Hindhu

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BHAGAVATHA VAHINI

The Story of God and his Devotees

Forword

Chapter 1 The Bhagavatha Chapter 23 They fought with Gods

Chapter 2 The Birth of a Bhagavatha Chapter 24 Guardian on the Battlefield

Chapter 3 Ceremony of Name giving Chapter 25

Chapter 4 Chapter 26 The Curse that was accepted Gladly

Chapter 5 The Penance of Elders Chapter 27

Chapter 6 Chapter 28 Death, seven days ahead

Chapter 7 Chapter 29

Chapter 8 Chapter 30 The Science of Salvation

Chapter 9 The Ascent of Krishna Chapter 31 The Grace of God

Chapter 10 Chapter 32 The Bhagavatha Path

Chapter 11 When the Lord left Chapter 33

Chapter 12 Chapter 34 The Bhagavatha Purana. The Rama Incarnation

Chapter 13 Chapter 35 The Ananda Krishna gives

Chapter 14 Chapter 36 The Krishna Mystery

Chapter 15 The Reign of the Pandava Chapter 37

Chapter 16 Chapter 38

Chapter 17 Vyasa's Voice that Heals Chapter 39

Chapter 18 The Escape of Thakshaka Chapter 40

Chapter 19 Draupadi's Imprecation Chapter 41 The Divine Students

Chapter 20 Chapter 42 He cures Curses

Chapter 21 The Feeding of Durvasa Chapter 43 The Consummation in Gopala

Chapter 22 Chapter 44

Forword by N. Kasturi

Dear Reader!

The Bhagavatha is a dialogue between a person under the sentence of death and a great saint, who prepared him to meet it. We are all under a sentence of death; our hearts, like muffled drums, are beating funeral marches to the grave. Some reach it late, some soon. We require the counsel of a great saint, to prepare us, too, for meeting Death and witness the horizon beyond.

The Bhagavatha is a Ganga, emerging from the Lord, and merging in Him, after a long journey through geographic descriptions, historic annals, philosophic disquisitions, hagiological narratives, epistemologic enquiries, and after fertilising the vast valleys of human minds with the pure pellucid waters of Krishna-episodes.

Bhagavan has come again as Sathya Sai for the revival of Dharma among men; one important aspect of that revival is the re-establishment of reverence for the ancient spiritual texts, like the Bible, the Koran, the Zend Avesta, the Tripitaka, the Vedas and the Bhagavatha. Reverence can spring at the present time, only when the inner meaning of the statements and stories is explained in clear, simple, charming style by the very Person who inspired the original Scripture.

Here, in this Book, we have His version of that voluminous textbook of Bhakthi, which Vyasa composed at the suggestion of the sage Narada, so that he may win peace and equanimity.

This is not just a book, dear Reader. It is a balm, a key, a Mantra - to soften, solve and save, to loosen the bonds, to liberate from grief and pain, thirst and tutelage.

Open it with humility, read it with diligence, revere it with devotion, observe its lessons with steadfastness and reach the Goal that Vyasa reached and Narada attained; that Suka taught and Parikshith learnt. What greater recompense can man hope for?

Translated by N. Kasturi.

Prasanthi Nilayam, Guru Pournima, 18-7-1970.

Chapter 1: The Bhagavatha

The name Bhagavatha can be applied to every account of the experiences of those who have contacted God and the Godly (Bhagavan and Bhaktha). God assumes many forms and enacts many activities. The name Bhagavatha is given to the descriptions of the experiences of those who have realised Him in those forms and of those who have been blessed by His Grace and chosen as His Instruments.

The great work known by that name is honoured by all masters of the Vedas. It is a panacea which cures physical, mental and spiritual illnesses. The Bhagavatha is saturated with sweetness of nectar, it shines with the splendour of God.

The principle of Avathara or the Descent of God on earth, the Incarnation of the Formless with Form, for the uplift of beings- this is the basic fact that makes the Bhagavatha authentic. By Bhagavatha we also mean those with attachment to God, those who seek the companionship of God. For such, the book, Bhagavatha, is most precious; it is the breath of their life. To be in the midst of such Bhagavathas is to foster one's own devotion. Unless you have a taste for God-ward thoughts, you will not derive joy therefrom. To create that taste the Bhagavatha relates stories relating to incarnations to the earnest inquirer. Then, one developes the yearning to experience the thrill of God, through all the levels of consciousness. He who has this intense yearning can be a true Bhagavatha.

People believe that incarnations of God happen only for two reasons: the punishment of the wicked and the protection of the righteous. But, these represent only one aspect of the task. The granting of peace and joy, of a sense of fulfillment to seekers who have striven long - this too is the task.

The Avathar, or Form Incarnate, is only the concretisation of the yearning of the seekers. It is