10 Topics of Srimad Bhagavatam | HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj | ISKCON Japan | 3 August 2021 |
So, for the followers of Lord Caitanya, even though we have many scriptures, the Srimad Bhagavatam is considered to be the final and ultimate scripture. Of course, because it is a prominent scripture, we find that many acharyas, not only of our Sampradaya, other Sampradayas have written commentaries on it. So, of course, the famous one is Sridhara Swami, he was one of the first commentators.
Then the followers, one follower of Madhva, another follower of Ramanuja, they wrote commentaries also. And Vallabhacharya wrote a commentary. And in the Gaudiya Sampradaya, of course, we have Vishwanath Chakravarti, we have Jiva Goswami, and Baladev Vidyabhushan also writing commentaries.
Devotee : You said Vallabhacharya? Vallabhacharya?
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj : Vallabha wrote a commentary.
Devotee : Vishwanath?
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj : Vishwanath, Baladeva, Jiva Goswami
So, and of course, we see in Chaitanya Caritamrita that this is the main scripture quoted.
So, and of course, it’s quite a large work, so it covers many topics. And as I mentioned the other day, we have this concept of Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan presented. So, this concept of God having these three aspects is maybe unique to our Sampradaya. So, for instance, the Ramanuja and Madhva Sampradayas, they don’t really accept Brahman as a valid, a real realization [Laughs]. And Paramatma and Bhagavan are more or less one, they don’t distinguish between them. But in Bhagavatam, we see that we have this presentation of Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. And if we look closely in the Bhagavad Gita, we find these are also presented there. And for that reason, because it’s so inclusive, it can include a lot of the philosophy of other religions. So, if they are rather inclined to impersonal concept, we don’t have to reject it completely. Whereas, someone like Madhva will completely reject that and say, that’s all nonsense, useless [Laughs]. At the same time, we do not say that the realizations are equal. So, of the three, Bhagavan realization is superior to Paramatma or Brahman.
So, we can appreciate, to some degree, the endeavor that other impersonalist religions are making. At the same time, we understand it’s not the highest realization [Laughs]. So, in the Bhagavatam, we’ll find that various ideas are presented about Supreme Lord. And the scripture itself, Bhagavatam, is compared to different things because it presents different things. So, the Bhagavatam is compared to a lamp or a deepa. And what does the flame do? It illuminates a room. So, in a similar way, the Bhagavatam, by presenting a general concept of God like Brahman and Paramatma, it will clear up ignorance and allow the jiva to get rid of his suffering. So, by presenting a general concept of God, one can destroy one’s suffering, illusion, ignorance, etc. So, we find this verse in the first canto, second chapter. I surrender to the son of Vyasa, the incomparable guru of all the sages, who mercifully spoke the Purana full of hidden meanings, the essence of all scripture, essence of hearing, for all people in this world, even in the future, who spoke the Bhagavatam, which revealed the excellence of rasa to Sukadeva, and which is the revealer of Atma for those desiring to cross the dense ignorance with ease. So, we have this adhyatma-deepam, atitya-jirshatam tamo andham. So it allows, the Bhagavatam is like a lamp, because it tells right you about spiritual life, and this allows you to cross ignorance and suffering.
So this is the verse that shows that the Bhagavatam is like a adhyatma deepam that allows you to cross over the ocean of darkness, basically. Okay, so that’s one comparison. So the Bhagavatam is also compared to the sun. So the lamp and the sun, of course, are both light, but obviously the sun is bigger. So we have this verse also in the third chapter of the first canto where it says, Though Krishna, departing from Dwaraka, arrived at Prabhasa and then disappeared along with six opulences, this Purana, another form of the sun, has now arisen in Kali-yuga for those who have lost their knowledge. So the Bhagavatam is compared to the sun. And it allows the people of Kali-yuga who have lost their sight to see again. So like a lamp, the sun also gives light, but it gives more light so we get more knowledge. And because it’s more light, more knowledge, then you get more details about the Supreme Lord. So not only we destroy suffering, but the devotees experience bliss because they get details about Bhagavan.
So the Bhagavatam is also compared to the fruit of desire tree. So this is the third verse of the Bhagavatam which talks about the tree with the ripened fruit on it. It’s touched by the mouth of Sukadeva. So the Vedas and scriptures are compared to a desire tree which gives, fulfills all desires. So of course we have different desires, material desires, and Karma-kanda will fulfill those desires. And if we desire liberation, Jnana-kanda can fulfill those desires. And if we want Prema, then we have the Bhakti scriptures, the Bhagavatam. However out of all the Bhakti scriptures, the Bhagavatam is the sweetest fruit on the tree. So why is that? So it reveals Madhurya Rasa, which is the sweetest rasa. And it reveals Radha Krishna, who are the way in which Madhurya Rasa develops. And the Bhagavatam presents the process of Bhakti by which we can attain that Madhurya Rasa and realize Radha and Krishna. So though the Bhagavatam will present general information, more detailed information, ultimately, for the devotees, the best part of the Bhagavatam is revelation of Krishna, Radha, Krishna, and Madhurya Rasa.
So then there’s a fourth comparison given in the Bhagavatam. The Bhagavatam is like Mohini Avatar. So Mohini Avatar tricked the demons. The demons got the nectar from churning the milk ocean and were fighting over it. So the Lord came in the form of a beautiful woman and she bewildered the demons. So when they saw Mohini Avatar, they were completely attracted to that beautiful form. And so Mohini Avatar spoke and she said, Oh, you are very nice. And I like you so much, you should give me the nectar. So the demons thought, Oh, she is very nice. She likes us. Let us give her the nectar. She’ll give it back to us. So she took the nectar and she didn’t give it back. She went to the devatas and gave them the nectar. So Bhagavatam is like that. It doesn’t give the nectar to the demons. It gives it to the devotees. So though the demons may read the Bhagavatam, they will not get the correct meaning. So sometimes the meaning of Bhagavatam is hidden. So when the demons read the Bhagavatam, then they can say, Oh, yes, pastimes of Krishna are very nice, but ultimately they are all maya and the highest thing is Brahman.
For instance, we have this verse in the 12th canto near the end, 13th chapter. From beginning to end the Srimad bhagavatam is full of Lord’s pastimes which gives bliss to the devotees endowed with the sense of renunciation . This Bhagavatam is the essence of all Vedanta philosophies because it’s subject matter is one Brahman, a substance with no duality. the main goal of the work is merging .(SB 12.13.11-12). So here it looks like the conclusion of Bhagavatam is that impersonal Brahman is higher than personal form of Krishna.
So then the devotees, when they read this verse, they’ll think this is very strange because Sukadeva is relishing the pastimes of Krishna. Why does he say Brahman is so high? Because throughout the Bhagavatam he condemns Brahman realization and praises Krishna. So therefore the devotees don’t accept the superficial meaning of this verse. So we may ask why the Lord likes to speak so indirectly [Laughs]. And we find that this is one of the methods of presenting scripture. So not to speak directly is called parokshavada. And in the 11th canto there Krishna says the sages prefer this indirect expression rather than direct expression. I also like it.
So by this indirect method the devotee has to sometimes seek out the real meaning of things. So we have verses but we should understand there may be other meanings to the verse also. So though a statement may be made, it may be contradictory to other statements. So we have to figure out which is the stronger statement, which is the correct statement. And that which is most prominent, and that which is repeated is the strongest statement and the other is to be interpreted.
So another instance of this is the first verse of the Bhagavatam,” janmady asya yatah”… So many of the Acharyas, not only the Gaudiya Acharyas but other Sampradayas also, they spent pages and pages and pages and pages explaining this verse. So Jiva Goswami and Vishwanatha Chakravarti, they give like five meanings, different meanings to the verse.
So there is the general meaning about the Supreme Lord, the cause of birth and creation and destruction of the universe, etc. There is another meaning, it’s all about Krishna and his pastimes. Another meaning is all about Madhurya Rasa. Another meaning is about Radha and Krishna. And another meaning is all about Bhakti. So therefore we should understand that scripture has many levels of meaning.
So though the main subject is to glorify Krishna, there are actually ten topics in the Bhagavatam. These ten topics are also in other Puranas. So if you look at Vishnu Purana or Padma Purana, you’ll find the same topics. So these are the characteristic subject matters of a major Purana. So we have ten topics, creation, secondary creation, geography, protection of the Lord, material and spiritual impressions, conduct of the Manus, stories of the Lord and devotees, destruction of the universe, liberation and ultimate shelter. So for instance in the third canto we got quite a detailed description of creation. That is Mahavishnu glancing and then Prakriti evolving into Mahat tattva, etc. The second topic is called Visarga, secondary creation. So this is the creation carried out by Brahma and this is described in the fourth canto.
So there’s a description of all the different types of bodies that Brahma creates. So the next topic is Sthiti or Sthana, which means the geography of the universe, description of the planets and Bhumandala, etc. That’s in the fifth canto. In the sixth canto we got Poshana, which means how the Lord protects the devotees. So one of the main stories there is the story of how the Lord protects Ajamila because he chanted the Lord’s name. So the next topic is called Uti, which means different impulses. So basically we have demons and devotees and there’s a conflict in the universe between these two forces.
That’s described in the seventh canto where we have a description of Prahlada versus his father Hiranyakasipu. In the eighth canto we have the topic of Manvantara, the description of the different Manus, 14 Manus in one day of Brahma. Another topic is called Isanukatha, stories of the Lord and the devotees. So in the ninth canto we have stories of different avatars like Rama.
In the 11th canto we have a description of Mukti or liberation. In the 12th canto we have Nirodha, which means destruction of the universe. And in the 10th canto we have Asraya, the supreme shelter. It’s the 10th canto which describes Krishna.
So previously we had those different analogies. So one was the lamp. So the lamp is like the general description of the Lord. So Sarga, he’s the creator and destroyer, third canto and 12th canto. And the sun analogy was given. So we have a description of more details about the Lord and his different avatars, the Purusha avatars and then different avatars like Narasimadeva, etc. And all this is described in the various cantos, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 11th cantos.
And we have the sweetest fruit on the tree. That’s the Asraya topic. That is Krishna described in the 10th canto. So the Asraya is the main topic and actually means the shelter. So he’s the shelter of all the other topics. So in reading these other topics and all the different cantos, we should actually understand that is secondary to this Asraya, He is the cause of all of these other topics and all the other forms of the Lord.
Okay. So any questions there? We have a little bit more to go, but I have to leave at 5 because I got another conference call at 5 o’clock.
Q & A:
Devotee: Maharaj, you told Ashraya is the main topic and other topics secondary can you explain more about their (topics) relationship?
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj: Yeah, Asraya means the ultimate cause of everything [Laughs]. So in Sarga we have a description of Mahavishnu glancing over Prakriti and then entering into the different universes as Garbhodakasayi Vishnu, etc. But we should understand that Mahavishnu is an expansion from an expansion from Krishna [Laughs]. And whatever powers Mahavishnu has, Krishna has more power.
And in Visarga, then of course it talks about Garbhodakasayi Vishnu producing Brahma and then Brahma creating bodies for the living entities and then planetary systems, sthiti. But as Brahma Samhita describes, Brahma’s power is coming from Krishna also, Govinda.
So another one, Poshana, we have an example of how the holy name protects the devotee and even the non-devotee like Ajamila. So yeah, the holy name protects Ajamila from Yamadutas [Laughs]. But we know that he chanted the name of Narayana, so the name of Krishna, even more powerful.
So in the 7th canto we have Uti, how the demons attack the devotees. So Hiranyakasipu attacks Prahlada. And Narasimhadev protects Prahlada. But if Narasimhadev protects Prahlada and Krishna is greater, then Krishna gives greater protection than Narasimhadev [Laughs].
Devotee: Krishna killed the [Not clear].
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj: So many demons [Laughs]. Kaliya, not, he didn’t kill him, but he saved him. We have Putana, we have Aghasura and so many demons.
Devotee: I tried to say that Narasimhadev killed Hiranyakasipu. Ramachandra killed Ravana. And Krishna kills Sishupala).
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj: And when he kills him, he gets liberation [Laughs]. So he gives blessings even to the demons. Manvantara is the 14 Manus and their descendants that propagate and support Dharma and Bhakti throughout the day of Brahma. But they get their power ultimately from Krishna.
So Isanukatha, stories about the different avatars, but these avatars also ultimately have powers which Krishna has. So Mukti means impersonal Brahman, but impersonal Brahman is only the light from the Supreme Lord, as described in the Brahma Samhita. And destruction we see that ultimately there is a form of Ananta Sesha there, or Sankarshana destroying everything, but ultimately he is an expansion again from Krishna. Oh, I think my time is almost up [Laughs].
Devotee: This is the structure of the Bhagavatam.
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj: Yeah.
Devotee: So much, because 10,000 slokas, we cannot see the whole picture.
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj: Okay.
Devotee: Thank you very much, Maharaj.
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj: Okay, Hare Krishna.
Devotees: HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj ki jai!!! Srila Prabhupada ki jai!!!