Bhagwat Stories for All. 18th Jan 2006
Summary of Bhagwat Pravachan
Date: 18th Jan 2006
Original Hindi : Pt.Satyavan Mishraji
English Translation: Suresh Kumar Ranga
Panditji started by telling the story of a Brahmin called Atmadev who lived on the banks of the river Tungabhadra.
Explanation on Atmadev and Tungabhadra.
Atma is Soul and Dev is body. Atmadev is here referring to all of us. All of us are Atmadev. So through this story we are learning something about ourselves. Tungabhadra is a river in Southern India. The word tunga means high and bhadra means serving.
Atmadev had all material comforts. He had large amount of wealth, good food, large house etc. Physically he was living a good life. He was already 50 years. He was worried of only one thing. He had no children, particularly son. He was very much worried of this fact. So one day he decided to end his life by drowning in a pond. He made up his mind and started to go towards the pond. On the banks of the pond he met a Mahatma (Monk). The Monk was coming back after collecting alms.
Collecting Alms.
In Ancient India, Monks used to wander for alms. They used to collect alms before 12 noon. They used to ask for alms only from 5 houses. Once they collected the alms they would go to the pond. Wash all the vegetables of all spices. All Chapathis used to be washed of to remove any taste. This way they used to offer all the taste to God and used to eat food to sustain their body only. This food was called as Madhukari.
The discussion went further in this way.
Mahatma. What is your name and why do you look so down?
Atmadev. My name is Atmadev. I have come here to end my life.
Mahatma. I have some food with me, so why don’t you eat some. You can then tell me your story.
Atmadev. I have enough food in my house, In fact the problem is I don’t have anyone to eat the food. I have a large house but no one to live.
Mahatma. So your problem is you don’t have a son?
Atmadev. Yes, Mahatmaji, you have told correctly, I don’t have a son. And scriptures say that without a son, who will do my Pinda-dan (offerings to our ancestors who have passed).
Explanation of Pindadan and its significance as mentioned in our scriptures.
In our times when we live in this world, we develop lots of desires. When we die, we are sometimes still worried about our spouse, children, business, work, property etc etc. So even after we die our desires remain un fulfilled. During Pindadaan the son offers these though symbolically to the soul so that it can remove the desires. The Pindadaan does not help in any way to achieve salvation. Hence what ever good deeds we want to do it has to done while we are alive. Nothing can be done once we die.
Mahatma. Very good, you are so blessed that you don’t have a son. See if you had one you would be thinking of the welfare of the son all the time. You would worry of his education, health, marriage etc. God has blessed you by having no son, this way you can concentrate on your self and meditate to realize your higher self.
Atmadev. Mahatmaji, you are making light of my problems. I am really very down. If I don’t have a son, who will light the lamp on my body when I pass.
Mahatma. See Atmadev, you are getting worried unnecessarily. First of all why don’t you offer pindadan your self to your self to the God. Then you need not worry about who will offer it later. In Kaliyug getting a son who is going to be faithful is very difficult. So don’t worry about the lighting of the lamp.
Panditji narrated a real experience he had when a lady came crying to our Sh.Maharajji. Once in Mathura when Panditji was with Maharajji, a lady came and fell to feet of Maharajji. She was crying. Maharajji asked her what was the matter. She said she has no son. So she is destined to go to Narak or hell. Maharajji smiled and told her, in that case, you will find me there too. I have not married and hence have no son. He said there are hundreds of thousands of couples who don’t have sons and they too will be there with us. So when we meet there we will recite the 12th chapter of Geeta and achieve salvation. All doubts of the women cleared. She returned back cheerful thanking Maharajji.
Atmadev. See Mahatmaji, I agree to what you say. But still I long for a son, so can you do something for me atleast. With your blessings I am sure I can get a son.
Mahatmaji was overwhelmed with the request. And as all Mahatma’s who are so kind in heart, he gave a fruit to Atmadev and told him to give it to his wife. He said after his wife has the fruit, they should live a Sattvic (Righteous) life. That way the kid born will be a righteous and good child.
Atmadev, went back home and gave the fruit to his wife. But he did not insist her to eat it then and there. The wife’s name was Dhundli. Atma’s wife is called Buddhi or Intellect. The wife was in two minds, as what Intellect is. One part says, yes then the other part says no, bringing the dual confusion (Dwand) in our life.
Example. When we come to the Satsang, one part of our mind will tell us, there are so many important things to be done, so let us finish all that, satsang can wait. The other part says, that work in the world will never finish. Something will keep cropping up, we have got this good chance to listen to bhagwat so let us go and listen it. This duality is called as dwand.
Dhundli thinks that, after she eats the fruit, she will get pregnant and has to carry the baby for 9 months. All the pain and problems. Now she was so happy, there was no need to worry. So she decided she did not want to eat the fruit. She had a sister. She told the same to her sister also. The sister is our Mind. So we have Soul (Atma) whose wife is Intellect (Buddhi) and whose sister is Mind (Mun). The sister supported the argument of Dhundli. She said that she was any way pregnant and could understand what her sister was telling. So the sisters decided that, when dhundlli’s sister gives birth to a child, dhundhli will tell her husband that it is her child.
An advice to pregnant women. Normally when women are pregnant the type of thoughts they have make the child’s character. When Draupadi was pregnant, Arjun revealed the Charkravyuh knowledge and Abhimanyu in Draupadi’s womb could understand everything. If our women folk also lead Sattvic lives during their pregnancy, we can have brilliant and realized souls.
Dhundli gives the fruit to the cow to eat. At the end of period, dhundhli tells her husband that she has given birth to a child. The child was actually a couple of weeks old. Atmadev got surprised. He told his wife I never say symptoms of pregnancy in you and this child looks a couple of weeks old. The wife told that, this is the Mahatmaji’s fruit’s wonder. At the same time, the cow gave birth to a calf. Because of the Mahatma’s fruit, there had to be a result. The calf was actually not a usual calf. He was born as a child but with ears of a cow. In no time Atmadev understood what had happened. He was anyway happy that instead of one son he got two sons now. He called the son from the cow as Go-Karn.
There was one more instance mentioned here. After the Mahabharata the victorious Pandavas went to meet Dhratrashtra and Gandhari. Dhratrashtra had lost all his sons in the war. He had no sosn left or he had no more generation to look after. He was very angry. He said that he was very angry and wanted to meet Bheem. Lord Krishna told that when people are very angry, they should be either let to cry or let what they want even for a small time. This would reduce the anger. So he ordered that an Iron Image of Bheem be made. He then gave that statue to Dhratrashtra. The old king was still so strong that he caught the statue with all his anger till he managed to crush it. Next Gandhari said, that he has no complaints against the Pandavas but was very angry with Sri Krishna. She summoned Sri Krishna. She gave a curse to him saying that just like in front of my very eyes my entire generation has got finished, I curse that you also loose your entire generation in front of your eyes. Sri Krishna said smilingly, Ok, Bua (Auntie) if you say that then it will be like that.
Closing the day’s talk Panditji mentioned that it took 7 days non stop, for all the Bhagwat to be told to Raja Parikshit by Shukdevji. But since we are meeting once a week for one hour, it will take us almost 2 years to complete the entire Bhagwat. He thanked all those who had come and wished that they come continuously.
Date: 18th Jan 2006
Original Hindi : Pt.Satyavan Mishraji
English Translation: Suresh Kumar Ranga
Panditji started by telling the story of a Brahmin called Atmadev who lived on the banks of the river Tungabhadra.
Explanation on Atmadev and Tungabhadra.
Atma is Soul and Dev is body. Atmadev is here referring to all of us. All of us are Atmadev. So through this story we are learning something about ourselves. Tungabhadra is a river in Southern India. The word tunga means high and bhadra means serving.
Atmadev had all material comforts. He had large amount of wealth, good food, large house etc. Physically he was living a good life. He was already 50 years. He was worried of only one thing. He had no children, particularly son. He was very much worried of this fact. So one day he decided to end his life by drowning in a pond. He made up his mind and started to go towards the pond. On the banks of the pond he met a Mahatma (Monk). The Monk was coming back after collecting alms.
Collecting Alms.
In Ancient India, Monks used to wander for alms. They used to collect alms before 12 noon. They used to ask for alms only from 5 houses. Once they collected the alms they would go to the pond. Wash all the vegetables of all spices. All Chapathis used to be washed of to remove any taste. This way they used to offer all the taste to God and used to eat food to sustain their body only. This food was called as Madhukari.
The discussion went further in this way.
Mahatma. What is your name and why do you look so down?
Atmadev. My name is Atmadev. I have come here to end my life.
Mahatma. I have some food with me, so why don’t you eat some. You can then tell me your story.
Atmadev. I have enough food in my house, In fact the problem is I don’t have anyone to eat the food. I have a large house but no one to live.
Mahatma. So your problem is you don’t have a son?
Atmadev. Yes, Mahatmaji, you have told correctly, I don’t have a son. And scriptures say that without a son, who will do my Pinda-dan (offerings to our ancestors who have passed).
Explanation of Pindadan and its significance as mentioned in our scriptures.
In our times when we live in this world, we develop lots of desires. When we die, we are sometimes still worried about our spouse, children, business, work, property etc etc. So even after we die our desires remain un fulfilled. During Pindadaan the son offers these though symbolically to the soul so that it can remove the desires. The Pindadaan does not help in any way to achieve salvation. Hence what ever good deeds we want to do it has to done while we are alive. Nothing can be done once we die.
Mahatma. Very good, you are so blessed that you don’t have a son. See if you had one you would be thinking of the welfare of the son all the time. You would worry of his education, health, marriage etc. God has blessed you by having no son, this way you can concentrate on your self and meditate to realize your higher self.
Atmadev. Mahatmaji, you are making light of my problems. I am really very down. If I don’t have a son, who will light the lamp on my body when I pass.
Mahatma. See Atmadev, you are getting worried unnecessarily. First of all why don’t you offer pindadan your self to your self to the God. Then you need not worry about who will offer it later. In Kaliyug getting a son who is going to be faithful is very difficult. So don’t worry about the lighting of the lamp.
Panditji narrated a real experience he had when a lady came crying to our Sh.Maharajji. Once in Mathura when Panditji was with Maharajji, a lady came and fell to feet of Maharajji. She was crying. Maharajji asked her what was the matter. She said she has no son. So she is destined to go to Narak or hell. Maharajji smiled and told her, in that case, you will find me there too. I have not married and hence have no son. He said there are hundreds of thousands of couples who don’t have sons and they too will be there with us. So when we meet there we will recite the 12th chapter of Geeta and achieve salvation. All doubts of the women cleared. She returned back cheerful thanking Maharajji.
Atmadev. See Mahatmaji, I agree to what you say. But still I long for a son, so can you do something for me atleast. With your blessings I am sure I can get a son.
Mahatmaji was overwhelmed with the request. And as all Mahatma’s who are so kind in heart, he gave a fruit to Atmadev and told him to give it to his wife. He said after his wife has the fruit, they should live a Sattvic (Righteous) life. That way the kid born will be a righteous and good child.
Atmadev, went back home and gave the fruit to his wife. But he did not insist her to eat it then and there. The wife’s name was Dhundli. Atma’s wife is called Buddhi or Intellect. The wife was in two minds, as what Intellect is. One part says, yes then the other part says no, bringing the dual confusion (Dwand) in our life.
Example. When we come to the Satsang, one part of our mind will tell us, there are so many important things to be done, so let us finish all that, satsang can wait. The other part says, that work in the world will never finish. Something will keep cropping up, we have got this good chance to listen to bhagwat so let us go and listen it. This duality is called as dwand.
Dhundli thinks that, after she eats the fruit, she will get pregnant and has to carry the baby for 9 months. All the pain and problems. Now she was so happy, there was no need to worry. So she decided she did not want to eat the fruit. She had a sister. She told the same to her sister also. The sister is our Mind. So we have Soul (Atma) whose wife is Intellect (Buddhi) and whose sister is Mind (Mun). The sister supported the argument of Dhundli. She said that she was any way pregnant and could understand what her sister was telling. So the sisters decided that, when dhundlli’s sister gives birth to a child, dhundhli will tell her husband that it is her child.
An advice to pregnant women. Normally when women are pregnant the type of thoughts they have make the child’s character. When Draupadi was pregnant, Arjun revealed the Charkravyuh knowledge and Abhimanyu in Draupadi’s womb could understand everything. If our women folk also lead Sattvic lives during their pregnancy, we can have brilliant and realized souls.
Dhundli gives the fruit to the cow to eat. At the end of period, dhundhli tells her husband that she has given birth to a child. The child was actually a couple of weeks old. Atmadev got surprised. He told his wife I never say symptoms of pregnancy in you and this child looks a couple of weeks old. The wife told that, this is the Mahatmaji’s fruit’s wonder. At the same time, the cow gave birth to a calf. Because of the Mahatma’s fruit, there had to be a result. The calf was actually not a usual calf. He was born as a child but with ears of a cow. In no time Atmadev understood what had happened. He was anyway happy that instead of one son he got two sons now. He called the son from the cow as Go-Karn.
There was one more instance mentioned here. After the Mahabharata the victorious Pandavas went to meet Dhratrashtra and Gandhari. Dhratrashtra had lost all his sons in the war. He had no sosn left or he had no more generation to look after. He was very angry. He said that he was very angry and wanted to meet Bheem. Lord Krishna told that when people are very angry, they should be either let to cry or let what they want even for a small time. This would reduce the anger. So he ordered that an Iron Image of Bheem be made. He then gave that statue to Dhratrashtra. The old king was still so strong that he caught the statue with all his anger till he managed to crush it. Next Gandhari said, that he has no complaints against the Pandavas but was very angry with Sri Krishna. She summoned Sri Krishna. She gave a curse to him saying that just like in front of my very eyes my entire generation has got finished, I curse that you also loose your entire generation in front of your eyes. Sri Krishna said smilingly, Ok, Bua (Auntie) if you say that then it will be like that.
Closing the day’s talk Panditji mentioned that it took 7 days non stop, for all the Bhagwat to be told to Raja Parikshit by Shukdevji. But since we are meeting once a week for one hour, it will take us almost 2 years to complete the entire Bhagwat. He thanked all those who had come and wished that they come continuously.
posted by Suresh Ranga | 1:11 pm
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