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Real words about Dharma.

 
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Vasant Punjabi
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Joined: 12 Oct 2005
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 10, 2005 1:52 am    Post subject: Real words about Dharma. Reply with quote

Jai Shri KRishna,

The Final Instructions of Grandfather Bhishma

Maharaja Yudhisthira then began to rule the kingdom under the direction of the twice born brahmanas. After the coronation ceremony had been completed, King Yudhisthira approached Lord Krishna and offered the following prayers, Through Your grace, Shri Krishna, I have received this ancestral kingdom. O foremost of the Yadus, O lotus-eyed Lord, I repeatedly offer my humble obeisances unto you.

Please tell me what is Dharma and what is Adharma? Please, therefore, speak in detail on the duties of Kings and of duties of the
other orders of life.


Shri Krishna reminded him that Pitama Bhisma is remembering Him and he will be the best to answer all your questions.

So the Pandavas arrived at the field of Kurukshetra. They saw
mountains of charred bodies scattered here and there, which were the funeral
pyres of the slain warriors. The bones of the horses, elephants and human
beings lay piled up like mountains. As they proceeded further, they came upon
the grandsire laying on a bed of arrows, like a fallen demigod. He was
surrounded by many sages, and because his consciousness was fixed on Shri
Krishna, he appeared very effulgent. The Pandavas and Shri Krishna descended
from their chariots. They offered obeisances unto the great sages present and
unto their fallen grandfather. Shri Krishna stood at the feet of Bhishmadeva.

So dear vaishnavs how did Bhismapitah reply all the questions.
_________________
Vasant Punjabi.

"Shri Vallabh Shri Vithal Sukh-kari naa-me nishpap thai nur-nari,
------Nitya Lila nitya nautam shruti na pame par."----
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Vasant Punjabi
Admin


Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 987
Location: USA

PostPosted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 2:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jai Shri KRishna,

These were the words spoken by Pitama Bhishma,

O son of Pandu, Bhishma said, the suppression of anger, truthfulness,
justice, forgiveness, begetting children by one's own wife, purity, avoidance
of quarrel, simplicity, and maintenance of dependents+these nine duties belong
to all the four orders equally. I shall now declare the duties which belong to
brahmanas exclusively. Sense control has been declared to be the first and
foremost duty of a brahmana. Study of the Vedas and performance of austerities
are also other duties of the brahminical order. Worship of the deity and
teaching others how to worship the deity are duties of the brahminical order.
Also there is accepting charity and giving in charity.

O Yudhisthira, Bhishma continued, I shall now tell you the duties for the
kshatriyas. A kshatriya should never beg, but should acquire wealth by taxing
the citizens. He should study the Vedas, but not engage in the profession of
teaching. He should offer protection to the citizens and put forward his
prowess on the field of battle. There is no higher duty for a kshatriya than to
protect the citizens. Gifts of charity, study of the Vedas and performance of
sacrifice bring prosperity to a king. A king should engage all the subjects in
their occupational duties according to their order of life. If a King does not
perform any other act other than protect the citizens, he is regarded as
successful in religious performance and has carried out all duties of a
kshatriya.

O Yudhisthira, Bhishma continued, a vaishya should give in charity, study
the Vedas, perform sacrifices and acquire wealth by fair means. A vaishya
should protect all animals especially the cow and the bull. These two are the
mother and father of all mankind. By protecting the cow, he will achieve
lasting prosperity.

O Bharata, a shudra should perform service to the other three orders according
to seniority. By such service he will obtain happiness. He should never amass
wealth for if he does he might make the higher orders his servants. Worn out
umbrellas, turbans, beds, and seats, shoes and fans should be given to the
shudra servants. Torn clothes which are no longer fit to wear should be given
to the shudras as their clothing. Men conversant with morality say that if a
shudra approaches one of the higher orders for service, then that servant
should be immediately engaged in some duty. The weak and old amongst the shudra
order should be maintained. A shudra should never give up his master no matter
what condition of distress he falls into.

Grandfather Bhishma went on to explain the Varnashrama system in more detail.
He also explained in divisions, acts of charity, the practical duties of a king
and activities of salvation. Then he briefly described the duties of women and
devotees, both briefly and extensively. Then he described the occupational
duties of different orders and statuses of life, citing instances from history,
for he was himself acquainted with the truth. While Bhishmadeva was describing
occupational duties, the sun's course ran into the northern hemisphere. This
period is described by mystics who die at their will.

Thereupon that man who spoke on different subjects with thousands of meanings
and who fought on thousands of battlefields and protected thousands of men,
stopped speaking and, being completely freed from all bondage, withdrew his
mind from everything else and fixed his wide-open eyes upon the original
Shri Krishna, who stood before him, four-handed, dressed
in yellow garments that glittered and shined. By pure meditation, looking at
Lord Shri Krishna, he at once was freed from all material inauspiciousness and
was relieved of all bodily pains caused by the arrow wounds.
_________________
Vasant Punjabi.

"Shri Vallabh Shri Vithal Sukh-kari naa-me nishpap thai nur-nari,
------Nitya Lila nitya nautam shruti na pame par."----
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Vasant Punjabi
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Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 987
Location: USA

PostPosted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 11:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jai Shri Krishna,

Lets add some more

Dealing with distress:
------------------------------

Yudhisthira then inquired, "Please tell me what should be done when falls into so much distress that he is attacked not only by his enemies but also his friends?"

Bhisma replied, "A person who has great presence of mind and foresight earns happiness whereas the procrastinator meets with destruction. It is only due to time and circumstance and nothing else that one becomes a friend or enemy. So a person who can intelligently act accordingly, by sometimes rejecting so-called friends and some time befriending so-called enemies is far superior to one who simply has presence of mind or foresight."

Bhisma then instructed Yudhisthira on the matter of trust. "A father and mother can be trusted naturally, but friends and companions need to be constantly rewarded to secure their trust. Animosity arises out of five causes: women, wealth, harsh words, natural incompatibility and injury. Animosity, once created, will always lie dormant in the heart, just as fire is in wood. Once ignited they can not be extinguished unless one of the parties is destroyed.

Therefore one must never trust a person he has animosity with, despite assurances to the contradictory, for such animosity lingers for a very long time."

Yudhisthira inquired, "What should one do after having lost all prosperity?"

Bhisma replied, "One who has fallen into a very distressed condition of life, bereft of friends, families, wealth and reputation, should practice fortitude and not give way to grief in any circumstance. Indulgence in grief destroys one's beauty, duration of life. prosperity and virtue. One who constantly dwells on his misfortune looses all enthusiasm, mental equilibrium and bodily strength, and thus meets total defeat. On the other hand if a distressed person remains fixed and undisturbed, he can easily regain his position when the next opportunity arises."

Yudhisthira inquired, "My dear Bhisma, what are the various kinds of activities?"

Bhisma said, "One's greatest enemy is idleness. On the other hand one should not act feverishly or blindly. Everything should be done with the proper means. Since success depends on using one's good intelligence, tasks accompanied by the mind is considered to be the best. Those done by the hands are mediocre and those by the feet inferior. The lowest is the task of carrying heavy loads."

Importance of self-control:
----------------------------------------

Yudhisthira inquired, "How should one react to people who insult you by their rudeness and arrogance?"

Bhisma replied, "If one does not become angry when insulted by another, then he takes away all the pious merit that person may have accumulated by good deeds. In addition he transfers to the abuser his own sinful reactions. After all what is the value of praise or blame when uttered by a vulgar fool? A person who praises some one in his presence but criticizes him behind his back is no better that a dog."

Yudhisthira, "How should one debate with an unscrupulous person?"

Bhisma replied, "In a debate the tactics of a truthful person are limited, but a deceitful person can utilize any abominable method. However if the truthful person were to use the same tactics as his opponent, he will find himself at a greater disadvantage, for he is acting contrary to his nature. Therefore a truthful and honest person should always avoid an argument with an unscrupulous person."

Yudhisthira then inquired, "How should one behave towards a more powerful enemy?"

Bhisma replied, "Even though the swift current of the river can uproot and carry huge trees, the canes survive since they bend with the current. Similarly in order to survive an enemy more powerful, one must yield while staying firmly anchored to the roots."

Yudhisthira inquired, "What should a weak person do if out of foolishness and pride he provokes a powerful enemy?"

Bhisma replied, "O King, the weaker person must repent and thus appease the stronger enemy."

Yudhisthira inquired, "What is the origin of all sin?"

Bhisma replied, "Greed, the hankering to posses more than one's naturally ordained quota is the origin of all sin. The desire to posses that which belongs to another is insatiable and gives rise to anger, lust, loss of judgment, arrogance, miserliness, lack of compassion, enviousness, mistrust and many other evils. Ignorance is made up of the same material as greed, though if analyzed it can be seen that ignorance also comes from greed. As one's greed increases, his ignorance also becomes more dense."

Yudhisthira inquired, "What produces the highest merit?"

Bhisma replied, "Self-restraint surpasses all other activities in this regard and is therefore considered to be the highest virtue. Because self-restraint purifies and controls every aspect of one's life it is more important than giving in charity and the study of the Vedas. By self-restraint alone one can achieve liberation from the material world. Self-restraint comprises sense-control, freedom from anger, non-enviousness, impartiality, truthfulness, steadiness and contentment. However, the essential quality of self-restraint is austerity. Thus no good can be achieved without austerity."

Yudhisthira then inquired, "O Bhisma, is there any rule that should never be violated under any condition?"

Bhisma replied. "The worship of true brahmans and giving them all kinds of respect must never be given up under any circumstance"

Supreme duty of life:
-------------------------------

Yudhisthira inquired, "Since time seems to destroy everything, what should be sought after?"

Bhisma replied, "One should seek to determine the supreme duty of life. One should not live in ignorance throughout the life, thinking that only in old-age real this knowledge may be cultivated. Death can snatch us at any time and one's life may be finished before one's mission is fulfilled. Thus from the earliest time, one should endeavor to embark on the supreme duty of life."

Yudhisthira inquired, "My dear Bhisma, please describe to me the supreme duty of life, and the results which are obtained by its performance?"

Bhisma replied, "My dear Yudhisthira, religious duties are numerous and diverse and the correct performance of any one of them will never be futile. But, dedication to the path of self-realization is the supremely religious duty that stands above all others. The realization that all things in the material world are temporary and thus of no inherent value automatically results in a gradual detachment from desires for material enjoyment. Such self-realization will result in liberation from material bondage."

Yudhisthira inquired, "How can the grief of the loss of a loved one be mitigated?"

Bhisma replied, "By realizing that the you yourself are as much an object of pity as the person who has departed, for soon others will also lament your death. The material body of a person changes every seven years and that is never a cause of lamentation, just as the growth from infancy to youth and old-age is not lamented upon. The understanding that the real person, the cause of the consciousness in the inert, changeable material body never dies will mitigate all pains."

Yudhisthira inquired, "My dear Bhisma, you have described the path of self-realization by liberation from material engagements. Is there anything superior to this?"

Bhisma replied, "Krishna is the Supreme Lord of all demigods and the eternal divine Purusa. He is the soul of all souls and the origin of everything. Shri Krishna is achieved by means of unmotivated devotional service and no other means. Those who serve Him out of supreme love achieve residence in His abode, Goloka Vrindavana which is situated above all planets in the spiritual sky. Those who are inspired by awe and reverence to serve Him achieve the Vaikuntha loka also in the spiritual sky. Those who are absorbed in the impersonal conception, after purifying themselves of all material engangements, merge with the Brahmajyoti, the effulgence from the Lord's body.

However because senselessness and inactivity cannot sustain, there is every chance they will fall down from here. But those who reach the superior destinations of Vaikuntha and Goloka, reside there for eternity. That is the highest path of self-realization."
_________________
Vasant Punjabi.

"Shri Vallabh Shri Vithal Sukh-kari naa-me nishpap thai nur-nari,
------Nitya Lila nitya nautam shruti na pame par."----
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