Srimad Bhagavatam – day 288
Lost in sensory pleasures he would have fallen into the deep endless dark pit called spiritual ignorance. Here at every minute he terribly fears death, which has been compared to the wild elephant.
Due to sensory enjoyments, neglecting/ abusing God, depletion in his punya balance, cheating others including his parents and his son, disregarding elders, shamelessly indulging in untruthfulness and other sins he is now helpless and incapacitated. Being incapacitated he cannot escape the ādhyātmika, ādhibhoutika and ādhidaivika sufferings which come his way. He would have cheated himself for some worthless sensory pleasures. Hence he terribly fears death.
What is being explained here this is the story of our life. This forest refers to this entire samsāra; all the bondages of this world. The huge forest in Ramayana refers to our body. The six inner enemies are the demons. Ida-pingala nādis are the sacred Ganga river. When this Adhyatma Ramayana is understood it also takes a person towards liberation.
Do you think Emperor Parikshit did not understand deep philosophy or the inner significance of the story? He need not have asked for a detailed explanation. For our benefit he begged for the hidden significance in the story. Parikshit was a great Jnani. Due to the small mistake of throwing a snake on the Sage he had to face death punishment. He decided to utilize the remaining time wisely. He did not say- I have some more luxuries to enjoy, I wish to conquer another kingdom in this remaining time or marry another woman and beget another son. He wisely dedicated the remaining life for obtaining liberation!
In Bhāgawatam we will also be listening to another story wherein the person obtains liberation in 7 minutes time. That luck which Parikshit got in 7 days time he has shared with us. If not, how could we ever listen to the Lord’s glories? How could we get such deeply secretive Self-knowledge called Bhāgawatam?
Only after serving Sadguru for many Yugas a person gets the eligibility to obtain Self-knowledge. However when we listen to Bhāgawatam with devotion and repeatedly recapitulate this subject we can obtain Self-knowledge in this birth itself! There is no need to search elsewhere for Self-knowledge. But unfortunately you do not get such good desire. Such good faith you do not have on Bhagawatam. You fail in focusing your mind exclusively upon Srihari’s lotus feet. You refrain from listening to Bhagawatam on the pretext that the subject matter is difficult to comprehend. You do not even put in the right efforts to understand. You give up saying this subject is difficult. How can you be helped?
The sculptor untiringly chisels to create an idol. He does not give up mid-way stating that it is difficult. His body and hands will be fatigued. He will be injured. The entire body aches. He will be nearly blinded but still he relentlessly continues. He finally converts the stone into an exquisite life-like idol. He spends nearly 9 hours a day exclusively for this task. Such should be the determination in the task undertaken. We should learn from him.
In this short lifespan that we have if we contemplate exclusively upon the Lord, we will surely be liberated. But the ignorant human being does not do so. Every minute he deeply desires to enjoy sensory pleasures, comforts, cheating others, being untruthful and in this process he sinks into hell. How then can they be helped? How nice it would be if at all times he would chant ‘Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Narayana, Krishna’. Instead every minute he focuses upon ways to steal others’ money; he worries that the person who had borrowed money has not yet returned it; he worries about domestic problems and so on. In this way he cheats himself.
It is said that irrespective of the work on hand we should endlessly chant His name. Inhalation and exhalation should be along with the mantra. However we have given up these practices and do not bother about them anymore.
Sorrow is the outcome of endlessly focusing upon sensual pleasures. It is an outcome of excessive attachment towards the spouse who is a partner in sensual enjoyment and excessive attachment towards the child who is born from such enjoyment. To add to this, the parent endlessly worries whether this son will perform the customary last rites after his death.
This being the case, how can he dream of obtaining liberation? How can he contemplate upon God? As if this were not enough he worries about his estate after his death. On one hand he seeks that his entire wealth should go to his children but at the same time fears that they will wastefully spend it off. Due to this he is unable to die peacefully. He will be reborn again in that same family. He will not get liberation as he is trapped in this cycle of births and deaths.
Unless and until you hold on to the Lord’s feet you will not get liberation! Remember that this world is illusory. With this realization willfully try to come out of this cycle. Unless you seek shelter under a Sadguru; unless you strive to understand Guru tattva and through this grasp the Supreme Essence; unless you obtain that ultimate state you will have to undergo this suffering repeatedly. You will take one birth after another repeatedly.
This wheel of time never stops. Instead of reforming yourself you are trying to shift the blame upon God and His illusion (māya). ‘O it is God who has given me this sinful mind’- you blame God. Ok, even if He has given you this mind, why not try to conquer it? Put in efforts in that direction. As long as you accuse Him how can you develop love and devotion towards Him? It is ironical that on the one hand you accept His existence and on the other you accuse him.
The sculptor or the traditional oil millers chant the Lord’s name every minute even though they are totally engrossed in their job. Night and day they work tirelessly while chanting the Lord’s name. The traditional oil miller keeps chanting the Lord’s name even in that din as he walks the oxen around the pole. Undoubtedly such persons obtain liberation. Such should be the determination.
The person in the story would had cheated others and stolen their wealth. He is unable to safeguard it and midway he loses this wealth. He is reduced to a penniless state wherein he is deprived of even the basic food, clothing and shelter. He lives in abject poverty. Even then realization does not arise in him. His spouse, children and relatives would have cheated him in life, he will be diseased, he finds no happiness in life, yet he does not get the realization. On the contrary he continues to abuse God.