srimadbhagavatham-chapter 2 continued

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Sootha answers the question number 1, that is,'sarvasAsthra sAram

EkAnthikam srEyO broohi,tell us about the essence of all sasthras and

the most beneficial.' It is the devotion to Lord Krishna which is the

greatest dharma of all and it is most beneficial. The devotion is

termed as ahaithukee, spontaneous, that is not expecting any thing in

return and`aprathihathA, not impeded by any obstacle.The devotion to

Vasudeva brings in its wake vairAgya, detachment and nishkAmajnAna,

knowledge that is not desire-motivated.Any dharma that does not evoke

pleasure in the stories of Bhagavan is futile.

 

Dharma should be pursued for Moksha and artha for dharma and not for

kama. The supreme dharma is that which is followed till the acquiring

of self knowledge, induced by the detachment of other things which

in its turn is induced by the devotion to the Lord.The adhvitheeya

jnana, means svathulya abhyaDHika vasthu rahithathvam, the knowledge

about that which has nothing equal or higher than itself, and this

truth is denoted by the words Brahman,paramAthmA and bhaghavAn.

 

Bhakthi associated with vairagya and jnana makes it possible to see

the Lord inside one's heart and the sages acquire devotion through

hearing the story of the Lord with faith and perceive the Lord in

themselves.So the complete fulfilment of varNAsramadharma is the

propitiation of the Lord. this means that all dhatma should be

followed for bhagavathpreethi only and should be discharged as an

offering to the Lord.

Then Sootha explains the progress of devotion. Bhagavan who is the

Lord of the good should be worshipped by sravana, keerthana, dhyana

and pooja. Who will not desire for the hearing of the story of Him,by

persistent meditation on whom, the wise cut off their knot of

karma, 'yadhanuDhyAsinA yukthA karmabanDHa nibanDHanam, cchindhanthi

kOvidhAh thasya Ko na kuryAth kaTHA rathim?'This kaTHArathi, love of

His stories is the result of desire and faith in sravana which, in

its turn, is the result of the darsan of holy men by visiting the

holy places. Lord Krishna, hearing about and singing or talking about

whom is meritorious,who is the friend of the good, enters the heart

of one who hears about Him and destroys all bad impulses.'srNvathAm

svakaTHAm krishnah puNyasravaNakirthanah;hrdhyanthasTHOhyabhadhrANi

viDHunOthi suhrtsathAm.' Bad vAsanas are destroyed by

nithyabhAgavathasEvA which leads to devotion of BhagavAn. Bhakthi

when arises cleanses the mind of rajas and thamas and establishes

satthva.Thus when the mind becomes prasanna, equanimous with

bhagavathbhakthi, which removes attachment, the knowledge of the real

nature of bhagavAn, bhagavththatthvajnana arises by itself.

 

The upanishad says, 'bhidhyanthE hrdhayagranTHih cchidhyanthE

sarvasamsayAh ksheetanthE asya karmANi thasmin dhrstE parAvarE,all

knots of the heart are broken, all doubts are demolished and all

karma is destroyed when one has the darsan of the supreme self.' This

is the idea elaborated here. The prakrthi is constituted of three

gunas namely, satthva, rajas and thamas,and the supreme purusha

assumes the role of the creator, protector and annihilator

manifesting the three gunas, rajas,satthva and thamas

respectively.Vasudeva represents the supreme self above the trinity

and He alone is the object of worship. It is through the sAtthvik

manifestation of Vasudeva one attains salvation. The bhagavatha

purana declares that He is the highest goal.'vAsudhEva parA vEdhAh

vAsudhEva parA makhAh vAsudhEva parAyOgavasudhEva parA

kriyAh;vAsudhEva param jnAnam vAsudhEva param thapahvAsudhEva parO

dharmO vAsudhEva parA gathih,' the vedas are about Vasudeva,the

sacrifices pertain to Vasudeva,The yogas are to attain Vasudeva,all

actions are offering to Vasudeva.The object of knowledge is Vasudeva,

the one who is pleased by austerities is Vasudeva,the goal of dharma

is Vasudeva and all paths are towards Vasudeva. He is the parAkAshTA

parAgathih. the ultimate goal.

 

Sath, the real and asath, the unreal, both are manifested by the mAyA

of the Lord and the mAyA is constituted of three gunas. But He is

aguna, without guna ,that is, not affected by the three

gunas.'guNEshu guNavan iva anthah pravishtah nAnA bhAthi yaTHA vahnih

dhArushu, says Bhagavatha purana. He entering inside all beings

appears variegated as though He is connected with the gunas as the

fire in firewood which creates the appearance of existence in the

wood but actually not connected with it.Thus the first question is

answered. Then Sootha starts tellin g them about the lEElavathAras of

the Lord in dhevamanushyathiryangyoni, as deva, mnaushya and animal

forms.