You are here: SriPedia - SriRangaSri - Archives - Dec 2004

SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00101 Dec 2004

 
Dec 2004 Indexes ( Date | Thread | Author )
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]




--- In tiruvenkatam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Sudarshan K Madabushi" 
<mksudarshan2002@xxxx> wrote:


Dear members,

In the light of recent discussions (on T'venkatam list and others as 
well) about the land of India being a "karma-bhoomi" and the Western 
nations being "bhOgha-bhoomi", I thought an old posting of mine from 
the Tiruvenkatam archives may perhaps be of interest/relevance to 
some of you. I reproduce it below.

Please feel free to discuss the topic again on the T'venkatam list 
if you feel the need for it.

Regards,

dAsan,
Sudarshan

                     ********************


--- "Mukundan <krupa@xxxx>" <krupa@xxxx> wrote:
> Dear srI. Sudarshan Swami,
> 
> From Srimad-Bhagavatham, we know that Bharatham is the Only Karma 
> Bhoomi. Other regions have been defined as Bhoga Bhoomi et al, with
> > some dEvathAs incharge. Can you kindly elaborate on this.
> > Also, I would like to know how our SiddhAntham views the
existence of living-beings in Other distant planets.
> 
> dAsan
> Mukundan
> Singapore

                        **************

Dear Sri.Mukundan, 
It's a very interesting question you raise. There is no easy answer
to it. I will try however to provide one to the best of my
meagre knowledge. 

Please remember that the word "bhOga" means self-gratification,
enjoyment or delighting. And the word "karma", as used in this
context here, means "self-renunciation".

The saying that "bhAratham" is "karma-bhUmi" and the rest of the
world is "karma-bhUmi" is an age-old and very popular one, no doubt.
But as far as I know it is not founded on any clear texts from the
Veda. 

As you know, the majesty of Vedic appeal is universal in its sweep.
The Vedas do not confine themselves to bias such as "bhAratham" or
elsewhere. The Vedas give expression to universal principles and
cosmic aspiration. They do not recognize any geographical boundaries,
least of all that of India. The ageless 'sruti' know no barriers,
neither natural nor man-made, and hence do not speak in such narrow
terms.  

The statement -- that "bhAratham" is "karma-bhUmi" and other nations
are "bhOga-bhUmi" --- is, if you examine it very carefully, a very
ambiguous one. It leaves us rather unsure whether it is meant to
present the land of India in good or bad light. Is it meant to convey
pride or patriotism for India? Or is it that by contrasting
"karma-bhUmi" with "bhOga-bhUmi" it is trying to say something
against other lands? We may ask, is there no "bhOga" at all in
"bhAratham"? And conversely, is there no "karma" at all in nations
other than "bhAratham"? All these questions and ambivalent feelings
crop up in our minds when we examine the statement closely. 

References to "karma-bhUmi" in the 'purAnA-s' are very, very rare 
indeed. Apart from the famous reference in the 'Srimadh Bhagavatham'
one can hardly find it repeated in any other 'purAnA' (except
perhaps, one may argue, in the "bhavishya-purANa" where a reference
in far less similar form is made to the lands in the River
Tambraparani basin in T.Nadu). Nowhere else in the "purAnA-s" (to the
best of adiyane's limited knowledge) can one come across any
reference to lands other than 'bhAratham' being "bhOga-bhUmi". It is
my opinion that the word "bhOga-bhumi" first came into use only as
late as in the 1880-s CE when Swami Vivekananda used it to describe
the land of America while he was touring that country giving his
famous series of lectures. 

Let's turn to the actual reference to "karma-bhUmi" in 'Srimadh
BhAgavatham': 

    etadeva hi deva gAyanti: 

ahO amIsham kimakAri shObanam 
prasanna esAm sviduta svayam harIh: 
yairjanma labdham nrshu bhAratAjIrE 
mukunda sevaupayikam sprhA hi nah: - 

kim dushkarair nah kratubhih tapOvrataih 
dAnAdibhirvA dyujayEna phalgunA; 
na yatrA nArAyaNa pAdapankaja 
smritih pramushtAti sayEndriyOtsavAt -- 

kalpa yUshAm sthAna jayAt punarbhavAt 
kshanA yushAm bhAratabhUjayO varam; 
kshanEna martyEna krtam manasvinah: 
sannyasya samyAntya bhayam padam harE: - 

                         "srimadh bhAgavatham" (V.xix. 20-22): 
                   ********* ************ 

The above verses have been translated as  follows: 

"The gods in Heaven sang of the glory of human birth in the 
land called "bhArata" (India): 

"Oh, What good deeds have these souls done 
That Hari, the indweller of all things, 
Has seen it fit to reward them  
With birth in the continent of India -- 
A birth that enables a life of loving service unto Him! 

Oh! What would we not do to earn such reward ourselves? 
After all, what have we the denizens of these heavens achieved 
Through years and years of austere 'tapa' fasting and charity? 
The joys of heaven are ours to feast, no doubt, 
But alas, the remembrance of Narayana still escapes us... 

Far better, we think, it is to live in India 
Even if for but a few moments, 
Than ages in these heavenly provinces -- 
FOr there great souls,  
Fearless, free and merry--  
Having renounced all unto the feet of God 
Live forever in Him! 

              ********************************* 

If you notice in the verse as well as in the translation, nowhere is
there mention of "bhAratha" as being "karma-bhUmi" -- that specific
word is not used at all. What is said is that the "dEvA-s" are
envious of earthlings who live in the land called "bhAratam". Now why
are they envious? Because human beings in this land are able to
perform undisturbed 'service to Narayana' -- mukunda sevaupayikam. In
other words, the people of India live a happy life of complete
renunciation. 

There is a very interesting truth here to note.

The 'dEvas' live in the celestial worlds ("svarga"). There is no
dearth of delight ("bhOga") in those worlds. The right to enjoy such
celestial "bhOga" was earned by the devas through strenuous "tapa"
and "dAna" -- tapOvrataih dAnAdibhirvA -- i.e. through ceaseless
work, sacrifice and strife. 

Yet, the Bhagavatham tells us that the dEvas were still fond of 
whining and moaning about their plight! And what do they complain 
about? They say humans in the land of India are better off! Now why 
do they say so? Because there is no sense of fulfillment in the 
celestial worlds. A sense of consummation, or a sense of complete 
soulful satisfaction eludes the world of devas even. 

The plight of the devas in the celestial world and those of us here
who live in the so-called "bhOga-bhUmi-s" of the Western world are 
not dissimilar. 

Living in a nation or society that has the highest standards of
living is in itself really no perfect guarantee for individual 
happiness. We can live anywhere we choose, enjoying all kinds of 
self-gratification through every conceivable means of "bhOga". And 
yet (as we see in many countries even today) we may not be able to 
escape suffering, fear, misery and unhappiness.  

The purpose of the above verse from Srimadh Bhagavatham is really
thus, I think, not to glorify the physical landscape of India or for 
that matter any other in the world. Its chief purpose is only to 
help us understand that the greatest of "bhOga-bhUmi-s" is no source 
of happiness -- not for humans, not for devas -- if in such a land 
there is no opportunity for 'nArAyaNa pAdapankaja smritih'... the 
unending contemplation of God and loving service to Him.

The "bhOga" available plentifully in a land may be the fruit of
"tapas" and "dAna" -- of ceaseless work, sacrifice and strife. But if
such "bhOga" distracts one away from or, worse still, impedes
"nArAyaNa smritih' or "mukunda seva upayikam" -- of what
use then is living in such a land? The devas in the Bhagavatham hence
are seen to exclaim, "Better to live in the land of humans, where
means of "bhOga" are far inferior and yet be able to sing the Glory
of God, than to live in this 'svarga' and lose all thought of Him!

    ********         ************        *********

The "bhAratham" of the Srimadh Bhagavatham days was obviously a
nation where "nArAyaNa pAdapankaja smritih" was widely prevalent
amongst the peoples. Which is why Sage Vyasa, the author of Srimadh 
Bhagavatham, perhaps made the 'devAs' appear as being very envious 
of the citizens of India.  

Whether such a similar state as Vyasa witnessed in his times exists 
today in present-day India or, for that matter, anywhere else in the 
world, is matter we can only debate about. One thing though can be 
surely said: the real land of 'bhAratham' lies wherever there is 
true and constant "nArAyana-smritih".

Regards,
dAsan,

Sudarshan
                 --- End of archived message ---
--- End forwarded message ---









------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> 
Give hope to a child.
Helping a needy child is easier than you think.
Click here to meet someone who needs your help.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/smp9aD/HohJAA/i1hLAA/VkWolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~-> 

 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SriRangaSri/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    SriRangaSri-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
 




[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index ] [Thread Index ] [Author Index ]
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia
srirangasri-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to the list