In the previous episode, we had witnessed the extension of Sage Kapilaachaarya’s point on how we liberate ourselves from the vicious cycle of birth and death. For this, we invoked an instance from the Valmiki Ramayana and witnessed why Bhagawan Rama had killed the demoness Thaataka and her first son Shubaahu. However, Bhagawan Rama didn’t kill Thaataka’s another son, Maareecha and let him escape. The important question was, although all three were “Raakshasas”, why did Bhagawan Rama let one escape, but kill the others? Here is where, Valmiki indirectly explains the “Karma theory” and how does Bhagawan liberate us from our two types of “Karma” – Sanchita Karma and Praarabdha Karma. In the case of Sanchita Karma, Bhagawan burns it out when we surrender to His feet wholeheartedly, just like burning a ball of cotton in fire! However, in the case of our “Praarabhda Karma”, Bhagawan doesn’t burn it right away because it would still be sticking on us till this current birth of ours gets over. Hence in this case, Bhagawan tries to wash away our Praarabdha Karma, just like how He chased away Maareecha!
It is only to illustrate this difference, did Valmiki Maharishi narrate this particular episode in the Ramayana text. But the ultimate point here is that, both of these processes, that is, burning and washing would be performed by Bhagawan only if we surrender to His lotus feet with all our devotion. Eventually, only if this burning and washing processes take place, will we be liberated from the birth-death cycle. This is exactly what Sage Kapilaachaarya is also explaining here. At this juncture, it is to be noted by readers that, anything that is in the form of a story in our Sanaathana Dharma text, is just not a mere story! There are deep messages that are hidden inside each and every story, and this in-depth analysis is what we should be interested in! Of course, all of us know the Ramayana story by now, starting from the birth of Bhagawan Rama, His marriage with Mother Sita, Bhagawan Rama ascending to the forest for fourteen years, Mother Sita being abducted by Ravana and finally Bhagawan Rama waging a war against the wicked Ravana to retrieve Mother Sita. This story is being propagated to us mostly from our time of taking birth. However, this is not just a storyline! Every action that Bhagawan Rama and Bhagawan Krishna performed on this earth, during their respective times of incarnations, have deep meanings and messages for people of future generations as to how to lead a peaceful life, according to the path of “Dharma”. We should always remember this as we move on with more and more narratives and storylines in this text as well. Just like how we understand the Ramayana and the Mahabharata storylines, we should make a conscious effort to understand the in-depth meanings and messages behind all of these texts!
Moving on further thus, as Devahooti (Sage Kapilaachaarya’s mother) listens to her son’s divine and message-filled accord, she obtains the required knowledge for herself to get liberated and of course with the divine grace of Bhagawan too, and eventually thus, she gets the highest Moksha that she was looking for. With this, we come to the end of the Manu-Kardhama Samvaadha in the third Skandha of the Shrimad Bhaagawatha Puraana text. Now it’s time for us to move into the fourth Skandha, which primarily talks about the narrative of someone by name “Dhruva”.
In one of the previous episodes, I had given a brief introduction of who is this Dhruva. To recollect and refresh our memory on this a little bit, we had witnessed a short brief about two people – Priyavratha and Uthaanapaada and this Dhruva is the son of Uthaanapaada. Utthaanapaada had two wives namely Suneeti and Suruchi. Dhruva is the son of Suneeti, the first wife of Utthamapaada. Suruchi also had a son, who’s name is Utthama. There is an interesting story that is being narrated by Sage Sukhaachaarya to King Parikshit, with respect to this particular family. Let us witness the story in a bit of a detail.
One day, these two kids, Dhruva and Utthama were playing with their father, Utthamapaada. As the kids were playing for a while, they became tired and both of them wanted to go and sit on their father’s lap. At this juncture, Suruchi, who was witnessing this happening, thought to herself that only her son, Utthama has the right to sit on her husband’s lap, and not Dhruva. Accordingly, Suruchi straightaway went to Dhruva and conveyed thus, “Oh Dhruva! You’re not supposed to sit on the lap of Utthamapaada! Only my son Utthama is entitled to do so, because he is superior to you! If at all you want to sit on your father’s lap, you should lift up your eligibility for the same! For becoming eligible this, you need to go to the forest on an exile for few years, undertake penance, obtain the grace of Bhagawan and then come back!
Listening to such hasty words from Suruchi, little Dhruva got extremely irritated and annoyed at the same time! How can someone openly deny his right to sit on his father’s lap like that, and more than that, who is she to give him orders of going on exile? He rushed home immediately, unable to bare the insult and reported the incident to his mother Suneeti. Upon hearing the accord from her son Dhruva, Suneeti equally got annoyed, but advised her son a bit differently. She said to her son thus, “Oh Dhruva! Do as per Suneeti said! I’m happy that she has given you a spark of doing worship towards Bhagawan! Take it in the positive sense. If however, you’re able to obtain the divine grace of Bhagawan, you can get the opportunity to sit on the lap of the Divine directly! Why should you worry about sitting on your father’s lap? This father of yours is only for this birth! But Bhagawan is the divine father for all of us in all our births! Hence, junk your desire of sitting on your father’s lap and focus yourself on somehow realizing the opportunity of sitting on the lap of Bhagawan Himself!”
Hearing this from his mother, Dhruva understood the seriousness of what his mother was advising him about and off he went in a flash! His sole aim is now to realize his mother’s advice and to attain Bhagawan’s grace! Is Dhruva going to succeed in this great pursuit? Let’s wait till the next episode to find out! Stay tuned! 😊
The Indian Dharma 