A Study of the Bhagavata Purana or Esoteric Hinduism Part 82

*SKANDHA XI. CHAP. 28.*

"Do not either praise or blame other men and their actions. Look upon all as one, pervaded by the same Prakriti and the same Purusha. By criticising others, the mind is directed to a false channel and it deviates from the right path. What is good or what is bad of Dvaita? By direct perception, reasoning, self intuition, and scriptural teachings, know every thing in this manifested Universe to have a beginning and an end and to be thus unreal. Therefore free yourself from all attachments.

(The ways of acquiring discriminative knowledge are then given in eloquent terms for which read the original).

"Clearing up all doubts by discrimination, the sage should be fixed in the bliss of self, having abstained from every thing else.

"The body of gross matter is not atma. The Indriyas, their guiding Devas, Manas, Buddhi, Chitta and Ahankara are not atma. The Bhutas, the Tanmatras and Prakriti are not atma. These do not affect the seer.

Whether the clouds gather or disperse, what is that to the Sun.

"Akasa is not affected by the attributes of air, fire, water and earth nor by the changes of seasons.

"The immutable is not affected by the impurities of Satva, Rajas and Tamas, however often they may cause the birth and rebirth of the Ahan principle.

"But still (the unliberated sage) should avoid contact with the Gunas.

He should by firm devotion to Me, cast off all attachments and all pa.s.sions. When the disease is not properly treated, it gives trouble again and again. So when attachments are not completely removed and Karma is not counteracted they trouble the imperfect Yogi.

"The yogis that deviate from the path on account of obstacles that are spread out for them by the Devas through men (For the Sruti says: - "The Devas do not like that men should know all this." _Sridhara_) are re-united to the path of Yoga in a better birth through the practices of their former birth.

"The immature Yogi may be overpowered by diseases and other grievances of the body. He should overcome some of them by Yoga concentration (by concentration on the Moon, the Sun and others he should overcome heat cold &c., _Sridhara_), others by prescribed postures accompanied by retention of breath (diseases caused by gaseous derangement are to be overcome by postures, accompanied by retention of breath), and some others by Tapas, Mantra and medicine. He should overcome some evils by meditating on Me, by taking My name, and by making rehearsals about Me.

He should overcome other evils by following the lords of Yoga.

"Some practise these to keep themselves young and free from diseases, solely with the object of attaining some Siddhis. This is not approved of by good people. The effort is fruitless. The body has an end. True in following the path of Yoga, the body sometimes becomes free from diseases and infirmities. But the Yogi should put no faith on these Siddhis.

"When the Yogi gives up all desires, becomes fixed in self-bliss, and makes Me his all in all, he is not overcome by obstacles."

BHAKTI YOGA.

*SKANDHA XI. CHAP. 29.*

Uddhava said: -

"This path of Yoga seems to Me to be difficult of pursuit. Tell me O Achyuta, some means by which man may attain perfection without such exertion. Generally those that try to concentrate their mind become tired at last, being unsuccessful in their attempts. The discriminating sage has recourse to Thy lotus-feet, the fountain of all bliss. Tell me the path that leads to Thee."

Shri Krishna replied: -

"Do all actions for Me and bear me in mind as much as you can. Offer up the mind and all thoughts to Me. Be attached to the duties of Bhagavatas. Live in sacred lands, where my Bhaktas dwell. Follow what they do - see Me in all beings as well as in self, pure as Akasa. With the eye of pure wisdom, look upon all beings as my existence and respect them as such. Brahmana or Chandala, stealer or giver, big as the sun or small as his ray, tender hearted or cruel, the sage must look upon all alike. Then he shall have neither rivalry, nor jealousy nor reproach for others. His egoism shall also be gone. Mind not the ridicule of friends, mind not the bodily differences that may cause a feeling of shame, but salute even horses, Chandalas, cows and a.s.ses. As long as you do not learn to see Me in all beings, do not give up this practice in speech, body and mind. There is not the least chance of failure in the Bhagavata Path. Even what is otherwise fruitless becomes a Dharma, when it is unselfishly offered up to Me. There is no higher wisdom, no higher cleverness than this that the Real is attained by the Unreal, the Immortal is attained by what is mortal. This is the essence of Brahma Vidya.

"Now that you have learned all this give it unto those that are deserving.

"Go Uddhava now to Badari asrama and follow what I have said."

THE END.

*SKANDHA XI. CHAP. 30.*

Uddhava went to Badari. Sri Krishna advised the Yadus to leave Dvaraka.

"Let the females, children, and the aged go to Sankha-Uddhara and let us go to Prabhasa." The Yadu chiefs went to Prabhasa. They drank the wine called Maireya and got intoxicated. They quarreled and fought with one another. They s.n.a.t.c.hed the fatal reeds and killed one another. Rama went to the Sea-side and by practicing Samadhi, left this world. All was now over. Sri Krishna sat under an Asvatha tree (religious fig). A huntsman named Jara took Him for a deer and pierced him with a spear, formed of the fatal pestle.

The huntsman then saw Krishna bearing four hands and became terrified.

"Fear not" said Sri Krishna "you shall go to heaven." The chariot came down from the heaven and took up the huntsman.

Daruka, the charioteer of Sri Krishna traced Him to the spot.

Sri Krishna asked him to inform all friends at Dvaraka of the death of the Yadu chiefs, the disappearance of Rama and of His own state. "Do not remain any more at Dvaraka, for the Sea shall swallow it up. Let our parents and all others go to Indraprastha under the protection of Arjuna."

Daruka saluted Krishna and went away.

The Garuda marked chariot of Sri Krishna came from high above. Brahma and all other Devas gathered to witness the scene.

The Lord disappeared from the earth and truth, Dharma, forbearance, glory and Lakshmi all followed Him.

There was great rejoicing in the heavens. The Devas sang and flowers rained.

Daruka gave the information to Vasudeva and Ugrasena. All came to see the place of the occurrence. Vasudeva died of grief. Some of the ladies followed their husbands to death. Those that remained were escorted by Arjuna to Indraprastha. He installed Vajra as the successor of the Yadu chiefs. The Pandavas made Pariks.h.i.t their successor and left Indraprastha for the Final Journey.

*END OF THE ELEVENTH SKANDHA.*

THE TWELFTH SKANDHA.

*SKANDHA XII. CHAP. 2.*

When the present Kali Yuga will be about to end, Bhagavan will incarnate as KALKI. He will take birth at Sambhal as the son of Vishnu-Yasas.

On His advent, Satya Yuga will make its appearance. The Sun, the Moon and the Jupiter will then enter together the constellation of Pushya.

(Jupiter enters the constellation of Pushya in Cancer every twelve years, and there may be a conjunction of that planet with the Sun and the Moon on new Moon nights, but the text here means the _entering together_ of the three. _Sridhara_.)

One thousand one hundred and fifteen years will expire from the birth of Raja Pariks.h.i.t to the beginning of King Nanda's reign. (But in the detailed account given in the Bhagavata Purana, the period comes up to 1448 years, as shewn by Sridhara.)

Of the Seven Rishis (forming the constellation of the Great Bear), the two that are first seen to rise above the horizon have through their middle point a correspondence with some constellation (in the Zodiac).

The Rishis remain united to that constellation for one hundred mortal years.

At present (_i.e._ when Sukadeva was reciting Bhagavata to Raja Pariks.h.i.t), the Rishis are united to Magha.

The form of the Great Bear or the constellation of the Seven Rishis is given below.

6 5 X X X 1 X X X X 7 4 3 2

Sridhara gives the following names: