Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Story 28 - Story of Dhruva – 1
Srimad Bhagavatham - A Spiritual Insight - Story 28 - Story of Dhruva – 1
Maitreya started with the story of Dhruva thus:
The first manu was called Sataroopa. He had two sons Priyavrata and Uttanapaada. Uttanapaada had two wives, Sunithi and Suruchi. Suruchi was the youngest and hence the King Uttanapaada was attached to Suruchi. Suruchi had a son Uttama whereas Sunithi had a son Dhruva. Once Uttama was sitting on the lap of his father when Dhruva came there and he also wanted to sit in the lap of his father (he was very young at them). But he was not allowed and Suruchi said to him that “alas! You are not born of my womb and hence you don’t have the right/grace to sit on your father’s lap”.
Suruchi thus said:
If you want to sit on the lap of your father, then do Tapas on the ultimate reality of Lord so that by his grace you are born in my womb and thereby your desire to sit on the lap of your father is fulfilled.
Explanation
We find many interesting things and points to be implemented in life from the story of Dhruva. As normal, we have to understand all relations in the world are ephemeral and temporary only. Relationships last only till the people in the relationship exist. And as we are well aware of relationships are either between bodies or between minds. Both the body and mind are temporary because there is surely an end to it. Thus when the body dies off, relationship also ends. When a person is attached to a relationship, then he finds it hard to adjust when the relationship comes to an end – this is why normally people cry when someone dear and near passes away. Thus we have to constantly remember that the relationships arising out of the temporary and changing objects in the world are temporary only and not real. Knowing this, we have to proceed in the path of spirituality going beyond all relationships for the sake of the ultimate reality of Lord knowing which everything else becomes known, knowing which there is no desire at all.
It can be argued over here that “aren’t there relationships between souls as in the case of lovers”. JVedanta only can just laugh at the question because there can be no relationship at all between souls. The reason for the same is that there are no “many” souls but only ONE ultimate reality exists in many beings as we see. Also to have any relationship between souls, the people in the relationship should remain as the Self. This means the lovers are established in the ultimate reality of Self – if this is true, then there cannot have any relationship at all with the world. That being the case, “love” in the form of worldly attraction is not at all possible because when a person realizes the Self by being established in the Self, he doesn’t see any duality at all – he only sees the ultimate reality of Lord everywhere.
Thus all relationships in the world are temporary and will vanish one day or the other. It can again be doubted that “isn’t the relationship of Guru-shishya and Devotee-Lord real?” No, it isn’t. Any relationship whether it be between Lord and the devotee or Guru and shishyaa is not real – all relationships are possible only at the empirical level with the help of body and mind. Since these are changing, the relationship is also changing. As relationship is changing, hence it is not eternal.
Therefore Sankara says in Nirvaana Shatkam
“Na bandhur na mitram gurur naiva shishyaa
Chidaananda roopah sivoham sivoham”
There is no relative nor friend for me – there is neither guru nor shishya – I am the Self of the nature of Consciousness and Bliss, I am the Self.
Lakshmidhara kavi in Advaita Makaranda says
Upashaantha jagad jeeva shishyaachaarya ishwara bramama
Svatah siddham anaadhyantham paripoornam aham mahah
When the world, jeeva and ishwara along with shishya and acharya – all these dualities vanish or are removed, the Self which is self-proven and self-luminous, without any beginning and end, perfect and luminous as light is realized as “I”.
Thus all relationships are illusory and work only at the empirical level. Good relationships are those which have the bondage of spirituality in them. Such relationships help to remove bad relationships and thereby make a person realize the ultimate reality of non-dual Lord indirectly. Thus we have to constantly remember that any relationship is only an illusion and therefore cannot guarantee peace and bliss in the world. We think that we will get happiness from the relationship of wife/husband and therefore get married. But only after getting married, we realize that it cannot give peace because it only gives more responsibilities and more attachments. Wherever there is attachment, there is always sorrow and suffering attached to it unless the person is spiritual and devoted to the ultimate reality of Lord. This is what Srimad Bhagavatham beautifully puts in the story of Dhruva.
Even though a person might be one’s father or mother or even Guru, but still there are always limitations to worldly relations because worldly relations are always either at the physical level or at the mental level. Thus, Dhruva’s father loved his younger wife Suruchi than the older wife Suniti. Suruchi also did not like Dhruva and hence Dhruva was denied a place on the lap of his father. This is what really happens in the world. We think that somebody really loves us, cares for us etc. But when the real time of testing comes, that person will surely get away from you!!! This is even valid in the case of mothers too – this is being specifically mentioned here because normal people think that the relationship between a mother and a child is very pure. But this is also not pure but one of expectation alone.
There is a beautiful incident narrated by Swami Raamateertha (the great 20th century saint who went to America and gave lectures – hearing one of his lectures, 4 of the top universities of US offered him a Ph. D but he rejected it!!! He rejected not to embarrass them or not out of Ego attitude but because he had found the ultimate reality of Brahman which is full of bliss alone and knowing which a person doesn’t desire for anything in the world) during his stay in Uttara kaashi. It was time when the river was rising. Swami say a mother monkey and three of her children sitting on the bottom of a tree. As water was rising, the monkeys got on top of the tree. Still the water was rising. The mother monkey reached the top most branch of the tree. Still water was rising – and then the mother monkey kept one of her child on the branch and stood on the child so that she will not be drowned. Still water was rising – the next child was kept and then the third and last child also was kept. This is not a story but a real incident witnessed by Swami Rama teertha.
This is what is the case with all worldly relationships let it be between mother and child or between lovers. All relationships are based on expectations alone. Thus any relationships apart from spiritual relationship are temporary and will lead to sorrow alone. I have personally experienced spiritual relationships when I was staying at AMMA’s ashram in Kochi doing a computer course & have had many worldly relationships with relatives and others. The difference is very much there – in the former, the people are ready to do anything for the other person whereas in the latter, there is always expectation and one’s own benefit. It cannot be really put into words but the difference can be known when a person experiences it.
Thus Srimad Bhagavatham through the story of Dhruva is telling us that don’t believe in relationships and don’t say that “I will seek the Lord after maintaining and satisfying the various relationships”. There is no satisfying available for worldly relationships – the expectations only grow day by day.
Srimad Bhagavatham through Suruchi says that a person should not believe in worldly relationships but seek the ultimate reality of Lord. The cause for seeking the Lord can be anything but seeking will finally lead to knowledge about the Lord who is in the heart of all beings. Therefore Suruchi mockingly says Dhruva to contemplate on the Lord – this is taken seriously by Dhruva as the Lord is mentioned in it.
Dhruva was instructed by his mother Suniti to shed aside all dualities and seek the ultimate reality of Lord who alone can confer whatever the seeker really wants. Thus instructed by his mother, Dhruva started to the forest to contemplate and do Tapas on the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord.
On the way Narada stopped Dhruva and tried to dissuade him from Tapas. But Dhruva was strong in his intentions and hence he asked Narada what to be done to contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord. Narada was pleased with Dhruva not falling a prey to various attractions and for asking real questions about the reality of Lord and the way to contemplate on the Lord.
Narada tells Dhruva to contemplate on the reality and follow the path of Tapas which his mother had instructed him. Narada also instructs Dhruva to contemplate on the form of the Lord and chant the mantra “aum namo bhagavathe vaasudevaaya”.
Narada thus concludes
“Thus when a person contemplates on the Lord through body, mind and words along with real devotion, he knows the reality clearly and thereby is dispassionate towards the illusory world. And thereby he overcomes all latent tendencies and fruits of karmas – thus he is liberated from the bondage of birth-death which is called as Samsaara”.
Having thus instructed, Narada goes away and Dhruva goes to contemplate on the Lord.
Explanation
The world is full of distractions which can very easily make a seeker fall prey to those distractions thereby making him fall down from the path towards the ultimate reality. Katha Upanishad clearly puts forth two paths in the world. One is the Preyo marga – that which is beautiful and attractive. Other is Sreyo marga – the real beneficial path which will give realization and liberation. The Preyo marga is that which seems to be good and giving happiness in the beginning but will lead to sorrow alone (this is what Sri Krishna says in 18th Chapter too). This path is going after the happiness from worldly objects which are temporary. This happiness itself is endowed with sorrow from them which a seeker gets as time passes. A person thinks that he will get happiness from a car and thereby buys a car. Initially there is happiness. But after 2 years, the car becomes old and maintenance costs are too high – therefore the same car becomes a cause of worry. Also if the neighbour buys a better car, that very moment the person becomes sad!!! Thus the car gave happiness only for a short period in the initial time – on the long run, it will give sorrow alone. Thus the preyo marga is followed by only fools or ignorant people who are not aware of the abundant bliss which is lying hidden and dormant inside the heart of all beings in the form of the ultimate reality of Lord. But those who are wise enough to understand the objects in the world are temporary and therefore will lead to sorrow alone follow the Sreyo marga which has lot of difficulties in the initial period but the final end result is eternal bliss alone. Thus a seeker faces lot of troubles in the initial period. It will happen that he is not able to go to temples, he is not able to get time for concentration, the officials are against him – all such problems are only initial hurdles to the seeker. These are not “problems” but only testing for the ultimate reality.
In order to clear CAT entrance and acquire a seat in one of the IIMS, an aspirant should work towards it for at least 6 months. The hardship that he has to go through in the 6 months is very tough indeed – I need not mention it to the normal people because most of the people will already be aware of it. But the end result is very good indeed and overrides or makes one forget the hardships one has to go through in the 6 months (or a year).
Similarly a seeker when following the path of spirituality will be confronted with lot of problems which are nothing but various testing to ensure that the seeker is capable of being conferred liberation. It is very well correct that realization is one’s own right because it is one’s own very nature. But still there is ignorance & very few are capable of overcoming this illusory ignorance – those who have the strong desire to come out of the illusion can alone get or realize the Self. Therefore there will be testing to ensure that the seeker has the strong desire to realize the ultimate reality of Lord and overcome all the illusory bondages in the world. If the seeker has strong desire and real devotion to the Lord, whatever may happen to him during times of praying the Lord and whatever hardships he faces, he will not lost faith in the Lord because he knows that Lord is blissful alone in nature. As Lord is blissful in nature, he cannot give sorrow. Therefore the sorrow that one faces is only a testing by the Lord and the exhausting of the karmas of the seeker.
Realization is very tough indeed and there are rare few who realize their own very nature of Self! It might seem awkward that there are few only who know really who they are! But that’s how the world is. Therefore the Lord ensures that the seeker is eligible to realize the ultimate reality of Self or Lord and then alone confers realization to the seeker. This is in the form of various testing during the path to spirituality. One of the simplest testing is “trying to divert the seeker with worldly pleasures”. He who is a real seeker after realization, will never fall a prey to worldly things even as Nachikethu couldn’t be diverted by worldly pleasures. Dhruva here is a real seeker and doesn’t really fall a prey to various dissuasions by Narada.
Thus Srimad Bhagavatham tells each one of us to overcome the worldly sensual pleasures and seek the eternal bliss inherent in the Lord. When there is attraction or thirst for sensual pleasures, the mind is extroverted. Such a mind cannot realize it’s own very nature of Self which can be realized only by an introverted and pure mind. Thus we all have to overcome all desires, thirst and attachment towards the worldly sensual pleasures.
Once we overcome the worldly pleasures, what is in store for us is eternal bliss which is realized through tapas or austerity in the form of contemplation on the ultimate reality of Lord. There are mainly three equipments through which the Lord can be worshipped. Worship is only meant to keep the thought of Lord constantly in the mind and overcome the Ego. The three equipments are body or Kaaya, words or speech or Vaak and mind or Manas.
Thus Upadesa Saram of Ramana Maharshi says
Kaaya vaan manah kaaryam uttamam
Poojanam japah chintanam kramaath
The work or worship done through words are greater than that done by body – greater than words are the work done by mind. The worship done through body is pooja or offerings to the Lord in the form of flowers, incense sticks, praasaada etc. The work done through words is japah or chanting of the Lord’s name. The work done through mind is contemplation on the Lord (for detailed analysis on this sloka, the posting on Upadesa Saram of Ramana Maharshi can be referred).
When these three are performed without any expectation of fruits and as an offering to the Lord, the mind becomes pure and then through knowledge about the ultimate reality, realization of one’s own very nature happens. This realization is called Moksha or liberation and is realization of one’s own nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute – that bliss which is sought out each and every person in the world.
As to what is the importance of a mantra and what is the real meaning of the vasudeva mantra, we will see it next.
Maitreya started with the story of Dhruva thus:
The first manu was called Sataroopa. He had two sons Priyavrata and Uttanapaada. Uttanapaada had two wives, Sunithi and Suruchi. Suruchi was the youngest and hence the King Uttanapaada was attached to Suruchi. Suruchi had a son Uttama whereas Sunithi had a son Dhruva. Once Uttama was sitting on the lap of his father when Dhruva came there and he also wanted to sit in the lap of his father (he was very young at them). But he was not allowed and Suruchi said to him that “alas! You are not born of my womb and hence you don’t have the right/grace to sit on your father’s lap”.
Suruchi thus said:
If you want to sit on the lap of your father, then do Tapas on the ultimate reality of Lord so that by his grace you are born in my womb and thereby your desire to sit on the lap of your father is fulfilled.
Explanation
We find many interesting things and points to be implemented in life from the story of Dhruva. As normal, we have to understand all relations in the world are ephemeral and temporary only. Relationships last only till the people in the relationship exist. And as we are well aware of relationships are either between bodies or between minds. Both the body and mind are temporary because there is surely an end to it. Thus when the body dies off, relationship also ends. When a person is attached to a relationship, then he finds it hard to adjust when the relationship comes to an end – this is why normally people cry when someone dear and near passes away. Thus we have to constantly remember that the relationships arising out of the temporary and changing objects in the world are temporary only and not real. Knowing this, we have to proceed in the path of spirituality going beyond all relationships for the sake of the ultimate reality of Lord knowing which everything else becomes known, knowing which there is no desire at all.
It can be argued over here that “aren’t there relationships between souls as in the case of lovers”. JVedanta only can just laugh at the question because there can be no relationship at all between souls. The reason for the same is that there are no “many” souls but only ONE ultimate reality exists in many beings as we see. Also to have any relationship between souls, the people in the relationship should remain as the Self. This means the lovers are established in the ultimate reality of Self – if this is true, then there cannot have any relationship at all with the world. That being the case, “love” in the form of worldly attraction is not at all possible because when a person realizes the Self by being established in the Self, he doesn’t see any duality at all – he only sees the ultimate reality of Lord everywhere.
Thus all relationships in the world are temporary and will vanish one day or the other. It can again be doubted that “isn’t the relationship of Guru-shishya and Devotee-Lord real?” No, it isn’t. Any relationship whether it be between Lord and the devotee or Guru and shishyaa is not real – all relationships are possible only at the empirical level with the help of body and mind. Since these are changing, the relationship is also changing. As relationship is changing, hence it is not eternal.
Therefore Sankara says in Nirvaana Shatkam
“Na bandhur na mitram gurur naiva shishyaa
Chidaananda roopah sivoham sivoham”
There is no relative nor friend for me – there is neither guru nor shishya – I am the Self of the nature of Consciousness and Bliss, I am the Self.
Lakshmidhara kavi in Advaita Makaranda says
Upashaantha jagad jeeva shishyaachaarya ishwara bramama
Svatah siddham anaadhyantham paripoornam aham mahah
When the world, jeeva and ishwara along with shishya and acharya – all these dualities vanish or are removed, the Self which is self-proven and self-luminous, without any beginning and end, perfect and luminous as light is realized as “I”.
Thus all relationships are illusory and work only at the empirical level. Good relationships are those which have the bondage of spirituality in them. Such relationships help to remove bad relationships and thereby make a person realize the ultimate reality of non-dual Lord indirectly. Thus we have to constantly remember that any relationship is only an illusion and therefore cannot guarantee peace and bliss in the world. We think that we will get happiness from the relationship of wife/husband and therefore get married. But only after getting married, we realize that it cannot give peace because it only gives more responsibilities and more attachments. Wherever there is attachment, there is always sorrow and suffering attached to it unless the person is spiritual and devoted to the ultimate reality of Lord. This is what Srimad Bhagavatham beautifully puts in the story of Dhruva.
Even though a person might be one’s father or mother or even Guru, but still there are always limitations to worldly relations because worldly relations are always either at the physical level or at the mental level. Thus, Dhruva’s father loved his younger wife Suruchi than the older wife Suniti. Suruchi also did not like Dhruva and hence Dhruva was denied a place on the lap of his father. This is what really happens in the world. We think that somebody really loves us, cares for us etc. But when the real time of testing comes, that person will surely get away from you!!! This is even valid in the case of mothers too – this is being specifically mentioned here because normal people think that the relationship between a mother and a child is very pure. But this is also not pure but one of expectation alone.
There is a beautiful incident narrated by Swami Raamateertha (the great 20th century saint who went to America and gave lectures – hearing one of his lectures, 4 of the top universities of US offered him a Ph. D but he rejected it!!! He rejected not to embarrass them or not out of Ego attitude but because he had found the ultimate reality of Brahman which is full of bliss alone and knowing which a person doesn’t desire for anything in the world) during his stay in Uttara kaashi. It was time when the river was rising. Swami say a mother monkey and three of her children sitting on the bottom of a tree. As water was rising, the monkeys got on top of the tree. Still the water was rising. The mother monkey reached the top most branch of the tree. Still water was rising – and then the mother monkey kept one of her child on the branch and stood on the child so that she will not be drowned. Still water was rising – the next child was kept and then the third and last child also was kept. This is not a story but a real incident witnessed by Swami Rama teertha.
This is what is the case with all worldly relationships let it be between mother and child or between lovers. All relationships are based on expectations alone. Thus any relationships apart from spiritual relationship are temporary and will lead to sorrow alone. I have personally experienced spiritual relationships when I was staying at AMMA’s ashram in Kochi doing a computer course & have had many worldly relationships with relatives and others. The difference is very much there – in the former, the people are ready to do anything for the other person whereas in the latter, there is always expectation and one’s own benefit. It cannot be really put into words but the difference can be known when a person experiences it.
Thus Srimad Bhagavatham through the story of Dhruva is telling us that don’t believe in relationships and don’t say that “I will seek the Lord after maintaining and satisfying the various relationships”. There is no satisfying available for worldly relationships – the expectations only grow day by day.
Srimad Bhagavatham through Suruchi says that a person should not believe in worldly relationships but seek the ultimate reality of Lord. The cause for seeking the Lord can be anything but seeking will finally lead to knowledge about the Lord who is in the heart of all beings. Therefore Suruchi mockingly says Dhruva to contemplate on the Lord – this is taken seriously by Dhruva as the Lord is mentioned in it.
Dhruva was instructed by his mother Suniti to shed aside all dualities and seek the ultimate reality of Lord who alone can confer whatever the seeker really wants. Thus instructed by his mother, Dhruva started to the forest to contemplate and do Tapas on the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord.
On the way Narada stopped Dhruva and tried to dissuade him from Tapas. But Dhruva was strong in his intentions and hence he asked Narada what to be done to contemplate on the ultimate reality of Lord. Narada was pleased with Dhruva not falling a prey to various attractions and for asking real questions about the reality of Lord and the way to contemplate on the Lord.
Narada tells Dhruva to contemplate on the reality and follow the path of Tapas which his mother had instructed him. Narada also instructs Dhruva to contemplate on the form of the Lord and chant the mantra “aum namo bhagavathe vaasudevaaya”.
Narada thus concludes
“Thus when a person contemplates on the Lord through body, mind and words along with real devotion, he knows the reality clearly and thereby is dispassionate towards the illusory world. And thereby he overcomes all latent tendencies and fruits of karmas – thus he is liberated from the bondage of birth-death which is called as Samsaara”.
Having thus instructed, Narada goes away and Dhruva goes to contemplate on the Lord.
Explanation
The world is full of distractions which can very easily make a seeker fall prey to those distractions thereby making him fall down from the path towards the ultimate reality. Katha Upanishad clearly puts forth two paths in the world. One is the Preyo marga – that which is beautiful and attractive. Other is Sreyo marga – the real beneficial path which will give realization and liberation. The Preyo marga is that which seems to be good and giving happiness in the beginning but will lead to sorrow alone (this is what Sri Krishna says in 18th Chapter too). This path is going after the happiness from worldly objects which are temporary. This happiness itself is endowed with sorrow from them which a seeker gets as time passes. A person thinks that he will get happiness from a car and thereby buys a car. Initially there is happiness. But after 2 years, the car becomes old and maintenance costs are too high – therefore the same car becomes a cause of worry. Also if the neighbour buys a better car, that very moment the person becomes sad!!! Thus the car gave happiness only for a short period in the initial time – on the long run, it will give sorrow alone. Thus the preyo marga is followed by only fools or ignorant people who are not aware of the abundant bliss which is lying hidden and dormant inside the heart of all beings in the form of the ultimate reality of Lord. But those who are wise enough to understand the objects in the world are temporary and therefore will lead to sorrow alone follow the Sreyo marga which has lot of difficulties in the initial period but the final end result is eternal bliss alone. Thus a seeker faces lot of troubles in the initial period. It will happen that he is not able to go to temples, he is not able to get time for concentration, the officials are against him – all such problems are only initial hurdles to the seeker. These are not “problems” but only testing for the ultimate reality.
In order to clear CAT entrance and acquire a seat in one of the IIMS, an aspirant should work towards it for at least 6 months. The hardship that he has to go through in the 6 months is very tough indeed – I need not mention it to the normal people because most of the people will already be aware of it. But the end result is very good indeed and overrides or makes one forget the hardships one has to go through in the 6 months (or a year).
Similarly a seeker when following the path of spirituality will be confronted with lot of problems which are nothing but various testing to ensure that the seeker is capable of being conferred liberation. It is very well correct that realization is one’s own right because it is one’s own very nature. But still there is ignorance & very few are capable of overcoming this illusory ignorance – those who have the strong desire to come out of the illusion can alone get or realize the Self. Therefore there will be testing to ensure that the seeker has the strong desire to realize the ultimate reality of Lord and overcome all the illusory bondages in the world. If the seeker has strong desire and real devotion to the Lord, whatever may happen to him during times of praying the Lord and whatever hardships he faces, he will not lost faith in the Lord because he knows that Lord is blissful alone in nature. As Lord is blissful in nature, he cannot give sorrow. Therefore the sorrow that one faces is only a testing by the Lord and the exhausting of the karmas of the seeker.
Realization is very tough indeed and there are rare few who realize their own very nature of Self! It might seem awkward that there are few only who know really who they are! But that’s how the world is. Therefore the Lord ensures that the seeker is eligible to realize the ultimate reality of Self or Lord and then alone confers realization to the seeker. This is in the form of various testing during the path to spirituality. One of the simplest testing is “trying to divert the seeker with worldly pleasures”. He who is a real seeker after realization, will never fall a prey to worldly things even as Nachikethu couldn’t be diverted by worldly pleasures. Dhruva here is a real seeker and doesn’t really fall a prey to various dissuasions by Narada.
Thus Srimad Bhagavatham tells each one of us to overcome the worldly sensual pleasures and seek the eternal bliss inherent in the Lord. When there is attraction or thirst for sensual pleasures, the mind is extroverted. Such a mind cannot realize it’s own very nature of Self which can be realized only by an introverted and pure mind. Thus we all have to overcome all desires, thirst and attachment towards the worldly sensual pleasures.
Once we overcome the worldly pleasures, what is in store for us is eternal bliss which is realized through tapas or austerity in the form of contemplation on the ultimate reality of Lord. There are mainly three equipments through which the Lord can be worshipped. Worship is only meant to keep the thought of Lord constantly in the mind and overcome the Ego. The three equipments are body or Kaaya, words or speech or Vaak and mind or Manas.
Thus Upadesa Saram of Ramana Maharshi says
Kaaya vaan manah kaaryam uttamam
Poojanam japah chintanam kramaath
The work or worship done through words are greater than that done by body – greater than words are the work done by mind. The worship done through body is pooja or offerings to the Lord in the form of flowers, incense sticks, praasaada etc. The work done through words is japah or chanting of the Lord’s name. The work done through mind is contemplation on the Lord (for detailed analysis on this sloka, the posting on Upadesa Saram of Ramana Maharshi can be referred).
When these three are performed without any expectation of fruits and as an offering to the Lord, the mind becomes pure and then through knowledge about the ultimate reality, realization of one’s own very nature happens. This realization is called Moksha or liberation and is realization of one’s own nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute – that bliss which is sought out each and every person in the world.
As to what is the importance of a mantra and what is the real meaning of the vasudeva mantra, we will see it next.
# posted by vedanta : 9:23 AM
