Shrimad Bhagavata Mahapurana

Synopsis of the Tenth Session - Part 1

Bhagavata Dwitiya Skanda (Book Two)

Chapter 4 to 10

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The four short stories which present the essence of ’Book Two’ in a nutshell.

Story 1:

There was ones a place, where there was a norm followed. The norm was, that a King would get to rule the Kingdom for only 21 years. After the time of his rule was over. He would have to depart to the jungle, empty handed and alone. 

The citizens would cry for they know that now there was a difficult life in store for this King. The king would also weep, knowing that hardships he was to face, for all he knew he would be eaten up by a wild animal.

Now, in the same Kingdom, came a very smart King. During his reign of 21 years, not only he ruled the kingdom, well, but he also ensured, he worked on the development of the Jungle. He made a jungle a safe, nice peaceful dwell, with all that was needed to survive, along with a nice house and well etc. 

When his time to leave the Kingdom came, the people cried, as not only were they losing a just ruler, but also worried about the hardships he would face. But, the King, left happy and at peace, sure to be safe and secure.

Story 2: 

In Ramayan, if you remember, when Jatayu was injured trying to save Sita Ma from Ravan. He fell down, as his wings were severed by Ravana. In this state, he kept his prana, waiting for Ramji, in order to tell him, what had happened. 

Now, when Ramji came, he said, “My dear Jatayu, I can help you. I will give you back your life and restore you, with my powers”

To this, Jatayu said, 

“No no, I don’t want even a single breath beyond this.

The wise people, spend all their life, working very hard, so that when their last breath comes, they are quickly able to connect to you, your thought and your name, and throw everything else away. It takes immense ‘Tapasya’, just for that name to comes to ones lips, when the soul is ready to depart, as entangled one is by your maya, in the worldly attachement.

But, look at how lucky I am, I have you right in front of my eyes, you are holding me. The purpose of my life, has been accomplished, what will I do with more breaths.”

Story 3:

There were two very close friends, but it just so happens that one of the friend suddenly stopped calling. The other friend got concerned. He went upto his house and knocked, but no one answered. He waited and wondered, and then saw and open window. So, he climbed into the house thought the window.

When he entered, he saw that his friend was lying unconscious and the house was in a mess, there was nothing to eat. He called the doctor, cleaned the friends nursed him back to health, cleaned the house and filled the grocery.

This other friend, was thankful and asked, “I never called you, yet you came, how?“

This man said, “The window was open, I got concerned about you and entered from there.”

Story 4:

Someone went to Brahma Loka, and he looked down and was very sad to see the suffering down below and felt he was selfish to seek his own salvation. So, 

He told the Lord, “Please grant me permission to live in everybody’s heart’. 

The Lord in astonishment said, “I am already there, what will you do?”

He said, “You my Lord, is only the witness of the joy and sorrow. I will not disturb your witnessing. What I will do is, I will just let all the sorrows come to me, and let the people experience only happiness.”

The Lord laughed with joy, when he heard such loving words of his devotee.

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“These four simple stories which answer the question of ‘How to die?’, and ‘How to live?’”

Story 1: This life is not the end, it is the means to the end. Don’t forget. 

Story 2: Work hard, so that you are able to bring yourself up to the level, where connecting to the Lord is easy, in any situation.

Story 3: It is hard, but keep listening to Hari Katha, do Hari Kirtan, Sing the praises of the Lord. Before you know through the window of your ear, he will enter your heart.

Sutaji has stated with absolute clarity that our ears are the only opening for the Lord to enter through. Just as all the water bodies become lucid when autumn comes, so too our hearts are cleaned as soon as the Lords enters.

Another way to think of this is, the pure person is one whose very memory is enough to purify the impure, to uplift the fallen, to bring forward those who lag behind and to raise them to greater heights.

Story 4: When ‘I’ and ‘mine’ vanish, and only one remains, then entire outlook changes. 

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Ponder on this, this Week

‘bhajagovindam bhajagovindam

govindam bhaja moodhamathe

samprapte sannihite kaale

nahi nahi rakshati dukrinkarane

Seek or worship Govinda, seek Govinda, seek Govinda, o fool or ignoramus. when the death comes at the appointed time, grammar rules will not save or rescue you.

By repeating the words "bhaja govindam" thrice Jagatguru Sri Adi Sankaracharya is trying to bring home the point that human being has no other escape except immersing oneself in the thoughts of lord, and praying with utmost sincerity, reciting the divine names of the lord rather than getting engrossed in anxieties to possess wealth or acquire social status or achievements. Here the rules of grammar mean all the material knowledge and earthly acquisitions or possessions. The one who runs after materialistic gains is moodhamathi.

Any amount of knowledge cannot save the soul when death knocks at the door of this limited body. At that time, one has to leave behind one's material benefits and social status. These acquisitions will not help one gain the knowledge of the soul, which is permanent, when the impermanent body withers, it turns out to be a dead-wood. It does not mean that one should shun away the pursuit of living for knowledge, but, at the same time, one should understand its limited capacity, and one should seriously try to acquire that knowledge which alone can save a person from the slavery of imperfections. we should remember the truth that it is a manifested world and it is impermanent. Other than god or soul, everything else is temporary.’

bhajagovindam bhajagovindam

bhajagovindam bhajagovindam

Jai Shri Krishna 🙏

Jai Hanuman🙏

Shrimad Bhagavata Mahapurana

Synopsis of the Tenth Session - Part 2

Bhagavata Dwitiya Skanda (Book Two)

Chapter 4 to 10

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Lets summarise what we have done so far in the first two book. 

The First Book is the Adhikari Skanda - Where the qualities of the speakers and listeners of ‘Shrimad Bhagavata Mahapurana’ have been described, Suta-Shaunak, Sukhdev-Parikshit, Narada-Vedavyasa.

The Second Book is also know as the ‘Sadhan Skanda’ - where it states that ‘Tapa’ is essential, Sadana is essential. Here, Sravanam has been given utmost importance. Now, what do we need for Sravan;

- We need to know Tattvagyan

- We need Yama - Niyama

- We need a Pure Heart

- We need to praise the Lord

- We need Manan

Shravanam is achieved only when we undertake manan with a heart which has been purified by meditating upon the essence of the Lord.

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That in which the description of the Lords devotees exceed the description of the Lord is called the ‘Bhagavata Purana’. the Lord has himself talked about the great qualities of his devotees, therefore Bhagavat is the, the Lord’s own description of the wonderful qualities of his devotees.

The thrust of the message of the Bhagavata is that creation is created by God, within himself and will dissolve in him. Whatever is created within something is sustained within it, and is not separate from it. Thus the creation we see is not separate from the God whose creation it is. It is his play, his Leela, his pleasure and his frolic.

The divine truth thought by the Shrimad Bhagavata Mahapuran is that we should focus upon the Lord who abides in every heart, in everything and in every place. It is all him.

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The Second Skand or the second book can be divided as follows;

- Dhyana-Meditation

- Hriday Prasad - Gift of the heart which is ‘Ananda’

- Mind

  - Uttapati - Birth

  - Uppapati - Demonstration 

In the last, tenth chapter of the Second Skand, Shukdev Goswami tells Pariksit, that ’Shrimad bhagavata Mahapuran’, describes the Lord by raising 10 points.

1. Sarga - How was this world created?

2. Visarga -How were the different species made, when all the creatures are formed out of the same tattva and the same panchbhootas?

3. Stithi - How is the world upheld and where?

4. Poshana - Who provides the life sustaining water when the earth dries up?

5. Utis - Which are the different desires that arise in peoples mind?

6. Manvantars - How is time divided?

7. Isanukatha - What is the nature of Bhaktas?

8. Nirodha - How does one control the mind, to love the Lord?

9. Mukti - What is mukti?

10. Asraya - What is the nature of that, which upholds all else?

These are not 10 different topics, but the ultimate goal of all the nine is to make us understand the ‘Asraya Tattva’.

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Points to Ponder - About the nature of that, which upholds all else

1. Bewildered by maya, fools speak of the body as the self(I) of that belongs to it as mine. In reality there is no substance other than Lord neither the elements, nor karma, nor time, nor swabhava and nor the individual soul.

2. The sun, thought illumining and warming all with its rays, is yet distinct from all. The Lord from whom was evolved this universe, is entirely beyond the universe and its cosmic body. 

3. The universe rests on the support of the same Lord who thought essentially devoid of all attributes, assumes innumerable attributes at the dawn of creation.

4. There is nothing in this creation whether existing as a cause or effect which is other than the Lord.

5. Even as the sky knows not its limits, he too is unable to realise the extend of his own maya, how then can others know it?

6. Those who are given to contemplation realise him only when they have perfectly subdued their body, sense and mind. He is beyond the sophisticated reasoning.

He is beyond ….

Jai Shri Krisna 🙏

Jai Hanuman 🙏