August 2017 archive

Sankaarśanāya namah.

Dhruva began to exhaust his balance of both merits and sins. Through experiencing kingly comforts he exhausted his balance of merit (punya). Through performance of Yagnas he washed away all his sins.

He ruled the earth righteously for 36000 years. He fulfilled the first three principles of life i.e. dharma (righteousness), artha (materialistic earnings) and kāma (fulfilling desires). Thereafter he handed over the kingdom to his son Utkala.

Manyamāna idaṁ viśvaṁ māyā-racitam ātmani

Avidyā-racita-svapna- gandharva-nagaropamam

During dream, all objects appear real. However, dream is the mind’s creation. It is made visible by the Self’s illumination (atma chaitanya, Pure Consciousness). When we observe the clouds, we can see varied shapes in them. However, all those shapes are nothing but creations of the mind. The Pure Consciousness (ātma chaitanya) within illumines these creations of the mind.

Likewise, although this entire world does not exist within the pure consciousness, due to spiritual ignorance it appears to exist. Dhruva realized this profound truth.

Dhruva realized that this body, wife, children, friends, relatives, army, the treasure chests filled with treasury, the inner apartments of the palace, the vast kingdom that stretched up to the seas and the lovely gardens had only temporal existence. He also understood that at some point or the other time would swallow them all. He developed total dispassion. In order to undertake penance he reached Badarikāśrama.

He bathed in the pure waters of the river. With absolute purity of mind and senses, he selected a suitable posture (asana) and took up disciplines such as Yama and Niyama. Through the process of Praṇāyāma he controlled the breathing. Using the mind he withdrew the senses (Pratyāhāra). He concentrated and fixed his mind (dhāraṇa) upon the gross form of the Lord i.e. the Universal form. He meditated upon this form with absolute concentration (dhyāna).

He reached the state of final absorption (Nirvikalpa samādhi) which is beyond differences of dhyāta (the person who is meditating) and dhyeya (the object of meditation) cease to exist. At that point he stopped meditating even upon this form.

Dhruva had incomparable love for Lord Srihari. Due to this overflowing love, uninterrupted tears of joy flowed from his eyes. The hairs on his body stood up and he was exhilarated. His heart completely melted due to this overflowing devotion. In him, who had given up egoism completely, the thought ‘I am Dhruva’ dissolved completely!

At that moment he saw a celestial airplane descending from heaven. Like the Full moon it began to illumine the 10 directions.

Dhruva noticed two celestial beings aboard that airplane. Both of them were of bluish-black complexion. They had reddish eyes that resembled lotus petals. Each of them had four hands and they were holding a mace in one hand. They were wearing costly clothing. On their heads they wore a crown. They looked radiant with glittering earrings, pearl chains and beautiful armlets. Dhruva recognized them as two attendants of Srihari, who were of great repute.

Seeing these supreme attendants of Srihari approaching him, Dhruva instantaneously stood up. In that anxiety he forgot to worship his guests. He could only chant the name of Srihari, fold his hands and offer obeisance to them.

Dhruva’s mind was firmly fixed upon the lotus feet of Lord Srikrishna. With lowered head and folded palms, he humbly stood before these guests. With a charming smile on their faces, these attendants of Srihari whose names were Sunanda and Nanda, addressed Dhruva and said,

“O emperor! Please listen attentively to us. At the age of five you pleased Srihari with your intense penance. We are the attendants of Lord Srihari, the father of this creation. We have come to take you to Srihari’s abode, which is the ultimate abode (paramapada).

It is extremely difficult to earn Lord Srihari’s abode. You have successfully conquered it. Through your penance you earned it. Even the seven great sages could not reach this abode. From afar they simply observe it. The Sun, Moon, planets and stars revolve reverentially around Srihari’s abode and thus circumambulate it. Now you are welcomed into that abode.

Anāsthitaṁ te pitṛbhir anyair apy aṅga karhicit

Ātiṣṭha jagatāṁ vandyaṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam

O Dhruva! Srihari’s abode is most revered and worshipped by all the worlds. In the past neither your father, grandfather nor any other person have reached this supreme abode. Now please step into that Supreme abode of Srihari, which is highly extolled by the Vedas.

O immortal being! Srihari, who is the most supreme among those with pure reputation, has especially sent this celestial airplane for you. You are worthy of boarding it.

Dhruva was very dear to Lord Srihari. Likewise Dhruva loved Srihari the most. Dhruva heard attentively the nectarous words uttered by these attendants of Srihari. He bathed and completed his Sandhya vandana and other obligatory rituals. He wore auspicious decorations on his body. He offered obeisance to the Maharishis present there and obtained their blessings.

He then worshipped that celestial airplane and circumambulated around it. He offered obeisance to the attendants of Lord Srihari.

He then took on a radiant body and got ready to enter into that celestial airplane.  At that moment death arrived there in the form of time. Dhruva placed his foot on the head of death and entered into that celestial plane. Celestial drums, kettles, trumpets sounded from the heavens.

Vāsudevāya namah

Swayāmbhuva Manu continued, “He is the original Lord for this illusory world, which although appears to be existing in reality does not. He is eternal. He is an embodiment of bliss. All the various energies eternally serve Him! Develop selfless love towards Him. Through this, gradually you will be able to cut through spiritual ignorance which has hardened in the form of attachments and infatuations.

O Emperor! Anger is the greatest enemy for all auspiciousness that could be obtained by the person. Just as disease is cured through medication, you reflect upon this teaching of mine and cure your anger. May you be blessed with auspiciousness!

Seeing a person who is filled with anger all living beings tremble with fear. Hence the intelligent person who seeks liberation, who wishes that other living beings should not fear him or who seeks that he should not fear other living beings, should not succumb to anger.

Infuriated that they have killed your brother, you are killing these Yakshas. You have thereby insulted their leader Kubera, who is also a guardian deity for the world. Shiva, the Lord of Kailasa, has accepted Kubera as his brother.

My son! Before the wrath of the guardian deity swallows up our lineage, please bow and offer your obeisance to him. Speak to him and please him with your gentle words”.

Swāyambhuva Manu thus preached to his grandson Dhruva. Dhruva offered his obeisance to his grandfather. Then Swāyambhuva Manu together with the Maharishis left the place.

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

Fourth Canto Chapter Twelve

In this chapter, Dhruva pleases Kubera. Then returning to his city he worships Lord Srihari through many Yagnas accompanied by plentiful dakshinas. Thereafter he obtains the final abode of Lord Srihari, which is worshipped and revered by all the three worlds and which even the seven great sages find it difficult to obtain.

Maitreya Maharishi continued, “Coming to know that Dhruva had given up his anger and that he has stopped attacking the Yakshas, Kubera decided to meet Dhruva. As Yakshas, Cāraṇas and Gandharvas were praying to him, he stepped out.

Immediately upon seeing him, Dhruva folded his hands and offered obeisance. Kubera addressed Dhruva and said, “O emperor! You are a supremely meritorious. I am very pleased with you. Giving up feelings of enmity and hatred is very difficult, yet, abiding by your grandfather’s advice, you instantly gave up your anger towards Yakshas.

To tell you the truth, you did not kill these Yakshas. In the similar fashion, it was not the Yakshas who killed your brother. Time alone is responsible for the birth and death of every living being.

Everything that appears in a dream belongs to the person. Even then, when feelings of ‘I and mine’ develop towards one particular body, everything apart from it appears to have a distinct existence. This is incorrect. This is because in a dream, the same person manifests as all the different characters.

It is the same in the waking state too! The person develops feelings of ‘I’ towards his gross body. Therefore differences of ‘I’ and ‘you’ arise in the person. Dualities step in. However this is far from reality. Spiritual ignorance is the root for all this. All these karmic bondages and this repeated cycle of births and death occur only because of the feelings of differences and dualities that exist within a person.

O Dhruva! Return back to your kingdom. May you be blessed with auspiciousness! O King, Lord Srihari cannot be understood through any direct visible proofs. He is the one who is present before us in the form of the various living beings. Those who ardently worship His lotus feet are freed from this repeated cycle of births and deaths.

Even though He accepts the carrier known as illusion (māya), which is composed of the trigunas, and undertakes the tasks of creation, sustenance and dissolution of the universe, He remains non-dual.  Illusion cannot touch him. Serve this Supreme Lord purely with the intent of exiting this cycle of repeated births and deaths. Begin to see every living being as the form of the Self.

O son of Uttānapāda! O Dhruva, you are worthy of being bestowed with boons. We have heard that you are very dear to the lotus eyed Lord Srihari. Therefore without any hesitation, please seek whatever you like”.

Dhruva, the supreme devotee of the Lord was very intelligent and wise. When Kubera, the king of kings asked him to choose a boon he asked, “That remembrance of the Supreme Lord by which spiritual ignorance that is hampering liberation can be dispelled, that remembrance of Srihari by which the repeated cycle of re-births that arise due to spiritual ignorance can be easily crossed over, I seek to be blessed with a firm remembrance of Lord Srihari”.

Hearing Dhruva’s desire Kubera was immensely pleased. He blessed that Dhruva’s mind should eternally remember Srihari. As Dhruva was watching, he disappeared from there.

Dhruva returned to his kingdom. He now began many Yagna rituals so as to please Lord Srihari. He gave away plentiful Dakshina (money).

Yagna is the form of Lord Srihari. The ingredients used in Yagna, the sub-divisions of the Yagna and process of yagna are also forms of Lord Srihari. The Lord who bestows the result for the Yagna is also Srihari.

Sarvātmany acyute ’sarve tīvraughāṁ bhaktim udvahan

Dadarśātmani bhūteṣu tam evāvasthitaṁ vibhum 

Srihari is the original form which is the root for all various visible forms! Although all these various bodies shine within Him, in reality they do not exist within Him. Dhruva fixed his unending flow of devotion exclusively upon this Lord Srihari. He began to see the all-pervading Lord Srihari as existing in the form of the Self, within him and within every being in this creation.

Devotion became part and parcel of his nature. He revered exponents of Vedas. He was compassionate towards the helpless. He protected dharmic regulations. All the citizens of the country loved him as their father.

Emperor Dhruva began to exhaust his balance of both merits and sins. Through experiencing kingly riches and comforts he exhausted his balance of merit (punya). Through performance of Yagnas he washed away all his sins.

Hrishikeśāya namah.

Hriśikeśāya namah

Swāyambhuva Manu continued, “Due to the Lord’s energy known as time, movement takes place within the three attributes of Nature (trigunas). They become imbalanced. At that point, due to the traits of goodness, passion and ignorance (sattva, rajas, tamas), divisions known as creation, sustenance and dissolution occur in the Lord’s energy. In this way, without actually getting involved in action, the Lord is creating this universe. Without being the destroyer, He is destroying.

Divine plays are beyond the understanding of the mind. The Supreme Lord who exists in the form of time is devoid of birth, transformation or death. By creating one living being from another, He becomes the creator. By getting animals killed through other fiery animals, which are personifications of death, He becomes the destroyer.

The Supreme Lord is a personification of time. He exists equally within all living beings. As time, He is the one who destroys the bodies of living entities. In this aspect of destruction, He remains neutral and does not differentiate between friends, relatives and enemies. This is the ultimate truth.

When the wind blows, dust particles fly along with it. Likewise, individual beings who do not enjoy independent existence, run behind the Supreme Lord who manifests as time. In other words, based on their individual destiny living beings are trapped in this repeated cycle of re-births due to the influence of time.

The Supreme Lord is all-pervading. There is no question of His growing or shrinking. He is devoid of any transformation. He eternally remains in his own form. On the other hand, the individual’s existence is based on his destiny. The Supreme Lord rewards the being based on his destiny. By awarding them with the bodies of Devatas and other celestials, He blesses them with very long life. By awarding them the bodies of bacteria and insects, He gives them a very short existence.

O Emperor! Philosophists belonging to the Karma-mimāmsaka School define this Lord as destiny (karma), Cārvakās address Him as inherent nature (swabhāva), Vaiśeṣikās as time (kāla), astrologers as the Lord who exists in the form of planets, while Vātsāyayana and others refer to Him as desire. Albeit differences in terminology, all of them accept His existence!

My son, as this Lord is devoid of traits He cannot be understood through any visible proofs or any other direct means of knowledge. All the various energies in this creation emerge from Him alone. Who in this creation can understand the intentions of that Lord from whom all energies manifest? There is none.  How then can an individual understand the essence of that Supreme Lord from whom he has emerged?

Na caite putraka bhrātur hantāro dhanadānugāḥ

Visargādānayos tāta puṁso daivaṁ hi kāraṇam

My son, the truth is that these Yakshas, the followers of Kubera, are not responsible for your brother’s death. This is because only the Supreme Iśwara, who manifests as time, is responsible for the birth and death of every living entity.

Believing that these Yakshas killed your brother, you are destroying them. However only the Supreme Iśwara is creating, sustaining and destroying this entire universe. Yet He is totally devoid of the feeling ‘I am the doer’. For this reason, He is absolutely untouched by the attributes of goodness, passion and ignorance (sattva, rajas, tamas) or by the merits- demerits that arise from these actions.

Eṣa bhūtāni bhūtātmā bhūteśo bhūta-bhāvanaḥ

Sva-śaktyā māyayā yuktaḥ sṛjaty atti ca pāti ca

The Supreme Lord resides as the Self (atma) within every living being! He controls and rules over them. With the help of His illusory power He creates, sustains and thereafter absorbs these individual beings into Himself. This Supreme Lord is the sole refuge for this entire creation.

He exists outside as death, which is a form of time. Within the mind He exists as consciousness (chaitanya) and nectar. Therefore my dear son, please see Him as existing in all living beings. Seek shelter under Him. Stop all your thoughts and fix your mind totally upon Him.

Just as oxen are led by the nose which is tied with a rope or just as vassal kings pay tribute to the emperor even great Prajāpatis (leaders of the world) offer Him flowers and other materials. Being controlled by Him they diligently abide by His orders.

At the age of five, you were deeply hurt by the insulting words uttered by your step-mother. Leaving the comfort of your mother’s home you went into the deep forests and undertook intense austerities. Controlling your senses and becoming inward facing (antarmukha), you meditated upon the Supreme Lord Srihari. You obtained the position of the Pole star, which is beyond the three worlds.

Tam enam aṅgātmani mukta-vigrahe

Vyapāśritaṁ nirguṇam ekam akṣaram

Ātmānam anviccha vimuktam ātma-dṛg

Yasminn idaṁ bheda masat pratīyate

O Dhruva, Srihari is eternally liberated. He is the form of the Self. He makes himself visible only in that mind that is totally pure. He is devoid of traits. He is non-dual. Become inward-facing and search for that indestructible Lord within you. Simultaneously develop selfless love towards the Lord who is none other than the Self”.

Sridharāya namah.

Fourth Canto Chapter Eleven

In this chapter seeing the destruction of the Yakshas, Swayāmbhuva Manu approaches grandson Dhruva and imparts to him the Supreme Essence. Dhruva calls off this battle with the Yakshas.

Maitreya Maharishi said, “O Vidura, Dhruva heard the Maharishis who were seeking his victory in the war and who advised him to seek the help of Lord Srihari. He immediately performed ācamana (purificatory ritual) and readied his bow with the arrow called Nārāyaṇa astra.

Just as spiritual ignorance (avidya), egoism (ahamkara), likes, dislikes and fear of death vanish the moment spiritual knowledge (Jnana) arises in the person, all the illusions created by the Yakshas vanished the moment he readied the Narayana astra.

The weapon Narayana astra has emerged from Maharishi Narayana. The moment Dhruva fixed this arrow to his bow, many arrows that had huge wings like royal swans and golden bordered feathers flew out from it. Just as a peacock enters the forest making huge hissing sounds, these arrows making thunderous noises cut through the enemy army. The sharp arrows cut the limbs of the Yakshas and injured them badly.

From all directions, infuriated Yakshas held their weapons above them and just as Garuda rushes forcefully towards a snake, they collectively pounced upon Dhruva. With fierce arrows Dhruva cut the heads, hands, legs and stomachs of his enemies who were thus rushing to attack him.

As a result of this frightful war, Yakshas who were distanced from their bodies reached higher celestial places just as supreme saints, through their spiritual pursuits, cut through the solar system and reach the Satya loka, the final abode.

Mounted on his multi-coloured chariot Dhruva began to victoriously travel throughout the battlefield.

Swāyambhuva Manu who saw his grandson Dhruva killing thousands of innocent and faultless Yakshas was agitated. Compassion towards Yakshas flowed from within him. Together with the Maharishis he approached Dhruva and said,

“Alaṁ vatsātiroṣeṇa tamo-dvāreṇa pāpmanā

Yena puṇya-janān etān avadhīs tvam anāgasaḥ

My dear son! Intense anger causes a person to commit sins thereby throwing him into hell. In addition, such intense anger causes the person to remain trapped in this unending cycle of births and deaths.  Succumbing to intense anger you have killed Yakshas who were faultless. Noble persons are going to condemn this horrible act of yours.

This action of killing Yakshas is not befitting our lineage. This is because you are bent upon killing innocent Yakshas. It is true that your love for your brother was unsurpassed. It is also true that you are aggrieved upon his death. But it is also true that for a mistake committed by one amongst them, you are punishing the entire clan. Do you think your actions are worthy and justified?

Nāyaṁ mārgo hi sādhūnāṁ hṛṣīkeśānuvartinām

Yad ātmānaṁ parāg gṛhya paśuvad bhūta-vaiśasam

Due to love towards their body, animals kill each other. Likewise considering this body to be the Self (atma) you are killing others. Your actions are despicable. This is not the path to be adopted by noble persons like you who are devoted towards all-pervading Lord Srihari.

Sarva-bhūtātma-bhāvena bhūtāvāsaṁ hariṁ bhavān

Ārādhyāpa durārādhyaṁ viṣṇos tat paramaṁ padam

It is very difficult to worship Lord Srihari, who is the presiding deity for all living beings and who resides as the Self within all living beings. Through the understanding that all living entities are nothing but His varied manifestations, You have worshipped the all-pervading Lord Srihari.

You have obtained His abode, which is the ultimate destination and which is greatly extolled by the Vedas. You are that supreme devotee whom Srihari remembers. Devotees of the Lord consider you to be of a holy nature.

Moreover, you have directly learnt from Maharishi Nārada the disciplines that should be adhered to by noble saintly persons. Through your exemplary behavior you have become a guide for all noble saintly persons. How then could you commit this mistake?

Srihari resides as the Self within every living entity, isn’t it? Srihari is supremely pleased with the person who has qualities of patience, compassion, love towards all forms of life and faith that everything belongs to the Lord. The person who is totally blessed by Him is liberated from this subtle body and from these worldly bondages which emerge out of the three attributes of Nature. Such devotee merges completely into the Lord who is an embodiment of bliss.

The five basic elements transform into male and female forms in this universe. From the union of man and woman another male or female form emerges.

Evaṁ pravartate sargaḥ sthitiḥ saṁyama eva ca

Guṇa-vyatikarād rājan māyayā paramātmanaḥ

The Lord’s illusion (māya) causes an imbalance in the mixture of the trigunas (sattva, rajas, tamas) due to which bodies are created. They live for a certain period of time and then they perish. Thus creation, sustenance and dissolution take place. The Supreme Lord remains merely a witness to these actions of creation, sustenance and dissolution.

Just as an iron piece moves when kept in the presence of a magnet, merely from Paramatma’s presence the world emerges from the unmanifest. Thereafter it again merges back into Him”.

Sridharāya namah

Sridharāya namah

Dhruva blew his conch so loudly that it reverberated in all directions. The wives of the Yakshas trembled and panicked. Fear could be seen in their eyes. Powerful Yaksha men, who could not withstand this loud sound, took up weapons and rushed towards Dhruva who was stationed outside their city.

Dhruva, the expert in warfare, was famous as an unsurpassed, unbeatable warrior. Merely seeing his face and his bow was enough to create fear in the hearts of the opponents. This expert warrior began to shower three simultaneous arrows upon the Yakshas, killing them.

As the arrows struck them powerfully on their foreheads, the Yakshas, unable to withstand this onslaught concluded that they had met defeat in Dhruva’s hands. They applauded Dhruva’s heroism and valour. Yet at the same moment the injured warriors recovered from this attack and like serpents that hiss angrily when their tails have been trodden, vehemently took up arms again.

The Yaksha army consisted of 130,000 warriors. Seeking revenge each of them dispatched six simultaneous arrows upon Dhruva. In addition, they attacked Dhruva and his charioteer with innumerable coloured arrows, bludgeons, maces, tridents, swords, pikes, spears and many more varieties of weapons.

They buried Dhruva totally under the weapons, so much so that even from a near distance, he could not be spotted. Just like a mountain covered with torrential rainfall ceases to be spotted, Dhruva stuck amidst the mountain of weapons could not be seen.

Siddhas who witnessed this attack from the skies trembled with fear and began to scream, “The Sun called Dhruva who was born in the Manu lineage has sunk into the ocean of Yakshas”. Such was the magnitude of the weapons showered upon Dhruva!

The Yakshas began to shout victory slogans and dance with joy. Just like the Sun cuts through the thick layer of clouds and emerges, all of a sudden Dhruva’s chariot emerged, cutting through the mountain of weapons.

He twanged his bow once which filled his enemies with deep fear. Using arrows, he destroyed their weapons completely. His powerful sharp arrows cut through their protective shields and pierced their hearts.

The entire battlefield was covered with dead heroes who had succumbed to the powerful half-moon shaped arrows dispatched by King Dhruva. Across the battlefield were heads that were decorated with beautiful earrings, thighs that resembled huge palm trees and powerful arms decorated with golden bracelets. Dazzling valuable crowns, pearl chains and golden armlets lay scattered everywhere. The scene at that moment there was such that it would rob the mind of even the most powerful emperor.

Those warriors who were alive were grievously injured with limbs broken. Just as an elephant runs upon sighting an approaching lion, these warriors fled in all directions.

Emperor Dhruva, the descendent of Manu, could not spot a single warrior in the battlefield with whom he could fight. He desired to visit Alakāpuri, the city of Yakshas, but yet as a precautionary measure he did not enter the city. Addressing his charioteer he said, “These Yakshas have illusory powers. Their actions are unpredictable.”

In this way, emperor Dhruva, who was seated on his multi-coloured chariot, expressed his concern and readied himself for battle.

As he was saying this, he heard terrible noises that resembled violent ocean waves. He could see a huge dust storm that was covering all directions approaching him. All of a sudden the skies were filled with thick dark clouds and were accompanied by severe thunder and lightning. These were the illusory clouds created by the Yakshas. It began to rain mucus, blood, stools, urine, pus and bone marrow. From the skies, many dead bodies began to fall around him.

There appeared a huge mountain in the skies which began to rain stones, goads, swords, bludgeons and lances from all directions upon him.

Many terrible serpents hissed loudly and attacked him. They vomited fire from their breath and spit sparks from their eyes. Intoxicated elephants, lions and tigers rushed towards him.

The violent ocean created many huge fearful tsunami waves and was made thunderous noises. These waves were devouring the earth as they rushed towards him.

Yakshas thus using their illusory power created many different types of illusion to frighten Dhruva. However the truth is that only mentally weak persons succumb to fears. Upon a valiant warrior like Dhruva, they failed to have any impact.

The Maharishis who witnessed this prayed for the victory and well-being of Dhruva. The sages said, “O Son of Uttānapāda! O Dhruva! Holding the might bow called Śārngadhanva, Srihari dispels the distress of those who offer obeisance to him. May He destroy your enemies! The person who thinks of Him or who chants His name easily crosses over death, which otherwise is impossible to conquer”.

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