VERSE 52:
UPAADHI-STHAH API TAD-DHARMAIH
ALIPTAH VYOMA-VAT MUNIH
SARVAVIT MOODHA-VAT TISHTHET
ASAKTAH VAAYU-VAT CHARET
(Though living with Upaadhis and their attributes,the contemplative
one is unattached to them, like Space. Though knowing everything, he may behave
as a fool, or, totally unattached, he
may yet move about like wind.)
Three similes are interwoven in
this single verse – that of Space, that of a fool or mad-man, and that of wind.
SPACE
Firstly, the inter-relationship of
all three needs to be seen. The primary simile is the one on Space. This is
intended to illustrate the attribute of non-attachment. To illustrate two
extreme examples of this non-attachment, the other two similes arise.
Vyoma-vat: “like Space”. Reference
is again made here to ‘Space’
An ordinary person identifies himself with the
pot, not the free space within or outside the pot.
The Jivanmukta is the opposite. He
identifies himself with the free space, and remains indifferent to the pot (the
body) which he views as a temporary shelter. He is free to move in and out of
his pot-body or mind, and identifies himself with all space.
Space, within which all objects
are found, is never attached to those objects. Even if the objects transform
into other objects, the Space remains the same. There are two extreme cases
that illustrate such a non-attachment, and each of them has been ascribed a
simile in this verse.
FOOL
The first of the two extreme examples illustrates the
non-attachment which leads one to do nothing – he is regarded by the world as a
fool.
Moodha-vat: “like a Fool”.
The
detached sage, not being attached to any image of himself, has no need to
display himself in society. His detachment frees him from all obligations to
please society.
Thus he is able to withdraw himself from all activity amongst
men. Thus he opens himself to appearing as a fool by those who do not have any
knowledge of his spirituality. He is comfortable with that charge! He remains
unconcerned with such matters, having risen above praise and censure. Only one who
is unattached can do this.
A jivanmukta may seem to be
attached to the Upadhis such as mind and the sense organs on account of
association to the body but he considers Self only as a witness to their
activities and is least concerned about anything.
We learn this from the lives
of great saints such as Sadashiva Brahmendra, Ramana Maharshi etc. who were
ever unattached to the body and the world.
WIND
Asakta Vayu-vat: “free like the
Wind”
The wind can move about in space freely. No man-made laws can control
its flow.
A sage, identified with all space,
may sometimes enter the Upadhis and function as ghattaspace or even go to a
higher level and function as mutta-space (that is, as head of an organisation).
He is not limited by his body or mind. His detachment from them gives him the
power to act beyond those Upadhis and perform superhuman deeds as and when he
likes. That is the freedom he has acquired, like wind.
Lord Jesus, after being
in seclusion for 18 years of his life, returned to Jerusalem and in his
remaining 3 years began his world-transforming mission.
In recent history we see the case
of Srila Prabhupada, who went to the west at the age of 66 years, having two
heart attacks on the ship that took him there. Within 10 years, he raised the
world-wide organization of the Hare-Krishna Movement.
Swami Vivekananda and Swami
Sivananda are other classic examples of sages who “moved like the wind” in
spreading their mission.
Like the wind, a sage takes his fragrance wherever he
goes. He is welcome everywhere because he carries such a good, healthy
fragrance.
People are enchanted by the sweet aroma of his divine personality.
That power of attraction draws people to him. He is wanted by many just for his
presence.
Love
PS- A sincere reader who reads this post and contemplates on the same will realize the beautiful sequence in which the nature of a Jivanmukhta has been given by Sankara through this verse.
Once a yogi transcends this creation and moves about/exists like SPACE, totally unattached, then, for those who are still bound to this world, the yogi will appear as a FOOL.
Once the yogi exists as SPACE, then he in fact transcends all limitations of even space and time and therefore, he acts like WIND, working faster than any other Jiva can work, in the mission taken up by him!
Love
