Devka – Gujarat Bhagavat Katha 2nd Day

Day 2 of the katha began with Pujya Bhaishri recalling Devka 45 years ago, when he was not taught very well at school as the teachers were not present three times a week. Therefore, he would go and play in the Jolapuri river with his friends. He fondly paid his respects to Manishankar Bapa who would pray to Lord Surya in the river. Shri Manishankar Bapa would study the scriptures and perform his mala jaap. He gave up everything that belonged to him twice in his life.

Pujya Bhaishri also mentioned that the Gitaji he used when he was 13 years old to perform a katha while playing with his friends has now been placed in Shri Hari Mandir.

Thereafter Pujya Bhaishri narrated the importance of the Shrimad Bhagavat. He elaborated on the meaning of the shloka:

sachidananda roopaya, vishvotpadyadihetave, taapatraya vinashaaya, shri krishanaaya vayam namah.

Sat means, God is omnipotent and omnipresent;

Chit meant that truth exists with consciousness; and

Anand means bliss.

Thus, sat chit anand is the the description of the form of God. Shri Laxmi ji emerged from the Sat form of God who was then called Shri Rukminini i Dwarka; from the Chit form, emerged Maa Yamuna in Vrindavan who took form of Maa Kalindi in Dwarka; and Shri Radhaji came from the Anand from of God and then resided in Shri Krishna’s heart in Dwarka.

The shloka then states the work of God: he is the creator, preserver and destroyer.  However, he has no attachment in his creation, no ego in maintaining and no sorrow in destroying the world. This is why what he does is called Leela.

While explaining the meaning of this shloka Pujya Bhaishri commended how our Rishis have taught us to perform pooja of the trees, Lord Surya, and the Dharti Maa (earth). In all villages and towns, devotees offer water early in the morning to Lord Surya as he burns and provides us with brightness expecting nothing in return. When we wake up in the morning, our first task should be to look at the palm of our hand and pay our respects to Maa laxmi at top of the hand, Maa Saraswati at the bottom of the hand and Shri Krishna in the middle of the palm. We are saying to God that this hand of mine is God. I will work hard with these hands and not perform any bad deeds. I will trust my hands as this is equal to trusting God. I will not mix any tamaku (tobacco) in my palms as that is where Shri Krishna resides.

Thereafter, we should bow to the earth. She is our mother. We should ask her forgiveness for kicking her all the time. Let us tell her, dear mother, we are your children playing in your laps. Please forgive our non-delicate touch. Also, we should water the trees and plants daily and avoid cutting them without a reason. According to tradition we offer water to the divine plant Tulsi Maa daily. Whilst bathing, we should remember all the holy waters. God has given us water, air and land free of charge expecting nothing in return. We should do as God says. However God does not feel bad if we do not.

Pujya Bhaishri then continued to explain the shloka saying that by bowing to Shri Krishna our three types of TAAP are destroyed. Thereafter, he paid respects to Lord Shri Krishna and Shri Shukdevji from the two shlokas in the Bhagavat. He highly praised the people of the surrounding villages who have written many bhajans including some that describe the whole Ramayan.

On paying respects to Shri Shukdevji, Pujya Bhaishri elaborated on how Shri Shukdevji ran away from home as soon as he was born. Shri Ved Vyasji tried to stop him but Shri Shukdevji did not return. The trees said to Shri Vyas ji, as explained by other saints, “Vyasji, you are a saint. Renouncing is your nature. Let him go and do the welfare of others.” The other reason why Vyasji tried to stop Shri Shukdevji was because his jaat karm sanskar (rituals performed after the birth of an infant), which are very essential for the purification of the body, had not been performed. Similarly, the purpose of performing pran pratishtha of a new idol is it’s purification from all the hitting, rubbing and other pressures the idol has gone through.

88,000 rishis including Shri Shaunak Rishi asked Shri Bhrama ji, “Where can we perform a continuous yagya for 1000 years?” Shri Bhramaji replied that wherever circle of your mind stops for a third of a second. This circle of mind stopped at a place called Naimisharanya. Naimisharanya means a place where there is no place for quarrels. At Naimisharanya, Shri Sutji was the narrator. The yagya was performed in the morning whilst the katha took place in the afternoon sessions. Remember, no deed is complete without satsang, even when you go to a tirth.

Pujya Bhaishri then expalined with an example that kalpavriksha is a tree which fulfils all wishes. It does not judge whether the desire is for the welfare of that person or not, it will only grant that wish. What is this kalpavriksha in this day and age? It is Narayan, Ram katha, Shrimad Bhagavat. However this kalpavriksha will determine whether the wish requested is for your welfare and only grant it if it is. Ram katha is Kalika which destroys our attachments in the form of Mahishaasur.

The essence of all Vedas and Upanishadas is Shrimad Bhagavat. It saves us from pain of death. Death then becomes a blessing in uniting with God. Also, it takes away the worldly attachments that we find sweet and desirable.

The Shrimad Bhagavat was also narrated by Shri Shukdevji to Shri Pareekshitji. Shri Shukdevji refused to narrate this katha to the devtas instead of Shri Pareekshitji who came to exchange this with nectar. This proves how invaluable the Shrimad Bhagavat is. Even when Shri Bhramaji compared it with the Vedas and Puranas, Shrimad Bhagavat was proved the greatest. Shrimad Bhagavat frees us from all attachments and therefore provides us with moksha.

Pujya Bhaishri went into his past once again and commented on the hesitation that existed between a guru and his disciple, a master and his worker and the respect women portrayed with their dressing and speech. A woman who portrays this respect looks prettier than one dressed with many ornaments. Pujya Bhaishri said that in his childhood days, even workers were referred to as kaka and kaki with respect.

The Sanat kumars saw Naradji worried and Naradji explained the reason being Bhakti crying and Gyan and Vairagya are getting old. Naradji was told by Shri Suryadev to perform satkarma but no one could explain what this means. He made many efforts through Vedas and Puranas with no outcome. Sanat Kumars explained that satkarma is arranging a Shrimad Bhagavat katha. Thereafter, Sanatkumars narrated the katha at the banks of Maa Ganga. The outcome was that Bhakti, Gyan and Vairagya in their youth arrived with bliss while chanting Hari naam from the banks of river Maa Yamuna to the banks of Maa Ganga.

Here, Pujya Bhaishri entertained everyone with how some as ascetics in the old days used to narrate the katha in different tunes, fall asleep in the middle and also have a break with a cup of tea!

Thereafter he briefly narrated the emancipation of Dhundhukari, the son of a Bhramin who had sinned greatly, but attained emancipation by listening to the Shrimad Bhagavat katha in seven days. Maharaj Pareekshit is an example in Kaliyug of attaining emancipation in seven days by listening to the Shrimad Bhagavat katha.

Day 2 ended here with the chapter of the importance on Shrimad Bhagavat.