Dharma Vahini - Post 5

Symbolic meanings of spiritual terms and acts

You have to understand ancient pious actions (dharma-karmas) by entering into their symbolic meaning. The spiritual eld has many a technical term, with its own special connotation. These terms have to be clearly understood so that you can grasp correctly the teaching of the scriptures (sastras).

Take an example. People used to celebrate sacri cial rites (yajnas) in ancient times, and they sacri ced ani- mals in these rites. But the animal is only a symbol. It was not the dumb creature that had to be cut to pieces. The animal leads a life of sacri ce, even without its career being completed at the sacri cial pole! The animal that has to be disemboweled and offered is different.

In the spiritual vocabulary, animal means “the body consciousness”, “the I-consciousness”, and this is what has to be slaughtered. The Lord is known as Pasupathi or Govinda. Pasupathi means the Lord of all individuals (jivas), pasu meaning individual; and govinda means the guardian of cows or individuals, “go” meaning indi- vidual. The tending of cows is a symbolic play of Krishna to indicate His mission of tending individuals.

The scriptures (sastras) have profound inner meanings. The aim of dharma is to make the individual (jiva) give up attachment to external nature and the illusion that it causes and to make it realise its reality or rather, un- realise what it has now taken as real so that it may stand revealed in its genuine identity.

These meanings must be learned by young and old. Take, for instance, the Siva Temple. Right in front of the idol of Siva is the image of Nandi, the bull. You are told that the sacred bull is the vehicle (vahana) of Siva, and that is the reason for its being there. But, really speaking, the bull (pasu) represents the individual (jiva) while the lingam is the symbol of Siva. “No one should pass between the bull and the lingam, the individual and the Siva,” it is said; for they are to merge in one. Siva has to be seen through the two horns of Nandi, they say.

When asked the reason for this procedure, people reply, “Well, it is holier than other methods of viewing the lingam.” But the inner meaning is, “You must see the Siva in the individual” —the bull Pasu and Siva (Pasu- pathi) are one. Nandi and God (Iswara) become the Lord of individuals (Nandiswara). Both are only two ways of referring to the same entity. When in bondage, it is Nandi; when the bound becomes free and union with God is achieved, it is God. It is worshipped and is entitled to be so honoured. The true sacri ce (yajna) occurs when the bull (pasu) is offered to the Lord of animals, Pasupathi, and its separate identity is cast away. The significance has now been forgotten.

Today, these symbolic acts have changed beyond recognition. The practices of today and the principles of yesterday are far apart. Even the smallest detail of secular life has to be inspired by the higher ideal of spiritual fulfillment. Then, even simple folk can be led step by step toward the goal. When you do not discriminate the pro- cess and purpose of every act, but still go on doing it, it becomes a funny fossilized version. 

Once, even Prahlada said, “Since it is dif cult to destroy egotism, man nds it easy to destroy this dumb animal as a substitute. Animal sacri ce is the manifestation of the quality of inertia (thamoguna); it is the path of bondage. The sacri ce of the animal of egotism is the pure sacri ce (sathwic yajna) on the Godward path of liberation.”

Thus, the highest goal (paramaartha) of those ancient days is turned into the fool’s goal (paaramaartha) of these days! Every one of the ancient practices, which were once full of meaning, has grown wild beyond recogni- tion. Branches have shot out in various directions. It is now impossible to pluck the tree by the roots and plant a new one. So, the existing tree has to be trimmed and trained to grow straight. The highest goal has to be constantly remembered and not diluted into the lowest. 

End of chapter -1 

In the next few posts, we will try and get deeper into what Bhagawan means in the 1st chapter . We pray to Sai to reveal the inner meaning of His gospel in depth!!!!

Love.