srimadbhagavatham- skandha7

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Chapter11- General dharma

 

The

dharma to be followed by all consists in cultivating the virtues of sathyam, truthfulness, dhayaa, mercy to all, Soucham, inner and outer purity, thithikshaa, tolerance, and other

virtues like nonviolence, sharing what one has with all beings, inner and outer

control, acquiring knowledge , service to society, contentment etc.

 

The

duties and way of life specially enjoined for the four varnas are,

 

Brahmanas- Learning of Vedas and teaching others, performing

the rites of sacrifices and other rituals, giving charity and receiving gifts

only from those who have acquired wealth by righteous means.

 

Kshathriya-The duties of kshathriyas are the same as that of

the brahmanas but they should only give

and not receive gifts. His main duty is to protect the society and for

discharging this duty he may collect taxes from all varnas except Brahmins. He

can also officiate as a priest in the absence of brahmins.

Vaisyas- Their

main duties are agriculture and trade and for sudras it is service.

 

Chapter12.Asramadharma

 

Brahmacharya- Once they finish gurukulavasa, after giving gurudhakshiNa as per

their capacity , with the permission of the guru they may either enter

grahashthasrama or retire to the forest taking sannyasa.

VanaprasTha- This asrama even though the third, is mentioned after

brahmacharya because the other two are dealt with in detail in the next few

chapters. This asrama is for those who have not taken sannyasa but simply

retire to the forest after leading the life of a householder waiting for his

death, meditating on the Lord and gradually give up his body to the elements. This

was what Vidura advised for Dhrthrashtra when he was nearing his end.

 

Chapter13

 

Sannyasa- A sannyasi should

not attach importance to any sastra which does not teach the spiritual

knowledge. Should not do any work to maintain himself. He should not enter into

arguments. He should not try to get disciples. He will move around like an mad

man or a child. This was depicted in the story of Rshbhadeva in skandha 2.

Narada narrated the conversation between Prahlada and Dhathathreya, who was a

avadhootha (not the Dhatthathreya who was the incarnation of the Thrimurthies.)

 

Prahlada

saw a saint who was living like a python staying in one place and never moving

to get food even. Prahlada asked him how he managed to maintain his body well. He replied that when the Lord is in the heart nothing more is needed.

He said that he learnt form a honeybee

that to gather wealth and wander around restlessly for that purpose only brings

sorrow and he had seen wealthy men without sleep and without peace. Whereas a

python remains where it is and the food comes to him and he does not go seeking

it. Similarly he said sometimes he gets food and other times go without it and

some give him food with reverence and others give with indifference. He is not

bothered about it at all because he did not identify himself with the body but

reveled in the self.

 

This

reminds one of the sloka by Sankara in Bajagovindam,

 

Yogaratho vaa bhoga ratho vaa

Sangaratho vaa sangaviheenaH

Yasya brahmaNi ramathe chittham

Nandhathi nandhathi nandhathyeva

 

One

who has renounced the world feels the

same happiness whether he is enjoying worldly things or in meditation giving up everything, whether

he is with people or alone.

 

Prahlada

saw that the saint was a real sThithprajna and worshipped him and returned to

his palace.

 

In

the next two chapters Narada explains about the duties of the householder and with that the seventh skandha ends.