August 19, 2017 archive

Madhavāya namah

Suneeti said to Dhruva, “My dear son, never wish inauspiciousness for others. In your anger never wish that others should face misfortune. This is because the one who torments others will eventually suffer due to the same sorrow. Please remember this always.

What your step-mother said is absolutely true. You were unfortunate to be born from my womb and raised through my breast milk. The king feels ashamed to even address or accept me as his wife. My son, give up these feelings of hatred. Do exactly as she suggested. If you truly desire that you should obtain an exalted status like your step-brother Uttama, then worship the lotus feet of Lord Srihari, who is invisible to the senses.

Yasyāṅghri-padmaṁ paricarya viśva-Vibhāvanāyātta-guṇābhipatteḥ

Ajo ’dhyatiṣṭhat khalu pārameṣṭhyaṁ Padaṁ jitātma-śvasanābhivandyam

Using the traits of goodness (sattva guna) as a medium, Parabrahma manifests as Vishnu in order to protect the entire universe. Through the means of Prāṇāyāma, great Yogis conquer their mind and meditate upon Him. The birthless Lord Brahma worshipped the lotus feet of this Lord and obtained the most supreme position in this entire creation!

With absolute concentration of mind your grandfather Swāyambhuva Manu performed supreme Yagnas and offered significant dakshina (money) to the priests. Thus he served this Supreme Lord. Due to the Lord’s grace he obtained emperorship over the entire Manvantara (time period), over material and heavenly comforts and most importantly, he obtained liberation.

He could obtain all these purely due to dedicatedly worshipping the Supreme Lord and not through any other means.

Tam eva vatsāśraya bhṛtya-vatsalaṁ Mumukṣubhir mṛgya-padābja-paddhatim

Ananya-bhāve nija-dharma-bhāvite Manasy avasthāpya bhajasva pūruṣam

My dear son! Srihari loves his devotees as his children. Devotees who seek liberation will be searching for His lotus feet so as to offer services to them. Free your mind from every other thought. Do not let the worldly thoughts to disturb your mental tranquility. Strictly abide by the duties specified for you i.e. our swadharma. Purify your mind. Fill that pure mind completely with the Supreme Lord and thus serve him.

Nānyaṁ tataḥ padma-palāśa-locanād Duḥkha-cchidaṁ te mṛgayāmi kañcana

Yo mṛgyate hasta-gṛhīta-padmayā Śriyetarair aṅga vimṛgyamāṇayā

Dhruva, no matter how hard I think, I am unable to find any other being apart from Srihari who can dispel your sorrow. Srihari alone is your refuge. Desiring wealth, everyone worships Goddess Lakshmi. Such Goddess Lakshmi, holding a lotus in her hand, chases the lotus-eyes Lord Srihari. She serves Him”.

In this way, Suneeti, who was lamenting, spoke auspicious words to her son which were aimed at fulfilling the desired task. Dhruva calmly heard what his mother had said. With firm determination and intelligence, he controlled his mind. He left his father’s kingdom and walked away.

The omniscient Maharishi Narada came to know about the words of wisdom spoken by mother Suneeti and of Dhruva’s decision to leave the city. He was aware of Dhruva’s intention. He understood the feelings of little Dhruva. He was deeply astonished at Dhruva’s firm determination and resolve. He approached Dhruva and while gently touching the boy on his forehead, he thought,

“Isn’t it so astonishing that Kśatriyas cannot withstand even slightest disrespect and dishonor?  He is a little boy, yet is deeply hurt by the harsh words uttered by his step-mother. Unable to tolerate this insult he left his hometown. I will find out his intent and accordingly initiate him”.

He said to Dhruva, “My dear boy, you are like a son to me. At this tender age you should spend your time playing with friends. Why are you affected by insulting words at this little age? I fail to understand this. It is natural for children to quickly forget the insults thrown at them”.

Govindāya namah.

Fourth Canto Chapter Eight

This chapter covers the story of five year old Dhruva, who angered by his step-mother’s sarcasm leaves home and goes into the forests. His penance and Srihari being pleased with his penance are also covered.

Maitreya Maharishi said to Vidura, “Maharishis Sanaka, Sananda, Sanat-kumara, Sanat-sujata, Narada, Rbhu, Yati, Hamsa and Aruṇi were the mind born sons of Brahma. They did not accept house-holders’s life and remained eternal celibates.

O Vidura! O conqueror of inner demons, listen! Righteousness (dharma) and unrighteousness (adharma) are both sons of Brahma. Mṛṣa (falsehood) is the wife of adharma (unrighteousness). Their son was dambha (hypocrisy) and their daughter was Māya. Childless Niṛrti adopted these two children.

Adharma (unrighteousness) is eternally accompanied by untruthfulness (asatya, Mṛṣa). Hence she is his wife. The union of unrighteousness and untruthfulness (adharma and asatya) leads to birth of hypocrisy (damba) and dishonesty in the person. The one who has these qualities in him is a demon. He resides in hell.

The union of Damba and Māya led to the birth of Lobha (greed) and Nikṛti (cunningness). Their son was Krodha (anger) and their daughter was Himsa (inflicting injury). From this union of Krodha and Himsa, Kali (quarrels) and Durukti (harsh speech) were born.

Let us understand the hidden significance within these names and associations.

When hypocrisy (Damba) combines with dishonesty, it leads to the emergence of greed (lobha) in the person. Through various cunning (nikrti) methods dishonest persons rob others of their wealth.

Due to their cunningness (Nikṛti) and greed (lobha), they secretively harm others (himsa). Anger (krodha) always follows greed (lobha). When their fraudulent plans meet with obstacles, this anger makes itself visible. This anger leads to injurious speech (durukti) and quarrels (kalaha).

The union of Kalaha (quarrels) and Durukti (harsh speech) resulted in birth of daughter Bhi (fear) and a son Mṛtyu (death). Their union in turn led to birth of their daughter Yātana (endless suffering) and son Niraya (hell).

Harmful speech (durukti) uttered during quarrels (kalaha) creates fear. The fear that the opponent may take revenge now arises in the person. As feared, if the opponent really takes revenge, then it will lead to death or murders (mṛtyu). This is a well-known fact. Hellish conditions (Niraya) always follow these quarrels and harmful speech. Hellish suffering (Yātana) is inescapable.

Vidura, I have now explained to you the descendents of adharma. I have also indicated about the destructive and devastating situations that emerge from adharma. Through this indication I have subtly explained about pralaya (dissolution). Distancing from this family gives birth to merit (punya). The person who listens thrice to this family tree will be absolved of all his sins”.

It is Maitreya Maharishi’s opinion that everyone should understand the in-depth logic contained in this family tree and thus distance from them.

Maitreya Maharishi continued, “Vidura, I have explained to you about Daksha’s yagna. Prior to this I had explained about Swāyambhuva Manu and his family tree. Swāyambhuva Manu was a partial incarnation of Srihari and he emerged from Brahma’s body.

Swāyambhuva Manu and Shataroopa had two sons viz., Priyavrata and Uttānapāda. Being partial incarnations of Lord Srihari, they competently and wisely ruled over the entire universe.

Uttānapāda had two wives Suneeti and Suruci. Among his queens, Uttānapāda loved Suruci very dearly. He showered her with a lot of love. He however did not love his other wife Suneeti. Suneeti had a son by name Dhruva. Suruci’s son was Uttama.

One day Emperor Uttānapāda was playing with Uttama, who was seated on his lap. Dhruva, who saw this, also desired to sit on his father’s lap. He approached his father with the desire to sit on his lap. King Uttānapāda however did not agree to this and did not welcome the child. Dhruva tried hard to sit on his father’s lap. Seeing his attempts, Suruci, his step-mother became envious.

As it is, she was filled with pride. Unconcerned of her husband’s presence, she addressed the child and said, “My child, you do not possess the worthiness required to sit on the King’s lap. Although it is correct that you are his son, but it is also true that you did not emerge from my womb. It is your misfortune that you were born to another woman and not to me. Since you have not born from me, you do not have the eligibility to sit on his lap. Being a child you are unaware of this and hence are trying to obtain that which does not belong to you.

Tapasārādhya puruṣaṁ tasyaivānugraheṇa me

Garbhe tvaṁ sādhayātmānaṁ yadīcchasi nṛpāsanam

If you are truly desirous of sitting on the king’s lap, then undertake rigorous penance and please the Supreme Lord. With His grace in your next birth you can be born from my womb. If you are agreeable to these conditions, your desire will definitely be fulfilled”.

With such harsh, piercing and insulting words, Suruci hurt the boy’s feelings. Dhruva noticed that his father Uttānapāda remained silent without uttering a single word even when his step-mother uttered harsh words. Just as a snake hit by a stick turns ferocious, Dhruva became intensely angry. He could be compared to Rudra in his anger.

Wailing piteously he ran away from there and approached his mother Suneeti who lovingly placed the child on her lap and gently patted him. From her attendants she came to know the reason for his grief. She was deeply distressed upon hearing the evil words spoken by Suruci.

At that moment Suneeti, who was gentle hearted, began to burn like a wire that is caught in a terrible forest-fire. Her patience was totally shattered. Recollecting the words of her co-wife, she began to lament loudly. Her lotus-like eyes were filled with tears which began to flow profusely from her eyes.

Madhavāya namah.

Mādhavāya namah

Brahmins prayed, “Death ceremonies and other offerings made to forefathers are also Your form.  O Lord, the three Vedas form Your body. Even the intent to begin a Yagna is Your form. Previously You incarnated in the form of Varāha. Making tumultuous noise and using Your tusks You uplifted earth from hell. As playfully as an elephant plucks a lotus from the pond You completed this mammoth task. At that point great sages worshipped and glorified You.

O Yagneshwara! We seek that You should be firmly established in our minds. The Yagna that we have begun has been destroyed. We pray that You should be pleased with us. O Lord, to those who chant Your names, all obstacles in a Yagna get destroyed. We offer obeisance to You”.

In this manner, everyone in the sacrificial hall prayed to Lord Srihari, the embodiment of Yagna. Thereafter with a pure inner mind Daksha restarted the yagna that had been destroyed by Veerabhadra.

Srihari is the inner Self who resides within every being. Therefore He is the one who actually eats/accepts the offerings made to the various different Gods in the Yagna. Such Lord Srihari, who appeared as if He was pleased with just His share of offerings, looked pleasantly at Daksha and said,

“Ahaṁ brahmā ca śarvaś ca jagataḥ kāraṇaṁ param

Ātmeśvara upadraṣṭā svayan-dṛg aviśeṣaṇaḥ

Although I am the cause for the entire creation, I am beyond this creation. I am the Self for the entire creation. I am the Lord. I am Self-illuminating. I am the witness for this creation. For this reason, the qualities of this creation do not apply to Me. Brahma and Shiva are not different from Me. They are as powerful as I am. We three are one and the same.

Ātma-māyāṁ samāviśya so ’haṁ guṇamayīṁ dvija

Sṛjan rakṣan haran viśvaṁ dadhre saṁjñāṁ kriyocitām

O Daksha! I have retained My illusory energy, which is composed of the trigunas (traits of goodness, passion, ignorance), totally under My control. Using that energy I create, sustain and annihilate this universe. For performing these three tasks, I take on the names of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

There is nothing apart from Parabrahma. This is the eternal truth. He is non-dual. Within every living being, He exists as the inner Self. I am the one who resides within every living being.

However foolish persons consider Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra and other living beings as varied different entities. They consider these differences to be the eternal truth.

Does a human being ever consider his head, hands and other limbs to have an existence separate from him? Never. Likewise, a true devotee will never consider other living beings as different from Me.

Trayāṇām eka-bhāvānāṁ yo na paśyati vai bhidām

Sarva-bhūtātmanāṁ Brahman sa śāntim adhigacchati

The forms of Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra and the form of the Self which exists within every living being are one and the same. There is absolutely no difference. The one who realizes this profound truth attains liberation!” Thus Srihari instructed Daksha.

Daksha, the leader of Prajāpatis, strictly abided by the orders of the Lord and completed the Yāga. With utmost dedication he worshipped Lord Srihari. He worshiped other Devatas through the Anga Yāga and Pradhāna Yāga.

Thereafter, with total concentration he ensured that Shiva received his share of offerings. He diligently completed all the various rituals pertaining to the closure of the Yagna and then, together with the priests, took the final bath to mark the completion of the ritual.

Due to dedication towards the Lord, Daksha became well-versed in the rules of righteousness (dharma). While returning to heaven, all the Devatas blessed him to remain established in the path of righteousness (dharma marg).

We have heard that Satidevi, who gave up her life, was later reborn as the daughter of Menaka and Himavanta. The illusory energy, which withdraws into the Supreme Lord at the time of dissolution, returns back with full force at the beginning of creation. That energy seeks refuge only in the Supreme Lord. Likewise, Mother Goddess Parvati had, in her previous incarnation, married Lord Shiva who was most dear to her. To those who are disinterested in other objects, He is the sole shelter.

I have thus explained to you the story of Daksha’s Yagna, which was destroyed by Lord Shiva, as I have heard from Uddhava, the great devotee of the Lord and the disciple of Brihaspati” said Maitreya Maharishi to Vidura.

He continued,

“Idaṁ pavitraṁ param īśa-ceṣṭitaṁ yaśasya māyuṣya maghaugha-marṣaṇam

Yo nityadākarṇya naro ’nukīrtayed dhunoty aghaṁ kaurava bhakti-bhāvataḥ

O Vidura! This story of Lord Shiva is supremely pure. This bestows longevity and fame upon the devotee. Sins will be totally destroyed in that devotee who with total faith listens to this story of Daksha’s Yagna daily and glorifies it.

With this the seventh chapter of the fourth canto comes to an end.

Govindāya namah

Mādhavāya namah

The guardian deities of the world continued, “These senses perceive only the visible world, however they fail to see You, O Lord. This entire visible world, comprising of five elements, has emerged from Your illusory power and exists solely within You. Nevertheless, You have an existence that is separate from this world. Although You are beyond the five elements, You shine with Your body that is made up of the five elements”.

Here it should be understood that the five elements are the carriers that demonstrate the Lord’s real, eternal truth. To put it differently, the five elements jointly bring to light the unfathomable energies of the Lord.

Thereafter, all the eminent sages (Yogeeshwara) who were present there, prayed, “O Lord, You are the real form of this entire universe! Accomplished Self-realized saints consider that all living beings in the creation, including them, have merged into You. None in this world is more dear to You, than such highly knowledgeable saints! They have unflinching devotion towards You. O Lord, please shower Your mercy upon us.

Jagad-udbhava-sthiti-layeṣu daivato bahu-bhidyamāna-guṇayātma-māyayā

Racitātma-bheda-mataye sva-saṁsthayā  vinivartita-bhrama-guṇātmane namaḥ

This world has originated from the Supreme Lord’s illusory power. It is being sustained and protected by Him. Into Him, it will merge. Based on the person’s prarabdha karma (destiny), traits of goodness, passion and ignorance (trigunas), which emerge from this illusory power, combine and appear differently in different people. Thus, all varied differences that are seen in the world actually belong to the Supreme Lord.

While remaining in His original form, the Supreme Lord is the support to the three attributes of goodness, passion and ignorance that emerge from His illusory power and to the differences that exist in their proportions. To such Supreme Lord, we offer our obeisance”.

Lord Brahma, the embodiment of Vedas, now prayed, “

Namas te śrita-sattvāya dharmādīnāṁ ca sūtaye

Nirguṇāya ca yat-kāṣṭhāṁ nāhaṁ vedāpare ’pi ca

O Lord, You, who are predominantly composed of the traits of goodness (sattva guna), bestow upon people accomplishment in the four-fold aims of life (purusārtha). Nevertheless, inherently You are devoid of traits. Even I, who am an embodiment of knowledge, cannot fathom Your real form. Likewise, none in this creation is able to understand Your true essence, O Lord”.

Agni, the Lord of fire prayed, “Only due to Your effulgence, O Lord, I have been able to burn brightly. I carry the offerings dipped in ghee and offered, with total dedication by the priests, in the Yagna fire to the respective deities. Lord Srihari shines in the form of the five Yagnas viz., the Agnihotra, Darśa, Poorṇamāsa, Chaturmāsya and Somayāga. I offer obeisance to this Lord Srihari”.

Devatas prayed, “At the end of the period prior to this creation, when there was total dissolution, You absorbed into Yourself and retained in Your womb the sum total of the creation. In those waters of dissolution, You slept on the snake-bed called Adishesha. O Adi-nārayana, in their heart, accomplished beings meditate upon You as the form of their Self! Today You have made Yourself visible to us and are protecting us”.

Gandharvas prayed, “O personification of the Supreme Essence! You are our Lord. Marichi and other Prajāpatis, Devatas headed by Rudra, Indra and Brahma are Your incarnations. This Brahmanda (universal egg) is your sporting arena. At all times, we offer obeisance to You, the Supreme Lord.”

Vidyādhāras prayed, “This human body is a tool for accomplishing the four-fold aims of life. It can be obtained purely on the strength of meritorious deeds. Even after obtaining such human body, the wicked, giving in to their sensory and material desires, permit the body to traverse on the wrong path.

Being totally under the sway of illusion, such fools mistakenly consider their body to be their real Self. They get entangled within the poisonous trap called sensory pleasures. Only true devotee discards these pleasures and instead focuses upon Your nectarous stories. Through this he shreds the veil of illusion that has clouded his intellect”.

Brahmins now prayed, “O Lord, You are the Yagna ritual. You are the ingredients offered during the Yagna. You are the process of making these offerings. You are the fire; You are the firewood; You are the God; You are the mantra; You are the soma rasa; You are the Yagna-vessels, You are the clarified butter (ghee); You are the spoon with which ghee is offered; You are the sacrificial animal. The priests performing the Yagna, the devotees who are participating in the Yagna, the Yajamana and his wife- all are Your forms, O Lord”.

Govindāya namah

Mādhavāya namah

Daksha’s wife Prasuti prayed, “O Srinivasa! You are Parameśwara, the Supreme Lord. You are the Lord of this entire universe. I welcome You. Please bless us all. Together with Goddess Lakshmi, Your wife, please protect us all.

O Lord, You are the embodiment of all Yagnas. The body that has perfect limbs but lacks a head does not have any beauty. Likewise, even if all the various aspects of Yagna (yagnānga) are present, they have no value if You are absent”.

Swamiji explains:

In this sacrificial hall, all decorations were perfect. Eminent Maharishis and priests had assembled. All rituals were going on perfectly as stipulated.  There is so much power in this Yagna. But, of what use is it, if You are absent? If a headless body begins to walk on the road, people run away in fear considering it to be a ghost. Likewise without You there is no life for this Yagna, she prayed.

Thereafter the guardian deities prayed, “O Parameshwara! Pure consciousness (atma chaitanya) is Your true form. You remain seated as the inner witness in the individual’s intellect. As the eternal witness, You observe every happening”.

Swamiji explains:

Actually everything moves per the Karma-phala siddhanta (Karma phala siddhanta states that every experience is the result of one’s past actions). The truth is that even the action belongs to You. But at some point of time, in some birth, the feeling of ‘I’ arose in me.  For this reason ‘I’ am now undergoing the experience.

Many people take up Mouna vrata. In the initial stages, it is advisable to tie a cloth around the mouth. This constantly reminds the person that he is practising silence. Thereafter he should wear a special colour clothing to remind him of his vow. When these symbolic indicators are missing, the person tends to break his vow, since otherwise he is habituated to talking. The deeksha vastra reminds you to maintain silence. It is also a warning to the other person not to break your vow.

The guardian deities continued, “You are the Lord who grants knowledge to the senses. However these senses are able to perceive only these illusory objects that are made up of name and form”.

Swamiji explains:

To break this habit of limiting ourselves to seeing only illusory objects, constant practice is needed. The practice should continue for the entire lifetime. Practice Mouna or practice to constantly focus upon the Lord or practice sense-control. Of course, sense control is not at all easy. The person who is habituated to eating chocolates all day long finds it hard to give it up. Secretly he will eat a chocolate here and there. This is because the senses are habituated to eating chocolates all the time. Now he should train these sense organs not to eat the chocolate that is in front of them. Once the person treads the wrong path the senses get habituated there. The person has to be eternally vigilant and try to push the senses back on to the right track. They need constant punishment.

“The senses are eternally focused towards these illusory objects/ visible world, but are unable to see the real truth. They are unable to understand that You exist as the consciousness within those objects. They fail to understand that You are the object/ scene. The person eternally considers the object to have a distinctive identity but fails to realize that it is another form of Yours”.

Swamiji explains:

The mind should be trained towards this. When you see an iron piece, learn to think- “Oh, God is here in front of me in the form of this iron piece”. This is called abhyasa. From where did the iron emerge? It emerged from the soil. What is soil made of? How was it created? As you dig deeper, you will realize the truth. Learn to see God in every object and in every situation.

Seeing God in living beings in inadequate. Learn to see Him even in inanimate lifeless objects too. The earth on which you walk, the water you drink, the air you breath, the light through which you see the world, the heat-cold, joys-sorrows, your skin, the nerves that transmit the sensations to the mind, the intellect that deciphers this knowledge, your destiny which triggers off present day actions- all these are God. All of them are inter-connected.

The iron found in the soil, the crops that grow on earth, all the living beings that move on earth including virus, bacteria are all His forms. His consciousness flows through them. The mind should be trained to think in this pattern. That consciousness envelops the entire creation. It has no limits. There is no measure. However long the creation stretches, it stretches.

God is beyond the five basic elements. All of us are subject to some form of limitations. He who is beyond all limitations is Paramatma. For this reason the guardian deities prayed that these senses are able to perceive only the visible world but are unable to perceive You, O Lord.

Keshavāya namah.