Bhagavat and Compassion – Day 2 Tirumala Katha

By the Lord’s grace, having come all the way to Tirumala for a mere seven days, Pujya Bhaishri emphasized on day 2 how vital it is to utilize this time to achieve the primary purpose of coming. The purpose of coming here is to listen to Lord Balaji speak through Katha and take His divine darshan.

To lose precious time shopping, eating or chatting but not achieving the main purpose defeats the purpose of coming here. Just as each one has travelled to Tirumala with a purpose, so too have each of us travelled here to earth in this human body for a purpose.

It is not possible to perform worship without a body. Therefore, the human body is the very best to achieve this aim with. It should be our topmost priority!

What is Bhagavat? Why was it Narrated?

The reason a paramhansa like Shukdevji sat and spoke in front of Parikshit for seven days is compassion. Shukdevji did not narrate Katha to Parikshit because Parikshit was an emperor from whom he would gain fame and wealth. Shukdevji has no attachment to fame and wealth. He spoke from being silent out of compassion.

We call God compassionate. What is compassion from a devotional perspective?

A spiritual aspirant once asked a saint: “We keep saying God is compassionate. We sing it for example in Sri Ram candra krpalu bhajman… What is this compassion?”

The saint beautifully replied from a devotion perspective, “God being partial towards His devotees is known as compassion.”

Really? Can God become partial? If he will not do so, then how will he perform his pastimes? Let us clarify this further. In Mahabharat, we say that God comes down on earth to kill the evil and rescue the virtuous. Is this possible without Him being partial?

So, is it right that God becomes partial? Shukdevji explains that there is a difference in God’s actions but not in his feelings. He liberates not only those He protects, but also, those He kills. For example, Prahlad was protected and showered with grace whilst Hiranyakashipu was killed but at the same time liberated.