Bhagawatham-07.....Narasimhavataram

"satyam vidathum nija britya bhashitham

vyapthim cha bhudeshu akhileshu chatmanaha
adrusyathatyalbuda roopam udvahan
stampe sabayam na mrugam na manusham "

Any living being ,who lives in its mortal body made of these Panchaboothas, has to leave it's body one day ,is clearly said in the Bhagawath Geetha . That is to say that one is not the body and the soul is not perishable at any time. We all know this very well,yet we are afraid of our Death,and surely Hiranyakashipu, the demon, also knew that. But why did he think that he can become immortal just by getting a boon from Brahma?
It's said in Bhagawath Geetha that Bhagawan takes Avatarams to safe guard the Sadhus , to demolish the evil-doers and to save the Dharmam when it gets weakened ................But the purpose of Narasimha avataram seems to be to prove His Bhakthas correct and to show that Vishnu means the Lord pervades the whole universe. And to Prove Prahlada right, the Lord had to appear from the pillar spontaneously,showing the urgency to help his Bhaktha.
That is why Bhagwan calls Himself ........Aham bhaktha paradheenaha.

Hiranyakashipu gets the Varam he wanted from Brahmadeva....... that he can not be killed by any living creature created by Brahma,can not be killed in the morning,evening or night,can not be killed in the land, ocean or sky and the list goes on and on ....... Brahma wondered how he can be killed at all..... gave the boon,though, leaving his samharam or immortality ,to lord Vishnu to think about.......

Armed with this boon, he started ruling all the universe,ruling over the Devas and asuras .He wanted to take revenge of Vishnu for the killing of his Brother Hiranyaksha by Him,ordered his people to remove Vishnu's images from their houses and instead asked them to install Hiranyakashipu's images and to worship and do pujas for his statues. All started chanting "Om namo Hiranyakshaya namaha" .He succeeded in imposing this rule in his kingdom except on his own son Prahlada who was a great believer in the God and worshiped Vishnu even before he was born, through the Bhajans of Narada Maharshi. This made Hiranyakashipu angry and he sent Prahlada to the school of Shanda and Amarkha , the sons of Sukracharya the Asura Guru.

When on vacation from the school, Hiranyakashipu asked Prahlada,what did he learn at the school, Prahlada said that not from the school,but from the life itself he learned that one should SERVE the God Krishna at all the times forgetting all from the materialistic world which are not true at all and that the only truth is the God Himself. He further said that this can be done in many ways like..
"Shravanam,Keerthanam,Vishnoho,Smaranam,Padasevanam,
Archanam,Vandanam,Dasyam,Sakhyam,Aatmanivedanam."
This constitutes the Nava Vidha Bhakthi,of which the first three are very much within our reach. We can listen to Bhajans and Keerthans if we cant chant them ourselves or at least we can do the Nama Japas within our minds or at least do the Smaranams of the Lord and His Kathas in the minds.
Hiranyakshipu became angry rather than knowing the Tatwas told by Prahlada and asked his men to somehow get rid of him. All the attempts to kill Prahlada failed because, Krishna takes the responsibility of saving His Bhaktha's lives. Then Hiranyakashipu thought he should himself finish the child ,he called Prahlada and asked him to forget the name Vishnu. Prahlada said that even his father also should serve the Lord Vishnu. Then Hiransykashipu asked where the Vishnu was,Prahlada said he's everywhere. Then why he was not visible in this pillar,asked Hiranyakashipu.Prahlada said he can see Vishnu in all the materials of the world including this Stampa. Then Hiranyakashipu split the pillar with his gadha and alas.... the Bhakthavatsala Bhagawan appeared from the broken pillar as NARASIMHADEVA. And the Narasimha then completed the Avatara Lakshya,i.e. killing the Demon Hiranyaksha,thereby giving Sapa-Moksha to his Dwarapalaka Jaya-Vijaya.And only Prahlada,not any of the Devatas or any one else present there, could calm down the enraged, Bhaktha-jana-priya, Narasimha.

The Seventh Skandam of Bhagawatham ends with the Karma Panchadhyayam wherein different Karmas are explained. Is it not our duty to do the karmas as prescribed in the Vedas and Puranas like Bhagawatham? In fact Bhagawatham is said to be the Fifth Veda available to Mankind

Bhagawatham-06-Ajamilopakhyanam,Vruthrasura katha

JAI JAI VITTALA,PANDURANGA VITTALA

||Samacharana sarojam saandra neelaambu dhaabham | Jaghana nihitha paanim mandanam mandanaanaam || Tharuna thulasi maalaa kandharam kanjanaethram | Sadhaya Dhavala haasam vittalam chinthayaami ||

Think of Bhajan and Namasankirtanam , Pandharpur is the first thought coming to our minds. This temple of Panduranga always reverberates with the sounds of "RAMA KRISHNA HARI" even today as it used to be in the times of saints like Thukkaram, Jnaneshwar Eknathar and Namadev.
" NAAHAM VASAAMI VAIKUNTE NA YOGINAM HRUDHAYAERVA
MADH BHAKTHA YATHRA GAAYANTHI THATHRA THISHTAMI NAARADHA ||"
Pandurangan is the Prathyaksha God proving the above words, who else can wait for years for His Bhaktha like Pundalika , on a single Brick ? We have seen living creatures,Lives with Chetana,responding to songs and musics,but Achetan things like bricks moving to Janeswar's bhajan can be seen only in Pandharpur. Only Pandurangan can become a donkey or Buffalo on the calls of His Bhakthas.We are not at all surprised by these stories because all these are the true Bhakthas of Pandurangan and Pandharpur is the Holy place where anything can happen.But Namasankirthanam has the power of liberating even the Abhakthas from their sins as Sukadeva explained the story of Ajamila to Parikshit Maharaja.

Ajamila was a pious brahmin always in the thoughts of the Gods and serving his family and parents with devotion,until he came into the influences of some Vesyas. Then onwards he was in mad love of those evil ladies, up to the extend of driving his own wife and family out of house. He had plenty of children from those Vesyas and his previous good deeds had helped him in the form of some saints visiting his house. They had advised him to name the next son as Narayana .Ajamila was very fond of his Narayana always in his thoughts and doting him.Then one day, when he became very old and there came three Yama Dhoothas to take him away to the Naraka where he should belong normally due to his number of sins. Ajamila got frightened by the sights of the Yama Dhoothas and called out his son Narayana to save him from them.Narayana, his son, was playing with his friends and did not bother to help his father,but Narayana from Vaikunta heard his voice and send his Dhoothas to save Ajamila.Yama Dhoothas argued with the Vishnu Dhoothas that Ajamila actually called his son and not the God Narayana and he should not be saved from his destiny. The Vishnu Dhoothas said ..........................................

"sânketyam pârihâsyam vâ,stobham helanam eva vâ

vaikuntha-nâma-grahanam,asesâgha-haram viduh"(VI-2-14)

In what ever way the Lord's name is called,He'll liberate you from all your sins.Yama Dhoothas clarify the same from their King ,Yamaraja and depart from the scene. Ajamila is astonished that simply by calling his youngest son,if Narayana comes for the help, if only he had called the God Narayana what He would have done to the sinners like him..............................................................

Let's remember this always and keep chanting His names all the times , so that He might come for our help too whenever His intervention is required.

Vruthrasura too said the same thing to the God, he said that whether one is an asura or deva \" or an ordinary man, he too is a son of the God and hence it is the duty of the God to save him from the evil doings and take him out of this samsara chakra. Vruthrasura in the previous birth was Chitraketu and because of Mother Parvathy's curse he was born as a demon in this birth. When Vruthra sustained terror against the Devas , Devendra had no other way except to attack Vruthrasura . It was known that Vruthra can not be killed except by the vajra asthra made by the back-bone of Dhathichi Maharshi. Indra prostrated on the feet of Dhathichi and requested for his back bones. Dhathichi agreed and the maharshi was given to the Lions as food. But....alas... the lions just came near the sage and prostrated and went away, he was so pious that the animals also revered him. Then Dhathichi was covered with sugar cane paste and thrown to the lions, this time the animals could not recognise the sage and they ate him, leaving the bones for Indra. Then Indra called Vruthrasura for the fight and when exhausted with all other weapons ,Indra took out the Vajrastra made of Dhathichi's bones. Vruthrasura seeing that his end was imminent asked the God that evil doers or demons are also your sons and it's you who has to save such children from the sins they commit. He said that he was like the new born bird and as the mother bird safeguards the younger ones ,or as the young ones is protected by their mother cows,or as the lover doted his Priya, God has to save him as well, that he was not asking for any boon ,he just want to enjoy VIRAHA DUKHAM from the Bhagawan as the small new-born bird waiting for the mother who has gone to fetch food or like the young cow waiting for mother,or the priya waiting for her lover, who's gone abroad.............................................
"..Na Nagaprushtam na cha Parameshtyam,Na Sarvabhaumyam na rasadhipathyam,
Na Yogasidhir apunarbhavam va, Samanjasa twaa Virahayya kamkshe".....(VI-11-25)
"..Ajathapaksha eva matharam khaga, Sthanyam yadha vatsathara kshuthartha,
Priyam priyeva vyushitham vishanna,Mano Aravindaksha dithrukshatha twam"(VI-11-26)
"..Mano uthama shlokeshu sakhyam,Sansara chakre bramatheha swakarmabhihi,
Twam mayaya aatmatmajadaragehe,shwasakthe chithasya na natha bhooyath"(VI-11-27)
..... Bhagawan was wondering how Vruthrasura, who's a demon, could pray,like the way he did. May be because he's Chitraketu in his previous birth....and had the vision od God....?.........

Bhagawatham-05-gnani Jada Bharathan

Gnani Jada Bharatha carries Raja Rahugana.

After the stories of Priyavrata,Manu's son and Agnidhra, Rishabhadeva appeared as the son of Merudevi and king Nabhi. He had 100 sons the eldest of them was Bharatha. When Rishabhadeva became old,he entrusted the kingdom to Bharatha and went to the forest for meditation. He became one of the Thirtankers of the Jain religion.Bharatha married Panchajani and had 5 sons.He performed many yagnas and worshiped the Gods and did many Dharmas,also ruled the earth in a Dharmic way.He lived with Pulaha Maharshi on the banks of Gandaki river and became a great sage by himself.Once, when he was praying the Sun God at the banks, he saw a doe coming to the river for water. The doe jumped into the water when she heard the roar of a Lion and lost her life while giving birth to a young deer. Sage Bharatha then,lifted the deer and grazed it well,he was all the times in love with the deer even forgetting the tapas and gods,while doing so.Finally when he breathed his last he's in the thoughts of the deer and hence he took birth in the next Janma as a deer.

SINCE IT'S TRUE THAT ONE WILL GET THE LIFE OF WHAT ONE THINKS OF, AT HIS DYING MOMENT,IS IT NOT GOOD TO REMEMBER THE GODS ALWAYS, SO THAT, OUT OF HABIT, ONE COULD THINK OF THE GOD, AT HIS LAST MOMENT IN LIFE...?

Bharatha the deer could remember his old life and thought how foolish was he in his last life, thinking always of the material things forgetting the gods.And this time he lived near the sages on the banks of river and was in the river when he finally gave up the life of the deer. He took birth , in this third life, as the son of a pious Brahmin and had attained nirvana this time.Hehad no attachment to his family and did not even speak to any body. He was like a JADA or dunce, hence he earned the name of JADA BHARATHA.He did not make much headway in studies of veda etc. however hard his father tried.Bharatha now was a Gnani , eating whatever little he got and not reacting to anyone or any thing.Some robbers, one day took him to Kali Mandir for giving him as Nara Bali,he did not resist them and hence Godess Kali had to act to save him.

Once, the Kings men had taken Bharatha to help the Kings palanquin.The king Rahugana was going to Sage Kapila to gain spiritual knowledge. Bharatha being a realised soul did not want to hurt even an ant on his way,. so he had to jerk violently at times to save the ants and this bumped the kings head on the palanquin . This made the king angry and asked the brahmin what his problem is,Bharatha said he has no problem as he is not his body. Listening this wise words king Rahugana got down from the palanquin and fell on the feet of Bharatha and realised he is a great sage.The king asked for the forgivance and sought the spiritual knowledge from Bharatha, for which he was traveling.

Jada Bharatha explained in details, about the soul and body and said that one should forget the body and should be in the service of the Lord all the times. A man becomes liberated when he severs all the attachments through wisedom and keeps the company of sages and great souls and sings and listens to god's praises all the times. An advise all of US need very much, on this day.

Bhagawatham-04-Daksha yagnam,Dhruva charitham

"Om namo Bhagawathe Vasudevaya"
"Gurave sarva lokanam,bhishaje bhava roginam
Nidhaye sarva vidyanam, Sree Dakshinamoorthaye namah:"


Swayambuva Manu and Satrupa had three daughters,namely Ahuti,Devahuti and Prasuti and two sons namely,Priyavrata and Uttanapada. Ahuti was given to Sage Ruci and Devahuti was married to Kardama Muni, in whom Kapiladeva Bhagwan blessed with His avataram and His Advises.Prasuti was married to Daksha Prajapati,the veritable son of Brahma.Prasuti and Daksha begot 16 beautiful lotus-eyed daughters, thirteen of whom were married to Dharma , one married to Agni and one given to the forefathers,and one named Sati was married to Lord Siva,on the recommendation of Brahma.Daksha having offended by Siva for not showing respect in the Sacrifice Yagna cursed Siva and his Ganas and later held the Brihaspathisama yagna for which he did not send any invitation to Siva. But Sati took part in the Yagna and she found that there was no Havirbhaga for Siva and started accusing Daksha and finally distroyed her physical body in the fire. Siva got angry and send ganas to destroy the yagna and Daksha beheaded in the war. Later Yagna Narayana appears in the scene and restores peace.

Manu's son,Uttanapada had two queens namely, Sunithi and Suruchi. Sunithi's son was named Dhruva and Suruchi's san was named Uttam . One day when Dhruva came to sit on the lap of the King,Suruchi drove him away and said if he want to sit on the lap of the king he has to take birth in her. Dhruva comes crying to his mother when she consoles him by saying that the real Father is Lord Vishnu. Then Dhruva sets out to find the Lord. Narada becomes his Guru who guides him to the penance. After five months of rigorous penance Drhuva at the age of 5, gets the Darshan of the Lord .

There is description of King Dhruva's ruling the country and his successors. Then the story of Prithu Maharaj attempting the 100th Aswamedha yagna which was throttled by Indra and at the end, Lord Vishnu appearing before Prithu Maharaj,because of whom our earth is known as PRITHVI.Prachetas the children of Prachinabarhis are blessed by Lord Siva, rendering his song.There is the purnjanopakyanam to follow before the chapter ends

Bhagawatham-03-Kapilopakhyanam

"......MANAEVA MANUSHYANAM KARANAM BANDHAMOKSHAYOH:........"
"Kapila thanurithi twam devahutyai nyagadee:"


Vidura explains in details to Maitreya the manifestation of the Virat form of the lord and the appearance of Brahma from the Garbhodakasayi Mahavishnu and then the creation of the world starting from the birth of Sanatkumaras.
Sanatkumaras cursed the dwarapalakas of the Lord in Vaikunta,Jaya and Vijaya,for three generations of Demonhood and their first generation in the form of Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakasipu. Lord, in order to save the Vedas, takes the Varaha Avataram and kills Hiranyaksha in an encounter.

Kardama Muni marries Devahuti,Manu's daughter and after the birth of 9 girls the Lord takes the Avataram of Kapiladeva as Devahuti's son.Kardama Muni renunciates his worldly life and goes for meditations.Devahuti says to Kapiladeva.." that I've fallen into the ignorances of material- senses and you are the only means to get me out of this illusion and since you are the Bhagawan you can lift me out of this maya of yourself, into which I've fallen, due to my false egos......................................"

What Kapiladeva,the Lord, explains to his mother,Devahuti,is known as the Kapil-geetha,or Kapilopakhyanam,where-in Kapiladeva describes in detail about the importance of Yoga,and the glories of the devotional services to the God.....basic principles of the material nature and the importance of understanding them...............the adverse consequences and entanglements of fruitive activities ............and how wandering the Jiva is in the birth-cycles.....and Kapiladeva tells Devahuti that the mind alone is the reason for the feeling of Bondage and the Liberation.

Bhagawatham-02--Virat Purusha

THE VIRAT DARSHAN FOR ARJUN AT THE BATTLE FIELD

The Cosmic Manifestations of the Lord is explained in this chapter.The Virat Purusa manifesting himself into the materials of the Universe,called the creation.The Purusha Suktha gets its confirmation from the God Himself.As ..."Sahasra shirsha purusha:,Sahasraksha sahasra pat........" The narration goes on and on like... from the mouth Fire or Agni came...from the Nostrils air or vayu...from the Nose or the smelling power,came Asvini Kumaras and from the eyes the Sun or Surya....etc.....

Saunakadi rishis after hearing the complete manifestations of the Virat Purusha,as clearly as Arjun did see at the battle-field of Mahabharata,ask Suda about the meeting between Vidura and Maitreya and their Samvadams.