Bhaja Govindam - Post 5

Verse 4

नलिनीदलगतजलमतितरलं तद्वज्जीवितमतिशयचपलम् ।

विद्धि व्याध्यभिमानग्रस्तं लोकं शोकहतं च समस्तम् ॥४॥

nalinīdalagata jalamatitaralaṁ 
tadvajjīvitamatiśayacapalam | 
viddhi vyādhyabhimānagrastaṁ 
lokaṁ śokahataṁ ca samastam || 4||

(The water-drop playing on a lotus petal has an extremely uncertain existence. So also, is life ever unstable. Understand it to be consumed by disease and conceit; and this entire world is riddled only with pangs.)

This verse focuses our attention on the uncertainty of life, so that we learn to make the best possible use of our time. Life is fickle. We really have very little time in one birth. Before we know it the “water-drop” of our life-span will have evaporated. This brings us to the excellent simile used to symbolize one’s life-span... 

If one sees a droplet of water on a lotus leaf, the first thought is the sheer beauty of the sight. It is one of nature’s thrilling sights. A closer look reveals another side attached to this beauty – its shaky, uncertain existence. It faces many dangers to its existence: 

i) A slight wind can simply blow it off the leaf.

ii) A slight wave in the water can shake off the droplet back into the water. 

iii) Even if it survives that, as soon as the sun rises a bit higher, even without any wind the droplet cannot avoid drying up out of existence. 

The poet in Sankara always finds the perfect simile – how much closer he gets to a comparison with our life span! 

Pratipaksha Bhavana is brought into play here also. If we realize the extreme uncertainty of life, it will impel us to take up our spiritual life more seriously, and with a sense of urgency. If this verse does that, the poet’s selection of the beautiful simile would not be in vain. 

The Pangs of Pain and Disease.

Even such a brittle life, short as it is, is riddled with the dangers of disease and conceit (arising from greed) waiting to consume us. 

One may argue that there is no problem of a short life as long as one enjoys it well, in good health and in happiness. But that is a Utopian dream. Life brings with it all the tests and trials. It does not spare anyone the pangs of pain and disease. 

The pangs are not only physical pains. There are even more unbearable pains lying in wait for the non-discriminating in the world... 

 

Gautam Buddha said,

Sarvam Dukkham Dukkham,

Sarvam Kshanikam Kshanikam

(All is sorrow and misery, all is fleeting and misery)

The remedy/solution

Thru the analogy of lotus flower, Acharya Sankara is also revealing the deeper vedantic meaning. 

Water in the pond is analogous to “all pervading” un manifested brahman. The droplet on the Lotus flower is jiva. 

The Lotus flower is the manifestation of the world. The flower is born from the water. (un-manifested to manifested form). The drop of water takes the flower to the real world and tries to “attach” itself to the flower. In the end, both jiva and manifested world have to merge into the un-manifested. 

The water drop, Jiva, is no different than the water in the pond – the un-manifested all-pervading brahman, also indicated by the Mahāvākya, ‘Tat Tvam Asi’ - That Art Thou (or You are that). 

Thus, the only purpose of a human birth is to aspire for liberation, to realize God, i.e. for the drop let of water on the flower to discard the flower and merge back into the water in the expansive pond!!!

We have to transcend all limitations, soar beyond all sorrows and float above all fleeting pleasures and passing joys. 

If we keep thinking of how to start this difficult journey, in that thinking, our life will be gone and when death kisses us, we are bound to cry heart of heart, “O, I missed  taking to spiritual path in this life, now the life is getting over”!

SWAMI SAYS, “GIVEN MOMENT IS NOW”, “PRESENT IS MY GREATEST PRESENT (GIFT) TO YOU”!

So, LET US START TODAY AND NOW. 

Has Sai not promised us, “Take one step towards me, I shall take 10 steps, Shed one tear for me, I shall wipe 100 tears from your eyes”!!

Each day is just passing and everything in life is possible through wealth and power but never has a man got back a moment, a day that has got over!

Love.

Bhaja Govindam - Post 4

Verse 3

नारीस्तनभरनाभीदेशं दृष्ट्वा मा गा मोहावेशम् ।

एतन्मांसवसादिविकारं मनसि विचिन्तय वारं वारम् ॥३॥

Nārīstanabhara nābhīdeśaṁ dṛṣṭvā māgāmohāveśam,

etanmāśaṁsāvasādi vikāraṁ manasi vicintaya vāraṁ vāram.

(Seeing the weighty bosoms of young maidens, and their navel, do not fall a prey to maddening delusion. These are but modifications of flesh and fat. Reflect well in your mind again and again.)

To preserve the human species, nature has endowed men and women with a biological urge and attraction towards the opposite sex.

But as moth is eaten by the fire when it rushes towards it, so also does a man burn himself in passion and lust.

One is compelled to ask: What, after all, is attracting in the physical body? The physical centers of attraction are mentioned in the verse. But are they attractive in themselves?

Maa (A)gaa: “Do not fall a prey”.

This sums up the advice being given on this subject. It is not directed to man or to woman; nor is it against man or against woman. Lust is present in man and woman. The truth is that it arises from the power of delusion which is rooted in ignorance.

Both the individual and society are drifting towards more greed and more lust for we are more incomplete. We act to complete ourselves. And so, when we act we expect a fruit. Our actions are not pure and so the fruit we want (Infinite Joy) is not pure either.

Thus, we succumb to a limited fruit, specifically that which is tangible. Wealth is the most tangible fruit. Sexuality is no different. And these never satisfy us so we endlessly pursue different combinations and permutations of these fruits only to grow more incomplete.

Manasi Vichintaya: “Reflect well”.

The hint is very strong that the unseen mind is the culprit that promotes lust in a person. Lust has never found a safer refuge and supporter than the human mind; that makes lust a purely mental phenomenon, inflamed by thoughts and musings of desire. Any remedy to cure one of it has to deal with the mind, not the body. Thus, “think well thus in your mind”.

There have been sincere aspirants who have abandoned themselves to life in a desert, with barely enough food to eat, and were yet victims of pangs of passion. This proves that lust is a desire, and the home of desire is the mind.

Agony, suffering and misery grip such a person who loses his self-control for moments of such fleeting happiness.

Man has been endowed with an extras sense than the animals and by using this common sense, he should exercise self-control, self-restraint and substitute lust by love and channelize it to something noble and divine.

In his spiritual sessions on “Karma", author often and invariably takes the example of a lion and a man, in terms of their physical urge.

A lion has not been endowed with extra sense and the power of discrimination and hence, it cannot differentiate between its spouse/companion or any other lioness. Since God has not given the lion the power of discrimination, God also has no power to punish it for mating with any lioness in the jungle when it feels the urge.

Whereas, God has endowed only Man / Human species with the power of discrimination which He did not gift to any other species in his 8.4 million species creation.

So, having been granted this power of discrimination / Viveka, if man wanders here and there, lures any woman for intimacy when he feels the urge, losing the viveka that it is immoral to go to any other woman other than his spouse, God can tell that man, ‘Moodhamate, I gave you the power of discrimination and you did not use it. So, you deserve to be punished for this act of yours. These acts will add to your karma for which you are bound to suffer in future”

Pratipaksha bhavana

Pratipaksha bhavana is 'seeing' the full picture. Whenever we see the Universe, our experience is colored by our attractions and aversions. Hence though we see, we are not seeing what is actually present. We are attracted to the aversive side. With this vision we grow independent of articles, beings and circumstances. This process of reflection has to become as natural as attraction / aversion.

In the context of physical urge / lust, this means that man reflects deeper into the urge and understands that the beauty is only skin deep, at outer level, with the physical body of a woman having some elevations and depressions and deep underneath this apparent attraction, it is all only flesh and bone etc.

In the early stages of spiritual practice, it is not easy to overcome this powerful urge and a spiritual aspirant is apt to slip unless he brings to his mind “the pratipaksha bhavana time and again.

Control or channelize?

While  self-restraint, self control, Pratipaksha Bhavana are all at mental level which a man has to deliberate using his mind / intellect, mind being mind, it may fail him at any moment. Even a spiritual aspirant, almost standing at the gate way of liberation, may lose his self control at the sight of an apsara.

We have stories of Viswamitra & menaka and about how Lord Hari took the form of Mohini etc., only to teach us that our mind may fail us when the physical urge / passion takes over.

So, is there a more sound, fool proof solution to this problem of lust / passion??

All the solutions to all the problems in this world lies in the title of this beautiful work of Sankara, “BHAJA GOVINDAM”!!

Train and channelize the mind to be at the lotus feet of the Lord and more precisely, as we all learnt together in the Oct talk at Sai Sadan Muscat, hold Lord’s hand always, in all desa, places, at all kala, all times!!!

Swami has said, “Your heart is not a sofa cum bed. It is a single chair. So, you cannot keep the world and me at the same time in your heart. It can be either me or world. Choose between the two”

So, O mind, “Sadaa nirantara Hari Gun gao…….” and.... end with “Jivan naiya paar lagao”!!!

Love.

PS. Even if 100 times this topic of passion for woman is taken up, the author cannot stop quoting an incident that Chinmaya has written in one of his commentaries.

  

"Seeing  the most handsome Buddha, a woman falls for his

charm and she walks to his camp at mid night, most sensuously dressed, with milk and fruits in her  hand, with lust in her mind to attain buddha that night.

The very sight of that sensuous woman can make any man on earth slip at that very moment.

Buddha, (A renunciant monk by then) opens the door and on seeing that woman, prostrates  at her feet and asks "what can I do for you, O Mother"

It is said that that woman later on went to become one of the important disciple of  Bhagawan Buddha and spread His message / teachings wherever she went".

So, if Hari (Lord) is in one's mind 24/7, then no sight / no words / no acts can disturb such person who has given himself to Hari. He can only see Hari / God in everyone / in everything he sees, as Buddha saw in that beautiful woman.

Love.

Bhaja Govindam - Post 3

मूढ जहीहि धनागमतृष्णां कुरु सद्बुद्धिं मनसि वितृष्णाम् ।

यल्लभसे निजकर्मोपात्तं वित्तं तेन विनोदय चित्तम् ॥ २ ॥

MŪḌHA JAHĪHI DHANĀGAMATṚṢṆĀṀ

KURU SADBUDDHIṀ MANASI VITṚṢṆĀM

YALLABHASE NIJAKARMOPĀTTAṀ

VITTAṀ TENA VINODAYA CITTAM

 [O Fool, give up the thirst to possess wealth, create in your mind, devoid of passions, thoughts of the reality. From your actions, whatever you get as wealth, entertain your mind (be content)]

MŪḌHA – One who comes to suffer from one’s own ignorance/delusion.

JAHĪHI DHANĀGAMATṚṢṆĀṀ - Give up the thirst to acquire wealth. Wealth here includes all worldly objects of possessions that provide temporary satisfaction. (Desire for wealth needs to be given up. It does not mean to renounce all wealth.

KURU SADBUDDHIṀ MANASI VITṚṢṆĀM - When the mind is cleansed of passions, with a passionless mind one must meditate upon the Reality. Once the mind is cleared with no lust for objects, greed for possessions, and covetousness for wealth; mediate & contemplate upon the Real, the Enduring and the Eternal.

YALLABHASE NIJAKARMOPĀTTAṀ VITTAṀ TENA VINODAYA CITTAM - While wealth is required to live in this world, Sankara indicates us to live joyously in the contentment and satisfaction with what we get ‘as a result of our actions’.

Man due to their lack of understanding of how to achieve unlimited happiness, seeks wealth of the worldly objects to get their happiness. 

Sankara in this sloka indicates to us, that while wealth is required to function in the materialistic world, give up the thirst to acquire wealth, be content with what we get.

When the mind is cleared of these thoughts of possessing wealth, channel the thoughts to contemplate on Reality – (Brahman). 

Does wealth provide fundamental security? 

Once, a fellow Sai devotee brother was discussing on the “financial security” aspect with the author.

Qn. Am I wrong in providing security to my family by buying more houses, by saving more money for them?

Answer. It is absolutely necessary to save, to invest in real estate etc. but one must have a clear vision of “How much I need to save, for the security of my family”. Once that level of saving is reached, then planning for accumulating wealth, for buying more and more properties etc. should be abandoned. After that, whatever gets saved is ok and one must then aspire fully (not that one has not been aspiring till then, but now, it must be whole soul aspiration / craving) for amassing the real wealth, "LOVE OF GOD'.

Any finite article, being and circumstance cannot provide us what we need. It is a sad belief for this same pattern of thinking believes we can buy sound sleep, peace of mind, Love, etc. 

If livelihood is meant for living, then what is living meant for? What are we going to do with so much wealth? Let us not make the means into an end. Everything has its proper time and limits. Is the wealth going to come with us when we go? 

There is this story of Alexander the Great who had instructed that at the time of his funeral, his hands should be positioned to hang out of the coffin with the palms open, to indicate that after all his conquests he is not taking anything with him! 

The most fundamental security is understanding and appreciating one is Infinite. This is most fundamental, for, the possibility of threat is not possible in Oneness. 

Replacing Evil Thoughts with Good Ones: 

What happens when we give away our excess wealth? The passions in our mind are cooled down. In a mind free from passions, we are able to entertain thoughts of the Reality. Note that the pursuits themselves are not being criticized; only their effect of making us forget God is criticized. Knowledge and wealth are both needed, but not at the expense of losing our spiritual identity. When they are in excess of our need, they tend to make us forget God. By giving this excess away in charity, we can be safe from this danger. 

Remaining Contented: 

What is occupying our mind? What should be occupying it? Is a Sattwic pursuit such as the quest for knowledge going to be of more use than the Rajasic one of earning more wealth? Knowledge also has its dangers. It may make one swollen-headed. One can become great in a particular field. Then there will be welcome receptions everywhere, one will be a speaker at every function, etc. Will this be help to realize one’s spiritual goal? 

Vinodaya Chittam 

“give joy to the mind”. When we use our excess wealth for the welfare of others, it helps to build a noble mind; such a mind is always pleasant and joyful. 

The total message in this verse is therefore to be understood clearly: 

Anything that takes us away from the spiritual goal is to be considered as a wasted effort. 

Those who attended the October month sadan talk would / need to refresh their mind and heart with what we shared during the talk on property. It truly applies to each and every step in our life when it comes to practical steps / actions for providing family security.

Any such action must be taken in the back-drop of the following:

·         willingness to give up fear, 

·          willingness to give up desire, 

· Invoking Swami’s presence within us as pure  energy/consciousness which is available everywhere around us.

And, having taken an action with the above factors in the background, willingness to effortlessly surrender the fruits of such action at His lotus feet, then and there, even before the fruits of actions are to manifest!!!

How wonderfully this lesson fits / aligns with the last expression in this verse - VINODAYA CHITTAM, which is explained above.

Love.

Dear All,

Please take out some peaceful time and go through the link given below, which deals with the 4 Purushartha- Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha in great detail. This has been dealt in " Karma" theme post and the post number under Karma is 9.

4 Purusharthas

Love.