Uddhava Gita
God’s ’ Prayer to Krishna
One day Brahma, the Creator, surrounded by his sons, Siva, Indra and other Gods visited Krishna at Dwaraka. After paying obeisance to Krishna they requested Him to return to Vaikuntha, His Heavenly abode as the purpose of His descent was over.
Krishna then explained to them why the Yadavas had to be exterminated before his return to Vaikuntha. He told them that “made insolent by prowess, heroism and fortune, and inclined to take possession of the whole world, this celebrated race of Yadu has been kept in check by me as the ocean by its shore. If I depart (from this world) without destroying the huge race of the Yadus, who have grown impertinent and haughty, the entire humanity will meet its destruction.”
Krishna assured them that he would be leaving the world very soon and returning to Heaven after the Yadu dynasty in which the Lord Himself was born is wiped out by their own infighting.
Greatly saddened by this Uddhava beseeched Him to take him also along when He leaves this planet earth. During that time the Lord expounded the truth to Uddhava which is known as Uddhava Gita.
Real Nature of the World
Krishna tells Uddhava
Now due to the curse the Yadu dynasty will certainly perish by fighting among themselves; and the ocean will rise up and inundate this city of Dvaraka. In the near future I will abandon this earth, then, being overwhelmed by the age of Kali, the earth will be bereft of all piety and therefore you should not remain here on the earth once I have abandoned this world.
Shake off all attachment to your family and kinsmen and move about the world with a mind wholly centered on me. You must always remember that whatever is thought by the mind, perceived by the eye and the ear and spoken by the tongue is creation of the mind and therefore illusory. The mind falls victim to the illusion of diversity, which leads to the concept of good and evil and discrimination between various types of actions. By controlling the mind you will see the whole world in your own self and your own self in me, the Supreme Lord. He who knows the truth of the self will be a friend of all beings and will have peace of mind. Such a person will not undergo transmigration.
When Uddhava replied that it is not easy to abandon attachment and adopt renunciation, Krishna told him that those who take to the investigation into the nature of the world lift themselves up by their own efforts and go beyond their sensual cravings. The Self itself is the guide to itself through direct observation and inference. He says “I cherish most the human body because through it, keen and vigilant seekers can have a direct knowledge of me, who am otherwise difficult to perceive.” Krishna illustrates his statement that the human body can be made the best instrument for the attainment of the Supreme Goal, by telling a story of an Avadhuta who learnt wisdom of life from twenty four teachers like earth, air, tree, birds, wasp, bees, python etc. The Lord stresses the importance of performing one’s own duties without any desire for rewards and with mind fully engaged in the enquiry of the Self.
This Self, as the jiva under the influence of avidya or ignorance, pervades every point of the body. The question is then how the Jiva is said to remain free from the activities of the body or to put it differently, having no connection with them, how does the jiva get tied to them? What are the characteristics of the liberated person? Is it one and the same jiva bound and liberated too?
Characteristics of Souls Bound and Free As Well As Devotees
Krishna clarifies: the characterization of a jiva as bound or emancipated is determined by its being subject to or not subject to the Gunas of Prakriti controlled by the Lord himself and has nothing to do with its essential nature. It is like experiencing happiness or sorrow in a dream which ceases on waking. So long as there is ignorance Jiva is taken to suffer the bodily sufferings which get cleared once the individual realizes the knowledge of the Self. The man of knowledge, though has a body, is not conditioned by it any more than a dreamer just awakened from the dream is unaffected by the experiences of his dream. The man of ignorance assumes that he is the doer of all actions which are actually done by organs of action and perception. He is really free who remains unaffected though his senses feed on objects of senses.
If a man becomes a scholar in the scriptures but does not practice and become one with the Self is as useless as keeping a cow which does not give milk or an unchaste wife. A wise man who always chants the name of the Lord and hears his stories will surly attain to his state.
Importance of Satsanga
When asked who is a pious soul, the Lord replies : A pious soul will be compassionate towards everybody, harms nobody, is forbearing, has truthfulness, has no attachment to pleasures of senses; is self-disciplined, solely depending on the Lord and is given to contemplation. Free from passion and anger, he does not seek honor for himself but bestows it on others. Possessed of right knowledge, a devotee should direct his worship to the Lord alone. Krishna says; “they are considered by me to be the foremost of all devotees, who worship me with exclusive devotion, knowing in reality how great I am, what I am and what like I am.” Devotion to the Lord consists of touching and worshipping his representations in the form of pictures, images etc, rendering bodily service to the people devoted to him, repeated recounting his excellences and exploits and developing reverence to hearing his stories etc.
Then Krishna emphasizes the importance of Satsanga or association with great souls. He says “neither Yoga, Sankhya, righteousness, austerities, nor study of the Vedas, sacrifices, and philanthropic works, mantras, yamas, niyamas, can win me as does the association with the saints - satsanga. Satsanga puts an end to all attachments.”
Giving numerous examples of those who reached him despite having never studied the scriptures the Lord praised the fellowship of the saints. Krishna says “the Gopis with their minds fastened to me with the cords of love attained to me. Therefore seek as your refuge me alone with all your strength. With me alone, you can be rid of all fears.”
Extinction of The “I” Sense
Uddhava remarked that most men know that the sensuous pleasures are baneful in their results, inviting endless troubles, yet like dogs, donkeys and goats they heartily plunge into them and asked why it is so.
The Lord answered:
“It all begins with perverse sense of ‘I ‘which causes Rajo Guna to invade the mind and induces it to conceive the objects of enjoyment and the means of enjoying them. Brooding over such sensory objects creates an uncontrollable passion for them which overwhelms the mind and impels irrevocable actions. Although the perception of their evil consequences of such actions is present, the impetuosity of the passion is too strong to arrest them. But the man of discrimination exerts hard to control his infatuation and thus spares himself from the suffering. Such a man will turn his mind to me, away from everything else, and will be finally established in me. This is the Yoga I taught to Brahma and to his sons, the four Kumaras.”
The Lord then tells Uddhava how he took the form of a Swan (Hamsa) and clarified the doubts raised by the Kumaras as to the relationship of the mind with sense objects and how the seeker of Liberation can disentangle himself from such relationship. This teaching is known as ‘Hamsa Gita’ or ‘Hamsopadesam’
Path of Devotion
Uddhava asks Krishna
“Various ways of liberation have been taught by various teachers. You also teach the path of devotion. Are all these ways equally good?”
Krishna replies
“Many are the means described for the attainment of the highest good, such as love, performance of duty, self-control, truthfulness, sacrifices, gifts, austerity, charity, vows, observance of moral precepts etc. But of all these the path of love and devotion to me is the best. To the man who finds delight in me alone, who is self-controlled and even-minded, having no longing in his heart for anything other than me, the whole universe is full of bliss. Such a devotee who has surrendered himself to the Lord does not even desire salvation and finds bliss in me alone; this devotee is very dear to me. His happiness is unconditional. Although he may not be a master of senses, he is not a servant to them, either. As fire kindled into a blaze burns the wood to ashes, devotion to me completely consumes all evil.
Neither by the study of scriptures nor by Yoga or by any other method could I be easily attained? I, the Self, dear to the devotee am attainable by love and devotion. Devotion purifies even the lowliest of the low. Without love for me virtues and learning are unfruitful. He who loves me is made pure and is a purifying influence upon the whole universe. Let not your mind run after worldly things. Give your mind to me, meditate upon me.”
Then Krishna teaches Uddhava the process of meditating upon him. A Yogi practicing meditation regularly with intense devotion rises above all limitations of knowledge and action by realizing the one all pervading reality. Krishna says that while practicing such yoga, many occult or mystic powers accrue to the devotee, but makes it clear that they are all obstacles to the Union with him.