Bhaagavata Suutram: Chapter-1 (Suutrams 17-20)

(Aphorisms (Sūtrams) Composed By Shri Datta Swami As Answers To Questions Asked By His Devotees)

17) Daśa śāsanāni nirdiṣṭāni |

[Shri. Amudha asked to please give the concepts of Dharma, Samsara, etc., in Hinduism to our current generation, like the Ten Commandments in other religions. Shri Datta Swami answers that the commandments to My devotees are: i) Food must never be wasted. The soul, which wastes food, will suffer from indigestion and starve due to poverty because of the anger of God. ii) The donation of money must be done to a deserving person after thorough analysis because random charity to an undeserving person results in sin. The first deserving person is human incarnation of God and the second deserving person is a good devotee of God. iii) Killing living beings for food brings the highest sin to any soul because non-violence towards the innocent souls is the highest merit. In the Veda, God clearly instructed human beings to eat plants as food. iv) Instead of wasting money, time and energy in grand weddings, pilgrimages etc., the devotee must dedicate them to the contemporary human incarnation of God or real beggars. Remember that if money is given to the beggars directly, they will waste it in vices, bringing sin to you. Therefore, donate only food, clothes, medicines and shelter to the beggars in the name of God so that the grace of God is attained. v) Reform yourself completely through realisation, repentance and non-repetition of all kinds of sins in the rest of your life so that God will put all the punishments of all types of your past sins in cold storage and save you from all kinds of suffering. Remember that God punishes any soul for its reformation only and not for revenge. vi) Don’t harm or even hurt a good fellow, who is especially a devotee of God. An atheist hurting God or a devotee will be excused by God because he is ignorant without spiritual knowledge. A devotee has spiritual knowledge and devotion and hence, a devotee hurting or harming another devotee cannot be excused by God. vii) Never allow ego or jealousy to influence your thoughts, words, or actions. Controlling ego and jealousy benefits both worldly life (Pravṛtti) and spiritual life (Nivṛtti). The jealousy in a devotee first harms fellow devotees and eventually throws him/her away from God Himself. viii) If you are a householder, fulfil the justified responsibilities (not desires) towards your family without any attachment or fascination to any worldly bond, maintaining your primary attachment to God alone. Gradually, as the children settle, engage in practical Karma Yoga through service and sacrifice dedicated to God. Let your actions be the proof of your devotion. ix) Do not fear that service and sacrifice to God will diminish the welfare or wealth of your children. Trust that sincere service and sacrifice to God will bring divine blessings and appropriate prosperity and complete protection to your family at all times. x) Always thank God for whatever He has given you in your own personal life and also thank Him for whatever He has not given you since it is not good for you. Always remember that true success of living a human life lies in loving God, serving God, sacrificing for God without any aspiration in return and ultimately earning His grace.]

18) Jāna bhakti karma kramād ātmano gatiḥ |

[Shri. Amudha asked how the soul can realise God and the real goal of human life in the busy daily schedule of work, earning money, managing our home and family. Shri Datta Swami answers that Pravṛtti or justified worldly life is mandatory for every soul and Nivṛtti or spiritual life is always optional. God is not interested in increasing His popularity or the count of His devotees. The first requisite for the spiritual path is patience (Śama). In the spiritual line, 1^st step is Jñāna Yoga (knowledge), 2^nd step is Bhakti Yoga (devotion) and 3^rd step is Karma Yoga (practice). Here, the first step (study of knowledge) is very important because as soon as knowledge is attained, devotion and subsequent practice are spontaneously generated one after the other. If you do not have patience to study the spiritual knowledge, then spiritual progress is impossible. Your interest in God generates patience in you to learn the details about God. If a devotee takes the first step towards God, God will take 1000 steps towards the devotee. But, the first step must come from the soul only. If a soul is fully interested in worldly things, the soul will be encouraged in that line only, going into the cycle of animal births.]

19) Manasā nissaṅgo bhūyāt saṅge'pi |

[Shri. Amudha asked how we can keep ourselves safe and secure from the influence of bad and evil people, who are the majority in this Kali age surrounding us? Shri Datta Swami answers that the path of spirituality is for the minority only and the majority always go to hell. The first step in the spiritual path as told by Śaṅkara is Satsaṅga, which is the association with Sadguru and devotees of God (Satsaṅgatve nissaṅgatvam) and this Satsaṅga will lead you upto Jīvanmukti, which is getting salvation while you are alive (niścalatattve jīvanmuktiḥ). It is not Videhamukti, which means getting salvation after death. Jīvanmukti means getting salvation while you are alive. When you are in Satsaṅga, it is equal to living in Satya Yuga. If a person living in Satya Yuga is in dussaṅga (involved in discussions of sinful worldly matters), it is equal to living in Kali Yuga. The first step of Satsaṅga will lead you upto Jīvanmukti, the last step. So, it is all about association. There is an English saying “You tell me about your friends. I will tell you what you are”. Suppose your friends are rowdies, you are also a rowdy. They will induce their nature into you due to friendship. Initially, you may say that you are not like them. In course of time, due to continuous association, you will definitely become like them. With whom we make friendship is the first step. Even if bad people are around you, do not allow their thoughts and words to enter into your mind, considering them as poison. Develop disgust and hatred towards all worldly things so that you do not enter into them. A devotee must live like a beautiful lotus in a muddy pond in this Kali age.]

20) Ubhayathā prārabhya nivṛtti rante vā |

[Shri. Amudha asked whether it is better to settle in Pravritti and progress in Nivritti, or should we follow both?  Shri Datta Swami answers that if a person says that he will not marry, but will go to a prostitute whenever the necessity of the desire for sex comes, any preacher will advise him to marry and lead a legal married life, saying an Arthavāda (beneficial lie) that Pravṛtti or justified worldly life is the topmost path to attain the grace of God. This advice saves the soul from Duṣpravṛtti (illegal sexual life that leads to hell), encouraging to enter Pravṛtti (legal sexual life that leads to heaven). But, if the person is very much interested in the spiritual line like Ādi Śaṅkara or Swami Vivekananda, nobody can oppose such proposal because Nivṛtti is always far far higher than Pravṛtti. Nivṛtti is the real topmost path to attain the grace of God. But, the preacher in the latter case can advise him to be sure whether his will-power is sufficient to get success in Nivṛtti or not. If success in Nivṛtti is obtained, it is always the highest divine fruit (Nivṛttistu mahāphalā). In Pravṛtti also, devotion to God is possible, but it has a risk in the sense that your success depends on your strength of devotion and strength of detachment from worldly bonds because Pravṛtti is ‘Markaṭa kiśora nyāya’ in which the baby monkey holds the stomach of the mother monkey and the safety of the baby totally depends upon its grip and the mother has no responsibility. The success of Nivṛtti is said to be ‘Mārjāla kiśora nyāya,’ in which the mother cat carries its baby with its mouth and the baby has perfect safety. Hence, the devotee shall not enter the Nivṛtti unless the devotee has full confidence about his/her will-power to achieve success in Nivṛtti. This means that the final responsibility lies fully on the soul itself, but advice from outside can be taken in doing analysis about the capability and the will-power that is the most essential factor to get success in Nivṛtti. Even in this point, the final decision depends on one’s own consciousness and the inner voice of the devotee (Pramāṇam antaḥkaraṇa pravṛttayaḥ). Everybody starts with both Pravṛtti and Nivṛtti and at least in the old age, one should enter Nivṛtti completely. The result of Nivṛtti is very much confirmed in exceptional cases like Ādi Śaṅkara, who led Nivṛtti life from childhood.]

To be contiuned...

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