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Jun 19 2017
Datta maata 29: The three criteria for entering spiritual field
In good magazines, there are many advertisements about jobs. In that, the prerequisites of the post are mentioned. Generally, a part/page of the newspaper is allotted for this. A person who wants to pursue a job opens that page first. Each and everybody likes to see whatever they want to – like movies, politics, ads, jobs etc.
Similarly, what is the actual eligibility criterion to live in this world? Let us now know about the eligibility required for the worldly and spiritual lives. In this eon of Kali (Kaliyuga), for man to live happily, he must possess intelligence and knowledge. Sometimes, we may need to praise others only to satisfy them even if they are unfit. We cannot help it. Few people approach big Gurus to achieve success in the spiritual field. They may go to them either for fame or to satisfy their selfish motives, but they will not progress in that just because they have approached a big Guru. Having kindness, patience and a steadfast mind are the mandatory virtues in the worldly life. By possessing these qualities, one must search for a Guru otherwise; it is of no use at all. This means that we must be kind at least externally. In spite of listening to others, one must have a deep concentration on one’s goal. Remember that even if you have hatred in your mind, you must be very soft and patient externally. Else, you cannot sustain in this worldly life. Remember this! By being so, you can prosper and thrive. But in the spiritual field, for a seeker to progress ahead, he must necessarily possess the virtues like vairagya (dispassion), disposition and jnana (knowledge). Let us understand about these three qualities.
The first is vairagya. It is to understand that the worldly life is temporary. One who does not learn this has no entry into the spiritual field. This is the basic eligibility.
Secondly, we have disposition. Giving up deception in the worldly life indicates good disposition. Only then it is possible for us to attain vairagya.
The third is vijnana (knowledge). The spiritual field has more importance for jnana than in the worldly fields. In the worldly life, it is enough for the deeds to be pure. But, in the spiritual life, one’s thoughts also must be very neat and clean.
These are the main qualities that decide the eligibility into spiritual field. Basing on these, we can examine ourselves whether we have entered the spiritual field or not. We may also know whether we have progressed in spirituality or not in case we have entered. Hence, you yourself must check whether you have such eligibility in you or not. I pray Lord Datta to bestow his grace on you in this effort. Our inner self must be checked like a computer time and again about our growth with respect to our patience and disposition. These two are the tests for you. If we behave as per the eligibility mentioned for the spiritual and worldly lives, then alone we succeed.
Jai Guru Datta! Sri Guru Datta!
Permanent link to this article: https://puttugam.com/datta-maata-episode-29-the-three-criteria-for-entering-spiritual-field/
Jun 19 2017
Datta maata 28: Understand that friendships are temporary
In the book, ‘Datta darshanam’, there is a story about Bhadrasheela, who was the son of a sage. He had the memory of his previous birth. Since his childhood, that child used to stay alone. He never played with children of his age. If he was called upon by somebody, he would cry by uttering ‘Sri hari! Sri hari!’It was very strange for the people around. However, the reason for not playing with other children was not lack of interest but it was because he knew his previous birth. Hence, he disliked mingling with anybody.
Coming to the story of normal human beings – Our minds are always attracted towards the friendship of some or the other because of our existence in a society. We never like to be alone. Why do we befriend others? Why Bhadrasheela did not befriend anybody? The reason is that we do not know about our previous births. As soon as we are born, we see a world and consider this world to be everything because we do not know anything else. As we grow up in this life, we have many necessities. To fulfill those, we show affection towards few for our own selfishness. We love some others even if that is not required. This is our state of confusion.
Bhadrasheela not only knew about this world but also had the memory of his previous birth. He knew very well about the impacts of selfishness in his previous birth. Because he had abundant experiences, he understood that there are no benefits with such friendships. As a result, he never developed any special affection towards any individual.
A child travelling in a train befriends the neighbors. This is the train friendship. The depth of the friendship is so much that he cannot leave his friend even after the journey ends. The elders however know that such friendships are of no use and hence they simply pass time by chit chatting with the neighbors but they do not develop any deep friendship. The situation of Bhadrasheela is analogous to the friendships of the elders during journey. He had the knowledge of witnessing the journey of the soul from one body to another. Hence, he never developed any affection or love on anybody. Even though, we do not have the memory of our previous birth like Bhadrasheela, we have the faith on the scriptures that tell us that there are previous births. As this faith builds up in us, we too acquire the mental state that Bhadrasheela had. Just like we travel from one place to another, we travel from one body to another.
In this journey, none of your relatives, friends or passersby shares your sins or merits. That is not at all possible. You are always alone. Hence, you must live with detachment by doing your duty and putting in efforts to reach God. You must remember this very well.
Jai Guru Datta! Sri Guru Datta!
Permanent link to this article: https://puttugam.com/datta-maata-episode-28-like-bhadrasheela-we-should-understand-that-friendships-are-temporary/
Jun 19 2017
Datta maata 27: Sadguru helps us realize our negative tendencies and correct them
There are few doctors who tell the patients about their diseases by merely observing the pulse, thereby creating trust and happiness in the minds of the patients. Just because of that, the dosage of the medication will not be reduced. There are few astrologers who tell your past incidents and future problems. But, except for few minor solutions, it is difficult for them to prevent the occurrence of the problems. The duty of the astrologer is merely to narrate the various incidents of life. As soon as he narrates the past incidents, we get faith on him. Then we can get belief on him when he talks about the future. He may give certain ideas to reduce the intensity of the harm that might be caused by the incidents likely to happen in the future.
Similarly, the duty of the demigods is to keep on giving boons. But, the duty of a doctor does not end by telling the problems to the patients. He has to give right medicines for their diseases. Likewise, Sadguru not just gives boons. He also removes your ignorance. That is his work. But for this to happen, you must know what is contained in you. Everyone has a good opinion about one’s own self. Each and every one keeps on thinking, “I am good”, “I follow truth”, “I follow Dharma”,” I have not caused harm to anybody” etc. One never ever identifies one’s own mistake. But, human can never even imagine how he behaves when he faces unfavorable situations. He behaves in a haphazard manner. He scolds like anything. He does whatever he wants. Only when such situations arise, the inner behavior gets exposed. Just like there is shadow underneath a lamp; behind every good thought, there lies a negative thought as well. By correcting such negativity, man tries to go ahead. It is very difficult to say which thought will drag on to which direction at a particular point of time.
Ashwatthama is a very good example in this regard. He always thought that he was in support of Pandavās. But in fact, he was the one who was the main cause behind the destruction of the lineage of Dharmarāja. We can find such incidents in every one’s life. Hence, just to make you know about yourself, Sadguru creates certain incidents. They are the ‘Tests of Sadguru’. Those tests are must for anybody. We may even find pearls in the depths of the oceans by several means but we cannot find how the human mind behaves, by any means.
Hence, we pray Adi Guru Datta Swamy to reveal our disease and give us the right medicine. In Datta’s story, Pingala Nāga and Karthavēryārjuna also did the same. If we read Datta’s story, we understand that by giving punishments in the name of tests, he actually teaches good lessons. This is because he wants to offer protection. He does not do it immediately. It is analogous to pouring milk in a vessel after cleaning it.
Jai Guru Datta! Sri Guru Datta!
Permanent link to this article: https://puttugam.com/datta-maata-episode-27-sadguru-makes-us-realize-our-hidden-negative-tendencies-and-helps-us-correct-them/
Jun 19 2017
Bhagawatam 125: Devatas pray to Lord Brahma; Brahma describes the beauty of Vaikuntha
Yasya vācā prajāḥ sarvā gāvas tantyeva yantritāḥ
Haranti balim āyattās tasmai mukhyāya te namaḥ
O Lord! Just as a rope tied to its nose binds and controls the bull, Your words known as the Vedas, bind living beings to the rules of righteousness and thus controls them. Living beings controlled by You worship You with faith and devotion. They reverentially serve You. You exist in the form of the primary life-force known as breath within all living beings. To such a Lord, we offer our obeisance.
O personification of the Supreme! Please ensure the welfare of all living beings. As darkness has enveloped the universe, all their activities have come to a stop. As a result of this, we too are trapped in difficulties. Please direct your flow of compassion towards us.
O Lord! Maharishi Kashyapa has retained his radiance in Diti’s womb. Due to his radiance, the fetus within her womb is prospering like fire in a haystack. It has rendered all the directions lusterless”.
Maitreya Maharishi said, “Vidura, Brahma is a Self-created form who can be known only through Vedic sounds. Brahma, who heard the prayers of the Devatas smiled and trying to satisfy them with his pleasing words said,
“O Devatas! Sanaka and other Kumaras were born earlier than you all. There is nothing that they seek in this creation. Through the medium of space (akaśa) they travel across the different planes of existence.
Ta ekadā bhagavato vaikuṇṭa-syāmalātmanaḥ
Yayur vaikuṇṭa-nilayaṁ sarva-loka-namaskṛtam
In the form of pure illumination, Srihari remains in the cave known as the intellect of living beings who are replete with traits of goodness (sattva). This Lord Srihari has His residence in Vaikunṭha. For this reason, inhabitants of all different planes offer reverential obeisance to this Vaikunṭha loka.
Sanaka and other Maharishis, who were travelling in space, desired to meet Lord Srihari and hence they reached Vaikunṭha. All the beings who reside in Vaikunṭha resemble Srihari in appearance. Free from any form of desire, they eternally worship Srihari considering it to be their dharma.
The Supreme Lord Srihari is a form of completeness. He is the cause for all causes. He is known through the medium of the Vedas and is an embodiment of righteousness. Such a Lord has taken on the traits of goodness (sattva guna) as his carrier (body) and resides in Vaikunṭha. He bestows happiness and comforts upon us, his devotees.
A supreme garden by name Naiśreyasam exists in Vaikunṭha. This garden glows resplendently, being abundant in trees laden with fruits and flowers belonging to all different seasons. Together with Kalpavriksha, the wish fulfilling tree, which are found in plenty, this garden appears like a representation of liberation. In other words, it appears as if liberation (moksha) has assumed the form of this garden.
Within this garden is a sacred pond. Within this pond are exquisite Madhavi lotuses that shower honey. Their sweet fragrance disturbs the concentrative/ meditative mood of the mind. It implies that it attracts the mind. Despite that, Gandharvas (celestial beings) roam about in aircrafts together with their spouses and without getting distracted by these fragrances, focus exclusively on Srihari and render His glories. They are able to restrain the wind which carries to them these intoxicating fragrances. They spend their time glorifying the deeds of their Lord Srihari. The stories of this Supreme Lord destroy sins of living beings.
Birds such as cuckoo, pigeon, crane, lark, parrots, swan, partridge, peacock and others chirp noisily in that garden. Yet, when the bee begins to hum loudly as if it is singing the glories of the Lord, there will be a temporary silence, as all the birds stop chirping.
Tulasi (basil) leaves are very dear to Lord Srihari so much so that He adorns His neck with a Tulasi garland and admires its fragrance. For this reason, the other flowering plants in that garden viz., hibiscus, jasmine, mehendi, water lily, arna flower, suraponna, nāgakesari, pogada, lotus, pārijata and others extol the penance performed by Tulasi. After all, Mother Tulasi undertook severe austerities to earn the grace of that Lord. Hence they extol her greatness. These flowering plants also direct their fragrances towards Tulasi plant in their attempt to reach the Lord.
An infinite number of aircrafts made of cat’s eye, emerald and gold exist in Vaikunṭha within which supreme devotees are seated. Yet, these airplanes are visible only to those who have totally sought shelter in His lotus feet. Srihari fixes himself eternally in the hearts of the supreme devotees who travel in these airplanes. For this reason the charming looks, laughter, jokes, smiling faces, or other actions of beautiful damsels cannot attract the minds of these devotees. They are untouched by lust and other desires that originate out of Rajo guṇa (traits of action/ passion).
The abode of Lord Srihari is made of gold and has crystal walls. Lakshmi Devi, the Goddess of fortune, gives up her natural tendency of fickleness and remains steadily in this splendorous mansion. As She walks in her husband Srihari’s mansion playing with a lotus in her hand, the jingling of her anklets, which are made up of precious stones, can be heard. When the reflection of Goddess Lakshmi, who walks with a lotus in her hand, falls on these crystal walls it appears as if She is sweeping the floor with that lotus.
In this world everyone strives to obtain the grace of Goddess Lakshmi. Lakshmi Devi however, together with her attendants, sits in her garden and reverentially worships Lord Srihari with Tulasi leaves.
In that garden are wells which contain nectar in lieu of water. The walls of these wells are made of rubies. When Lakshmi Devi sees the reflection of her beautiful face, with her raised nose and long braids, in those waters, it appears to Her that the dark blue complexioned Lord is kissing her face making it more beautiful. With this she becomes bashful.
O Devatas! It is truly unfortunate that the dull-witted humans do not listen to these divine transcendental stories of Lord Srihari, which are capable of destroying sins. Instead they while away their time in worthless, wasteful topics, useless friendships which are devoid of essence and which spoil the mind. They have deep inclination towards such useless matters. Such beings can never reach Vaikunta. Bad associations drive them towards ignorance and hell. In those planes there will be none to rescue them.
Human birth is extremely important as in it there is an opportunity to practice dharma and also to obtain supreme knowledge. For this reason all celestials, including me, seek human birth. Yet those, who even after obtaining a human birth fail to understand or worship Srihari, fall into his trap of illusion.
Devatas seek human birth so that they can profusely sing divine glories”.
Vishṇave namah
Permanent link to this article: https://puttugam.com/episode-125-devatas-pray-to-lord-brahma-brahma-describes-the-beauty-of-vaikuntha/
Jun 19 2017
Bhagawatam 124: Diti regrets her sinful deed; Maharishi Kaśyapa indicates birth of a noble grandson
Vishṇave Namah
Diti continued,
“Na brahma-daṇḍa-dagdhasya na bhūta-bhayadasya ca
Nārakāś cānugṛhṇanti yāṁ yāṁ yonim asau gataḥ
This is because even residents of naraka (hell) do not show any compassion towards the person who meets death due to the wrath of a Brahmin or towards the person who has caused fear to other living beings. Even if such a person is re-born in any species in future, other living entities will never show any compassion towards him. For this reason please be merciful” begged Diti.
Kashyapa addressed his wife and said, “Devi! You are remorseful and now deeply repent your wrongful actions. After the completion of the deed you rightly reflected about its merits-demerits. In addition, towards Srihari, Rudra and me you are showing a lot of reverence. Therefore one amongst your sons will beget a supreme son who will be revered by all noble beings. Because of his pure reputation, your grandson will be glorified at par with the Supreme Lord.
He will possess excellent noble qualities such as not having any enemies in this world. Just as impure gold is purified, noble people will imitate his character to purify their inner mind.
Yat-prasādād idaṁ viśvaṁ prasīdati yad-ātmakam
Sa sva-dṛg bhagavān yasya toṣyate ’nanyayā dṛśā
The Supreme Lord is the absolute ruler of this universe. When His blessings are obtained, blessings of the world are also obtained.
Such Self-illuminating Lord Srihari will be supremely pleased with your grandson’s purest focused devotion (ekanta bhakti) and non-dualistic knowledge (abheda jnana).
Sa vai mahā-bhāgavato mahātmā mahānubhāvo mahatāṁ mahiṣṭhaḥ
Pravṛddha-bhaktyā hy anubhāvitāśaye niveśya vaikuṇṭham imaṁ vihāsyati
This boy will turn out to be one of the most supreme devotees of that Lord. He will be exceptionally large-hearted. His will wield absolute influence over others. He will acquire fame as the best amongst the greatest personalities. Due to his unflinching focused supreme devotion he will retain the Supreme Lord Srihari within his heart!
He will obtain absolute victory over the senses (indriya jaya). He will give up infatuation and adoration for this body and will conquer it. He will become a repository for every noble and admirable quality. His character will be exemplary. He will be supremely overjoyed when others prosper. He will be sorrowful when others suffer or go through difficult times. He will be loved by one and all. He will not have any enemies. Just as the Moon dispels the unbearable heat during summers, he will drive away the grief of others.
In order to fulfill the desires of his devotees, Lord Srihari periodically incarnates. With His divine illumination He adds luster to the radiant Goddess Lakshmi. Your grandson will be able to see that Lord Srihari, who shines resplendently with His lotus-eyes and glittering earrings, not only within his heart but also as pervading this entire creation”- Kashyapa Maharishi thus bestowed a boon to Diti and pleased her.
Diti was supremely overjoyed that her grandson would be a great devotee of the Lord. In addition, knowing that her sons would meet death directly in the hands of Lord Srihari, she was no longer dejected.
With this the fourteenth chapter of the third canto comes to an end.
Third Canto Chapter Fifteen
In this chapter the description of Vaikunṭha, the abode of Lord Srihari, is given. In addition, sages Sanaka and others visiting Vaikunṭha and cursing Jaya-Vijaya are covered.
Maitreya Maharishi said to Vidura, “Kaśyapa Prajapati’s radiance is unlimited. As such, the fetus within Diti’s womb turned to be powerful. It had the capacity to destroy the power of others. For this reason Diti was fearful that this powerful seed of Maharishi Kashyapa which she carried in her womb would cause trouble to the Devatas and to inhabitants of other planes. With this fear she retained this fetus within her womb for a hundred years.
Due to the power of Diti’s unborn sons, the power of all the worlds as well as that of their presiding deities was diminished. Everything was enveloped by darkness. In this darkness it was impossible to distinguish between eastern and western directions. Fear gripped every living being.
In great anxiety the Devatas who were terrified approached Lord Brahma and asked, “O Lord! Have you also noticed this utter darkness that has enveloped everything? It has filled us with unprecedented fear. It does not appear to be within the horizon of your creation. There is nothing unknown to you, O Lord.
O Lord of all Lords! You are the creator of this universe. You accept the worship offered by the Lords of the worlds. You know the opinions of every living being in this creation right from a tiny insect.
Namo vijñāna-vīryāya māyayedam upeyuṣe
Gṛhīta-guṇa-bhedāya namas te ’vyakta-yonaye
O Lord! Illumination is your real strength. Having accepted Rajo guna (trait of action), which is one amongst the triguṇas, you have manifested in this 4 faced form. You have emerged out of the illusory power of that Supreme Lord. Again and again we offer our obeisance to You!
O Lord, just like a thread that holds the cloth together, all these worlds are held together within You. You are the Lord who rules over every living being. You are the most supreme being. Both cause and effect have their origin in You. The spiritual efforts of that person who, having given up feelings of duality, serves you with selfless devotion and dedication will reach the pinnacle.
Through the process of Pranayama, such persons will be able to regulate and control their breath. Through the process of Pratyahara (withdrawal of senses) they will be able to conquer their senses. Through Dhāraṇa they will bring their mind under control. Through this they will become eligible to receive Your blessings. Such persons will not have to face any defeat or insult of any form in this world.
Yasya vācā prajāḥ sarvā gāvas tantyeva yantritāḥ
Haranti balim āyattās tasmai mukhyāya te namaḥ
Krishnāya namah
Permanent link to this article: https://puttugam.com/episode-124-diti-regrets-her-sinful-deed-maharishi-kasyapa-indicates-birth-of-a-noble-grandson/
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