Bhagavata - dharma .

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna ! Dandavat Pranam to Bhagavan Sri Krishna and all Vaishnavas ! Bhakta Prahlada explains

Bhagavata-dharma : (Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 7, Chapter 6 ) One should use the human form of body from the tender age of childhood to practice Bhakti-yoga of Bhagavan Narayana , the Supreme God . One should not be very much

interested in material enjoyment; instead, one should be satisfied with whatever material profits are easily obtainable, and because the duration of one's life is very short, one should utilize every moment for spiritual advancement . One may wrongly think, "In the beginning of our lives let us enjoy material facilities, and in old age we may become Vaishnavas." Such materialistic thoughts are always useless because in old age one cannot be trained in the spiritual way of life. Therefore, from the very beginning of life, one should engage in Bhakti-yoga (sravanam kirtanam visnoh) . Bhagavata-dharma consists of sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam. arcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam. The details are as follows : 1. From the tender age of childhood, one should practice Bhakty-yoga, giving up unnecessary material engagements . The purpose of human body is to perform Bhakty-yoga . Even a slight amount of sincere Bhakty can give one complete perfection . 2. The human

life affords one a chance to return to Vaikunta . Therefore, every human must engage in devotional service to the lotus feet of Bhagavan Narayana (Maha-Vishnu) . This devotional service is natural because Bhagavan , is the most beloved, the master of the soul, and the well-wisher of all living beings . 3. The happiness of sensual pleasures can be obtained in any form of life, according to one's past fruitive activities . Such happiness is automatically obtained without endeavor, just as we obtain distress . 4. Endeavors merely for sense gratification or material happiness through economic development result no actual profit . If one's endeavors are directed toward Bhakty , one can surely attain God-realization . 5. Therefore, while in the fearful material existence, a person must endeavor to achieve God-realization as long as the body is stout and strong and is not embarrassed by dwindling. 6. A human being has a maximum duration of life of one hundred years, but for one who cannot control his senses, half of those years are completely lost because at night he sleeps twelve hours, being covered by ignorance. Therefore such a person has a lifetime of only fifty years. 7. In the tender age of childhood, when everyone is bewildered, one passes ten years. Similarly, in boyhood, engaged in sporting and playing, one passes

another ten years. In this way, twenty years are wasted. Similarly, in old age, when one is an invalid, unable to perform even material activities, one passes another twenty years wastefully. 8.

One whose mind and senses are uncontrolled becomes increasingly attached to family life because of insatiable lusty desires and very strong illusion. In such a madman's life, the remaining years are also wasted because even during those years he cannot engage himself in devotional service. 9. What person too attached to household life due to being unable to control his senses can liberate himself? An attached householder is bound very strongly by ropes of affection for his family [wife, children and other relatives]. 10. Money is so dear that one conceives of money as being sweeter than honey. Therefore, who can give up the desire to accumulate money, especially in household life? Thieves, soldiers and merchants try to acquire money even by risking their very dear lives. 11. How can a person who is most affectionate to his family, the core of his heart being always filled with their pictures, give up their association? Specifically, a wife is always very kind and sympathetic and always pleases her husband in a solitary place. Who could give up the association of such a dear and affectionate wife? Small

children talk in broken language, very pleasing to hear, and their affectionate father always thinks of their sweet words. Mow could he give up their association? One's elderly parents and one's sons and daughters are also very dear. A daughter is especially dear to her father, and while living at her husband's house she is always in his mind. Who could give up that association? Aside from this, in household affairs there are many decorated items of household furniture, and there are also animals and servants. Who could give up such comforts? The attached householder is like a silkworm, which weaves a cocoon in which it becomes imprisoned, unable to get out. Simply for the satisfaction of two important senses--the genitals and the tongue--one is bound by material conditions. How can one escape? 12. One who is too attached cannot understand that he is wasting his valuable life for the maintenance of his family. He also fails to understand that the purpose of human life, a life suitable for realization of the Absolute Truth, is being imperceptibly spoiled. However, he is very cleverly attentive to seeing that not a single farthing is lost by mismanagement . Thus although an attached person in material existence always suffers from threefold miseries, he does not develop a distaste for the way of material existence. 13. If a person too attached to the duties of family maintenance is unable to control his senses, the core of his heart is immersed in how to accumulate money. Although he knows that one who takes the wealth of others will be punished by the law of the government, and by the laws of Yamaraja after death, he continues cheating others to acquire money.

14. In this material world, even those who are apparently advanced in education have the propensity to consider, "This is mine, and

that is for others." Thus they are always engaged in providing the necessities of life to their families in a limited conception of family life, just like uneducated cats and dogs. They are unable to take to spiritual knowledge; instead, they are bewildered and overcome by ignorance. 15. It is certain that no one bereft of knowledge of the Supreme God Narayana has been able to liberate himself from material bondage at any time or in any country. Rather, those bereft of knowledge of Bhagavan are bound by the material laws. They are factually addicted to sense gratification, and their target is woman . Indeed, they are actually playthings in the hands of attractive women . Victimized by such a conception of life, they become surrounded by children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and thus they are shackled to material bondage. Those who are very much addicted to this conception of life are

called demons. Therefore, one should keep aloof from such persons and take shelter of the Supreme God Narayana, the origin of all Devas, because the ultimate goal for the devotees of Narayana is liberation from the bondage of material existence. 16. Bhagavan Narayana, is the original Supersoul, the father of all living entities . Consequently there are no impediments to pleasing Him or worshiping Him under any conditions, whether one be a child or an old man. The relationship between the living entities and Bhagavan is always a fact, and therefore there is no difficulty in pleasing the Bhagavan . 17. Bhagavan Narayana , the supreme controller, who is infallible and indefatigable, is present in different forms of life, from the inert living beings [sthavara], such as the plants, to Brahma, the foremost created living being . He is also present in the varieties of material creations and in the material elements, the total

material energy and the modes of material nature [sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna], as well as the unmanifested material nature and the false ego. Although He is one, He is present everywhere, and He is also the transcendental Supersoul, the cause of all causes, who is present as the observer in the cores of the hearts of all living entities. He is indicated as that which is pervaded and as the all-pervading Supersoul, but actually He cannot be indicated . He is changeless and undivided . He is simply perceived as the supreme sac-cid-ananda [eternity, knowledge and bliss]. Being covered by the curtain of the external energy, to the atheist He appears nonexistent. 18. Nothing is unobtainable for devotees who have satisfied Bhagavan Narayana who is the cause of all causes, the original source of everything . Bhagavan is the reservoir of unlimited

spiritual qualities. For devotees, therefore, who are transcendental to the modes of material nature, what is the use of following the principles of religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation, which are all automatically obtainable under the influence of the modes of nature? We devotees always glorify the lotus feet of Bhagavan, and therefore we need not ask for anything in terms of dharma, kama, artha and moksa . 19. Religion, economic development and sense gratification--these are described in the Vedas as tri-varga, or three ways to salvation . Within these three categories are education and self-realization ; ritualistic ceremonies performed according to Vedic injunction ; logic; the science of law and order; and the various means of earning one's livelihood . These are the external subject matters of study in the Vedas, and therefore I consider them material . However, I consider surrender to the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu to be transcendental . 20. Narayana, the Supreme God, the well-wisher and friend of all living entities, formerly explained this “ Bhagavata-dharma” to Sage Narada . This knowledge, which is called Bhagavata-dharma, is fully scientific. It is based on logic and philosophy and is free from all material contamination . Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya!!! SriKrishnaDasa Rajeev

Find out what India is talking about on - Answers India Send FREE SMS to your friend's mobile from Messenger Version 8. Get it NOW