Chapter 19

1-2. Those devoted Brahmans on hearing about the Divine Exploits of Sri Vishnu felt spiritual perturbations with horripilation in their persons and joyful tears in their eyes. They were so thirsty in drinking the Nectar that flowed from the lips of Sri Narada that when the rishi stopped to narrate, they felt unbearable pang and therefore humbly said, ‘O Divine Master, all these days we were feeling unhappy and destitute but having got the chance to associate ourselves with your honour we actually got the hope and spiritual enlightenment and blessed. We were scorched in the forestfire of the worldliness, as it were, like fish out of water. Kindly extinguish the burning fire by showering the Nectarine Harikatha; thereby protect us.

3. Kindly cure our worldly disease by offering panacea in the shape of Harikatha and which is the only ocean of Bliss, the rare of the rarest that can be attained only by the unreserved grace of an exalted paramabhagavata devotee like your honour.’

4. Sri Narada, an exalted devotee of Sri Hari who could know the unstinted hearts of the Brahmanas headed by Sri Shaunaka rishi felt extremely delighted to narrate to them further about Sri Hari.

5-6. He said, ‘dear Brahmins, ah! the fortunate ones, your hearts become fully illumined by dint of your steadfast devotion to Sri Hari. As the field which is properly cultivated is the best place for seeding, so too your unstinted hearts are the perfect field for nurturing the Divine Wisdom. Because how can the heart which is tinted by the sinful propensities receive the Divine Wisdom? Indeed it is not possible to narrate exhaustively about the Exploits of Sri Hari, anyhow I shall tell you all about the path of devotion to my limit.

7. O Brahmins, further, if I go on to narrate about different philosophical conceptions it will lead you to much confusion. Therefore 1 do consider to give you the essence of all philosophies. Better 1 should tell you all about the characteristics of Chit-shakti, the essential potency of Sri Hari because there itself you will learn everything else.

8. Whom all the Shastras that are dealing with the philosophy of Supreme Reality including the Upanishads establish undisputedly as the Supreme Reality, Him, the men of intuitive wisdom accept as such also. He must be recognised unambiguously the Supreme Object of worship on earth.

9-11. Who are these men of wisdom and the persons to recognise Him? They must be total unattached to the enjoyment of mundane and celestial pleasures and indeed they are the thirsting souls drinking the Nectar of Transcendental Bliss in their self-realised state. Because so long the heart is tinted by the desires for elevation and salvation, no spiritual enlightenment can be possible. The heart which is scorched by the malice, anger, lust etc, if is planted with the seeds of wisdom in no time those seeds will be polluted like the iron that gets rust due to eposure [exposure?] at the seaside. In the heart where every movement endless desires are cropping up how at his such dense forest-like heart, the creeper of Bhakti can grow up?

12-13. As the gold cannot be made free from its alloy without getting it melted by fire so also so long one’s heart is not purged out of nescience by the spirit of abnegation how the spiritual wisdom can get nurtured therein. As an apple of sodium appears beautiful but its test is unpleasant, so too the enjoyment of the mundane pleasure is apparently attractive but actually it is devoid of any substance. Therefore people steeped in nescience no doubt run after the ephmeral [ephemeral?] pleasure, but at the down of wisdom they get the spirit of abnegation.

14. O Brahmanas, those who are deluded by the illusion of maya, the external potency of Sri Vishnu, run after the ephemeral Pleasure But really non gets happiness in such pleasure. If at all they could get happiness thereby, then, everyone could be equally satisfied.

15-17. Night passes but everything is not sweet to one and all. But if the jivas could aspire after the Divine happiness then every object of the material world could be conductive to the perennial happiness. Whereas in this world when people are devoid of Hari-bhajan one may think something is pleasurable whereas the same thing is unpleasant to others. Therefore different people get pleasures in different way, wife, ornaments, clothes, food, drinks etc. What the boys like, the youth dislike that, again children and youth aspire after something but an old man does not covet it at all. What an old man desires, a child or a youth does not at all want.

People are fond of sweets whereas dogs are fond of impudent flesh. Therefore nothing of the objects of the material world can serve the real purpose of human pursuit. Ripen mangoes are very pleasurable to all beings specially to the human beings but to the camels it is poisonous. Whereas the neem-fruits are very very sweet and pleasant to the camels but really neem fruit itself is bitter. For human beings transparent and pure things are pleasurable whereas the pigs delight in night soil. So what is good and what is bad, how to decide?

8-20. 1

21-23. So happiness on this world is a matter of dispute because jivas deluded by maya, run after the mirage to quench their thirst. People deluded by maya build castle in the air; they are robbed of their wisdom due to their affinity towards the material objects and falling in that quagmire of maya, they presuppose the ephemeral objects as pleasurable. Alas, thus they cycle the life of transmigration. In this way jivas follow suit in their generations.

24-29. Even if a child ignorantly touches the burning lamp it burns him, accordingly a man streeped in nescience when runs after the gross material enjoyments he succumbs to it. Everyone is subject to disease, sorrows, sufferings and fear; therefore how can one get happiness in the worldly life? People engrossed in worldly enjoyments welcome miseres here and here after too. Therefore everywhere there is concomitant sufferings. Sufferings in the hell are not after death. The sufferings here itself are unimaginable. Even to hear all about the hellish sufferings make oneself unconscious. At any moment death may meet us. Why should we say about the sufferings in the hell after death? Alas, here itself when we see a lame or paralysed person, a blind, deaf and dumb, a leper etc. does it not show where hell exists? Sufferings due to poverty, consequence of foolishly done actions, death of one’s mother at his childhood, for a lady becoming widow at the prime of her youth—are these not the sufferings of the hell?

30-31. Due to unquenching thirst for gross material enjoyments one is reborn as dogs, dog-eater Mleccha (untouchable), ass, pig, the worm of the excrement. All the jivas whether living on the earth or in the space-world equally suffer as those who are in the hell. To run after the gross enjoyment is nothing but to welcome sufferings.

32-35. As the moth enters into the flames, the same way deluded people although know how they are entrapped to the lust, having embraced women, yet they make their dear ones viz. children to take the same course—this is the wonder! People think that they will get happiness, therefore they labour hard but the ultimate reward is suffering. The apple is gained after hard labour but it is lost. Ah, it is the enjoyment in dream. Yet it is taken as real; this is wonderful and what more, fie unto those who build castles in the air for enjoyment! Whereas there exists perennial Bliss in one’s soul, when it is cultured by devoting oneself to Sri Hari. That alone is the real happiness. Those who enjoy that bliss never fall in confusion or no quagmire of maya remains there. Fools deluded by maya and due to their ignorance of soul run after ephemeral pleasures and ever are deprived from the eternal Bliss.

36. As mere digging the earth, where there is no jar of treasure, is waste of energy and as by pounding the husk no eorn can be had, so too it is mere labouring, for one who does not culture devotion to Sri Hari; his every act in life is in vain.

37-38. As person from within the room observes the outside things through the windows, accordingly jiva through his senses merely witnesses the material objects but cannot enjoy them as in the dream. Therefore one who runs after the material gains how he can realise the Transcendental Bliss? Those who aspire after spiritual attainment, to them although the material world may appear as real and to serve the purpose yet they through their intuitive wisdom will leave them aside as no man can welcome even a small cobra.

39-40. Those who are after the spiritual attainment will ever be conscious about the evil consequences of lust, anger and thirst etc. Therefore by all means they will subdue them. What else, lust itself brings infatuation to all including gods, asuras and human beings and it even stands as an formidable enemy to the master yogis.

41-43. Whether really Bhagavan Ramachandra, the gem of the Raghu race destroyed Ravana born in the race of Pulastya or Ravana succumbed to lust when his eyes fell upon the beauty of Sri Sitadevi? The lust is so unconquerable that Indra, the king of the heaven transgressed upon his guru’s bed Ahalya in spoiling her chastity. Brahma, so learned in all the branches of philosophy tormented by turbulent lust ran after his own daughter. Ah, who does not dance at the tune of lust in the three worlds! Even the wisest man entrapped by the lust succumbed shamelessly to the slavery of women treading, like on grass, over his fame, position in the society, glory of the tradition of the race, learning in literatures, possessions, prowess and everything else.

44-49. The lust taking the woman as instrument discharges its five unmissing shots targeting even thousands and thousands of munis, yogis, jnanis so and so forth. Ah, does it leave Brahma to any downwards lowest creature? All the sentient beings are tormented by the whirling winds of lust. Anger robs of the entire virtue of a pious and ritualist. Anger like forest-fire in no time destroys the feeling of kindness and charitable dispositions. The mightiest and exalted king Nahusha and many such others succumbed to anger. The japa, Yajna, tapasya, kshama (forgiveness) etc—all these virtues streamed as rivers and became the fathomless and shoreless seas but anger personified in Agastya muni dried up the entire sea of virtues by a single sip. Even owning a crore of cattle if one allows a tiger to remain amidst them, ultimately what will be the result? So too one who becomes victim to anger how can he expect the fruits of his tapasya (austerity)? Whosoever he may be, but when engulfed by anger he loses all discriminating faculties. Anger destroys all the virtues without any discrimination. Likewise afflictions, infatuations and malice bring destructions to numberless persons.

50-52. Greediness is so dangerous that even the wisest man when falls a victim to it, its flame engulfs everything without any consideration. Tempted by a little bribe one may not hesitate to kill a cow, a Brahmin and to rob of the wealth of the temples. Even the wise overpowered by greed, grab the property of women, children, friends, one who trusts upon him, the preceptors, elders and pious Brahmanas. They although know the after-effect of suffering in the hell, yet without giving any heed to it they enjoy life on earth deliberately taking bribes. Brahmanas falling into the grip of greediness although lead a life of shudras hypocritically establish themselves as Brahmanas and becoming slaves to the Shudras live by eating their rice—thereby losing their all virtuous merits, they serve them. Such abominable Brahmanas egoistically falsify themselves as possessing all the learning and dispositions and shamelessly glorify the notorious kings.

53-54. O Brahmanas, anger and greed are the worst enemies, never allow them to peep into your heart. There are ample examples that people falling victim to these two, mercilessly kill helpless women, children etc. They hypocrically pose themselves as gentlemen but they act only for their selfish gain and by any means accumulate wealth. Nay they are the cheaters in the garb of holy monks.

55-57. O Brahmins, those arrogants are always provoked to anger and indulge in sinful acts, yet ordinary men without knowing their character fall victim to them. As the wooden elephants are just for show, so too these hypocrites are the pests to the society. As the hunter spreads his net to catch the forest creatures so also these hypocrites taking the garb of a pious man deceive the people. As the robbers rob of innocent passers-by at the point of dagger, accordingly these hypocrites taking the garb of a mendicant deceive people and collect money in the name of God’s service, but actually for the gratification of their gross material senses.

59-60. An innocent aspirant, if by ehance falls from his path of virtue, no doubt he is undone whereas a hypocrite along with him takes many others to the path of worst degradation. Those arrogants taking the garb of mendicants pretend as if they are in deep meditation and enter into trace but such hypocrites become the subject of mockery and thereby shamelessly they deceive the innocent people.

61-64. Who can have control over his egoistic vanity? Even the great philosophers and mendicants fall victim to selfaggrandisement, whereas it is the fact that so long as one cannot eschew from his heart this worst enemy, how can he expect any spiritual disposition in him? Even the spiritual self-aggrandisement remains hidden in the remotest corner of the heart like the fire hidden in the sea (submarine fire). Self-aggrandisement brings forth the vanity of birth learning wealth, personal beauty, fame or reputation and prowess. Thus how can ego-centric man look for his spiritual welfare? Such self-aggrandised man when praised, he is puffed up with his vanity runs after name and fame but knows not how life is past ending with a life of will-o-the-wisp. One may give up the vanity of possession of worldly wealth but it is difficult to give up the ego of name and fame particularly the self-aggrandisement to spiritual ego, ego of yogic power or feeling of ‘I am a great yogi’, ‘I am a great tyagi’ and possessing power of Anima, Garima, Laghima, etc.

65-67. Some people do not like to hear any praise of their own but if any body says ‘you do not want any glorification of your own,’ that itself puffs him up. This is another type of egotism. A yogi who has acquired tranquility of his mind has eschewed from his heart all vanities or egotism but he feels proud to think: “I am a Brahmajnani, knower of Truth”. What a wonder, this spiritual self-aggrandisement does not leave him. Again an exalted soul who actually has eradicated from his heart all types of egotism and totally given up all the desires for worldly enjoyment has gained the wisdom of self-realisation but feels proud of thinking ‘I am beyond any worldly affinity, Alas, such self-ego does not leave him.

68-69. Therefore who can be totally free from egotism? Look here, a poor beggar whose suffering knows no bound, yet he feels proud considering himself, I have got right to beg and I am the deserving person to receive alms or gifts. When people have got enough why will they not give charity to me? Thus people suffer from the disease of the heart stimulated by lust, anger, infatuation ect. How many are there who have really attained the wisdom of the ‘self’ transcending the corporeal body-cognition?

70. O exalted Brahmanas, therefore now I shall narrate about the proper spiritual means by culturing which one can totally root out from his heart the unsurmountable lust, anger etc. and once again they may not sprout into the heart:—

71-72. Sattva, rajas and tamas—these three gunas of maya are the causes for all master-tunes and destroying the spiritual good in one’s own life. They stand as the worst enemies on the path of spiritual attainment. Either they collectively or individually shoot the arrow piercing one’s heart and destroy every thing of the spiritual wealth. They make him identify with the body and to dance as per the tune of lust, anger, thirst etc.

73. Unbalance of flatulence, excess of bile in the system and the phlegmatic inflammation—each one of them individually or collectively is the root cause for suffering from all types of diseases, so too lust, anger, infatuation are not only collectively but individually are the cause for suffering from worldly afflictions and make life the will-o-the-wisp.

74-76. The association with people in whom sattvika guna is predominating naturally makes oneself endowed with sattvika disposition; accordingly association with a man of rajasika or tamasika disposition will bring rajasika or tamasika guna in one. So people in whom a particular guna is predominating will be liking to associate themselves with the people of the same disposition. Therefore as per the predomination of guna one associates oneself with the people of equal disposition. A man of sattvika disposition naturally associates himself with the people of sattvika nature. Accordingly men of rajasika nature with the people of same charactertistic and a man of tamasika nature with the people of the same tamasika tendency. People of sinful propensities always keep company of the people of same nature. The creatures of different species flock together with their respective species. As per the influence of the guna (Satvika etc.) jivas get their habit and accordingly they indulge in variegated actions.

77-78. What so far I have spoken to you, all these are the actions of Prakriti or otherwise known as the external potency of Vishnu. This maya is of triple guna viz. sattva, raja and tama which may also be referred as white, red and black. This maya of triple quality (guna) is eternal but her creations are changeable and ephemeral and she produces the entire cosmic universe. This entire cosmic universe with its variegated creations such as all the sentient and non-sentient creation, the charming phenomena full of beautiful flowers, fruits, creepers again including the lust, anger, thirst etc. the worst enemies of the heart are all inclusive of the products of the active maya whereas the soul is distinct from her.

79-80. Although soul is quite distinct from maya and pure and unadulterated yet due to soul’s close association with the maya he (soul) identifies himself with the preposition of maya’s triple guna and accordingly presupposes himself as the doer, enjoyer, sufferer, so on and so forth. Being enveloped by maya, jiva- soul having possessed two coils of subtle and gross or corporeal body identifies himself with the (bodies) nature therefore knows not his own spiritual characteristic such as a man with, a mask can not be identified.

81-83. But when a spiritual Guru out of his prerogative bestows the wisdom in the shape of collyrium in the eye and keeps a transparent mirror before him viz. unstinted heart endowed with unflinching devotion then only one realises his own spiritual characteristic and thereby he understands that he foolishly having fallen into the quagmire of maya misidentified himself with the gross and subtle bodies. Such a blessed soul forthwith having possessed his cognition of soul realises that he is not at all in consonance with the gross and subtle bodies, the products of maya. Due to the quagmire of maya he misidentifies himself with them whereas he in essence pure, unadulterated, eternal, possessing intuitive wisdom and never subject to birth, decay or death, and being thus enlightened he gets rid of the illusion of maya. By culfuring steadfast devotion gradually the affinity to the body will be loosened and the senses will be subdued thereby forthwith the attraction for beauty, taste etc. also will be worn out. In no time finally they will be totally dropped down like the surface skin of a snake.

84-86. The jiva due to the illusion of maya is subject to the triple affliction, yet considers himself as the enjoyer but soon he is enlightened into spiritual wisdom he realises the unwholesome nature of maya and forthwith maya herself feeling ashamed leaves him off. Soon jiva soul enlightened with spiritual wisdom realises the unwholesome nature of maya, no more there remains the influence of lust, anger or thirst as at the daybreak no nightmare can remain. When the very screen is removed how can the reflection of the pictures exist? So too in the unstinted heart of a steadfast devotee very octopus maya cannot peep into. How then there can have any place of lust, anger, thirst etc.?

87-88. Mundane or celestial happiness, sorrows and sufferings, fear, anger, greediness, infatuation, pride, malice, affliction, miserliness, drowsiness, sleep, idleness, lust, anger, infatuation ego etc. all these are the products of maya and therefore illusive, whereas soul is unadulterated and devoid of the gunas, of octopus maya.

If fire breaks out at any house the adjacent houses should be protected from the engulfing fire, accordingly an aspirant soul should always keep himself away from the adjuncts of maya and thereby never he has to lament. Those who are desirous of attaining the summum bonum of life should culture steadfast devotion to Godhead following the upanishadic guide-line and in association with the exalted devotees of Sri Hari and also properly be initiated by a Parama-Bhagavata devotee. He should constantly remember that soul is quite distinct from the octopus maya.

91-93. Maya is the external potency of Sri Vishnu and she acts being propelled by Him. Therefore one who cultures steadfast devotion to Him naturally keeps himself away from the quagmire of maya as darkness cannot exist where there is Illumination of lights. Thus realising the spiritual characteristic of the soul as an eternal servant of Godhead one gets rid of the quagmire of maya. Those who are dovetailed in unalloyed devotion to Sri Hari, for them association with those who are devoid of devotion is like drinking poison. Such an enlightened soul being enlightened by the wisdom of the Upanishads will have the full knowledge of the philosophy that his soul is quite distinct from the adjuncts of maya. He sits quietly on a comfortable seat meditating upon the Transcendental Blissful Beautiful Form of Godhead portraying Him in his unstinted heart.

94-96. One following the path of steadfast devotion washing away all the dust of his heart streams out his devotion like the flow of the river Narmda [Narmada?] towards the ocean of transcendental Blissful Godhead. There remains no chance for the senses to create any agitation in his unstinted heart, on the contrary, they (senses) themselves being purified become conductive to Hari Bhajan. Such an aspirant gradually not only brings all the senses under control but makes them subservient to the cognition of his soul conducive to rendering unalloyed devotion to Sri Hari; as a mighty king when moves about without his entourage easily is captivated by an enchantress, Such an aspirant keeps the mind under full control and thereby naturally all other senses become subjugated to him, as when there is no storm and cloud in the sky, a shepherd rests comfortably observing his herd of the sheep pleasantly grazing.

97-98. As the aspirant must be well-versed in the philosophy of the soul, the soul is quite distinct from the corporeal body, mind and ego; but these elements are substained due to the existence of the soul in them and also they are cognised by the soul only. The mind superintended by the gunas of maya super-impose upon the soul the doership and therefore falsify himself as the enjoyer of the fruits of his actions, but the aspirant cleverly engages the mind after duly enlightened with the soul’s cognition in the uninterrupted devotional service of Sri Vishnu Who is Transcendental Blissful Godhead and the Indwelling Monitor of all souls.

99. Jiva-soul falling into the quagmire of maya for quenching the thirst runs after the mirage and misidentifies himself with the objective world and subjects himself by the heat and cold, sorrow and happiness, so on and so forth.

100. O pious Brahmins, when the jiva soul having cognised with the philosophy of Divinity steadfastly devotes himself to the unalloyed service of Godhead that is known as yoga (uniting the soul with the Over-Soul); this is the science of the Upanishads as well as the secret lessons of the exalted seers and that is the wisdom of the Ultimate Truth.

101-103. Thus when one makes his full and complete selfsurrender in the Supreme Divinity one becomes free from all adjuncts of octopus maya and his uninterrupted devotion to Godhead makes him totally forgetful of his body and bodyconcern; and he floats in the ocean of Bliss. Hoving fully cognised with the philosophy of the soul one transcends the mundanity and arrives at the plane of Transcendance. Thus he feels the Bliss having possessed all the divine characteristics of his own, his heart becomes illumined with the divine glow and inundates into the ocean of Bliss. His heart becomes unstinted like the vast sky.

104-105. Such an exalted devotee goes beyond all imitations. He does not consider himself either lonely or depending upon others; nor having the vanity of his spiritual ‘illumination nor eclipsed by the gunas of maya nor egoistically fastens himself as “Aham Brahmasmi” too great, nor fatigue, nor dwelling in the earth or in the space-world but he dwells in the plane of transcendance. Thus finally he attains the summum bonum of life dovetailing himself in the loving service to Sri Hari, Godhead. As proverb goes the Saindhava Mountain is never touched by water, so too such an exalted soul never can be touched by any guna of maya.

103-109. Though such an exalted soul remains on the earth but to him world is nothing but a splendour of God Vishnu, therefore no more illusion exists for him. He remains unattached and free from the ego of doership. The root cause of illusion is the ega from which grows the mighty tree of this illusive world. That ego brings infatuation towards one’s wife, children etc. Otherwise how the soul can fall into this quagmire of maya? For washing off the sinful dirt of the heart or for warding off the nescience one must endeavour for spiritual attainment and there must not be any slackness, as when medicine is taken one is cured having all the germs of the disease been destroyed. One who follows the path of steadfast devotion to Sri Hari never can be polluted by any fruitive karma as the snake whose poisonous fangs are obstructed how can be harmful. The heart which is surcharged with the poigancy of devotion how can be tinted by the dirt of Karma?

110-111. Even a man who might have transcended the mundanity but devoid of steadfast devotion to Sri Hari meets a degradation. One who has approached the Bank of a stream for ablusion if caught in the durt [dust?]-whirling-wind his eyes become bloated but when he is immersed into the water such dust-wind cannot affect him. So to keep the heart unsoiled by any element of maya one must lead a way of life in accordance with the verdict of the Shruti and Smriti. One should follow the spiritual path very carefully and sincerely and with all endeavour.

112. A man who aspires after the attainment of final beatitude of life must not publicise himself to the public. He must not allow others to know his heart, as a man who escapes away from prison-house does not allow the jailer of his whereabouts.

113-114. O Brahmins, thus when one cultures steadfast devotion to Sri Hari the alloy of karma canot touch him when he is fully illumined with the dazzling light of wisdom how there can prevail any darkness of karma? As a man steeped in the nescience of maya cannot know about the existence of the soul within, so too a man who is immersed into the ocean of transcendental Bliss, how can he keep any affinity to the body and body-concerned objects?

115-116. An exalted soul intoxicated in drinking deep the Nectar of devotion moves about on earth unconcerned with his body. He may perform his Vedic rites or do the secular duties but he does not reap the fruits of virtue or vice; Such a person is known as jivan-mukta viz. although remains with his body but liberated altogether, after the passing away from his body (viz. after his death) he is not reborn again. He goes beyond the cycling of life of transmigration. This is the way for attaining the summum bonum of life. Thus I narraied all about the science of the spiritual Truth.

117-118. People without being endowed with spiritual merit (sukriti) cannot follow this path of unalloyed devotion to Sri Hari. Is it possible for a common man to bring under his control the senses which have been deep rooted in the heart? How one devoid of devotion to Sri Hari can subdue his restless and treacherous mind? And again so long the mind is not brought under control how is it possible to have steadfast devotion to Sri Hari?

119-120. Mind is not confined to any particular object. It is very very flickering and unsteady, at the sametime beyond any conjection; therefore it is very difficult to tame it by any abstruse or inductive process. Nay, the air which blows in all directions even that may be possible to envelop but not the mind which is more turbulent and which takes seats upon thousands of objects at one and the same time and again in the next moment gives them up hunting for new new ones. Therefore who can reign the mind?

121-122. Therefore one who aspires after the final beatitude of life should take recourse to the path of steadfast devotion to Sri Hari which is the surest and safest path of spiritual progress, otherwise life becomes the will-o-the-wisp being succumbed to the dictation of the treacherous mind. Mind has got access to all over the universe. Now it elevates one to the uppermost space of the universe but in the next moment it brings the worst possible degradation. It works like kicking a football rising it on the sky, but next falling on the ground. This mind although passes through in and out of the universe cannot approach Lord Sri Narayana, Supreme Godhead. What more wonder may remain here?’