GITA 7.35

GITA 7.35

SRI BHARGAVA NARASIMHA

Thirumangai Alwar wonders, whether the sky is red hued because of the fire generated by the friction of bamboos in the forests, or because it was evening when Lord Sri Narasimha appeared, or because of the blood that sprouted when SriNarasimha tore off the chest of Hiranyakasipu.
                 நாத்தழும்ப நான்முகனும் ஈசனுமாய் முறையால்
                 ஏத்த அன்கோராளரியாய் இருந்த வம்மானதிடம்
                 காய்த்த வாகை நேற்றோளிப்ப கல்லதர் வெய்ங்கழை போய்
                 தேய்த்த தீயால் விண் சிவக்கும் சிங்கவேள் குன்றமே.

Today's [24th April 2008] lecture is from the sannidhi of Sri Bhargava Narasimha. Many people like Brahma, Shiva, Indra, etc., came to praise Him. They could only try, but His greatness could not be satisfactorily brought out. Finally, He thought that He Himself should try to praise His greatness. To meet this task, Sri Parashu Rama, known as Sri Bhargava Rama, came to this place and meditated on the banks of the pond Akshaya Theertham, here and to some extent succeeded in praising Sri Narasimha.

AKSHAYA TEERTHAM

 How can One praise Oneself? Sri Narasimha avatar. like Sri Rama and Sri Krishna, is mukya or complete avatar, while Sri Parashu Rama avatar is gowna or avesha [ஆவேசம்] avatar, and so there is nothing wrong in one avatar praising another. This reasoning justifies defeat of Sri Parashu Rama at the hands of Sri Rama. So the Lord here is known as Sri Bhargava Narasimha. With upper two arms holding discus and conch, the lower two arms are tearing off the chest of Hiranyakasipu, laid on His lap. By getting boons from Brahma, Hiranyakasipu became uncontrollable and he forgot, Sriman Narayana was superior to Brahma. He forgot that those who granted boons to him might one day vanish away. In the Prabhai, an art work surrounding the statue, we can see the Dashavatara, sculpted.

PRABAI SURROUNDING SRI MOOLAVAR

 Now we will see the 29th sloka. In this and the next sloka 30, the things which are to be known by the three types of devotees [earlier the Lord told four types, but in that the first two, namely those seeking lost wealth and those seeking fresh wealth, are essentially one group and are called arthaarthi or wealth seekers, and the next is kaivalyaarthi or seekers of atman anubhavam, and the last is bhagavallabhaarthi or seekers of the Lord Himself - thus three types]. They are brahmam, adhyaatmam and karmam. These three are different for the three types of devotees.
1) Aiswaryaarthi is the type who seek wealth for sensual pleasures - lowest among devotees.
2)Kaivalyaarthi is the type who do not want this-worldly pleasures nor rebirths but want to enjoy their own atman and never return to the samsaram.
3)Bhagavallaabhaarthi is the best among all devotees, and they seek service to the Lord only and nothing else.
Each of them should know what is the objective, what is to be avoided and what is the means.
Bramham is here known as the objective and it differs for each of the types of devotees. It is also called prapyam.
Adhyaatmam means that which is to be avoided.
Karmam means the means or the activities to be performed to get brahmam.
In sloka 29, the Lord tells the three requirements for the kaivalyaarthi type of devotees; and in sloka 30, the requirements for aiswaryaarthi and bhagavallabhaarthi types of devotees. This has to be carefully understood. After seeing these and another four or five slokas in Chapter Eight only, the substance of these will be clearly understood. Now sloka 29:

jara-marana-mokshaya
mam asritya yatanti ye
te brahma tad viduh krtsnam
adhyatmam karma cakhilam

"Those seeking liberation from old age and death, try to approach Me; they should know completely their objective, avoidables and activities ."

Ye =those [wanting], mokshaya =release from, jara = old age, marana = [and] death, asritya = approach, mam = Me [Sri Krishna], yatanti = take efforts. Te = such people [kaivalyaarthi], tad brahama = the objective they should attain, vidhu = should know, adhyatmam = avoidable, karma = activities, ca kilam = entirely, krtsna = and completely. What are they will be detailed. 

                                                                                                    (continued)