||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 87 – Varnnashrama Dharma – 3

Dharmaputhra asked, "Oh! Maharishi, kindly narrates the duties and responsibilities of the Grihastha to attain pure devotion and faith?”

Maharishi Narada replied “ Oh, Dharmaja, Grihastha should perform all the righteous tasks and completely surrender to the supreme Lord, it would elevate their soul.  They should cultivate intense devotion and faith with the association of saintly men, listening and reciting the glories and myths of the supreme Lord.  Listening to the glories and myth of the supreme Lord provides the knowledge that the possession the material things, wealth, child, family, relatives, and friends are impermanent. It would provide the knowledge of the Supreme Lord who is all-pervading, he is creating all the things in this Universe with illusion, and he is the creator, preserver, and destroyer.  This supreme knowledge would give serenity of mind; it removes the impurities of the mind, sense of oneness in all, service to humanity, humility, simplicity, kindness, devotion, faith, etc.  Eventually, they will surrender all the deeds upon the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord.  A Grihastha should perform Yajja/fire sacrifices, and charities according to his capacity, he should follow austerities and vows on the auspicious days, he should spend solid hours in the service of Supreme Lord, he should perform austerities/Nishkamyakarma during auspicious hours in the temples, mountain, river, holy pond, and family temple.  A Grihastha should perform five types of Yajja such as Manshya Yajja, Pithruyajja, Bhoothayajja, Dhaivayajja, and Rishiyajja/Bhramayajja.  The GnanaYajja is considered a supreme path to attain Mukthi, he should visit holy places, shrines, holy ponds are the dwelling place of trinities and illustrious Rishis, prostrate before the saintly people and their preceptor and all the performed righteous deeds should be surrendered to supreme Lord, it would give the piousness of watering a tree on its roots.  In the four Yugas the supreme Lord is worshiped in four different ways, Dhyanam Krithayuge/penance in Krita Yuga, Yajjam Threthayuge/performance of fire sacrifice in Thretha, Arcchanam Dwapare/worship of Lord in Dwapara Yuga and Keerthanam Kaliyuge/chanting sacred names in Kaliyuga.”

Maharishi Narada continued “ Oh! Rajan, A sannyasin should be a reservoir of knowledge, he should have a thorough knowledge of all the Dharma. He should be profound in Dharma Vidharma/immorality and Paradharma/learning the righteousness of the other people, Upadharma/learning the Shasthrarththa, Shabdha/Shruthi and Vidharma/deeds that’s against righteousness.  He should have deep knowledge of Jeevathma and Parmathma, and he should engage in the contemplation of the supreme Lord and unite the mind with the Nirguna Bhramam.  Oh! Rajan, any righteous deed performed without the devotion to supreme Lord Narayana is considered as unrewarding, it is like bathing of an elephant.   The intellectuals with the intense devotion to the supreme Lord would remove Thrishna, Eshana, etc..  The fools consider the supreme Lord Narayana as an ordinary human being without the knowledge of his supremacy.  The wise people learn to wash off impurities/Shadvarga/Kama-Krodha-Lobha – Madha – Mathsarya/ with strict regular practices, they will have the knowledge of illusion causes worldly existence, and they contemplate the supreme Lord who resides as a soul in living beings.  The wise resides in auspicious places and remain Bikshu who lives on alms, they constantly engage in righteous deeds, they take a seat on the clean place and practice Pranayama and practice the union of mind with the supreme Bhramam, thus they become Yogi and eventually attain Moksha from repeated births. Oh! Rajan, a renounced/intellectual realizes that the supreme Lord who’s presence causes the functioning of intellect, mind, various emotions, Gnana and Karmendhriyas, and Panchathanmathra/essential elements.  The body is a vehicle, the senses are the path of the chariot, and the stable mind and intellect is the charioteer, and the supreme soul is a bow, and the vital air is an arrow.   The union of Bhramam provides Mukthi and the greatest enemy of the liberation of the soul are Ragadhvesha/impurities of the mind.  The Swatik people win over enemies with their bodies and virtues as a chariot, devotion like prowess, and wisdom like a sword; they take shelter in the supreme soul and enjoy the bliss.  The people who take immense pleasure in the worldly matters would heave themselves in the darkness of the bottomless well of worldly existence, therefore Ragadhvesha/Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Madha, Ashcharya are the thieves.  Oh! King, The influence of Maya can be understood from the rays of Lord Surya even though they are not two, and the nature of heat from Lord Agni.  The knowledge of Bhramam which is beyond Gunas or Nirgunas, supreme Lord is pure and bliss as well, with this knowledge everyone could attain Moksha.  I was celestial Gandharva Barhana in my previous birth, took immense pleasure in the association of celestial Apsaras, unexpectedly I have obtained birth as Shudra due to the Karmadhosha.  During those days I have engaged in the worship of saintly men, and listened to their teachings and served them sincerely.  Later, I have obtained the status of the son of Lord Bhrama/ Narada.  Therefore, the intense devotion and faith upon the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord is the greatest way to attain Mukthi and make life fruitful.  Oh! Rajan, you have supreme Lord Krishna who is supreme Lord resides as a soul in living beings, with you.   He is absolute Bhramam, a renounced soul and firm.   He is supreme Lord Vishnu incarnated on the Earth, you are sincere devotees of him, hence surrender all your deeds at the lotus feet of Lord Krishna, in this way you will attain all the Shreyas in your life.”  Dharmaraja Yudhishtira reverentially prostrated before Maharishi Narada.    Later, Shuka Bhramam narrated the Varnnashrama Dharma to King Pareekshith, afterward, it was retold to Shaunakadhis by Sutha Pauranika.