Monday, July 31, 2006
Story 34 – Story of Vadha (killing) of Vritrasura – 6
Thus Vritra and India came face to face and started fighting. Indra cut one hand of Vritra & Vritra started fighting with the other hand. Vritra attacked Indra and the vajra fell off from Indra’s hands. Indra was not feeling like taking the vajra and killing Vritra.
Vritra said thus to Indra:
O Indra! There is no time to waste – take the vajra and kill me. Nobody wins or loses in war. Everything is under the control of the Lord alone. Therefore there is neither win nor loss, neither happiness nor sorrow – we have to see everything from this perspective and maintain an equanimity all the while we are performing actions.
Explanation
The ultimate reality behind the temporary and changing world is Lord of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute. The scriptures define the world and its objects as an illusion in the reality of Lord even as water is seen in desert and the dream world. Since the world and its objects are always changing, they cannot give eternal bliss to the seeker. Hence they are not to be sought out instead a seeker should seek the ultimate reality of Lord if he wants to have eternal bliss and complete cessation of sorrow.
Since the world is an illusion in the Lord, everything is under the control of the Lord even as the dream world is under the control of the dreamer alone. As the world is under the control of the Lord, there is nothing that a normal person can do about the worldly possessions. A seeker needs to realize this and understand that he needs to seek the reality of Lord – that by knowing which nothing remains to be known, that by attaining which nothing else remains to be attained. Thus Vritra says to Indra that victory-defeat, happiness-sorrow, cold-heat etc. all are dual perceptions as a result of the mind. We have to remember that everything is under the control of the Lord, the Lord who is our own very nature itself – knowing this we need to thus develop dispassion towards the worldly objects. The worldly objects are temporary and cannot give eternal bliss instead they are filled with sorrow alone. A person has to struggle a lot in getting the worldly objects (getting possession of the worldly objects). After possessing it, there is always the struggle to keep it in possession – moreover there are lot of problems arising out of thieves, jealous persons etc. for the worldly objects. Thereby the scriptures again and again proclaim that the sense objects of the world are filled with sorrow alone and wise people will never crave for it.
Dispassion is not mere detachment from sense objects but it is having an approach of detached attachment. There is attachment to worldly objects & hence nothing is renounced; but there is knowledge about the temporary and sorrowful nature of the objects therefore there is total detachment. Such a person thus will be able to renounce the world in one sec and the next sec will be able to gain possession of objects. This is what Vedanta calls as SAAKSHI BHAAVA or witness-hood.
We have to constantly develop the attitude of being mere witness to all activities even as Sun is a witness to all the activities on Earth. Even though a dog might bark at the sun, a murderer might murder another person, a Brahmin is offering salutations – still the Sun remains unperturbed. The Sun even though controlling the activities on Earth, still is unaffected by the activities. Similarly we have to become mere witness of all the activities that is happening around us. Only when we become a witness, we will be fully detached to the activities. When we are fully detached to activities, we are not affected by the activities – instead we will be able to fully contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord going beyond the body-mind-intellect complex.
Krishna explains this witness attitude of actions beautifully in many places of Gita
Brahmani aadhaaya karmaani sangam tyaktvaa dhananjayaa
Lipyathe na sa paapena padmapatramiva ambhasaaa
A person who offers all actions unto the reality of Lord and performing without any attachment, he is not afflicted by the fruits of the action (whether it be sins or sorrows or happiness and punya) even as the lotus leaf even though is in water is not wet by water.
Tyaktvaa karmaphalaasangam nityatripto niraasrayah
Karmani abhipravrittopi naiva kinchit karothi sah
One who has renounced all attachments to the action (doership, craving for fruits etc.) and is ever content & without getting attached to anything, even though he is always in the midst of actions still he never does any action.
How is it possible that Lord says that a person who does action still doesn’t do action???
Actions are dependent on the doer of Ego. When a person gets rid of the ego and remains as the Self by offering all actions unto the Lord and performing the actions without any craving for fruits, he is not the Ego but the Self. Though the Ego is still performing actions still he doesn’t do any action as the Self.
This is similar to the fact that in dream, a dreamer doesn’t do any action but still seems to be doing actions. Once the dreamer knows that he is not doing any action then he will find that there are actions going on but still he is not acting as he is the Self or Lord and not the doer of Ego. Since he is not the doer, therefore he is not at all affected by the activities – therefore ever remains blissful and content.
Indra having prostrated Vritra said thus:
“O Mahasiddha! You have attained that ultimate state attaining which there is nothing more to attain. There is neither birth nor death for you”.
After having said thus, Indra killed Vritra using the Vajraayudha and Vritra was ever established in the ultimate reality of Brahman.
Explanation
We come to the end of this beautiful story of Vritrasura. As mentioned in the beginning, Vadha doesn’t mean physical killing – vadha denotes killing of the sins that are present in the human being. As Ramana Maharshi says, we all have to kill the Ego in order to become immortal. The greatest sin in life is considering oneself as limited and in bondage. The ultimate reality is that we all are unlimited and ever liberated. Forgetting our own very nature of Lord of the nature of eternal bliss is SIN. Considering this, we all are sinning each and every moment in our lives.
This SIN of Vedanta is quite different from the SIN of Catholic or Christianity in general. The main difference lies in the fact that the sin in Vedanta is considering oneself as a sinner whereas in Christianity sin is permanent and can be removed only by the grace of the Lord. Vedanta goes one step beyond and says that there is no sin in human being as he is none other than the ultimate reality of Lord. Sin is just a concept in the mind – sins occur when the individual forgets his nature of Lord and thereby gets deluded into the illusory objects of the world. When a person forgets his nature, he becomes extroverted and starts seeking bliss and complete cessation of sorrow. Cessation of sorrow is nothing but getting rid of all sins which mentally bind a person as to the thoughts that “I did this wrong, I cheated, I killed etc”. But once a person comes to his own very nature of Lord, there is no sin at all. He then realizes that there never was any sin but the concept of sin itself was an illusion even as the dreamer didn’t do any sin in the dream world.
If we have to get rid of the sin, then we have to constantly seek the ultimate reality of Lord through the path of Vedantic sravana (listening to the scriptural teachings about the Lord), manana (reflecting on the teachings about the Lord) and nidhidhyaasana (contemplating on the ultimate reality of Lord). There is no other path to eternal state than this. The scriptures are unique on this.
Let us for a moment analyze as to why realization of one’s own very nature of Lord alone is the key to eternal state. If we consider ourselves as sinners, then sin becomes an essential nature – essential nature can never be removed or destroyed. If sins are destroyed by the grace of the Lord, then this means that sin was never part of the nature. In such a case, we have to accept that the sins are only illusory and seem to be present. But when the ultimate reality of Lord is sought out, sins are totally removed.
It isn’t possible to seek out somebody who is different from one’s own nature and become eternal. Eternal state is that state where there is no limited feeling. This unlimited state can only be there if the very nature of the individual is not different from the Lord. There can be no unlimited feeling if we consider the unlimited entity of Lord as different from ourselves. There can never be two unlimited entities – in such a case, both the entities will be the same itself. If we have to become eternal, we have to become unlimited. If we have to become unlimited, we should be of the nature of Lord alone.
Thus Vedanta says that we all are nothing but the ultimate reality of Lord alone. But somehow we forget our own very nature of Lord – there is no particular reason or cause for the same. When we seek the ultimate reality of Lord as our own very nature, then we realize our own very nature of Lord. Thus ends all search for infinite state, immortality, eternal bliss etc.
Therefore Vedanta says that search for the reality continues as long as the reality is not known. We all are currently searching in the external illusory world whereas the reality is inside as our own nature. Until we divert the search into our own nature, there will not be any end of the search. But once we divert the search, we slowly move towards the eternal bliss inherent in the Self. Thus when a person is progressing in the spiritual path, he can feel the bliss emanating – bliss which cannot be expressed but felt.
As the seeker progresses still further, there comes a time when he totally realizes his own very nature of Lord – after which there is no chance of getting deluded into the illusory objects – such a person then is always fixed in the ultimate reality of Lord even as Vritrasura was fixed.
Killing of Vritrasura in this story denotes killing of sins and the Ego. Only when the Ego is killed, the Self can be realized. It is the Ego that causes the mind to get diverted into the external world. Once Ego is killed through constant contemplation of the Lord, there will be nothing but the Lord alone. Vedanta calls this videhamukthi when all the adjuncts are completely destroyed and the seeker merges permanently into the ultimate reality of Lord. Vritrasura thus merged into the ultimate reality of Lord after getting rid of all adjuncts when Indra killed him.
Through this story, Bhagavatham points out to each one of us to kill the Ego and thereby merge into the ultimate reality of Lord. The way to kill the ego is by constant contemplation of the ultimate reality of Lord – remembering the Lord at all points of time.
We thus come to the end of this wonderful story of Bhagavatham. Remembering the attitude of constant contemplation of the reality of Lord as Vritrasura, let us continue with the next story from the next day.
Before getting into the next story, let us once again focus ourselves on the primary goal of learning the various stories in Srimad Bhagavatham.
Modern day HR personnels put forth the view that any person has two goals – a long term goal which never changes and a short term goal which always keeps changing. Vedanta goes beyond this and says that there are no “two” goals but only one goal. Any being whether it is a devata, kinnara, mriga or manushyaa has the same primary goal. The ancient seers spent sufficient time to analyze and found out this primary goal to be ETERNAL BLISS accompanied by complete cessation of sorrow. It is this goal towards which each and every person is traveling either knowingly or unknowingly. Even if we say that my long term goal is to become the president of US, still this goal of becoming the president is so that there will money, fame etc. which all finally boil down to ETERNAL BLISS. If there is no bliss, no satisfaction, no contentment then the search for the same continues. If happiness was in money, then BILL GATES would be the most happy person which we for sure know that is not right. If power was happiness, then George Bush would be the most happy person.
Thus happiness is not in money, fame, power etc. It is because of this reason that a person doesn’t get satisfied by becoming the president for 4-5 years but wants to retain that always --- there is no satisfaction or contentment even while he holds the position. This is because all that is present in the world is temporary and cannot give eternal bliss. It might seem to be giving happiness in the short tun but will give sorrow alone in the long run. Thus Krishna says in Gita that the wise don’t take resort to cravings for sense objects as they know it to be temporary and sorrowful.
Once a person knows the place where he can get eternal bliss, then all his efforts will be directed towards getting eternal bliss. It is but lack of knowledge of where eternal bliss is which causes a person to go behind the temporary sense objects in the world. Only fools will go behind that pleasure which is full sorrow. It may also happen that even though many know the place where there is permanent happiness, they still go behind the sensual pleasures. This is only due to either lack of conviction or being habituated to the same – this is what Vedanta calls as vasanas.
Coming back to the analysis as to where can we get eternal bliss, eternal bliss is achieved only in that which is eternal. There is only one thing in the entire world which is eternal & that is the Consciousness, one without a second. It is the same Consciousness called as Brahman or Lord which is present in each and every individual. It is this Consciousness which makes a person live and is the light of all lights. But for this Consciousness, there will no existence of oneself as well as external objects. This Consciousness is independent and ever exists without any changes --- the external world objects as well as the inner equipments like mind, intellect etc. also depend on the Consciousness for their existence. But in deep sleep (the state where there is no external object), Consciousness exists as bliss eternal.
We all are in fact the same Consciousness alone. Realization of our own very nature of Consciousness is the solution or way to eternal bliss. It is the one and only way to get eternal bliss. This is no way depends on any individual whether he be a Guru or a Mahatma or an Ajnaani – the criteria or prerequisite for this realization is the desire to realize and constant contemplation of the reality. Lord Krishna makes this very clear in Gita where the Lord says that a seeker saves himself. The change or realization has to happen in the individual and not from outside. There can be outside thrust but this is of no use if there is no inner desire to realize. The scriptures have been proclaiming about this reality from time immemorial – many Mahatmas and avataaras have been shouting at the top of their voice – but still we dont find everyone realized. This itself shows that realization is individual and has to happen from inside. The Guru is only a means to create the desire in the seeker to realize and push the seeker towards that direction.
When a person realizes his own very nature of Lord or Consciousness, then he rejoices in the eternal bliss inherent in his very nature – thereby ends all thirst for happiness. This doesn’t mean that such a person will not be doing actions but it only means that interanally he will be established in the reality whereas externally doing actions as if acting in a drama or a dream world. Thus nothing can disturb such a mukta or liberated person. He is ever blissful and his very presence is sufficient to give bliss to ardent seekers.
If everybody is the reality alone, then why do only some realize it and others not?
Vedanta attributes this to ignorance or ajnaana. Somehow we seem to have forgotten our own very nature of Consciousness as the thirst for happiness and experience of sorrow points out. Therefore some who have realized their nature by getting rid of ignorance are every blissful whereas others seem to be in ignorance.
This play of ignorance-knowledge, bondage-liberation itself is only an illusion or a dream. Once a person goes beyond this play by realizing his own very nature of Consciousness, he realizes that there never was any ignorance or bondage – and that there never was any knowledge or liberation – everything was a mere play in the ultimate reality of Consciousness.
As explained earlier, the way to realize the reality is by having the desire to realize and constant contemplation of the reality. We have to always keep the reality in mind & try to offer all actions unto the reality with the knowledge that everything is but the reality alone. When a seeker does thus, his mind becomes purified & ignorance veil slowly fades. When ignorance starts fading, the seeker can experience bliss at some times (called as trance state). Once the seeker continues the path ardently, ignorance totally vanishes & he realizes the ultimate reality of Consciousness, ever blissful.
There ends all search for happinesss – it is only by realization of one’s own very nature of the ultimate reality that a person can get eternal bliss, contentment and satisfaction. Until then, the search continues.
Through learning of Bhagavatham stories, we are trying to constantly fix our mind unto the ultimate reality thereby progressing towards the reality. If we forget this goal of realization of one’s own nature of Lord, then study of Bhagavatham will be of no use. It will be like some other degrees which we get from universities – sufficient enough to give money, fame etc. but incapable of giving eternal bliss.
Let us all keep the goal in mind while studying the stories of Bhagavatham so that the search ends soon and there will be bliss, bliss and bliss alone.
Vritra said thus to Indra:
O Indra! There is no time to waste – take the vajra and kill me. Nobody wins or loses in war. Everything is under the control of the Lord alone. Therefore there is neither win nor loss, neither happiness nor sorrow – we have to see everything from this perspective and maintain an equanimity all the while we are performing actions.
Explanation
The ultimate reality behind the temporary and changing world is Lord of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute. The scriptures define the world and its objects as an illusion in the reality of Lord even as water is seen in desert and the dream world. Since the world and its objects are always changing, they cannot give eternal bliss to the seeker. Hence they are not to be sought out instead a seeker should seek the ultimate reality of Lord if he wants to have eternal bliss and complete cessation of sorrow.
Since the world is an illusion in the Lord, everything is under the control of the Lord even as the dream world is under the control of the dreamer alone. As the world is under the control of the Lord, there is nothing that a normal person can do about the worldly possessions. A seeker needs to realize this and understand that he needs to seek the reality of Lord – that by knowing which nothing remains to be known, that by attaining which nothing else remains to be attained. Thus Vritra says to Indra that victory-defeat, happiness-sorrow, cold-heat etc. all are dual perceptions as a result of the mind. We have to remember that everything is under the control of the Lord, the Lord who is our own very nature itself – knowing this we need to thus develop dispassion towards the worldly objects. The worldly objects are temporary and cannot give eternal bliss instead they are filled with sorrow alone. A person has to struggle a lot in getting the worldly objects (getting possession of the worldly objects). After possessing it, there is always the struggle to keep it in possession – moreover there are lot of problems arising out of thieves, jealous persons etc. for the worldly objects. Thereby the scriptures again and again proclaim that the sense objects of the world are filled with sorrow alone and wise people will never crave for it.
Dispassion is not mere detachment from sense objects but it is having an approach of detached attachment. There is attachment to worldly objects & hence nothing is renounced; but there is knowledge about the temporary and sorrowful nature of the objects therefore there is total detachment. Such a person thus will be able to renounce the world in one sec and the next sec will be able to gain possession of objects. This is what Vedanta calls as SAAKSHI BHAAVA or witness-hood.
We have to constantly develop the attitude of being mere witness to all activities even as Sun is a witness to all the activities on Earth. Even though a dog might bark at the sun, a murderer might murder another person, a Brahmin is offering salutations – still the Sun remains unperturbed. The Sun even though controlling the activities on Earth, still is unaffected by the activities. Similarly we have to become mere witness of all the activities that is happening around us. Only when we become a witness, we will be fully detached to the activities. When we are fully detached to activities, we are not affected by the activities – instead we will be able to fully contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord going beyond the body-mind-intellect complex.
Krishna explains this witness attitude of actions beautifully in many places of Gita
Brahmani aadhaaya karmaani sangam tyaktvaa dhananjayaa
Lipyathe na sa paapena padmapatramiva ambhasaaa
A person who offers all actions unto the reality of Lord and performing without any attachment, he is not afflicted by the fruits of the action (whether it be sins or sorrows or happiness and punya) even as the lotus leaf even though is in water is not wet by water.
Tyaktvaa karmaphalaasangam nityatripto niraasrayah
Karmani abhipravrittopi naiva kinchit karothi sah
One who has renounced all attachments to the action (doership, craving for fruits etc.) and is ever content & without getting attached to anything, even though he is always in the midst of actions still he never does any action.
How is it possible that Lord says that a person who does action still doesn’t do action???
Actions are dependent on the doer of Ego. When a person gets rid of the ego and remains as the Self by offering all actions unto the Lord and performing the actions without any craving for fruits, he is not the Ego but the Self. Though the Ego is still performing actions still he doesn’t do any action as the Self.
This is similar to the fact that in dream, a dreamer doesn’t do any action but still seems to be doing actions. Once the dreamer knows that he is not doing any action then he will find that there are actions going on but still he is not acting as he is the Self or Lord and not the doer of Ego. Since he is not the doer, therefore he is not at all affected by the activities – therefore ever remains blissful and content.
Indra having prostrated Vritra said thus:
“O Mahasiddha! You have attained that ultimate state attaining which there is nothing more to attain. There is neither birth nor death for you”.
After having said thus, Indra killed Vritra using the Vajraayudha and Vritra was ever established in the ultimate reality of Brahman.
Explanation
We come to the end of this beautiful story of Vritrasura. As mentioned in the beginning, Vadha doesn’t mean physical killing – vadha denotes killing of the sins that are present in the human being. As Ramana Maharshi says, we all have to kill the Ego in order to become immortal. The greatest sin in life is considering oneself as limited and in bondage. The ultimate reality is that we all are unlimited and ever liberated. Forgetting our own very nature of Lord of the nature of eternal bliss is SIN. Considering this, we all are sinning each and every moment in our lives.
This SIN of Vedanta is quite different from the SIN of Catholic or Christianity in general. The main difference lies in the fact that the sin in Vedanta is considering oneself as a sinner whereas in Christianity sin is permanent and can be removed only by the grace of the Lord. Vedanta goes one step beyond and says that there is no sin in human being as he is none other than the ultimate reality of Lord. Sin is just a concept in the mind – sins occur when the individual forgets his nature of Lord and thereby gets deluded into the illusory objects of the world. When a person forgets his nature, he becomes extroverted and starts seeking bliss and complete cessation of sorrow. Cessation of sorrow is nothing but getting rid of all sins which mentally bind a person as to the thoughts that “I did this wrong, I cheated, I killed etc”. But once a person comes to his own very nature of Lord, there is no sin at all. He then realizes that there never was any sin but the concept of sin itself was an illusion even as the dreamer didn’t do any sin in the dream world.
If we have to get rid of the sin, then we have to constantly seek the ultimate reality of Lord through the path of Vedantic sravana (listening to the scriptural teachings about the Lord), manana (reflecting on the teachings about the Lord) and nidhidhyaasana (contemplating on the ultimate reality of Lord). There is no other path to eternal state than this. The scriptures are unique on this.
Let us for a moment analyze as to why realization of one’s own very nature of Lord alone is the key to eternal state. If we consider ourselves as sinners, then sin becomes an essential nature – essential nature can never be removed or destroyed. If sins are destroyed by the grace of the Lord, then this means that sin was never part of the nature. In such a case, we have to accept that the sins are only illusory and seem to be present. But when the ultimate reality of Lord is sought out, sins are totally removed.
It isn’t possible to seek out somebody who is different from one’s own nature and become eternal. Eternal state is that state where there is no limited feeling. This unlimited state can only be there if the very nature of the individual is not different from the Lord. There can be no unlimited feeling if we consider the unlimited entity of Lord as different from ourselves. There can never be two unlimited entities – in such a case, both the entities will be the same itself. If we have to become eternal, we have to become unlimited. If we have to become unlimited, we should be of the nature of Lord alone.
Thus Vedanta says that we all are nothing but the ultimate reality of Lord alone. But somehow we forget our own very nature of Lord – there is no particular reason or cause for the same. When we seek the ultimate reality of Lord as our own very nature, then we realize our own very nature of Lord. Thus ends all search for infinite state, immortality, eternal bliss etc.
Therefore Vedanta says that search for the reality continues as long as the reality is not known. We all are currently searching in the external illusory world whereas the reality is inside as our own nature. Until we divert the search into our own nature, there will not be any end of the search. But once we divert the search, we slowly move towards the eternal bliss inherent in the Self. Thus when a person is progressing in the spiritual path, he can feel the bliss emanating – bliss which cannot be expressed but felt.
As the seeker progresses still further, there comes a time when he totally realizes his own very nature of Lord – after which there is no chance of getting deluded into the illusory objects – such a person then is always fixed in the ultimate reality of Lord even as Vritrasura was fixed.
Killing of Vritrasura in this story denotes killing of sins and the Ego. Only when the Ego is killed, the Self can be realized. It is the Ego that causes the mind to get diverted into the external world. Once Ego is killed through constant contemplation of the Lord, there will be nothing but the Lord alone. Vedanta calls this videhamukthi when all the adjuncts are completely destroyed and the seeker merges permanently into the ultimate reality of Lord. Vritrasura thus merged into the ultimate reality of Lord after getting rid of all adjuncts when Indra killed him.
Through this story, Bhagavatham points out to each one of us to kill the Ego and thereby merge into the ultimate reality of Lord. The way to kill the ego is by constant contemplation of the ultimate reality of Lord – remembering the Lord at all points of time.
We thus come to the end of this wonderful story of Bhagavatham. Remembering the attitude of constant contemplation of the reality of Lord as Vritrasura, let us continue with the next story from the next day.
Before getting into the next story, let us once again focus ourselves on the primary goal of learning the various stories in Srimad Bhagavatham.
Modern day HR personnels put forth the view that any person has two goals – a long term goal which never changes and a short term goal which always keeps changing. Vedanta goes beyond this and says that there are no “two” goals but only one goal. Any being whether it is a devata, kinnara, mriga or manushyaa has the same primary goal. The ancient seers spent sufficient time to analyze and found out this primary goal to be ETERNAL BLISS accompanied by complete cessation of sorrow. It is this goal towards which each and every person is traveling either knowingly or unknowingly. Even if we say that my long term goal is to become the president of US, still this goal of becoming the president is so that there will money, fame etc. which all finally boil down to ETERNAL BLISS. If there is no bliss, no satisfaction, no contentment then the search for the same continues. If happiness was in money, then BILL GATES would be the most happy person which we for sure know that is not right. If power was happiness, then George Bush would be the most happy person.
Thus happiness is not in money, fame, power etc. It is because of this reason that a person doesn’t get satisfied by becoming the president for 4-5 years but wants to retain that always --- there is no satisfaction or contentment even while he holds the position. This is because all that is present in the world is temporary and cannot give eternal bliss. It might seem to be giving happiness in the short tun but will give sorrow alone in the long run. Thus Krishna says in Gita that the wise don’t take resort to cravings for sense objects as they know it to be temporary and sorrowful.
Once a person knows the place where he can get eternal bliss, then all his efforts will be directed towards getting eternal bliss. It is but lack of knowledge of where eternal bliss is which causes a person to go behind the temporary sense objects in the world. Only fools will go behind that pleasure which is full sorrow. It may also happen that even though many know the place where there is permanent happiness, they still go behind the sensual pleasures. This is only due to either lack of conviction or being habituated to the same – this is what Vedanta calls as vasanas.
Coming back to the analysis as to where can we get eternal bliss, eternal bliss is achieved only in that which is eternal. There is only one thing in the entire world which is eternal & that is the Consciousness, one without a second. It is the same Consciousness called as Brahman or Lord which is present in each and every individual. It is this Consciousness which makes a person live and is the light of all lights. But for this Consciousness, there will no existence of oneself as well as external objects. This Consciousness is independent and ever exists without any changes --- the external world objects as well as the inner equipments like mind, intellect etc. also depend on the Consciousness for their existence. But in deep sleep (the state where there is no external object), Consciousness exists as bliss eternal.
We all are in fact the same Consciousness alone. Realization of our own very nature of Consciousness is the solution or way to eternal bliss. It is the one and only way to get eternal bliss. This is no way depends on any individual whether he be a Guru or a Mahatma or an Ajnaani – the criteria or prerequisite for this realization is the desire to realize and constant contemplation of the reality. Lord Krishna makes this very clear in Gita where the Lord says that a seeker saves himself. The change or realization has to happen in the individual and not from outside. There can be outside thrust but this is of no use if there is no inner desire to realize. The scriptures have been proclaiming about this reality from time immemorial – many Mahatmas and avataaras have been shouting at the top of their voice – but still we dont find everyone realized. This itself shows that realization is individual and has to happen from inside. The Guru is only a means to create the desire in the seeker to realize and push the seeker towards that direction.
When a person realizes his own very nature of Lord or Consciousness, then he rejoices in the eternal bliss inherent in his very nature – thereby ends all thirst for happiness. This doesn’t mean that such a person will not be doing actions but it only means that interanally he will be established in the reality whereas externally doing actions as if acting in a drama or a dream world. Thus nothing can disturb such a mukta or liberated person. He is ever blissful and his very presence is sufficient to give bliss to ardent seekers.
If everybody is the reality alone, then why do only some realize it and others not?
Vedanta attributes this to ignorance or ajnaana. Somehow we seem to have forgotten our own very nature of Consciousness as the thirst for happiness and experience of sorrow points out. Therefore some who have realized their nature by getting rid of ignorance are every blissful whereas others seem to be in ignorance.
This play of ignorance-knowledge, bondage-liberation itself is only an illusion or a dream. Once a person goes beyond this play by realizing his own very nature of Consciousness, he realizes that there never was any ignorance or bondage – and that there never was any knowledge or liberation – everything was a mere play in the ultimate reality of Consciousness.
As explained earlier, the way to realize the reality is by having the desire to realize and constant contemplation of the reality. We have to always keep the reality in mind & try to offer all actions unto the reality with the knowledge that everything is but the reality alone. When a seeker does thus, his mind becomes purified & ignorance veil slowly fades. When ignorance starts fading, the seeker can experience bliss at some times (called as trance state). Once the seeker continues the path ardently, ignorance totally vanishes & he realizes the ultimate reality of Consciousness, ever blissful.
There ends all search for happinesss – it is only by realization of one’s own very nature of the ultimate reality that a person can get eternal bliss, contentment and satisfaction. Until then, the search continues.
Through learning of Bhagavatham stories, we are trying to constantly fix our mind unto the ultimate reality thereby progressing towards the reality. If we forget this goal of realization of one’s own nature of Lord, then study of Bhagavatham will be of no use. It will be like some other degrees which we get from universities – sufficient enough to give money, fame etc. but incapable of giving eternal bliss.
Let us all keep the goal in mind while studying the stories of Bhagavatham so that the search ends soon and there will be bliss, bliss and bliss alone.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Story 34 – Story of Vadha (killing) of Vritrasura - 5
Shuka spoke thus to Parikshit:
The greatest grace of the Lord is when he helps the seeker to get rid of the thirst for the purusharthaas of dharma, artha and kaama. This is the real grace of the Lord when he gives a person eternal bliss or Brahmanandam. The eternal bliss can be achieved only when the seeker is devoid of any thirsts for anything in the world. When a person doesn’t seek anything, then eternal bliss of the Self is easily achieved by him. It is only by doing lot of karma that a person attains dharma, artha and kaama. And that which is achieved through these is only limited and temporary – unable to give eternal bliss.
Indra had to take the bones of the sage and make a vajrayudha out of it. After making the vajrayudha, he had to fight with vritrasura and kill him. Even after doing all these tough actions, there will surely be no eternal bliss, contentment or satisfaction. But Brahmanandam is attained easily if a person realizes the reality that everything is the Lord alone and sees the Lord everywhere doing all actions with this reality in mind.
Vritrasura is fighting with Indra with this ultimate knowledge & he was ever happy irrespective of situations. See as to what he is speaking to Indra.
Explanation
Scriptures speak about four purusha arthas or the things that need to be achieved or aspired in life. These four are dharma or righteousness, artha or seeking sense objects, kaama or pleasure or enjoying possessions and moksha or liberation.
Dharma, artha and kaama are for temporarily fulfilling a person in the illusory world. These are all based on actions & different actions have to be performed in order for a person to gain these. Hence these are not permanent but temporary as they are something created and limited. These are just to make the seeker temporarily happy until he progresses and is fair ahead to grasp the reality propounded in the scriptures & thereby seek out moksha or the eternal bliss inherent in the Self.
Here Shuka says to Parikshit that it is only due to God’s grace that a person will not crave after the three purusharthas of dharma, artha and kaama – instead seeking the eternal purusha artha of Moksha or realization. We find most of the people craving for either sense object possession or enjoyment of these possessions – we find yet other people who stand out for dharma or righteousness as propounded in the scriptures – these are people who stick on to their so-called worldly duty of doing vedic rituals or social service. All these are actions and temporary. These can never give a person eternal bliss. Eternal bliss can be achieved only through moksha or realization of the ultimate reality of Lord who is all-pervasive and the only entity present here. It is but the grace of the Lord that a real seeker doesn’t crave for three purusharthas and seeks the final purushartha of moksha.
We generally have the opinion, as has been created by so-called traditionalists, that moksha is tough indeed to achieve and that moksha shouldn’t be achieved by all people. People living in the world (married etc.) are not supposed to seek moksha and instead they should seek out the other three purusharthas to look after their family etc. These all are completely wrong notions arising out of ignorance of the real teaching of the scriptures. The scriptures never proclaim limitations or restrictions for moksha. Since moksha is realization of one’s own very nature of Self, therefore it is the very right of each and every person. Thus there is no real adhikaari for moksha – everybody has to seek it if he wants eternal bliss. It is completely wrong thus to say that only sanyaasins should seek moksha – any person in the world has to seek the ultimate reality of Lord which is termed in Vedanta as moksha or realization.
Since we all have been brought up with the notion that moksha is not for all & that moksha is tough to achieve, we seek the other three temporary purusharthas which take us into a vicious circle of actions and reactions. Moksha is not tough at all as we imagine. It is tough indeed to gain things in the world through actions – thus the three purusharthas of dharma, artha and kaama are tough indeed to achieve whereas moksha is very easy to achieve. Moksha doesn’t have any restrictions or limitations like actions have (whom to perform, where to perform and when to perform etc.). The one and only criteria for moksha is constant remembrance of the reality that there is nothing here but the ultimate reality of Lord, one without a second. If a person constantly contemplates this reality & does all actions as an offering to the reality of Lord, then that is the sole sadhana for moksha. Within a short period, he will realize the reality of Lord thereby rejoicing in the eternal bliss inherent in the Self.
We find in this story that Indra did lot of actions for peace but finally ended up with nothing – he killed vritra but even after that was he happy and content??? Never as more and more problems were created (by other asuras). Instead we find that Vritra who surrendered completely unto the Lord & had gained the knowledge that everything is the Lord was ever happy and immersed in the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus Bhagavatham is pointing to each one of us to constantly seek the permanent purusha artha of moksha by constant contemplation of the ultimate reality of Lord thereby always remaining happy and content.
We will continue with the dialogue between Indra and Vritra in the next day.
Vritra thus spoke:
O Lord who is present everywhere, I don’t have desire for anything in the world keeping you aside. Other than you, I don’t want swarga or brahma loka or chakravarthi status or paataala loka. I don’t even want yogasiddhis or overcoming birth-death. O Lord! I have the desire to always see you and contemplate on you like small birds look into their mother, like a wife looking into the husband and a person very thirsty looking into milk.
O Lord, I want association with good people (satsanga) and I never want to be in the midst of people who crave of temporary worldly sensual pleasures.
Explanation
These are the various places where we should analyze and understand that there have been great asuras or demons who have reached the peaks of devotion & realized the ultimate reality of Lord. It is common notion among different philosophical systems (even systems of vedanta) that only a few have great devotion to the Lord & those few also are devas and never asuras. This is a completely wrong notion.
Also there are notions that a person who doesn’t seek the Lord will be hated by the Lord. This is completely against the scriptures. All scriptures do say that a person who doesn’t seek the ultimate reality of Lord will go to hell – but the hell what is meant here is not a place like Earth but it is just a place full of sufferings and sorrows. We can find hell and heaven even in Earth itself. Just by looking around ourselves, we can find heaven and hell. The various ashrams of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Mata Amritanandamayi, Chinmaya, Dayananda Saraswathi etc. are the places of heaven where there are no worldly pleasures or comforts but there is total peace & happiness in the minds of whoever is staying there. Any person if he goes to these ashrams can feel the peace emanating from the place. For eg: if a person goes to Ramana Ashram in Tiruvannamalai and sits in the meditation hall for few minutes, he can find his mind stilled & thereby getting peace and bliss.
On the other hand, there are places in the world where there is suffering alone. This suffering is not just physical but mental also. We find people in the west and east crying for one or the other thing. Rich people who have enough money for generations cry for lack of children or for their children fighting amongst each other even as the Ambaanis did. Compared to these rich people, the poor who get just one or two meals a day are happy and content. Go to a house and we find husbands, wives, parents, children everyone fighting with one another for some or the other reason. Go to an office & we can find the subordinate not happy with whatever he is getting in the company & hence putting forth the long-list of endless needs. The boss is not happy as the sub-ordinates are cribbing like anything and he has to be handle them – and that they are not heeding his commands.
Thus any place in the world, we find all the people suffering like anything. Take the case of very popular Fifa World Cup – was any team happy and content?? Maybe we can say that Italy are happy (as they are the winners) but for how long???? Maximum till the next world cup and we should remember that the team came amidst lot of book-fixing scandals at the league level. Brazil started off happily but ended with crying. France got a great run and finally ended up on the losing side – Zidane, considered the greatest and most composed start, couldn’t remain calm & hence was sent off the field on the finals.
This is where the world is – aren’t we able to see a HELL in all these.
All this analysis doesn’t mean that everybody is crying and noone is happy, but just to show that hell and heaven are in the world itself. It is in the mind of the seeker alone – if the seeker wishes, he will contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord, remaining satisfied with whatever he has & ever blissful.
The Lord doesn’t hate anybody in the world because he is the very essence of all beings. Can a person hate himself???? Never!!! Thus it is all completely wrong to say that the Lord will condemn those who don’t accept him or those who don’t come to him. But it is a fact that those who refuse to realize this ultimate reality of Lord by seeking the Lord and not craving for sensual pleasures will be in the midst of sorrow and sufferings for births-deaths.
Krishna says in Gita thus:
Samoham sarva bhooteshu na me dveshyoasthi na priyah
Ye bhajanthi tu maam bhaktyaa mayi te teshu chaapi aham
I see all beings in the same way – I neither hate anybody nor am attached to anybody. The person who seeks me through real devotion is present in Me and I am present in Me.
The above statement doesn’t mean that the Lord is not present in those who condemn God but only that such a person doesn’t realize this reality – he thus is deluded into the illusory objects in the world which can give sorrow and sorrow alone.
We find in Vritrasura who is an asura, the characteristics of ultimate devotion mentioned in the scriptures. But in Indra we find a person who is after sensual and worldly pleasures.
What are the signs of a real devotee?
Narada describes paraa bhakthi thus:
Naradastu tad arpita akhila aachaaratha tad vismarane paramavyaakulathaa cha
Pure devotion is when a person offers everything unto the Lord constantly contemplating on him & if he forgets the Lord, he becomes sad.
A real devotee will never set aside the Lord and seek worldly pleasures. Worldly pleasures are of no real value to the devotee. The devotee just desires to constantly contemplate on the Lord – nothing else.
If a person has to constantly remember the Lord, he has to be in good company. Thus satsanga is very vital for an initial seeker – when a seeker in company of those who speak about the Lord, talk about the Lord, contemplate on the Lord – the same vibration follows & the seeker too is always remembering the Lord.
On the contrary, a seeker should avoid bad association as that will deviate the mind away from the Lord as well as make the seeker indulge and create cravings for the worldly pleasures.
Thus a seeker should always be in good company & avoid bad company.
We will see as to what happened to the war between Vritra and Indra next.
The greatest grace of the Lord is when he helps the seeker to get rid of the thirst for the purusharthaas of dharma, artha and kaama. This is the real grace of the Lord when he gives a person eternal bliss or Brahmanandam. The eternal bliss can be achieved only when the seeker is devoid of any thirsts for anything in the world. When a person doesn’t seek anything, then eternal bliss of the Self is easily achieved by him. It is only by doing lot of karma that a person attains dharma, artha and kaama. And that which is achieved through these is only limited and temporary – unable to give eternal bliss.
Indra had to take the bones of the sage and make a vajrayudha out of it. After making the vajrayudha, he had to fight with vritrasura and kill him. Even after doing all these tough actions, there will surely be no eternal bliss, contentment or satisfaction. But Brahmanandam is attained easily if a person realizes the reality that everything is the Lord alone and sees the Lord everywhere doing all actions with this reality in mind.
Vritrasura is fighting with Indra with this ultimate knowledge & he was ever happy irrespective of situations. See as to what he is speaking to Indra.
Explanation
Scriptures speak about four purusha arthas or the things that need to be achieved or aspired in life. These four are dharma or righteousness, artha or seeking sense objects, kaama or pleasure or enjoying possessions and moksha or liberation.
Dharma, artha and kaama are for temporarily fulfilling a person in the illusory world. These are all based on actions & different actions have to be performed in order for a person to gain these. Hence these are not permanent but temporary as they are something created and limited. These are just to make the seeker temporarily happy until he progresses and is fair ahead to grasp the reality propounded in the scriptures & thereby seek out moksha or the eternal bliss inherent in the Self.
Here Shuka says to Parikshit that it is only due to God’s grace that a person will not crave after the three purusharthas of dharma, artha and kaama – instead seeking the eternal purusha artha of Moksha or realization. We find most of the people craving for either sense object possession or enjoyment of these possessions – we find yet other people who stand out for dharma or righteousness as propounded in the scriptures – these are people who stick on to their so-called worldly duty of doing vedic rituals or social service. All these are actions and temporary. These can never give a person eternal bliss. Eternal bliss can be achieved only through moksha or realization of the ultimate reality of Lord who is all-pervasive and the only entity present here. It is but the grace of the Lord that a real seeker doesn’t crave for three purusharthas and seeks the final purushartha of moksha.
We generally have the opinion, as has been created by so-called traditionalists, that moksha is tough indeed to achieve and that moksha shouldn’t be achieved by all people. People living in the world (married etc.) are not supposed to seek moksha and instead they should seek out the other three purusharthas to look after their family etc. These all are completely wrong notions arising out of ignorance of the real teaching of the scriptures. The scriptures never proclaim limitations or restrictions for moksha. Since moksha is realization of one’s own very nature of Self, therefore it is the very right of each and every person. Thus there is no real adhikaari for moksha – everybody has to seek it if he wants eternal bliss. It is completely wrong thus to say that only sanyaasins should seek moksha – any person in the world has to seek the ultimate reality of Lord which is termed in Vedanta as moksha or realization.
Since we all have been brought up with the notion that moksha is not for all & that moksha is tough to achieve, we seek the other three temporary purusharthas which take us into a vicious circle of actions and reactions. Moksha is not tough at all as we imagine. It is tough indeed to gain things in the world through actions – thus the three purusharthas of dharma, artha and kaama are tough indeed to achieve whereas moksha is very easy to achieve. Moksha doesn’t have any restrictions or limitations like actions have (whom to perform, where to perform and when to perform etc.). The one and only criteria for moksha is constant remembrance of the reality that there is nothing here but the ultimate reality of Lord, one without a second. If a person constantly contemplates this reality & does all actions as an offering to the reality of Lord, then that is the sole sadhana for moksha. Within a short period, he will realize the reality of Lord thereby rejoicing in the eternal bliss inherent in the Self.
We find in this story that Indra did lot of actions for peace but finally ended up with nothing – he killed vritra but even after that was he happy and content??? Never as more and more problems were created (by other asuras). Instead we find that Vritra who surrendered completely unto the Lord & had gained the knowledge that everything is the Lord was ever happy and immersed in the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus Bhagavatham is pointing to each one of us to constantly seek the permanent purusha artha of moksha by constant contemplation of the ultimate reality of Lord thereby always remaining happy and content.
We will continue with the dialogue between Indra and Vritra in the next day.
Vritra thus spoke:
O Lord who is present everywhere, I don’t have desire for anything in the world keeping you aside. Other than you, I don’t want swarga or brahma loka or chakravarthi status or paataala loka. I don’t even want yogasiddhis or overcoming birth-death. O Lord! I have the desire to always see you and contemplate on you like small birds look into their mother, like a wife looking into the husband and a person very thirsty looking into milk.
O Lord, I want association with good people (satsanga) and I never want to be in the midst of people who crave of temporary worldly sensual pleasures.
Explanation
These are the various places where we should analyze and understand that there have been great asuras or demons who have reached the peaks of devotion & realized the ultimate reality of Lord. It is common notion among different philosophical systems (even systems of vedanta) that only a few have great devotion to the Lord & those few also are devas and never asuras. This is a completely wrong notion.
Also there are notions that a person who doesn’t seek the Lord will be hated by the Lord. This is completely against the scriptures. All scriptures do say that a person who doesn’t seek the ultimate reality of Lord will go to hell – but the hell what is meant here is not a place like Earth but it is just a place full of sufferings and sorrows. We can find hell and heaven even in Earth itself. Just by looking around ourselves, we can find heaven and hell. The various ashrams of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Mata Amritanandamayi, Chinmaya, Dayananda Saraswathi etc. are the places of heaven where there are no worldly pleasures or comforts but there is total peace & happiness in the minds of whoever is staying there. Any person if he goes to these ashrams can feel the peace emanating from the place. For eg: if a person goes to Ramana Ashram in Tiruvannamalai and sits in the meditation hall for few minutes, he can find his mind stilled & thereby getting peace and bliss.
On the other hand, there are places in the world where there is suffering alone. This suffering is not just physical but mental also. We find people in the west and east crying for one or the other thing. Rich people who have enough money for generations cry for lack of children or for their children fighting amongst each other even as the Ambaanis did. Compared to these rich people, the poor who get just one or two meals a day are happy and content. Go to a house and we find husbands, wives, parents, children everyone fighting with one another for some or the other reason. Go to an office & we can find the subordinate not happy with whatever he is getting in the company & hence putting forth the long-list of endless needs. The boss is not happy as the sub-ordinates are cribbing like anything and he has to be handle them – and that they are not heeding his commands.
Thus any place in the world, we find all the people suffering like anything. Take the case of very popular Fifa World Cup – was any team happy and content?? Maybe we can say that Italy are happy (as they are the winners) but for how long???? Maximum till the next world cup and we should remember that the team came amidst lot of book-fixing scandals at the league level. Brazil started off happily but ended with crying. France got a great run and finally ended up on the losing side – Zidane, considered the greatest and most composed start, couldn’t remain calm & hence was sent off the field on the finals.
This is where the world is – aren’t we able to see a HELL in all these.
All this analysis doesn’t mean that everybody is crying and noone is happy, but just to show that hell and heaven are in the world itself. It is in the mind of the seeker alone – if the seeker wishes, he will contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord, remaining satisfied with whatever he has & ever blissful.
The Lord doesn’t hate anybody in the world because he is the very essence of all beings. Can a person hate himself???? Never!!! Thus it is all completely wrong to say that the Lord will condemn those who don’t accept him or those who don’t come to him. But it is a fact that those who refuse to realize this ultimate reality of Lord by seeking the Lord and not craving for sensual pleasures will be in the midst of sorrow and sufferings for births-deaths.
Krishna says in Gita thus:
Samoham sarva bhooteshu na me dveshyoasthi na priyah
Ye bhajanthi tu maam bhaktyaa mayi te teshu chaapi aham
I see all beings in the same way – I neither hate anybody nor am attached to anybody. The person who seeks me through real devotion is present in Me and I am present in Me.
The above statement doesn’t mean that the Lord is not present in those who condemn God but only that such a person doesn’t realize this reality – he thus is deluded into the illusory objects in the world which can give sorrow and sorrow alone.
We find in Vritrasura who is an asura, the characteristics of ultimate devotion mentioned in the scriptures. But in Indra we find a person who is after sensual and worldly pleasures.
What are the signs of a real devotee?
Narada describes paraa bhakthi thus:
Naradastu tad arpita akhila aachaaratha tad vismarane paramavyaakulathaa cha
Pure devotion is when a person offers everything unto the Lord constantly contemplating on him & if he forgets the Lord, he becomes sad.
A real devotee will never set aside the Lord and seek worldly pleasures. Worldly pleasures are of no real value to the devotee. The devotee just desires to constantly contemplate on the Lord – nothing else.
If a person has to constantly remember the Lord, he has to be in good company. Thus satsanga is very vital for an initial seeker – when a seeker in company of those who speak about the Lord, talk about the Lord, contemplate on the Lord – the same vibration follows & the seeker too is always remembering the Lord.
On the contrary, a seeker should avoid bad association as that will deviate the mind away from the Lord as well as make the seeker indulge and create cravings for the worldly pleasures.
Thus a seeker should always be in good company & avoid bad company.
We will see as to what happened to the war between Vritra and Indra next.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Story 34 – Story of Vadha (killing) of Vritrasura – 4
Indra made a vajrayudha out of the bones of Dadichi. And with this weapon, the devas and asuras came to fight a war. Seeing the army of devas, the asuras were afraid and did not go forward to fight. Seeing them, Vritrasura instructed them thus “O Asuras!!!If a person is born, he will have to die; this law cannot be changed. So if death is bringing yashas and aishwaryam, why back up on that? Two people enjoy death and accept it openly: one is the BrahmaNista Jnaani and the other is a warrior in war.”
Even after being instructed by Vritra, the asuras did not heed his words & thus they didn’t go to fight with the devas. Vritra thus took to fighting the devas by himself & all the devas fell down. Now Vritra and Indra were facing each other alone.
Explanation
Here we find Vritrasura instructing the asuras in the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord & that which is beyond death (devoid of death). This is where we have completely learned wrong and have been taught wrong by elders and others as to various asuras in the puranas. We have been told that these asuras are bad people & they were killed by the grace of the Lord --- thus the Lord is the killer of these asuras and those who have asuric qualities. This is proved completely wrong in many stories of Bhagavatham like the one here.
There have been many generation of Brahma Nistaas acting in the world as asuras. The family of Mahabali, Prahlaada, Hiranyakashipu etc. clearly show beyond doubt that there were great jnaanis who were just doing their duty or playing their role in the drama of world. We have to keep in mind that asura means one whose sense organs are craving for sensual pleasure. Even though the external duty which a person might be doing would be that of a deva, still if he is craving for sensual pleasure – then he is to be considered an asura. Here we find that Vritrasura was a jnaani who knew the ultimate reality of Brahman and hence was not at all affected by seeing the devas on the field of war. But the other asuras were afraid of death as they were not able to apprehend the reality that “I am the Lord who is neither born nor dies – it is only the body that goes through birth and death”. And since the asuras were not able to apprehend their own very nature of eternal Consciousness which is devoid of birth and death, they were afraid of death and afraid to fight the devas lest they may die.
We find a great explanation of death in this part given by Vritrasura to the other asuras. Death is there only for that which is born. That which is born has to die & that which dies has to be born again. Birth and die is a vicious circle – which never ends. If we analyze our own very nature of “I” which is beyond birth and death, we will realize that we are never born and never die. It is but the birth and death of body which is attributed to “I”. The fear of death arises when we think that we are born and are bound to die. Thus this superimposition of the body on the real “I” or Self is what causes a person to fear death and thereby struggle in life to become immortal by any means.
Vritrasura gives here examples of two people who don’t fear death & are willing to die. One are the great warriors whose sole aim in life is to win wars & they are willing to die on warfield because that will give them svarga or heaven as well as aishwaryam etc. But these people are in the empirical level or plane alone. The second type of people are the realized saints or jnaanis who have the knowledge that “I am not the body but the ultimate reality of non-dual Self or Consciousness” & as a result of this knowledge, they don’t fear death but accept it with happiness.
Bhagavatham is telling to each one of us through Vritrasura that we shouldn’t fear death as death is only of the body or that which has birth. Since “I” am unborn and have been here from time immemorial, therefore I dont have any death also. This means that fear of death is only in the mind as a result of the ignorance of the reality that “I am devoid of birth and death but am the eternal Lord alone, one without a second”. This knowledge removes fear of death which is one of the primary causes of sorrow and suffering in the illusory world. Thus we have to constantly contemplate in the mind that there is birth and death only for the body and not for the eternal Self. We all are nothing but the ultimate reality of Lord who is beyond birth & death – hence there is no birth or death for us.
Sankara beautifully puts forth this idea in a single verse in Bhaja Govindam thus:
Punarapi Jananam Punarapi maranam
Punarapi janani jatare shayanam
Iha samsaare bahudusthaare
Kripayaa paare paahi muraare
Again birth, again death & again into the womb of the mother – this samsaara (made up of ignorance-desire-action) is tough indeed to cross over. But those who take refuge in the reality of Lord of Murari easily cross over this ocean of samsaara.
Those who take refuge in the reality of Lord who is one’s own very nature of Consciousness distinct from body-mind-intellect complex will realize that they are not born nor will die – thus they will realize the non-dual reality amidst the illusory duality that is perceived. This is what is called in Vedanta as realization or moksha. Once a person realizes this reality, then he doesn’t fear anything in the world because he knows that whatever is seen as the world is only an illusion in the reality of Lord even as dream is an illusion in the dream. He stays in the world but not affected by the activities of the world and still doing activities in the world. Lord says in Gita that such a person even though acting in the world is not affected by the world even as the lotus leaf is not wet even though it is in water.
We find Vritrasura in such a position that he is not at all affected by the activities whether it is war or normal adharmic activity – because he knew the reality that there is no birth or death. We will be seeing in the next days as to what he says to Indra while fighting.
As was the case when Lord instructed the devas into knowledge & still they were unable to apprehend it, similarly here too we find the asuras unable to apprehend the reality & thus backing away from war. Reality even though is very simple but yet tough to apprehend because apprehension of the reality means that we have to negate the world with the knowledge that the world is an illusion – this is indeed a tough thing to do to get out of the various entanglements, affections, attachments that we have created in the world. Even though the asuras did not join him, Vritrasura went alone and destroyed the devas except Indra. Vritrasura knew that he was just playing his role in this long play of world – thus he was unaffected by the outcome & therefore doing his duty in the best possible way.
We have to be like Vritrasura doing all actions in the best possible way but still remaining unaffected by the action or the results of the action. This is possible only if we are constantly immersed in the ultimate reality of Lord with the knowledge that there is nothing here but the Lord alone.
Vritra thus spoke to Indra:
O Indra!!! You have committed sin by killing my brother who was your Guru. And for your personal benefit, you killed a sage & made the Vajrayudha. What are you now waiting for? Use the vajrayudha and kill me – know for sure that vajrayudha will never fail. When the vajrayudha kills me, I will completely merge into the ultimate reality of Brahman. Those whose mind is always fixed in the ultimate reality of Brahman, they are never affected by anything in the world, not even death.
Explanation
Here we find bhagavatham clearly pointing out that vritrasura was a realized saint. Bhagavatham also strives forth the point that a jnaani whose mind is ever steadfast in the ultimate reality of Lord will never be affected or afflicted by anything in the world. He will always be contemplating on the ultimate reality of Lord. All actions in the world cannot afflict him even as water doesn’t afflict the lotus leaf.
It is but a fact that all the actions in the world don’t affect me or the real “I”. Even if it is physical injury or mental torture, these don’t affect the Self because the Self is distinct from these & can have no association with the body-mind complex. If we really analyze on this, we will realize the truth of this statement. When somebody near and dear dies, we become sad and cry for some days. But after some days, the sorrow vanishes & we learn to live. We learn to live without that dear person (without whom it was really impossible to live). This is only because “I” am not at all affected by that person.
Even as the dreamer is unaffected by the dream world, similarly the Self or real “I” is not at all affected by the activities in the world. It is only ignorance of one’s own nature & identification with the illusory body and mind which causes a person to think and believe that he is affected by the activities in the world. All the activities are illusory alone & they cannot affect the real “I” which is the witness to those actions. It is only when a person thinks that he is doing actions that he becomes attached to those actions & the fruits of those actions. But the moment he realizes that he is not the doer but the witness of the action including the doer, he becomes a mere witness unaffected by the actions. When a person thus realizes that he is not at all involved in any of the activities in the world, he becomes a mere witness. When attachment to the worldly entities vanishes, then the world becomes a mere play or drama. Even as we are not affected by the sorrow in a particular movie, similarly we will not be affected by the activities in the big movie called WORLD.
This is what is termed as the state of jeevanmukthi or realized state wherein the jnaani is not at all affected by the activities in the world. He lives in the world even as the dreamer lives in the dream world & the actor acts in a particular movie.
This is what Vritrasura is pointing out in Bhagavatham. This ultimate state of being a mere witness to all activities in the world is what is to be achieved by each and every seeker. This is the only thing which can give us eternal bliss – that which is being sought out each moment. The witness-hood can be achieved when the seeker constantly contemplates on the reality that “I am a mere witness to the activities – I am the Lord who alone is present in the illusory world” – when the seeker constantly remembers this reality and acts in the world as though it is a movie or drama, the conviction grows on and on & the sorrows-sufferings arising out of attachment and involvement with the world vanishes. Thus he realizes his own very nature of eternal and non-dual Lord – unaffected by the illusory activities in the world.
We have to remember that this doesn’t require any particular condition or situation or environment for the same. The one and only criteria for this sadhana is constant contemplation of the ultimate reality that “there is nothing here but the Lord alone & I am that Lord who is the witness of all activities”. For doing meditation or for chanting etc. there are restrictions and constraints whereas for this sadhana, there are no constraints at all. It can be performed at any time & in any place. This sadhana unlike other sadhanas will give the fruit of eternal bliss which is being sought out by each and every person. This is the only sadhana that can give eternal bliss – all other sadhanas of chanting, singing, meditation etc. will only lead a person to this final step which is constant contemplation of the ultimate reality that there is nothing here but the Lord alone, one without a second.
We will continue with the story next.
Even after being instructed by Vritra, the asuras did not heed his words & thus they didn’t go to fight with the devas. Vritra thus took to fighting the devas by himself & all the devas fell down. Now Vritra and Indra were facing each other alone.
Explanation
Here we find Vritrasura instructing the asuras in the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord & that which is beyond death (devoid of death). This is where we have completely learned wrong and have been taught wrong by elders and others as to various asuras in the puranas. We have been told that these asuras are bad people & they were killed by the grace of the Lord --- thus the Lord is the killer of these asuras and those who have asuric qualities. This is proved completely wrong in many stories of Bhagavatham like the one here.
There have been many generation of Brahma Nistaas acting in the world as asuras. The family of Mahabali, Prahlaada, Hiranyakashipu etc. clearly show beyond doubt that there were great jnaanis who were just doing their duty or playing their role in the drama of world. We have to keep in mind that asura means one whose sense organs are craving for sensual pleasure. Even though the external duty which a person might be doing would be that of a deva, still if he is craving for sensual pleasure – then he is to be considered an asura. Here we find that Vritrasura was a jnaani who knew the ultimate reality of Brahman and hence was not at all affected by seeing the devas on the field of war. But the other asuras were afraid of death as they were not able to apprehend the reality that “I am the Lord who is neither born nor dies – it is only the body that goes through birth and death”. And since the asuras were not able to apprehend their own very nature of eternal Consciousness which is devoid of birth and death, they were afraid of death and afraid to fight the devas lest they may die.
We find a great explanation of death in this part given by Vritrasura to the other asuras. Death is there only for that which is born. That which is born has to die & that which dies has to be born again. Birth and die is a vicious circle – which never ends. If we analyze our own very nature of “I” which is beyond birth and death, we will realize that we are never born and never die. It is but the birth and death of body which is attributed to “I”. The fear of death arises when we think that we are born and are bound to die. Thus this superimposition of the body on the real “I” or Self is what causes a person to fear death and thereby struggle in life to become immortal by any means.
Vritrasura gives here examples of two people who don’t fear death & are willing to die. One are the great warriors whose sole aim in life is to win wars & they are willing to die on warfield because that will give them svarga or heaven as well as aishwaryam etc. But these people are in the empirical level or plane alone. The second type of people are the realized saints or jnaanis who have the knowledge that “I am not the body but the ultimate reality of non-dual Self or Consciousness” & as a result of this knowledge, they don’t fear death but accept it with happiness.
Bhagavatham is telling to each one of us through Vritrasura that we shouldn’t fear death as death is only of the body or that which has birth. Since “I” am unborn and have been here from time immemorial, therefore I dont have any death also. This means that fear of death is only in the mind as a result of the ignorance of the reality that “I am devoid of birth and death but am the eternal Lord alone, one without a second”. This knowledge removes fear of death which is one of the primary causes of sorrow and suffering in the illusory world. Thus we have to constantly contemplate in the mind that there is birth and death only for the body and not for the eternal Self. We all are nothing but the ultimate reality of Lord who is beyond birth & death – hence there is no birth or death for us.
Sankara beautifully puts forth this idea in a single verse in Bhaja Govindam thus:
Punarapi Jananam Punarapi maranam
Punarapi janani jatare shayanam
Iha samsaare bahudusthaare
Kripayaa paare paahi muraare
Again birth, again death & again into the womb of the mother – this samsaara (made up of ignorance-desire-action) is tough indeed to cross over. But those who take refuge in the reality of Lord of Murari easily cross over this ocean of samsaara.
Those who take refuge in the reality of Lord who is one’s own very nature of Consciousness distinct from body-mind-intellect complex will realize that they are not born nor will die – thus they will realize the non-dual reality amidst the illusory duality that is perceived. This is what is called in Vedanta as realization or moksha. Once a person realizes this reality, then he doesn’t fear anything in the world because he knows that whatever is seen as the world is only an illusion in the reality of Lord even as dream is an illusion in the dream. He stays in the world but not affected by the activities of the world and still doing activities in the world. Lord says in Gita that such a person even though acting in the world is not affected by the world even as the lotus leaf is not wet even though it is in water.
We find Vritrasura in such a position that he is not at all affected by the activities whether it is war or normal adharmic activity – because he knew the reality that there is no birth or death. We will be seeing in the next days as to what he says to Indra while fighting.
As was the case when Lord instructed the devas into knowledge & still they were unable to apprehend it, similarly here too we find the asuras unable to apprehend the reality & thus backing away from war. Reality even though is very simple but yet tough to apprehend because apprehension of the reality means that we have to negate the world with the knowledge that the world is an illusion – this is indeed a tough thing to do to get out of the various entanglements, affections, attachments that we have created in the world. Even though the asuras did not join him, Vritrasura went alone and destroyed the devas except Indra. Vritrasura knew that he was just playing his role in this long play of world – thus he was unaffected by the outcome & therefore doing his duty in the best possible way.
We have to be like Vritrasura doing all actions in the best possible way but still remaining unaffected by the action or the results of the action. This is possible only if we are constantly immersed in the ultimate reality of Lord with the knowledge that there is nothing here but the Lord alone.
Vritra thus spoke to Indra:
O Indra!!! You have committed sin by killing my brother who was your Guru. And for your personal benefit, you killed a sage & made the Vajrayudha. What are you now waiting for? Use the vajrayudha and kill me – know for sure that vajrayudha will never fail. When the vajrayudha kills me, I will completely merge into the ultimate reality of Brahman. Those whose mind is always fixed in the ultimate reality of Brahman, they are never affected by anything in the world, not even death.
Explanation
Here we find bhagavatham clearly pointing out that vritrasura was a realized saint. Bhagavatham also strives forth the point that a jnaani whose mind is ever steadfast in the ultimate reality of Lord will never be affected or afflicted by anything in the world. He will always be contemplating on the ultimate reality of Lord. All actions in the world cannot afflict him even as water doesn’t afflict the lotus leaf.
It is but a fact that all the actions in the world don’t affect me or the real “I”. Even if it is physical injury or mental torture, these don’t affect the Self because the Self is distinct from these & can have no association with the body-mind complex. If we really analyze on this, we will realize the truth of this statement. When somebody near and dear dies, we become sad and cry for some days. But after some days, the sorrow vanishes & we learn to live. We learn to live without that dear person (without whom it was really impossible to live). This is only because “I” am not at all affected by that person.
Even as the dreamer is unaffected by the dream world, similarly the Self or real “I” is not at all affected by the activities in the world. It is only ignorance of one’s own nature & identification with the illusory body and mind which causes a person to think and believe that he is affected by the activities in the world. All the activities are illusory alone & they cannot affect the real “I” which is the witness to those actions. It is only when a person thinks that he is doing actions that he becomes attached to those actions & the fruits of those actions. But the moment he realizes that he is not the doer but the witness of the action including the doer, he becomes a mere witness unaffected by the actions. When a person thus realizes that he is not at all involved in any of the activities in the world, he becomes a mere witness. When attachment to the worldly entities vanishes, then the world becomes a mere play or drama. Even as we are not affected by the sorrow in a particular movie, similarly we will not be affected by the activities in the big movie called WORLD.
This is what is termed as the state of jeevanmukthi or realized state wherein the jnaani is not at all affected by the activities in the world. He lives in the world even as the dreamer lives in the dream world & the actor acts in a particular movie.
This is what Vritrasura is pointing out in Bhagavatham. This ultimate state of being a mere witness to all activities in the world is what is to be achieved by each and every seeker. This is the only thing which can give us eternal bliss – that which is being sought out each moment. The witness-hood can be achieved when the seeker constantly contemplates on the reality that “I am a mere witness to the activities – I am the Lord who alone is present in the illusory world” – when the seeker constantly remembers this reality and acts in the world as though it is a movie or drama, the conviction grows on and on & the sorrows-sufferings arising out of attachment and involvement with the world vanishes. Thus he realizes his own very nature of eternal and non-dual Lord – unaffected by the illusory activities in the world.
We have to remember that this doesn’t require any particular condition or situation or environment for the same. The one and only criteria for this sadhana is constant contemplation of the ultimate reality that “there is nothing here but the Lord alone & I am that Lord who is the witness of all activities”. For doing meditation or for chanting etc. there are restrictions and constraints whereas for this sadhana, there are no constraints at all. It can be performed at any time & in any place. This sadhana unlike other sadhanas will give the fruit of eternal bliss which is being sought out by each and every person. This is the only sadhana that can give eternal bliss – all other sadhanas of chanting, singing, meditation etc. will only lead a person to this final step which is constant contemplation of the ultimate reality that there is nothing here but the Lord alone, one without a second.
We will continue with the story next.
Monday, July 03, 2006
Story 34 – Story of Vadha (killing) of Vritrasura – 3
Lord Vishnu instructed the devas thus:
A person who knows what is moksha will never instruct an ignorant person to do karma. Karma is bondage – getting liberated from bondage of karma is liberation or moksha. Removal of the disease of bondage of karma is moksha in the form of “removal of sorrow”. If a person again and again does karma, it is like tying a knot over another knot. Bondage of karma can be removed only by scripturally analyzing the ultimate reality through JNAANA (knowledge). A jnaani who knows this will never instruct another person to do karma for getting rid of sorrows.
Explanation
We find here the Lord himself explaining the riddle of action and knowledge thereby propounding as to what is MOKSHA or liberation.
Moksha is nothing but complete or total cessation of sorrow. Each and every person in the world is seeking eternal bliss devoid of sorrow. Everybody has the same aim of having no sorrow at all. Thus total cessation of sorrow is what is the aim of every person in the world. This aim itself is termed as moksha or liberation which is complete freedom and rejoicing of eternal bliss. This is possible only when sorrows are completely removed. Thus moksha is complete cessation of sorrow.
Sorrow arises when a person forgets his own very nature of eternal bliss. In fact, we all are nothing but eternal bliss alone. This is known through the state of deep sleep when we see no dream but are completely happy. We experience nothing in that state except happiness. Thus the happiness that we experience during that time is nothing but our own very nature itself. Thus our very nature is bliss. But somehow we forget this & hence we consider ourselves as the complex of body, mind and intellect. When we consider ourselves as the limited body, mind and intellect – limitedness comes to us also. Thus we consider ourselves as limited. Limited feeling is the cause of all bondages and sorrows. Once a person feels himself as limited, there is no freedom as freedom and bliss comes with unlimited feeling or infinite-ness. Thus ignorance of one’s own very nature of eternal bliss is what causes a person to think that he is in bondage and suffering. This ignorance can be removed by knowledge alone even as darkness can be removed by light alone.
Any amount of action cannot remove ignorance. Actions are propelled by desires. Desires in turn are propelled by ignorance. When a person forgets his own very nature of infinite Self, he desires to become perfect & infinite. Thus desire arises out of ignorance. This desire is converted into action so that it can be fulfilled. Thus action arises out of ignorance. Since action arises out of ignorance, it causes the seeker to desire more & do more action. Thus the vicious circle of desire-action continues. This goes on without any ending. Thus ignorance can never be removed by action even as darkness cannot be removed by darkness. Thus the Lord mentions here that ignorance can be removed by knowledge and knowledge alone.
Knowledge of one’s own very nature of Lord – knowledge that there is nothing here but the Lord alone is the one and only means to removal of ignorance. Thus a jnaani who knows what is liberation and who has realized his own very nature of eternal Lord will never instruct a seeker to do action because he knows that action cannot remove ignorance instead knowledge alone can remove ignorance. Thus a jnaani will always instruct a seeker to follow the path of knowledge wherein all actions are burnt to ashes.
We have to constantly remember this reality that any amount of actions cannot remove ignorance which is the cause of all bondages and sufferings. If a seeker seeks to get rid of all bondages and sufferings, he should enquire into his own very nature through knowledge of the scriptures & he should never think of removing ignorance through actions.
Whether the action being performed is chanting of the name of the Lord or singing his glories or doing service to the world or meditating on the form of the Lord, it cannot remove bondage of ignorance. Bondage can be removed only through knowledge. Thus a jnaani will never instruct a seeker to do actions instead will direct the seeker to knowledge about the ultimate reality of Lord.
This is exactly what the Lord is doing here to the Devas. We have to learn from here that any amount of actions cannot give eternal bliss & only knowledge can give eternal bliss --- the knowledge about one’s own very nature of Lord is the ultimate goal of human life. Thus a seeker should instead of going behind actions strive to get knowledge about the ultimate reality of Lord through scriptural study & learning from the words of the Guru.
This analysis of action and knowledge is very important as until a person knows this, he will be deluded into the vicious circle of action-reaction which is never ending. This action-reaction circle is what is responsible for sorrows and sufferings in the world. We can put an end to this action-reaction circle only through knowledge of the ultimate reality of Lord.
Even though Lord instructed the devas into the ultimate knowledge, it was not of much use. Hence the Lord gave them a solution of karma itself.
Explanation
It is not possible that each and every seeker in the world apprehends the ultimate reality that there is nothing here but the Lord alone & he is attained through knowledge of one’s own very nature alone. Since we all are living in the bhoo loka characterized by actions (termed as karma bhoomi in the scriptures) and since the latent tendency of doing actions has been continuing for births, it is possible that a seeker doesn’t apprehend the instruction of the Guru about knowledge of the ultimate reality of Lord.
This is what happens with the devas too. Since they have been engrossed in actions, they were not able to apprehend the knowledge propounded by the Lord. It is but a fact that the mind listens to what it wants to listen to. This is why there have been long battles of arguments between rival philosophies. All these battles are only because the person is not able to have an open-mind instead of already having chosen his stand & verdict on the topic. Thus a dvaitin listens to only theories of bhedha whereas an advaitin listens to only theories about nirguna Brahman. We cannot say that both are wrong – both are right from their perspective. But reality is beyond all arguments – it is but one alone where there is no scope of arguments or doubts or confusions.
Since the mind is such that it creates preconceived notions, therefore it expects things to be as it wants it. Since the devas had come to the Lord seeking some solution in the form of action, there were not able to apprehend the reality propounded by the Lord that action is the bondage & knowledge alone can remove all sorrows-sufferings in the world. We can very well find this in our own lives. Whenever we are in some distress or sorrow, we seek the Guru or the Lord. When we seek the Lord, we will be directed into knowledge about the ultimate reality. But the mind will be stationed such that it will not heed to all those things – thus it will go into actions alone expecting some results or fruits in the form of miracles.
Thus we find great saints and Mahatmas doing miracles in the world. It is not that Vedanta criticizes miracles but just that these miracles are like normal actions only. They are of no use to a real seeker as they are also actions only. The greatest miracle for a seeker is ignorance which is never really present but still seems to be present & veils the ever-present self-luminous ultimate reality of Lord. It is but a miracle that the seeker who is none other than the Lord finds himself as seeking the Lord (seeking that which he already is). Thus all other so-called miracles are of no use and importance to a real seeker. But it is tough indeed to find a real seeker who goes beyond all miracles & actions and seeks only the ultimate reality of Lord.
Such a seeker never bothers about actions instead always tries to contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord knowing that there is nothing here but the Lord alone.
But normal seekers who are more into actions and miracles will not be able to apprehend the truth even though it is being propounded in each and every chapter of Gita & all mahatmas propound this truth alone. Thus Bhagavatham is here telling us not to be normal people in the world going behind actions & not giving heed to instructions about the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus we have to constantly remember that there is nothing here but the Lord alone – the Lord can be realized through knowledge alone & not through any amount of actions. Actions are the cause of bondage & liberation is possible only through knowledge of the ultimate reality of Lord.
We will see as to the solution which the Lord gave to the devas and the story further the next day.
As the Lord saw that the devas wanted a solution in the form of karma, he instructed them to get the spine of Sage Dadichi (who was a brahmanista) and use it to kill Vritrasura. Devas thus went to Dadichi maharshi and asked him for the same. Maharshi reminded the devas that utilizing others for one’s own selfish motives is not good. But still since he was realized, he didn’t require any body & thus instructed the devas to take his spine.
Explanation
The Lord first instructed the devas into the knowledge about the ultimate reality but saw that devas wanted karma and were not suitable enough to apprehend jnaana.
As we learned earlier, a jnaani will never instruct the disciples to do karma but will instruct them to jnaana about the ultimate reality because jnaana alone can get rid of the sorrows and sufferings in the illusory world. But most of us are already entangled in the bondage of karma that we cannot come out of it – if somebody instructs us to seek the ultimate reality of knowledge getting rid of all actions; we will not be able to do it. This is what is called in Vedanta as VASANA or latent tendencies of KARMA. Our mind is so much used to doing actions that it cannot remain for even a moment without doing some action.
Seeing that the devas are not able to apprehend knowledge, the Lord instructed them a karma to get rid of the miseries that they were having due to vritrasura. We should remember here that only knowledge about the ultimate reality of Lord & that I am that Lord can get rid of sorrows and sufferings once and for all. Else it will be a temporary solution & after a few days, another problem will arise. This is why any solution through action will never be able to terminate a problem permanently. It will be able to end the problem only temporarily – if one problem ends, 10 other problems will spring up. This is exactly what we see in our lives. We face a problem officially & seek the Lord to solve it. The solution that we go for is either shift of location or shift of job. This does solve the problem but only temporarily. It will not be long before the new location or new job also causes some problem. And when location and job are good, pay and promotion will cause problem. This goes on and on without any end. If a person thinks he can put an end to all miseries through action, he is but a fool only. An action cannot remove the sufferings caused by another action. Only ignorance can destroy the sorrows and sufferings caused by actions once and for all.
The Lord is but so compassionate that even though the devas did not apprehend the permanent solution given by the Lord to get rid of all actions & follow the path of knowledge of constantly contemplating on the ultimate reality of Lord, he instructed them to a temporary solution through karma. The Lord is but full of love and compassion that he loves his devotees as well as non-devotees. He loves the people in the world so much that he himself entered into the people --- this is what Upanishads speak about creation.
We find the various avatars like that of Krishna, Rama etc. showing us this attitude of the Lord of love and compassion. Krishna was so compassionate that he agreed to accepting just one house from the kauravas instead of an entire kingdom in order to avoid war. Krishna was so compassionate to Arjuna that when Arjuna asked the Lord to give him knowledge again as he had forgotten the message of Gita, the Lord instructed him again on the same.
This is why the various saints give emphasis to devotion towards the ultimate reality of Lord. As the Lord himself proclaims in Gita that “Arjuna, know for sure that my devotee never perishes”, we have to strive to be real devotees of the Lord so that we are always made to follow the spiritual path towards eternal bliss. The Lord takes care of every person in the world but the ever-present grace of the Lord will be apprehended only if the person opens up his heart & acknowledges the grace of the Lord through pure devotion. Pure devotion is such that it doesn’t expect anything – when a seeker becomes a real devotee of the ultimate reality of Lord, he doesn’t expect anything & he always is engrossed in the thought of the Lord.
Thus Bhagavatham is here telling us to be real devotees of the Lord so that our good and bad is taken care by the Lord himself.
When the Lord instructed the devas to get the bones from Dadichi sage and use it to kill Vritrasura, the devas did as instructed. But at that time, we find Dadichi warning the devas that a person shouldn’t be selfish enough to ignore others desires & want good by doing bad to others. This is exactly what the devas were trying to do – in order to protect themselves, they wanted death of the sage. It can here be said that the sage is realized & hence he doesn’t require the body – but this is kutarka (illogical argument-oriented statement). In that case, we all are the Lord alone & ever realized. So we don’t need the body and hence we should feed ourselves to lions and other carnivorous animals. But we don’t do that – even though Dadichi was realized & he knew that he was not the illusory body, still seeking others body to protect one’s own body is not good & it is against eternal law or dharma. If a person is realized, then he would understand the statement of the Lord that action cannot remove sorrows but knowledge that “I am the Lord alone, distinct from the illusory objects in the world” alone can give eternal bliss characterized by complete cessation of sorrow.
But the devas were not able to apprehend the message of the Lord as well as the warning of the sage, therefore they sought out the body of the sage. The sage was realized and here we find how a realized saint will act in the world – the sage was not at all affected by the demands of the devas. Even after warning them and seeing them still holding on to their desires, the sage was not the least affected. This is how a realized saint will be – he will always be immersed in the ultimate reality of Lord. Once a person is immersed in the ultimate reality of Lord, there is nothing for him except the Lord. The world & actions are all but mere illusions for him. He will always be happy and his very presence will give happiness to others.
Thus we have to learn from the sage as to how to react in situations in the world. Whatever be the situation or environment or conditions, we have to constantly contemplate on the reality of Lord – thus we will not at all be affected by the situations. If good things happen, it is the Lord’s grace. If bad things happen, it is the will of the Lord.
As Ezhuthacchan says beautifully in harinaama keerthanam,
Whatever I see is the form of Narayana.
Whatever I hear is chanting of the names of Narayana.
Whatever I do is archana to Narayana.
Whatever is there is Narayana alone.
As Sankara says in Siva Maanasa Puja, “Yad yad karma karomi tad tad akhilam shambho tava aaraadhanam” – whatever I do is your worship O Lord.
As the famous sloka – Kaayena vaacha manasaindriyairva budhyaatmana va prakriteh svabhaavaat
Karomi yad yad sakalam parasmai naaraayanaayethi samarpayaami
Whatever I do through body, words, minds and due to vasanaas – all those I offer to Narayaana.
We dont need to differentiate between the different deities – all are but forms of the one Lord alone. May it be krishna or rama or siva or jesus, all are nothing but the Lord alone. As the famous sloka goes
Akaashaat pathitam toyam yathaa gacchathi saagaram
Sarva deva namaskaaram keshavam prathigacchathi
As the water that falls from clouds merges into one ocean, similarly all namaskaaraas go to Kesava alone (here Kesava is the ultimate reality of Lord).
We will continue with as to what happend to Vritrasura in the next day.
A person who knows what is moksha will never instruct an ignorant person to do karma. Karma is bondage – getting liberated from bondage of karma is liberation or moksha. Removal of the disease of bondage of karma is moksha in the form of “removal of sorrow”. If a person again and again does karma, it is like tying a knot over another knot. Bondage of karma can be removed only by scripturally analyzing the ultimate reality through JNAANA (knowledge). A jnaani who knows this will never instruct another person to do karma for getting rid of sorrows.
Explanation
We find here the Lord himself explaining the riddle of action and knowledge thereby propounding as to what is MOKSHA or liberation.
Moksha is nothing but complete or total cessation of sorrow. Each and every person in the world is seeking eternal bliss devoid of sorrow. Everybody has the same aim of having no sorrow at all. Thus total cessation of sorrow is what is the aim of every person in the world. This aim itself is termed as moksha or liberation which is complete freedom and rejoicing of eternal bliss. This is possible only when sorrows are completely removed. Thus moksha is complete cessation of sorrow.
Sorrow arises when a person forgets his own very nature of eternal bliss. In fact, we all are nothing but eternal bliss alone. This is known through the state of deep sleep when we see no dream but are completely happy. We experience nothing in that state except happiness. Thus the happiness that we experience during that time is nothing but our own very nature itself. Thus our very nature is bliss. But somehow we forget this & hence we consider ourselves as the complex of body, mind and intellect. When we consider ourselves as the limited body, mind and intellect – limitedness comes to us also. Thus we consider ourselves as limited. Limited feeling is the cause of all bondages and sorrows. Once a person feels himself as limited, there is no freedom as freedom and bliss comes with unlimited feeling or infinite-ness. Thus ignorance of one’s own very nature of eternal bliss is what causes a person to think that he is in bondage and suffering. This ignorance can be removed by knowledge alone even as darkness can be removed by light alone.
Any amount of action cannot remove ignorance. Actions are propelled by desires. Desires in turn are propelled by ignorance. When a person forgets his own very nature of infinite Self, he desires to become perfect & infinite. Thus desire arises out of ignorance. This desire is converted into action so that it can be fulfilled. Thus action arises out of ignorance. Since action arises out of ignorance, it causes the seeker to desire more & do more action. Thus the vicious circle of desire-action continues. This goes on without any ending. Thus ignorance can never be removed by action even as darkness cannot be removed by darkness. Thus the Lord mentions here that ignorance can be removed by knowledge and knowledge alone.
Knowledge of one’s own very nature of Lord – knowledge that there is nothing here but the Lord alone is the one and only means to removal of ignorance. Thus a jnaani who knows what is liberation and who has realized his own very nature of eternal Lord will never instruct a seeker to do action because he knows that action cannot remove ignorance instead knowledge alone can remove ignorance. Thus a jnaani will always instruct a seeker to follow the path of knowledge wherein all actions are burnt to ashes.
We have to constantly remember this reality that any amount of actions cannot remove ignorance which is the cause of all bondages and sufferings. If a seeker seeks to get rid of all bondages and sufferings, he should enquire into his own very nature through knowledge of the scriptures & he should never think of removing ignorance through actions.
Whether the action being performed is chanting of the name of the Lord or singing his glories or doing service to the world or meditating on the form of the Lord, it cannot remove bondage of ignorance. Bondage can be removed only through knowledge. Thus a jnaani will never instruct a seeker to do actions instead will direct the seeker to knowledge about the ultimate reality of Lord.
This is exactly what the Lord is doing here to the Devas. We have to learn from here that any amount of actions cannot give eternal bliss & only knowledge can give eternal bliss --- the knowledge about one’s own very nature of Lord is the ultimate goal of human life. Thus a seeker should instead of going behind actions strive to get knowledge about the ultimate reality of Lord through scriptural study & learning from the words of the Guru.
This analysis of action and knowledge is very important as until a person knows this, he will be deluded into the vicious circle of action-reaction which is never ending. This action-reaction circle is what is responsible for sorrows and sufferings in the world. We can put an end to this action-reaction circle only through knowledge of the ultimate reality of Lord.
Even though Lord instructed the devas into the ultimate knowledge, it was not of much use. Hence the Lord gave them a solution of karma itself.
Explanation
It is not possible that each and every seeker in the world apprehends the ultimate reality that there is nothing here but the Lord alone & he is attained through knowledge of one’s own very nature alone. Since we all are living in the bhoo loka characterized by actions (termed as karma bhoomi in the scriptures) and since the latent tendency of doing actions has been continuing for births, it is possible that a seeker doesn’t apprehend the instruction of the Guru about knowledge of the ultimate reality of Lord.
This is what happens with the devas too. Since they have been engrossed in actions, they were not able to apprehend the knowledge propounded by the Lord. It is but a fact that the mind listens to what it wants to listen to. This is why there have been long battles of arguments between rival philosophies. All these battles are only because the person is not able to have an open-mind instead of already having chosen his stand & verdict on the topic. Thus a dvaitin listens to only theories of bhedha whereas an advaitin listens to only theories about nirguna Brahman. We cannot say that both are wrong – both are right from their perspective. But reality is beyond all arguments – it is but one alone where there is no scope of arguments or doubts or confusions.
Since the mind is such that it creates preconceived notions, therefore it expects things to be as it wants it. Since the devas had come to the Lord seeking some solution in the form of action, there were not able to apprehend the reality propounded by the Lord that action is the bondage & knowledge alone can remove all sorrows-sufferings in the world. We can very well find this in our own lives. Whenever we are in some distress or sorrow, we seek the Guru or the Lord. When we seek the Lord, we will be directed into knowledge about the ultimate reality. But the mind will be stationed such that it will not heed to all those things – thus it will go into actions alone expecting some results or fruits in the form of miracles.
Thus we find great saints and Mahatmas doing miracles in the world. It is not that Vedanta criticizes miracles but just that these miracles are like normal actions only. They are of no use to a real seeker as they are also actions only. The greatest miracle for a seeker is ignorance which is never really present but still seems to be present & veils the ever-present self-luminous ultimate reality of Lord. It is but a miracle that the seeker who is none other than the Lord finds himself as seeking the Lord (seeking that which he already is). Thus all other so-called miracles are of no use and importance to a real seeker. But it is tough indeed to find a real seeker who goes beyond all miracles & actions and seeks only the ultimate reality of Lord.
Such a seeker never bothers about actions instead always tries to contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord knowing that there is nothing here but the Lord alone.
But normal seekers who are more into actions and miracles will not be able to apprehend the truth even though it is being propounded in each and every chapter of Gita & all mahatmas propound this truth alone. Thus Bhagavatham is here telling us not to be normal people in the world going behind actions & not giving heed to instructions about the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus we have to constantly remember that there is nothing here but the Lord alone – the Lord can be realized through knowledge alone & not through any amount of actions. Actions are the cause of bondage & liberation is possible only through knowledge of the ultimate reality of Lord.
We will see as to the solution which the Lord gave to the devas and the story further the next day.
As the Lord saw that the devas wanted a solution in the form of karma, he instructed them to get the spine of Sage Dadichi (who was a brahmanista) and use it to kill Vritrasura. Devas thus went to Dadichi maharshi and asked him for the same. Maharshi reminded the devas that utilizing others for one’s own selfish motives is not good. But still since he was realized, he didn’t require any body & thus instructed the devas to take his spine.
Explanation
The Lord first instructed the devas into the knowledge about the ultimate reality but saw that devas wanted karma and were not suitable enough to apprehend jnaana.
As we learned earlier, a jnaani will never instruct the disciples to do karma but will instruct them to jnaana about the ultimate reality because jnaana alone can get rid of the sorrows and sufferings in the illusory world. But most of us are already entangled in the bondage of karma that we cannot come out of it – if somebody instructs us to seek the ultimate reality of knowledge getting rid of all actions; we will not be able to do it. This is what is called in Vedanta as VASANA or latent tendencies of KARMA. Our mind is so much used to doing actions that it cannot remain for even a moment without doing some action.
Seeing that the devas are not able to apprehend knowledge, the Lord instructed them a karma to get rid of the miseries that they were having due to vritrasura. We should remember here that only knowledge about the ultimate reality of Lord & that I am that Lord can get rid of sorrows and sufferings once and for all. Else it will be a temporary solution & after a few days, another problem will arise. This is why any solution through action will never be able to terminate a problem permanently. It will be able to end the problem only temporarily – if one problem ends, 10 other problems will spring up. This is exactly what we see in our lives. We face a problem officially & seek the Lord to solve it. The solution that we go for is either shift of location or shift of job. This does solve the problem but only temporarily. It will not be long before the new location or new job also causes some problem. And when location and job are good, pay and promotion will cause problem. This goes on and on without any end. If a person thinks he can put an end to all miseries through action, he is but a fool only. An action cannot remove the sufferings caused by another action. Only ignorance can destroy the sorrows and sufferings caused by actions once and for all.
The Lord is but so compassionate that even though the devas did not apprehend the permanent solution given by the Lord to get rid of all actions & follow the path of knowledge of constantly contemplating on the ultimate reality of Lord, he instructed them to a temporary solution through karma. The Lord is but full of love and compassion that he loves his devotees as well as non-devotees. He loves the people in the world so much that he himself entered into the people --- this is what Upanishads speak about creation.
We find the various avatars like that of Krishna, Rama etc. showing us this attitude of the Lord of love and compassion. Krishna was so compassionate that he agreed to accepting just one house from the kauravas instead of an entire kingdom in order to avoid war. Krishna was so compassionate to Arjuna that when Arjuna asked the Lord to give him knowledge again as he had forgotten the message of Gita, the Lord instructed him again on the same.
This is why the various saints give emphasis to devotion towards the ultimate reality of Lord. As the Lord himself proclaims in Gita that “Arjuna, know for sure that my devotee never perishes”, we have to strive to be real devotees of the Lord so that we are always made to follow the spiritual path towards eternal bliss. The Lord takes care of every person in the world but the ever-present grace of the Lord will be apprehended only if the person opens up his heart & acknowledges the grace of the Lord through pure devotion. Pure devotion is such that it doesn’t expect anything – when a seeker becomes a real devotee of the ultimate reality of Lord, he doesn’t expect anything & he always is engrossed in the thought of the Lord.
Thus Bhagavatham is here telling us to be real devotees of the Lord so that our good and bad is taken care by the Lord himself.
When the Lord instructed the devas to get the bones from Dadichi sage and use it to kill Vritrasura, the devas did as instructed. But at that time, we find Dadichi warning the devas that a person shouldn’t be selfish enough to ignore others desires & want good by doing bad to others. This is exactly what the devas were trying to do – in order to protect themselves, they wanted death of the sage. It can here be said that the sage is realized & hence he doesn’t require the body – but this is kutarka (illogical argument-oriented statement). In that case, we all are the Lord alone & ever realized. So we don’t need the body and hence we should feed ourselves to lions and other carnivorous animals. But we don’t do that – even though Dadichi was realized & he knew that he was not the illusory body, still seeking others body to protect one’s own body is not good & it is against eternal law or dharma. If a person is realized, then he would understand the statement of the Lord that action cannot remove sorrows but knowledge that “I am the Lord alone, distinct from the illusory objects in the world” alone can give eternal bliss characterized by complete cessation of sorrow.
But the devas were not able to apprehend the message of the Lord as well as the warning of the sage, therefore they sought out the body of the sage. The sage was realized and here we find how a realized saint will act in the world – the sage was not at all affected by the demands of the devas. Even after warning them and seeing them still holding on to their desires, the sage was not the least affected. This is how a realized saint will be – he will always be immersed in the ultimate reality of Lord. Once a person is immersed in the ultimate reality of Lord, there is nothing for him except the Lord. The world & actions are all but mere illusions for him. He will always be happy and his very presence will give happiness to others.
Thus we have to learn from the sage as to how to react in situations in the world. Whatever be the situation or environment or conditions, we have to constantly contemplate on the reality of Lord – thus we will not at all be affected by the situations. If good things happen, it is the Lord’s grace. If bad things happen, it is the will of the Lord.
As Ezhuthacchan says beautifully in harinaama keerthanam,
Whatever I see is the form of Narayana.
Whatever I hear is chanting of the names of Narayana.
Whatever I do is archana to Narayana.
Whatever is there is Narayana alone.
As Sankara says in Siva Maanasa Puja, “Yad yad karma karomi tad tad akhilam shambho tava aaraadhanam” – whatever I do is your worship O Lord.
As the famous sloka – Kaayena vaacha manasaindriyairva budhyaatmana va prakriteh svabhaavaat
Karomi yad yad sakalam parasmai naaraayanaayethi samarpayaami
Whatever I do through body, words, minds and due to vasanaas – all those I offer to Narayaana.
We dont need to differentiate between the different deities – all are but forms of the one Lord alone. May it be krishna or rama or siva or jesus, all are nothing but the Lord alone. As the famous sloka goes
Akaashaat pathitam toyam yathaa gacchathi saagaram
Sarva deva namaskaaram keshavam prathigacchathi
As the water that falls from clouds merges into one ocean, similarly all namaskaaraas go to Kesava alone (here Kesava is the ultimate reality of Lord).
We will continue with as to what happend to Vritrasura in the next day.
