Slokam 5

Sri Bhattadri addresses the Paramathma as “one who has donned the illusory form of a cowherd’s child.”

Sri Bhattadri speaks of the good fortune of Yashoda in being able to see His exquisite form, with Jasmine like teeth,  and feed the Paramathma with Him on her lap. 

The Paramathma plays with all the Gopis. Each Gopi thinks that the Paramathma is exclusively dancing only with Her. Likewise the Paramathma is there with each and everyone of us. He is there every moment.  We only have to become aware of His presence.  If we can do that, we will see that the Paramathma is timeless and without boundaries.  In our mind, consciousness,  and  every action, if we can see His presence, we would have the same fulfilment in life as do the residents of Gokulam.

Let us ever keep in our minds that the Paramathma can endow us with moksham at His Will at anytime.  Yet He wants us to put in just a little bit of extra effort so our contribution brings us a sense of accomplishment, and induces a sense of the true value of attainment through Bhakthi.  

Although we are not fortunate to be in His physical presence in the human form,  we have been endowed with evolved mental capabilities that we can use to recreate the visuals and attributes of the Paramathma,  if we develop adequate self control, selflessness and eliminate conflicts in our inner selves. Grappling with our wayward mind and bringing its turbulent energies under control and placing these at the direction and guidance of Paramathma in His infinite forms is our unchanging objective.

The challenge is by no means an easy one. With no ownership of any of the components that make us what we are,  we feel lost and insecure.  As one who is defeated turns to other pastures to better one’s fortunes, our natural instinct is to take ownership and control of all that we see and perceive.   We land ourselves in the misery of entanglement.

When Brahma is born on the lotus, he sees nothing but an extensive expanse of never ending water.  We are all very much in the same state as Brahma. We are lost in this expanse of life and its forms. Brahma hears the prompting of the unseen Paramathma asking Him to do tapas.  Brahma immediately follows the advice.  The “unseen” Paramathma communicates  the message of tapas,  to us through the innumerable ways that the canvas of life provides.   Tapas  induces self control in the mind, and is the means to attain the highest state of pure consciousness.

May we ever live in a state of complete surrender to the Paramathma.  May we place our every mental faculty at the disposal of the supreme by practicing shravanam and mananam.