In the tenth chapter the Lord continues the instructions to Uddhava. A person forsaking all desires should follow the conduct prescribed for his varna, ashrama and kula. Spiritual practices are to be undertaken under the guidance of a Guru, chosen with care.
Category Archives: Chapters from Srimad Bhagavatham
Chapter 11. Behaviour of bound and liberated jivas as well as of devotees.
Bondage and liberation are only for jeevas, not for the Lord who is beyond and in control of Maya. In a dream, there is no awareness that the dream is in progress and as long as the dream lasts, the dreamer experiences grief etc.So also in the waking state, the jiva not being alive to his true nature of sacchidananda and also lacking in knowledge of Sri Hari, undergoes suffering, joy etc. Such experiences being strictly confined to jiva’s embodied state are not a part of his constitutional baggage and hence termed not factual (na vasthavi).
Continue reading Chapter 11. Behaviour of bound and liberated jivas as well as of devotees.
Chapter 12. The glory of association with devotees – vital role of life force and the various presiding deities in creation, sustenance and liberation.
In the 12th chapter, resuming the discourse, the Lord stresses on the importance of association with the Lords devotees as a means of emancipation and cites examples of those liberated among all species of living beings. Then the Lord goes on to glorify the devotion of Gopis as being superior in character, because of complete and unconditional surrender of all their thoughts and actions.
Chapter 13. How to get over rajas and tamas by resorting to dharma – teaching imparted by the Lord in the form of divine swan to Sanaka and brothers – need to develop dispassion and get rid of contrarian or false knowledge.
At the beginning of the 13th chapter, the Lord explains to Uddhava that one should gradually get over the rajas and tamas by resort to dharma based on saatvik predominance. Scriptures, water, people, place, time, occupation, birth, the object of contemplation, mantra and purifactory rites-these ten are contributory to the growth of a particular guna.
Chapter 14. Path of devotion is the most superior – process of meditation described.
At the beginning of the 14th chapter, Uddhava enquires of the Lord whether of the many courses of discipline leading to liberation, including that of devotion, there is one, which is prominent. In reply the Lord traces the lineage of Vedic instructions from the Lord to Brahma and then from Brahma downwards on to the other created beings. Due to differing natural tendencies of different created beings, their thoughts too differ, and in conformity with their nature, diverse interpretations of the Vedas flow.
Chapter 15. Names and characteristics of siddhis or mystic powers acquired through yoga.
In the 15th chapter, the Lord tells Uddhava that siddhis (mystic powers) of various kinds wait upon the yogi of steady mind who has subdued his senses and controlled his breath and concentrated his mind on the Lord. The siddhis are listed and then described.
Chapter 16. Powerful manifestations (vibhutis) of the Supreme Lord.
In the sixteenth chapter Uddhava wants to know from the Lord, those particular activities, by contemplation through which on the Lord with devotion, men of wisdom are able to attain the highest perfection. Uddhava wants to know all of those powerful manifestations of the Lord, invested with divine glory that may exist on earth, in the quarters, in heaven or in the subterranean regions.
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Chapter 17. The duties allotted to the four varnas and four ashramas.
In the 17th chapter, Uddhava enquires of the Lord how human beings observing the rules of conduct laid down for the various varnas and ashramas may perform devotional service to Sri Hari by performing duties allotted to them.
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Chapter 18. The duties of anchorities and recluses.
In the eighteenth chapter, the Lord continues the narration of the dharmas (duties) of the different varnas. Silence (or measured speech),desirelessness and pranayama(breath control) are the three cudgels respectively for speech, body and mind.
Continue reading Chapter 18. The duties of anchorities and recluses.
Chapter 19. A dissertation on devotion – spiritual enlightenment and yogic discipline – yamas and niyamas.
In the 19th chapter, the Lord tells Uddhava that the threefold manifestations starting with birth etc, that crops up in the jeevas as per their past karmas, is a product of Maya (prakriti) and is not the inherent character of the jeeva, which is one of eternal knowledge and bliss.