#Tattva_Bhagavatam, a special discourse based on the principles of Bhagavatam: 
#GouSwarga_Chaturmasya
14-08-2018:

Prostrations; to Raama who has taken the form of Krishna, to Raamayana which has taken the form of Bhaagavata and to Valmiki who has taken the form of Shuka Muni.

On the banks of river Saraswati, there was a bull as white as snow but with only one leg, and a cow which was embodiment of compassion. The cow had lost its calf, it had no fodder too; a cruel man was attacking it. He was of black complexion, having red eyes, rough and spread hair, deformed facial expressions. But he was dressed in a royal attire. He was separating the bull and the cow. While it had been many days since the cow had seen the fodder, the bull didn’t even had the strength to think of fodder; it had only one leg and even it was being beaten. The cow wasn’t an ordinary one; when milked it yielded Dharma- hence it was a Dharmadugha.

Unable to tolerate the injustice, Parikshita held the bow and the arrow and raised his voice filled with rage. The arrow and his words- both were sharp pointed. With a thundering voice he asked, “Who are you? You are troubling the weak in my kingdom, your attire is royal; are you an actor? How come you are involving yourself in such heinous act? Is it because, Krishna and Arjuna aren’t there? Beware! You are entitled for death. A king should be embodiment of justice. One who takes away life, has no right to retain his life. Any appearance for that matter, the behaviour must be supportive of that. Will it be nice if there is an appearance of Kamsa but the behaviour of a woman? A king should not punish the innocent. But you are troubling the innocent. So I am asking you whether you are an actor.”

He asked the bull out of a heavy heart “Who are you? Why don’t you have legs? Not only you are standing on a single leg, but you are also travelling. Are you God moving in the form of a bull? I am deeply pained by your trouble. Not even a single eye drop should fall unjustly in my kingdom. You are the son of Kamadhenu, have no fear from now.”

He says to the cow “Oh Mother! Don’t cry, I will punish him who troubled you. (Observe that Kaliyuga’s first king too addressed cow as mother; it is not a new invention)

If the strong ones disgrace and attack the weak ones in a kingdom, the king is also a part of it. 1/6th part of the citizens’ income is for the king; so the king has a part from their sins too (राजा राष्ट्रगतं पापं it is said). If the citizens perform virtuous deeds, then the king becomes a Rajarshi (saintly king). If they perform sinful deeds, the king perishes. The first among the duties of a king is to wipe the tears of the distressed and to be with them who are in trouble.

“So I will kill him who troubled you. Oh bull, tell me who cut your legs. In the kingdom being run in the name of Krishna, there should be no one who suffers as you did. Even if he is a demigod, I will cut his arms who troubled the innocent”, Parikshita said.

Then the bull spoke (the king understood the bull’s language): “You are truly the successor of Pandavas. They lived for the protection of the weak. What can I say about the trouble faced by me; each one say in a different way about it. A game, play, nature, destiny, karma, unthinkable- they say in different ways. You are a known person, so think yourself” (Words of Vedanta from a bull!)

If we search for our root of source of our first Karma, our intellect will stop at a point. Even if we believe Karma, it will not answer about the first birth which had no Karma. Yajnavalkya says to Maitreyi regarding this: “Don’t ask too many questions. There, the intellect doesn’t work. It gets shattered away. It becomes a waste then”. What if a patient says that he will leave from hospital only after all other patients are cured. It never finds a stop; so is Karma theory. Parikshita’s logic ended, his inner mind awakened. He then observed who was it.

God is not reachable without penance. See if you can get the vision of Parikshita. Fix your mind and heart in Krishna, for atleast few minutes. Melt your mind and sing the Raama sankirtana which comes in the form of Krishna. Handover your mind to the heart.

Till then Parikshita had been looking at the bull with a tearful eyes. But now he closed his eyes and meditated. He now saw through his inner eyes, crossing the misery, and found that the bull was Dharma itself. Bulls are the souls very close to Dharma. If ever Dharma wants to take a form, it will show itself to us in the form of bull. It is for the same reason, Shiva’s vehicle is bull (Nandi). Even then, today the bulls are attacked. “It is useless” is what they think now.

Then he saw the legs of the bull- penance, cleanliness, compassion, truth. Kritayuga had all the four. Diminishing gradually, this yuga has only one and it too is being attacked continuously. During the time of Parikshita, it was still better than today’s scenario. As Adharma grows, vices grew and they annihilated Dharma. Now only one, the ‘truth’ leg remains.

It is due to Dharma that all objects remain as themselves. Water as water, fire as fire, Indra as Indra, moon as moon, we as we, you as you – remain because of Dharma. How much of our-ness is lost, so much deficit of Dharma we have.

Kali’s food is untruth. Having grown from untruth, Kali is attacking the fourth leg of Dharma too. That cow was the earth; just then Krishna had lessened her burden and went. Her body is covered of Krishna’s footsteps. Wherever he has stepped,
Krishna’s steps have brought divinity to earth. But now Krishna has gone; adverse days are awaiting now. She cries “The king dressed evil shall eat me, I shall become a means for the evils’ enjoyment”.

Parikshita consoles both of them. He keeps aside his bow and turns towards Kali lifting a sword. Did fight happen? No. Frightened Kali removed his royal attire and surrendered at Parikshita’s feet. That was just the beginning of Kali, how could his life end then? Kali’s lifespan is 4,32,000 years. Now only 5,500 years are over. Kali is just an infant now; if he is so strong now, then how much he would be in future!

The best Kshatriyas would not lift their swords against those who have surrendered. Kali knew this and so he surrendered at Parikshita’s feet. It means that even for Kali to survive, he has to rely on Dharma. Parikshita laughed and said “Go, live. You have no fear from me. But one thing; you should not live in my area of land. Leave that area, never show your face to me. You are a friend of Adharma. You do sinfull deeds joining with the kings. I know your complete history. Listen to your birth story. During Pralaya (deluge), evil got created from Brahma’s back. That is Adharma. Its wife is Mithyadevi. They had two children – son Dambha and daughter Maaya. Maaya had two children- Lobha and Nikriti. Krodha and Himsa were born from their union. You were born from the union of these brother and sister. I can’t find any good in you who has filled evilness by birth itself. Your clan is unholy. My region of Brahmaavarta has only Truth and Brahma. Here only the yajnaphalas (outcomes of sacrifices) have place; you don’t have any place. Leave and go.”

Kali then says “Due to your fear, wherever I go, I see only you. So I can’t go anywhere. Please you yourself show me a place (A similar incident of Raamayana: When Maaricha is hit by Raama’s arrow, he too sees Raama’s form everywhere!). Then Parikshita shows four places- gambling place, bar, place of man-woman unholy union, slaughterhouse. Kali then pleads to give a good place as all those are sinful places. Parikshita then says Kali to stay in gold. We should be cautious in all the five places. Gold is a good material, it is helpful for the sadhakas. But many sinful acts happen having gold as medium.

Parikshita joins the other three legs of the bull. Dharma stood with four legs from then on in his period. Parikshita had that power. His vision of Dharma could see everything. So he could control Kali. Everyone cannot do it.

There are four types of people. First type: they are like worms in cow dung. How many ever times you take them out, they return there itself. Second type: they become good if they find a good way. Third type: they are habitually good, but do not have power to make others good. Fourth type: Not only they are good, but also they make others good. They are people like Parikshita.

This is today’s story of Kali control.

Picture courtesy: Internet

TattvaBhaagavatam a special discourse by Sri Sri RaghaveshwaraBharathi Mahaswamiji: full Video :

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