Obeisance to You, O Lord, who yield the fruit of all actions and are omniscient or revealed in the form of Mantras. Salutations to You in the form of Shri Krishna, who is supreme virtue personified and is possessed of unobstructed wisdom, nay, who is the most ancient Person, the Lord of both Sankhya the path of knowledge and Yoga the path of Action.(from Bhagavata Purana "The hymn sung by Lord Shiva" )
CREATIVE BEING PERSONIFIED. NO FEAR. NO HATRED.
IMAGE OF THE UNDYING, BEYOND BIRTH, SELF-EXISTENT.
BY GURU'S GRACE~
CHANT AND MEDITATE:
TRUE HERE AND NOW. O NANAK, FOREVER AND EVER TRUE. ||1||
Transliteration from original Gurmukhi Text: :
Ik oa(n)kaar sath naam karathaa purakh nirabho niravair akaal moorath ajoonee saibha(n) gur prasaadh ॥ ॥ jap ॥
Guru Granth Sahib or Adi Sri Granth Sahib Ji (Punjabi ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ; also called the Adi Granth or Adi Guru Darbar) is more than just a scripture of the Sikhs, for the Sikhs regard and respect the Granth (holy book) as their livingGuru. The holy text spans 1430 pages and contains the actual words spoken by the founders of the Sikh religion (the Ten Gurus of Sikhism).
Guru Granth Sahib was bestowed the Guruship by the last of the living Sikh Masters, Guru Gobind Singh Ji in 1708. Guru Gobind Singh
said before his demise that the Sikhs were to treat the Granth Sahib as
their next Guru. Guru Ji said – “Sab Sikhan ko hokam hai Guru Manyo
Granth” meaning “All Sikhs are commanded to take the Granth as Guru”.
So today, if asked, the Sikhs will tell you that they have a total of 11
Gurus. (10 Gurus in human form, and the eternal shabad Guru, the Guru Granth Sahib).
Unique amongst the world's major religious scriptures, while compiling the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Gurus
incorporated not only their own writings, but also included the
writings of other contemporary saints from Hinduism and Islam (including
saints who belonged to the lowest strata of untouchables in the Hindu
Caste System), who believed in the unity of God and denounced
superstition and caste. Further, the composition and compilation of the
Guru Granth Sahib was performed by the Sikh Gurus themselves, rather than being performed by their adherents and followers, an aspect that has been highlighted
by historian-scholars while discussing the authenticity of the
preachings of the different teachers and prophets of the world, as known
to mankind today.
When one visits a Gurdwara (a Sikh temple), the Guru Granth Sahib forms the main part of the Darbar
Sahib or Main Hall. The holy book is placed on a dominant platform and
covered in a very beautiful and attractively coloured fine cloth. The
platform is always covered by a canopy, which is also decorated in
expensive and very attractive coloured materials. The text in which the
Granth is written is a script called Gurmukhi (literally "From the Guru's mouth"), which is considered a modern development of the ancient language called Sanskrit.
Panchakshara is a Mahamantra which is composed of five letters, Namasivaya.
A Mantra is that which removes all obstacles and miseries of one who reflects on it and bestows eternal bliss and immortality. Panchakshara is
the best among seven crores of Mantras. There are seven Skandhas in Yajurveda. There is Rudradhyayi in the centre of the middle Skandha.
In this Rudradhyayi there are one thousand Rudra Mantras.
Namassivaya or the Siva Panchakshara Mantra shines in the centre of these one
thousand Rudra Mantras. Yajurveda is the head of Paramesvara, who is the Veda Purusha. Rudram which is in the middle is the face, Panchakshara
is His eye, Siva which is in the centre of the ‘Namassivaya’ is the apple of the eye. He who does Japa of this Panchakshara is freed from
births and deaths and attains eternal bliss. This is the emphatic declaration of the Vedas. This Panchakshara is the body of Lord
Nataraja. This is the abode of Lord Siva. If you add ‘Om’ to the ‘Namassivaya’ in the beginning, then it becomes Shadakshara or six-lettered
Mantra. ‘Om Namo Mahadevaya’ is the eight-lettered Mantra or Ashtakshara.
Panchakshara is of six kinds, viz., Sthula Panchakshara (Namassivaya), Sukshma
Panchakshara (Sivaya Namah), Karana Panchakshara (SivayaSiva), Mahakarana Panchakshara (Sivaya), Mahamanu or Mukti Panchakshara (Si).‘Namah’ means ‘Prostration’. ‘Sivaya Namah’ means ‘Prostration unto Lord Siva’.
The Jiva is the servant of Lord Siva from the Deha-Drishti. ‘Namah’ represents Jivatman. ‘Siva’ represents Paramatman. ‘Aya’ denotes
‘Aikyam’ or identity of Jivatman and Paramatman. Hence ‘Sivaya Namah’ is a Mahavakya, like ‘Tat Tvam Asi’ which signifies the identity between
the individual and the supreme soul.
Pranava denotes the external form (husk) of the Lord (paddy) and Panchakshara,
theinternal Svarupa (rice). Pranava and Panchakshara are one. The five letter s denote the five actions or Pancha Krityas of the Lord, viz.,
Srishti (creation), Sthiti (preservation), Samhar (destruction), Tirodhana (veiling) and Anugraha (blessing). They also denote the
five elements and all creations through the combination of the five elements.‘Na’ represents Tirodhana; ‘Ma’, the Mala or impurity; ‘Si’,
Lord Siva; ‘Va’, the Arul Sakti; and ‘Ya’, the individual soul.
Take bath or wash your face, hands and feet. Wear Bhasma and Rudraksha Mala. Sit
on Padmasana or Sukhasana, facing East or North, in a quiet place or room. Repeat silently the Panchakshara and meditate on the form of Lord
Siva. Keep the image in the heart or space between the eyebrows. If you practise meditation regularly, your heart will be purified. All
Samskaras and sins will be burnt in toto. You will attain
Siva-Yoga-Nishtha or Nirvikalpa Samadhi. You will attain the glorious Siva-Pada
or Siva-Gati and become one with Lord Siva. You will enjoy the eternal bliss of Sivanandam and become immortal.
Now be pleased to explain to me, O highly blessed one, how a man in this world can (manage to) escape from hell, full of various horrible tortures.
Sri Sukadeva Goswami replied:
If a man does not atone during his very lifetime and in the proper way (as laid down in the scriptures such as Manusmrti) for sins committed (by him) with his mind, speech and hands (body), he inevitably and actually goes after death to the infernal regions, that have already been described by me to you, and which are provide with means of severe torments. Therefore, with a body not (yet) incapacitated (for penance), one should take prompt measures here, even before death, for the atonement of one’s sins, after weighing the gravity and lightness of the crime, just as a physician who knows the cause of maladies would adopt prompt remedies before it is too late, duly considering the seriousness or mildness of a complaint.
The king said:
Since a man, though knowing a sin to be hurtful to his self on the testimony of what is actually seen and heard of by him, repeats it (even after atoning for it), having lost control (over his self), how could there be (any) atonement (for his sins) under the circumstances (so long as the sinful propensity is there)? Now he is absolved from a sin and now he does it again. Such being the case, I account (all) atonement fruitless like the bath of an elephant (which throws dust on its body immediately after it was washed itself).
Sri Suka replied:
Indeed the counteraction of a (sinful) act through (another) action (by way of penance) is not accepted as radical (since there is every possibility of a man's falling back into sin even after the process of expiation has been undergone, so long as he is identified with the body), the ignorant (those identified with the body) alone being qualified for it (the expiatory process). Self-knowledge (alone) is (therefore) the (true) atonement (for it is knowledge alone which eradicates ignorance, the root of sin). Maladies do not actually attack him who eats wholesome food. In the same way, he who practices self-discipline, O king, gradually becomes qualified for blessedness (final beatitude). Through concentration of mind and continence, subjugation of the mind and control of the external Indriyas (the senses of perception and the organs of action), charity, truthfulness and purity (of body and mind), the vows of non-violence etc., and sacred observances (such as the muttering of prayers), the wise, who are conversant with (the spirit of) Dharma (righteousness) and full of reverence are able to get rid of even the greatest sin, committed through body, speech and mind, just as fire destroys a (whole) thicket of bamboos. A few (rarely blessed) souls, who are devoted to Lord Vasudeva, destroy (the stock of) their sins completely (with their very root in the form of ignorance) through mere devotion, even as the sun destroys mist in its entirety. Indeed a sinner, O king, is not purified so well through asceticism and other (expiatory) processes as the one who had dedicated his (very) life to Sri Krsna-(Krishna) through the constant service of His devotees. For in this world this path (of Devotion) is the best of all, in that it is full of bliss because it has no fear from any quarter. On this path tread pious (desireless) souls who are amiably (kindly) disposed (towards all) and devoted to Bhagavan Narayana. (All sorts of) atonements done fail to purify in a thorough way, O king of kings, him who has turned his face away from Bhagavan Narayana, even as (a number of) rivers (combined) cannot purify a jar of wine. They who have (but) once in their life fixed on the lotus-feet of Lord Sri Krsna-(Krishna) their mind, that has conceived an attachment for His excellences, never behold even in a dream Yama (the god of retribution) and his servants, carrying a noose (in their hand), since they have actually done (all) atonement.
Further, (as an illustration) on this point, the learned narrate the following old legend, in which there occurs a conversation between the messengers of Lord Visnu-(Vishnu) and Yama, (Now) hear it from me. In (the city of) Kanyakubja (the modern Kannauja) there lived a certain Brahmana, Ajamila by name, who had kept a maid-servant (a woman of the servant class) and polluted by intercourse (cohabitation) with that Sudra woman, had cast to the winds (all) pious conduct (enjoined on a Brahmana householder). Making a reproachful living by robbery, gambling, cheating and theft and (thus) maintaining his family, the impious fellow tortured (and put to death) living beings (and supported his family on their flesh when food could not be got by other means). As he thus maintained (his) existence, fondling the (many) offspring of that Sudra woman, O king, a considerable period, equivalent to eighty-eight years of his life, rolled by. The old man had ten sons (by that woman); he who was the youngest of them, Narayana by name, was yet a child and was (therefore) greatly loved by his parents. Having fastened his heart on that sweetly lisping infant, the old fellow felt extremely delighted while watching its sports. Feeding it while (himself) taking his meals or chewing anything (by way of refreshment), and giving it water to drink while (himself) drinking it, bound as he was by (ties of) love to the child, the silly man did not perceive (the hour of) death, which had (now) arrived.
Thus continuing, the fool thought of his juvenile son, named Narayana, when the hour of death (actually) arrived. Beholding three most terrible male figures with wry faces and hair standing on end, that had come to take him, noose in hand, Ajamila, (greatly) agitated in mind, called by name his son, named Narayana, who was busy with (his) playthings away at (some) distance (from him), in a loud and lengthened tone. Hearing the loud utterance of Sri Hari`s (blessed name by dying man (Ajamila), who was calling (though unconsciously) the name of their Master (Bhagavan Narayana), O great king, His attendants rushed to the spot (there) all of a sudden. The messengers of Lord Visnu-(Vishnu) stopped by force the servants of Yama, that were (at that moment) tearing (the soul of) Ajamila, who had kept a maid-servant, from inside his heart. (Thus) forbidden, the servants of Yama said to them:”Who are you that (thus) interfere with the authority of Yama (the deity presiding over righteousness? Whose representatives are you or whence have you come, and wherefore do you forbid his being taken away (by us)? Are you (some) gods or demigods or some foremost Siddhas (a class of demigods endowed with mystic powers by their very birth)? With eyes resembling the petals of a lotus and clad in yellow silk, you are all adorned with a diadem, a pair of ear-rings and a shining wreath of lotuses! Besides, you are all in the bloom of youth and all possessed of four lovely arms and graced with a bow, quiver, sword, mace, conch, discus and lotus. Driving away the darkness of the quarters and overshadowing (all) other (material) lights by your splendour, what for do you hinder us, the servants of Yama (the protector of virtue)?
Sri Suka continued:
In reply to the aforesaid questions asked by those messengers of Yama, the servants of Lord Vasudeva heartily laughed and addressed the following (words) to them in a voice (deep) as the rumbling of clouds.
The messengers of Visnu said:
If you are really servants of Yama (the deity presiding over righteousness), (please) tell us the true character of virtue and also the means of ascertaining it. How is punishment meted out and who is intended to be its object? Are all the doers subject to punishment or (only) some (doers) of the human species?
The messengers of Yama replied:
Dharma (righteousness) is (that which is) enjoined by the Veda and the reverse of it (that which is forbidden by the Veda) is Adharma (unrighteousness). And we have heard (from Yama and others) that the Veda is Bhagavan Narayana Himself (from whom it has emanated) and self-born (in the sense that it flows from His nostrils by way of respiration without any conscious effort on His part). It is by Narayana that all these existences (living beings) made up of (the three modes of Prakrti, viz.,) Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, are duly evolved in His own being with (their distinctive) qualities, denominations, activities and forms. The sun, the sky, the air, the Indriyas (the senses of perception and the organs of action), the moon, the morning and evening twilights, day and night, the (four) quarters, water, the earth, Time and Dharma (the god of piety)-these indeed are the witnesses of (the good and evil actions of) a Jiva (an embodied soul). Unrighteousness as ascertained by (the evidence of) these are determined to be a fit occasion for punishment. And all doers (without distinction) deserve punishment in consideration of their (sinful) actions. For good as well as evil deeds are capable of being done by men given to action, O sinless ones, inasmuch as they are (ever) associated with three Gunas (modes of Prakrti), and no one invested with a body can help doing action (with one's mind, speech or body). He alone by whom a virtuous or sinful act was performed in this world reaps in the other world the fruit of it in the same manner and to the same extent it was actually done. Just as in this world, O jewels among gods, there are found three varieties of living beings (viz., those living a life of ease, those dragging a miserable existence and those who are partly happy and partly miserable, or again those who are tranquil by nature, those who are ferocious and those who are dull, or, according to a third classification, those who are pious by temperament, those who are vicious by nature and those who are of a mixed temperament, and as this heterogeneity cannot be explained except by assuming that the said three types of beings severally performed meritorious, sinful and mixed deeds in the past), so from the diversity (in the proportion) of three Gunas (manifested in the form of virtuous, sinful and mixed types of actions on the part of men in this world) it is inferred that they will reap the three corresponding types of fruit (in the form of happiness, misery and mixture of both) in another life. (Again), just as a current period of time indicates the characteristic of the past as well as the future rounds of the same period, so the current life (of a man) is illustrative of the merits and sins of the past as well as of the future incarnations. (Our master,) the omniscient Yama, who is (another) Brahma (as it were), clearly perceives (while) at his (own) capital (Samyamani) by his very mind the former state of existence (including the record of virtuous and sinful deeds) of a departed soul and reflects with his mind on his future (destiny) too. (Even) as a man in sleep (the dream state) treats as his self the body revealed in the dream alone and not the one existing before the dream state nor that which will follow the dream state, so the ignorant Jiva (too) identifies itself with its existing psycho-physical organism (the one revealed by its past actions) alone and has no knowledge of the one preceding it nor of the succeeding one, having lost (all) memory of its past incarnation. The Jiva, itself constituting the seventeenth principle (over and above the sixteen constituents of the subtle body, with which it stands identified, viz., the ten Indriyas, the mind and the five objects of senses, viz., the subtle elements), discharges its own functions (of grasping things, locomotion and so on) with the five organs of actions, perceives the five objects of senses with the five senses of perception and experiences with the sixteenth (viz., the mind) the threefold objects of the senses of perception, the organs of action and the mind, all alone. This well-known subtle body, consisting of (the aforesaid) sixteen parts, and a product of the three Gunas (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, endowed with the three potencies of illumination, activity and obscuration respectively) and exceedingly tenacious, subjects the Jiva again and again to transmigration, which is a source of joy and sorrow, fear and affliction. The ignorant Jiva (which stands identified with a body and), that has not subdued the five senses of perception and the mind, is prompted (by that subtle body) to fall back upon action, though unwilling (to do so), and veiling itself with a network of Karma, even as a silk-worm wraps itself in a cocoon, stands bewildered (finding no way out of it). Indeed none remains actionless at any time even for an instant; for everyone is forcibly impelled-by attachment etc., (born of the three Gunas-Sattva, Rajas and Tamas-and) resulting from the impressions of past actions-to do action against his will. Having found an occasion in the form of merit or sin resulting from one's past actions, a psycho-physical organism (consisting of a gross and subtle body) actually moulds itself either after the womb (the mother's body or after the seed (the body of the father) according to the irresistible tendencies of the Jiva (occupying it). This degeneration of the soul (in the shape of loss of its blissful character and it's being reduced to a wretched state as a result of identifying itself with a psycho-physical organism) has been due to its association with Prakrti (Matter). (And) the degeneration ceases before long through devotion to God (and by no other means).
This fellow (Ajamila) was indeed endowed with learning (the knowledge of the Vedas and other scriptures), a (veritable) abode of amiability, good conduct and virtues (like forgiveness), had taken a vow of worship, prayer and so on and controlled his senses, was gentle (and) truthful, well-versed in sacred formulas and pure (in habits). (Nay,) he worshipped the sacred fire (by pouring oblations into it) and served his preceptor, strangers (calling at his house) and elders, was a friend to all living beings, free from egotism, pious, taciturn and uncavilling (by nature). One day, this Brahmana went to the woods in obedience to his father’s command; and as he returned therefrom, taking fruits and flowers, sticks for the sacrificial fire and Kusa grass, he saw (on the way) a (most) profligate Sudra, who was a (most) libidinous and shameless fellow, drunk with spirituous liquor distilled from meal, sporting with a harlot of the same class-who was not only (similarly) drunk, with her eyes swimming through intoxication but stood by his side in a half-naked condition (with the knot of her loincloth loosened)-and (also) singing and joking with her. Seeing her folded in the arm of that Sudra, which was painted with unguents exciting lust, this man (Ajamila) was inspired with extravagant passion and succumbed to (the darts of) love all at once. Though controlling his mind by recourse to reason with all his firmness and by dint of his learning, he could not compose it, agitated as it was with love. Possessed by the devil of love excited by (the sight of) that (lewd) woman, and (thus) deprived of reason and thinking of her alone with his mind, he actually deviated from his duty (neglected all his sacred obligations). With the entire fortune of his father (at his disposal) he indulged her alone through carnal pleasures delightful to her mind so that she might be pleased (with him). The sinful fellow, whose judgement had been crippled by the sidelong glance of that lewd woman, abandoned before long his own wedded wife, a Brahmana girl, still in the prime of youth and bestowed on him (by her father) in view of his noble pedigree. (Having spent on her all the fortune of his father,) this stupid fellow brought money from here and there by fair and foul means and maintained the family (progeny) of this woman, who was (soon) the mother of many children. Because this fellow-who having violated (the injunctions of) the scriptures, acted according to his own will and was (therefore) censured by (all) worthy men-led a sinful life and lived for a long time in Āan impure state; eating the food polluted by the touch of a harlot, we shall accordingly take this sinner, who has done no atonement (for his crimes so far), to the presence of Yama (who wields the rod of punishment), where he will be purified through punishment.
Sri Suka went on:
Having thus heard and (duly) followed the dissertation of the messengers of Yama, the aforesaid messengers of the Lord, who were masters of the moral science, now replied to them (as follows), O king (Pariksit)!
The messengers of Visnu said:
Oh, what a pity that unrighteousness should penetrate the court of the knowers of Dharma (the secret of virtue), where punishment is unnecessarity inflicted by those very knowers of Dharma on sinless people who do not deserve any! If iniquity appears in (the heart of) those who are protectors (like a father) and teachers of the people and are beneficent and even-minded (to all), whom shall the people resort to for protection? Whatever a superior man does, that very thing the common (ignorant) man (also) does. The people (at large) follow that which the former sets up as a standard (to be followed). Like a brute, the common man himself has no knowledge of righteousness or unrighteousness and (generally) sleeps at ease (over this question), resting his head on the lap (utterly depending on the wisdom) of another (his ruler or preceptor). How can it be worthy of the latter, if he is full of compassion and deserves the confidence of (all) living beings, to seek to harm the unwary world that has thrown itself entirely at his mercy, reposing (full) trust on him?
This man has actually done atonement (not only for the sins of this life but) even for sins committed (by him) through millions of lives (in the past) in that he uttered though in a helpless state, the name of Sri Hari, which (apart from its being the highest atonement for past sins) is a (direct) means to the attainment of (supreme) felicity (final beatitude). The atonement for (all) the sins of this (erstwhile) sinner must have been made by the mere fact that he pronounced a mere semblance of the four-syllabled name of the Lord `NĀRĀYANA’, while exclaiming (calling his son in the words):˝Nārāyana,come (here)!˝ The articulation of a name of Lord Visnu-(Vishnu)-that is the only thorough atonement for the sins of all classes of sinners, be he a thief, a drinker (of spirituous liquor), one guilty of treachery to a friend, a Brahmana-slayer, one sharing the bed of a preceptor`s wife, a slayer of a woman, a king, one`s own parent or a cow and whatever other (types of) sinners there may be; for thereby (by the utterance of the Lord's name) the Lord’s (own) mind is directed towards the utterer (who is thenceforward remembered by Him as His protege). A sinner is not purified to that extent (so thoroughly) through fasting and other processes of expiation recommended by the expositors of the Veda (Manu and others) as he is by words standing as names for Sri Hari, articulated (merely with the tongue); for the utterance of such words puts him in mind of the (divine) attributes of the glorious Lord (and thus qualifies the man for final beatitude by drawing him towards the Lord, the Bestower of Liberation, unlike the other forms of expiation, which exhaust themselves in wiping out the sins). For, the process of expiation is not complete if one’s mind runs back to evil ways even after the said process has been gone through. Therefore, in the case of those seeking the eradication of their (stock of) sinful Karma the uttering of the praises of Sri Hari is the only remedy; for the same undoubtedly purifies the mind.
Therefore, do not take, by wrong path (the path of the sinners), (the soul of) this man, who has done atonement for all (his) sins in that he articulated the Lord’s name in full (while, as a matter of fact, it wipes out one’s sins even when uttered in part) and at time when he was about to die (when there was no possibility of his reverting to the path of sin and thereby incurring any more sin; for one cannot ordinarily be expected to take the Lord’s name precisely at the moment of death).
The learned recognize the articulation of a name of Lord Visnu-(Vishnu) as capable of eradicating all one’s sins, even when it is intended to denote someone else, or when it is uttered jestingly (in love but not jeeringly) or as an interjection in the midst of a song or out of (seeming) disrespect (but not real; for disrespect actually shown to the Lord or a jeer flung at Him constitutes in itself an unpardonable sin). A man who articulates the word ‘Hari’ (or, for that matter, any other name of the Lord even) involuntarily (without any conscious effort on his part) when fallen down, stumbled, bitten (by a snake or any other poisonous creature) heated (by fever etc.), injured (by a blow) or when he has broken a limb, no longer deserves (to suffer) torment (in hell). Arduous and easy processes of expiation have been thoughtfully prescribed by the great sages (law-givers) in the case of (comparatively) great and small sins. Those sins are (certainly) got rid of by the said processes of expiation such as austere penance, charity and Japa (muttering of prayers), but not the kernel (vestiges in the form of impressions) of those sins, which is (also) traceable to the unrighteous acts. Those impressions too are obliterated through the service of (devotion to) the Lord’s feet. Any name of the Lord of excellent renown, which is distinctly pronounced (by a man)-(whether) knowingly (with the consciousness that it wipes out all one’s sins) or unknowingly (without such knowledge)-destroys a man’s sins (as surely) as a fire consumes the fuel (under all circumstances, no matter whether it has been kindled by a man who knows its burning properties or by an innocent child who is unaware of its burning capacity). Just as a medicine possessing the highest potency is sure to produce its salutary effect even on one who is unaware of its efficacy, though taken by chance, so does the Lord’s name reveal its efficacy (in the shape of wiping out all one’s sins) even in the case of him who is unaware of it, when uttered by him (even) casually.
Sri Suka resumed:
Having thus expounded in a well-reasoned and conclusive way the cult of Devotion to the Lord (with particular reference to the marvellous efficacy of the Divine Name), O king (Pariksit), and extricated the said Brahmana (Ajamila) from the noose of Yama (the god of punishment), the messengers of Lord Visnu-(Vishnu) secured his release from (the grip of) Death. Thus foiled in controversy (by the Lord’s own messengers), the messengers of Yama returned to the presence of Yama (their master) and faithfully reported everything to king Yama, O subduer of foes.
Disentangled from the noose (of Yama) and rid of fear, the Brahmana (Ajamila) was his former self again (became healthy and pious as before) and, delighted with their sight, bowed his head to the servants of Lord Visnu-(Vishnu). Perceiving him eager to speak, the servants of Bhagavan Visnu-(Vishnu) (the Supreme Person) suddenly disappeared at that (very) spot, even as he looked on, O sinless one. Having heard from the mouth severally of the messengers of Sri Krsna-(Krishna) (Lord Visnu-Vishnu) and Yama an exposition of the cult of Devotion to the Lord-which is untainted by the Gunas (inasmuch as it is concerned from the beginning to the end with the worship of the Lord, who is entirely beyond the realm of the three Gunas and takes one beyond the world of matter, which is a product of the three Gunas)-and the path of worldly activity (which is mainly concerned with the world of matter and holds out the promise of heavenly bliss, a product of the three Gunas, and has been) taught by the three Vedas (which mainly deal with rituals), Ajamila too now soon conceived devotion to the Lord as a result of hearing the glories of Sri Hari (the Destroyer of all sins) and great was his repentance as he recollected his (past) sin. (He said to himself,) ˝Oh, it was the worst tragedy for me, who forfeited my Brahmanhood by being born˝ (reproduced in the form of sons) through a Sudra woman, because of my being unable to curb my (lower) self (animal passions)! Fie upon my wicked self, condemned by (all) good men, the blot of my race, who kept an unchaste wench given to drinking, having abandoned a faithful wife who was yet very young. Oh, my aged parents, who were without a protector and had no other relation (such as a son) and were much afflicted (because of me), were forthwith deserted by my ungrateful self as by a vile man. As such I shall surely fall into a most dreadful hell, where lustful men, who have violated Dharma (righteousness) suffer tortures inflicted by Yama.
˝Was (all) this wonder seen by me in a dream or with my own eyes here (in waking life)? Where have they now gone, who proceeded to tear me (my life) from my body, noose in hand? Again, where have those four angelic persons gone, who were (so) good-looking and got me released while I was being taken to the infernal regions (situated below the earth), fastened with nooses? Though I have been so accursed (in my present birth), yet I must have earned (in my previous lives some) extraordinary merit which blessed me with the sight of those foremost gods, as a result of which my mind is so calm and cheerful (today). Otherwise (but for such extraordinary merit) my tongue, the tongue of an impious fellow, who kept a Sudra woman, was not fit to utter the name of Lord Visnu-(Vishnu)-the only means of capturing Him-in this helpless state and at a time when I was on the verge of death. The two stood poles asunder-myself, a wicked swindler, lost to (all) shame, who violated his Brahmanhood, and the (most) auspicious name of the Lord, ‘Nārā yana’. Having controlled my mind, Indriyas (the senses of perception as well as the organs of action) and breath, I shall as such so endeavour that I may not drown myself in the blinding gloom of transmigration again. Having got rid of the bondage of mundane existence-so well-known (in the shape of ties of attachment to son, wife, house and so on), and resulting from ignorance (manifested in the form of self-identification with the body etc.), and from the craving for the gratification of the senses and activity (in the shape of endeavour to procure such gratification)-benevolent to all living beings, free from craving for the pleasures of sense, friendly and compassionate (to all) and with (my) mind fully controlled, I shall redeem myself, completely dominated as I am by the Lord’s Maya (deluding potency) in the shape of woman, by whom my wretched self has indeed been fully toyed with even as an animal kept for pleasure. Giving up the sense of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ in relation severally to the body and whatever is connected with it, and with my thought fixed on the real substance (the Spirit), I shall devote my mind to the almighty Lord when it has been purified by chanting His names and praises and other ways of Devotion (such as hearing His praises and remembering Him)˝.
Sri Suka began again:
Having thus conceived a thorough aversion to the pleasures of sense, thanks to a moment’s association with the pious servants of Lord Visnu-(Vishnu) and throwing off all fetters (in the shape of affection for his mistress and children), Ajamila retired to Gangadwara (the sacred spot where the holy river Ganga descends into the plains, and which is now known by the name of Hariksetra or Haridwara). Setting down at that holy place (an eternal abode of the Lord) and betaking himself to the path of Yoga, he withdrew all his senses (from their objects) and fixed his mind on the supreme self. Then, dissociating the mind from the body and senses etc., trough concentration of the same, he devoted it to the essence of the Lord, (known by the name of) Brahma, that is all consciousness. When his mind was (thus) irrevocably fixed on the aforesaid Brahma, the Brahmana beheld in front of him the same (angelic) persons and, recognizing them, as seen before, bowed his head to them. Having quitted his (earthly) body at that sacred place (Gangadwara) on the bank of the (holy) Ganga (immediately) after their sight, he forthwith assumed a (divine) body similar to the form of the Lord’s attendants (dwelling by His side). Mounting an aerial car made of gold, the Brahmana (Ajamila) ascended with those servants of Lord Visnu (the Supreme Person) through the heavens to the (divine) realm (known by the name of Vaikuntha), where resides the Spouse of Sri (the goddess of beauty and prosperity).
In this way that Brahmana, who, consequent on his having kept a woman of the menial class had transgressed all his sacred duties and broken his vows (of fidelity to his wife and so on) and who had not only fallen (from his Brahmanhood) due to his reprehensible conduct but was going to be cast to hell (by the servants of Yama), was at once completely freed (from the noose of Yama) by uttering the Divine Name. For those seeking liberation there is nothing more efficacious in cutting the root of sin (in the form of identification with the body) than chanting the Name and glories of Lord Visnu-(Vishnu) (whose feet purify those who resort to them). Thanks to the chanting of His names, the mind does not (ordinarily) get attached to (sinful) actions again, whereas it remains tainted with Rajas and Tamas (even) after purificatory processes other than this have been gone through.
He who, full of reverence hears this legend, which is a most profound secret (of the scriptures) and is capable of destroying (all) one’s sins, as well as he who repeats it with devotion (after hearing it) never goes to hell nor dare the servants of Yama look at him. However accursed (sinful) he may have been, such a mortal is adored (hereafter) in Vaikuntha (the realm of Lord Visnu-Vishnu). Even (a great sinner like) Ajamila, who uttered, while dying (in a helpless state without reverence) the name of Sri Hari and that too in its secondary application as denoting his son, ascended to the Lord’s (divine) Abode! What wonder, then, if one who pronounces it with reverence should attain to His Abode?
Source: Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana by C. L. Goswami, M. A., Shastri
Lift
the heart up to Govinda, lift the heart up to Govinda, lift
the heart up to Govinda, O foolish mind! When
thou art at death's door, the
rules of grammar which you are trying to master will be of no avail! Lift
the heart up to Govinda..... (From Bhaja Govindam of Shri Adi Sankaracarya)
Maitreya
began again:
1.
The
Prithu's son, Vijitashva of great renown, became the emperor. Full of fraternal
love, he gave to his younger brothers a quarter each of the earth's surface to
rule over.
2.
To
Haryaksha, the emperor assigned the eastern quarter, to Dhumrakesha, the
southern; to the one known as Vrika, the western, and the northern to Dravina.
3.
Having
acquired from Indra, the lord of paradise the secret of invisibility, he earned
the surname of Antardhana. Through his wife Shikhandini he begot three sons, who
were highly esteemed by all.
4.
Pavaka,
Pavamana and Shuci by name, they were fire-gods bearing the same names
formerly in their previous incarnation, born as human beings under the curse of
the sage Vasistha, they eventually attained once more to the glorious state of
fire-gods by practising Yoga.
5.
Antardhana,
who it will be remembered had refused to strike Indra, even though he had come
to know that Indra had stolen his father's horse, got a fourth son Havirdhana by
name by his other wife Nabhaswati.
6.
Under the
pretext of participating in a protracted sacrificial session he relinquished the
kingly duties, regarding them as cruel in that they involved the unpleasant task
of exacting tributes, inflicting punishment and levying taxes and so on.
7.
Even
though occupied with that sacrificial session, the king who had realized the
Self adored the Supreme Spirit, who is perfect in everyway and ends the
suffering of His votaries, and attained a residence in the same Heaven with the
Lord by dint of thorough and uninterrupted concentration of mind.
8.
Through
Havirdhana Antardhana's son, O Vidura, Havirdhani his wife bore six sons-Barhishad,
Gaya, Shukla, Krishna, Satya and Jitavrata by name.
9.
Of these
the highly blessed Barhisad, the eldest son of Havirdhana, became the ruler. He
was well-versed in the sections of the Veda dealing with the rituals, as well as
in the methods of Yoga, O worthy scion of Kuru.
10.
As a
result of his performing sacrifices one after another close to the place
enclosed for each foregoing sacrifice the entire land was covered with blades of
Kusha grass with their pointed ends turned towards the east.
11.
He married
Shatadruti, a daughter of the deity presiding over the ocean, recommended by
Brahma the god of gods, who was charming in every limb and was still very young,
and for whom the fire-god himself conceived a passion the moment he saw her
going round the fire during the nuptials, richly bedecked with ornaments, even
as he did on yet another occasion for Shuki a princess of that name.
12.
Nay, even
other gods, demons, Gandharvas celestial musicians, sages, Siddhas a class of
demigods endowed with mystic powers from their very birth, human beings and
Nagas in every quarter were captivated by the newly-married bride as she walked
producing a tinkling sound with her anklets.
13.
Ten sons
were born to king Pracinabarhi so-called because of his having covered the
earth's surface with blades of Kusha grass with their pointed ends turned
eastward, through his wife Shatadruti. They bore common name of Praceta; their
mode of life was the same and they were all fully conversant with the moral
code.
14-15.
Enjoined
by their father to beget children, they entered a lake almost as extensive as a
sea for austerities and, having duly controlled their mind, worshipped Shri Hari
the lord of austerities through their asceticism for ten thousand years,
contemplating on and adoring Him and muttering what had been imparted to them by
Lord Shiva, whom they had met on the way and who had showered His grace on them.
Vidura
said:
16.
Pray, tell
me, O holy sage, how came about the meeting of the Pracetas with Lord Shiva on
the way, and what significant precept Lord Hara the Destroyer of the universe
was pleased to impart to them.
17.
It is
indeed difficult for mortals, O Brahmana sage, to get an opportunity to meet
Lord Shiva, on whom even sages have only been able to contemplate as the
cherished object of their desire by shaking off all attachment.
18.
Though
revelling in the Self, Lord Bhava the Source of all creation goes about the
world associated with His terrible destructive energy in the person of Goddess
Shiva for the maintenance of the world order.
Maitreya
went on:
19.
Having
received their father's command with bowed heads, the pious Pracetas set out in
a westerly direction with their mind earnestly set on austerities.
20.
At some
distance they saw a very large lake almost as extensive as a sea and pellucid as
the mind of an exallted soul, with the creatures inhabiting it ever cheerful.
21.
A home of
blue and red lilies, lotuses, Kahlaras-lilies blossoming at dusk and blue
lotuses, the lake resounded with the notes of swans, cranes, Cakravakas-ruddy
geese and Karandavas a species of ducks.
22.
Hemmed in
by creepers and trees which were thrilled with joy as it were to hear the sweet
humming of drunken bees, it presented a gala appearance due to the breeze
scattering in all directions the pollen from the seed-vessel of full-blown
lotuses.
23.
The
princes were wonder-struck to hear music which ravished the mind by its weird
style and was preceded by the sound of clay and wooden tomtoms.
24-25.
That very
moment they were filled with curiosity to behold the dark-necked and three-eyed
Lord Shiva the foremost of gods, refulgent like a mass of red-hot gold and
inclined to shower His grace on His votaries, issuing from the lake with His
retinue, His glories being sung by Gandharvas and Kinnaras attendants of the
gods; and the princes bowed to Him.
26.
The Lord,
who relieves the agony of His suppliants and is a lover of righteousness, gladly
spoke to the princes, who were not only well-versed in the moral code but also
possessed a noble character and felt much delighted at His sight.
Shri Rudra
said:
27.
You are
the sons of king Vedisad-Barhisad; your intention too is known to Me. It is only
to shower My grace on you, may all be well with you, that I have thus blessed
you with My sight.
28.
He is
indeed supremely dear to Me, who has directly taken refuge in Lord Vasudeva, who
is beyond both the Unmanifest, consisting of the three Gunas Sattva, Rajas and
Tamas, and the Spirit, known by the name of Jiva.
29.
A man
devoted to his own duty prescribed in the Shastras attains to the position of
Brahma the creator after a hundred lives and realizes Me only if he has acquired
still higher merit. A devotee of the Lord, on the other hand, ascends
immediately after death to the supreme Abode of Bhagavan Vishnu, which lies
entirely beyond the realm of Matter and which Myself as Rudra and the other gods
holding some office in the cosmic order shall reach only after the dissolution
of our subtle body at the expiry of our term of office.
30.
Now you
are all devotees of the Lord and as such are dear to Me as the Lord Himself. And
to the votaries of the Lord either, no one else is ever dearer than Myself.
31.
Now
distinctly hear this holy and supremely auspicious hymn, which is also conducive
to final beatitude; I hereby impart it to you.
Maitreya
resumed:
32.
With a
heart full of compassion Lord Shiva, who is ever devoted to Bhagavan Narayana,
spoke the following words to those princes, who stood with joined palms before
Him.
Shri Rudra
said:
33.
Your glory
tends to the blessedness unfoldment of the blissful nature of the foremost among
the knowers of the Self; may it conduce to My blessedness as well. You ever
exist as the supremely Blissful; hail to You, the supreme Spirit, who have
assumed all forms.
34.
Obeisance
to Him who has a lotus constituting the universe sprung from His navel, the
Controller of the subtle elements and the senses, to Vasudeva the first and
foremost of the four Vyuhas or manifestations of the Lord, the one presiding
over the Citta or reason, who is ever tranquil, immutable and self-luminous.
35.
Salutations to Sankarsana the second of the four Vyuhas, that presides over the
ego, who is unmanifest and infinite and destroys the universe by the fire
issuing from His mouth at the time of universal dissolution, and to Pradyumna
the third Vyuha, from whom comes the highest knowledge of the world and who
presides over the intellect or understanding.
36.
Hail, hail
to Aniruddha the fourth manifestation, presiding over the mind, which is the
controller of the sense. Obeisance to You as the sun-god, who pervades the
universe by His effulgence and is devoid of growth and decay.
37.
Salutations to Him who is the door to heaven and final beatitude and who
constantly dwells in a pure heart. Hail to the Fire-god who has effulgence for
his energy, through whom are accomplished sacrifices performed with the help of
four priests, Hota, Adhwaryu, Udgata and Brahma and who makes for the
continuance of sacrifices.
38.
Obeisance
to Sri Hari the Lord of the three Vedas, who as the moon-god, the seed of Yajna,
serves as the food of both the manes and the gods, and salutations again to the
Lord who in the form of water gratifies all embodied beings.
39.
Salutations to You, who appear as the bodies of all living beings as well as the
Cosmic Body and take the form of earth. Hail to You, who as the wind-god sustain
all the three worlds and are endowed with the strength of mind, senses and body.
40.
Obeisance
to the Lord, who as ether supplies a clue to the existence of objects through
its attribute, sound and provides a basis for the conception of inside and
outside. Salutations to Him in the form of that well-known sacred sphere of
great splendour known by the name of heaven.
41.
Hail to
You in the form of worldly activity and activity carried on in
retirement-leading severally to the attainment of the world of the manes and the
region of the gods-and also in the form of death which is the fruit of
unrighteousness and causes pain.
42.
Obeisance
to You, O Lord, who yield the fruit of all actions and are omniscient or
revealed in the form of Mantras. Salutations to You in the form of Shri Krishna,
who is supreme virtue personified and is possessed of unobstructed wisdom, nay,
who is the most ancient Person, the Lord of both Sankhya the path of knowledge
and Yoga the path of Action.
43.
Hail to
You, who as Rudra the god of destruction preside over the ego and are endowed
with the three potencies in the form or doer-ship, instrumentality and activity.
Obeisance to You, who as Brahma, the creator are knowledge and activity
personified, and from whom proceeds the vast wealth of speech.
44.
Pray,
bless us-who are keen to behold You-with Your sight, which is held in such great
estemm by Your devotees. Be pleased to reveal to us Your beautiful form, the
most beloved of Your votaries, which delights all the senses by its numerous
excellences.
45.
It is
cerulean as a charming rain-cloud and the conglomeration of all elegance. It has
four long graceful arms and a winsome countenance perfect in every detail.
46.
It has
eyes resembling the petals in the heart of a lotus, captivating eyebrows and a
shapely nose, lovely teeth, ravishing cheeks and mouth, and ears exactly
corresponding with each other and serving as ornaments.
47.
With the
outer corners of its eyes smiling as it were with affection. Your form is decked
with flowing tresses, is covered by a shining fine cloth-yellow as the filaments
of a lotus-and is adorned with a pair of polished ear-rings.
48.
It is
further graced with a brilliant diadem, bracelets, a pearl necklace, anklets and
girdle; and its glory is heightened by a conch, a discus, a mace, a lotus, a
garland of sylvan flowers and gems of various kinds.
49.
It carries
about its shoulders, resembling those of a lion, the lustre of the ear-rings and
necklace etc.. the Kaustubha gem lending charm to its neck; and the form is
brightened by the bosom, which outshines the touchstone bearing a streak of gold
on it by Goddess Shri, ever abiding thereon in the form of a golden streak.
50.
Its belly,
resembling the leaf of the Indian fig tree in shape, looks very attractive with
its three folds, which are shaking with the alternate inhalation and exhalation
of air. By its deep navel, spiral in shape like whirlpool, it is inviting the
universe as it were to return to its source, the belly.
51.
The fine
yellow loin-cloth and the girdle of gold shine all the more brightly by contrast
on the swarthy hips. Again the form looks very comely by its pairs of beautiful
feet, shanks, things and depressed knees, each pair matching perfectly.
52.
With Your
feet shining as the petals of an autumnal lotus and driving away the darkness of
our heart by the splendours of their nails, pray, reveal to us that form as Your
very essence, that has dispelled the fear of Your devotees. O Preceptor of the
universe, since You are the guide of souls wallowing in ignorance.
53.
This form
of Yours is worthy of being constantly meditated upon by those who seek the
purification of their mind; for it is the practice of its adoration which brings
fearlessness in the form of final beatitude to those who perform their own
allotted duty as a stepping-stone to Devotion.
54.
Sought
after even by Brahma who rules over heaven and the ultimate goal of those who
are exclusively devoted to Self-Realization, You are attainable only by him who
is full of devotion, and are difficult of access to all other mortals.
55.
Having
propitiated through exclusive Devotion-hardly attainable even by the
virtuous-You, who cannot be easily propitiated by any other means, who will seek
anything other than the soles of Your feet?
56.
Though
destroying the universe even with his brows contracted as a token of his majesty
and energy, Death does not recognize the soul who has taken shelter under those
feet as subject to his authority.
57.
I am not
prepared to equate the enjoyments of heaven nor even final beatitude immunity
from rebirth-much less the blessings sought for by mortals-with the fellowship,
enjoyed even for half a moment, of those who have developed an attachment for
the Lord.
58.
May we
enjoy the blessed company of those whose sins have been washed away by immersing
their soul in the stream of Your glories and their body in the holy waters of
the Ganga flowing from Your feet-which absolve one of all sins-nay, who are
imbuded with compassion for all creatures and are possessed of a mind free from
likes and dislikes and endowed with virtues such as straitfowardness and so on!
Let this be Your boon to us.
59.
The
contemplative soul whose mind is neither distracted by external objects nor
loses itself in a spell of drowsiness during meditation exceedingly pure and
blessed as it is by the loving devotion of such devotees, easily and surely
succeeds in realizing Yours true nature at this stage.
60.
You are
the same Brahma Infinite in whom is manifested this universe and who shines
through the universe, nay, who is supreme effulgence and is all-pervading like
ether.
61.
O Lord, we
know You to be absolute-You, who evolve this universe, sustain it and again
dissolve it, as though it were real, Yourself remaining unchanged, through the
instrumentality of Your Maya deluding potency, that assumes multitudinous forms
and gives rise to the notion of difference, yet which is powerless against You.
62.
They alone
are well-versed in the Vedas and the Tantras the scriptures dealing with the
worship of the various deities and revealed by Lord Shiva to His Divine Consort,
Godess Parvati, who, devoted as they are to the path of Action and imbued with
faith, duly adore, for the attainment of perfection in the form of
Self-Realization or final beatitude through a network of rituals, this very
embodied form of Yours, which is hinted at by the five gross elements, the
Indriyas the senses of perception, as well as the organs of action and the mind
as their Ruler.
63.
You are
the one primeval Person, whose energy in the form of Maya lies dormant before
creation. It is by the said Maya that Sattva, Rajas and Tamas the three modes of
Prakriti get differentiated and it is from the same Maya that this
universe-consisting of Mahat-Tattva the principle of cosmic intelligence, the
ego, ether, the air, fire, water and earth, the gods and the Rsis-seers and the
multitudes of living beings-springs up.
64.
By a part
of Your being You have entered the body, which is of four kinds, sweat-born,
oviparous, viviparous and sprouting from the soil, and has been brought forth by
Your own Energy-Maya. It is therefore that they call that ray of your being,
residing in the body, as the Purusha or Jiva, which wrapped in ignorance enjoys
through the various senses the trivial pleasures of sense like the honey
collected and enjoyed by bees.
65.
Your true
nature can only be inferred and not directly perceived. possessed of most
tremendous-velocity and irresistible like a hurricane, it is You who destroy the
various worlds, sweeping off the various creatures by the creatures themselves
even as the wind sweeps off the clouds.
66.
Alert as
the serpent that grabs a rat, licking the ends of its lips through hunger, You
as Death suddenly overtake the Jiva an embodied soul who is utterly careless
about his goal, engrossed as he is in the thought of his worldly projects, and,
being totally given up to the pleasures of sense, is seized with inordinate
greed.
67.
What wise
man, who regards his body life as wearing away in vain through neglect of You,
would abandon Your lotus-feet, which our ancestor Brahma has adored through fear
of bondage in the shape of worldly existence, and which the fourteen Manus from
Swayambhuva onwards have worshipped without reasoning with unquestioning faith.
68.
The whole
universe is almost dead through fear of Lord Rudra the god of destruction.
Therefore, to us, who know this, O all-pervading Supreme Spirit, You are the
only fearless resort.
69.
Go on
repeating this hymn with the purest of motives, O princes, duly discharging your
sacred duties with your mind set on the Lord; this will do you good.
70.
Worship
Shri Hari alone-the supreme Spirit dwelling in your heart and equally present in
all creatures-extolling and meditating on Him again and again:
71.
Having
received this hymn called Yogadesha as imparted by Me and retaining it in your
memory, repet it reverently all of You with a concentrated mind, observing the
vow of hermits.
72.
Intent on
multiplying his progeny, it was the glorious Brahma the lord of progenitors of
the universe who taught it at the dawn of creation to us, his mind-born sons,
Bhrigu and others, all of whom were equally keen to push on the work of
creation.
73.
Enjoined
to proceed with the task of procreation, we lords of created beings all evolved
various species of living beings, having got rid of ignorance through this very
hymn.
74.
Even now a
man devoted to Lord Vasudeva, and ever repeating it with an attentive and
absorbed mind, attains blessedness before long.
75.
Of all the
blessings here spiritual enlightenment leading to final beatitude is the
highest. He who sails in the bark of wisdom easily crosses the ocean of misery
in the shape of metempsychosis, so difficult to cross.
76.
Imbued
with reverence, he who dwells upon this hymn in praise of the Lord, sung by me,
will be able to propitiate Shri Hari, otherwise so difficult to please.
77.
A man who
is steady of mind obtains whatever he desires from that Lord, the sole
repository of all blessings, when He is celebrated through this hymn sung by Me
and is highly pleased thereby.
78.
Rising
before daybreak and full of faith, any mortal who listens to or recites it to
others with joined palms is freed from all shackles of Karma.
79.
Repeating
with a concentrated mind this hymn in praise of the supreme Purusha, the
Oversoul, sung by Me, O princes, practise austerities; thereby you will attain
in the long run the object sought for by you.
Thus
ends the twenty-fourth discourse entitled "The hymn sung by Lord Shiva",
in Book
Four of the great and glorious Bhagavata-Purana,
otherwise known as the Paramahamsa-Samhita
Source: Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana by C. L.
Goswami, M. A., Shastri
