UDDHAVA GITA PRILIMINARY VERSES

The entire first chapter of fifty verses of Uddhava Gita gives us the background story similar to the first chapter of Bhagavad Gita. Preparation of the background story is always to bring the Guru and the Sishya together. In Uddhava Gita, Krishna the Guru and Uddhava the Sishya come together. Spiritual scriptures should be studied only under the guidance of an Acharya who is proficient in the same. Main teaching starts from the second chapter only.

From the 7^th Verse up to 19^th Verse lord Krishna is glorified. We can look upon the Lord from three different angles. This is because scriptures define the Gods in all the three versions. The first version is bhagavan is a particular deity with a finite form. Your Ista devatha can be lord Krishna, Vishnu, Saraswathi, Brahma, called as eka rupa eswara as per Agama sastra. Thus, we have many forms representing one infinite God. This is for beginners who have started to read scriptures, who do pooja and so on. The second version of eswara is the lord who includes all forms of creation called Vishwa Rupa Eswara. The entire universe is Aneka Rupa Eswara. The third is the absolute description of God who does not have any attributes like form, colour and is defined in Upanishads. A God who is free from all attributes and is not available for organs of perception and generally named in the Upanishads as Brahma. Thus, we have Eka rupa eswara, Aneka rupa eswara and Arupa eswara. Our knowledge of Eswara is complete only when we know all the three versions. Brahman activates everything in the universe.

Bhagavan activates the entire universe in three stages. The first stage is Maya, Prakriti or Avyaktam. Avyaktam is unmanifested universe in inert version. All Jivas were in dormant form in the previous shristi because of Sanchita karma acquired in the previous Shristi. We don’t know about the first creation. It is called Anadi (beginningless). All Jivas including us were in dormant form then. From the Maya the first one born is Mahat tatvam or Brahma. Brahma is given the power to create the rest of the universe. Brahma is the Kala tatvam. He is the activator or director. Kala tatvam, which was in unmanifest form takes form after the creation. Sunrise and Sunset determines the day and night. Movement of Moon determines thithi, paurnami and amavasya.  Earth's revolution around the Sun takes much longer than its rotation on its axis. One complete revolution takes 365 days, or one year. The Earth revolves around the Sun because gravity keeps it in a roughly circular orbit around the Sun. The Earth's orbital path is not a perfect circle, but rather an ellipse, which means that it is like a slight oval in shape. Chaturmasya is considered inept. Sanyasi has Chaturmasya during rainy season. Grihasta has Chaturmasya every four months. During Vedic times, Chaturmasya yaga was very very popular. On our birthday, we become older by one year. Our life span is decreased. Time and tide do not wait for anyone.

The layer for universe is prapancha or Virat. Mahat or Hiranyagarba is a subtle layer, which consists of total mind total prana, which is the invisible layer of creation. Before Mahat, all were in unmanifest form. Both cause and effect fall within this principle. Brahman is beyond cause and effect. Cause and effect are subject to time. Karanam becomes Karyam and Karyam becomes Karanam. Karana eswara is Maya with borrowed consciousness. Turiya becomes the Eswara who is the Karana tatvam (creator) that blesses (creates) Hiranyagarbha. He creates Brahma. In Brahma all the 14 lokas and all living beings are there. Krishna is looked at as Turiya tatvam. Maya is like a mirror and Chaithanyam is reflected in the Maya. Eswara holds hiranyagarbha (Brahma) within himself. From Hiranyagarbha (mind principle) he produces the next stage of creation. It is like a mother who carries a baby. Likewise, Bhagawan carried hiranyagarbha with himself. Bhagavan is omniscient and omnipotent and governs the universe and all the infinite number of laws. All our research work is only for understanding the power of the numerous cells, which gives life to us and are within us. Bhagavan gives the power.

There are two powers for Maya. One is creating power and other is concealing power. In the case of Bhagavan, he employs the creating power, through creating power he creates Hiranyagarbha, and through Hiranyagarbha he creates the Universe. Bhagavan with his power creates everything and Maya Sakthi does not conceal him. He knows his real nature Turiya tatva. He knows “Ahambrahmasmi”. He doesn’t get carried away by the attraction of Maya. In the case of Jiva, Avarna Sakthi of Maya is operating and the Jiva does not know the higher nature of Brahman. This ignorance is creating problem for us. We can never get permanent security if we hold on to anything in the universe. In the case of Bhagavan, this problem is not there (4^th Ch of Gita). Bhagavan takes the avatar of a human being.

Ajopi sannavyayaatmaa bhootaanaameeshvaropi san |
prakritim svaamadhishthaaya sambhavaamyaatmamaayayaa || 6 || BG Ch IV

At the time of death, my physical body alone disintegrates. Taking a body is called Janma. Jiva can express the freewill only in a human body. Jiva requires a conducive body to express the freewill. A child cannot express the freewill. Eswara has got Maya as his body. Eswara creates this world. Eswara is the creator, maintainer and resolver of this whole creation. Human society is healthy only when there is Dharma. Dharmic way of life maintains harmony. Sometimes humanity forgets Dharma and Adharma becomes predominant. Bhagavan has to bring in his defensive mechanism. That is Eswara avatara a cosmic defensive mechanism for the benefit of humanity. The type of avatar will depend upon the type of problem. He took Narasimha avatar for killing Hiranyakasupu who is Prahaladha’s father. Prarthana becomes the cause for Avatara (material in which the body is created). Eswara can create a body instantly by means of Maya. In the case of Jivas body out of Maya, pancha boothas are created. Jiva sariram is called Bhowthiga sariram, which is made up of Pancha boothas. Eswara avatara is like sublimation. For Bhagavan there is no self-ignorance. He is not tempted by the powerful attraction of Maya.

A householder life is important for doing service to his family and being not attached to anything. Not only my likes and dislikes are taken into account but also my spouse’s likes and dislikes are important for the sake of my spouse. Serving the family, serving the parents and serving the society are meant for my spiritual growth. Serving the family without attachment is required in Grihastrasramam (6^th Chapter of Gita). We have to go to the next stage of Vanaprasta. Don’t get attached to your spouse. Do not get attached to your children. You have to serve them only. Spiritual life is a journey alone to the alone all alone. Krishna was a maha Grihasta. He has 16 thousand wives. These are all symbolic things to convey the idea that they are patthinis. None of them could cause any attachment. The message is that lord is not attracted to anyone. He made everyone of them happy. You were never emotionally dependent on any one of them because of Self-knowledge and the absence of self-knowledge alone is the cause for attachment.

Be blissful.

S.SEKAR

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com