Verse 19
योगरतो वा भोगरतो वा सङ्गरतो वा सङ्गविहीनः ।
यस्य ब्रह्मणि रमते चित्तं नन्दति नन्दति नन्दत्येव ॥ १९॥
yogarato vā bhogaratovā
sangarato vā sangavihīnaḥ,
yasya brahmaṇi ramate cittaṁ
nandati nandati nandatyeva
(One may revel in yoga or pleasures; in the
company of people or bereft of company. Only the one whose mind steadily
delights in Brahman revels; indeed he alone is truly happy.)
In the previous verses, Sankara deals with
dispassion and desire and traces to their origin.
Now in this verse we do the same for
Happiness, and trace where it comes from.
It is a common belief that object fetch us
happiness.
In a session, author deals with this.
A south Indian coffee which brings immense
satisfaction to a South Indian, is not touched by a pathan based in Afghan who
finds satisfaction only in tea.
Similarly, a south Indian lady may love
to wear a south Indian silk saree whereas a lady based in Banaras may not
even touch a Kancheepuram silk saree, she may go in for only attractive Banaras
silk saree.
Also, for a same human being, as he moves
from childhood to youth and from youth and manhood etc., the objects which give
him satisfaction keep varying. Obviously, those games which gave him great joy
while he was a child, may not attract him when he reaches his adolescent
age.
In his youth, he may get attracted to some
female and his life’s purpose would then be to attain that girl as his partner.
He feels his life will get fulfilled only when he gets that girl as his partner
in life.
So, one thing is clear.
No object in this world has propensity to
give high level of happiness to all human beings in all times, in all
situations!!
Happiness is in Self Alone!!!
Taittriya Upanishad deals with various levels
of Ananda / Bliss.
For simplicity sake, let us prefix each level
of ananda explained in this Upanishads as a level.
Level 1 - Suppose there is a young man — a
noble young man — versed, the best of rulers, firm in body and strong and
possesses the whole world, full of wealth, is his: that is one measure of human
bliss.
Level 2 - This human bliss, multiplied on
hundred times, is one measure of the bliss of the human gandharvas, as also of
a man versed in the Vedas and free from desires.
Level 3 – This bliss of the human gandharvas,
multiplied one hundred times, is one measure of the bliss of the celestial
gandharvas, as also of a man versed in the Vedas and free from desires.
ULTIMATE
LEVEL OF HAPPINESS -BRAHMANANDA
He who is here in man and he who is in yonder
sun — both are one. He who knows this, after dying to this world, attains the
self which consists of food, attains the self which consist of the vital
breath, attains the self which consists of the mind, attains the self which
consists of intellect, attains the self which consists of bliss.
While all other happiness are at
mental level, once a spiritual aspirant, after years or may be several births
of Sadhana, realizes SELF / Brahmananda, he crosses the stage where he is able
to exist separate from Bliss / Happiness and is able to experience Bliss with
his mind.
Such a man is free, but not whimsical. He
enjoys without attachment.
Such a Jivanmukhta, though without
any possession and yet is ever content, though he may be engaged in lot of
activities, yet he remains inactive (from within), though in Bhoga sometimes
but he is still untouched by it.
While sankara said,
“Nandati Nandati Nandaty Eva”
(He alone truly enjoys, without any doubt)
The author prostrates to Sankara and dares to
change the expression and says:
He does not enjoy true happiness, HE
IS JOY.
As long as one says, I enjoy this,
I enjoy that, to that extent, He is different from the thing he is
enjoying or the experience he is getting out of the object of enjoyment.
This is so because no object can give eternal enjoyment,
which has been dealt clearly in the beginning of this post.
But here is the vairaagi or the Jivanmukhta who does not enjoy bliss
but exists as the very source of Bliss.
He sings,
Chidananda Roopah Shivoham Shivoham
[The embodiment of consciousness absolute,
Bliss absolute, the benign one am I, I am Shiva (the ever auspicious)]
Love.
