Shrimad Bhagavata Mahapurana

Synopsis of the Twenty-First Session

Bhagavata Tritiya Skanda (Book Three)

Chapter 31 to 33 

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Ponder and Uncondition

Scenario 1:

A student comes into the exam and there are multiple sets of question paper which have been given, to avoid cheating. Now, the child finds nothing he knows in the sheet allotted to him. He requests the examiner for another sheet, and yet another sheet. 

Finally, the examiner says don’t worry go and sit down, with the sheet you have in your hand. He comes and marks a ‘B grade’ on the paper.

Another student objects and the examiner justifies his action by saying, he has certainly studied, that is why he is looking for set of question he knows the answers to. 

Now,

Are we all not like that, we all are just looking for that set of Information that agrees with our current knowledge. If it does, we accept and if it does not we reject. Moreover, we are not receptive of what is being said, we are filtering it to fit our mind set, and many a times we have a selective reception. No matter what is being said, we will understand it based on our own sensibilities. 

If we sat with an open mind unconditioned mind, how different would our journey be.

Scenario 2:

A man for the first time comes to India and visits a village, and sees Cow Dung on the Wall. He asks his friend what is this, the friend said this is Cow Dung. Do you know what we use it for? The man says, Please tell me first how did the cow get on the wall?

Now,

The cow does not get on the wall, some one picks the cow dung, flattens it and puts it on the wall. 

All that we read is an experience of another. Many a times it is quoted from others experiences and other books. We choose and pick and accept it as our own. We become so rigidity, to an extend that it makes us a fanatic. 

Not only this, the saddest bit is;

It robs us of the ability to have an individual experience. 

The lord is nothing but absolute consciousness, thought one he appears in diverse forms, the seers, the object seen, the means of sight and so on. 

Just as one and the same substance possessed of several attributes (such as colour, taste and so on) is perceived in different ways thought the sense. Even so Lord though one is realised thought different paths.

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Story/Kapil Muni teaching continued

We have delved deep into the concept of Appearance(creation) and also have been trying to understand Kapila Muni’s Shankya philosophy, along with mother Devhuti. 

Kapila Muni goes on to say that we take re-brith based on what we are attached to. If we are attached to a woman we will be born as one, if a woman is attached to a man she will be born as man. This combined with our deeds determine the next birth we take.

Examples: 

We know about Bharat and his immense attachment to the deer. He was so concerned about the deer, died with the deer in his mind. In his next birth he was born as a deer. 

If we practice today, we will be able to turn our mind inward towards God, and detach from the people and things that surround us, at time of death. 

Kapila muni goes on to say that we depart from the Dark Path and the Bright Path, depending on the deeds and attachments. 

Destiny of the soul departing from the Dark Path

- If an individual is only focused towards his body and things related to it. If he is not able to let go of the ‘I’ and ‘Mine’, and all his life is focused only on the three objects of Human Pursuit - Religious merits, wealth and sensual enjoyments. His soul departs through the Dark Path. To the lower realms of the manes and when he exhausts his merits is reborn in the Mritu Loka.

Destiny of the soul departing from the Bright Path:

- If an individual is beyond ‘I’ and ‘mine’ and and surrenders to the divine bliss, departs through the bright path and merges into the divine bliss.

On the contrary, if one worships Brahma he attains satyaloka and merges into him at the time of the great dissolution. Later when the creation happens, he is reborn from the same Brahma, if the divine so desires. 

If we pray to the Gods, we are taken to the heaven and enjoy there till the bundle of good deeds is excused and then decends back to the Mriyuloka.

Hence, the departure of the soul from the various paths determines the journey and destination of the soul.

After all this knowledge was imparted, Kapila Muni went away, he wandered in the deepest of forests. He is said to be still meditating for all of us. 

Devhuti, inspite of gaining all the knowledge was very distorted, when she saw her son leave. She felt the pangs of separation from her husband and now her son. 

She stepped down from the beautiful mystic craft island of hers and went to the hermitage where her husband had ones sat in Tapa, where she had served him. The tears in her eyes knew no solace. 

She gathered her self and decided to practice what she had learned. Over time, her Tapa become effortless, she lost sense of her body, established in the self she sat there. The divine apsaras took care of her and protected her mortal body, till she dropped it and her soul merged into the divine.

Note: 

It takes at least 10 000 to 15 000 hours of practice ‘Tapa’ to make something effortless. Only when things become effortless, we should say that the first step has been taken. Post which, nirantar-continuous ;

- Prayataan 

- Prarathana 

- Pratiksha 

Ek pal ya ek Kalpa, 

Ek sadhak phir nahin sochta. 

The two mistakes that most people make is, first they don’t embark on this journey, and if they do they turn back half way.

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A Deep Message

‘Family bonds are temporary since they are limited only to the present human birth. 

The temporary bonds neither existed in the previous birth nor will they exist in the future birth. The bond with God, is always permanent and real. 

The body is like a seat in the train and you, the soul, are the passenger. The family members are like just bench-mates in the same train. Life is just a matter of a short one-hour train journey. Your bench-mates will get down at their respective destinations and will not remember you thereafter. Even you will have to leave your seat and move on.

After death, you have to leave your family members, who will not recognise you in their next birth. After getting down from the train of this life, you have to face the outcome. 

You will have to leave your own seats and all the bench-mates behind anyway.‘

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A numbness grips and the moment of surrender says;

Everything is nothing but God. 

But, God is distant to all of us. It is an abstract concept for most of us. 

But, How can we negate the dawn of a new outlook today, that;

- Everything I see is mine. 

When we look at the creation and delve into the concepts of re-birth, everything becomes so deeply interwoven. 

- A best friend who sacrificed her life for me in the previous birth, could be standing as a person I hate from the bottom of my heart.

- The mother who I respected and fed me, could be standing in front of me as a beggar, whom I refuse to give even a piece of bread.

- The father who sheltered me, could be a born as a Dog, I kicked away from my house.

- The child that is so protectively nurtured by me today. Tomorrow could be born as a flower, that I crush under my feet, without a care.

Can I still live in denial?

Can I still let the ignorance and delusion prevail?

Can I still live in the cocoon of ‘I’ and ‘Mine’ 

Jai Shri Krishna🙏

Jai Shri Ram🙏