Srimad Bhagavatam Skanda 1 - The Past Birth of Narada Rishi & The Sight of Lord

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. 

|| Hari Om ||

|| Sri Veda Vyasaya Namaha ||

व्यासाय विष्णुरूपाय व्यासरूपाय विष्णवे ।

नमो वै ब्रह्मनिधये वासिष्ठाय नमो नमः ॥

Vyasa the form of Lord Vishnu, Vishnu the form of Lord Vyasa, my salutations to you the treasure of creation. My repeated salutations to you, the grandson of Vasishta Rishi.

व्यासाय भव नाशाय श्रीशाय गुण राशऐ ।

हृद्याय शुद्ध विद्याय मध्वायछ नमो नमः ॥

Charming & the beloved Vyasa, the destroyer of emotional & behavioral disorders, the Lord of Goddess of abundance having heaps of attributes, bestower of clean knowledge, my repeated salutations to you and Acharya Madhwa.

यः स्वानुभावमखिलश्रुतिसारमेकमध्यात्मदीपमतितितीर्षतां तमोऽन्धम् ।

संसारिणां करुणयाह पुराणगुह्यं तं व्याससूनुमुपयामि गुरुं मुनीनाम् ॥

This Srimad Bhagavatam gives the experience of the Lord and has the essence of all Vedas and Vedanta. It sheds spiritual light on the transcendental philosophy required to surpass the intense cycle of death and birth which is wrapped in ignorance. However, it is very secretive in nature. Hence, I pray to you Sri Shukacharya for your continued blessings.

जयति जगति मायां यस्य कायाधवस्ते वचनरचनमेकं केवलं चाकलय्य​।

ध्रुवपदमपि यातो यत्क्रुपातो ध्रुवोऽयं सकलकुशलपात्रं ब्रह्मपुत्रं नतास्मि॥

Narada Rishi, Prahlada the son of Kayadhu, had full faith in your teachings that The Lord is present everywhere and would never let his devotee down. He held this even during his most adverse situation and won the blessings of Lord Sri Narasimha. So too, did Prince Dhruva had your advice & blessings and became immovable Star or Polar Star. You are generous and object of all auspiciousness. Your blessings will yield the siddhi of thoughts of The Lord at all times. My Salutations to you the Son of God Brahma.

मूकोऽपि यत्प्रसादेन मुकुन्दशयनायते ।

राजराजायते रिक्तो राघवेन्द्रं तमाश्रये ॥

Your mercy would confer the blessings of Lord Mukunda laying on God Sesha. Even a dumb become an eloquent speaker, a pauper becomes wealthy as God Kubera.
I seek refuge in you, Guru Raghavendra.

We saw the way Narada Rishi through a narration of his past life story has put forth the complex formula of Bhakti Yoga in a simple & straight forward way by breaking-up each of its ingredients. Also, the relevance and the role of Karma Yoga in the impenetrable philosophy of the practice of moksha has been described. The way the tasks or actions needs to be executed without getting touched by the Sins associated with it through submission to the Lord has been detailed by Narada Rishi.

Sri Suthacharya says,

एवं निशम्य भगवान् देवर्षेर्जन्म कर्म च ।

भूयः पप्रच्छ तं ब्रह्मन् व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः ॥ १॥

As the long stories of penance at Naimisharanya organized Sri Shaunaka Rishi continues, One day, Sri Suthacharya narrating the conversation between Lord Veda Vyasa and Narada Rishi, addressing Sri Shaunaka Rishi says that after hearing the past life story of Narada Rishi, Lord Veda Vyasa, the son of Satyavati, questioned thus,

भिक्षुभिर्विप्रवसिते विज्ञानादेष्टृभिस्तव ।

वर्तमानो वयस्याद्ये ततः किमकरोद्भवान् ॥ २॥

Deva Rishi, after those sages who initiated you with special knowledge of Tattva Jnana, what did you do? Probably, you were a too-small boy then. Isn't it? 

स्वायम्भुव कया वृत्त्या वर्तितं ते परं वयः ।

कथं चेदमुदस्राक्षीः काले प्राप्ते कलेवरम् ॥ ३॥

Svayambhuva! Being on your own, How did you spend the rest of your life? Also, at the time of death, how did you leave the body? What was the process?

Lord Veda Vyasa asks this question because there are four types of death,

The death! like it comes to all leaving being at the end of each life span. Based on our individual deed, one has to face this difficult time. As most of us are attached with a sense of possession, we feel bad even for loss of small & inconsequential. The highest value of possession we attach is towards our body. Hence, to forgo this and overcome the loss would be terrifying and painful.

As a practice of this, few take up the vow of non-possession or Aparigraha Vrata. In The First Principles of Bhakti Yoga by Narada Rishi, we saw how Sri Purandara Dasaru (1484-1564 AD), a अंश or part of Narada Rishi, earlier as Srinivasa Nayaka was a jeweler and popularly known as Navakoti Narayana for his wealth of over ninety million. But he gave up everything to live on alms and sing the glory of Lord. He called this as taking up the business as that of honey bee relishing the nectar from the Lotus feet of Lord Purundara Vittala.    

These acts of non-possession do not strike the chord to most of us. The reasons could be the state of denial we live in on the encounter of death or maybe the poor understanding of the trade-off between possession and pain of death and so on. 

 The second type of death is that of the devotees of Lord. Those who are on the path of devotion and yet to have accomplished self-realization and Aproksha Jnana. For these, the attachment to worldly affairs including the body is not as much as those encountering the first type of death. But they are not completely detached too. However, they would have the confidence in the Lord with the expectation of a better re-birth as a pious Vaishnava. They would not suffer as much as in the first type of death. They would be able to see the body as temporary and worthy to forego. They will also be able to intermittently remember the Lord during the last hours of death lowering the pain. But they fail at the last moments of life engaging themselves with worldly thoughts denying peaceful pass away.

The third type of death being those blessed with Aproksha jnana. Here, the Jiva will be able to remember the Lord even in last moments and see his forms. Bheeshamacharya is a good example. Bleeding profusely on the sharp bed of arrows he leaves the body in front of the Lord. As Lord presents himself in the assembled crowd of Pandavas in his forms of Sri Krishna, Veda Vyasa and Parshurama making the death peaceful.

However, he too not having the specific sight of the form of Indwelle, he has to return to earth.

However, in the fourth type of death being auspicious, the Jiva leaves the body seeing the Indweller, the Lord. Blessed with overflowing bliss, goes to higher regions and not to return. Here, he waits in the higher region till pralaya and subsequently appears only in Mukta Vaikunta or the abode of Lord demarked only for Muktas or those released from the cycle of death & birth. 

प्राक्कल्पविषयामेतां स्मृतिं ते सुरसत्तम ।

न ह्येष व्यवधात्काल एष सर्वनिराकृतिः ॥ ४॥

Devarishi, The time though, has the unique ability to destroy everything! The story you are narrating is that of प्राक्कल्प or previous Kalpa and crores of years back. Even then, how do you have memories of a past life? Could not time destroy past life memory?

नारद उवाच, Narada Rishi replies,

भिक्षुभिर्विप्रवसिते विज्ञानादेष्टृभिर्मम ।

वर्तमानो वयस्याद्ये तत एतदकारषम् ॥ ५॥

At the time of departure of those great Yogis who had initiated me with विज्ञानादेष or special knowledge of Tattva Jnana as instruction. I was a small boy. I shall narrate to you the way I spent my life thereafter. Kindly hear.   

एकात्मजा मे जननी योषिन्मूढा च किङ्करी ।

मय्यात्मजेऽनन्यगतौ चक्रे स्नेहानुबन्धनम् ॥ ६॥

सास्वतन्त्रा न कल्पाऽऽसीद्योगक्षेमं ममेच्छती ।

ईशस्य हि वशे लोको योषा दारुमयी यथा ॥ ७॥

अहं च तद्ब्रह्मकुले ऊषिवांस्तदपेक्षया ।

दिग्देशकालाव्युत्पन्नो बालकः पञ्चहायनः ॥ ८॥

एकदा निर्गतां गेहाद्दुहन्तीं निशि गां पथि ।

सर्पोऽदशत्पदा स्पृष्टः कृपणां कालचोदितः ॥ ९॥

तदा तदहमीशस्य भक्तानां शमभीप्सतः ।

अनुग्रहं मन्यमानः प्रातिष्ठं दिशमुत्तराम् ॥ १०॥

I was the only son of my mother. Being women, not very intelligent, she had an attachment. My mother worked as a housemaid. She was kind, dear and had tied me with a bond of affection. She would deeply think of my prosperity. However, being in other’s control, she could not do much. Like the puppets are under the control of Puppetry, so too the Jiva or being is under the control of the Almighty, the Lord. Empathizing with her, I too responded to my mother and stayed with her in the house she worked. I was just over five years old. I did not know much. Even the directions from my place or the state I lived nor the time. However, I was enthused about the knowledge initiated by the accomplished sages, gushing with excitement to take up the practice and accomplish Siddhi or perfection. Also, my intrinsic qualities of moving around from place to place singing the glory of Lord was building-up.

The most important question to any seeker of moksha is if he has to go ahead to the Himalaya or Kashi leaving behind the materialistic world of family, friends and the responsibility associated with it is answered here by Narada Rishi. After having received the most secret Knowledge of Tattva Jnana or axiom as a boy in his previous life from the sages, Narada Rishi does not forsakes his mother and walk away. However, he waits for an appropriate time.

Narada Rishi replying to the questions of Lord Veda Vyasa says,

The days passed, we both as mother and son continued to stay being social support to each other. We shared happy moments and overcame the negative. While I was still small, one night, when my mother went out of the house to milk a cow, she stepped on a poisonous snake. The snake bit my poor mother. How can I blame the snake? The God of death wished so.

Always wishing the best to his devotees, I believed that this too was Lord’s blessings and walked away towards North.

स्फीताञ्जनपदांस्तत्र पुरग्रामव्रजाकरान् ।

खेटखर्वटवाटीश्च वनान्युपवनानि च ॥ ११॥

चित्रधातुविचित्राद्रीनिभभग्नभुजद्रुमान् ।

जलाशयाञ्छिवजलान्नलिनीः सुरसेविताः ॥ १२॥

चित्रस्वनैः पत्ररथैर्विभ्रमद्भ्रमरश्रियः ।

नलवेणुशरस्तम्बकुशकीचकगह्वरम् ॥ १३॥

एक एवातियातोऽहमद्राक्षं विपिनं महत् ।

घोरं प्रतिभयाकारं व्यालोलूकशिवाजिरम् ॥ १४॥

As I walked alone, I came across rich states having enough wealth with cities, towns, villages. Also, I saw dwellings of nomadic, cattle herds, several types of mines, rivers, small dwellings at the foot of mounds and hills. As I walked, large trees, farms, mango groves, gardens, forests passed by. I saw bamboo grooves and trees broken & destroyed by elephants. I neared a thick forest wherein the chattering of birds, their chirp sound, and the song of cuckoos became distinctively different and filled the atmosphere with serenity. The landscape there had turned more beautiful. The ponds and water bodies were filled with Swans, Ducks, water Lillies, and Lotus. Each of the lotus flowers appeared as if competing with one another in terms of color, their bloom, and moisture waiting to reach the feet of Lord. However, they swayed to the light breeze as if they were lost dancing in ecstasy filling the surroundings with fragrance submitting themselves to the most fascinating Lord Manohara.

As I walked ahead through the beautiful landscape, I entered a forest that thick and dark allowing shaft of light here and there. The atmosphere there had suddenly changed.   The buzz of bees, hoot of an owl, and cry of birds, their shriek, and screams of jackals became more often. Also, the sound from the swaying of tall grass, rubbing of branches and bamboo groves due to heavy breeze sharpened. These sounds, darkness, the sight of worms, bees & flys over the carcass left over by carnivores’ animals brought horror and wilderness to the place. I was in a thick, dark and scary forest inhabited by wild & ferocious.          

As an Individual or race or as human beings, we have a notion and built a paradigm of exclusivity. However, in this world created by the Lord, there is an immeasurable diversity. Putting aside our ego, we need to understand & study from this diverse creation to accomplish spiritual progress. Narada Rishi, not standing nor sitting at one place keeps traveling to all fourteen regions starting from Patala to Vaikunta singing the glory of this creation and of Lord has done sadhana or practice in his previous births. Narada Rishi is Sharnagatha or having submitted himself to Lord.

परिश्रान्तेन्द्रियात्माहं तृट्परीतो बुभुक्षितः ।

स्नात्वा पीत्वा ह्रदे नद्या उपस्पृष्टो गतश्रमः ॥ १५॥

By then my body had become tired. Walking up and down the gradients of the countryside, negotiating the shrubs, bushes & their thorns, stepping on sharp pebbles & stones, my feet were crying in agony and legs demanded rest. I was hungry, my mouth had dried with the feeling of thirst overwhelming me.

I took a bath in the nearby river, had water, did Achamana  i.e sipping water from palm for three times and touching various parts of body invoking various forms of Lord with his names for purification. This way my tiredness subsided. 

तस्मिन्निर्मनुजेऽरण्ये पिप्पलोपस्थ आस्थितः ।

आत्मनाऽऽत्मानमात्मस्थं यथाश्रुतमचिन्तयम् ॥ १६॥

ध्यायतश्चरणाम्भोजं भावनिर्जितचेतसा ।

औत्कण्ठ्याश्रुकलाक्षस्य हृद्यासीन्मे शनैर्हरिः ॥ १७॥

प्रेमातिभरनिर्भिन्नपुलकाङ्गोऽतिनिर्वृतः ।

आनन्दसम्प्लवे लीनो नापश्यमुभयं मुने ॥ १८॥

रूपं भगवतो यत्तन्मनःकान्तं शुचापहम् ।

अपश्यन् सहसोत्तस्थे वैक्लव्याद्दुर्मना इव ॥ १९॥

Subsequently, I sat below a Pupil tree in that uninhabited river bank and started meditating the Indweller as initiated to me by the accomplished Sages. As I started contemplating the Lord’s auspicious lotus feet that were of the bright red color of crimson with the nail plates turning pinkish under the dazzling brilliance of the free edges having the brightness of the sun, the bhakti in me started glowing, my mind was lucidly filled with happiness. Also, the body filled with goosebumps experienced a light shock wave and sucked me into a deep state meditation. Not giving up, I moved my attention upwards to see yellow robes of Lord covering his knees, wearing the golden waistband, Srivatsa and being four-armed.  However, I was flushed with bliss, the tears of joy started flowing, choking my throat, but I was unable to come out of the meditative state. The Lord Sri Hari appeared in my Lotus of Heart making me wonderstruck

As I was thinking that there is nothing to which the Lord is second to, the next moment Lord disappeared अपश्यन्.

|| Hari Om ||

|| Sri Krishnarpanamastu ||