Hari Om, This is a quick review of the topics we discussed on 11132022.
Quiz Review
? How many cantos does the Bhagavatham have ?
12
? Sati was called this name by Bhagwaan Shiva, to indicate her adamant nature ?
Daakshayani
? What does Hiranyaksha symbolize ?
Eyes only for material world & consumption
? These 2 brothers were Lord Vishnu's gatekeepers ?
Jaya & Vijaya
? Shiva, Sati & Daksha's story comes in which canto ?
Canto 4
The Sons of Manu & Shatarupa
Vidura then proceeds to ask Sage Maitreya about the sons of Manu & Shatarupa. Last week, we saw about Prasooti - Sati's mother.
Sage Maitreya recites the story of Uttanapada and his great son - Dhruva.
We saw how the king Uttanapada paid special attention to the younger queen - Suruchi, than the first queen - Sunidhi.
Sunidhi represents 'Good Vaues, Ethics & Morals'. Suruchi represents 'Pleasing activities & comforts'.
Out of Sunidhi (Good Values) is born Dhruva, which means 'aspiration'. This divine power makes sure that our equipment (Body, Mind & Intellect) is used to the fullest and to maximum efficiency.
Upon confronted by Suruchi, Dhruva - a Kshatriya, cannot control this insult and goes straight to his mother.
The great Jnani that she is - Sunidhi does not lose her calm and asks Dhruva to seek God and pray to Him.
We saw the compassion of Lord Vishnu, who is pained at this plight of Dhruva. He immediately sends Narada to 'look after' the child.
Narada proceeds to test Dhruva's resolve. Dhruva immediately rejects the advice from Narada to go back home and implores him to help out in this situation.
A great lesson for us is that - when our mind id going thru some turmoil, no amount of external distractions can help make that issue go away. Without wasting time, Dhruva asks for assistance from Sage Narada.
Sage Narada advises the divine mantra 'Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya' to Dhruva and explains the method of meditation.
After 6 months of intense penance, Lord Vishnu finally gives 'darshan' to Dhruva.
The little boy utters words of wisdom by acknowledging the presence of the Lord in everything and everyone.
Dhruva asks for the constant companionship of devotees who always revel in the glories of the Lord.
Resources to Reflect
Srimad Bhagavatham Canto-Chapter Map:
This link provides the list of all the Cantos, Chapters & Topics within Bhagavatham. This should be a handy guide to help us navigate thru this voluminous text.
Chatushloki Bhagavatham (Core 4-Verses of Bhagavatham):
Here is a link to all the 4 verses from the Chatushloki Bhagavatham. Also is included a link to the audio recording.
Hari Om !!
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