Lord. It is a guaranteed success. Starting from God Brahma to a blade of Grass, all who have followed this path have succeeded. Also, in the future too. There is no history that a Bhakta or a devotee of Lord has failed without receiving blessings of Lord. So too, all such activities that increase bhakti are great! Easy to accomplish and is definitive.
As we read this Srimad Bhagavatam, all of us have bhakti in Lord. We have not seen him though. Also, many of us would have experienced the emotions of bhakti in oneself or have encountered those who had experienced bhakti. The way one experience happiness or sadness, so too, we experience Bhakti. However, the question arises that the one whom we have not seen nor touched, how could we do Bhakti in Him? This is the capacity or the ability of the Lord Adhokshaja! Says Sri Sutacharya.
Lord Adhokshaja has the attribute of having knowledge surpassing that acquired through senses. Aksha means Indria or sensory organs including eyes, Ja is having arisen from Indria and Adha is one who surpassed the knowledge that has come from Indria and hence Adhokshaja. While the Lord has not become an object of sight or touch. However, he is attracting us! Our mind is longing for him and getting fixed on him. It could be the longing of Prahlada or Sudhama or Vibhishana or Shabari or Kunti or Gopikas. Or it could be of Hiranyakashipu or Hiranyaksha or Ravana or Kumbhakarna. Or various blends and extent of those. This is possible only out of his mercy, kindness, and generosity.
Being focused on Bhakti, the Lord as an Indweller blesses a spark of bhakti. The bhakti, in turn, drives us to do dharma. With dharma, the mind gets little purified. In a little pure mind, Bhakti will brighten. This repeats with further dharma, Jnana and Vairagya, and purification of mind. But the first spark of Bhakti is the blessings of Lord Adhokshaja. The one who is not understandable by our sensory organs and who stands above the sensory organs. This is the Prasada or blessings of Lord!
Sri Sutacharya says, अहैतुक्यप्रतिहता or doing nishkama bhakti without expectation. Bhakti with expectations are temporary lived as it is a trade-off. Also, expectations pollute bhakti. God Brahma worship's the Lord only for pleasing Him. His is pure bhakti. Being in materialistic life, doing continuous bhakti and without interruption, the Indweller, Lord Vasudeva will be pleased. The Jiva or being will become Prasanna or bright and pleasant. Also, doing bhakti in Lord will give Vairagya which in turn adds Jnana and more Vairagya. The cycle continues. Hence, of all Shastra or indoctrinations of beliefs the one which gives a special benefit to human beings in this Dark Age of Kali Yuga and easily accomplishable is Nishkama Bhakti to please the Lord.
धर्मः स्वनुष्ठितः पुंसां विष्वक्सेनकथासु यः ।
नोत्पादयेद्यदि रतिं श्रम एव हि केवलम् ॥ ८॥Any practice, even spiritual! Which does not generate delight of hearing the glory of Lord is just a labor and of no use.
The Lord Vishvaksena has his army in every nook and corner of the creation. He controls and commands. Below is the verse of Vishnu Sahasranama listing the Lord's name as Vishvaksena
सर्वगः सर्व विद्भानुर्विष्वक्सेनो जनार्दनः ।
वेदो वेदविदव्यङ्गो वेदाङ्गो वेदवित्कविः ॥ १४ ॥
So too, in Kshetra or body. The Lord along with Goddess Lakshmi being in the Lotus of Heart, has God Sun in the Eyes, God Moon in the Ears, God Vayu in the Nose, God Varuna in the Tongue, God Agni in the Mouth, God Indra in Hands, God Jayanta in Legs and so on. This way He has his army in the whole of body and controls. Or in other words, all those enemies viz. Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada, and Matsarya should disappear or the Kali, Viprachitti, Narakasura, Kalanemi, Madhu-Kaitabha and all his evil associates are to be won over. Hence, all spiritual practice needs to aid the blossoming of bhakti and transcend into namasankeertana or singing the name of the Lord. Till such time one would not have the delight for hearing the glory of Lord in complete.
Here, Sri Sutacharya is giving a yardstick. A yardstick to measure the usefulness of our Life to check for oneself!
Currently, the most common practice in society is, one should follow Dharma to meet Kama or desire. From the Kama, one gets Artha or wealth. Wealth gives happiness or Indriya Preeti. This happiness could be through sense organs, maybe taste or sight or music, fragrance or touch or a mix of these. This practice is driven by Corporates and Economists. Wherein, economic growth is achieved by increasing consumption. Consumption of product and services by individuals, families, and states. This would increase top line of corporates and businesses. By optimizing the cost and expenses of corporates and businesses, bottom line and profits are increased.
However, Srimad Bhagavatam is telling that from the performance of Dharma, Bhakti would blossom. How to agree on this! For which Sri Sutacharya says,
धर्मस्य ह्यापवर्ग्यस्य नार्थोऽर्थायोपकल्पते |
कामस्य नेन्द्रियप्रीतिर्लाभो जीवेत यावता |
जीवस्यातत्त्वजिज्ञासोर्नार्थो यश्चेह कर्मभिः ||
नार्थस्य धर्मैकान्तस्य कामो लाभाय हि स्मृतः ||
ह्यापवर्ग्यस्य धर्मस्य or One needs to perform dharma to accomplish Moksha. धर्मैकान्तस्य or wealth has to be used to do dharma. Artha is Wealth and that could be the spouse, children, vehicles, gold, house, money, health, body, and so on. Then the question arises, if on the performance of dharma gives Moksha and also, the wealth has to be used for the performance of dharma, then how is wealth going to come? While the Kama, the desire is a consumable. For example food or a movie or a scenic beauty or perfumes or vehicle.
Sri Sutacharya is telling कामस्य नेन्द्रियप्रीति. That is, desire for food should not be for its flavor or happiness of tongue. One should not consume for the happiness of sense organs. कामो लाभाय हि स्मृतः, one should consume as minimum as required. In other words, one should consume the minimum for the performance of maximum Dharma and जीवेत यावता as much as required for living.
The answer to the question of “how is wealth going to come?” is an important Bhagavata Dharma and has already been told in the second verse of mangalacharna or of this Srimad Bhagavatam. The Subject, Eligibility, and Fruit of Srimad Bhagavatam.
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“This path seeks continued practice of honoring, worshipping, admiring & praising The Lord without any jealousy or expectation nor being deceptive. While being on the path, removes all sorts of difficulties, bestows prosperity, makes one sajjana or virtuous and solidify bhakti or devotion”.
Hence, the wealth or bestowing of prosperity is a blessing. Prasada of Lord.
Pleasing the sense organs and the mind is not what we are born for! Says Sri Sutacharya. They would continue to keep seeking more and has no limit. Like the Popular Indian Advertisement, Yeh dil maange more!
Sri Sutacharya says जीवस्यातत्त्वजिज्ञासोर्नार्थो यश्चेह कर्मभिः. Which is doing any sort of activity without an objective is of no use. Hence, Jignasa or deliberating on the fundamental basis of Tattva or arrive at Axiom for the purpose of life and the process to accomplish is being Smart! This siddhi or perfection is what one gets from the study of Srimad Bhagavata.
This includes any spiritual ritual. If one does not have the desire to understand the Lord, then life is waste.
Srimad Bhagavatam says cleansing of inner organs, mind, and conscience would lead to an increase in devotion towards the Lord. Hence, increases the desire to hear the stories describing the Glory of the Lord. Also increases Jnana and Vairagya in a run-up to Moksha. This could be accomplished only when done with an objective of Sriman Narayana Prityartham or for pleasing the Lord.
Looking forward to the continued blessings of Hari, Vayu, and Gurus to understand the Life Teachings from Sri Sutacarya.
|| Hari Om ||
|| Sri Krishnarpanamastu ||
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