tensubjectsofsrimad-bhagavatam

8/14/2019 TenSubjectsofSrimad-Bhagavatam

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"The elemental creation of siteen principles of matter - namelythe five gross elements )pancha-%hutas*, the five o%&ects of senseperception )tan-matras*, the five knowledge acuiring senses)&nanendriyas* and the mind - is known as sarga."

The five gross elements )pancha-%hutas* are earth, water, fire, airand ether the five o%&ects of sensual perception )tan-matras* aresound, form, taste, smell, and touch and the five knowledgeacuiring senses )&nanendriyas* are the eyes, ears, nose, tongueand skin. Together with the mind, these siteen principles arecreated %y the first purusha incarnation, Maha-Vishnu. /ithinthese siteen principles eight other principles eist su%tly,making there a total of twenty-four principles of materialeistence.

2) Visarga - the secondary creation

Visarga is defined as follows!

rahmano guna-vaishamyadvisargah paurushah smritah

"The secondary creation %y Brahma carried out through theinteraction of the three modes of nature is known as visarga."

By manipulating the siteen original principles of materialeistence and %y the interaction of the three modes of material

nature )sattva, ra&as and tamas*, 'ord Brahma carries out asu%seuent creation, more properly descri%ed as an assem%lingof universal ingredients.

3) Sthanam - the planetary systems

Sthanam is defined as follows!

sthitir vaikuntha-vi!ayah

"The true situation )sthanam* is the realm of Vaikuntha."

The entire creation %y the 'ord is to ena%le the conditioned soulsto satisfy their material desire to lord over the material energy. 0ssuch, according to their desires, the 'ord creates a suita%lesituation )sthanam* for them to dwell in. /ithin the universe,these situations can %e divided into fourteen main categories,known technically as %huvanas, or planetary systems, and


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1,233,333 su%-categories, commonly known as species of life.4rom the topmost sthanam of Brahma-loka )the a%ode of 'ordBrahma* down to the lowest sthanam of Patala-loka, all situationsare destructi%le. $n every situation the conditioned living entity isconuered %y %irth and death. #nly %y attaining to our eternal

constitutional situation in the spiritual realm of Vaikuntha can weconuer the %irth and death of this material world. Thus the truesthanam of the living entity is the realm of Vaikuntha. 0ll othertemporary situations within this material world cause one to%ecome a victim of material suffering, simply shifting from onesituation to the net.

) !oshanam - protection by the "ord

Poshanam is defined as follows!

poshanam tad anugrahah

"Protection )poshanam* is the causeless mercy of the 'ord."

Poshanam can %e defined in two ways according to the mentalityof the living entity. 4or the conditioned souls, poshanam refers tomaterial maintenance. $t is the 'ord who fulfills the desires of allliving entities!

nityo nityanam hetanash hetananameko ahunam yo vidadhati

kaman

"The supreme eternal among all eternals, the supremelyconscious among all the conscious living entities - it is thatsupreme one among the many who fulfills the desires of all."

4or the devotees of the 'ord, poshanam refers to the 'ord5scauseless mercy and protection. Protection from hunger is thelowest form of protection, which the 'ord offers to theconditioned living entities. 4or the devotees, the 'ord5s protection

is protection from the illusion of maya. The 'ord gives thedevotee the strength to always remem%er (im and engage in (isdevotional service.

#) $tayah - the creative impetus

6tayah is defined as follows!


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utayah karma-vasanah

"The impetus for activity )utayah* is the desire for fruitive work."

The conditioned soul forgets that the 'ord is his eternal protector

and maintainer, and thus an impetus for fruitive activity ismanifested for one5s self maintenance. This desire for fruitiveactivity is the driving force %ehind all work within this materialworld. The karma-vasanas are the accumulated residue of one5sprevious activities. 7very material activity we perform creates aresidual impression within our consciousness, which is carriedwith us life after life. The sum total of these impressions form ourcreative impetus to work.

The true impetus of the living entity should %e to go %ack to

+odhead, to the supreme a%ode of Vaikuntha, and activitiesperformed in that direction form the right path of work.

%) &anvantara - the change of &anus

Manvantara is defined as follows!

manvantarani sad-dharma

"The reign of the Manus )manvantaras* are for esta%lishing theeternal religious principles."

Manu is the father of mankind, the progenitor, empowered toguide the human race towards self-realiation. Manu providesrevealed scriptures to mankind which regulate their activities in amanner that will %e for their eternal welfare. /hen the livingentities accept such a regulated path, the 'ord provides themwith all protection %y which they may attain their constitutionalsituation in Vaikuntha. Thus the desire to go %ack to +odhead andregulated activities performed to achieve that goal form theproper path of action.

') (sha-anuatha - the science of *od

$sha-anukatha is defined as follows!

avataranuharitamharesh hasyanuvartinampumsam isha-kathah proktananakhyanoparimhitah


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"The science of +od )isha-anukatha* descri%es the incarnations ofthe Personality of +odhead and (is different activities togetherwith the activities of (is great devotees."

The entire material creation is for the ultimate purpose of the

living entities5 salvation. /hen the conditioned living entitiesutilie the creation for secondary purposes, such as materialfruitive activity, the 'ord incarnates to reclaim these forgetfulsouls. The 'ord directly delivers living entities %y (is divineappearance as well as %y its recorded history. The Supreme 'ordis so potent that simply %y hearing a%out (is transcendentalactivities in (is various incarnations one %ecomes free frommaterial %ondage. Thus the topics of the 'ord and (is devotees,which constitute the science of +od, should %e given respectfulaural reception.

+) ,irodha - the dissolution

8irodha is defined as follows!

nirodho #syanushayanamatmanah saha shaktihih

"The merging of the living entity, along with his conditioned livingtendency, with the mystic lying down of the Maha-Vishnu is calledthe winding up of the cosmic manifestation, or nirodha."

0s we have %riefly mentioned %efore, the entire material creationoffers two facilities to the conditioned living entities. The livingentities may either utilie it to fulfill their desire to lord it overmaterial nature, or they may utilie it to go %ack to +odhead, thespiritual a%ode of Vaikuntha. 4or the living entities who takeadvantage of the science of +od as propagated %y the Manus,and who develop a desire to act in such a regulated manner, the'ord provides them full protection from the material energy andresituates them in their proper situation in Vaikuntha. 4or theother living entities, who choose to disregard the science of +od,

the 'ord gives them an interim period of relief at the time ofdissolution. This temporary period of relief is technically callednirodha, or the winding up of the cosmic manifestation. 0ll theliving entities along with their conditional tendencies )vasanas*merge into the %ody of Maha-Vishnu to await another creationand another opportunity to take up the science of +od. Thoughthe physical %odies are given up at this time, the su%tle %odies


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)sukshma-sariras* remain with the living entities along with theirlatent desires. This is indicated %y the words atmanah sahashakti%hih.

) &uti - liberation

Mukti is defined as follows!

muktir hitvanyatha rupamsva-rupena vyavasthitih

"'i%eration )mukti* is the permanent situation of the form of theliving entity after he gives up the changea%le gross and su%tlematerial %odies."

Those living entities who develop a desire to act for their ultimatewelfare regulate their life according to the instructions of theManus. Such living entities receive the mercy and protection ofthe 'ord in the form of (is divine activities and incarnations,either personally or in its literary form as the science of +od. Byhearing the narrations of the 'ord5s activities these living entitiesare a%le to give up all eternal identification with the principles ofmaterial eistence and its interaction. Such purified living entitiesdevelop their original spiritual %odies and are resituated in theirconstitutional position in Vaikuntha, the spiritual a%ode of the'ord. This is technically known as mukti or li%eration. The wordshitvanyatha rupam indicate that these living entities have

%ecome completely free from all material coverings including thesukshma-sarira and related vasanas. The word vyavasthitihindicates the real and eternal sthanam of the living entity - sthitirvaikuntha vi&ayah.

1.) /shraya - the supreme shelter

0shraya is defined in the following three verses!

ahasash a nirodhash ayato #sty adhyavasiyatesa ashrayah

param rahmaparamatmeti shadyate

"The supreme one who is cele%rated as the Supreme Being or theSupreme Soul is the supreme source of the cosmic manifestationas well as its reservoir and winding up. Thus (e is the supremeshelter, the 0%solute Truth."

yo #dhyatmiko #yam purushahso #sav evadhidaivikahyas


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tensubjectsofsrimad-bhagavatam

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