Radha Krishna - Chapter 7: Krishna Speaks about the Masters of the Avadhûta and the Pigeon of Attachment

Chapter 7: Krishna Speaks about the Masters of the Avadhûta and the Pigeon of Attachment (1) The Supreme Lord said: 'That what you said to Me, o greatly fortunate one [Uddhava], reflects My plan [to withdraw the dynasty]; and therefore are Brahmâ, Bhava and the leaders of the worlds, looking forward to see me back in My abode. (2) Certainly have I [in my earthly stay] in full performed My duty for the sake of the God-conscious. It is for them that I descended along with my partial expansion [Balarâma] to the prayer of Lord Brahmâ. (3) This family finished by the curse will be destroyed in a mutual quarrel and on the seventh day [from now] will the ocean inundate this city. (4) When I, o virtuous one, have abandoned this world, will she be overcome by Kali and soon be bereft of all piety [see also 1.16 & 17]. (5) Be sure not to remain in this world once I've abondoned her, for in Kali's time will the people on earth be enmeshed in sin My dearest. (6) You should factually forsaking all emotional ties, with your mind fully fixed on Me, wander around in this world with an equal mind [see B.G. 6: 9, 6: 29, 14: 22-25]. (7) This temporary world you think of, talk about, observe, hear and all that, you should recognize to be a deluding game of shadows capturing your imagination [see also 10.40: 25]. (8) Someone who is not [spiritually] connected is confounded by all the opinions about what would be right and wrong, favorable, unfavorable and defiant and is thus innerly divided about good and evil [B.G. 4: 16]. (9) Consider therefore with your senses under control and your mind connected, this world as an expanse within the Self and that Self as situated in Me, the Lord Above. (10) With knowledge and wisdom fully endowed is one, satisfied within oneself and of apprehension with the Soul that for everyone who is embodied is the object of affection, never discouraged by setbacks. (11) Risen above the two of considering bad - and refraining from - what is forbidden and considering good - and doing that - what's generally accepted, isn't one dancing to the piper like an immature child. (12) When one to all one's fellow beings acts as a well-wisher firmly rooted in peace, and one wisely knows the universe as being pervaded by Me, will one never ever be the one who time and again tastes defeat.'

(13) S'rî S'uka said: 'O King, after thus by the Supreme Lord having been instructed bowed the exalted and fortunate Uddhava, eager to learn about the supreme principle, down to the Infallible One to offer his respects. (14) S'rî Uddhava said: 'O Lord of Yoga who unites us, o Soul who connects us, o Source of the Mystical, to my advantage You spoke of renunciation the way it is known in sannyâsa. (15) This renunciation is difficult to perform my Lord when one is dedicated to material pleasure and sense gratification, especially when one is not devoted to You I think [compare B.G. 6: 33-34]. (16) I am with my consciousness merged with the body and its relations as arranged by Your mâyâ and thus foolish of the notion of 'I' and of 'mine'. Teach me therefore, so that Your dear servant may easily execute according the process that You instruct. (17) Who else is there but You who are of the Truth and reveal Yourself for me personally? What other speaker than my Lord, the Supreme Soul, does actually qualify? Not even among the ones awakened do I see such a speaker. In their consciousness are all, up to the ones lead by Brahmâ, embodied souls who, when they take the external for substantial, are bewildered by Your mâyâ. (18) Therefore do I, who with my mind in renunciation am tormented in distress, appraoch You Nârâyana, o Friend of Man for shelter, o You perfect, unlimited and omniscient Controller ever fresh in Your abode of Vaikunthha.'

(19) The Supreme Lord said: 'Generally do humans who are well acquainted with the state of affairs in this world deliver themselves with the help of their own intelligence from the inauspicious disposition [of a wanton mind]. (20) In a way constitutes the intelligence the guru of a person because he with the help of the intelligent self, or his soul, is able to benefit from his reasoning and direct perception. (21) And thus can they who are wise because of their experience, in their reasoning with the [bhakti-]yoga in their human existence, see Me clearly manifested in My full glory of being endowed with all My energies [see also Kapila]. (22) There are many types of bodies created with one, two, three, four or more legs or with none at all; of them is the human form the one most dear to Me [see also 3.29: 30, 6.4: 9]. (23) Situated in such a body is one with one's faculties of perception, through apparent and indirectly ascertained symptoms and with logical deductions directly looking for Me, the Supreme Controller beyond the grasp of sense perception [see also 2.2: 35, 2.9: 36]. (24) Concerning this is cited an ancient story of a conversation between an avadhûta and the o so mighty king Yadu.

(25) Yadu, well versed in the dharma, once saw a young brahmin mendicant wandering around unafraid of anything, and took the opportunity to ask him questions[see also 7.13]. (26) S'rî Yadu said: 'How did you acquire this extraordinary intelligence o brahmin? How can you, fully cognizant not being engaged in any work, travel the world with the confidence of a child? (27) Normally are people who are religious, work for an income, gratify their senses and pursue knowledge, endeavoring for the purpose of opulence, a good name and a long life. (28) You however, capable, learned, experienced, handsome and eloquent as you are, are not a doer; you do not desire a thing, like a stupefied, maddened, ghostly creature. (29) Everyone is burning in the forest fire of lust and greed, but you, who to be free from the fire stand in the Ganges like an elephant, do not burn at all. (30) Please o brahmin, disclose to us, who are asking you for it, what the cause is of the inner happiness that you, living all by yourself, experience without any form of material enjoyment.'

(31) The Supreme Lord said: 'This way being asked and honored by the greatly fortunate and intelligent Yadu who out of respect for the brahminical humbly bowed his head, spoke the twice-born one. (32) The honorable brahmin said: 'Rationally taking shelter of many spiritual masters o King, do I, having gained in intelligence from them, now liberated wander around in this world. Please listen to their description. (33-35) The earth, the air, the sky, the water, the fire, the moon; the sun, the pigeon, the python, the sea, the moth, the honeybee; the elephant, the honey thief, the deer, the fish, the prostitute [Pingalâ], the osprey; the child, the girl, the arrow-maker, the serpent, the spider and the wasp. These are my twenty-four spiritual masters o King. From studying their actions have I in this life learned everything about the Self. (36) Please listen o tiger among men as I explain to you, o son of Nâhusha [or Yayâti], what I so learned from each of them separately.

(37) From the earth I learned the rule that he who is in knowledge should not deviate from the path and keep steady, however harassed he is by his fellow living beings who in fact simply answer to what is arranged by fate. (38) From the mountain [that is part of the earth] learns one always to be there for others, that one must devote all one's actions to the service of others. To the example of a tree [see S'rî S'rî S'ikshâshthaka-3] to be dedicated to others is for a pious person the sole reason for his existence [see also 10.22: 31-35 and B.G. 17: 20-22].

(39) A sage should be happy with the mere movement of his vital air and not so much seek his satisfaction in things that please the senses. That way will his spiritual knowing not be lost and his mind and speech not be distracted. (40) To the example of the wind should a yogi, relating to the objects of the senses and their favorable and unfavorable qualities, as a transcendental soul not get entangled. (41) A yogi may in this world live in earthly bodies and take upon himself their characteristic qualities, but he, well aware of himself, does not get entangled in those qualities, just as the air doesn't with the different odors.

(42) Similar to the ether that is present within the moving and nonmoving living beings, should a sage who unattached - according the Supersoul that is present in all things - realizes that he himself is pure spirit, meditate upon the expansiveness as being undivided and all-pervading [see also B.G. 2: 24, 3: 15, 6: 29-30, 9: 6, 11: 17, 12: 3-4 and 13: 14]. (43) The same way as the realm of the ether is not touched by the winds that blow the clouds, is a person [in his real self] not affected by the physical bodies consisting of fire, water and earth that according the modes of nature are moved by Time.

(44) A sage, who by nature is a pure, softhearted, sweet and gentle place of pilgrimage for the human beings, sanctifies, just as water does, the ones who gather [the friends], by showing himself to them and by allowing a respectful touching and honoring of his person [see also sâkhya].

(45) Brilliant, glowing and immovable because of his austerity, is he who only eats when it is necessary connected in the soul. Even when he eats everything [and thus goes beyond necessity] is the one austere not contaminated, just as a fire isn't. (46) Sometimes [like a fire thus] concealed and sometimes manifest devours he, being worshipable to those who desire the highest, the offerings that are brought from all sides and burns he the misfortune of the past and the misfortune lying ahead [see also 10.81: 4 and B.G. 3: 14]. (47) By His own potency assuming the identity of each enters the Almighty One, just like fire appearing in firewood, the different types of bodies of higher and lower life forms ['true' and 'untrue' ones, god or animal].

(48) Enforced by the movements of Time that itself cannot be seen, changes the state of the body with the phases of life from birth to death. But that does not affect the soul, just as the moon itself is not affected by its phases [B.G. 2: 13, 2: 20]. (49) The way the soul(s) cannot be seen with the bodies that constantly are born and die again like the flames of a fire, can also the Time itself not be seen, despite its speeding, urging stream [*].

(50) A yogi accepting the sense objects renounces them at the right time [according the cakra order]. He doesn't get entangled in them just as the sun doesn't when he with his rays enters the waters. (51) When the sun seems to have fallen apart in his reflections doesn't one consider his original form as being different. So too is the soul, that for the dull-minded appears to have fallen apart in reflections [of different selves], not seen as different.

(52) One should never lose oneself in excessive affection or close association with anyone, because one thus indulging will have to suffer great distress. One then lives by the day like a pigeon [see also 7.2: 50-56]. (53) A certain pigeon once in the forest built its nest in a tree and dwelt there for some years with a female companion. (54) As attached partners in their household were they with their hearts full of affection tied together as by ropes, glance to glance, body to body and mind to mind. (55) Trusting each other as a couple were they in the trees of the forest occupied with resting, sitting, walking, standing communicating, playing, eating and so on. (56) Whatever she would like, o King, was what he, desiring to please her, tried to fulfill. Not holding back in any way, catered he mercifully to her desires, even when it was difficult. (57) The chaste she-pigeon got pregnant for the first time and delivered, in due course, in the nest the eggs in the presence of her husband. (58) From them hatched at the appropriate time the little ones with the tender limbs and feathers that were created by the inconceivable potencies of the Lord. (59) The couple most happy nourished their progeny, to which they compassionately in rapture listened to the awkward sounds of their chirping children. (60) Seeing the little ones happy with their fluffy wings, their endearing chirping and their activities of jumping up to fly, filled the parents with joy. (61) With their hearts bound together by affection nourished they completely bewildered by the illusory potency of Vishnu their children, their offspring. (62) One day went the two heads of the family away for food for the children and wandered they far most anxiously searching all around in the forest. (63) A certain hunter who happened to pass through the forest saw the young moving about near their nest and caught them with a net he had spread. (64) The he and she pigeon who were always eagerly engaged in the care of their children next returned to the nest to bring them food. (65) When the female pigeon saw that the ones born from her, her children, were trapped in the net, rushed she forward in utter distress crying out to them who were also crying. (66) Bound by her affection unrelenting looking after the captured children, forgot she herself being overwhelmed by the mâyâ of the Unborn One and was she also trapped in the net. (67) The unfortunate male pigeon most wretchedly lamented over the capture of his children who were him more dear than his life and his wife who was so much alike him: (68) 'Alas, just see how I, so unintelligent and so little of merit, find my destruction. I failed to fulfill the threefold purpose [the purushârthas] of life and have thus ruined my family! (69) She who being suitable accepted me faithfully as her husband, has, saintly having departed for heaven with her sons, left me behind with my home empty. (70) What now is the purpose of my life with my wife and children dead and me wretched suffering a miserable life of separation in the empty nest?' (71) With him distressed watching them indeed caught in the net in the grip of death, fell, even he stunned failing in intelligence, also into the net. (72) The ruthless hunter having achieved his purpose took the householder pigeon, the pigeon children and the pigeon wife with him and set off for his home.

(73) A family man who [because of neglecting the civil virtues] dissatisfied with the soul takes pleasure in material opposites, will suffer greatly together with his relatives, just like this bird that [without the religiosity, the sense control and the economic arrangements] is so miserable in maintaining his family. (74) The person who having achieved the human position, with the door of liberation wide open, in family affairs is attached like this bird, may, to whatever height he reached, be considered fallen.