Srimad Bhagavtham - Skandha1- Chapter1 --- 3

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(continued from the previous post)

 

The creation consisting of three gunas that make the gross elements, water, fire

and earth that constitute the gross world which is mrsha:,

unreal in the sense that Brahman is the self of all sentient and

insentient beings which form His sarira or praka:ra, mode, and therefore Brahman

is the only reality in toto. This is indicated by the word nirasthakuhakam in

the sloka, meaning nishkalanka, without blemishes.

 

Kuhaka means vanchakavasthu or things that deceive and He is nirastha

devoid of that. His jnana is sathya and asankuchitha , real and

uncontracted, all pervasive and therefore nirasthakuhakam. The words

DHAma, sathyam and param denote jna:nam sathyam and anantham.

 

The Mangalasloka indicates the entire subject of the purana to be the

parabrahman, synonymous with Vasudeva. Janma:dhyasya denotes the

jagathka:ranathva, the causality of Brahman and being the only reality, He is

both the material cause, upa:dha:na ka:rana and efficient cause, nimittha

ka:rana.

 

The second sloka refers to the anubandha chathushtayam. That is, a

grantha or written work must have four requisites, namely, grantha, the name of

the work, vishaya, the subject matter, adhika:ri, one who is qualified to read

and understand it and phala, the fruit of the

endeavor.

 

The second sloka runs thus:

 

dharmo: pro:jjitha kaithavo: athra paramo: nirmathsarANAm satha:m ve:dhyam

vasthavamathra vasthu sivadham tha:pathrayo:nmoolanam

srimadbhAgavathe: maha:munikrthe: kim va: paraih eesvarah sadhyo:

hrdhyavaruDHyathe: krthibhih susrooshubhisthathkshana:th

 

In this srimadbha:gavatha the highest dharma, without deceit, has been

expounded by the great sage(Vyasa) for the sake of the good souls who

are devoid of meanness. The object to be cognized through this is that

which is the reality, which gives auspicious results and which roots out the

tha:pathraya, the three kinds of duhkha. The Lord is established immediately in

the heart of those who are meritorious and desire to listen to Bhagavatha and

hence what more can be achieved than this!

 

Here the grantha is specified by name as Srimadbhagavatha. The subject

matter is denoted as paramo: dharmah, the highest dharma. This does not mean

that Bhagavatha teaches the dharma alone which it definitely does, but this

should be understood in the sense of the answer of Bhishma to yudhishtira who

asked him 'ko dharmassarvadharma:na:m paramah, 'which is the highest dharma of

all. Bhishma replies that 'e:sha me: sarvadharma:na:m dharmo: adhikathamo:

mathah, " this is the dharma which is highest in my opinion " and he elaborates

on that.

 

Here the word `sarvadhrma:naam' implies the four kinds of dharma

laid out in the sastras.

 

1. aihika dharma, the actions pertaining to the life in this world. This

includes the natural duties of a householder.

 

2.Amushmika dharma, those performed for the welfare in the life- after, like

the yajnas, sacrificial rites, dha:na, acts of charity, done for attaining

heaven or better life in the next birth.

 

3. The actions that are undertaken in order to attain salvation , by those who

are free from attachment, through yoga and meditation.

 

4. The path of devotion, through acts of love towards the Lord like kirtana,

smarana and padase:vana, singing His names thinking about Him ad worshipping

Him.

 

The last dharma is extolled by Bhishma as the supreme dharma. Lord Krishna has

specified the same in the Gita by the charamasloka, `sarvadharma:n parithyajya

ma:me:kam saranam vraja.' Bhishma says ` yadbhakthya: pundareeka:ksham

sthavairarche:th narah esha dharmassana:thanah,' the worship of the Lotus eyed

Lord is the age old dharma. This is Adhikyena abhimatham, considered the

greatest because it can be done without depending on anything or anybody and

without disturbing others.

 

....to be continued...