Articles for Saadhana

Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru. Jai Guru.

Yesterday, I initiated some kind of a study of Srimad Bhagavatam, the eleventh skanda. I explained the setting. The entire Srimad Bhagavatam discusses, I would like to say, everything about human life. When we discuss human life, what all factors come here? The human as an individual, the human as a family member, a few members related to each other, living together become a family. Then, so many families put together become a society and the extension of the society becomes a nation and so many nations put together become a globe. Surrounding the human, you will find a number of sub-human, if you can call them so, life forms. So it must deal with them also. Now all of them are living and thriving upon the earth.

The earth has got its relationship with the Sun and the Moon. Maybe, we also have some relationship with other planets or stars, heavenly bodies. When we start discussing human life, it is a creation of the earth and the panchabhutas. So we have to go into the genesis of the panchabhutas. Like that Srimad Bhagavata discusses the cosmology in a thorough manner. It deals with the tendencies of people. What is the constitution of the human, wherefrom did it start, why this variety and what are we to do with it? In the case of the human, the mystery as well as the redress lies in the mind and the intelligence. So it discusses the mind and the intelligence. It makes the religious discussion, that is bringing God and explaining the relationship we have with God. It also discusses philosophy and spirituality, then yoga. All these are discussions in Srimad Bhagavatam. But the primary notes of discussion are about God, how supreme and omniscient and omnipotent He is and how are we related to God, what should be our attitude, approach, relationship and the like with God.

In the first verse itself, it says जन्म आदि अस्य.

That clearly indicates what is the subject of discussion in Srimad Bhagavatam, from where the birth etc. of this universe have taken place. So, it discusses the origin, the philosophical probe is made. Then the first sloka ends up with the statement,

Contemplate upon the Supreme Truth and reality. So, you can understand, it is not merely a religious or a devotional discussion. It is a discussion and an enquiry into wherefrom the whole jugglery called world has come. And what are we to do? We are constantly to contemplate upon the Supreme Reality. All the things of the world are evanescent, transient. We are already interacting with them. In order to live a life of interactions, we must have the strength and the stability derived from contemplating upon the Truth, the Supreme Truth. That is also mentioned.

Through all these discussions, Srimad Bhagavata finally leads to Krishna. And Krishna’s birth in Mathura, immediately the little child asking the father to take him to Vrindavan and bring back the girl from there without anybody knowing. Like that, Krishna’s birth, growth, his exploits, his excellences, all these are mentioned. They are primarily provided to give an interactional scope and fondness in our religious practices. Then the tenth skanda consisting of ninety chapters discusses Krishna’s life, the prime vision of which was to take away the additional load of the earth caused by wicked people. I think when we calculated, we found that about five or fifteen crores of people He destroyed.

Then we move on to the eleventh skanda where the other side of Krishna is revealed. The whole purpose of Srimad Bhagavatam is to present Krishna and finally lead the readers to a dialogue that transpired between Krishna and Uddhava. If the Kurukshektra dialogue was because of a crisis Arjuna felt in having had to face and kill his own teacher, grand father and relatives; here Uddhava’s crisis is different. Uddhava was very closely associated with Krishna and he was fond of Him, he was a devotee, Krishna was his lord, master, God everything. So if Krishna was to go, he would be left alone. He was not prepared to bear that separation. Bringing this element of separation and Uddhava saying that “I cannot bear it.”, this is where true devotion will lead devotees to. There will come a time when you will not be able to feel away from God. So the feeling of separation from God becomes the last hurdle. How to overcome that hurdle? That is what Uddhava seeks and Krishna presents. So, the pinnacle and the focus of the entire Srimad Bhagavatam text is leading you to Uddhava’s submission and Krishna’s handling it. In one sense, this is a direct conversation between God and His devotee. Uddhava says -

“I won’t be able to keep away from your feet even for half a second. So take me to where you go.”

Now, this is where as a devotee every one of us will have to reach to, asking God to take us where He is. ‘I cannot keep away from you.’ It is in answer to this that Krishna started speaking. And what was Krishna’s message?

‘Before I go, you go. You are going when I am living and I am instructing you to go’. Uddhava says ‘I am not able to do it but I want to do it. So instruct me efficiently so that my delusion and weakness will be overcome and I shall be able to leave.’ Krishna spoke. Altogether it is one thousand verses. At the end of it, Uddhava leaves, though unwillingly he was leaving, as Krishna said. The only point was that like Bharata he said, “Give me your sandals. I will put them on my head as your representative and I shall go.’ Then he left. He reached Badarikashrama, sat between the two mountains called Nara and Narayana. So far as devotees are concerned, Uddhava is still there contemplating upon Krishna.

What do you understand from this? Our body is only a temporary tenure, embodiment. We will have to pack off from here, one day or the other. That packing off should be a fulfilled one and a fulfilling one. The entire Srimad Bhagavatam is leading you to this, first of all to Krishna, then Krishna in front of Uddhava. Both of them are to leave from this world. Krishna leaves contentedly with fulfillment; Uddhava is unable to leave Krishna. He makes him, He enables him to leave. And this enablement is had by a process of instruction where you will find devotion, religion, spirituality, yoga, philosophy – all become the subject of discussion. I wish every one of you thinks about it with a feeling of realism.

Mind the sole focus in human life. In order to change the mind, behavior of the mind, all that we can rely upon and seek is the intelligence. Intelligence is given to knowledge. So knowledge is what Krishna imparts and through a process of knowing, all the problems of the mind are dealt with, removed, resolved and one gets clarity and fulfillment. I wish you understand it very, very well. Why don’t you think about it? And if you are not able to picture and relate anything, let me know.

Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru. Jai Guru.