|| Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 343 – The legend of Lord Krishna -  194

Bhikshu Gita

Noonam Mey  Bhagavamsthushta: Sarvadevamayo Hari: | Yena Neetho Dhashametham Nirvedhashchathmana: Plava: ||

Bhagavan speaks “ Oh! Udhdhava, there was a Brahmin with his family lived in the city of Avanthi, he had an abundance of agricultural lands and possession of wealth and cattle, but he was too miser, gradually his wife and children and relatives had an extreme dislike towards him. Once, he traveled out of the village and came back home, found his money, possession of valuables and precious jewels were missing. He could not control his anger and disappointment; he did not believe a single word of his family, suspected them as the culprit, gradually he lost respect in the family and the village, his pride got hurt, had a fight with the family members and left home.  On his way, he regretted his demeanor not helping others in trouble, not contributing wealth for the welfare of the twice-born, or village or family. He felt remorseful for the selfish way of his living and his unruly behavior towards family, relatives, and people of the village.  He wanted to get rid of the guilt, fortunately, he met a preceptor on his way.  He sincerely followed the preceptor, learned the highest of the knowledge of the supreme soul and constantly engaged in meditation.  Thus, he completely got rid of the bunch of grief and guilt, remembering the illustrious King Katvanga who elevated his soul in seconds, he read scriptures and various glorious legends of supreme Lord, and he realized the eternal presence of supreme Lord as soul.  The twice-born, followed extreme austerities and penance, following fasting, the vow of silence, and singing in praise of the Supreme Lord, eventually he transformed himself as a mendicant/Bhikshu.  In this way, he got rid of the attachment to body, wealth, and people finally achieved serenity and peace.  Once, he left the forest with a wooden vessel, stick, and Kamandalu, and conducted begging for alms in the villages.  The people of the village passed sarcastic comments and harassed him.  They considered him insane, troubled him constantly, and abused him verbally and physically, throwing dirt on him, etc. Oh! Udhdhava, the Bikshu stood firm like a mountain, in utter silence, and unwavering like a crane that sleeps standing on its single leg was approached by a virtuous person and enquired about his wellness and how did he remain silent to the atrocities of the villagers? How did he achieve control over senses?  The Bhikshu sang a marvelous song in response to the question. ”

|| Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 342 – The legend of Lord Krishna -  193

Bhikshu Gita

Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran teaches ways to get control over the cluster of unwanted thoughts, which has the nature of animal and human behaviors causes miseries and sorrows.  The behavior of animal are structured in a particular manner, they keep chasing for pleasure, do not have independent thinking, they follow exactly the same as their herds, chase for its prey, mate for physical pleasure, and finally, get killed or die of natural death.  The human mind and intellect only have the capability of independent and rational/Maneesha, thinking.  The animal behavior in human take pleasure in unpleasant deeds, words, and thoughts, it gets fasten with the worldly matter and bondage, and feels helpless like an elephant tied to the poll, even though the elephant has immense strength to get it freed from the pole in seconds, it will not attempt to get freed, because of the practice of several years, in this way the human mind which is extremely resourceful gets fastened with the cluster of unwanted thoughts without making an effort to get rid of it.  Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran educate how to get relieved from the cluster of thoughts which causes mental and physical exhaustion, with a marvelous knowledge that thoughts cannot overrule the mind, unless and until it is allowed. Whoever realizes the damages caused by the cluster of unwanted thoughts and takes initiative to get out of those redundant thoughts become their own preceptor. The path of enlightenment is extremely harsh, it needs extreme austerities and penance, such as control over senses, Shareeram/fasting, Vachakam/Vakshudhdhi, and Manasikam/ meditation.

Udhdhava speaks “ Oh! Bhagavan, you have advised keeping lighthearted if anyone tries to humiliate with word, action, or thoughts, Oh! Krishna, it is impossible to practice for an ordinary person like me, kindly narrate how is it possible? Even the intellectuals fail to practice control over them.”

Bhagavan speaks “ Oh! Udhdhava, you have raised a brilliant question, I shall describe a legend /Ithihasa to you, listen to me carefully.  There was a Bhikshu/mendicant have to suffer constant humiliation from the people of the village he lived, he recovered from the disgraces and sung marvelously a song.  I shall narrate the story of the Bhikshu who lived in the city of Avanthi.”

|| Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 341 – The legend of Lord Krishna -  192

Udhdhava speaks “Oh! Govinda, even the intellectuals find it difficult to know the supreme knowledge of your all-pervasive nature, therefore they have to leave the body and take birth again and again, kindly narrate about it.”

Bhagavan speaks “ Oh! Udhdhava, The mind, and intellect absorbs the pleasure through the sense organs; it’s a storehouse of worldly desires and matters, it leaves the body with unfinished desires and lust, and takes birth again and again.  The mind and intellect constantly engage in collecting worldly matters and pleasures that are heard or seen and make an effort to fulfill those desires.  People who are drenched in the worldly matters and bondages, approach the death, AthyanthaVismrithi/memory loss causes re-births.  Oh! Udhdhava, The mind, and intellect initiated from the supreme soul should attain the union with it with the constant practice of meditation.   The life of humans on the Earth is as simple as the sparks from the fire diffuse in the fire; the rivers merge in the ocean, fruits get ripened and combine with the Prakrithi.  Oh! Udhhdava, The human body undergoes various stages of development such as child/5 years, youth/16 years, middle age/60 years and old age. Oh! Udhdhava, whoever understands the eternal truth that the presence of the changeless supreme soul which is the source of the functioning of the body, mind, and intellect, elevates their soul with the constant contemplation upon me would attain serenity and peace.  Oh! Udhdhava, the thoughts in the human mind and intellect is like the trees on the river banks replicate its shadow on the water, and whenever the water moves it creates an illusion of movement of the trees.  The thoughts are fleeting nature like the illusion of movement of the tree on the water; the supreme soul is eternal.  Oh! Udhdhava, an ignorant is whoever soaked in worldly matters and bondage, never knew that people or things easily creates boredom in life, still continues to chase after pleasing senses, and cannot elevate their souls.  Oh! Udhdhava, if you want to get relieved from all those thoughts of material well-being, and people, attain control over the senses that create obstacle to the elevation of your soul, practice meditation upon me, it would bring good control over your sense, like an intelligent person who do get disturbed or feel hurt of physical and verbal abuses, not react to sarcastic and spiteful comment of others, and will not get disappointed at the act of disgrace or throwing dirt on him.”

|| Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 340 – The legend of Lord Krishna -  191

The Cosmic  and Conscious energies are illustrated as Prakrithi and Purusha respectively, Prakrithi/Maya which undergoes constant transformation and ruin and Purusha is eternal.  The expansion of cosmic energy takes place due to the existence of Conscious energy. The human body transforms from the state of infants to various stages of life during the life period, but the supreme soul in the body remains changeless.  The human body/Prakrithi undergoes aging, illnesses, and death, but the supreme soul/Purusha has neither death nor birth.

Udhdhava speaks “ Oh! Vishwesha, Oh! Prabho, kindly narrate the number of philosophies involved in the Prakarithi/cosmic and Purusha/conscious energy, which was described as nine, seven, eleven, twenty-four, etc. in Sankhya Yoga.”

Bhagavan speaks “Oh! Udhdhava, understand the differences of the Prakrithi and Purusha, ultimately you will come to know that both are inseparable.  The Purusha is changeless and eternal; the Prakrithi undergoes transformation and ruin, it has certain limitations too.  The Purusha causes the expansion of Prakrithi, all those functions and transformation takes place at the command of Purusha, therefore the Prakrithi has no existence without Purusha.  Oh! Udhdhava, I am the Purusha resides as soul in you, and controls the functioning of Panchaprana, Karma and Gananindhriyas, Ahamkara, Prana, mind and intellect in you. Oh! Udhdhava, I am Purusha having indescribable nature, like the nature of ‘conscious sleep’ which is beyond description.”

Udhdhava speaks “ Oh! Krishna, Oh! Pundareekaksha, the entire Universe is the mixture of Prakrithi and Purusha how did we differentiate them?”

Bhagavan speaks “Oh! Udhdhava, I will describe how to differentiate Prakrithi and Purusha, the Sthoolaprakrithi is visible /body,  and the Sookshma Prakrithi is invisible/ taste, smell, touch, mind, and Karana Prakrithi/intellect, and thoughts.  Oh! Udhdhava, whoever does contemplate upon me, not realizing the eternal presence of me as a soul in them, and not fixing their mind and intellect upon me, and not willing to adore me as their constant companion, their life become miserable, it would keep them in utter distress and agony.  Oh! Udhdhava, whoever lacks the devotion and faith in me, cannot practice the elevation of their soul, it is a gradual process, can be cultivated with constant practice of meditation and Pranayama, it would purify the intellect. ”

|| Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 339 – The legend of Lord Krishna -  190

Bhagavan speaks “ Oh! Udhdhava, The Prakrithi is the mixture of purities and impurities, the essential five elements such as Earth, Air, Ether, Water, and Fire have no impurities in it, even when it resides in the human body, these elements are void of impurities.  Oh! Udhdhava, whoever engages in the constant contemplation upon me will have ‘Shaucham’/purity/detachment to Sthoolashareera, they remain pure, therefore none of the thoughts could impure them.  The mind and intellect get impure with the worldly matters and bondages, the constant contemplation upon me remove those impurities from the mind.  Oh! Udhdhava, people who are soaked in worldly matters and bondage, live in utter illusion, anxiousness, fear, grief, excessive desires, and lust, are equivalent to dead.  Their intense lust and desire, will not let them realize the nature of the supreme soul, they are wasting their lives on Earth, like a tree.  They consume a meal to build the flesh and ruin their lives. They are ignorant who caught in the Phalashruthi/performing deeds expecting the fruitful results, intellectuals will not follow any of these absurdities.  They will not look for fruitful results in the Karma; they perform all the deeds with utmost sincerity and devotion, surrendering all the deeds and fruitful results to me.  They accept the results of the Karma with contentment, as the grace of me and elevate their souls, eventually attain the bliss.  Oh! Udhdhava, if you contemplate upon me without any qualms and doubts, you could elevate your soul.”

The illustrious Rishis and Sages describe the definition of ‘Love’ and its necessities in material life and spiritual life, and the balancing act of the same.   In the material life feeling of ‘Love’ is an emotion, it is an expression of intimacy to the other person, being loved and became enslaved by love, gradually it will lead to fear or grief, either fear of separation or fear of uncertainties.  The animals do not get attached to each other, they mate each other and get satisfied, therefore the expression of love is not a burden for them, and so they do not have fear of separation, insecurities or grief.  Interestingly, in material life people, possessions, fame, richness, are under the constant influence of ‘Time’, therefore the love in material life is impermanent as its nature.   The spiritual love is the understanding of the supreme soul who is the source of the functioning of the mind, intellect, Gnana and Karmendhriyas, Panchapranas, it has neither birth nor death, it is beyond ‘Time’ and it is void of change or impurities.  Spiritual love is the love for the supreme soul which is beyond ‘Time’, and changeless, and the outcome remains as its nature.

|| Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 338 – The legend of Lord Krishna -  189

 Nridhehamadhyam Sulabham Su Dhurllabham Plavam Sukalpam Gurukarnadharam | Mayanukoole Nabhasvatheritham Puman Bhavabdhim Na  Tharethsa Athmaha||

Bhagavan speaks “Oh! Udhdhava, you are fortunate that you have attained the body of a human, always remember the truth it is rare to achieve a body of a human, you have a great mind and intellect to learn and understand the knowledge of supreme Lord, and you have a preceptor to instruct the greatest knowledge.  Oh! Udhdhava, you have to necessitate the ferry like your mind and intellect, with the flow of wind which is favoring your destination towards me and effortlessly cross the ocean of worldly existence.  Whoever does not instruct their mind and intellect to contemplate upon me could not save them from the ocean of worldly existence and they remain ‘Athmaha’/killing themselves.  Oh! Udhdhava, there is no superior Yoga other than constant remembrance of me, therefore engage your mind and intellect to practice in my glorious myths, reading and listening to the scriptures and surrenders to me.  Oh! Udhdhava, practice the Karmayoga and do your duties and responsibilities without expecting its fruitful results, practice the Bhakthiyoga constantly meditating upon me with intense devotion and faith, remembering my glorious myths and reading and reciting the scriptures etc. practice the Gnana Yoga, surrender your mind and intellect upon me, with the knowledge of my all-pervasive nature and supreme soul in living beings, it would liberate you from Punya and Papa Karma.  Oh! Udhdhava, my fervent devotees engage their mind and intellect are sung in praise of me, leaving all their grief and sorrows and anxiousness, eventually they get rid of interest in worldly matters and bondage, attain intense devotion upon me. Oh! Udhdhava, in this way the intellectuals break the Hridhayagrandhi/ the three types of chain that fasten the mind and intellect of the souls, one is body consciousness,  attachment to peoples and relatives, wealth/and it removes all their qualms, doubts and Karma as well, they realize my eternal presence in their hearts and my all-pervasive nature. Oh! Udhdhava, whoever performs all the deeds with the constant remembrance of me, attains Gnana and Vairagya would attain liberation, otherwise, it hurls the souls into the wheel of the cycle of birth and death.  Oh! Udhdhava, my ardent devotees did not expect anything from me, even if I offer Kaivalya, they refuse to accept it, and all they desire from me is the eternal presence of me.  Oh! Udhdhava, I will not let my devotees in distress, they will not have any grief or sorrow, and they are fortunate one already elevated their mind and attained the serenity of mind.  In this way, whoever meditates upon me with sincere devotion and faith, always contemplates upon me would attain the supreme state of Bhramam/supreme bliss.”

Thatho Bhajatha Mam Preetha: Shradhdhalu Dhridanishchaya: | Jooshamanashcha Than Kaman Dhukhodharkamshcha Garhayan ||Bidhyathe  Hridhayagrandhi Cchidhyanthe Sarvasamshaya: | Ksheeyanthe Chasya Karmani Mayi Dhrishte Akhilathmani ||

|| Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 337 – The legend of Lord Krishna -  188

Udhdhava speaks “Oh! Aravindhaksha, the Veda affirms to perform certain rites compulsorily and describes the sins for not performing those rituals/Karmakanda,  the Universe is the mixture of good and evil, how could we take the good and discard the bad in it?”

Bhagavan speaks “ Oh! Udhdhava, you should have thorough knowledge about ‘Thrayi yoga’ such as Karma/performance of deeds, Gnana/wisdom and Bhakti/devotion, Yoga, are the easiest methods for the elevation of the soul.  Oh! Udhdhava, Karmayoga is the initial method of a Kamarthi, performing deeds sincerely without any anticipation,  Bhakthiyoga is the practice for the individuals who are drenched in intense devotion and love for supreme Lord, and Gnanayoga is the  superior state of practice beyond Karma and Bhakti, eventually the worshiper attains the highest spiritual state of supreme bliss.  Oh! Udhdhava, continue to perform the Karma, listening to my glorious myths that would keep you liberated from the Karma.  Oh! Udhdhava, whoever practices Karma performing all the deeds sincerely without any expectation of fruitful results, Bhakti Yoga practices intense devotion and faith upon me and Gnanayoga attains the supreme wisdom with the constant listening and reciting the scriptures and my glorious myths that would elevate the souls.  Oh! Udhdhava, the deities and even the souls from heaven and hell yearn to take birth in the Kali era to practice the devotion/ Bhakti, Karma, and Gnana and attain liberation.  Oh! Udhdhava, a devotee should not yearn for Swarga/heavenly pleasures/Ksheene Punye Marthyalokam Vishanthi, he/she yearn for elevating the soul from ‘I’ consciousness.  Therefore, whoever elevates their soul from the mouth of death, with the constant contemplation and meditation upon me, get rid of extreme fears of death,  while raising the soul from the destructible Prakrithi, attains union with the supreme soul which eternal and bliss.  Otherwise, the Jeeva hurls into the cycles of repeated births.  Therefore an intelligent person elevate his soul with constant contemplation upon me, with the knowledge that the body is perishable and it is under the constant influence of  the ‘Time’,  the birds like  souls, dash away from the tree/human body, which is nearing  its destruction/death in the hands of a woodcutter. ”