Today is the completion of our 5 year journey of Vedanta in Bhagavata, encompassing 168 hours of classes of satsang. We just chanted Shanti Shanti Shantih. The first Shanti or Peace is – May my inner world be peaceful! One of the hardest parts about teaching Bhagavata is that not a lot of people teach it over such a lengthy period. Vivekji covered many verses of Bhagavata, sharing the section, the chapter and the particular verse, but these are not verses chanted often by others. So, Vivekji feels this guilt about how poor his chanting is of Rshi Shuka’s teachings, of Bhagavan Krshna’s words. That is one of the hardest parts of teaching Bhagavata for Vivekji, of having this guilt of not chanting a verse correctly or in the right tone. Vivekji is thus beginning our completion by asking forgiveness to Rshi Shuka and to Bhagavan Krshna. If we feel the same way, we should fold our hands near our heart. Over the past 5 years, during this course, if we have been distracted or angry or not thinking about Rshi Shuka or Bhagavan Krshna, then we are all asking for forgiveness – 

Visaarga Bindumaatrani Padapadaksharani cha

Nyunani Chatirktaani Kshamasva Parameshwara

Achyutaya Namah 

Anantaya Namah 

Govindaya Namah

For the past 5 years, we have begun with our Dhyana Shlokas. Vivekji is going to re-order the Dhyana Shlokas this time, starting with the Bahikarana shloka. This is the verse that states that this is an external practice, this is what will prepare us for Bhagavata – 

Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo ‘tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ

vedyaṁ vāstavam atra vastu śivadaṁ tāpa-trayonmūlanam

śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-kṛte kiṁ vā parair īśvaraḥ

sadyo hṛdy avarudhyate ‘tra kṛtibhiḥ śuśrūṣubhis tat-kṣaṇāt

This is the means and the means is Dharma – to follow our responsibilities and to try not to be distracted in our responsibilities, or dilute our responsibilities. In this verse, it is shared that just by listening to Bhagavata, it helps us not to dilute, not be distracted, but to be intentional. 

Once we have prepared ourselves through this Bahikarana sadhana or external discipline, the next verse is sharing the Antakarana sadhana, the more intense discipline that will transform us –

Janmādy asya yato ’nvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ svarāṭ

tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ

tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ yathā vinimayo yatra tri-sargo ’mṛṣā

dhāmnā svena sadā nirasta-kuhakaṁ satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi

The inner practice is Dhimahi or Contemplation. This requires preparation. Sadhana is to lead us to the Sadhya. Sadhya is not a means, external or internal, not a means which is less intense or more intense, but Sadhya means ends. The ends of Bhagavata is to feel that we Belong to Bhagavan. We are no longer an individual, but we are his 100% unconditional instrument, like the Gopis, like Bhakta Prahalada. 

Sac-cid-ānanda-rūpāya viśvotpaty-ādi-hetave

tāpa-traya-vināśāya śrī-kṛṣṇāya vayaḿ numaḥ

There is Only Bhagavan Krshna and nothing else. 

Shrimad Bhagavata’s first section is on Shishya or Disciple. The shishya or disciple is Raja Parikshita. The word Parikshita means the one who reflects. We also are reflecting and seeking. We are Raja Parikshita. The second section of Shrimad Bhagavata shifts from shishya to Sadhana. If we are a disciple, that means we are ready for Discipline. The discipline of Shrimad Bhagavata is Contemplation. And this is how we are going to complete Shrimad Bhagavata, our Vedanta in Bhagavata course, by practicing the Contemplation that was guided to Raja Parikshita. 

The first Contemplation is on the Ishtarupa. Ishta means personal – one’s personal name, form and qualities of the Divine and for us that is Bhagavan Krshna. Bhagavan Krsha is the 20th Avatara that is listed in Shrimad Bhagavata. The second flow of our Contemplation will go from Ishtarupa to Vishvarupa, to the impersonal name, form and qualities. For us, that is Bhagavan Narayana who is Avatara 0. When Infinity comes as Divinity, that is Bhagavan Narayana, then Bhagavan Narayana takes on more Avataras. The final discipline that is offered to Raja Parikshita and to us is to contemplate not on Ishtarupa, not on Vishvarupa, but Atmarupa or Svarupa, for us to contemplate on who we are, that is our Nature. And this is not an Avatara. We have Atma who assumes

Avatara 0, which is Bhagavan Narayana, who assumes Avatara 20, which is Bhagavan Krishna. This is what Rshi Shuka shared with Raja Parikshita, this is what we have been practicing and we will now finally practice once again.

We are shifting to the Puja now. In our Puja, we are going to collectively offer Puja to Bhagavan Krshna-Radha through their Utsava murtis. There are many materials that are needed for a Puja, for this formal ritual, but for the sake of simplicity and the environment, Vivekji will only use Akshata or rice for all of the materials that are needed. Everyone should get ready in their hearts. With our hands folded near our hearts –

Atha Aacharana. We are seeing Bhagavan Ganesha in ourselves, around us. Let us whisper or chant softly – 

śuklāmbaradharaṃ vishnum śaśivarṇaṃ caturbhujam ।

prasannavadanaṃ dhyāyetsarvavighnopaśāṃtaye ॥

Atha Pranayama – Let us begin to breathe in a deep way in and out, really feeling that our body is becoming more pure.

Atha Dhyana – Let us visualize externally and internally our Guide and the lineage of Guides in our life; they are the ones who protect us. Those who provide external protection, that is temporary. A gGide teaches us to be independent and that is eternal protection.With our hands folded near our hearts –

Gururbrahmā gururviṣṇuḥ gururdēvō mahēśvaraḥ ।

gururēva parambrahma tasmai śrīguravē namaḥ ॥ 

We have completed the introduction to this Puja. Our Mukhya Puja begins with this 4th step which is – 

Atha Avahana – Let us reflect on what our Sankalpa will be. Sam kalpa means well changed. From 2019 to 2023, we have had lots to reflect on in terms of who we are. Now is the space and time to solidify that we are going to change in a specific way. This is our micro sankalpa, out of gratitude and appreciation to Bhagavan, to the Trust triangle. Let us identify what that is and feel that it is being established in our heart. Let us also recognize that we have a community sankalpa as well – our macro “well change”. We are already feeling privileged, but to share that privilege so that others also get to feel what we are. We keep doing this by offering our effort, offering our time and offering our resources. 

Now, let us close our eyes. Bhagavan Krshna will come on in a different way for all of us. Now with our left hand, let us touch our heart and extend our right hand forward, then open our eyes and feel that we are touching Bhagavan Krshna’s feet. Then let us repeat –

Om Krshna Brahmane Namah. Avahayami. 

The digital image or the pachaloha murthi in front of us is not just pixels and metal. We take for granted that Bhagavan lives in our hearts. This is us solidifying that we are not going to take this for granted. Now that we have invoked or invited Bhagavan, Bhagavan never says no to us. When we are doing that which is right, Bhagavan just removes our obstacles and says yes, yes, yes. 

Atha Asana – We are welcoming Bhagavan to stay and be comfortable. The more we shift from making ourselves comfortable to making Bhagavan comfortable, the more we will feel that He is staying with us. 

Om Krshna Brahmane Namah

Aasanam Samarpayami

Bhagavan says He is going to stay and sleep over. We want Bhagavan to feel fresh so we offer Gandham or sandalwood paste. This is for Him to feel fresh, but it is really for us to prepare for this freshness. 

Om Krshna Brahmane Namah

Gandham Samarpayami

Atha Archana – Now the next part of our Puja is where we are thinking, speaking and using our hands to know that Bhagavan is more than just an externality. What is significant about Bhagavan is the Gunas. This is where we are deepening our Contemplation from our Ishtarupa or Bhagavan Krshna to the Vishvarupa that is Bhagavan Narayana. In our Archana, Vivekji will chant Om Namo Narayanaya 108 times and will use the mala that was at the feet of Bhagavan Jagadeeshwara at Sandeepani, the mala that was touched and blessed by Swami Tejomayananda. 

We should chant in our heart or write, but feel Om Namo Narayanaya. 

Om Namo Narayanaya, Om Namo Narayanaya, Om Namo Narayanaya

Om Namo Narayanaya, Om Namo Narayanaya, Om Namo Narayanaya

Om Namo Narayanaya, Om Namo Narayanaya, Om Namo Narayanaya…

Please repeat – 

Krshna Para Brahmane Namah 

Archanam Samarpayami.

In our Puja, the first 3 steps are known as the Purva Puja. It is to prepare us for there to be a change in our heart. That was Aacharana, Pranayama and Dhyana. The Mukhya Puja started in the 4th step which was Avahana. Everyone made a promise to their Ishtarupa, Vishvarupa and Atmarupa to change well, to make a change especially knowing the opportunities that we all have in the form of our community and in the form of Vedanta in Bhagavata, as well as our Samashti or our collective well change. After we feel privileged, we must help others to feel the privilege. 

Avahana – Asana – Gandha – Archana and now Naivedya

Atha Naivedya – Naivedya is a feeling of cheer. The more content we become, the more cheerful we become. Please repeat – 

Om Krshna Brahmane Namah 

Naivedyam Samarpayami

Now we make another transition in our Puja, from the 20th Avatara to the 0 Avatara. 

Atha Namaskara – We are moving to the Infinity where there is no sense of Avatara. There is only a sense of Being. So now let us relax our bodies, enjoy our breath, chant with the mind and reflect with the intellect as we all actively listen to Atma Shataka – as we listen to the teachings, the experience of being one with the Atma. We are offering Namaskara to our own Self, as we are with ourselves –

Mano Buddhyahamkara-Chittani Naham

Nacha Shrotra Jihve Na Cha Ghrana Netre

Nacha Vyoma-Bhoomirna Tejo Na Vayuh

Chidananda Rupah Shivoham Shivoham

Na Cha Pranasanjno Na Vai Panchavayuh

Na Va Saptadhaturna Va Panchakoshah

Na Vak-Pani-Padam Na Chopastha-Payu

Chidananda Rupah Shivoham Shivoham

Na Me Dvesha-Ragau Na Me Lobha-Mohau

Mado Naiva Me Naiva Matsaryabhavah

Na Dharmo Na Chartho Na Kamo Na Mokshah

Chidananda Rupah Shivoham Shivoham

Na Punyam Na Papam Na Saukhyam Na Dukham

Na Mantro Na Teertham Na Veda Na Yajnaha

Aham Bhojanam Naiva Bhojyam Na Bhokta

Chidananda Rupah Shivoham Shivoham

Na Me Mrityushanka Na Me Jatibhedah

Pita Naiva Me Naiva Mata Na Janma

Na Bandhurna Mitram Gurur-Naiva Shishyah

Chidananda Rupah Shivoham Shivoham

Aham Nirvikalpo Nirakararupah

Vibhurvyapya Sarvatra Sarvendriyanam

Sada Me Samatvam Na Muktirna Bandhah

Chidananda Rupah Shivoham Shivoham

Whenever we reflect on Pradakshina, we think of moving around in three circles. This Pradakshina is almost like us following a path to the Center. Whatever happens in the waking state, whatever happens in the dream state, whatever happens in the sleep state, the Center of all of these, what is most important is Chit – Chidananda Rupa, that we are Awareness that allows the playout of sleep, dream and waking. 

Raja Parikshita, a seeker, has let go, let go of the relative – articles, circumstances and beings. He is in the jungle, so that means he has let go. And he is a dying human. A seeker is a dying human. Rshi Shuka, the one who has held on to Chidananda Rupa, the one who knows he is Awareness, is sharing with Raja Parikshita and with us – Contemplate – Satyam Param Dhimahi. Practice living for, living as Divinity. Train ourselves with our Ishtarupa. For us that is easy, in the name, form and quality of Bhagavan Krshna. Intensify our training from a murti to the vishva. Feel divinity in All articles, All circumstances and All Beings. That means we have to grow out of or let go of the importance of names and forms and hold on to the importance of qualities like values like Sattva. The 3rd Pradakshina is to even let go of the Gunas and to hold onto the Dhama – the Abode, the Home or the Center – that is Atmarupa. Only a human dies, but when we know we are Awareness, we rise above the fear of death, rise above the fear of change, we rise above fear. 

The final part of our Mukhya Puja is where we shift from feeling Divinity, from the icon, from the multiverse, to feeling there is Only Divinity and we are included in this. 

Atha Udvasana – We should now put our hands out and when indicated, gently push our icon or altar back. What this symbolizes is that the way we brought Divinity from our heart to the altar and icon, that we will not forget this, that there will be no avidya. So us pushing this back implies that we will feel this Divinity and that there is Only Divinity. 

Please repeat – Yatha Sthanam Pratishtapayami

The Purva Puja or the beginning part of our Puja is now complete. 

The Mukhya or the main part of our Puja is complete. 

We have also flown through contemplating on our Ishtarupa through Puja, Vishvarupa through Japa and Atmarupa through Dhyana. 

The final sharing in our completion today and the final sharing in our entire course –

Atha Mantra – This is the Uttara Puja – this is how we are going to live. In the 11th section of Shrimad Bhagavata, a question is given – What does a Bhakta live like? And the answer given is Bhagavata Dharma. This is what is stated as how someone, who is living as if there is only Divinity, lives like. 

Let us fold our hands near our heart and feel as much as we can, with our eyes open or closed, mouth crying, mouth smiling…just feel –

kāyena vācā manasendriyairvā

buddhyātmanā vā prakr̥teḥ svabhāvāt ।

karomi yadyatsakalaṁ parasmai

narayanāyeti samarpayāmi 

narayanāyeti samarpayāmi॥

This is how someone who is Divine or trying to be Divine lives. To help us, we again find the support of our Trust triangle and Pujya Swami Tejoymayananda, Shrimad Bhagavata and Bhagavan Krshna as we listen to this Bhajan. The evolution of Bhajan is – sing, seek, support, serve, surrender. 

Shri Krshna Sharanam Mama

Shri Krshna Sharanam Mama

Shri Krshna Sharanam Mama

Sharanam Mama

Sharanam Mama

Shri Krshna Chandra Bhagavan ki Jai

Sadgurunath Maharaj ki Jai

Vivekji offers his prayers to Bhagavan Krshna, to Shrimad Bhagavata, to our Sadguru-Shishya parampara to continue to grace us, to grace Vivekji to guide us and guide himself, to live the only purpose which is to Be Presence. 

Sadgurunath Maharaj ki Jai

Shrimad Bhagavata ki Jai

Shri Krshna Chandra Bhagavan ki Jai

Aaj ki Anand ki Jai

Shanti Shanti Shantih

It does not help to wander to those who cannot help you. If we ask for help from someone who cannot help us, then there is no practicality, or efficiency gained in that. If we really study people, they can offer a lot of help externally, in terms of resources, food, expertise, but when it comes to what we really need, which is happiness, most people cannot offer that as most people are needing that themselves. All of us are acutely honest about this, which is why on January 13, 2019, we sat in Bhagavata. The word Bhagavata means Ta – a boat. What kind of boat?  Va – the best boat. Going where? Ga – taking us not outside, but inside to Bha – which is Bhagavan or Light. We sat in the “boat best” to take us to our own Self. We are asking for help from the system that can offer this help. Typically when someone is exposed to Bhagavata, it is through a Bhagavata Saptaha. Sapta – seven, aha – day. So saptah means seven days. What we have done is taken the hora of a saptah, the hours in a week. We have taken the number of hours in a week and gone into Bhagavata in that depth. 

Shrimad Bhagavata is spread over twelve sections with twelve different themes. The first theme in the first section is on Disciple. The second section, second theme is Discipline. Here is a verse from Section 12 that actually reviews the later ten themes, other than Disciple and Discipline. These are – 

Skanda 12:7:9

sargo syātha visargaś ca

vṛtti-rakṣāntarāṇi ca

vaṁśo vaṁśānucaritaṁ

saṁsthā hetur apāśrayaḥ

• 3rd section – Creation; 
• 4th section – Diversification
• 5th section – Position
• 6th section – Protection
• 7th section – Inclination
• 8th section – Intensification
• 9th section – Disidentification
• 10th section – Absorption
• 11th section – Liberation
• 12th section – Foundation

In the last class, the review started in the 7^thsection. A highlight of this section is that our willpower is stronger than world power. A great example of this is Hiranyakashipu who is like world power, being born into a family that is awful. But who was stronger than Hiranyakashipu? It was Prahlada and for us that signifies willpower is stronger.

In the 8^th section, a highlight is that we all work hard. However, in this section, it is not about working hard, but about working smarter. We work smarter when we bring Bhakti. When there is meaning or when we are devoted to what we are doing, a new energy and enthusiasm comes.

In the 9^th section, there are details about those who are Divine. Vivekji corrected himself from the previous week’s discourse, and said that it was Rshi Durvasa who was running for one year, not Raja Ambarisha. Now if we think of a Rshi, how can a Rshi have less power than a Raja? But Raja Ambarisha’s power was not from being a King, but it was from his connection to the Divine. That is what made him so great and the whole 9^th section highlights this. 

At the end of the 9^th section is the preview to the 10^th section. Vivekji shared that the assembly time at Bala Vihar should be like a preview to a movie – crisp, exciting so that when the movie starts, every one is more tuned in. At the end of this section, the reason for Bhagavan Narayana to become Bhagavan Krshna is stated. Why did Bhagavan Narayana incarnate as Bhagavan Krshna? We might say that Dharma was in decline and that He had to re-balance it, but that is not accurate. That is the secondary reason. The primary reason that Bhagavan Narayana became Bhagavan Krshna is just to Bless! He was just born to bless everyone and everything He touched, whether it was the Asuras or the Suras, even the Devas, like Indra and Brahma. Vivekji laughingly shared about a t-shirt he had recently come across – Too Blessed to be stressed! And if we remember Bhagavan Krshna, He just came to Bless. For all of us who know so much about Him, how can we be studying Bhagavata and still feel stressed? Those are antonyms. 

In the 10^th section, we have the birth of Bhagavan Krshna! This is the heart of Shrimad Bhagavata. Vivekji read aloud everything that has been reviewed about the 10^th section. We should close our eyes and just feel this, just feel blessed. This is an attempt at reviewing the 10^th section which is about Bhagavan Krshna’s Leela –

The Birth of the Supreme Being Shri Krshna as Vasudeva’s son in the prison; His removal to Gokula; His upbringing there; the description of His numerous wonderful deeds consisting in the destruction of Asuras, deeds like the sucking of Putana’s lifeforce, the smashing of the Cart demon, others like the destruction of Trinaavarta, Baka and Vatsassura, Dhenukasura and his associates, and Pralamba asura; the protection of the Gopas from forest fire; the humbling of the serpent Kaliya, the rescue of Nanda from a python; the observance of vows by the Gopis for deserving Shri Krshna; the bestowal of Krshna’s Grace on the wives of the Vedist Brahmanas and the repentance of the Brahmanas; the lifting of Govardhana mountain; Indra’s worship of Krshna and Surabi’s ceremonial bath of Him; and the Lord’s Rasa Leela with the Gopis; the destruction of Shankachooda, Arishta and Keshi; the arrival of Akrura at Vraja at the departure of Rama and Krshna to Mathura; the moaning of the women of Vraja; Krishna’s sightseeing at Mathura and the destruction of Kuvalayapeeda, the Elephant, and of Mushtika, Chanura and Kamsa; the restoration of the dead children of the teacher Sandipani; the rehabilitation of the Yadavas with the help of Uddhava and Balarama; the destruction of the armies of Jarasandha in many campaigns; the killing of Yavana through Muchukunda, effecting the evacuation of the Yadavas from Mathura to Dwarka; the securing of the Parijata and Sudharma from Indra’s heaven and the marriage with Rukmini after defeating rival Kings; the paralying of Hara in battle and the chopping off of the numerous arms of Bana; the destruction of Narkasura, the king of Pragjyotisha and the recovery of the maidens kept captive by Bhaumasura;  the destruction of Shishupala, Paundraka, Salva, Dantavaktra, Sambara, Dvivida, Pitha, Mura, Panchajana and others. The burning of Varanasi and relieving the earth of her burdens through the agency of the Pandavas.

The 11^th section was finished last semester and Vivekji had read a really sad verse to us and a really happy verse. Here is the sad verse –

Skanda 11:31:6

lokābhirāmāṁ sva-tanuṁ
dhāraṇā-dhyāna-maṅgalam
yoga-dhāraṇayāgneyyā-
dagdhvā dhāmāviśat svakam

Without employing the mystic Agni, this meditation to burn up His transcendental body which is the all attractive resting place of all the worlds and the object of all contemplation and meditation, Krshna entered into His own abode. 

That was the final verse that we came across where Bhagavan Krshna was visceral. We invested so much in getting to know the details, but Bhagavan Krshna showed us that everything in life comes and goes. Shrimad Bhagavata is teaching us the Art of Dying and though we cannot assign that Bhagavan Krshna died, but the form that people were accustomed to did come and did go. 

The 11^th section is about holding onto Bhagavan Krshna without holding onto His name and form. So what do we need to hold onto then? His Gunas or His teachings. So the last verse that Vivekji shared with us last semester –

Skanda 11:31:21

arjunaḥ preyasaḥ sakhyuḥ

kṛṣṇasya virahāturaḥ

ātmānaṁ sāntvayām āsa

kṛṣṇa-gītaiḥ sad-uktibhiḥ

Arjuna felt great distress over separation from Lord Kṛṣṇa, his dearmost friend, but he consoled himself by remembering the transcendental words the Lord had sung to him. 

Whenever we feel dejection, anxiety, stress, use the precedent that Prince Arjuna used, and not just Prince Arjuna, but also Rshi Uddhava. Rshi Uddhava felt equal anxiety and stress that Prince Arjuna did, but Rshi Uddhava was enlightened. He did go to Badari ashrama because Bhagavan Krshna told him to. He became enlightened and he moved north. 

Now reviewing Section 12, the final section of Shrimad Bhagavata. 

The 12^th section has the theme of Ashraya – foundation or immersion, to be immersed in the foundation.

Skanda 12:12:43 

yuga-lakṣaṇa-vṛttiś ca

kalau nṝṇām upaplavaḥ

catur-vidhaś ca pralaya

utpattis tri-vidhā tathā

This work also describes people’s characteristics and behavior in the different ages, the chaos men experience in the Age of Kali, the four kinds of annihilation and the three kinds of creation. 

Here are the highlights of this final section –

1. The theme is Foundation. All comes and goes, but not the foundation. This building can explode, implode but nothing can happen to the earth which is the foundation of this building and all buildings. In this section, the four aspects of what makes a human happy are highlighted: 

• Satya – integrity
• Daya – graciousness – to make other people’s lives easier by living by integrity
• Tapa – burn comfort zones or openness, to sit with people we do not know well, get to know people who do not look like us, people who do not sound like us. Traveling for non-vacation reasons is a great way of tapa.
• Dana – generosity 

These are the four virtues that make us feel krta or complete. In this section, what is highlighted is that as time went on, atrophy kicked into people’s minds and these kept on dissolving backwards. What went away first was Dana, then Tapa, then Daya. What is still sort of there is Satya and the proof of that is how much access to Satsanga we have. That is proof that Satya is still hanging on. 

2. Another highlight is the types of Pralaya – Transformation. When we are really sleepy and we sleep, then we wake up from that sleep, aren’t we really transformed? Nitya pralaya is that we are in one condition, but are transformed into another – that is the regular transformation. The purpose of that is Atyantika pralaya which is the final transformation, where we cannot transform anymore. There is only one facet of life that has never transformed and will never transform. What is the answer? It is Infinity. Infinity cannot change and will never change. We have to use transformation in the direction of Atyantika pralaya. It is the ego that causes us to become this and that, so we have to put that ego in the foundation. We bury that ego. 

3. In terms of the 3^rd highlight, there is lots of completion that happens in this section. Rshi Shuka shares his final teachings, and then he keeps on moving. Raja Parikshita’s body dies, but he doesn’t even know that he has been bitten by that poison. He is also freed. Then Raja Shaunaka asks his final question – Where does Dharma live? The answer is given that Dharma lives in these teachings. And Rshi Ugrashava is now sharing his final words, that he is going through all of Bhagavata again, not for everyone else, but for himself as everyone else is gone. It is just him. 

Zooming into these three highlights a little bit more, in terms of Satya, Daya, Tapa and Dana – What can we do with these insights? Take Nama, Give Dana, if we want to restore these ways to be happy. With reference to Nitya pralaya to Atyantika pralaya, the famous Rshi who became free is Rshi Markandeya. He became free and he got to see Bhagavan’s Maya. Only if we are free can we see Bhagavan’s Maya. If we learn Sanatana Dharma really well, then we can start studying other religions. If we are an easily manipulated person, not so strong in our own culture and religion, then we shouldn’t go about exploring yet. 

4. Now the final thoughts of the 12^th chapter and then the final chapter. 

The 12^th chapter, Verses 45-68 are such lovely verses about what Bhagavata is and what it can do to us. 

Verse 46 – Even if a human cries out, “O Hari, Salutations to thee!” in a state of utter helplessness while falling or stumbling in the thick of danger or in grief or in illness, they will be freed from their sins.

That is why Vivekji shared that if we ask for help from someone who needs help, our helplessness will be compounded. Here the word Narayana or Krshna is not used, but Hari is used. What does the word Hari mean? Another word for Hari is thief, the one who steals. If we are suffering from dejection, anxiety and stress, then we must pray for that to be stolen. Bhagavan Hari WILL come and it is shared right here! 

Another highlight in this section is how Rshi Ugrashava is sharing that superior to Karma is Jnana, but superior to Jnana is Bhakti. Both Karma and Jnana can only take us so far, but Bhakti can take us to the ends. The visualization that was shared in the Narada Bhakti Sutra class is that those who follow knowledge are like baby monkeys and those who follow Bhakti are like baby cats or kittens. Suppose a baby monkey has to get from here to there, it gets there by holding onto the neck of its mother. It is its own effort combined with its mother’s effort. Now how does a kitten get from here to there? The mother cat just puts the kitten in its mouth and carries it – there is no self-effort. Often with self effort, we start to feel that we are the doer, we are the deserver and that we are self-made. That is why it is so important to be associated with a Sadguru- Shishya parampara as we may have heard Vivekji sharing several times that he has learned these teachings from his Master, who has learnt it from His Teacher, who has learnt it from His Teacher. There is no self effort here. It is just “bidalavat” or just being a kitten. 

The final verse in this 12^th chapter is shared by Rshi Ugrashava. If we recall Rshi Shuka, he is the one who keeps on moving.  And how did he get called back? Because they started to chant verses from Bhagavata. He is independently joyous, so what do we give to someone who is independently joyous? All we can give them is Bhakti and they will come. That is what is being described here –

I salute Shuka, the son of Vyasa, who though established in the inherent bliss of the Self and consequently devoid of any attraction for anything external was nonetheless drawn even from his mergence in the Self by the attraction of the sported doings of the One who none can conquer, and out of his mercy for all living beings, expounded this Purana which may really be called the Book of God, that effaces the impurities in the minds of all and lights the lamp of Divine love and knowledge in their minds.

This ends the 12^th Chapter of the 12^th Section and now we are in the final chapter of the final section of the Book of God. Where does God live after He leaves us viscerally? 

In His book, in His teachings. 

There are 12 sections of Shrimad Bhagavata and there are 335 chapters. There are 18,000 verses. How many verses in the Bhagavad Gita? 700 verses. In this course, we will have flowed through 1576 pages. That is how much we have summarized into 168 hours. 

The 12^th Chapter begins with Rshi Ugrashava stating what Shrimad Bhagavata is – 

Skanda 12:12:1 – 

namo dharmāya mahate

namaḥ kṛṣṇāya vedhase

brahmaṇebhyo namaskṛtya

dharmān vakṣye sanātanān

He is remembering how he learned what he has learned – Salutations to the most glorious doctrine of devotion to the Lord. Salutations to Krshna the ultimate facilitator of destinies. Saluting all Holy people, I shall now speak of Sanatana Dharma. 

What is Shrimad Bhagavata? It is Sanatana Dharma or Infinite nature

Now the 13^th chapter, Verse 1 – This too is the remembrance of Sanatana Dharma and what it can do to people. The Bhagavad Gita’s Dhyana shlokas came from here –  

Skanda 12:13:1 – 

yaṁ brahmā varuṇendra-rudra-marutaḥ stunvanti divyaiḥ stavair

vedaiḥ sāṅga-pada-kramopaniṣadair gāyanti yaṁ sāma-gāḥ

dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yogino

yasyāntaṁ na viduḥ surāsura-gaṇā devāya tasmai namaḥ

What this verse is stating is – I remember the flow of this knowledge and how this knowledge has transformed every type of being.

The next verse is so lovely and poetic and is describing how Bhagavan protects us – 

May the breath of the Lord as the Divine tortoise protect you. The breath that escaped from Him, while He was being lulled to sleep by the scratching of the rocky bottom of the whirling Mandara mountain kept on His back for the churning of the Milky Ocean.

So what is being described is when Bhagavan came as Kurma Avatara, this huge mountain felt like it was just scratching his back. And here is the lovely part. 

The breath, a little of whose impulse seems to persist even to this day, camouflaged as tides high and low in the ocean. 

The tortoise is in the ocean and as it breathes out, it blows the tides towards us and when it breathes in, the tides come back to the tortoise. We never come across poetry like this. So the next time we are near the ocean, we must remember that Bhagavan Kurma is still there to protect us. 

In Skanda 12:13:19, the last three words are Satyam Param Dhimahi. How does Shrimad Bhagavata begin? With Satyam Param Dhimahi. How does it end? Satyam Param Dhimahi. It means – May I contemplate on Consciousness. Rshi Ugrashava is securing that. 

This is the final verse that Vivekji is sharing with us, of the final chapter of the final section. Vivekji has already read us a verse about Sanatana Dharma, a verse about what Sanatana Dharma can do to us – where we can become free. But IF, we don’t become free before our breath ends… However, Vivekji is confident that we will become free before our breath ends.

Skanda 12:13:22 – 

bhave bhave yathā bhaktiḥ

pādayos tava jāyate

tathā kuruṣva deveśa

nāthas tvaṁ no yataḥ prabho

Rshi Ugrashava is not speaking to anyone. Everyone is gone now, so who is he speaking to? He is just speaking to himself, but remember that this is Bhagavan’s leela. Rshi Ugrashava and Bhagavan know that we are going to be listening, so he is speaking to us directly. Please take this out of the context of India, past, etc.. 

O Thou Lord and Master of our souls, ordain that whatever embodiments we might get again and again, that we shall be endowed with devotion to thy feet.

If we are going to be born and if we are going to be born again and again and again, may we be born with Bhakti. If we are born with Bhakti, we will be protected. The 5^th purpose in life which is really the only purpose in life is Bhakti. We have invested years into trying to feel this. 

With our body relaxed and enjoying our breath, with the mind quiet and the intellect feeling still, please let us hold our hand near our heart.

इति श्रीमद्भागवते महापुराणे वैयासक्यामष्टादशसाहस्र्यां पारमहंस्यां संहितायां द्वादशस्कन्धे त्रयोदशोऽध्यायः ॥ १३॥

Shrimad Bhagavate mahapurane vayyasikhyam ashtadasha sahasryam paramahamsyam samhitayam dvadasha skande trayodasho dhyayah

With our eyes still closed and still feeling this – This is Shimad Bhagavata and inside is this Maha Purana, this most educational map. Vayyasikhyam – there are teachings in this educational map, 18000 verses. Who gets to study and share this? Only those who have let go of all. It is this map that helps one to be complete and so the 12^th section, the 13^th chapter… 

Iti dvadashah skandah samaptah – thus the 12^th section is complete. Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Vivekji offers his prayers to Rshi Ugrashava, Raja Shaunaka, to Rshi Shuka and Raja Parikshita, to Bhagavan Veda Vyasa, Rshi Narada, Bhagavan Brahma, Bhagavan Narayana, that we feel Bhakti here and now, and that if we don’t have enough Bhakti, that the way Bhagavan Narayana’s Krpa or Anugraha has flown, may that flow continue, may that flow grow in our heads, and hearts and hands. 

Aum Narayana Narayana Narayana

Last week’s RAW: To feel that Shrimad Bhagavata does not exist. 

Vivekji’s thoughts: It was very heartbreaking to feel that Shrimad Bhagavata was not there. Imagine Bhagavata so deep in our hearts, and then we share it is not there. So we have to break our hearts to take it away. 

RAW: Write what Vedanta in Bhagavata means to you in 168 words, including our First name, Last name and City, State and email to Yatin at hello@chinmayaniagara.com

In a previous class, our discussion subject was – What is a noticeable difference between one who feels Bhakti and one who does not feel Bhakti? One strong reflection that we came up with was that a strong sign of Bhakti is when one doesn’t ask “Why me?”. Whenever we ask “Why me?”, it tends to be in the context of negativity. “Why me” is this article, being, circumstance happening. When a Bhakta feels that Bhagavan is looking at them, so looking after them, even to the extent of, if a Bhakta has to go to Naraka, hell, they still accept that as they know that it is a process of rehabilitation or purification. As we complete our Vedanta in Bhagavata course (this is our 167th class), are we one who is still asking verbally or mentally “Why me?” or are we a personality now who accepts that all that happens is a call for us to come home to Bhagavan. 

We are flowing through an immense review of Bhagavata (168 hours condensed into 4 hours). For Vivekji, it is an immense effort to try and review this, but at the same time Vivekji is immensely grateful that he got to go through all his notes, particularly the tenth Section which is about Bhagavan Krshna only. When we review, we reflect. When we reflect, we personalize. When we personalize, we practice, and when we practice, we feel Peace. Review – Reflect – Personalize – Practice – Peace! 

In the 3^rd section, the theme is Creation. In the 4^th section, the theme is Diversification, how Creation becomes more creative. In the  5^th section, the theme is Position, how does Diversification relate to humans living in this diversification. For the  6^th section, Vivekji chanted again Verse 17 from Chapter 12 of the 12^th Section – 

Skanda 12:12:17 –

dakṣa-janma pracetobhyas
tat-putrīṇāṁ ca santatiḥ
yato devāsura-narās

Tiryaṅ-naga-khagādayaḥ

In the  6^th Section, the highlights are – The rebirth of Prajāpati Dakṣa as the son of the Pracetās, and the progeny of Dakṣa’s daughters, who initiated the races of the Semigods, demons, human beings, animals, serpents, birds and so on — all of this is described in this section.

The  6^th Section focuses on Poshana or Grace. There is a general Grace which we call Krpa, and there is a specific Grace which we call Anugraha. Everyone has a general Grace on them, but when we start to work harder and smarter, when we start to practice Bhakti, then specific Grace comes into our lives. In other words, living becomes easier. This does not mean life becomes easier. Life will always be hard, but living becomes easier. 

Now we come to Section 7. Here are some highlights or lakshyas. 

1. The theme here is Uti which means Nature. Nature here does not mean the body, breath, mind and intellect, but rather the ego or vasanas. What is my personality type through which this gets expressed into my mind, intellect and so on. Here is Verse 18 from Chapter 12 as a reference – 

Skanda 12:12:18 – 

tvāṣṭrasya janma-nidhanaṁ

putrayoś ca diter dvijāḥ

daityeśvarasya caritaṁ

prahrādasya mahātmanaḥ

O brahmanas, also recounted are the births and deaths of Vrtrasura and of Diti’s sons Hiranyaksa and Hiranyakasipu, as well as the history of the greatest of Diti’s descendants, the exalted soul Prahlada.

2. In Section 7, a highlight is Hiranyakashipu. Hiranya means gold and Kashipu means sleeping. The one who is always sleeping on gold which means the one whose interest is always gross. Hiranyakashipu is someone who had a lot of Dharma, Artha and Kama in his life, but he never directed it towards Moksha. Shared in a different way, he had a lot of power, but what he lacked was purity or direction.

3. However, Hiranyakashipu’s general Grace was that his son was Prahalada. Prahalada is the second foremost personality in Shrimad Bhagavata, who is an icon of a Bhakta and is known as the Mahabhagavata. The foremost icon in Bhagavata is Bhagavan Krshna who is the icon of Bhagavan. We name our kids and grandkids various names, but we should be naming them Prahalad or Prahalada. This Mahabhagavata had shared with the people around him how to practice Bhakti. These are the nine steps, from introducing Bhakti to completing Bhakti –

1. Shravana 

2. Kirtana 

3. Smarana 

4. Sevaya – to practice seva, not just intellectualize it

5. Archana

6. Vandana 

7. Dasya – to become Bhagavan’s servant

8. Sakhya – become closer than a Dasya 

9. Nivedana – become the closest as in surrendering any sort of separation 

Vivekji highlighted the last three steps as special because – Dasya is like dvaita – I’m the servant and the Divine is my Master, but more evolved than that is Sakhya, like a part-whole relationship which in Sanskrtam is called Vishishta Advaita – it is partial Oneness. But if we surrender separation, like in Nivedana, then that would be Advaita or Oneness. 

4. A lot of detail is given on how we should live based on our Varna and our Ashrama – based on our personality type and position type. Position type means externally, how old we are and where we live. The reason these details are given is that if we follow these guidelines, then we will go from the relative to the Absolute. The whole point of understanding the Gunas is to go past the Gunas, not to get deeper into the Gunas. So whenever we come across teachings about Varna, the color of our personality, or Ashrama, the position we have in life, then we must try to think of the big picture. Otherwise, we have steel chains instead of gold chains, but they are still chains. 

Next is Skanda 8. Some lakshyas or highlights are – 

1. This Section is on Sat-Dharma – Saddharma which means evolution. All of us follow Dharma, but this section is teaching us on how to intensify our practices, a very practical section.

Skanda 12:12:19 –

manv-antaranukathanam

gajendrasya vimokṣanam

manvantaravataras ca

viṣnor hayaṣiradayah

The reign of each Manu, the liberation of Gajendra and the special incarnations of Lord Viṣnu in each manvantara, such as Lord Hayagriva, are described as well.

2. The four ways we can take our Dharma and make it Saddharma – we can intensify the way we are living – 1. Smarana 2. Dana 3. Pratijna 4. Raksha

3. The katha relating to Smarana, which means remembrance, is about Gajendra. In this beautiful katha, when Bhagavan Hari comes to free Gajendra, who does He free first? That crocodile or makara. The implication for us – suppose we do not identify as a great Bhakta (if it is too intimidating or we do not know enough or whatever it may be), but if we have Bhakti to a Bhakta, we too become free. When Shri Tulasidasa thought he was going to die, who did he remember? He wanted to be with Bhagavan Rama, but felt he couldn’t, so he went through the middle person that was Hanumanji. But who is Hanumanji holding onto? Bhagavan Rama. But he did see Bhagavan Rama and he never died. That is why Hanuman Chalisa is chanted when someone is not well, reactively, but we chant it proactively anyways. So have Bhakti to a Bhakta. 

In terms of Dana, a practical application for us is related to the Kshirasagara manthana – the churning of the milky ocean. The main personality who was doing this dana here was Indra. What Indra learned carefully in this whole katha was that he is not the doer. Dana is giving and Indra gave up doership to Bhagavan. Whose ocean is it? Bhagavan Narayana’s. Who brought the mountain? Bhagavan Narayana. Who called Bhagavan Shiva? Bhagavan Narayana. Whenever we think of the churning of the milky ocean, we think of Mohini, though what we should really be thinking about is that all of the doing that happens in our life is because of Bhagavan. Relatedly, what is the first substance that came out in the churning of the milky ocean? It was poison and the last substance was Amrita or deathlessness or fearlessness. So for us too, as we go on our journey inwards, the first thing we will find is poison (negativity, jealousy, incompleteness), but we should keep going, and we will find our Nature. 

Next is Pratijna which is following through on our commitments or promises. This relates to Raja Bali or Mahabali. When Bhagavan Vamana asked for three steps, then Raja Bali gave him those three steps, but really he gave him all three of his states, all three of his equipments, all three of his bodies. But who warned him not to do this? Rshi Shukracharya. He was like the original financial advisor who advised that one-fifth of our wealth should go to Kama, our own pleasure, one-fifth towards Artha, our own possessions (cellphones, computers, cars, homes), one-fifth should go towards Yasha, one’s own position (what we do in life to elevate our position, like education), one-fifth should be for svajana (our family) and the last one-fifth should be for Dharmaya (for society, humanity, community, svajana being part of it). Dharmaya is to encourage responsibility. 

And finally Raksha which means protection. This katha relates to Satyavrata and how he found this really tiny fish, but instead of just throwing away this fish, he protected this fish. And what did this fish do to him and everyone? It protected back – Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitah. 

4. Redefining these words – Smarana is where we are practicing humility. Gajendra thought he could free himself, but he finally realized he could not. Dana is practicing generosity. Give up doership. Pratijna is practicing integrity. If we signed up for something, then we must finish it. Finally, Raksha is security, for us to live for our own security and to share that with others. 

We have now covered Mahatmya and eight Skandas. We will now continue into the 9^th Skanda which has a change in thought flow. 

Shrimad Bhagavata has a singular teaching of Surrender. We will know we are practicing Shrimad Bhagavata if we are more surrender oriented. 

• The Mahatmya or Skanda 0 is to encourage Quietude – for us to be ready for Bhagavata. 
• Skandas 1 and 2 are a package, trying to create Identification, to identify with Raja Parikshita, to identify with Rshi Shuka. It is similar to Chapter 1 of Bhagavad Gita. 
• Skandas 3, 4, 5 are trying to encourage Belief. They talk about the technicalities of creation and how to practice and personalize this. This relates to Shravana.
• Skandas 6, 7, 8, they evolve from Belief to Faith or to encourage Faith – to go from shravana to manana. It is not about creation anymore, but about the Grace that comes with creation and so on. 
• Skandas 9, 10, 11, from Belief to Faith to Trust. Who is born in the 9th section? Bhagavan Rama. Who is born in the 10th section? Bhagavan Krshna. So Trust. This is not a matter of Shravana or Manana, but it is a matter of Nidhidhyasana. Vivekji has mentioned that to really experience Bhagavata, we have to be in a contemplative mood, and not in a sleepy mood. 

Now we come to Section 9. Here are some lakshyas or highlights – 

1. The  9^th section is also very practical and the theme here is Nasha, the Nasha of Vasanas – Vasananasha or Transformation. We are ordinary people. Then we intensify our practices which is Section 8, and then we are a transformed person which is Section 9. And if we really transform ourselves completely, then in Section 12, we feel Bhagavan Krshna or we feel Joy. 

Skanda 12:12:24 –

rāmasya kośalendrasya

caritaṁ kilbiṣāpaham

nimer aṅga-parityāgo

janakānāṁ ca sambhavaḥ

The Bhagavatam now narrates the sanctifying pastimes of Lord Ramachandra, the King of Kosala, and also explains how King Nimi abandoned his material body. The appearance of the descendants of Raja Janaka is also mentioned.

2. This is a very important part of Shrimad Bhagavata. There are a lot of great personalities who are highlighted, personalities who have transformed themselves like Raja Ambarisha. What did Rshi Durvasa have to do for one year? Rshi Durvasa had to run for one year just like Sugreeva had to run. There are a lot of such references in our scriptures. One more great transformed personality was Raja Harishchandra. Another great personality was Raja Bhagiratha who gave us access to Mother Ganga. They were awesome personalities who worked hard and smart. They did not live in an easy way. 

3. Also, in this Skanda are two prominent Avataras – Parushurama who carried an axe in His hand and the other Rama was Kondandarama – He used to hold His bow with one hand, but we would need to hold it with two hands. The details of when people were trying to lift up Bhagavan Shiva’s bow are highlighted as well. 

4. The final highlight of this section is the methodology of how to change our vasanas. The three methodologies are:

• Light vasanas –  Kshaya or exhaustion – go through an experience and then don’t need to go through it again
• Medium vasanas – Parivartana – go through vasana parivartana which means substitution or sublimation. Parivartana means we change direction. 
• Heavy vasanas – Nasha – Disidentification which is the theme of this section, where we have the knowledge that we do NOT have vasanas. 

With reference to vasanas, Rantideva is also another great personality. He prayed to Bhagavan Narayana that he should be the first in everyone’s heart, instead of Bhagavan Narayana. Why? Because he wanted to absorb everyone’s sorrows. Whatever hardships we have in our hearts, he wanted to take those hardships, so that secondly, we would feel Bhagavan was there. What a prayer! Only one who has no vasanas can take on others’ vasanas. 

Now we come to Section 10, and here, Vivekji is sharing six highlights. 

1. The theme of this section is Ashraya and it has ninety chapters. Ashraya means Surrender. We can transform ourselves all we want, but finally we have to surrender even our effort. When we chant Maha Mrityunjaya mantra, it is not for people who are sick. That is the wrong practice of this mantra. It is for those who have worked hard and smart for enlightenment and now are praying that they cannot enlighten themselves, so they need Bhagavan’s help to separate themselves from separation. We tend to dilute these mantras for our own personal experience. It is Surrender.

Skanda 12:12:27 – 

yatrāvatīrṇo bhagavān

kṛṣṇākhyo jagad-īśvaraḥ

vasudeva-gṛhe janma

tato vṛddhiś ca gokule

How Shri Krhsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and Lord of the universe, descended into this Yadu dynasty, how He took birth in the home of Vasudeva, and how He then grew up in Gokula — all of this is described in detail.

2. In the 6^th section, Bhagavan helps us. In the 7^th section, after Bhagavan helps us, we still feel very heavy (that was about vasanas). So in the 8th section, we start to live smarter. In the 9^th section, we start to feel lighter then. And the 10^th section, it is the heart of Shrimad Bhagavata. When we start to feel lighter, we start to feel our own heart, and feel the Light in our heart. A lot of what is shared in this section is – All Emerges from Bhagavan, Exists in Bhagavan and Ends in Bhagavan, the point being that All Belongs to Bhagavan, for us to feel that in our heart. 

3. Bhagavan Krshna’s living in this section is very Leela-like. Why Leela? So He can actually practice being Manohara – the One who steals our mind. All of these amazing happenings are for us to be captivated, to be enchanted by Him. When Vivekji says Bhagavan Vishnu, what do we think of? Him lying on a snake. He was lying down even during the churning of the Milky ocean. When we think of Bhagavan Rama, He was not lying, but always walking. But when we think of Bhagavan Krshna, He was dancing. Noone is enamored by someone lying down or walking, but dancing is very captivating. Do we see how much Bhagavan loves us? We don’t love Bhagavan Narayana, so we need Bhagavan Rama. We don’t love Bhagavan Rama, so we need Bhagavan Krshna who is very lovable. Vamana also means the most adorable, not a dwarf. 

4. We tend to think that Bhagavan Narayana becomes an Avatara of Bhagavan Krshna. Avatara means Avatarati or descending. It’s a very Abrahamic religious sentiment where God lives in Heaven and then joins us on earth, but the word used here is Sambhavami meaning manifests and then un-manifests. The implication here is – Where is God? Here and here. For the ones who can see, they can see and the ones who cannot see, cannot see. More specifically, when there is micro compromise, when a few people are compromising on Dharma in a few ways, that is corrected by Sadhus. Think of what Swami Vivekananda did to the people of Bharat. He corrected their compromise, and so did Gandhiji. But when there is macro compromise or when lots of people are compromising in lots of ways, then a Sadhu cannot correct that. Then Bhagavan has to appear in a micro form which means this is God, but where is God the most in this room? Over there, at the Altar. Bhagavan Krshna is Infinite, but He appears to be Divine, in a particular name and form to correct that compromise. 

5. Next highlight is the compromise that is happening in this section, that is leaders who are only disguised as leaders. They are not Suras who are filled with Light, but Asuras filled with darkness. They are disguising themselves, so it is very hard for people to correct them. Imagine we lived in a country with Dictatorship, it would be very hard to correct them then. In a Democracy, it is not perfect, but more manageable. So that is why Bhagavan came and took on the disguised leaders. Dantavaktra and Shishupala were some disguised leaders who were reincarnations of Jaya and Vijaya. They became weaker with each incarnation. They were the strongest as Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu, then weaker as Ravana and Kumbhakarana, and now they are almost nobodies in the time of Bhagavan Krshna, which shows that Jaya and Vijaya got rehabilitated. 

6. Now the final highlight of this section. Skanda 10 is known as the Heart of Shrimad Bhagavata. Just like our heart has a lot of physiological systems, so in Shrimad Bhagavata, there are five chapters known as the Panchapranas. Within the heart, this is the heart of hearts. These chapters are Chapters 29 to 33. The most important of the five pranas is Udana. Udana is that mystical force that projects us into another body. When our body dies, we will not breathe or defecate anymore. That all stops, but it is the Udana shakti that carries on even after this body dies, and that is Chapter 31. So the final thought for this section is that this section has very much to do with Saguna Bhakti, which is in stark contrast to the 11^thsection which is Nirguna Bhakti.

That brings us to Section 11. Here are some lakshyas or highlights

1. The theme of the 11^thsection is Mukti. If we have evolved and transformed, now we have surrendered, so what we should feel is Mukti – Serenity. After we have surrendered, there is serenity. 

Skanda 12:12:41 – 

māhātmyaṁ ca vadhas teṣāṁ

vārāṇasyāś ca dāhanam

bhārāvataraṇaṁ bhūmer

nimittī-kṛtya pāṇḍavān

There are descriptions of the powers and the deaths of the King of Cedi, Paundraka, Salva, the foolish Dantavaktra, Sambara, Dvivida, Pitha, Mura, Pañcajana and other demons, along with a description of how Varanasi was burned to the ground. The Bhagavatam also recounts how Lord Krshna relieved the earth’s burden by engaging the Pandavas in the Battle of Kurukshetra.

2. This section is not about Saguna Bhakti, but it is about Nirguna Bhakti. It is about practicing Bhakti through teachings. One’s life can go on for only so long, but one’s teachings can go on forever. Right at the beginning of this section is the Navayogi Gita. These nine Yogis explained so much about Bhakti.

3. Another highlight in this section is about Bhagavan Krshna’s family that consumed itself. There was a fratricidal war (war within a family). Vivekji recalls Swami Tejomayananda sharing that parents are so bothered by their children not listening to them, but Bhagavan Krshna’s children and grandchildren did not listen to Him either. So we do not stand a chance. Not just Bhagavan Krshna’s family, in the end even Bhagavan Krshna’s manifestation became un-manifest. 

4. The final highlight, if we go back to Naimisharanya, Raja Shaunaka asks Rshi Ugrashava six questions. The sixth question was – Where does Dharma live?. The answer given in this section is that it lives in Gita – Uddhava Gita, Bhagavad Gita, Bhikshu Gita, Navayogi Gita. Dharma lives or Bhagavan Krshna lives in these teachings.

—————————————–

Last week’s RAW: We had to contemplate that there was no creation. 

Vivekji’s thoughts: We would have a lighter week as everything would become super relative then. One more insight from the 10th section is that all emerges from Bhagavan, exists in Bhagavan and ends in Bhagavan. So these verbs, emerge, exist and end, are all falsities. Really there is Only Bhagavan.

RAW: Feel that Shrimad Bhagavata never existed, that everything we know from Vedanta in Bhagavata never happened or is not happening. Feel that!

We are taught by those who are wise that we should use samsara to reach Bhagavan, that we should use society to reach Divinity. If we pause and reflect, is this really the sequence that we follow? For most of us, we use Bhagavan to reach samsara – more pleasure, more possession, more position, instead of us being freed from depending on pleasure, possession and position. Vedanta in Bhagavata is a course, a program, to reorient how we are using our experiences and opportunities, not for more samsara, but for more Bhagavan, more Divinity. This course is sharing what is obvious to all of us, but quite often we are oblivious to what is obvious. So, we are trying to see what is obvious, so we can live accordingly.

Those who thrive on being an intellectual are really those who deflect or escape. Such a way to live does not help us to be happy. Whenever someone offers us feedback that can help us to grow, if we intellectualize, deflect or escape from this, then we will not grow into happiness. This is why having a Bhakti course in our lives is critical, so that we can shift from this being intellectual to this being feeling oriented – from deflection to reflection, from escaping to embracing. 

We are in Skanda 12, the final section of Shrimad Bhagavata, and we are in Chapter 12 the second last chapter. In this chapter, Rshi Ugrashava is reviewing Shrimad Bhagavata. Raja Shaunaka’s questions have been asked, and have been answered, and this is like a summary slide of a presentation. We have been flowing through Bhagavata since January 2019 and our review matches this review, but we are taking this at a slower pace. Vivekji will be sharing a total of 54 points from 13 sections of the Bhagavata, the Mahatmya being one section. So 4 points per section will be shared and an additional two points from Skanda 10 which is on Bhagavan Krshna, as it is the heart of Shrimad Bhagavata.

Thus far, in our month-long review, we have reviewed Section 0, which is the Mahatmya in Sansktam, meaning glory. When we know that the Bhagavata is glorious, we will respect it more and receive it more. We have completed reviewing Section 1, which is  Adhikari or disciple. Raja Parikshita is an ideal disciple who is constantly reflecting and that one moment when he didn’t reflect, that led to his death. But even as he was dying, he reflected even more. What an icon of aging gracefully!

We completed reviewing Section 2 which is on Sadhana or discipline and The discipline is Contemplation – To contemplate that We Are Divinity, for us to feel Aham Brahma Asmi – I Infinity Am. 

Now we come to Section 3. Here are some highlights – 

1. The 3^rd section is on Sarga or Creation – basic creation, fundamental creation. In Chapter 12, Verse 9, the contents of the whole 3^rd section is reviewed. In this verse, Rshi Ugrashava is sharing with Raja Shaunaka – 

Skanda 12:12:9 –

tataḥ prākṛtikaḥ sargaḥ
sapta vaikṛtikāś ca ye
tato brahmāṇḍa-sambhūtir
vairājaḥ puruṣo yataḥ

The creation, affected by the agitation of the modes of material nature, the seven stages of evolution by elemental transformation, and construction of the universal egg, from which arises the universal form of the Supreme Lord — all these are thoroughly described.

What is the Cosmic Egg? The Brahmanda. What is the agitation of the material modes? The Gunas. 

2. In this section, one of the first negative personalities we come across is Hiranyaksha. Hiranya means gold and aksha is eyes – the one whose eyes are always on gold or materialism. He is very bad for the Earth, like an icon of negative climate change. The one who corrects this negativity is Bhagavan Varaha who goes to the center of creation to uplift the Earth. He is an icon of positive climate change. He is very good for the Earth. 

3. Another highlight of this section is – Who is Hiranyaksha? This is the whole story of Jaya and Vijaya who are close companions of Bhagavan Narayana and how for a moment they stopped reflecting on what their responsibility in life is, which is to serve, and they started to act in a prideful and egotistical way. Naturally, they had to be corrected. So, Jaya and Vijaya kept on incarnating in ways where they could learn to not be prideful or egotistical. For us to personalize this, Jaya is the body and Vijaya is the mind. Our body and mind are to serve Divinity and not be the doer in reference to Divinity. Jaya and Vijaya incarnated three times as:

• Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu
• Kumbhakarana and Ravana
• Dantavaktra and Shishupala

What is special is that there is so much love for Jaya and Vijaya. Who cursed Jaya and Vijaya? The Sanata Kumaras, and they felt so bad that they also incarnated. They incarnated as Prahalada. They incarnated as Vibheeshana. They were always there to help these pairs of negative personalities. 

4. The final highlight is an amazing dialog between Rshi Kapila and his Mother, Devi Devahuti. What is beautiful here is that more important than a familial relationship is a spiritual relationship. Our family relationships may fray while we are alive, and when we pass away, they will definitely end, but a spiritual relationship will neither fray nor end. Vivekji has shared many times that over the past 5 years, he has met Swami Tejomayananda only once, but that their relationship is now brighter than when he was living with him at Sandeepany. Rshi Kapila teaches his mother about Sankhya. The essence of Sankhya is that Purusha and Prakriti are different, that Spirit and matter are different. He provides a system. When teachings are systematic, they become clearer to us. 

Next we come to Section 4. Some highlights are – 

1. The 4^th section of Bhagavata is called Visarga or Diversification – when creation starts to diversify, it becomes a special creation. Creation of the elements, then the elements combine and permutate to become more. What is contained in the 4^th section? 

Skanda 12:12:14 –

nava-brahma-samutpattir
dakṣa-yajña-vināśanam
dhruvasya caritaṁ paścāt
pṛthoḥ prācīnabarhiṣaḥ

Also described are the children of the nine great Brahmanas, the destruction of Daksha’s sacrifice and the history of Dhruva Maharaja, followed by the histories of King Prithu and King Prachinabarhi, as well as the discussion between Prachinabarhi and Narada and so on.

In this verse, four distinct names are given. We have lots of details on Daksha, Dhruva, Prithu, and Prachinabarhi in this chapter. 

2. The 4^th section describes the Purusharthas. The whole structure of the 4^th section revolves around the purposes in life. How do we know what our purpose is? We know our purpose – when we complete that purpose, we have no other purpose. How do we know we have reached our destination? We turn our GPS off. So even though our scriptures talk about having four purposes, there is only really one purpose and that one purpose is Moksha or freedom. The other three purposes are to align or direct us to that freedom. In this section, there is a confusion amongst these four personalities about purpose, but by the intervention of the Divine, they become clear about purpose. These four personalities are Daksha – his katha is about Dharma; then Dhruva – his katha is about Artha or possession; then we have Prithu – his katha is about Kama or pleasure, and finally we have Prachinabarhi who is also known as Puranjana and his katha relates to Moksha or Peace. This is a very simple section.

So the first highlight is about Diversification and the second highlight is on Purpose. 

3. The third highlight is about Raja Prithu. Raja Prithu’s daughter is Prithvi. Who did Raja Prithu come out of? He came out of Vena, one of the worst personalities in all of Bhagavata. From Vena came Prithu, but we can even find the positive from the most negative. Raja Prithu was a humble leader. He led himself and in doing so, he led others. He shared that a humble leader has three responsibilities. We should try to remember these as we go about leading others –

– Provide ease – Typically provide safety, but better is to help others feel at ease, allow others to be themselves around us 

– Provide employment – For us, all who are included should not just feel included through emotions, but also through actions. That is why everyone who comes to Chinmaya Mission should do some seva. Someone should vacuum, someone should clean, someone should put up the flag, someone should teach, and so on.

– Provide education – A humble leader should facilitate education. The education being referred to here is not IQ, but EQ, SQ. All of us inevitably have got an IQ, but here we are learning the Bhagavata as we realize that SQ is more valuable. For example, on college campuses, instead of facilitating more academics, more socializing, even more culture like Garba, Sanskrtam, one should facilitate more self-development as that’s what college students need – more reading groups,  writing groups. When Raja Prithu is talking about education, that is what he is referring to. 

4. The final highlight from this section is for our Karma to lead us to Jnana. A lot of us engage in rituals, but it doesn’t make us more spiritual. If what we are doing is not helping us to know ourselves, then we have mixed up the means and the ends. So a simple way to internalize this is – we know that we are growing from karma to jnana if we become more of a long term thinker. 

Now we come to Section 5. 

Skanda 12:12:15 –  

nāradasya ca saṁvādas
tataḥ praiyavrataṁ dvijāḥ
nābhes tato ’nucaritam
ṛṣabhasya bharatasya ca

The life of Maharaja Priyavrata is shared. Then, O brāhmaṇas, the Bhāgavatam tells of the character and activities of King Nābhi, Lord Ṛṣabha and King Bharata. 

Here are some highlights – 

1. This 5^th section focuses on Sthana or Position. The 3^rd section is on basic creation, the 4^th section is on special creation and the 5^th section is on human creation. It is creation whereby humans can live and thrive. 

2. The personality we are introduced to right at the beginning of this section is Rshabha, also popularly  known as Rshabhadeva, an incarnation of Bhagavan Narayana. He was an ideal householder and renunciate, the one who used to keep a stone in his mouth as he would have to be more careful when speaking and when eating. And he had a son called Bharata and he was so great that the country he lived in came to be known as Bhaarata. It is from Rshabha to Bharata to Bhaarata. What is unique about Bharata, unlike his father Rshabha who was already perfect, Bharata made mistakes. One of his most significant mistakes was that he got attached to a deer. So he was called Jada Bharata, the one who was attached to that which is not important. But he learned not to be attached, so he too became perfect. For us, it is important to know of such personalities to learn that we are not born perfect, but through practice we can be. 

3. The third highlight from this section is – there are many details about the waters of this multiverse, about the lands of this multiverse, specifically Earth, and what we can reflect on from this is that our multiverse and Earth is well designed. The tectonic plates, the height of Mt. Everest, the fact that we can survive on water and breathe oxygen, is all well designed. If we know that an entity is well designed, don’t we take care of it much better? Do we feel the same way about our own world, about our own Earth? 

4. The fourth highlight is about position. It is not just the Earth’s position in the solar system and in the multiverse, but what is beneath the Earth’s surface. It is Naraka or hell. Here is a list of different hells, from closest to farthest – Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talatala, Mahatala, Rasatala, Patala. 

Next we come to Section 6. Some highlights are –

1. Section 6 is called Poshana – Grace. This is one of Vivekji’s favorite sections as the people in this section do not deserve Grace, but they got it anyway. Vivekji does not feel that he deserves the Grace he has, but he got it anyways. 

Skanda 12:12:17 –

dakṣa-janma pracetobhyas
tat-putrīṇāṁ ca santatiḥ
yato devāsura-narās

Tiryaṅ-naga-khagādayaḥ

The rebirth of Prajāpati Dakṣa as the son of the Pracetās, the progeny of Dakṣa’s daughters, who initiated the races of the Semigods, demons, human beings, animals, serpents, birds and so on — all of this is described in this section.

2. Another word for Poshana or Grace is Krpa or Anugraha. How does Grace come into our lives? Nigraha. The more we live by discipline, the more we will find our life becomes easy. The more undisciplined we are, the harder life becomes. The way that we can initiate this flow of Grace, it starts with Svakrpa. When we start to live by discipline, we are gracing ourselves, which then triggers Sadguru Krpa. If we are a great disciple, our Master will give us more opportunities, which initiates Shastra Krpa. The closer we are to our Guide, the closer we become to our Map also, which then initiates Bhagavan’s Krpa or Ishwara Krpa – God’s Grace. When we engage in our own discipline, Grace flows into our lives. Another distinction between Krpa and Anugraha in this section – Krpa is general Grace and Anugraha is specific Grace. When we engage in specific disciplines, our lives in general will become easier. 

3. The next highlight in this section is the personality who didn’t deserve Grace, but got Grace – Ajamila. As Ajamila was dying, he uttered Narayana, and who came to help him? Narayana. Another personality is Vrtra. Pujya Swami Tejomayananda’s most favorite part of Shrimad Bhagavata is when Vrtra, an Asura, is speaking to Indra, a Sura, saying – Come and kill me. By killing me, you will get pleasure, possession, position, but I will get peace, that you will get Bhagavan’s army and I will get Bhagavan. What is special about Ajamila and Vrtra is that Ajamila used Bhagavan’s nama and Vrtra used Bhagavan’s rupa. On the battlefield, Vrtra was amazed by Bhagavan’s rupa. How we can learn from this is – Most of us who take a medicine do not know the composition of the medicine and how it works. It still works however. That is like Bhagavan’s nama and rupa. We may not know how it works, but it works, so take it. Take it recklessly! 

4. The final highlight in the last portion of this section is Raja Chitraketu. Do we all remember him and his infant who was poisoned? His infant was poisoned and they were all at the funeral. He then asked Rshi Angiras and Rshi Narada to pull back the Jivatvam or the ego of his infant who was dead. They cautioned him about wanting to interact with this Jiva and in his attachment he said Yes. So this Jiva came out of the body and Raja Chitraketu said – My son, why have you left me? I’m your father. And this Jiva said – Which father are you? This Jiva has had millions and billions of fathers, and that really put Raja Chitraketu in his place. We tend to think that we are the most important person in another person’s life – that is attachment. In this dialog, what Raja Chitraketu learned and hopefully we are learning is to not be attached as it doesn’t make sense to be attached. This body we have, even if we are 70 years old, we have had ten of the same bodies. Now if we start putting in lifetimes, we have had billions of bodies. So, being attached to it doesn’t make sense. 

The next section is on Uti or Nature which we will start to review at our next class on Sunday, December 3^rd. 

Discussion: What are noticeable differences between those who feel Bhakti and those who do not? 

• Vivekji shared that one who is following Bhakti does not ask – Why me? Asking such a question implies that they know more and Bhagavan knows less, and that there is a miscalculation there. Others shared that those who follow Bhakti are more collected. As Bhakti is depending on Bhagavan, they are not scattered here and there. Some shared that such bhaktas follow Hari Ichcha, so they do not complain about anything, especially when things do not go according to plan. Some others shared that they are more serene and humble. They make those around them more comfortable. They are more accepting. They are content and they are at peace. 

RAW: Every day for 30 minutes reflect and/or contemplate on – There is no creation. Let go and just be. 

If we had to think of one of the most powerful personalities in society today, Vivekji shared that one of them would be Taylor Swift. She is a naturally powerful person in society, and it is not based on politics or money. It is really just an art that she has become so powerful with. In one of her songs, she sings – I will stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror. There is a lot of depth to this, similar to a Michael Jackson song “The Man in the mirror” – I will change the world, but it will start with the man in the mirror.  Taylor Swift and Michael Jackson are verbalizing in song form how intellectual our society is. We are ready to study the sun, but not ourselves. They have verbalized how theoretical our society is. Wanting to go to the gym is just theory, and actually going to the gym is application. In reference to practice and application and in reference to ourselves, those who are living for theory or intellectualism, this is an exercise in deflecting, which means we are not reflecting. 

Vivekji shared that he has been observing for over sixteen years that those who are very intellectual or theoretical, this doesn’t work towards helping them to be happier. It doesn’t work to help them to be Happiness. So the catalyst to going from being intellectual to being personal, from deflecting to reflecting, is Bhakti. It is Bhakti or Dedication which is a way to balance theory and application, to balance deflection and reflection. This is why in September of 2016, we commenced our exploration of Vedanta in Ramayana, and for two and a half years we turned the Story of Ramayana to our Story, how we can follow the Path to Rama or Joy. After we “completed” the ViR course, (we can actually never complete the Ramayana until we feel Rama), in January of 2019, we commenced our exploration of Vedanta in Bhagavata – our ViBha course. This is a long period of exploring Bhagavata, and now as we are completing the final section in final chapters, we are going to do a long review. The 12th Chapter of the 12th Section is actually a review of itself. Shrimad Bhagavata is reviewing Shrimad Bhagavata, and we are going to do the same, but in a more detailed way. In the coming weeks, Vivekji will be sharing fifty pointers or lakshyas into Bhagavata. These will be simple, “remembrable”, and practicable. 

Now coming back to Taylor Swift who is ready to stare at the Sun even though it is not good for her eyes, but she will not stare at the mirror, we tend to deflect, so now we are going to reflect. Just like the Ramayana went from a story to our story, Bhagavata will go from being a book to being our Being. Vivekji will share four points for each section.

We start in Section 0 which is the Mahatmya – the Glory of Bhagavata. This is to prepare us for what we will experience. 

1. The first verse of this section that we have been regularly chanting: Sachidananda rupaya vishvotpatyadi hetave 

tapatraya vinashaya Shri Krsnaya vayam numah 

This verse is sharing that Shrimad Bhagavata is the external form of Infinity – Existence-Awareness-Joy. This is external, but if we reflect and internalize this, we will feel the same.

2. Bhagavata is a Purana or ancient scripture. The etymology is pura api nava – pura means ancient and nava means new or fresh or applicable. So it is ancient, yet applicable, just like we are fond of the phrase Satyameva Jayate. The Truth alone wins, and that is not dated. This statement was shared such a long time ago that it is eternal. This Purana that we are experiencing is called Bhagavata, which means Bhagavata idam – that which belongs to Bhagavan. The idea here is that we should feel that we belong to Bhagavan. If we are very busy trying to belong to our parents, our spouse, our siblings, our children, our cousins and so on, then we have no availability to belong to Bhagavan. That is why Vivekji has shared that we should learn to compartmentalize. If there is any negativity in our life, we should learn to compartmentalize that, so we can keep following making ourselves available for Bhagavan. If we do not compartmentalize, then like a disease, it will spread into all of our effort and time. 

3. In the Mahatmya, Section 0, there is a story about Bhakti. Bhakti is this vibrant woman who has two sons, Viveka and Vairagya or Jnana or Vairagya, and they are very old. Rshi Narada sees this very unique expression as typically parents are older and kids are younger. So he asks her how there is this age discrepancy. Essentially, the takeaway is that people follow Bhakti, but in an external and ritualistic way. They do not tune into the Vedanta which focuses on prioritization and independence. So Rshi Narada is concerned for her and asks his teachers, his four elder brothers, the Sanata Kumaras. They share with Rshi Narada that the way to cure Bhakti so that her children become vibrant like her, is to experience a Bhagavata Saptaha – to experience Bhagavata over a week. There is a cumulative effect then. The Bhagavata Saptaha is shared by the Sanatana Kumaras and the sons come to life. Over the past five years, we have learned more about Viveka, which is prioritization and Vairagya, which is independence.

4. There is another story relating to Dundukari, who is a selfish person, only thinking about himself and his family, and because of this, he really gets stuck in life. At one point, he is trapped in this bamboo stick. Fortunately he gets exposed to this Bhagavata Saptaha. What happens to Dundukari? He is an active listener. He has felt so stuck in his life that he has become more attentive with listening and learning. He has been stuck in this bambook stick and this bamboo stick explodes and he becomes free. For us also, just by being an active listener, or one who is reflecting, we make Bhagavata personal and we come to feel more free.

So that is Section 0, the Mahatmya which is on the Glory of Bhagavata.

Now we come to Section 1.

1. It is on Adhikari which means disciple – what makes one ready to personalize Bhagavata. Now we are in Skanda 12, Chapter 12, which itself is a review on Bhagavata. 

Skanda 12:12:2 –   etad vaḥ kathitaṁ viprā

viṣṇoś caritam adbhutam

bhavadbhir yad ahaṁ pṛṣṭo

narāṇāṁ puruṣocitam

O Great Sages, I have narrated to you the wonderful pastimes of Lord Vishnu as you enquired about them from me. Hearing such narrations is the suitable engagement for a person who is actually a human being.

So listening to Bhagavata helps one be humane. 

2. In the first section, the first verse we have chanted every week as well, ends with Satyam Param Dhimahi. Shrimad Bhagavata teaches us to contemplate on Satya – nobility, truth or Existence. If we do this, then in the second verse which we have also chanted every week – Tapatraya unmulanam – tapa is that which burns us, and traya means in three directions. We have physical burns like getting older, we have mental burns like our relationships and we have intellectual burns when we are confused about purpose or about how to be happy. But the one who is contemplating on belonging to Bhagavan, then unmulanam happens – these 3 facets that are trying to burn us, open up, as in, we stop being burned by them. This is all shared in the first section. 

3. The dialogues of Shrimad Bhagavata begin in Naimisharanya (near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh). What is happening is a very comprehensive ritual and during these rituals, people tend to get distracted. So, there are some people who want more, where they want to focus less on the ritual and more on the knowledge. So within this, a Satsanga develops. The seeker in this Satsanga is Raja Shaunaka. He is great and has so much in life, but knows that there is more to life, and is dialoguing with Rshi Ugrashava, one who has learned all the Puranas from his great father who was a disciple of Rshi Vyasa. In this dialogue, Raja Shaunaka asks six questions and Srimad Bhagavata answers these six questions over thousands of verses. 

Q1. What is the greatest good for all humans?

Q2. What is the purpose of Avatara?

Q3. What is the performance of Avatara?

Q4. What are the passings of Avatara?

Q5. What is the play of The Avatara? Bhagavan Krshna – Section 10

Q6. Where does Dharma live? (When Shri Krshna is no longer present.)

4. Raja Parikshita is observing violence that is happening and the source of this violence is Kali, the spirit of living in a busy way or the spirit of selfishness. Raja Parikshita exiles Kali and shares that it can only live in four places – 

• where there is dyuta or gambling or deceit 
• where there is pana or intoxicants 
• where there is strya or lust 
• where there is suna or cruelty – relating to animals and plants. 

So gambling, intoxicants, lust and cruelty, but Kali wants more places to live. So Raja Parikshita throws in one more place, the point being that this actually lives in the other four places as well, and that is Kanchana or materialism. Where there is materialism, there will also be these other four. Personalizing this, if these are places where we live, then we are naturally going to live in a busy selfish way. 

A last thought – When Raja Parikshita takes off his crown, he realizes the mistake he has made and how he treated this Rshi, and he prays to be punished. Then immediately, it is vocalized that he is going to be punished, and he starts to cry that God is Real! He prayed to God to be punished to be corrected, and that came right away and he felt the reality of Bhagavan. A powerful thought for all of us to reflect on – If we all have just one week to live, our greatness will be shown by who comes to us in our final week. If we have done nothing for anyone, then in our final week, no one will come for us. But who came for Raja Parikshita? Rshi Shuka and lots of Rshis. He did make a mistake, but look how rightly he lived! His greatness was shown by who came to him when he needed them. Living equals leaving – what you leave behind is indicative of how we are living. 

Now we come to Section 2. 

1. In the second Skanda the focus is on Sadhana or Discipline, but this discipline is helping us to develop ourselves. There is an intention to that discipline.

Skanda 12:12:7 –         yoga-dhāraṇayotkrāntiḥ

saṁvādo nāradājayoḥ

avatārānugītaṁ ca

sargaḥ prādhāniko ’grataḥ

The Bhagavatam explains how one can attain liberation at the time of death by practicing fixed meditation in yoga. It also contains a discussion between Narada and Brahma, an enumeration of the incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and a description of how the universe was created in progressive sequence, beginning from the unmanifest stage of material nature.

2. The discipline is Contemplation and that is why it is called the highest vocation. The highest vocation or Contemplation is on Svarupa – on feeling Infinity in ourselves. If that is too hard, the next highest contemplation is Contemplating on Vishwarupa – on feeling Infinity in this multiverse. And if that is too difficult, then the third expression of Contemplation is on Ishtarupa – in a particular murti, which means there is a form with a name in a controlled environment. So Svarupa, Vishwarupa and Ishtarupa. To be able to contemplate, we need to be in Naimisharanya. What this word means is Nemihi Shiryate – where our thoughts stop. When our thoughts stop, that is when we will be able to contemplate on Infinity.

In this section, a syllabus for Shrimad Bhagavata is shared, similar to Chapter 2 of the Bhagavad Gita. So the entire Bhagavata is shared as a preface in this section. These are all the things that are going to happen, in a very short form. A lovely implication of this is that Bhagavan will be there in the future. Bhagavata is happening and they are sharing that all of these Avataras are going to come, and so do this and that. So it means Bhagavan will be there in the future, so what are we worried about? We worry about the future, but if we know Bhagavan will be there, then what is there to worry about. 

3. In this section, the original Bhagavata is also shared. The original teacher of Shrimad Bhagavata is Bhagavan Narayana and the original student is Bhagavan Brahma. There are only four verses and the remaining 17,996 verses are an elaboration of these four verses. The content of the 4th verse is – Extraction is Release. When we start to reflect, we will be released from being stuck, from being selfish.

4. In this section, there is a list of all of the Avataras. These are the main Avataras on which Shrimad Bhagavata flows.The four questions of Raja Shaunaka all relate to the Avataras. 

We start with Infinity, which we refer to as Brahma or Bigness.

Incarnation 0: Bhagavan Narayana – when Brahman expresses, Brahman expresses as Bhagavan

Incarnation 1/2: Bhagavan Brahma, as he is attached to Bhagavan Narayana, similar to an infant whose umbilical cord is still attached to its mother. It is sort of alive and not so alive in a technical sense, as it is still not feeding itself. The next 22 Avataras are more formal.

Incarnation 1: The Sanat Kumaras

Incarnation 2: Bhagavan Varaha

Incarnation 3: Rshi Narada

Incarnation 4: Rshi Nara Narayana (two but counted as one)

Incarnation 5: Rshi Kapila

Incarnation 6: Rshi Dattatreya

Incarnation 7: Rshi Yajna

Incarnation 8: Bhagavan Rshaba (Jains also celebrate Deepavali and Rshabadeva is an incarnation of Bhagavan Narayana).

Incarnation 9: Raja Prithu (then Prithvi)

Incarnation 10: Bhagavan Matsya

Incarnation 11: Bhagavan Kamata or Kurma

Incarnation 12: Bhagavan Dhanvantari

Incarnation 13: Bhagavati Mohini

Incarnation 14: Bhagavan Narasimha

Incarnation 15: Bhagavan Vamana

Incarnation 16: Bhagavan Parushurama

Incarnation 17: Rshi Vyasa

Incarnation 18: Bhagavan Rama (Kondandarama)

Incarnation 19: Shri Balarama

Incarnation 20: Bhagavan Krshna

Incarnation 21: Bhagavan Buddha

Incarnation 22: Bhagavan Kalki

We will continue our review next week. 

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Discussion: From January 2019 until whenever we joined Vedanta in Bhagavata, what has been the most significant utility that we have gained from Vedanta in Bhagavata? What have we gained the most?

Some thoughts shared by seekers, elaborated by Vivekji – 

• Preparing for death – It is true that Bhagavata teaches us the art of dying, and only when we know that can we get to the art of living which is the Bhagavad Gita.  
• Living equals leaving – What we are leaving behind helps us to live, and Raja Parikshita is an amazing role model in this regard. 
• Immersing in Katha helped one increase their faith in Bhagavan Krshna. In the Narada Bhakti Sutra class, we have learned that Katha helps one to have less samshaya or doubts. The more katha we are immersed in, the less self doubt we have. 
• How incredible, comprehensible and in depth our teachings are, covering all facets of our lives. All kinds of subjects have been touched upon in Bhagavata – climate change, economic policy, relationships – and we got to go through all these frameworks, and that’s so cool!

Last week’s RAW:  What 3 policies would we enact as the leader of Sanatana Dharma or Spirituality? 

Vivekji’s thoughts – In every institution, whether an office or school, there would be a mandatory one hour investment in Vitamin R3, specifically Svadhyay or Getting to Know ourselves, particularly through Reading, Writing and Reflecting. The more we understand ourselves, the more we understand others, as the hardest part of living is people.

RAW: Explain what Shrimad Bhagavata is to seven people who are not in this class.

A great Sadhu in our culture is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and we may have seen images of him. Vivekji shared that he reminds him of Rshi Narada, the one who sang and danced in reverence of Bhagavan Narayana. He would travel and teach, and one day a family had invited him to sing and dance in their home, but in that home, earlier that day, their child had died. Naturally the parents, particularly the father ,who was a great devotee of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Bhagavan Narayana, were lost. In our culture, when a family member dies, they are always kept in an open area because they have a relationship with the community. This father, however, put the child in a corner of a room. When Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came, he sensed that something was not right in this home as he knew the father. So he asked him what he was thinking about, what he was feeling right then. And the father said that he was happy that Chaitnaya Mahaprabhu was there and asked him to continue with Keertana. And so Chaitnaya Mahaprabhu sang and danced, but he was great and could feel what was in someone’s heart, so he asked the father once again if anything had happened. The father then shared that his child had died earlier that morning. So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu asked him how come he was open to having this Satsanga in his home in spite of the death of his child. Then the father responded by saying – Bhagavan gave and Bhagavan called back. Why should Satsanga be stopped? 

Bhagavan gave, Bhagavan called back – Vivekji shares this because Vedanta in Bhagavata, this magical course, is for those who believe in Bhagavan, in the Divine, but the maturity of this course is not for us to just believe in the Divine, but to KNOW the Divine. If this father were only a believer in the Divine, he would not have continued with this Satsanga, but he knew the Divine, that the Divine gives and the Divine calls back. That is why this course is called Vedanta in Bhagavata or it is the Jnana of Bhakti, to know what Bhakti is so we know who Bhagavan is. How many of us feel that we have grown out of belief and faith and that we now trust the Divine? 

The ego is described as Anirvachaniya or inexplicable. Inexplicable means that which cannot be explained, and that which cannot be explained, cannot be real. However, Bhagavan is also inexplicable, but Bhagavan IS Reality. There is a difference between being joyous and being Joy. Being Joy is the nature and being joyous is the expression. Similarly, Bhagavan is Reality and the expression of that is this is real and this is not real. 

In Skanda 12, the final section, in Chapter 6, there is a description of our scripture and how Bhagavan Brahma, also known as one of the original teachers, is contemplating or engaged in dhyana. What does he feel inside of him? Nada. He feels this Presence and that keeps on getting expressed to Gayatri Mantra – Gaayantam Trayate, meaning that which is sung causes one to evolve. 

In Chapter 7, there is a sharing of the genesis of the scripture in particular. There are eighteen Puranas. Purana means ancient, yet applicable, like walking as an exercise. If we imagine walking is a Purana, it’s an ancient exercise that will never go away. The original collector of the Puranas is Rshi Vyasa. He took the eighteen Puranas and placed them into six collections of three Puranas each. Then he taught these six collections to Rshi Romaharshana. Rshi Romaharshana then taught these to six different Rshis. So each of these Rshis learned three Puranas. Rshi Ugrashava, who is almost like the narrator of Shrimad Bhagavata, he became the disciple of each of these six Rshis and so he learned all eighteen Puranas which is why when we read all of these Maps, we keep hearing Rshi Ugrashava or Sutaji. They are the same one. The implication of this chapter and the final question in Shrimad Bhagavata is – Where does Dharma Live? The answer being shared here is that it lives in the Purana. 

The Veda teaches Dharma and Brahma, the responsibilities that lead to Brahma or Oneness. What do the Puranas teach us? Not Dharma, but Bhakti or dedication to Divinity. Are they different? No, they are not different, but different folks have different strokes. This is why it is shared that studying the Purana is equivalent to studying the Veda.  

In Chapter 8, we get to meet Rshi Markandeya. He is sent this arrow with five heads where each arrowhead is meant for each sense organ. It is an arrow to distract the sense organs. The sublest sense organ we have is hearing, then touch, then seeing, then tasting and finally smelling, just like our social media that tries to capture a different sense organ. Instagram is more visual, Facebook is more reading and Tiktok is more audio. Similarly, baseball was designed to be listened to on the radio, hockey was designed to be watched on TV, and basketball was designed to be watched live. Rshi Markandeya is awesome and is challenged with being distracted, but he is un-distractible. A distraction is a distraction only if we are distracted. If we are not distracted, then we shouldn’t say that this and that is a distraction. We are responsible to be distracted or not. 

Rshi Markandeya is so awesome that Rshi Nara Narayana come to Him. In the Bhagavad Gita, Rshi Nara Narayana are casually known as Prince Arjuna and Bhagavan Krshna respectively. Traditionally, they are not known as the famous eight immortals. In our culture, there are eight famous immortals and one of them is Hanumanji. Rshi Nara Narayana are not included in this, but they are known in our culture to still live in Badrinath. What are they doing there? Thinking peacefully. Our thoughts radiate, so their thinking peacefully is actually creating Peace for us. Rshi Nara Narayana come to Rshi Markandaya and ask him what boon he wants. Rshi Markandeya has already seen Bhagavan since he has seen them, so what does he ask for? He asks to see Bhagavan’s Maya. And that is how Chapter 8 ends.

Now in Chapter 9, just like in this whole section, there is an emphasis on Pralaya or Dissolution. When everything that can be taken away is taken away, we should remember that there is still the foundation that remains. If, for example, an intense Category 5 hurricane comes through this building, everything will be taken away, even the foundation, but the earth will not be taken away. It is the original basement, the earth. So all of a sudden Rshi Markandeya is experiencing Pralaya. There is water everywhere and he is running, running and running everywhere to get away from this water. Then he finds this high ground, he finds this high tree and as he keeps following the trunk, to the branch, to the leaf  and what does he see on the leaf? He finds this miniature Krshna or miniature infant, smiling and sucking His own toe. And Rshi Markandeya, really exhausted now, tries to go speak to this being, when this being just breathes in and Rshi Markandeya is gone. He has gone into that being and what does he see in the being? He sees the whole multiverse! Earlier, he was overwhelmed by sorrow, thinking that he was going to drown, but now he is overwhelmed by Joy. He is seeing the multiverse and feeling the Oneness, and he is then breathed Out. He is back to the area of dissolution and now as he is overwhelmed by Joy, he tries to go and hug this being, but the being disappears, the tree disappears, the pralaya disappears and Rshi Markandeya finds himself in his Ashram. He wanted to see Maya, and he got to see Maya. Not that this is something we can explain logically, however in our dreams,  the whole dream multiverse, all that which is contained within it – video games, airplanes, food and the dreamer – are all in one mind, just our mind. This comes out more clearly in the next chapter.  

Skanda 12:10:23 – This is Bhagavan Shiva who is speaking to Rshi Markandeya.

na hy am-mayāni tīrthāni

na devāś cetanojjhitāḥ

te punanty uru-kālena

yūyaṁ darśana-mātrataḥ

Bhagavan Shiva shares –  Not the sacred waters which are tirthas, places of pilgrimage, like going to the Ganga, not the devas who have no Consciousness. This is referring to pilgrimages, to mandirs where there are murtis. Bhagavan Shiva is sharing that these pilgrimages of water or murtis, purify, but in a very long time. It is a slow journey. In contrast, a Sadhu, a noble person like you, Rshi Markandeya, one gets purified just by seeing you. Just by seeing one who is a Sadhu, one who is dedicated to Bhagavan, one gets purified. How many of us agree with this statement? Those who are hesitant, who said this? Bhagavan Shiva. This shows that we believe in Bhagavan Shiva, but are not trusting Bhagavan Shiva. When we are in the presence of the great, we are first humbled, and then inspired. Isn’t that what purification is? 

After Rshi Markandeya realized what Bhagavan’s Maya is and how it can just wipe away someone, He stayed close to Bhagavan Hari. He lived close to Him, acted for Him, spoke about Him, thought about Him. Hari means the one who takes away. Maya caused Pralaya which took everything away, but who is the one who can take away Maya? Bhagavan Hari. So he stayed close to Him. Now Bhagavan Hara (Bhagavan Shiva) and Bhagavati Uma (Devi Parvati) were on vacation. They were traveling the multiverse and they happened to see Rshi Markandeya who is close to Bhagavan Hari. Bhagavati Uma seeing Rshi Markandeya, sensed his greatness, and asked Bhagavan Hara to go grace him with a boon. Bhagavan Hara then said that there was no point as Rshi Markandeya had no desires. He didn’t even want Mukti or enlightenment. But Bhagavan Shiva shares that since she brought this up, He would like to go and have Satsanga with him. Bhagavan Shiva is like a radar for Satsanga. 

When Bhagavan Shiva went to Rshi Markandeya, he was contemplating, feeling really very close to Bhagavan Hari. He was not on pilgrimage to a place of water nor to a mandir, but was engaged in Dhyana. Bhagavan Shiva was in front of him and he wanted to talk to him and hear from him, but Rshi Markandeya was in Dhyana. So Bhagavan Shiva, who is the original shape shifter, became very small and entered into the heart of Rshi Markandeya, and Rshi Markandeya started to see Bhagavan Hara in his heart. There are some lovely details where Bhagavan Hara’s hair is described as flashy as lightning and Rshi Markandeya is feeling like the Sun is rising inside of him. He was so moved by this that he couldn’t help, but open his eyes. And who was in front of him? Bhagavan Hara. See how sneaky Bhagavan Shiva is. He went into Rshi Markandeya’s heart to disturb his contemplation so he could have Satsanga with him! When he saw Bhagavan Hara, Bhagavan asked him what boon he could offer to him. So Rshi Markandeya asked for a boon that he only wanted Bhakti to Bhagavan Achyuta or Bhagavan Narayana and to those who are also dedicated to Bhagavan. So he asked for Bhakti to Bhagavan and to Bhaktas. So when we meet Bhagavan Hara, we must use Rshi Markandeya as a role-model and ask for Bhakti. Bhagavan Shiva was feeling a bit insecure, so Rshi Markandeya asked for Bhakti to Bhagavan Narayana, to His Bhaktas and to Bhagavan Shiva. Who is Bhagavan Narayana’s greatest Bhakta? It is Bhagavan Shiva. We spent two and a half years in Ramayana to lock that in. 

Some more insights – It is Rshi Vasishta who had the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra revealed to him, and not Rshi Markandeya. There are a lot of Puranas, so it is possible that Rshi Markandeya also had this mantra revealed to him. Some people feel that the Maha Mrityunjaya mantra is to be chanted when someone is dying. That is not the best practice, not the best use of this mantra. This mantra is for those who are seeking and want to be free. This mantra describes how a well grown vegetable is attached to its vine, but this vegetable is on the ground. So it has nowhere to fall. So what happens to this vegetable? Only when the farmer comes and separates it, does it become free. This well grown vegetable is not someone who is dying, but someone who is seeking, that they have worked their hardest to be free, but they can’t be free, so they surrender. 

Now the final chapter of content –

Skanda 12:11:49 – A very visual verse –

vālakhilyāḥ sahasrāṇi

ṣaṣṭir brahmarṣayo ’malāḥ

purato ’bhimukhaṁ yānti

stuvanti stutibhir vibhum

Where did we start our journey in Shrimad Bhagavata? In Naimisharanya, which is typically a jungle in Uttar Pradesh. In terms of etymology, Naimisharanya means where the Mind becomes Quiet. It is where our thoughts slow and stop. In Naimisharanya, there is a Satra that is happening, a long ritual, and so our Rshis would have Katha during the Satra. There was a private Satsanga going on and that is how Bhagavata came to be. In this Satsanga, the primary teacher is Sutaji and the representative student is Shaunakaji. He is the greatest amongst the people there as he led himself and others wanted to be led by him too. 

Shaunakaji asks Sutaji six questions. The last question was – Where does Dharma live? This dialogue took us to another dialogue between the primary teacher, Rshi Shukadeva, and primary student, Raja Parikshita. Those two are done now as Rshi Shuka continued with his enlightenment and Raja Parikshita continued with his enlightenment. So now, this dialogue has to go away as well. 

In this chapter, the final two, not so important, questions are asked. Now, even this great Shaunakaji becomes quiet. What does Naimisharanya mean? Where you become quiet. The final two questions on behalf of everyone are –

Q1. Please tell us the significance of a murti (icon) and all associated with a murti, the decorations specifically. 

Q2. Tell us the significance of Surya Narayana, typically the Sun. 

This is what Sutaji responds with. He starts this chapter with – “I remember my teachers and my teachers have taught this teacher, have taught this teacher, have taught this teacher, so I am teaching you now.” One of the original teachers is Bhagavan Brahma. When Pujya Swami Tejomayananda was teaching us this, he had mentioned that everytime we open our mouths, we should remember our teachers. Vivekji has shared that whoever gave us power, we should serve the one who gave us that power. 

There are a lot of technicalities in this chapter. Here are some of the highlights – 

Sutaji shares – The trees of the Earth are the hair of Bhagavan. When we see a murti and we see Bhagavan’s and Bhagavati’s hair, this should take our mind to the trees of the earth, which should take us to Bhagavan. Controlled environment – hair, uncontrolled environment – trees, but finally it should take us to Bhagavan. 

Another highlight is – Bhagavan’s weapons, they symbolize the elements. For example, Bhagavan has a conch called panchajanya and that symbolizes the element of water. Where do we find a conch? In water. If we see the sequence, controlled environment there is conch, uncontrolled environment, there is water itself. Both should bring us back to remembering Bhagavan. Sutaji completes answering the first question by sharing that everything that is in the micro is in the macro. Who lives inside of us? Bhagavan! 

Now Sutaji answers the question about Surya Narayana, the Sun, Verse 49 that we just heard. What this verse shares – There are 60,000 Brahmarshis who are completely pure and are known as the Valakhilyah. They are in front of the chariot, facing the chariot. So, Bhagavan Surya Narayana is in a chariot and he keeps on moving and in front of him are these 60,000 Rshis. We need to visualize this to really feel this. What is our entry point into the trust triangle? Our Guide, our guide who directs us to Divinity. Whatever these Rshis are looking at, we look at that too. That is the map itself. Here, these Rshis are guiding us to Bhagavan Surya Narayana, and while they are doing this, they are singing and praising Divinity. 

This is the last question of our 5 year course, and now the last verse of this chapter – The worshipful Lord Hari, the ruler of All, the Birthless, the Deathless, and the Eternal Being, thus assumes various forms. – What is one of His forms? The trees. What is another form? Water. What is another form? The Sun. Why does He assume these various forms? From kalpa to kalpa, for the protection of the world. If we trust Divinity, that means we know this teaching to be true, that means we are forever protected. Even a diplomat does not have pure immunity. Even Airforce One is not immune to weather. For the one who feels ever protected, how can our mind be loud? Tum rakshaka kahu ko darana – You are the protector, so there is no logic to be afraid, which means to have any negative thoughts.

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Last week’s RAW: To research what arrow keeps hitting us and distracting us in five ways. 

• Vivekji’s research was that the five arrowheads were on the five senses. 

RAW: If we were the leader of Sanatana Dharma or Spirituality, what would be three policies that we would enact or mandate for humanity?

Satyam Param Dhimahi – This is the 163rd time that we have chanted this. Satyam has a similar connotation to the theme of Section 12 which is dissolution, foundation or shelter. In Skanda 12, what we are extrapolating is – All that has happened in Bhagavata has come and gone, including Bhagavan Krshna, but what has not come and gone is Satyam, is Existence-Awareness-Joy. That is why Dhimahi means to contemplate on this, for us to feel that the only resort in our lives that are coming and going, is Sat, is Existence-Awareness-Joy, or we chant Sachidananda Rupaya, the form of Existence-Awareness-Joy. 

Many of us are educated in various fields. Yet, when we need help we ask for help from others who need help, and that need for help is compounded. If we remember in the 10th Skanda which focused on Bhagavan Krshna, even when those villagers needed food, they would go to Bhagavan Krshna and find their shelter in Bhagavan Krshna, and He would find them food. There is this specific scene where the Brahmanas didn’t give food, but the Brahmanis came from their homes and gave food. Has our formal education helped us to find shelter in the truth? This informal education certainly has!

In Section 12, Chapter 6, Rshi Brihaspati is sharing with Raja Parikshita’s son, insights about dying. Raja Janmajaya is angry that his father was killed and had died. So Rshi Brhaspati is sharing some insights into this and one insight that he emphasizes is that the less possessive we are, the more we age and die gracefully. Shared differently, if we are holding on to less things, we are more agile then. So Rshi Brhaspati teaches him to be less possessive. This chapter is completed with what the vision of, not just Shrimad Bhagavata, but the Shastras, the scriptures of Sanatana Dharma, is. 

The genesis is that our Shastra begins with Nada, when Bhagavan Narayana gave birth to Bhagavan Brahma, the Creator of creation, He felt this Presence inside him and this Presence became more and more manifest and it ended with Gayatri, the Gayatri Mantra. The meaning of Gayatri is gaayantam trayate – that which is sung helps us to cross over fear. This trayate is specifically about fear. When there is more darkness, we have more fear. Gayatri Mantra is about bringing brightness and light into our lives. So this chapter ends with the emphasis of Gayatri Mantra, from Nada to Gayatri.

Skanda 12, Chapter 7 is tuning into the characteristics of our Puranas. Chapter 6 is about all scriptures, but in Chapter 7, it is about the vision of a particular scripture which is the Puranas. Shrimad Bhagavata is a Purana. 

Skanda 12:7:6 – Rshi Ugrashava is teaching Raja Shaunaka. They are in this elaborate ritual where there is a group of people asking questions about life and Rshi Ugrashava is answering. 

adhīyanta vyāsa-śiṣyāt

saṁhitāṁ mat-pitur mukhāt

ekaikām aham eteṣāṁ

śiṣyaḥ sarvāḥ samadhyagām

Each of them studied one of the six anthologies of the Purāṇas from my father, Romaharṣaṇa, who was a disciple of Śrī Vyāsadeva. I became the disciple of these six authorities and thoroughly learned all of their presentations of Purāṇic wisdom.

Rshi Vyasa taught six Puranas to six different students, and these Puranas were all learned by Rshi Romaharshana who was the father of Rshi Ugrashava. Rshi Ugrashava learned each of these Puranas and is sharing all this with Raja Shaunaka because he learned it from a teacher, who learned it from another teacher, who learned it from another teacher.  So our Puranas are not casual subjects. Rshi Shuka is gone, Raja Parikshita is gone too. So the main teacher and student in Bhagavata have moved on. This is all now being tied together for us. 

Here are a few reflections before we move on to the next Chapter. Right at the beginning when we began our course, there were six questions that were asked. The first one was about goodness and the next four about Avatara and the last one was about Dharma. The sixth question was – Where does Dharma live? – because Bhagavan Krshna was not with the people as He was before. What is being shared here in a very abstract way is that Bhagavan Krshna is the Creator and He has infused Dharma into creation. Shared differently, Dharma as in philosophy, for us it is the Upanishad. But now this has been infused into not a philosophical map, but an educational map like the Purana, specifically Bhagavata Mahapurana. 

So the direct answer to – Where does Dharma live?, it is in Shrimad Bhagavata, from the Creator to the creation, from the Upanishad, this has now been infused into Shrimad Bhagavata. So now all six questions have been answered. 

Skanda 12:8:35 – Now we are going to study about Rshi Markandeya –

te vai bhagavato rūpe

nara-nārāyaṇāv ṛṣī

dṛṣṭvotthāyādareṇoccair

nanāmāṅgena daṇḍa-vat

It is now Suta or Rshi Ugrashava speaking to Raja Shaunaka. Here are some insights into this. 

Shaunaka, on behalf of all the people gathered at this ritual, shares that they have heard about a unique personality named Rshi Markandeya, and that he has seen Pralaya. This section focuses on dissolution. However, if there is Pralaya, then there cannot be Rshi Markandeya, but they had heard that Rshi Markandeya had seen this. So Rshi Shaunaka says that they do not understand and to please explain.

Rshi Ugrashava answers very beautifully – The answer to it lies in the narration, glories and actions of the Lord which destroys the evil effects of the Age of Kali. Sometimes when someone asks a question, they feel really good about themselves, that they are special. Here, Rshi Ugrashava is sharing that the answer is special, not the answerer, because in this we again get to re-remember Bhagavan Krshna and that is how it helps us to be less Kali oriented or selfish. 

Some insights into Rshi Markandeya: He was an awesome icon of Bhakti – dedicated, disciplined. Markandeya was born and brought up receiving all of the purificatory sacraments of the twice born ones (that means samskaras). He learned the Vedas from his father, observing austerity in the rules of Dharma and practicing daily recital of the Vedas. He observed unbroken continence, wore matted locks, tree bark, antelope skin, a girnel of kusha grass and a sacred thread. (In other words he didn’t care how he looked.) He carried a staff, water vessel and a rosary of beads, and for the enhancement of his spiritual merit, worshiped Shri Hari at sunrise and sunset, in fire, the sun, the teacher, holy people and the Self. Everyday, he collected food by alms, offered it to his teacher and ate of it silently when permitted by him, and observed fast when not permitted. (When we go for bhiksha, there are a lot of formalities and it takes a long time. So Vivekji has observed some smart shishyas taking a little food and eating in a corner, but not Rshi Markandeya. If food was not given to him, he just did not eat.) Observing austerities thus and practicing the recital of the Vedas, he worshiped the Lord for an unimaginably vast number of years and was thus able to conquer the unconquerable death. 

If we are looking for the fountain of youth (some say it is in Greece, in that civilization),  here is the fountain of youth, Chapter 8 – Verses 7-11 – For one to feel that they are not born, then they are going to feel that they are not going to die. This was Rshi Markandaya, and then in the verse that was just read to us by Vivekji, who happened to come there? Rshi Nara Narayana. We have already come across them at the beginning of Bhagavata where a list of Avataras were formally stated, Rshi Nara Narayana were a part of this framework. They were incarnation number four.

Vivekji has shared that Shrimad Bhagavata is the best commentary on the Bhagavad Gita. Who did Rshi Nara Narayana become in the Mahabharata? Who did Rshi Nara become? Prince Arjuna. Who did Rshi Narayana become? Bhagavan Krshna. Rshi Nara Narayana are Chiranjeevi, which means they are ever present. We should feel that we have access to them. So Rshi Nara Narayana came to Rshi Markandeya and they were so happy that they asked Rshi Markandeya what boon he wanted. 

A couple of insights before we get into this famous visualization with Rshi Markandeya –  While Rshi Markandeya was living his Bhakti oriented life, Indra became insecure because of his Bhakti, thinking he was doing these austerities for Power, when Rshi Markandeya was only doing this for Bhagavan. 

Indra had a whole magazine of weapons, like he could change the weather to become Springtime. And he had sent his General in the army, Kama, who was in the front line, and Kama himself had a whole magazine of weapons. Kama had an arrow that had five heads on it, and we shall call this poison, just like snakes have a neurotoxin or nerve agent. These are the five arrow heads. Kama aimed at him his five pronged arrow having thinning, inflaming, deluding, heating and inebriating as its five heads. Thinning here refers to one’s will-power. We should love these details as we are always being hit by this arrow. And as his whole retinue tried to shake Rshi Markandeya, he was not shaken at all, completely indifferent to all of this. We too should be indifferent to negativity. But when Rshi Nara Narayana came – On seeing the form of the Rshis Nara Narayana, who are the embodiment of the Supreme Lord, Markandeya arose from his seat and with great respect and devotion, made a full prostration laying his body like a stick at their feet. With tears overflowing from the eyes, his vision of the Rshis were blurred. He was crying out of Joy so much that he couldn’t even see Them, so indifferent towards negativity and so intense towards positivity. 

Now we come to the point in the story where Rshi Nara Narayana are happy and they ask Rshi Markandeya what he wants – 

Skanda 12:9:6 –       athāpy ambuja-patrākṣa

puṇya-śloka-śikhāmaṇe

drakṣye māyāṁ yayā lokaḥ

sa-pālo veda sad-bhidām

O lotus-eyed Lord, O crest jewel of renowned personalities, although I am satisfied simply by seeing You, I do wish to see Your illusory potency, by whose influence the entire world, together with its ruling Demigods, considers reality to be materially variegated.

Rshi Markandeya asks for the boon to see Maya. This is what he asks for. No one else has ever asked for such a boon. When Rshi Markandeya asks for this, Rshi Nara Narayana, They go back to their Ashram with a smile on their face because of this unique request. 

Now for all of us, we should remember not to ask this when we see Rshi Nara Narayana. If we have the Bhakti of Rshi Markandeya, then we can ask away. If we do not have that protection, we should not ask. Many Skandas ago, even Bhagavan Shiva got confused by Mohini, and we are Not Bhagavan Shiva. So we should ask how to come out of Maya, and not about Maya. 

Rshi Markandeya continued to live with so much Bhakti, and one day he was sitting on the riverbank, and all of a sudden this riverbank started to grow and grow and grow. It is almost in a sad way what happened in Acapulco where in 12 hours this tropical storm turned into a Category-5 hurricane. So now this river just started to grow, and all of a sudden everything was drowning. Rshi Markandeya started running to find higher ground. It is said that he felt that 1000s of years were going by and he was running until he found some higher ground. And on this higher ground, there was a tree and he just rested near this tree. Then he happened to look up the trunk, to a branch, to a leaf, and who was on that leaf? Bhagavan Krshna. And unlike what we are typically exposed to where Bhagavan Krshna is on the waters of Pralaya, that does not happen in Shrimad Bhagavata, but there are lots of Puranas and it happens in others. Rshi Markandeya was so perturbed that he went to go and hug Bhagavan Krshna and Bhagavan breathed him in. So Bhagavan Krshna as an infant on this tiny leaf, on this branch, on this trunk, just breathed in and Rshi Markandeya was gone! And when he was in the body of Bhagavan Krshna, what did he see? What did Devi Yashoda see in Bhagavan Krshna’s mouth? Everything. Rshi Markandeya saw the creation inside the Creator. And for anyone who studies Advaita Vedanta – the Cause pervades the Effect. The Upanishad comes through the Purana. 

And then he was overwhelmed. First, he was drowning and overwhelmed in a negative way, now he was overwhelmed in wonderment or ashcharya. Next, he was breathed out in that same scene. Then he started going to Bhagavan Krshna with a different sentiment, not for protection, but rather out of gratitude. He went to hug Him again, but Bhagavan disappeared again. But now the whole scene changed, where Rshi Markandeya found himself back in the Ashram. 

What was his boon? He asked to see Maya and Bhagavan granted him that wish in a very experiential 5-D, 10-D way! Finally, he was back in the Ashram, just like for all of us. We are what we are seeking. Now that takes us to Chapter 9 and from Chapter 12 onwards, we will begin a comprehensive and meaningful review of the entire Shrimad Bhagavata. 

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Discussion: How does one intensify their sadhana?

Vivekji’s thoughts: It is to be in the presence of someone who is great because it is then that we realize that we are not tapping into our own potential. In their presence, we are humbled that we are not that good. We then become inspired that they did this to become great, so we also should do what they did to become great. This will intensify our sadhana. 

Last week’s RAW: Dharma + Bhakti = Bhagavan – If we start to love what we do, won’t we automatically start to follow Dharma then? That is the magic of Bhakti, where we start to love what we do, which leads us to love who we are, and Who lives in our heart? Bhagavan! We all have to love what we do more to love who we are more. 

RAW: Research the 5 arrowheads from Chapter 8, Verse 25 and how this applies to us.

Let us try to visualize that creation is like a television. So there is an American Channel, a Sports Channel, a War channel, a Peace channel, a boy channel, a girl channel… the whole multiverse is a television. Now when we watch TV through cable or streaming, it is our choice what channel to watch on television. Similarly, it is our choice on what we want to contact or invoke in creation. Please try to make that connection. 

Raja Parikshita was one who instead of fearing death, he flowed with death. That is why when he was told that he was going to die (we have all been told that many thousand times overtly, covertly as well), he chose Satsanga. He left pleasure, possession and position and he chose Satsanga. He made this choice and then Rshi Shuka, who is the icon of Happiness, watched Raja Parikshita’s dedication to Happiness as he was going to die. (Shuka means parrot literally, but a parrot is a bird that only eats the sweetest fruit. The parrot knows that and Rshi Shuka also has felt this Happiness.) In watching him, Rshi Shuka became Raja Parikshita, and with that level of empathy, taught him how to be Happy. He became Raja Parikshita and everyone else he was teaching about, whether it was Bhakta Prahlada or Bhagavati Sita. Literally, Rshi Shuka became these personalities to help Raja Parikshita to feel the same. 

Rshi Shuka has also become us and is sharing with us what we need in this space and time. If we didn’t need this, we wouldn’t be here. And even if we need it, we may be here, but may not be listening. Being here, we feel that this is Rshi Shuka, who is Happiness personified, leading us to Happiness. This is especially relevant as today we complete our 162nd class in Bhagavata and we will complete this course in 168 hours. Our final 6 classes, a journey we started 5 years ago, will be coming to a completion.

In the twelfth section, there is a teaching on Pralaya or finality. One of the Pralayas highlighted was Prakrta Pralaya or relative finality. It is when there is no creation, nor Creator, and there is only Bhagavan Narayana. There is a personality coming in the next few classes who is Rshi Markandeya and there is a beautiful happening where he is trying to understand Maya and all of a sudden, the Creator, creation is all underwater. He himself is drowning in this water and then he sees a single leaf floating on this water and on it is Bhagavan Krshna as a baby or infant. Bhagavan Krshna has this huge smile on His face. Rshi Markandeya is stunned by this and Bhagavan, to tease him more, puts His toe into His mouth. What this is teaching is that – Creation will go away, the Creator will also go away, and Bhagavan Narayana never came and will never go. That is what we are trying to learn in Bhagavata, especially the reality of finality.

We are getting older and the finality is that we are going to die. We can do this fearfully or flowingly. The flowing part is the fourth type of finality called Atyantika Pralaya. It is Anta, the end, or Ati Anta, the most or extreme end when we are enlightened, when we go past being born and dying, that is when we become one with Bhagavan Narayana. So we have Rshi Markandeya and Bhagavan Krshna who are separate, but the final end is when Rshi Markandeya becomes Bhagavan Narayana. 

We have all heard of Rshika Mira before. One of the persons who hated her the most was Rana. Once he opened the door to where she stayed and allowed a lion inside, not a symbolic lion, but a real lion. And what did Rshika Mira do? She folded her hands and felt, “Bhagavan Narasimha has come today”. And that lion went over to her and started licking her feet. That is the power of Ati Anta which is the end of our ego and she is then not separate from that lion. She is a factual being, a historical personality in our culture and not a mythological being. 

At the end of the 5th Chapter, Shri Krshna, through Rshi Shuka, shares the reason why we feel we are dying. If we have a fear of death, why is that fear there? Why do we think like that? Some answers were grief, attachments, fear of uncertainty, identity, but what Rshi Shuka says is that it is the mind. The mind causes us to feel like we are dying. There is great proof of this when we are asleep. Do we have a fear of death then? What the mind does is it takes the Infinite and makes that finite. Can the Infinite become the finite? It is not possible. If the Infinite becomes finite, then it cannot be Infinite. We at our Center level cannot die as we are Existence-Awareness, and that cannot die. 

Another description of the mind is Vikalpa or doubt. For a lot of us, what holds us back in life is when we doubt ourselves – I doubt I can get into this college. I doubt I can take on this project. I doubt we can build a retreat center. So one of the ways to overcome this fear of dying is through clarity, but a more lifestyle choice is Sattva or quietness – to watch that helps us to be quiet, to listen to that which helps us to be quiet, to be around those who help us to be quiet. 

At the end of Chapter 5, Rshi Shuka asks Raja Parikshita if he had any more questions, but he actually asks him if he had any more doubts. Rshi Shuka feels Raja Parikshita, that he does not have any more doubts, nor fears as he is tuned into that Oneness. Raja Parikshita explains to Rshi Shuka how this happened – by Shravita – by listening to Rshi Shuka, and Darshita – by following his vision or directions. Rshi Shuka’s directions did not teach him to be an extrovert, but rather inward looking, and so now Brahma Bhuta – that he has now become Brahma or become Infinite. So the final words of Rshi Shuka were – Do you have any more questions or doubts? The final words of Raja Parikshita were – I have become Brahma. Or in other words, He has become Rshi Shuka, just like Rshika Mira became Bhagavan Krshna.

Now in Chapter 6, Rshi Vyasa himself, the writer of Shrimad Bhagavata, is summarizing Shrimad Bhagavata. 

Skanda 12:6:33 – This is Rshi Ugrashava speaking to Raja Shaunaka. This is the second dialogue. The primary dialogue is where Rshi Shuka is the teacher and Raja Parikshita is the student. More local than that is Rshi Ugrashava is the teacher and Raja Shaunaka is the student.The most local or closest is our Guru Shishya parampara is the teacher and we are the students. 

ta etad adhigacchanti

viṣṇor yat paramaṁ padam

ahaṁ mameti daurjanyaṁ

na yeṣāṁ deha-geha-jam

Such devotees come to understand the Supreme transcendental situation of the personality of God-head – Lord Vishnu, because they are no longer polluted by the concepts of I and My which are based on feeling your home is the body. 

Reflective point: What is the name of the snake that has already bitten Raja Parikshita? Takshaka. What does Takshaka look like? Green scales with fangs that go inwards and outwards? A neurotoxin? Takshaka symbolizes Samsara. Samsara feels like change. So, Takshaka means Samsara, Takshaka means change. We are always being bitten by change. For our high-school students – Change is always happening inside, like puberty. Change is happening outside, like applying to colleges, change in social media, friends liking or not liking us, and so on. There is so much fear that comes with that. So Vivekji would like us to personalize this by thinking of Takshaka not as a physical entity only, but also a metaphysical entity. 

Raja Parikshita had a son named Janmajaya who was enraged when he saw his father’s body burn. When his father’s body was bitten, he was not in that body. He was Brahma-bhuta or Infinite, but his son didn’t know that and was enraged. So, he started this satra or ritual by which all the snakes of the world were attracted to this fire and were being burned up. Now Takshaka, who is also a physical entity, sought protection from Indra, the semi-God. Janmajaya, who was a powerful person, being Raja Parikshita’s son, asked the Pujaris the whereabouts of Takshaka and they could see that he was hiding in Indra’s palace. So Janmajaya asked them to bring Indra too. So now Takshaka in Indra’s palace, including Indra, are now being attracted to this fire. Let us try to visualize this power, like Magneto in X-men, and how he could move cruise ships, trains and so on. 

While this is all happening, another great person who is in this Sanga is Rshi Brihaspati. He looks at Janmajaya and says – Your father was the most accepting personality. He accepted death. He accepted being poisoned. Then why are you so angry at all these snakes who were destined to do this. They were instructed to do this. It was not their choice to go find his father and go poison him. So then Rshi Brihaspati teaches Janmajaya how to become quiet. So here are some insights into what Rshi Brihaspati shared with Janmajaya: 

• Death will be caused by Prarabdha. 

What this means to us is that we will die when we are supposed to. Outwardly, it may seem that this person was in an accident or this person was poisoned or this person died too young. But it is specifically shared that one dies due to Prarabdda. Rshi Brihaspati is trying to teach Janmajaya that his father died in this space and time because he was supposed to and that the snake never caused it. So we need to Be Quiet or quieten the mind.

• Our Happiness and unhappiness is not due to an external reason. 

Those who are young and feel that their parents cause them fear, or cause them to feel pressure towards this or that, here Rsi Brhaspati is saying very clearly that no one can cause one happiness, nor unhappiness. What did Vivekji compare our mind to? A magnifying glass. If we use it the right way, super focused, and if we use it in the wrong way, super distracted, like it hurts our eyes. It is our choice to be happy or unhappy. 

One more insight – The way to not be angry is to not be possessive. The first possession that we feel we have is the body, and then we go on to say – This is mine, and that is mine. Vivekji shared that we should start by being less possessive with articles, then circumstances, then beings. For those who are studying contemplation, Vivekji has described this as our lifestyle. What is deeper than our lifestyle is our equipments, and our first equipment is our body. 

Chapter 5 is now completed. 

Vivekji shared that when he was growing up his sisters, he went to a Catholic school. This means that they studied the Bible every day, every week they went to church and most of the people were proud of their understanding of the Bible. They didn’t understand why Vivekji was not baptized or took communion or eat the Turkey and so on.They were proud of this, but a typical person who identifies as a Hindu or with Sanatana Dharma is less proud of their scriptures like the Ramayana and the Bhagavad Gita. Most of their relationship with Mahabharata is only through TV. 

Now if we go back to the last question by which Bhagavata is flowing – Where does Dharma live? This question is being asked by someone who already knows that Bhagavan Krshna’s body has, as if, died. So that is retrospective. Raja Shaunaka already knows that when Bhagavan Krshna was alive, that was where Dharma lived. So the question was – Who does Dharma live in? As he also knows that Bhagavan Krshna is not alive right now, the question now is not – Who does Dharma live in?, but Where does Dharma live? So now Rshi Vyasa is summarizing the answer to this question:

Raja Shaunaka asks about – What is the origin of the Veda? – that which Rshi Vyasa has taught my father and then my father has taught to me and that which I am now teaching to you. Where does Dharma live? In the Veda. What happened to the Veda because of Rshi Vyasa? What did he do to it? 

The genesis of the Veda starts with Nada which is more of a feeling, that is like a sound. First, the feeling comes and then the sound comes. When we are hungry, when we are angry, and then the sound comes from that. So Nada gets expressed as Aum. So before the Veda, there is Aum, and Aum gets expressed as The Veda. The here is referring to one, singular. When Bhagavan Krshna’s body died, people lost Dharma. So at that time, Rshi Vyasa took the one Veda and volumized it into four Vedas. No Veda is superior or inferior; they are simply different. Imagine, that Rshi Vyasa had four kids. They are simply different, but are not distant, as in better or worse. 

So the genesis of the Veda started with Nada. This Nada is felt by Bhagavan Brahma who we refer to as the Creator. Bhagavan Brahma’s genesis is, he is born out of a lotus. So it is Bhagavan Narayana, then comes Bhagavan Brahma, and in him is expressed Nada. Nada then gets expressed as Aum and Aum gets expressed as The Veda. Rshi Vyasa, understanding that people are getting more disintegrated, he volumized the Veda into four Vedas. Then, Rshi Vyasa taught each Veda to a single shishya and from these shishyas we have our parampara. Therefore, Guru Purnima is actually Vyasa Purnima. From his disciples, here we are. The most beautiful part of this as we are trying to understand the Veda – What is the Essence or end of the Veda, or the Nirodha or finality of the Veda? It is the Gayatri Mantra. The essence of everything, from Bhagavan Narayana as the beginning, is the Gayatri Mantra. 

This is how Chapter 6 ends. 

In Chapter 7, Raja Shaunaka and we learn about the Puranas. We learn about the orientation of Shrimad Bhagavata.

Discussion: Through Rshi Brihaspati, 3 pointers were given to go from angry to quiet. We should come up with 3 more pointers to go from “I am Angry” to “Being Non-violent”.

Vivekji’s observation is that we get angry at people because of their lack of excellence, but if we are tuned into their effort instead of excellence, then that will make us quieter. Focusing on excellence over effort will always make our mind louder as no one will ever meet our excellence or expectations. 

RAW: From last week’s RAW, we had to visualize these last few verses where Raja Parikshita, who is Us, becomes free. Visualizations are a great teaching methodology as it is an easy way to engage in reflection, and finally personalization. Better than practice is personalization. This week, Vivekji would like us to reflect on this equation: 

Dharma + Bhakti = Bhagavan. All of us are oriented towards Dharma, Vedanta in Bhagavata is adding the Bhakti part. 

When we became old enough and started to decide our own relationships, say at the end of middle school or high school and so on, a human being went from being just another mammal to becoming an acquaintance when we started to believe in them, in what they said or what they did. In Sanskrtam, this would be called Aastika, when we have a belief in this being. An acquaintance became closer, say a friend, and how did this happen? Belief deepened to faith, from Aastika to Shraddha, that if they make me food, I will feel safe and eat it – acquaintance to friend. When one becomes even closer, we call them family. So from Shraddha to Vishvasa or from faith to trust. 

Now what kind of relationship do we have with ourselves? It has nothing to do with belief or faith or trust. It is knowledge based, experience based.  We know us. We are ourselves and do not have to trust ourselves. This is Bhava in Sanskrtam, the feeling of Oneness, not just closeness. So from belief, to faith, to trust, to Oneness or Being. According to Vivekji, the most important relationship we have is with ourselves and in Vedanta in Bhagavata the name for ourselves is Bhagavan Krshna. We are trying to go from believing, to having faith, to trusting, to feeling a Oneness with Bhagavan Krshna. Bhagavan is in our heart, which means He is in everyone’s heart. The same feeling we have for ourselves, imagine having the same feeling with all beings, including all animals, plants and stones. Our course is a deep course, with deep positive implications. 

We are living in a period of Kali. How did this happen? Bhagavan Krshna’s name, form and qualities became unmanifest. Kali comes from the word kala. Another English meaning of kala is machine. Post industrial revolution, everything around us uses machines – Artificial intelligence, machine based learning, and so on. Now people have machines that drive them. People who have self driving cars, now have become bad drivers. When they actually have to drive, they don’t know how to. So we are now living in an era where we are dominated by machines. 

In Shrimad Bhagavata, with Kali comes Nirodha – dissolution, where we feel the fundamental, like ice becoming water and water becoming steam. It is becoming more and more dissolved or causal. Us dissolving is a fact of life. Everything associated with us, especially the body, will be dissolved. Living is a terminal condition. No one can stop that and for anyone who internalizes this fact, then they flow with Nirodha or death. Anyone who does not internalize this fact, then they fearfully age and experience Nirodha. We have all met such people, those who age gracefully and those who age fearfully. Those who age fearfully, they do not accept this fact, that Nirodha has happened, is happening and will happen. 

In Chapter 4, Nirodha is shared as Pralaya. Laya is drowsiness and Pralaya is comprehensive sleepiness or dissolution. There are four types of Pralaya – 

1. Nitya Pralaya or regular dissolution – like being distracted or going to sleep
2. More comprehensive or bigger is Naimittika Pralaya – special dissolution where Bhagavan Brahma, the Creator goes to sleep
3. Prakrta Pralaya or relative dissolution – where there is no more relativity. The elements have also become unmanifest when Bhagavan Brahma dies. 
4. Most important is Atyantika Pralaya or Absolute dissolution, where we know the Real. We know Existence-Awareness. So we automatically unknow the unreal. The unreal does not affect us. We unknow Dvaita – that there is only Existence-Awareness, and so we feel Peace.

Chapter 5 is a very special part of Shrimad Bhagavata, so we should try to have this Bhava or feeling. Re-reading Verse 2 of Chapter 5 –

Skanda 12:5:2 – tvaṁ tu rājan mariṣyeti

paśu-buddhim imāṁ jahi

na jātaḥ prāg abhūto ’dya

deha-vat tvaṁ na naṅkṣyasi

O King, give up the animalistic mentality of thinking, “I am going to die.” Unlike the body, you have not taken birth. There was not a time in the past when you did not exist, and you are not about to be destroyed.

Reflections on this verse: Rshi Shuka shares with Raja Parikshita that the vision of Bhagavata is to describe Bhagavan. Divinity is in the details, and the more one gets immersed in the details of Bhagavan, the more one forgets the details of themselves – that they were born, that they are going to die. This is described as Pashu buddhi, the notion of one being born and the feeling that they are going to die. The one who has such a mindset lives with fight, flight, freeze, instinctive like an animal. 

Rshi Shuka gives some examples of “You are not born and are not going to die”, like is a relationship between a parent and a child, like is a relationship between a tree and seed. We are beyond such limits. These relationships are a cause and effect and do not apply to us. 

And then Rshi Shuka shares why someone would feel this and it is because of the mind. Death, our fear of death is an experience in our mind and in the eleventh section, the mind was given the qualification of Maya. So the one who has the notion that they were born and are going to die are described as succumbing to Maya in the last section, and in this section, it is succumbing to not being a human, but rather being an animal. 

This section with Rshi Shuka is completed. This is the last verse that Rshi Shuka speaks. We have flowed through thousands of verses from Rshi Shuka and this is his last teaching. 

Skanda 12:5:13 – etat te kathitaṁ tāta

yad ātmā pṛṣṭavān nṛpa

harer viśvātmanaś ceṣṭāṁ

kiṁ bhūyaḥ śrotum icchasi

Beloved King Parīkṣita, I have narrated to you the topics you originally inquired about – the pastimes of the Lord Hari, the Supreme Soul of the universe. Now, what more do you wish to hear?

Reflections: The vision of Shrimad Bhagavata is Vasudeva Anuchintya, that every thought of ours revolves around Bhagavan Krshna. And this is the truth as our thoughts depend on Awareness; Awareness does not depend on our thoughts. But we have to know this to be transformed by this. Our thoughts are tied to Bhagavan Krshna, but we do not know this, so we do not benefit. 

Rshi Shuka is asking Raja Parikshita what else he wants to know. He had six questions and he has answered these six questions. And if there were more questions, then he would stop Takshaka. Here Rshi Shuka’s nature is being expressed, that he is the death of death. If we can visualize Takshaka, a most poisonous being, this snake is an icon of death, but Rshi Shuka can stop him. Rshi Shuka’s willpower is stronger than world power. Vivekji was sharing how much Rshi Shuka loves Raja Parikshita and us too, that his final words are coming to us directly. Rshi Shuka lives in the heart of Raja Parikshita, in the heart of Takshaka. He is Existence-Awareness. These are the final words of Rshi Shuka with the end of Chapter 5. 

Chapter 4 is Nirodha in the form of Pralaya. Chapter 5 is Nirodha with the final words of Rshi Shuka. Chapter 6 is the Nirodha of Raja Parikshita. 

Vivekji has already mentioned that Rshi Shuka doesn’t speak anymore, so this is Raja Parikshita speaking to Rshi Shuka.

Skanda 12:6:2 – siddho ’smy anugṛhīto ’smi

bhavatā karuṇātmanā

śrāvito yac ca me sākṣād

anādi-nidhano hariḥ

Mahārāja Parīkṣita said – I have now achieved the purpose of my life, because a great and merciful soul like you has shown such kindness to me. You have personally spoken to me this narration of the Supreme Personality of the Godhead, Hari, which is without beginning or end.

Some details around this verse – Before Raja Parikshita shares this verse with Rshi Shuka, he goes very close to him and picks up Rshi Shuka’s feet one by one, puts them on his head, and then speaks to him. He goes on to further share that he has No Fear. Let us put ourselves in this position – We have been told that we have one week to live or maybe one minute to live. What would be the feelings in our head? For some of us, it is pashu buddhi – fight, flight, or freeze. But Raja Parikshita says he has no fear, just like Prince Arjuna says in the Bhagavad Gita, Nashta Moha – He has no anxiety, stress, or dejection. Then Raja Parikshita shares again – Please bless me. Please give me permission to be enlightened or be in Samadhi (to absorb all of his identification to the Spirit). 

Let us try to feel that detail of Surrender to one’s Trust triangle. 

In Vivekachoodamani, the shishya asks the Sadguru or guide if he/she can ask a question, that level of Surrender or permission. Here Raja Prikshita is asking if he can be in Samadhi. These are some of the final words of Raja Parikshita as well. Now both Rshi Shuka’s and Raja Parikshita’s words are complete. 

Rshi Shuka is an icon of Fearlessness and we can only give what we have. So what did Rshi Shuka give Raja Parikshita? Fearlessness. If we look at murtis of Bhagavan, one hand is up like a high five, symbolizing Abhaya dana. The highest form of dana or generosity is Abhaya. Rshi Shuku obviously doesn’t say yes as Rshi Shuka and Raja Parkishita had become One. This is just felt! 

Vivekji had recently read that when Rshi Shuka was describing various Bhaktas in Bhagavata, he actually became each Bhakta and spoke from that narrative. So for example, when he was describing Bhakta Prahlada, he became Bhakta Prahlada and spoke from that depth. One of the greatest qualities we can invoke is empathy and Rshi Shuka has done that. Rshi Shuka is in Raja Parikshita’s heart, can feel his heart, and has taught him accordingly. Now that Raja Parikshita asks him for permission, he can feel Rshi Shuka in his heart, so they do not have to exchange words. 

Our completing verse for this chapter is Verse 8 –

Skanda 12:6:8 – ity uktas tam anujñāpya

bhagavān bādarāyaṇiḥ

jagāma bhikṣubhiḥ sākaṁ

nara-devena pūjitaḥ

Who is now speaking is Suta. There are three dialogues happening. The three main teachers are Rshi Shuka, the Suta also known as Rshi Ugrashavas and the final dialogue is with us, this course itself. 

Rshi Ugrashavas said: Thus requested, the saintly son of Shreela, Vyāsadeva gave his permission to Raja Parīkshita. Then, after being worshiped by the King and all the sages present, Śukadeva departed from that place.

Raja Parikshita felt Rshi Shuka in his heart, and he tried to worship Rshi Shuka, but Rshi Shuka’s seva or work was done. If we recall, he never stayed anywhere longer than it takes to milk a cow – he never waited for that worship. This is like, once a large group of people were praising Pujya Swami Tejomayananda and this was becoming so common that his response to them was COT – change of topic! 

So now Rshi Shuka did not wait for the worship or Raja Parikshita’s Samadhi or Takshaka to come and bite him. He had full belief, faith, trust and feeling that Raja Parikshita was free now. The feeling that is being shared is that both Rshi Shuka and Raja Parikshita have no doubt. Our doubt is whether Bhagavan is looking at us and looking after us. But if we feel no doubt, then it is no more about Bhagavan looking at us and looking after us. Bhagavan IS. There is no more us, just Bhagavan IS. No doubt here is a very powerful feeling!

Now, Takshaka comes disguised as a Brahmana to that satsanga. He comes disguised as a teacher. When everyone is at ease, their vigilance is down, he quickly transforms into a snake and bites Raja Parikshita. And instantly Raja Parikshita’s body burns and disintegrates! And everyone gathered is stunned. How did this happen? They kind of let that go. They are stunned that someone who a week earlier was sort of filled with fear, and now a week later is free. So the finality of this scene is when the Devas and Suras are gathered in heaven and start to play music and offer flowers. 

The best celebration of life is when we become the Death of death. 

Final reflection: In the eleventh section, Bhagavan Krshna “DIED” and how gracefully He died! He was sitting in the jungle, He got shot by an arrow and He died. In this section, we see how gracefully Raja Parikshita has died. He was in Satsanga, he was intensely poisoned and he died. Shrimad Bhagavata teaches us the Art of Dying. This is a Master Map in how the sections are designed and the chapters are connected. Now as we complete our 161 hours, imagine we had the same fate and that we only have 168 hours or in our case, 8 more weeks. Are we feeling the art of dying more?

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Reflective Dynamics: Try to feel that Raja Parikshita, Rshi Shuka and Bhagavan Krshna are in our heart! They are our sense of Being. Listen carefully and try to feel deeply:

Suta said, “Hearing these words of Shuka, Vyasa’s offspring, who is ever established in the experience of the Atman in everything, Raja Parikshita approached him, placed his feet on his own head and spoke to him with palms joined in salutation.”

The Raja said, “I have indeed achieved my highest end in life by being the object of your blessing. From your mouth, I have been able to hear about the greatness and excellences of Shri Hari, the Infinite without birth or death. It is no wonder that such saintly ones as you, whose minds are always devoted to Achyuta, bless and console the ignorant who are afflicted by the woes of worldly life. I have been blessed enough to hear from you this Purana which is entirely devoted to the description of the excellences of the worshipful Lord of sanctifying fame. O Holy One, for me who has attained the Brahmic state of bliss, beyond all fear through your instruction, Takshaka and other specters of death hold fear no more. O Holy One, bless me so that I may breathe my last with my senses in-gathered, with the mind freed from its store of desires and my vital energies concentrated exclusively on the Supreme Lord. The reign of ignorance and its results has ceased for me forever by my firm establishment in the knowledge and experience as the Spirit – that state of Supreme blessedness which is the Lord through the instructions imparted by you.”

Suta said, “Saying so the King Parikshita worshiped the Sage Shuka who blessed him and then departed along with other ascetics. As for the Rajarshi Parikshita, he sat there motionless like a tree, having made the mind in-gathered, concentrated and absorbed in the Paramatma by exercising the controlling power of the buddhi. He was seated facing north on the banks of the Ganga, on a seat of darbha grass, spread with their tips towards the east, free from all doubts and all attachments. The Great Yogi that he was, he sat there fully absorbed in the experience of the unity of the Self with Brahman. 

Now, the serpent Takshaka, impelled by the incensed Brahmana boy, went towards the King at an opportune moment to kill him. On the way he met Kashyapa, a Brahmana who is an expert in treating victims of snake poison. Presenting much wealth to that expert in treating snake poison, Takshaka managed to win him over and send him away from the scene. Being capable of taking any form, he took the form of a Brahmana in order to disarm all suspicion, and approaching the King, inflicted the fatal bite on him. At once, even as all the assembled people were looking on, the body of the Rajarshi, who was united in Spirit with Brahman, was reduced in a flash to ashes by the fiery poison of the serpent. On the Earth, in the sky, in all the quarters, the distressed cry of “Alas” reverberated. Devas, Asuras and humans stood wonderstruck and immobilized. The celestials then sounded kettledrums, the Gandharvas sang and the devas showered flowers crying, “Hail! Hail! Hail”!

Try to establish ourselves in the truth that Raja Parikshita, Rshi Shuka, Bhagavan Krshna, are established in our heart. They don’t just look after you, they don’t just look at you, but They Are You!

Stretch, inhale, open your eyes, and smile! This is temporary Enlightenment!

Leela is that which makes us melt our individuality. So this is Bhagavan’s leela!

Last week’s discussion: How does the fear of death affect our life? 

Vivekji’s thoughts: The fear of death makes us hold on more which makes living and dying harder. 

Last week’s RAW: Write to Rshi Shuka about how we feel about him. 

Vivekji’s reflection – An English word for Brahman is Reality. When we write to Rshi Shuka and we feel that he can feel this, that is us getting closer to Brahman. Reality is being better oriented for us. When we pray, do we feel Bhagavan is listening to us? If we do, then Bhagavan is real for us, but we have to feel that. 

RAW: To spend 15 minutes each day visualizing these verses that Vivekji has read. Vivekji read verses 1-15 from Chapter 6 – Raja Parikshita’s enlightenment, Rshi Shuka’s moving, Raja Parkshita’s moving, how the world responds. Everyone must visualize this to personalize this. 

Vedanta in Bhagavata is a course on patience. Many courses that we are exposed to are more about “what can I get and do today”, unlike Vedanta in Bhagavata. It is a course in patience because even though we are listening about and from Bhagavan, in the sense that Bhagavan Krshna and Rshi Shuka are sharing, we don’t feel this unless we reflect. Reflection, manana, this presupposes patience.

Vivekji observed a billboard on his way back from the Airport in Chicago which said – If you are texting, who is driving? For us to experience Ramayana or Bhagavata, we have to invest our resources, time and most of all effort to feel Ramayana and Bhagavata. We cannot just be present physically. We cannot multitask. We have to invest in this experience. This investment is in knowing Bhagavan – knowing how Bhagavan Krshna was born, knowing how Bhagavan Rama treated His family. The more we know Bhagavan, the more we feel Bha – Bha means Light, like in the word Bhagavata, Bhagavan. In a more tactile way, the more we know Bhagavan, the more we feel that Bhagavan is holding on to us, and then we let go of stress, anxiety and dejection. Although this is a course on Bhakti, the utility of this course is unprecedented. We are completing  the 160^th hour of Vedanta in Bhagavata. We will complete this map on December 10^th in 168 hours, the hours in an entire week. Lots of people are exposed to Bhagavata Saptahas where they experience it over a course of a week, but we are experiencing this over the number of hours in a week. Very unprecedented!

In the 12^th section which is about tuning into the fundamentals – Nirodha, in the 3^rd  chapter, we begin this chapter with the Bhumi Gita or Earth Song. What the Earth sings out is describing what is happening to her, and is certainly not positive. There are thieves disguised as leaders who are causing harm to the Earth. And in this Bhumi Gita, she asks Bhagavan Krshna, the Divine – What can be done to help instead of harm the Earth?. What can help people instead of harm them? The answer given is Japa. Japa is raising the quality of our thoughts. Then the quantity of our thoughts is reduced. When we eat good food, we do not have to eat a lot of it. 

Another insight from the 3^rd chapter – We are all living in two dimensions. One is our outer dimension, when society holds power on us. Then there is an inner dimension where we hold power over society. Which is more powerful? If we change the wording to – Our Will power is greater than world power. Gandhiji, whose birthday we just celebrated, is a great example of it. Recently Vivekji heard that when Bharat became independent, 39 other countries also followed suit. So Will power is greater than world power. By raising the quality of our thoughts, we live in Krta yuga, where there is integrity.

Moving on to Chapter 4, which is very much about Pralaya, which means – what happens when creation starts to become uncreated. 

Skanda 12:4:36 – Time is like a flow of water and it is constantly taking away. The scary face on the top of an altar is the face of Kala or Time, the notion being that everyone outside of this ring of fire will be eaten by Time. Sometimes it is the face of a Rakshasa or sometimes the face of a tiger or dragon. Our aspiration is to get inside this ring of fire, then Time cannot take anything away from us. Everything is subject to conditions and modifications, and so all is comprehensively being born and dying. 

This is a verse that Rshi Shuka shares with Raja Parikshita.

More insights about Pralaya:

1. Nitya Pralaya or daily dissolution – It is when we go to sleep or when we are not paying attention. If we are sitting in satsanga, and thinking about lunch for example, that experience is dissolved. So that is also Nitya Pralaya. The deduction for us – If we know that all is always changing, we should not depend on it in an absolute way because we will just get burned. We have all experienced this,especially the older people.

2. Naimittika Pralaya or special dissolution – Naimittika means cause. There is a cause for this Pralaya and the cause is when Bhagavan Brahma goes to sleep. Nitya is when we go to sleep, and Naimittika is when Bhagavan Brahma goes to sleep. And if the creator goes to sleep, then what happens to creation? It is all dissolved. What is lovely is that Bhagavan Brahma sleeps in Bhagavan Narayana. So the implication for us is that when we sleep, we return to the lap of Bhagavan. That is why we love sleep, as we feel absolutely safe. 

Why Pralaya is brought up? – In the 3^rd chapter, the awfulness of Kali is described. People are always fighting and they feel money and power are the focus of life. So Raja Parikshita is thinking, extrapolating – What if people do not stop? Then what will happen to the people, to the world? And that is why Rshi Shuka is extrapolating the details of what will happen if we do not change.

3. Prakrta Pralaya or dissolution of elements – This is when Prakrti goes to sleep. This is when Bhagavan Brahma dies. Please contemplate on this – The highest form in this ladder of creation is Bhagavan Brahma, and Vivekji just intentionally stated that Bhagavan Brahma will die. If he is going to die, then we will definitely die, and all that remains is Bhagavan Narayana. 

There are some frightening details in this chapter. One of the first signs that Bhagavan Brahma is dying is that the world becomes very dry, that water just starts to evaporate from the ponds, lakes and so on. Then after that, there will be a strong proliferation of fire. Then things start to burn, and then pralaya really kicks in when everything starts to drown. Sea levels are rising, Antartica and the Arctic are going away. This has been documented several thousand of years ago, just to bring some of the faith of what is being shared, that when we feel all of this, and there is a message of despair, that is why there is a fourth Pralaya. This is what Rshi Shuka is trying to direct Raja Parikshita’s attention to.

4. Atyantika Pralaya or fundamental dissolution – It is when our ego is dissolved. When Vivekji was younger, he used to listen to pure Rock like Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and as he evolved, he started to like alternative Rock, like Pearl Jam and Nirvana. The word Nirvana is a Sanskrtam word meaning to blow out. Back in the day, the group used to smash their guitars and blow up their speakers at the end of their shows, thus having an authentic idea to call themselves Nirvana. But the real meaning of Nirvana, which is beautiful, is when the ego is blown into the Spirit. That is Atyantika dissolution, where we become Bhagavan Narayana as Bhagavan Brahma dies earlier and only Bhagavan Narayana Rests. In Prakrta Pralaya, Bhagavan Narayana exists, but in Atyantika Pralaya, we become Bhagavan Narayana.

Those who are connected to our history of Bhakti, what happened to Rshika Andal? What happened to her body? She merged with Bhagavan Ranganatha. What happened to Devi Mira? Where was she burnt or buried? She merged with Bhagavan Krshna. This is not esoteric, but we have documented history of all this happening. What Pujya Swami Tejomayananda shared was that when we know Infinity, the finite dissolves. If we know the post, the ghost dissolves. That is why Chinmaya externally means knowledge, but internally means Awareness, knowledge of Awareness. Then we do not have to fight against the world. The world will not affect us.

Skanda 12:4:43 – Amongst us, there is going to be someone who speaks and that is Suta or Ugrashava. He is going to speak to the Rshis gathered in Naimisharanya. Raja Parikshita, there will be a long ritual there, and he will be asked by the great Shaunaka and others. 

There are 3 main dialogues or samvadas in Shrimad Bhagavata –

• The first dialogue is the great Shaunaka asking Rshi Ugrashavas 6 questions. The first question being – What is the greatest Good for the maximum time? What can help the most people in the most ways? It was from that question that Bhagavata started to unfold. If we are asking ourselves how we can make our life clearer, the answer is Shrimad Bhagavata. 

• In the second dialog, Rshi Ugrashavas says that this question is not original and that this question was asked by Raja Parikshita to Rshi Shuka. This is the second dialogue which we have been most exposed to.  

• Now that whole Bhagavata is ending, and Rshi Shuka is bringing us back to it, the implication being, the 3^rd dialogue is between our Guru-shishya Parampara and us. That is the 3^rd dialog. We are hearing it, we are feeling it, so the Guru-shishya Parampara is like this conduit from Dialogue 1, to Dialogue 2, to Dialogue 3. This is Bhagavan Krshna just channelizing Himself to us. 

One message from the 5^th Chapter – All that I have shared with you, Tata (means someone we love, nothing to do with age), I have taught you about who you are. I have taught you the Spirit of you. You are Bhagavan and in your heart is Bhagavan Vishnu. Is there anything else you would like to know?

From another commentary, Rshi Shuka tells Raja Parikshita that if he still has questions, then he would stop Takshaka, that he would stop him to teach Raja Parakshita. And when he learned everything, then he would call Takshaka. The implication being that Rshi Shuka is in the heart of all and that he is Takshaka, this poisonous being. So he can stop or start Takshaka as he wishes. He is willing to change the fate of this world if Raja Parikshita has more questions. Incredible!

We will continue with Chapter 5 next week. 

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Discussion:  How does the fear of death affect your life? A good way to think about this is to try to visualize that you are dying today and try to visualize you never dying. 

Q&A:

Q1: What is the third facet of Dharma? Tapah or Openness

Q2: Dana is the virtue. What attacks Dana? Vigraha or selfishness

Q3: What is Japa mean in English? Janmanam Paati Iti Japa – That which protects you from being reborn. The feeling that we are going to die is for animals – pashubuddhi, not for humans. Na jatah – Humans are not born, so how can we die?

Q4: What is the greatest form of pralaya? Atyantika or fundamental dissolution of the ego. Because there is an ego, there are equipments and experiences. If there is no ego, then all gets dissolved.

RAW from last week: Whatever we are thinking, think of it as Rshi Shuka speaking to you. If we think all our thoughts are Rshi Shuka’s, how did we feel different? 

• Vivekji shared that he responded and was more careful about his inner world and paid attention to his thoughts more. 

RAW: This is our 160^th hour of Vedanta in Bhagavata and majority of it was through the voice of Rshi Shuka. This class is the final teaching that Rshi Shuka shares and does not teach anything teaching oriented after this. What Vivekji would like us to do is to write to Rshi Shuka about what he means to you and what he has done to you. Write whatever we want to Rshi Shuka. The best is to write on paper and take an image to post on the CM Niagara website.