Chapter 11

1. Sri Narada said: Sri Prahlada who was endowed with intuitive wisdom, even while staying at the residence of his preceptors his unstinted heart was ever dove-tailed in the contemplation of Supreme Lord Sri Narayana and he observed the All-pervasiveness of Lord Sri Vishnu over the entire universe, but he in the outer world behaved like an insane boy.

2. He was indifferent in concern with the worldly affairs such as in hearing, anything of the worldly matter, in his secular activities, drinking, eating etc. He ever avoided the companionship of worldly minded people and preferred to live in seclusion.

3-4. One day his fellow students met him at a lonely place and they jointly spoke to him. They said, ‘Bho the prince, your way of life is most wonderful to us, although you are a prince yet you are quite indifferent to the worldly enjoyments. We understand that you are possessing at your heart something wonderful upon whom you are contemplating and thereby ever the hairs of your body stand to their end with joy. If it is not a matter of so secret and undiscloseable then you may speak about him to us. Hiranyakashipu, the king of the asuras engaged his mighty warriors, elephants, snakes and put fire to destroy you, but you conquered them all and you remain unperturbed. How did you become so unconquerable? But otherwise you are found prowessless and indifferent to everything else. Therefore naturally we are extremely curious to know the secret behind it.’

5. Bho Brahmanas, thus when supplicated by those boys, Sri Prahlada out of his natural affection towards them spoke, ‘dear friends, what you all want to know I shall frankly tell that but you all have to listen to me patiently.

6. My dear friends, look here, the wealth, servants, maids, the relatives, children, wife etc. no doubt are the enjoyable objects for all born beings but I request you to take the decision of the men of wisdom and then realise how ephemeral they are. Therefore you yourselves will consider whether one should aspire after them or at once they are to be given up from a distance.

7. First of all, you may yourselves judge, that a jiva due to some unknown reason while remains in the womb of the mother he is tormented with untold sufferings scorched by the gastric fire when remembering the consequences of previous birth he laments thus:

8-11. Alas, due to my forgetfulness of the Blissful Supreme Lord Sri Narayana I am now caused to suffer in this dirty and dreadful womb. Many births I had and everytime I had to suffer likewise. Ah, everytime due to the nescience I could not look to my spiritual welfare. In the womb of the mother, lying in that abominable receptakle of faeces and urine, the breeding place of worms I, beaten again and again and wounded by the hungry worms, there itself suffered terrible agony and often swooned on account of that, I also suffered untold agony from the contact of the pungent, salty and burning acidity a stringent and sour food that my mother had eaten, suffering agonies in every limb, I lied bundled up in the remembrance and covered by the entraits of the mother. All these are due to the forgetfulness of the Lotus Feet of Sri Narayana. When I prayed that hereafter I would exclusively devote myself to the worship of Sri Narayana being totally free from all other desires, also when should I be released from this extremely sufferings at the womb and after my birth I would not be acting so foolishly as before, steeped in nescience.

12. Thus in the womb of the mother the foetus with consciousness from the seventh month onwards yearns to get rid of the mother’s momb [womb?]. But it is like a tied up beast’s attempt to quench its thirst when it finds water at a distance pond which is no doubt beyond its reach.

13-14. While the child thus prayed to Lord in his tenth month, he is suddenly dislodged from his place and pushed out of the womb into the world by uterine contractions. Precipitated by this he comes out with great difficulty, head downwards, breathless, suffering intensely, and all memory of his former state blotted out, cast amidst blood and urine on the ground, he writhes therein like an intestinal worm. As a man who is at the jaw of death his all the desires for enjoyments are futile so too he is lost of his spiritual consciousness being overcome by the body-sense.

15. A muni in deep contemplation may perceive the object of his desire so also a jiva in the womb of his seventh month realises the condition of the life. Again, as when a muni comes down from his state of deep meditation he does not understand what he actually realised at the state of his deep contemplation so also when a human babe is born from the womb of his mother he forgets everything of his realisation that he had in the womb of his mother. During the waking time as a jiva perceives the world so a babe while he remains in the womb of his mother he realises everything. During the time of sleep one cannot perceive anything accordingly a jiva in bondage cannot know his spiritual characteristics.

16. Soon a jiva is born the nescience sway over him like a sword and cuts asunder the tree of wisdom but from the cut-off root of that tree of wisdom seldom the twing may crop up during his childhood and with the growth of his body the knowledge is increased.

17. Those fortunate ones who nurture their tree of wisdom with pouring water in the shape of associating themselves with unalloyed devotees as well as by studying the sacred books in which God Vishnu-Krishna’s Exploits are extolled (they) ultimately enjoy the nectar of Bliss from the ripen fruits of the tree of wisdom by attaining the summum bonum of life.

18. But those who run after the material gains viz. gold and women their tree of wisdom become scorched by the lire in the shape of desires for ephimeral enjoyments and therefore ultimately by the sword of death that tree of wisdom is totally cut asundered.

19. Thus the engrossed jiva goes in his endless cycling of birth and death. And who knows when he may gain that spiritual wisdom which ultimately will result to imbibe devotion to Sri Narayana, the Supreme.

20. A jiva first suffers untold sufferings in the womb of the mother and after the birth at his infancy his soft body is pained lying in bed put with urine and dirts and apease his hunger by merely drinking mother’s breast milk. Again during his prime of youth he is tormented by unsatiated lust. At the old age he feels frustrated. Therefore, O jiva, ponder over, whether there is even an iota of happiness in the worldly way of life?

21. the comrades, incidently what I have told you that you might have pondered over. I have told you about the sufferings of the jivas during their childhood. During that period although he passes through great mental agony and also physical elements yet he is unable to express it. Because yet he has not equipped with any expressable word. He suffers untold sufferings.

22. He is given bath and led with food against his willingness. During his boyhood he wastes his time in playing games forgetting the life of real purpose. He joins with others for attaining something and labours but without any real prospect. Thus steeped in nescience his boyhood period is spent in vain and having the rewards of sorrows and sufferings.

23. Now you all hear from me about the extreme suffering during the youth stage. A youth is ever tormented by the turbulant unsatiated lust and also equally other five enemies of the heart viz, anger, greediness, etc. also take their possession and therefore thousands of mental diseases bewilder him.

24-25. A man full of his youth always becomes egoistic and hostile. He ever hunts for fresh enjoyments and with his unsatiated thirst never feels any happiness. His unquenching thirst for lust is not satiated by matting with his youthful wife, he hunts for new ones and also whatever wealth he possesses that do not serve his requirements. If at all any youth is containt with possessing, one wife and the wealth that he earned yet he cannot have happiness because everything of the earth is ephemeral. Therefore wife, wealth etc. cannot make one-self happy, instead, as their loss crores of sorrows break one’s heart.

26. One who keeps attachments to his wife, children, wealth etc. thereby actually has planted the seed of mighty tree of melancholy. Ultimately that seed grows into a mighty tree and asunders the heart.

27. O the asura-putras (sons of asuras), one steeped in nescience having his companionship with his wife, children meets the same consequence as an ignorant when plays with a cobra.

28. One who is desiring to be drowning into the ocean of melancholy may try to sail the ocean by a boat with numberless leakages or sitting on the same branch of a tree which he is axing through or will indulge in enjoying the ephemeral pleasures.

29-30. Therefore, O the sons of the Daityas, to enjoy the youth does not make oneself really happy. The suffering of the old age is unending. Like the perinial flow of mighty river the suffering from Adhibyadhi (mental and physical suffering) causes an old man ultimately drowned into the ocean of melancholy. Really, living-being in his life of transmigration at no stage viz. neither during his childhood, nor youth nor old age can enjoy any peace or real happiness true to its sense. But those fortunate ones indeed, are really wise who leaving aside all temptations of enjoyments take recourse to the Lotus Feet of Sri Narayana, the Supreme.

31-33. See, no doubt, one enjoys the youth with conjugal love but if he cannot beget a child he feels life-long most unhappy. Suppose, he gets a child but if the boy turns to be an unfaithful one, then life becomes more miserable. Further after getting a son if he dies that gives heartrending sorrows. So what need it serves by possessing any object of ephemeral pleasure? A man who leaves a life of frustration having lost every possession of his luxuries due to the providence, to him even the sweet-scented pleasent malaya breeze of the spring season and the nectar-showering beaming moon actually become unpleasant, so also although a man possessing enormous wealth but at the loss of his wife and children becomes bewildered and feels void in life. Again at every stage man is afraid of his death. Then how one should have his ego of I-ness and my-ness at any time, at any place and at any incident? Therefore one should deeply ponder over whether there is any real happiness in possessing the material objects?

34-37. Look here, in this mundane world, beasts, birds, deer, snakes etc. even though they may sustain themselves with the waters of the river but they too die or cause others to die. Leave them, can there be any creature from whom fear of death can be avoided by the human beings? O the sons of the asuras, in the mundane world can there be a place or a particular period of time where and when one can become free from the fear of death. Does a wife or the wealth make oneself really happy? The very thought of wife torments one’s heart with burning lust and the unquenching thirst for wealth rends the heart altogether, If due to some cause one becomes deaf or blind or a part of the body paralysed or suffering from some uncurable serious disease then one feels totally dejected at heart. Alas! when life is at a peril what happiness can be derived form worldly possession? What I have just now spoken to you that you all might have noticed or experienced, Those who are deluded by maya they get themselves entangled in mundane enjoyment: steeped in nescience they are succumbed to lust and anger etc. having been lost of their discriminating faculty. How can they judge good and bad?

38-42. O the sons of the Daityas, thus a life of enjoyment in this material world is the will-o-the-wisp. A man of wisdom never keeps any attachment to the mundane enjoyment. He knows that it is only those who are far inferior than the beasts they only welcome suffering by indulging in the material enjoyments. One who treads on the path of karma for him happiness is a day-dream. To reap the fruits of one’s own karma one subjects himself in cycling a life of transmigration passing through different species of life. And we all see at the very face of our life that how miserable life we lead. Alas, jivas due to their previous karma when are born as deer and move about in the forest are ever fear-strickened and though they are innocent creatures but the carnivorous animals like lions and tigers pound upon them. They pittiously cry in vain but soon become their delightful feast. At times they become the prey to the fanciful kings while they are on their pleasure-hunting. A mighty elephant is entrapped and there in the cage it pitiously roars. A parrot who freely moves in the sky also at times meets the same consequence as that of the elephant. A cattle is made to cry on overload to its extreme suffering. Should we not ponder over what offence did they do for which they have to suffer so much? Alas, even to enjoy the fun the hunters prey the dumb animals and that too putting them half-dead so that when they suffer stretching their legs and pitiously cry unto the death they feel happy. O the sons of Daityas, thus jivas cycle their life being born in different species and suffer due to the fruits of their previous karma.

43. Alas, O daityas, it is also stated that sentient beings due to their karma tendency indulge in volumous sensual pleasure transgressing all codes of virtue and therefore in birth-afterbirth they are born as non-sentient beings. Alas, what more misfortune can befall to an engrossed jiva.

44-46. Now as per our survey we may come to the conclusion that practically there is not an iota of peace or happiness in the mundane world. In whatever way one may scrutinise every affair of the world ultimately he has to come to this final decision that world is full of sorrows and sufferings. A wise knows that the world is like a mirage apparently beautiful and full of honeymoon pleasure but in reality it is the very ocean of melancholy, sorrow and suffering; therefore he never falls a victim to the gross material enjoyment. As the moth seeing the glow of fire run to it and instantly die so also ones steeped in nescience fall into the quagmire of maya and they succumb to the hellish samsara. Unfortunate ones devoid of spiritual wisdom and illusioned by the quagmire of maya run after the ephemeral pleasure of the samsara as ones without getting wholesome food eat oil-cake, husk etc. then how we can condemn them?

47-49. Now let us leave aside this topic. Worship of the Lotus Feet of Sri Narayana, Lord of Goddess Lakshmi is the real purpose of our life—this is the be-all and end all. The Bliss that is derived by worshipping the Lotus Feet of the Supreme Lord Narayana is the ever-lasting peace and happiness. This Bliss is totally free from concomitant suffering. This Bliss is the highest pursuit for all beings. Merely by offering wealth or cloths or by severe penance one cannot do proper way of the worship of the Supreme Godhead; whereas one should with his unstinted mind and uneclipsed wisdom worship Supreme Lord Sri Narayana thereby he surely attains the final beatitude of his life. Leaving aside this perinial source of Eternal Bliss which indeed is attained without any hard endeavour, if one foolishly runs after the most negligible ephemeral pleasure of the mundane world then what should we say, alas, is he not a fool who missing the opportunity of having got the throne of a kingdom now with utmost poverty begs door to door with a begging bowl in hand?

60. Those who are engrossed in the mundane affairs they are certainly blind to see the beauty of the Transcendental Bliss of devotion to the Supreme Godhead. Those whose vision is eclipsed in the quagmire of m ya how can they have a vision of the Supreme Truth, the Supreme Godhead. For their misfortune the wise lament at heart yet they will show their deaf ear without least-respect towards Lord Vishnu.

- 61. O the sons of the daityas, thus knowing the world full of sorrows and sufferings you all should devote steadfastly to the Lotus Feet of the Supreme God Sri Narayana. Soon you will have the vision of that Supreme Truth and your life will be then purposeful and fruitful, indeed, rewarded with all success

52. Though the world-tree is without any substance, yet it becomes fruitful and purposeful when it is utilised to the service of Sri Hari. If one wants to serve Lord it is possible from here itself. The meaning is, here being born as human beings jivas are given the chance to serve Sri Hari and make the life purposeful and fruitful. Because jivas in bondage without possessing corporeal body merely through their astral or subtle body cannot serve the Lord.

53-54. Therefore being born as human being on earth one must with unalloyed devotion serve Supreme Lord Sri Narayana, only the Refuge of the universe. Even for the sake of the service of Lord Sri Narayana, to renounce the kingship and live as a recluse is thousand times better. Then only the purpose of being born as human being is well-honoured and becomes fruitful otherwise there is no rescue from the cycling of life of transmigration. People should cut asunder the knots of the worldly bondage by rendering unalloyed devotion to Sri Hari. Let you all devote yourselves to Sri Hari and if on that account any ungratefulness to our so-called gurus (who teach only secular learnings) is shown let it be welcomed. If thus with firm determination serve Sri Hari no more the waves of the worldly ocean can away over you all.

55-57. Therefore giving up all desires for salvation contemplate in your unstinted heart upon the Supreme Lord Sri Narayana, Who holds Shankha, Chakra, Gada and Padma and Who shines forth with His Transcendental dazzling effulgence and Who is the Bestower of highest pursuit of life. You maintain friendly outlook towards all; because Lord Sri Vishnu is the indwelling Monitor of all beings and also Omni-present. Always be vigilant against lust and anger that they do not get a seat at your hearts; they are the worst enemies of all. So long one cherishes hatredness against others his worship of Sri Vishnu, the Omnipresent is gross material he cannot transcend the mundanity; as an ignorant may worship the holy feet of a Brahmin but again he hits on his head. There- both of them pave their path for eternal perdition.

58. Oh the mortal beings, having observed your hearts that you all are not nonbelievers of God, I shall disclose the secret of the Supreme Truth which is established on the undisputed and unchallenging authority of Rig, Yajur and Sama Vedas; and the exalted munis have subscribed that. Therefore accept this Truth without any ambiguity.

59-31. O the sons of Daityas, the mind may take into account of the materials as well as the effects thereof the mundane world to its own fanciful dictum but scrutinisingly solicit to solemnise them in the service of Sri Hari, you make your mind enlightened pondering over that Lord Vishnu is the substratum of everything and under His superintending the creation of the universe takes place—this philosophy should be known. In the mundane world the engrossed Jiva with his uncontrolled mind takes the world to the fulfilment of his varigated desires and thereby deceives his own ‘self’. Therefore one should very carefully be vigilant against the scrupulous mind and never should fall a victim to the dictum of the humsical and treacherous mind. One who allows the uncontrolled mind to move freely his heart is tormented with the mighty waves of thousands of desires and he is more and more drowned into the quagmire of maya and ultimately he is succumbed to the ocean of unfulfilled desires.

62-65. One who realises that the world cannot exist even for a moment without the superintending of Lord Vishnu, should bring his mind under his control by steadfast devotion to Sri Hari and thereby becoming untainted at heart gets rid of the adjuncts of I-ness and my-ness, feels complacent and the Bliss. The mind becoming free from the adjuncts of I-ness and my-ness rest at the state of equilibrium and complacent. At this stage only one is endowed with the intuitive wisdom. Thus through the method of dovetailing oneself in the steadfast devotion to Sri Hari mind can be brought under control. Without bringing the mind under full control it cannot be pasifìed. So this is most essential. The wise say that to refrain the mind from the attachment of worldly enjoyment is the composition of mind and making the heart unstinted. No doubt it is very very difficult to subjugate the mind and again without this no spiritual progress is possible. The wise have presented different methods towards this end. They have prescribed five different methods;—Dhyana (meditation), controlling the breath, observing the mind how it moves; and abstraining [abstaining?] it from its down-grade thoughts, observe Kechak and Cumbhok and hear the ‘Nadu’ in the complacent state of mind—thus see, that the mind does not move to the outer world.

66-70. O the sons of the daityas, there are two worlds inner and outer or external world. Wife, children, weath etc. are the external world which is non-essential whereas Dhyana, Dharana, Pranayam etc. are the inner world and the positive aspects of the life. Man of wisdom first of all takes recourse to the Reality and gradually gives up the attachment towards the material world. Because it is the philosophical truth that so long there is no attachment to the Supreme Reality the repultion towards the worldly enjoyment of the mind is hardly possible. If a forest animal enchained forcefully but soon it gets a chance it will run away to the forest. Whereas if that animal is kept along with other per animals, then within a short time it will settle itself with them and no more it will desire to run away to the forest. The wise thus compire the mind with the untempted forest animal.

71-72. So long the propensities of the enjoyment are not totally washed off from the mind till then one should try to control mind by following the method of Dhana, Dharana etc. Thus with all endeavour one should try to refrain the mind from the worldly enjoyment. Thus slowly and gradually one should try to compose the mind otherwise if any hasty decision is taken then every hope is lost. As it is said, slow and study win the race.

73. Therefore one should take recourse to the path of steadfast devotion to Sri Hari by contemplating upon the Transcendental From of the Exalted Lord Vishnu wielding Shakha, Chakra. Gada, Padma; and strictly following the shastric codes with mind. Thus gradually one can attain the summum bonom of life.

74-77. O Comrades, it needs no more to explain to you. I have already given you the most essential lessons. Yet I once again, repeat that you should keep constant association with exalted devotees of Lord Sri Vishnu and give attention to listening to Hari-Katha, the Divine Exploits of Sri Hari. Knowing that this world is created by God for utilising it to His service and having the friendly attitude towards all render unalloyed service to God with uninterrupted attention then forthwith you will be free from all afflictions. If do not get the chance to associate yourself with holy devotees of God Vishnu then better live alone yet at any rate neither converse with those who are antagonistic to Sri Vishnu nor ever entreat them. Always give due respect to the Brahmanas, holy devotees of God Vishnu who all are real preceptors. Discard the feeling of enjoyment of the material comfort and wealth. Aim of life must not be forgotten at any condition of life. Maintain complacence of mind even when you meet the worst calamity.

78-82. Never allow the mind to indulge in sense-pleasure. Always endeavour for realising the Supreme Truth. During the last part of the night viz. Brahma muhurtha (one hour thirty six minutes before the sunrise) in your unstinted mind contemplate upon the Transcendental Pastimes of Exalted Lord Sri Vishnu. Deeply ponder over who I am in reality, what is the corporeal body as well as the subtle body; what are the functions of ten breathings, what is the reward that one derives through his all the senses, what is the distinction in between jiva-soul and Godhead; who is the creator of the universe and what is the purpose of creating the universe, who sustains the world, what is the essence and final lesson of the Vedas, what is the bondage for a jiva, what is the release of a jiva-soul, who listens, contemplates, sees, speaks and tastes, who is renowned as the Transcendental Blissful, Omnipresent, Omnipresent and Omnipotent: why He is invincible—all these are to be cultured in pure unweavering mind. You should go to the exalted devotees of Sri Hari and with submissive spirit enquire after these vital questions.

83. Those who all lead a practical way of life in dovetailling themselves in loving serve to Sri Hari approach them with inquisitiveness, and sincerely learn this philosophy with steadfast devotion and worship Sri Narayana with panegirical hymns. Even when mind is not brought under full control or there may remain self-aggrandisement, anyhow at no time do not leave the chanting of the Divine Name and Pastimes of Sri Hari viz culturing devotion to Him.

84-85. Always contemplate upon how blissfully He holds the conch, discus, mace and lotus in His four Divine Hands. Even in dream nothing else but He alone is to be visualized. If thus the untainted mind contemplates upon the most Blissful Divine Form of Sri Hari then the most compassionate God will make Himself manifest before you with His most Effulgent and Blissful Transcendental Divinity.

86-87. Oh the sons of the ministers, thus people who all follow the path of unalloyed devotion: Lord Sri Hari Who is although invincible becomes conceiveable to them and people thereby attain the summum bonum of their lives. Those who follow the path of Yoga (Astanga Yoga) they have to face great difficulties because it is full of perils and through this inductive process very hardly one may attain the Supreme Reality. See, those who live in foreign country what little freedom can they have? How many of them can enjoy the sovereign right without perils of life?

88-89. O the sons of daityas, what more should I say? Ah to cross over this mighty ocean of the world, Sri Hari alone is the safest Boat. Time and again nay, hundred-fold times I emphetically proclaim that Sri Hari is the only Refuge for all beings of the universe. Sri Hari alone is the Saviour, Sri Hari alone is the Saviour, Sri Hari alone is the Saviour—this I say thousand times.

90. At the beginning you all with great surprisingly asked me how I could be protected from the assassin of deadly weapons, most poisonous snakes and fire etc., but Oh comrades, there is really no wonder because Sri Hari is the Protecter. Again you should know that as a reward of Yoga-practise one may obtain Anima, Laghima and such other Siddhis but they are the hindrances to the spiritual attainment and actually they bring avertion to Sri Hari.

One who renders unalloyed devotion to Sri Hari for him attainment of final beatitude in life is the ultimate reward viz. eternal servitorship of Sri Hari. Whereas the reward that one gains by practising Yoga is the attainment of Anima etc, which cause hindrance to Hari Bhajan, the summum bonum of life.