Sthree Dharma - Sri Shivamahapuran

Sri Shivamahapuran describes an interesting myth about the Sthreedharma, the Dharma/ righteousness of a married woman which was narrated to Goddess Parvathi.  A chaste woman should not leave her husband when he becomes aged or sick.   She has to sincerely follow the wishes of her husband during good and troubled times in married life.  It is not advisable to share the secrets of her husband to others; a woman should not present herself beautiful in the absence of her husband, in the same manner, a woman should not keep her dull or untidy before her husband.  A married woman should not address her husband in his name, she should not argue with her husband at any circumstance, instead, it is her duty to remain silent.  She should be a sincere attendant to her husband; she should follow the instructions of her husband without questioning them.  She should not be out of the family for long or wee hours, she should not participate in the festivities without her husband.  She should follow all the tasks of household chores without any hesitation.  She should be able to take care of the expenses of the home in a sensible manner, should not spend all that money earned, should keep some to perform Dharmic rites.  The meal should not be consumed without offering to Lord, saints, cows; it is advisable to have a meal after her husband.  She should stand with her husband in good and bad times, she should sleep after her husband goes to sleep, and she should be up before him.   A woman should stay away from her husband for three days of menstruation, she can enter any conversation after the three days of this period.  She should not create any mistrust or unhappiness in her husband.  A woman who wants to have a long life for her husband should not keep her hands empty without bangles or body without ornaments; she should dress up presentable always.  A chaste woman should not be in association with any woman of immoral character or wicked nature.  She should be sweet-talking, a married woman should see the face of her husband immediately after the bath, or she should worship Lord Suryanarayana.  A woman who takes good care of her husband, pleasant and presentable before her husband would make the three worlds happy.  A chaste woman’s piousness would liberate the soul of three generations of ancestors of the couple.

Sant Surdas Maharaj

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sant Surdas Maharaj!

Chapter – 7

Surdas Maharaj inspired a large number of people to the path of devotion with his pure Bhakti to Lord Krishna.  Once Surdas Maharaj visited the temple of Lord Krishna; there was a huge crowd in the shrine.  Surdas Maharaj was walking through the crowds blindly, with the stampede people find it difficult to move forward.  One of the devotees asked “ Maharaj, you are blind, you cannot see what’s happening around you, then why you should take so much pain to visit the shrine.”  Surdas Maharaj said “ I am blind, I cannot see anyone, but my beloved Krishna is not blind.  He can see me, that’s why I am here in this crowd.”  It hit hard on the intellect of the devotee.  In this way, Surdas Maharaj persuaded everyone to walk through the path of devotion and righteousness, so that the people will be sacred to commit sin with the fear that ‘He is watching always”. 

Once Radharani and Krishna were having pleasing time, Lord Krishna said: “ Radhe, do not go near Surdas, he may get hold of your legs.” Radharani said, “ No, I will go near him and see what happens.” She went close to Surdas Maharaj and asked: “will you get hold of my leg?” Surdas Maharaj said, “ No, I am a blind person.” She moved close to Surdas Maharaj and helped him to touch her feet.   Instantly, Lord Krishna whispered to Surdas to get hold of the feet of Radharani.  Surdas Maharaj got hold of the feet of Radharani, as per the advice of Krishna, but she got her feet slipped out of the hands of Surdas Maharaj, during this process her anklets remained in the hands of Maharaj.  Radharani said “ Maharaj, give me back my anklets, I have to be with Krishna for Rasaleela.” Surdasji said “ How do I know it is yours, I am a blind person, If I give this anklet to you thinking that you are the owner of it if someone may come and claim for it what would I say? If I see you in person then only I can give it to you.  Unfortunately, I am a blind person.”  Lord Krishna took great pleasure in the conversation between the two and laughed out, eventually, Surdas Maharaj was blessed with divine eyes to witness Radharani and Lord Krishna.  Later, Surdas Maharaj wrote wonderful verses praising the enthralling beauty of Radharani and Lord Krishna, in that he described the eyes that have seen the most attractive form of Bhramam would never yearn to look for any other things in this Universe.   Surdas Maharaj asked for a boon to Lord Krishna to take back his eyesight.

Sant Surdas Maharaj

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sant Surdas Maharaj!

Chapter – 6

Surdas Maharaj took a vow to write hundred and thousand verses praising the glories of his beloved Krishna.  But Lord has some other plans for Surdas Maharaj.   He immersed in composing verses that relentlessly flew out of his mouth like streams.  Lord Krishna was impatiently waiting for his closest companion to receive to his abode.   But Surdas  Maharaj was firm to complete the verses as he has taken a vow,  therefore he was firm to finish it before leaving the mortal coil.  One day Lord Krishna appeared before Surdas Maharaj and Said “ Maharaj, you have completed writing hundred and thousands of verses praising me, I have added twenty-five verses into your compositions to make it hundred and thousands if you do not believe me, check your note-book,” Surdas Maharaj opened his book and found that his vow to compose hundred and thousands of verses were already completed and it was signed in the name of Surdas Maharaj.   He reverentially prostrated before Lord Krishna.  Lord appealed to Surdas Maharaj to be in his abode forever and disappeared.  Surdas Maharaj immersed in the thoughts of various pastimes of Lord and ultimately attained the abode of Lord Krishna.

In the year 1586, Sant Surdas Maharaj at the age of 85 years attained union with the supreme Bramham.  Some of the writings of  Surdas Maharaj can be found in the holy Guru Granth Sahib, he has written Sur Saravali, and Sahithya Lahiri.  His compositions were the representation of the fundamental nature of Bhakti that reveals his pure love to beloved Krishna who was the dearest companion to him.  His poetic works are enthralling, which describes the marvelous childhood pastimes of Lord Krishna with  Ma Yashomathi, his passionate love for the cows, cowherds and young maidens of Gokulam, his magnificent Rasaleela with Radharani, Lord Vishnu’s fourth incarnations as half-man and half-lion to save his staunch devotee Prahlada and death of Hiranyakashipu, Lord Vishnu’s fifth incarnation as dwarf/Vamana to crush the pride of emperor Bali, etc..

Sant Surdas Maharaj

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sant Surdas Maharaj!

Chapter – 5

There was an interesting incident took place in the life of Surdas Maharaj.  The sons of Vittaldas Goswami decided to test the devotion of Surdas Maharaj who arrived in Gokuldham.  Surdas Maharaj decided to take Parikrama of Govardhan with Goswami.  The sons of Vittaldas Goswami used to listen to the lectures of  Surdas Maharaj,  he describes the marvelous decoration of the idol of Lord Krishna in the shrine on a daily basis as if he was seen with his eyes.  The sons of Goswami decided to test on Surdas Maharaj, they decorated the idol of Lord Krishna in a unique way to experiment with the devotion of Surdas Maharaj.  Giridharji who was well aware of the devotion of Surdas Maharaj discouraged the children and said: “It is not advisable to test the devotion of saintly people.”  But the children were adamant.  It was the month of Ashada, Giridharji decorated the idol of Lord Krishna brilliantly, it was scorching heat, during these days usually the idol of Lord used to keep free from decoratives and colorful clothes.  Instead, the stone idol was decorated with the rich sandalwood paste and highly fragrant and colorful substances.  Surdas Maharaj who was sitting in the patio of the shrine was smiling to himself, thinking the lovely form of Lord Krishna.  It was during the Harathi Dharshan, Giridhardasji requested Surdas Maharaj to sing praising the decoration of Lord Krishna.  Surdas Maharaj sung every detail about the decoration of Lord Krishna that was taken place on that day and his attractive limbs as if he was seen them with his eyes, everyone was wonder-struck listening to the mesmerizing verses of Surdas Maharaj.

Sant Surdas Maharaj

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sant Surdas Maharaj!

Chapter – 4

Surdas arrived in Brindavan and started living in an old shrine.  Once he met Sri Vallabhacharya on the river banks of Yamuna, that was the turning point in his life.   He embraced Sanyasa under the guidance of Sri Vallabhacharya who taught him lessons on Hindu philosophy and meditation.  He lived in Parsoli near Chandrasarovar, though he was blind by birth, he could witness all those pastimes of his beloved Lord Krishna and his attractive features with his divine eyes.   He composed those fascinating sights in beautiful verses.   Once in a day, the temple priest offers a meal to Surdas.  Usually, the offering to Lord was given as food with a pot of water to Maharaj.   One day the son of the priest forgot to keep water and kept the meal before Surdas Maharaj and left home.  While eating the hard foodstuffs, it stuck in the throat of Surdas Maharaj and started chocking, he was trying to call out for help but went in vain, and his situation became grim.  Soon a boy arrived with a vessel of water kept in the sanctum and handed before Surdas Maharaj “ Baba, drink this water, you will be alright soon”.  The little boy arrived from nowhere took the vessel near the mouth to Maharaj and fed him with water.  He left the vessel there and disappeared.  Surdas Maharaj thought it was the son of the priest who handed him water.  Suddenly, there arrived the son of the priest and said: “ Babaji, I have forgotten to give water, that is why I came rushing to you.”  He was surprised to see the vessel full of water before Maharaj.   Surdas Maharaj said “Just now I had very bad chocking, the food got stuck in my throat, struggling for breath, you came running with water and fed me.  I was about to die without breath, anyway thanks to you.”  The son of the priest was surprised to hear, he said: “ Babaji, I was not here, I did not give you water.”  It was Lord Krishna who served Surdas Maharaj in trouble.

Sant Surdas Maharaj

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sant Surdas Maharaj!

Chapter – 3

As Surdas was born blind, his parents were extremely sad at the birth of this child.  Soon the family members had an aversion towards this blind child, it brought a sense of abandonment towards the worldly matters in Surdas Maharaj.  In the early years of childhood he immerses in praise of Lord Krishna, that practice continued in his whole life, he lived in the memories of Lord Krishna.  When Surdas was six years old, one wealthiest merchant gave two gold coins as a charity to his father Ramdas.  He was extremely happy and showed his family members that it was the grace of Lord, it would save the family from the sufferings of poverty for another few months.  He safely kept the gold coins packed in a ragged clothe and kept it on the roof.  That night the rats picked up the ragged clothes and misplaced the gold coins.  In the morning when Ramdas went to pick the gold coins, he found it was missing.  He was heart-broken, the entire family wept bitterly on their bad luck.  Surdas consoled the family saying that sing in praise of Lord during the difficult times it would take away the depth of grief.  His parents shouted at him for his philosophical advice and poured out harsh words “ You are an unfortunate child, we are going through all the miseries in this life after your birth.  The entire family is starving; God showed us mercy and offered two golden coins and that too missing now.”  Surdas said, “ I know the place where the gold coins are gone missing,  I can find it for you if you want after that I will leave home forever, and never try to search for me.” His parents agreed to Surdas, he found the gold coins and handed them to his parents and left the home all alone.  His parents felt guilty seeing their blind son leaving home, they rushed behind him to stop, Surdas said “ If you make an effort to stop me, your gold coins will go missing once again and it will never be back in your hands.  If you feel alright,  stop me otherwise leave me.”  His parents were in dilemma, thus Surdas Maharaj got himself relieved from the family bondage.

Sant Surdas Maharaj

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sant Surdas Maharaj!

Chapter – 2

 Surdas Maharaj spent his entire life in darkness without eyesight, usually, devotees ask for boons to take pleasure in their lives, but Surdas asked for a boon not to see anything with the eyes that have seen the spectacular form of Bhramam.  The rest of the life Surdas Maharaj sung in praising the glories of Lord Krishna, that was streaming out of his mouth in pure passion.  Surda's love for Lord Krishna was love for his dearest companion/Sakhyabhava.   He was the favorite disciple of Sri Vallabhacharya Goswami.   He sang praising the glories of Lord Krishna, at the instruction of his preceptor Vallabhacharya, sang the entire Bhagavath in beautiful verses and all those hundred and thousand verses are not available for access to the public, even though a few of them are compiled in the holy book Guru Granth Sahib.  He sang beautifully the Dhashamaskandha of Srimad Bhagavath which describes the birth story of Lord Krishna.  The famous saint Tulsidas considered  Surdas Maharaj as the incarnation of Udhdhav.  

Surdas Maharaj lived in Vrindavan and conducted his spiritual services remaining under the guidance of Sri Vallabhacharya Goswami, he has composed several verses praising Lord Krishna, which was written down  in the form of a manuscript by others as he was blind, while no one to assist Surdas it was Lord Krishna writes down his verses, in this way he assisted his favorite companion.  He beautifully composed the mesmerizing love of Radha and Krishna that was written down by Lord Krishna.