Dharma Is The Path, Bhakti Is The Destination

Next shloka is नारायणं नमस्कृत्य नरं चैव नरोत्तमम्। देवीं सरस्वतीं व्यासं ततो जयमुदीरयेत्॥ We have already seen the significance and meaning of this shloka in the very first episode of this series. Next shloka, the fifth shloka of the second adhyaya of the first skandha, मुनयः साधु पृष्टोऽहं भवद्भिर्लोकमङ्गलम्। यत्कृतः कृष्ण....

Next shloka is
नारायणं नमस्कृत्य नरं चैव नरोत्तमम्।
देवीं सरस्वतीं व्यासं ततो जयमुदीरयेत्॥
We have already seen the significance and meaning of this shloka in the very first episode of this series.
Next shloka, the fifth shloka of the second adhyaya of the first skandha,
मुनयः साधु पृष्टोऽहं भवद्भिर्लोकमङ्गलम्।
यत्कृतः कृष्णसंप्रश्नो येनाऽऽत्मा सुप्रसीदति॥
Suta says: I am so happy that you have asked me these six questions.
Suta goes from place to place where people assemble for spiritual acts such as yajnas.
Then he narrates stories to them, whatever they ask for.
Somewhere they want to listen about Devi, somewhere about Shiva.
That he narrates.
Here, the munis are asking questions about Krishna.
Suta is so happy.
Because Krishna is the ultimate answer to all questions.
Answers to all other questions lead to questions about Krishna.
When all other questions have been answered in the best possible way still when the real answer is not obtained, then the question about Krishna comes.
If questions about Krishna are answered then everything is answered.
So these six questions are for the ultimate welfare of the whole world.
In the case of other questions, the answers may bring you satisfaction.
Here the questions themselves bring satisfaction, joy.
Suta is happy that he will be narrating what he always wanted to talk about, but no one ever asked him.
His favorite topic.
He is excited about this.
The moment the questions are asked, Lord Krishna has already come and occupied his mind, filled his mind.
He can feel the Lord's presence and the joy his presence has filled his mind with.
The next seventeen shlokas are an elaboration of what is mentioned in this shloka.
You are into any kind of sadhana, any method of sadhana because Bhagavan has already blessed you.
Without his blessing you will not even know that there is something called sadhana, there is something called spirituality.
This is the beginning.
At the end of this path is the sakshatkara of Bhagavan, merging into Bhagavan, being one with Bhagavan, which is his greatest blessing, the ultimate blessing.
At every stage of your progress you get a little bit more of his blessing.
It is his blessing that makes you progress.
It is like you are on a long journey.
You fill up the tank of your car.
Every few hundred kilometers you will have to refill your tank.
You go to the petrol pump and refill your tank.
That's how you are able to go ahead.
At every stage of your sadhana, Bhagavan blesses you a little bit.
Then finally he gives you the biggest of all blessings.

In the path of Bhagavata, there are three main stages.
Development of interest.
Listening, bhajan, keertan.
Then developing love for Bhagavan.

As you progress, there are three stages of knowledge also that you acquire.
First, you will know who you are.
Then you will know what the universe is all about.
Then you will have knowledge about Bhagavan.

There are two means which are helpful in your progress: Dharma and Vairagya.
What is Dharma?
Same question that Yudhishtira asked Bhishma.
को धर्मः सर्वधर्माणां भवतः परमो मतः?
Which is the greatest of all dharmas?
What is dharma?
ध्रियते पुण्यात्मभिः
धरति लोकान्
What noble people practice is dharma.
The world functions because of what good people practice.
We have the banking system.
What is at its core?
Honesty and trust.
If banks are not honest, will you put your money in there?
You deposit one lac of rupees in the bank, when you go back if they say we don't know, then?
The banking system is built around the principle of honesty.
And see what the banking system does for the economy.
Can the economy survive without a good banking system?
Similarly, the army, based on non-violence, that innocent people should not be harmed, they should be protected always.
Every such system at its core has a principle that is noble.
These are practiced by noble people.
The world functions because systems have been built based on these noble principles.
If cheating is a norm then can a market survive?
Can any market survive without trust?
So if you want anything to survive and flourish long-term then it should be based on a noble principle which is called dharma.

स वै पुंसां परो धर्मो यतो भक्तिरधोक्षजे।
अहैतुक्यमप्रतिहता ययाऽऽत्मा सुप्रसीदति॥
Observing dharma, being virtuous is the path and bhakti is the destination.
It is not the other way round.
If you have bhakti then your actions will be noble.
It is not that way.
If your acts are noble, if you are virtuous, then you get bhakti.
Keeping your body clean by taking bath daily is a good habit, a noble habit.
Does everyone who takes bath daily develop bhakti?
Not very certain.
Good habits may eventually lead to bhakti.
Good habits lead to a result, something in between, and that result which is in between can lead to bhakti.
It may happen or it may not happen.
If you listen to the stories of Bhagavan, bhakti will definitely come, there are no two ways about it.
This is the difference between general virtues and the path prescribed by Bhagavata.
Bhagavan is called Adhokshaja in this shloka.
Adhokshaja means.
अधः अक्षजं ज्ञानं यस्मात्
Knowledge gained through the sensory organs is inferior to Bhagavan.
Bhagavan can not be known through the knowledge gained through the sensory organs.
What can interest the sensory organs are all means of pleasure.
Sensory organs are always seeking pleasure.
You don't like to smell something that stinks.
You don't want to taste something that is stale.
Sensory organs are interested only in stimulations that are pleasant.
Interest in Bhagavan does not arise from the sensory organs.
It is beyond the sensory organs.
It has to come into you as a blessing.
That's why it is ahaitukya.
There is no worldly reason that can give you interest in Bhagavan.
And this interest when it comes as a blessing is apratiahata.
It is never interrupted, it never goes away, it never reduces.
This interest itself is dharma.
This leads to bhakti.
This leads to happiness.

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