Srimad Bhagavatam Skanda 1 – The Pursuit to hone Bhakti

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. 

|| Sri Veda Vyasaya Namaha ||

|| Hari Om ||

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.

तच्छ्रद्दधाना मुनयो ज्ञानवैराग्ययुक्तया ।

Trust & Belief

पश्यन्त्यात्मनि चाsत्मानं भक्त्या श्रुतिगृहीतया ॥
Having great trust & belief in Lord Tattva, Rishis study the Bhagavata Shastra repeatedly to gain Jnana and Vairagya. This would blossom the Lotus of Heart, Bhakti and glow the Light of Love towards the Lord. They would see the splendid Lotus-eyed Lord in their Heart.

Here Sri Suthacharya is telling तच्छ्रद्दधाना i.e. one should have faith, trust & belief, like मुनयो or Saints. Through the study of Bhagavata Shastras or indoctrination, they gain ज्ञान or Knowledge and have high clarity that is firm and strong enough to trump over the Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada, and Matsarya or Arishadvargas. Also, they develop enough dispassion or वैराग्य and hence not fall prey towards illusion caused by the materialistic world. They श्रुतिगृहीतया or through repeated studies of Srimad Bhagavatam including reading and hearing, practice the indoctrinations. Also, युक्तया and these saints practice the indoctrinations of Srimad Bhagavatam through yukti or arguments and reasons. Therefore, their knowledge gets firmly founded. In other words, Sri Suthacharya is saying that belief or faith in indoctrinations through superstition or being credulous would not yield even the initial results of accomplishing Jnana, Bhakti, and Vairagya.

Credulity & Superstition

With repeated studies, arguments and reasoning the concepts of indoctrinations seeps into their minds and experiences further increase in Jnana and Vairagya. Here, Sri Suthacharya is clearly telling that the study of Srimad Bhagavatam should not merely be limited to scholastic studies. Rather he says पश्यन्त्यात्मनि चाsत्मानं. One should accomplish the glowing of Light of Love towards the Lord. He says that the Lotus of Heart in those saints will Blossom and in which they see आत्मनः, the Lord Pundarikaksha whose eyes are like a lotus petal. Here, Sri Suthacharya is describing that the Saints or the seekers practicing the subject of indoctrination of Srimad Bhagavatam is different from the subject. Also, they are doing so to propitiate the Lord.

Sri Suthacharya continues to say,
अतः पुम्भिर्द्विजश्रेष्ठा वर्णाश्रमविभागशः ।
स्वनुष्ठितस्य धर्मस्य संसिद्धिर्हरितोषणम्॥

The best of Brahmins, Shaunaka Rishis, by following their respective Varna ashram dharma that also includes Shudra dharma, Vaishya dharma, Brahmana dharma, Kshatriya dharma, Chandala dharma, Purusha dharma, Sthree dharma, ashrama dharma that includes Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha, Sanyasa etc., and propitiating the Lord, siddhi or perfection of gaining Bhagavat Preeti or Lord’s love is there.

तस्मादेकेन मनसा भगवान् सात्वतां पतिः ।

श्रोतव्यः कीर्तितव्यश्च ध्येयः पूज्यश्च नित्यदा ॥

Hence, being focused and with a single objective, one should propitiate the Lord through Hearing His Glories, Singing His Attributes, Meditation, and Worship.

Here Sri Suthacharya is saying, तस्मादे, for these reasons, i.e. for following one’s own Ashrama Dharma, Lord would be pleased. Hence, the mind will get cleansed and be blessed with a desire to hear the stories on the glories of Lord.

Hearing the stories further strengthens Jnana Bhakti and Vairagya. Worshiping सात्वतां पतिः or The Lord of Yadavas, Sri Krishna with higher Jnana, Bhakti and Vairagya through श्रोतव्यः or hearing the indoctrinations of Bhagavata, कीर्तितव्यश्च or Singing his glories and ध्येयः or meditation of his feature and attributes with serene mind and पूज्यश्च or worshipping as per ones Varna ashram dharma नित्यदा or always without wasting any time. Also, one should worship with केन मनसा with full concentration and single objective of accomplishing Aproksha Janan or sight of Lord!

यदनुध्यायिनो युक्ताः कर्मग्रन्थिनिबन्धनम् ।

छिन्दन्ति कोविदास्तस्य को न कुर्यात् कथारतिम् ॥

The thread of actions of life getting bunched up and tangled results in tight knots. These knots get tangled over several births with further knots. A thoughtful and introspective person with a sword called Meditation of Lord would shear these knots. Wouldn’t the wise love to hear such stories of Lord which help to meditate! ascertains Sri Suthacharya.

यदनुध्यायिनो That Lord whom we propitiate through hearing, singing and meditating all three times of the day by tying our minds to him or practicing The Yoga of Mind. 

कर्मग्रन्थिनिबन्धनम् – The attraction of materialistic world is making us do more and more Karma or Actions by tying down to samsara or the cycle of death and birth. We encounter difficulties on a continuous basis and have to put up a fight! A fight against obstructions that we encounter to complete a Job. Or issues of a relationship involving self-entitlement or I am Good and the other is bad or one-upmanship! Parents need to manage the relationship with Children. So too, the children. The relation between colleagues, fellow residents, co-travelers, etc. Maybe regulatory issues like license, Taxes, certificates, etc. Maybe a vehicle or transport breaks down! An accident or untoward! Sometimes, out of the bad mood and so on. 

With all materialistic activities, there are Issues. 

Why! Because of our karma or actions. All karma or actions are attached to Sins. Let’s take a look at a simple example and a basic requirement of having staple food like rice or wheat. To grow this, land needs to be plowed by the farmer. This not only involves disturbing all the habitation in the field including grass, weed, earthworms, insects, etc. but also hurts the mother earth. Then these crops are chopped alive. This way, the rice or wheat keeps accruing the action of sins. When we prepare and eat the food, the sins get transferred to us. 

Hence, many a time it could so occur that even if we are not involved, suddenly situation arises and we get sucked into. 

In fact, 

the actions or Sins have high potent.

We should analyze all such difficulties that we encounter. Most of the time, we overrule with a sense of entitlement and bulldoze ahead with enthusiasm. This keeps us dark without understanding the reasons for difficulties or its potential in the future. As the saying goes, the devil is in detail. A sense of entitlement or enthusiasm keeps us blind from seeing and avoiding such a devil. These actions or Sins get bunched-up, entangled, and get knotted. Maybe it would be blunt, but all of us suffering from one or the other disease is an effect of such Karma entangled, knotted and thriving in the body. 

The root cause for all our sorrows is the deed or act that we have done previously or previous life. Every being having Ananta karma or the Actions is tightly wrapped over the soul. This has been in the form of tangle or knots. These knots have in turn knotted. Hence we have moved far away from the characteristic of our Soul or the Truth. This gives us a sense of a distorted “I”. The “I” which we claim better than he or I have trumped them. Hence, we would never be able to unknot. Even understanding itself is difficult to let alone unknot. Many of us go to astrologers seeking remedies. Such remedies lead to more actions or sins rather than unknot the existing.  

Sri Suthacharya is telling that all those कोविदा or learned by यदनुध्यायिनो propitiating the Lord through hearing, singing and meditation on the attributes and glory of the Lord at all times of the day tie up their minds to him or practice The Yoga of Mind which has the capacity to छिन्दन्ति or sheer these knots and tangle that has wrapped our Soul. 

शुश्रूषोः श्रद्दधानस्य वासुदेवकथारतिः।

स्यान्महत्सेवया विप्राः पुण्यतीर्थनिषेवणात् ॥

Sri Suthacharya addressing विप्राः, The Brahmins, Shaunaka and his fellow Rishis says,
While propitiating the Lord through hearing, singing and meditating, one will be blessed with पुण्यतीर्थनिषेवणात् or pilgrimage to holy places and dip in holy rivers. This would yield स्यान्महत्सेवया or service of Saints and Gurus who are close to the Lord. When pilgrimage and service of saints are done with श्रद्दधानस्य or Trust and Belief, शुश्रूषोः or Crave and eagerness to hear Lord’s Stories would increase. As the mind gets Prasanna or lucid, वासुदेवकथारतिः or there would be pleasure in hearing the stories of

Lord Vasudeva who is brilliantly glowing brightly in a crystal clear mind. 

Lord Vasudeva for whom the creation of Universe that includes several forms of himself, all living beings & non-living things, sustenance, distraction, regulation, bestowing of both Ignorance & knowledge to confine to birth & death and liberation to provide moksha is a Lila or Sport.

शृण्वतां स्वकथाः कृष्णः पुण्यश्रवणकीर्तनः ।
हृद्यन्तःस्थो ह्यभद्राणि विधुनोति सुहृत् सताम् ॥

The most attractive, Lord Krishna in his dark skin like the color of monsoon cloud, standing in हृद्यन्तःस्थो, the Lotus of Heart like a सुहृत्, friend. A dear friend for the सताम् or virtuous waiting with great patience as if he has nothing else to do except for ह्यभद्राणि विधुनोति, destroying all our Sins that cause inauspiciousness and ready to pour his mercy. 

He is waiting for us to श्रवणकीर्तनः, hear and sing his Glory. So that he could pour पुण्य, the mercy, and high merit. 

Like he did to Kuchela, with a torn dress and made him Sudhama, having in abundance for just three fists of beaten rice. The rice filed with Love, brimming with devotion through hearing and singing the Glory of Lord. 

So too, he came as if he is at the beck and call of Prahlada! Also, in a form only dedicated to him!  

नष्टप्रायेष्वभद्रेषु नित्यं भागवतसेवया ।

भगवत्युत्तमश्लोके भक्तिर्भवति नैष्ठिकी ॥

By serving Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavatas regularly and taking its refuge, all inauspicious will get destroyed.

Also, Lotus of the heart filled with nectar called devotion towards the all auspicious and most popular Lord Sri Krishna will flow constantly, Says Sri Suthacharya.

Knowledge of the Lord comes by argument and reasoning. Illusion should be avoided by shunning Credulity and Superstition. The Knowledge of Lord brings Trust & Belief. The Trust and Belief in the Lord lead towards the following of Varna ashram Dharma and gain Bhagavat Preeti or Lord’s love. It also makes the mind lucid with a desire to hear, sing and meditate the stories on Lord's glory with his attributes arise. By worshipping Lord Sri Krishna this way, he starts shearing the layers of action with the sin of knots and tangles wrapped around the soul. Also, one would be blessed to take-up Pilgrimage, dip in Holy Rivers and subsequently the service of Saints and Gurus. When done with full of Trust and Belief leads to वासुदेवकथारतिः or the pleasure in hearing Lord Vasudeva's stories and subsequently a continuous flow of Bhakti!

|| Hari Om ||

Arghya

Keraya neeranu kerege chelli, Like pouring back the water from the lake,

Varava padedavarante kaaniro, Be seen as blessed.

Hariya karunadolaada bhagyava,
The accomplishments happening due to Lord Hari's grace,

Hari samarpane maadi badukiro, Credit back to Lord Hari.

Sri Purandara Vithala raayana Charana kamalava nambi badukiro.
Live to have trust in the Lotus feet of Lord Sri Purandara Vithala.

|| Sri Krishnarpanamastu ||

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