Guest guest Posted June 4, 2005 Report Share Posted June 4, 2005 Namaste. Another beautiful verse I recall about the invaluable but transient (miserable) nature of human life. Sri Kripaluji Maharaj melodiously recites the exquisite Sanskrit poetry of Adi Jagadguru Sri Shankara Bhagavatpada bringing blissful tears to the eyes of devotees: manujadeham imaM bhuvi durlabhaM samadhigamya surair api vAJchitam viSaya lampaTatAm apahAya vai bhajata re! manujAH kamalApatim ------------------------------ - Sri Kamalaapatya Ashtakam. 4 Human body in this world is very difficult to obtain, even yearned for by the celestial beings in heaven. Knowing this fact well, removing yourself from the indulgence of worldy pleasures, O dear fortunate men (and women)! Please adore the Beloved Lord Sri Krishna! Sri Kripaluji also reminds us of many more scriptural quotes in this regard revealing the human life and Divine association of a Saint being precious treasures and not to be lost nor wasted by our lack of faith and whole-hearted surrender. durlabho mAnuSo deho dehinaM kSaNa-bhaGguraH tatrApi durlabhaM manye vaikunTha-priya-darzanam Srimad Bhagavatam 11.2.29: For the conditioned souls, the human body is most difficult to achieve, and it can be lost at any moment. But I think that even those who have achieved human life rarely gain the association of pure devotees, who are dear to the Lord of Vaikuntha. >From Bhaja Govindam (Sri Shankara's): naliniidalagata jalamatitaralam tadvajjiivitamatishayachapalam viddhi vyaadhyabhimaanagrastam lokam shokahatam cha samastam bhajagovindam bhajagovindam govindam bhaja mUDhamate sampraapte sannihite kaale nahi nahi rakshati dukrijnkarane A dewdrop trembling from a lotus petal So uncertain is the life...not known for how long! The entire world that you see around,know, Is full of dole, discease, and conceit. (4) Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, worship Govinda, Oh fool! Rules of Grammar will not save you at the time of your death. Other than remembering Lord Krishna, I do not see any way to cross the ocean of life and death. >From Viveka Chudamani (Sri Shankara's): These three things are hard to achieve, and are attained only by the grace of God - human life, the desire for liberation, and finding refuge with a great sage. 3 He is a suicide who has somehow achieved human birth and even manhood and full knowledge of the scriptures but does not strive for self-liberation, for he destroys himself by clinging to the unreal. 4 Who could be more foolish than the man who has achieved the difficult attainment of a human body and even manhood but still neglects his true good? 5 >From 'Rama Carita Manas' of Sant Tulasi das: baDem bhaag maanusha tanu paavaa suradurlabha saba granthanhi gaavaa saadhanadhaam moksha kara dwaaraa paayi na jehim paraloka samvaaraa so paratra dukha paavayi siru dhuni dhuni pachitaayi kaalahi karmahi eeshvarahi mithyaa dosha lagaayi Lord Ramacandra said: It is great good fortune that you have secured a human body, which - as all the scriptures declare - is difficult even for the celestial beings to attain. It is a tabernacle suitable for spiritual endeavours, the gateway to Liberation; and he who receives it and still wins not world Beyond, reaps torment in the next life and beats his head in vain remorse, wrongly attributing the blame to time, fate, and God. phirata sadaa maayaa kara preraa kaala karma subhaava guna gheraa kabahumka kari karunaa naradehee deta eesa binu hetu sanehee nara tanu bhava vaaridhi kahum bero sanmukha maruta anugraha mero karanadhaar sadguru dhriDha naavaa durlabha saaju sulabha kari paavaa Driven by illusion of My deluding potency and encompassed by time, destiny, innate tendency and modes of nature, it ever drifts along. Sometimes God out of His Mercy and without any reason for the affection bestows on him a human body, a raft to carry him across the ocean of mundane existence, with My Grace for a favourable wind and a worthy Saint, realized Preceptor for a helmsman to steer the course of this strong boat- a combination of which, though hard to win, has been made easily available to him.' jo na tarai bhava saagar nara samaaj asa paayi so kritanimdaka mamdamati aatamahana gati jaayi 'The man who, though equipped with such means as these, fails to cross the ocean of birth and death, is an ungrateful dull-witted wretch, bent on his own destruction. Same words of Sri Rama were also spoken by Sri Krishna to devotee Uddhava in Bhagavatam: SB 11.20.12: The residents of both heaven and hell desire human birth on the earth planet because human life facilitates the achievement of transcendental knowledge and love of Godhead, whereas neither heavenly nor hellish bodies efficiently provide such opportunities. SB 11.20.13: A human being who is wise should never desire promotion to heavenly planets or residence in hell. Indeed, a human being should also never desire permanent residence on the earth, for by such absorption in the material body one becomes foolishly negligent of one's actual self-interest. SB 11.20.16: Knowing that one's duration of life is being similarly cut down by the passing of days and nights, one should be shaken by fear. In this way, giving up all material attachment and desire, one understands the Supreme Lord and achieves perfect peace. nRdeham AdyaM su-labhaM su-durlabhaM plavaM su-kalpaM guru-karNadhAram mayAnukUlena nabhasvateritaM pumAn bhavAbdhiM na taret sa Atma-hA SB 11.20.17: The human body, which can award all benefit in life, is automatically obtained by the laws of nature, although it is a very rare achievement. This human body can be compared to a perfectly constructed boat having the spiritual master as the captain and the instructions of the Personality of Godhead as favorable winds impelling it on its course. Considering all these advantages, a human being who does not utilize his human life to cross the ocean of material existence must be considered the killer of his own soul. ------------------------------ Also enjoy these first few verses of the 'Sri Kamalapatya Ashtakam': bhujagatalpagataM ghana sundaraM garuDa vAhanam ambujalocanam nalina cakragadAkaram avyayaM bhajata re! manujAH kamalApatim alikulAsita komala kuntalaM vimala pIta dukUla manoharam jaladhijAGkita vAma kalevaraM bhajata re! manujAH kamalApatim -------------------------------- kimu japaizcha tapobhirutAdhvarairapi kimuttama tIrtha niSevaNaiH kimuta zAstrakadamba vilokanair bhajata re! manujAH kamalApatim -------------------------------- - Sri Kamalapatya Ashtakam. 1-3 Jaya Sri Radhey! , Totally useless <who_make_sense> wrote: > Nama siva, > > If it is difficult to be a human being-----then ....There has to be purpose--Is it not? > Lets find someone.. > Who_make_sense > > nama siva <nama_sivam> wrote: > It is very difficult to understand the purpose of > birth. 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