Bhagavatam, day 101
Srimad Bhagavatam - day 101
Pradyumnāya namah
Vidura continued, “O revered Maharishi Maitreya! I have previously heard from Maharishi Vyasa about the duties which should be adhered to by different people belonging to different classes and status.
Desiring to describe the transcendental glories of that Lord, your dear friend Maharishi Vyāsa composed the Mahābhārata. In this, through describing material life-styles and worldly topics he has tried to attract the human minds towards Lord Srikrishna.
The one who develops absolute dedication towards the stories of Lord Srikrishna will also develop taste towards these stories. As he begins to enjoy the nectarous taste contained in these stories, his inclination towards these material objects weakens and he develops detachment. In this manner through constant remembrance of the lotus feet of Lord Srikrishna and through the bliss that he derives therefrom, his grief is dispelled in totality.
In this world there are people who are truly pitiable. In them, those who due to their earlier sinful actions are absolutely disinclined towards the stories of that transcendental Lord are the most pitiable. I truly pity such persons and grieve that they are completely spoiled. This is because apart from the stories of Lord Krishna, every other action performed with total involvement of mind, body and action is a sheer waste of effort! The Lord of time, who manifests in the form of Lord Sun, is destroying the longevity in such persons who waste their time.
O Maharishi Maitreya! You are the friend of the downtrodden. Lord Srikrishna who is of infallible reputation always showers happiness upon people. Therefore, just as bees *** the nectar from the flowers, from among all these worldly stories please pick only the stories pertaining to Lord Srikrishna and narrate them to us. Please elevate us.
Taking on His power of illusion, the Supreme Lord creates, sustains and annihilates this universe. What were the transcendental deeds performed by the Lord when He incarnated upon this earth? Please narrate them”.
In this way Vidura, with the desire to show the path of liberation to the ordinary humans, beseeched Maharishi Maitreya.
Appreciating the questions raised by Vidura, Maharishi Maitreya said, “O saintly Vidura! Your mind is eternally fixed upon Lord Srihari. With a desire to uplift human beings and to bring about their welfare, you have asked extremely pertinent and valuable questions. Due to this conversation between us, your fame will spread in all directions.
O Vidura! I am not astonished that you, who were born from Maharishi Vyāsa, ask such pertinent doubts. This is because you have served the Supreme Lord Srikrishna with ultimate devotion and have obtained Self-realization.
Due to the curse of Maharishi Māndavya, Yama (the Lord of death) was born, through the medium of Satyavati’s son Maharishi Vyasa, to the maid of his brother Vichitraveerya’s wife. You are none other than Yama.
You are very dear to Srikrishna as well as to his devotees. Hence at the time when Srikrishna was about the leave His physical body, He specifically instructed me to initiate you into Supreme Knowledge.
I will now describe sequentially the manner in which the Supreme Lord, with the help of His power of illusion, creates, sustains and annihilates this universe.
Prior to creation this universe was the form of the Supreme Lord. All these manifested beings along with their natures had, at that time, completely merged into him. He was non-dual. During creation this Lord pervades everything and due to the differences of name and form, He appears to have manifested as many.
At the end of creation, when the power of illusion (māya śakti) once again merges into Him, only He, who is the embodiment of pure consciousness, remains! When the power of illusion merges completely into that non-dual Paramatma, who shines as a form of illumination, what is left for Him to see? There is nothing.
Since there was nothing to be seen, at that point He considers himself to be unreal, imperfect (asat) and without any residence (uniki). In reality, knowledge can never go to sleep in that Lord who is an embodiment of knowledge. However, as His power of illusion completely merges into him and sleeps, He feels imperfect.
This power of illusion (māya), is the Lord’s inseparable energy. It is the root, cause. It is also the effect i.e. kārya-kāraṇa. To describe about this illusion is absolutely impossible.
Using this power of illusion, the Supreme Lord creates this universe and pervades throughout it. Gradually, due to influence of time, in this power of illusion which consists of three attributes (trigunas), a small vibration emerges.
The Supreme Lord, who is over and above all proofs and who is an embodiment of knowledge, impregnates His illusionary power (māya śakti) with the seed of his individual form (as the jeeva). From this illusionary power consisting of name and form, due to the influence of time Mahat-tattva (fundamental principle of total material creation) is born. This illusory energy positions itself readily to expand this creation that is retained within it in seed-form.
Please listen attentively. Explaining Bhagawatam is different. Apprising you of each and every word in Bhagawatam is different. Both are not the same. Each and every word of Bhagawatam contains immense knowledge. Do not think, ‘After all even I can read directly from the book. Why should I listen?’ The Supreme mantra pertaining to illusionary power (māya-shakti) contained within it is being taught to you. This is an upadesha. You are being made to listen to this upadesha.
As books are available on this topic do not think that you can read up the books all by yourself. This is an upadesha (initiation). The same topics are re-explained time and again so as to help you recollect the matter.
Pradyumnāya namah.