One of the intriguing narrative in Srimad Bhagavatham is the teachings of Lord Krishna to Uddhava. In this Lord talks about the conversation between Lord Dattatreya and King Yadu. Here Lord Dattatreya answers to the questions of King Yadu and in the process talks about the lessons he learnt from 24 Gurus he identified in this Universe. Below is a very short summary of this interesting thought patterns.
Earth
Earth
silently endures whatever we do to her. Even when waste materials are dumped,
even when mines are dug, even when being polluted, Earth stays in a state of
indifference. Similarly,
as we go through our karma cycle of prarabdha , and in that process,
if someone hurts us, we should endure it without getting disturbed or agitated.
This is the lesson I learnt from Earth. Mountains
and trees are emotions of Earth. They give whatever they have to others.
Similarly, we should live a life of giving what all we have to the world around
us. This is the lesson I learnt from them.
Air
I learnt the lesson of eating bare minimum just enough to sustain the senses, mind and body. Air (Prana) demands just enough food which is need to sustain the body. Similarly air freely moves around without being attached to anything. An ascetic should also live a life of detachment is the lesson I learnt from Air.
Space
I learnt the lesson of eating bare minimum just enough to sustain the senses, mind and body. Air (Prana) demands just enough food which is need to sustain the body. Similarly air freely moves around without being attached to anything. An ascetic should also live a life of detachment is the lesson I learnt from Air.
Space
Every object has its inside and outside filled with space. This doesn’t bring in any change to the Space. Similary, Aatma fills the inside and outside of everything without itself getting distorted. This is the lesson I learnt from Space. Triggered by air, the clouds cover the space and precipitate as rains. However, the space remains unattached to all these phenomenon similar to how the Aatma remains unattached to the body it occupies.
Water
From Water, I learnt the lesson to first purify self and then live a life to purify others.
Fire
Constant penance makes you so radiant that nothing can attack you is one lesson I learnt from Fire. Without looking at the merits of what is fed into fire, it consumes whatever is given. Similarly, whatever received as alms should be consumed without looking at its quality or benefit is the second lesson. When there is enough wood, fire glows with brilliance and when there is no wood, it remains subdued. Similarly an ascetic should sometimes glow and in some other times remain subdued is another lesson I learnt from fire. Fire has no specific form. The flames come and go and similarly living beings come and go every moment. This is yet another lesson learnt from fire.
Moon
Moon is not getting bigger or smaller, it is just its reflection we see which undergoes change. Similarly the body, mind, intellect which the Aatma occupies is what deteriorate. Aatma remains constant, and remains always without any change.
Sun
The Sun rays creates vapour from water and converts them into clouds which brings forth the rain. However, Sun never boasts about it. Similarly the spiritual ascetic should also acquire knowledge and wisdom from this Universe and share it to those who are eligible for it. But still, the ascetic should live without getting egoistic or boastful about it is the lesson I learnt from the Sun.
Dove
Never keep too much attachment in relations, beyond what is realistic, as it may result in unrecoverable sorrow is the lesson I learnt from the story of Dove which jumped into the nest in which his beloved wife and children were trapped. Human life is meant to strive for liberation, if lived without this knowledge and without the control on senses/emotions can bring pain as happened in this story.
Python
As the sufferings due to past life karma comes to us without any effort, whatever deserved good things are meant for us will also come automatically without any special effort. This is the lesson I learnt from the Python. As the python, adhering to its prarabdha, takes whatever food it gets, irrespective of its taste or quantity, we should get satisfied with what we get and stay in a state of inertness controlling the senses is the lesson from Python. (This should not be interpreted as a reason to become lazy).
Ocean
We should live a life which is deep, taintless and unperturbed is the lesson I learnt from the Ocean. Ocean never overflows when the water from everywhere comes down to it during rains and neither does it dries when water is not flowing to it. In a similar way, staying without over-happiness when the material things comes to us and without any sorrow when something goes from us is the lesson I learnt from the Ocean.
Flying Termite
Flying termite gets attracted to fire and burns in it. Woman is considered as maya which has the power to attract men into sensory world and flare their bodily ego finally ending up in pain. The lesson is like the flying-termite, those who get attracted and addicted to sensory pleasure and self-ego, will get burnt.
Bee
Bee takes a little honey from several flowers. Similarly, get only a little from many people without bringing difficultly to those who give us is one lesson I learnt from Bee (meant for alms). Irrespective of a flower is big, small, beautiful or fragrant, the bees will collect only honey from it. Likewise, from all the scriptures collect only the core lessons from it.
Elephant
For a person seeking the God, even the thought of sensory pleasure can lead to his downfall, just like the craving male elephant falls to the bait of female elephant set by the humans and remains in chains for the entire life time.
Honey Hunter
The money we keep without using for self or others will go to a third person is the lesson I learnt from Honey hunter
Deer
Deer is hunted down by singing tunes to lure it. One who living a life of solitude for liberation shouldn’t get lured by any temptations is what I learnt from Deer
Fish
Do not get lured by taste of food items. Fish is lured by the taste of the worm on the fishing rod and gets caught. Even if all the other senses are controlled, if the sense of taste cannot be controlled, he cannot be the ruler of all senses. If the sense of taste can be controlled, then rest of the sensory attractions can be easily controlled.
Pingala
The story of Pingala teaches - Desire is the biggest pain. Desire less life is the biggest bliss. Only when disinterest dawns in us, the ego of body will go. Dispassion should be strong and Pingala reaches that stage in a moment’s thought and blessings of God.
Bird
The bird which carries a piece of meat is attacked by other birds and they are disturbing it continuously. The moment the bird drops the meat, all the troubling birds also go away. If we accept the worldly matters in our life, it will bring pain. The moment we leave all the worldly matters it will bring us bliss. This is the lesson I learnt from the Bird.
Kid
A small kid is always is in joy as it hardly worries about past or future, praise or blame. There are two who always remain in this state of bliss – those who do not think or know anything and the other who are rich in wisdom (Gyaanis). Being in bliss by staying away from all kind of thoughts, praise or blame is the lesson I learnt from the Kid.
Young Girl
Bangles worn by a girl makes noise. When she keeps only one bangle and remove the rest, the noise stops. Similarly, when there is more than one person, there will be always be some kind of conflicts. Hence true ascetic should always seek to lead an isolated life.
Arrow Maker
The person who was making an arrow didn't notice the procession of the King passing by him. In a similar manner, once the mind is practiced to concentrate only on the self, it will naturally remove the Rajo and Thamo gunas from us and leave us in pure Sattvic form finally settling into Samadhi!
Snake
Snake do not build a home of its own. It stays in any hole it finds. Similarly it always moves as per its aim. These are the lessons learnt from Snake.
Spider
Spider creates its web from its own body and takes it in whenever it feels so. Similarly Paramatma Bagavan creates this Universe from within and absorbs it to him whenever the time is up. This is the lesson from Spider.
Mud Wasp
The worm fearing and thinking about wasp all the time turns into a wasp itself. Thoughts are the key. Keeping it positive and keeping it always rich in Godly thoughts will bring the reflection of godliness in it as well.
Finally after explaining about the 24 Gurus to the King Yadu, Lord Dattatreya, who lives the life of an avadhootha, tells the human body as his 25th Guru. The ever disintegrating body is ever bound to be destroyed by innumerable diseases. Hence the ego of our bodily form should be shunned. Human body is the ideal form through which we can attain Brahma Saksthatkara (Bliss). Hence the human body should be promoted for attaining that state of Divine Bliss.
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