TAVASMI Pavitra Agyarus,, Charan Sparsh & Bhagvat Gita

TAVASMI Pavitra Agyarus,, Charan Sparsh & Bhagvat Gita August 22, 2010

Recap 1. Friday, August 20, was an Ekadashi in the month of Shravan. Can you name it? 2. What is the significance of this Ekadashi in Pushti Marg? 3. What happened on the following day (Baras)? 4. Name the 11 indriyas that we try to control by doing agyarus.

Agenda • Charan Sparsh Etiquette • Pavitra Agyarus • Pavitra Baras • Bhagvat Gita • Review: Gokulchandramaji

Charan Sparsh Etiquette • The proper way of doing Charan Sparsh: place the left hand underthe right forearm and then with the right palm facing up, touch Takorji’s left foot, the left charan (foot), then the right, then again the left. (that would make it OUR Right- Our Left, Our Right) • Palm faces up. Because if your palm is facing down, it’s like giving Aashirvaad. • It is said that both 'Bhakti' (devotion) and 'Mukti' (liberation) reside in the lotus feet of Lord Shrinathji. • Bhakti resides in the left lotus foot of Shrinathji, while Mukti resides in the right lotus foot of Shrinathji. For a Pushti devotee, Bhakti is a step ahead of Mukti. A Pushti devotee does not want liberation wherein there is no bliss, but the real bliss lies in Bhakti/devotion, which can be sought only when God himself grants it to him. That is why is from Pushti to Mukti and back to Pushti.

Misc • Many people, mistakenly refer to fasting as 'apvas' but the correct word is 'upvas' Apvas means to reside in hell and 'upvas' means to reside near God. Hence The correct word 'upvas' should be used. • “Krishnashray” and “Madhurashtakam” are the two strotras that can be recited in the presence of Krishna. This means that only these two strotras can be recited during darshan time In a PushtiMargiya Temple. • When a Vaishnav recites “Krishnashray” in the presence of Krishna (either at Home or at Temple) his intention of submitting and dedicating himself to Krishna strengthens. • This ultimately helps a Vaishnav in becoming dependent only on Krishna.

Pavitra Ekadashi • During Vallabhacharya's second Prithvi Parikrama, he was at Gokul at Govind Ghaat, when the swaroop of Gokulchandramaji wearing White Paagh, Chandrika, Pichoda,appeared before Vallabhacharya and gave him a 84 lettered Sanskrit mantra - Brahma Sambandh • Vallabhacharya was so excited that he created/sang ‘Madhurashtakam’ in Krishna’s praise. He also had a Pavitra made from cotton to offer to Shree Krishna • Mahaprabhuji Vallabhacharaya said the same mantra in Damodardas Harsani's ear to make him the first Vaishnav. Pavitra is a cotton mala made up of 360 cotton threads knotted together with 180 knots. • In the memory of this occasion, pavitra is offered to the Lord by all the Vaishnavs. Shrinathji has said that whoever adorns me with a pavitra on pavitra Ekadashi gets the ‘laabh’ of doing the seva of 360 days of the year (Hindu calendar). Each thread in the pavitra signifies at day in the year. • Shri Vallabh has described the whole episode, word by word, in the granth 'Siddhant Rahasya'.

Pavitra • In A.D.1492 on the next day (i.e. Pavitra Baaras) Damodardas Harsaniji adorned his Guru Vallabhacharya with a pavitra. Thus it’s a tradition that all Vaishnavs adorn their Guru with a pavitra on this day. • Literal meaning of Pavitra is 'Sacred'. That which is most beloved to us, the most pure and sacred, should be offered to God. • Cotton is considered to be the most beautiful, pure and sacred and therefore is utilized in all vedic rituals. • Of all things, cotton is the most quickly consumed by fire and for these reasons is considered to be sacred. • When to offer pavitra to Thakurji: If inauspicious time is in the morning, then Pavitra must be offered in evening during 'Utthapan'. If ‘inauspicious time' is in evening, then pavitra must be offered in morning during 'Shrungar' Darshan. • For Thakorji, Pavitra can be presented till Janmashatami • Pavitra Arpan Vidhi tradition is very old. During Satyug, pavitra were made from various 'Gems'. In tretayug, it was made from Gold. In Dwapar, it was made from Resham i.e. Silk. And in Kaliyug, it is made from cotton.

Siddhant Rahasya • Vallabhacharya describes verbatim what Lord Krishna told him on the midnight of the 11th day during the bright half of the month of Shravan. • In it he describes various types of impurities/flaws and says “All these need no longer even be thought of.” • He says, “Shri Krishna told me that after dedicating himself and all his belongings to God i.e after Brahma-sambandh the impurities of the soul are totally removed.” • Brahma Sambandh is the only thing that remove those impurities. • Krishna says, “anything not offered to or used by the brahma i.e God should not be used by us.” • He continues, “The absolute rule is that those who have dedicated themselves to me should first offer everything to me and than act. • Any article which we had used previously should never be offered to God as it is considered 'Swami-Bhukta' (half-eaten/used).”

Review: Intro to Bhagvat Gita • Bhagvat Gita - part of the epic Mahabharat – explaining the elements of Bhakti, Karma and Gnan yog • The war of Mahabharat took place on Kurukshetra between the Kauravs and Pandavs. • Various kings around the greater India had participated in this war. • Consisting of 18 chapters – 700 verses • Four participants in Narration: Dhritrasth (1), Sanjay (41), Arjun (84), Krishna (574) • Three people heard the narration directly: Sanjay, Arjun, Hanuman • The Gita is a conversation between Lord Krishna and His friend Arjun. At the last moment before entering a battle between relatives, brothers and friends, the great warrior Arjun begins to wonder: Why should he fight? What is the meaning of his life? Where is he going after death? What are actions ? What will be its fruits? etc

Chapter 1 • Begins when Dhritrasthr asks his driverSanjay to tell him what his sons and Pandu’s sons are doing as they are getting ready to battle. • Sanjay has been given ability to see the past, present, andfuture. • Duryodhan tells his guru Dhronacharya about the Pandav army and compares it to his army. • Krishna is the Arjun’s charioteer. As the two armies were arrayed, ready for battle, all blow their sankhs. The blowing of the sankh is a declaration of the intention of each of the chiefs of what he can offer after conquest. • Arjun requests Krishna to place his chariot between them so that he might survey his opponents. He was bewildered by the scene before him, for he beheld on both sides, relatives, teachers and friends. • Letting his bow slip from his hands, Arjun could do nothing but turn to Lord Krishna for guidance and enlightenment.

Kuru • Kaurav meaning a descendant of Kuru, a legendary king, ancestor of many of the of the Mahābhārat. • Term 'Kaurav' used in the Mahābhārat with two meanings • Wider meaning represents all descendants of Kuru, which includes the Pandav brothers (sometimes used in earlier parts of Mahābhārat) • Narrower but more common meaning, to represent the elder line of the descendants of King Kuru. Restricts it to the children of King Dhritarashtr, as his line is the older line of descent from Kuru. It excludes the children of the younger brother Pandu, who founds his own line, the Pandav. • Kurukshetra is where the war of Mahabharat is being fought • Kuru also means “do”; it’s a command/obligation/duty

Chapter 1, Verse 1 • Sanjay is the embodiment of self-restraint • Dhritrasthr is the very image of ignorance; • He calls Kurushetra – Dharmashetra (place where religious rituals are performed); he knows Krishna to be God and on the side of the Pandav, but ignorance caused by his infatuation with Duryodhan still has him hoping that his sons will win (even though there are doubts in his mind) • While archaeologist searched for the exact location of Kurukshetra, Krishna suggest that “The body is itself a (Kurukshetra) battlefield and one who conquers it grows spiritually.”

Duryodhan’s Speech • Duryodhan addresses Dronacharya as dwijottama meaning “worthiest of the twice born”. • Males of the top-three Hindu castes undergo a spiritual rebirth and initiation in adolescence [now a days only Brahmins do this]. • After this re-birth/second birth, one eligible to study the Vedas • Duryodhan describes his army defended by Bheesm to be insufficient or immeasurable or unlimited and Bheem's army as being sufficient. Aparyaaptam means insufficient or unlimited. Paryaaptam means sufficient or limited. This play on words is used to show Duryodhan's doubtful state of mind. Aparyaaptam tad asmaakam balam BHEESMaabhirakshitam; Paryaaptam twidam eteshaam balam BHEEMaabhirakshitam. 10. “This army of ours defended by Bhishma is insufficient, whereas their army, defended by Bheem, is sufficient.

Bhishma • In ancient Hindu warfare, each army had a commander-in-chief and a defender. • Duryodhan declares Bhishma as their Defender • At the same time, he tells all his chiefs to keep to their posts and yet protect Bhishma on all sides. More important than fighting the Pandav. • This is their defender – someone who needs to be defended. Therefore Bhishma is said to be “delusion”. So long as delusion is alive, evil/sinful impulses cannot be defeated. Once delusion ends, ignorance will ends as well.

Arjun & Hanuman • Arjun’s chariot bore the flag of Hanuman. • Hanuman appeared as a small talking monkey before Arjun at Rameshwaram, where the great bridge was built to cross over to Lanka to rescue Sita. Arjun asked out loud why Ram hadn’t build a bridge made of arrows as he was a very great archer instead of taking the help of monkeys. The little monkey said that if Ram had done that then the bridge would have collapsed under the weight of the huge army of the Vanars. • Arjun gets a little annoyed and he challenges Hanuman that if the bridge of arrows made by him collapses under a mere monkey's weight then he would jump into the fire. • The minute Hanuman steps on to the bridge Arjun built, it collapses. Arjun accepts defeat and is about to jump into the fire, when a Brahmin comes there and tells him he cannot jump into the fire as there was no witness to judge who won the argument. • Then he tells Arjun to again prepare a bridge of arrows. This time when Hanuman sets foot on the bridge nothing happens. Then Hanuman assumes the form he took to search for Sita (He becomes really big like he did when he crossed over the ocean to Lanka to find Sita). • Vishnu then appears in his form (he was the Brahman) and tells them that he wanted to teach both Hanuman and Arjun a lesson in humility because both of them were over-confident about their powers. • Since Hanuman lost the argument Vishnu told him to be present on the flag of Arjun's chariot during the war. Hanuman stabilized and strengthened Arjun’s chariot during the battle.

Arjun's Dilemma • Seeing his family, Arjun is incapable of fighting • He continues, though they (those on the side of Kaurav) may kill him, He has no desire to kill them • Wonders what happiness he will get from killing his cousins and it would be a sin to kill even such evil men • Because of greed, his cousins have no awareness of the evil they did, but since Arjun knows destroying families is evil – how can he not turn away from this sinful act. • With the destruction of family, traditions are lost, and the whole family loses its values. Men of who's family has been destroyed spend eternity in Hell.

Names of Krishna used in Ch. 1 • Hrishikesh – Lord of the senses • Madhusudan – Killer of the demon Madhu – destroyer of arrogance. • Maadhav - Husband of Goddess of fortune, Sri Lakshmi and Killer of the demon Madhu • Govind – Lord of Cows • Janardan – one who is worshipped – solicited for prosperity and emancipation

Review: Gokulchandramaji • First known Earth appearance is the delivery of BrahmaSambandh method; Madhurashtakam was about his beauty • Then next time when Gokulchandramaji appeared was in Gokul at Brahmand Ghat (River Yamuna.). • Kshatrani was an ardent follower of Mahaprabhuji. Since childhood she hardly spoke to anyone, and she kept to herself. She never wanted to get married but her parents forced her to get married. • On the wedding day, suddenly her parents and husband to be, died. People started talking about her and called her witch. • One day Kshatrani went to Yamuna River to fetch water, she was at Brahmand Ghat when filling water she saw four swaroop in the shallow water. She looked at them and asked, "What are you all doing in the water of Yamnaji?" • All four swaroop then replied, "Please take us to your Mahaprabhuji."

Gokulchandramaji: Location and Appearance • These four swaroop were Navnit Priyaji, Gokulchandramaji, Laddileshji and Lalit Tribhangiji. • Gokulchandramaji was served by Naryandas Brahmachari. After Narayandas left earth, his Thakorji was served by Gusainji. After Gusainji, His fifth son Raghunathji had this swaroop. • This way this swaroop, travelled from Adel to Mathura and then to Gokul. Gokulchandramaji also stayed for a while in Jaipur and then finally stayed at Kamvaan. Kamvaan is where we can do His darshan. • This swaroop is bent from feet, waist and neck and is only one foot tall in height. • He is dark (Shyamvarna) in complex. He looks down and His eyes are full of grace. The Mukharvind (the face) is with that expression when one plays flute. The flute is held in both the hands, left leg rests on earth (Bhutal) and the right foot is above the earth.

TAVASMI Pavitra Agyarus,, Charan Sparsh & Bhagvat Gita