#Tattva_Bhagavatam, a special discourse based on the principles of Bhagavatam:
#GouSwarga_Chaturmasya
10-08-2018:
Spirituality is not a matter extern to life, rather it is intern to life; it is the inner meaning of life. The discipline taught by spirituality would be of great use for leading our worldly lives too.
Parikshita’s end or Bhaagavata’s birth, both are one. Bhaagavata emerged during the last 7 days of his life. The situation was crisis management. It shows how to face and accept the difficulties of life.
Sri Sri Raamaa…
It was Shringi’s curse that within 7 days Parikshita would be bitten to death by Takshaka. All 7 days were judiciously utilised. What would you have done if you were in his place? Probably your health would deteriorate, your heart beat would stop. The thought of utilising the remaining portion of life keeping death infront of the eyes is very important. Generally people will not die of poison, rather they die of fear. When people drown in water, probability of them dieing due to heart attack is high rather than due to consumption of water. The role of water is negligible there. We are not prepared how to face any adversity. Our intellect doesn’t work then.
Parikshita’s example is the best fit here. His thought process was so clear. “Is it possible to overcome death? No, sage’s words never go wrong. So death is inevitable.” Hence he does what he can do in the next 7 days. He undertakes the Praayopavesha vrata in the presence of sages. He listened to the Bhaagavata discourse by Shuka Muni, he dived completely into it and stayed in Samadhi. Thereby he became unaware of his death, and he changed his death to liberation.
Smartness is to transform adversity into resource. Generally people lose their minds when they lose position or status. But here it is different.
Another story goes this way. There was a very strong king with all abilities of wit, capacity, army, perfection. So he had pride of winning. The neighbouring ruler, being intolerant towards him, was very eager to defeat him. He sends an astrologer to the king’s court. When astrologer says about everyone in the family, the king was interested to know about himself too. But the astrologer tried to skip it. The king, out of curiosity, forced him to say. The astrologer told the king that he would be surviving for only 7 more days. Initially the king got a jolt, but then he became normal and took all the necessary steps. On thinking about health, enemy invasion and others, he felt consoled; but it haunts him during sleep and even in dreams. Though you have 99% confidence, the remaining 1% plays a lot, it troubles you. On the 4th day he gets fever and as it increases, he dies on the 7th day. Here what played the game is the mindset of the king which got influenced by the astrologer’s words.
We become that, on which we think about. So always think of the good. The mind becomes that on which it rests. Observe the difference between the two cases.
Parikshita set an example to us. Kaliyuga’s first king taught this lesson to us, how to face difficulties in a proper way! Sankirtanas support us with such state of mind. By shifting the burden on the Lord, we can remain happy. It provides security and mindset to face the adversities.
Parikshita has done self introspection. He realised that he is rightly being punished in the form of the sage’s son’s curse for the misdeed he committed unnecessarily. If everyone thinks this way, there would be no problem at all.
“Angering on the innocent sage has resulted in such a meaningless act” thought Parikshita. “This is the right method to wash away the sin. I shall not commit this misdeed ever in any of my births too. May this curse burn me. Let my kingdom, treasury, power get away from me. Let this sin be washed. Never ever again shall my mind fall down about god, cow and sages” – this was Parikshita’s firm decision.
Renunciation is good, losing everything because of some reason is good. Firstly, this is the rule; punishment for the mistake. Secondly, the pain is treatment for the sin. So it is a gain.
If there is a pain in life, have no second thought about it that we have committed some mistake. There is no result without an action. The Lord who knows it has given the punishment. Accepting and experiencing it must be our mindset. Parikshita renounced everything from the mind first. Then he even renounced the wish for heaven. Fixing his mind upon Krishna’s feet, he sat for praayopavesha vrata (fasting until death) on the banks of the holiest Ganga. The blessed ones will themselves arrive for such blessed deeds. Those siddhas who can make things holy just by their touch, effortlessly join in such deeds. Great souls like the rarest of the rare Shuka Muni too will arrive. Parikshita prostrated to him and asked for his duty.
Shuka Muni told him the story of Dilipa where Dilipa came to know his death only before 2 muhurtas of time. He told Parikshita that he was lucky enough to know 7 days in prior. He asked Parikshita to listen what he says and do nothing more. Saluting him, Parikshita said that he would attain the fearlessness state and he turned inwards. He dissolves in the ultimate consciousness. Takshaka bites him in such a condition.
We should never shake in case of any adversity. This will be a richness by itself.
Pain is a matter of experience, it is just a state of mind. We feel pain if we fall on a rock but not so if we fall on a bed. Even though falling is common in both, we feel pain with the rock because it is harder than us. So, if we become stronger than the pain, pain vanishes. We should cultivate such a mindset.
May Krishna bless you all with a mind which accepts and manages any crisis.
TattvaBhaagavatam a special discourse by Sri Sri RaghaveshwaraBharathi Mahaswamiji: full Video :
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