Bhaagavata Suutram: Chapter-1 (Suutrams 21-24)

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

21) Kendrīkaraṇa śaktivyayaḥ paramātmanyeva |

[Shri. Amudha asked how one can have clarity in everything, especially when it comes to spiritual knowledge and worldly life? Shri Datta Swami answers that one should never try to gain clarity about worldly affairs because these affairs have neither a beginning nor an ending, except some middle portion coming in touch with you (Tatra kā paridevanā?... Gītā). You will always be rolled in the cycle of these worldly affairs, finding no use at any stage. By such repeated cycling, the mind becomes very weak and this is only the final fruit achieved by you. The network of these worldly deeds and fruits is a three-dimensional complex (Gahanā karmaṇo gatiḥ… Gītā). When your mind becomes weak, you will not be capable in putting your valuable spiritual efforts, which give the highest fruit. You can do neither any useful worldly work nor the ultimate spiritual work. Hence, stop the thinking process of mind, unless it is very essential and important work as concluded by your analytical faculty. Your intelligence must give permission to allow the process of thinking. Mind is like the vehicle and intelligence is like the driver. It means that if the mind is under the control of intelligence, you are saved a lot. Try to gain clarity in spiritual knowledge alone because God is the ocean of bliss and you will enjoy the highest bliss when you become closer and closer to God through the concentration of mind towards God.]

22) Jñāna Bhakti Parīkṣāḥ krameṇa laghutara samayāḥ |

[Shri. Amudha asked how can one acquire complete spiritual knowledge and what discipline should we follow in gaining and practicing spiritual knowledge? Shri Datta Swami answers that one must read with patience, all the spiritual knowledge rained by God Datta through this Datta Swami. Then only will one get all the doubts resolved. These doubts are hidden in one’s own subconscious and unconscious states. The Gopikās came to the state of highest sacrifice after spending many births as sages in which they analyzed spiritual knowledge. When the knowledge is complete without any doubt, that itself will force you into practical devotion. Knowledge is the longest step, which is like the long academic year. Devotion is like the inspiration to write the examination that is present in the month of February. Writing the examination takes place in a few days in March, which is the practical service and sacrifice, which must be done without aspiring for any fruit in return from God. Simply reading or listening (Śravaṇam) to spiritual knowledge doesn’t give you salvation instantly.  Remembering (Mananam) the concepts again and again allows them to get printed (Nididhyāsa) in your faculty of memory that is permanently carried by your soul at all times in all your future births. Friendly association with fellow devotees (Saṅga) makes it easy to always be engaged in discussions of spiritual knowledge. Finally, clarifications must be obtained from the Sadguru or human incarnation of God since God alone is omniscient.]

23) Śuddhi radhikā'pi guṇa niścaye diśā mukhyā |

[Shri. Amudha asked how can we understand whether our intention is 100% pure? Shri Datta Swami answers that a pure mind or an impure mind is not important in the spiritual path. Only the direction of the mind is important. An impure mind directed towards God is better than a pure mind directed towards the world. When a thorny bush (impure mind) is put into the fire (God), it becomes sacred ash, whereas sugar (pure mind) falling into the drainage (world) becomes a waste. There is only one lock and one key. If you turn your mind towards the world, it attains bondage (bandha) and if you turn it towards God, it attains salvation (mokṣa). No quality is good or bad by itself. A quality directed towards God becomes a good quality and the same quality directed towards the world becomes a bad quality. Although Dharmarājā performed lot of yajñas (ritual sacrifices) and donated to sages, he was only able to reach the third world called ‘Svarga Lokā,’ which lies above Earth. The Gopikās, on the other hand, cheated their husbands to secretly dance with Kṛṣṇa at midnight and lied to their family members to give butter to the Lord. But they went to the fifteenth world i.e., ‘Goloka’ for doing that! Of course, having a pure mind in worldly life is better than an impure mind in the same worldly life. Within the boundaries of worldly life or Pravṛtti, purity and justice are more valuable than impurity and injustice in the same worldly life. But being directed towards God is more valid than being directed towards the world. An impure mind directed towards God is more valuable than a pure mind directed towards the world.]

24) Hanumad Gopyo jīvan muktās Sadguror ubhayatra siddhāḥ |

[Shri. Amudha asked how does one achieve Jiivanmukti as a living human being? Shri Datta Swami answers that Hanumān attained Jīvanmukti by doing practical service to Rāma, who was His contemporary Human Incarnation. Similarly, Gopikās attained Jīvanmukti by worshipping their contemporary Human incarnation called Kṛṣṇa and also achieved Goloka, which is higher than the highest abode of God. In order to help the spiritual aspirants on this earth, God descends as Human Incarnation in the form of a Sadguru to give true spiritual knowledge for the right direction of every soul. This is the most important significance of the Human Incarnation. Strong attachment to the Sadguru spontaneously gives detachment or salvation (mukti) from all the worldly bonds. But, in order to recognize the Human Incarnation of God, first, the ego-based jealousy towards a co-human form must be conquered, without which even this first step becomes impossible. If you don’t recognise your contemporary Human Incarnation here due to repulsion between common human media, you will not recognise the energetic incarnations of God in the upper worlds also. The reason is that when you leave this gross body after death, you will enter an energetic body to go the upper worlds and when you find the energetic incarnation there, the same repulsion between common energetic media comes into effect so that you will not recognise God in energetic form there also. If you lose God here, you will lose God there also and hence, you will ultimately lose God everywhere and all the time as said in the Veda (Iha cet…Mahatī vinaṣṭiḥ).]

To be continued...

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