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.
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.
