RE: Fwd: [t'venkatam] Karma Bhoomi/ bhogha bh oomi

[Guest guest]

Bharatavarsha is referred to and understood as a Karma Bhoomi only because

it is only in Bharat varsha that a jeeva gets the chance to do the real `

Kriyamaan Karma' to get out of the chain of Births and deaths and return to

the Kingdom of God.

 

In other countries, Karma to increase one's material comforts and standard

of living is popular. But such Karma only gets one more and more attached

to this world which makes one unable to think of HIM while leaving this body

at the hour of physical death.

 

The actual goal of life is to make oneself eligible by engaging in Sadhana

Bhakti and prepare oneself to receive Krishnaprem during this very life on

maturity of Sadhana Bhakti from the Guru and prepare oneself for entry into

the Kingdom of God after this earthly life. Satsang to get Tatwagyan and

sewa of Guru and Hari, help us in our endeavour towards God.

 

It is in this context that Bharatvarsha is referred to as the Karmabhoomi.

Even the heavenly beings keep pleading to get a human body and a birth in

the Bharatvarsha only because to become successful in this life, one ought

to have :

 

1. Knowledge ( Tatwagyan)

2. A Guru who is both Brahmanishta (practically God-realized) and

Srotriya (well-versed in scriptures)

3. A sense of surrender to the Guru and Hari.

 

A birth in Bharatvarsha is also particularly requested for because in any

other European, Amercan or African state, a person with a spiritual bent of

mind is not accepted by society and mostly dismissed as weak minded or as a

social disturbance. Communist countries again form a very hostile

environment for a spiritually and God-inclined person - branding them as

either Criminals or Lunatics. Thus, birth in Bharatvarsha is very

essential for easy and quick advancement in Sprituality and on path towards

God.

 

Karma which helps one to overcome Maya is called the real Kriyamaan karma or

Purushaarth. All other Karmas which help one to only maintain one's body

is not proper Karma becuase they only further entangle the Jeeva in this

world.

 

I hope the concept of Karmabhoomi and Bhogabhoomi is to be understood in

this context.

 

 

Regards

B H Sharma

 

>

> elangadu santanam mukundan [sMTP:mukundan_es]

> Saturday, February 05, 2005 2:53 PM

> Sudarshan K Madabushi;

> Re: Fwd: Re: [t'venkatam] Karma Bhoomi/

> bhogha bhoomi

>

>

>

> SRI HARI

> I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY SRI

> SUDARSHAN SWAMI. HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE TO CAUTION THE

> DEVOTEES THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE T AKEN FOR GRANTED T

> HAT IT IS NECESSARY TO GO ABROAD TO EARN A LOT IN

> ORDER TO DO BHAGAVAT OR BHAAGAVATA OR ACHARYA

> KAINKARYA. IF ONE IS IN CONSTANT SATSANG WHEREVER HE

> IS, THEN THERE IS NO PROBLEM AT ALL. THE QUESTION IS:

> IS IT REALLY POSSIBLE TO BE ABSORBED IN SATSANGAM

> WHILE STAYING ABROAD? THE MATERIAL OPULANCE, THE

> COMFORTS, WHICH ARE ALMOST LIKE INDRA LOKA CAN EASILY

> MISGUIDE A SINCERE DEVOTEE. THE MATERIAL WORLD CAN

> ALSO MISGUIDE ONE EVEN IN BHARATAVARSHA BUT THERE ARE

> PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR A SATSANG. IT IS A RISK

> ABROAD. LET THE YOUNGER GENERATION NOT CONFUSE THAT

> IT IS INEVITABLE TO GO ABROAD IN ORDER TO SERVE THE

> ACHARYA.

> I BOW DOWN TO THE LOTUS FEET OF ALL THE SRIVAISHNAVAS

> WHO ARE CONTRIBUTING THEIR MIGHT FOR THE GROWTH OF OUR

> SAMPRADAYAM EVEN WHEN THERE ARE STAYING AWAY FROM

> THEIR MOTHERLAND, THE BHARATAVARSHA. LET ME ALSO

> REQUEST THEM TO PREACH ABOUT THE SATSANG WHICH IS

> APLENTY IN INDIA TO THE YOUNGER GENERATION. I HOPE

> THAT SOMEDAY ALL THE SRIVAISHNAVAS ABROAD WILL COME

> AND SETTLE IN INDIA, ONCE THEIR TARGET FIGURE IS

> REACHED.

> I SINCERELY PRAY TO SWAMI DESIKAN, MY MENTOR AND

> MASTER, FOR THE SAME.

> DAASAN

> E.S.MUKUNDAN

> KINDLY PARDON ME IF I SOUND HARSH.

> --- Sudarshan K Madabushi

> <mksudarshan2002 wrote:

>

> >

> >

> > tiruvenkatam, "Sudarshan K

> > Madabushi"

> > <mksudarshan2002> wrote:

> >

> >

> > Dear members,

> >

> > In the light of recent discussions (on T'venkatam

> > list and others as

> > well) about the land of India being a "karma-bhoomi"

> > and the Western

> > nations being "bhOgha-bhoomi", I thought an old

> > posting of mine from

> > the Tiruvenkatam archives may perhaps be of

> > interest/relevance to

> > some of you. I reproduce it below.

> >

> > Please feel free to discuss the topic again on the

> > T'venkatam list

> > if you feel the need for it.

> >

> > Regards,

> >

> > dAsan,

> > Sudarshan

> >

> > ********************

> >

> >

> > --- "Mukundan <krupa@s...>" <krupa@s...> wrote:

> > > Dear srI. Sudarshan Swami,

> > >

> > > From Srimad-Bhagavatham, we know that Bharatham is

> > the Only Karma

> > > Bhoomi. Other regions have been defined as Bhoga

> > Bhoomi et al, with

> > > > some dEvathAs incharge. Can you kindly elaborate

> > on this.

> > > > Also, I would like to know how our SiddhAntham

> > views the

> > existence of living-beings in Other distant planets.

> > >

> > > dAsan

> > > Mukundan

> > > Singapore

> >

> > **************

> >

> > Dear Sri.Mukundan,

> > It's a very interesting question you raise. There is

> > no easy answer

> > to it. I will try however to provide one to the best

> > of my

> > meagre knowledge.

> >

> > Please remember that the word "bhOga" means

> > self-gratification,

> > enjoyment or delighting. And the word "karma", as

> > used in this

> > context here, means "self-renunciation".

> >

> > The saying that "bhAratham" is "karma-bhUmi" and the

> > rest of the

> > world is "karma-bhUmi" is an age-old and very

> > popular one, no doubt.

> > But as far as I know it is not founded on any clear

> > texts from the

> > Veda.

> >

> > As you know, the majesty of Vedic appeal is

> > universal in its sweep.

> > The Vedas do not confine themselves to bias such as

> > "bhAratham" or

> > elsewhere. The Vedas give expression to universal

> > principles and

> > cosmic aspiration. They do not recognize any

> > geographical boundaries,

> > least of all that of India. The ageless 'sruti' know

> > no barriers,

> > neither natural nor man-made, and hence do not speak

> > in such narrow

> > terms.

> >

> > The statement -- that "bhAratham" is "karma-bhUmi"

> > and other nations

> > are "bhOga-bhUmi" --- is, if you examine it very

> > carefully, a very

> > ambiguous one. It leaves us rather unsure whether it

> > is meant to

> > present the land of India in good or bad light. Is

> > it meant to convey

> > pride or patriotism for India? Or is it that by

> > contrasting

> > "karma-bhUmi" with "bhOga-bhUmi" it is trying to say

> > something

> > against other lands? We may ask, is there no "bhOga"

> > at all in

> > "bhAratham"? And conversely, is there no "karma" at

> > all in nations

> > other than "bhAratham"? All these questions and

> > ambivalent feelings

> > crop up in our minds when we examine the statement

> > closely.

> >

> > References to "karma-bhUmi" in the 'purAnA-s' are

> > very, very rare

> > indeed. Apart from the famous reference in the

> > 'Srimadh Bhagavatham'

> > one can hardly find it repeated in any other

> > 'purAnA' (except

> > perhaps, one may argue, in the "bhavishya-purANa"

> > where a reference

> > in far less similar form is made to the lands in the

> > River

> > Tambraparani basin in T.Nadu). Nowhere else in the

> > "purAnA-s" (to the

> > best of adiyane's limited knowledge) can one come

> > across any

> > reference to lands other than 'bhAratham' being

> > "bhOga-bhUmi". It is

> > my opinion that the word "bhOga-bhumi" first came

> > into use only as

> > late as in the 1880-s CE when Swami Vivekananda used

> > it to describe

> > the land of America while he was touring that

> > country giving his

> > famous series of lectures.

> >

> > Let's turn to the actual reference to "karma-bhUmi"

> > in 'Srimadh

> > BhAgavatham':

> >

> > etadeva hi deva gAyanti:

> >

> > ahO amIsham kimakAri shObanam

> > prasanna esAm sviduta svayam harIh:

> > yairjanma labdham nrshu bhAratAjIrE

> > mukunda sevaupayikam sprhA hi nah: -

> >

> > kim dushkarair nah kratubhih tapOvrataih

> > dAnAdibhirvA dyujayEna phalgunA;

> > na yatrA nArAyaNa pAdapankaja

> > smritih pramushtAti sayEndriyOtsavAt --

> >

> > kalpa yUshAm sthAna jayAt punarbhavAt

> > kshanA yushAm bhAratabhUjayO varam;

> > kshanEna martyEna krtam manasvinah:

> > sannyasya samyAntya bhayam padam harE: -

> >

> > "srimadh bhAgavatham"

> > (V.xix. 20-22):

> > ********* ************

> >

> > The above verses have been translated as follows:

> >

> > "The gods in Heaven sang of the glory of human birth

> > in the

> > land called "bhArata" (India):

> >

> > "Oh, What good deeds have these souls done

> > That Hari, the indweller of all things,

> > Has seen it fit to reward them

> > With birth in the continent of India --

> > A birth that enables a life of loving service unto

> > Him!

> >

> > Oh! What would we not do to earn such reward

> > ourselves?

> > After all, what have we the denizens of these

> > heavens achieved

> > Through years and years of austere 'tapa' fasting

> > and charity?

> > The joys of heaven are ours to feast, no doubt,

> > But alas, the remembrance of Narayana still escapes

> > us...

> >

> > Far better, we think, it is to live in India

> > Even if for but a few moments,

> > Than ages in these heavenly provinces --

> > FOr there great souls,

> > Fearless, free and merry--

> > Having renounced all unto the feet of God

> > Live forever in Him!

> >

> > *********************************

> >

> > If you notice in the verse as well as in the

> > translation, nowhere is

> > there mention of "bhAratha" as being "karma-bhUmi"

> > -- that specific

> > word is not used at all. What is said is that the

> > "dEvA-s" are

> > envious of earthlings who live in the land called

> > "bhAratam". Now why

> > are they envious? Because human beings in this land

> > are able to

> > perform undisturbed 'service to Narayana' -- mukunda

> > sevaupayikam. In

> > other words, the people of India live a happy life

> > of

> === message truncated ===

>

>

>

>

>

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