NARADA
TEACHES YUDDHISHTRA
A
HOUSEHOLDER’S DHARMA
NARADA
TEACHES YUDDHISHTRA
A
HOUSEHOLDER’S DHARMA
Shrimad Bhagavata Purana, 7.14-15
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Texto de los Puranas que nos habla sobre el
Dharma que ha de seguir en esta vida el "cabeza de familia".
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Once king
Yuddhishtra, the eldest of the five Pandavas, was conducting a big Vedic
sacrifice. At that opportune moment sage Narada decided to bless the sacrifice
with his presence. Welcoming Narada with all due respect, Yuddhishtra, with
folded hands, asked him the following question for the benefit of all humanity:
"Oh
divine sage! Please explain to me the course of conduct by which a householder
like me, who is too much attached to his house and property, can attain moksha
easily."
Bhagawan
Narada replied:
"A
person, living the life of a householder, should perform all the karma
prescribed for a householder, but offer it to God. He should also serve great
saints and mahatmas. Whenever he gets the time, he should go and live amongst
people who have given up worldly life and hear from them stories about the
various avatars of God. The companionship of these holy people will have the
following effect on the householder: Like the person who, getting up from a
dream, feels no attachment to the objects seen in his dream, similarly, as the
householder’s mind becomes purer and purer by satsang with holy men, he will
gradually start reducing attachment to his body, wife, children, money etc,
because in any case they are one day going to separate from him. A wise person
should serve his body and family only to the extent that is functionally
necessary and not more. He should be detached from inside but show attachment
outside and behave like an ordinary, typical person. He should, without any
attachment, acquiesce to whatever his parents, brothers, children or friends
say or want."
"A
householder, looking for emancipation, should carry out his duties while
enjoying what he gets from the heavens (like crops due to rainfall), from the
earth (like gold, gems etc.), and whatever he gets by fate. He should
understand that all wealth is created by Lord Vishnu and is obtained through
His grace only, therefore, he should not hoard the wealth given to him but
utilise it in the service of the aforementioned holy men. Remember, man has
right over only that much as is necessary for quenching his hunger. The person
who lays claim on the surplus wealth is nothing but a thief. He should be
punished."
"A
householder should think of deer, camels, donkeys, monkeys, mice, serpents,
birds and flies like his own children and hence these should not be driven out
of the house or fields if they enter and begin to eat. Even though he may be a
householder, he should not go through too much trouble to obtain the three
purusharthas - dharma, artha and kama. Rather, he should remain satisfied and
make do with whatever he is able to get according to time, place and luck. He
should share all objects of enjoyment with everyone, right down to dogs,
sinners and people belonging to the lowest strata of society, and only then
utilise them for his own use. What more can I say, even his wife, whom he
claims as his own should be deputed to serve guests at home, even at the cost
of his own neglect. People lay down their lives for their wives. One is ready
to go against one’s own elders for her. Such is the attachment to one’s wife.
The man who can remove his attachment from such a wife wins over the great Lord
Vishnu, who otherwise is unconquerable. How despicable is this body, which if
buried is going to become the food of worms, or excreta if eaten by animals, or
reduced to ashes if cremated! Equally despicable is the body of the wife who
contributes to its erotic pleasures! But how great is the infinite soul which
pervades even the sky?"
"A
grihastha should consume for his personal self only those items which are
leftover after he has performed the five daily yajnas (pancha maha yajnas). The
wise person, who does not lay claim to the surplus that remains is elevated to
the status of saints."
"Whatever
the householder obtains through his vocation as per his varna-ashrama dharma,
with that he should daily worship the gods, rishis, humans, other living
beings, his ancestors (pitras) and his inner self. This is nothing but the
worship of One God in different forms."
"If
the householder has the required means as well the requisite qualifications for
performing sacrifices, he should worship God with yajnas like Agnihotra etc.
Even though God Himself is the enjoyer of all sacrificial offerings, He is much
more satisfied when He is propitiated with rich food, dripping with ghee,
offered through the mouths of brahmins, than He is with oblations offered
through the sacred fire. Therefore, you should satisfy all - brahmins, gods,
the five yajnas, humans and other creatures. In this way, you will be able to
worship all living entities, or in other words, the Supreme God residing inside
all living beings."
"If
sufficiently rich, the householder should perform according to his means,
shraddha, the ritual for their departed parents and ancestors. Since a son is
to thus revere his elders even after their death, what to say that he is
expected to serve them when they are alive! Actually, having inherited their
wealth, the son shows his gratitude to his parents by doing nothing to sully
their reputation. Doing shraddha purifies the mind and helps also to strengthen
belief in life after death. One should feed a maximum of three brahmins in
shraddha, and however rich a person may be, he should not expand the shraddha
too much. This is because if large scale invitations are given then it becomes
difficult to sustain the necessary levels of purity required for the shraddha.
Before being offered to the brahmins, the food prepared for shraddha should
first be offered to the gods (bhog lagana). In fact, anytime you divide your
food between gods, rishis, pitras, living beings, relatives and one’s own self,
these all should be viewed as identical with God, Who resides in all of
us." "One who understands the essence of dharma should not serve non
vegetarian food, nor eat it at the time of shraddha, for there is no real
gratification in the slaughter of animals but there is supreme satisfaction
with food which is fit for sages. Actually, for those who wish to follow the
correct course of conduct, there is no higher dharma than abstaining from
violence towards all living beings either through mind, word or action."
"It is
the duty of householders to indulge in charity on auspicious occasions like
makar-sakranti, akshaya-trittya etc, as anything given to the gods, pitras,
brahmins, humans on these days bears endless (akshaya) fruit. A householder
should also regularly visit places of pilgrimage. Any virtuous act performed in
such places gives a thousandfold fruit."
"However,
remember one thing, the universe is a big tree with infinite creatures. Its
root is Bhagawan Krishna. Therefore, gratifying Him leads to the gratification
of all creatures. Thus, many people worship His idols with great reverence. But
those who cultivate hatred towards other humans, their worship remains futile
and does not yield any fruit. Even amongst the humans, a brahmin is considered
the most deserving of veneration because through his tapasya, studies etc, he
bears within himself the Veda, which is nothing but the body of God. Indeed
brahmins, who purify the three worlds with the dust of their feet, are
venerated even by the Supreme God Krishna."
"The
very definition of dharma is that which removes hurdles in the way to a
person’s moksha. The person wishing to follow the path of dharma should steer
clear of the five forms of Adharma. These are:
1).
Vidharma: It is that which though practiced as dharma, obstructs another
person’s dharma.
2).
Paradharma: This is when a person follows the dharma prescribed for another
varna or ashrama. For example, a brahmin picking up the sword, even when there
is no emergency.
3).
Upadharma: This is hypocrisy or performing dharma merely for showing off.
4). Chhala:
Interpreting the shastras (scriptures) otherwise by jugglery of words.
5). Abhasa:
When one resorts to a course of conduct according to one’s own fancy, different
from the duties prescribed for one's particular varna and ashrama in the
shastras, then it is known as ‘abhasa’, meaning that which given only an
‘impression' of dharma, but is actually not so. Indeed, varna and ashrama have
been prescribed by God Krishna Himself, according to our innate natures
(Bhagavad Gita 4.13). When they are followed, they lead to innermost
peace."
"One
who is a dharmatma (follower of dharma), even though he may be poor, should not
attempt to earn money either for the sake of his own subsistence or even for
performance of dharma. Because the person who ceases from all endeavours for
his livelihood, gains to an ‘effortless state’, and it is this very effortless
state which takes care of his subsistence, much like the proverbial python
whose subsistence carries on without any effort on its part (ajgar-vritti). How
can the happiness enjoyed by a self-contented person who has no desires and
delights in his own self, be obtained by a person who is always tormented by
one desire or the other and runs hither and thither in the search of money? Like
the person wearing shoes has no fear from thorns and pebbles, similarly for the
person who has contentment (santosha) in his heart, there is sukha always and
in all places, and no dukha at all. Indeed, a self-satisfied man can be happy
by merely getting water to drink. However, one who is driven by desires,
especially those of thestomach and the genitals, is reduced to the status of a
dog in his own house."
"Yuddhishtra!
There are three impediments to a person’s moksha - kama (desire), krodha
(anger) and lobha (greed), (Bhagavad Gita 16.21). One should win over kama by
practicing restraint; krodha by giving up desires and lobha by recognizing
money (artha) to be nothing but a source of trouble (anartha). And finally, one
should win over fear by realisation of the Ultimate Truth. Actually, one can
win over all these faults merely by bhakti towards one’s guru. Indeed a guru is
a direct manifestation of God Himself, who imparts to man the light of
knowledge. But for the person who thinks of the Guru as an ordinary mortal, the
hearing of shastras of is as futile as the bath of an elephant (who bathes in
water quite thoroughly, but as soon as it comes on the shore it takes some dust
from the ground and strews it over its body)."
"The
ultimate aim is to cultivate the three types of advaita (oneness) in life.
These are:
1).
Bhava-Advaita: This is the comprehension of the essential oneness of cause and
effect, like thread and cloth. Similarly, any difference between God, who is
the cause of the world, and the world is unreal or illusory.
2).
Kriya-Advaita: This is the offering of all actions to God and realising that
the mind, word or body, used to accomplish an act, are but mere instruments.
3).
Dravya-Advaita: Realizing that one’s own self-interest is not different from
one’s wife,
children,
as well as all living beings.
Finally,
Yuddhishtra! For a particular person, the particular material he is allowed to
acquire at a particular time by a particular means, as entitled by the
shastras, except in emergencies, he should conduct his life according to only
those materials. Oh king! The householder who abides by these duties prescribed
in the shastras, eventually attains unity with Bhagawan Krishna."
(Shrimad Bhagavata Purana, 7.14-15)
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