Cosmology Lessons from The Bhagavad Gita

Cosmology Lessons from Chapter 8 of the Bhagavad Gita

An artist’s depiction of the Hindu view of cosmology There are literally billions upon billions of “universes” where “universe” means what modern physics teaches us. If the “universe” is finite and has an “edge” what is beyond that edge? This question is difficult to answer today but our scriptures shed some light on this matter. Each bubble above represents an “universe”.

Page 1 of 101

Table of Contents Topic

Title

Page No.

1

Cosmology lessons from chapter 8 of Gita

4

2

Sinking of the Titanic – history lesson

17

3

Bheeshma’s introduction to Vishnu Sahasranamam

20

4

The years in Kaliyuga: Divine days and years

23

5

Srila Prabhupada’s translation of relevant verses: Canto 3 of Srimad Bhagavatam about yugas

27

6

How should one leave the body? Chapter 8 of Gita

32

7

Bheeshma awaiting his PrayaaNa kaalam

48

8

Bheeshma’s Hymn to Krishna before departing his body

56

9

Srila Prabhupada’s translation of Canto 1, chapter 9 Passing away of Bheeshma in the presence of Krishna

59

10

Lalita Sahasranaamam and seven chakras in human body

64

11

Parikshit prepares for his moment of death

72

12

Brahma fears his own limited lifetime

78

13

Yugasandhyaa: Transitions between the yugas

84

14

The Irony of the Big Questions

90

Page 2 of 101

Acknowledgements In addition to a variety of hard copy books and texts, a number of internet sources (soft books) have also been consulted in order to compile this document. All these sources, especially, the sources for the illustrations used here, have been cited and are gratefully acknowledged.

http://www.vishvarupa.com/vishnu-krishna.html

Page 3 of 101

We will discuss here, briefly, the cosmological implications of Krishna's teachings in chapter 8 of the Bhagavad Gita. Here Krishna teaches us how to prepare for our death and how the lifebreath should leave the body. This is the beyond the scope and comprehension of science, as we know it, and so it is defined here as being non-science; see also remarks by Srila Prabhupada, page 47.

Dear All: Glad to see that our Gita study group is growing. This is a brief follow-up about the cosmology lesson given by Krishna in chapter 8. This is also the place where Srila Prabhupada discusses the details about the duration of the four yugas and Brahma's lifetime, in terms of human years (see http://www.asitis.com , purport of verse 17, chapter 8). The question that was asked about how all this relates to the current calendar that we use is a very good one. The current calendar is called the Gregorian calendar, after Pope Gregory XIII (who reigned as the Pope from 1572 to 1585), who ordered the Catholic church to study reforms to the calendar since the date of Easter seemed to be increasingly out of touch with the seasons. The previous calendar, used in the Western world, was put into effect by the Romans under Julius Caesar, in 45 BC. In both England and USA, the old calendar continued to be used even after the Pope's new calendar came into force. Hence, historians of science note that Sir Isaac Newton was born on Christmas day while the rest of Europe was already into the New Year. In the USA too, the old calendar was used even during the times of George Washington, see link given below. Page 4 of 101

(Pope Gregory, used the papal bull, on Feb 24, 1582, to enforce the new calendar http://www.naturcalendar.com/Tutorial/GregorianCalendar.htm Ten days were dropped from the calendar and the New Year would be celebrated on January 1, instead of first day of spring. But many countries like England refused to accept the new calendar. Almost two centuries later, twelve days were dropped from the “old” calendar by the British Calendar act -- the day after Wednesday September 2, 1752 became September 14, 1752, see http://www.infoplease.com/spot/gregorian1.html. This is also the origin of April Fool’s day in France --- The French decided to poke some fun at those who did not accept the new calendar and continued to celebrate the new year at the start of spring. So only fools continued to celebrate new year on April 1, instead of January 1, as ordered by the Pope http://www.infoplease.com/spot/aprilfools1.html ) The relationship between the ideas we find in the “Hindu” scriptures (there is really nothing “Hindu” about these ideas, these are “universal” ideas, spoken in Sanskrit, and belong to all humans) like the Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, can only be resolved by referring to what is known as Sheshakali (the number of years of Kaliyuga still remaning, shesham) in the Hindu Panchangam. Some panchangams convert shesha kali to actual years elapsed since Kaliyuga started. So, let us start there. http://www.mypanchang.com/panchangam2012.php http://www.scribd.com/doc/33619799/Panchangam-Vikruthi-Eng-2010-11 http://www.eng.auburn.edu/~prasaps/panchanga.pdf (2005 was Kaliyear 5106 and so 2012 is Kaliyear 5113). Timescales, both big and small, are described in Canto 3, chapter 11 of the Srimad Bhagavatam, including how to construct a clock. One method was to drain coconut water out by inserting a "tantu" (a small narrow tube made of natural materials, like thin bamboo stalk) into the coconut, or by draining a pot of water of a specified size. This is the same as what is known as a "water clock" built by Europeans and also used by Galileo when he did his famous experiments on balls rolling down an inclined plane. Page 5 of 101

The timescales, big and small, are discussed in the conversation between Vidura and the sage Maithreya. Vidura did not want to take sides during the Mahabharata war (indeed, he was insulted by Duryodhana) and left on a pilgrimage. During that time, he met Uddhava, who was on his way to Bhadarikaashrama, as ordered by Krishna. Uddhava informed Vidura about Krishna's return to His Own Abode and also that he had received instructions from Krishna. Vidura wanted Uddhava to share them with him. Uddhava, however, said that he should seek out the sage Maithreya who had been ordered by Krishna Himself to impart the knowledge to Vidura. (Maithreya also heard what Uddava had heard.) With this background, let’s start with the actual cosmology lesson. Sahasra yuga paryantam ahar yat BrahmaNO vidhuh l Raatrim yuga sahasraantam te aho raatra vido jaanaahaa ll 8.17 ll BG

I have reproduced verse 17 of chapter 8 above. What is sahasra yuga? The duration of Kaliyuga, the name of the age or the yuga in which we live, is 432,000 years (see page 23 for more details). From the sheshakali information, this means that Kaliyuga started 5113 years ago. (Some sources say that the first day coincides with Mahashiva rathri, which was celebrated recently in 2012.) This means Kaliyuga started in 3101 BC. There is general agreement on this point, based on many sources that I have read. Some give it as 3102 BC, see http://www.bhagavadgita.org/Gita/intro.html (Remember, there is no year zero AD!) The duration of Dwapara yuga (when Krishna was born) is 2 times Kaliyuga, or 864,000 years. The duration of Tretaa yuga (when Rama was born) is 3 times Kaliyuga, or 1296,000 years. The duration of Satya yuga (also called Kruta yuga) is 4 times Kaliyuga, or 1728,000 years. Page 6 of 101

This cycle of four yugas then repeats (like the repetition of the days in a week, the easiest example that we can understand, or the numbering of the years in a decade). The total duration for the group of four yugas here, taken together, is 10 times Kaliyuga. (1+2+3+4 = 10). This is also called Chaturyuga or Mahayuga. Krishna simply uses the word "yuga" in verse 17 of chapter 8 instead of Chaturyuga or Mahayuga (which is indeed used in Bhagavatam). Hence, for this Chaturyuga duration we get 10 times 432,000 = 4,320,000 years or 4.32 million years. Now multiply this by 1000 (sahasra yuga paryantam, verse 17) to get the duration of BrahmaNo ahar - or the day time for Brahma - like our day time when the sun is up. We get 4.32 billion years for the duration of Brahma's day time. (The rationale for 432,000 years of Kaliyuga can be found in Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 3, chapter 11.) Krishna then says that Brahma also experiences night time of the same duration (raathrim yuga sahasraanantam, second line of verse 17).

As I had mentioned, here on earth, we experience equal duration of 12 hours of day and night times on the day of the equinox, which typically falls on March 21 each year (this is the general date, but it can be off by a day either way). There is one more equinox on September 21 (give and take a day). During Pope Gregory’s time the accepted date of the equinox did not coincide with the date on the Julius Caesar calendar. (Hence, ten days were dropped in 1582 when the Gregorian calendar took effect.) The day of equinox is special because on that day EXACTLY the same 12 hours of day and night are experienced ALL OVER THE WORLD. The variation in hours of day light, as we move away from the equator, is related to tilt of the earth's axis. Hence, in the Northern hemisphere the duration of day time is more than 12 hours, as we are now going to experience during the summer here in the USA. This is not so much noticeable in places like India, Malaysia, Singapore, since they are closer to the equator.

Page 7 of 101

In the Brahma's count, therefore, each day is like an equinox day on earth. This is the "scientific" explanation for the equal duration of day and night mentioned by Krishna. Such a rationalization is possible if one approaches the topic being discussed by Krishna with a reverential attitude and a willingness to learn. Why should all this be so surprising, or ridiculous, as some misguided Westerners who read this think? (They really think the whole of Hindu cosmology is nonsense. The truth is that it is so mindboggling, or cannot be "proved", according to their biases. Yes, over the years, I have read such statements, made by leading Western astronomers, that have always pained me. Really sorry to even bring this up here! See http://hinduwisdom.info/Hindu_Cosmology2.htm ) So, having settled this point now, we go to the next step. One day of Brahma - both night and day taken together - equals 8.64 billion years. This day is called one kalpa. (Some think of kalpa as just the day time part. I am kind of "defining" kalpa here as the total during both one single day and night of Brahma.) Think of "kalpa" as simply a new measure of time, like we use weeks, instead of days, months instead of weeks, years instead of months, or decades instead of years, or centuries instead of decades, or milleniums, instead of centuries. What next? The next level is yugas and kalpas. Only our scriptures comprehend such vast timescales. There is no comparable concept in anything created by the so-called science from the Western world. (They are still stuck on the point of what is known as the "precession of the equinoxes", which is the main reason for the difference between Western astrology and Hindu or Vedic astrology. Western astrologers still pretend that what they are doing is correct, although Western astronomers laugh at them. The planets are NOT in the same constellations, or the houses of the zodiac, as claimed by the Western astrologers, due to the precession of the equinoxes. That is a different topic altogether.) Page 8 of 101

What next? One kalpa, or a day or Brahma equals 8.64 billion years with equal day time and night times. Krishna tells us that everything becomes "avyaktam" during Brahma's night time (in verse 18) and continues the description in subsequent verses. He mentions that this process is "avasha", i.e., not in anyone's control, nobody can change it or control it. Both the "avyaktam" part and the "vyaktam" part is uncontrollable. The whole aggregate of bhutaas (bhuta graama) appears at the start of the day (like leaves and flowers appear on trees at the start of spring, this too is "uncontrollable" unless some scientist thinks they can make a tree bloom in winter....) and everything disappears at the start of the night (verse 19). Avyaktaat vyaktayah sarvaahaa prabhavanti aharaagame l Raatryaagame praleeyante tatraiva-avyakta-samjnyake ll 8.18 ll BG Bhoota-gramahaa sa evaayam bhootvaa bhootvaa praleeyate l Raatryaagame avashah Paartha prabhavati-ahar-aagame ll 8.19 ll BG I have reproduced the relevant verses above, without sandhis, so that each word can be understood. Even as I read them again, I am struck by these powerful words, yet they are all so simple and can be readily understood by anyone who has studied Sanskrit (with some dedication). This is the literary beauty of all of Vyasa’s compositions. There is no jugglery of words, or what appears to be an attempt to bewilder the reader (unfortunately found in some writings) with a scholarly exposition. Or, may be, it is merely a reflection of the clarity of thought (and gunas) possessed by the author. What exactly is the state of "avyaktam" and what does this mean? Does it mean that everything is as it was and just concealed, like all Page 9 of 101

humans getting into a dark room, with darkness so dense that we cannot see each other, or even our own selves? But, this concept means we are all still intact, only invisible - or avyakta. But, Krishna states clearly in the next sloka that something else is going on which can be understood from the word "vinashyati" used in verse 20. Paras tasmaat tu bhaavOnyahaa avyaktah avyaktaat sanaatanahaa l Yah sa sarveshu bhooteshu nashyatsu na nashyati ll 8.20 ll BG Vinashyati means complete destruction, nothing is the way it was before. Sort of like slicing tomatoes and putting all the slices into a blender and really turning into a real "puree". Or doing the same with any other fruit or vegetable. But, tomato puree is still tomato. So, the tomato is not really destroyed. It has only taken a different form. Is that the same as destruction, or vinashyati? We have to think about that as well. Krishna also adds nashyatsu? Nashyatsu means while undergoing “naasha” or destruction. Even as something is experiencing naasha it not suffering naasha (na nashyati). By adding nashyatsu (even as destruction is being observed) before “na nashyati” Krishna is suggesting (by the negation, na nashyati) that the so-called destruction is only an apparent one. There is something more which is eternal (sanaatanahaa) which has to be understood. This is very similar to Krishna’s teachings in chapter 2, where Krishna tells Arjuna that he (Arjuna) has to learn to look beyond the body. The destruction of the body is only an apparent destruction. So, is the destruction of all of creation. There is still something else more eternal. Anyway, at the end of Brahma’s day, and the start of Brahma's night, everything becomes "avyaktam" and disappears (praleeyate) and everything reappers (prabhavati) at the dawn of Brahma's day. What is the duration Brahma's lifetime? Krishna does NOT get into this Page 10 of 101

discussion. His main objective here is to tell Arjuna (and us) that there is still something that is NOT destroyed (verse 20, paras tasmaat tu bhavOnyO avvyaktO avyaktaat sanaatanah). This is what we have to marvel about, relish, comprehend, to understand the meaning of Tad dhaama paramam ma-ma, in verse 21. It is this "His Own Abode" that Krishna wants us to return to. But until such time that we really want to return --- we will all be here -- and have no choice other than to accept these “rules” of how the Universe operates and has been created by Krishna (this is stated clearly in chapter 9, verse 10, mayaadhyaksheNa prakritih sooyate sa caraacaram, also chapter 7, verse 7, Matah para taram naasti). When we are ready to return to His Abode, He will take us gladly back. Then, why are we here? The simple answer is that we are deluded by His Maa-yaa (a power possessed by Bhagavan alone) and want to enjoy the pleasures of our bodily existence without realizing that this world is a dhukkalayam (a house of sorrow) and ashaasvatam (impermanent), verse 15, chapter 8. To satisfy those desires, we often to turn to different dieties and worship them (based on advice given to us by friends, family and elders to do such and such for such and such) and remain forever deluded. Then, one day, death comes and we are no more and we don't even realize that we are coming back and the same cycle will repeat and we will return to the same sorrow. Any sense of detachment we develop is fleeting and transitory - the most common examples given are samashaana vairagyam and prasava vairagyam. We attend a funeral and shed tears and realize that one day it will be our turn, and then after we leave the funeral home we start planning the next big party event, vacation plans, and so on, like there is no end. It is said that women (cannot speak on this point from experience) are supposed to develop the same type of detachment after suffering the pains of child labor and child brith. If it were a lasting one, none of us would have a sibling! A temporary detachment gives way to more attachment. But, even Brahma has a finite lifetime. In the Bhagavatam it is stated Page 11 of 101

(cannot find exact reference now, will report later) that even Brahma is afraid of his death and wants a lifetime of more than 2 paraardhaas that has been granted. One year of Brahma equals 360 Brahma days (not 365.25 days as some pseduo-scientific-types believe, one must consult texts like Bhagavatam) or 360 kalpas, see page 23. One paraardha equals 50 Brahma years as just noted. And so, Brahma's lifetime is 100 years, or 360 times 100 equals 36,000 kalpas. Just, remember, Brahma's kalpa = 8.64 billion years and Brahma's lifetime = 36,000 kalpas. Now, please do the math (it will give you a lot of pleasure, believe me) and find the confirmation for the trillions of years quoted for Brahma's life time. Beware of the pseudo-scientific use of 365.25 Brahma days for one Brahma year instead of 360 Brahma days for one Brahma year, as stated clearly in the scriptures. The Bhagavad Gita was therefore preached by Krishna (or Bhagavan) over and over many times (as mentioned in chapter 4, starting with verse 1), and is trillions of years old; see also interesting discussion at http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/ and Vedic chronology given at http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/Articles/vyasa.html . In chapter 4, verse 1, Krishna states that he had spoken the same Gita earlier to Vivaswan (the name of the Sun god) and that Vivaswan instructed the same to Manu (the first Manu), who preached it to Ikshvaaku (ancestor of Lord Rama) and then was handed down through the generations. Finally, we must discuss the point of manvantaras (based on Canto 3, chapter 11 of Srimad Bhagavatam). In one kalpa, or more correctly one day time of Brahma, there are 14 Manus. Our Manu, called Vaivaswata Manu (son of Vivaswan, the Sun God) is the seventh Manu. Since each kalpa has 1000 chaturyugas, each manu rules for 1000/14 = 71 Chaturyuga and a bit more (6/14), which is roughly 71.5 chaturyugas. Page 12 of 101

This is like the term of office for a President or a Prime Minister. Everything continues, as before, and Manus simply change during the day time of Brahma. The duration of a single manu's reign is called a Manvantara (topic of Canto 3, chapter 11 of Srimad Bhagavatam). Hence, during the sankalpam, done during prayers, we say Vaivaswata manvantare. The names of the earlier and future Manus are also found in Bhagavatam (Canto 8, chapter 1). In verse 4 of chapter 1, Canto 8, Shukacarya tells Parikshit that in the kalpa that we live in, we have already experienced the reign of six manus (starting with Swayambhu manu, at that time, people said Swaayambhuve manvantare).

We also say ashtavimshati tame followed by Kaliyuge. What does this mean?

Page 13 of 101

Now, ashta = 8 and vimshati = 20 and so we are talking about 28 something. Since our Manu will be around for 71 Kaliyugas, this tells us that we are living in the 28th Kaliyuga of our Manu. Like the days of the week, the days of Brahma also have a name. This is what shewta varaha kalpe means - we are telling the name of the kalpa as well. So, what does the sankalpam do for us? Why do recite all this? It is a reminder about our place in the cosmic order - a bigger order than we can comprehend using the Gregorian calendar years. It tells us that we are living in     

the second half of Brahma's lifetime - dwitiya paraardhe the kalpa named shewate varaha - in that year of Brahma. the reign of the manu named Vaivaswata (son of Vivaswaan, the Sun God) the 28th Kaliyuga of the reign of said manu. the years of Kaliyuga remaining (are implied by the Panchangam, which is cited in what follows, via, tithi, varam, nakshatram, etc.)

When these details change, great rishis will appear and will rewrite the sankalpam for us. In the 29th Kaliyuga, if we return, we will be saying the correct Kaliyuga. If we return during the time of the next Manu (given in 12th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam), we will be reciting the name of that Manu. It will no longer be Vaivaswata manvantare. For example, the first sloka of the Prathama caritam of Devi Mahatmyam mentions SaavaraNi manu. He is the eighth manu and the son of Surya Bhagavan (by his wife named SavarNi). So, are the battles described in Devi Mahatmyam future events or are they actually past events? Why would I even say past events? Well, readers should be able to answer this question now for themselves.

Page 14 of 101

Rituals such as sankalpams (and “abhivaadaye” chanted during Sandhya vandanam) remind us about who we are and where we belong in the cosmic order. Very sincerely V. Laxmanan April 9, 2012 P. S. Please do not hesitate to point out any mathematical errors in my "calculation" here. I may have mistyped millions and billions. I do not claim any authoritative mantle to express these ideas here. This is simply a humble sharing of views, as I understand them, thanks to the gift of many years of Sanskrit study that I received as a teenager. I have tried very hard to keep "interpretations" out of the "translations" although, I have to admit, Page 15 of 101

that I have made a few strong statements here - mainly to caution against the annoying attempt to incorporate so-called western science into such calculations. Sincere apologies and no offense was intended to non-Hindu readers. I do hope this will indeed find to be a topic of interest to all. There is a place for science and there is a place for everything else which is non-science (not nonsense). This is a case of applying math principles to what is non-science, or metascience, or learning from the authoritative words of Krishna Himself in the Gita. (Is Gita authoritative scripture? Are these authoritative words of Krishna? I refer you to verses 15 and 16 of chapter 7 for further clarification - na Maam dushkrutinO moodhaah and Chaturvidhaah bhajante Maam....). Science, as correctly understood, limits itself mainly to the study of the five gross elements in form of the other (physics, chemistry, and related science, including the engineering sciences and technology, etc.). Some attempts are made to understand manas, buddhi, and ahankaram (mind, intelligence, intellect, ego, for want of a better translation for these two words, via biological sciences, psychology and psychiatry, and pharmaceutical drugs and testing prescribed for maladies related to the mind, or brain processes). However, these eight constitute what Krishna defines as Prakriti (chapter 7, verse 4, see below). The study of Gita has opens us to what is beyond science, or what I have called non-science. This is what Krishna has been preaching Arjuna – who was deluded and suffered a classical mental breakdown – the expression of Adhyaatma in a rudimentary way. To overcome this type of a breakdown, especially by an extraordinary person like Arjuna, one has to go beyond all of this and attain a higher understanding. This is non-science and cannot be fathomed even by the “sciences” such as psychology since they do not yet understand what goes on in Yogic practices described in chapters 6 and 8. Everyone dies. But most people just die. Krishna teaches us how we must die and control our life-breath at that moment when it arrives. This is the realm of non-science. We will discuss this in more detail in later postings. Page 16 of 101

Dear All: Here's an interesting follow-up on why we recall our place in the cosmic order (during recitation of sankalpam, or abhivaadaye during Sandhya vandanam). Our memories of events is so limited that now we have people Tweeting about the Titanic. Some do not seem to know the sinking of the luxury vessel Titanic was an actual historical event. The Titanic hit the iceberg just before midnight on April 14, 1912 (at 11:50 PM, if remember correctly) and sank by 2:20 am on April 15, 1912. I remember this because April 15 is traditionally tax day in the USA and April 14 also has a personal significance for me (remembering by association, a common memory aid). If we do not recall events that happened in our own lifetimes, or a 100 years ago (the 100th anniversary of the actual sinking is approaching hence all the hype), how are we to recall things that occurred billions or even trillions of years ago? That is the record that is available to us through the scriptures such as the Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam, and also preserved, unknown to us in the ritualistic chantings/recitations just mentioned. Preserving the Vedas, emphasized by acaryas like Kanchi Paramacarya, by supporting young students who are willing to take their study seriously, serves the same purpose. Now, enjoy the Titanic Tweets and the slide show. Very sincerely V. Laxmanan April 10, 2012

P. S. I found an important typo in the Cosmology write up yesterday, which you can find below. Both the "avyaktam" part and the "vyaktam" part is uncontrollable. It is uncontrollable, not controllable. I also edited some Page 17 of 101

other minor typos to that write up and made a couple of additions. This will be uploaded later as a public document, available on the Internet. ****************************************************************** http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2012/04/06/stupid_people_on_twitter _why_buzzfeed_the_huffington_post_and_other_media_shouldn_t_mock_t hem.html Stop Cherry-Picking Stupid People’s Tweets By L.V. Anderson | Posted Friday, April 6, 2012, at 5:54 PM ET

The Huffington Post recently published a slide show of tweets ostensibly revealing people's ignorance of the historical existence of the Titanic. First we heard about the musical philistines who were unfamiliar with Arcade Fire and Bon Iver. Then came the people who had never heard of former Beatle Paul McCartney when he performed at the Grammys (“WHO IS THIS WHITE MAN”), followed shortly by those who were ignorant of Oscar host Billy Crystal’s claim to fame (“Who is this Billy Crystal guy and why does his face look like a sponge?”). Now, upon the 3D rerelease of Titanic, the Huffington Post has catalogued a list of tweets from people who

Page 18 of 101

ostensibly aren’t aware that the Titanic’s sinking was a real historical event (“Wait, so titanic was a real ship?”).

Images of Titanic sinking and New York Times front page on April 16, 1912 http://www.boweryboogie.com/2012/04/100-years-of-titanic-tragedy-not-evengod-himself-could-sink-this-ship/

Page 19 of 101

Bheesha’s introductory remarks leading to Vishnu Sahasranaamam Dear All: Within the context of our discussion of cosmology lessons from chapter 8 of the Bhagavad Gita, it is also worth recalling the introductory slokas of the VishNu Sahasranaamam, under Bheeshma uvaca, which then lead up to the recitation of the 1000 names of Mahavishnu. Bheeshma is responding to the questions posed by Yuddhishttira, given below. (The earlier, and future, write-ups on this topic are available as a public document at the link given below. This will be updated as we continue with the chapter 8 discussion.) http://www.scribd.com/doc/88741084/Cosmology-Lessons-from-the-Gita

Yuddhishttira uvaca Kim ekam daivatam loke kim vaapyekam parayaNam l Stuvantah kam kam archantah praapnuyuh manavaah shubham ll Ko dharmah sarva dharmaaNaam bhavatah paramO matahaa l Kim japan mucyate jantuhu janma samsara bandhanaat ll Bheeshma uvaca Jagat prabhum deva devam anantam purushottamam l Stuvan naama sahasreNa purushah satatOtthitahaa ll Yuddhishttira’s questions appear in the two slokas quoted above. The questions posed by him are: (see also Anantarama Deekshitar’s Jaya Mangala stotram, vol 1 and also the link given below. http://www.ibiblio.org/sadagopan/ahobilavalli/vishnu_sahasra_namam_vol1.pdf ) Page 20 of 101

1. Who is the One (Supreme) Deity? Kim ekam daivatam loke 2. What is the highest goal of life? Kim vaapyekam parayaNam 3. By praising which Deity's auspicious qualities will human beings attain prosperity in this world as well as bliss in the next? Stuvantah kam…. 4. By meditating on which Deity will human beings attain prosperity in this world as well as bliss in the next? Kam arcantah…. 5. By reciting which mantra will man be released from the bondage of the cycle of birth and death? Kim japan mucyate …. 6. Of the three means referred to above (i.e., recitation, praise or archana, and meditation), which is the best means for attaining the grace of the Supreme Deity based on your vast experience and knowledge? Ko dharmah sarva dharmaaNaam…. Bheeshma's response, of which only the first verse is reproduced above, follow in the next thirteen (13) verses. The three statements made in these verses a) satata utthitah (satatOtthitah) – always rising, never falling b) sarva dhukkatigObhavet – getting over all sorrows c) papa bhayaapaham – all sins, all fears are overcome are indicative of the answer to the final question posed – how does one get liberated (mucyate) and overcome the bondage (bandhanam) of this birth (janma) and this life (samsara). In his (Bheeshma’s) considered opinion, a person tides over all the sorrows in this world by reciting with undiluted devotion the Thousand Names of the Eternal Person, worshiping Him always with devotion, meditating upon Him, glorifying Him, saluting Him by prostrating before Him, and adoring Him (dhyaayan, stuvan, namasyamsca, yajamanas tameva ca). This is the gist of the answer. However, there are many slokas that mirror some of the very same ideas about creation and dissolution as explained by Krishna in chapter 8. In the first verse under Bheeshma uvaca, given above, Bheeshma says that the person who (purushah) sings (stuvan) the glories of Purushottama (the Supreme Being), the Eternal Being (Anantam), the God of all the gods (deva devam), the Page 21 of 101

Master of the Universe (Jagat prabhum), with His 1000 names (naama sahasreNa), is always (satata) elevated (utthitahaa), i.e. such a person rises to the higher lokas and will attain moksha. In the next three verses, which must be read together to complete the thought in the first sloka. The pronoun “tam”, which leads the second verse, refers to the Supreme Being described in the first of the verses. Verses 3 and 4 provide additional descriptions of glorifications of this Supreme Being (Jagatprabhu, Devadeva, Purushottama). Bheeshma says that such a person will overcome all the sorrows of existence (sarva dhukkaatigo bhavet). Recall Krishna talking about dhukkalayam, in chapter 8, verse 15. Here Bheeshma provides the recipe for overcoming our sorrowful existence. The person is always performing arcanas (arcayan nityam), i.e., worshipping with namas, not just doing the chanting the names), to Him and Him alone (tam eva), with a great deal of devotion (bhaktyaa). He is always meditating on Him (dhyaayan), always sings the glories (stuvan), and always bowing down (namasyan ca), and consider only Him to be the Master of all (yajamaanas tameva ca). This Supreme Being, named Vishnu, is without any beginning (anaadi) or end (nidhanam), He is the great Lord (Maheswara) of all the worlds (lokaas) and He is the Lord of all the worlds (lokaadhyaksham). To Him he directs his praises and attains full liberation from all of his sorrows. Bheeshma continues his description of this Lord, with a great deal of devotion, in subsequent verses and finally he names this Supreme Being as Vishnu. He states that he would like Yuddhishttira (Bhupate, since he is also the king) to hear from him the 1000 names of VishNu, the Jagannaatha, the Supremo of all the worlds (loka pradhaana). He will destroy (apahaa) all our paapaas (sins) and bhayams (fears). Then he adds, in the next verse, “It is from Him (yatah) that all the bhootas or beings (sarvaNi bhootani) emanate at the beginning of the yuga (yugaagamay) and it is into Him that they dissolve at the end of the yuga (yugakshaye).” In chapter 8, Krishna does NOT specifically identify VishNu as the source of creation, or the sink, when dissolution sets in. He merely states that beyond this process of innumerous and repeated creations and dissolution lies something eternal, which is never destroyed, even as it appears that all of creation is being destroyed (verse 19, chapter 8, bhoota graamah sa evavaayam…). Krishna also Page 22 of 101

mentions, in verse 22, that one can, however, attain (labhyas tu) with unalloyed devotion (bhaktyaa ananyayaa) that Supreme Being (Purushah sa Parah) within Whom (yasya antasthaani) are present all of the beings (bhootaani) and from Whom springs all of this (yena sarvam idam tatam). Krishna does not name the Supreme as Vishnu but Bheeshma does. There is, however, an amazing similarity in the description of creation and dissolution. In the next email we will how Krishna wants us to leave the body at the time of our final journey (PrayaaNa kaale). As we study this, we must also keep in mind Bheeshma’s standing. We can accept Bheeshma’s statements as authoritative; see later how Bheeshma breathed his last. We will return to this point after we discuss Krishna teachings about how to leave the body and breathe our last. Very sincerely V. Laxmanan April 10, 2012 ******************************************************************

The years of Kaliyuga Earlier it was noted, without further proof or elaboration, that the duration of Kaliyuga, the name of the age or yuga that we live in, is 432,000 years. Here we will discuss how this figure is arrived at. The rationale is found in Canto 3, chapter 11 of the Srimad Bhagavatam; see also Srila Prabhupada’s translations. http://srimadbhagavatam.com/3/11/en In verses 18 and 19 of chapter 11, Canto 13, we find the following very concise statement about the yugas. Notice that the duration of the various yugas is given in terms of divine years, NOT human years. The sage Maithreya said (in conversation with Vidura): It has been ascertained that the four yugas – Kruta, Treta, Dwaapara, and Kali, taken together last for 12,000 divine years i.e., the year according to the reckoning of the gods (3.11.18). Page 23 of 101

The duration of the four yugas are measured using the following unit: 1000 divine years plus 2 times 100 years to account for the transitions from one yuga to the other. In other words, the unit is 1200 divine years. The four yugas are, in order, 4 times, 3 times, 2 times, and 1 time, this basic unit. Hence, Kruta yuga, also known as Satya yuga, has 1200 times 4 = 4800 divine years, Treta yuga has 3600 divine years, Dwaapara yuga has 2400 divine years and Kaliyuga has 1200 divine years. What is a divine year? One divine year is composed of 360 divine days, i.e., a day according to the celestials (or the gods). What is one divine day? A year for humans equals a day for the gods. Hence, one divine day, by definition, equals one human year. If we are clear about this definition of a divine year and a divine day, it is obvious that the EXACT duration of a human year is of NO CONSEQUENCE. Hence, one divine year = 360 divine days = 360 human years, ALWAYS, regardless of the exact duration of one human year. This then leads to the following counts for the duration of each of the four yugas. Kaliyuga = 1200 divine years = 1200 times 360 = 432,000 human years Dwaapara = 2400 divine years = 2400 times 360 = 864,000 human years Treta = 3600 divine years = 3600 times 360 = 1296,000 human years Kruta (Satya) yuga = 4800 divine years = 4800 times 360 = 1728,000 human years. The total duration of the four yugas taken together is (1+2+3+4 = 10) times Kaliyuga duration = 12,000 divine years, or equivalently, 432,000 times 10 = 4.32 million divine days = 4.32 million human years. One daytime for Brahma equals 1000 such cycles of the four yugas = 4.32 billion years. An equal duration of Brahma’s night time follows, similar to the situation here on earth on the day of the equinox. Finally, it is of interest to note that in ancient times, Babylonian astronomers had reported that one year was equal to 360 days. This is recorded history and the Babylonians were skilled astronomers. Hence, the error of 5.25 days (one year is now accepted as slightly less than 365.25 days) must make us pause and wonder. How could such a huge error be made by astronomers who were quite skilled in Page 24 of 101

Brahma’s lifetime = 100 years Each Brahma year (BY) has 360 Brahms days (BD) called kalpas. One kalpa includes daytime (ahah अहः) and nighttime (raatri रात्रि) of equal

duration, see Ramanuja’s commentary http://www.bhagavadgita.org/Gita/verse-08-17.html So, Brahma’s lifetime = 36,000 kalpas Daytime has 1000 Chaturyugas(Cy) with equal time for night. So, one kalpa = 2,000 Chaturyugas. So, Brahma’s lifetime equals 36,000 times 2000 Chaturyugas = 72 million Chaturyugas (Cy). One Chaturyuga has 12,000 divine years (DY). So, Brahma’s lifetime equals 72 million times 12,000 divine years = 864 billion divine years (DY) The above calculations have nothing to do with any human days, years, or time durations. Multiply DY by 360 to get Brahma’s lifetime in human years. The number is 311,040 billion (human) years or 311.04 trillion years.

other observations? Also, one must remember that the number of days in a month was fixed based on lunar observations – a month being the duration between one new moon to another, which was typically 29 or 30 days. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylo nian_astronomy http://www.webexhibits.org/calenda rs/calendar-ancient.html

Nonetheless, a careful study of Bhagavatam shows that the duration of the various yugas, in human years, has nothing to do with the number of days in a human year. This important point is often overlooked and appears to be poorly understood. Lastly, let us consider the rationale for 360 divine days in one divine year. This arises quite simply from 30 days in a month and 12 months in a year, which gives 360 days in a year. All divine months have equal number of divine days. How is this possible?

Well, we do experience equinox here on earth – when the hours of daytime and night-time are exactly equal ALL OVER THE WORLD. This happens on two days in our earth-year. Page 25 of 101

There is no reason to believe that such a perfect equality of days in a month is impossible; see also how Srila Prabhupada breaks down the lifetime of Brahma in the following sloka from The Srimad Bhagavatam. http://srimadbhagavatam.com/3/9/18/en (Canto 3, chapter 9, verse 18, which we will discuss more completely later, see page 78.) Canto 3: The Status Quo

Chapter 9: Brahmā's Prayers for Creative Energy

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.9.18 Yasmād bibhemy aham api dviparārdha-dhi yam adhyāsita sakala-loka-namask ta yat tepe tapo bahu-savo 'varurutsamānas tasmai namo bhagavate 'dhimakhāya tubhyam SYNONYMS yasmāt — from whom; bibhemi — fear; aham — I; api — also; dvi-para-ardha — up to the limit of 4,300,000,000 x 2 x 30 x 12 x 100 solar years; dhi yam — place; adhyāsita — situated in; sakala-loka — all other planets; namask tam — honored by; yat — that; tepe — underwent; tapa — penances; bahu-sava — many, many years; avarurutsamāna — desiring to obtain You; tasmai — unto Him; nama — I do offer my obeisances; bhagavate — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; adhimakhāya — unto Him who is the enjoyer of all sacrifices; tubhyam — unto Your Lordship.

********************************* It was noted earlier that the EXACT duration of a human year is of NO CONSEQUENCE since the duration of the yugas is related to the number of divine years and divine days. What is the duration of the human year changes? The duration of the yugas still remains the same. What if humans were to move to Mars or Venus, or one of the habitable moons of Saturn, or to one of the other exo-planets - the inhabitable planets found in recent years by astronomers in distant galaxies orbiting around very distant stars? Page 26 of 101

Since all these planets still become to the same material universe, the duration of the divine day is not changed – only the duration of the year for humans living on these exotic distant planets changes. This is the deeper significance of the definition of the duration of the yugas in terms of divine years and days. ******************************************************************

Srila Prabhupada’s translation of the relevant verses from Canto 3 SB 3.11.18: Maitreya said: O Vidura, the four millenniums are called the Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali yugas. The aggregate number of years of all of these combined is equal to twelve thousand years of the demigods. SB 3.11.19: The duration of the Satya millennium equals 4,800 years of the years of the demigods; the duration of the Dvāpara millennium equals 2,400 years; and that of the Kali millennium is 1,200 years of the demigods. SB 3.11.20: The transitional periods before and after every millennium, which are a few hundred years as aforementioned, are known as yuga-sandhyās, or the conjunctions of two millenniums, according to the expert astronomers. In those periods all kinds of religious activities are performed. SB 3.11.21: O Vidura, in the Satya millennium mankind properly and completely maintained the principles of religion, but in other millenniums religion gradually decreased by one part as irreligion was proportionately admitted. SB 3.11.22: Outside of the three planetary systems [Svarga, Martya and Pātāla], the four yugas multiplied by one thousand comprise one day on the planet of Brahmā. A similar period comprises a night of Brahmā, in which the creator of the universe goes to sleep. SB 3.11.23: After the end of Brahmā's night, the creation of the three worlds begins again in the daytime of Brahmā, and they continue to exist through the life durations of fourteen consecutive Manus, or fathers of mankind.

Page 27 of 101

Artists’ depiction of Kalki Avataram (at the end of Kaliyuga) http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=kalki+avatar+pictures&view=detail&id=B 4BB29550DBDA5DB2D67AF00F3C33A2A30429550&first=0&qpvt=kalki+avat ar+pictures&FORM=IDFRIR Canto 12: (12-16) When the bodies of all living entities by the contamination of Kaliyuga are in decay and the dutifulness of the members of all status-orientations is lost, when the vedic path fit for all men has changed into an atheistic conception of duty, when the kings predominantly act as thieves and men in their various occupations in truth are all lying bandits of meaningless slaughter, when the classes are predominantly [profit-]labor-minded, the cows are not better than goats, the hermitages are just like materialistic homes, family ties do not reach further than the bonds of marriage, when the plants and herbs have reduced in size and all trees are like s'amî trees, when there is always lightning in the clouds and the homes are ruled by loneliness [voidism, impersonalism, see Pranâti], when Kaliyuga is running at its end and the people have become like asses, the Supreme Lord will descend in the mode of pure goodness to defend the dharma. Page 28 of 101

The incarnation of Kalki will take place, as foretold in the Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Shambhala-grama-mukhyasya brahmanasya mahatmanah bhavane vishnuyashasah Kalkih pradur bhavishyati

“Lord Kalki will appear in the home of the most eminent brahmana of Shambhala village, the great soul Vishnuyasha.” Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 12, chapter 2, verses 18 to 20. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalki

Page 29 of 101

Happy (Tamil) New Year Dear All: Happy Tamil New Year to all, or as the Tamils say, Puththandu vazhththukkal. Should have also said Happy Ugadi and Happy Vishu. The Bengali new year also falls this week. So, what is one year? As we understand it, it is the time taken for the earth to complete one orbit (or revolution) around the sun. One year has 365 days, or 366 if it is a leap year, hence we use 365.25 days, on average, if we want to be more “scientifically rigorous”. What is a day? It is the time taken for the earth to complete one rotation, about its own axis, and face the sun again. How long does this take? How do we know that? Ah, now we come to the interesting part --- BY DEFINITION, the earth takes 24 hours to complete one rotation and so one day is DEFINED as being equal to 24 hours. This is a definition, folks. Somebody thought of the number 24 and said the time duration is 24 hours and each hour is DEFINED to have 60 minutes. Hence, the total minutes in a day equals 24 times 60 = 1440 minutes. But, mathematics says that 24 times 60 is the same as 60 times 24. What is wrong with 60 times 24? NOTHING AT ALL, for all those who want to be “scientifically rigorous”. In fact, this is exactly what we used in ancient times in India. The day was DEFINED as 60 units of 24 minutes with one muhoortam being DEFINED as 2 units of 24 minutes, so one muhurtam equals 48 minutes and so one day has 30 muhurtams http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_units_of_measurement. SMILE! How did this change from 60 times 24 to 24 times 60 happen? Somewhere, for reasons unknown, in parts of the world not called India, somebody, for reasons unknown, WILLFULLY reversed 60 times 24 to 24 times 60 - just like it happened when America was populated by Europeans. They started Page 30 of 101

driving on the wrong side of the road, they changed the spelling and dropped "u" in colour and made it color and mould into mold. The doors open inward instead of outward and so on. This is history and someone deliberately made, for reasons we do not know now, deliberately made the change from 60 times 24 to 24 times 60. Now, with this background, consider this cosmology lesson again about the meaning one (human) year. One year for the humans (here on earth) equals one day for the gods. Or, it is actually the other way around. One DIVINE day equals one HUMAN year. We got it backwards. 360 such DIVINE days equal one DIVINE year. The Srimad Bhagavatam defines cosmological timescales in terms of DIVINE YEARS. We try to convert this into human years. What if humans moved to Mars, like we moved from India to USA and many other countries? Now what is a day or a year? What is the relation to a divine day and the divine year and Brahma's day and Brahma's lifetime? Does everything change since the “HUMAN” year time duration has changed since we moved to a different planet? Or, what if we moved to a new planet orbiting some new sun in some new galaxy? Many such new planets and suns have now been discovered. Brahma’s lifetime is ALWAYS 864 billion Divine years, or 36,000 kalpas where a kalpa includes the nighttime of Brahma (see table on page 94). Do read about this in the public document I have uploaded on cosmology lessons from chapter 8 of the Gita. I have pasted some relevant sections below the signature line. Happy New Year to ALL - yes, ALL and you know why. Each day is a new year since it all depends which point on the earth's orbit we choose to count the start of a new year --- like our individual birthdays. Cheers! Very sincerely V. Laxmanan April 13, 2012 Taken from Cosmology Lessons from Chapter 8 of Gita document, see http://www.scribd.com/doc/88741084/Cosmology-Lessons-from-the-Gita pages 23 to 26 - section called The Years of Kaliyuga Page 31 of 101

How should one leave the body?

Representation Shree Cakram PrayaaNa kaale manasaa-acalena Bhaktyaa yuktO yoga-balena caiva l BhruvOr madhye praaNam aaveshya samyak Sa Tam Param Purusham upaiti Divyam ll 8.10 ll BG The key words of interest here are bhruvor (eyebrows) madhye (middle of), which mean in the middle of the two eyebrows.

Page 32 of 101

In verses 10 and 12 of chapter 8, Krishna spells out for Arjuna, very clearly, how one should leave the body. These two verses are reproduced here.

Representation of the seven chakras in the human body according to Vedic scriptures

Sarva dwaaraaNi saiyamya manO hrudi nirudhya ca l moordhani-aadhaaya atmanah praaNam aastithO yoga dhaaraNam ll 8.12 ll BG The key word of interest here is moordhani (which means the crown of the head). Page 33 of 101

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=seven+chakras+in+human+body&vie w=detail&id=F18F78D850B918602759BA0E4D986E3887CEE81E&first=0 Krishna uses the words “bhruvOr madhye” in verse 10 and “moordhani aadhaaya” in verse 12 to clearly describe how one should control the lifebreath at the time (kaale) of the journey (prayaaNa). Bhruva means the eyebrow, and bhrvOh means of the two eyebrows. Maadhye means center of. Thus, bhruvOr madhye means in the center of, or middle of, the two eyebrows. What about it? Krishna says, PrayaaNa kaale, at the time of the journey (when the atma or soul must depart from the body), bhruvOr madhye praaNam aaveshya samyak. At the time of this journey, i.e., when the moment of death, dying, approaches, one must fully and in its entirety (samyak) literally force

Page 34 of 101

(aavashya) the life breath (praaNam) and place it in the middle of, center of, the two eyebrows. In various yogic practices, such as PraNaayaamam, the most commonly known yogic practice, one learns to control the breathing process. At first we carefully inhale air through our nostrils, actually only one nostril. Then it is completely held within the body for a brief moment before it is expelled through the other nostril.

http://www.chakrahub.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/7chakras.jpg Somewhere along the way this breathing process started in our body. It is an involuntary process. We cannot help it. Everyone knows how to breathe.

Page 35 of 101

It need not be taught. What we need to learn, or be taught, is how to regulate this breathing process. It is quite possible to hold the entire breath within the body for a short time, such as those who perform praaNaayamam know. Where does the breath reside within the body when one does the praaNaayamam, or regulated process of inhale-hold-exhale? It is definitely NOT residing in the middle of the two eyebrows. One can probably feel it in the lungs, or within the heart, or in some “diffused” form within the whole body. Just having the breathe held within the body has a great deal of health benefits (such as how oxygen is absorbed by the blood and then distributed throughout the body, likewise for things that must be expelled from the body). But, usually, we do not control the breathe in this fashion and keep breathing in the so-called “normal” fashion. When we are “out of breath” or “panting” things change and we are trying desperately to inhale and bring more oxygen into the body via the enhancement of the normal breathing process. Now, Krishna is telling Arjuna (and us) that we have to do something different. The entire lifebreath, at the moment of the final journey, or death, must be concentrated so that it is actually residing (or literally pushed into, forced into) the space between the two eyebrows. But, Krishna says some more in this verse. Besides holding, or forcing, the breathe in this fashion – holding is a better word than forcing as we will see shortly and why so – we must do several other things. Manaasaa acalena – this must be done with a very steady and calm mind, one that is not wavering with thoughts like we experience in our day to day living. We are filled with millions and millions of thoughts and the mind can take us to places unknown in a matter of seconds. Bhaktyaa yuktO – one must be filled with devotion. This has to be learned while we are alive through prayer.

Page 36 of 101

Yoga balena – with the power or strength of yoga. This means we must also learn some yogic practices. We must learn how to control the breathe and hold it as described between the eyebrows. This requires practice or training, like training to play a sport, run a marathon, or many other things we do in life. Acalena (steady, not wavering, not wandering) manaasaa (with a mind), and bhaktyaa yuktO (filled with bhakti or devotion) means that we must be ready for the moment of death and face it in an absolutely calm manner. There is no need to fear this moment. Bhakti, devotion, is developed with regular prayer rituals, such as reciting of the Vishnu Sahasranaamam, Lalita Sahasranaamam, study of scriptures like Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam (and other devotional works in many other languages, Indian and otherwise). Then there will be no fear when the moment of death, or the final journey (the exact meaning of the words used, mrutyu is NOT used here). What happens when one can do this? Krishna tells us in the final part of verse 10. Sa Tam Param Purusham upaiti Divyam. Sa, or sahaa, is the pronoun which means “he”. He who does what has been described. (One could also include here, by implication, saa, the female pronoun meaning the same. May be ladies should chant saa instead of sa, when they recite this verse!) Sa upaiti means, he comes. Actually “eti” means to comes. The addition of “upa” reinforces the message of coming, as in the words like Upanayanam, Upanishad, and so on. Where does he come to, or go to, or arrive at (this is real meaning of upaiti and the addition of “upa”), if one is thinking of leaving the body and starting a journey? The answer is Tam Purusham – he arrives at, or goes to, or comes to, That Purusha, who is qualified by the adjective Param, hence he comes to that Supreme Being. Krishna also adds Divyam, Divine. He comes to that Divine Supreme Being. Page 37 of 101

Imagine how a multitrack situation with a train ready to take off? What will happen in this situation. The train can only head down one single tracks, although many are present. It depends on the direction in which the front end of the train (the engine) is facing. Likewise, a modern airplane can take off and head in any direction in the vast sky. Yet, the direction that is must choose to arrive at its desired destination depends on the runway on to which it is directed. Only then is the plane pointing in a direction that is conducive to its quickest arrival at its chosen destination. If it takes a wrong turn, it can always turn around and come back, but this will take a finite time, and depending on the circumstances, also possibly involving one more landing and take off, may be even at a different airport. The same with the train, if it heads down the wrong track. Now, apply this same analogy to how the lifebreath must leave the body, based on what Krishna has just described. The directionality, the place where the lifebreath must be held, before explusion from the body, is just as important to reach the desired destination – that Divine Supreme Being. This should convince all of us to do the needful and learning how to hold the entire lifebreath as described here. If we cannot, they we will be like a train going down the wrong track, or the airplane taking off from the wrong runway. Verse 11, which we will skip for the moment, is a further introduction to the description of the destination that Krishna to take Arjuna (and us). We will return to this later. Now, let us consider verse 12, which has been cited above and which describes what else we must do.

Sarva dwaaraaNi saiyamya manO hrudi nirudhya ca l moordhani-aadhaaya atmanah praaNam aastithO yoga dhaaraNam ll 8.12 ll BG

Page 38 of 101

Sarva dwaaraaNi saiyamya – The word dwaaram means a door, or a gate, or the entrance. DwaaraaNi is the plural form. This body is compared to city with nine gates, or entrances in chapter 5, verse 13. Nava-dwaara puray dehee… Dhee means one who is holding the body. These nine entrances are what is being alluded to here. These nine entrances are the places where external inputs are received by our senses – the two eyes, the two ears, the two nostrils, the one mouth (never mind, some have more than one, figuratively speaking) and the two excretory passages which include the genitals. Females must wonder why only nine are mentioned, not ten. (That can be a topic for lively debate but outside the scope of the present!) ManO hrudi nirudhya ca – The word “ca” is the conjunction “and”. We must also do something more. The five indriyas (or sensory organs) were just mentioned and now Krishna manas to these five. The manas is often translated, for want of a better word, as the mind in English. We have often discussed the chariot analogy in Gita study. The body is like a chariot (ratha). The indriyas are like the horses. The manas is like the reins held by the one driving the chariot. The buddhi, or intelligence or intellect, is like the charioteer who actually holds the reins that control the horses or indriyas. Who is within chariot (or the rathin)? That is the dehi, the atma, the resident of the body and it is this rathin, or dehi, who is using the body (chariot), using the manas and buddhi to enjoy different pleasures (which is compared to the road on which the chariot travels). So, now Krishna is telling us what to do with the manas, or the controlling agency for the indiryas. It should be completely restrained (nirudhya), or entrapped, cannot let go. In psychiatric hospitals, patients who suffer from serious psychological problems are physically restrained. In extreme cases they put a strait jacket around them. The process called “nirudhya” here is something similar. Krishna tells us where the manas should go, or be restrained, or constrained to be. He says hrudi – in the heart. This is commonly described as the place within the body where the Supreme Being resides – an Page 39 of 101

amsha, or a very small divine fragment. The Goddess Mahalakshmi, or Sridevi, resides in this place within Paramaatma’s body – hence we say, Shreevatsaankita vakshasam to describe Him, in the last dhyaanam sloka (Chaayaayaam paarijaatasya…) of the Vishnu Sahasranaamam. Also, in the Shantaakaram bhujaga shayanam slokam, we find the description Yogihrud dhyaana gamyam. Yogi hurd means within the hearts of yogis. By the process of dhyanam, the yogis try to visualize Him as being situated within their heart, or hrud. He is actually situated within everyone’s heart. It is only a matter of learning (through dhyaanam process) how to visualize Him. Krishna is telling us that we must do the same, and visualize Him within our heart at the time of our last journey. We also learn from this that dhyaanam is a process that is under the control of the mind, or manas. Only when the manas is brought under control (by the charioteer who is holding the reins to control the horses) by the process of completely constraining the manas to hrud, will we succeed in visualizing Him at the last moment. In other words, when the manas is NOT constrained into the confines of the hrud area (heart area), it becomes like the reins let loose by the charioteer and the horses (indriyas) run wild seeking pleasures (vishayaas, which are the like the road traveled). AastithO yoga dhaaraNam – situated (aastitha) in the yogic posture and holding it (dhaaraNam). What yogic posture? Moordhani aadhaaya atmanah praaNam – the yogic posture has to do with holding something on the top of head, or the crown, i.e., moordhani. Aaadhaaya literally means to carry to or take something to. We encounter the same idea in the beautiful verse 10, chapter 5 (BrahmaNyaadhaaya karmaNi…). What is to be carried to the crown? Atamanah – of the atma – praaNam – the life breath. Through the power of the yogic process, Krishna says that the life breath should be literally carried to, or lifted to, the top of the head or the crown area and held there. One should actually get comfortable in this posture – aastitho. One should actually not even be Page 40 of 101

lying down, but sitting straight up in order to do this successfully, see also http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/bgita/bgita_24.html for commentaries by Swami Krishnananda on chapter 8 (discourses 23 to 26 here). Finally, we encounter one more sloka before Krishna concludes this section with sa yaati paramam gatim. Om ityekaaksharam Brahma vyaaharan maam anusmaran l Yah prayaati tyajan deham sa yaati paramaamm gatim ll 8.13 ll BG Vyaharan literally means saying aloud, or enunciating. We encounter this statement also in chapter 17, verse 24 – tasmaat om ityudaahrutya and also in the famous NarayanOpanishad mantram – Om ityagre vyaaharet. But, all the dwaaras are closed – all the entrances are closed and ninedoor city has been clamped down. So, now only the manas and buddhi can be engaged in this chanting or recital. What it means is that everything will heard aloud by the yogi, without any external disturbs like a loud echo within the closed city – or body. What is this sound? This sound is “Om”. Krishna says that one should utter “Om”. It is counted as just one (eka) letter (aksharam), as also mentioned in the NarayanOpanishad mantram cited above. This Om, or ekaaksharam, is Brahma – the embodiment of the Absolute Supreme. Krishna says Maam (Me) anusmaran, which means engaged in the process of thinking about Me. How is the person thinking? By chanting the one letter “Om”. Why is this so significant. Why is merely saying “Om” equal to remembering Him. Or, should one say Om and also remember Him. Try saying Om and pay attention to the movement of the lips. As we say the “O” the two lips open wide and as we say the “m” the two lips close. In other words, everything that can ever be uttered, which happens by the process of opening and closing of the lips, is included by merely saying “Om”. How are we to remember Him? We can chant the Vishnu Page 41 of 101

Sahasranamam. But, at the time of death, there is no time to chant all the 1000 names. Ok, we can simply chant “Rama” which is stated to be equivalent to chanting all the 1000 names. But “Ra” and “ma” are two letters. Krishna makes easier and gives us the choice of just uttering one single letter, by just saying “Om”. This was discussed this recently in our study of Ahalya’s hymn in praise of Rama, after she was liberated from her stone-form: the Ahalya kruta Shree Rama Stotram (see http://www.scribd.com/doc/87281848/AhalyakrutaShree-Rama-Stotram ) Ahalya says, Omkaara vaacyas tvam Raama, you bring glory to Omkara, i.e., the sound vibration Om. But at the moment of death even those two letters can just be turned into a single “Om”. The second line simply says, Yah prayaati tyajan deham, one who goes while leaving the body, as just described here, sa yaati paramaam gatim, that person will arrive at, or reach (yaati), or go to, the Supreme (paramaam), beyond which there is nothing superior, state, or existence (gatim). The word gati also describes motion and the process of traveling initiated by the indweller of the body takes this person to Paramaam gatim. Why should one do all this? This too is answered succinctly in verse 15. There is no rebirth for those who reach Him – Maam upetya punar-janma na aapnuvanti. The verb aapnuvanti means to attain. The addition of na means negation. So, literally this means do not attain rebirth, or will not be reborn. Why is this such a good thing? Krishna says the place where they would return is dhukkalayam (a house of sorrow). It is also impermanent (ashaasvatam). Krishna is referring to life on this earth. What is the point of coming back again, attaining a body (next time it might not even be a human body) and suffering here and going through the cycle of birth (janma), death (mrutyu), old age (jaraa) and diseases (vyaadhi). Better to go the place from which there is no coming back. This is stated more clearly in verse 16. One can reach higher lokas, all the way up to the loka where Brahma resides (aa-Brahma-bhuvanaa) Page 42 of 101

but one will return. It is only a matter of time. But if one comes to Him (Maam upetya tu), there is no rebirth (punar janma na vidyate). Following this, Krishna enters into the discussion of some cosmological ideas and what happens even with Brahma – to kind of gives an idea of what will happen if we actually get to Brahmaloka, i.e., actually become Brahma. Even Brahma, it is said, fears death, since the lifetimes granted is only two paraardhaas, as already described. It is a mindbogglingly large duration by human reckoning but it is still finite. It is by no means infinite or eternity. Hence, we encounter the description in verses 17 to 21, before proceeding to the description of how to embark on the final journey. Finally, let us reconsider the significance of Om ityekaaksharam Brahma vyaaharam Maam anusmaran. There are seven chakras with the human body, as seen in the diagrams reproduced earlier. These seven chakras are named as follows and are associated with the following sound vibrations, or bheejaaksharams. Moolaadhaara – Lam (pronounced as in Lambodhara) Swaadhishthana – Vam (pronounced as in Vamsha) Manipoora – Ram (pronounced as in English word rum) Anaahata – Yam (as in verse 6, chapter 8) Vishuddha – Ham (as in Hamsa, the bird) Aagnya (Aajnaa) – Om as in the primordial sound discussed Sahasraara – Also, Om (or the bindhu, the central dot, of Shree cakram) The sound vibration “Om” mentioned in verse 13 is the primordial sound vibration that is linked with the two cakras indicated here and directs the praaNa to the cakras situated between the two eyebrows (Aajnaa cakram) or the top of the crown of the head (sahasraara). Releasing the lifebreath from these two cakras, takes the dehi (the indweller in the body, i.e., atma, or soul) straight to paraam gati, tad dhaama paramam ma-ma, from which there is no returning back. The cakras are like launching pads for a rocket. The launching pad must point in the right direction for a rocket, or spaceship to reach the correct interplanetary destination. Hence, in space science or technology, we have what is known as “launch windows” when Page 43 of 101

the earth is in the appropriate spot to launch the rocket in the direction desired. Can a novice without any yogic abilities reach the param dhaaama? On first reading of this description of the verses from chapter 8, it would appear that a novice is destined to return back and get entangled once again in this ashaasvatam dhukkalayam. But there is hope, still. Srila Prabhupada offers the following in his purport for verse 19, chapter 2, Canto 2 where Shukaacarya describes yogic processes to Parikshit in order to both leave the body permanently, or temporarily to visit various lokas. http://vedabase.net/sb/2/2/19/en The expert yogī who has thoroughly practiced the control of the life air by the prescribed method of the yoga system is advised to quit the body as follows. He should plug up the evacuating hole with the heel of his foot and then progressively move the life air on and on to six places: the navel, abdomen, heart, chest, palate, eyebrows and cerebral pit. Controlling the life air by the prescribed yogic process is mechanical, and the practice is more or less a physical endeavor for spiritual perfection. In olden days such practice was very common for transcendentalists, for the mode of life and character in those days were favorable. But in modern days, when the influence of Kali Age is so disturbing, practically everyone is untrained in this art of bodily exercise. Concentration of the mind is more easily attained in these days by the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. The results are more effective than those derived from the inner exercise of the life air. Shukaacaryas more detailed instructions to Parikshit regarding yogic processe, from the same chapter, are reprocuded below the signature line. Hari naama sankeetranam, as recommended by Srila Prabhupada, the regular chanting of Vishnu Sahasranamam, or Lalitha Sahasranamam, and the disciplined and concentrated study of scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam, are additional means of attaining the same objective of being able to concentrate the mind. Indeed, the Lalitha Page 44 of 101

Sahasranamam clearly describes Lalitha devi (in the form of different presiding deities who are Her manifestations) as controlling and residing in the seven chakras (see discussion starting with page 64). Devout chanting of the namaas will, no doubt, enable us to direct the lifebreath, as described by Krishna when the final PrayaaNa kaalam arrives. Very sincerely V. Laxmanan April 12, 2012 ****************************************************************** SB Verse 2.2.20 Purport: There are six circles (chakras, see page …) of the movement of the life air, and the intelligent bhakti-yogī should search out these places with intelligence and in a meditative mood. Among these, mentioned in this verse are the svādhi hāna-cakra, or the powerhouse of the life air, and above this, just below the abdomen and navel, is the ma i-pūraka-cakra. When upper space is further searched out in the heart, one reaches the anāhata-cakra, and further up, when the life air is placed at the root of the palate, one reaches the viśuddhi-cakra. SB Verse 2.2.21 Purport: Thereafter the bhakti-yogī should push the life air up between the eyebrows, and then, blocking the seven outlets of the life air, he should maintain his aim for going back home, back to Godhead. If he is completely free from all desires for material enjoyment, he should then reach the cerebral hole and give up his material connections, having gone to the Supreme. The life air passes through seven openings, namely two eyes, two nostrils, two ears and one mouth. Generally it passes through the mouth at the time of an ordinary man's death. But the yogī, as above mentioned, who controls the life air in his own way, generally releases the life air by puncturing the cerebral hole in the head. The yogī therefore blocks up all the above-mentioned seven openings, so that the life air will naturally burst forth through the cerebral hole. This is the sure sign of a great devotee's leaving the material connection.

Page 45 of 101

SB Verse 2.2.23 Purport: The materialistic scientist's endeavor to reach other planets by mechanical vehicles is only a futile attempt. One can, however, reach heavenly planets by virtuous activities, but one can never expect to go beyond Svarga or Janaloka by such mechanical or materialistic activities, either gross or subtle. The transcendentalists who have nothing to do with the gross material body can move anywhere within or beyond the material worlds. Within the material worlds they move in the planetary systems of the Mahar-, Janas-, Tapas- and Satya-loka, and beyond the material worlds they can move in the aiku has as unrestricted spacemen. Nārada Muni is one of the examples of such spacemen, and Durvāsā Muni is one of such mystics. By the strength of devotional service, austerities, mystic powers and transcendental knowledge, everyone can move like Nārada Muni or Durvāsā Muni. It is said that Durvāsā Muni traveled throughout the entirety of material space and part of spiritual space within one year only. The speed of the transcendentalists can never be attained by the gross or subtle materialists. SB Verse 2.2.26 Translation and Purport atho anantasya mukhānalena dandahyamāna niryāti siddheśvara-yu a-dhi ya

sa nirīk ya viśvam

yad dvai-parārdhya

tad u pārame hyam

SYNONYMS: atho — thereupon; anantasya — of Ananta, the resting incarnation of Godhead; mukha-analena — by the fire emanating from His mouth; dandahyamānam — burning to ashes; sa — he; nirīk ya — by seeing this; viśvam — the universe; niryāti — goes out; siddheśvara-yu a-dhi yam — airplanes used by the great purified souls; yat — the place; dvai-parārdhyam — 15,480,000,000,000 solar years; tat — that; u — the exalted; pārame hyam — Satyaloka, where Brahmā resides. TRANSLATION: At the time of the final devastation of the complete universe [the end of the duration of Brahmā's life], a flame of fire emanates from the mouth of Ananta [from the bottom of the universe]. The yogī sees all the planets of the universe burning to ashes, and thus he leaves for Satyaloka by airplanes used by the great purified souls. The duration of life in Satyaloka is calculated to be 15,480,000,000,000 years.

Page 46 of 101

PURPORT: It is indicated herein that the residents of Maharloka, where the purified living entities or demigods possess a duration of life calculated to be 4,300,000,000 solar years, have airships by which they reach Satyaloka, the topmost planet of the universe. In other words, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam gives us many clues about other planets far, far away from us which modern planes and spacecraft cannot reach, even by imaginary speeds. The statements of ŚrīmadBhāgavatam are accepted by great ācāryas like Śrīdhara Svāmī, Rāmānujācārya and allabhācārya. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu specifically accepts ŚrīmadBhāgavatam as the spotless Vedic authority, and as such no sane man can ignore the statements of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam when it is spoken by the self-realized soul Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who follows in the footsteps of his great father, Śrīla yāsadeva, the compiler of all edic literatures. In the creation of the Lord there are many wonderful things we can see with our own eyes every day and night, but we are unable to reach them equipped by modern materialistic science. We should not, therefore, depend on the fragmentary authority of materialistic science for knowing things beyond the range of scientific purview. For a common man, both modern science and Vedic wisdom are simply to be accepted because none of the statements either of modern science or of Vedic literature can be verified by him. The alternative for a common man is to believe either of them or both of them. The Vedic way of understanding, however, is more authentic because it has been accepted by the ācāryas, who are not only faithful and learned men, but are also liberated souls without any of the flaws of conditioned souls. The modern scientists, however, are conditioned souls liable to so many errors and mistakes; therefore the safe side is to accept the authentic version of Vedic literatures, like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is accepted unanimously by the great ācāryas. ******************************************************************

Please note the remarks here by Srila Prabhupada about matters that are beyond the purview of science, or what it is proposed here, at the outset, that we call non-science. Page 47 of 101

Bheeshma Awaiting his PrayaaNa Kaalam Dear All: As noted in the earlier email, in the introductory verses of the Mahavishnu Sahasranaamam, Bheesham clearly states that VishNu is the Jagannaatha, the Supreme Master of all the worlds (loka pradhaana). Bheeshma continues his description of this Lord, with a great deal of devotion, in subsequent verses and finally he names this Supreme Being as Vishnu. He states that he would like Yuddhishttira (Bhupate, since he is also the king) to hear from him the 1000 names of VishNu, the Jagannaatha, the Supremo of all the worlds (loka pradhaana). He will destroy (apahaa) all our paapaas (sins) and bhayams (fears). Then he adds, in the next verse, “It is from Him (yatah) that all the bhootas or beings(sarvaNi bhootani) emanate at the beginning of the yuga (yugaagamay) and it is into Him that they dissolve at the end of the yuga (yugakshaye).” In chapter 8, Krishna does NOT specifically identify VishNu as the source of creation, or the sink, when dissolution sets in. He merely states that beyond this process of innumerous and repeated creations and dissolution lies something eternal, which is never destroyed, even as it appears that all of creation is being destroyed (verse 19, chapter 8, bhoota graamah sa evavaayam…). Krishna also mentions, in verse 22, that one can, however, attain (labhyas tu) with unalloyed devotion (bhaktyaa ananyayaa) that Supreme Being (Purushah sa Parah) within Whom (yasya antasthaani) are present all of the beings (bhootaani) and from Whom springs all of this (yena sarvam idam tatam). Krishna does not name the Supreme as Vishnu, but Bheeshma does. There is, however, an amazing similarity in the description of creation and dissolution. In the next email we will how Krishna wants us to leave the body at the time of our final journey (PrayaaNa kaale).

Page 48 of 101

As we study this, we must also keep in mind Bheeshma’s standing. We can accept Bheeshma’s statements as authoritative. What is the authority of Bheeshma? Let see how he breathed his last. This is the topic of chapter 9, Canto 1 of the Srimad Bhagavatam.

Krishna rushes to Bheeshma, with Arjuna’s chariot wheel, to protect Arjuna. http://www.bhagavad-gita.us/articles/687/1/The-Bhagavad-Gita-inPictures/Page1.html Bheeshma was an extremely elevated soul and a mighty warrior with no equal who could have easily defeated and slayed Arjuna, if not for Krishna’s intervention. In spite of the promise not to bear arms in the war, Krishna lifted the wheel of Arjuna’s chariot that had been smashed up by Bheeshma, and rushed towards Bheeshma (to protect Arjuna), at which point Bheeshma chided Krishna for breaking His promise and dropped his arms, see illustration. Only after this was Bheeshma mortally wounded by Arjuna, who did not stop fighting. Then, at Bheeshma’s request, Arjuna reverentially prepared a bed of arrows to allow Bheeshma to lie down comfortably. It is also stated that, when Bheeshma felt thirsty (while awaiting the auspicious time of death), Arjuna pierced Page 49 of 101

the ground with a single arrow, to produce a stream of water from the holy Ganga (Bheeshma was the son of Ganga devi, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devavrata and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satyavati ) that poured like a fountain straight into Bheeshma’s mouth. Such was the level of skill in archery possessed by Arjuna.

http://www.bhagavad-gita.us/articles/687/1/The-Bhagavad-Gita-inPictures/Page1.html

Page 50 of 101

Bheeshma was also the only human blessed with the gift of being able to pick his last moment and allow the lifebreath out of his body at a moment of his choosing. The very wise and knowledgable Bheeshma, therefore, waited for the auspicious time of UttaraayaNam as described in chapter 8 of the Gita (verse 24). During this period, the sun is seen to move progressively to the north of the celestial equator, starting 23-24 days after the winter solstice, which falls around Dec 21-22 each year. Hence, Uttarayanam typically begins around Jan 14 (this is related to the 23.5 degrees of tilt of the earth’s axis). Those who leave their body during this six month span (with other qualifications as well) do not return, says Krishna. When Bheeshma was lying on the bed of arrows, awaiting UttaraayaNam, all the great sages – the celestial rishis (deva rishis, like Narada), Brahma rishis (like Vashishta, Bharadwaja, etc.) the raja rishis (royal sages), accompanied by their disciples came to see Bheeshma and receive instructions from him. This is described in cahpters 8 and 9 of Canto 1 of the Srimad Bhagavatam. Yuddhishttira, who was greatly pained and tormented by the death and destruction caused by the war, in particular, by the fact that thousands upon thousands of chaste women had been turned into widows, feared the consequences in spite of assurances that the war was a just one and sanctioned by scriptures (dharma yuddham). To assuage himself and find relief from this pain and sorrow, Yuddhisttira decides to pay a visit to Bheeshma, accompanied by Krishna and Arjuna (Canto 1, chapter 8, verses 48 to 52 and chapter 9, verses 1 to 8). Bheeshma received them all and worshipped all the great sages with reverence and started speaking to the sons of Pandu. He concludes with the following. Esha vai Bhagavaan saakshaat Aadhyo NaaraayaNah Pumaan l Mohayan maayayaa lokam goodhah carati VrushNishu ll 1.9.18 ll SB “Esha” mentioned in this verse means “This person” and the thought is actually completed, with further descriptions of Esha, this person, only in verse 22 where Bheeshma uses the word Krishna. In the above verse, Bheeshma says, “This person here is verily (vai) none other than Bhagavaan Himself, who has made Himself visible to our mortal eyes (saakshaat). He is the beginning of all (aadhyO), He is Page 51 of 101

NaaraayaNa. He is the Supreme Being (Pumaan). He is moving around as a member of the dynasty of VrishNi, hiding His true divinity (goodhah carati) and is enchanting and deluding all of the worlds. This is the authority of Bheeshma that we must accept from the scriptures like Srimad Bhagavatam. He was fully aware that Krishna is the Supreme Being, that He is none other than Narayana, while other contemporaries remained deluded. Even Rama did not know that He was Narayana (Aatmaanam manusham manye, he says in almiki Ramayanam, at the time of Sita’s fire test, when all the celestials, headed by Brahma and Shiva, scold Him for initiating it and remind Him about who Sita is). So, when Bheeshma names Vishnu as the Supreme Being in the introductory verses of the Vishnu Sahasranamam, we have to accept it. Let us see what else Bheeshma says about Krishna, or “Esha vai Bhagavaan saakshaat”. Asyaanubhaavam Bhagavaan veda guhyatamam Shivahaa l Devarshir Naradah saakshaat Bhagavaan Kapilo Nrupa ll 1.9.19 ll SB Bhagavaan in the first line here is tied to Shivahaa. Bheeshma says, “The Lord Shiva knows who He is and the truth of His self and His deepest secret. The celestial sage (rishi) Narada knows Him and so does Bhagavaan Kapila (who was an incarnation of the Supreme Being and appeared as the son of the sage Kardama and his wife Devahuti, who was the daughter of Swayambhu manu, the first manu, on the first day of Brahma’s lifetime). There are two alternative version of this verse, with last being Nrupa, which means it is an address to Yuddhishttira, or muni, which then qualifies Bhagavan Kapila, who was a great ascetic and blessed with divine knowledge and instructed his own mother on how to attain moksha (subject of Canto 3, chapters 21 to 33 of Srimad Bhagavatam). Yam manyase maatuleyam priyam mitram suhruttamam l AkarOh sacivam dhootam sauhrudaatha saarathim ll 1.9.20 ll SB Sarvaatmanah samadrushO hyadvayasya-anahamkruteh l Tat krutam mati vaishamyam niravadyasya na kvacit ll 1.9.21 ll SB Page 52 of 101

Tatthaapi-ekaanta bhakteshu pashya Bhoopa-anukampitam l Yan-may asoon tyajatahaa saakshaat KrishNo darshanam aagatah ll 1.9.22 ll Verse 20: The One whom you think of as your maternal cousin, a dear One, a friend, the One who closest to your heart, the One who used as a messenger, the One who was used as a charioteer, being a close friend and dear to you……… continues in next verse. (Kunti, the wife of Pandu and the mother of the Pandavas, was born in the rishni dynasty and was the sister of Krishna’s father asudeva. She was given away to the childless King Kuntibhoja, who was adopted her and raised her. So Kunti is Krishna’s aunt and hence Krishna is a cousin to the Pandavas, on their mother’s side.) Verse 21: The One who is present in all, The One who sees all as equal, indeed, the One who has no second, One who is completely free of ego, all of His actions (tat krutam), executed as He best sees fit (mati vaishamyam), are never tainted in any way ever (na kvacit) since He never accumulates any sins. erse 22: “Notwithstanding all of all this, O King, look at the immense compassion for His devotees that He possess. The devotee who is lying here all alone, ready to cast off (tyajatahaa) the lifebreaths (asoon) out of his body, He has come now (aagatahaa) and appears before that devotee and is standing right in front of him, visible to his eyes (saakshaat). Bheeshma then states exactly what Krishna describes in chapter 8 about how one should leave the body. The yogis who are completely liberated from all their karmas (consequences of all past actions) and kaamas (desires), or liberated from all actions performed due to desires, as they leave their body, they fix their manas (mind), with great devotion, into Him. Their manas is entirely entered into Him and He is situated fully within them. They sing His praises with His many names using their gift of speech (verse 23). That God of all gods, that Bhagavaan, He is looking at me and is present here. May He look at me and wait (prateekshataam) until I am ready to cast off (hinomi aham). He is looking at Me with a lovely smile, His reddish eyes, radiating like the cool morning sun as it rises, seem like a lotus in full bloom. His lovely face is like Page 53 of 101

a lotus that fill the heart with joy (mukhaambhuja). He is right here visible along the path where I can direct my thoughts (dhyaana pathah). He appears with before me with His four hands (chaturbhujah). Of all the statements made here by Bheeshma, the last is the more important. Krishna appeared with His four-armed form in front of His mother Devaki and father Vasudeva. Devaki then asked Him to conceal this four-armed divine form and become an ordinary baby so that He would not have to fear Kamsa, who had sworn to kill every baby born to Devaki and Vasudeva. Then, on the battle field, Krishna appeared with His four-armed form in front of Arjuna (at the latter’s reqeuest, since he feared the sight of the thousand-armed form). Now, He appeared again in His four-armed form for Bheeshma. Of course, these were divine forms, not seen, by anyone else physically present even in close proximity at the same time. The slokas are given below.

Bhaktyaaveshya manO yasmin vaacaa yannama keertayan l Tyajan kalevaram yogi mucyate kaama-karmabhih ll 1.9.23 ll Sa DevadevO Bhagavaan prateekshataam Kalevaram yaavat idam hinomyaham l Prasanna-haasaruNa-locananol-lasan MukhaambujO dhyaana-patha Chaturbhujah ll 1.9.24 ll The most touching aspect of Bheeshma’s passing away is what he does next. He prayed that Krishna wait for him – since UttarayaNam had not yet commenced. Then Bheeshma did everything that is described by Krishna in chapter 8, verses 11 to 14. He completely restrained (upa-samhrutya) his speech (vaaNee). He cast off his glance (eyes) and all senses from any attachment to anything in his surrounding (vimukta sanga) and fixed in manas (mind) on the Aadhipurusha (the First Being), on Krishna, with His four-arms, with His beautiful glistening yellow silky dress (lasat peeta pathe, or peethaambaram), Who was standing right in front of him (purah stithe). And, he (Bheeshmaa), continued to look at Krishna, as described, and held Him within his self with his eyes opened fully wide. Page 54 of 101

Tadopa-samhrutya girah sahasraNeerVimuktasangam mana Aadhipoorushe l Krishne lasat-peeta-pathe Chaturbhuje Purah-stithe-ameelita-druk-vyadhaarayat ll 1.9.30 ll Meelanam means closing, meelita means closed. Un-meelanam means opening, like the blooming of a flower. A-meelanam also means the same. It is the opposite of meelanam, or closing. Here it is stated that Bheeshma kept his eyes wide open. He did not close his eyes. When I first read this sloka, many years ago, I still remember being awestruck at this description of Bheeshma’s passing away. It is so profound. No one can be so blessed as to have the Supreme Being, Krishna, right in front of them. But, also pay attention to what Bheeshma does. He keeps his eyes wide open in front of Krishna. What do we do when we go to the temple? We go to the temple to see the Lord and enjoy His glory. And, once we get there, we close our eyes. We do not continue to gaze at the beauty of the Lord and the lovely dress and alankaram and enjoy it and let it fill our hearts content and fill the mind as well and hold that beautiful form within us. This is what vyadhaarayan means. DhaaraNam means holding. Adding the prefix means holding tightly, so as not to let go. He held Krishna with his eyes wide open and let that lovely sight fill his mind and enter into his whole self. This is how Bheeshma left his body. May be, some day, we can also be so fortunate! If we are at the temple, may we learn to do what Bheeshma did and relish the sight of the Lord (in vigraha or arca form) in front of us and remember not to close our eyes should we breathe our last in such divine surroundings. Or, if we are elsewhere, may we be blessed, at the least, to see an image of the Lord and do exactly what Bheeshma did. V. Laxmanan April 11, 2012 Page 55 of 101

Bheeshma’s Hymn to Krishna before departing his body Following the sloka cited above (Canto 1, chapter 9, verse 30), there is a hymn recited by Bheeshma in praise of Krishna, the Supreme Being, at whom he was gazing with his wide open. He prays that he should always feel unalloyed and unmitigated love for Krishna (1.9.33). He wishes that his atma be surrendered to Krishna (1.9.34). He wishes that he always find great love for Krishna, who was Arjuna’s friend and promptly obeyed the latter’s command on the battlefield and placed the chariot between the armies assembled for war (1.9.35). He wishes that he was be devoted to the lotus feet of Krishna, who instructed the Gita to Arjuna, when the latter saw all the assembled elders, family, and friends and became disenchanted by the thought of war and refused to fight. (1.9.36). He wishes that the Bhagavan Mukunda (which means the One who grants moksha) become his refuge. Bheeshma says here that he had made a vow to force Krishna to bear arms. The compassionate Krishna wanted to fulfill Bheeshma’s vow and was willing to break His own vow (of not bearing any weapons in the war) and rushed towards him (Bheeshma) with Arjuna’s chariot wheel in hand to protect Arjuna who was being completely smashed (by Bheeshma). The top portion of His dress (uttareeyam) fell off and He was whole body turned red with the pounding of the arrows that broke the chest armor (Krishna was wearing). Even as He rushed to me, in that fashion, He was filled with love for me. May I always seek His refuge (1.9.37 and 38). He wishes that at the moment of his death, he should forever remember the Lord as Parthasarathi (charioteer of Arjuna, i.e., Partha), with one hand holding the reins of the horses and the other a whip. This beautiful form of the Lord could not be seen even by Arjuna (since the latter was behind the Lord) but Bheeshma could, since Bheeshma was in front. All the warriors who died in the battlefield saw this divine form of the Lord as well and so were granted moksha and assumed the form of the Lord after death. Now, Bheeshma wishes the same for himself (1.9.39). Page 56 of 101

He wishes that develop the same love for Krishna that was felt by all the gopis as they performed the rasa-lila and indeed merged into Him at that time and experienced unparalleled bliss (1.9.40). Bheeshma marvels at his great fortune to have the Lord right in his sight at the moment of his death, the same Lord who was worshipped, first and foremost, during Yuddhishttira’s Rajasooya yajnya, by all the celestials and the great sages. He prays that this Lord, who is right in front of his eyes, penetrate his soul (1.9.41). Just as the sun appears in different forms to the eyes of those who behold, so too does the Lord appear differently in each and every heart, all of His making. Although He appears differently, He is but One, just like the sun is one. Now, here I am, situated right in front of Him, having shed and purified all of my delusions about all these differences – samaadhigatOsmi vidhoota bheda mohahaa (1.9.42) The chapter about Bheeshma’s shedding of his body concludes with following verse, narrated by Soota Maharshi (when he instructed the sages of NaimishaaraNya about Bhagavatam, Sootha had heard it from Shukaacarya, when the latter instructed Parikshit, grandson of Arjuna).

KrishN(e) evam Bhagavti mano-vaag-drushti-vruttibhihee l Aatmani aatmaanam aaveshya sOntah shwaas upaaramat ll 1.9.43 ll Sa+antah = sOntah = He + last, shwaas = breath, upaaramat = rested, or ceased. In this way, Bheeshma breathed his last (attained his final resting, or ceased to breathe) after fully merging into Krishna, the Supreme Being, with his manas (mind), vaag (speech, through the hymn) and drushti (sight), since his eyes were left wide open and gazing at Krishna. All those assembled around Bheeshma momentarily held their peace and became very quiet, just like the birds who stop chirping when day ends and night falls. And, then, there fell a shower of flowers from the heavens and trumpets and the drums were sounded by both the celestials and humans and all the good souls started extolling Bheeshma. Yuddhishttira then performed the final rites for Page 57 of 101

Bheeshma, with great reverence and mourned his own loss for a period of one muhurta (the time duration of about 48 minutes). And then everyone who had assembled returned to their respective abodes with Krishna held in their hearts. Yuddhishttira, along with Krishna, returned to Hastinapura and consoled both his uncle Dhrutarashtra and the pious Gandhari (both of whom had now lost Bheeshma, their elder). And, then, with the blessings of Dhrutarashtra, and with a hearty seconding of the same by Krishna, Yuddhishttira become the ruler of the kingdom, handed down to him by his ancestors, and ruled it following the principles of dharma. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_units_of_measurement See here discussion of the timescales big and small Very sincerely V. Laxmanan April 11, 2012

Sarva bhootaani Kaunteya Prakrutim yaanti maamikaam l Kalpakshaye punas-taani kalpaadau visrujaamyaham ll 9.7 ll BG

l ll ९.७ ll Prakrutim swam avashthabhya visrujaami punah punah l Bhoota-graamam imam krutsnam avasham prakruter vashaat ll 9.8 ll BG

l ll ९.८ ll

Page 58 of 101

Srila Prabhupada’s translation of Chapter 9, Canto 1 The Passing Away of Bheeshma in the Presence of Krishna Canto 1: Creation

http://vedabase.net/sb/1/9/en Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam SB 1.9.1: Sūta Gosvāmī said: Being afraid for having killed so many subjects on the Battlefield of Kuruk etra, Mahārāja Yudhi hira went to the scene of the massacre. There, Bhī madeva was lying on a bed of arrows, about to pass away. SB 1.9.2: At that time all his brothers followed him on beautiful chariots drawn by first-class horses decorated with gold ornaments. With them were yāsa and is like Dhaumya the learned priest of the Pā avas and others. SB 1.9.3: O sage amongst the brāhma as, Lord Śrī K a, the Personality of Godhead, also followed, seated on a chariot with Arjuna. Thus King Yudhi hira appeared very aristocratic, like Kuvera surrounded by his companions [the Guhyakas]. SB 1.9.4: Seeing him [Bhī ma] lying on the ground, like a demigod fallen from the sky, the Pā ava King Yudhi hira, along with his younger brothers and Lord K a, bowed down before him. SB 1.9.5: Just to see the chief of the descendants of King Bharata [Bhī ma], all the great souls in the universe, namely the is amongst the demigods, brāhma as and kings, all situated in the quality of goodness, were assembled there. SB 1.9.6-7: All the sages like Parvata Muni, Nārada, Dhaumya, yāsa the incarnation of God, B hadaśva, Bharadvāja and Paraśurāma and disciples, asi ha, Indrapramada, Trita, G tsamada, Asita, Kak īvān, Gautama, Atri, Kauśika and Sudarśana were present. SB 1.9.8: And many others like Śukadeva Gosvāmī and other purified souls, Kaśyapa and Āńgirasa and others, all accompanied by their respective disciples, arrived there. SB 1.9.9: Bhī madeva, who was the best amongst the eight asus, received and welcomed all the great and powerful is who were assembled there, for he knew perfectly all the religious principles according to time and place. SB 1.9.10: Lord Śrī K a is situated in everyone's heart, yet He manifests His transcendental form by His internal potency. This very Lord was sitting before Bhī madeva, and since Bhī madeva knew of is glories, he worshiped im duly. Page 59 of 101

SB 1.9.11: The sons of Mahārāja Pā u were sitting silently nearby, overtaken with affection for their dying grandfather. Seeing this, Bhī madeva congratulated them with feeling. There were tears of ecstasy in his eyes, for he was overwhelmed by love and affection. SB 1.9.12: Bhī madeva said: Oh, what terrible sufferings and what terrible injustices you good souls suffer for being the sons of religion personified. You did not deserve to remain alive under those tribulations, yet you were protected by the brāhma as, God and religion. SB 1.9.13: As far as my daughter-in-law Kuntī is concerned, upon the great General Pā u's death, she became a widow with many children, and therefore she suffered greatly. And when you were grown up she suffered a great deal also because of your actions. SB 1.9.14: In my opinion, this is all due to inevitable time, under whose control everyone in every planet is carried, just as the clouds are carried by the wind. SB 1.9.15: O how wonderful is the influence of inevitable time. It is irreversible — otherwise, how can there be reverses in the presence of King Yudhi hira, the son of the demigod controlling religion; Bhīma, the great fighter with a club; the great bowman Arjuna with his mighty weapon Gā īva and above all, the Lord, the direct well-wisher of the Pā avas SB 1.9.16: O King, no one can know the plan of the Lord [Śrī K philosophers inquire exhaustively, they are bewildered.

a]. Even though great

SB 1.9.17: O best among the descendants of Bharata [Yudhi hira], I maintain, therefore, that all this is within the plan of the Lord. Accepting the inconceivable plan of the Lord, you must follow it. You are now the appointed administrative head, and, my lord, you should now take care of those subjects who are now rendered helpless. SB 1.9.18: This Śrī K a is no other than the inconceivable, original Personality of Godhead. He is the first Nārāya a, the supreme enjoyer. But He is moving amongst the descendants of King i just like one of us and He is bewildering us with His self-created energy. SB 1.9.19: O King, Lord Śiva, Nārada the sage amongst the demigods, and Kapila, the incarnation of Godhead, all know very confidentially about His glories through direct contact. SB 1.9.20: O King, that personality whom, out of ignorance only, you thought to be your maternal cousin, your very dear friend, well-wisher, counselor, messenger, benefactor, etc., is that very Personality of Godhead, Śrī K a. SB 1.9.21: Being the Absolute Personality of Godhead, He is present in everyone's heart. He is equally kind to everyone, and He is free from the false ego of differentiation. Therefore whatever He does is free from material inebriety. He is equibalanced. SB 1.9.22: Yet, despite His being equally kind to everyone, He has graciously come before me while I am ending my life, for I am His unflinching servitor.

Page 60 of 101

SB 1.9.23: The Personality of Godhead, who appears in the mind of the devotee by attentive devotion and meditation and by chanting of the holy name, releases the devotee from the bondage of fruitive activities at the time of his quitting the material body. SB 1.9.24: May my Lord, who is four-handed and whose beautifully decorated lotus face, with eyes as red as the rising sun, is smiling, kindly await me at that moment when I quit this material body. SB 1.9.25: Sūta Gosvāmī said: Mahārāja Yudhi hira, after hearing Bhī madeva speak in that appealing tone, asked him, in the presence of all the great is, about the essential principles of various religious duties. SB 1.9.26: At Mahārāja Yudhi hira s inquiry, Bhī madeva first defined all the classifications of castes and orders of life in terms of the individual's qualifications. Then he systematically, in twofold divisions, described counteraction by detachment and interaction by attachment. SB 1.9.27: He then explained, by divisions, acts of charity, the pragmatic activities of a king and activities for salvation. Then he described the duties of women and devotees, both briefly and extensively. SB 1.9.28: Then he described the occupational duties of different orders and statuses of life, citing instances from history, for he was himself well acquainted with the truth. SB 1.9.29: While Bhī madeva was describing occupational duties, the sun s course ran into the northern hemisphere. This period is desired by mystics who die at their will. SB 1.9.30: Thereupon that man who spoke on different subjects with thousands of meanings and who fought on thousands of battlefields and protected thousands of men, stopped speaking and, being completely freed from all bondage, withdrew his mind from everything else and fixed his wide-open eyes upon the original Personality of Godhead, Śrī K a, who stood before him, four-handed, dressed in yellow garments that glittered and shined. SB 1.9.31: By pure meditation, looking at Lord Śrī K a, he at once was freed from all material inauspiciousness and was relieved of all bodily pains caused by the arrow wounds. Thus all the external activities of his senses at once stopped, and he prayed transcendentally to the controller of all living beings while quitting his material body. SB 1.9.32: Bhī madeva said: Let me now invest my thinking, feeling and willing, which were so long engaged in different subjects and occupational duties, in the all-powerful Lord Śrī K a. He is always self-satisfied, but sometimes, being the leader of the devotees, He enjoys transcendental pleasure by descending on the material world, although from Him only the material world is created. SB 1.9.33: Śrī K a is the intimate friend of Arjuna. He has appeared on this earth in His transcendental body, which resembles the bluish color of the tamāla tree. His body attracts everyone in the three planetary systems [upper, middle and lower]. May His glittering yellow Page 61 of 101

dress and His lotus face, covered with paintings of sandalwood pulp, be the object of my attraction, and may I not desire fruitive results. SB 1.9.34: On the battlefield [where Śrī K a attended Arjuna out of friendship], the flowing hair of Lord K a turned ashen due to the dust raised by the hoofs of the horses. And because of His labor, beads of sweat wetted His face. All these decorations, intensified by the wounds dealt by my sharp arrows, were enjoyed by Him. Let my mind thus go unto Śrī K a. SB 1.9.35: In obedience to the command of His friend, Lord Śrī K a entered the arena of the Battlefield of Kuruk etra between the soldiers of Arjuna and Duryodhana, and while there He shortened the life spans of the opposite party by His merciful glance. This was done simply by His looking at the enemy. Let my mind be fixed upon that K a. SB 1.9.36: When Arjuna was seemingly polluted by ignorance upon observing the soldiers and commanders before him on the battlefield, the Lord eradicated his ignorance by delivering transcendental knowledge. May His lotus feet always remain the object of my attraction. SB 1.9.37: Fulfilling my desire and sacrificing His own promise, He got down from the chariot, took up its wheel, and ran towards me hurriedly, just as a lion goes to kill an elephant. He even dropped His outer garment on the way. SB 1.9.38: May He, Lord Śrī K a, the Personality of Godhead, who awards salvation, be my ultimate destination. On the battlefield He charged me, as if angry because of the wounds dealt by my sharp arrows. His shield was scattered, and His body was smeared with blood due to the wounds. SB 1.9.39: At the moment of death, let my ultimate attraction be to Śrī K a, the Personality of Godhead. I concentrate my mind upon the chariot driver of Arjuna who stood with a whip in His right hand and a bridle rope in His left, who was very careful to give protection to Arjuna's chariot by all means. Those who saw Him on the Battlefield of Kuruk etra attained their original forms after death. SB 1.9.40: Let my mind be fixed upon Lord Śrī K a, whose motions and smiles of love attracted the damsels of rajadhāma the gopīs . The damsels imitated the characteristic movements of the Lord [after His disappearance from the rāsa dance]. SB 1.9.41: At the Rājasūya-yajña [sacrifice] performed by Mahārāja Yudhi hira, there was the greatest assembly of all the elite men of the world, the royal and learned orders, and in that great assembly Lord Śrī K a was worshiped by one and all as the most exalted Personality of Godhead. This happened during my presence, and I remembered the incident in order to keep my mind upon the Lord. SB 1.9.42: Now I can meditate with full concentration upon that one Lord, Śrī K a, now present before me because now I have transcended the misconceptions of duality in regard to His presence in everyone's heart, even in the hearts of the mental speculators. He is in everyone's heart. The sun may be perceived differently, but the sun is one. Page 62 of 101

SB 1.9.43: Sūta Gosvāmī said: Thus Bhī madeva merged himself in the Supersoul, Lord Śrī K a, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, with his mind, speech, sight and actions, and thus he became silent, and his breathing stopped. SB 1.9.44: Knowing that Bhī madeva had merged into the unlimited eternity of the Supreme Absolute, all present there became silent like birds at the end of the day. SB 1.9.45: Thereafter, both men and demigods sounded drums in honor, and the honest royal order commenced demonstrations of honor and respect. And from the sky fell showers of flowers. SB 1.9.46: O descendant of Bh gu [Śaunaka], after performing funeral rituals for the dead body of Bhī madeva, Mahārāja Yudhi hira was momentarily overtaken with grief. SB 1.9.47: All the great sages then glorified Lord Śrī K a, who was present there, by confidential Vedic hymns. Then all of them returned to their respective hermitages, bearing always Lord K a within their hearts. SB 1.9.48: Thereafter, Mahārāja Yudhi hira at once went to his capital, astināpura, accompanied by Lord Śrī K a, and there he consoled his uncle and aunt Gāndhārī, who was an ascetic. SB 1.9.49: After this, the great religious King, Mahārāja Yudhi hira, executed the royal power in the kingdom strictly according to the codes and royal principles approved by his uncle and confirmed by Lord Śrī K a.

Page 63 of 101

Lalita Sahasranamam Seven Chakras in the Human Body According to yogic processes described by Krishna in chapter 8 (verses 10 and 12) and also in chapter 6 (verses 11 to 14), and also Shukaacarya in Srimad Bhagavatam (Canto 3, chapter 11), the lifebreath within the body can controlled at will. Shukaacarya says that a yogi can travel to the higher lokas (like mahar, jana, tapa, satya) beyond the three lower lokas (bhu, bhuva, suva) by controlling the lifebreath and leaving the body (not necessarily at the moment of death). The higher lokas are accessible. We call this Tantric practices, or yogic practices. (“Tantric” is often misunderstood as being directed towards transitory sexual pleasures, as we see below.) There are seven chakras (energy centers) within the human body, each with its own mantra and presiding deity. They are described below and were indicated diagrammatically earlier in: How to leave the body?

It is also of interest to note that the extremely holy sound vibration OM (), mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita by Krishna in verse 13 chapter 8, is associated with both the Aajna (आज्ञा) chakra, located between the two eybrows, mentioned in verse 10 of chapter 8, and the Sahasraara (सहस्रार) chakra, located at the top of the crown, mentioned in verse 12 of chapter 8. http://www.chakrahub.com/7-chakras http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakra

Page 64 of 101

The following seven primary chakras are commonly described: 1. Muladhara (Sanskrit: मूलाधार, Mūlādhāra) Base or Root Chakra (last bone in spinal cord, the coccyx) 2. Swadhisthana (Sanskrit: (ovaries/prostate) 3. Manipura (Sanskrit:

, Svādhi hāna) Sacral Chakra , Ma ipūra) Solar Plexus Chakra (navel area)

4. Anahata (Sanskrit: अनाहत, Anāhata) Heart Chakra (heart area) 5. Vishuddha (Sanskrit: त्रिशुद्ध, iśuddha) Throat Chakra (throat and neck area) 6. Ajna (Sanskrit: आज्ञा, Ājñā) Brow or Third Eye Chakra (pineal gland or third eye) 7. Sahasrara (Sanskrit: सहस्रार, Sahasrāra) Crown Chakra (top of the head; ‘soft spot’ of a newborn)

Muladhara

Swadhisthana

Manipura

Anahata

Base spine

Lower abdomen

Navel

Heart

Vishuddha

Ajna

Sahasrara

Throat

Third eye

Crown

Page 65 of 101

http://healing.about.com/od/chakraimages/ig/Chakra-Symbols/

Wheel of Life

Root Chakra

Sacral Chakra

Heart Chakra

Throat Chakra

Solar Plexus Chakra

Third Eye Chakra

Crown Chakra Page 66 of 101

The Order of Chakras in Lalitha Sahasranama http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/shakti-sadhana/101838-order-chakraslalitha-sahasranama.html Following interesting question, and an answer, is taken from India Divine, link given above. I was wondering if there was any special significance to the order in which the chakras are mentioned in the Lalitha Shasranama - Vishudhdhi, Anahata, Manipura, Swadhistana, Mooladhara, Ajna and Sahasrara. It just seemed odd that they were not listed in the ascending or descending order. Anyone with more insight? Here is an interesting answer given to the above. Well, it is not so complex, if you look at the description of devathas assigned to the chakras. Vishudhdhi = Vadhanaika samanvitaa = 1 face Anahatha = Vadhanadvayaa = 2 faces Manipura = Vadhanatraya samyuktaa = 3 faces swadhishtana = chaturvaktra-manoharaa = 4 beautiful faces Mooladhaara = panchavaktraa = 5 faces Ajna = shadaananaa = 6 faces Sahasrara = sarva-varNopa-shobitaa = glows with all colors (no facial count) But sarvavarNopa shobitha = sarva + varNa + upa + shobitha. Counting the aksharas in sanskrit ‘a to ksha’ 50 up and 50 down (- may be Kochu can give us a crash course in Sanskrit and this interpretation) - upa = 10. So 10 X 100 = 1000, the highest number in the above series and also the hardest to attain state of Kundalini. A nice combination of numbers and description of HER aspects. Just another interpretation. :-) Page 67 of 101

Slokas from Lalita Sahasranaamam discussing the chakras; see link below http://ashavinkurukalhal-part2.blogspot.com/2009/11/lalitha-sahasranamam99.html Lalitha sahasranamam - 99 (Sloka 38) 99. MOLADHARAIKA NILAYA She who exists in Mooladhara. In Mooladhara which is in the form of four petaled lotus the kundalini sleeps. Lalitha sahasranamam - 101 (Sloka 38) 101. MANI POORANTHARUDHITHA She who exists in Mani pooraka chakra full dressed in her fineries. This chakra is very important and finds mention in Soundarya Lahari as well. Lalitha Sahasranamam - 103 (Sloka 39) 103 AGNA CHAKARANTHARALASTHA – She who lives in between two eye lids in the form of she who orders. The term, ‘in the form of she who orders’, is referred to the vision, or the wisdom and the consciousness, related to it. Lalitha Sahasranamam -105 (Sloka 39) 105 SAHARARA-AMBHUJA-AROODA She who has climbed sahasrara the thousand petalled lotus which is the point of ultimate awakening This part of journey is something each and everyone should experience but I have tried to detail out the different ways that awakening is brought about.After the upward journey of Kundalini, coursing through the Sushumna channel and the chakras along the way, it is finally brought to the crown chakra, Sahasrara. This union is the Realization of the Absolute, and is the meaning of Yoga. Page 68 of 101

Why in Lalitha 1000 naamam the chakras are not said in sequence?

Shoum

It starts at 98th sloka from "Vishuddhi/throat chakra and goes down and end with "Saharara". Why it is not from "Mulaadhara/ root chakra or from "Sahasra/crown. Will any reason be ? http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110308235456AAUSp8b

Lalitha Sahasranamam: Verses 98 to 110 (Namas from 475 to 541) VISHUDDHI chakra nilaya raktavarna trilochana Khatvangadi praharana vadanaika samanvita - 98 Payasanna priya tvaksdha pashuloka bhayankari Amrutadi mahashakti sanvruta DAKINISHVARI - 99 ANAHATABJA nilaya shyamabha vadanadvaya Danshtrojvalakshama ladi dhara rudhira sansdhita - 100 Kalaratryadishaktya o-ghavruta snigdhao-dana priya Mahavirendra varada RAKINYAMBA svarupini - 101 MANIPURAbja nilaya vadanatraya sanyuta Vajradikayudhopeta dayaryadibhiravruta - 102 Rakta-varna mansanishta gudanna pritamanasa Samsta bhakta sukhada LAKINIYAMBA svarupini - 103 Page 69 of 101

SVADHISHTANANBUJAGATA chaturvaktra manohara Shuladyayudha sanpanna pitavarna tigarvita - 104 Medhonishta maduprita bandinyadi samanvita Dadyannasakta hrudaya KAKINI rupadharini - 105 MULADHARAMBUJARUDA panchavaktrasdhi sanpdhita Ankushadi praharana varadadi nishevita - 106 Mudgau-danaasaktachit ta SAKINYAMBA svarupini AGNYA chakrabja nilaya shuklavarna shadanana - 107 Majjasamsthaa hansavati mukhyashakti samanvita Haridranai karasika HAKINIRUPA dharini - 108 SAHASRADALA padmasthaa sarva-varnopashobhita Sarvayudhadharashuk la sansdhita sarvatomukhi - 109 Sarvaudhana preetachitta YAKINYAMBAsvarupini Svahasvadha mati rmedha shrutih smrutiranuttama – 110

More Notes on Chakras and Tantric Yogic practice The following is extracted from the article by Timothy Conway on Hinduism, see link given below. It is of interest to note that some spiritual masters say that after raising the kunalini Shakti (energy) to the sahasraara (crown), it should be dropped back to the heart (hrud). Krishna says that the yogi must constrain his manas (mind) to the heart (hrudi) in order to visualize the Supreme at the moment of death (chapter 8, verse 12, as discussed earlier).

Page 70 of 101

Hinduism http://www.enlightened-spirituality.org/Hinduism.html The seven (7) cakras are (from lowest to highest): 1) mûlâdhâra cakra, oriented to survival issues, located at the base of the sushumnâ, roughly corresponding to the area between anus & genitals; 2) svâdhisthâna cakra, oriented to sensuality, located at an area of the sushumnâ corresponding to the abdomen below the navel; 3) manipûra cakra, oriented to power/control issues, located at an area corresponding to the solar plexus; 4) anâhata cakra, oriented to love, compassion, sympathy, and higher emotions, located at an area corresponding to the heart; 5) visuddhi cakra, oriented to creativity and expression, located at an area corresponding to the throat; 6) âjña cakra, oriented to psychic sensitivity, this is the “third eye” located at an area corresponding with that found between/above the eyes; 7) sahasrâra cakra, oriented to the formless, transcendental Reality, located at the crown area at the top of the head. (Note: each cakra is associated with a deity [deities], a bîja-mantra [seed syllable], a sound-pitch [vibration], a color, an element, a lotus of a certain number of petals, a number of qualities, etc.) When the kundalinî-shakti can flow freely up the sushumnâ through all the cakras and release at the sahasrâra (also known as the brahmarandhra), the aspirant becomes a siddha, accomplished one, attaining the highest state, asamprajñâta samâdhi, wherein all sense of separation has vanished and one awakens to complete identity with the Absolute, Divine Reality. [Note: a number of Advaita spiritual masters have affirmed that, after having experienced the kundalinî-shakti energy release at the sahasrâra-crown, which brings with it a state of formless consciousness (nirvikalpa samâdhi), one must allow the energy to “drop” to the Spiritual eart, Hrdâya, corresponding to an area at the center or right-center of the chest, which allows one to abide in sahaja samâdhi, the “eyes open,” “natural oneness” of God-realization, wherein the experience of formless and formful Reality is balanced, one is perfectly free to experience either the formless or the play of forms.]

Page 71 of 101

Parikshit Prepares for his Moment of Death: Srimad Bhagavatam Dear All: As you all know, the Srimad Bhagavatam was composed by Veda Vyasa, following the advise of the celestial sage Narada (described in Canto 1, chapters 4 and 5). He then taught it to his son Shuka, who was a selfrealized soul. It was Shuka, often referred to as Shukaacarya or Shukdev Muni, who instructed Parikshit, the grandson of Arjuna, about Srimad Bhagavatam. As we are discussing Krishna's teachings from chapter 8, about how to leave the body, it also worth recalling what Bheeshma did when he left his body and how Parikshit prepared to leave his body. Both these topics are described very eloquently in the Srimad Bhagavatam. Parikshit was cursed by a young Brahmin boy for an innocent offense he had committed against the boy's father. The young boy cursed that Parikshit will be bitten by a snake and die in just seven days. The boy's father, the sage named Shameeka, a descendant in the lineage of Angirasa, was horrified when he found out about the curse uttered by his son and rebuked him since Parikshit was a Rajarshi and a just king. Anyway, Parikshit, felt remorse for his own actions (in a moment of anger Parikshit had put a dead snake around the neck of the sage, when the latter was in deep meditation and so did not acknowledge the entry of Parikshit into his ashram) and decided to go to the banks of the holy Ganga and fast for the remaining seven days and await his death. The sage Shukaacarya then magically appeared and started instructing the Bhagavatam to Parikshit. The entire narration was completed in seven days - the duration of life left for Parikshit. This is also the reason why we still practice Saptaaha shravanam (hearing in a week) of the Srimad Bhagavatam.

Page 72 of 101

Parikshit welcomes Shukaacarya reverentially and wants to know from Shukaacarya everything about the cause of this universe, how it was created, how it will end, why we are here and how we should conduct ourselves during our lifetimes, and how we should prepare for death, how we can be liberated from this endless cycle, and so on. The questions are similar to those we find in Vishnu Sahasranama, posed by Yuddhishttira to Bheeshma. Several questions and answers are exchanged, as we see in the Gita, between Arjuna and Krishna. Parikshit also tells the sage not to worry about him and that he was willing to hear from the sage, day and night, without food or sleep (Canto 2, chapter 8, verse 26). He wants to make the utmost use of the time remaining and Shukaacarya's blessed presence. The following remarks by Shukaacarya, when he begins his discourse (taken from Canto 2, chapter 1) are of interest. Shukaacarya says, "O king, all the questions that you have asked are indeed excellent. One should always remember the Lord Shri Hari, hear His glories, and sing His glories if one wishes to be freed from all distress." Tasmaat Bhaarata Sarvaatmaa Bhagavaan EeshwarO Harih l Shrotavyah keertitavyash ca smartavyash cechata-abhyam ll 2.1.5 ll SB It is interesting to note that here Shukaacarya refers to Bhagavaan also as Sarvaatma, One who is present as the atma in all, not the usual Paramaatma. Here Bhaarata means Parikshit; this is also used by Krishna in the Gita to refer to Arjuna. (cechata = ca + icchata = and + desired) Then the sage says, "It is indeed so sad that humans, who are filled with pride and arrogance (pramatta), have been granted a lifetime of about 100 years. It is really too long and a total waste to spend it following the usual and futile human pursuits. Actually, just one muhurtam is sufficient time, if properly engaged, to achieve Shreyas. For that matter, the Rajarshi named Page 73 of 101

Katvanga, when he realized that his life is nearing its end, gave up everything and in the duration of just one muhurta, concentrated his mind upon the Lord Hari and reached His Divine abode." The verses are given below. Kim pramattasya bhubhihee parokshaih haayanair-iha l Varam muhoortam viditam ghatheta shreyase yatah ll 2.1.12 ll SB KatvaangO naama rajarshir jnaatveyat-tam-ihaa-yushahaa l Muhoortaat sarvam utsrujya gatavaan abhayam Harim ll 2.1.13 ll SB The time duration called the muhuratam here is equal to 48 minutes. One muhurtam is made up of two gadis and so one gadi equals 24 minutes. We take a day (which includes the night time as well) to be equal to 24 hours, each having 60 minutes, based on Western scientific principles. In the Bhagavtam, this is reversed. (Or was it reversed intentionally by someone in the west for some reasons unknown today?) One day is made up of 60 units of 24 minutes each, with each 24 minute unit being called a "gadi". Alternatively, one 24 hour day can be thought of as being made up of 30 muhoortas (see http://www.hindupedia.com/en/Yuga ). The time duration called the muhurtam is still popular in India and used to fix the exact time for various auspicious events like a wedding and the performance of important tasks, like opening a new business and so on. There is also an interesting sloka from Valmiki Ramayanam which describes how Rama appears in Bharata’s view, when the latter went to Chitrakoota and was trying to get Rama to abandon His exile and return to Ayodhya. This sloka is also a part of what is known as the Gayatri Ramayanam and is given below. Nireekshya sa muhoortam tu dadarsha BharatO gurum l Uthaje Raamam aaseenam jataa-valkala-dhaariNam ll AY.99.25 ll Page 74 of 101

Bharata finds Rama and Lakshmana at the forest dwelling http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=rama+bharata+pictures&view=detail &id=E0C936232680390EC4C76C539CF7009DC2CACC07&first=0 This is found in Ayodhyaa kandam, sarga 99, sloka 25. The first letter of this sloka is a bheejaaskshram of the Gayatri mantra (Tat savitur vareNyam bhargO devasya dheemahi ….). There are 24 letters in this Gayatri mantra and 24,000 slokas in Valmiki Ramayanam. The first sloka of Valmiki Ramayanam (Tapas-swadhyaaya niratam tapasvee vaagvidaam varam…) starts with the first letter “Ta” of the Gayatri mantra. Every 1000th sloka thereafter has the subsequent letters of Gayatri mantra. All these 24 slokas Page 75 of 101

taken together is known as the Gayatri Ramayanam (see link given below and click on appropriate language to find this important Stotram). The above sloka is the 7th sloka of Gayatri Ramayanam. http://www.prapatti.com/slokas/sanskrit/gaayatriiraamaayanam.pdf It is interesting here, especially in the context of our discussion of Katvanga being able to reach the abode of Lord Sri Hari, that the same time duration of one muhurtam also appears here. Bharata came in search of Rama. Actually, Bharata was away when Rama was to be coronated and Kaikeyi asked for the boon to exile Rama and coronate Bharata instead. So, when Bharata found out what had transpired, he was furious at Kaikeyi and came in search of Rama and wanted Rama to give up His exile and return to Ayodhya. The above sloka is found when Bharata reaches the forest dwelling where Rama, Sita and Lakshmana were residing in Chitrakoota. It was a beautiful holy hut dwelling, devoid of all royal trappings – the hut of an ascetic. Bharata was filled with tears as he saw the hut from afar. Rama was seated in the hut and dressed in the attire of an ascetic – with a jata (matted hair locks) and valkala (humble dress made of tree barks). Gone was all the trappings of a royal personage. Bharata could not withstand the sight. He gazed at Rama for awhile as some translators say, but the exact time duration of one muhuratam is stated here. Let us remember that Bharata was overcome with grief and shedding tears. May be he was unable to see the Lord Rama. May be it took him some time to compose himself to be able to see Rama clearly. May be that time was EXACTLY one muhurtam, the same time taken by Katvaanga to reach the abode of Lord Sri Hari, as mentioned by Shukaacarya ! Also, it should be noted that the word Shreyas is used here (the SB sloka being discussed). Preyas, or priyam, is what we like. Shreyas, on the other hand, is what is good for us. We like many things but not necessarily those that are good for us. Arjuna also uses the word Shreyas repeatedly in the Gita (for example, chapter 2, verse 7, when he surrenders, and chapter 3, Page 76 of 101

verse 2). Krishna also uses the same in slokas like Shreyaan swadharmO vigunah..., chapter 3 verse 35 and chapter 18, verse 47. The deeper implications of Shreyas should be more obvious. The real Shreyas is total liberation, or moksha. The main point, however, here is that Shukaacarya tells us here that it is enough to spend just one muhoortam, in a focused and concentrated manner, to reach the abode of the Lord Sri Hari. Of course, one should not forget that the example given is that of Katvaanga, a Rajarshi, which means he was already a great royal sage and so had mastered all the shastras and yogas. He was, however, entangled in worldly affairs. Once he realized that his end was nearing, it was very easy for him to spend just one muhoortam and reach the abode of the Lord Sri Hari. What Shukaacaryaa is referring to is the preparation time that is being wasted by people who do not realize the purpose of their bodily existence. Imagine having to go somewhere in a hurry and arrive there within the hour. One cannot go car shopping at the time, or even wait for a bus, or a train. It is good to have a car on hand, parked in the garage. That too is not really enough. The car must also be reliable and in top working condition to be able to meet the time constraints. The same applies to that trip to the abode of Lord Sri Hari in one just one muhoortam, following King Katvaanga's example! Let's go car shopping today itself. In short, there is still hope for all of us! Om Namo Narayanaaya. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Raama Hare Raama Raama Raama Hare Hare Very sincerely V. Laxmanan April 12, 2012 Page 77 of 101

Brahma Fears His Limited Lifetime Dear All: In the earlier email, where we discussed the Cosmology Lessons from Krishna's teachings in chapter 8 of the Bhagavad Gita, I had alluded to reading in the Srimad Bhagavatam about Brahma's fear of his own death and limited lifetime. This is mentioned by Brahma himself, in his conversation with Bhagavan. The specific sloka of interest appears in Canto 3, chapter 9, verse 18 (all multiples of 3!) The sloka is reproduced below (see also the translation by Srila Prabhupada and the purport http://srimadbhagavatam.com/3/9/18/en ). Yasmaat bibhemyahamapi dwiparaardha dhishNyam Adhyaasitah sakala loka namaskrutam yat l Tepe tapO bahusavO-varurut samaanasTasmai namo Bhagavate-adhimakhaaya Tubhyam ll 3.9.18 ll When Bhagavan wished to create, a lotus emerged from His navel. And, on that lotus there appeared Brahma, embodied with all the knowledge of the Vedas (3.8.15, SB). Thus, Brahma found himself seated on a lotus. The waters of pralaya were all around, as far as he could see. He starts wondering, "Who am I?" or in Sanskrit "KOham or Kahaa aham" Here kahaa = ka:, the first constant in Sanskrit, ka, with the colon (:) added to indicate the nominative singular of the pronoun meaning who (3.8.18, SB).

or

S

. Thus, one

of the names of Brahma is "ka". Since we

all get our body from "ka", this body we have is referred to as "Kaayaa" which literally means that (yaa) which was obtained from "ka", or Brahma. We find this word used in the well-known sloka, Kaayena vaacaa manasendriyaih vaa.... Here kaayena means with the instrument or agency of the kaayaa, i.e., whatever we do using our body. (Similarly maayaa means maa yaa where "maa" means nonexistent. So maayaa is often taken as that which does not exist.) Page 78 of 101

******************************************************************

Kasya roopam aboot dwedhaa yat kaayam abhicakshate l Taabhyaam roopa-vibhaagaabhyaam mithunam sampadyata ll 3.12.52 ll SB The relevant sloka appears in Canto 3, chapter 12 and is reproduced above. Kasya here means “of ka”, i.e., of Brahma. As Brahma was contemplating (after repeated failure in his efforts) about to fulfill Bhagavan’s command to populat the universe, he suddenly found his body split into two parts (a male and a female) and sexual reproduction as the means to populate the universe was thus conceived, verse 54. The above sloka also states clearly that all bodies, of all beings, are referred to as Kaayaa for this reason, since they came from Ka, Brahma. ****************************************************************** Brahma starts surveying his surroundings. As he looks around, in all the directions, magically four heads appear, as if to facilitate his looking in all the four directions (3.8.16, SB). After failing to discover anything external, Brahma decides to enter into the stalk of the lotus upon which he is seated (3.8.19, SB). He reaches the point where the stalk was attached to the navel of Bhagavan but could not penetrate it (3.8.19, SB). Dejected, he comes back out and sits atop the lotus (more comfortable there, obviously!) and starts meditating for many many years (according to Brahma's reckoning). In one version of this same, Brahma hears the two consonant sounds "ta" and "pa" which together mean "tapa", i.e., a command to Page 79 of 101

meditate (2.9.6, SB). Although, he did not know the source of this sound and the command, Brahma follows the order dutifully and starts meditating. Pleased with Brahma's devotion and austerity, Bhagavan finally appears before him and takes him to Vaikunta (2.9.9, SB). In the words of Shukaacarya, the verse which describes this is given below (see also the translation by Srila Prabhupada and the purport http://srimadbhagavatam.com/2/9/9/en) Tasmai swalokam Bhagavaan Sabhaajitah Sandarshayaam-aasa param na yat param l Vyapeta samklesha vimoha saadhvasam swadrushtha-vadbhir vibudhair abhishthutam ll 2.9.9 ll SB Shukaacaryaa uses the same description here that Krishna uses in chapter 8 to describe His abode - param na yat param - that Supreme Abode with nothing superior to it. This is what Bhagavaan showed (sandarshayaam aasa) Brahma. We can call this abode, Vaikunta (also used in SB, Canto 3, chapters 15 and 16) Shreekrishna dhaama, Goloka dhaama, Param dhaama, Parama padam, or any name we choose. All these are only names. There is only one Supreme Abode. And, there is only one Bhagavan, whatever name we choose to call Him by (even Buddha, Tirtankara, Jesus, Jehovah, or Allah!). A short description of this Supreme Abode is given in the last two lines here. In that Supreme Abode, there is nothing to be distressed about (kelsha), nothing to be deluded by (moha), nothing to fear (saadhvasam, fear of material existence). It is free (vyapeta) all such afflictions. All the celestials who have received but one glance of this place are constantly singing its glories. Anyway, to keep the long story short, after his Bhagavan-led personal tour of Vaikunta, and after receiving complete instructions (the entire Srimad Bhagavatam was narrated in essence, the so-called Chatush sloki Bhagavatam, 2.9.30 to 2.9.36, Brahma did not need much more and could infer all the remaining slokas), Brahma is completely overwhelmed with Page 80 of 101

devotion and starts singing the glories of the Lord. This is the topic of Canto 3, chapter 9. The sloka of interest to us now is the 18th sloka of the hymn recited by Brahma to praise the Lord and was quoted above at the start of the discussion. Let us see what this sloka means. DhishNaa means abode or place. Dwiparaardha means two paraardhaas which was discussed earlier under the cosmology discussion. Brahma has a lifetime of just two (2) paraardhaas. He has been placed (by Bhagavan) in the loka where such is the duration of life for ALL of its residents. (This is just like the maximum lifespan here on earth, which is about 100 years. Life-expectancy changes depending on country we live in, but on average the maximum lifespan is about 100 years, as also noted by Shukaacaraya, yesterday's email in the conversation with Parikshit. The duration of life in ALL lokas outside the three lokas - bhu, bhuva, suwa is same as Brahma's lifespan, see verse 3.11.22 of Srimad Bhagavatam where timescales are discussed. The other four lokas above us are maha, jana, tapa, and satya. These are mentioned in the FULL VERSION of the Gayatri mantram.) In the previous sloka, Brahma mentions that although one is born to worship Bhagavan and sing His glories (THIS IS THE SWADHARMA FOR ALL, AS STATED BY BRAHMA HERE), generally people forget this and get entangled in various prohibited activities (nishiddha karmas, or vikarmas) and the pleasures of their own bodily existence and their selfimagined goals and interests (kushale pramattah). And, then the ravages of time take over and death arrives. That all-powerful Time is also the manifestation of Bhagavan's power (Kaalaatmaka Parameshwara Raam, One with time under His control, or One who has conquered time). And so, says Brahma, in the above sloka, although I am placed in the loka where the lifespan is two paraardhaas, I too live in fear of death, although I am worshipped by all. And so, I perform austerities (tapas tepe) for many many years. Bhagavan Himself, as the Adhimakha, is the witness to this tapas. I bow to Thee - tasmai namo Bhagavate adhimakhaaya tubhyam. Page 81 of 101

The word "makha" is a synonym for "yajna". Hence, Adhimakha is the same as Adhiyajna, mentioned in chapter 8 of the Gita (verses 2 and 4). Arjuna asks, "Who is the Adhiyajna in this body, O Madhusoodhana?" for which Krishna replies, "It is Me alone who is the Adhiyajna." Yajna is not just sitting around a fire and making offerings while chanting mantras. Everything we do with our body can be turned into a yajna, if it is offered to the Lord. Even ordinary bodily process such as breathing and eating become yajnas. Let them all be offered to Bhagavan. Thus, it becomes a "yajna". This is what Brahma did with his own body. Without Bhagavan's power, even the food we eat cannot be digested or the waste expelled from the body (Aham VaishwaanarO bhootvaa praaNinaam deham aashritahaa.. chapter 15, verse 14). He is present in the lifebreaths - the breathe we inhale and the breathe we exhale - just become conscious of it (praaNaapaana samaayuktah, second of that same verse of chapter 15). The fire needs air for it to blaze. The bodily process of digestion is like burning or combustion - the fire is called Vaishwaanara. Krishna says that too is Him, in chapter 15. In chapter 8, Krishna says, "I am the Adhiyajna within this body." In other words, He is the due recipient and we must learn to offer ALL to Him, on a daily and regular basis. (Many yajnas, that we can do effortlessly, without sitting around a fire and chanting mantras are mentioned in chapter 4, verses 24 to 32.) Even with his mindbogglingly vast lifespan [total lifetime of 311.04 trillion years or 311,040 billion years, per human reckoning, or 36,000 kalpas or 72 million Chaturyugas (which is the same as what Krishna calls yugas in chapter 8, verse 17), or 864 billion divine years, see box on page 25], where each kalpa equals 8.64 billion years, according to the Srimad Bhagavatam sloka above, and in Brahma's own words, he too is afraid of the powerful ravages of time, and the power held by Bhagavan over him. He spends many many years of his 100 Brahma years in tapas (austerities). In the Srimad Bhagavatam, Lord Shiva is also described as a great yogi who is always meditating and a great devotee of Bhagavan. Page 82 of 101

Brahma’s lifetime = 100 years Each Brahma year (BY) has 360 Brahms days (BD) called kalpas (we define kalpa to include daytime and nighttime, both of equal duration). So, Brahma’s lifetime = 36,000 kalpas Each kalpa has 1000 Chaturyugas(Cy) for daytime and 1000 for nighttime, so total of 2000 Chaturyugas. So, Brahma’s lifetime equals 36,000 times 2000 Chaturyugas = 72 million Chaturyugas (Cy). One Chaturyugas has 12,000 divine years (DY).

So, Brahma’s lifetime equals 72 million times 12,000 divine years = 864 billion divine years (DY) The above calculations have nothing to do with any human days, years, or time durations. Multiply DY by 360 to get Brahma’s lifetime in human years. The number is 311,040 billion (human) years or 311.04 trillion years.

In the Tulsi Ramayana and the Adhyatma Ramayana, Shiva says that he is constantly chanting Ramanaamam to be liberated. Brahma and Shiva thus set the example for us. In the limited lifespan of 100 human years that we have (most do not reach this maximum and are gone by 80s, or 70s, or 60s, or 50s or even less) we too can do what Brahma says he is doing in this sloka. As Shukaacaraya tells us, one muhoortam of concentrated meditation may be enough, as long as we possess the right tools. Also, Shukaacaraya says there is no need to fear the moment of death. We will discuss this in a future email. Very sincerely V. Laxmanan April 12, 2012

Page 83 of 101

Yuga sandhyaa The transition between two yugas Dear All: In our recent email discussion of Cosmology Lessons from chapter 8 of the Bhagavad Gita, we went through the simple calculations (just multiplying numbers and doing some addition, now we don't even need to know multiplication tables from memory, we can just use computer or calculator) to determine the lifespan of Brahma in terms of human years.

Brahma’s lifetime = 100 years Or, Brahma’s lifetime = 36,000 kalpas Or, Brahma’s lifetime = 72 million Chaturyugas (Cy). Or, Brahma’s lifetime equals 864 billion divine years (DY) Multiply DY by 360 to get Brahma’s lifetime in human years. This number is 311,040 billion years or 311.04 trillion years.

The Srimad Bhagavatam, however, defines this lifespan NOT in terms of human years but in terms of Divine years (Divya varsha). There is NO mention AT ALL of human years in Canto 3, chapter 11, where various timescales, big and small, are described in detail by Shukaacaryaa. The whole discussion is in terms of divine years. Only commentators help us to relate this to human years.

For example, in the footnotes to the appropriate verses in the Hindi translation published by Gorakhpur press we find the clarification that one divine day equals one human year and that one divine year has 360 divine days and is therefore equal to 360 human years. Srila Prabhupada also mentions the same in his purports, written in English; see sections pasted below signature line.

Page 84 of 101

In Canto 3, chapter 11, verses 18 and 19, where the duration of the four yugas (Kruta, Treta, Dwaapara, and Kali) are defined, we also encounter the idea of yuga-sandhyaa. The word "sandhyaa" refers to the transition from one state to another, or the conjunction of two different states. Hence, we use the term "Sandhyaa vandanam" to denote the prayers (to be) performed, on a daily basis, at the conjunction of the night with day, with rising of the sun, at midday, and at the conjunction of the day with night, with the setting of the sun. As we know from experience, we can ‘feel’ these transitions. It becomes bright gradually and likewise become dark gradually. At midday it gets quite hot. Likewise, we have yuga-sandhyas. According to verse 19 cited above, the duration of Kaliyuga is 1200 divine years of which 200 divine years are the transition years. These are split equally at the beginning and the end. This means we have 100 divine years of transition from Dwaapara yuga to Kaliyuga and another 100 divine years of transition from Kaliyuga to Kruta, or Satya yuga, where Kaliyuga will end. The effects of the previous yuga will be felt in the transition years. Thus, for the first 100 divine years of Kaliyuga we will feel the effect of Dwaapara yuga and for the last 100 divine years of Kaliyuga, we will begin to feel the effects of Kruta, or Satya, yuga. (Conversely, were the effects of Kali were felt in the last 100 divine years of Dwaapara yuga? Does the future blend with the present? Does the past affect the present? ) This is very fortunate, since the Bhagavatam states clearly that "dharma" is different in each of the four yugas. This is mentioned in verses 20 and 21 of chapter 11, Canto 3. There are four legs of dharma - tapah shoucam dayaa satyam iti paadaah kruteh krutaahaa (Canto 1, chapter 17, verse 24) - these are tapas, austerities, shoucam, purity, dayaa, compassion, and satyam, truthfulness. All four legs are present (i.e., all four flourish) in the first yuga, Krutayuga or Satyayuga. Then one of the four legs is progressively lost with each passing yuga. In Kaliyuga, only the last leg will be standing. That last leg is truthfulness. Page 85 of 101

People will fail to perform austerities. They will fail to maintain purity (mental and physical). They will become quite cruel and lack compassion. Just imagine what it would have been like in earlier yugas if you think you are filled with compassion today for your fellow humans! The only thing left is truthfulness. (Ah, tell me about it with all the lies of this political campaign and the venom that is being spewed on the airways!). The yugasandhya period is 100 divine years, or 36,000 human years. Wow! This is very very interesting since according to the Panchangam (the Vedic calendar) calculations, only about 5113 years of Kaliyuga have elapsed. We are, therefore, still in the yugasandhya period. The full effects of Kaliyuga are NOT yet being felt. So, there is still HOPE and CHANGE will come soon! We will experience the effects of dayaa or compassion, the trait prevailing in Dwaapara, for some 30,880 human years (give and take a few) into the future. And, not only that, when Kaliyuga ends, the effects of Kruta, or Satya, yuga will be manifested in the last 36,000 years. That is when Bhagavan will appear as Kalki and re-establish the full force of dharma and destroy the evil effects of Kali which lasted for 432,000 years: Dharma samsthaapana-arthaaya sambhavaami yuge yuge (Gita chapter 4, verse 8). Great thoughts to keep in mind as we begin New Year celebrations this month. They actually began a few weeks ago when the Telugu, Marathi and other communities celebrated their Yugadis. Cheers! Happy New Year to ALL. Very sincerely V. Laxmanan April 13, 2012

Page 86 of 101

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.9.18 yasmād bibhemy aham api dviparārdha-dhi yam adhyāsita sakala-loka-namask ta yat tepe tapo bahu-savo 'varurutsamānas tasmai namo bhagavate 'dhimakhāya tubhyam SYNONYMS yasmāt — from whom; bibhemi — fear; aham — I; api — also; dvi-paraardha — up to the limit of 4,300,000,000 x 2 x 30 x 12 x 100 solar years; dhi yam — place; adhyāsita — situated in; sakala-loka — all other planets; namask tam — honored by; yat — that; tepe — underwent; tapa — penances; bahu-sava — many, many years; avarurutsamāna — desiring to obtain You; tasmai — unto Him; nama — I do offer my obeisances; bhagavate — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; adhimakhāya — unto Him who is the enjoyer of all sacrifices; tubhyam — unto Your Lordship. TRANSLATION Your Lordship, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You who are indefatigable time and the enjoyer of all sacrifices. Although I am situated in an abode which will continue to exist for a time duration of two parārdhas, although I am the leader of all other planets in the universe, and although I have undergone many, many years of penance for self-realization, still I offer my respects unto You. PURPORT Brahmā is the greatest personality in the universe because he has the longest duration of life. He is the most respectable personality because of his penance, influence, prestige, etc., and still he has to offer his respectful obeisances unto the Lord. Therefore, it is incumbent upon all others, who are far, far below the standard of Brahmā, to do as he did and offer respects as a matter of duty.

Page 87 of 101

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.11.18 maitreya uvāca k ta tretā dvāpara ca kaliś ceti catur-yugam divyair dvādaśabhir var ai sāvadhāna nirūpitam SYNONYMS maitreya uvāca — Maitreya said; k tam — the age of Satya; tretā — the age of Tretā; dvāparam — the age of Dvāpara; ca — also; kali — the age of Kali; ca — and; iti — thus; catu -yugam — four millenniums; divyai — of the demigods; dvādaśabhi — twelve; var ai — thousands of years; sa-avadhānam — approximately; nirūpitam — ascertained. TRANSLATION Maitreya said: O Vidura, the four millenniums are called the Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali yugas. The aggregate number of years of all of these combined is equal to twelve thousand years of the demigods. PURPORT The years of the demigods are equal to 360 years of humankind. As will be clarified in the subsequent verses, 12,000 of the demigods' years, including the transitional periods which are called yuga-sandhyās, comprise the total of the aforementioned four millenniums. Thus the aggregate of the abovementioned four millenniums is 4,320,000 years. Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.11.19 catvāri trī i dve caika k tādi u yathā-kramam sańkhyātāni sahasrā i dvi-gu āni śatāni ca

Page 88 of 101

SYNONYMS catvāri — four; trī i — three; dve — two; ca — also; ekam — one; k taādi u — in the Satya-yuga; yathā-kramam — and subsequently others; sańkhyātāni — numbering; sahasrā i — thousands; dvi-gu āni — twice; śatāni — hundreds; ca — also. TRANSLATION The duration of the Satya millennium equals 4,800 years of the years of the demigods; the duration of the Dvāpara millennium equals 2,400 years; and that of the Kali millennium is 1,200 years of the demigods. PURPORT As aforementioned, one year of the demigods is equal to 360 years of the human beings. The duration of the Satya-yuga is therefore 4,800 x 360, or 1,728,000 years. The duration of the Tretā-yuga is 3,600 x 360, or 1,296,000 years. The duration of the Dvāpara-yuga is 2,400 x 360, or 864,000 years. And the last, the Kali-yuga, is 1,200 x 360, or 432,000 years.

Page 89 of 101

The Irony of the Big Questions What we call Hindu philosopy is filled with eloquent aphorisms. I have listed a few of them here, for reflection, based on our discussion so far about Krishna’s teachings in chapter 8 of the Bhagavad Gita. In the opening verse of chapter 8 Arjuna poses the question (verse 1) Kim tad Brahma?

What is that (which you call) Brahma (or Brahman)? Krishna, the Supreme Being Himself (Krishnas tu Bhagavan swayam, Canto 1, chapter 3, verse 28), answers Arjuna as follows: Aksharam Brahma Paramam - Brahma is that Indestructible Absolute

Adi Sankara, one of the foremost of modern Hindu philosophers who laid the foundation for what is known as Advaita (Non-dualism) philosophy said. Aham Brahma asi or Aham Brahmaasi - I am Brahma (or Brahman)

The very first being created by Bhagavan, on the first day of creation, known to us as Brahma, the Creator, on the other hand, wonders, when he finds himself atop the lotus that sprang from the navel of Bhagavan:

KOham or Kahaa Aham --- Who Am I?

or

S Page 90 of 101

In the famous Charama Slokam of Vishishtthadvaita philosophy, the foremose modern proponent being Ramanujaacarya we encounter (see link given here for a brief discussion of these three slokas given below http://www.scribd.com/doc/56368141/The-Three-Charama-Slokas-AnIntroductory-Discussion ):

Tavaasmee or Tava asmi – I am yours

The full verse, found in Valmiki Ramayana, recited by Lord Rama Himself at the time of His acceptance of Vibhishana (brother of Ravana) who had come to seek His refuge.

Shree Rama said: Sakrudeva prapannaaya tavaasmeeti ca yaacate l Abhayam Sarva bhootebhyo dadaamyetat vratam ma-ma ll

च

च

l ll

This is called the Charama sloka (the final message, or most important message) of the avatara, incarnation. The other two important slokas are.

Shree Krishna said: Sarva dharman parityajya maam ekam sharanam vraja l Aham tvaam (tvaa) sarva paapebhyo mokshayishyaami maa shucahaa ll 18.66 ll BG Page 91 of 101

l (

)

च ll १८.६६ ll

The Varaha Charama Sloka of Varaha Purana Sthite manasi su-swasthe shareere sati yo narahaa l Dhaatu-saamye sthite smartaa Viswaropam Maamajam ll Tatas-tam mriyamaanam tu kaashtha-paashaana-sannibham l Aham smaraami madbhaktam nayaami Paramaam gatim ll

l च

ll l ll

Lord Addresses Mother Earth or Bhumi Devi When any man who is with a sound mind and situated in good health thinks of me as the cause of this universe (having the form of this universe) and one without birth, I think of him when he is in his death bed lying like a stone or wood and take him to the ultimate Abode.

Page 92 of 101

In summary, we find the following: Lord Rama said that He has made a vow to protect all those who seek His refuge. Krishna said, Just surrender to me, I will liberate you all your sins. Lord Varaha said, “Think about me and surrender to Me, once, when you are healthy and in full possession of all your mental faculties and I shall, personally, take should a devotee to My Abode.”

There is really nothing to fear from Death http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15836 http://www.eliteskills.com/c/2198

Death Be Not Proud ……. One short sleep past We wake eternally And, death shall be no more Death Thou shalt die! Page 93 of 101

Simple tabular form calculation of Brahma’s lifetime Lifetime in Brahma Years (BY) Days/BY Total days Daytime Nighttime Kalpas/day Total kalpas Chaturyugas (Cy)/kalpa Total Cy Divine years (DY)/Cy Total lifetime in DY Human years/DY Total lifetime in (human) years

100 360 36,000 1000 Cy = 0.5 kalpa 1000 Cy = 0.5 kalpa 1 36,000 2000 72 million 12,000 864 billion 360 311040 billion

Total lifetime in (human) years

311.040 trillion

BY = Brahma’s year Cy = Chaturyuga (the four yugas taken together, Kruta, Treta, Dwaapara, Kali) DY = Divine year Commentaries on verse 17, chapter 8, by acaryas of the four Vaishnavite sampradayas may be found at http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/Gita/verse-08-17.html Ramanujacarya’s commentary states very clearly that one kalpa refers to the day of Brahma which includes equal durations of daytime and nighttimes. One year of Brahma is thus made of 360 kalpas and Brahma’s lifetime equals 36,000 kalpas. The sandhi of ahah+yat or ahah+yad becomes aharyat or aharyad (alternatives) or becomes or Some authors take kapla as the daytime of Brahma and one Brahma day as two (2) kalpas, see http://baharna.com/karma/yuga.htm Page 94 of 101

From Non-Science to Real Space Science Dear All: Based on our discussion so far about the Cosmology Lessons from Krishna's teaching in chapter 8, here are at least two bold, or rather crazy, ideas. The first one is the easy one. It has to do with our understanding of history. The second is more crazy. We now know, with actual astronomical observations, reported since 1995 (when the first exo-planet was discovered, here ‘exo’ means not orbiting our sun), that there are indeed billions of planets orbiting around stars, even in distant galaxies, and many of these may be habitable like our earth. We will get to this later. First, today, April 14th is a historic day. Not because some communities from India celebrate their New Year today (Happy Vishu, Happy Baisaki, today is also the traditional data for Tamil New Year). If you still don't know why, you haven't being attention to all the hype about the luxury liner called the Titanic – the grandest ship of its day. Shortly before midnight today (about 11:50 PM), the unsinkable Titanic (even God cannot sink this ship, the man who designed built the ship is supposed to have said before its tragic voyage started) struck an iceberg, on its maiden voyage, on April 14, 1912, and sank in just about two and half (2.5) hours, around 2:20 am on April 15, 1912. You won't believe it ---there is an actual cruise planned to retrace the steps and it also got into unexpected problems -- fortunately only delays no tragedy. And, I stayed up at night, through practically the whole time that Titanic was sinking, exactly 100 years ago, composing this email! Also, it was just around that time, a little after 2 am on October 12, 1492 Page 95 of 101

that Columbus came to the New World. Land was sighted and they waited until after dawn to land on the shores of the island which Columbus called San Salvador, which many believe to be an (unknown) island in the Bahamas (there we go again about facts of recent history and the accuracy of records of just a few centuries ago; see also links given here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus#First_voyage and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyages_of_Christopher_Columbus As we discuss cosmological timescales based on the teachings of Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita and the teachings of the Srimad Bhagavatam, it is of interest to revisit this date of October 12, 1492. Is this the correct date for Columbus' landing in the New World? Why even raise this question when accurate historical records have been maintained about these historic voyages? Firstly, we must remember the reform of the calendar by Pope Gregory XIII (see earlier email on this topic, or consult the public document . This went into effect in on Feb 24, 1582 and ten days were dropped from the calendar. Since Columbus landed here in 1492, he must have used the ‘old calendar’ in his records. Did some overzealous historians correct the date to agree with Gregorian or report the date that Columbus says he landed in the New World? As I had mentioned earlier, in England they still followed the new calendar in 1642 since they did not accept the Pope's authority. So, Sir Isaac Newon, who laid the foundation of modern gravitational theory, was born on Christmas day. It is also said by science historians that Newton was born the year Galileo died. This makes for a nice story. But, now see what happens when we impose the Gregorian calendar on to this bit of history. The date Dec 25, 1642 will move into the New Year since we have to add 10 days and so Newton is born, according to these revisionists on Jan 4, 1643. So, Newton loses the distinction of being on Christmas. Also, worse, he is no longer born the year Galileo died since changing to the Gregorian calendar does not affect Galileo’s death. Galileo still died in 1642! (Now, please check out if Galileo died BEFORE or AFTER the papal bull --- and date of Feb 24 and how it will affect his new death certificate as rewritten by overzealous historians --- yes, I have seen some of this type of nonsense Page 96 of 101

being applied to Newton's birthday.) Also, think about George Washington's birthday. In America, they still used the old calendar. It was only in 1752 that the British calendar act went into effect, on September 2, 1752. They dropped 12 days then, and the date after Sept 2, 1752 became Sep 14, 1752 --- sort of like when we lose one hour when we advance to daylight saving time but now more extreme --- So, if you wish you can change the calendar and die on any auspicious day of your choice so that you follow all the principles of chapter 8 of the Gita. Wish life was that simple! The main point is the ‘fudging’ going on even with things that we apparently claim are backed with solid historical records. We often forget the hidden assumptions that we make. And so it goes with the calculation of Brahma's life time. What is Brahma's lifetime if we no longer live on planet Earth but can transport ourselves to either a planet like Mars, orbiting our own sun, or even an entirely new system, in a new galaxy? One human year no longer will have the same 365.25 days (on average) and Brahma's lifetime cannot be said to be 311.04 trillion years. So, what is the real number for Brahma's lifetime? Practically, everyone I asked this question, over this weekend, at the temple, said Brahma's lifetime is a constant and is NOT affected by where we live. Of course, agreed! What is that constant value for Brahma's lifetime? How is it converted to 311.04 trillion years (see Prabhupada's purport for verse 17, chapter 8, 311 trillion and 40 billion earth years is the number stated)? Now, we come to the more interesting question of finding an exo-planet to live on. Imagine that we are the new Star Trek generation with advanced rockets that can move through distant galaxies. And, here we are zooming through and find a star system with a whole bunch of planets. We will not got into how we can accomplish this voyage (even traveling at the speed of light will mean many years of intergalactic travel). The question: Can our new Mr. Spock come up with ‘sniffing’ gadget that will tell him the planet is habitable and consistent with our here earth-bound notion of what is (the constant) Brahma's life time? Page 97 of 101

We know Brahma lives for 100 years where ‘years’ are defined in a why we still do not fully comprehend. What “physical” tools can we use to discover if human life on this planet will be consistent with ideas that we hold today? The number is no longer 311.04 trillion earth years. It is just 100 Brahma years. Does knowing about 100 Brahma years help us choose the planet in this situation --- like we decided where to live, or buy a house, when we move to new city, or a new country, here in our earth-bound situation? In our new city, we still used some "vastu" ideas about what is auspicious and a good location for our new home. Likewise, this new planet must help be in tune with the Cosmology Lessons we gained from Krishna in chapter 8. Do, I know the answer? I am certainly thinking very hard about this now. One thing I do recall is that it takes light approximately 1000 seconds to travel the distance we call the diameter of the earth's orbit. Yes, amazing isn't it? Almost 1000 seconds and this number 1000 is revered in our Purusha Suktam, Vishnu Sahasranamam and other related scriptures. And, I also remember that Einstein got famous by developing his theory of relativity (first published in 1905) where he postulates (not proves, postulate means trust me and take it to be true, check this meaning out in the dictionary) that the speed of light is a universal constant. Now, our young geniuses can do the rest of the thinking and pick our new planet to populate and start chanting and hold our first poojas and the first Gita class and the first Ramayanam chanting and Bhagavatam saptaah shravaNam. Very sincerely V. Laxmanan April 16, 2012 9:56 am. P. S. Got to preserve this moment in history - hence date and time to the minute if not second!

Page 98 of 101

Never mind, I did not tell you how to measure the speed of light. And, neither does Einstein, in his 1905 paper. He just takes the speed of light to be a known and says let's build a NEW CLOCK that works on the universal constancy of the speed of light. Just place two mirrors at a known distance apart (let's say, d) and let a light ray of light bounce back and forth and the clock will tick with each bouncing and give us EXTREMELY PRECISE time intervals t = 2d/c where 2d is the distance travelled by the ray of light and "c" is the universal constant for speed of light. Such a clock is always accurate and can NEVER go wrong since "c" will never change. Einstein describes this clock http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/einstein/specrel/specrel.pdf , see very bottom of page 4 and top of page 5 of the 1905 paper. Einstein specifically prohibits use a clock based on gravity principles (like a pendulum clock) in order to test his theory of relativity. He wants a clock that use light only (or one that does not use gravity directly or indirectly), see footnote http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/einstein/specrel/specrel.pdf which appears on page 11 of the paper; clock on equator must go more slowly than a clock at one of the poles, since equator clock is moving at a higher speed compared to polar clock. No such clock has yet been built in spite of the success of Einstein's theory. Also, in the 1905 paper, Einstein describes a world where there is no NO gravity.... only electromagnetic forces are considered, no gravity force.....so there is a problem .... about how to build this clock.... and so that is only more work for our geniuses who will pick the new planet.... to be consistent also with the known value for the constant Brahma lifetime. Now Non-Science merges with Space Science or Real Science.

Page 99 of 101

Discussion: Answers to some questions Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:39:13 +0000 To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Happy (Tamil) New Year: What is one year? Back to cosmology Dear Laxmanan Sir, This is so very informative. I have been thinking since our last Gita Class and reading your emails. I am also watching a DVD series of Hubble's (telescope) journey thru cosmos. “Undertanding the greatest images of the universe” by Prof. David Meyer. In this, as we already know, he talks about the thousands and thousands of galaxies beyond our local universe and how new galaxies are being formed constantly and how the universe is expanding etc, etc. What does this mean in relation to our Hindu Philosophy of Creation? Where does the 14 lokas correspond in this discovery? Why is our earth and solar system so special for the Gods (to be born again and again) when there are so many Suns and planets? OR are we assuming that we are special??!! Does Bhagavatham talk about these other galaxies and stars and the happenings in them? I am sorry if I sound so dumb!! But this has been on my mind and you ARE the right person to ask as you are our guru :) Thanks, Janaki ****************************************************************** Dear Janaki: The brief answer to your question is as follows. Guru  ???? Just think about Brahma's lifetime and imagine you are living on the moon, or Mars, or one of the moons of Saturn (it is VERY VERY COLD but it is like a Page 100 of 101

frozen Antarctica-like world), or even that you are able to build some rocket and are able to move to one of the planets in the far away galaxies that you saw mentioned. What happens? This is the question I asked in today's email. Does where you individually live change Brahma's lifetime? If the answer is NO (that, I believe, is the correct answer). All these galaxies and stars and planets are no different from ours and our earth. All of this still belongs to Prakriti and is governed by the same laws described by Krishna in chapters 7 and 8. The five gross elements is all that we are dealing with in the discoveries that you are talking about in these TV series. Without humans and other beings there is NO manas, buddhi, and ahankaram. The scientists are only discovering different permutations and combination of the five gross elements - bhoomiraapo analo vayuh kham..... (chapter 7 verse 4). Even if there are intelligent beings in these faraway worlds, it is still Prakriti only since prakriti as defined in this verse is made of eight constituents, the five gross elements (bhoomi, earth, aapo, water, analo, fire, vayuh, air, and kham, sky or the ether) plus the three just mentioned. This is what we call the material universe and is ALL covered under ‘Bhu’. There are seven lokas: Bhu maha

, jana

Gayatri mantra ( ॐ

, tapa ॐ

, and satya ॐ

ॐ

--- these

ॐ

ॐ

, bhuva

, suva

,

are mentioned in the full ॐ

etc.) and

also in the Srimad Bhagavatam. All the lokas beyond Bhu cannot be discovered using material gadgets like the Hubble telescope. The Srimad Bhagavatam also states (Canto 3, chapter 11) that all those who live outside of the trilokas (the first three lokas) have a lifespan equal to Brahma’s lifespan. Hope this sheds some light for you. Laxmanan April 13, 2012 Page 101 of 101