Slokam 4

Trinavrata, with all his apparent might could not carry the little Paramathma,  who made himself very heavy. Trinavrata becomes feeble and exhausted.  The Paramathma is landed safely on the ground. 

The dust settles down in Gokula.  Yahoda, who did not know that the Paramathma had been safely returned, continued to cry. 

The dust in the slokam depicts the Maya that we all experience. The actual multitude of balancing acts that the Paramathma performs to protect us from the demons is enormous.  We tend to think that there is an automatic balancing act that is built into our lives to enable us to overcome the disasters and hardships of life.  We are not allowed to see the detail of the multitude of acts that the Paramathma performs.

Without His intervention,  there will be nothing but absolute disaster.  Without His direct participation in our lives,  devastation will occur in a flash. We would have no chance of sustenance or survival.

Our vision to perceive the truth behind all occurrences is blinded by ignorance and by illusion. We are unable to see the hand of the Paramaathma in the swings and sways of life.

Uddhava,  the Paramathma’s best friend wants to know how the Paramathma controls everything and wants to know the source of all manifestations. The Paramathma explains all creation and the process of control from the perspective of consciousness alone.  He does not even consider the world of objects as the even a trivial part of the universe. 

His explanations revolve around how out of Prakriti is born the Mahat and then becomes Aham Tattva.  Out of Aham Tattva are born the five Tanmatras and then comes the Mahabhutas and the rest of creation.

The “rest of creation” are the material objects (which is generally categorized as the five elements – earth, water, fire etc. So the material manifestations are only secondary to the birth of consciousness itself. 

Sri Krishna also describes the end as the reverse process. He says in Srimad Bhagavatham,  that “at the time when the end comes, the Earth, the grossest of them all, gets lost in the water, the water in fire, the fire in air, the air in ether, the ether in Tanmatras, they in the Aham Tattva and the Mahat.  Mahat becomes one with Prakriti, and Prakriti in turn becomes one with the Purusha, and then again there will be Bhrahman and nothing else.

It can be inferred from the above that the process of creation starts when Brahman divides into Prakriti and Purusha.

Prakriti or Prakruti (from Sanskrit language प्रकृति, prakṛiti), means "nature". It is a key concept, formulated by its Samkhya school, and refers to the primal matter with three different innate qualities (Guṇas) whose equilibrium is the basis of all observed empirical reality. Prakriti, in this school, contrasts with Purusha, which is pure awareness and metaphysical consciousness.

In the Upanishads, the Purusha concept refers to abstract essence of the Self, Spirit and the Universal Principle that is eternal, indestructible, without form and is all pervasive.^[5] The Purusha concept is explained with the concept of Prakrti in the Upanishads. The Universe is envisioned in these ancient Sanskrit texts as a combination of the perceivable material reality and non-perceivable, non-material laws and principles of nature.^[3][6] Material reality (or Prakrti) is everything that has changed, can change and is subject to cause and effect. Purusha is the Universal principle that is unchanging, uncaused but is present everywhere and the reason why Prakrti changes, transforms and transcends all of the time and which is why there is cause and effect.^[6] In the RigVeda, "[t]his Puruṣa is all that yet hath been and all that is to be" (पुरुषएवेदंसर्वंयदभूतंयच्चभव्यम|).^[7] Purusha is what connects everything and everyone according to the various schools of Hinduism.

In science, it is the opposite.  It is primarily a study of the objects and their interrelationship.

When we view creation as being sourced from the birth of consciousness, our attachment to material objects completely disappears.  Our perception turns inward and we become the object of our analysis and study.

After explaining all of this, the Paramathma asks Uddhava as to why he needs to know all these details,  when Bhakthi alone is a much easier path to liberation.

Uddhava agrees completely with the Paramathma.  He says, “I have been listening carefully and I have come to the conclusion that Jnana Yoga which you have describes is very difficult to practice unless Man has his mind completely under control.” He goes on to say that even great Yogis have found it immensely difficult and impossible to control the wayward Mind.”

In the Bhakti margam,  the Paramthma’s hand is seen in every action, including the seer himself.

The cloud of dust is the veil that is cast by the Paranmathma to ensure that we do not get engrossed in a cause and effect analysis of the various events of life.  That is the path of jnana marga which only a few of us can attempt.  The Paramathma’s prescribed path in Kali Yuga is the Bhakthi Margam.  It is the resolve,  conviction and confidence that the Paramathma will not let us down under any circumstance.  This conviction will be tested in full through our various lives, until we attain purity of thought and consciousness,  which will then completely merge into the Paramathma effortlessly.

As we go down this path of Bhakthi,  there will be many obstacles.  We will implore the intervention of the Paramathma with the “guarantee” that we will reform ourselves. The Paramathma always listens and intervenes to help us.  But once we are rescued and we recover,  immediately our mind will once again be pulled by temptations, and we will revert to our old ways.  This cycle will repeat many many times over and over again.

The Paramathma is eternally patient and compassionate.  As long as we know and realize our lapses, and endeavor to get back on the path of Bhakthi,  there will be no harm done and we will make progress. But if we choose to abandon the path, there is no redemption. We have to then start from scratch and take birth in the abominable and dreadful world of animals.

There will be many failures on this path of Bhakthi. But every time there is a lapse, our efforts should only be redoubled.  There should never be any backing down or retreat from the only path to moksham.

Sage Viswamitra,  after many many years of tapas,  is tempted by the appearance of Menaka and succumbs to temptation of intimacy. The sage realizes his lapse, but does not give up.  He begins all over again. The next time that Rambha attempts to tempt him, he does not succumb. Instead he curses her to become a rock.

May we ever be dedicated to the path of Bhakthi,  and always take failure as only one more stepping stone to success.