Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Story 32 - Story of King Bharatha - 2
Bharatha thus took the deer to his ashram and started looking after it very much. When the deer used to roam around and would not return for some time, he would become tensed as there were wild animals and he was afraid that the deer would have been killed by any of them. When the deer was small, Bharatha used to sit for meditation and the deer used to come near him & touch his back (scratch) with its horns. Thus his attention was diverted. After some days, this became a habit and addiction too. When he used to sit for meditation, he would expect the deer to scratch his back – thus his attention was not towards the Lord but towards the deer. Thus he became very much attached to the deer.
Explanation:
We see here how Bharatha’s little and small activity of helping out the deer led him away from the real meaning of life for which he had renounced everything and was staying in an ashram. Even though Bharatha had renounced everything, he hadn’t yet known what to be renounced. He was attached and attracted to the names and forms - hence he failed to see beyond the illusory names and forms to the all-pervasive Consciousness. He had renounced external entities and things but forgot to renounce the biggest obstacle to realization which is the Ego and the thought that I am the body and the world really exists. It is the Ego which makes a person feel as if the world is real and he is the body made up of name and form. Until a person renounces the Ego and realizes the source of the Ego which is the Self, there will not be eternal bliss and realization. There will always be obstacles which will be created by oneself – even though one may renounce everything, still if one doesn’t renounce the Ego, there will no real progress towards the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord. Bharatha had that Ego which made him think that he could save the deer and he alone is there to take care of the deer. This is how most of the people in the world think - they think that it is their duty, it is their dharma to look after other people in the world. The greatest foolishness is that when a person is not able to look after himself (protect himself from different types of problems), then how will he be able to look after others???
Once a doctor was speaking to a gathering about heart attacks. He was an expert in that area and his speech was well taken by the people there. All of a sudden, he had an attack and expired. This is how things happen in the world. We think that we have control over things & thus try to control others when we cannot control our own mind or our own fate. This doesn’t mean that a person cannot control the fate and that he shouldn’t try to do things to progress in the spiritual path and instead just attribute everything to fate – this is the opposite extreme. A person should try to do his best to progress towards the reality at the same time knowing that everything is only an illusion in the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord. As long as there is thought about the reality and that the world is only an illusion in the Lord, the seeker will never stray from the spiritual path even though he may be doing the most adharmic action like not saving a deer when it requires some attention.
As Sankara says in his commentary on Sanatsujaatheeya, when the mind is contemplating on the ultimate reality of Brahman, it is contemplating on the illusory sensual objects of the world. Both are contradictory and cannot exist together. Thus when a person forgets the reality of Brahman or Lord, that’s when his Ego grows and is strongly controlling the seeker. It is during these times that a person forgets the reality of Lord for the sake of petty and impermanent things in the world. Bharatha forgot the reality of Lord because he hadn’t made it a point to go beyond the name and form of Vishnu. A person who contemplates on names and forms will obviously be attracted and attached to a particular name and form whether it is Vishnu or a deer. Thus Bharatha’s concentration started going towards the deer. He go attached to Vishnu. Instead of meditating on the all-pervading Lord of Vishnu, he started contemplating on the deer. He couldn’t live even for a moment without the deer nearby. It may be argued here that if both Vishnu and deer are illusory, what’s the advantage of contemplating on Vishnu (the name and form) which scriptures and Gita do suggets. The difference is in the entity of concentration. The moment a person thinks about Vishnu, he thinks about the Lord who is controlling the entire world, the Lord who is ever blissful, the Lord who always saves his devotees and the Lord who took different manifestations in order to help the people in the world. Whereas when a person contemplates on a deer, he is attached to something which is temporary and limited. Thus this leads to more and more attachment. When a person really contemplates on the form of Vishnu seeing the form everywhere and offering all actions to that form, that very form itself will save the person by taking him higher to the formless reality of Brahman. This is what is the Lord’s promise and statement in the Bhakthi Yoga chapter of Bhagavad Gita. But when a person contemplates or gets attached to a limited form in the world, he gets attached to the form deeply without progressing further. In a similar way, Bharatha got attached to the deer and Vishnu paved way for the deer. This is the result of not knowing the reality behind the world and not knowing the all-pervading Lord beyond the illusory names and forms.
We find many people in the world who are similar to this. They tend to initially get attached to the Lord but the moment some other important person/thing comes, the attachment towards the Lord fades. All attachments go to either the wife or the kids. This doesn’t mean that wife or kids shouldn’t be given importance but just that a person should always be contemplating on the eternal Lord even amidst the worldly attachments and attractions. In such a case, those attachments lead him more and more towards the Lord by making the reality stronger that all things are mere illusions in the reality of Lord.
Unless a person does that, he will get attached to the worldly entities which will lead him to sorrow and sufferings only. Thus Bharatha who had come to the forest to contemplate on the Lord and gain moksha started contemplating on the deer and was going towards getting more and more entangled in the ocean of samsaara filled with ignorance, desire and actions (leading to sorrow and lack of eternal happiness).
We will see the next as to what happened to Bharatha as a result of getting attached to the deer.
Bharatha became so attached to the deer that he couldn’t live without the deer. After years, it was time for Bharatha to leave the world. Remembering the Lord, Bharatha was concentrating on the Lord so that there will be no coming back to the world again. But at that time, the deer came near to him and was seeing him. Bharatha thus looked into the eyes of the deer and he became passionate towards the deer. During this itself, Bharatha left the world.
Since Bharatha had left the body while thinking of the deer, he was born as a deer. But as a result of the previous good karmaas he had done (which includes contemplation on the form of Lord Vishnu), Bharatha still remembered the Lord. Thus he spent the whole life as a deer always contemplating on the form of Vishnu.
Thus the deer Bharatha after completion of the life of deer became a human being in the next birth.
Explanation
This particular story has lot of imports to be grasped and implemented by a spiritual seeker. If a person just reads the story of Bharatha and implements those in life, he will realize the ultimate reality of Lord in a very short time itself.
Here we find what will happen if we contemplate on the worldly entities which are temporary and illusory. Bharatha was attached to the deer and thus his mind was fully fixed on the deer only. Just a small passion of saving an animal caused Bharatha a lot. He was born as a deer in the next birth as a result of contemplating on the form of deer during his death bed.
Lord Krishna says in Gita that whatever a person thinks at the end of his life, he will become that. And a person thinks only that which he has been thinking about throughout his life at the time of death.
Since Bharatha was attached to the form of deer and was always contemplating on the deer instead of Lord, he couldn’t contemplate on the Lord at the time of death. Even though Bharatha tried to contemplate on the Lord at the time of death, he couldn’t do that because at that time the deer came and stood nearby. Thus Bharatha was overcome by passion and remembering the deer, he left the body.
Lord says in Gita that if a person has to realize the ultimate reality of Lord, he should always contemplate on the Lord. Even if he is not able to realize the reality during his life time – he will not be born again because he will be contemplating on the form of the Lord at the time of death because he has been always contemplating on the Lord alone.
Thus we have to always try to contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord as pervading everything and present everywhere and as everything. In such a case, even if we aren’t able to realize in this birth, we will definitely realize in the next few births. Another important aspect that comes out from this story is that even though Bharatha was born as a deer, he still remembered the sadhanas and he could remember the mistake he did in his previous birth. This is what is the main difference between contemplation on the form of the Lord and contemplation on external sensual and illusory objects. The deer led to another lower life whereas the form of Lord led Bharatha back to human form again.
The scriptures mention that it takes lakhs of births to get the human birth which is the greatest of all beings because only humans have the intellect as well as the capability to decide what action to do and what not to do. Thus when we all are endowed with a human birth, we should use it to the maximum. The maximum use of human birth is done when a person tries to seek the ultimate reality of Lord and proceeds towards it. Any person who is not seeking out the eternal reality amidst the illusory entities of the world is as good as an animal – just drinking, sleeping, mating etc. It is only when a person uses his intellect to decide what is right and what is wrong & proceeds towards the right of eternal being of Lord as one’s own very nature that he is using his intellect to achieve that which is being sought out by all beings in the world.
Bharatha due to the grace of the Lord and due to his previous sadhanas, could remember his previous birth mistakes as well as contemplation of the Lord. Thus he started contemplating on the Lord realizing that nothing in the world can help out a seeker from the ocean of samsaara full of sorrows and sufferings. Thus the deer-Bharatha spent its life fully contemplating on the ultimate reality of Lord. Now the deer wasn’t deluded into the names and forms but was seeing the underlying reality amidst the illusory names and forms. Thus in due course, the deer got a higher birth & attained a human birth in the next life.
This part of the story also tells us that it doesn’t really matter if a person has committed a sin or not – whatever is past is past. AMMA says that "past is a cancelled cheque" - there is no use brooding over it. Instead a person should learn from the previous mistakes realizing that the ultimate reality of Lord alone has to be taken resort to & all other attractions should be renounced for the sake of the Lord. In such a case, the seeker will go beyond the names and forms – thereby realizing his own very nature of Lord in very short period. Lord says in gita clearly that it doesn’t matter whether a person commits bad deeds or not because everything is relative and anything relative is illusory. It only matters whether the person constantly remembers the Lord and offers the work unto the Lord. In such a case, the same bad work becomes a pooja and leads to liberation.
Ramana Maharshi thus says in Upadesha Saaram which we have already discussed previously:
Ishwara arpitam na icchayaa kritham
Chitta shodakam mukthi saadhakam
Work offered unto the Lord and done without any expectation of fruits leads to purification of mind and thereby to liberation.
The story of Dharmavyaadha in Mahabhaartha is a testimony to this. Dharmavyaadha was a butcher by profession but still he was considered very great by the Lord. Thus a person should always remember not to get deluded into the illusory names and forms in the name of passion or helping out. Instead he should always contemplate on the reality of Lord offering all work unto the Lord and having the only aim of realizing the reality of Lord.
We shall continue with the most important part of the story which is Bharatha Rahugana Samvaada (discussion about the reality between Bharatha and King Rahugana) in the next day.
Thus Bharatha was again born as a human being in the next birth (after becoming a deer). This time Bharatha had realized his mistake completely and hence was always unattached to anything in the world. Bharatha didn’t want to get attached and fall down, hence he didn’t react to anything in the world. He lived like a rock. If somebody gave him something to eat, he would eat – else he would not eat. He never even looked upon anyone with his eyes. Instead behaved like an insentient rock – thus he was called Jada Bharatha (Jada meaning insentient or not responding to anything in the world). But the knowledge in the heart of Bharatha was shining and he was fully immersed in the reality of Lord.
Explanation
In this particular part, we come across a separate type of jeevan mukta. We have heard from elders and learnt from scriptures that a real saint or avatar or jeevan mukta will always be striving to help out people in the world. He will always be engaged in social activities for the upliftment of the society towards spiritual progress. But here we find a different type of nature of a jeevan mukta. Here Jada Bharatha, the realized Jeevan Mukta, chose a different path of not talking to anybody and not even looking upon anything in the world. Instead he chose to remain like an insentient rock.
We find Ramana Maharshi in an almost similar condition during his earlier days when he was concentrating on a cave in the Tiruvannamalai temple. His body was filled with insects but still he was immersed in deep contemplation and absorption of the reality that he was not aware of the insects etc. It is said that his hand was almost kind of partly eaten by the insects. It was Sheshadri Swamigal of Tiruvannamalai (a siddhar) who brought Maharshi out from the cave.
We find a perfect description of Ramana Maharshi in Jada Bharatha of Bhagavatham. We have to remember from here that a jeevan mukta or an avataar is beyond all logic and explanation. We can never decide or say that he will behave this way or that way. His actions and gestures are beyond the comprehension of the limited intellect. The jeevan mukta is one who has conquered his mind and crossed over the ocean of samsaara. Hence for a person who is still in the ocean of samsaara, that state is inexplicable and cannot be really understood properly. Thus Vedanta says that if a person has to know how a jeevan mukta will behave, he has to first become a jeevan mukta. But once a person becomes a jeevan mukta, then there will be no questions or doubts. Thus there will be no questioning but only eternal bliss of the ultimate reality of Lord.
For a jeevan mukta or an avaatar, there is nothing but Brahman or Lord alone. This is because he has realized the ultimate reality of non-dual Lord – he knows and experiences that there is nothing here but the Lord alone. Thus he has nothing to see other than the reality of Lord which he already is. In Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Yajnavalkya says to his wife that "for a person who has realized the Self, what to see and with what to see?". The realized saint has gone beyond the illusions of mind and intellect – thus he doesn’t have equipment or instrument to see and there are no objects apart from the Self to see. Thus in reality, he will be behaving in the world knowing and experiencing that there is nothing but the Lord alone. Here, a seeker might have the doubt that if the realized saint knows that there is nothing but the Lord alone, then how can he do social service in the world?? This is where we cannot really speak about the state of a jnaani. We can just say that even though he seems to be acting but he knows clearly that there is nothing here but the Lord alone. He will be doing all social services keeping this reality in mind & not forgetting the reality even for a second. He is a like a magician towards his own magic world. Everybody other than the magician are affected by the magic world but the magician even though is doing things with the magic world is unaffected by the magic world as he knows clearly that there is nothing but the magician only (no magic world at all). Similarly a realized saint will be behaving in the world knowing clearly that there is nothing but the Lord alone.
We find this in the works of Swami Vivekananda. Swamiji at the end of his life called his disciple and said thus "Glad I did big blunders. Know that there is neither the world nor me or you – there is only the Self". Similarly we find when some people went to Ramana Maharshi to ask his opinion as to what he is planning to do about the suffering people in the world. Maharshi replied back saying that "are there suffering people in the world? I don’t see any such people. I see only bliss everywhere". Thus realized saints find nothing but Brahman or Lord alone. Whatever is seen as the dual and different entities in the world are nothing but Brahman or Lord alone.
There are mere illusions in the reality of Lord.
We all have to work towards that state where we perceive nothing but the Lord alone. Even though there might be social activities or spiritual activities for the welfare of the other people but all those will be done as an acting in a drama – it will be after having clearly in the mind that there is nothing here but Brahman or Lord alone. We find in various books of AMMA (Sadguru Mata Amritanandamayi Devi) where AMMA speaks from the ultimate level telling that the world is an illusion and only Lord exists.
Thus Bharatha here instead of helping the illusory society (knowing that helping activity by itself is an illusion) takes the other path of not reacting at all to anything in the world. Bhagavatham beautifully explains the Jada behavior of Bharatha. It goes to the extent that Bhagavatham says that if somebody gave him shit, he would eat that also. This is where we should remember that for a jnaani, everything is the Lord – good/bad are all in the illusory mind alone. Taste is just for the tongue only – whatever goes through the tongue is the same whether it is a Laddoo or salt. Even the body and the food which is taken for the body are illusions only. Thus a jnaani doesn’t differentiate between anything in the world. This doesn’t mean that he will always behave like a mad man but only that whatever is the situation he will always be immersed in the reality of Lord or Brahman only. But when the real time comes for imparting knowledge, the jnaani doesn’t stay back. Even Maharshi has given us eternal knowledge through his words and works of Upadesa Saram/sat darshanam. Thus we find Bharatha imparting knowledge to King Rahugana. We will start with that part next.
Explanation:
We see here how Bharatha’s little and small activity of helping out the deer led him away from the real meaning of life for which he had renounced everything and was staying in an ashram. Even though Bharatha had renounced everything, he hadn’t yet known what to be renounced. He was attached and attracted to the names and forms - hence he failed to see beyond the illusory names and forms to the all-pervasive Consciousness. He had renounced external entities and things but forgot to renounce the biggest obstacle to realization which is the Ego and the thought that I am the body and the world really exists. It is the Ego which makes a person feel as if the world is real and he is the body made up of name and form. Until a person renounces the Ego and realizes the source of the Ego which is the Self, there will not be eternal bliss and realization. There will always be obstacles which will be created by oneself – even though one may renounce everything, still if one doesn’t renounce the Ego, there will no real progress towards the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord. Bharatha had that Ego which made him think that he could save the deer and he alone is there to take care of the deer. This is how most of the people in the world think - they think that it is their duty, it is their dharma to look after other people in the world. The greatest foolishness is that when a person is not able to look after himself (protect himself from different types of problems), then how will he be able to look after others???
Once a doctor was speaking to a gathering about heart attacks. He was an expert in that area and his speech was well taken by the people there. All of a sudden, he had an attack and expired. This is how things happen in the world. We think that we have control over things & thus try to control others when we cannot control our own mind or our own fate. This doesn’t mean that a person cannot control the fate and that he shouldn’t try to do things to progress in the spiritual path and instead just attribute everything to fate – this is the opposite extreme. A person should try to do his best to progress towards the reality at the same time knowing that everything is only an illusion in the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord. As long as there is thought about the reality and that the world is only an illusion in the Lord, the seeker will never stray from the spiritual path even though he may be doing the most adharmic action like not saving a deer when it requires some attention.
As Sankara says in his commentary on Sanatsujaatheeya, when the mind is contemplating on the ultimate reality of Brahman, it is contemplating on the illusory sensual objects of the world. Both are contradictory and cannot exist together. Thus when a person forgets the reality of Brahman or Lord, that’s when his Ego grows and is strongly controlling the seeker. It is during these times that a person forgets the reality of Lord for the sake of petty and impermanent things in the world. Bharatha forgot the reality of Lord because he hadn’t made it a point to go beyond the name and form of Vishnu. A person who contemplates on names and forms will obviously be attracted and attached to a particular name and form whether it is Vishnu or a deer. Thus Bharatha’s concentration started going towards the deer. He go attached to Vishnu. Instead of meditating on the all-pervading Lord of Vishnu, he started contemplating on the deer. He couldn’t live even for a moment without the deer nearby. It may be argued here that if both Vishnu and deer are illusory, what’s the advantage of contemplating on Vishnu (the name and form) which scriptures and Gita do suggets. The difference is in the entity of concentration. The moment a person thinks about Vishnu, he thinks about the Lord who is controlling the entire world, the Lord who is ever blissful, the Lord who always saves his devotees and the Lord who took different manifestations in order to help the people in the world. Whereas when a person contemplates on a deer, he is attached to something which is temporary and limited. Thus this leads to more and more attachment. When a person really contemplates on the form of Vishnu seeing the form everywhere and offering all actions to that form, that very form itself will save the person by taking him higher to the formless reality of Brahman. This is what is the Lord’s promise and statement in the Bhakthi Yoga chapter of Bhagavad Gita. But when a person contemplates or gets attached to a limited form in the world, he gets attached to the form deeply without progressing further. In a similar way, Bharatha got attached to the deer and Vishnu paved way for the deer. This is the result of not knowing the reality behind the world and not knowing the all-pervading Lord beyond the illusory names and forms.
We find many people in the world who are similar to this. They tend to initially get attached to the Lord but the moment some other important person/thing comes, the attachment towards the Lord fades. All attachments go to either the wife or the kids. This doesn’t mean that wife or kids shouldn’t be given importance but just that a person should always be contemplating on the eternal Lord even amidst the worldly attachments and attractions. In such a case, those attachments lead him more and more towards the Lord by making the reality stronger that all things are mere illusions in the reality of Lord.
Unless a person does that, he will get attached to the worldly entities which will lead him to sorrow and sufferings only. Thus Bharatha who had come to the forest to contemplate on the Lord and gain moksha started contemplating on the deer and was going towards getting more and more entangled in the ocean of samsaara filled with ignorance, desire and actions (leading to sorrow and lack of eternal happiness).
We will see the next as to what happened to Bharatha as a result of getting attached to the deer.
Bharatha became so attached to the deer that he couldn’t live without the deer. After years, it was time for Bharatha to leave the world. Remembering the Lord, Bharatha was concentrating on the Lord so that there will be no coming back to the world again. But at that time, the deer came near to him and was seeing him. Bharatha thus looked into the eyes of the deer and he became passionate towards the deer. During this itself, Bharatha left the world.
Since Bharatha had left the body while thinking of the deer, he was born as a deer. But as a result of the previous good karmaas he had done (which includes contemplation on the form of Lord Vishnu), Bharatha still remembered the Lord. Thus he spent the whole life as a deer always contemplating on the form of Vishnu.
Thus the deer Bharatha after completion of the life of deer became a human being in the next birth.
Explanation
This particular story has lot of imports to be grasped and implemented by a spiritual seeker. If a person just reads the story of Bharatha and implements those in life, he will realize the ultimate reality of Lord in a very short time itself.
Here we find what will happen if we contemplate on the worldly entities which are temporary and illusory. Bharatha was attached to the deer and thus his mind was fully fixed on the deer only. Just a small passion of saving an animal caused Bharatha a lot. He was born as a deer in the next birth as a result of contemplating on the form of deer during his death bed.
Lord Krishna says in Gita that whatever a person thinks at the end of his life, he will become that. And a person thinks only that which he has been thinking about throughout his life at the time of death.
Since Bharatha was attached to the form of deer and was always contemplating on the deer instead of Lord, he couldn’t contemplate on the Lord at the time of death. Even though Bharatha tried to contemplate on the Lord at the time of death, he couldn’t do that because at that time the deer came and stood nearby. Thus Bharatha was overcome by passion and remembering the deer, he left the body.
Lord says in Gita that if a person has to realize the ultimate reality of Lord, he should always contemplate on the Lord. Even if he is not able to realize the reality during his life time – he will not be born again because he will be contemplating on the form of the Lord at the time of death because he has been always contemplating on the Lord alone.
Thus we have to always try to contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord as pervading everything and present everywhere and as everything. In such a case, even if we aren’t able to realize in this birth, we will definitely realize in the next few births. Another important aspect that comes out from this story is that even though Bharatha was born as a deer, he still remembered the sadhanas and he could remember the mistake he did in his previous birth. This is what is the main difference between contemplation on the form of the Lord and contemplation on external sensual and illusory objects. The deer led to another lower life whereas the form of Lord led Bharatha back to human form again.
The scriptures mention that it takes lakhs of births to get the human birth which is the greatest of all beings because only humans have the intellect as well as the capability to decide what action to do and what not to do. Thus when we all are endowed with a human birth, we should use it to the maximum. The maximum use of human birth is done when a person tries to seek the ultimate reality of Lord and proceeds towards it. Any person who is not seeking out the eternal reality amidst the illusory entities of the world is as good as an animal – just drinking, sleeping, mating etc. It is only when a person uses his intellect to decide what is right and what is wrong & proceeds towards the right of eternal being of Lord as one’s own very nature that he is using his intellect to achieve that which is being sought out by all beings in the world.
Bharatha due to the grace of the Lord and due to his previous sadhanas, could remember his previous birth mistakes as well as contemplation of the Lord. Thus he started contemplating on the Lord realizing that nothing in the world can help out a seeker from the ocean of samsaara full of sorrows and sufferings. Thus the deer-Bharatha spent its life fully contemplating on the ultimate reality of Lord. Now the deer wasn’t deluded into the names and forms but was seeing the underlying reality amidst the illusory names and forms. Thus in due course, the deer got a higher birth & attained a human birth in the next life.
This part of the story also tells us that it doesn’t really matter if a person has committed a sin or not – whatever is past is past. AMMA says that "past is a cancelled cheque" - there is no use brooding over it. Instead a person should learn from the previous mistakes realizing that the ultimate reality of Lord alone has to be taken resort to & all other attractions should be renounced for the sake of the Lord. In such a case, the seeker will go beyond the names and forms – thereby realizing his own very nature of Lord in very short period. Lord says in gita clearly that it doesn’t matter whether a person commits bad deeds or not because everything is relative and anything relative is illusory. It only matters whether the person constantly remembers the Lord and offers the work unto the Lord. In such a case, the same bad work becomes a pooja and leads to liberation.
Ramana Maharshi thus says in Upadesha Saaram which we have already discussed previously:
Ishwara arpitam na icchayaa kritham
Chitta shodakam mukthi saadhakam
Work offered unto the Lord and done without any expectation of fruits leads to purification of mind and thereby to liberation.
The story of Dharmavyaadha in Mahabhaartha is a testimony to this. Dharmavyaadha was a butcher by profession but still he was considered very great by the Lord. Thus a person should always remember not to get deluded into the illusory names and forms in the name of passion or helping out. Instead he should always contemplate on the reality of Lord offering all work unto the Lord and having the only aim of realizing the reality of Lord.
We shall continue with the most important part of the story which is Bharatha Rahugana Samvaada (discussion about the reality between Bharatha and King Rahugana) in the next day.
Thus Bharatha was again born as a human being in the next birth (after becoming a deer). This time Bharatha had realized his mistake completely and hence was always unattached to anything in the world. Bharatha didn’t want to get attached and fall down, hence he didn’t react to anything in the world. He lived like a rock. If somebody gave him something to eat, he would eat – else he would not eat. He never even looked upon anyone with his eyes. Instead behaved like an insentient rock – thus he was called Jada Bharatha (Jada meaning insentient or not responding to anything in the world). But the knowledge in the heart of Bharatha was shining and he was fully immersed in the reality of Lord.
Explanation
In this particular part, we come across a separate type of jeevan mukta. We have heard from elders and learnt from scriptures that a real saint or avatar or jeevan mukta will always be striving to help out people in the world. He will always be engaged in social activities for the upliftment of the society towards spiritual progress. But here we find a different type of nature of a jeevan mukta. Here Jada Bharatha, the realized Jeevan Mukta, chose a different path of not talking to anybody and not even looking upon anything in the world. Instead he chose to remain like an insentient rock.
We find Ramana Maharshi in an almost similar condition during his earlier days when he was concentrating on a cave in the Tiruvannamalai temple. His body was filled with insects but still he was immersed in deep contemplation and absorption of the reality that he was not aware of the insects etc. It is said that his hand was almost kind of partly eaten by the insects. It was Sheshadri Swamigal of Tiruvannamalai (a siddhar) who brought Maharshi out from the cave.
We find a perfect description of Ramana Maharshi in Jada Bharatha of Bhagavatham. We have to remember from here that a jeevan mukta or an avataar is beyond all logic and explanation. We can never decide or say that he will behave this way or that way. His actions and gestures are beyond the comprehension of the limited intellect. The jeevan mukta is one who has conquered his mind and crossed over the ocean of samsaara. Hence for a person who is still in the ocean of samsaara, that state is inexplicable and cannot be really understood properly. Thus Vedanta says that if a person has to know how a jeevan mukta will behave, he has to first become a jeevan mukta. But once a person becomes a jeevan mukta, then there will be no questions or doubts. Thus there will be no questioning but only eternal bliss of the ultimate reality of Lord.
For a jeevan mukta or an avaatar, there is nothing but Brahman or Lord alone. This is because he has realized the ultimate reality of non-dual Lord – he knows and experiences that there is nothing here but the Lord alone. Thus he has nothing to see other than the reality of Lord which he already is. In Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Yajnavalkya says to his wife that "for a person who has realized the Self, what to see and with what to see?". The realized saint has gone beyond the illusions of mind and intellect – thus he doesn’t have equipment or instrument to see and there are no objects apart from the Self to see. Thus in reality, he will be behaving in the world knowing and experiencing that there is nothing but the Lord alone. Here, a seeker might have the doubt that if the realized saint knows that there is nothing but the Lord alone, then how can he do social service in the world?? This is where we cannot really speak about the state of a jnaani. We can just say that even though he seems to be acting but he knows clearly that there is nothing here but the Lord alone. He will be doing all social services keeping this reality in mind & not forgetting the reality even for a second. He is a like a magician towards his own magic world. Everybody other than the magician are affected by the magic world but the magician even though is doing things with the magic world is unaffected by the magic world as he knows clearly that there is nothing but the magician only (no magic world at all). Similarly a realized saint will be behaving in the world knowing clearly that there is nothing but the Lord alone.
We find this in the works of Swami Vivekananda. Swamiji at the end of his life called his disciple and said thus "Glad I did big blunders. Know that there is neither the world nor me or you – there is only the Self". Similarly we find when some people went to Ramana Maharshi to ask his opinion as to what he is planning to do about the suffering people in the world. Maharshi replied back saying that "are there suffering people in the world? I don’t see any such people. I see only bliss everywhere". Thus realized saints find nothing but Brahman or Lord alone. Whatever is seen as the dual and different entities in the world are nothing but Brahman or Lord alone.
There are mere illusions in the reality of Lord.
We all have to work towards that state where we perceive nothing but the Lord alone. Even though there might be social activities or spiritual activities for the welfare of the other people but all those will be done as an acting in a drama – it will be after having clearly in the mind that there is nothing here but Brahman or Lord alone. We find in various books of AMMA (Sadguru Mata Amritanandamayi Devi) where AMMA speaks from the ultimate level telling that the world is an illusion and only Lord exists.
Thus Bharatha here instead of helping the illusory society (knowing that helping activity by itself is an illusion) takes the other path of not reacting at all to anything in the world. Bhagavatham beautifully explains the Jada behavior of Bharatha. It goes to the extent that Bhagavatham says that if somebody gave him shit, he would eat that also. This is where we should remember that for a jnaani, everything is the Lord – good/bad are all in the illusory mind alone. Taste is just for the tongue only – whatever goes through the tongue is the same whether it is a Laddoo or salt. Even the body and the food which is taken for the body are illusions only. Thus a jnaani doesn’t differentiate between anything in the world. This doesn’t mean that he will always behave like a mad man but only that whatever is the situation he will always be immersed in the reality of Lord or Brahman only. But when the real time comes for imparting knowledge, the jnaani doesn’t stay back. Even Maharshi has given us eternal knowledge through his words and works of Upadesa Saram/sat darshanam. Thus we find Bharatha imparting knowledge to King Rahugana. We will start with that part next.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Story 32 - Story of King Bharatha - 1
Srimad Bhagavatham - A Spiritual Insight - Story 32 - Story of King Bharatha
Explanation
We have come to the end of the 4th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatham. We are now entering into the 5th Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatham.
One of the descendents of Swayambhuva Manu was Priyavrata. Maharaja Priyavrata was pious and devoted to the Lord. He thus attained liberation at the end of his life always contemplating on the ultimate reality of Lord. Priyavrata had a son by name Agnidhra. Agnidhra had a son by name Nabhi. Nabhi and his wife Merudevi by the grace of the Lord got a son called Rishabhadeva. Rishabhadeva was as if Lord Vishnu has come to the earth. Rishabhadeva had a son by name Bharatha who ruled the Earth after his father. Bharatha was very pious and devoted to the Lord.
It is the story of this Bharatha as well as to how he attains liberation after 3 births that we are going to discuss in the coming days. As part of this story comes the beautiful discourse between Bharatha and King Rahugana which is full of knowledge & directly leads a seeker to the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord.
This story of Bharatha is very important for a seeker as it shows different facets to the path of realization. This story tells us as to that whatever we do without remembering the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord, will be of no use & will become bondage in itself. As Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita "Do all actions remembering me", similarly we have to remember the ultimate reality that there is nothing here but the Lord alone. The moment we forget this reality, we enter into an illusory world. This illusion leads us to nowhere but sorrow. The water seen in desert leads us to sorrow alone as we will be running after the water & will become sad when we don't get it. This is what happens when we forget the ultimate reality of Lord behind the illusory things in the world. Even if it is worshipping of Vishnu or Siva, visiting temples, meditating or learning the scriptures -- if it is not associated with the remembrance of the ultimate reality of Lord, it is going to lead us to sorrow alone. This is not a mere statement but that which has been experiened by people, put forth in various scriptures as well as experienced by each one of us in our daily life. It doesn't matter what we are doing but it really matters whether we are contemplating on the reality or not. The ultimate reality is ONE alone -- that alone exists. The duality that we are currently perceiving is only an illusion in the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute. We all are the reality only -- there is nothing but the reality alone. We have to constantly remember this & offer all our actions unto the reality or Lord. When we offer our actions unto the Lord, the actions become offerings & selfless service. Thus we will not be affected by the fruits of the action as well as the way in which the action occurs. We will always be unaffected by the actions & contemplating on the reality behind the actions. The more and more a person contemplates on the ultimate reality of Lord, the more happiness he gets - the more bliss becomes permanent and continuous. We all are searching for happiness in the world. All activities are towards happiness, contentment, peace and satisfaction. All these are put into a single term BLISS by Vedanta. Bliss or ANANDA is that which is POORNA or complete and eternal. Bliss can be achieved only by knowing the underlying non-dual reality behind the illusory dual world. The world is nothing but names and forms of the ultimate reality. As we have already previously discussed that names and forms are never the reality - they are mere illusions in the ultimate reality of Lord.
It may be doubted that "If I do bad actions, won't I go to hell & suffer?". But this doubt is invalid and illogical. Aren't we all suffering here itself? This is the reason why Vedanta says that hell and heaven are here itself - in the mind of the seeker. There is neither hell nor heaven really but it is the perception of the seeker which makes him feel as if he is in hell or heaven. Any action is caused out of desire to improve, desire to become perfect. It is ignorance which causes a seeker to think that he is imperfect & thereby desire to become perfect. We all are nothing but the ultimate reality of Lord who is ever perfect. It is but ignorance of our own very nature of Lord that causes us to desire & these desires are further converted to actions. Thus action in itself is bad only as it takes a person away from his natural state of eternal bliss. Lord Krishna says in Gita that it doesn't matter what actions a person is doing, but it matters with what thought he is doing it. That person who is doing the worst action but remembering the ultimate reality of Lord, is but a devotee and saint of the Lord. Thus it doesn't really matter where we are or what we are doing but what matters is whether we are remembering the ultimate reality of Lord. It doesn't take any effort at all to remember the Lord and do actions offering them to the Lord. Let it be while cooking or driving or working in office, remembering the Lord & offering the work to the Lord is very easy. It might seem to be tough in the beginning but by practice it will become natural.
If a lover can always think about his/her love while doing any action, then why can't a seeker remember the ultimate reality behind the illusory world while doing actions??? This is the only way to eternal bliss. Thus if a person really wants to rejoice in the eternal bliss inherent in the Self, then he has to always remember the ultimate reality of Lord and that he is nothing but the Lord alone, one without a second.
This story of Bharatha beautifully brings out the importance of contemplation of the Lord while doing any action & condemning any action (whether it be worldly or spiritual) which is not associated with constant remembrance of the Lord. There are many other concepts useful for the seeker which is brought out in this story. We will continue tomorrow analyzing the story and its importance/application to a seeker.
Let us all try to always contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord while doing any actions so that we may realize our own very nature of the Lord thereby rejoicing in eternal bliss - that which is being sought out each and every minute.
Bharatha when instructed by his father started ruling over the surface of Earth. He married a princess and begot five children by her. He ruled the kingdom in a righteous way. He was also very pious and always prayed to the Lord as he was devoted to the Lord.
Thus he ruled for many years and at last when it was time for him to take resort to vaanaprastha, he left the kingdom under his children and started staying in an ashram penancing on the Lord, spending the complete time on contemplation of the Lord.
Explanation
Bharatha even though was very pious and devoted to the Lord, failed to understand the ultimate reality completely. The ultimate reality of Lord or Brahman as propounded by the Upanishads is devoid of any form. Anything which has a form is subject to change and hence will die off one day or the other. Even devas are not excluded from this law. The same is the case with Vishnu also. Until a person completely understands the underlying ultimate reality of formless Lord, he is prone to get attached to a particular form. Getting attached to the form of Vishnu or Siva is not much different from getting attached to a woman/man. The only difference is that when a person contemplates on the form of Vishnu, he might end up in Vaikunta & after enjoying his stay there, he will return back to Earth. This journey will continue until a person realizes the underlying formless, attributes reality behind all names and forms in the world.
We see from the story of Jaya and Vijaya who were guards to Vaikunta that nothing is permanent in the world except the ultimate reality of all-pervading non-dual Consciousness. Jaya and Vijaya under the curse of a sage had to come to Earth taking three demon births. It was only after they realized the reality behind the various forms through the Lord himself, that they realized their own very nature of eternal Lord.
Thus a seeker should always remember that the ultimate reality of Lord is beyond all forms -- it is formless because it pervades and is beyond all forms. The word Vishnu means one who is all-pervasive like ether. An all-pervasive entity cannot be contained into a form because a form limits an entity in space. Thus Vishnu is the formless reality of Brahman and not the four-handed husband of Lakshmi. Siva means one who is auspicious. Auspiciousness means that which gives happiness and peace. The only entity which can give eternal bliss and peace is Brahman or Consciousness. This ultimate reality of Brahman is indicated by the word Siva and not the bhasma dhaari Siva.
It really doesn't matter where a person is but the attitude is what matters. We find in the story of King Ambariksha, Janaka and others how even though being involved completely in the worldly pleasures, they were still immersed in the ultimate reality of Brahman or Consciousness.
IF a person doesn't realize and take into consideration the underlying ultimate reality of Consciousness beyond all names and forms, there is no use praying to any form lord or being. The Lord himself is the slave of he who has realized the ultimate reality of Brahman. The form of Vishnu could not help durvasa from the sudharshana chakra but Ambariksha could help out. The form of Sri Krishna could not save himself nor his clan from destruction. But the important point is that Lord Krishna was always immersed in the reality & never affected by worldly situations and conditions. He was always smiling and gave instructions to Arjuna and Uddhava in the Bhagavad Gita and Uddhava Gita respectively.
Thus we have to constantly remember that it doesn't matter what we are doing but what is important is constant contemplation and remembrance of the ultimate reality that there is only one entity here called Consciousness or Lord & other all things are mere illusions in the ultimate reality. When this is remembered and actions are offered to this Lord, every action becomes a pooja or offering. The action even though might be bad (like the case of butcher Dharmavyaadha in Mahabharatha who was a realized being even though he used to do action against vedas) but still if it is done remembering the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord in mind, then such an action becomes good and not binding.
Bharatha was attached to the form of Vishnu without really knowing the underlying formless non-dual reality of Brahman -- thus he was affected by actions which we will be seeing in the coming days.
The most important point we get from this part of the story is that any action leads to liberation only when it is associated with the knowledge of the ultimate reality of non-dual Brahman or Consciousness or Lord.
We will continue with the story in the next day.
Let us all try to contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord beyond all names and forms thereby making all actions lead to liberation & letting us rejoice in the eternal bliss inherent in the Lord who is none other than our own very Self.
Bharatha thus used to stay in ashram doing ritualistic activities and fixing his mind constantly on the form of Vishnu. One day as usual he had his bath in the nearby river and sat at the bank of the river. At that time, he saw a doe (deer female) was driven to the river because of thirst. It was pregnant. At that time, it heard the roar of a lion. The doe was terrified and jumped over the river. Since it was pregnant, the child came out of its womb and it fell dead because of the jumping. Thus the small deer was floating in the river. It came near by to where Bharatha was sitting. Seeing the deer kid, Bharatha, thinking that it had none other than him to take care of, took it to his ashram.
Explanation
We come to a really beautiful part of the story conveying a very important point to be implemented by each one of us in our lives. Bharatha was a devotee of the Lord but he failed to grasp the underlying reality in the illusory names and forms of the world. We have to constantly remember that the very moment we forget the ultimate reality of Lord underlying all existences, we enter into the illusory names and forms. Names and forms are never real but they are mere illusions in the reality of Brahman.Names and forms can give only sorrow in the long run because they are mere illusions. As the water seen in desert can never give happiness but it will only give sorrow when the person runs behind it, similarly the various names and forms that we perceive in the world will lead to sorrow only.
If a person doesn't recognize the ultimate reality of Lord who is all-pervasive and who gives existence to all names and forms that we perceive, then he is taken to believe that the names and forms are real. He is a fool who doesn't recognize the illusory nature of names and forms. The objects that we perceive in the waking state are like the objects we perceive in dream -- they are mere illusions and seem to exist but never really exist. A person has to use his intellect & interpret scriptures properly to understand that the names and forms which we currently perceive as objects are illusions because they have no existence of their own apart from the ultimate reality of Consciousness. If there is no Consciousness, there is nothing at all. It would be funny to imagine Vishnu or Siva without Consciousness. It is Consciousness termed as Brahman or Lord in upanishads and puranas which is the underlying reality behind any forms whether it be just a jar or Vishnu or Siva.
Thus using logic and knowing that everything is but the Lord alone - whatever is perceived is only the Lord -- the names and forms are not real but mere illusions in the reality of Lord, a person has to contemplate on the reality of Lord at all points of time. This alone will remove ignorance of one's own very nature of Lord. The Consciousness underlying Vishnu and underlying each one of us is the same. This formless Consciousness is what is called as Lord or Brahman. We all are that only - the seeming difference is only due to ignornace. It is very evident by analysis of the state of deep sleep where there is nothing but Consciousness alone & hence a person rejoices bliss throughout that state. We have to similarly constantly remember that everything is Brahman or Lord alone. Remembering this reality, we have to offer all work unto the Lord. Offering work unto Lord, doing pooja etc. is nothing but constant remembrance of the Lord. If constant remembrance of the Lord is not there, then the various physical and mental poojaas are of no use as they will lead to more problems only.
We find here that Bharatha didn't really understand the underlying reality of all names and forms. Thus when a person doesn’t realize the underlying reality of Brahman or Lord amidst the illusory names and forms, he falls into the illusory world. Thus such a person gets the various thoughts like "how can I help the world? What will people in the world do if I am not there?" etc. These are thoughts which shouldn’t come for a seeker - these are obstacles to the spiritual path as in the case of Bharatha which we will be seeing in the coming days. When a seeker knows the ultimate reality of Lord as one who pervades the illusory names and forms, he will not be attached to anything in the world whether it is a being or any non-living item. He will always be immersed in the ultimate reality of Lord - seeing the Lord in everything and offering all actions unto the Lord.
Bharatha here lacked the ultimate reality as he was ever engrossed in the form of Vishnu as the reality. He thus didn’t know that the Lord who has created all the things in the world can and will take of his illusory creations. The computer company which makes computers takes care of its computers - if normal beings are doing so much, what to speak about all-knowing Lord who has created the world out of himself. Thus we need to constantly remember that the Lord is looking after all the things in the world – nothing is in the hands of the seeker, everything is disposed by the Lord alone. The famous saying of "Man proposes, God alone disposes" becomes meaningful here. This is the reason why the country which almost ruled the entire world couldn’t stop militants from rampaging their buildings. It is wrong in the part of a seeker to think that he can take care of the world. Firs thing is – the world which the seeker is claiming or planning to take care is an illusory one. This is like taking care of the dream world and its objects which are so temporary that they will vanish the very next moment. Similar is the case with the waking world too. We see a person today and the next moment he dies. This is the case of things in the illusory world. Thus how much can a person take care of the illusory things in the world – it is foolish enough to even think about such an alternative. Second thing is the Lord who has created this illusory world can very well take care of his creations. If a person says that "there is no body to take care of things & I have to do my duty", it is but questioning the capabilities of the all-pervading and all-knowing Lord. There is nothing foolish than this. All these thoughts arise due to lack of real knowledge about the Lord and the creations of the world. Lord Krishna clearly says in Bhagavad Gita that the duty of a person in the world is to realize his own very nature of Lord – there is no duty whatsoever other than this. All other activities, rituals, bhajans, chanting etc. are only meant to lead the seeker to realization of his own very nature of Self or Consciousness. Instead the seeker clings on to duty of looking after illusory things in the world – he is neither able to look after his so-called duty properly because the things which are taken care by him will surely vanish & are beyond his control – nor is he able to contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord offering all work unto the Lord as a pooja thus not progressing towards the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord.
Bharatha thus indirectly questioned the capability of the Lord as well as forgot to remember the ultimate reality that all things are mere illusions – that there is neither the deer nor water nor he – whatever exists is only the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord.
Thus Bhagavatham is indirectly telling to each one of us not to commit the mistake that he committed. Bharatha could have just left the deer there praying to the Lord to take care of the deer. It may be questioned here that "isn’t it a crime to ignore the deer?" – it is a crime to look after the deer thinking that there is nobody to look after it. It is but ignorance about the capability of the all-pervading Lord that such questions/ideas creep in. A seeker should always offer all work unto the Lord. If Bharatha had taken care of the deer saying that the Lord has given me an opportunity to do something and offering the work unto the Lord (at the same time, remembering that everything is illusory), there would have been no problem at all. There are only two alternatives to the real seeker when such a situation comes. He has to see whether he can take care of the deer alongside remembering the ultimate reality of Lord - if yes, he can take care of the deer. Else, he can just offer prayers to the Lord and go his way. There is no fault in the second way also because everything is but an illusion. And whatever a person does is by the will of the Lord alone as the famous sloka says "Karomi yad yad sakalam parasmai naaraayanaayethi samarpayaami" – whatever I do is offered to the Lord.
We will see the next day as to what happened to Bharatha as a result of this particular activity of taking care of the deer.
Explanation
We have come to the end of the 4th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatham. We are now entering into the 5th Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatham.
One of the descendents of Swayambhuva Manu was Priyavrata. Maharaja Priyavrata was pious and devoted to the Lord. He thus attained liberation at the end of his life always contemplating on the ultimate reality of Lord. Priyavrata had a son by name Agnidhra. Agnidhra had a son by name Nabhi. Nabhi and his wife Merudevi by the grace of the Lord got a son called Rishabhadeva. Rishabhadeva was as if Lord Vishnu has come to the earth. Rishabhadeva had a son by name Bharatha who ruled the Earth after his father. Bharatha was very pious and devoted to the Lord.
It is the story of this Bharatha as well as to how he attains liberation after 3 births that we are going to discuss in the coming days. As part of this story comes the beautiful discourse between Bharatha and King Rahugana which is full of knowledge & directly leads a seeker to the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord.
This story of Bharatha is very important for a seeker as it shows different facets to the path of realization. This story tells us as to that whatever we do without remembering the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord, will be of no use & will become bondage in itself. As Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita "Do all actions remembering me", similarly we have to remember the ultimate reality that there is nothing here but the Lord alone. The moment we forget this reality, we enter into an illusory world. This illusion leads us to nowhere but sorrow. The water seen in desert leads us to sorrow alone as we will be running after the water & will become sad when we don't get it. This is what happens when we forget the ultimate reality of Lord behind the illusory things in the world. Even if it is worshipping of Vishnu or Siva, visiting temples, meditating or learning the scriptures -- if it is not associated with the remembrance of the ultimate reality of Lord, it is going to lead us to sorrow alone. This is not a mere statement but that which has been experiened by people, put forth in various scriptures as well as experienced by each one of us in our daily life. It doesn't matter what we are doing but it really matters whether we are contemplating on the reality or not. The ultimate reality is ONE alone -- that alone exists. The duality that we are currently perceiving is only an illusion in the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute. We all are the reality only -- there is nothing but the reality alone. We have to constantly remember this & offer all our actions unto the reality or Lord. When we offer our actions unto the Lord, the actions become offerings & selfless service. Thus we will not be affected by the fruits of the action as well as the way in which the action occurs. We will always be unaffected by the actions & contemplating on the reality behind the actions. The more and more a person contemplates on the ultimate reality of Lord, the more happiness he gets - the more bliss becomes permanent and continuous. We all are searching for happiness in the world. All activities are towards happiness, contentment, peace and satisfaction. All these are put into a single term BLISS by Vedanta. Bliss or ANANDA is that which is POORNA or complete and eternal. Bliss can be achieved only by knowing the underlying non-dual reality behind the illusory dual world. The world is nothing but names and forms of the ultimate reality. As we have already previously discussed that names and forms are never the reality - they are mere illusions in the ultimate reality of Lord.
It may be doubted that "If I do bad actions, won't I go to hell & suffer?". But this doubt is invalid and illogical. Aren't we all suffering here itself? This is the reason why Vedanta says that hell and heaven are here itself - in the mind of the seeker. There is neither hell nor heaven really but it is the perception of the seeker which makes him feel as if he is in hell or heaven. Any action is caused out of desire to improve, desire to become perfect. It is ignorance which causes a seeker to think that he is imperfect & thereby desire to become perfect. We all are nothing but the ultimate reality of Lord who is ever perfect. It is but ignorance of our own very nature of Lord that causes us to desire & these desires are further converted to actions. Thus action in itself is bad only as it takes a person away from his natural state of eternal bliss. Lord Krishna says in Gita that it doesn't matter what actions a person is doing, but it matters with what thought he is doing it. That person who is doing the worst action but remembering the ultimate reality of Lord, is but a devotee and saint of the Lord. Thus it doesn't really matter where we are or what we are doing but what matters is whether we are remembering the ultimate reality of Lord. It doesn't take any effort at all to remember the Lord and do actions offering them to the Lord. Let it be while cooking or driving or working in office, remembering the Lord & offering the work to the Lord is very easy. It might seem to be tough in the beginning but by practice it will become natural.
If a lover can always think about his/her love while doing any action, then why can't a seeker remember the ultimate reality behind the illusory world while doing actions??? This is the only way to eternal bliss. Thus if a person really wants to rejoice in the eternal bliss inherent in the Self, then he has to always remember the ultimate reality of Lord and that he is nothing but the Lord alone, one without a second.
This story of Bharatha beautifully brings out the importance of contemplation of the Lord while doing any action & condemning any action (whether it be worldly or spiritual) which is not associated with constant remembrance of the Lord. There are many other concepts useful for the seeker which is brought out in this story. We will continue tomorrow analyzing the story and its importance/application to a seeker.
Let us all try to always contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord while doing any actions so that we may realize our own very nature of the Lord thereby rejoicing in eternal bliss - that which is being sought out each and every minute.
Bharatha when instructed by his father started ruling over the surface of Earth. He married a princess and begot five children by her. He ruled the kingdom in a righteous way. He was also very pious and always prayed to the Lord as he was devoted to the Lord.
Thus he ruled for many years and at last when it was time for him to take resort to vaanaprastha, he left the kingdom under his children and started staying in an ashram penancing on the Lord, spending the complete time on contemplation of the Lord.
Explanation
Bharatha even though was very pious and devoted to the Lord, failed to understand the ultimate reality completely. The ultimate reality of Lord or Brahman as propounded by the Upanishads is devoid of any form. Anything which has a form is subject to change and hence will die off one day or the other. Even devas are not excluded from this law. The same is the case with Vishnu also. Until a person completely understands the underlying ultimate reality of formless Lord, he is prone to get attached to a particular form. Getting attached to the form of Vishnu or Siva is not much different from getting attached to a woman/man. The only difference is that when a person contemplates on the form of Vishnu, he might end up in Vaikunta & after enjoying his stay there, he will return back to Earth. This journey will continue until a person realizes the underlying formless, attributes reality behind all names and forms in the world.
We see from the story of Jaya and Vijaya who were guards to Vaikunta that nothing is permanent in the world except the ultimate reality of all-pervading non-dual Consciousness. Jaya and Vijaya under the curse of a sage had to come to Earth taking three demon births. It was only after they realized the reality behind the various forms through the Lord himself, that they realized their own very nature of eternal Lord.
Thus a seeker should always remember that the ultimate reality of Lord is beyond all forms -- it is formless because it pervades and is beyond all forms. The word Vishnu means one who is all-pervasive like ether. An all-pervasive entity cannot be contained into a form because a form limits an entity in space. Thus Vishnu is the formless reality of Brahman and not the four-handed husband of Lakshmi. Siva means one who is auspicious. Auspiciousness means that which gives happiness and peace. The only entity which can give eternal bliss and peace is Brahman or Consciousness. This ultimate reality of Brahman is indicated by the word Siva and not the bhasma dhaari Siva.
It really doesn't matter where a person is but the attitude is what matters. We find in the story of King Ambariksha, Janaka and others how even though being involved completely in the worldly pleasures, they were still immersed in the ultimate reality of Brahman or Consciousness.
IF a person doesn't realize and take into consideration the underlying ultimate reality of Consciousness beyond all names and forms, there is no use praying to any form lord or being. The Lord himself is the slave of he who has realized the ultimate reality of Brahman. The form of Vishnu could not help durvasa from the sudharshana chakra but Ambariksha could help out. The form of Sri Krishna could not save himself nor his clan from destruction. But the important point is that Lord Krishna was always immersed in the reality & never affected by worldly situations and conditions. He was always smiling and gave instructions to Arjuna and Uddhava in the Bhagavad Gita and Uddhava Gita respectively.
Thus we have to constantly remember that it doesn't matter what we are doing but what is important is constant contemplation and remembrance of the ultimate reality that there is only one entity here called Consciousness or Lord & other all things are mere illusions in the ultimate reality. When this is remembered and actions are offered to this Lord, every action becomes a pooja or offering. The action even though might be bad (like the case of butcher Dharmavyaadha in Mahabharatha who was a realized being even though he used to do action against vedas) but still if it is done remembering the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord in mind, then such an action becomes good and not binding.
Bharatha was attached to the form of Vishnu without really knowing the underlying formless non-dual reality of Brahman -- thus he was affected by actions which we will be seeing in the coming days.
The most important point we get from this part of the story is that any action leads to liberation only when it is associated with the knowledge of the ultimate reality of non-dual Brahman or Consciousness or Lord.
We will continue with the story in the next day.
Let us all try to contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord beyond all names and forms thereby making all actions lead to liberation & letting us rejoice in the eternal bliss inherent in the Lord who is none other than our own very Self.
Bharatha thus used to stay in ashram doing ritualistic activities and fixing his mind constantly on the form of Vishnu. One day as usual he had his bath in the nearby river and sat at the bank of the river. At that time, he saw a doe (deer female) was driven to the river because of thirst. It was pregnant. At that time, it heard the roar of a lion. The doe was terrified and jumped over the river. Since it was pregnant, the child came out of its womb and it fell dead because of the jumping. Thus the small deer was floating in the river. It came near by to where Bharatha was sitting. Seeing the deer kid, Bharatha, thinking that it had none other than him to take care of, took it to his ashram.
Explanation
We come to a really beautiful part of the story conveying a very important point to be implemented by each one of us in our lives. Bharatha was a devotee of the Lord but he failed to grasp the underlying reality in the illusory names and forms of the world. We have to constantly remember that the very moment we forget the ultimate reality of Lord underlying all existences, we enter into the illusory names and forms. Names and forms are never real but they are mere illusions in the reality of Brahman.Names and forms can give only sorrow in the long run because they are mere illusions. As the water seen in desert can never give happiness but it will only give sorrow when the person runs behind it, similarly the various names and forms that we perceive in the world will lead to sorrow only.
If a person doesn't recognize the ultimate reality of Lord who is all-pervasive and who gives existence to all names and forms that we perceive, then he is taken to believe that the names and forms are real. He is a fool who doesn't recognize the illusory nature of names and forms. The objects that we perceive in the waking state are like the objects we perceive in dream -- they are mere illusions and seem to exist but never really exist. A person has to use his intellect & interpret scriptures properly to understand that the names and forms which we currently perceive as objects are illusions because they have no existence of their own apart from the ultimate reality of Consciousness. If there is no Consciousness, there is nothing at all. It would be funny to imagine Vishnu or Siva without Consciousness. It is Consciousness termed as Brahman or Lord in upanishads and puranas which is the underlying reality behind any forms whether it be just a jar or Vishnu or Siva.
Thus using logic and knowing that everything is but the Lord alone - whatever is perceived is only the Lord -- the names and forms are not real but mere illusions in the reality of Lord, a person has to contemplate on the reality of Lord at all points of time. This alone will remove ignorance of one's own very nature of Lord. The Consciousness underlying Vishnu and underlying each one of us is the same. This formless Consciousness is what is called as Lord or Brahman. We all are that only - the seeming difference is only due to ignornace. It is very evident by analysis of the state of deep sleep where there is nothing but Consciousness alone & hence a person rejoices bliss throughout that state. We have to similarly constantly remember that everything is Brahman or Lord alone. Remembering this reality, we have to offer all work unto the Lord. Offering work unto Lord, doing pooja etc. is nothing but constant remembrance of the Lord. If constant remembrance of the Lord is not there, then the various physical and mental poojaas are of no use as they will lead to more problems only.
We find here that Bharatha didn't really understand the underlying reality of all names and forms. Thus when a person doesn’t realize the underlying reality of Brahman or Lord amidst the illusory names and forms, he falls into the illusory world. Thus such a person gets the various thoughts like "how can I help the world? What will people in the world do if I am not there?" etc. These are thoughts which shouldn’t come for a seeker - these are obstacles to the spiritual path as in the case of Bharatha which we will be seeing in the coming days. When a seeker knows the ultimate reality of Lord as one who pervades the illusory names and forms, he will not be attached to anything in the world whether it is a being or any non-living item. He will always be immersed in the ultimate reality of Lord - seeing the Lord in everything and offering all actions unto the Lord.
Bharatha here lacked the ultimate reality as he was ever engrossed in the form of Vishnu as the reality. He thus didn’t know that the Lord who has created all the things in the world can and will take of his illusory creations. The computer company which makes computers takes care of its computers - if normal beings are doing so much, what to speak about all-knowing Lord who has created the world out of himself. Thus we need to constantly remember that the Lord is looking after all the things in the world – nothing is in the hands of the seeker, everything is disposed by the Lord alone. The famous saying of "Man proposes, God alone disposes" becomes meaningful here. This is the reason why the country which almost ruled the entire world couldn’t stop militants from rampaging their buildings. It is wrong in the part of a seeker to think that he can take care of the world. Firs thing is – the world which the seeker is claiming or planning to take care is an illusory one. This is like taking care of the dream world and its objects which are so temporary that they will vanish the very next moment. Similar is the case with the waking world too. We see a person today and the next moment he dies. This is the case of things in the illusory world. Thus how much can a person take care of the illusory things in the world – it is foolish enough to even think about such an alternative. Second thing is the Lord who has created this illusory world can very well take care of his creations. If a person says that "there is no body to take care of things & I have to do my duty", it is but questioning the capabilities of the all-pervading and all-knowing Lord. There is nothing foolish than this. All these thoughts arise due to lack of real knowledge about the Lord and the creations of the world. Lord Krishna clearly says in Bhagavad Gita that the duty of a person in the world is to realize his own very nature of Lord – there is no duty whatsoever other than this. All other activities, rituals, bhajans, chanting etc. are only meant to lead the seeker to realization of his own very nature of Self or Consciousness. Instead the seeker clings on to duty of looking after illusory things in the world – he is neither able to look after his so-called duty properly because the things which are taken care by him will surely vanish & are beyond his control – nor is he able to contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord offering all work unto the Lord as a pooja thus not progressing towards the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord.
Bharatha thus indirectly questioned the capability of the Lord as well as forgot to remember the ultimate reality that all things are mere illusions – that there is neither the deer nor water nor he – whatever exists is only the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord.
Thus Bhagavatham is indirectly telling to each one of us not to commit the mistake that he committed. Bharatha could have just left the deer there praying to the Lord to take care of the deer. It may be questioned here that "isn’t it a crime to ignore the deer?" – it is a crime to look after the deer thinking that there is nobody to look after it. It is but ignorance about the capability of the all-pervading Lord that such questions/ideas creep in. A seeker should always offer all work unto the Lord. If Bharatha had taken care of the deer saying that the Lord has given me an opportunity to do something and offering the work unto the Lord (at the same time, remembering that everything is illusory), there would have been no problem at all. There are only two alternatives to the real seeker when such a situation comes. He has to see whether he can take care of the deer alongside remembering the ultimate reality of Lord - if yes, he can take care of the deer. Else, he can just offer prayers to the Lord and go his way. There is no fault in the second way also because everything is but an illusion. And whatever a person does is by the will of the Lord alone as the famous sloka says "Karomi yad yad sakalam parasmai naaraayanaayethi samarpayaami" – whatever I do is offered to the Lord.
We will see the next day as to what happened to Bharatha as a result of this particular activity of taking care of the deer.
Monday, April 03, 2006
Story 31 - Story of King Puranjana – 4
King Puranjana thus was born as a woman and got married to a king. Once her husband died & she was very sad on the same. She started lamenting on the same. At that time, a Brahmana came to her (Brahmana was an eternal friend of King Puranjana) and started telling thus:
Who are you? Whose wife or daughter are you? Who is the man lying here? It appears you are lamenting for this dead body. Don't you recognize Me? I am your eternal friend. You may remember that many times in the past you have consulted Me.
My dear friend, even though you cannot immediately recognize Me, can't you remember that in the past you had a very intimate friend? Unfortunately, you gave up My company and accepted a position as enjoyer of this material world.
My dear gentle friend, both you and I are exactly like two swans. We live together in the same heart, which is just like the Maanasa Lake. Although we have been living together for many thousands of years, we are still far away from our original home .
My dear friend, you are now My very same friend. Since you left Me, you have become more and more materialistic, and not seeing Me, you have been traveling in different forms throughout this material world, which was created by some woman.
In that city [the material body] there are five gardens, nine gates, one protector, three apartments, six families, five stores, five material elements, and one woman who is lord of the house.My dear friend, the five gardens are the five objects of sense enjoyment, and the protector is the life air, which passes through the nine gates. The three apartments are the chief ingredients — fire, water and earth. The six families are the aggregate total of the mind and five senses. The five stores are the five working sensory organs. They transact their business through the combined forces of the five elements, which are eternal. Behind all this activity is the soul. The soul is a person and an enjoyer in reality. However, because he is now hidden within the city of the body, he is devoid of knowledge. My dear friend, when you enter such a body along with the woman of material desires, you become overly absorbed in sense enjoyment. Because of this, you have forgotten your spiritual life. Due to your material conceptions, you are placed in various miserable conditions.
Actually, you are not the daughter of Vidarbha, nor is this man, Malayadhvaja, your well-wishing husband. Nor were you the actual husband of Purañjanī. You were simply captivated in this body of nine gates. Sometimes you think yourself a man, sometimes a chaste woman and sometimes a neutral eunuch. This is all because of the body, which is created by the illusory energy. This illusory energy is My potency, and actually both of us — you and I — are one and the same. Now just try to understand this. I am trying to explain our factual position.
Narada thus concluded: My dear King Prācīnabarhi, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes, is celebrated to be known directly as one’s own very nature. Thus I have described the story of Purañjana to you. Actually it is an instruction for self-realization.
Explanation:
We come to the end of the story of Puranjana. We will try to see a summary of the story tomorrow but today we will try to see the main import of this story. The reality behind the apparent and illusory world is called Brahman or Lord of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute. There is nothing apart from Brahman which is one without a second. Whatever is present, whatever was present & whatever will be seen is nothing but Brahman alone. The world is just names and forms in the ultimate reality of Lord. Names and forms are mere illusions in the reality. As there is nothing but Brahman alone, therefore we are all Brahman. If that is the case, why am I not rejoicing in bliss which is my very nature? This is what Vedanta calls as avidya or ignorance. Somehow, ignorance creeped in & "I" forgot my own very nature of Brahman. The question as to "where is ignorance, how it came" etc. are invalid and futile because a person never analyzes the cause of his ignorance of a subject but just tries to remove the ignorance by getting knowledge about the subject. Thus instead of analyzing into the illusory ignorance, a seeker has to seek out the ultimate reality behind the illusory world which seems to be veiled by ignorance but is never veiled at all. This ignorance is removed by knowing one's very nature of Self distinct from the body, mind etc. "I" am not the body or mind but am different from all of these & am the changeless entity behind the changing things in the world. I am the mere witness to the various changes & thus am ever blissful in nature. Whatever exists here is only the Self - nothing but the Self alone, one without a second. Duality perceived is only an illusion in the ultimate reality of non-dual Lord or Brahman or Self. Puranjana when he forgot his nature of Self got entangled in the illusory pleasures of the world. Thus he had to suffer from the illusory things in the world - also he got entangled in the vicious circle of birth and death. This is what happens when a person forgets his very nature of Self and indulges in the illusory sensual pleasures. A real seeker has to distinguish his very nature of ultimate reality from the illusory world & thereby realize his own very nature of eternal bliss unaffected by illusory activities in the world.
We will try to analyze more on this the next day by concluding the import of the story which is a very important one to all seekers.
PS: Due to some problems, the postings have not been there daily since the past two weeks. This will continue in the coming weeks too. Will try my level best to have daily one posting but if in case it is not possible, please pardon the same. I regret for the inconvenience caused.
We have come to the end of the story of king puranjana. As discussed in the previous mail, the ultimate reality behind the illusory world is called Brahman or Lord or Consciousness, one without a second. This reality is the very nature of each and every person in the world. It is when we forget our own very nature of Self which is bliss in nature that we have to face sorrows and sufferings. This forgetfulness of the Self is called ignorance or avidya. When a person forgets his own very nature, he automatically considers himself as something else. This is called superimposition of the not-real on the real. This is what Vedanta calls adhyaasa or superimposition. Thus when a seeker forgets that he is the Self, he considers the body, the mind etc. as the Self. Since he considers himself as the body, the problems of the body becomes his problems - the sorrows of the body becomes his sorrows. Thus he suffers like anything even though he is different from the body & the body is just like a house where a person lives. Once the house becomes worn out, the person leaves that house & gets a new one -- all the while knowing that he is not the house but different from the house. Instead of this, the seeker thinks the troubles of the body as his & thereby starts sufferings & search for happiness.
Happiness can be achieved only by realizing one's own very nature of Lord or Self. As Sankara mentions in many places, that happiness which is not inherent in the seeker or is not the very nature of the seeker is temporary & will vanish any moment. That which is attained will definitely be lost. If a person argues that the wife or lover who he has will stay forever, he is wrong because that "love" ends when he leaves the body or the state of death is achieved. Thus anything that is gained is lost also. Thus if happiness is something gained by doing various sadhanas or by going to different places, such happiness will surely vanish one day or the other. Such temporary happiness can never satisfy a person as a seeker seeks eternal happiness (that which lasts forever). This happiness if it has to be eternal has to be the very nature of every being.
Thus we have to conclude that happiness is the very nature of all beings -- this happiness is what a person enjoys during deep sleep when the ignorance about one's own nature & the illusory duality temporarily merges into the Self. Thus when a seeker realizes his own very nature of eternal bliss, he never again suffers because he has realizes the non-dual reality behind the illusory world which is similar to the dream world we very often experience.
Puranjana is in reality the Self only. When the Self resides in the body or seems to reside in the illusory body, it is called Puranjana. This Self forgets its own very nature due to ignorance & thus identifies itself with the body, mind etc. Thus Puranjana even though is pure & blissful, considers himself as suffering and enjoying. He thus becomes a victim of action-reaction, birth-death, enjoyment-sorrow etc. So long as there is ignorance about one's own very nature of Lord or Consciousness, there will be sorrows and sufferings. We see this in our daily lives itself. The only person who is ever happy is the person who knows his very nature of non-dual Lord or Self. Thus Puranjana due to ignorance seems to be suffering and enjoying. He seems to be enjoying because of some of his good deeds. But all of a sudden, time overpowers him (him here means the body and as Puranjana is identified with the body, body is called as him), he suffers like anything. He thus is churned in the ocean of samsaara filled with birth & death based on the chain of actions & reactions. This suffering ends only when the seeker realizes his own very nature of eternal bliss.
When the seeker realizes his nature of Self as distinct from the illusory body, mind etc. he realizes that he is the witness to all the illusory activities. Thus he realizes that he never was sad & never will be sad. He realizes that there is neither birth nor death for him. This is what the Brahmana advised Puranjana that "you are neither the wife of a king nor the king Puranjana". This reality that "I am the non-dual Lord" is very tough indeed to apprehend and assimilate but this is the reality beyond doubt. This non-dual reality that "I am bliss in nature" is experienced by every person in deep sleep but at that time, he doesn't know that experience or he is not aware of the experience. But the moment the seeker becomes aware of his nature of eternal bliss, he doesn't suffer at all because there is nothing apart from himself. The Lord who was being sought by the devotee, the sensual objects sought by a worldly person and the happiness sought by a seeker are all nothing but one's own very nature itself --- there is nothing apart from the Self. There is no Lord different from the Self -- it is only due to ignorance that a person sees himself different from the Lord. When knowledge dawns, he realizes that he himself is the Lord-- there is no Lord apart from himself. He also realizes that there is only the Self & nothing else -- whatever duality is perceived is only an illusion in the ultimate reality of Self like the dream world (which in fact is nothing but the dreamer alone).
The only sadhana for realizing one's own very nature of Lord is constant contemplation of the reality that "I am the Self, one with the Lord & distinct from illusory body and mind". There is nothing else required --- constant contemplation itself will lead to removal of ignorance & thereby a seeker will rejoice in eternal bliss which is his very nature itself.
A recap into the ultimate reality
We have been learning the various stories of Srimad Bhagavatham till now. Let us just do a quick recap about the ultimate reality – that reality which we are trying to understand with the help of the various stories of Srimad Bhagavatham.
The reality behind the world that we perceive is termed as Brahman, Lord, Self or God. This is nothing but one’s own very nature of Consciousness. It is this Consciousness that alone exists. Whatever is perceived temporarily and whatever is seen as existing is nothing but illusions in the reality of Consciousness.
The world that we see currently is only an illusion because it is always changing. Any changing entity has a beginning & an end. That which has a beginning and an end never really exists but just seems to exist. Dream, water seen in desert etc. are examples of such illusions which seem to exist but never really exist. That which is changing needs to have a changeless substratum even as a variable (which is ever changing) requires a changeless constant as its substratum. A mathematician clearly knows that there is nothing called variable but just constants alone exist. A variable is just an illusion in a constant – it is just a name and value of the constant. As gold chain, gold necklace, gold ring etc. are all mere names and forms of Gold, similarly the world of names and forms is nothing but Consciousness or Lord alone. Names and forms don’t have any reality at all – there are seemingly appearing illusions in the non-dual reality of Lord.
When a seeker realizes that there is nothing here but the Lord alone, the sorrows and sufferings arising out of likes & dislikes to the objects of the illusory world vanish. The Lord or the ultimate reality is not an insentient entity but it is a pulsating entity of Consciousness. It is not sorrow in nature but blissful in nature. This bliss of the Lord is what we all enjoy during deep sleep when we are sleeping but yet not dreaming. In that state, the duality or names and forms just merge into the reality & the reality alone exists as one without a second. Thus this ultimate reality which is the Lord is blissful in nature. This reality is not different from each one of us because there is nothing here but the Lord alone. Thus “I”, “YOU” and everyone are nothing but the Lord alone. But when we forget this reality about one’s own very nature of Lord, we enter into the world of illusion & consider the names-forms which we perceive as real. We forget to go beyond the names and forms to the underlying reality of Consciousness or Lord. That Consciousness alone exists is known through the logic of anvaya-vyatireka (co-existence and co-absence).
The anvaya yukti says that “If consciousness is there, the world of names and forms is there”. Vyatireka yukthi says that “If Consciousness is not there, the world of names and forms are not there”. This clearly shows that Consciousness is independent & names-forms are dependent on Consciousness. Any dependent entity is only an illusion in the independent entity. Thus whatever exists is only the Lord, one without a second. When we realize this through knowledge about one’s own very nature from the scriptures and Guru, we overcome the illusory ignorance about one’s own very nature of the ultimate reality of Lord.
When we realize that there is only Lord & “I am that Lord”, there is neither sorrow nor suffering. There is no thirst or struggle for happiness as there is only happiness. Knowing one’s own very nature of Lord is the one and only way to get eternal bliss which we are seeking each and every moment. Each and every person is seeking happiness which is ever-lasting but still we are searching in the illusory names and forms. This is as if trying to save money in dream – this is temporary & will not last long. When the names and forms themselves are temporary, how can they give eternal bliss? But when a person contemplates on the ultimate reality of Lord as one’s own very nature, he gets eternal bliss – that which is being sought out.
The very aim of studying the stories of Bhagavatham is not just learning stories but it is to understand the underlying reality of Lord through various stories depicting the ways, dos-don’ts to the ultimate reality. Let us continue our journey of learning about the reality & realizing our own nature of the reality through the stories but without forgetting the underlying ultimate reality of non-dual Brahman or Lord of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute, one without a second.
Who are you? Whose wife or daughter are you? Who is the man lying here? It appears you are lamenting for this dead body. Don't you recognize Me? I am your eternal friend. You may remember that many times in the past you have consulted Me.
My dear friend, even though you cannot immediately recognize Me, can't you remember that in the past you had a very intimate friend? Unfortunately, you gave up My company and accepted a position as enjoyer of this material world.
My dear gentle friend, both you and I are exactly like two swans. We live together in the same heart, which is just like the Maanasa Lake. Although we have been living together for many thousands of years, we are still far away from our original home .
My dear friend, you are now My very same friend. Since you left Me, you have become more and more materialistic, and not seeing Me, you have been traveling in different forms throughout this material world, which was created by some woman.
In that city [the material body] there are five gardens, nine gates, one protector, three apartments, six families, five stores, five material elements, and one woman who is lord of the house.My dear friend, the five gardens are the five objects of sense enjoyment, and the protector is the life air, which passes through the nine gates. The three apartments are the chief ingredients — fire, water and earth. The six families are the aggregate total of the mind and five senses. The five stores are the five working sensory organs. They transact their business through the combined forces of the five elements, which are eternal. Behind all this activity is the soul. The soul is a person and an enjoyer in reality. However, because he is now hidden within the city of the body, he is devoid of knowledge. My dear friend, when you enter such a body along with the woman of material desires, you become overly absorbed in sense enjoyment. Because of this, you have forgotten your spiritual life. Due to your material conceptions, you are placed in various miserable conditions.
Actually, you are not the daughter of Vidarbha, nor is this man, Malayadhvaja, your well-wishing husband. Nor were you the actual husband of Purañjanī. You were simply captivated in this body of nine gates. Sometimes you think yourself a man, sometimes a chaste woman and sometimes a neutral eunuch. This is all because of the body, which is created by the illusory energy. This illusory energy is My potency, and actually both of us — you and I — are one and the same. Now just try to understand this. I am trying to explain our factual position.
Narada thus concluded: My dear King Prācīnabarhi, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes, is celebrated to be known directly as one’s own very nature. Thus I have described the story of Purañjana to you. Actually it is an instruction for self-realization.
Explanation:
We come to the end of the story of Puranjana. We will try to see a summary of the story tomorrow but today we will try to see the main import of this story. The reality behind the apparent and illusory world is called Brahman or Lord of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute. There is nothing apart from Brahman which is one without a second. Whatever is present, whatever was present & whatever will be seen is nothing but Brahman alone. The world is just names and forms in the ultimate reality of Lord. Names and forms are mere illusions in the reality. As there is nothing but Brahman alone, therefore we are all Brahman. If that is the case, why am I not rejoicing in bliss which is my very nature? This is what Vedanta calls as avidya or ignorance. Somehow, ignorance creeped in & "I" forgot my own very nature of Brahman. The question as to "where is ignorance, how it came" etc. are invalid and futile because a person never analyzes the cause of his ignorance of a subject but just tries to remove the ignorance by getting knowledge about the subject. Thus instead of analyzing into the illusory ignorance, a seeker has to seek out the ultimate reality behind the illusory world which seems to be veiled by ignorance but is never veiled at all. This ignorance is removed by knowing one's very nature of Self distinct from the body, mind etc. "I" am not the body or mind but am different from all of these & am the changeless entity behind the changing things in the world. I am the mere witness to the various changes & thus am ever blissful in nature. Whatever exists here is only the Self - nothing but the Self alone, one without a second. Duality perceived is only an illusion in the ultimate reality of non-dual Lord or Brahman or Self. Puranjana when he forgot his nature of Self got entangled in the illusory pleasures of the world. Thus he had to suffer from the illusory things in the world - also he got entangled in the vicious circle of birth and death. This is what happens when a person forgets his very nature of Self and indulges in the illusory sensual pleasures. A real seeker has to distinguish his very nature of ultimate reality from the illusory world & thereby realize his own very nature of eternal bliss unaffected by illusory activities in the world.
We will try to analyze more on this the next day by concluding the import of the story which is a very important one to all seekers.
PS: Due to some problems, the postings have not been there daily since the past two weeks. This will continue in the coming weeks too. Will try my level best to have daily one posting but if in case it is not possible, please pardon the same. I regret for the inconvenience caused.
We have come to the end of the story of king puranjana. As discussed in the previous mail, the ultimate reality behind the illusory world is called Brahman or Lord or Consciousness, one without a second. This reality is the very nature of each and every person in the world. It is when we forget our own very nature of Self which is bliss in nature that we have to face sorrows and sufferings. This forgetfulness of the Self is called ignorance or avidya. When a person forgets his own very nature, he automatically considers himself as something else. This is called superimposition of the not-real on the real. This is what Vedanta calls adhyaasa or superimposition. Thus when a seeker forgets that he is the Self, he considers the body, the mind etc. as the Self. Since he considers himself as the body, the problems of the body becomes his problems - the sorrows of the body becomes his sorrows. Thus he suffers like anything even though he is different from the body & the body is just like a house where a person lives. Once the house becomes worn out, the person leaves that house & gets a new one -- all the while knowing that he is not the house but different from the house. Instead of this, the seeker thinks the troubles of the body as his & thereby starts sufferings & search for happiness.
Happiness can be achieved only by realizing one's own very nature of Lord or Self. As Sankara mentions in many places, that happiness which is not inherent in the seeker or is not the very nature of the seeker is temporary & will vanish any moment. That which is attained will definitely be lost. If a person argues that the wife or lover who he has will stay forever, he is wrong because that "love" ends when he leaves the body or the state of death is achieved. Thus anything that is gained is lost also. Thus if happiness is something gained by doing various sadhanas or by going to different places, such happiness will surely vanish one day or the other. Such temporary happiness can never satisfy a person as a seeker seeks eternal happiness (that which lasts forever). This happiness if it has to be eternal has to be the very nature of every being.
Thus we have to conclude that happiness is the very nature of all beings -- this happiness is what a person enjoys during deep sleep when the ignorance about one's own nature & the illusory duality temporarily merges into the Self. Thus when a seeker realizes his own very nature of eternal bliss, he never again suffers because he has realizes the non-dual reality behind the illusory world which is similar to the dream world we very often experience.
Puranjana is in reality the Self only. When the Self resides in the body or seems to reside in the illusory body, it is called Puranjana. This Self forgets its own very nature due to ignorance & thus identifies itself with the body, mind etc. Thus Puranjana even though is pure & blissful, considers himself as suffering and enjoying. He thus becomes a victim of action-reaction, birth-death, enjoyment-sorrow etc. So long as there is ignorance about one's own very nature of Lord or Consciousness, there will be sorrows and sufferings. We see this in our daily lives itself. The only person who is ever happy is the person who knows his very nature of non-dual Lord or Self. Thus Puranjana due to ignorance seems to be suffering and enjoying. He seems to be enjoying because of some of his good deeds. But all of a sudden, time overpowers him (him here means the body and as Puranjana is identified with the body, body is called as him), he suffers like anything. He thus is churned in the ocean of samsaara filled with birth & death based on the chain of actions & reactions. This suffering ends only when the seeker realizes his own very nature of eternal bliss.
When the seeker realizes his nature of Self as distinct from the illusory body, mind etc. he realizes that he is the witness to all the illusory activities. Thus he realizes that he never was sad & never will be sad. He realizes that there is neither birth nor death for him. This is what the Brahmana advised Puranjana that "you are neither the wife of a king nor the king Puranjana". This reality that "I am the non-dual Lord" is very tough indeed to apprehend and assimilate but this is the reality beyond doubt. This non-dual reality that "I am bliss in nature" is experienced by every person in deep sleep but at that time, he doesn't know that experience or he is not aware of the experience. But the moment the seeker becomes aware of his nature of eternal bliss, he doesn't suffer at all because there is nothing apart from himself. The Lord who was being sought by the devotee, the sensual objects sought by a worldly person and the happiness sought by a seeker are all nothing but one's own very nature itself --- there is nothing apart from the Self. There is no Lord different from the Self -- it is only due to ignorance that a person sees himself different from the Lord. When knowledge dawns, he realizes that he himself is the Lord-- there is no Lord apart from himself. He also realizes that there is only the Self & nothing else -- whatever duality is perceived is only an illusion in the ultimate reality of Self like the dream world (which in fact is nothing but the dreamer alone).
The only sadhana for realizing one's own very nature of Lord is constant contemplation of the reality that "I am the Self, one with the Lord & distinct from illusory body and mind". There is nothing else required --- constant contemplation itself will lead to removal of ignorance & thereby a seeker will rejoice in eternal bliss which is his very nature itself.
A recap into the ultimate reality
We have been learning the various stories of Srimad Bhagavatham till now. Let us just do a quick recap about the ultimate reality – that reality which we are trying to understand with the help of the various stories of Srimad Bhagavatham.
The reality behind the world that we perceive is termed as Brahman, Lord, Self or God. This is nothing but one’s own very nature of Consciousness. It is this Consciousness that alone exists. Whatever is perceived temporarily and whatever is seen as existing is nothing but illusions in the reality of Consciousness.
The world that we see currently is only an illusion because it is always changing. Any changing entity has a beginning & an end. That which has a beginning and an end never really exists but just seems to exist. Dream, water seen in desert etc. are examples of such illusions which seem to exist but never really exist. That which is changing needs to have a changeless substratum even as a variable (which is ever changing) requires a changeless constant as its substratum. A mathematician clearly knows that there is nothing called variable but just constants alone exist. A variable is just an illusion in a constant – it is just a name and value of the constant. As gold chain, gold necklace, gold ring etc. are all mere names and forms of Gold, similarly the world of names and forms is nothing but Consciousness or Lord alone. Names and forms don’t have any reality at all – there are seemingly appearing illusions in the non-dual reality of Lord.
When a seeker realizes that there is nothing here but the Lord alone, the sorrows and sufferings arising out of likes & dislikes to the objects of the illusory world vanish. The Lord or the ultimate reality is not an insentient entity but it is a pulsating entity of Consciousness. It is not sorrow in nature but blissful in nature. This bliss of the Lord is what we all enjoy during deep sleep when we are sleeping but yet not dreaming. In that state, the duality or names and forms just merge into the reality & the reality alone exists as one without a second. Thus this ultimate reality which is the Lord is blissful in nature. This reality is not different from each one of us because there is nothing here but the Lord alone. Thus “I”, “YOU” and everyone are nothing but the Lord alone. But when we forget this reality about one’s own very nature of Lord, we enter into the world of illusion & consider the names-forms which we perceive as real. We forget to go beyond the names and forms to the underlying reality of Consciousness or Lord. That Consciousness alone exists is known through the logic of anvaya-vyatireka (co-existence and co-absence).
The anvaya yukti says that “If consciousness is there, the world of names and forms is there”. Vyatireka yukthi says that “If Consciousness is not there, the world of names and forms are not there”. This clearly shows that Consciousness is independent & names-forms are dependent on Consciousness. Any dependent entity is only an illusion in the independent entity. Thus whatever exists is only the Lord, one without a second. When we realize this through knowledge about one’s own very nature from the scriptures and Guru, we overcome the illusory ignorance about one’s own very nature of the ultimate reality of Lord.
When we realize that there is only Lord & “I am that Lord”, there is neither sorrow nor suffering. There is no thirst or struggle for happiness as there is only happiness. Knowing one’s own very nature of Lord is the one and only way to get eternal bliss which we are seeking each and every moment. Each and every person is seeking happiness which is ever-lasting but still we are searching in the illusory names and forms. This is as if trying to save money in dream – this is temporary & will not last long. When the names and forms themselves are temporary, how can they give eternal bliss? But when a person contemplates on the ultimate reality of Lord as one’s own very nature, he gets eternal bliss – that which is being sought out.
The very aim of studying the stories of Bhagavatham is not just learning stories but it is to understand the underlying reality of Lord through various stories depicting the ways, dos-don’ts to the ultimate reality. Let us continue our journey of learning about the reality & realizing our own nature of the reality through the stories but without forgetting the underlying ultimate reality of non-dual Brahman or Lord of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute, one without a second.
