[Advaita-l] Authenticity of 'Srimad Bhagwatam' - Extensive article

[Venkatesh Murthy]

Namaste

Sri Karapatriji gives one reference from Bhagavata Mahatmya -

स्वर्गे सत्ये च कैलासे वैकुण्ठे नास्त्ययं रसः ।
अतः पिबन्तु सद्भाग्या मा मा मुञ्चत कर्हिचित् ॥ भागवत माहात्म्य ६-८३

In heaven, Brahma Loka, Kailasa and Vaikuntha this Rasa is not there but it
is there on Earth. Therefore you fortunate ones drink this Bhagavata Rasa.
Don't stop drinking at any time. Drink continuously.

The juice of a ripe mango is very sweet. But if it is Suka-Mukha-
Samsprushta touched by the mouth of a parrot it is even sweeter. Similarly,
the Bhagavata rasa coming from Suka Muni's mouth is very sweet.

Bhagavata is not Rasavat but Rasa Svaroopa only. There will be a Matup
pratyaya like Rasavat when something has Rasa. But we are not saying
Bhagavata has Rasa. It is itself Rasa. Brahman does not have Jnana but
Brahman is Jnana. Similarly Brahman does not have Rasa but Brahman is Rasa.

Another point is a Phala fruit cannot be Rasa. In ordinary world a mango
fruit will have sweet Rasa. A fruit itself will not be Rasa.  It should be
cut and eaten or you can suck the juice from the fruit. But fruit itself
not drunk. But this is ordinary fruit. Bhagavatam is not ordinary fruit. It
is Divine fruit. It can itself be Rasa. We can drink it directly.

प्रायेण मुनयो राजन् निवृत्ता विधिषेधतः ।
नैर्गुण्यस्था रमन्ते स्म गुणानुकथने हरेः ॥ भागवत २-१-७

O Raja Parikshit. The Sanyasis after becoming free from all rules and
restrictions of Dharma and becoming situated in Nirguna Brahman without
qualities mostly enjoy speaking of qualities of Hari.

Then Sri Karapatriji tells how gods from heaven wanted to get Bhagavata
Rasa in exchange for Amruta. But Suka Muni rejected the offer. The gods and
other residents in heaven have unlimited opportunities for Indriya Sukha.
They can get all pleasures like unlimited food, drink and sex whenever they
want. But they are also not happy always. Indra became jealous seeing
Rishis doing penance. Why the gods are not always happy? Because they are
not Bhaktas of Bhagavan. They are distracted by all pleasures. They cannot
devote time for seva of Bhagavan.

But the gods knew Suka Muni has the great Bhagavata Rasa and if they drink
it they will become permanently happy. Everybody in the universe wants
permanent happiness, not temporary happiness. Therefore the gods came to
Suka when he was starting to tell the Bhagavata to Parikshit Raja. The gods
knew Parikshit had a curse to die from snake bit in 7 days. The gods made a
nice offer to Suka. They said we will give our Amruta to Parikshit. He can
drink it and become immortal. He will not die even when the snake bites
him. You give us the Bhagavata Rasa. Suka Muni said where is the crystal
and where is the jewel. Compared to a jewel a crystal is nothing. Similarly
compared to Bhagavata Rasa the heavenly Amruta is nothing. Suka Muni knew
the gods are not true Bhaktas of Bhagavan. They want to do only a business
transaction. Therefore he rejected the offer and sent the gods back to
heaven. He asked them to leave. अभक्तांस्तांश्च विज्ञाय न ददौ स कथामृतम्.
Therefore even for gods the Bhagavata Rasa is very difficult to get even
though they have all pleasures.

This story is given in Bhagavata Mahatmya Slokas -
एवं विनिमये जाते सुधा राज्ञा प्रपीयताम् ।
प्रपास्यामो वयं सर्वे श्रीमद्भागवतामृतम् ॥
क्व सुधा क्व कथा लोके क्व काचः क्व मणिर्महान् ।
ब्रह्मरातो विचार्यैवं तदा देवाञ्जहास ह ॥
अभक्तांस्तांश्च विज्ञाय न ददौ स कथामृतम् ।
श्रीमद्भागवती वार्ता सुराणामपि दुर्लभा ॥ भगवत माहात्म्य १-१५-१७






On Tue, Apr 3, 2018 at 8:46 PM, Venkatesh Murthy <vmurthy36 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Namaste
>
> The opening statement by Sri Karapatriji in Bhagavata Sudha is -
>
> Bhagavatam is the Essence of all Vedas and Sastras. What more Authenticity
> do you want?
>
> First Sloka reference given next with his explanation -
>
> निगमकल्पतरोर्गलितं फलं शुकमुखादमृतद्रवसंयुतम् ।
> पिबत भागवतं रसमालयं मुहुरहो रसिका भुवि भावुकाः ॥ भागवत १-१-३
>
> He Rasikas, The Veda itself is a Kalpavruksha - desire fulfilling tree.
> Bhagavatam is the ripe fruit of the Veda Kalpavruksha. Bhagavatam has come
> from the lips of the foremost Bhagavata Suka Muni. Therefore it is mixed
> with Amruta the heavenly nectar. It is pure and not mixed with any hard
> seeds or stones. It is expressing the Rasa Paramatma. Therefore it is Rasa
> only. Upanishads have said Raso Vai Saha. Brahman is Rasa only. Even if you
> become liberated also keep on drinking the Bhagavata Rasa. This is easy to
> get on Earth but difficult to get in heaven, Kailasa, Vaikuntha and other
> places. Rasikas, therefore drink it, drink and keep on drinking. Don't stop
> drinking. Don't stop drinking.
>
> Another Swamiji gave one more explanation for Bhagavata in Kannada.
> Whenever a person dies Yama Dootas will come to take him away. At that time
> Vishnu Dootas also come. If that person has tasted and drunk Bhagavata Rasa
> the Vishnu Dootas will ask the Yama Dootas 'Namma Bhaagava?' Is he
> belonging to us? If Yama Dootas say yes the Vishnu Dootas will simply say
> 'Ta'. Means 'Give him to us'. They will take him to Vaikuntha. Yama Dootas
> go back empty handed.
>
>
>
> On Mon, Apr 2, 2018 at 11:42 PM, Sharada Das via Advaita-l <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
>> Are there any English translations of Sri Karpatrijis works available?
>>
>> On Mon 2 Apr, 2018, 11:24 AM Venkata sriram P via Advaita-l, <
>> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>>
>> > Namaste Sujal-ji,
>> >
>> > ..............
>> >
>> > Puri Shankaracharya, in one of his talks had said that In Srimad
>> > Bhagavatam, it is not just bhakti that is glorified
>> >
>> > ...........
>> >
>> > You may go thru the work of Karapatri Swamiji on 'bhAgavataM"
>> > called श्री भागवत सुधा
>> >
>> > .........
>> > https://archive.org/details/BhagavataSudhaSwamiKarapatrijiMa
>> haraj_201801
>> > .......
>> >
>> > Rgs,
>> > Sriram
>> > _______________________________________________
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>
>
>
> --
> Regards
>
> -Venkatesh
>



-- 
Regards

-Venkatesh