Devka – Gujarat Bhagavat Katha 3rd Day
Day 3 of the katha, 12th May, began with the Baadrayan shloka from the first chapter of the Shrimad Bhagavat. Pujya Bhaishri said “The time spent in satsang is precious. Money spent in a good deed is precious. One who uses money in the right way attains fame, causes the welfare of the society and Maa Laxmi is pleased. By using money in the correct way, we are marrying Maa Laxmi to Shri Narayan. This is best way to use wealth.”
The mediocre way of using wealth is for one’s own pleasure and benefit and not sharing with others. Finally, the worst way, is when people accumulate wealth. This leads to destruction of the wealth and the person.
The best investment of wealth is using it for other human beings. In addition, using money for other’s education is considered as a tirth. The problem in the current times is that people are graduating as engineers, mechanics etc but have lost humanity. Schools are a means to develop humanity, and so is Shrimad Bhagavat. Human is a bundle of thoughts. We become what we think. Today, all man wants to do is snatch from other people. There is no satisfaction in what we have. As an example, Ravan became and is known as a bad person because he snatched whatever he liked from other people. Let us all perceive that whatever we have belongs to God and therefore use it for a good purpose.
Character is made of thoughts, emotions and actions. This is why good thoughts and satsang is important. Satsang does not only mean listening to a katha, but also, reading good books, good company and time spent in a good deed. The type of company and friends we keep and what we do impacts on our thoughts. Hence, keep away from bad friendship. The mind becomes what we hear and see. They are the entrances for both sins and God. Summon to our enemies: kaam (attachments) and krodh (anger) – how dare you enter in my house? The scriptures mention that Hari katha and the company of saints is difficult. Only those selected by God can attend a katha.
While listening to the katha Shaunakji said that although we attain satisfaction after listening to the katha, we still want more. This is called addiction. However, unlike the other addictions where one loses consciousness, this addiction awakens us and makes us a Yogi.
‘Ehi jag jaamini jogi, parmarathi prapanch viyogi.
Moh nisha sab sovanihaara, dekhahu sapan anek prakaara.’
A yogi is one who understands others sorrows and pain. He gains no ego despite helping others. Pujya Bhaishri summoned everyone to be a yogi. Our welfare is in helping and sacrificing for others. In such situations people often ask, “When will we do something good for ourselves if we keep working for others?” The answer is, by helping others, you are helping yourselves. Remember, when we apply sandalwood on others forehead, our fingers cool first before others forehead.
Pujya Bhaishri described the well-known divine way Shri Mahatma Gandhiji sat on a wooden platform with white cushions on either side in his white uniform and meditated. While meditating he would sing in his mind only two bhajans: vaishnav jan to tene kahiye….. and raghupati raghav raja ram…..
We now have facilities like refrigerators available to preserve milk and perishable goods. However, is there anything available to prevent man from rotting? Yes, it is the Shrimad Bhagavat katha.
The Bhagavat has 12 chapters which signify God’s 12 body parts as follows:
1 – right charan (foot)
2 – left charan
3 – right arm
4 – left arm
5 – right thigh
6- left thigh
7 – right hand which is folded on the right waist; the hand is folded to keep Shri Krishna’s flute and stick.
8 – right chest
9 – left chest
10 – heart
11 – forehead
12 – raised left hand
The Lord resides in us via our ears by listening to the Shrimad Bhagavat katha and purifying our minds. Let us then offer flowers of love, which will lead to us experiencing God. Consequently, we will then prefer being alone in bliss rather than in a crowd.
Shrimad Bhagavat begins with a Bhrama sutra. This sutra means that we are eager to know who Bhrama is. Shri Vyasji and the Vedas, the best evidence, mention that Bhrama is one who creates, preserves and destroys this world. Shrimad Bhagavat is the elaboration of this Bhrama sutra. The world does not exist without God, but God exists even when the world doesn’t. We see everything in this world through the brightness of the Supreme Being. The shloka says that we meditate upon this supreme truth, God.
The aim of Shrimad Bhagavat is the description of the Truth. Truth is God/Shiv and God is beautiful. Shri Gandhi Bapu’s lokoked more handsome with age as he practiced the truth. Practicing truth leads to our welfare. Everyone desires the truth for themselves even if they do not practice this on others. Dharam is behaving toward others the way we expect others to behave towards us.
Pujya Bhaishri talked about the Satya Narayan katha and encouraged the public to sing the whole aarati by themselves. This spread a divine and happy atmosphere. He said that the Satya Narayan katha is not completed with the aarati, we now need to take a resolution to speak only the truth. The problem is that the majority who do not follow the truth call those who do as mad and wrong and also tease them, for example, Meerabai, Narsi Mehta ji. He also provided the example of the king and his people during the monsoon season i.e. bhadarva no loto. Remember, tap (penance) is bearing whatever that comes our way whilst walking on the path of truth.
Shrimad Bhagavat is the ripe fruit of the Vedas who are kalpataru. Vedas bribe you with the fruit for your deeds with the aim that you will walk on the path of truth. If you suffer from sorrows, pray to God, instead of believing in blind faith such as, if you eat 250g samosa or use a red pen instead of blue, your sorrows will be resolved. The current problem is that people want instant solutions and therefore do not want to have strong faith in God and the scriptures. Remember, the other name for this world is dilemma. Even Lord Shri Krishna went through many problems from trying to get out of jail when he was born to fighting the demons in Gokul and also devtas like Indra! He not only patiently fought through these but also never lost his smile and bliss.
When the parrot-like Shri Shukdevji pecked the fruit of Shrimad Bhagavat, it became even sweeter. Let us drink this fruit. Normally, we eat a fruit; however, this fruit is to be drunk because it has no skin or seed; it only contains juice. Drink it again and again. This juice is only available on earth.
Shaunak ji and the other rishis asked 6 questions to Sutji:
1. What is the essence of the Shastras?
2. What is shrey (welfare)?
3. How do we attain shrey?
4. What is the purpose of the different incarnations of God?
5. What incarnations did God take and what leela did he perform?
6. When God returned to his abode, whose refuge did Dharma go to?
God has six qualities, therefore 6 questions were asked to explain these qualities. Each question has been answered in 2 chapters of the Shrimad Bhagavat.
Shri Sut ji first bowed to Shri Shukdevji as it is from him he first heard the Shrimad Bhagavat, and therefore he is his Sadguru. Thereafter he bowed to Bhagavan Nar Narayan, Maa Saraswati and began the Shrimad Bhagavat. Shri Sut ji said that you have asked questions for the welfare of this world. Human’s dharma is that which makes one love God. This leads to the birth of gyan (knowledge) and vairagya (renunciation). All our deeds burn in the fire of knowledge while bhakti has the strength to invite God to incarnate.
Day 3 of the katha ended with honoring the saints from Shri Santram Mandir and Bhagavadiya Kokilaben Ambani.
