Verse 5
यावद्वित्तोपार्जनसक्त
स्तावन्निजपरिवारो रक्तः ।
पश्चाज्जीवति
जर्जरदेहे वार्तां कोऽपि न पृच्छति गेहे ॥ ५॥
Yāvadvittopārjana saktaḥ
stāvannija parivāro raktaḥ,
paścājjīvati jarjara dehe
vārtāṁ ko’pi na pṛcchati gehe
[As long as one has the ability to earn wealth so long dependents
are attached to you;
Later on, when infirmity comes upon you, none at home cares to
speak even a word!]
Sankara, in this verse, speaks about the transitory nature of
wealth, name and fame. We command respect in our corresponding circles of
influence as long as we are of use to those around. When our “utility factor”
wanes, so does the respect we command.
If this was how Sankara saw life more than 1200 years ago, modern
civilization has not improved upon it today. On the contrary, the situation
could only have worsened with the increase in materialistic values. We are
looking at a universal situation. This happens in every country, among the rich
as well as the poor.
This verse is a powerful statement on human civilization in all
ages. Self-centeredness seems to be at the core of human society as we have
grown to see it. As much as we may wish to turn our eyes away from the truth,
we cannot help recognizing some part of this verse being dramatized in our own
lives, among our own kith and kin.
Many of us acquire great wealth, name, fame, reputation and
respect. We become CEOs, leaders of Spiritual organizations, great singers,
great orators, great doctors etc., and seem to know all the “right”
people. But when the titles are taken away from us or the process of time
diminishes our abilities, fewer people seem to remember us anymore. But that is
the nature of the world isn’t it?
One moment you will be hailed as a great leader of men, put on a
pedestal, decorated and in the very same breath people will make you the
villain of the piece.
The poet is stating a human tendency at work throughout the world.
There is no doubt that there are noble exceptions to this statement, but it does
not blind us to the general truth of the poet’s words.
Sankara is concerned with the false sense of security we get in
the “comforts of family life.” He is using the above weakness in our society to
create dispassion in our hearts for “the comfortable life”. This is the
ultimate motivation behind such a verse.
Deep personal experience of disappointment or disillusionment
plays a key role in turning one towards the higher life. The poet uses this
factor to the limit in this verse to stir ignorant mankind towards the
spiritual life.
Unless we turn away from the alluring comforts of home life, we
will never make substantial progress in attaining spiritual perfection. Sri
Sankaracharya, therefore, does not spare his words in creating disgust in our
minds for home comforts, which hold back most people from pursuing the
spiritual path more seriously.
Rather, we must find our worth from pursuing our goal of
self-development and self-purification. Because the only thing that remains
with us is are our spiritual assets which are gained through introspection,
reflection and contemplation on the higher values of life.
It is experienced by almost all those who take to the spiritual
path sincerely at some stage or the other in their life that anything may leave
them, any relation may desert them, any property / any power, any fame, any
reputation or any ill reputation, all these may be happening in their lives at
some stage but THE INNER EXPERIENCE GAINED IN SADHANA IS SOME
THING WHICH REMAINS WITH THEM AS A TREASURE, WHICH NO FORCE ON THE EARTH CAN
TAKE AWAY FROM THEM, PROVIDED THEY ARE SINCERE IN THEIR SADHANA TO THE CORE.
Love.
