A link to posts on Kurma Puranam and Kurma Avataram on this site : Kurma Puranam.
Indradyumna said, “O the best puruSa, by our grace, I have received that unique knowledge of the brahman, free from doubts which gives the ultimate joy. Now tell me O jaganmaya, yogEs’a, what should I do? I salute you O Bhagvaan Vasudeva!”
Having heard him, nArAyaNa, the husband of mA (Lakshmi), smilingly spoke this sentence for the benefit of the world!
“By those men who practice the Varnasrama dharmas, dEva mahEs’vara must be worshipped by gnyaana and bhakti yOga and by no other way.
The one whose purpose is Moksha, must worship Is’vara, after knowing my pravRtti (tendency to manifest), work, cause, and glory, after understanding what the essence of that (tattva) which is ultimate (tatpara – beyond that).
Having given up all attachments, having recognised this world made of mAyA, see that your Self is not dual (advaita) and you will see the paramEs’vara.
Learn from me the three bhAvanAs of the brahman.
- My viSayA bhAvanA
- vyaktasams’rayA bhAvanA
- guNAtigA brAhmI bhAvanA
{Now, let us back up a bit. Indradyumna had a vision and touch of dEvI and nArAyaNa. This is viSaya, beacuse he percieved them with his senses, as perception of his senses. (How I wish I could see them all like this and not just in my dreams.) He reached this stage, by being reborn as a brahmin and then devoting his life and effort to vrata, niyama, upAsana, hOma and brAhmaNa tarpaNa. (Young dhruva reached the stage of sitting in Vishnu’s lap by meditating on Om Namo BhagavatE vAsudEvAya. prahlAda by sheer devotion and unshakeable faith.)
The next is to see brahman in all the manifest universe as explained in Isa Vasya Upanishad, Bhagavad Gita as well as in RV 10.90 : Purusha (puruSa) Suktham (sUktam) : Narayana (nArAyaNa) Rishih (RSih). In fact Devi Kamalavasini told Indradyumna that someone who sees paramatma in all will not be under Her influence.
The final and most desired state of moksha or freedom, is to perceive/experience the unmanifest brahman beyond all the guNAs. This is Spectacular. I want! }
It is said in the vEdAs, that those who are not (yet) competent must take refuge in the first Vishaya Bhavana. And now the learned (budhah) hold/think (bhAvayEt), any one of these bhAvanAs (and practice it).
{It would appear that mixing tracks in not a good idea.}
Therefore, through all your efforts, dedicated to that, taking support of that, adore that master of the Universe (vis’vEs’a), and then you will attain moksha.”
Indradyumna asked again,
“What is that ultimate tattva (essence of that brahman), what is its glory (vibhUti, O janArdana, what is kArya, what is kAraNa, who are you and what is your pravRtti (nature/ tendency to manifest/towards cirles)?”.
Sri Bhagawan said,
“That tattva which is beyond the beyond (parAtpara - ultimate), is the param brahma, unique and unchanging, eternal joy, self luminous, indestructible (akSara) and beyond tamas .
His eternal ais’varya (wealth, power, supremacy) is his vibhUti (splendour), thus it is sung (in the vedas).
kArya is this manifestation of the world, kAraNa is that pure akSara (unmanifest param brahma).
I am of all beings, the inner controller (antaryAmI), Is’vara, para (other, beyond).
My pravRtti is the doership of creation, maintenance and destruction, thus it is sung.
Therefore knowing all this by bhAvana, oh twice born one, you worship properly through karmayOga (nihsankalpa, niSkAma karma)!
Then naturally, indradyumna had even more questions, which we shall look at next time!.
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