Bhagavatam-Introduction-contd

Subject=Bhagavatam -contd

Suta maharshi was co-student of Suka Maharshi under the guidence of Veda Vyasa.So he inherited the noble qualities of a teacher from Vyasa Maharshi and he became the

guru to many sages in the forest

named as 'Nymisaranyam'.The word nymisam means one who will not close the eyelid even for a moment.These sages in this forest always engaged in pursuit of God's

realisation in learning more and more about scriptures.They meditated upon God . To such noble sages Suka maharshi narrated the sacred epic Bhagavatam.

They performed yagnam for twelve years.That was devotion and commitment of those rishis.

Gayatri mantram is said to be of more powerful mantra uttered to invoke the five elements,five is mesenses,five pranas three gunas and chaitanyam or what you call brightness

that u get from Surya.

A gnani always is aware of his existence which is not different from the Eternel.He knows that God is present everywhere and he is not seen.But seeking Him in our

own self is our pursuit.

Soham means that is me and that bright is myself. When u look at Surya while uttering Gayatri mantra we invoke him to bestow his brightness in us and make us more

enlightened.

Eko narayano hari means God is all pervasive and He is one and the same.

If you come out of creation and see the whole creation is like a fish floating in the water.That blue colour is reality.The brightness of sun on water is reality.This

is the truth of nature.

Excessive tatvam was is the essence of Matsya puranam and that is what we find in Bhagavatam.

Without the help of our intelligence ,if we approach this epic with a crystal clear mind devoid of malice,illwill,desire,or cunningness,it itself will clear the

impurities in our mind and enable us to get detached from these bonds and obtain permenent happiness

Suta was an expert in giving lecture with his abundent knowledge .He was an embodiment of good qualities.He was wellversed

with puranas and itihasas

He was able to give lectures with equanimity.That was recieved by his disciples with reverence. He heared and recorded the

essence of the lectures given by saints like Veda Vyasa.

The true disciple is one who will add his own experience with the teachings of his teacher while imparting to his students.

The real disciple must assimilate what is taught by his guru,to practise what he has assimilated,to experience the effect of it while practising,and to impart his

experience to his disciples with the same intensity.

There are 18 puranas and 2 ithihasas .Ithihasas are 1.Bharatam 2.Bhagavatam. The rishis wrote these ithihasas taking the essence from Vedas and combinig

certain unrealities in life.

A real guru is an embodiment of resignation,bhakthi,intellegence,wisdom and teaching.

Suta maha muni is endowed with a great responsibility of teaching to people who are indolent,with low level of intelligence,with less longevity of life,

and whose minds were corrupted by impure thoughts.

In this yuga men are pre occupied with various responsibilities that they donot find a moment's time to think of God and good deeds.

We have to lead these lives doing all the duties without getting attached to those deeds..

There is no time limit or right time to think of God.A man whose mind is bent on God does not fear about 'death' as he is overpowered with the light

that is there in him in form of soul which is none other than God Himself .

If you are attached to God with your thoughts ,you get dettached from the shackles of this life.

The more you listen about Him the more is your intensity of feeling.

The great gunas of Vishnu fill our hearts with sumptuous meal.

Taste is nothing but light. The fire that is born out of the stories of Sri Hari will burn the immence sins of the forest of modern life.

The present generation gets complete relief from this life's insatiable desires with which they are overbudened all the time.

Our sorrows are like 'kunjaras'means elephant like.So the chanting of 'narayana'destoys the horrible desires and hatreds in human

beings with radiance.

To conquer the evil forces in us like ego,malice,jealousy,hatred,anger,illwill,we need to utter the sacred word 'Narayana'.

Ugrasrava vasundu was the son of Roma harsha and Devahuthi.A boy of seven years old ,Ugrasrava vasundu taught his mother about 'dharma'.

While describing about the greatness of Suka maharshi Suta muni referred to Ugrasrava vusundu.

Suka maha muni was a balanced ,sanyasi,conqurer of all five sensory organs so he was digambara means not dressed and also not aware of it

Such was his resignation.Even Veda Vyasa was stunned at the way he was roaming in the forests and apsarasas did not feel for their

nakedness while taking bath in the river but were concious about it when Veda Vyasa came there.When Vyasa called his son SUka ,the

answer was given by birds,flowers, trees ,and animals as he was one with the creation of God.Such was the great equanimity of Suka Maharshi.

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Introduction to Bhagavatam- contd

Subject=Bhagavatam -contd

Suta maharshi was co-student of Suka Maharshi under the guidence of Veda Vyasa.So he inherited the noble qualities of a teacher from Vyasa Maharshi and he became the

guru to many sages in the forest

named as 'Nymisaranyam'.The word nymisam means one who will not close the eyelid even for a moment.These sages in this forest always engaged in pursuit of God's

realisation in learning more and more about scriptures.They meditated upon God . To such noble sages Suka maharshi narrated the sacred epic Bhagavatam.

They performed yagnam for twelve years.That was devotion and commitment of those rishis.

Gayatri mantram is said to be of more powerful mantra uttered to invoke the five elements,five senses,five pranas three gunas and chaitanyam or what you call brightness

that u get from Surya.

A gnani always is aware of his existence which is not different from the Eternel.He knows that God is present everywhere and he is not seen.But seeking Him in our

own self is our pursuit.

Soham means that is me and that bright is myself. When we look at Surya while uttering Gayatri mantra we invoke him to bestow his brightness in us and make us more

enlightened.

Eko narayano hari means God is all pervasive and He is one and the same.

If you come out of creation and see the whole creation is like a fish floating in the water.That blue colour is reality.The brightness of sun on water is reality.This

is the truth of nature.

Excessive " tatvam " is the essence of " Matsya puranam" and that is what we find in Bhagavatam.

Without the help of our intelligence ,if we approach this epic with a crystal clear mind devoid of malice,illwill,desire,or cunningness,it itself will clear the

impurities in our mind and enable us to get detached from these bonds and obtain permanant happiness

Suta was an expert in giving lecture with his abundent knowledge .He was an embodiment of good qualities.He was wellversed with puranas and itihasas.

Bhagavatam and its relevence to modern generation

Bhagavatam is said to be one of the classics that is passed on to generations for the enrichment of human upliftment from a lower level to a higher level and also for the salvation of human " soul " or what u call in hindu relegious terminology "Atman" .
To experience God's presence is what is called Bhagavatam. This Epic is described as a book of easthetic beauty which gives the same experience to the reader.Telugu Bhagavatam is much more pleasant than Sanskrit Bhagavatam. For god is present in human body as his prana.Human being is always concious of the feeeling that he is the whole of his body. But a one who is in the realisation of the fact that he is only a vehicle that is used by God and he should not get attached to it is called a "tatvavetta" .
God is all pervasive and is evident in every object. We can compare this all pervasiveness with a river Godavari which is perennial and a mug of water from Godavari also called godavari water.
In the same way electricity is the cause of light in evey bulb that gives light in different shapes depending upon the shape of the bulb.
So God is evident in every object in different forms.
We must understand God from four stages. Soul and five sensory organs constitute human body. When prana enters the body then brightness or' budhi ' crops up.This is sharpened by the thought of God.So atma,budhi,and heart are sharpened. Having compassion towards other beings is the essence of Bhagavatam. We must look at others with kindness and u must open up your heart to them.
Rishi Mythreya said that all religians are one and the same. We have great saints like Kabir,Tukaram who propegated the oneness of religions.
Second great quality of this Epic is to realise one's own self. We must feel that God is present in every act of ours.What ever seva that we do to this body is like doing to God Himself ,but not to our body. When we eat food we say "Bramharpanam" means we offer it to none other than God Himself. Food also is bramham. This book gives an insight into thinking of God as you read this book.
Simply by mastering classics is not enough but one must feel the presence of God in his heart and then only one realises God.
Bhakti or devotion is the next way to realise God. A bhakta never thinks about his goals or successes. For him experience is most important. Self realisation and identifying himself with the eternel .
A pandit is a one who has the correct insight into seeing things with equality. This is said in seventh scanda of the Epic.
The present generation is attributing dharma to only acquiriing material gains and this what is called in religias terms as 'ardha and kama'.
Without self realisation any tapas or any pilgrimage is of no use.The great writer of this famous epic Pothana lived in poverty with realising god every moment.
God is so generous that He comes down to earth to stand by his bhakta as is evident in the case of Meera Bai,Prahlad,Gajendra,Droupadi and so on. God always come down to intellegent,soulful,and conquerer of senses.
When you look at your own soul,you become strong and sensitive and conquer your sensory organs and keep them under controle and acquire bramhagnanam. That is why we must read the books of the life history of great saints like Bhairavi,Totapuri,Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
One side the glaring brightness of Surya and the other side peaceful silver brightness of Moon,and on your forehead God's presence and in your heart your favourite God .This is how we have to start our prayers.
The story of Bhagavatam was narrated from one to the other in the following way.
At the time of creation Srimannarayana told to Bramha.Then Sage Narada was told by Bramha. Narada narrated it to Veda Vyasa. He told this to Suka Maharshi and Suta maharshi. Suka Maharshi explained to Parikshit raja. Another version says that Sri Krishna directly narrated it to Sage Mythreya and in turn Mythreya to Vidura.
Suta and Suka Maharshi were classmates under the guidence of Veda Vyasa.
Suta maharshi is said to be in Nymisaranyam and he used to tell his followers and other rishis about various stories of Gods and their excellence .We come across this name in every story vratam in our religian.
So Suta mahamuni started narating the story of Bhagavatam to all the rishis like Sounaka in Nymisaranyam.