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Strive for liberation

CHENNAI : The objective of scriptural texts is to impress upon human beings that they should not fritter away the opportunity they have by virtue of their birth to realise the goal of liberation from rebirths. Without understanding that it is the pursuit of sensory pleasures that pulls him into the vortex of transmigration, man becomes blinded by worldly joys that are short-lived. He expends much energy and time to fulfil his desires; instead if the same fervour is directed to the spiritual quest he can enjoy eternal bliss by realising his spiritual nature.

In his discourse, Sri B.Sundar Kumar said Sage Maitreya explained how man should pursue the spiritual goal to Vidura when Uddhava conveyed Krishna's farewell message that he should learn the truth from him. Deeply touched that the Lord had remembered him Vidura approached the sage who then discoursed on the teachings of the Bhagavata Purana he had learnt from his preceptor Parasara. The Lord Himself taught the truth to the creator, Brahma, at the time of creation. Brahma feared he would lose his penance if he engaged in the task of creation. The Almighty assured him when he meditated on Him and extolled Him that he would remember Him by devotion. He also told him that the understanding that He pervaded the universe would remove man's ignorance. Instructed by the Lord that he must exert himself in creation Brahma then resumed his duty.

He engaged in creation of the universe and first created the following five: desire, anger, fear, ego and the feeling of `mine'. Then he felt sad that these would fetter man by deluding him. So he again meditated on God and from his mind created the four sages: Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatkumara and Sanatsujata. As they were born after his penance they were pious and refused to engage in creation.

Brahma became angry and from his anger were born the 11 Rudras. Then he created the nine sages beginning with Marichi from his body to proceed with the creation. Sankara in the prelude to his commentary on the Bhagavad Gita says that the creation of the sages twice shows that there are two ways to liberation — by renunciation represented by Sanaka (four) and by engaging in worldly life as pursued by Marichi and others (nine).

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