the ripened fruit

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The Ripened Fruit

by HARE KRISHNA on Tuesday, August 9, 2011 at 6:00am

³As a desire tree, whatever you want you can have from the Vedas.

Veda means knowledge; it is so complete that whether you want to enjoy in this material

world or you want to enjoy spiritual life, both kinds of knowledge are there. If you follow

the Vedic principles, then you will be happy.´ (Shrila Prabhupada, Krishna Consciousness

The Topmost Yoga System, Ch 8 )

The Vedas should not be misunderstood to be a scriptural tradition following blind allegiance to

a particular spiritual personality without any variety or intricacy in teaching. Rather, the Vedasrepresent complete knowledge, with their many departments likened to branches on a tree. On

this tree so many different pieces of information can be plucked, each of which is intended todeliver benefits and happiness to those who follow the prescriptions contained within. Though

there are many fruits on this tree, there is one that is the most ripe, that provides the greatesttaste. Since this fruit has been already touched by the parrot Shukadeva Goswami, its nectar

tastes that much better. This fruit is none other than the Shrimad Bhagavatam, and anyone who isfortunate enough to regularly hear from it, to understand its finer points from someone who

appreciates the work for what it is, the crown jewel of Vedic literature, will find the highest tastein life.

Why different branches of Vedic knowledge and their different

purposes exist shouldn¶t be that difficult to understand. In virtually any field of endeavor there isregulation, a system of maintenance that, when followed, leads to a pleasurable condition. The



interested parties may not particularly like the restrictions imposed on them, but they are willingto abide by them to enjoy the happiness that will come later on. For instance, going to school

during youth, taking instruction during the daytime from teachers and then going home to finishhomework are experiences that children don¶t necessarily enjoy. Following this system,

however, allows children to mature into educated adults capable of using their knowledge to earn

a living.

With the Vedas, which are the ancient scriptures of India, there are so many different

departments of knowledge, branches on the tree which further different purposes. For those whoare somewhat religious, the benefits of the human form of life can be grouped into four general

categories: dharma, artha, kama and moksha. Dharma is the beginning; it is religiosity,following the rules and regulations of spiritual life. Dharma can be something as simple as

getting up every morning and praying or something as complicated as observing fasting days andattending religious functions on a regular basis. The ability to abide by a dharma, or prescribed

set of law codes, is what sets the human being apart from other species.

Though dharma is really an essential characteristic - and hence the rules and regulations of spiritual life aim to maintain or rekindle that defining feature of the spirit soul, the essence of life

- the purpose for adherence to religiosity may not be known in the beginning stages. Inconditioned life, where temporary bodies are accepted based on the laws of karma, the initial

impulse is to satisfy the demands of the senses. Therefore even something as unrelated to sensegratification as dharma is initially adopted with that view in mind. ³Let me be a little religious,

for I don¶t want to be punished with hellish conditions in the future.´

After dharma comes artha, or economic development. The

majority of the world¶s governments and newsmakers remain primarily concerned with

economics and the plight of the financially distressed. Without adequate food, clothing andshelter, the living entity divorced of God consciousness cannot have any type of enjoyable life.Therefore, after following religious law codes, the hope is to have life¶s necessities met to a

satisfactory level. In this regard the Vedas provide much knowledge, especially for how toincrease food production or the output of business transactions as a whole. The dharma, or

abiding principles, for members of the mercantile class, the vaishyas, is nicely provided. The basic principle is that for production to be high, it must be encouraged. The government is

allowed to tax, but not to a point that further production is inhibited. The analogy most often



cited is the behavior of a cow. If you tie a cow up and force it to produce milk, it will not havemuch of an output. On the other hand, if you treat the cow well and allow it to freely graze in the

field, it will produce heaps and heaps of milk, more than even its calf can handle.

After there is sufficient economic development, the desire shifts towards enjoying the fruits of

labor, or kama. The senses need constant satisfaction, so rather than take to the animalistic wayof life which seeks sense gratification first, if kama is prioritized after adherence to dharma andartha, the human being feels satisfied enough. The whole aim of procuring wealth and opulence

is to enjoy the senses in the end. Having a large bank balance, a palatial mansion and a fancy car is only useful if these items can be enjoyed. Otherwise, what is the point to working so hard?

Finally, after a life full of dharma, artha and kama, the individual spirit soul wants to make sure

that they never have to repeat the cycle again. This is where moksha, or release, comes in.Through renunciation following an authorized system of Vedic instruction, the influence of the

senses can be mitigated to the point where the desires of the mind shift towards the spiritualrealm. If consciousness is focused on the Absolute Truth, or Brahman, which is pure spirit and

beyond the dualities found in material existence, the next birth will not be in the material realm.Whatever we think of at the time of death is the state we achieve in the next life. After a lifetime

spent enjoying sense gratification earned through economic development and safeguardedthrough adherence to religious principles, it is advisable to shift the consciousness to pure spirit

so that there will be no chance of repeating the cycle of birth and death again.

Within each of these areas there is much variety, and there are

corresponding religious principles and recommendations aimed at achieving perfection. Even the

famous Kamasutra, which elaborates on how to attain the highest sense pleasures, emanates from

the Vedas, showing just how intricate and flawless Vedic wisdom is. For achieving material profit one is advised to worship different demigods, who are elevated living beings authorized todistribute rewards to their worshipers. It is for this reason that the Vedic tradition is known to

have many gods, or devas. If you want to do well in your studies, you worship GoddessSarasvati. If you want loads of money and an unending supply of opulence, you worship

Lakshmi Devi. If you want obstacles removed from your path towards sense gratification or achieving rewards, you worship Lord Ganesha, the beloved son of Lord Shiva and Mother

Parvati.



Each of these different branches and their procedures allows for a specific taste to be enjoyed bythe worshiper. Each branch has its own fruit, but in the absence of a relationship to the Supreme

Lord, the person from whom the tree of Vedic wisdom emanates, the resulting tastes aren¶t muchto write home about. With the many branches come many scriptures as well. There are eighteen

major Puranas compiled by Vyasadeva, and each is tailored towards meeting specific interests.

But only the Bhagavata Purana, or the Shrimad Bhagavatam, is considered the most ripenedfruit, the tastiest reward growing on this wonderful tree. Moreover, this fruit has been touched bythe sweetest parrot in the world, whose contact has only enhanced the glory of the fruit.

Why is the Bhagavatam so unique? Unlike other branches of Vedic knowledge, bhakti-yoga, or

devotional service, has nothing to do with the material world. Bhakti is divine love, and when itis practiced as a form of yoga, its intention is to keep the living entity in constant contact with

Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is fully featured with the attributes of beauty, wealth, strength, fame, knowledge, renunciation and wisdom. Dharma, artha, kama and

moksha are reserved for those who have yet to understand Bhagavan or who have not fullyrealized the benefit of connecting with Him on a regular basis.

To understand more about Bhagavan through the mood of bhakti, onemust know what He looks like, what His features are, where He lives and most importantly, how

to address Him. These issues are covered in the Bhagavatam, which comes to us in the form of adiscourse between a spiritual master and a king who is on the verge of death. Vyasadeva¶s son,

Shukadeva Goswami, the parrot-like sage, is the speaker of the Bhagavatam, and MaharajaParikshit is the listener. The king was cursed to die in a very short period of time, so rather than

just focus on Brahman, he approached Shukadeva Goswami to understand what the highest tastein life was and whose association would be the most beneficial. Shukadeva replied by describing

the details of Shri Hari, the Supreme Lord, and His different features.

To set the table, the Bhagavatam covers the origin of creation and how Lord Brahma emergedfrom the stem of the lotus like navel of Lord Vishnu, who is Bhagavan Himself. Yet as further

information is revealed, the listener comes to know that Lord Krishna, Shyamasundara, the beautiful blackish youth with two hands, is the original form of the Lord, and that Vishnu is His

direct expansion. From Vishnu come many incarnations who appear on this planet and othersthroughout the course of time. The primary incarnations and their activities are then described,

for anyone who hears about God and His pastimes tastes the nectar that only springs from Divine



association. Only in bhakti is this taste available, as contact with material nature and evenBrahman is unable to meet the emotional needs of the soul.

After all the notable incarnations have been described, Shukadeva Goswami reveals the true gem

of the Bhagavatam: details of the life and pastimes of Lord Shri Krishna. This information is

tucked safely away in the tenth canto, acting as a reward for those who have been patient enoughto hear the first nine. Indeed, without properly understanding Krishna¶s position as the SupremePersonality of Godhead, the origin of spirit and matter, and the best friend of the living entities,

the sweet nectar emerging from the ripened fruit of the tenth canto will not bring a pleasurabletaste. Just as pure milk can be spoiled when touched by a serpent¶s lips, if the intimate details of

Krishna¶s life and pastimes found in the Bhagavatam are heard from a serpent-like fellow, onewho is averse to divine love and envious of Bhagavan¶s supreme position, the sweet fruit will be

bitter to the listener.

The four rewards of life are very difficult to achieve one after another, for they don¶t always gotogether. Too much adherence to religious principles can take away opportunities for economic

development and sense gratification. If moksha is sought out too early, the other aspects will beignored. Indeed, this is at the root of the trepidation felt by parents when their young children

take to studying the Vedas. For parents in the Vedic tradition, one of their greatest fears is thattheir children will take to the renounced order of life, sannyasa, without experiencing material

life at all. Taking in too much of the cutting logic and argument found in the Vedas at an earlyage can be detrimental towards one¶s material ambitions.



But bhakti is not like this at all. It is not meant

to be practiced before or after anything else. Even a child can learn to love Krishna without

reservation. It is revealed in the Bhagavatam that the holy name is the best way to connect withGod in a mood of pure love, where there is no interruption in service and no motivation to findan end position. By regularly chanting the maha-mantra, ³Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna

Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare´, the consciousness can beslowly transfixed into a divine trance that leaves the mind fully relishing the taste of Krishna¶s

association. Just as Krishna is worshipable, so are His names. Just as the holy name is worthy of honor, so is the book which describes the name and its benefits. In this respect the Bhagavatam is

as good as Krishna, so anyone who is fortunate enough to hear from it on a regular basis willenjoy the most ripened fruit coming from the tree of Vedic wisdom. Once this nectar is tasted, all

other forms of knowledge and endeavor will never cut it. Nothing short of seeing Krishna¶ssmiling face and hearing His pastimes, activities and devotees glorified will make the soul

happy.

the ripened fruit

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