Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapuran- Canto: 11, Chapters: 8 & 9
Shree Dattatreya further told King Puru, "O King! Now I shall tell you what I learned from Pingala, one of my twenty-four gurus. Long ago, there lived a courtesan named Pingala in the city of Mithila. From her, too, I learned a profound spiritual lesson.
“One night, she adorned herself with beautiful garments and ornaments and stood at the entrance of her house. She eagerly waited for a wealthy customer to come and reward her with a large sum of money. Whenever someone passed by, she would think, 'Perhaps this is the man who is coming to me.' But each person simply walked past. She would then console herself, thinking, 'Surely another wealthy man will come and give me abundant wealth.'
“In this way, her hopes continued to grow. At times she stood outside; at other times she went back inside her house. Half the night passed as she waited, yet no one came. Gradually, she became exhausted, and her heart filled with sorrow.
“Then a deep realisation dawned upon her. She understood that her hope for wealth and worldly pleasures was itself the cause of her suffering. At that very moment, the spirit of renunciation arose within her. She realised that as long as a person remains bound by worldly expectations, true peace can never be attained.
“She reflected, 'All this time I have foolishly sought happiness and wealth from mortal human beings. Had I loved Bhagwan and taken refuge in Him alone, I would have attained true happiness.'
“When such feelings of detachment awakened in Pingala's heart, she sang a song, ‘Alas! Controlled by my senses, I continued to seek happiness from perishable sense objects and insignificant human beings, while my true Master, Bhagwan Himself, the giver of real love and everlasting bliss, dwelt within my own heart. In my craving for sensual enjoyment, I have needlessly tormented both my body and my life. This body itself is temporary and impure, yet I kept expecting happiness from it. Now I understand that sense enjoyment never brings true happiness; it only becomes the cause of suffering and bondage. By Bhagwan's grace, I have now attained detachment.
‘From this day forward, I renounce all vain expectations and take complete refuge in Bhagwan. I shall remain content with whatever comes according to my prarabdha karma and live joyfully in the company of the Lord who resides within my own heart. Apart from Bhagwan, no one can truly protect the soul. Therefore, one should become detached from worldly objects and surrender exclusively unto Him."
Shree Dattatreya said, "O King! Having come to this firm resolve, Pingala abandoned all hope for wealth and sensual pleasures. With a peaceful mind, she lay down to sleep. That night, she experienced a tranquillity unlike anything she had ever known before.
"From her, I learned that hope is the greatest source of sorrow, while freedom from worldly expectations is the greatest happiness. The moment Pingala gave up expecting happiness from other human beings, she attained genuine peace and slept the sleep of true contentment."
Shree Dattatreya continued, "From the Kurara Bird I learned a valuable lesson. A kurara bird was carrying a piece of meat in its beak. Seeing this, several stronger birds attacked it in an attempt to snatch the meat. But the moment it dropped the piece of meat, all the birds stopped chasing it, and it immediately found peace.
"From this I learned that the very possessions which a person treasures and accumulates eventually become the cause of his suffering. One who understands this truth neither becomes attached to material possessions nor accumulates them unnecessarily. Such a wise person ultimately attains the Supreme Lord.
"From the Child I learned to remain free from concern for honour and dishonour. A child is unconcerned with prestige or insult and carries none of the anxieties associated with home and family. Likewise, I remain absorbed in my own Self, delighting in the bliss of the Self alone.
"There are only two kinds of people in this world who remain completely carefree and immersed in supreme bliss: the innocent child and the one who has transcended the three gunas.
"From the Maiden, I learned the value of solitude. Once, some people came to the house of a young maiden seeking her hand in marriage. Since the other members of her family were away, she began attending to the guests herself. While preparing their meal, she started pounding rice. As she worked, the conch-shell bangles on her wrists clattered loudly.
“Feeling embarrassed by the noise, she removed her bangles one by one until only a single bangle remained on each wrist. Once there was only one bangle on each hand, the noise ceased completely.
“As it happened, I was wandering nearby and witnessed this incident. From her, I learned that where many people live together, quarrels inevitably arise. Even when only two people live together, conversation continues without end. Therefore, like the maiden's solitary bangle, a seeker should prefer to live alone.
"From the Arrow-maker I learned the power of one-pointed concentration. I once observed an arrow-maker so completely absorbed in crafting an arrow that a king's grand procession passed right beside him, accompanied by soldiers and attendants, yet he remained entirely unaware of it.
“From him I learned that a seeker should first gain mastery over posture and breath. Then, through detachment and constant practice, he should bring the mind under control and steadily fix it upon a single goal. When the mind becomes firmly established in the Supreme Lord, all latent worldly desires are destroyed. Rajas and tamas become subdued, the mind grows pure and steady, and the seeker becomes so absorbed in meditation that awareness of both the external and internal worlds disappears.
"From the Serpent I learned that a seeker should live alone, remain unattached, and avoid seeking fame. He should not become attached to any particular place of residence, nor should he burden himself with constructing monasteries or houses.
“Just as a serpent peacefully lives in burrows made by others, a seeker should likewise abandon anxiety about building a home for the body and remain content with whatever shelter becomes naturally available."
Shree Dattatreya continued, "Now I shall tell you what I learned from the Spider. I observed that just as a spider spins a web out of its own body, lives within it, and, when the time comes, withdraws it back into itself, in the same way the Supreme Lord manifests this universe from Himself, dwells within it in the form of all living beings, and finally withdraws it back into Himself. From the Spider, I learned that this entire universe arises from Bhagwan, exists in Him, and ultimately merges back into Him.
"From the Bhringi Insect, I learned that if a living being constantly contemplates someone with one-pointed concentration, whether out of love, hatred, or fear, the mind gradually assumes the nature of that object of contemplation.
"I observed that the bhringi insect captures another insect and confines it within its nest. Out of fear, the imprisoned insect constantly thinks of the bhringi. Gradually, it comes to assume the very form of the bhringi itself.
"In the same way, a person's mind gradually becomes like the object upon which it constantly dwells. Therefore, a seeker should always keep the mind absorbed in the contemplation of Bhagwan.”
Aho Hari! Auhai din kab aihain?
Roop, madhuri nishi din dhyavat, mana bhringi bani jaihain.
Meaning: 'O Hari! When will that blessed day arrive?
Meditating day and night upon Your incomparable beauty and sweetness, my mind will become like the bhringi insect, completely absorbed in You alone.'
Shree Dattatreya continued, "O King! Now I shall tell you what I learned from my own body. This body, too, has been my guru. From it, I learned that it is temporary and will certainly perish one day. Although it is through this very body that one can attain Self-realisation, one should neither consider it to be one's true self nor become attached to it.
"A person spends his entire life accumulating wealth, family, and countless possessions merely for the comfort of this body. He labours throughout his life, yet in the end the body perishes, and the soul once again becomes bound to the cycle of birth and death.
"I also observed that the senses constantly pull a person in different directions. The tongue longs for delicious tastes, the ears crave pleasant sounds, the eyes seek beautiful forms, the nose runs after pleasing fragrances, the skin desires agreeable touch, and the other senses likewise drag the mind toward their respective objects.
"Bhagwan has created countless species of life, yet among them all, the human body is supreme, for it alone provides the opportunity to attain Him. Although this body is temporary, it is the means to liberation. Therefore, before death arrives, an intelligent person should strive to realise God. This rare human life should never be wasted merely in the pursuit of sense enjoyment.
"O King! Reflecting in this way, I became detached from the world. Now I wander joyfully, completely free from attachment and ego. These are the teachings I have learned from my twenty-four gurus.
"In the end, I also realised that merely hearing the truth from one's guru is not sufficient. One must also contemplate it deeply and realise it through one's own direct experience."
- Shravan: Listening from the guru about Bhagwan and the eternal truths of spiritual life.
- Manan: Reflecting upon what has been heard, resolving one's doubts through reasoning, and firmly establishing that knowledge in the intellect.
- Nididhyasan: Repeatedly fixing the mind upon that realised truth, constantly contemplating it, and assimilating it into one's life until it becomes one's direct experience.
Bhagwan Shree Krishna said to Uddhav, "O Uddhav! Thus, Avadhut Dattatreya instructed King Yadu. Having heard his teachings, King Yadu offered his respectful obeisances unto him. By assimilating those instructions into his life, he became free from attachment and attained equal vision."
Summary: JKYog India Online Class- Shreemad Bhagavat Katha [Hindi]- 20.07.2026
