Sunday, July 01, 2012

Skanda 1 - Chapter 10 - ' The Desire of Dhritarashtra to attain emancipation '

Sunday, July 01, 2012
P.Natarajan

(Source: Velukkudi Sri. Sri. Krishnan Swamy's writings in recent Tamil weekly Tuglak  - This would serve the limited purpose to read this chapter of Sacred Srimad Bhagavatham by those who don't know to read Tamil or don't get access to the related issues of the  Tamil weekly magazine 'Tuglak' )

Dharmaputra was ruling the Kingdom gloriously. Elders like Dhritarashtra were living with the King. Vidura left the place on a pilgrimage. He  visited sacred temples, took bath in the holy rivers and worshiped the deities with devotion.  Vidura met Maithreya on the banks of a river.  Maithreya was the disciple of Parasara Maharishi and Parasara was the grand son of Vasishta Muni.  Maithreya had the good fortune to receive preachings from Lord Krishna himself once.

Maithreya advised Vidura to learn more about Bhagavan and His omnipotent grace. Further performing 'Tapas' would condition the body through proper kinds and amounts of diet, bodily training, meditation, etc., to bring it to the greatest possible state of creative power. Vidura returned to the city after a long period. Dharmaputra, Draupadi, Dhritarashtra, Gandhari - all welcomed Vidura and sought details of his pilgrimage.

Vidura , while talking about the places he visited, also narrated stories from the 'Puranas'.  "Mandavya' was a sage who was ordered to be hanged for no mistake of him by the then ruling King.  But he came alive as the death weapon could not penetrate his body due to the immense effect of his 'tapas'. Mandavya , then went to ' Naraka Loka ' and questioned Yamadharma as to why he was ordered to be hanged. Yamadharma accounted that the sage had tortured a small insect when he was six years old. Mandavya pleaded that an act of six year old could not be regarded as a crime. It amounted ultimately as Yamadharmaraja's mistake and the Sage Maandavya cursed Yamadharmaraja to take birth in Bhooloka  (Earth or Prithvi) ). Yama concurred with the views of Maandavya and ordered that the acts of children up to the age of twelve should not be viewed as crime. Later he took birth in Bhooloka  as Vidura. This was the secrecy about Vidura's birth.

Vidura called Dhritarashtra in privacy and addressed him : " Oh King , You stood as an accomplice  to the misdeeds of Duryodhana. Pandavas in turn had suffered in the forest for 13 years. You kept silent when there was an attempt made to disgrace Draupadi in the Assembly. Lord Krishna came to her rescue. Years had rolled by, but you, Dhritarashtra, are getting drowned in worldly life which would take you no where. Be wise to hate this body and attachments. Undertake ' tapas ' -  to get to know the real ''Brahmam". Become dispassionate, and develop the attitude of being sane and firm. When your intelligence has passed out of the dense forest of moha, you shall become nirvedam (indifferent) to all that has been heard and all that is to be heard ".

Vidura continued his address and stressed that Dhritarashtra had not bowed before the Almighty from childhood and if he had done so, he might not have been a hunch back then.  It is high time that he should renounce the world and undertake ' tapas '.

Dhritarashtra realized his follies and the very next day, as advised by Vidura, left for Himalayas without anybody's knowledge. He took Vidura and Gandhari along with him.

Dharmaputra, the King and others were all worried due to the disappearance of Dhritarashtra all of a sudden. Sanjaya also was unaware of Dhritarashtra's whereabouts. Narada Maharishi appeared at the scene and dispelled the anxiety of the King and the people around. Narada explained that Dhritarashtra was safe and had just reached the abode (correct place) which was very much essential for him. Narada asked Dharmaputra not to drag Dhritarashtra anymore into the worldly affairs.  Narada further added that men lived in the world of Maya and were slaves to the ' Prarabdha ' karma and bound generally by the propensities of Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. Narada preached that control of mind was essential to become dispassionate and to surrender at the feet of the Lord.

Narada referred to Bhagavad Gita and brought the attention of the audience the importance of practicing Yoga.  The four stages of Yoga are (1) Yatha Mana  Samjna (2) Vyathirega Samjna (3) Ekendriya Samjna and  (4) Vasikaara Samjna.

(1) The first stage teaches  how to control the senses. A tortoise shrinks and withdraws its limbs inside the shell, the moment it looks at the enemy and comes out, once the enemy leaves the place. As and when we see or hear undesirable news, persons or objects, we should not be tempted towards them. Instead we should behave like a tortoise and turn our attention inside.

(2) The next step is to control the senses and divert it towards the form of  Bhagavan. Bhakti is the essential tool at this stage.

(3) In the third stage , it might become possible to have some control over the external parts of the physical body. Nevertheless, the control of mind would be a difficult task. Ultimately practice makes it possible to unify our mind with 'Atma'.

(4) In the final stage, we should pray intensely to focus and attract the attention of Bhagavan. The one who has excelled in all these four stages is considered a true Yogi.

Narada informed that Dhritarashtara  had reached South of Himalayas to practice yoga. He also said, " On the banks at Saptasrota where the Ganges divides into seven branches, Dhritarashtara is now engaged in beginning ashtanga yoga (a) by bathing three times daily, in the morning, noon and evening, (b) by performing the Agnihotra sacrifice with fire and (c) by drinking only water. (d) This helps one control the mind and the senses and frees one completely from thoughts of familial affection.

 One who has controlled the sitting postures [the yogic asanas] and the breathing process can turn the senses toward the Absolute Personality of Godhead and thus become immune to the contamination of the modes of material nature, namely mundane goodness, passion and ignorance.

 Dhritarashtara will have to amalgamate his pure identity with intelligence and then merge into the Supreme Being with knowledge of his qualitative oneness, as a living entity, with the Supreme Brahmam. Being freed from the blocked sky, he will have to rise to the spiritual sky.

 He will have to suspend all the actions of the senses, even from the outside, and will have to be impervious to interactions of the senses, which are influenced by the modes of material nature. After renouncing all material duties, he must become immovably established, beyond all sources of hindrances on the path."

 Narada told Yudhishtra that Dhritarashtra would quit his body, on the fifth day from then and his body would be burnt at once and Gandhari would also attain moksha along with him. .

Vidura, being affected with delight and grief,would then leave that place on sacred pilgrimage. Yudhishtra kept his instruction in his heart and so was able to get rid of all lamentations

 Having spoken thus, the great sage Narada, along with his Veena, ascended into outer space.

pn

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