Selection of place for Hari-Katha

(By: His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj)

 

 

18 Feb: According to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Srimad Bhagavatam is the quintessence of all scriptures and the highest authentic scriptural evidence in support of His message of All-embracing and All-accommodating Transcendental Divine Love.  Sri Krishna Dvaipayan Veda Vyas Muni is universally regarded as Guru by all schools of thought of Sanatan Dharma in India. He himself has stated in his own writing Garuda Purana:

 

artho ’yam brahma-sutranam bharatartha-vinirnayah,

gayatri-bhasya-rupo ’sau vedartha-paribrmhitah’

 

“Srimad Bhagvatam is the meaning of the Brahma Sutras. The significance of Mahabharata and the World-famous Gita is to be understood in the light of Srimad Bhagavatam. The Bhagavatam is the commentary of Kama Gayatri. The import of the teachings of the four Vedas is retained and

expanded in Bhagavatam.”

 

Devotees are also well acquainted with the biography of Veda Vyas Muni in which he made the pastimes of not getting Eternal Bliss by expanding the Vedas, writing Vedanta, the eighteen Puranas, the Mahabharata and the Bhagvad Gita. He prayed for the grace of his gurudeva Narada Goswami and went to Badrinarayan, a historical place by the side of river Saraswati. Narada Goswami appeared and advised him to sing the glories of Supreme Lord Sri Krishna for His satisfaction. He taught Veda Vyas Muni the ‘Catursloki Bhagvat’. By the grace of His Guru the transcendental glories of Sri Krishna were revealed in his heart and he wrote Srimad Bhagvatam consisting of 12 cantos and 18,000 verses, and received the highest objective – Eternal Bliss.

 

Veda Vyas Muni narrated the glories of Sri Krishna first to his disciple-son Sri Sukadeva Goswami. Actually, the first sitting of the Bhagavatam was at Badrinarayan, where the speaker was Veda Vyas Muni and listener was only one: Sukadeva Goswami. Badrinarayan is Vaikuntha Dham. So the place of speaking and hearing was holy and completely calm and serene. The second sitting of the Bhagavatam was at Sukartal by the side of the bank of the Ganges-still now quiet and secluded. At Sukartal, the speaker was Sukadeva Goswami and listeners were many prominent rishi-munis and kings of India. There was pin-drop silence. No disturbance of the hubbub of the worldly people. Parikshit Maharaj, being cursed by a Brahmin went to Sukartal to get advice of the rishis-munis. The sages advised different paths. Parikshit Maharaj was puzzled and took shelter to Supreme Lord Sri Krishna to show him the actual path of eternal welfare. Subsequently, Sukadeva Goswami set his holy footprints there and advised him to only hear Bhagavatam – Krishna-katha. Parikshit Maharaj was attracted by his spiritual personality, heard him for seven days continuously, without taking food, water and rest. We have to carefully note about the selection of the place for hari-katha. The third and last sitting of the Bhagavatam was at Naimisaranya, where sixty thousand rishis heard the Bhagavatam from Suta Goswami. Here also the place selected was holy, calm and serene and there was pin-drop silence. Supreme Lord Sri Krishna in the form of Guru (Baladeva Prabhu) taught one lesson here. Lomaharshan Suta Goswami started speaking the Bagavatam, but Baladeva Prabhu punished him for his vanity and replaced him by his son Uggrasrava Suta Goswami.

 

Sri Baladeva Prabhu has a direct connection with the living beings of the cosmos. As such he has natural affection for all, especially for human beings who have been given discriminating power to understand good and bad, eternal and non-eternal. The human birth is befitting for worship of Sri Krishna. Baladeva Prabhu is the All-pervading , Function - Holder of the Personal Godhead Sri Krishna, and also is the Prime Source of the All – embracing, All – pervading, All – extending Energy as depicted by Srila Saraswati Goswami Thakur. Sri Krishna in the Form of Baladeva Prabhu engages the conditioned souls in His service. A special excellent characteristic of Vishnu is that even if a person who is hostile to Divinity is killed by Vishnu, he will get deliverance. Out of affection, Baladeva Prabhu regulates and loves the conditioned souls of the universe. Baladeva Prabhu accepts five Forms: Maha Sankarshan, Karanabdhisayi Mahavishnu, Garbhodakshayi, Kshirodaksayi and Shesa. He has appeared as Nityananda Prabhu in Gaur-lila. So for worship of Sri Krishna, the grace of Baladeva Prabhu / Nityananda Prabhu is essential.