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Chapters 24,25,26
CHAPTER 24
Udhava, Krishna’s friend and foremost among the wise
knew that the yadhavas were doomed and Krishna was preparing
to depart. He approached Krishna.“Lord! We who have been
always with you awake or asleep, how can we live without you
even for a moment?. Take me also with you Lord”. Then taking
him by the hand the Lord led him aside and in solitude told Udhava
as follows:
“What you have said is true. O! Udhava! My mission is
over. On the seventh day from now, Dwaraka will be swept under
the sea. The age of Kali will begin. Men will become attached to
unrighteousness. O Udhava Leave all attachments to your relatives
and your own clan, resign yourself to me and wander over the
world recognizing my presence in everything. Whatever the mind
sees through the eyes , ears or other senses is the result of illusion.
The illumined soul is beyond good and evil. His mind is like a
child’s mind.
Avadhuta’s Twenty four Gurus
Udhava knew that time was running out. The Lord would
be departing shortly. With grief gripping his heart he pleaded “O!
Krishna, O! Lord! You say that attachment is the cause of all
grief. I understand but it is so difficult to overcome, Lord!” Moved
with pity for his friend, Krishna continued “O! Udhava my friend!
I shall repeat to you the conversation between the Avadhuta yogi
Sk 11. Ch 6 - Slokam 43
Dattatreya and our ancestor king Yadu. Yadu while on a pilgrimage
met the Avadhuta yogi on the way. He was young, strong and
shining with the splendour of realization “O! Sanyasin!” Yadu said
“You seem young and strong and yet are quite unconcerned with
the surroundings . You wander like a child free from passion for
sex or wealth or position, happy like an elephant that in the heat of
summer has plunged in the ganges”.
With great kindness the Avadhuta told the king “O! thou
grandson of Nahusha! Hear me then. I have learned some lessons
from twenty-four gurus. They are earth, air, sky, water, fire,
the sun, the moon , kapota (dove), python, ocean, river, moth,
honey bee, elephant, honey gatherer, deer, fish, Pingala the
courtesan, kurare (osprey), maiden, arrow smith, snake, spider,
pesaskrit (wasp) Now hear the details.
A man of self control should not move away from his duty.
He should be steady and patient like the earth. Like the trees he
should give and do good always and be immovable like the mountain
though buffeted by the wind and rain. Like the air he should
move freely uncontaminated. Like the sky the self is limitless.
It is pure always like waters of the ganges In the fire of tapas all
impurities are burnt off. Just as the sun absorbs the waters of the
sea only to release them as rain the Yogi takes up things only to
release them at the proper time for the benefit of others. Changes
of fortune only affect the body not the soul. This I learnt from the
changes in the moon.
From the dove (kapota) I learnt not to love things too dearly.
A kapota loved a kapoti so much that he would not take his eyes
off her. They had their first off spring, a lovely little bird. Soon
they had quite a brood. Both kapota and kapoti were entranced
with their chicks by the Lord’s maya. While the parent birds were
out finding food for the chicks a hunter caught the chicks in his
net. The kapoti returning with food was so grief stricken that she
too cast herself voluntarily into the net. The father kapota, saw
his whole family caught in the net and became desperate. “Alas!
My wife dearer than life to me is caught and my darling chicks
are also in the net. I cannot live alone!” And he too cast himself in
the net. When the hunter came he saw his net full. He thanked his
stars and took his prize home. I learnt from this not to love anything
too much.”
The Avadhuta Brahmin continued, “Sensuous pleasures, O!
Rajan! are available in heaven as well as in hell with an addition
of misery in the latter. So a wise man should not hanker after
pleasure.
So whatever comes by chance he should accept even as
the python does. Like the ocean the sage should be still, calm,
deep and boundless. Like the river ganges man should move on
unperturbed by small rivulets and canals.
Seeing the antics of women who are verily the avatar of
maya (illusion) the sensible man should not fall in the fire of passion
like the moth.
Like the honey bee the intelligent man should seek essential
things only.
The wise man will not touch with his foot even the wooden
image of a woman. The male elephant is entrapped by contact
with the female.
The wealth accumulated by a miser is knocked away by
some one else like the honey gatherer.
The deer is enticed by music and caught by the hunter.
Likewise sensuous music entices man as Rishyasringa was enticed.
Just as fish perish by swallowing the baited hook a man who has
not controlled his palate perishes swallowing unwholesome food.
If the palate is controlled all other senses can be easily subdued.
From Pingala I learnt how to overcome greed.
The Story Of Pingala The Courtesan
Once there lived in the city of Videha a courtesan named
Pingala. She lived by courting rich suitors. Daily standing in the
verandah well dressed she would wait for the richest suitor. One
day she rejected many expecting a richer one. As no one turned
up she felt sad and then enlightenment came to her. “In all this
great city there is none so foolish as me. Leaving the Lord seated
in my own heart who can give me all I desire I roam
after infamous creatures for wealth and perishing pleasures
.Certainly the Lord is pleased with me because he has changed
my mind ..I shall devote myself to Him like Sri Devi and live the
rest of my life in peace”. Thinking thus Pingala concluded” Desire
is the root of all misery Renunciation is the crown of happiness”
From the kite I learned that possession causes sorrow. A kite got
a piece of meat and was going to eat it in peace when it was
attacked by a more powerful kite. The former abandoned the piece
and was left in peace. I am indifferent to honour or dishonour
alike. With thoughts of the self (soul) I roam about like a child.
Only two types of people are immersed in complete delight;
thoughtless fools and the realized wise who are beyond the gunas
(satva, rajas and tamas) From the maiden I learnt the value of
being alone. Once when a maiden was alone in her house a party
came with a view to marriage. She began to husk some paddy to
provide some food for them. But the bangles made a noise. Then
she removed them all but two in each arm. But these two produced
the same sound. She then retained only one on each arm and
there was no more noise. The maiden finished her work in peace
and entertained the guests. From this I learnt the value of being
alone. From the smith who was fashioning an arrow head in the
forge, I learnt the value of concentration. A smith was fashioning
an arrowhead with such concentration that he did not hear even a
noisy procession that passed by. Sitting in a lonely place, withdrawing
from rajasic and tamasic qualities and concentrating on satvic
qualities alone, one can attain union with God. A serpent does not
make a house for itself. It lives in holes made by other creatures.
Likewise the sanyasin has no house. He lives for temporary periods
in houses built by others. From the spider I learnt about the origin
of the universe itself. The spider produces a world of nets out of
itself and in the end destroys it by drawing it all inside itself
Likewise the Creator too has created this universe out of himself
and in the end destroys it, drawing it all into Himself. The wasp
places a worm in a hole and continuously frightens it by the sound
of its wings so much so that in the end the worm itself becomes a
wasp. From this I learnt that whatever a man constantly thinks,
especially at the time of death, he becomes that after death. Finally
this body itself is my guru. I had to pass through countless births
and deaths to attain this. Though impermanent it has helped me to
attain freedom from further births and freedom from attachment
of any kind and I wander free! free! free!
And the Avadhuta Brahmin taking leave of king Yadu
departed.
King Yadu too became calm, free from all attachments.
Limitations Of Vedic Ritualism
“O! Udhava!” the Lord continued “Vedic rituals have their
reward but they too are limited by time . One may enjoy in heaven
all that is promised for a limited time. When the effect of the rituals
ends you are sent back headlong, back to where you came from.
He is only like a condemned man being led to execution. He is
given all enjoyments en-route but execution awaits at the end. Who
can enjoy the pleasures ? Hence perform rituals of an obligatory
nature without expecting any reward. It is meaningless to regard
any one as your own relative. It is the same soul that dwells in all.
All the deities, even Brahma and the rest are time bound. So, come
to me and you won’t have to return. Because of my different aspects
I am known under different names as Time, Atman, Vedas, The
World, Nature, Dharma .
Udhava again asks “What is the difference between a man
of freedom and a man in bondage”. Krishna replies”. He who is
free from illusion is free. He, who has still illusions is in bondage. I
have earlier told you the story of the two birds (under Puranjana)
sitting in the same tree the Jiva and Iswara. The first is in bondage
because it is subject to gunas; the second is not subject to them and
so it is free with insight sharpened by dispassion .The sage is free
like a man awakened from a dream. He neither praises nor
censures. If a man is well versed in the words of the Vedas but not
in their spirit then his effort has been in vain like that of a man
maintaining a barren cow. If one is unable to concentrate and
contemplate then there is the easier method of devotion. By
dedicating every action to God and singing or reading about His
actions and associating with the good, I am easily attained. O
Udhava”! Now Udhava wanted to know more about the holy men
he should associate with and Krishna continued.” The holy man is
kind, never does a harm to anyone, forgiving, truthful, unperturbed
in happiness or suffering and helpful to all. He is self controlled ,
soft spoken, pure, without any possessions, temperate, calm and
steady and takes refuge in me. Never vain, ever respectful, kind
and capable he prefers the greater duty to the less and he is the
greatest of my devotees. He may not know me fully but still if he
worships me with complete faith, I consider him as my own. Visiting
my temple and fellow devotees; by service and worship, and singing
aloud hymns that proclaim my greatness, listening with devotion to
the stories about my birth and exploits he reaches me.
Taking out processions with music and drum
Going on pilgrimage and taking part in my festivals
Cleaning my temple precincts with sincerity
Adorning with lights and waving them before idols
And whatever is dearest, offering that to me
Seeing me in the sun, a brahmin, a devotee, a cow
The wind, water, all creatures and worshipping all
In general O! Udhava! Without bhakti and the company
Of the devout, there is no other way
And I have told you this great secret
My life long companion and friend
Irrespective of birth or rank; all sorts of beings
Have reached me. monkeys, demons, serpents
elephants and poor ignorant gopis
Thinking constantly of me through fear or distress
or hatred or love all have reached me .
Can learned pundits and brahmins be an exception.?
Certainly not ! If they but have this constancy
Yet another method is the elimination of the three gunas
Satwa, Rajas Tamas are the three gunas
By Satwa, remove Rajas and Tamas
And remove Satwa by itself.
Krishna added that he had taught all this to Sanaka (the first
of the sages) and his friends. Udhava wanted to know more of that
and Krishna continued “The Sanaka brothers once asked Brahma
their father. ‘ Sire, how can the mind be weaned away from the
senses?’. As Brahma could not immediately answer, he thought of
me. I appeared as a swan. Not recognizing me he asked ‘ Who are
you?’ And I replied.
The Song Of The Swan
“Your question betrays your ignorance!
If it is with reference to the soul, it cannot stand.
For, all souls are one. If it refers to body
then too, all are same being made of the same five elements
So know for certain. that there is only Me everywhere
The self that sees this unity in the three states
Is in the fourth state Turiya
Seated there reject the other three states
As a man drunk with wine throws off his clothes
And like him wander, free, free, untrammelled.
Udhava said “ O! Krishna! The Vedas prescribe different
methods
And now you say, Bhakti is the final crowning one
Pray! Remove our doubts, once for all.”
The Lord replied,
”Vedas too were made by me
Sages prescribe various ways for various states
For a man of no desire and no possession
All the world is full of joy
Such a man like you O! Udhava!
Is dearer to me than Brahma or Balarama
Dearer than Sri Rudra, dearer than even Sridevi
I follow close in that Bhaktas’ footsteps
And purify myself with the dust of his feet
Such a one enjoys a bliss intense, incomparable
A bliss not possible for anyone else.
Even when surrounded and assaulted by lust
My devotee is not overwhelmed
Bhakti destroys even passion
As fire reduces fuel to ashes dry barren
Even an unlettered pariah can reach me if he has bhakti
And without it not even learned brahmins can
When the heart melts and tears flow in bhakti
All sin is washed away
Speech falters, heart melts
The devotee laughs sometimes
And dances for no reason
My devotee saves the world
And at last gets dissolved in me.
As the mind gets purer and more refined
Hearing my stories and visiting my shrines
It develops an insight and sees the Truth
As when collirium is applied eyes get bright.
But thinking about sensual things
The mind is enmeshed, entrapped
And thinking about me, you get immersed in me
By keeping at arms length women and women lovers
Remain apart in splendid solitude
And think about Me free untramelled
Udhava enquired “How should the aspirant think of you Lord
and in what form?” And the Lord replied
Seated at your ease and keeping the body straight
And your hands limp and free
Looking straight at the top of the nose
And keeping the air passage clear and pure
Practicing pranayama and reciting OM! OM!
Think of Me balanced calm serene
Smiling and kind with lotus eyes
Armed with discus, conch and mace
Anxious to serve my devotees
Surrender all your doubts and fears
And arise, free, strong and glad ever more.
To a mind thus attuned
Yogic powers (sidhis) come unasked
Small and light or big and heavy
Able to see far off things and guess their thoughts
Enter other bodies or travel through the air
Quick as thought to where you please
But the true yogi is not too pleased
He stands aloof quite unconcerned
Knowing that these are but mirages
Trying to keep him off his goal.
“In all beings high or low the yogi sees you Lord
In what forms do I see you with ease?” asked Udhava
And the Lord answered in a kinder softer tone
“O! Udhava! You are clever!
The same question was asked by Arjuna in the battle front”
“Alas! I am undone, fighting against kinsmen, elders
For filthy lucre and barren land
Fie on me! And him I answered thus
“I am the friend of all and refuge
I am all powerful, all devouring time
The smallest of the small I am the soul
Among things invincible, I am the mind
Indra among devas and Prahalada among asuras
Whatever is best, that am I O! Udhava!
Meet the end with mind fixed on me.
Then Krishna continued to describe the yugas, the four
asramas, the four varnas and their duties
Krita, Threta, Dwapara and Kali are the four yugas and
brahmana, kshatriya, vaisya and sudra the four varnas. In the Krita
yuga there was only one varna brahmana. Men were all duty bound
and there were four stages in the life of every man brahmcharya
grihasta vanaprastha and sanyasa. These were the four ashramas.
According to their nature people gravitated to these four varnas
but the ashramas were open to all. For the brahmanas in particular
the four ashramas or stages were paramount. Poverty or nonpossession
was a cardinal virtue and human nature is such that
there were not too many brahmanas. King Yudhistra in answer to
a question by his father Yamadharma, in the guise of an yaksha, as
to what constituted brahminhood has clearly stated “ Not birth not
family, not riches are the basis; conduct and conduct alone forms
the basis O! Yaksha!” And the Yaksha who was his own father
Yamadharma, agreed. The training of the Brahmin started early in
a hermitage under a renowned sage. The disciple had to get up
early, keep himself and the surroundings clean, gather flowers and
help his present mother (the sage’s wife) in her household work.
And then he had to go to the villages and beg for alms for his
master. Then studies would begin. Philosophy, sciences, skill in arms
and warfare were all taught. After some twelve years of such
rigorous training the young brahmin, glowing like the fire could return
to his own home and enter matrimony or become a sanyasin for
life. If the disciple was a prince he would become a king or if he
was a vaisya he would become a great merchant. Sudras would
drop out much earlier and become workers.
More About The Sanyasin
The sanyasin with no desire
Is bound by no further ties; giving up all
to the deserving poor and free from all encumbrances
He wanders over the wide earth, free as air.
The devas, jealous of their privileges
Try to hinder the high minded souls
They pose problems in the shape of wife
Dependants and the rest of family ties
Undeterred, wearing at the most the loin cloth.
The begging bowl and staff his only possessions
He steps warily; making sure he steps on no insects,
He drinks only filtered water and
Speaks only words purified by Truth
And conscientious in all his actions
He will accept alms only from the virtuous
And share that with gods and guests
Thus he travels alone; Always glad because he knows
the difference between bondage and freedom.
Bondage is subjection to the senses
And freedom is freedom from them
Wise he is; but plays with children
Though skilful he pretends to be a fool
He knows the Truth but wanders like cattle
Deeply learned but will not dispute
Neither avoids a crowd nor mingles with them
Will not sponsor extreme views nor insult any one
For bodily needs, he will never quarrel
Knowing all are one like reflections of the moon
Udhava appealed again
“O! Lord! For people sweltering under the heat of this journey
of life, I do not find any refuge other than your gracious feet Kindly
save us from this fire”. Thus addressed the Lord continued.
“The same question was posed by Yudhishtira the King
To the dying grandsire, the invincible Bhishma
Stretched on a bed of arrows in the battle front.
Hear his words “There is a unity, consciousness,
permeating all forms of life from the lowest to the highest.
Know that as the Sath; evident to seers
as the palm of their hand. Of the several ways
of seeing this Truth ,devotion is the easiest and most
pleasant too.
I have told this before. Still out of kindness I repeat
“Hearing with love my immortal stories,
By constant singing of my Bhajans.,
Giving up wealth and all enjoyment for my sake
One gets O! Udhava, my divine grace.
And then there is nothing more to gain.
One thus involved in devotion gains with ease,
Wisdom, power and all powerful dispassion.
Udhava was now in a hurry to clear all his doubts
“Lord! What is yama, niyama , sama, dama, thithiksha, tapas,
sourya, truth and what is thyaga, wealth, yagna and dakshina and
strength. Who is learned and who is a fool and where is heaven
and where is hell, who is rich and who is poor. And who is a Lord
and who is a relative. What is a home, who is wealthy and who is
poor and who is pitiable. Pray remove my doubts once for all.”
The Lord answered “Yama is internal control such as truth;
non-violence, lack of greed, sense of shame, belief in God, silence,
steadiness, forgiveness and fearlessness and niyama is the means
to attain the same such as, cleanliness, prayer , attention, hospitality,
helping others etc. Sama is fixing the mind and intellect on Me;
dama is control of the senses; thithiksha is fortitude; tapas is giving
up of all desire and saurya or valour is conquest of one’s own nature
and truth is seeing all things as equal. Dharma that accompanies
you even after death is the giving of wealth to the needy. He is
learned who knows the cause of attachment and release. The fool
is he who thinks that this body is everything. Heaven is when satvic
(good) qualities arise and hell is when the tamasic (asura) qualities
arise. Strength is regulation of breath (pranayama). Your relative
is Myself. He who has all good qualities is rich and poor is he, who
is discontented and he is pitiable too. Who is unaffected by the
gunas is the Lord and one subject to them deserves pity. Be thou
above all obsession O! Udhava! Be steady.
As Udhava was closely following the Lord’s words a fresh
doubt now arose in his mind .
“Dear Lord, the Vedas were created by you.
There you have prescribed certain rules, and proscribed
others
Now you say “Avoid both” Pray how is this?”
And the Lord replied “ Doubtless, the three yogas were
prescribed by me.
What I meant was - Avoid desire in all cases.
For, desire leads to further birth and death.
Even devas and asuras desire birth on earth
To acquire merit to go to higher worlds.
Like a bird that has made its nest high up in a tree
That the woodsman had already marked down.
And before he could bring his axe and saw
Flies off to a safer place,
Man too must ensure a safe retreat
Before time with days and nights saws him down.
In this human body so easily got
You have a safe boat and guru as a pilot.
And a favourable wind sent by Me.
The man who fails to cross this ocean of life
Is one who destroys his own life.
If even in the beginning a Yogi has no illusion.
He must make his mind firmer still and motionless .
If the mind wanders a bit due to earlier vasana
He may loosen the reins a bit as one who trains an untamed
horse.
And brings it back to full control.
He should trace everything to its cause.
The ego to nature; nature to earth; earth to water
water to energy; and that to God.
The mind becomes less and less brittle.
Becomes soft, softens to the Lord.
All desires end when the devotee desires Me
And I reign supreme in the devotees heart.
And then, the strings of attachments snap
All doubts cease and all your karma ends
And then I am seen every where in every creature.
What others attain with great effort
Through karma tapas, yoga or charity
My devotee attains easily.
Even heaven he attains, if he so desires.
But O! Udhava, My devotee desires nothing
No! Not even salvation.
He has reached the refuge everlasting!!
The Bhikshu’s Story
O! Disciple of Bhihaspathy! The taunts and ill treatment of
the wicked affect only the body not the soul just as the wind lashes
the trees on the shore of a lake but not its reflections in the lake
below, though they too appear to move. Now listen to the story of
the Bhikshu of Avanti. In the city of Avanti, there once lived a rich
brahmin. Though a brahmin he was a great miser. He almost starved
his own children; would not entertain relatives or guests even with
a kind word and spent nothing for puja or worship or performance
of sradhas for his own ancestors. His wife, children and servants
would not obey him as they were continuously tormented and he
would not spend a paisa for himself either. Thus devoid of dharma
and kama the five participants of wealth became incensed. Gods,
ancestors, the elements, men, and sages were offended.
The rains failed. Agriculture was ruined. Robbers broke into
his house and he lost everything. With duty undone and deprived of
any pleasure, deserted by friends and relatives, he became full of
remorse.
”Alas! I have suffered and strained in vain
Neither for charity nor for myself I used my wealth
Verily the wealth of misers serves them not
For pleasures here or moksha there
The fame of the famous
And good name of the good
Both are marred by greed .
As leprosy mars beauty’s form
Theft, violence, greed and lust
Anger, pride, malice , lack of trust
All these have roots in wealth.
Hence give up wealth
If you seek happiness.
Brothers quarrel, wives, friends, parents
Even bosom friends fall out over money
Having reached this gateway to heaven
Who will yearn for wealth the cause of all evil
Wise men torture their limbs for Self
This world is fooled by the Lord’s Maya
So, for the rest of my life I withdraw
And may the gods help me now.
The time is short; but what of that,
Did not King Khatwanga reach the goal
In as short a time? “
With this high resolve this brahmin of Avanti rooted out all
attachments and became calm. He wandered as he pleased and
for alms sometimes entered villages and towns. Seeing the old man
mischievous youngsters made fun of him; one snatched his staff;
another his begging bowl and the string of beads and others snatched
even his poor clothes. They would pretend to give it back and when
he stretched his withered hands, would take it back again , and
snatch away his scanty food shouting “This is that same old rascally
brahmin now returned in this pious guise. Strike him bind him, this
crafty crane”. And when he was down, some one urinated on his
body , another spat on his head. But the old Brahmin spoke not a
word; rather he began to sing.
The Bhikshu’s Song
These people can do me no harm
Nor ill luck nor planets, not even gods
Mind, the mind alone is the cause
Mind that turns the wheel of Time.
Mind creates the three gunas
Creating actions white dark or red
And from them rise the four varnas
Charity, duty and all the laws
All are meant for control of the mind
Great is that Yoga that gives peace of mind
Terrible is the power of the Mind
Who controls the mind he controls the world
And he alone gets this power
Who has the grace of the Lord.
Happiness and misery are products of the mind.
So too are friends, enemies and this world itself
Caused by ignorance, darkness of the mind
Hence, dear one, concentrate on God
And this in short is the essence of Yoga.
Thus, deprived of all wealth and disowned by friends the
Bhikshu wandered all alone, finding true happiness at last.
Pururuvas And Urvasi
The wandering saint should never associate himself with
those addicted to food or vice. Following a blind man one may also
stumble and fall. Now hear the story of Pururuvas.
Pururuvas , a king of great renown , fell in love with the
heavenly apsaras Urvasi and lived with her like one intoxicated .
And when at last according to contract she left him he became
almost mad . Luckily sanity returned . “ Alas , how low have I
fallen . Of what use is learning and penance to one who has been
deluded by woman ! And yet I should not blame her for she had
often reminded me of my folly . “
Saying thus that king of kings
Withdrew his mind into itself
Roamed the earth without a care
Freed from emotions evermore
And now O Udhava my friend
Have you understood in full
Has your illusion gone? your doubts and your fears?
Knowing this there is nothing more to know
Having drunk nectar nothing else remains .
With folded hands and tearful eyes unable to speak Udhava
was speechless for a time . And then he spoke.
“O Lord ! O Krishna ! All my doubts and fears are gone.
The darkness- illusion has lifted
Your glorious presence brightens all
The strings of attachment to clan and friends
It is all your Maya for the creation of the world
And now your own words have removed it
I bow to you again great Lord great Yogin
May I have infinite love for your lotus feet
For all time ! O ! for all time !
Krishna Bids Farewell
”Now Udhava! depart in peace. Go to Badaryasharam and
there on the banks of the river Alakananda build an ashram. Clad
in the bark of a tree and eating sparely wild fruits, lead a hermit’s
life. Bearing with fortitude the extremes of climate and free from
all karma, you will come to me.” Sree Krishna concluded his advice
to Udhava.
Though now beyond duality, he could not help shedding
tears. Bearing the lords sandals on his head, suffused with tears,
he circumambulated the Lord and ever bearing his immortal words
in his heart finally attained Him.
He who reads this holy account will be immersed in the ocean
of bliss and will certainly reach the Lord.
For warding off the fears of the world.
The Lord has gathered like the bee
The essence of the ocean of Vedas
And for letting us drink this elixir
We bow to the Almighty bearing the name Krishna !
CHAPTER 25
The End Of The Yadavas
Raja Parikshit then enquired “What did the Lord do after
that O! Maharshe! And Sri Suka continued “Knowing well that the
sages’ curse would soon overtake them Krishna advised the yadavas
to go to Prabhasa by the sea-shore and there engage in worship
and perform yagna while the women were sent else where inland.
The signs were ominous. Death was approaching. They bathed in
the sea, performed yagnas, gave gifts of cows and valuables to the
brahmins. Then there was feasting and drinking. They drank without
restraint an intoxicating drink and began to hurl abuses at one
another. Some drew weapons, others pulled by the roots a particularly
hard grass which grew in profusion on the sea shore. The hard
grass had come out of the iron filings they had earlier thrown into
the sea. Friends fought with friends, brothers with brothers, and
soon the sea shore was strewn with the bodies of the yadavas.
Krishna was aware of all this but did not interfere. All things must
end. Bhagvan Balrama knew that all this was Krishna’s Maya. He
entered a cave near the sea shore, entered Samadhi and merged in
the infinite.
Not far from that place, there was a banyan tree and Krishna
sat under it cross legged in the lotus posture, with smiling, shining
face and four arms. A hunter on his usual round mistook the lords
feet as the head of a deer and aimed an arrow fitted with the piece
Sk 12. Ch 6 - Slokam 8
of iron obtained from the fish. It hit the mark The hunter
approached. He started back in horror finding that he had hit the
Lord and fell down prostrate “ I did it unknowingly. Lord .I accept
any punishment you give”. “Nay! Nay! O! Mura! You did me a
service and for this I shall send you to heaven .” A vimana (aerial
car) appeared and taking Mura in it flew to heaven.
Krishna’s’ charioteer following the fragrance of the thulasi
garland worn by Krishna at last found his master lying mortally
wounded. Comforting him the Lord said “O! Daruka! Go to
Dwaraka without delay and apprise the elders about the situation.
Let them leave Dwaraka without delay. On the seventh day from
now Dwaraka will be submerged in the sea”. With tearful eyes
Daruka obeyed. King Ugrasena Vasudeva and Devaki and the ladies
left for the mainland. Arjuna accompanied and led them to
Indraprastha.
Krishna’s Ascension
Now, there gathered all the devas and the guardian deities
with Brahma and Sri Rudra at their head to witness Krishna’s
glorious ascension. They showered heavenly flowers singing hymns
of praise. The drums of heaven sounded. Deities of different orders
were anxiously waiting to escort the Lord to their own worlds and
even as they gazed, the lotus eyes of the Lord closed; the glorious
enchanting form vanished like a streak of lightning leaving the
clouds. Sri Suka observed. “O! Rajan! As the Lords advent and
exploits were only a make believe, so too, his exit is only a make
believe. He, who, brought his guru’s son from yama’s realm and
saved you in your mother’s womb from the scorching fire of
brahmastra, did not wish to leave his body here. All those, who
sing with devotion this glorious episode will attain the same end.”
Advent Of Kaliyuga
Arjuna who had returned to Indraprastha crowned Vajra,
Anirudha’s son, as king while Yudhishtira crowned Abhimanyu’s
son Parikshit as king of Hastinapura. Kings of various dynasties big
and small asserted themselves all over the land. Kaliyuga was slowly
covering the earth. The pillars of society dharma (duty), sathya
(truth), soucha (cleanliness, purity), kshama (tolerance,
forgiveness), daya (kindness) were weakening. Wealth was
becoming paramount. Might was becoming right. Time honoured
conventions for marriage were giving place to just mutual attraction
and in ordinary business transactions deceit was tolerated. Manliness
and womanliness were equated with just sex. The sacred thread
became the only sign of Brahmin hood. Justice was not available to
those who could not make the proper approach. Mere volubility
passed off as learning. Tanks and rivers were considered holy only
if they were fairly distant . Earning a livelihood became the aim of
life and ability to impose on others was considered as Truth. Ability
became synonymous with management .Cunningness replaced
intelligence. Charity was done for fame. In a society, thus vitiated,
those who were physically strong became the rulers who plundered
the weak. Driven from their homes, they took refuge in forests living
on roots and fruits. They became stunted and life span was only
twenty or thirty years.
The clouds dry up, giving out only lightning. Trees become
dwarfish and plants producing cereals become small and only the
fourth varna remains. All are like Sudras. At this stage the Lord
again re-incarnates as Kalki, the son of a pious Brahmin named
Vishnu yesas living in Sambalagramam. Fully armed and riding a
horse with lightning speed he would flash through the land killing
the unrighteous rulers in millions and crores. And the fragrance of
the flowers in his garland would revive the drooping spirits of all
good people still left alive. Krita yuga would begin again. When the
sun, moon and the planet neptune appear in the same region, know
that Krita yuga has begun.
Sri Suka Maharshi continued. “I have now told you about
the kings past, present and future up to the dynasty of the Nandas.
After thousands of years when Kritayuga again returns, the minds
of men will become serene.”
In retrospect, O! Rajan! The mighty Kings who ruled this
land have become just names. Seeing the kings bent on conquest,
mother earth laughs and thinks. These fools, playthings of death!
They would conquer me! Alas! They do not see death, standing by
all the while! O! Thou! Gem of the Kuru’s! All those kings; they
went as they came.”
”Now hear how the yugas manifest in an individual. sathva,
rajas and tamas are gunas that manifest in individuals. When a
person’s intellect mind and body are sathvic then that person is in
the krita yuga and such a person will have a taste for knowledge
and tapas (penance) . When the person is interested in dharma
(duty) artha (wealth) and kama (desire) he or she is in the threta
yuga. When greed, discontent and motivated action predominate
then that person is in the dwaapara yuga. When deceit falsehood,
violence fear and anxiety prevail, then that person is in kali yuga. In
kali yuga people are short sighted unlucky, gluttonous, sensual, poor
and the women do as they like being unchaste. When kali is in the
ascent, citizens will be robbers the Vedas will be polluted by the
godless; the rulers will be parasites living on the people and brahmins
will be sensual slaves. Students will have no discipline and beggars
will have large families. Then hermits will live in villages and
sanyasins will be greedy for money. Women will be short limbed,
gluttonous, with many children and lacking shame. Bickering always,
thieving and flying into tempers at the least provocation merchants
will be dishonest and resort to devious deceitful means. Wives desert
poor husbands servants their masters and the other way too.
Abandoning, parents, friends and relatives people prefer their wives
relatives the mean effeminate creatures! Sudras in the guise of
sanyasins accept dakshinas (fees). They ascend seats of learning
and preach about dharma without knowing or practicing it. In kali
yuga, people quarrel even for a small amount giving up long standing
friendship and even those near and dear sometimes end in fratricide.
They do not protect their own old and disabled parents or even
their clever talented children, engrossed in their own sensual
pursuits. And finally O! Rajan! In Kali yuga people confused
by perverted philosophies do not worship the lord of all the worlds,
Sri Hari.
He, whose name uttered even at the last moment by a
dying man gives moksha (release) Him, they do not worship! The
evils of kali yuga may be numerous. But O! Rajan! All these are
easily crossed if you give the Lord a place in your heart. Hearing
about Him in the company of the devout or singing or contemplating
or adoring or showing your regard in any other way, He gets a
place in your heart . He washes away the accumulated sins of
even a hundred previous births. As fire burns off all impurities
from gold so, the Lord removes all impurities from the yogis heart.
All others, such as, knowledge, austerity, control of breath,
observance of fasts do not purify so well as the Lord seated in the
heart. Therefore, Rajan, with all your heart, give the Lord a place
in yourself and then you attain the final grace. Though kaliyuga
abounds in evils, there is one great benefit O! Rajan! By singing
the songs about him alone, one is freed from all bonds. In krita
yuga one reaches the Lord by contemplation in. threta yuga through
yagnas, in dwaparayuga through service and in kali yuga by singing
kirtans.”
Time Another Aspect Of God
The period of seven days allotted to Parikshit Maharaj was
coming to an end and Sri Suka Maharshi wanted to impress that
the soul is immortal. He took up the concept of time. In the Gita
Krishna has said. “I am Time”. It can be as small as you please or
infinite both beyond imagination like the concept of God. There are
creatures that live for a very small period like the fire fly and then
die and their life is complete. Man lives for a hundred years and
then goes out. Gods might live a thousand years and go out. Even
Brahma has to go after a life span that staggers imagination. It is
said that a thousand chatur yugas constitute a day for him and an
equally long period is his night and he lives a hundred years like this
and then disappears; but where do they all go, from the fly to
Brahma? They merge in Sri Hari , Vishnu or Narayana or Rama or
Krishna, there are a thousand names and reemerge or not as he
wills. So Rajan! Be like a god; be God, you are immortal!.
”Leave off this idea of death once for all O! Rajan. It is only
the body that falls. You are the soul and the soul is immortal,
expansive like the sky. The indivisible immortal is in you. So, you
are that. Compelled by the Brahmin’s curse, Thakshaka may touch
your body but not your immortal soul.”
Convinced fully Parikshit said “Blessed am I by you kind
Lord! It is not strange for blessed souls like you to go about. relieving
tortured souls, leading them to light. Lord! I do not now fear Takshaka
or death. I am entering God’s realm of freedom shown to me by
you. I am free from all shackles lord! Allow me to go”. And then
that great yogi departed, accompanied by sanyasins and honoured
by the king.
Parikshit Attains Moksham
As for Parikshit, he seated himself facing south on the darba
grass pointing east spread on the banks of Ganges. He sat there
meditating on the lotus feet of Sri Hari. Takshaka the serpent
compelled by the curse of the sage was now approaching He was
stopped on the way by a great healer the renowned Brahmin
Kashyapa. Takshaka gave him priceless presents and made
him return. Takshaka now assumed a disguise and struck the King.
But Parikshit had already merged with God and his body went up
in. flames. The on lookers cried in terrified wonder and shouted
“Hari Hari” The celestials sounded drums and cymbalsgandharvas,
showered flowers and good men shouted “Hari! OM!
Hari OM!
Janamejaya’s Sacrifice
Parikshit’s son Janamejaya now wanted to avenge his father’s
death. He ordered the priests to conduct a great serpent sacrifice.
A great Homakundam was built and with vedic mantras they invoked
the serpents. Such was the power of the mantras, the serpents
came one after the other and cast themselves in to the blazing
kundam. Many serpents perished but Takshaka did not come. The
priests came to know that Takshaka had taken refuge under Indra,
Lord of the devas. He had coiled himself round Indras bedstead.
When Janamejaya came to know of this he ordered, “O! Priests!
Then invoke Takshaka and Indra together”. The priests intoned
“Let Takshaka and Indra come together”. Indras grand bedstead
began to move and was now hovering above the blazing Agni
kundam. Now Brihaspati ,preceptor of devas, intervened. “This
must not be. Indra is our Lord and Takshaka has swallowed
amritam and cannot die”. Janamejaya heeded the great acharya’s
words and stopped the sacrifice. Blessing him for this prompt
obedience the acharya said “O! King! Every man reaps the fruits
of his own actions. Nobody is the cause of another’s fortunes.
Parikshit committed a mistake, and so he suffered. Why punish the
poor serpents.” Thus ended the great sarpa yagna.
CHAPTER 26
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It is time for us now to take a long look backwards. The story
began with that master story teller Sutha. reciting Bhagavatham to
his brother sanyasins at Naimisaranyam, how Parikshit in a moment
of anger placed a dead snake on the shoulders of the great Angiras
Maharshi who was in deep Tapas and the unfortunate events that
followed. One of the audience here interposed “O! Sutha Maharishi!
Why do even wise people commit such errors?” And Sutha replied,
“O! Sages! It is all the work Vishnumaya. The great Devi is ever
on the prowl especially in this Kaliyuga. None can escape except
by the grace of Hari, her master. When she approaches a devotee
completely immersed in Hari without any reservation, she bows and
gracefully withdraws. If she thinks “This person takes pride in
things unconnected with the soul, such as wealth position, fame etc”
then maya knows there is no truth in him. and casts her net.
Saunaka now asked Sutha about the origin of the Vedas and
Sutha replied thus “From the supreme the sound OM originates
and finds it’s echo in Brahma’s heart as the three gunas Sathwa,
Rajas, Thamas and from the same OM rise the three Vedas. OM
again materialises as the three worlds Bhu, Bhuva and Suva and
the three states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep. From OM
again Brahma crystallizes vowels and consonants and the seers or
sages arrange them as Vedas, Rik, Yajus, Sama for specific purposes
and the rishis impart them to their sons and disciples. By the end of
Sk12. Ch 8 - Slokam 11
Dwapara yuga the division was complete and thereafter it
was an age of specialization. Noticing the weakening of memory
and intelligence the rishis summarised them as samhitas, Paila
specialized in Rig veda, Vaisampayana in Yajur veda and Jaimini in
Sama veda and Sumanthu in Atharva veda. Yajnavalkya, Mandukya
and Jathukama were some of the most illustrious among the disciples.
The Story Of Markandeya
Sakunaka now observed “O! thou, all knowing Sutha, you
have first-hand experience of all these happenings. We have heard
of Mrinkandu maharshi’s son, Markendeya, who is reputed to be
immortal and immersed in tapas somewhere in the northern slopes
of the Himalayas. Pray! Kindly tell us about him. “ Sutha said
“O! Saunaka, your question is opportune and well timed. Now listen,
having gone through all the samskara’s (disciplines) performed by
his dear father Mrikandu maharshi, the devoted disciple Markandeya
entered the world as a Naishtika Brahmachari (bachelor sanyasin
through out life). Calm, self controlled with the sacred thread and
wearing only the bark of trees, carrying a kamandalu in one hand
and a stout staff in the other he worshipped his guru , sun , the
sacrificial fire and God, every morning, noon and evening. Glowing
like the sun this bachelor sanyasin crossed many yugas. Indra, Lord
of heaven now became alarmed and sent his apsaras (divine
maidens) and gandharvas (maestros of music). A heady breeze
with cooing larks and nightingales completed the picture and the
god of love himself came with his flowery bow and arrows. The
bewitching damsels danced and came nearer and nearer but not
too near for they would be scorched .The Maharshi was a burning
flame. The god’s arrows were burnt like match stick. The god of
love was humbled and retreated.
Maya Darsanam
Sutha Continued
Those twin avatars of Sri Hari known as Nara and Narayana
undergoing penance for the benefit of the world were aware of
Markandeyas extraordinary tapas and they now decided to give
him darsan and appeared before him. One was blue and the other
fair. Both were luminous with eyes like lotus petals. Both had four
arms carrying the conch, discus, mace and lotus. Markandeya
overcome with emotion stood up saying “Salutations, again and
again” and fell prostrate. Recovering quickly he said. “What can I
say my Lords. By your grace every creature lives. Even Brahma
acts inspired by you.” But Nara and Narayana insisted “We are
givers of boons and we have come to bless you. Hence, ask a
boon”. And Markandeya then said “Great Lords, if ask I must I
submit. I wish to see Maha maya. This is the boon I seek”. The
Gods smiled and said “Let it be so!” And vanished.
Markandeya returned to his Ashram by the Pushpa bhadra
river and was engaged in his usual evening prayers when the sky
suddenly darkened. A strong wind blew and clouds gathered
overhead. Soon, it became dark and began to rain. It fell in sheets.
The wind began to roar and lightning flashed in every direction.
The streams swelled and flooded the countryside. There was water,
water all around. Markandeya buffeted by wind and waves found
himself struggling for dear life.
And now to his immense relief he saw land! It was a small
island well wooded with a great banyan tree with branches and
broad green leaves . And on a broad leaf he saw a baby. It was no
ordinary baby. It was smiling like a god. It was God Sri Hari himself.
With two chubby hands it was holding its foot and sucking its toes.
Markandeya fell prostrate in adoration and made an attempt to
touch his feet. Markandeya was sucked in by the baby’s in going
breath. There inside he saw earth, heaven, stars, devas and demons.
He saw his own ashram and familiar forests and rivers. Again he
experienced Time as if he was again crossing the yugas and then
as suddenly saw his own ashram and the Pushpa bhadra river quietly
flowing by.
With a mind overflowing with gratitude, Markandeya said with
great humility “I do not know how to thank you Lord! You granted
me this vision of maya whose power even sages find so hard to
overcome. “
Markandeya Has Vision Of Sri Rudra
It was evening time and Lord Siva and Sri Parvathy
accompanied by their strange attendants were passing overhead
when Sri Parvathy seeing Markandeya Maharshi in deep meditation,
observed “Look at this knower of Brahmam, Lord!. As the sea,
when the storm has subsided ,is calm, so, is this Gnani’s mind. You,
my Lord! are the giver of boons to such. Come! Let us grant him too
some boon!” But the yogi, with mind fixed on Brahman was not
aware of their presence. Knowing this Lord Siva by his yogic
powers, entered Markandeyas mind and he suddenly saw.
Lord Siva with ten arms
And matted hair the colour of lightning.
Like the sun rising high in heaven
Wearing the tiger skin and a gleaming
Sword and trident and a garland of rudraksha beads.
And The Damaru sounding vedic sounds
And giving birth to countless worlds.
And gracious Bhavani smiling near
Waking up, as from a dream Markandeya said
“What can we do for you Lord!
Except bowing down and touching your feet
As Brahma, you create.
As Vishnu you protect.
And as Rudra you withdraw to yourself all.
Allow us to prostrate before you Lord!.
Sri Rudra said “Ask me any boon; we three are givers of boons.
Whatever we give will be permanent, and transcend even death.
Brahmanas of good conduct who have overcome all attachment,
who are serene and love all creatures, are worshipped by us. The
world, its guardians, Brahma and Sri Hari himself salute and follow
them. These Brahmanas do not see any difference among us three.
And they do not see any difference between themselves and others
too. Holy rivers and idols purify men only in the long run but the
very sight of holy saints like you purify them instantaneously. By
hearing about you or by seeing you even outcastes are purified
Then how great will be the result of conversing with you!”
Hearing these nectar like words from the Lord wearing the
crescent moon in his locks the Rishi was not quite content. “Strange
are the Lord’s words. How strange that they bow before us mere
mortals! They act like this just to uphold dharma and congratulate
those who practice it. Therefore I bow to you Lord; the one without
a second; the Lord of the three Gunas; the great teacher
Having seen you, I require no other boon
Still I crave one boon Lord!
May I have devotion always in Krishna
And like wise in all those who love him
And above all, in you too Lord!
Thus addressed Lord Siva said with Bhavani approving.
“You will have eternal devotion in Sri Hari
And all you desire and eternal fame
And youth without aging or weakening.
And the status of great Acharya of all Vedas and Puranas
After blessing Markandeya Maharshi and granting him, these
incomparable boons Lord Siva and Sri Parvathi devi vanished with
their legions and Markandeya Maharishi free from death and disease
is now immersed in Tapasamadhi for the welfare of the world,
somewhere in the Himalayan slopes.
And now we have come to the end of Bhagavatham.
The Great lord loves charity and devotion.
He who has them has all.
Call him by what name you like
He has a thousand names to suit a thousand tastes.
But he is one OM! OM! Hari, Hari OM
When the great lord is praised in hymns
He hears in sympathy; enters the minds of men
And cleanses it as the sun dispels all darkness
Or as the hurricane scatters the clouds
Vain are the words that picture banal tales
But hymns that glorify Gods immortal sports
Those alone are the Truth, They alone bring peace
They alone are meritorious proclaiming goodness
They alone please and are ever new
They alone dry up the ocean of sorrow
Those beautiful words that describe
The deeds of the Lord again and again
But words that do not mention the Lord
Though they be dressed in enchanting garb
Are like stagnant water in filthy ponds
Frequented by raucous crows; not by swans
Words may proclaim high morals
But if devoid of Krishna and his pranks
Do not shine even as actions not devoted to him
Will be fruitless, however cleverly done.
Study of Vedas and Shastras
Observance of Acharas and Tapas
May give prosperity; no doubt
But Hari gives himself to those who sing his songs.
Remembrance of Krishna weakens one’s sin
Makes one pure and grants him devotion
Knowledge and wisdom and detachment complete
He reaches Sree Hari’s lotus feet with ease
You have made me recall O! Rishis
All these secrets of the soul
As I have heard from the blessed Sri Suka
At the great Yagna held by king Parikshit
Graced by all those great saints of old
And finally dear Lord!
One last boon I crave
Wherever I be born in times to come
May I have unflagging devotion to your lotus feet
Grant me that my Lord! Am I not thine?
HARI OM
Udhava, Krishna’s friend and foremost among the wise
knew that the yadhavas were doomed and Krishna was preparing
to depart. He approached Krishna.“Lord! We who have been
always with you awake or asleep, how can we live without you
even for a moment?. Take me also with you Lord”. Then taking
him by the hand the Lord led him aside and in solitude told Udhava
as follows:
“What you have said is true. O! Udhava! My mission is
over. On the seventh day from now, Dwaraka will be swept under
the sea. The age of Kali will begin. Men will become attached to
unrighteousness. O Udhava Leave all attachments to your relatives
and your own clan, resign yourself to me and wander over the
world recognizing my presence in everything. Whatever the mind
sees through the eyes , ears or other senses is the result of illusion.
The illumined soul is beyond good and evil. His mind is like a
child’s mind.
Avadhuta’s Twenty four Gurus
Udhava knew that time was running out. The Lord would
be departing shortly. With grief gripping his heart he pleaded “O!
Krishna, O! Lord! You say that attachment is the cause of all
grief. I understand but it is so difficult to overcome, Lord!” Moved
with pity for his friend, Krishna continued “O! Udhava my friend!
I shall repeat to you the conversation between the Avadhuta yogi
Sk 11. Ch 6 - Slokam 43
Dattatreya and our ancestor king Yadu. Yadu while on a pilgrimage
met the Avadhuta yogi on the way. He was young, strong and
shining with the splendour of realization “O! Sanyasin!” Yadu said
“You seem young and strong and yet are quite unconcerned with
the surroundings . You wander like a child free from passion for
sex or wealth or position, happy like an elephant that in the heat of
summer has plunged in the ganges”.
With great kindness the Avadhuta told the king “O! thou
grandson of Nahusha! Hear me then. I have learned some lessons
from twenty-four gurus. They are earth, air, sky, water, fire,
the sun, the moon , kapota (dove), python, ocean, river, moth,
honey bee, elephant, honey gatherer, deer, fish, Pingala the
courtesan, kurare (osprey), maiden, arrow smith, snake, spider,
pesaskrit (wasp) Now hear the details.
A man of self control should not move away from his duty.
He should be steady and patient like the earth. Like the trees he
should give and do good always and be immovable like the mountain
though buffeted by the wind and rain. Like the air he should
move freely uncontaminated. Like the sky the self is limitless.
It is pure always like waters of the ganges In the fire of tapas all
impurities are burnt off. Just as the sun absorbs the waters of the
sea only to release them as rain the Yogi takes up things only to
release them at the proper time for the benefit of others. Changes
of fortune only affect the body not the soul. This I learnt from the
changes in the moon.
From the dove (kapota) I learnt not to love things too dearly.
A kapota loved a kapoti so much that he would not take his eyes
off her. They had their first off spring, a lovely little bird. Soon
they had quite a brood. Both kapota and kapoti were entranced
with their chicks by the Lord’s maya. While the parent birds were
out finding food for the chicks a hunter caught the chicks in his
net. The kapoti returning with food was so grief stricken that she
too cast herself voluntarily into the net. The father kapota, saw
his whole family caught in the net and became desperate. “Alas!
My wife dearer than life to me is caught and my darling chicks
are also in the net. I cannot live alone!” And he too cast himself in
the net. When the hunter came he saw his net full. He thanked his
stars and took his prize home. I learnt from this not to love anything
too much.”
The Avadhuta Brahmin continued, “Sensuous pleasures, O!
Rajan! are available in heaven as well as in hell with an addition
of misery in the latter. So a wise man should not hanker after
pleasure.
So whatever comes by chance he should accept even as
the python does. Like the ocean the sage should be still, calm,
deep and boundless. Like the river ganges man should move on
unperturbed by small rivulets and canals.
Seeing the antics of women who are verily the avatar of
maya (illusion) the sensible man should not fall in the fire of passion
like the moth.
Like the honey bee the intelligent man should seek essential
things only.
The wise man will not touch with his foot even the wooden
image of a woman. The male elephant is entrapped by contact
with the female.
The wealth accumulated by a miser is knocked away by
some one else like the honey gatherer.
The deer is enticed by music and caught by the hunter.
Likewise sensuous music entices man as Rishyasringa was enticed.
Just as fish perish by swallowing the baited hook a man who has
not controlled his palate perishes swallowing unwholesome food.
If the palate is controlled all other senses can be easily subdued.
From Pingala I learnt how to overcome greed.
The Story Of Pingala The Courtesan
Once there lived in the city of Videha a courtesan named
Pingala. She lived by courting rich suitors. Daily standing in the
verandah well dressed she would wait for the richest suitor. One
day she rejected many expecting a richer one. As no one turned
up she felt sad and then enlightenment came to her. “In all this
great city there is none so foolish as me. Leaving the Lord seated
in my own heart who can give me all I desire I roam
after infamous creatures for wealth and perishing pleasures
.Certainly the Lord is pleased with me because he has changed
my mind ..I shall devote myself to Him like Sri Devi and live the
rest of my life in peace”. Thinking thus Pingala concluded” Desire
is the root of all misery Renunciation is the crown of happiness”
From the kite I learned that possession causes sorrow. A kite got
a piece of meat and was going to eat it in peace when it was
attacked by a more powerful kite. The former abandoned the piece
and was left in peace. I am indifferent to honour or dishonour
alike. With thoughts of the self (soul) I roam about like a child.
Only two types of people are immersed in complete delight;
thoughtless fools and the realized wise who are beyond the gunas
(satva, rajas and tamas) From the maiden I learnt the value of
being alone. Once when a maiden was alone in her house a party
came with a view to marriage. She began to husk some paddy to
provide some food for them. But the bangles made a noise. Then
she removed them all but two in each arm. But these two produced
the same sound. She then retained only one on each arm and
there was no more noise. The maiden finished her work in peace
and entertained the guests. From this I learnt the value of being
alone. From the smith who was fashioning an arrow head in the
forge, I learnt the value of concentration. A smith was fashioning
an arrowhead with such concentration that he did not hear even a
noisy procession that passed by. Sitting in a lonely place, withdrawing
from rajasic and tamasic qualities and concentrating on satvic
qualities alone, one can attain union with God. A serpent does not
make a house for itself. It lives in holes made by other creatures.
Likewise the sanyasin has no house. He lives for temporary periods
in houses built by others. From the spider I learnt about the origin
of the universe itself. The spider produces a world of nets out of
itself and in the end destroys it by drawing it all inside itself
Likewise the Creator too has created this universe out of himself
and in the end destroys it, drawing it all into Himself. The wasp
places a worm in a hole and continuously frightens it by the sound
of its wings so much so that in the end the worm itself becomes a
wasp. From this I learnt that whatever a man constantly thinks,
especially at the time of death, he becomes that after death. Finally
this body itself is my guru. I had to pass through countless births
and deaths to attain this. Though impermanent it has helped me to
attain freedom from further births and freedom from attachment
of any kind and I wander free! free! free!
And the Avadhuta Brahmin taking leave of king Yadu
departed.
King Yadu too became calm, free from all attachments.
Limitations Of Vedic Ritualism
“O! Udhava!” the Lord continued “Vedic rituals have their
reward but they too are limited by time . One may enjoy in heaven
all that is promised for a limited time. When the effect of the rituals
ends you are sent back headlong, back to where you came from.
He is only like a condemned man being led to execution. He is
given all enjoyments en-route but execution awaits at the end. Who
can enjoy the pleasures ? Hence perform rituals of an obligatory
nature without expecting any reward. It is meaningless to regard
any one as your own relative. It is the same soul that dwells in all.
All the deities, even Brahma and the rest are time bound. So, come
to me and you won’t have to return. Because of my different aspects
I am known under different names as Time, Atman, Vedas, The
World, Nature, Dharma .
Udhava again asks “What is the difference between a man
of freedom and a man in bondage”. Krishna replies”. He who is
free from illusion is free. He, who has still illusions is in bondage. I
have earlier told you the story of the two birds (under Puranjana)
sitting in the same tree the Jiva and Iswara. The first is in bondage
because it is subject to gunas; the second is not subject to them and
so it is free with insight sharpened by dispassion .The sage is free
like a man awakened from a dream. He neither praises nor
censures. If a man is well versed in the words of the Vedas but not
in their spirit then his effort has been in vain like that of a man
maintaining a barren cow. If one is unable to concentrate and
contemplate then there is the easier method of devotion. By
dedicating every action to God and singing or reading about His
actions and associating with the good, I am easily attained. O
Udhava”! Now Udhava wanted to know more about the holy men
he should associate with and Krishna continued.” The holy man is
kind, never does a harm to anyone, forgiving, truthful, unperturbed
in happiness or suffering and helpful to all. He is self controlled ,
soft spoken, pure, without any possessions, temperate, calm and
steady and takes refuge in me. Never vain, ever respectful, kind
and capable he prefers the greater duty to the less and he is the
greatest of my devotees. He may not know me fully but still if he
worships me with complete faith, I consider him as my own. Visiting
my temple and fellow devotees; by service and worship, and singing
aloud hymns that proclaim my greatness, listening with devotion to
the stories about my birth and exploits he reaches me.
Taking out processions with music and drum
Going on pilgrimage and taking part in my festivals
Cleaning my temple precincts with sincerity
Adorning with lights and waving them before idols
And whatever is dearest, offering that to me
Seeing me in the sun, a brahmin, a devotee, a cow
The wind, water, all creatures and worshipping all
In general O! Udhava! Without bhakti and the company
Of the devout, there is no other way
And I have told you this great secret
My life long companion and friend
Irrespective of birth or rank; all sorts of beings
Have reached me. monkeys, demons, serpents
elephants and poor ignorant gopis
Thinking constantly of me through fear or distress
or hatred or love all have reached me .
Can learned pundits and brahmins be an exception.?
Certainly not ! If they but have this constancy
Yet another method is the elimination of the three gunas
Satwa, Rajas Tamas are the three gunas
By Satwa, remove Rajas and Tamas
And remove Satwa by itself.
Krishna added that he had taught all this to Sanaka (the first
of the sages) and his friends. Udhava wanted to know more of that
and Krishna continued “The Sanaka brothers once asked Brahma
their father. ‘ Sire, how can the mind be weaned away from the
senses?’. As Brahma could not immediately answer, he thought of
me. I appeared as a swan. Not recognizing me he asked ‘ Who are
you?’ And I replied.
The Song Of The Swan
“Your question betrays your ignorance!
If it is with reference to the soul, it cannot stand.
For, all souls are one. If it refers to body
then too, all are same being made of the same five elements
So know for certain. that there is only Me everywhere
The self that sees this unity in the three states
Is in the fourth state Turiya
Seated there reject the other three states
As a man drunk with wine throws off his clothes
And like him wander, free, free, untrammelled.
Udhava said “ O! Krishna! The Vedas prescribe different
methods
And now you say, Bhakti is the final crowning one
Pray! Remove our doubts, once for all.”
The Lord replied,
”Vedas too were made by me
Sages prescribe various ways for various states
For a man of no desire and no possession
All the world is full of joy
Such a man like you O! Udhava!
Is dearer to me than Brahma or Balarama
Dearer than Sri Rudra, dearer than even Sridevi
I follow close in that Bhaktas’ footsteps
And purify myself with the dust of his feet
Such a one enjoys a bliss intense, incomparable
A bliss not possible for anyone else.
Even when surrounded and assaulted by lust
My devotee is not overwhelmed
Bhakti destroys even passion
As fire reduces fuel to ashes dry barren
Even an unlettered pariah can reach me if he has bhakti
And without it not even learned brahmins can
When the heart melts and tears flow in bhakti
All sin is washed away
Speech falters, heart melts
The devotee laughs sometimes
And dances for no reason
My devotee saves the world
And at last gets dissolved in me.
As the mind gets purer and more refined
Hearing my stories and visiting my shrines
It develops an insight and sees the Truth
As when collirium is applied eyes get bright.
But thinking about sensual things
The mind is enmeshed, entrapped
And thinking about me, you get immersed in me
By keeping at arms length women and women lovers
Remain apart in splendid solitude
And think about Me free untramelled
Udhava enquired “How should the aspirant think of you Lord
and in what form?” And the Lord replied
Seated at your ease and keeping the body straight
And your hands limp and free
Looking straight at the top of the nose
And keeping the air passage clear and pure
Practicing pranayama and reciting OM! OM!
Think of Me balanced calm serene
Smiling and kind with lotus eyes
Armed with discus, conch and mace
Anxious to serve my devotees
Surrender all your doubts and fears
And arise, free, strong and glad ever more.
To a mind thus attuned
Yogic powers (sidhis) come unasked
Small and light or big and heavy
Able to see far off things and guess their thoughts
Enter other bodies or travel through the air
Quick as thought to where you please
But the true yogi is not too pleased
He stands aloof quite unconcerned
Knowing that these are but mirages
Trying to keep him off his goal.
“In all beings high or low the yogi sees you Lord
In what forms do I see you with ease?” asked Udhava
And the Lord answered in a kinder softer tone
“O! Udhava! You are clever!
The same question was asked by Arjuna in the battle front”
“Alas! I am undone, fighting against kinsmen, elders
For filthy lucre and barren land
Fie on me! And him I answered thus
“I am the friend of all and refuge
I am all powerful, all devouring time
The smallest of the small I am the soul
Among things invincible, I am the mind
Indra among devas and Prahalada among asuras
Whatever is best, that am I O! Udhava!
Meet the end with mind fixed on me.
Then Krishna continued to describe the yugas, the four
asramas, the four varnas and their duties
Krita, Threta, Dwapara and Kali are the four yugas and
brahmana, kshatriya, vaisya and sudra the four varnas. In the Krita
yuga there was only one varna brahmana. Men were all duty bound
and there were four stages in the life of every man brahmcharya
grihasta vanaprastha and sanyasa. These were the four ashramas.
According to their nature people gravitated to these four varnas
but the ashramas were open to all. For the brahmanas in particular
the four ashramas or stages were paramount. Poverty or nonpossession
was a cardinal virtue and human nature is such that
there were not too many brahmanas. King Yudhistra in answer to
a question by his father Yamadharma, in the guise of an yaksha, as
to what constituted brahminhood has clearly stated “ Not birth not
family, not riches are the basis; conduct and conduct alone forms
the basis O! Yaksha!” And the Yaksha who was his own father
Yamadharma, agreed. The training of the Brahmin started early in
a hermitage under a renowned sage. The disciple had to get up
early, keep himself and the surroundings clean, gather flowers and
help his present mother (the sage’s wife) in her household work.
And then he had to go to the villages and beg for alms for his
master. Then studies would begin. Philosophy, sciences, skill in arms
and warfare were all taught. After some twelve years of such
rigorous training the young brahmin, glowing like the fire could return
to his own home and enter matrimony or become a sanyasin for
life. If the disciple was a prince he would become a king or if he
was a vaisya he would become a great merchant. Sudras would
drop out much earlier and become workers.
More About The Sanyasin
The sanyasin with no desire
Is bound by no further ties; giving up all
to the deserving poor and free from all encumbrances
He wanders over the wide earth, free as air.
The devas, jealous of their privileges
Try to hinder the high minded souls
They pose problems in the shape of wife
Dependants and the rest of family ties
Undeterred, wearing at the most the loin cloth.
The begging bowl and staff his only possessions
He steps warily; making sure he steps on no insects,
He drinks only filtered water and
Speaks only words purified by Truth
And conscientious in all his actions
He will accept alms only from the virtuous
And share that with gods and guests
Thus he travels alone; Always glad because he knows
the difference between bondage and freedom.
Bondage is subjection to the senses
And freedom is freedom from them
Wise he is; but plays with children
Though skilful he pretends to be a fool
He knows the Truth but wanders like cattle
Deeply learned but will not dispute
Neither avoids a crowd nor mingles with them
Will not sponsor extreme views nor insult any one
For bodily needs, he will never quarrel
Knowing all are one like reflections of the moon
Udhava appealed again
“O! Lord! For people sweltering under the heat of this journey
of life, I do not find any refuge other than your gracious feet Kindly
save us from this fire”. Thus addressed the Lord continued.
“The same question was posed by Yudhishtira the King
To the dying grandsire, the invincible Bhishma
Stretched on a bed of arrows in the battle front.
Hear his words “There is a unity, consciousness,
permeating all forms of life from the lowest to the highest.
Know that as the Sath; evident to seers
as the palm of their hand. Of the several ways
of seeing this Truth ,devotion is the easiest and most
pleasant too.
I have told this before. Still out of kindness I repeat
“Hearing with love my immortal stories,
By constant singing of my Bhajans.,
Giving up wealth and all enjoyment for my sake
One gets O! Udhava, my divine grace.
And then there is nothing more to gain.
One thus involved in devotion gains with ease,
Wisdom, power and all powerful dispassion.
Udhava was now in a hurry to clear all his doubts
“Lord! What is yama, niyama , sama, dama, thithiksha, tapas,
sourya, truth and what is thyaga, wealth, yagna and dakshina and
strength. Who is learned and who is a fool and where is heaven
and where is hell, who is rich and who is poor. And who is a Lord
and who is a relative. What is a home, who is wealthy and who is
poor and who is pitiable. Pray remove my doubts once for all.”
The Lord answered “Yama is internal control such as truth;
non-violence, lack of greed, sense of shame, belief in God, silence,
steadiness, forgiveness and fearlessness and niyama is the means
to attain the same such as, cleanliness, prayer , attention, hospitality,
helping others etc. Sama is fixing the mind and intellect on Me;
dama is control of the senses; thithiksha is fortitude; tapas is giving
up of all desire and saurya or valour is conquest of one’s own nature
and truth is seeing all things as equal. Dharma that accompanies
you even after death is the giving of wealth to the needy. He is
learned who knows the cause of attachment and release. The fool
is he who thinks that this body is everything. Heaven is when satvic
(good) qualities arise and hell is when the tamasic (asura) qualities
arise. Strength is regulation of breath (pranayama). Your relative
is Myself. He who has all good qualities is rich and poor is he, who
is discontented and he is pitiable too. Who is unaffected by the
gunas is the Lord and one subject to them deserves pity. Be thou
above all obsession O! Udhava! Be steady.
As Udhava was closely following the Lord’s words a fresh
doubt now arose in his mind .
“Dear Lord, the Vedas were created by you.
There you have prescribed certain rules, and proscribed
others
Now you say “Avoid both” Pray how is this?”
And the Lord replied “ Doubtless, the three yogas were
prescribed by me.
What I meant was - Avoid desire in all cases.
For, desire leads to further birth and death.
Even devas and asuras desire birth on earth
To acquire merit to go to higher worlds.
Like a bird that has made its nest high up in a tree
That the woodsman had already marked down.
And before he could bring his axe and saw
Flies off to a safer place,
Man too must ensure a safe retreat
Before time with days and nights saws him down.
In this human body so easily got
You have a safe boat and guru as a pilot.
And a favourable wind sent by Me.
The man who fails to cross this ocean of life
Is one who destroys his own life.
If even in the beginning a Yogi has no illusion.
He must make his mind firmer still and motionless .
If the mind wanders a bit due to earlier vasana
He may loosen the reins a bit as one who trains an untamed
horse.
And brings it back to full control.
He should trace everything to its cause.
The ego to nature; nature to earth; earth to water
water to energy; and that to God.
The mind becomes less and less brittle.
Becomes soft, softens to the Lord.
All desires end when the devotee desires Me
And I reign supreme in the devotees heart.
And then, the strings of attachments snap
All doubts cease and all your karma ends
And then I am seen every where in every creature.
What others attain with great effort
Through karma tapas, yoga or charity
My devotee attains easily.
Even heaven he attains, if he so desires.
But O! Udhava, My devotee desires nothing
No! Not even salvation.
He has reached the refuge everlasting!!
The Bhikshu’s Story
O! Disciple of Bhihaspathy! The taunts and ill treatment of
the wicked affect only the body not the soul just as the wind lashes
the trees on the shore of a lake but not its reflections in the lake
below, though they too appear to move. Now listen to the story of
the Bhikshu of Avanti. In the city of Avanti, there once lived a rich
brahmin. Though a brahmin he was a great miser. He almost starved
his own children; would not entertain relatives or guests even with
a kind word and spent nothing for puja or worship or performance
of sradhas for his own ancestors. His wife, children and servants
would not obey him as they were continuously tormented and he
would not spend a paisa for himself either. Thus devoid of dharma
and kama the five participants of wealth became incensed. Gods,
ancestors, the elements, men, and sages were offended.
The rains failed. Agriculture was ruined. Robbers broke into
his house and he lost everything. With duty undone and deprived of
any pleasure, deserted by friends and relatives, he became full of
remorse.
”Alas! I have suffered and strained in vain
Neither for charity nor for myself I used my wealth
Verily the wealth of misers serves them not
For pleasures here or moksha there
The fame of the famous
And good name of the good
Both are marred by greed .
As leprosy mars beauty’s form
Theft, violence, greed and lust
Anger, pride, malice , lack of trust
All these have roots in wealth.
Hence give up wealth
If you seek happiness.
Brothers quarrel, wives, friends, parents
Even bosom friends fall out over money
Having reached this gateway to heaven
Who will yearn for wealth the cause of all evil
Wise men torture their limbs for Self
This world is fooled by the Lord’s Maya
So, for the rest of my life I withdraw
And may the gods help me now.
The time is short; but what of that,
Did not King Khatwanga reach the goal
In as short a time? “
With this high resolve this brahmin of Avanti rooted out all
attachments and became calm. He wandered as he pleased and
for alms sometimes entered villages and towns. Seeing the old man
mischievous youngsters made fun of him; one snatched his staff;
another his begging bowl and the string of beads and others snatched
even his poor clothes. They would pretend to give it back and when
he stretched his withered hands, would take it back again , and
snatch away his scanty food shouting “This is that same old rascally
brahmin now returned in this pious guise. Strike him bind him, this
crafty crane”. And when he was down, some one urinated on his
body , another spat on his head. But the old Brahmin spoke not a
word; rather he began to sing.
The Bhikshu’s Song
These people can do me no harm
Nor ill luck nor planets, not even gods
Mind, the mind alone is the cause
Mind that turns the wheel of Time.
Mind creates the three gunas
Creating actions white dark or red
And from them rise the four varnas
Charity, duty and all the laws
All are meant for control of the mind
Great is that Yoga that gives peace of mind
Terrible is the power of the Mind
Who controls the mind he controls the world
And he alone gets this power
Who has the grace of the Lord.
Happiness and misery are products of the mind.
So too are friends, enemies and this world itself
Caused by ignorance, darkness of the mind
Hence, dear one, concentrate on God
And this in short is the essence of Yoga.
Thus, deprived of all wealth and disowned by friends the
Bhikshu wandered all alone, finding true happiness at last.
Pururuvas And Urvasi
The wandering saint should never associate himself with
those addicted to food or vice. Following a blind man one may also
stumble and fall. Now hear the story of Pururuvas.
Pururuvas , a king of great renown , fell in love with the
heavenly apsaras Urvasi and lived with her like one intoxicated .
And when at last according to contract she left him he became
almost mad . Luckily sanity returned . “ Alas , how low have I
fallen . Of what use is learning and penance to one who has been
deluded by woman ! And yet I should not blame her for she had
often reminded me of my folly . “
Saying thus that king of kings
Withdrew his mind into itself
Roamed the earth without a care
Freed from emotions evermore
And now O Udhava my friend
Have you understood in full
Has your illusion gone? your doubts and your fears?
Knowing this there is nothing more to know
Having drunk nectar nothing else remains .
With folded hands and tearful eyes unable to speak Udhava
was speechless for a time . And then he spoke.
“O Lord ! O Krishna ! All my doubts and fears are gone.
The darkness- illusion has lifted
Your glorious presence brightens all
The strings of attachment to clan and friends
It is all your Maya for the creation of the world
And now your own words have removed it
I bow to you again great Lord great Yogin
May I have infinite love for your lotus feet
For all time ! O ! for all time !
Krishna Bids Farewell
”Now Udhava! depart in peace. Go to Badaryasharam and
there on the banks of the river Alakananda build an ashram. Clad
in the bark of a tree and eating sparely wild fruits, lead a hermit’s
life. Bearing with fortitude the extremes of climate and free from
all karma, you will come to me.” Sree Krishna concluded his advice
to Udhava.
Though now beyond duality, he could not help shedding
tears. Bearing the lords sandals on his head, suffused with tears,
he circumambulated the Lord and ever bearing his immortal words
in his heart finally attained Him.
He who reads this holy account will be immersed in the ocean
of bliss and will certainly reach the Lord.
For warding off the fears of the world.
The Lord has gathered like the bee
The essence of the ocean of Vedas
And for letting us drink this elixir
We bow to the Almighty bearing the name Krishna !
CHAPTER 25
The End Of The Yadavas
Raja Parikshit then enquired “What did the Lord do after
that O! Maharshe! And Sri Suka continued “Knowing well that the
sages’ curse would soon overtake them Krishna advised the yadavas
to go to Prabhasa by the sea-shore and there engage in worship
and perform yagna while the women were sent else where inland.
The signs were ominous. Death was approaching. They bathed in
the sea, performed yagnas, gave gifts of cows and valuables to the
brahmins. Then there was feasting and drinking. They drank without
restraint an intoxicating drink and began to hurl abuses at one
another. Some drew weapons, others pulled by the roots a particularly
hard grass which grew in profusion on the sea shore. The hard
grass had come out of the iron filings they had earlier thrown into
the sea. Friends fought with friends, brothers with brothers, and
soon the sea shore was strewn with the bodies of the yadavas.
Krishna was aware of all this but did not interfere. All things must
end. Bhagvan Balrama knew that all this was Krishna’s Maya. He
entered a cave near the sea shore, entered Samadhi and merged in
the infinite.
Not far from that place, there was a banyan tree and Krishna
sat under it cross legged in the lotus posture, with smiling, shining
face and four arms. A hunter on his usual round mistook the lords
feet as the head of a deer and aimed an arrow fitted with the piece
Sk 12. Ch 6 - Slokam 8
of iron obtained from the fish. It hit the mark The hunter
approached. He started back in horror finding that he had hit the
Lord and fell down prostrate “ I did it unknowingly. Lord .I accept
any punishment you give”. “Nay! Nay! O! Mura! You did me a
service and for this I shall send you to heaven .” A vimana (aerial
car) appeared and taking Mura in it flew to heaven.
Krishna’s’ charioteer following the fragrance of the thulasi
garland worn by Krishna at last found his master lying mortally
wounded. Comforting him the Lord said “O! Daruka! Go to
Dwaraka without delay and apprise the elders about the situation.
Let them leave Dwaraka without delay. On the seventh day from
now Dwaraka will be submerged in the sea”. With tearful eyes
Daruka obeyed. King Ugrasena Vasudeva and Devaki and the ladies
left for the mainland. Arjuna accompanied and led them to
Indraprastha.
Krishna’s Ascension
Now, there gathered all the devas and the guardian deities
with Brahma and Sri Rudra at their head to witness Krishna’s
glorious ascension. They showered heavenly flowers singing hymns
of praise. The drums of heaven sounded. Deities of different orders
were anxiously waiting to escort the Lord to their own worlds and
even as they gazed, the lotus eyes of the Lord closed; the glorious
enchanting form vanished like a streak of lightning leaving the
clouds. Sri Suka observed. “O! Rajan! As the Lords advent and
exploits were only a make believe, so too, his exit is only a make
believe. He, who, brought his guru’s son from yama’s realm and
saved you in your mother’s womb from the scorching fire of
brahmastra, did not wish to leave his body here. All those, who
sing with devotion this glorious episode will attain the same end.”
Advent Of Kaliyuga
Arjuna who had returned to Indraprastha crowned Vajra,
Anirudha’s son, as king while Yudhishtira crowned Abhimanyu’s
son Parikshit as king of Hastinapura. Kings of various dynasties big
and small asserted themselves all over the land. Kaliyuga was slowly
covering the earth. The pillars of society dharma (duty), sathya
(truth), soucha (cleanliness, purity), kshama (tolerance,
forgiveness), daya (kindness) were weakening. Wealth was
becoming paramount. Might was becoming right. Time honoured
conventions for marriage were giving place to just mutual attraction
and in ordinary business transactions deceit was tolerated. Manliness
and womanliness were equated with just sex. The sacred thread
became the only sign of Brahmin hood. Justice was not available to
those who could not make the proper approach. Mere volubility
passed off as learning. Tanks and rivers were considered holy only
if they were fairly distant . Earning a livelihood became the aim of
life and ability to impose on others was considered as Truth. Ability
became synonymous with management .Cunningness replaced
intelligence. Charity was done for fame. In a society, thus vitiated,
those who were physically strong became the rulers who plundered
the weak. Driven from their homes, they took refuge in forests living
on roots and fruits. They became stunted and life span was only
twenty or thirty years.
The clouds dry up, giving out only lightning. Trees become
dwarfish and plants producing cereals become small and only the
fourth varna remains. All are like Sudras. At this stage the Lord
again re-incarnates as Kalki, the son of a pious Brahmin named
Vishnu yesas living in Sambalagramam. Fully armed and riding a
horse with lightning speed he would flash through the land killing
the unrighteous rulers in millions and crores. And the fragrance of
the flowers in his garland would revive the drooping spirits of all
good people still left alive. Krita yuga would begin again. When the
sun, moon and the planet neptune appear in the same region, know
that Krita yuga has begun.
Sri Suka Maharshi continued. “I have now told you about
the kings past, present and future up to the dynasty of the Nandas.
After thousands of years when Kritayuga again returns, the minds
of men will become serene.”
In retrospect, O! Rajan! The mighty Kings who ruled this
land have become just names. Seeing the kings bent on conquest,
mother earth laughs and thinks. These fools, playthings of death!
They would conquer me! Alas! They do not see death, standing by
all the while! O! Thou! Gem of the Kuru’s! All those kings; they
went as they came.”
”Now hear how the yugas manifest in an individual. sathva,
rajas and tamas are gunas that manifest in individuals. When a
person’s intellect mind and body are sathvic then that person is in
the krita yuga and such a person will have a taste for knowledge
and tapas (penance) . When the person is interested in dharma
(duty) artha (wealth) and kama (desire) he or she is in the threta
yuga. When greed, discontent and motivated action predominate
then that person is in the dwaapara yuga. When deceit falsehood,
violence fear and anxiety prevail, then that person is in kali yuga. In
kali yuga people are short sighted unlucky, gluttonous, sensual, poor
and the women do as they like being unchaste. When kali is in the
ascent, citizens will be robbers the Vedas will be polluted by the
godless; the rulers will be parasites living on the people and brahmins
will be sensual slaves. Students will have no discipline and beggars
will have large families. Then hermits will live in villages and
sanyasins will be greedy for money. Women will be short limbed,
gluttonous, with many children and lacking shame. Bickering always,
thieving and flying into tempers at the least provocation merchants
will be dishonest and resort to devious deceitful means. Wives desert
poor husbands servants their masters and the other way too.
Abandoning, parents, friends and relatives people prefer their wives
relatives the mean effeminate creatures! Sudras in the guise of
sanyasins accept dakshinas (fees). They ascend seats of learning
and preach about dharma without knowing or practicing it. In kali
yuga, people quarrel even for a small amount giving up long standing
friendship and even those near and dear sometimes end in fratricide.
They do not protect their own old and disabled parents or even
their clever talented children, engrossed in their own sensual
pursuits. And finally O! Rajan! In Kali yuga people confused
by perverted philosophies do not worship the lord of all the worlds,
Sri Hari.
He, whose name uttered even at the last moment by a
dying man gives moksha (release) Him, they do not worship! The
evils of kali yuga may be numerous. But O! Rajan! All these are
easily crossed if you give the Lord a place in your heart. Hearing
about Him in the company of the devout or singing or contemplating
or adoring or showing your regard in any other way, He gets a
place in your heart . He washes away the accumulated sins of
even a hundred previous births. As fire burns off all impurities
from gold so, the Lord removes all impurities from the yogis heart.
All others, such as, knowledge, austerity, control of breath,
observance of fasts do not purify so well as the Lord seated in the
heart. Therefore, Rajan, with all your heart, give the Lord a place
in yourself and then you attain the final grace. Though kaliyuga
abounds in evils, there is one great benefit O! Rajan! By singing
the songs about him alone, one is freed from all bonds. In krita
yuga one reaches the Lord by contemplation in. threta yuga through
yagnas, in dwaparayuga through service and in kali yuga by singing
kirtans.”
Time Another Aspect Of God
The period of seven days allotted to Parikshit Maharaj was
coming to an end and Sri Suka Maharshi wanted to impress that
the soul is immortal. He took up the concept of time. In the Gita
Krishna has said. “I am Time”. It can be as small as you please or
infinite both beyond imagination like the concept of God. There are
creatures that live for a very small period like the fire fly and then
die and their life is complete. Man lives for a hundred years and
then goes out. Gods might live a thousand years and go out. Even
Brahma has to go after a life span that staggers imagination. It is
said that a thousand chatur yugas constitute a day for him and an
equally long period is his night and he lives a hundred years like this
and then disappears; but where do they all go, from the fly to
Brahma? They merge in Sri Hari , Vishnu or Narayana or Rama or
Krishna, there are a thousand names and reemerge or not as he
wills. So Rajan! Be like a god; be God, you are immortal!.
”Leave off this idea of death once for all O! Rajan. It is only
the body that falls. You are the soul and the soul is immortal,
expansive like the sky. The indivisible immortal is in you. So, you
are that. Compelled by the Brahmin’s curse, Thakshaka may touch
your body but not your immortal soul.”
Convinced fully Parikshit said “Blessed am I by you kind
Lord! It is not strange for blessed souls like you to go about. relieving
tortured souls, leading them to light. Lord! I do not now fear Takshaka
or death. I am entering God’s realm of freedom shown to me by
you. I am free from all shackles lord! Allow me to go”. And then
that great yogi departed, accompanied by sanyasins and honoured
by the king.
Parikshit Attains Moksham
As for Parikshit, he seated himself facing south on the darba
grass pointing east spread on the banks of Ganges. He sat there
meditating on the lotus feet of Sri Hari. Takshaka the serpent
compelled by the curse of the sage was now approaching He was
stopped on the way by a great healer the renowned Brahmin
Kashyapa. Takshaka gave him priceless presents and made
him return. Takshaka now assumed a disguise and struck the King.
But Parikshit had already merged with God and his body went up
in. flames. The on lookers cried in terrified wonder and shouted
“Hari Hari” The celestials sounded drums and cymbalsgandharvas,
showered flowers and good men shouted “Hari! OM!
Hari OM!
Janamejaya’s Sacrifice
Parikshit’s son Janamejaya now wanted to avenge his father’s
death. He ordered the priests to conduct a great serpent sacrifice.
A great Homakundam was built and with vedic mantras they invoked
the serpents. Such was the power of the mantras, the serpents
came one after the other and cast themselves in to the blazing
kundam. Many serpents perished but Takshaka did not come. The
priests came to know that Takshaka had taken refuge under Indra,
Lord of the devas. He had coiled himself round Indras bedstead.
When Janamejaya came to know of this he ordered, “O! Priests!
Then invoke Takshaka and Indra together”. The priests intoned
“Let Takshaka and Indra come together”. Indras grand bedstead
began to move and was now hovering above the blazing Agni
kundam. Now Brihaspati ,preceptor of devas, intervened. “This
must not be. Indra is our Lord and Takshaka has swallowed
amritam and cannot die”. Janamejaya heeded the great acharya’s
words and stopped the sacrifice. Blessing him for this prompt
obedience the acharya said “O! King! Every man reaps the fruits
of his own actions. Nobody is the cause of another’s fortunes.
Parikshit committed a mistake, and so he suffered. Why punish the
poor serpents.” Thus ended the great sarpa yagna.
CHAPTER 26
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It is time for us now to take a long look backwards. The story
began with that master story teller Sutha. reciting Bhagavatham to
his brother sanyasins at Naimisaranyam, how Parikshit in a moment
of anger placed a dead snake on the shoulders of the great Angiras
Maharshi who was in deep Tapas and the unfortunate events that
followed. One of the audience here interposed “O! Sutha Maharishi!
Why do even wise people commit such errors?” And Sutha replied,
“O! Sages! It is all the work Vishnumaya. The great Devi is ever
on the prowl especially in this Kaliyuga. None can escape except
by the grace of Hari, her master. When she approaches a devotee
completely immersed in Hari without any reservation, she bows and
gracefully withdraws. If she thinks “This person takes pride in
things unconnected with the soul, such as wealth position, fame etc”
then maya knows there is no truth in him. and casts her net.
Saunaka now asked Sutha about the origin of the Vedas and
Sutha replied thus “From the supreme the sound OM originates
and finds it’s echo in Brahma’s heart as the three gunas Sathwa,
Rajas, Thamas and from the same OM rise the three Vedas. OM
again materialises as the three worlds Bhu, Bhuva and Suva and
the three states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep. From OM
again Brahma crystallizes vowels and consonants and the seers or
sages arrange them as Vedas, Rik, Yajus, Sama for specific purposes
and the rishis impart them to their sons and disciples. By the end of
Sk12. Ch 8 - Slokam 11
Dwapara yuga the division was complete and thereafter it
was an age of specialization. Noticing the weakening of memory
and intelligence the rishis summarised them as samhitas, Paila
specialized in Rig veda, Vaisampayana in Yajur veda and Jaimini in
Sama veda and Sumanthu in Atharva veda. Yajnavalkya, Mandukya
and Jathukama were some of the most illustrious among the disciples.
The Story Of Markandeya
Sakunaka now observed “O! thou, all knowing Sutha, you
have first-hand experience of all these happenings. We have heard
of Mrinkandu maharshi’s son, Markendeya, who is reputed to be
immortal and immersed in tapas somewhere in the northern slopes
of the Himalayas. Pray! Kindly tell us about him. “ Sutha said
“O! Saunaka, your question is opportune and well timed. Now listen,
having gone through all the samskara’s (disciplines) performed by
his dear father Mrikandu maharshi, the devoted disciple Markandeya
entered the world as a Naishtika Brahmachari (bachelor sanyasin
through out life). Calm, self controlled with the sacred thread and
wearing only the bark of trees, carrying a kamandalu in one hand
and a stout staff in the other he worshipped his guru , sun , the
sacrificial fire and God, every morning, noon and evening. Glowing
like the sun this bachelor sanyasin crossed many yugas. Indra, Lord
of heaven now became alarmed and sent his apsaras (divine
maidens) and gandharvas (maestros of music). A heady breeze
with cooing larks and nightingales completed the picture and the
god of love himself came with his flowery bow and arrows. The
bewitching damsels danced and came nearer and nearer but not
too near for they would be scorched .The Maharshi was a burning
flame. The god’s arrows were burnt like match stick. The god of
love was humbled and retreated.
Maya Darsanam
Sutha Continued
Those twin avatars of Sri Hari known as Nara and Narayana
undergoing penance for the benefit of the world were aware of
Markandeyas extraordinary tapas and they now decided to give
him darsan and appeared before him. One was blue and the other
fair. Both were luminous with eyes like lotus petals. Both had four
arms carrying the conch, discus, mace and lotus. Markandeya
overcome with emotion stood up saying “Salutations, again and
again” and fell prostrate. Recovering quickly he said. “What can I
say my Lords. By your grace every creature lives. Even Brahma
acts inspired by you.” But Nara and Narayana insisted “We are
givers of boons and we have come to bless you. Hence, ask a
boon”. And Markandeya then said “Great Lords, if ask I must I
submit. I wish to see Maha maya. This is the boon I seek”. The
Gods smiled and said “Let it be so!” And vanished.
Markandeya returned to his Ashram by the Pushpa bhadra
river and was engaged in his usual evening prayers when the sky
suddenly darkened. A strong wind blew and clouds gathered
overhead. Soon, it became dark and began to rain. It fell in sheets.
The wind began to roar and lightning flashed in every direction.
The streams swelled and flooded the countryside. There was water,
water all around. Markandeya buffeted by wind and waves found
himself struggling for dear life.
And now to his immense relief he saw land! It was a small
island well wooded with a great banyan tree with branches and
broad green leaves . And on a broad leaf he saw a baby. It was no
ordinary baby. It was smiling like a god. It was God Sri Hari himself.
With two chubby hands it was holding its foot and sucking its toes.
Markandeya fell prostrate in adoration and made an attempt to
touch his feet. Markandeya was sucked in by the baby’s in going
breath. There inside he saw earth, heaven, stars, devas and demons.
He saw his own ashram and familiar forests and rivers. Again he
experienced Time as if he was again crossing the yugas and then
as suddenly saw his own ashram and the Pushpa bhadra river quietly
flowing by.
With a mind overflowing with gratitude, Markandeya said with
great humility “I do not know how to thank you Lord! You granted
me this vision of maya whose power even sages find so hard to
overcome. “
Markandeya Has Vision Of Sri Rudra
It was evening time and Lord Siva and Sri Parvathy
accompanied by their strange attendants were passing overhead
when Sri Parvathy seeing Markandeya Maharshi in deep meditation,
observed “Look at this knower of Brahmam, Lord!. As the sea,
when the storm has subsided ,is calm, so, is this Gnani’s mind. You,
my Lord! are the giver of boons to such. Come! Let us grant him too
some boon!” But the yogi, with mind fixed on Brahman was not
aware of their presence. Knowing this Lord Siva by his yogic
powers, entered Markandeyas mind and he suddenly saw.
Lord Siva with ten arms
And matted hair the colour of lightning.
Like the sun rising high in heaven
Wearing the tiger skin and a gleaming
Sword and trident and a garland of rudraksha beads.
And The Damaru sounding vedic sounds
And giving birth to countless worlds.
And gracious Bhavani smiling near
Waking up, as from a dream Markandeya said
“What can we do for you Lord!
Except bowing down and touching your feet
As Brahma, you create.
As Vishnu you protect.
And as Rudra you withdraw to yourself all.
Allow us to prostrate before you Lord!.
Sri Rudra said “Ask me any boon; we three are givers of boons.
Whatever we give will be permanent, and transcend even death.
Brahmanas of good conduct who have overcome all attachment,
who are serene and love all creatures, are worshipped by us. The
world, its guardians, Brahma and Sri Hari himself salute and follow
them. These Brahmanas do not see any difference among us three.
And they do not see any difference between themselves and others
too. Holy rivers and idols purify men only in the long run but the
very sight of holy saints like you purify them instantaneously. By
hearing about you or by seeing you even outcastes are purified
Then how great will be the result of conversing with you!”
Hearing these nectar like words from the Lord wearing the
crescent moon in his locks the Rishi was not quite content. “Strange
are the Lord’s words. How strange that they bow before us mere
mortals! They act like this just to uphold dharma and congratulate
those who practice it. Therefore I bow to you Lord; the one without
a second; the Lord of the three Gunas; the great teacher
Having seen you, I require no other boon
Still I crave one boon Lord!
May I have devotion always in Krishna
And like wise in all those who love him
And above all, in you too Lord!
Thus addressed Lord Siva said with Bhavani approving.
“You will have eternal devotion in Sri Hari
And all you desire and eternal fame
And youth without aging or weakening.
And the status of great Acharya of all Vedas and Puranas
After blessing Markandeya Maharshi and granting him, these
incomparable boons Lord Siva and Sri Parvathi devi vanished with
their legions and Markandeya Maharishi free from death and disease
is now immersed in Tapasamadhi for the welfare of the world,
somewhere in the Himalayan slopes.
And now we have come to the end of Bhagavatham.
The Great lord loves charity and devotion.
He who has them has all.
Call him by what name you like
He has a thousand names to suit a thousand tastes.
But he is one OM! OM! Hari, Hari OM
When the great lord is praised in hymns
He hears in sympathy; enters the minds of men
And cleanses it as the sun dispels all darkness
Or as the hurricane scatters the clouds
Vain are the words that picture banal tales
But hymns that glorify Gods immortal sports
Those alone are the Truth, They alone bring peace
They alone are meritorious proclaiming goodness
They alone please and are ever new
They alone dry up the ocean of sorrow
Those beautiful words that describe
The deeds of the Lord again and again
But words that do not mention the Lord
Though they be dressed in enchanting garb
Are like stagnant water in filthy ponds
Frequented by raucous crows; not by swans
Words may proclaim high morals
But if devoid of Krishna and his pranks
Do not shine even as actions not devoted to him
Will be fruitless, however cleverly done.
Study of Vedas and Shastras
Observance of Acharas and Tapas
May give prosperity; no doubt
But Hari gives himself to those who sing his songs.
Remembrance of Krishna weakens one’s sin
Makes one pure and grants him devotion
Knowledge and wisdom and detachment complete
He reaches Sree Hari’s lotus feet with ease
You have made me recall O! Rishis
All these secrets of the soul
As I have heard from the blessed Sri Suka
At the great Yagna held by king Parikshit
Graced by all those great saints of old
And finally dear Lord!
One last boon I crave
Wherever I be born in times to come
May I have unflagging devotion to your lotus feet
Grant me that my Lord! Am I not thine?
HARI OM
| Tales from Bhagavatham(Contents) |  |
| Preface | |
| Prologue | |
| Chapters 1,2,3,4 | |
| Chapters 5,6,7,8 | |
| Chapters 9,10,11,12 | |
| Chapters 13,14,14,16 | |
| Chapters 17,18,19,20 | |
| Chapters 21,22,23 | |
| Chapters 24,25,26 | |
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| Om! namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya |