Ram Ram
Hare Krishna
Radhe Radhe
Hope we had a great weekend.
The Vyadha Gita (meaning, teachings of a butcher) is a part of the epic Mahabharata and consists of the teachings imparted by a vyadha (Butcher) to a brahmin sannyasin (monk). It occurs in the Vana Parva section of Mahabharata and is told to Yudhisthira, a Pandava by sage Markandeya. In the story, an arrogant sannyasin is humbled by a Vyadha, and learns about dharma (righteousness). The vyadha teaches that "no duty is ugly, no duty is impure" and it is only the way in which the work is done, determines its worth. This is one of the popular narrations in the Mahabharata.
Story:
A brahmin sanyasi is meditating when a bird's droppings from the tree falls on him and he is disturbed. He looks at the bird and it falls on the ground.. dead. This adds a lot of ego and arrogance in the Sanyasi because he has realized his innate "powers". He goes to the village looking for alms and comes to a house where he asks for food. The housewife inside is tending to her sick husband and asks the Sanyasi to wait.
This angers the Sanyasi immediately and he thinks "You wretched woman, how dare you make me wait! You do not know my power yet". Suddenly the housewife calls out from inside the house: "Boy, don't be thinking too much of yourself. Here is neither crow nor crane." The Sanyasi is shocked! How did this lady know of the bird?
The lady replies that she did not practice any austerities and by doing her duty with "cheerfulness and wholeheartedness", she became illumined, so she could read his mind.
She then tells him about a dharma-vyadha (the righteous butcher) in the town of Mithila and says that this dharma-vyadha would answer all his questions on dharma.
But the Monk is shocked and thinks "Why should I go to that town and to a Vyadha?" But from what he had just seen in that lady, he gives it a try and goes to Mithila. When he reaches Mithila he found the market and there saw, at a distance, a big fat Vyadha cutting meat with big knives, talking and bargaining with different people.
This Monk now had a doubt that maybe I have come to the wrong place. This guys is a Vile Materialist and a Butcher. How can he be spiritual? How can he be realised? As soon as the Monk was about to leave: Dharma Vyadha said: Wait wait wait!!! Did that lady send you here?
THe Monk now had a great shock to his System. He then surrendered to the Dharma Vyadha.
The Brahmin Sanyasi is then taught by the Vyadh (Butcher). His main teachings are:
- No duty is ugly, no duty is impure and it is only the way in which the work is done that determines its worth.
- All work must be done by "dedicating to God"
- By sincere and unattached performance of the alloted duty one can become illumined
- Ahimsa (non-violence) and satya (truth) are two main pillars of dharma through which the highest good of all can be achieved (mind you Vyadh is talking of "Ahimsa" - so, the dharmic Ahimsa is not the Gandhian Ahimsa!)
- A decision on what is true under difficult circumstances should be made by sticking to that course of action which leads to the highest good of beings
- Finally, Not birth but dharma and virtuous conduct makes one a Brahmin.
[Commentary by His Grace Shri Ramuji : So lets not divide our life into materialism (karmi) and spirituality (dharmi). Already we have conflicts within. Lets not divide our mind into “Let me break into a spiritual mode now..or a materialistic mode now. Every moment if we are leading our life with a right attitude … And what is a right attitude? The first three shlokas of the Bhagavat helps us understand that. If we lead our life with that whatever we do is spiritual. If we don’t do that, whatever we do will become very materialistic even if we are sitting in a puja room or temple. Lets understand that. ]
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Question: Will Nama Kirtan help us fight the malefic effects of planets in our Graha (horoscope)? But is it good to depend on astrology to take decisions in life?
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
Yes. Certainly. One who performs Nama Kirtan depends only on the grace of Krishna. And for the sake of such a devotee, Krishna plays football with all the Grahas (planets).
TIll the next time we meet in the name of LORD!
ys Deepak
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
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