Shrimad Bhagavata Mahapurana

Synopsis of the Forty-Sixth and Seventh Session

Bhagavata Shastha Skanda (Book Six)

Chapter 14 to 17

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Sub Stories - Ram Navmi ki Ram Ram

Story 1: 

When the Param Atma asked all the Jiva Atmas to depart to earth. No one wanted to leave, they were all worried, they said your maya will engulf us and we will get lost forever in the web of your maya and will never be able to return to you. We will be lost forever, and will never remember you, leave alone come back to you.

The Lost smiled and answered, don’t worry, I will keep reminding you of me. The Jiva Atmas wondered how. The Lord said, that i will keep sending problems your way, and when you will be faced with a problem, you will turn to me and remember me. Every time your forget me, I will send a reminder in the forms of problems and hence, I will not let you forget me.

Ponder:

Every time we are faced with a problem, we turn to God, but the minute our sorrows are taken care of and joy sets in, we forget the Lord again. This cycle keeps repeating itself. We blame the Lord for sending problems our way, not realising it is just a message for us to realise the self and reach the divine.

Example:

When people die, especially close ones, we have a kind of Vairagya set in, Samshan Vairagya, at that time we question the very meaning of the material life. But, sooner than later, we let go of this awakening and get lost in Maya again.

The one who holds on it becomes one with the divine - The likes of Bhagwan Shri Ramana Maharishi, with this very Samshan Vairagya, break the clutches of Maya and merge the ‘Saad Chid Anand Swaroop forever’.

Story 2:

There was ones a sage, he knocked at the door and the voice from inside asked, who is it.

The sage said, ‘I am there, it is me.’

The door did not open. 

The sage went away and felt he must have said something wrong and so intensified his Tapa. After a long duration he went back and knocked, and the voice inside asked, who is it.

The sage replied, ‘It is me, I am here.’

The door did not open yet again.

The sage went back and delved deeper with in and after ages came back and knocked. A voice as always asked, who is it.

The sage this time said, ‘It is all you, there is nothing but you, there is no one but you, only you exist only one.’

The door opened.

Ponder:

Till there is Ego, there me and there is you. The day there is no Ego, there is no me and there is no you.

Mera mujhe mai kuch nahin jo kuch hai woh tera. 

Tera tujhe ko saup du to kya jata hai mera.

Story 3: 

Ramji shows his Virat Roop to Ma Kaushalya, and takes permission to be born as her son. Ma Kaushalya request that she forgets this vision. She just wants to know this Divine bliss to be her son a normal child and Ramji obliges. Only after this is Ramji born.

Story 4:

Ramji one day plays an innocent trick on Ma Kaushalya when he is just a small baby. She puts him to sleep, goes to do her prayers, but sees Ramji sitting in front of the mandir, and when she runs back, she sees him sleeping. This happens again and gain till she get tired and again he shows her his Virat Roop. He tell her my dear mother, it is not easy for anyone to see this form of mine, be blessed and see me. Again Ma Kaushalya refuses and request that she forgets this, till she is in this Human form and only remember Ram as her son. Again the Lord obliges.

Ponder: (Story 3 and Story 4)

Even Devki and Yashoda - Had the vision of the Virat Swaroop of Lord.

The power of a mother is beyond what words can assert. How is it possible that the divine is born and the mother does not know. But, with great power comes great responsibility.

Every mother knows, that a divine has taken birth. She sees the divine in her child. 

A Kaushalya made Ram, Ram

A Yashoda made Krishna, Krishna

What are we making our children?

Human birth is rare, are we directing our children towards self realisation or self destruction.

Story 5:

When Ramji is 5 years old, Shivji wanted to go and see him, so from his 11 Rudras he gave 1 Rudra the form of Hanumanji. Parvatiji was not willing to let Shivji leave her and go. He assure her to be back soon and gives Parvatiji the Divine vision to see all the Leela from Kailash. 

Shivji becomes a Madari and Hanumaji a monkey and they go to the palace and start doing the show. Ramji and his 3 brothers come to see the show. When Shivji is about to leave Hanumanji, conveys that he had come to stay, by his sad glance, and then follows a beautiful Bal Leela and by a little tear, a little smile and lots of drama, he convinces his mother to let Hanumanji stay. Shivji also does not give in easily and gets the queens to humbly beg for Hanumanji to Stay.

Hanumaji is finally left with Ramji and Shivji disappears and goes back to Kailash, leaving behind a part of himself to serve Ramji. Hanumanji stayed in Ayodhya till Rishi Visvamitra takes him to fight Tataka. At time that time Hanumanji goes to serve Sugriv and wait for Ram to come.

Ponder:

What does the story convey to you?

1. Ayodhya - A person who does not have the battle of duality happening. 

2. Dashratha - The 10 Indriya in complete control (5 Karma Indriyas and 5 Gyan Indriyas) 

3. 3 Queens - Satva, Rajas and Tamas

4. Ramji - Param Atma

5. Shivji - Jiva Atma

6. Hanumanji - Bhakti (Devotion)

7. Parvatiji - Sansar 

When someone is beyond duality and the senses (Indriyas) are in complete control. He has moved beyond the 3 Gunas and is Gunateet. The Jiva Atma merges into Paramatma and becomes one with him and experiences unwavering devotion. 

This kind of a devotees does not leave Sansar. He remains where he is, doing what he has to do. But, sees nothing but the Lord in everything and everyone and considers all situations as Gods will. 

Pure Bliss

Na jag Chodo na Hari bhulo, 

Karam kar jindagani mai.

Jiyo duniya mai yo jess

Kamal rehta hai pani mai.

Story 6: 

Whenever Ramji take birth, Kakbhusundi (The learned crow) stays with Ramji and enjoys his Bal Leela. On day he snatches a piece of bread from Ramji’s hand and when he does not return it Ramji starts crying like an ordinary child. This kind of a behaviour causes doubt in his mind.

What follows is again the Lords Leela, he chases Kakbhusundi across Universes and later he swallows him and to Kakbhusundi’s surprise, the same universes exist within this 5 year old Ram. For hundreds of years he lives inside.

Later the same Leela of the bread and the chase repeats and he finally totally surrenders and Ramji lets him out. Kakbhusundi does his Naman to Ramji and feels ashamed that he ever doubted his divinity and goes back to his Nilgiri mountain.

Ponder:

In this Leela there is only a distance of 2 fingers between the child Ram and Kakbhusundi.

This kind of a Krishna Leela is also there. In this Leela Ma Yashoda is trying to tie the Lord, however every time there is a gap of two fingers. She is unable to tie Krishna and finally she is about to give up

So what does this Gap of two fingers signify. 

To me this distance can be covered by two things -

Total surrender 

and 

A Shower of grace 

Story 7:

Ramji had come back to Ayodhya and he became the ruler, at that time Sage Durvasa came and demanded that Ramji present to him two things. 

- Food without being cooked by fire

- Flowers which are not found on earth

He said the he was going to take a deep in the holy river and do his prayer and by the time he came back these two things should be ready.

Now, Ramji smiled and he wrote three notes, 2 of these notes he shot with one arrow and the other note was shot with the 2 second arrow.

The arrow reached heaven and Indra was a bit agitated and said how could Ramji dare to do so. At that time Narad muni came and asked what had happened. Indra said that Ram was demanding the Parijat flower and the Kalpvraksha. Indra refused to send these things to earth they belonged to heaven. But, Narad muni suggested the Indra open the next note as well. 

Indra opened the note attached to the second arrow and read it aloud, he started perspiring. It read, 

I have one wife and I follow one Vachan, with one arrow I killed Ravan and that arrow I still have.

Narad Muni, in false panic, wittily suggest Indra to send the demanded thing, if wanted to survive and that is what Indra did. 

Durvasa Rishi came back and saw what he thought impossible was made possible by Shri Ram and Ramji gave him the dharshan of his Virat Swaroop.

Ponder:

Being one in thought, word and deed is a strong weapon to attack all the vices. When one is victories over the vices, all the Indriayas are in control.

Nothing is impossible for such an individual. 

When this kind of a person aspires the universe conspires. 

Discover the power within

Has Ram been born within you?

Jai Shri Ram 🙏

Jai Shri Krishna 🙏

Jai Hanuman 🙏