Yoga Vasishta - Post 2

Chapter 1

 

VAIRAGYA KHANDA

(ON DETACHMENT/ DISPASSION)

 

Most of our readers will have been fully acquainted with the contents of our great Epic poem, the Ramayana.

 

We find therein that Rishi Viswamitra turns upon the stage in the early years of Sri Rama. The Rishi appears before his father, Dasaratha and demands of him his son Rama to war with the Rakshasas interfering with his sacrifice. Just before this time, Rama goes on a pilgrimage to the many sacred places; and having visited the Asramas (hermitages) of the wise, returns to his native place. On his return, he grows quite disgusted with his material life, spurns his wealth and other regal possessions and grows despondent without performing any of his daily duties. 

 

His attendants go and complain to the King his father of the grievous plight of their master. Thereupon the father sends for his son, seats him on his lap and enquires of him his state. But the son evades the question by simply laughing over the affair and gets away. 

 

At this juncture, Muni Viswamitra turns up and the King delighted with the usual arrival of such a distinguished and reverend guest consents to execute any orders of the noble Muni. The Muni demands Rama for his aid at which Dasaratha is panic-struck. Yet rallying himself, he volunteers his own services in lieu of his eldest and dearly beloved boy begotten through dire Tapas.

 

Immediately the Muni begins to curse Dasaratha for his vacillation in the fulfilment of his promises, when Vasistha interposes and pacifies the sage by making the King fulfil his promise. Then Rama is sent for and his servants meanwhile relate to the Rishis the pitiable present plight of their master disdaining to perform such actions as tasting food, drinking water, etc. 

 

At which Vasistha remarks that the Vairagya (indifference) of the Prince is not akin to that produced by such momentary accidents as the loss of some dearly beloved relative or wealth but is one which is the premonitory symptom of a spiritual development in him after which development all his duties will be regularly per formed by him. 

 

On Rama’s arrival at the regal assembly, he is asked by one of the Rishis as to the cause of his present sorrow. At which Rama makes a long tirade against wealth, life, Ahankara, Manas (mind), desires, body and other material things and at last winds up by saying that he will rather expose himself to the torments of hell-fire than undergo the excruciating mental tortures, consuming him little by little through the above mentioned causes.

 

Story on dispassion 

 

One Sutikshna, a Brahmin whose mind was full of questions, went to the hermitage of Agastya and respectfully asked the sage, “O great sage! You are informed in all the ways and truths of virtue, and know all the scriptures with certainty. I am in a great doubt, and I pray you will kindly remove it.  Tell me, in your opinion, whether liberation results from a man’s acts or his knowledge or both?”

 

Agastya replied:— As the birds fly in the air with both wings, so the highest state of emancipation is attained through both knowledge and acts.  Neither our acts nor knowledge alone produces liberation, but both together are the means.  I will recite to you an example from old traditions, a story of a brahmin named Karunya, who was learned in the Vedas in the days of old.

 

Continued…. 

 

 

Love.