The Hindu Article - Essence of Vedas in Bhagavatham

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Date:19/12/2002 URL:

http://www.thehindu.com/2002/12/19/stories/2002121901580900.htm

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Miscellaneous - Religion

 

Essence of Vedas in Bhagavatham

 

CHENNAI DEC. 19 . While each sacred text invariably deals with a

particular theme focussing on the need to uphold virtue, the

Bhagavatham is a valuable work that incorporates all the ten

incarnations of the Lord with details and narrates the life of

Krishna in particular from His birth to His exit. Besides these

topics, there is enormous information on Cosmos, the rule by several

emperors and a fund of philosophic matter. It is said that if a

scholar's erudition is to be tested, he should be found well versed

in expounding the Bhagavatam even as the genuineness and purity of

gold is to be assessed only in flames. Its origin is interesting.

Sage Vyasa, who had presented to the world the epic, Mahabharatam, in

which he had referred to the presence of Krishna only at intervening

periods while the main story related to the triumph of Righteousness

over evil, once felt much agitated.

 

The introduction to this work says it is the essence of the Tree of

the Vedas, dropped on earth from the mouth of Suka (son of Vyasa) and

is full of nectar of Supreme Bliss. It has unmixed sweetness (devoid

of rind, seed or other superfluous matter). "Drink it till there is

consciousness left in you", the verse adds. Vyasa taught this

benedictory work to his son, Suka, who recited it to a king, who was

cursed to die in a week. Vyasa, feeling uneasy at heart once, sat

reflecting at a secluded spot. "I have studied the Vedas, served the

elders and honestly followed the precepts, contributed the

Mahabharatam, but my soul has not yet realised its true nature."

 

While he was sorrowing that something was wanting in him, Sage

Narada, who had earlier made Valmiki to write the Ramayana, said that

he should now recall the exploits of the Lord as He incarnated as

Krishna, for the benefit of the entire humanity. The sage asked him

to describe at full length the acts of God in His incarnation as

Krishna. The wise have declared, the sage added, that the abiding

purpose of a man's austere penance, sacred knowledge, sacrificial

performances, recitation of the Vedas with correct intonation,

enlightenment and bestowal of gifts, is to recount the virtues of the

Lord. In a discourse, Sri Perukkaranai Chakravarthiachariar mentioned

how Narada told Vyasa about his own life and how he was blessed by

sages because of his service to them and how he was later enabled to

acquire spiritual knowledge, mystic powers and devotion to the Lord.

 

© Copyright 2000 - 2002 The Hindu

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "Ram Chandran <rchandran@c...>"

<rchandran@c...> wrote:

> The introduction to this work says it is the essence of the Tree

of

> the Vedas, dropped on earth from the mouth of Suka (son of Vyasa)

and

> is full of nectar of Supreme Bliss.

 

 

In this connection I want to mention that the vedas themselves,

collectively personified as 'shruti' have praised the Lord as early

as the beginning of Creation. The 28 verses (Nos.14 to 41 of chapter

87 of Book X of Srimad Bhagavatam) that thus pour forth from the

Sruti form a gold mine of vedantic hymns, which are, in the content

of their meaning as well as in the language of their expression, as

profound and authentic as would befit the prestigious stature of the

very vedas that constitute the ultimate source for everything in

Hinduism, its philosophy and metaphysics. This piece in the

Bhagavatam is known as 'shruti-gItA'.

A selection of these verses along with a translation and a few

comments, is available as a 11-page article starting from

http://www.geocities.com/profvk/gohitvip/33.html

 

I find that I have left a few gaps there, to be completed by me in

due time. The above article in The Hindu prompts me to do it now but

I shall have to wait until I get back to India (in January 2003).

In the meantime, I wish a Happy Holiday season to all of you and a

Happy New Year!

 

With praNAms to all advaitins

profvk