Srimad Bhagavatam – day 353
The subtle body of the prince continued to speak, “Just as precious gems and golden ornaments continuously move from one hand to another through activities of buying and selling, based on his past fruitive activities, the bonded soul travels from one womb to another acquiring newer set of parents each time”.
Upon death, he leaves behind these relationships as casually as he leaves gold and precious gems behind. From this it is evident that these relationships are temporary and fleeting.
“A person’s infatuation towards an object is directly proportional to the association he has with it. The living entity, who in reality is eternal, takes birth from a mother’s womb. Taking on a human body he binds himself to that body due to feelings of I-ness. ‘I am this body’- he thinks, although this is far from true. This is because feelings of “I and mine” exist only as long as he is within that body.
The living entity who in reality is eternal, beyond time, indestructible, invisible to the senses, support of everything and Self-luminous uses his illusory energy which is replete with the trigunas to create the universe. The truth however is that Self is non-dual. It does not associate with any object. This is the ultimate form of the Self.
The non-dual living entity has nothing to like or dislike; it has no friend, no enemy and no relative. It remains a mere witness to all the righteous and unrighteous activities of the mind.
Nādatta ātmā hi guṇaṁ na doṣaṁ na kriyā-phalam
Udāsīnavad āsīnaḥ parāvara-dṛg īśvaraḥ
The Self remains absolutely unconnected with merits or sins. It is unconnected to joys and sorrows, which are nothing but the outcomes of fruitive actions. Remaining independent and detached, this Self is always established in its original form. It illumines both the cause and the effect and remains a mere witness to everything”- Having said this, the subtle body departed from the body of the prince’.
Swamiji explains: ‘Why do I need these karmic sufferings? Why should I seek to be bound by a body when I have obtained freedom from those actions? I will not re-enter this body. After all you are also not my eternal father. In my innumerable births, I have had innumerable fathers. If each one of them had to call me back, then should I re-enter all those bodies purely to please them? Are those fathers still living? They have now been reborn as a child in another home. Remember that you are also another bonded soul. How can you be my father? How can I be addressed as your son? What right do you have to call me back into that body? Why should I oblige? With this understanding at least now focus upon the supreme goal. Use your lifetime wisely’- this was the message given by the subtle body of the prince.
Maharishi Śuka continued, “The king and his relatives who had heard the message were now totally freed from lamentation. They cut the bondage called attachment towards their prince and completed all the funeral rites as per the procedures prescribed in the scriptures. Human beings undergo suffering, mental agony, fear, attachment and grief only because they refuse to give up attachment.
O Emperor Parikshit! The faces of all the co-wives who had poisoned the child turned lusterless. They were ashamed of their evil deed. Recollecting the message given by Maharishi Angirasa, they, who were aggrieved by the prince’s death, went to the banks of River Yamuna and dutifully completed the rituals prescribed by the Brahmins as atonement for their sin.
Due to the Spiritual Knowledge imparted by Maharishis Angirasa and Nārada, King Chitraketu’s mind illumined brightly. He was enlightened. Just like the elephant which emerges from the muddy slimy waters of the pond, he emerged from the dark pit called spiritual ignorance. In other words, he came out of the worldly bondages and thus was freed from all lamentation”.
There are people who, for years at stretch, mourn the death of their spouse. Is it acceptable? If they had unending love for that spouse, why did they bury it in the first place? Was this relationship permanent? That entity has travelled to other planes. Be happy that he/she has reached higher planes.
“The king bathed in the waters of River Yamuna. He dutifully offered tarpana (water oblations) and other obligatory rituals. Thereafter in absolute silence he performed pranāyāma and controlled his mind and senses. He then offered obeisance to Maharishis Angirasa and Nārada. He then surrendered totally to Maharishi Nārada.
Pleased with the king, Maharishi Nārada preached the following mantra:
Oṁ namas tubhyaṁ bhagavate vāsudevāya dhīmahi
Pradyumnāyāniruddhāya namaḥ saṅkarṣaṇāya ca
I offer obeisance to the Supreme Lords Vāsudeva, Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Sankarśaṇa. Or it can be understood that I offer obeisance to the 4 concentric circles known by the above 4 names.
I mentally offer obeisance to the Supreme Lord, who pervades all through the universe, who is a form of illumination, who is ever-independent, who is an embodiment of love and who attracts devotees towards himself.
“Namo vijñāna-mātrāya paramānanda-mūrtaye
Ātmārāmāya śāntāya nivṛtta-dvaita-dṛṣṭaye
I offer obeisance to the Supreme Lord who is a repository of entire Supreme Knowledge, who is a personification of pure ultimate bliss, who is eternally at peace and who does not have feelings of differentiation”.
Upendraya namah.