Srimad Bhagavatam Skanda 1 - The Virtues of Sacrifice, Happiness, Congruence, and Equanimity
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| Hare Srinivasa |
My salutations to you.
सत्यं शौचं दया त्याग: सन्तोष आर्जवम् ।
शमो दमस्तपः साम्यं तितिक्षोपरतिः श्रुतम् ॥ २६॥
Tyagah or Sacrifice. The main reason for our sorrow is our wrongful
understanding that is contrary to reality. Particularly our claim of ownership
or exclusive right over physical, or intellectual property. However, the Lord
does not do so. He does not claim any ownership that does not belong to him. He
is the greatest Sacrificer. Hence, there is not a speck of sorrow in him. He is
always engrossed in stainless bliss.
In The Fame of Lord Krishna (Continued) and
understanding the below verse, we noted that भुङ्क्ते भूतेषु तद्गुणान्.
असौ गुणमयैर्भावैर्भूतसूक्ष्मेन्द्रियात्मभिः ।
स्वनिर्मितेषु निर्विष्टो भुङ्क्ते भूतेषु तद्गुणान् ॥
In all, he is there. Having निर्विष्टो entered all of this with full of bliss भूतेषु being in this body भुङ्क्ते eats or accepts तद्गुणान् outcome of those expressions with only good attributes.
In fact, the Lord has accepted everything. Those
could be bad, polluted, contaminated, adulterated, tainted, poisonous, or even
excretion. So too in the acts of vice with sins leading to hell. In everything
that is living Chetana or nonliving Achetana, the Lord is present. He is to the
letter, omnipresent. With the attribute
of Sarvagna or All-Knowing including smell and taste. Lord eats. For example,
if he doesn't inhale bad smell then he has no knowledge of that. In bad smell,
he has entered and controls the bad smell. Hence, he accepts without feeling
bad or sorrow. Even in sorrow, he is present with that name, he experiences
sorrow but being uninfluenced with it.
Hence, in Vishnu Sahasranama he is called
उदीर्णः सर्वतश्चक्षुरनीशः शाश्वतस्थिरः ।
भूशयो भूषणो भूतिर्वि अशोकः शोकनाशनः ॥ ६७॥
He is just not Ashoka or having no sorrow but also
the destroyer of sorrow having full knowledge of it and engrossed in bliss. As
a sport, he accepts everything being engrossed in the bliss. The reason being
his attribute of sacrifice.
However, we feel bad and sorrow when we smell bad
or touch hot, see ugly, and for more. Also, we feel bad and sorrow when someone
blames us, or accuses us, or insults us. The reason is our undue sense of
possessing the body and hence the ego arising out the same.
For this, Lord Sri Krishna advises Arjuna through
verse 14, the second chapter of Bhagavad Gita as,
मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदु: खदा: ।
आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत ॥ BG-2-14॥
Oh, son of Kunti! The contact between the senses
and the sense objects gives rise to the momentary feeling of heat or cold or
happiness or sorrow. These are not permanent to stay. They come and go. Hence,
Oh, Bharat! One must learn to tolerate it.
Also, Lord Sri Krishna says,
देहिनोऽस्मिन् यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा।
तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्धीरस्तत्र न मुह्यति॥BG-2-13||
A baby takes birth, becomes Kumara or child,
youth, and takes-up old age. Similarly, the jiva or the soul indwelling in the body passes into another body after death. The accomplished jiva or soul
foregoing the undue sense of possession of the body is not worried about such
changes to come into the grips of sorrow.
The Upanishads are also telling that in this tree
called body there are two birds. One is Atma and the other is Paramatma i.e.
Jiva and Para Brahman. Jiva experiences everything through the body. The Para
Brahman or the Lord will not experience. He is a great sacrifice! He does not
consider the body made of Prakriti as himself or belongs to him. However, the Jiva is
unable to distinguish itself from the body and experience sorrow and happiness.
The Lord has no sorrow from immeasurable time in
the past and shall not have in the infinite time in the future. The Lord is
Omniscience at all times, he does not have an illusionary or false sense of
possession on that object or subject that does not belong to him. The
all-knowing Lord makes a clear distinction of the following:
·
The distinction between each inanimate matter of Prakriti presents as
primordial from immeasurable time in the past.
·
The distinction between the inanimate matter and living soul or
jiva.
·
The distinction between each living soul or jiva present from
immeasurable time in the past.
·
The distinction between the inanimate matter and himself is made of
happiness and knowledge.
·
Also, the distinction between each living soul and himself, the supreme
Lord.
By worshipping the Lord as a distinguisher taking
ownership or credit of only his acts and deeds, sacrificing or foregoing the
rest; doing Yoga or synchronization with him for this attribute of Tyaga or
Sacrifice, Lord would bless us with this attribute to forego. By foregoing
the false sense of possession on all inanimate objects or subjects; actions, or
knowledge, or the happiness of other jiva or soul, and that of Lord, the
sorrows and the repetition of the same in us will start disappearing.
The other attribute of Lord sung by Bhoo Devi is Santosha or
Happiness. Being
engrossed in the internal happiness present as a unique character innate to
Jiva or Atma. Our Lord is Sat-Chit-Ananda. He is of true consciousness of
happiness. This happiness is immeasurable, inexhaustible, and independent. He
does not desire more, or of others' source, or outside him. Hence, the yogis of
past have been singing his attribute as स्वरूपानंद तृप्त or Swaroopananda Trupta or satiated by the
internal happiness, स्वरमण or Swaramana or self-pleasing, अत्मकम or Atmakama or Loving himself, परिपूर्ण or Paripoorna or complete by himself.
By worshipping the Lord as Sat-Chit-Ananda, he is
of true consciousness of happiness, doing yoga or synchronization with him for
this attribute of happiness, self-pleasing, loving oneself, and complete by
himself would be blessed to access one’s inner happiness, enjoy, and be
satisfied. The illusion that external objects like expensive dress, car, house,
exotic place of travel, celebrity, etc., would bring happiness or subject
matter like claiming one’s greatness versus others would disappear. The desire
to look for the happiness outside will disappear making one be engrossed in
internal happiness.
The other attribute of Lord sung by Bhoo Devi is Arjavam or
Congruence. Congruence in a person means what he thinks,
so he says and does. There is no inconsistency in his thinking, saying, and
bringing the same to action. Whatever is his ideal self, so is his actual
experience.
Lord is ऋजु or straight
and perfect. He does not come into delusion, nor is a hypocrite being humbug
to show-off, nor treacherous having intention to mislead. He has the attribute
of Arjavam or Congruence in his thought, speech, and action. By
worshipping such attribute of the Lord being ऋजु or perfectly straight having the attribute of आर्जवम् or absolute Congruence, Lord would bless us too with this attribute of
Congruence leading to Self-actualization. This is the highest level of psychological
development blooming to the full individual potential of Jiva or Atma.
Praising the Lord as having the full attribute of Arjavam
or absolute Congruence, Bhoo Devi said, Dharma Purusha! The Lord was ruju,
he never thought one, told another and did something else. He was Congruent.
Now people think that this land is mine, I have this property registered in my
name and so on. But the Lord without such an illusion would walk over me. He
would be engrossed in immeasurable and nonexhaustive happiness and was
compassionate, giving, and would share his happiness with one and all. But such
Lord has disappeared, regretted Bhoo Devi. The goddess of land felt sad.
We understood above the reason for the Lord had
no sorrow. His immeasurable attribute of Tyagah or Sacrifice. He does not claim
any ownership that does not belong to him as the greatest Sacrificer. Hence,
there is not a speck of sorrow in him. He is always engrossed in stainless
bliss.
The attribute of शम or Shama or Equanimity in Lord explains the reason for his happiness. He
is equanimous towards all likes and dislikes. However, we feel happy when our
likes are fulfilled and sorrow when dislike happens. We make unproportionate
efforts to have those we like. And failure to accomplish will bring us sorrow.
Also, having to accept those we dislike brings sorrow. However, this is not so
for the Lord. He is परिपूर्ण or Paripoorna or complete by himself. He is स्वरूपानंद तृप्त or Swaroopananda Trupta or satiated by the
internal happiness, स्वरमण or Swaramana or self-pleasing, अत्मकम or Atmakama or Loving himself. Hence, he has
immeasurable peace without being muddled with the thoughts of likes and
dislikes.
As a practitioner of yoga, we too should forego
the likes and the dislikes brought about by sensory organs. The sensory organs
of taste feed us with taste and the mind discriminates as good taste, not so
good, or bad taste comparing it with its memory; Sight feeds us with good
looks, or not so good, or bad; so too the touch, sound, and smell. They long
for only the good and try to accomplish by hook or crook. The Lord through
shastras or indoctrination including Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavata, has told what he
likes and what makes him happy. Our liking or disliking should be the same as
that of Lord to propitiate him.
Let’s take a look at the 12th Chapter,
of Bhagavad Gita, wherein Lord Sri Krishna answering Arjuna says,
अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्र: करुण एव च ।
निर्ममो निरहङ्कार: समदु:खसुख: क्षमी ॥BG-12-13॥
सन्तुष्ट: सततं योगी यतात्मा दृढनिश्चय: ।
मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्यो मद्भक्त: स मे प्रिय: ॥BG-12-14॥
My devotees who have no enmity against any living
creature; lives friendly with everyone; is compassionate to others difficulty;
do not see only his own benefit in everything; has no ego; who has accomplished
equanimity in all worldly activities causing happiness and sorrows; one who is
forgiving; satisfied; engrossed in their activity of meditation; having full
control of the mind; has understood the axiom of philosophy; one who has
surrendered his mind and intellect to me, is dear to me.
यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च य: ।
हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैर्मुक्तो य: स च मे प्रिय: ॥ BG-12-15॥
My devotees who do not cause any unrest in this
world; nor distress to anyone; nor is anxious feeling agitated; such devotees
not being inflicted with the feelings of superiority, anger, vengeance, scare,
and anxious is dear to me.
अनपेक्ष: शुचिर्दक्ष उदासीनो गतव्यथ: ।
सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी यो मद्भक्त: स मे प्रिय: ॥ BG-12-16॥
My devotees who have foregone greed; has
disciplined his thoughts, intellect, and actions internally as well as
externally; is skillful and smart in his duty; doesn’t get bogged down or
struck with any particular issue; who doesn’t get overwhelmed; nor does acts disliked by me; and submits all
the acts to me are dear to me.
यो न हृष्यति न द्वेष्टि न शोचति न काङ् क्षति ।
शुभाशुभपरित्यागी भक्तिमान्य: स मे प्रिय: ॥ BG-12-17॥
My devotees who are not over-enthusiastic or
excited about worldly acts, nor take up enmity without reason, nor cribs with
complaints; nor mourn for loss; nor are greedy, nor longs for gains are dear to
me.
सम: शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयो: ।
शीतोष्णसुखदु:खेषु सम: सङ्गविवर्जित: ॥ BG-12-18॥
तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येन केनचित् ।
अनिकेत: स्थिरमतिर्भक्तिमान्मे प्रियो नर: ॥BG-12-19॥
The one who is equanimous and undisturbed with
friend or enemy; when complimented or insulted; feeling hot or cold; who does
actions without any expectations; who is thoughtful; always satisfied; not
fixed or dependent to one place; always calm and composed with an awareness of
me, and having devotion towards me is dear to me.
ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते ।
श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रिया: ॥BG-12-20॥
The above behaviors are the means of worship to
accomplish liberation. Those who believe in me as the Supreme Lord and worship
me with full faith through the above means are the dearest to me, says Lord Sri
Krishna.
Goddess Bhoo Devi answering Dharma Purusha followed the divine path of singing the names of Lord describing his
attributes. All the virtuous too should follow this path and please the Lord.
By doing so, Lord would bless us with such attributes to our capacity in our
journey of Yoga to accomplish him. This is the dharma of all dharmas or the
religion of all religions.
Let’s pray to Sri Hari, Vayu, and Gurus for their
continued blessings for our understanding of the other attributes of the Lord
sung by Goddess Bhoo Devi.
|| Hari Om ||
|| Sri
Krishnarpanamastu ||
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