Shrimad Bhagwad Maha Purana

Shrimad Bhagwad Mahatmya

Adhyay No. 2

 Nardji tries to lessen the Grief of भक्ती (Devotion),ज्ञान (Knowledge) and वैराग्य (Asceticism)

    "Naradji says to Bhakti, i.e., Devotion, 'Hey Goddess, don’t be sad. You are the favorite of Lord Krishna. Think of Lord Krishna, and he will definitely lessen your grief. Lord Krishna has always reduced the pain of his devotees and protected Draupadi in the gathering (Sabha) of the Kauravas. He also protected his greatest devotee, Ambreesh. Lord Krishna loves you more than himself. When you call him, he presents himself even in front of those engaged in evil deeds. During the periods of Satyuga, Tretayuga, and Dvaparyuga, there were paths to gain Knowledge and Asceticism. However, in this period of Kalyuga, only Devotion will bring salvation. Once, you questioned Lord Krishna about your purpose. At that time, Lord Krishna asked you to help the devotees find or test the truth and make them powerful. That’s why you were blessed with two sons, namely Knowledge and Asceticism, and a helping hand of salvation or liberation. Your true nature is to support and nourish those staying in paradise. You live here on this earth in the form of a shadow.'

    Naradji further said, "Devotion was given the highest respect in Satyuga, Tretayuga, and Dvaparyuga, but in Kaliyuga, your helping hand of salvation has become feeble and has left for paradise. Salvation comes to earth when devotion requests it to come and then returns to paradise. The two sons of Bhakti stay with her, but since they are not respected in Kaliyuga, they have become old, aging more than their mother Bhakti."

    Naradji then consoles Bhakti, asking her not to worry, and assures her that he will find a solution to awaken her sons. He further assures Bhakti that he will find a place for her in the hearts of people on earth. Naradji adds that he will not consider himself a devotee of Lord Krishna until he positions devotion, knowledge, and asceticism in the heart of every human being. 

    

    In Kaliyuga, devotion is the backbone, and Lord Krishna appears and is under the control of devotion. One who harbors hatred towards devotion does not progress and perishes.

    

    Sutji said that upon hearing such words from Naradji, Bhakti became powerful and declared that she would forever reside in Naradji's heart. Naradji had healed Bhakti, and now she asked him to lessen the grief of her two sons. 

    

    Upon listening to Bhakti's words, Naradji became more sympathetic towards her and tried to awaken Knowledge and Asceticism, but they were unresponsive. Naradji then began reciting the Vedas and Vedanta, followed by reading all 18 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita in an attempt to awaken them. Despite his efforts, Knowledge and Asceticism woke up but were still lethargic. They appeared old, with white hair, exhausted bodies, and were unable to stand on their own, falling repeatedly.

    

    Worried, Naradji started contemplating God, and at that moment, a voice from heaven reassured him that his efforts would not be in vain. The voice stated that the Rishis would guide Naradji on how to awaken Knowledge and Asceticism. Naradji, unable to comprehend the message, left the two sons and set out to find the Rishis.

       

    Despite visiting many religious places, Naradji could not find the Rishis or understand the meaning of the message. Some saints remarked that if the Vedas, Vedanta, and the Bhagavad Gita could not awaken Knowledge and Asceticism, then no other means could. Others questioned if Naradji, the son of Lord Brahma, has failed ,then how would  when others have the power to succeed.

        

    Continuing his search, Naradji eventually reached Badrivan, where he met the jewel crest Rishis. Delighted to see him, the Rishis blessed Naradji, who expressed his appreciation for their knowledge, status as the mind-born sons of Lord Brahma, and eternal youth at the age of five while residing in paradise. Naradji conveyed his deep grief and desire to understand the message from heaven and the path it referred to.

    

    Sankadik Rishi said he would immediately dispel the grief and asked Naradji to listen carefully and with complete happiness. He explained that many paths to achieve Knowledge and Asceticism had been discussed in the past, but these paths were quite challenging and did not lead to salvation. The path to salvation remained a secret. Now, he would discuss the path revealed by the voice from the heaven.

    

    Sankadik Rishi explained that many types of Yajnas, such as those involving materials, meditation, Yoga, and Knowledge, helped reach heaven. However, scholars have identified Knowledge Yajna as the path to salvation. This knowledge is the self-study of the Shrimad Bhagwad Maha Purana. Self-study of the Shrimad Bhagwad Maha Purana imparts Devotion, Knowledge, and Asceticism. This self-study will dispel grief as well as sins.

    

    Naradji narrated to Sankadik Rishi that despite reciting the Veda, Vedanta, and all 18 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita, he had failed to awaken Knowledge and Asceticism. He questioned how simply reciting the words of the Shrimad Bhagwad Maha Purana could awaken them.

    Sankadik Rishi explained that the Shrimad Bhagwad Maha Purana is a combination of all the elements of the Veda and Vedanta. It represents the essence of all the best elements of the Veda and Vedanta, similar to how the fruit of a tree is more important than its branches and trunk, or how butter is more valuable than milk and its fats. The Shrimad Bhagwad Maha Purana is the essence, a comprehensive guide to all Vedas and Vedantas.

    

    Shri Vyas ji had narrated four verses of the Shrimad Bhagwad Maha Purana to dispel Naradji's grief. Therefore, Sankadik Rishi advised Naradji to recite the Shrimad Bhagwad Maha Purana to  Knowledge, and Asceticism. Melodious recitation of the Shrimad Bhagwad Maha Purana would awaken them from their state.

   

     Upon hearing this solution, Naradji felt very happy and thanked the jewel crest Rishis. He expressed that the presence of the Rishis and their guidance on awakening Knowledge, and Asceticism had brought him immense peace. Naradji vowed to preach devotion and eradicate loss of consciousness, delusion, and ignorance from the world.

.... Next Adhyaya in next blog ....

Shrimad Bhagwad Maha Puran

Shrimad Bhagwad Mahatmya

Adhyay No. 1

The Story of भक्ती (Devotion),ज्ञान (Knowledge) and वैराग्य (Asceticism)

Once upon a time, in Naimiṣa forest , the great sage Shaunaka along with more than 88000 sages expressed concern to Shri Sut ji that in this generation of Kaliyuga, most of the people have been trapped in this Maya and therefore they all are sad for 24 hours, leading sorrowful lives, behaving like daemons, committing sins and seeking temporary pleasures. So the sages wish to uplift humanity and would like to hear about devotion, knowledge and asceticism. They asked Sutji “Do tell us how to get out of this Maya? How can one be free from the Karmas and how can one reach Lord Krishna?”

    Sutji offered a very powerful solution which will wipe away the fear of birth and death and humanity will be able to reach the Lord Krishna. He said that one should listen to Shrimad Bhagwad Maha Puran with full attention and dedication. Before the beginning of Kaliyuga, Shri ShukDev ji had narrated Shrimad Bhagwad Maha Puran to King Parikshit. King Parikshit got free of all his karmas after listening to Shrimad Bhagwad Maha Puran.  Lord Brahma was astonished upon hearing this and he weighed all the means of devotion with Shrimad Bhagwad Maha Puran but none weighed higher than the Shrimad Bhagwad Maha Puran. Shrimad Bhagwad Maha Puran is a way towards Salvation(मोक्ष).

    Shaunak ji asked Sutji that Naradji is free from Maya and he doesn’t stay for a long time in one place, then how did Naradji listen to Shrimad Bhagwad Maha Puran? Sutji said that this knowledge of Shrimad Bhagwad Maha Puran was given to Naradji by Shri ShukDevji. Once all sages had gathered in Badri Forest for Satsang and they met Nardji there. At that time Naradji was immersed in anxiety and sorrow. The sages questioned Naradji as to why is he in such a state and where from is he coming?

    

    Naradji said that he was in the land of death i.e. the Earth. He visited various religious places on earth like Haridwar, Nashik, Kashi , Prayag etc but he could not find peace anywhere. Kaliyug has started ruling everywhere and its effects are visible in the form of vices, sinful, wrong activities everywhere. There isn’t a place where Jaap (chanting), Taap (meditation, worship), Daan (charity) , Compassion exists. There exists lies, sin, corruption, misery all around. There is no righteousness.

    On the bank of Yamuna river, Naradji saw a young lady weeping and two men lying like dead besides her. The young lady was serving them and trying to bring them back to life. They were lying unconscious. Upon seeing Naradji, she stood up and requested Naradji to listen to her story. Naradji asked the lady who she was and who were the two men? Who are the other ladies who are sitting surrounding them? The lady replied that she is Bhakti(Devotion). The other two men are her sons : Knowledge and Asceticism and the other ladies surrounding her are serving her. They are the rivers Ganga, Yamuna ,Saraswati etc. She(Bhakti) was born in the South. Then she came to Karnataka during her adolescence. She was showered with a lot of honour in Maharashtra. She became old when she was in Gujarat. Now that she is in Vrindavana, she has turned young again but both her sons Knowledge and Asceticism are still old. She fails to understand why her sons are aging and she is young?

    Naradji said he will explain her the things now and she should listen to it very carefully. Naradji said Kaliyuga had made all people on this earth sinful, corrupt and devotion less, foolish, unaware, folly and stupid. But in this Kaliyuga even a small amount of chanting, a small amount of devotion will dissolve all bad karmas.The person will be free of his bad karmas.  It used to take thousands of years to achieve this Salvation in other yugs like Satyuga, Dyaparyuga but in Kaliyuga it doesn’t take much time. Even a small amount of chanting, devotion works. This is the reason why King Parikshit did not destroy Kaliyuga.

    Bhakti was overjoyed to hear Naradji's words and expressed, "Prahlad became deeply devoted because of your influence. The same happened with Dhruv. O great sage, your presence brings me immense happiness. You are the son of Lord Brahma, and I bow to you."

To be continued in next Adhyay ….

 Sharing is caring ???

It's Diwali time and I happened to witness two incidents which left me thinking for a long time.

In the first incident , there is a small girl of about 8 to 9 years old and she is riding her bicycle. She rides the bicycle in the evening and sometimes offers her bicycle to her friends so that they too can enjoy the ride. Such an innocent child. One day, I heard the Grandfather of this little girl instructing her to not allow her friends to ride the bicycle or else she will not be allowed inside the home. In short, he is telling her not to share her bicycle with anyone.

In the second incident, this same girl is enjoying Diwali by bursting crackers and her friends join her to enjoy it. One of her friend ignites her cracker and the mother of this little girl is watching all this from the gallery. Upon seeing the friend light up the cracker, she shouts loudly and scolds the little girl by asking her a question "Have we got these crackers for distribution?". Here again the little girl is taught that she should not share her crackers with anyone.

These two incidents made me think, "What are we teaching the kids? How will this impact the child in the future? "

Can you answer? What are we teaching the kids?

I feel, The emphasis on ownership of material possessions (bicycle, crackers) over the joy of sharing and celebrating with others may contribute to a materialistic mindset rather than fostering a sense of generosity and community.

Sharing is caring, and it is important to teach children the value of sharing and generosity. When we teach children to share, we are helping them to develop important social skills such as empathy, cooperation, and communication. We are also helping them to build a sense of community and belonging.

The first incident mentioned is a good example of how teaching children not to share can have negative consequences. The little girl in this story is clearly enjoying sharing her bicycle with her friends. However, her grandfather is telling her not to share, or she will not be allowed inside the home. This message is sending the girl the wrong idea about the importance of sharing. It is teaching her that sharing is not as important as her own personal possessions.

The second incident mentioned is another example of how teaching children not to share can have negative consequences. The little girl in this story is clearly enjoying sharing her crackers with her friends. However, her mother is telling her not to share, or she will get in trouble. This message is sending the girl the wrong idea about the importance of sharing. It is teaching her that sharing is not as important as her own personal safety.

Both of these incidents show how teaching children not to share can have negative consequences. It can lead to children becoming materialistic and selfish. It can also lead to children becoming isolated and lonely.

It is important to teach children the value of sharing and generosity. When we teach children to share, we are helping them to develop important social skills such as empathy, cooperation, and communication. We are also helping them to build a sense of community and belonging.

Give your children opportunities to share !!!

Encourage your children to share even when it is difficult  !!!

Rains, Diwali and Pune

When it rains in Pune during Diwali season, the poet in me ignites .

Date : 10th November 2023

Pune's Diwali, rain's sweet ballet,

A love letter in each drop's display.

Umbrellas waltz with joyful pride,

In rain's embrace, Pune is the bride.

Crackers whisper, raindrops sing,

A duet in Diwali, nature's fling.

Pune smiles, as raindrops confess,

In Diwali's arms, they find their address. 

I want my childhood days back!!!

These days, our life has become too fast. We are just running and not living our life. We are always in a constant rush to achieve something and that something goes on varying from time to time. I remember a day of my childhood when the days used to be so very relaxed and peaceful. It used to be a shiny day, everyday with new ideas. Many a times I feel that we should have some mechanism to rewind our life and live those days again.

When I was a child I used to feel that I should grow up fast so that I can start earning and buy whatever I want. But today, we have plenty of money but no time. We have all those things that make our life comfortable but we have very less time to enjoy that comfort. We are always in a hurry. Life has become like a circus and we are the jokers trying to make our inner self happy.

                Childhood days for all may not have been happy but we want it back again. If ever a Genie comes to me and asks me my mish, I would say “Give me my childhood days back. I want to live them once again.”

Believe in Yourself

I was standing in front of GOD

Folding my hands, feeling sad

Water in my eyes

I was totally broken from within

I said,

"Oh God, What should I do?

I do not understand

I do not have answers to my questions"

God said,

"Just Believe in Yourself"

I said,

"The present situation is such that

There is no ray of Hope

Something tomorrow will change

Is not indicated by Today

In what should I believe?

If there is still belief in this world.

Show me proof !!!"

God smiled and said,

"Birds fly in the sky

By using their wings

They just believe that

They will not fall down

You sow seed

You water it everyday

You believe that

One day it will be a plant

Baby sleeps happily

In the arms of the mother

Baby believes that

Mother is taking care

You plan about tomorrow

When you close your eyes at night

You believe that

You will see the sunlight tomorrow

Today, 

You come to me

With all your sorrows

You still Believe that

I am going to listen to you

Light up the same kind of belief in yourself

Situation changes in a moment

Unknowingly one day

You will get a moment

About which you had lost hopes

And a dream will be a reality

So,

When all paths are blocked

You just believe in Yourself

The point where your limits end

From that point onwards I am with you"

Life is an Exam Paper

When I am alone, I always think “What is LIFE?” and when I think I remember Shakespeare saying Life is a like a stage where we all have roles to play. Sometimes my mind says Life is a journey which we are enjoying or spending or just living for the sake of it. The other day when I was talking to my hubby he gave a very nice answer which really makes me think. He said “Life is an Exam Paper.” I laughed at him and said “How is it an exam paper? “ He explained to me in a very simple way. He said. “Look, we both are living a LIFE. Isn’t it? Do you know what’s going to happen in my LIFE? Or Do I know what’s going to happen in your LIFE? “I said, “No. I can’t even predict my life. Forget about predicting yours”. He said “Exactly!!! That’s what I have to say. Life is like an exam paper – a paper which has questions which no one of us knows. It has questions for us and only we as an individual have answers to it. Only you know what the questions are and therefore only you can solve your exam paper. Also this exam paper is so unique that no two people ever get the same questions at the same time. So there’s no chance of copying each other’s paper. “. He further said “Imagine that this earth is an exam hall and we all are solving an exam paper in the presence of evaluator. Also this paper has to be solved in an unknown limited time. Every person has been given different time limit to solve and it’s such that you don’t know when your paper will be taken back from you. Everyone has different time duration set to solve this paper. So the best thing you can do is to concentrate on solving your own exam paper. If you get into solving other person’s exam paper you will lose out time and end up missing questions in your paper and your paper will be taken back. But this doesn’t mean you should not help the other person to solve the paper. Yes, you can help the other person in solving his paper only if he asked or you feel it’s really required. But one should not get deeply involved in solving their paper and forgetting that you too have a paper to solve” I said “Makes sense.” He further said “It also means you should write your answers in such a way that you get promoted to the next class. The way you solve the questions determine whether or not you will be promoted to the next class or remain in the same class. Therefore the quality of your answers also determine whether you get promoted, detained or fall back further”. He said “This is what Life is – An Exam Paper With Every Person Getting Different Questions To Be Solved In An Unknown Time Limit With Evaluation And The Evaluator Is GOD whom we call with different names like "Allah", "Jesus", "WaheGuru" etc.” I was startled with his answer. I had never thought of LIFE in such a way, like an Exam Paper. But thinking about Life like an exam paper makes me feel that I should concentrate on solving this paper with good quality answers and making an impression of myself in the mind of the evaluator so that he promotes me easily without any grace marks.