When good is not good enough

Class Notes | March 3, 2019 | Canto 1. Chapters 3–6

In Kaliyuga, we tend to blame and make excuses for being irresponsible. This type of behavior encourages separation. When our efforts are not directed towards uniting and acceptance, those efforts are just labor. If what we do does not delight the Creator, it is just shrama. We think what we are doing is for the delight of the Creator. But it is only for the delight for the Creator if we feel more delighted, more cheerful.

Brahman has manifested as Bhagavan for the delight of Brahman. Rishi Shuka, who is Brahman and independently joyous, shares Bhagavata with Raja Parikshita and all of us, not because he has anything to gain, but simply out of his delight.

Bhagavan Narayana, the source of all, conceived of Bhagavata, transmitted it to Rishi Vyasa who taught Rishi Shuka who in turn taught Raja Parkshita. We are fortunate to have access to Bhagavata because Rishi Shuka also shared this with Rishi Ugrashava or Suta-ji.

There is a story that helps us understand how and why Rishi Vyasa came to compose Bhagavata. Once, Rishi Shuka left home without any clothes. Rishi Vyasa ran after him to try and stop him. Some girls were bathing nearby, and upon seeing Rishi Shuka, they continued to bathe. However, when they saw Rishi Vyasa, they covered themselves.

Rishi Vyasa was curious why the girls felt shy in front of him, an old man, but not in front of his young son. The wise girls explained that Rishi Shuka was a Brahmakoti purusha- a human who identified with Brahman. He did not see differences between man and woman and that is why he did not teach. Rishi Vyasa, on the other hand, was an Ishwarakoti purusha- one who identified with Ishwara. He saw differences. Rishi Vyasa was a karaka purusha, who came into this world for a purpose and an adhikari purusha, one who was meant to help people.

Rishi Vyasa was not only a composer, but a great missionary as well. He worked so hard for the people because he knew that in the period of Kali, people were becoming distracted and discontented. He wrote the 4 Vedas, the Mahabharata and the Puranas. Yet, he felt incomplete. One day, as he was sitting, deep in thought, Rishi Narada appeared before him. Sometimes, we too feel incomplete. When we feel that way, we should pray sincerely and Rishi Narada will surely come to help us too.

Rishi Vyasa shared his feelings with Rishi Narada. Even though he had achieved so much, why was he feeling incomplete? Rishi Narada explained that his work needed more bhakti. Bhakti had been a means and not the end. In its lower form, bhakti is a sadhana and in its fullest form, it is prema. Sadhana ends when one reaches the sadhya, but prema never ends. Bhakti is not a sadhana, but prema.

Our bhava is what moves us. When people feel for something, they will invest in it. It is important to create that feeling (bhava) in people because bhava comes from bhakti. When Rishi Vyasa understood this, he realized what he had to do for the welfare of people distracted in Kaliyuga. Rishi Narada told him to sit and concentrate on Bhagavan Narayana. When Rishi Vyasa did that, he was able to document Bhagavata. This shows us that if we contemplate fully and sincerely, we too will be able to think like the Creator.

When Rishi Vyasa was thinking of why he was incomplete, he was not thinking about what he had accomplished, but about what he had not yet done. We tend to think only of what we have done. We do not think of what we still need to complete. That comes with introspection. Rishi Narada explained to Rishi Vyasa that though he had written with perfection until now, if perfection did not lead to love, it is better to write with mistakes as long as there is a feeling of love. This is because love is more important than perfection. If we love someone, we will forgive them even if they make mistakes. This is how we should live.

Rishi Narada explained to Rishi Vyasa that he had written so much about dharma, but dharma is not bhakti. Dharma is goodness, but good is not good enough. His work did not focus on bhakti and that is why he was feeling incomplete. We can all relate to this. If we put 100 hours into dharma or 100 hours into bhakti, the effort we put into bhakti will give us a greater return. Eating too much ghee is not healthy, but the right amount of ghee mixed with special spices becomes a medicine.

All Rishi Vyasa had to do was add love to his work. Rishi Narada told Rishi Vyasa: Do this work for the people. Share this medicine with all because not everyone can understand the Vedanta sutras. This perspective helped Rishi Vyasa understand what he needed to do.

Rishi Narada was able to guide Rishi Vyasa because of his own experiences. His mother was a maid who served sadhus, so naturally Rishi Narada was engaged in mahatseva and as we have learned, mahatseva leads to shraddha that in turns leads to katha. That explains why we saw Rishi Narada in Ramayana and see him again in Bhagavata. Rishi Narada’s mother died when she was bitten by a snake. This made Rishi Narada sad, but at the same time, he also felt happy that he had no more responsibilities. Bhagavan had blessed him to be free.

Bhagavan then gifted him a veena, a musical instrument. The music from that veena was also Bhagavan’s gift. We must realize that we also have been given a veena — our feet, hands, mouth, everything is Bhagavan’s gift. We are just like Rishi Narada in the sense that we have the same opportunities as him and need to be sincere in our devotion.

Shaunaka Rishi asked Rishi Ugrashava — how come Rishi Shuka, who always moved around and never stayed in any one place for any significant time, stopped long enough in one place to learn and teach Bhagavata? Reason: because Rishi Shuka loved Hari guna. He loved the narration of Hari and the people who love Vishnu. He stopped to learn and teach because he knew this was important and he wanted to spread purity. The message here for us is to slow down and make shravanam on Sunday mornings, and mananam the rest of the week, a priority. If Rishi Shuka, who is Brahman can stop, then why can’t we?

Class discussion: Discuss — being good is not good enough.

CF: Just doing dharma lacks bhakti so it is incomplete and not good enough.

Vivek-ji’s observations: Without bhakti or jnana, dharma (good) may only lead to pleasure, possession and position, but will not lead to Brahma. What we do is not as important as why we do.