Bhagavatam-daily 216 – 11.11.21 – Go beyond material variety by delighting in spiritual variety

Thank you. Uparame Tvirajam Manomai Arpe Sarvage Srimad Bhagavatam 11.11.21 Evam Jijnasayopya Jijnasaya In this way, doing inquiry.
Apoh here, means giving up. Nanatva Brahmanatmani The Nana, Nana basically means variety. Nanatva means the variety that is there in this world.
Brahmanatmani In general, in this world, when we see variety, we get captivated by it and start pursuing it. Thinking, okay, this thing is not making me happy, but if I do that thing, that will make me happy. This particular situation is not pleasing, but if I get that situation, that will be pleasing.
So, Nanatva Brahmanatmani So, Brahman is rotating. Atmani So, when like that, we keep wondering, but Atmani Uparame, Uparame Upara means Yatra Uparamate Chittam Hruddam Yoga Sevaya Yatra Chaivatmanatmanam Pashyanatman Tushyati Yatra Uparamate Chittam Krishna uses while describing the process of yoga, Uparamate means cessation. So, Uparamate Same, similar theme is used over here.
Virajam So, one seizes one’s material engagements. And after seizing one’s material engagements, one becomes calm, one becomes peaceful. Mano Mai Arpe Sarvage And how can one make the, how can one stop the mind from wandering? By fixing the mind on Krishna.
To the extent we are able to fix the mind on Krishna, to that extent we will be able to actually go beyond the dualities of this world. To that extent we will be able to tolerate and transcend. Because otherwise, if we are at the material level, we will naturally feel, okay, maybe this situation is not good, if I do that, that situation will be better.
And even if this doesn’t work out, that will work out. So, the variety in this world can be a temptation that can keep us endlessly entangled. Not just day after day, but year after year, in fact, lifetime after lifetime.
And that way, we will have no hope of coming out. And the only hope we can have is by the practice of Bhakti, wherein we fix with this particular understanding that life, in and of itself, is filled with dualities. And the way we can go beyond duality, the mind is restless.
Now, we can take a simple example. That, for example, with respect to food. Every culture has its own cuisine.
In India itself, there is South Indian cuisine. Then there is Maharashtrian, there is Gujarati, there is Bengali, and there is North Indian. There are so many different cuisines like that.
And beyond that, there are many other factors also to consider in terms of what exactly is the situation. So, with respect to our own individual mental predilection. So, one of us may be particularly interested in some sports, some particular game.
And then, within the game, there is variety. Say, in cricket, there is this batsman who bats this way. And there is that batsman that bats that way.
That batsman, this team has this strength, that team has that strength. So, the variety at one level creates spice, creates interest. And variety is the mother of enjoyment, they say.
But the fact is, in material existence, the enjoyment is always anticlimactic. The enjoyment is never really substantial. There is some enjoyment, but after that it gets over.
And when we get enjoyment again, it’s too much, it’s too little, too late. Too little, too late in the sense that the capacity of any material object to provide enjoyment is always finite. And that is something which no one can change.
And because of that, in this world, whatever we do, somebody may say, I like to read novels. That’s fine. Somebody likes to read novels, but then we read one novel, two novels, three novels.
Afterwards, one gets bored. After some time, there is no hope for, one just gets so bored, one gets satiated. It’s fed up by that.
So, the same applies with any activity in this world. We all have our pet definitions of happiness. And we look for variety within those pet definitions of happiness.
But, nanatvam, that nanatva is actually a source of illusion. But, this does not mean that we can or we should entirely reject the mind’s propensities. Actually, the mind’s propensities are something which need to be rejected, but they have to be rejected slowly and progressively.
For example, if you consider the whole principle of Ayanashram, it is that we should work for serving according to our, contributing according to our nature. Now, what is one person’s nature is not another person’s nature. And in that sense, there is not only accommodation for variety, but there is actually a recommendation and even injunction for individuality.
the same way, if we recognize this point that each of us has a different mind. And, the particular things that we like according to our particular mind’s nature, it’s not necessary that those things are always bad. Even material things and the likes of the mind can be classified into non-devotional, anti-devotional, non-devotional and pro-devotional.
If somebody likes to read, that person can read many many books. But then there are so much literature which is available within the devotional context also. And by reading that literature, one can grow in bhakti.
Similarly, there are many other subjects also available to read. Somebody likes music, there are so many, there are many different cultures with different musics. And those can also be used, for the glorification of Krishna.
So, we don’t have to, sometimes there is a conception that fixing the mind on Krishna means ending all material engagements. Now that is true only when we have a very restricted understanding of what material means. Material, actually, currently our consciousness is largely at the material level.
And we can’t give up material things entirely because we have a material body, we have material needs. And the whole art of bhakti is not rejecting the material but reorienting the material so that it harmonizes with the spiritual. So, when it is said that don’t get caught in material varieties, the point of it is not that we have to reject everything material, but the point is we have to know that it is not material variety alone that will bring happiness, it is only our connection with Krishna that will bring happiness.
And we need to fix the mind on Krishna by using our particular material abilities, our particular material talents, our particular material interests, our penchant for material variety in connecting us with Krishna. So, if someone likes to sing, that person can find out various ways in which singing can be done in Krishna’s service. That person naturally wants variety and that variety can be directed towards Krishna with the singing of songs connected with Krishna.
They can be directly devotional songs glorifying Krishna, they can be songs which actually talk about Krishna’s music, about Krishna’s message through musical terms. And that way, we use our propensity for variety to propel us towards the transcendental variety found in Krishna and in loving service to him.