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Source: The Hindu (http://www.the-hindu.com)

 

Realisation of God, goal of human life

 

CHENNAI, AUG. 31. Human birth reaches its fruition only if the

goal of liberation is realised; otherwise the opportunity given

by Providence is frittered away and there is no guarantee that a

similar chance will be given again. The Bhagavad Gita says that a

person who remembers God in his last moments is liberated from

bondage which is the fulfilment of the spiritual exercises he has

practised all his life.

 

The Bhagavata Purana also echoes this truth. The Lord Himself

taught the subtle truths expounded in this Purana to the creator,

Brahma, before the creation of this universe when he meditated on

Him. The Supreme Being after revealing His divine form to the

creator told him that He had blessed him with His vision because

of his penance. The Lord pointed out that the pains that men take

for the good of their soul reach their fruition by realising Him.

 

In his discourse, Sri V. Krishnamurthy said that the Lord's

entire teachings to Brahma had been briefly summed up in four

verses in this context which had come to be known as ``Catussloki

Bhagavata''.

 

The entire Purana can be interpreted to be a detailed elaboration

of what has been encapsulated in these verses. When the Lord

blessed Brahma with His vision He also granted him a boon pleased

with his penance.

 

Brahma sought with this boon that he should be blessed with an

insight into both the absolute and relative aspects of His

formless Being. Just as a spider spins a web round itself, sports

in it and then retracts it into its mouth, so also the Lord

through His creative will, multiplies Himself in the form of this

universe, maintains it and then dissolves it all by Himself, by

His manifold powers and thus carries on His sport assuming

various forms. It was an elaborate exposition on this sport of

the Lord that Brahma wanted to be enlightened which is the

subject matter of this Purana.

 

The Catussloki Bhagavata takes up the discussion from this point.

The Lord granted Brahma that he would be taught esoteric

knowledge, the greatness of devotion to Him and all that is

accessory to it and be blessed with realisation.

 

The same truths have been taught in different contexts in this

Purana. They formed the crux of Prahlada's teachings to his

friends as he was blessed with this knowledge even before he was

born. His mother Kayatu while expecting him had listened to these

teachings from Narada and hence he was blessed with devotion and

spiritual knowledge even as a child and could expound it to

others with conviction. Another context is the ``Sruti Gita''

which appears later in the Purana.

 

 

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