August 16, 2017 archive

Bhagawatam 160: The principles of Yama and Niyama and their importance

Maharishi Kapila continued,

“Abhisandhāya yo hiṁsāṁ dambhaṁ mātsaryam eva vā

Saṁrambhī bhinna-dg bhāvaṁ mayi kuryāt sa tāpasaḥ

The devotee who with strong feelings of separateness (dualism), worships Me with feelings of envy, pride or anger, or who worships Me with the view to display his greatness or in order to show off his adherence to the principles of dharma, then such devotee is known as a tamasa-bhakta (devotion coupled with ignorance/ darkness).

Viṣayān abhisandhāya yaśa aiśvaryam eva vā

Arcādāv arcayed yo māṁ pṛthag-bhāva sa rājasa 

The devotee who, with feelings of separateness (dualism), worships Me through the medium of idols with a view to obtain material fame, wealth and prosperity, is known as a rājasa bhakta (devotion coupled with passion).

Karma-nirhāram uddiśya parasmin vā tad-arpaṇam

Yajed yaṣṭavyam iti vā pṛthag-bhāva sa sāttvika

 The devotee who, with feelings of separateness (dualism), participates in puja and other related activities so as to wash away his sins or considering it his obligatory duty, to offer the action to the Lord, then such devotee is a sātvik devotee (devotion coupled with goodness).

Nirguna bhakti refers to pure devotion unaccompanied by any clauses. Just as Ganga eternally flows towards the ocean, the mind of such pure devotee flows towards Me upon listening to My qualities. Such devotee’s love and devotion are free from any form of expectation! It is pure! He perceives Me nothing but his inner Self! This is the characteristic of a supreme devotee.

Such supreme devotees focus totally upon offering services (seva) to Me. They do not accept Sālokya, Sariśti, Sāroopya, Sāmeepya or Sayujya types of liberation even when offered! Sālokya means to live with Srihari in the same world (plane). Sāriśti means to have the same levels of prosperity as Srihari. Sāroopya means to be identical in form to Srihari. Sāyujya means to merge totally into Srihari. Such form of bhakti is the ultimate!

Due to such devotion, the devotee will be free from the shackles of these worldly bondages, that arise from the three attributes of Nature (trigunas) and will merge into Me.

Without any form of expectation, the devotee should strictly abide by his own dharma (swadharma). More important than plucking flowers for puja, is adherence to the principle of non-violence! He should practice Karma-yoga (yoga of action) without causing injury to any living being. He should regularly see My idol, touch My feet, offer Me worship, sing My hymns and offer obeisance to Me.

He should see Me as the Self which exists within all living beings. Courageously he should practice detachment. He should respect elders, show compassion to the needy, be on friendly terms with equals. He should strictly practice non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing and celibacy. In addition through practice of Aparigraha vrata (vow of non-acceptance) he should not be desirous of material comforts. These 5 disciplines, known as Yama, are a must!

In addition he should also practice the 5 Niyamas viz., inner and outer purity, contentment, penance, Self-study and Self-surrender.

He should read or listen to spiritual texts and chant My holy names. He should maintain friendship with holy beings. He should give up pride. Through practice of these disciplines the mind of the devotee will be rendered totally pure. By listening to My qualities, effortlessly the mind attaches itself to Me.

Divine fragrance travels through the medium of air and reaches the nose. Likewise through the medium of bhakti yoga, the mind that has been purified reaches its original source i.e. the Self (atma). It means, it merges into the Self.

Ahaṁ sarveṣu bhūteṣu bhūtātmāvasthitaḥ sadā

Tam avajñāya māṁ martyaḥ kurute ’rcā-viḍambanam

I remain eternally within every living being in the form of the Self (atma). Rejecting this idea that I am all-pervading, if the person worships Me as an idol then it amounts to mockery. It is deceitfulness.

Realizing that the Lord exists everywhere and in everyone is a sign of knowledge.  We have to be immersed in such thinking process.

Yo māṁ sarveṣu bhūteṣu santam ātmānam īśvaram

Hitvārcāṁ bhajate mauhyād bhasmany eva juhoti saḥ”

Trivikramāya namah.

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Bhagawatam 159: Maharishi Kapila preaches the Sānkhya shastra (contd..)

Trivikramaya namah

Maharishi Kapila continued,

“Due to spiritual ignorance (avidya) at one point the spiritual aspirant used to believe that he was experiencing joys and sorrows. He now realizes that even this belief was due to his false ego (ahamkara, sense of I-ness) and that even such feelings of I-ness are, in reality, illusory. This will be the last birth for that Jnani (supremely knowledgeable person) who has attained Self-realization and who has fulfilled the purpose of life!

An intoxicated person is unaware whether any clothing covers his waist or not. Likewise a Jnani, who is totally established in the Self, is not aware of the gross body, irrespective of whether it is moving, sitting or standing.

He retains this gross body made up of the 10 senses and the movement of the five Pranās, as long as the prarabdha karma (the portion of karma responsible for the present body) remains to be completed. The Yogi, who has realized his true Self and who is established in this knowledge, does not have re-birth even if he appears to be connected to this material world and to the relatives herein.

The truth is that even this gross body is as illusory as a dream! It is non-existing. It is unreal. A human being always has feelings of me and mine towards his wealth and family although in reality, he shines differently from them all. Likewise the Self, who is the inner resident within the body, considers himself to be the body and senses, although in reality he is different from the body and senses!

Smoke, flames and sparks emerge from fire. As such they are considered to be aspects of fire. However in reality fire is different from the smoke, flames and sparks. Likewise the Self’s illumination, due to which the mind, body and senses get illuminated, is different from them all! The Lord who is known as Brahma is different from Prakriti (Nature).

Sarva-bhūteṣu cātmānaṁ sarva-bhūtāni cātmani

Īkṣeta ananya-bhāvena bhūteṣv iva tad-ātmatām

When the material objects, which emerge from the five basic elements, are scrutinized it is evident that they are nothing but the five elements themselves! Likewise the Jnani realizes that all objects exist within him only and that in the form of the Self (atma) it is he who pervades through all objects!

There is only one Fire! But yet, due to the differences in the different types of wood, fire appears differently. In reality, Self and Brahma are one and the same. It manifests through the different bodily activities. Due to the differences within the proportions of the trigunas (attributes of Nature) within different bodies, the Self (atma) appears to be different each of them.

Nature (Prakriti) is nothing but the illusory power (maya shakti) of the Lord! It transforms as both the cause and the effect (karya-karana) and deludes living beings. Therefore the devotee should discard it and establish himself in the Self!

With this the twenty eighth chapter of the third canto comes to an end.

Third Canto Chapter Twenty nine

In this chapter, the secrets of bhakti and the supremacy of time are explained.

Devahuti enquired, “O Lord! Until now you explained about Nature and Self and about Mahat and other principles, based on Sānkhya philosophy (Shastra). Based on these characteristics their inner essence can be understood. Our elders state that this knowledge is the tool for proceeding on the path of bhakti. Therefore now please preach to me in great detail the path of bhakti.

O Lord! Please explain to me that knowledge by which the person becomes totally disinclined towards everything. Please explain to me the different levels that are attained by living beings in this samsara.

Kālasya iśvara-rūpasya pareṣā ca parasya te

Svarūpaṁ bata kurvanti yad-dhetoḥ kuśala janā

Time, which regulates even Lords such as Brahma and others, is not different from You. It is with the help of time that living beings perform meritorious deeds. Please explain to me the form of time.

Human beings mistakenly consider the body, which in reality is illusory, as the eternal Self. Lacking Spiritual Knowledge, for a long time they sleep in this darkness known as worldly bondages (samsara). They are eternally engaged in actions due to which they get fatigued. At such hour You, the Sun called knowledge, have incarnated to rescue them.”

Kapila Muni was deeply pleased to hear these melodious words spoken by his mother. His heart was filled with compassion. Acknowledging her He said, “O Mother! In bhakti yoga there are many paths. Mahatmas acknowledge all the varied paths. In addition, the opinions of human beings vary based on their nature and the traits.

Abhisandhāya yo hiṁsāṁ dambhaṁ mātsaryam eva vā

Saṁrambhī bhinna-dg bhāvaṁ mayi kuryāt sa tāpasaḥ

Trivikramaya namah

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Bhagawatam 158: How should we meditate upon the limbs of the Supreme Lord?

Maharishi Kapila continued, “Goddess Lakshmi, who has lotus-like eyes, is the mother of creator Brahma. She is revered by all the Devatas. Such Goddess Lakshmi keeps the Lord’s shanks on her thighs and gently massages them with her lustrous hands.

Next the yoga practitioner should meditate upon the knees of the birthless Lord Srihari who dispels the fear of re-births.

The Lord’s knees are the refuge for all energy and strength! They are luminous like the linseed flower. These knees rest on the shoulders of Garuda and glow divinely. His golden-yellow Pitambara clothing stretches up to His ankles. His waistband, made up of exquisite pearls, encircles the entire universe.

From the deep navel of Srihari, who is the support for all the worlds, arose a beautiful deep lotus which contains in it all the worlds. From this lotus arose Lord Brahma. Such navel should be meditated upon.

His breasts resemble a pair of shining lovely emeralds. They glow with a white radiance due to the luster of the pearl chains which adorn His chest. They should be meditated upon.

Srihari is that Supreme Lord who is worshipped by all the worlds. His chest is the residence for Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of fortune. It fills the mind and eyes of the practitioner who meditates upon it with total joy. The luster of His neck adds beauty to the exquisitely glittering Kausthuba gem situated on His chest! The practitioner should visualize this neck and meditate upon it.

The rotating Mandara Mountain polished the armlets and other ornaments that adorn His shoulders, causing them to shine even more resplendently. His arms and the guardian deities of the worlds who take refuge in these arms are engaged in completing their duties. It is impossible to withstand the brilliance of Sudarshana chakra (discus) that emits innumerable sparkling rays. In His lotus-like hands the conch glitters like a royal swan. The yoga practitioner should meditate upon each of them.

His mace is known as Koumodaki. This mace, which is smeared with the blood of powerful demons that were crushed by it, is very dear to Lord Srihari. A long Vanamāla garland adorns His neck. A swarm of bees hover around it buzzing melodiously. The glittering pure Kausthuba gem that adorns His neck represents the pure jeeva-tattva. The yoga practitioner should meditate upon each of them.

Purely to bless His devotees Srihari took up a form. With its long and raised nose, His lotus face glows brilliantly.  The beauty of His pure shining cheeks is further enhanced with the reflection of the crocodile-shaped earrings that dazzle on His ears. Such face should be meditated upon.

The Lord’s lotus face is the repository of all beauty! It is adorned by curly hair.  It glows with attractive eyes and strikingly beautiful eyebrows. His beautiful eyes deride even that lovely lotus which is surrounded by bees and which is a shelter for two fish. The Yoga practitioner should diligently store the imprint of this beautiful face in his mind and meditate upon it.

The Lord’s eyes are filled with compassion which flows uninterruptedly towards his devotees. To the devotee, it gives relief from the 3 types of afflictions that torment him. This gaze is filled with love and is accompanied by a charming smile. Such gaze bestows innumerable blessings upon the devotee. In the cave known as the intellect, the yoga practitioner should meditate upon this gaze of the Supreme Lord!

Hāsaṁ harer avanatākhila-loka-tīvra- śokāśru-sāgara-viśoṣaam atyudāram

Sammohanāya racitaṁ nija-māyayāsya bhrū-maṇḍala muni-kte makara-dhvajasya

His charming smile dries up the ocean of tears formed due to extreme grief in the devotee. Hence this smile should be meditated upon! The Yoga practitioner should then meditate upon the eyebrows of the Lord, which He created using His illusionary power, so as to protect the saints from the arrows of Manmatha (the Lord of desire).

When Srihari laughs loudly the glow on His lower lip emanates brightly. Due to its reflection, His two rows of teeth that are like jasmine buds gleam in red colour. The yoga practitioner should focus upon Lord Srihari in his heart-space and should meditate upon His charming smile.

The spiritual aspirant should surrender his mind that is overflowing with love to Lord Srihari. He should never desire to see anything other than Srihari! When this is done, the heart of the practitioner which is overflowing with love towards Srihari will thrive in devotion! This bliss will cause his body to horripilate. Again and again tears of joy will flow from his eyes, drenching his body.

Just as a fishing hook catches the fish, until now the mind of the practitioner caught the Lord and drew Him closer. Now the Yogi detaches this mind from the object of meditation. When this is continued relentlessly for some period of time, the mind will be absolved totally of feelings of I-ness.

The mind of the Yogi which is now totally established in dispassion, will, like the flame of the lamp merge completely into the Self. He will be totally absolved of all bondages that were caused due to oneness with the body.

He experientially realizes that the limitless Self, which is devoid of differences such as seer and seen, is the root behind everything. Spiritual ignorance (avidya) will be totally washed away in the Self-realized jnani. He will be established in his original form which is over and beyond dualities such as joys-sorrows. His mind merges into his original Self.

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Bhagawatam 157: Ashtanga yoga (contd.) & description of Lord Srihari’s form

Vishnave namah

Kapila Maharishi continued to preach, “O Mother! The yoga practitioner should practice celibacy and penance (tapas). He should keep his mind and body pure. He should worship the Lord and study scriptures related to liberation. He should practice mouna (silence). He should be able to sit in the same posture for long periods of time.

Through the practice of Pranayama gradually he should slowly try to achieve victory over his breath. He should withdraw his senses into his mind and prevent them from running outwards towards sensual pleasures. Instead they should be trained to be focused upon the heart. This is Pratyāhāra.

The life force (prana) together with the mind should be retained exclusively upon Mooladhara or upon any other spiritual centre. Glories of the Lord should be recollected at all times. The aspirant should willingly practice these disciplines.

Mind eternally runs towards material comforts which are of illusory existence. Hence it is imperative for spiritual aspirant to give up laziness and through the process of Pranayama gradually concentrate upon the Lord.

Sitting in the same position for longer periods of time should be achieved through practice. This is the meaning of the term ‘mastery over posture (āsana jaya)’. In clean pure surroundings, the aspirant should place a mat and sit on it in yogic posture with the back straight.

Prāṇasya śodhayen mārgaṁ pūra-kumbhaka-recakaiḥ

Pratikūlena vā cittaṁ yathā sthiram acañcalam

He should inhale and retain the breath for some time. Thereafter he should exhale and again hold the breath for a while. With this, the path through which the prana travels will be purified. In turn the mind’s wavering reduces and it stabilizes.  

When gold is put in fire, its impurities are removed totally. Likewise through mastery over breath through Pranayama, mind becomes completely pure. Through Pranayama the aspirant should throw away from the body the impurities of vata, pitta and kapha.

He should then begin practice of dhāraṇa i.e. concentrating upon the Lord for very long periods of time. With this the subtle impressions of past sinful actions get destroyed.

By withdrawing the senses from outer material comforts, mind’s inclination towards desires reduces. By focusing exclusively upon the Lord, feelings of likes-dislikes which keep the person away from God, are destroyed.

Practice of this yoga purifies the mind. Absolute concentration will be developed. The aspirant should then focus upon the tip of the nose and meditate upon the form of the Lord.

Prasanna-vadanāmbhojaṁ padma-garbhāruṇekaam

Nīlotpala-dala-śyāmaṁ śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-dharam 

Srihari has a pleasant lotus-like face. His reddish eyes resemble lotus buds. His complexion is like the bluish lotus petals. He holds the conch, discus and mace in 3 of His hands. He wears golden yellow Pitambara clothing around His waist. On His chest is the Srivatsa pendent and on His neck is the Kausthuba gem which dazzle brightly.

A long vanamāla garland, which stretches from His neck to His feet, adorns His body. Attracted by the fragrance of this garland, a swarm of intoxicated bees hover around it buzzing melodiously. He wears exquisite pearl chains, bracelets, anklets, armlets and other ornaments. His waist shines with the lovely waistband made up of gems.

The lotus-hearts of His devotees is His residence! With His peaceful nature and with His charming exquisite beauty He fills the eyes and mind of His devotees with bliss.

Apīcya-darśanaṁ śaśvat sarva-loka-namaskṛtam

Santaṁ vayasi kaiśore bhṛtyānugraha-kātaram

The form of Lord Srihari, who is ever youthful, is wondrous and supremely beautiful! That Srihari, who is revered by all the three worlds, is eternally eager to bless His devotees.

The complete form of Lord Srihari, who possesses the most supreme glory which is worth glorifying, and who increases the fame of supreme worthy devotees, should be contemplated upon until the mind achieves absolute stability!

Based on his individual tastes an aspirant can contemplate upon the Lord as if He is standing, sitting, walking or resting in His form as Sriranganatha. His transcendental pastimes are worth seeing.

Srihari remains as a form of consciousness (chaitanya) in the cave known as the aspirant’s intellect. Such Srihari should be meditated upon with an absolutely pure mind. He should ensure that his mind remains firmly fixed upon each limb of the Lord’s form. It should be noted that he should fix his mind upon every limb one after another sequentially.

The Lord’s lotus feet are beautiful with the marks of thunderbolt, goad, flag and lotus petals on it. The radiance from His raised reddish toe-nails dispels the darkness from the minds of saints who are in deep meditation!

The water with which His feet are washed flows as the River Ganga. By holding those pure waters on his head, Shiva turned into an embodiment of auspiciousness! Like a thunderbolt these lotus feet destroy mountain of impurities in the devotee who meditates upon them. The spiritual aspirant should eternally meditate upon such holy feet!

Vishnave namah

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Bhagawatam 156: Maharishi Kapila begins to teach Ashtānga Yoga

Third Canto Chapter Twenty eight

In this chapter Kapila Maharishi teaches Ashtānga yoga (eight fold path of Yoga) to mother Devahuti.

Kapila Maharishi said, “O daughter of Manu! O Mother! I am now going to teach you the path of Yoga. The mind experiences happiness due to accomplishment in this Yoga. It will be focused purely upon God.

Sva-dharmācaraṇaṁ śaktyā vidharmāc ca nivartanam

Daivāl labdhena santoṣa ātmavic-caraṇārcanam

 

O Mother! By listening to this attentively, people can obtain liberation while living (jeevanmukti). They will understand the essence of spirituality. Hence be attentive.

To the best of one’s ability righteousness (dharma) should be followed. It is imperative to distance from unrighteous activities, while abiding by righteousness. Continuing those meritorious activities which grant good human birth, he should be content with whatever he earns.

This is very difficult to practice, but yet one should strive for it. It implies that whatever the person earns through his hard efforts, he should be happy and content with it.

He should revere and worship the feet of Self-realized beings. Simultaneously he should distance from those activities which increase inclination towards material comforts. He should have true dedication and desire towards śravana (listening) and other spiritual activities. At all times he should eat only pure food that too in limited quantities. He should practice to spend time alone in solitude”.

Here lies the catch. Often we eat impure food. It is imperative to eat pure satvik food in limited quantities. Only pure satvik diet can give rise to a pure mind!

Eating stale, heavy, tamasic food only increases traits of inertia and ignorance (tamo guna). Such food propels lust and other desires. It instigates anger. The person loses control over himself. Driven by extreme desires he now eyes wealth that legally belongs to others. He devices ways in which he can acquire ownership over them. He will suffer with extreme jealousy and greed. All these are the outcomes of eating tamasic food.

The more you eat satvik pure diet, the more you become pure and clean. Here the emphasis is on both purity and limited quantity of food intake. These are the words of Maharishi Kapila, who is none other than Lord Mahavishnu.

Ahiṁsā satyam asteyaṁ yāvad-artha-parigrahaḥ

Brahmacaryaṁ tapa śaucaṁ svādhyāyaḥ puruārcanam

 

He should not inflict injury on any living being i.e. he should practice Ahimsa. He should practice truthfulness. He should not steal others’ wealth”.

People in general cannot resist from eyeing property belonging to others. They find this discipline very difficult.

“He should possess only as many comforts and materials as are needed for basic living”.

Coming across people who abide by this discipline is very very rare. I have just seen two or three such people in so many years. There is one gentleman in Andhra, who lives in a big house but that house is sparsely furnished. I was very happy to see this. In his house were two tiny shelves, one to keep his belongings and another for those of his wife. In his kitchen were about 20 small containers to store required grains, two vessels for cooking, 4 tumblers and 2 dinner plates. They cooked on small charcoal stove. There was one small suitcase in which other household items were stored. This was the furniture in his home! He maintained two bank accounts each of which had about Rs. 15000/-. One was for their expenses and another for their children.

When I questioned him about his lifestyle he began to explain his life’s principles. I felt he was explaining Bhāgawatam. He said that it is essential to possess only as much materials as are needed for survival. He also said that one should eat only as much as needed. He emphasized on the need for contentment and solitude. I was deeply impressed with the disciplines that this person was abiding by. After all, he was a householder, but yet he had such appreciable values. Later on he even trained his children in these principles of detachment and eventually they gave away even that home in charity.

Similarly once in Kashmir I came across a person who abided by these similar disciplines. He was a high official but his lifestyle was simple. In his house there was not even a chair. Guests were offered mats to sit on the floor. It’s amazing that even in Kali Yuga, there are such people!

Govindāya Namah.

Permanent link to this article: https://puttugam.com/bhagawatam-156-maharishi-kapila-begins-to-teach-ashtanga-yoga-2/

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