Bhagavatam-daily 1 – 11.06.40 – Philosophy offers shelter when the world’s shelters fail

Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 11, Chapter 6, Verse 40 तान्निरीक्ष उद्धवो राजन् शुत्वा भगवतो दितं दृष्ट्वारिष्टानि घोवराणि नित्यं कृष्णमनुरतः तान्निरीक्ष On seeing this Uddhava Uddhava saw this Rajan and this is being spoken by Shukadeva Goswami to Parikshit Maharaj शुत्वा भगवतो दितं So, he heard the conversation that took place between the lord and the demigods and the Yadu dynasty people.
We will discuss about that. दृष्ट्वा, he also saw, so he heard and he saw अरिष्टानि घोवराणि He saw omens, evil omens नित्यं कृष्णमनुरतः Who was this person? He was a constant follower of lord Krishna. अनुवरतः Systematically, faithfully, like with a vrata he would follow Krishna.
So, the 40th verse of the 6th chapter of the 11th canto begins the Uddhava Gita. Krishna’s words will start from the first verse of the next chapter. But just as in the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna speaks first and then Krishna starts speaking.
Similarly, Uddhava speaks initially and then Krishna starts speaking. So, both the Uddhava Gita and the Bhagavad Gita are spoken at a time when there is great crisis. Arjuna of course faced the crisis of whether to fight in the fratricidal war or not.
Uddhava faced a crisis that a fratricide was going to happen. And it was inevitable. Arjuna was thinking that maybe I can avoid it if I don’t fight.
But Uddhava had no such chance to avoid it. The fratricide that was going to happen was the Yadus were going to fight among themselves because of the curse of the Brahmana. And the whole Yadu dynasty was more or less going to perish.
So, Krishna’s pastimes are often associated with the 10th canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam. And they are given prominently in the 10th canto. But actually Krishna’s pastimes continue in the 11th canto also.
And the disappearance of Krishna will happen at the end of the 11th canto. So, the 11th canto also is largely a description of Krishna himself in terms of not his pastimes, it is in terms of the philosophical message that he gives. So, starting from the 6th chapter onwards going on to almost the 40th chapter, among the last chapters of the 11th canto.
It’s a long, long section. Sorry, not the 40th chapter, 29th chapter it goes on to. In the 6th chapter to the 29th chapter, over a thousand verses are there in the Uddhava Gita.
And this is itself read as a separate work. And this is also called as a Hamsa Gita because one part of it focuses on that theme. We will discuss that later on.
And Vishwanath Chakrathakur has commented on it. And Bhaktisanshu Thakur in our tradition has also commented on that. And our Acharyas are extensively quoted from the 11th canto because in the entire Bhagavatam, this is one of the most philosophical sections.
So, here the Bhagavatam is speaking conclusive philosophy. Conclusive not just in the sense of it being the highest, but conclusive means that it is the concluding philosophical message that Lord Krishna will give before he departs from the world. In the normal course of events in life, often we just feel that life is going on and that is fine.
But whenever crisis comes at that time, whatever normal routine is there and whatever security and pleasure we get through that routine, that seems to be threatened. And that’s where we start looking for the deeper meaning, the deeper purpose of life. And that’s where the philosophical wisdom of the scripture offers a shelter.
Krishna speaks in the Bhagavad Gita in 14.2 that this knowledge to be taken shelter of. So, philosophy is not just a dry exercise of the intellect. It is actually an intimate endeavor of the heart to find meaning when life seems to shatter apart, when the world around us, when our world seems to be shattering apart into meaninglessness.
So, such a shattering apart is happening in the Yadu dynasty now. The background is that we will discuss these events more in detail during the course of the Uddhavita. But the quick background is that because of a mischievous prank by Krishna’s son Samba and others, the sages have cursed the Yadu dynasty that they will be destroyed.
And Krishna has just been told by the Devatas, Brahma and Shiva, that now that your pastimes are over, you can go back to from where you came. And Krishna has, after hearing this from the Devatas, now told the Yadu dynasty that now the curse is coming. So, better the curse has been delivered upon us.
So, in order to do, we should do some punya. So, let us go to Prabhash and bathe over there. So, Krishna along with the Yadus is about to depart for Prabhash.
And there the fatal, drunken, fatricide will happen. So, here Arishtani. Arishtani means omens.
Uddhava, he has heard this conversation which has been happening. And along with that, he has also seen, he says, Dhrishtva Arishtani Ghorani. He saw the inauspicious omens.
And now for a devotee, the shelter is Krishna. Of course, for sometimes, when the problem seems to be too much, a devotee may lose the shelter of Krishna. Or may feel that maybe the shelter will not work.
And they look for shelter elsewhere. But for a Mithyam Krishna Manodata, for one who is constantly sheltered in Krishna, for that time, for such a devotee, when there is a greater crisis, one goes deeper into the shelter of Krishna. So, actually, the senses often give us perception that take us towards illusion.
But the senses sometimes give us perception that make us, it forces us to look for something beyond the illusory world. So, here there is Shrutva and Dhrishtva. He is hearing about what all is happening, how things are moving towards destruction.
And he is also seeing inauspicious omens. Arishtani Ghorani. And now he is going to turn towards the Lord to ask questions and seek wisdom.
So, in this world also, we will face crisis sooner or later. Whether we want it or like it or not, crisis will come. And these are opportunities for us to seek shelter and wisdom.
To realize that the shelter that the world offers through its comfort, through its routine, through its seeming normalcy is actually a deceptive shelter if we think that we can stay here forever. Yes, as much as possible, we should try to have some comfort, some routine in our life, so that, not that it becomes our ultimate shelter, but so that we can take shelter of Krishna. So, how Uddhava amidst the impending crisis seeks the shelter of Krishna and how Krishna offers that shelter through his message will be revealed in the Uddhava Gita.
And we will discuss this in our sessions over the next several classes. Thank you.