Bhagavatam (Skanda 1, Chapter 5, Slokas 1-15)

By Anil Hattangadi (Recap given by Geetha Gopi on 28 Nov 2002)

In Slokas 1 to 15, Narada Muni explains the cause for Sage Vyasa’s sadness and instructs him to narrate the glories of Lord as the remedy.

A true Guru is like a good doctor diagnosing the problem of his disciple instantaneously. The disciple too should be qualified; have faith and willingness to listen. Here both the Guru and disciple are the most qualified. Narada Muni has the Supreme knowledge because of his total surrender and communion with the Lord.

Any literature or knowledge devoid of devotion to the Lord is imperfect. Vyasa has not described the glories of Lord, as much as he has explained the Vedic rites in his previous writings and therefore, the nectar in such writings are absent. Just as a fish taken out from water will not be happy till it goes back to water, similarly, we, the part and parcel of Lord, will be happy only in His company. Even though a devotional literature is full of shortcomings, the wise accept them as the greatest because, Lord’s glorification makes all other defects null and void, just as in our Poojas, by chanting the names of Lord, all other shortcomings in the Pooja are nullified. Lord likes our BHAKTI than our VIBHAKTI or intellectual knowledge.

Even Nishkam karmas without devotion are inferior; then what to speak of desire motivated actions if such actions are not offered to the Lord. Vyasa, in his exposition of vedas, did a grave mistake of authorizing the desire-motivated actions as Dharma to the people who are engrossed in sense pleasures. People are waiting to have an authority to their wrong doings. It is well known fact that, if you say good, less people will heed; but if you say badly, all will follow. That is why all our politicians have mass following. Therefore, we have to be very vigilant in all our actions and talks; as a Satsangi, we need to be an ideal for the people around us. Devotion is not a uniform to wear on certain days and then to put aside. Lord is to be in the midst of all our thoughts and actions at all times. It is like the same vegetable for curry, subji and salad. God gave us everything: Time, space, cause, material, idea, skill, chance and fortune. Why do we feel that we are the owners and doers? How can we, be happy, by keeping Lord away from our life, to whom we owe everything we have?

Lord has taken Avatars and did various superhuman activities so that we can be engrossed in those glories of the Lord and develop love for Him, which is the panacea for all our miseries. Therefore, Naradji, instructed Vyasa to meditate and visualise the leelas of Lord in various Avatars and narrate them for the benefit of the people so that they will not be lost in their materialistic pursuits.