Vivekachudamani- Post 92

This gross body is most offensive as it is composed of skin , flesh ,  blood vessels. fat, marrow and bones and also it is ever filled with urine  and faecal matter. (87)

In order to create the necessary sense of detachment from and in order to wean the mind from all its infatuation with the body, Sankara brings the seeker's scientific attention to focus completely on the composition of his own physical body. 

Infatuation can arise only through hasty, immature observations but when the nature of the thing becomes fully evident through close scientific study, this infatuation must lift and right understanding dawn. For this purpose, the human physical body is fully dissected in its biological composition in this verse. 

The body is made up of unholy things which by themselves cannot endanger any fascination in a thoughtful man.  Sometimes, it happens that the container may be ugly, yet the  contents can enrich it. Even this is not the case for our physical  body, a filthy container containing nothing but gallons of filth. 

It is this filth packet that man hugs to himself, panting to experience  peace and happiness through it. When we realise the folly of  loving a thing which is so abominable, our endless attachment and  attraction for it will cease.

The body is so attractive and fine because it is nicely covered by a wonderful skin. If you want to know what this body is all-about, remove the skin and see within. 

Now it is so fine because, nicely closed by the skin; if you remove what it will be. Then you may worry; that I have to remove my skin; or what? 

You need not physically remove; even you mentally remove what all the things within; it is nothing but a bundle of all these things.

Suppose after reading the slōka, a person develops dvēṣa; then one needs to look at a  different description of the body in vedanta; if dvēṣam starts coming, then we should remind ourselves, body is a temple, annamaya kōśa is an external prakāra; manōmaya etc. or sūkṣma śarīra is an internal prakāra; hridyam is the garba griham; 

Hiranmaye pare kose virajam brahma niskalam; taj subram jyotisam jyotih; satyatma vido vidhuḥ 

Atma caitanyaṁ is installed in the physical body; therefore body is a temple; therefore never hate the body; therefore never neglect the body; take care of the body.

We are now left with contradictory ideas.  So, what do we do?? Should we develop hatred towards body or should be we get attached ?

Just use it as a means; but ready to lose it at any time. Use it as a means; discover Brahman and then drop it; drop your attachment to that; this is the idea. 

All these slokas must be very carefully understood. Nothing should be hated in life; and nothing you should be attached. This is the essence of the sastra; nothing is raga-worthy; nothing is dvesa- worthy. 

Look upon the world as the world, use it as long as it is available; and when it is going to go away; then also, do not be worried about that; what has come, will have to go. Body comes; body goes; wife comes; wife will go; husband comes; husband will go. 

This Asangah  is the idea conveyed here, with regard to the body also.

Love

Vivekachudamani- Post 91

Conquer this great infatuation for your body , wife , children and so on. By conquering these, sages reach the supreme state of Lord Visnu. (86)

Explaining the great 'tragic death' of the seeker, Sankara pinpoints what exactly this death is. Infatuation with the body, no doubt, makes the seeker constantly search for more and more sense objects in the world outside, so that he may discover a greater fulfilment and happiness in life. 

The body here may be considered as indicating all the layers of man's gross as well as subtle personality. 

moham jahi; what type of mōham? mahāmr ̥ tyuṁ; mr ̥ tyu means physical death; mahā mr ̥ tyuḥ means spiritual death; so this mōha which is the cause of your spiritual death; that deha abhimana you give up. 

Then Sankara says; it is not enough that you give up the infatuation for your physical body; there are some people who are attached not only to their bodies; but through their body, they have attachment to the bodies of dear and near ones. So therefore, we include that also.

Wife (dara) is to be understood as not only the wedded partner in life. In philosophy, the word often indicates all those on whom you depend for your happiness and sons (suta) stand for all those who depend on you. 

In the world of mutual relationships, each individual is but a link, holding all the other parts of the chain in position. As an individual I exist in society looking up to people who make me happy and look after those who are looking up to me for their comforts. In the language of the spiritual Masters, 'wife and children' is an idiom that includes all these relationships. 

In the midst of all these webs of relationships an individual exists, maintaining different types of intimate attachments which have a knack of expanding their thralldom. Suffocated by these, he gets exhausted. This is the death of all spiritual aspirations of the seeker. 

Men of reflection (munayah) conquer this meaningless infatuation; victoriously rise, above the hungers of the flesh and come to experience the bliss of the supreme state. Here the word 'Visnu', the Tong strident' stands for the 'all-pervading'. 

Munayaḥ; jitva, having conquered the mōham, yānti; they will very easily attain viṣnoho paramapadam; the supreme abode of Viṣṇu. the supreme abode of Viṣṇu is the literal translation; 

Here, you will imagine a physical abode; but we do not want to mean that because it that is the physical abode, again it has got limitation; mortality, separation, etc. 

Therefore the word padam literally which means abode is translated as swarupam. Therefore paramam padam means paramam svarupam; the supreme nature of Viṣṇu, they will attain.

And what is the nature of Viṣṇu; Brahma svarupam. What is the nature of Shiva? Brahmasvarūpam. Therefore viṣnor paramam padam means they will attain Brahman nature and here also attaining Brahman nature means what already our nature is Brahman. 

It means discovering Brahman Nature. So Vishnor paramam padam yānti means that they will discover brahma svarupam; for them vaikunta is here and now. Kailasa is here and now.

Love

SATSANGH TALK - THE POWER OF SPEECH

 

This talk is based on the question put up by Prof. Anil Kumar to Swami, which is as follows:

"It is most necessary that we mix with people, and sometimes even intimately. We have to interact with one another in our daily life. How are we to speak and what is good for us to speak?”

It is now available on the YouTube on,

https://youtu.be/MFUv5LIboFI

Jai Sairam