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Texts:
The
Hamsa-avatâra Answers the Questions of the Sons of
Brahmâ
Text
1
S'rî
Uddhava said: 'Krishna, are the many processes for spiritual
advancement that the defenders of the Absolute Truth speak of,
supreme in their combination or is else one of them the most
important?
S'rî
Uddhava said: My dear Krishna, the learned sages who explain
Vedic literature recommend various processes for perfecting
one's life. Considering these varieties of viewpoint, my
Lord, please tell me whether all these processes are equally
important, or whether one of them is supreme.
(Vedabase)
Text
2
By You has
clearly been stated o Master, how bhakti-yoga, by which the
mind gets fixed upon You, without cherishing desires to it in
all respects removes the suffering of the [fear-arousing,
temporary] material state.'
My
dear Lord, You have clearly explained the process of
unalloyed devotional service, by which a devotee removes all
material association from his life, enabling him to fix his
mind on You. (Vedabase)
Text
3
The Supreme
Lord said: 'This message consisting of the Vedas that by the
influence of time was lost at the time of annihilation, was at
the time of creation by Me spoken to Brahmâ. It contains
the dharma of acting according to My will [see also
3.9:
29-43].
The
Supreme Personality of Godhead said: By the influence of
time, the transcendental sound of Vedic knowledge was lost
at the time of annihilation. Therefore, when the subsequent
creation took place, I spoke the Vedic knowledge to
Brahmâ because I Myself am the religious principles
enunciated in the Vedas. (Vedabase)
Text
4
Brahmâ
spoke this to his eldest son Manu. The seven great sages of
spiritual knowing headed by Bhrigu accepted it on their turn
from Manu [see 8.1
& 8.
13 and B.G.
4:
1-3].
Lord
Brahmâ spoke this Vedic knowledge to his eldest son,
Manu, and the seven great sages headed by Bhrigu Muni then
accepted the same knowledge from Manu. (Vedabase)
Text
5-7
From the
forefathers that they were, were there the descendants: the
godly and the demoniac, the S'iva followers, the human beings,
the perfected and the singers of heaven, the scientific and the
venerable. From rajas, tamas and sattva [the
gunas]
generated the many different natures of the different humanoids
[Kimdevas],
the half-humans [Kinnaras],
the snake-like [Nâgas],
the wild men [the Râkshasas],
and the ape-like [Kimpurushas].
From the living entities who by their propensities are divided
in so many forms and as many leaders, flowed [like rivers
from a mountain] the diversity of rituals and
mantras.
From
the forefathers headed by Bhrigu Muni and other sons of
Brahmâ appeared many children and descendants, who
assumed different forms as demigods, demons, human beings,
Guhyakas, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Vidyâdharas,
Câranas, Kindevas, Kinnaras, Nâgas, Kimpurushas,
and so on. All of the many universal species, along with
their respective leaders, appeared with different natures
and desires generated from the three modes of material
nature. Therefore, because of the different characteristics
of the living entities within the universe, there are a
great many Vedic rituals, mantras and rewards.
(Vedabase)
Text
8
Thus are due to
the great variety of natures the philosophies of life among the
human beings divided. In that constitute some of those
philosophies traditions of disciplic succession while others
are heretical [pâshanda].
Thus,
due to the great variety of desires and natures among human
beings, there are many different theistic philosophies of
life, which are handed down through tradition, custom and
disciplic succession. There are other teachers who directly
support atheistic viewpoints. (Vedabase)
Text
9
People whose
intelligence is bewildered by My illusory power, o best of
persons, express themselves in countless ways about what
according to their own karma and taste would be better.
O
best among men, the intelligence of human beings is
bewildered by My illusory potency, and thus, according to
their own activities and whims, they speak in innumerable
ways about what is actually good for people.
(Vedabase)
Text
10
Some speak in
favor of pious activities while others speak of fame,
sense-gratification, truthfulness, self-control and
peacefulness. Some propound self-interest, political influence,
renunciation or consumption while other people defend
sacrifice, penance, charity, vows and arrangements of do's and
don'ts [yama-niyama].
Some
say that people will be happy by performing pious religious
activities. Others say that happiness is attained through
fame, sense gratification, truthfulness, self-control,
peace, self-interest, political influence, opulence,
renunciation, consumption, sacrifice, penance, charity,
vows, regulated duties or strict disciplinary regulation.
Each process has its proponents. (Vedabase)
Text
11
With an
inevitable beginning and an end to the meager ends gained with
one's karma is there the prospect of misery as a consequence.
Situated in ignorance is one wretched full of
complaints.
All
the persons I have just mentioned obtain temporary fruits
from their material work. Indeed, the meager and miserable
situations they achieve bring future unhappiness and are
based on ignorance. Even while enjoying the fruits of their
work, such persons are filled with lamentation.
(Vedabase)
Text
12
Someone who has
fixed his consciousness upon Me, o learned one, and in every
respect is free from material desires, knows the happiness of
My spiritual body. How can such a happiness ever be attained by
those who are attached to sense-gratification [see
4.31:
12]?
O
learned Uddhava, those who fix their consciousness on Me,
giving up all material desires, share with Me a happiness
that cannot possibly be experienced by those engaged in
sense gratification. (Vedabase)
Text
13
The one who
does not desire, who's of peace controlling his senses, whose
consciousness is equal whatever the circumstances and who has a
mind that is completely satisfied with Me, is filled with
happiness wherever he goes.
One
who does not desire anything within this world, who has
achieved peace by controlling his senses, whose
consciousness is equal in all conditions and whose mind is
completely satisfied in Me finds only happiness wherever he
goes. (Vedabase)
Text
14
Someone who has
fixed his consciousness on Me, Me and nothing but Me, does not
desire the position of Brahmâ, nor the position of Indra,
neither he wants an empire on earth or a sovereign position in
the lower worlds, nor he desires the perfections [the
siddhis]
of yoga or a second birth does he desire who has fixed his
consciousness in Me, Me and nothing else [see e.g.
5.1:
6].
One
who has fixed his consciousness on Me desires neither the
position or abode of Lord Brahmâ or Lord Indra, nor an
empire on the earth, nor sovereignty in the lower planetary
systems, nor the eightfold perfection of yoga, nor
liberation from birth and death. Such a person desires Me
alone. (Vedabase)
Text
15
Nor the one
born from My body [Brahmâ], nor S'ankara
[S'iva], nor Sankarshana [Balarâma], nor
the goddess of fortune [S'rî], nor even My own
Self is as dear to Me as you are [see also B.G
12:
20].
My
dear Uddhava, neither Lord Brahmâ, Lord S'iva, Lord
Sankarshana, the goddess of fortune nor indeed My own self
are as dear to Me as you are. (Vedabase)
Text
16
The sage who
without personal desire is of peace, not inimical to anyone and
of an equal vision I always follow closely so that there is
purification by the dust of the lotus feet [see also
7.14:
17].
With
the dust of My devotees' lotus feet I desire to purify the
material worlds, which are situated within Me. Thus, I
always follow the footsteps of My pure devotees, who are
free from all personal desire, rapt in thought of My
pastimes, peaceful, without any feelings of enmity, and of
equal disposition everywhere. (Vedabase)
Text
17
Not after
sense-gratification being of a mind that is constantly attached
to Me, experience the great souls who are of inner peace and
care for all individual souls whose consciousness is not ruled
by lusts, My happiness that can not be known but by complete
detachment.
Those
who are without any desire for personal gratification, whose
minds are always attached to Me, who are peaceful, without
false ego and merciful to all living entities, and whose
consciousness is never affected by opportunities for sense
gratification - such persons enjoy in Me a happiness that
cannot be known or achieved by those lacking such detachment
from the material world. (Vedabase)
Text
18
Even though
being harassed by sensual desires is the devotee of Mine who
did not conquer the senses - that as a rule are effective and
strong - by dint of his devotion not defeated by that type of
influence [see also 1.5:
17,
8.7:
44,
11.13:
12 and B.G.
9:
30,
2:
62-64].
My
dear Uddhava, if My devotee has not fully conquered his
senses, he may be harassed by material desires, but because
of his unflinching devotion for Me, he will not be defeated
by sense gratification. (Vedabase)
Text
19
Just as
firewood because of the blazing flames of a fire turns into
ashes, devotion similarly with Me as the object burns the sins
completely, o Uddhava.
My
dear Uddhava, just as a blazing fire turns firewood into
ashes, similarly, devotion unto Me completely burns to ashes
sins committed by My devotees. (Vedabase)
Text
20
The yoga system
nor analytical philosophy, Uddhava, pious activities nor vedic
study, austerity nor renunciation get a grip on Me as much as a
strongly developed devotional service for My
sake.
My
dear Uddhava, the unalloyed devotional service rendered to
Me by My devotees brings Me under their control. I cannot be
thus controlled by those engaged in mystic yoga,
Sânkhya philosophy, pious work, Vedic study, austerity
or renunciation. (Vedabase)
Text
21
My grace is
obtained by single-minded devotion with faith in the Soul as
the object of love. With Me [that Supreme Soul] as the
only One will the bhakti of the truthful ones even purify those
who eat dogs from the matters of their birth.
Only
by practicing unalloyed devotional service with full faith
in Me can one obtain Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
I am naturally dear to My devotees, who take Me as the only
goal of their loving service. By engaging in such pure
devotional service, even the dog-eaters can purify
themselves from the contamination of their low birth.
(Vedabase)
Text
22
Sure enough
neither dharma endowed with truthfulness and mercy, nor
knowledge endowed with austerity will purify one's
consciousness fully when [one is] bereft of devotional
service unto Me.
Neither
religious activities endowed with honesty and mercy nor
knowledge obtained with great penance can completely purify
one's consciousness if they are bereft of loving service to
Me. (Vedabase)
Text
23
How can without
bhakti one's hair stand on end, without loving service the
heart melt, without devotion the tears flow, the bliss be and
one's consciousness be purified?
If
one's hairs do not stand on end, how can the heart melt? And
if the heart does not melt, how can tears of love flow from
the eyes? If one does not cry in spiritual happiness, how
can one render loving service to the Lord? And without such
service, how can the consciousness be purified?
(Vedabase)
Text
24
By the one
whose speech chokes up, the heart melts, there times and again
are wet tears and of whom there sometimes is laughter, by the
one of whom there is unashamed singing out aloud and there is
dancing in the connectedness of My bhakti, is the universe
purified [see also S'rî
S'rî
S'ikshâshthaka
and 11.2:
40].
A
devotee whose speech is sometimes choked up, whose heart
melts, who cries continually and sometimes laughs, who feels
ashamed and cries out loudly and then dances - a devotee
thus fixed in loving service to Me purifies the entire
universe. (Vedabase)
Text
25
Just like gold
that smelted in fire gives up impurities and returns to its
original state is also from the spirit soul the contamination
of karma removed when one in My loving service is worshiping
Me.
Just
as gold, when smelted in fire, gives up its impurities and
returns to its pure brilliant state, similarly, the spirit
soul, absorbed in the fire of bhakti-yoga, is purified of
all contamination caused by previous fruitive activities and
returns to its original position of serving Me in the
spiritual world. (Vedabase)
Text
26
As much as the
power to see restores once the eye is treated with ointment,
the spirit soul that was cleansed by hearing and chanting the
pious narrations about Me, the same way sees again the One
Subtle Essence.
When
a diseased eye is treated with medicinal ointment it
gradually recovers its power to see. Similarly, as a
conscious living entity cleanses himself of material
contamination by hearing and chanting the pious narrations
of My glories, he regains his ability to see Me, the
Absolute Truth, in My subtle spiritual form.
(Vedabase)
Text
27
The
consciousness of someone meditating the objects of the senses
is entangled in the sense experience [see B.G.
2:
62-63];
even so is the mind systematically absorbed in Me when one
keeps thinking of Me.
The
mind of one meditating upon the objects of sense
gratification is certainly entangled in such objects, but if
one constantly remembers Me, then the mind is absorbed in
Me. (Vedabase)
Text
28
Therefore are
the material preoccupations as figments a dream to be forsaken
in Me, as completely absorbed in My love the mind is
purified.
Therefore,
one should reject all material processes of elevation, which
are like the mental creations of a dream, and should
completely absorb one's mind in Me. By constantly thinking
of Me, one becomes purified. (Vedabase)
Text
29
Giving up being
intimate with women [to have intercourse with them, with
others or otherwise] and keeping far from the company of
womanizers should one, mastering the self, sit at ease in
seclusion and with great care concentrate on Me [see also
11.8:
13-14 *].
Being
conscious of the eternal self, one should give up
association with women and those intimately associated with
women. Sitting fearlessly in a solitary place, one should
concentrate the mind on Me with great attention.
(Vedabase)
Text
30
No other
attachment brings a man as much suffering and bondage as the
attachment to women and the association with those who are
attached to women [see also 1.4:
25,
5.5:
2,
5.13:
16,
6.9:
9,
7.12:
9,
9.14:
36,
9.19:
17,
10.10:
8,
10.51:
51,
10.60:
44-45 & 48].'
Of
all kinds of suffering and bondage arising from various
attachments, none is greater than the suffering and bondage
arising from attachment to women and intimate contact with
those attached to women. (Vedabase)
Text
31
S'rî
Uddhava said: 'O Lotus-eyed One, how, of what nature and of
what form should one's meditation be when one desires
liberation? Please, can You speak to me about meditation?'
S'rî
Uddhava said: My dear lotus-eyed Krishna, by what process
should one who desires liberation meditate upon You, of what
specific nature should his meditation be, and upon which
form should he meditate? Kindly explain to me this topic of
meditation. (Vedabase)
Text
32-33
The Supreme
Lord said: 'Sitting straight, erect and comfortable on a level
seat, one should focus one's eyes on the tip of one's nose
while placing one's hands in one's lap. The purifying of the
different ways of breathing - one's inhaling, retaining,
exhaling and the other way around - one should practice step by
step while controlling one's senses [see
prânâyâma,
and B.G. 4:
29].
The
Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Sitting on a level seat
that is not too high or too low, keeping the body straight
and erect yet comfortable, placing the two hands on one's
lap and focusing the eyes on the tip of one's nose, one
should purify the pathways of breathing by practicing the
mechanical exercises of pûraka, kumbhaka and recaka,
and then one should reverse the procedure (recaka,
kumbhaka, pûraka). Having fully controlled the
senses, one may thus practice
prânâyâma step by step.
(Vedabase)
Text
34
With the help
of one's life breath [prâna] manifesting
within the mind the sound AUM, one should guide that sound
upwards, like the fibre of a lotus stalk, to vibrate it loudly
[in the nose] like a ringing bell so as to reunite the
vibrations of recitation [anusvâra
**].
Beginning
from the mûlâdhâra-cakra, one should move
the life air continuously upward like the fibers in the
lotus stalk until one reaches the heart, where the sacred
syllable om is situated like the sound of a bell. One should
thus continue raising the sacred syllable upward the
distance of twelve angulas, and there the omkâra
should be joined together with the fifteen vibrations
produced with anusvâra. (Vedabase)
Text
35
The breathing
thus joined with the Pranava
[see also 9.14:
46] should
carefully be repeated ten times, at sunrise, noon and sunset,
so that after one month one will be in control of one's breath
[***].
Being
fixed in the omkâra, one should carefully practice the
prânâyâma system ten times at each
sunrise, noon and sunset. Thus, after one month one will
have conquered the life air. (Vedabase)
Text
36-42
With one's eyes
half closed and sitting straight one should, alert inside for
the supreme of liberation, concentrate on the lotus within the
heart that is directed upwards. Within the whorl of its eight
petals one should one after the other picture the sun, the moon
and the fire. Within the fire one should consider My harmonious
form so auspicious for meditation, that gentle and cheerful as
it is, is endowed with four beautiful arms. Charming of beauty
are the neck and the forehead, the pure smile as also the ears
with the glowing shark shaped earrings. One should meditate
upon the golden dress, the complexion with the color of a rain
cloud, the curl on the chest where the goddess resides, the
conch and the disc, the club and the lotus as also the beauty
of the forest flower garland. One should meditate upon all the
beautiful and charming parts of My body: the feet with their
shining bells, the richly glowing Kaustubha gem, the shining
crown and bracelets, the girdle and armlets, the merciful smile
and the delicate glance. This, one should do by turning the
mind away from the senses. This way one should with
intelligence lead the charioteer [the soul, the master of
intelligence], sober and grave, [with love] in the
direction of My completeness.
Keeping
the eyes half closed and fixed on the tip of one's nose,
being enlivened and alert, one should meditate on the lotus
flower situated within the heart. This lotus has eight
petals and is situated on an erect lotus stalk. One should
meditate on the sun, moon and fire, placing them one after
the other within the whorl of that lotus flower. Placing My
transcendental form within the fire, one should meditate
upon it as the auspicious goal of all meditation. That form
is perfectly proportioned, gentle and cheerful. It possesses
four beautiful long arms, a charming, beautiful neck, a
handsome forehead, a pure smile and glowing, shark-shaped
earrings suspended from two identical ears. That spiritual
form is the color of a dark rain cloud and is garbed in
golden-yellowish silk. The chest of that form is the abode
of S'rîvatsa and the goddess of fortune, and that form
is also decorated with a conchshell, disc, club, lotus
flower and garland of forest flowers. The two brilliant
lotus feet are decorated with ankle bells and bracelets, and
that form exhibits the Kaustubha gem along with an effulgent
crown. The upper hips are beautified by a golden belt, and
the arms are decorated with valuable bracelets. All of the
limbs of that beautiful form capture the heart, and the face
is beautified by merciful glancing. Pulling the senses back
from the sense objects, one should be grave and
self-controlled and should use the intelligence to strongly
fix the mind upon all of the limbs of My transcendental
body. Thus one should meditate upon that most delicate
transcendental form of Mine. (Vedabase)
Text
43
With this
exercise covering all parts should one next pull back one's
consciousness and, focussing on one spot with disregard for the
rest, again with love meditate upon the wonderful smile of the
face.
One
should then pull the consciousness back from all the limbs
of that transcendental body. At that time, one should
meditate only on the wonderfully smiling face of the Lord.
(Vedabase)
Text
44
Thus having
withdrawn the mind being established in the sky, should one
with this focus give up on that also and having ascended to Me,
not think of anything else anymore.
Being
established in meditation on the Lord's face, one should
then withdraw the consciousness and fix it in the sky. Then
giving up such meditation, one should become established in
Me and give up the process of meditation altogether.
(Vedabase)
Text
45
Fully absorbed
in the consciousness [of Me] this way sees the
individual soul Me within the self and all selves within Me,
the same way the sun's rays are united in the sun [see also
B.G. 9:
29].
One
who has completely fixed his mind on Me should see Me within
his own soul and should see the individual soul within Me,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus, he sees the
individual souls united with the Supreme Soul, just as one
sees the sun's rays completely united with the sun.
(Vedabase)
Text
46
Of the yogi who
most concentrated practices the meditation as mentioned will
very soon the complete of the deluded state of mind of him who
considers himself the owner, the knower and the doer, find its
dissolution [compare: 2.2:
8-14].'
When
the yogi thus controls his mind by intensely concentrated
meditation, his illusory identification with material
objects, knowledge and activities is very quickly
extinguished. (Vedabase)
*
Not to
have this verse misinterpreted with the Sanskrit word sangam
that one would have to shun association with women in stead
of shunning being intimate with them, was by Svâmî
Prabhupâda stressed, contrary to the tradition in India,
that women and men can very well associate both living within
one temple or household within the culture of Krishna
consciousness. This was one of his great feats of reform to the
lead of a traditional temple tradition that was negative about
living together with women.
**
As a culture not reciting Sanskrit anymore as a regular
practice and thus not having any anusvâra, no
aftersound in the nose to integrate, is it the advise for this
Age of Quarrel to practice the Mahâmantra to appease the
wayward mind with modern time: hare Krishna, hare Krishna,
Krishna Krishna, hare hare, hare Râma, hare Râma,
Râma Râma, hare hare and then say AUM and the
Gâyatrî
when sitting in meditation. A practice entertained by all
initiated devotees.
***
Considering the greatly variable length of day world-wide is it
customary to do this at the fixed times of the regular hours of
a [meditation-]clock preferably set to the sun at
twelve when the sun goes through the south [see also
cakra].
