Dear
All,
Today's post is in continuation with the last post on the verse 1.
Para and Apara Vidya
Life
is a travel from here to beyond.
Whatever
man is, it is the outcome of his past. So, he can only make a bright future for
himself by his conduct in the present.
The
secular development (out of Apara Vidya) goes to help only in external
development.
However,
self-conquest and spiritual evolvement are most necessary for a peaceful
life and for achieving a wholesome, integrated personality.
Even
a king, if he has not conquered his mind, will be a slave at the hands of his desires.
On
the other hand, even a beggar, who has conquered his mind and is into the
spiritual path, experiences that he is the king of all kings, emperor of
emperor!!
This
is not to undermine the need for secular knowledge. One does have to acquire
secular knowledge to earn for his family, for maintaining a decent family and
to be respected in society etc. But all the while, one must be aware of the
limitation of secular knowledge and must take to the adhyatmic path, the
spiritual path, even when one is young.
A
big misapprehension in the minds of most human beings is that taking to
spiritual path while one is young, may result in dispassion for life, for
family, for aesthetic enjoyments etc.
This
is only a misapprehension. Being spiritual only helps one to lead life in a
better manner, to love one's family and all others more, to be able to forgive anybody
for their mistakes easily and in nutshell, to spread happiness in both, family
as well in the society.
Nahi
Nahi Rakshati
On
the face of it, the last 2 lines of the 1st verse suggests that when the call of yama comes, when the death approaches, except for one's incessant
remembrance of Govinda (God / Self knowledge), any other knowledge, any other
attainment in material world will not save him.
On
listening to this, one may say, "I shall enjoy my whole life and when
death approaches me, I shall chant Govinda, I shall chant God's name and attain
salvation".
We often
hear a story about a rich businessman who was fully involved in his business,
in making money.
He
had 4 sons and going by the logic given above, he named all his sons
as Govinda, Gopala, Narayana etc. He thought, when his
death approaches, he shall but call out name of his sons and thereby,
with Lord's name on his tongue, he shall die and attain mukthi.
The
last day does come in his life, he does call out his sons names, all of them
rush to him and he says, "Foolish fellows, if all of you leave the shop
and come, who will take care of the shop", and, with this thought, he
dies!!!
In
Tamil, there is a saying, “what does not blossom in 5 (when one is 5 year old
or when one is a child), will not blossom in 50 (or when one gets older)".
We
have to learn that the seeds for Godly path have to be sowed when one is a
child so that when he grows up, this seed blossoms to a magnificent tree!!
Without
that, if one thinks that one can suddenly take to spiritual path when one is
tired, when one is in sick bed, it just does not happen. His physical body
will not have strength to take up prayers, meditation etc.
Krishna says
to Arjuna,
"tasmaat servesu
khalesu maam anusmaraa"
(Therefore,
at all times, constantly remember me)
So,
with this clarity, let us go back from where we started
"Bhaja Govindam"!!!
Love.
