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UNIT 3

The document discusses principles derived from the passing away of Bhishmadeva, emphasizing the importance of love among devotees and the power of encouraging words in difficult times. It highlights personal self-improvement through maintaining love despite differences and encouraging others to see Krishna's plan. For society, it stresses the need for God consciousness and the art of leaving the body by remembering the Lord, advocating for the spread of these teachings to foster peace and understanding.

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12 views3 pages

UNIT 3

The document discusses principles derived from the passing away of Bhishmadeva, emphasizing the importance of love among devotees and the power of encouraging words in difficult times. It highlights personal self-improvement through maintaining love despite differences and encouraging others to see Krishna's plan. For society, it stresses the need for God consciousness and the art of leaving the body by remembering the Lord, advocating for the spread of these teachings to foster peace and understanding.

Uploaded by

shankaranand.nys
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Open Book Exam: Unit 3

Q2. List two principles from the passing away of Bhéñmadeva


relevant to:
a) Yourself. Identify an area for self-improvement and show how you
would apply these principles to better your life. Be specific and
practical.
b) Society at large. Show how the principles you select are relevant
to the modern world, as well as how they could be practically
applied according to “time, candidate, and country.” Total
Words: 785
Answer:
From the passing away of Bhishmadeva episode the principles
relevant to me are as follow:
 What is Vaishnava Culture – Love; fight; continue loving,1.9.11
:
päëòu-puträn upäsénän praçraya-prema-saìgatän
abhyäcañöänurägäçrair andhébhütena cakñuñä
Here we get a glimpse of culture that prevails among the Vaishnavas.
When Mahäräja Päëòu died, his sons were all small children, and naturally
they were brought up under the affection of elderly members of the royal
family, specifically by Bhéñmadeva. Later, cunning Duryodhana and
company cheated Päëòavas, and Bhéñmadeva, although he knew that the
Päëòavas were innocent and were unnecessarily put into trouble, could not
take the side of the Päëòavas for political reasons. Infact he had to
fight against them and tried his best to defeat and kill them. But At
the last stage of his life, when Bhéñmadeva saw his most exalted
grandsons, headed by Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira, the great warrior-
grandfather could not check his loving tears out of his love for
them.
It is normal during the course of rendering services along with
devotees there may be situations where we differ in opinions in the
planning/execution of a particular service we may fight against each other in
a meeting as well. But I should always be carefully remembering that all that
fight must be improving our service to Hari, Guru and Vaishnavas but not for
satisfying my ego. When such attitude prevails we continue to love those
devotees since they are vaishnavas though we may differ in opinions
regarding service.
 Encouraging words are very powerful(verses 12-17):
Bhishmadev recollects pandavas sufferings and protection by the virtue of
Brahmanas, Lord and religious principles. Then he pacifies them that it is due
to inevitable time, which controls the world along with its protectors. It
indicates that this is Lord’s plan, accept and obey it by taking care of
subjects.
In times of difficulty it is the touch of the vaishnavas which gives
inspiration for others. So rather than blaming, cursing the situations, people
and objects around us I should try to pacify the devotee by helping him to
see Krishna’s plan in that particular situation and encourage him to go ahead
in devotional service taking shelter of the Lord. That’s how a vaishnava
(vipra) comes for help before the religious principles and Lord - vipra-
dharmäcyutäçrayäù.

From the passing away of Bhishmadeva episode the principles


relevant to the society are as follow:

 Lord is everyone’s well wisher:


sarvätmanaù sama-dåço hy advayasyänahaìkåteù
tat-kåtaà mati-vaiñamyaà niravadyasya na kvacit
Being the Absolute Personality of Godhead, He is present in everyone's
heart. He is equally kind to everyone, and He is free from the false ego of
differentiation. Therefore whatever He does is free from material inebriety.
He is equibalanced.
At present we can see that this pandemic disease creating devastation
all over the world. This is due to not following and abiding by the rules given
by the Lord in the form of scriptures enacted through material nature. So
when people become God conscious and follow the path shown by great
acharyas practice the principle of ‘Simple Living and High Thinking’ we can
live peacefully and achieve the goal of this human form of life. So it is the
duty of especially the Indians, to take this message of Bhagavadgita and
Srimad Bhagavatam to people all over the world and make them understand
how Lord is our ever well wisher as said in Bhagavadgita by Himself ‘suhådaà
sarva-bhütänäà’ for this, we may need to approach different ways and
means which will help the people from different places and races accept and
practice.

 How to leave the body


bhaktyäveçya mano yasmin väcä yan-näma kértayan
tyajan kalevaraà yogé mucyate käma-karmabhiù
The Personality of Godhead, who appears in the mind of the devotee
by attentive devotion and meditation and by chanting of the holy name,
releases the devotee from the bondage of fruitive activities at the time of his
quitting the material body.
Here Bhishmadeva teaches everyone ‘the art of leaving this world’.
Generally, at the time of death people cry remembering their near and dear
ones, lamenting about incomplete tasks and projects and unfulfilled desires
and wishes. But he sets all an example of how one should remember,
meditate and chant Lord’s names at the last moment. It is said in
Bhagavadgita, ‘yaà yaà väpi smaran bhävaà tyajaty ante kalevaram…’,
Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his present body, he
receives the next body accordingly. So if we remember the Lord at the last
moment we get an opportunity to be with Him which will remove all the
miseries in our lives. We can encourage people to chant the holynames
congregationally at such instances, distribute and read Bhagavadgita and
Srimad Bhagavatam to help them.

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