Notes-nvs

 Aug 14, 2025:

Intro into the genealogy of nava-yogis starting from Rishabhadeva

Vasudeva asks Narada for knowledge. Vasudeva had Krishna all the time! Still, ishvara darshanam does not guarantee moksha! We need the knowledge.

Narada says....he will give the teaching of the 9 sages to King Nimi. It is an ancient story, Narada says. Rishabhadeva's sons...hence aarshabha. Jayanti's sons are called jaayantaaha.

V-33....the teaching starts. Skandha 9 talks about the story of Nimi. 

(1) Skandha 5: Swayambhuva Manu->Priyavratah->Agnidhara->Naabhi->Rishabhadeva->Nimi

Rishabhadeva- referenced in Jainism also. He came to spread moksha dharma.

100 sons- eldest son is Bharata. Devotee of Narayana...jignaasu and gnaani. This is jadabharata! India is named after this Bharata. Adbhutam varsham! Note this well. This verse says...India gets its name from Jadabharata!

Even kshatriyas were following ashrama-dharma. Shaishave...yauvane...vaardhake (guru-shastram-ishvara)...and finally sanyasa. (Raghuvamsham). Rishabhadeva did the same. 

Rishabhadeva renounced everything- gneya sa nitya sanyaasi.....and did upasana on Hari. He taught Vedanta to 100 sons! Jadabharata also taught Raghugana (Skandha 5). Everyone taught!

9 other sons....they become rulers of 9 areas of the country. We have covered 10 sons. Other 81 covered karma kaanda. We are now left 9 more. They were jaayantaah. They are shramanaah...They put forth effort. Jains are shramanaah. vaata rashana- wind is the girdle. They were skilled in atma vidya communication. 

9 topics for these 9 yogis.

kavi, hari and others are their names!

How they looked at God- whole world of sat and asat (formed and formless part of world)...bhagavan's body. Entire universe is my body....(hence, gnanis)...they said...(aham annam...)

Verse 6-14:

Vasudeva is talking to Narada (which conversation is reported by Shuka to Pareekshit)

v-6: Praises mahatmas as superior to even devatas. Devatas can only bless the devotees governed by their karma but mahatmas can go over and beyond and bless the devotee...because they "ahetuka dayaa sindhu". Devatas bless...only to that extent....like shadow to a man....(in keeping with a man's structure...and no more)....but mahatmas are "deena-vatsalaa"...compassionate towards the devotee...who is helpless.

bhajanti ye yathaa devaan....devaan api tathaiva taan

chhaayeva karma sachivaah...saadhavo deena vatsalaah

v-7: Vasudeva requests Narada to teach him. He is addressed as a brahma gnaani. Hey brahman! That being the case....(tathaapi) what being the case? Because Narada is a saadhu (previous verse) and can bless Vasudeva...beyond even what devas can do! He says...teach us. Prchhamah. What kind of teaching? A teaching which is given out by the Lord and followed by the devotees of the Lord- bhaagavata dharmaan. How is this teaching to be received? With shraddhaa....in what? In the validity of the teaching...and in the utility of the teaching. What happens if the teaching is received thus? Frees a person from samsara itself...a prime expression of samsara being "bhayam". Hence, muchyate sarvato bhayaat.

brahman...tathaapi prchhaamah....dharmaan bhaagavataan tava

yaan shrutvaa shraddhayaa martyah....muchyeta sarvato bhayaat

v-8: Vasudeva says...no goal is worth it....only moksha! But he says...I also did not ask for moksha..."na mokshaaya". I invoked (apuujayan) the Lord (anantam)....for all other things like asking for a child (prajaartham)...without realizing the only goal...which is actually relevant for everyone is moksha...because it alone frees us...from samsaara (and consequent fear). Why was I like this? Vasudeva says....deluded by maya....mohito deva maayayaa...That too..when bhagavan is ever ready to give moksha (muktidam)!....still I opted to ask for petty things. This I did in the past (puraa)...but now, no more!

aham kila puraaa anantam....prajaartho bhuvi muktidam...

apuujayan na mokshaaya....mohito deva maayayaaa...

One important point- Vasudeva, Uddhava, Arjuna...all had Krishna darshanam. But that does not guarantee liberation! For moksha, they required the teaching!

BG: shishyasteham shaadhi maam tvaam prapannam

UG: anushaadhi bhrtyam (chp 2- v16)

Same here..."You have to ask for the teaching to get moksha".  

shaas - to teach....consistent systematic teaching....

v-9: Narada is addressed as "Hey suvrata"...the one who observed vows....(a great sage). Teach us..."nah shaadhi"...how? Such that...we are freed from samsara..."muchyema"...directly...(with no gap between teaching and moksha)...anjasaa...and addhaa....totally...i.e. full moksha...not some palliative moksha... What kind of samsaara is it? That's given in the first line...."filled with varieties of distress" (vichitra vyasanaad)...and bhayam from all sides "vishvato bhayaad".

(See...how bhayam is emphasised multiple times...in these verses. That's the main expression of samsara). Your teaching must be such that (yatha)...we are freed from this whole thing (tatha)!

yathaa vichitra vyasanaad...bhvadbhir sarvato bhayaat

muchyema anjasaivaaddhaa...tathaa nah shaadhi suvrata

Complete teaching- gnaana vignaanam...or teaching about jiva-jagat-ishvara.

v-10: Shuka comes in....saying...that intelligent Vasudeva...(dheemataa)...questioned Narada...who was pleased (preetah)...and who was happy...thinking about Hari's gunas and Hari's teaching (samsmaarito gunaih).

v-11: Teacher glorifies the student..because he is rare and makes the right choice. Hence, samyak vyavasitam. He asked for the teaching- bhagavata dharmaan...a teaching given out by Bhagavaan...and which will help in the well being of the entire world....vishva bhaavanaan...Vasudeva...who was from the Saatvataa clan asked for such a teaching. 

v-12: Anyway we are connected to the teaching- it's fine. Hence, all forms mentioned here. "Shrutah" (listening)..."anupaTitah" (reciting repeatedly)...and dhyaatah (meditated upon the teaching)...and the book is received with respect (aadrtah)...when someone is reading or studying..we say...wonderful!...this appreciation of others' following (anumoditah)....this teaching...even a dustah is purified...the vishvadrutah api punaati. What teaching is it? It is about sad-dharma....(sadeva somya...)...about that brahman...

v-13: Narada is happy that Vasudeva reminded him of Narayana...(ultimate reality)....who is parama-kalyaanah (aananda..joy is auspiciousness)....Wedding is auspiciousness....because it gives happiness...Listening is auspicious...Teaching about it is also auspicious....hence- punya-shrava-keertanah...

v-14: Narada...now introduces an earlier teaching...he is going to play that...the dialogue between Nimi and Nava-yogi. It took place long ago... 9 topics...replied by the 9 sages..puraatanam....itihaasam...samvaadam (dialogue)....between "arshabhaah" (jaayanteyaa, i.e. nava-yoginah)....Jaayanteyaah...because their mother was Jayanti. Aarshabhaah because their father was Rishabhadeva (skandha 5). The receiver was Videha...name of an ancient king...Seeta came in this clan...Nimi vamsha...(Nimi's father was Ikshvaku?)....Janaka-videha...This is a title. Seeta's father's name was "seeradhvajah"....his flag has a plough! Videha was also a mahatma...because he had diagnosed the problem of samsara. Nothing will cure the disease of fear..except the knowledge of the nitya vastu. Nimi asked the same question to Nava-yogi....