Maharishi Angirasa continued, “Wife, house, material prosperity, comforts, wealth, sensory pleasures known as touch, form, taste, sound and smell, this Earth, army, kingdom, granaries, servants, friends and enemies are all impermanent creations. They are absolutely unreal and can be compared to the illusory Gandharva city, a dream or a magician’s fictitious creations”.

During sleep you see a dream. When you awaken in the morning, the dream would have disappeared. You will find yourself on the bed, that’s all. You would have dreamt of acquiring tons of money or as if you were aboard fancy spacecrafts or as if you were travelling in heavens. Upon waking up, nothing will be seen. Likewise, this creation is absolutely unreal.

“These illusory creation serves no purpose barring causing attachment, infatuation, fear, and grief. They only take the mind towards sin. That’s all. Great vigilance is required when living on earth. Although unreal, these comforts illumine as if they are real. They appear for some time and thereafter disappear. Understand that they are merely the creations of the mind.

However, the person who is influenced by the subtle impressions of past actions concentrates solely upon material comforts and pleasures all-though they are illusory”.

Mind of a bonded soul endlessly travels towards sensory pleasures. It focuses exclusively upon sense pleasures and does everything possible to throw the person deeper into the mire of sin. At every moment pull the mind back from such thoughts. Keep reminding yourself that this world and these material comforts are impermanent. Be vigilant.

“Mind becomes the cause for the innumerable actions performed by the person. Body of the individual entity is made up of three combinations viz., material, knowledge and action. This body becomes the cause for limitless sufferings and sorrows experienced”.

All our sufferings arise due to this body alone! Since the living entity is attached to the gross body and is focused only towards sense pleasures, the sorrows that emerge from those activities have to be experienced by the entity. These sensory activities throw the individual into limitless sorrows. Not just sorrows, along with it they throw him into a mire of sin. Furthermore, they ensure that along with sin and sorrow he experiences sickness. Ultimately they drag and throw him into an endless pit of suffering, sorrow, sickness wherein he is enveloped with darkness everywhere.

“Therefore, with a pleasant mind try to reflect upon the Self’s original form”.

Being bestowed with a gross body on earth, which is a field of action, is an apt opportunity to study about the Self. Begin your efforts to go back from where you had arrived. The ultimate goal for the bonded soul is to merge into the Supreme soul. For this one needs a good spiritual Guru. From Him initiation into this path should be obtained. Meditate upon God.

Some chapters in Bhāgawatam cannot be easily grasped, such is their depth. For this reason, we are asked to undertake Bhagawata pārāyana repeatedly, at least 7 to 8 times. After repeated reading a small fraction of the subject is grasped. At times, even after listening or reading 7 to 8 times we feel we were unable to comprehend the facts completely. However, in each reading one point will get clarified. After seven such readings we have a little understanding of the subject. With this the desire to know more about it arises. Then re-start and read again for seven times. There will be better clarity now. In this way through multiple readings the various truths explained in Bhāgawatam can be grasped.

“Understand that this universe which is made up of innumerable differences is unreal. With this understanding, give up the desire towards this world and its comforts. Pull back the mind and merge it into the Self. Remain established in the Self”- said Angirasa Maharishi.

Discard this sorrow. Stop lamenting for the dead. The dead person is continuing his further journey. You have some balance of karma left to be completed. Exhaust it. Maharishi Nārada preached, “O king, please obtain from me initiation into the sacred mantra which bestows liberation. By chanting for 7 continuous nights, the aspirant will be blessed with the darshan of Lord Sankarśana.

O king! Shiva and all other Devatas also sought refuge in the Supreme Lord Sankarśana. They gave up the misconception that this universe which is replete with innumerable differences is real and obtained Him. There is no position or situation greater than Him. Very shortly you will reach that ultimate state”.

With this the fifteenth chapter of the Sixth Canto comes to an end.

Fifth Canto Chapter Sixteen

In this chapter, Chitraketu obtaining dispassion and obtaining vision of the Supreme Lord Sankarśana are explained.

Maharishi Śuka continued, “O Parikshit, thereafter Maharishi Nārada showed to Chitraketu and to his grieving relatives the subtle body of the deceased prince. He addressed the subtle body of the prince and said,

“O jeeva, may you be blessed with auspiciousness! Please see your father, mother and other relatives who are inconsolable due to your death. Please re-enter this gross body which you left behind. You still have some longevity left. Exhaust that here in this body by enjoying the palatial luxuries which your father will shower upon you. Sit on the King’s throne and rule the land.”

The subtle body of the prince replied, “My previous actions cause me to take on innumerable births in innumerable bodies. I have taken births in the bodies of different insects, animals, birds, Devatas and humans. In which among these innumerable births were these two my parents? Please clarify.

In various births varied people enter into one’s life in the form of relatives, friends, acquaintances, enemies and intermediaries. At times, they act neutrally at other times they act out of hatred.

Just as precious gems and golden ornaments continuously move from one hand to another through activities of buying and selling, based on his past fruitive activities, the bonded soul travels from one womb to another acquiring newer set of parents each time”.

Sri Swamiji says: It is nearly impossible to see a subtle body. The kindness and grace of Maharishi Nārada enabled Chitraketu to see his son’s subtle body.

Achyutāya namah