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Offline ShAivI

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THE GLORY OF GOD: A SUMMARY OF THE SRIMAD BHAGAVATA MAHAPURANA
« Reply #15 on: September 22, 2016, 12:04:45 PM »
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  • THE GLORY OF GOD: A SUMMARY OF THE SRIMAD BHAGAVATA MAHAPURANA

    Sri Vakratunda Mahakaya Suryakoti Samaprabha
    Nirvighnam Kuru Me Deva Sarva-Kaaryeshu Sarvada॥

    Shaantaakaaram Bhujagashayanam
    Padmanaabham Suresham Vishwaadhaaram
    Gaganasadrasham Meghavarnam Shubhaangam
    Lakshmikaantam Kamalanayanam
    Yogibhirdhyaanagamyam Vande Vishnum
    Bhavabhayaharam Sarvalokaikanaatham

    OM SAI RAM ॥



    Discourse 6

    SRI  KRISHNA’S  VRINDAVANA   AND  DVARKA  LILAS 


    In the Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana, the Eighth Skandha is devoted to the
    detailing of Gajendra Moksha, Amrita Manthana, and Sri Vamana avatara of
    Bhagavan Sri Vishnu, and in the Ninth Skandha we have the long history of the
    Solar and Lunar dynasties—Rama being a descendant of the Solar dynasty,
    and Krishna of the Lunar dynasty.

    The most important theme, surpassing all other descriptions that we have in
    the Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana, is the principle objective of the whole text—namely,
    the life of Bhagavan Sri Krishna himself. In a wonderfully touching prayer, Kunti
    glorifies the great Master, as we have it recorded in the First Skandha of the
    Bhagavata: namasye puruṣaṁ tvādyam īśvaraṁ prakṛteḥ param, alakṣyaṁ sarva-bhūtānām
    antar bahir avasthitam; māyā-javanikācchannam ajñādhokṣajam avyayam, na lakṣyase
    mūḍha-dṛśā naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā (S.B. 1.8.18-19); śrī-kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa-sakha
    vṛṣṇy-rṣabhāvani-dhrug-rājanya-vaṁśa-dahanānapavarga-vīrya, govinda go-dvija surārti-
    harāvatāra yogeśvarākhila-guro bhagavan namaste
    (S.B. 1.8.43).

    The play of God in the theatre of this world is the life of Bhagavan Sri Krishna.
    He behaved in the same way as God would behave in His creation. The avatara
    of Rama is regarded as a maryada that he kept in terms of the rules and regulations
    of human society. Bhagavan Sri Krishna is known not as Maryada Purushottama,
    but as Lila Purushottama. The demonstration of the perfection of human nature is
    the subject of the Ramayana, the life of Sri Ramachandra; and the demonstration
    of the perfection of God as He would operate Himself, independently, free from all
    accessories, is the theme of the life of Bhagavan Sri Krishna in the Srimad Bhagavata.
    Everything that Krishna did was the opposite of the world, while everything that Rama
    did was in consonance with the world.

    The evolutionary process that is seen in the various avataras of Vishnu—such as Matsya,
    Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, etc.—reaches a culmination in Rama and Krishna.
    From the lower levels of life through which God incarnates, as demonstrated in the earlier
    avataras, human perfection is reached in Rama’s avatara. But that is not enough. God has
    to descend into the world in the full force and power of His Completeness. Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ
    puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam
    (S.B. 1.3.28). As the entire energy of the sun
    may be concentrated on a lens through which this energy passes, and it has the capacity
    to work as the sun would work, so is the way in which we have to understand the nature of
    an incarnation, especially of the type of superman such as Bhagavan Sri Krishna. The universal
    forces congeal and concentrate themselves in one personality when it becomes purna avatara.
    It is as if the force of the ocean rushes through a single conduit pipe, and we can imagine the
    energy that is conducted through this pipe when the entire ocean is passing through it. 

    The Bhagavata also describes God as a threefold manifestation: Brahma, Paramatman and
    Bhagavan. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (S.B. 1.2.11). He is the transcendent
    Supreme Being, the Absolute, which is Brahman; He is the creative operative power, which is
    Paramatman; He is also the incarnation, which is Bhagavan. Three stages of the operation
    of God are here portrayed in the description of God being Brahman, Paramatman and Bhagavan.

    The lilas, or the plays of God in the form of Sri Krishna, have been inscrutable right from the
    beginning. The very purpose of the play of God is to manifest those realities which are beyond
    human comprehension—to stultify human thought, paralyse all human action, stun the individual
    ego, and transform human nature into divine nature.

    Everything is a miracle right from the beginning of Sri Krishna’s life—his birth in a prison,
    the prison doors opening automatically, the crossing of the Yamuna River, and the various
    fantastic scenes that are associated with him in the Vrindavana Lila. Boisterous, naughty and
    uncontrollable is the nature that Sri Krishna demonstrated right from childhood. He was not
    a simple, obedient, calm and quiet child. He was disobedient, boisterous, rebellious, independent
     in every way, and if anybody interfered with his independence, he would react with consternation,
    a wonder which surpasses human understanding.

    He would break pots, steal things, and damage all things, which is not the usual behaviour of
    a child. He would take away everything that one possesses, and make one feel grieved that
    valuable things have been lost; but at the same time, he would see to it that he endeared himself
    to everyone. With all the pranks that he played which were contrary to human expectation, he
    managed to see to it that he became the most beloved of all the children. Nobody could dislike him,
    irrespective of his funny behaviour, which was not expected from a little child. So, there was a
    double behaviour: naughtiness and unpleasantness inflicted upon people and, at the same time,
    becoming the most beautiful darling of humanity.

    God’s ways are always a combination of opposites. It is not a stereotyped action, as we think.
    God can create the world, and He can also destroy the world. He can create human beings,
    and then flood them with heavy rains which damage crops and wash away villages. Even after
    having created the Earth as an abode for people, He can cause earthquakes, pestilence, disease,
    and He can also provide the greatest cures. When Sri Krishna was naughty, his mother, out of
    exhaustion, tied him to a huge pestle, and he used the pestle to which he was tied to uproot
    a tree—an unthinkable action. People attributed this kind of event to the operation of a devil,
    and they poured auspicious mantra-purified water on him to free him from the effects of any
    kind of adverse forces that they thought were the reason for such catastrophic events such
    as the falling of a tree for no reason whatsoever, as nobody could imagine that a child could
    pull out a tree by its roots. He could kick up a row and create a dust storm, and do whatever
    he liked with his comrades, and yet they loved him immensely.

    The contrary nature that is so remarkably seen in Bhagavan Sri Krishna cannot be seen in
    anyone else. Whatever he did, and whatever he said, had this characteristic of a blending of
    contrary features which are not easily reconcilable. Even the Bhagavadgita that he taught is
    of such a nature: it is a winding argument which leads nowhere, if it is read carelessly. Throughout
    his life, he played this role of wonderful activity which was justifiable from his point of view,
    but nobody could understand what he was up to. 

    The first part of the Tenth Skandha of the Srimad Bhagavata occupies itself with these pranks
    of the child Krishna, and while every action of his was superhuman, he made it still worse by
    engaging himself in a dramatic performance called the Rasa Lila, which cannot be seen in the
    life of any other person in the world. Here again we have a mystery that transcends human
    reason because there are no men and women before God. The prejudices of the duality of the
    sexes, and the additional prejudice of attachment to human predilections and rules and regulations,
    have to be broken down in the Divinity that manifests finally.

    Human laws and regulations cannot take us to God. These rules of man can take us only to a human
    realm, because the constitution of God’s government is not a human constitution. It is an inclusiveness
    to which human nature is not accustomed. All our laws and regulations are partial in their nature
    and are valid for certain given conditions, but they are not valid for all times. This is the defect in
    man-made laws: they are good for some times, but they are not good for other times. But the law
    of God is good for all times. Once the enactment is made, it does not require any amendment. In
    human parliaments, circumstances change, and therefore, we change the laws; but God has   
    no such circumstances where He has to change the laws. In the Isavasya Upanishad it is said:
    yāthātathyato’rthān vyadadhāc chāśvatībhyas samābhyaḥ (Isa 8 ). An ordinance was enacted in
    the parliament of God and it is valid for all time to come, till the end of creation, because it was
    so perfectly visualised, taking into consideration every eventuality or possibility in the history
    of creation. 

    In a similar manner, the deportment of Sri Krishna multiplying himself into many in this Rasa Dance
    makes him a person not human in his nature, because no human being can become manifold. Therefore,
    our judgment of Sri Krishna cannot be based upon human values, as a human being cannot multiply
    himself. A human being cannot lift a mountain or swallow forest fire—all of which he did, to the
    consternation of his associates. The superhuman nature of this child, which is seen right from the
    beginning, frees him from the human association of any kind of limited interpretation of his activities.

    The Rasa Lila has many a meaning, as commentators would tell us—namely, it is the dance of the
    whole cosmos around the central pivot of the Absolute. The whole cosmic dance is demonstrated
    there. The feminine nature of the Gopis, which is the nature of the components of creation, is
    comparable to its counterpart, the centrality which is the Absolute. The Absolute Supreme Being
    does not evolve. It does not dance; it acts as a central nucleus of the entire creation, which dances
    in all its particulars. To mention again, Sri Krishna was born to demonstrate cosmic perfection, and
    not to reiterate man-made laws and regulations.

    There are no human ethics for God. Though God has His own ethics, they are not comparable to
    human understanding. God is very just, it is perfectly true, but His justice is different from the nature
    of justice that we can think in our mind. God can dissolve the whole cosmos. Where is the justice in it?
    But it is justice. God has a rule and law of His own. God has a parliament of His own, we can say, but
    He can dissolve the parliament for some purpose. For instance, Sri Krishna broke his promise that
    he would not take part in the Mahabharata war; he dissolved this parliament and took up weapons
    himself when it became necessary.

    to be contd......


    May BABA BLESS us and our family abundantly !


    OM SAI RAM, SRI SAI RAM, JAY JAY SAI RAM !!!

    JAI SAI RAM !!!

    Offline ShAivI

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    THE GLORY OF GOD: A SUMMARY OF THE SRIMAD BHAGAVATA MAHAPURANA
    « Reply #16 on: September 23, 2016, 10:55:04 AM »
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  • THE GLORY OF GOD: A SUMMARY OF THE SRIMAD BHAGAVATA MAHAPURANA

    Sri Vakratunda Mahakaya Suryakoti Samaprabha
    Nirvighnam Kuru Me Deva Sarva-Kaaryeshu Sarvada॥

    Shaantaakaaram Bhujagashayanam
    Padmanaabham Suresham Vishwaadhaaram
    Gaganasadrasham Meghavarnam Shubhaangam
    Lakshmikaantam Kamalanayanam
    Yogibhirdhyaanagamyam Vande Vishnum
    Bhavabhayaharam Sarvalokaikanaatham

    OM SAI RAM ॥



    Discourse 6

    SRI  KRISHNA’S  VRINDAVANA   AND  DVARKA  LILAS 


    When love of God reaches its heights, God can break all His laws and endear
    Himself to the devotee. In the highest reaches of devotion, laws do not operate.
    Devotion to God is above all laws and regulations, because we cannot love God
    while tied up by human laws, as that love would be a mortal combination of fettered
    understanding. That is why the nature of the bhakta, or the devotee, cannot be
    easily understood.

    The Rasa Dance that is described in five chapters in incomparable beautiful majesty
    of lyrical poetry— which otherwise looks like a seductive presentation of   human
    emotions—is considered by Suka Maharishi as a cure for the feelings of sexual
    passion. That which appears to be a demonstration of that particular emotion is
    the remedy which causes the cessation of that same emotion. It acts as a catharsis
    for feelings of any kind which human nature may abhor and yet hug.

    Man is basically hypocritical; he disagrees with that which he loves very much. For
    instance, this particular emotion that is mentioned here is present in every person,
    and nobody can say it is not. Not only is it present in every human being, it is endearingly
    hugged by all people as most important in their life. Yet, it is treated as if it is the most
    abominable thing in the world. The contradictory nature of human laws, and the hypocrisy
    behind man-made religion and his laws and regulations, can especially be seen in this
    particular instance. The very thing that we abhor becomes the most desirable thing
    for us in other contexts. We secretly love a thing, but publicly abhor it. This is how
    human beings behave. We are one thing in our bedroom, and another thing in parliament.
    Can we consider this aspect of human nature to be justifiable finally? Can God pardon
    us for this behaviour? Can we be real devotees of God if we behave in this manner? 

    If God wishes us to love Him alone finally, and no one else can come to our rescue,
    we must love Him as He is required to be loved. Unless we are attuned to His nature,
    our love is tarnished by human considerations. We carry the dirt of human thought
    even in our devotion to God, and therefore, it will not materialise. The same attachments
    of wealth, sex and family are hidden in a potential form even in our love for God. We
    keep these secrets of our attachments hidden under our armpit or in our bag, and then
    prostrate ourselves before God. God wants to break this down once and for all, for the
    welfare of His true devotees. This is also the secret behind the cheeraharana, or taking
    away the Gopis’ clothes, making them feel consternated and shamefaced, which is
    impossible to believe. When our prejudices are broken, we are unable to know what is
    happening to us, and it looks as though the Earth itself is breaking apart. 

    The whole life of a human being is prejudice and contortion, and an abominable justification
    of what cannot be finally justified. Therefore, man as man, woman as woman, cannot reach
    God. Man has to cease to be a man, and woman has to cease to be a woman, and they must
    attain the perfection of the unity of spirits—which is actually the dance of Rasa. It is spirit
    dancing with spirit. The particular souls of the jivas dance around the cosmic Universal Soul;
    and here, the comparison with human characteristics is completely anomalous. Therefore,
    no unpurified mind should read the Tenth Skandha of the Srimad Bhagavata. Only a purified
    mind should read it.

    Otherwise, how would we appreciate the answer of Suka Maharishi to Parikshit’s question,
    that this is a cure for desire? A thing that would otherwise rouse desire is considered to be
    a cure for it. This is how God acts. He slaps us from both sides, and we do not know what
    the intention behind it is. Sri Krishna behaved recklessly with his mother and his comrades,
    and yet always saved them in their hour of need. He did fantastic things such as eating
    mud, and then behaved abominably with children; but when he was threatened, he showed
    the Cosmic Form in his open mouth. But he would not allow his mother to remember this
    vision that he had shown her, and immediately veiled it from her consciousness. Again
    she hugged the little child, as if nothing had happened. Look at this contradiction in his
    behaviour. He showed the Cosmic Form, but would not allow her to keep that consciousness.
    Then why did he show it to her at all? This is how God acts. He will tantalise us, and yet
    save us.

    This is the intention behind the Rasa Dance. Otherwise, the contradictory nature that is
    behind this performance is inexplicable to human nature. This is how God works. Are we
    able to comprehend God’s ways, how He can create and then destroy things? God can
    create floods and wash away villages. Is it justifiable action? He can break the Earth to its
    very bowels, and cause kingdoms and all humanity to fall into it. Does God create people
    in order that He may destroy them? Is He playing a joke? Yes, says the Brahmasutra.
    Lokavattu lilakaivalyam (B.S. 2.1.33). The only reason for God’s creation is to play jokes
    with Himself, as a child plays with his reflection. Reme rameśo vraja-sundarībhir yathārbhakaḥ
    sva-pratibimba vibhramaḥ (S.B. 10.33.16). Sri Krishna did not play with little children,
    he did not play with women; he played with his own reflections, as a child dances in ecstasy
    by seeing its own image in mirrors kept everywhere. His Gopis were only mirrors through
    which he himself was reflected and, therefore, they got transformed into a spirit which was
    not human—not man, not woman. 

    Krishna was not a man, and the Gopis were not women; they were something transcendent.
    Therefore, the description of the Rasa Lila is a cure for the maladies of human nature, says
    Suka Maharishi. Normally this meaning cannot be understood, and it is simply bypassed. We
    do parayana—we read the Bhagavata in seven days—but we do not grasp its meaning. We do
    not know what we have read. It seems to be all contradiction and trouble. Somehow we finish
    the reading, a havan is performed and the matter is over, but we have gained nothing by the
    Bhagavatasaptaha. This is what happens.

    Here again we are hypocrites. Our religion is a bundle of contradictions and meaningless 
    performances which cannot take us anywhere, finally. We must be honest to our own selves
    if we are really lovers of God. Who can love God? It is impossible. We can love only man,
    woman, children, wealth, egoism and power. What else can we love? Have we ever conceived
    the possibility of thinking of such a Perfection, which is the very meaning of the demonstrations
    of Bhagavan Sri Krishna?

    Sri Krishna had a reason to behave in the way that is described in the first part of the Tenth
    Skandha of the Srimad Bhagavata, and he behaved in a different way altogether in the Uttarardha,
    or the second part of the Tenth Skandha. Bala Lila is the predominant theme of the first part of
    the Tenth Skandha. The maturity of a world-wise householder is depicted in his Dvarka Lila.
    Sri Krishna’s whole life can be classified into three parts: the Vrindavana Lila, which is also called
    the Mathura Lila, the Dvarka Lila, and the Kurukshetra Lila.

    In the Vrindavana Lila, Sri Krishna was a child, though he may be naughty, beautiful, enchanting,
    incomparably gracious, the sweetest, and the dearest of all. But in his Dvarka Lila, he became
    a mature gentleman of the world, and a statesman to some extent. After Krishna killed Kamsa,
    Kamsa’s two queens, Asti and Prapti, repaired to their father’s house in grief, and complained to
    him of the cause of their widowhood. Jarasandha, their father, was enraged, and attacked Mathura
    seventeen times, all of which were repelled by the forces of the Yadus. But it was too much for the
    residents of Mathura, and Sri Krishna thought it better to leave that place. He did not want to end
    Jarasandha, because he had many things to do through him. Balarama would have caught him and
    killed him on the spot, but Sri Krishna prevented him. He said, “Let him bring more forces. We will
    see to it later on.” So, Jarasandha was allowed to live, and he was not destroyed.

    Then Krishna and Balarama scaled the mountain Gir, as it is known today, and crossed over it to
    Dvarka on the shore of the ocean and, through Visvakarma, built a fort that was so great it was
    humanly inconceivable. It is said that Sri Krishna’s palace was practically ninety miles long,
    consisting of many, many palaces for everyone—every one of his queens and his relatives. It extended
    ninety miles along the coast, right from Dvarka to Prabhas and Somnath. That entire area—you can
    imagine the length—was covered by Sri Krishna’s palace. Sri Krishna lived wonderfully in all the
    palaces. He received guests, meticulously following the rules and regulations laid down for a
    Grihastha. He would get up in the early morning, offer prayers to the sun, take a bath, touch
    the cow, give charity, feed people, and then receive people as a majestic wellwisher of all. 

    to be contd......


    May BABA BLESS us and our family abundantly !


    OM SAI RAM, SRI SAI RAM, JAY JAY SAI RAM !!!
    « Last Edit: September 23, 2016, 10:59:06 AM by ShAivI »

    JAI SAI RAM !!!

    Offline ShAivI

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    THE GLORY OF GOD: A SUMMARY OF THE SRIMAD BHAGAVATA MAHAPURANA
    « Reply #17 on: September 24, 2016, 11:51:44 PM »
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  • THE GLORY OF GOD: A SUMMARY OF THE SRIMAD BHAGAVATA MAHAPURANA

    Sri Vakratunda Mahakaya Suryakoti Samaprabha
    Nirvighnam Kuru Me Deva Sarva-Kaaryeshu Sarvada॥

    Shaantaakaaram Bhujagashayanam
    Padmanaabham Suresham Vishwaadhaaram
    Gaganasadrasham Meghavarnam Shubhaangam
    Lakshmikaantam Kamalanayanam
    Yogibhirdhyaanagamyam Vande Vishnum
    Bhavabhayaharam Sarvalokaikanaatham

    OM SAI RAM ॥



    Discourse 6

    SRI  KRISHNA’S  VRINDAVANA   AND  DVARKA  LILAS 


    Sri Krishna had innumerable associations, and we are told that he had multiple queens.
    Again, the divinity in him manifested itself, which contradicted his having many
    wives—namely, his being present with many people simultaneously. He had so many
    consorts, and he was as many forms. When Narada went to see how Sri Krishna could
    manage having so many queens, he went to one palace and found Sri Krishna was taking
    bath, and his queen was there.

    “Oh, Narada! How are you? How did you come?”

    Krishna asked. “My Lord! I am just grateful to you. I came for your darshan,” replied Narada.

    Narada was inquisitive as to what was happening with the other queens, and went to their
    palaces. Sri Krishna was there as well. In one palace he was taking his meal, in another
    he was receiving guests, in another he was performing a havan, and so on. Narada could
    not understand how Sri Krishna had appeared at all these places. Sri Krishna was present
    everywhere. How can this behaviour be explained? Is it human behaviour? Did Sri Krishna
    have queens, really speaking? Was he a man? Was he a human being? Can we consider him
    to be a person? Again the same sloka comes to our memory: yathārbhakaḥ sva-pratibimba
    vibhramaḥ
    . He saw himself in all his consorts. Otherwise, he could not become so many.

    Janaka, the king, invited Sri Krishna for lunch one day, and it so happened that, at the same
    time, another respectable person, a Brahmana, also invited him. How is it possible to accept
    two invitations and be in two different places at the same time? Sri Krishna accepted both
    invitations, and had lunch at both places simultaneously. Each host thought that he was
    entertaining Sri Krishna, and did not know that he was present in the other place also.

    It is impossible to recount the many lilas in the Uttarardha in a few minutes. When the
    Kamsa Vadham was over, Sri Krishna sent Akrura to Dhritarashtra to enquire about the
    welfare of the Pandavas. He had not forgotten them. Sri Krishna had not seen either the
    Pandava brothers or the Kurus even once until the idea came to him to enquire about their
    fate, because he heard that they were about to be burnt in the lakshagraha. 

    So Akrura went there, and he advised Dhritarashtra, “Your Highness! You must be very
    impartial to the sons of Pandu also.” 

    Dhritarashtra pleaded his inability. “I am glad that Krishna has sent a message. Whatever
    you have said is perfectly right, I agree. But my sons are dear to me, and they are pressurising
    me to behave like this. I cannot follow Krishna’s advice because of love for my children.” 

    Hearing all this, Akrura felt it was useless to talk to Dhritarashtra. He left, and conveyed the
    news to Bhagavan Sri Krishna. 

    If we read every verse of this Tenth Skandha of the Srimad Bhagavata with an impartial eye,
    we will find everything is superhuman, and no human element can be found anywhere. Towards
    the end of the Dvarka Lila, there is Rukmini-harana. Sri Krishna marries Rukmini, and there also
    he played a lila, as recorded in the Bhagavata.

    Sri Krishna completed one phase of his life entirely before he entered another phase. He entirely
    finished all the lilas of childhood before he entered into the householder life of Dvarka. The majestic
    good man and gentleman who was the ruler of Dvarka was altogether different from the little child
    in Vrindavana. But he had something else to do. His work was not over merely with the Vrindavana
    Lila and Dvarka Lila, where he lived a calm and quiet life of a householder, meeting people,
    blessing them, and helping them in any manner whatsoever. In this connection we are reminded of
    the blessing that he bestowed upon one of his old schoolmates, called Sudama.

    The story of Sudama is touching indeed. He was utterly poor to the core, and was in rags. On the
    insistence of his wife, he trudged from Avanti, near Indore, through the deserts of Rajasthan to
    Sri Krishna’s palace in Dvarka. The gatekeepers would not allow him in because of his ragged
    appearance, but when Sudama insisted that he was a classmate of Sri Krishna, they went and
    told Sri Krishna, “Somebody is standing at the gate like a beggar, and he says he is your
    classmate.”

    “Oh, I see!” said Sri Krishna. He ran and hugged Sudama and, to the horror of all, brought him
    into the palace and washed his feet.

     “Ah! What have you brought me?” asked Sri Krishna.

    Sudama, poor man, had brought nothing. He was ashamed to say anything. His wife had nothing
    to give him to offer when he went to have darshan of Sri Krishna, so she begged for a little beaten
    rice—chura— from neighbours, and tied it in a dirty old cloth, which he kept under his armpit. But
    he would not show it to Sri Krishna because he was dazzled by the glory of the palace and the
    wonderment of the entire atmosphere, so he hugged it tightly and said, “I have nothing.”

    “No, you must have brought something,” said Sri Krishna.

    He pulled out the small bundle, and it fell on a large plate. The little handful of beaten rice became
    a large heap that overflowed from the plate. Sri Krishna took one morsel, then a second, and was
    about to take a third when Rukmini held his hand, saying “With one morsel you have given him the
    glory of this whole world, with the second morsel you have given him heaven. Now you are about
    to take a third morsel. Do you want me to go as a servant of this man?” 

    Then there was a beautiful conversation between Sri Krishna and Sudama. 

    Sri Krishna enquired, “How are you? I am seeing you after a long time. Is everything going on
    well with you?” 

    “Ah! Yes. Everything is well,” replied Sudama.

    He would not say why he had come. He was ashamed. He thought that Sri Krishna would know
    that it was due to his poverty. But Sri Krishna did not say anything about it. He did not ask,
    “Why you have come? Do you want anything? Can I give you something, or do anything for you?”
    He would not utter one word. Sudama was in a state of chagrin. “How is it that he doesn’t utter
    one word? I cannot ask. I am ashamed. I am so wretched in the presence of this great man.”
    After giving Sudama a cosy bed to sleep in, Sri Krishna bid him farewell, giving nothing to him,
    not even a little gift as a memento, a token. Nothing was given.

    Barehanded, helpless, the poor man had to walk back. Mentally he was cursing himself. “Why did
    I come here? He never asked me anything. I am not able to understand. Now what shall I tell my
    wife when I return? I am ashamed that I have come at all. He could have at least asked me what
    I want. Even that he did not ask.” But then he reconciled himself. “I understand very well why he did
    not talk to me on this matter. It is because he knows what the true welfare is for a person. Wealth
    is very bad. It binds a person, and he will get attached to it, and will never attain salvation. He knows
    that it is good for me not to have anything. Oh! He has blessed me. I should not complain. Very good.
    I am very glad that he is so wise that he has understood what my welfare is. Money is not my welfare.
    Wealth is a cause of attachment. He has done a very wise thing. He has made me free from all
    attachment. Blessed be Sri Krishna! I am going as I came.” 

    When Sudama returned home, he could not find his hut. In its place there was a huge palace,
    lustrous like the sun, and a queen dressed in shining robes was standing in front. He did not understand.
    He thought he had missed his way and had entered the palace of some king.

     “Mother!” he addressed that lady, “Do you know where that hut of Sudama lies, in what direction?” 

    She immediately said, “Oh, my dear! You don’t recognise me? I am your own wife. In one night,
    the whole thing transformed itself into this gorgeous palatial empyrean that you are seeing now.
    It is all the Lord’s greatness.” 

    Can we imagine a person building a palace in one night, by thought itself? Do we call it a superhuman
    feat, a divine feat, or a human action? Who, which human being, can do that? Can we consider
    Sri Krishna as a man at all? Was he a human being? No— it was the purna avatara, the Full Perfection
    that was manifest.

    The story of Krishna is not complete without recounting his deeds in the Kurukshetra Lila—what the
    Kurukshetra Lila is, how Sri Krishna became a statesman who saved the country, and what wondrous
    message he gave us in the role that he played in the Mahabharata war. We shall take this up next.

    End of Discourse - 6


    May BABA BLESS us and our family abundantly !


    OM SAI RAM, SRI SAI RAM, JAY JAY SAI RAM !!!

    JAI SAI RAM !!!

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    Re: THE GLORY OF GOD: A SUMMARY OF THE SRIMAD BHAGAVATA MAHAPURANA
    « Reply #18 on: September 25, 2016, 12:35:02 PM »
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  • THE GLORY OF GOD: A SUMMARY OF THE SRIMAD BHAGAVATA MAHAPURANA

    Sri Vakratunda Mahakaya Suryakoti Samaprabha
    Nirvighnam Kuru Me Deva Sarva-Kaaryeshu Sarvada॥

    Shaantaakaaram Bhujagashayanam
    Padmanaabham Suresham Vishwaadhaaram
    Gaganasadrasham Meghavarnam Shubhaangam
    Lakshmikaantam Kamalanayanam
    Yogibhirdhyaanagamyam Vande Vishnum
    Bhavabhayaharam Sarvalokaikanaatham

    OM SAI RAM ॥



    Discourse 7

    SRI  KRISHNA’S  KURUKSHETRA  LILA   


    The life of Bhagavan Sri Krishna, as mentioned, is divided into three stages, known as
    Vrindavana Lila, Dvarka Lila, and Kurukshetra Lila. The last phase is the great epic of his
    association with the Pandavas and Kauravas. Although very soon after the Kamsa episode
    Sri Krishna sent Akrura to Dhritarashtra in order to ascertain the condition of the Pandavas
    who were in great trouble, and Akrura did not receive any reasonable response from
    Dhritarashtra, he had not yet seen the Pandavas personally.

    Sri Krishna met the Pandavas for the first time during the svayamvara ceremony of
    Draupadi at the court of King Drupada. He was an uninvited guest, and silently witnessed
    the ceremony. After they had won Draupadi, the Pandavas returned to their abode disguised
    as Brahmin pundits. No one knew who they were. Everyone thought some Brahmins had won
    Draupadi; no one knew the truth that they were the Pandavas. Sri Krishna alone knew that,
    and when the Pandava brothers returned home with Draupadi, he followed them with all his
    retinue and lots of presents—elephants and horses, gold and silver, and so many other things—
    and offered these gifts to Yudhishthira. Yudhishthira was surprised. 

    “How did you recognise us?” he asked. 

    Sri Krishna replied, “Fire cannot be hidden even if it is covered by a bushel or smothered by
    ashes. Your greatness can be seen by your demeanour, though you are dressed as Brahmins.” 

    After replying thus and receiving the gratitude and respect of the disguised Pandava brothers,
    Sri Krishna returned to Dvarka without saying anything further on that occasion.

    The next important association of Sri Krishna with the Pandavas was when Dhritarashtra
    grudgingly granted a rocky, stony piece of land to the Pandava brothers for their residence—called
    Pandavaprastha, which is now called Indraprastha. Again, Sri Krishna came and assisted the
    Pandavas, especially Arjuna, in making the land fertile and beautiful with the help of angelic
    associates such as Maya Danava, who built a great, unsurpassed, glittering palace for the Pandavas.
    With that, his particular function was over. He went back to Dvarka once again, and never returned.

    The only incident which is associated with Sri Krishna’s invisible presence was the cry of Draupadi,
    as described to us in the Sabha Parva of the 12Mahabharata, during the unfortunate incident through
    which she had to pass in the midst of the Kurus after the Pandava brothers were defeated in the play
    of dice. Her condition was worse than wretched. There was no one to help her, not even her husbands
    or veterans such as Bhishma and Drona who were seated there. She had only one support.

    He krishna dvarka vasin: kauravaih paribhutam mam kim na janasi keshava: “Insulted and
    humiliated by the Kurus, I am standing here unbefriended. Are you aware of this tragedy in which
    I am today?”

    For whatever reason, mysterious being Sri Krishna’s way of working, he did not physically respond.
    Nobody knows the reason why. It was not impossible for him to come, but he did not. God can come
    before us just now, but he does not want to. Interpreters of the situation say the reason why
    Sri Krishna did not come is because Draupadi was lifting one hand, crying loudly, while her other
    hand was holding her sari tightly. Cruel as it may look, subtle are the ways of God. He took her literally:
    If you have some strength, show it; My presence is not necessary. When Draupadi found that
    she had no strength whatsoever and uplifted both her arms, a miracle took place. We are told that
    Sri Krishna discharged the Sudarshana Chakra, which became an endless sari for her. Others feel
    that he manifested himself as an infinitely long divine sari for her. The drama ended with that.
    Nobody knew what happened. It was all a miracle and a surprise, and nobody knew what happened
    finally. Having blessed Draupadi with this immense gift of grace, Sri Krishna’s goodness and greatness
    was such that he never mentioned this incident again, even when he met her later on. He could
    have asked: Did you receive the sari that I sent? The blessings of the greatest of people come to
    us unknown, undiscovered, and undemonstrated. 

    The next meeting of Sri Krishna with the Pandavas was when they were in the forest, having been
    defeated in a dice game a second time. He did not send any messenger. He himself went with all
    his retinue, sat before the Pandavas, and asked about their welfare. The Pandavas wept. It is told
    to us in the Mahabharata that Sri Krishna sat without uttering a word, and in his personality a
    gesture appeared to manifest as if it would burn everybody.

    Then Arjuna offered prayers to Krishna: “Great Master, if you get angry, the Earth cannot stand.
    Come down. Come down. Come down.” 

    Satyaki, who was the associate and relative of Sri Krishna, said, “Why keep quiet? We shall face
    the Kurus, fight with them, throw them out, and hand over all the land to the Pandavas.
    Why not do this?”

    Sri Krishna could have done that, but he said, “No. This will not be appreciated by Yudhishthira.
    He is a Kshatriya who does not receive gifts. He always gives. So, your adventurous spirit of facing
    the Kurus and handing over the kingdom to Yudhishthira would be finally a very unpleasant gesture,
    ending in nothing good. He will not accept it. I know the mind of Yudhishthira.”

    With these words and blessing, after having a very cordial talk with the brothers in that unfortunate
    condition, he returned to Dvarka.

    The next occasion when Sri Krishna met the Pandavas was when they were living incognito in the
    court of King Virat, during the thirteenth year of their exile. After the thirteen years of exile were
    over and the condition imposed on them ended, they removed their disguises and declared
    themselves to be the Pandavas, to the great consternation of King Virat, who did not know that
    for one year the Pandavas and Draupadi were living in disguise in his own court. Sri Krishna came
    with his retinue once again and summoned an audience, giving instructions regarding the necessary
    steps that should be taken in the matter of handing back to the Pandavas their share of the kingdom.
    Having conducted this audience, he sent a Brahmin as a messenger to the Kurus. The Kurus sent
    Sanjaya in response who, on behalf of the Kurus, came and talked about peace and the unworthiness
    of having war between the two cousins. But this talk of peace projected by the Kurus was rejected
    by the Pandavas and Sri Krishna himself, and they were asked to prepare for war.   

    to be contd......


    May BABA BLESS us and our family abundantly !


    OM SAI RAM, SRI SAI RAM, JAY JAY SAI RAM !!!

    JAI SAI RAM !!!

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    Re: THE GLORY OF GOD: A SUMMARY OF THE SRIMAD BHAGAVATA MAHAPURANA
    « Reply #19 on: September 27, 2016, 12:07:16 AM »
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  • THE GLORY OF GOD: A SUMMARY OF THE SRIMAD BHAGAVATA MAHAPURANA

    Sri Vakratunda Mahakaya Suryakoti Samaprabha
    Nirvighnam Kuru Me Deva Sarva-Kaaryeshu Sarvada॥

    Shaantaakaaram Bhujagashayanam
    Padmanaabham Suresham Vishwaadhaaram
    Gaganasadrasham Meghavarnam Shubhaangam
    Lakshmikaantam Kamalanayanam
    Yogibhirdhyaanagamyam Vande Vishnum
    Bhavabhayaharam Sarvalokaikanaatham

    OM SAI RAM ॥



    Discourse 7

    SRI  KRISHNA’S  KURUKSHETRA  LILA   


    Then Sri Krishna again returned to Dvarka.
    Everybody knew the greatness of Krishna as a military
    genius, and everybody wanted his help in the war
    which was to ensue, as it was decided that there was no
    other alternative than to wage war. Both Duryodhana
    on behalf of the Kurus and Arjuna on behalf of the
    Pandavas went to Dvarka to plead to Sri Krishna, the
    great Yadava hero, for assistance in the oncoming war.

    Then Sri Krishna again returned to Dvarka.
    Everybody knew the greatness of Krishna as a military
    genius, and everybody wanted his help in the war
    which was to ensue, as it was decided that there was no
    other alternative than to wage war. Both Duryodhana
    on behalf of the Kurus and Arjuna on behalf of the
    Pandavas went to Dvarka to plead to Sri Krishna, the
    great Yadava hero, for assistance in the oncoming war.

    “Arjuna, how come you are here at this moment?”
    said Sri Krishna.

    “No sir! I have come first,” said Duryodhana from
    behind.

    “Oh! You have also come,” said Krishna. 

    Students of the Mahabharata tell us that Krishna’s
    sideward glance at Duryodhana was enough to seal
    Duryodhana’s fate at that moment. It is believed that it
    is very inauspicious for a person to be looked at
    askance by anybody; and that is what happened.

    Sri Krishna said, “You have come first, but I saw
    Arjuna first. Also, he is younger, you are the elder.
    Don’t you think it is proper for me to speak to the
    younger one first, especially as I saw him first?”

    Then turning to Arjuna, Sri Krishna asked, “What
    made you come here?”

    Arjuna replied, “Great Master, you know what is
    going to happen. War has become inevitable. We all
    want your help.” 

    Sri Krishna said, “What can I give you? I have two
    things. I have a large army called Narayani Sena; if you
    want it, you can take it. Otherwise I am here, but
    unarmed, doing nothing. I will merely sit and discuss
    with you. I will not take part in the war. If you want
    such a man as I am, take me. Or if you think this is not
    going to be of any utility to you, take the large army
    which will help you, as it is almost invincible.”

    “I want you only, Master,” replied Arjuna.

    Immediately Duryodhana retorted, “I want the
    army.”

    “Take it,” said Sri Krishna

    Duryodhana left the place hurriedly, and declared
    to the Kuru family that he had already won victory in
    the war, that his victory was certain because of the
    invincible forces that he had received from Sri Krishna

    When Duryodhana left the place, Sri Krishna
    accosted Arjuna and said, “What a foolish person you
    are! Why did you not ask for the army? What good is it
    if I sit idle without doing anything for you? Why have
    you made this wrong choice? The other man took the
    good forces, and you are asking for me, who is as good
    as nothing.”

    Arjuna replied, “Thou art all for me, Great Master.

    I know you very well. Don’t try to deceive me by this
    query as to why I have chosen you.”

    “Oh! You want to vie with me. Okay, all right. Do
    that,” said Krishna.

    Then they both left.

    After that, Sri Krishna’s role in the Mahabharata
    was only when it became necessary as a policy of
    political science to plead for peace with the Kurus. The
    policy of Sri Krishna is called simha nyaya, the attitude
    of a lion. If a lion is lying down and we walk by it, it
    will not give any regard to us because it knows its
    strength. Even if we throw a stone at a lion that is lying
    down, it may not wake up. But if it wakes up, no one
    can face it.

    In the Artha Shastra, which was the political
    science of the day, there are four ways prescribed to
    approach a contending party: sama, dana, bheda and
    danda. We do not suddenly attack the enemy, even if
    we despise them. We always try to pacify and calm
    them, and plead for proper sense to prevail in the mind
    of the enemy, saying that it is not good to have war—
    neither is it good for them, nor it is good for us,
    because it will end in mutual destruction.

    Yudhishthira replied, “I do not know who I’ll
    send.”

    Sri Krishna said, “Why you are worrying? I am here
    at your service. I will go.”

    “No Master! I will not send you. No! This is not
    possible. You are our beloved. You are our heart. You
    are our soul. You are our everything! Will I send you
    to the land of wolves, risking your life?” cried
    Yudhishthira.

    “You need not worry about that. I think I may be
    able to guard myself and protect myself if the Kurus
    intend anything untoward towards me. You need not
    be afraid for my safety. I shall take care of myself,”
    replied Sri Krishna.

    “As you say, Master. I am not fit to talk to you,”
    said Yudhishthira.

    While this talk of peace was taking place between
    the Pandava brothers and Sri Krishna, Draupadi, who
    was inside, came out in great anger

    “Who is talking of peace? I heard the word ‘peace’.
    Who is saying this? These cowardly husbands of mine,
    are they talking of peace? Or Sri Krishna, are you also
    talking of peace?” Draupadi shouted.

    She gestured to her untied hair, and cried loudly,
    “Oh! Krishna, you also deserted me when I was in
    trouble. You never came to help me. You, being my
    friend and well-wisher, what help can you give me?
    Now you are talking of peace? No, please go and tell
    the Kurus I want war. Tell them I have come to wage
    war. If you do not say that, if you are intent on peace,
    okay, work for peace. I have my children. They will
    gather an army and fight the Kurus. Only then shall I
    be satisfied. I don’t want peace. I want war.”

    Sri Krishna consoled her. “My dear sister, don’t be
    annoyed. I promise you I shall speak the truth to you.
    Let the oceans dry up and the Himalayas get plucked
    from their roots, but my words cannot become false.
    Within eighteen days, you will see yourself crowned as
    queen of this land. I am going to the Kurus only to
    follow a political policy. Otherwise the public will
    censure us, saying that we declared war without even
    trying for peace. Why should we have this tarnishing
    attitude of people on us? Let me try. I know very well
    they will not listen to me. But anyhow, I should do my
    duty. Let me go now.”

    Getting up, Krishna told Sarathi, “Let us go.
    Harness the horses to the chariot.”

    When Dhritarashtra heard that something was
    happening, he called Sanjaya and said, “I hear that
    Krishna is coming. Who is Krishna? Please tell me.
    Why is he coming? I do not know much about him. I
    would like to know how to properly receive him.”

    Sanjaya said, “I am very glad, Your Highness, that
    you ask who Krishna is. I will tell you who he is. You
    cannot even see him, as you are wedded to the sense
    organs, and he is the master of the senses. One who is
    the master of the sense organs cannot be beheld by
    anyone who is a slave of the sense organs; and you
    want to see him, and you ask me why he is coming. He
    knows very well the injustice that you have done to the
    Pandavas by your love for your foolish children. Do
    you know why he is coming? His intention is to burn
    the Kurus. He will reduce you all to ashes.”

    Dhritarashtra was frightened, “Receive him well.
    Let the streets be cleaned, let there be festoons, music,
    a band, and dancing. Receive him gracefully. Let him
    not be annoyed with us. Receive him well, treat him
    well.”

    All this was arranged, and a wonderful reception
    was awaiting Sri Krishna.

    Duryodhana greeted him and said, “Great Master,
    you are welcome. A separate palace has been reserved
    for your stay here. You will rest in the palace today and
    have dinner with us.”

    Sri Krishna said, “Well, I am grateful for your offer.
    You see, one accepts dinner or lunch, whatever it is,
    when one is hungry or when food is offered with love
    even if one is not hungry. But you know very well that
    I am not hungry, and you do not offer it with love.”

    Duryodhana said, “Krishna, you should not speak
    like this. It is highly uncharitable on your part to speak
    to me in this stern manner at the very outset, when I
    am ready to receive you with all affection. What harm
    have I done to you?”

    “You have done everything that you could do. I
    shall see you tomorrow morning,” replied Krishna.
    Sri Krishna went to Vidura’s hut, and was received
    by him.

    “Oh, what a surprise! How is the great Master
    coming to my hut! What has happened?” Vidura
    thought. He lost himself completely. He did not know
    how to receive Sri Krishna. He ran here and there, and
    brought some bananas. In the joy and ecstasy of
    merging his soul in Krishna’s presence, he forgot
    himself completely; he peeled the bananas
    mechanically, and not knowing what he was doing,
    gave the peels to Sri Krishna, and threw away the fruit.
    Sri Krishna went on eating the peels without uttering
    one word.

    Vidura’s wife suddenly came inside and said, “Hey!
    What are you doing? You are giving the peels to Sri
    Krishna.”

    “Oh!” Vidura wept, and said, “Very great mistake! I
    lost myself. Here, have the bananas.”

    Krishna said, “No, the peels are sweeter than the
    bananas, because your soul offered the peels and your
    person is offering the bananas. I am satisfied. I don’t
    want any dinner or anything. I have only come to see
    how you are. I want to rest here. Tomorrow morning I
    am going back to the Kuru assembly.”

    “You are going to the Kuru assembly? They are
    very dangerous people. No, this is not good,” said
    Vidura.

    “Don’t worry about that. I shall take care of myself.
    I have the means to protect myself. I will go,” said Sri
    Krishna.

    The next morning Sri Krishna took leave of Vidura,
    and on the way he saw rishis, saints and sages standing
    on the roadside. He was surprised that they were all
    standing there.

    Sri Krishna got down from the chariot, prostrated
    himself before them, and inquired, “Why are you great
    masters standing here?”

    “We heard that you are going to give a discourse on
    dharma in the assembly of the Kurus, and we want to
    listen to it, so we are also going.”

    Sri Krishna laughed and said, “Thank you. Bless
    me,” and he returned to his chariot and went directly
    to the palace.

    Sri Krishna was received with great grandeur by
    Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Duryodhana, Kripa, and
    everyone. He entered the hall. At that time, he saw the
    rishis already standing there, and instructed that they
    be seated first. Then Bhishma ordered thousands of
    seats to be brought, and all the rishis were seated. After
    everyone sat, Sri Krishna sat humbly, without uttering
    a word. Nobody spoke one word. It was all dead
    silence. Each one thought the other would speak first.
    When nobody spoke, and time was passing in utter
    silence without anyone knowing what was going to
    happen, Bhishma stood up and broke the silence.

    to be contd......


    May BABA BLESS us and our family abundantly !


    OM SAI RAM, SRI SAI RAM, JAY JAY SAI RAM !!!

    JAI SAI RAM !!!

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    THE GLORY OF GOD: A SUMMARY OF THE SRIMAD BHAGAVATA MAHAPURANA
    « Reply #20 on: September 28, 2016, 12:08:36 AM »
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  • THE GLORY OF GOD: A SUMMARY OF THE SRIMAD BHAGAVATA MAHAPURANA

    Sri Vakratunda Mahakaya Suryakoti Samaprabha
    Nirvighnam Kuru Me Deva Sarva-Kaaryeshu Sarvada॥

    Shaantaakaaram Bhujagashayanam
    Padmanaabham Suresham Vishwaadhaaram
    Gaganasadrasham Meghavarnam Shubhaangam
    Lakshmikaantam Kamalanayanam
    Yogibhirdhyaanagamyam Vande Vishnum
    Bhavabhayaharam Sarvalokaikanaatham

    OM SAI RAM ॥



    Discourse 7

    SRI  KRISHNA’S  KURUKSHETRA  LILA   


    “It is a great blessing to this assembly of the Kurus
    that we have the great Yadava hero among us. His
    greatness surpasses the magnificence of the whole
    world. The great luminary that he is, he is radiating his
    presence in this august assembly of the Kurus. May we
    havethe permission to ask him for his message, which
    we shall follow readily as he would ask us to follow. We
    would like the great Master to speak, and tell us what
    our duty is,” said Bhishma.

    Sri Krishna stood up and spoke, “What am I going
    to tell you? Everyone knows why I have come here.

    The suffering of the Pandavas is actually intolerable.
    The mischievous way in which the Kurus have treated
    the Pandavas is intolerable. These Kurus tried to
    poison Bhima, they wanted to burn the Pandavas alive
    in the lakshagrah, they tried every way to destroy them,
    and played crooked dice through which means they
    humiliated them and threw them into the wilderness
    where they underwent thirteen years of suffering.Now,
    after having undergone that sorrow of thirteen years of
    life in the wilderness, they have come to ask for their
    share. I have come to plead before you great people
    that the share due to the Pandavas be given.”

    Duryodhana struck his thigh and said, “No! I don’t
    want to hear anything of this kind.”

    Krishna said, “How is this young man speaking to
    me like that, when I spoke a few words on behalf of the
    poor Pandavas? Sages and saints, elders in the
    assembly! Is it proper behaviour that this young man
    rebuts me in one minute even before listening to me?”

    Bhishma stood up and said, “I agree with whatever
    Sri Krishna has said. Their share is due to them.”

    Drona, Kripa, and everybody said, “Wonderful!
    Wonderful!”

    Duryodhana said, “I shall not agree. War is the only
    solution.”

    “Oh! You want war?” said Sri Krishna. “You shall
    have it.”

    After a long lecture, Sri Krishna in rage said to
    Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and the whole audience, “This
    is a shame to the audience. How do you allow this
    wretched fellow in the assembly of the Kurus? Is he a
    human being? If only you permit me, I will bind him
    up just now and throw him at the feet of Yudhishthira.
    Will you permit me to do that?”

    When Sri Krishna uttered these words,
    Duryodhana hissed like a snake in anger, got up from
    his seat and returned to his house, where he connived,
    with the help of Karna, Duhshasana and Sakuni, his
    henchmen: “This man wants to bind me and imprison
    me. We shall imprison him first. When Krishna is
    imprisoned, the Pandavas will be paralysed
    automatically.”

    This news of conniving a tragic approach towards
    Sri Krishna was somehow or other known to Satyaki.
    He immediately ran to Krishna and said, “Master!
    They want to imprison you. Shall I bring the army?”

    “Keep quiet,” Sri Krishna said. “I do not want any
    army.”

    “No, Master. We’ll take care of it. I shall call the
    forces,” said Satyaki.

    “No. Sit quiet,” replied Sri Krishna.

    Then Sri Krishna stood up and said, “Bhishma,
    Drona, and others, great heroes seated here, I think
    Duryodhana is asking for trouble. He wants to bind
    me. Let him. Let all the people come.”

    Gandhari, who was also there, wept. “Oh! How is
    this possible that my son is talking like that?”

    She summoned him, and at the behest of his
    mother, Duryodhana, in great anger, came to the
    audience. Reprimanding him, she said, “Have you any
    shame? Idiot! You talk of binding this ambassador. Are
    ambassadors bound? You must respect them. Keep
    quiet. Don’t talk. Have you any sense?”

    When she said that and everybody kept quiet, Sri
    Krishna stood up and uttered the last word to
    Duryodhana. “Young man, are you under the
    impression that I am alone here and you can bind me?
    This is a false notion in your mind. I am not alone
    here. All the gods and all the uplifted weapons are here
    just now. The Pandavas, with all the army, are inside
    here. Look at me.”

    Immediately Sri Krishna showed his Cosmic Form.
    Brahma was sitting on his head, Rudra on his chest,
    and all the angels started shining like tiny rays of lustre
    emanating from every pore of his body. The Earth
    shook, it is said, and the oceans rose with ferocious
    waves. No one knew what was happening.

    Everybody said, “Hail! Hail! Wonder! Wonder!”
    Dhritarashtra, who was blind, heard people cry,
    “Wonder! Wonder!” and said, “What is this wonder? I
    cannot see anything. May I see? May I have sight?”

    Sri Krishna blessed him with sight for a minute,
    and Dhritarashtra saw this miracle. Then he prayed to
    the great Master, “After having seen this, I do not want
    to see anything else. Make me blind once again.”

    Sri Krishna withdrew himself and, uttering not a
    word, left the audience and returned to the Pandavas.
    War took place. Without going into detail of the
    further events, we can sum up by saying that Sri
    Krishna was even ready to break his promise of not
    taking up weapons in the war when he found that
    Arjuna had a subtle inner respect for Bhishma as his
    grandfather and would not actually face him with the
    strength that he could have exercised at that moment.
    Arjuna was going a little slow, as if he was not eager to
    fight, and Bhishma was destroying everybody.
    Bhishma was raging like fire, and thousands and
    thousands of Pandava forces were dying.

    Sri Krishna jumped from the chariot and said, “You
    are not able to do anything! I shall myself do
    everything. I shall destroy Bhishma just now.”

    When Sri Krishna rushed forward with his
    Sudarshana Chakra, Arjuna ran after him and pulled
    him back. Weeping, he said, “Master, I shall do
    whatever you say. Don’t break your promise. Come
    back.”

    Then Bhishma threw down his weapons and
    prayed, “Great Master, if you come and destroy me
    today, I shall be blessed. I shall have entry into your
    body, and attain moksha just now. Please come.”

    Finally the war ended. Bhishma, Drona, Karna and
    Duryodhana were all completely felled by various
    methods of warfare, and the Pandavas won victory.

    Yudhishthira was declared king, Draupadi was
    anointed queen, and all went well. Sri Krishna went
    back to Dvarka, as his mission was over. He again
    returned to the Pandavas during the asvamedha yajna
    that Yudhishthira performed.

    Finally the war ended. Bhishma, Drona, Karna and
    Duryodhana were all completely felled by various
    methods of warfare, and the Pandavas won victory.

    Yudhishthira was declared king, Draupadi was
    anointed queen, and all went well. Sri Krishna went
    back to Dvarka, as his mission was over. He again
    returned to the Pandavas during the asvamedha yajna
    that Yudhishthira performed.

    In the Eleventh Skandha there is the conversation
    of Sri Krishna with Uddhava as the last message, where
    Sri Krishna gives to everybody, through the
    mouthpiece of Uddhava, a large, very elaborate lecture
    on dharma, artha, kama and moksha, emphasising
    that devotion to God is the only way to attain Him.
    Bhakti is final.

    In the Twelfth Skandha, Parikshit attains salvation,
    moksha. The last message of Suka is given, wherein he
    asks Parikshit to consider himself as a soul which is
    identical with the Universal Soul. Ahaṁ brahma paraṁ
    dhāma, brahmāhaṁ paramaṁ padam (S.B. 12.5.11):

    “On that may you meditate. Forget the idea that you
    are Parikshit, and when the snake comes and bites, let
    it bite the body. After hearing this whole Srimad
    Bhagavata Mahapurana katha, and the glory of
    Bhagavan Sri Krishna and the glory of Narayana, have
    no doubt in your mind that you will attain moksha.

    King Khatvanga attained moksha in forty-five minutes,
    and you had seven days to listen to this glorious
    lecture, which is a great meditation on God Himself.
    You had this blessed opportunity. Be happy.”

    Suka blessed Parikshit, and Parikshit sat in deep
    meditation; and unaware of the snake coming and
    biting him, he left his body, and his soul reached the
    Almighty Lord’s feet and attained moksha, the final
    aim of existence. This is the story of the Srimad
    Bhagavata, the Mahabharata, and the great message of
    Bhagavan Sri Krishna, God incarnate on Earth.

    End of Discourse - 7


    May BABA BLESS us and our family abundantly !


    OM SAI RAM, SRI SAI RAM, JAY JAY SAI RAM !!!
    « Last Edit: September 28, 2016, 11:44:16 AM by ShAivI »

    JAI SAI RAM !!!

    Offline ShAivI

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    THE GLORY OF GOD: A SUMMARY OF THE SRIMAD BHAGAVATA MAHAPURANA
    « Reply #21 on: September 28, 2016, 12:06:31 PM »
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  • THE GLORY OF GOD: A SUMMARY OF THE SRIMAD BHAGAVATA MAHAPURANA

    Sri Vakratunda Mahakaya Suryakoti Samaprabha
    Nirvighnam Kuru Me Deva Sarva-Kaaryeshu Sarvada॥

    Shaantaakaaram Bhujagashayanam
    Padmanaabham Suresham Vishwaadhaaram
    Gaganasadrasham Meghavarnam Shubhaangam
    Lakshmikaantam Kamalanayanam
    Yogibhirdhyaanagamyam Vande Vishnum
    Bhavabhayaharam Sarvalokaikanaatham

    OM SAI RAM ॥



    Concluding Message 

    THE  STAGES  OF  ASCENT  TO  MOKSHA


    Sadhana is the way to moksha. It has no other significance.
    Moksha is freedom from bondage. But it is necessary for
    everyone to know whether one is really in bondage or is really
    free. If we are free, then there is nothing to do. Let us be happy
    in this world.

    Does anyone recognise that he or she is in bondage?
    If this question is put before anyone, they will be surprised.
    “What kind of bondage is there in me? I seem to be perfectly
    all right in my life. I can go about anywhere I like. I have all
    the necessary amenities for a comfortable existence. I am
    really happy. I require nothing. God has given me everything.”
    If this is the case, you are really a free person, and there is
    no need to strive for further freedom because of the conviction
    that you are already free.

    The impossibility to even recognise that one is in bondage
    is a worse form of bondage. To know that one is bound is
    a great virtue. But to think one is free even while one is
    bound, and not being able to recognise the kind of bondage
    in which one is—there are no words to describe this most
    idiotic condition of human nature.

    The beginning of sadhana is the consciousness of suffering.
    We must be immensely aware that we are in a state of agony.
    The bondage that we are referring to here is not an ordinary
    insufficiency that we have in our workaday life. It is a malady
    that has crept into our very existence.

    Our total life is free movement on our part. But there is a root
    within us that is weeping because of this bondage, due to which
    the soul itself suffers. This is the bondage of the existence itself.
    To believe that we are really existing is ignorance on our part.
    The fact is that we are on a process of movement. We have moved
    continuously from previous lives to the present life, and we shall
    move from this present life to future lives. The movement is such
    that it is continuous, like the flow of a river. Buddha’s wisdom
    recognised that bondage is the imagination that one truly exists
    in a state of stability. We are pushed forward by the requirements
    of our future incarnation, and also pushed from behind by the actions
    that we performed in our previous lives. We are propelled from both
    sides. The previous life’s consequences urge us to move onward,
    and the possibilities of a future life pull us from the front. 

    This fact is not known to us. Ignorance is sometimes bliss, as it is
    well said. Total ignorance looks like total bliss. That we are caught up
    in a whirlpool of evolutionary process and we are helplessly driven
    in a direction of which we have no knowledge at all, that we cannot
    even lift a finger of our own accord unless forces outside us cooperate
    with us—we cannot breathe, we cannot think, and we cannot sleep,
    the heart cannot beat, the lungs cannot perform their functions unless
    forces transcendent to our personality operate—is not known to us.

    The consciousness of the nature of one’s bondage is the beginning of
    sadhana. This is what is told to us in the Yoga Vasishtha, in its description
    of the stages of awakening. “Something is very wrong with me right from
    the beginning. I do not know my past, I do not know my future, and even
    today, just at this moment, I cannot understand what circumstances
    I am passing through.” This is the beginning of wisdom, and is called
    subecha in the language of the Yoga Vasishtha— wanting to know what
    is good. Though the nature of the good is not actually known, there is
    at least a desire to know it. Subheccha is the first stage of sadhana.
    We do not want to be bad; we want to be good.

    The next stage of sadhana is an effort to find out what is good. It is
    not enough if we merely want the good; we must know where the
    good lies, and strive for it. This is self-analysis. Satsanga, study,
    attending discourses of mahatmas, worship, japa sadhana, are
    all helpful in investigating into the nature of the problem and then
    deciphering the nature of the ultimate truth. These first two stages,
    subheccha and vicharana, are mostly the preliminary stages of
    spiritual practice, and yet they are difficult enough for a person
    who is not acquainted with this way of thinking, just as a person
    who does not know cycling cannot sit on a bicycle even for a
    moment until he learns it.

    By such kind of continuous, assiduous investigation into one’s own
    bondage and what is good for oneself, the mind which is fattened
    by being fed through sensory life becomes thinner and thinner, and
    that which was once opaque due to the desire for enjoyment of the
    objects of the world—due to which, the light of the Self within could
    not be reflected, as sunlight cannot pass through a brick and can pass
    only through a clean glass—becomes thinned. In the earlier stages,
    due to the thickened form of the mental process, the very idea of there
    being something called the Atman within may not be possible, but after
    assiduous practice in this manner, the mind becomes thin. That condition
    is called tanumanasi, a threadlike condition of the mind where it is
    transparent and reflects the true nature of everything.

    According to the Yoga Vasishtha, these are the first three stages of
    actual sadhana, spiritual practice. By continuing this practice for a long,
    long time throughout one’s life, the sattva, or the purity in one’s person,
    flashes forth, and the sun of knowledge begins to dazzle through this
    mirror-like clean mind that has been attenuated through the absence
    of desires. This is a pure sattvic transparent condition of the mind,
    free from any kind of distraction or lethargy, i.e., rajas and tamas.
    This in itself is a great achievement that we have flashes of insight
    in our sadhana. This state is called sattvapatti.

    Because of the bliss that we enjoy by the experience of this light of
    the Self emanating from within one’s own self through the mind that
    is so transparent, we do not feel a desire for anything that is outside,
    and we feel that we are sufficient in ourselves. Our very being is a joy
    to us, and we do not want assistance from any other thing. Detachment
    automatically, spontaneously takes place in this stage. This is the stage
    of asamsakti, non-attachment. It is not the non-attachment that has
    been inflicted by deliberate austerity, but a spontaneous event that is
    taking place on account of the knowledge arising spontaneously in the
    sadhaka— asamsa. We have to take several births, normally speaking,
    to attain this state of asamsakti, or sattvapatti.

    Total detachment is unknown to mankind. We always cling to something,
    either in the mind or socially, physically, materially. Total satisfaction
    in one’s own self, free from having any desire to contact outside oneself,
    is something unimaginable for the common man. But such a state is
    reached by the intense practice of self-investigation—asamsakti, as
    it is called.

    Then comes the higher state, called padarthabhavana. We do not
    recognise that the world is really material. It is no more an object.
    All the things in the world appear as a congealed form of universal
    power. It is as if the ocean of universal force gets concentrated into
    little knots here and there in space and time, to which we give an
    appellation of objects, persons, things, etc. There are no persons,
    no things, no objects, ultimately. They are concentrated pressurepoints
    of universal force. We will never see anything material afterwards.
    It is all one inundating force permeating all things, looking like objects,
    persons and things. This is padarthabhavana.

    When such a state of universal recognition of a pervading force is
    attained, the only one thing that remains for a person—who is
    really not a person but is a centre of force—is to identify one’s own
    localised point of existence with this universal force so that what
    exists is not a perceived sadhaka of a universal power, because this
    sadhaka has gone into the very bosom of the sea of power. It is
    cosmic prana, cosmic mind, cosmic intellect, cosmic consciousness—
    whatever we may call it. This state of immersion of one’s own being
    into the pervading presence of universal force is true liberation.
    In that condition, whether we exist in this body or do not exist in
    this body, it makes no difference. While we exist in the physical body
    even with this realisation, we may be called a jivanmukta purusha
    in the language of the scriptures. The mind is not concentrated on
    the body; it is concentrated on that to which this body belongs.

    It is then said to be salvation where even this little appendage of
    the body born through past karma drops completely, and the pure
    existence, the soul as it is, merges into the Universal Soul. This is
    called moksha, for which sadhana is practised. We do not live in
    this world for any other purpose.

    The consciousness of the aim of existence is a primary modification
    of any kind of spiritual aspiration. Routine activity, doing the same
    thing every day, chanting the same mantra without knowing its
    implications, and actually in practical life getting immersed in the
    oblivion of one’s relationship with this universal force, is not
    sadhana. There must be an actual awakening to this great fact
    of one’s vital relationship to the all-pervading power, the immersion
    of oneself with it, the communion of oneself with it, the self-identification
    of oneself with it, being it, and having an experience of only one
    existence. This is moksha, for which purpose we are striving.
    May God bless you!


    May BABA BLESS us and our family abundantly !


    OM SAI RAM, SRI SAI RAM, JAY JAY SAI RAM !!!


    JAI SAI RAM !!!

     


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