Start date: 7 May, 2025

• Collect blessing from devotees, this is what Yudishtir Maharaj did. Duryodana collected dislikes from sr. devotees. We should try to be like Yudistir Maharaj*

Text 1

Yudistir Maharaj takes blame on himself for something he has not even done.

Question: Are we ready to take blame for something that we have done? Previously, Lord Kṛṣṇa bewildered Arjuna, gave him Bhagavadgita and then the pandavas became victorious. Now, King Yudistir is bewildered after the battle by Lord Kṛṣṇa. In Bhagavadgita, Lord Kṛṣṇa used Arjuna as an instrument to reach to us. Yudistir is son of dharma, so he is dharma personified and only Lord Kṛṣṇa can bewilder such a personality - a dharamavatara is dewildered. Lord Kṛṣṇa then guides Yudistir maharaj to go somewhere else to be pacified - which is described in this chapter.

yatra deva-vrato ’patat - Yudistir maharaj and the brothers appraoch Bhīṣmadeva. We next learn what happens next and why.

It is not a bad thing to know if we are going to die and in Kṛṣṇa Conciousness it is actually a blessing. This way one can fully renounce and focus on their bhakti. However, It is a sensitive topic (Personal statement) as opposed to dying in old age with no one beside or in unconcious state.

Text 2

Here, next few verses, Bhīṣmadeva will speak. One can refer to this as Bhīṣma-gita. Yudistri maharaj with all his brothers on gold-decorated horses appraoch Bhīṣmadeva. The pandavas appraoch along with Vyasadeva, Bhaumya and other great personalities.

Text 3

bhagavān api viprarṣe rathena sa-dhanañjayaḥ - Krishna is on Arjuna's ratha

sa tair vyarocata nṛpaḥ kuvera iva guhyakaiḥ - Decorated / Aristocratic / Rich royal family as much as Kuvera, the demigod for wealth.

• Question: How many go to a funeral in the best of clothes, ornaments and cars etc. to a funeral?

• Answer: None.

• Question: The passing away of Bhīṣmadeva in front of well decorated princes - but why?

• Answer: Because Yudistir was the rightful king, Bhīṣmadeva wanted to always see him as a king - that was his internal wish from the bottom of his heart. Hence, Lord Kṛṣṇa wanted the internal wish that is within Bhīṣmadeva's heart to be fulfilled.

Text 4

Seeing Bhīṣmadeva lie on the earth, the pandavas paid their obeisances (with respect). So far, Yudistir maharaj was described as a king and yet the vedic rituals are so sweet that teach us a lesson that a king comes down to bow and offer obeisances.

dṛṣṭvā nipatitaṁ bhūmau divaś cyutam ivāmaram praṇemuḥ pāṇḍavā bhīṣmaṁ sānugāḥ saha cakriṇā

Text 5

tatra brahmarṣayaḥ sarve devarṣayaś ca sattama rājarṣayaś ca tatrāsan draṣṭuṁ bharata-puṅgavam

So bhagavatam sets here more into the scene - the Brahma rishis, Devarishis and rajarishis (all who are in sattva mode) are present. It is not really important to know the difference between the different types of rishis.

• Here the speaker and hearer are both in mode of goodness (As opposed to our lives in this kaliyuga).

Text 6,7 & 8

In the class, all three were read together.

anye ca munayo brahman brahmarātādayo ’malāḥ śiṣyair upetā ājagmuḥ kaśyapāṅgirasādayaḥ

In Text 1, we saw Yudistir maharaj was afraid. Then 2-3 Krishna brought pandavas in decoration. We then saw the obeisances being paid and the presence of great souls who have come.

Next, Bhīṣmadeva speaks but his stuti does not yet start.

Text 9

important verse

tān sametān mahā-bhāgān upalabhya vasūttamaḥ pūjayām āsa dharma-jño deśa-kāla-vibhāgavit

Seeing all the souls, Bhīṣmadeva welcomed all and he knew dharma according to time. Prabhupad tell us we have to act according to time & place.

deśa-kāla-vibhāgavit deśa - place and kāla - time, Bhīṣmadeva offers to Lord Kṛṣṇa with what he had in his bed made of arrows - with sweet words. Prabhupada tells us this and showed this to us in ISKCON temples - Panini in Paris, Burger in Melbourne, Pizza offering to the lord and etc.

Text 10

kṛṣṇaṁ ca tat-prabhāva-jña āsīnaṁ jagad-īśvaram hṛdi-sthaṁ pūjayām āsa māyayopātta-vigraham

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone’s heart, yet He manifests His transcendental form by His internal potency. This very Lord was sitting before Bhīṣmadeva, and since Bhīṣmadeva knew of His glories, he worshiped Him duly.

Bhīṣmadeva offers one prayer to Lord kṛṣṇa and then goes to the pandavas and his stuti comes after addressing the pandavas

The feeling he offers to the pandavas is out of this world.

Coming from India with our knowledge, we may have misconceptions on Bhīṣmadeva but we have to pay attention here next to know more about Bhīṣmadeva and his intent as well as who he is truly.

Text 11

pāṇḍu-putrān upāsīnān praśraya-prema-saṅgatān abhyācaṣṭānurāgāśrair andhībhūtena cakṣuṣā

Bhagavatam tells us all

• Who is the speaker
• Why
• Setting the whole context

Text 12

aho kaṣṭam aho ’nyāyyaṁ yad yūyaṁ dharma-nandanāḥ jīvituṁ nārhatha kliṣṭaṁ vipra-dharmācyutāśrayāḥ

Going through difficulties is one thing but you also went to aho ’nyāyyaṁ - injustice.

• My god alas so much injustice is the expression here.

And yet on top of that dharma-nandanāḥ you are religion personified - Truth. Blind but justice. You dharma-nandanāḥ have been treated with injustice when you were supposed to give dharma and justice to all.

jīvituṁ nārhatha kliṣṭaṁ vipra-dharmācyutāśrayāḥ

• How have you survived.

3Bs that contiue in next life - Bhakti Bhaktas and Bhagavan.

Text 13

saṁsthite ’tirathe pāṇḍau pṛthā bāla-prajā vadhūḥ yuṣmat-kṛte bahūn kleśān prāptā tokavatī muhuḥ

So what were those difficulties?

1. Queen Kunti: Pandu died early, Queen Kunti - my daughter-in-law had many problems. As a widowed mother, it was challenging. As the children grew up, the problems only grew and came again and again and again. Difficulties were so many that Queen kunti was used to it but vipra-dharmācyutāśrayāḥ

Two questions:

• Why pandavas were dressed?
• Why did they suffer so much?

That follows up in the next class.

Text 14

sarvaṁ kāla-kṛtaṁ manye
bhavatāṁ ca yad-apriyam
sapālo yad-vaśe loko
vāyor iva ghanāvaliḥ

In my mind everything is because of time.

How does time make one suffer? Due to time, we go through suffering. Suffering we go through today is prarabdha and suffering that comes later is aprarabdha. So we have to be careful of our karma.

Text 15

yatra dharma-suto rājā
gadā-pāṇir vṛkodaraḥ
kṛṣṇo ’strī gāṇḍivaṁ cāpaṁ
suhṛt kṛṣṇas tato vipat

How can Yudistir maharaj have karma? He is the dharma. Time won't touch him. Bheema has done no wrong. Time won't touch him. Arjuna is the best friend of Krishna, Time won't touch him.

Even if they had bad karma, or with bhakti - it should have been nullified. On top, Krishna is wellwisher of Pandavas and is bestowing mercy, Why are the pandavas suffering?

Therefore, It is not time or Karma?

Text 16

na hy asya karhicid rājan
pumān veda vidhitsitam
yad vijijñāsayā yuktā
muhyanti kavayo ’pi hi

Now comes the answer to why the pandavas are suffering.

vidhitsitam - plan of the lord. muhyanti kavayo ’pi hi - even the great poets get stunned.

Pandavas are suffering because the lord has planned it such a way. This way, Bhagavadgita and Bhagavatam flows as mercy to us through pure devtees.

The mellow of Queen kunti prayers, the lord putting pandavas in all situations of suffering under the kauravas is only for us to know.

Bhagavatam gives us

What do good people do when bad things happen to them?

Text 17

Yudistir maharaj, just follow the plan of thje lord. People have become anath after the war - so offer them shelter become their shelter.

Devotees should give shelter similarly to people - giving bhkati is the best shelter a devotee can give to a person.

Text 18

Now Bhishmadeva turns towards Krishna

eṣa vai bhagavān sākṣād
ādyo nārāyaṇaḥ pumān
mohayan māyayā lokaṁ
gūḍhaś carati vṛṣṇiṣu

Bhismadeva is aware that Krishna is the original person. Bhismadeva's istadevata is narayana. He wants to serve narayana - ista bhagavan.

ādyo nārāyaṇaḥ pumān - The first narayana - the source of narayana. mohayan māyayā lokaṁ - He puts people under maya / illusion and bewilders. gūḍhaś carati vṛṣṇiṣu - And is going around as a member of the vṛṣṇiṣu dyanasty.

Question

But is it that everyone is bewildered? Or can few truly see him? We see that in the next.

Why can I see?

-[x] Sincerity - Sincerity is tested. -[x] Strength - When Krsna puts us in situations gives us strength too. -[x] Pleasure - Gives us pleasure through bhakti to surpass the problems in material life.

Pleasure - Balarama purnima before Krishna janmastami. Plough through heart, gives us strength. This act of balaram gives us krishna in our heart.

Text 19

asyānubhāvaṁ bhagavān
veda guhyatamaṁ śivaḥ
devarṣir nāradaḥ sākṣād
bhagavān kapilo nṛpa

The lord comes with his plan and bewildres.

Excepting

But the few below don't get bewilders + all the mahajanas too. guhyatamaṁ śivaḥ - Lord Shiva bhagavān kapilo nṛpa - Lord Kapila Narada

How does the lord interact with us all? Text 20!

Text 20

yaṁ manyase mātuleyaṁ
priyaṁ mitraṁ suhṛttamam
akaroḥ sacivaṁ dūtaṁ
sauhṛdād atha sārathim

So many roles Krishna has played in the lives of the pandavas.

Text 21

sarvātmanaḥ sama-dṛśo
hy advayasyānahaṅkṛteḥ
tat-kṛtaṁ mati-vaiṣamyaṁ
niravadyasya na kvacit

sarvātmanaḥ - super soul sama-dṛśo - sees all equally

More qualities.

Text 22

tathāpy ekānta-bhakteṣu
paśya bhūpānukampitam
yan me ’sūṁs tyajataḥ sākṣāt
kṛṣṇo darśanam āgataḥ

Translation

The meaning is goal of life

tathāpy - but ekānta-bhakteṣu paśya bhūpānukampitam - Only to the pure devotees he has got more inclination. Krishna is impartial and partial. Anyone can become his pure devotees.

Goal

That krishna out out pure mercy - That Krishna, He walked towards Bhishmadeva. Knowing that, Bhishmadeva get this.

Our journey

• Regularly and sincerely go to temple.
• Then Altar at home. Together with Acharyas.
• This way Krishna slowly enters our heart - alter of our heart.

Point prabhupada makes is that Krishna is not related (relation) with Bhishmadeva - Material relative horizontal relationship. That is because for us all Krishna is the vertical relationship. Devotee means to look up - towards Krishna - not sideways.

Vertical relationship with Krishna is paramount.

Question - How do we understand our relationship with Krishna

That comes in Text 23.

Text 23

bhaktyāveśya mano yasmin
vācā yan-nāma kīrtayan
tyajan kalevaraṁ yogī
mucyate kāma-karmabhiḥ

To re-enliven that relationship

• Devotional service
• Meditation on krishna
• Nama kirtanam

Doing these all the karmic reactions - we get liberated.

Text 24

sa deva-devo bhagavān pratīkṣatāṁ
kalevaraṁ yāvad idaṁ hinomy aham
prasanna-hāsāruṇa-locanollasan-
mukhāmbujo dhyāna-pathaś catur-bhujaḥ

Bhismadeva has a boon to leave life at his will. Oh lord I normally I wait for you and now you have come walking to me, So please stay here until I leave my body.

Two points

• pratīkṣatāṁ
• kalevaraṁ

Here Bhismadeva can see the four-handed form and in pitambar. Please wait for me why i pass, appear to me happy and beautifully decorated in the four-handed form of krishna.

• Walk to the temple such a way that lords walks to us.
• Why is krishna arraning such that Yudistir gets to hear and solve his crisis from Bhusmadeva?
• Krishna wants Bhishmadeva to be glorified for his role in Krishna leela. Bhishmadeva exposed himself to be misunderstood by many in his service to Krishna.
• Misunderstood by men, Glorified by Krishna.
• At this moment, He was on a vyasasan of arrows before dying.
• Krishna wants to extract yet another seva of giving Krishna Katha before his last breath - on how to be a good king because Yudistir is now soon to be a king albeit Yudistir is a good devotee.
• He is one of the top Vaishnavas and is one of the mahajana.

Text 25

sūta uvāca
yudhiṣṭhiras tad ākarṇya
śayānaṁ śara-pañjare
apṛcchad vividhān dharmān
ṛṣīṇāṁ cānuśṛṇvatām

May 21, 2025

Bhishmadeva gives 12 dharmas by categories here in 26-28 Text 26

puruṣa-sva-bhāva-vihitān
yathā-varṇaṁ yathāśramam
vairāgya-rāgopādhibhyām
āmnātobhaya-lakṣaṇān

1. varṇāśrama-dharma

Text 27

dāna-dharmān rāja-dharmān
mokṣa-dharmān vibhāgaśaḥ
strī-dharmān bhagavad-dharmān
samāsa-vyāsa-yogataḥ

4. dāna-dharmān
5. rāja-dharmān
6. mokṣa-dharmān
7. strī-dharmā
8. bhagavad-dharmān

Text 28

dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣāṁś ca
sahopāyān yathā mune
nānākhyānetihāseṣu
varṇayām āsa tattvavit

tattvavit - Tat is truth and avit vidya of - so knowledge of truth. Hence is able to give these 12 dharmas.

• While giving this lecture (Mahabharat - as bhagavatam does not delve in here) to read that part in Mahabharat.

Text 29

dharmaṁ pravadatas tasya
sa kālaḥ pratyupasthitaḥ
yo yoginaś chanda-mṛtyor
vāñchitas tūttarāyaṇaḥ

ūttarāyaṇaḥ has two meanings and we can see three reasons to why

• So ūttarāyaṇaḥ - sun in the norther hemisphere is one
• Uttara and ayanah - one who took shelter in Uttara's womb - to protect maharaj parikshit.
• Hastinapur is now protected as Yudistir is now the king (dharma personified as the king).

Text 30

tadopasaṁhṛtya giraḥ sahasraṇīr
vimukta-saṅgaṁ mana ādi-pūruṣe
kṛṣṇe lasat-pīta-paṭe catur-bhuje
puraḥ sthite ’mīlita-dṛg vyadhārayat

Text 31

viśuddhayā dhāraṇayā hatāśubhas
tad-īkṣayaivāśu gatā-yudha-śramaḥ
nivṛtta-sarvendriya-vṛtti-vibhramas
tuṣṭāva janyaṁ visṛjañ janārdanam

• vyavasaikatma buddhira ekeme kuru nandana - To fix typos - BG Ref.
• Appropriate time had come and when that came, Bhismadeva keft everything and with purified mind next offers prayers that we now know as bhishmastuti
• THe present is a gift - listen to bhismastuti with meditative spirit forgetting everything else. - Exercise

Text 32

śrī-bhīṣma uvāca
iti matir upakalpitā vitṛṣṇā
bhagavati sātvata-puṅgave vibhūmni
sva-sukham upagate kvacid vihartuṁ
prakṛtim upeyuṣi yad-bhava-pravāhaḥ

To-Do: Learn the verse

Exercise

1. Learn the verses for the next class
2. Learn the meaning for the next class

• Let my mind, let me invest my mind now - iti matir upakalpitā vitṛṣṇā - without any desires / into nothing else but bhagavati - Krishna.
• sātvata-puṅgave vibhūmni - Satva guna - onto Leader of all devotees that is Krishna and that krishan is all powerful and great.
• sva-sukham upagate kvacid vihartuṁ - This krishna is self-satisfied atma-rama but sometimes for recreation comes
• prakṛtim upeyuṣi yad-bhava-pravāhaḥ - who is in sva-dham vaikunta comes to material world only to please his pure devotees.

Text 33

tri-bhuvana-kamanaṁ tamāla-varṇaṁ
ravi-kara-gaura-vara-ambaraṁ dadhāne
vapur alaka-kulāvṛtānanābjaṁ
vijaya-sakhe ratir astu me ’navadyā