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A Practical Indian Philosophy |
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Ayodhyakaandda 148 Chaupaayi: So-yi jaana-yi jayhi dayhu janaa-yee:
jaanata tumhahin tumhahin ho-yi jaa-yee:: Ak127 148. Vaalmeeki continued,
"Only he knows you whom you grant that Knowledge. On receiving it, he
becomes one with you." (See Geetaa 10:14) Vaalmeeki states the
truth that we become what we constantly think. (See Geetaa 8:6) He brings out
that our effort is essential for gaining Knowledge, reaching God and seeing Him
in person. But effort is not enough. Everything flows from God's grace. (See 96, 261) Knowledge is not an
attribute of Brahman. Brahman itself is total Knowledge. On getting it, the
knower, the knowing of that Knowledge and the Knowledge itself become one.
This is because after gaining Knowledge, our 'I' which differentiates ceases
to exist and our consciousness becomes one with the cosmic or Universal
consciousness. After that there is nothing that needs to be known. (See
Geetaa 7:1-2) God alone is the guru to grant that Knowledge. One who receives
this Knowledge also knows God's secret and His laws but ceases to have a
separate entity in the mayaic world to tell it to us. (See Geetaa 4:9-10, In Dvaita, the
seeker's devotion to God carries his soul for its fulfilment to any of these
four stages. Saalokya is reaching Vaikunttha or the abode of
the Personal God Himself. Saaameepya is reaching very close to Him. Saaaroopya
is the precept that a man becomes what he thinks, gaining His form. The
highest stage after the three earlier stages through devotion is Saayujya
or to merge in the personal God. (See 241[26]) According to
Advaita, the only and the highest destination is Kaiwalya or
God realization that is reached after the total annihilation of the ' Why does God give His
secret to man but not even to the Indian trinity of gods, Brahmaa, Vishnu and
Shiva? A part of something cannot know the whole of which it is a part. The
Indian trinity of gods is a visible aspect and part of Brahman. It has
knowledge and power for a part of the role of God and not for His total role,
which the Incarnation of God has. (See 65[2-15, 18, 20])
These gods do not need to know God's secret because they are self-sufficient
for their assigned roles. Man's ignorance causes him suffering from which he
wants to be free and his deficiency in Knowledge excites curiosity to ask his
Maker for it. Man needs this Knowledge. The Author could not know other
aspects, if any, of the answer to this question. To satisfy man's curiosity,
Shree Raama gives this assurance. 148A Chaupaayi: Kavana vastu
asi priya mohi laagee: jo munivara na sakahu tumha maangee:: Shree Raama told Naarada,
"There is nothing so dear to me that you cannot ask me for it. There is
nothing in what I have that I cannot give to anyone. Please do not forget to
trust me for this." Not merely He gives all, including His secret,
but comes over Himself to live in a seeker's heart. On His assurance, a man
prays for and gets Knowledge (or God's own secret). The Indian trinity
apparently does not need it nor asks for it nor gets it. 149 Dohaa: Poochhay-u mohi
ki rahahun kanha, main poochhata sakuchaa-un: 149. Vaalmeeki said to
Shree Raama, "You ask me where you should live. I hesitate in asking
you to tell me where you are not. That is where I can tell you to stay."
Vaalmeeki first described
Shree Raama as omniscient. (See 148) Now he is
calling Him omnipresent by showing where He loves to stay rather than be
merely present. (See 137) Omnipresence
of God is the distinctive concept in Sanaatana Dharma. God is not merely
present everywhere as other religions believe but in everything. Omnipresence
is the basis for Vedanta, which is the surviving and vibrant Sanaatana Dharma
lived by bulk of Indians today without sometimes being consciously aware of
it. 150 Chaupaayi: Sunahu Raama aba
kahahun nikaytaa: jahaan basahu Siya-Lashana-samaytaa:: 150. Vaalmeeki said, "O
Raama! I tell you where you can stay with Seetaa and Lakshmana. Treating the
beautiful stories of your life as rivers, listeners' ears become oceans for
receiving them..." Broadly, there is no
difference between the fourteen forms of devotion, which Vaalmeeki is shown
to enumerate from here onwards, and the nine, which Shree Raama is shown to
explain to Lakshmana and to Shabaree. (See 244-248, 267-269)
Experience shows that a man cannot be engrossed in one and stay away from any
other form of devotion or any path to God. Shades of all paths appear in
each. (See 421)
By calling the hearts of
devotees as blissful abodes for Shree Raama, Vaalmeeki brings out a unique
concept of Sanaatana Dharma. On their own, devotees cannot reach God in
heaven. They need His grace. As a mother seeks and reaches her infant, it is
God, who descends in person on the earth, strengthens devotion and then rests
in devotees' hearts. Devotees give Him happiness. God searches for the pure
heart of a devotee that yearns for Him. (See 95, 415) All hearts
have the impersonal God, the devotee's is a bit cleaner for His stay in a
form the devotee can reach to see. 151 Chaupaayi: Bharahin
nirantara hohin na pooray: tinha kay hi-ya tumha kanha griha rooray:: 151. Vaalmeeki continued,
"... and in the same manner as oceans, their ears do not overflow
from rivers flowing into them day in and day out. Such devotees' hearts are
proper homes for you. Those who treat your vision as the drops of rain and
their own eyes as the legendary bird chaataka and ever remain hopeful
of water-laden clouds to appear..." (see Geetaa 2:70) By calling listeners of
Shree Raama's life story who try to understand its message as his devotees,
Vaalmeeki thinks of the largest number of people who desire to reach God.
Steady interest in His story and its message permanently transform listeners.
The illiterate listeners in 152 Chaupaayi: Nidarahin sarita
sindhu sara bhaaree: roopa bindu jala hohin sukhaaree:: 152. Vaalmeeki continued,
"... and disregard lakes, great rivers, and the ocean and drink only
the drops of water, in the form of your vision, to quench their thirst for
happiness, such devotees' hearts make a happy home for Lakshmana, Seetaa and
you." The great lakes, rivers
and oceans refer, firstly, to multiplicity of beliefs, paths, disciplines and
austerities or, secondly, to impressive material possessions, family and
friends on which a man relies for his progress in the spiritual or physical
world, respectively. The first appear beyond the reach of the simple and
humble. The second are found to be unreliable in almost all crises in life.
Devotees realize this early and reject them both. Instead, they look to Shree
Raama for succour. Devotees develop an
intense desire for Shree Raama's vision. Vaalmeeki compares them to the
legendary bird, chaataka. Chaataka is said to quench his thirst only
by drinking the drops of a particular winter rain before they reach the
earth. This rain falls when the sun is in the division of Swaati (Arcturus).
Swaati is the fifteenth of the twenty-seven divisions of the heaven. These
divisions are according to the grouping of stars on solar ecliptic near which
the moon passes on each day of its cycle. After this, the bird waits for the
next annual rain. The devotees' thirst for God's vision is as the thirst of chaataka.
In addition, a true devotee is also like a bee, which alights only on honey
of spirituality, and never like a fly, which also alights on the festering
sore of worldliness. Manu, Shataroopaa and Shabaree had this intense thirst
for God's vision. (See 83, 262) Swami
Ramakrishna points out what attractions when combined become the yearning to
secure God, which is nearest to chaataka's thirst. (See 360) 153 Dohaa: Jasa tumhaara maanasa
bimala, hansini jeehaa jaasu: 153. Vaalmeeki continued,
"Your greatness can be treated as the Maanasarovara lake. Your
glories and singing their praise can be treated as pearls in that lake.
Please stay in the hearts of those whose tongue becomes a swan to pick up
these pearls." In the Shreemad
Bhaagawata, a scripture, Bhagawaana said that He resided where
there was group singing of songs devoted to Him. The third form of devotion
includes individual singing of, and listening to, hymns to and discourses
about God. Vaalmeeki gave precedence
to the sense of hearing among the five senses, followed by seeing. Here he
shows that speech is purified by singing hymns to Shree Raama. It brings
about the identity of thought with speech or a pure mind to facilitate
greater use of our godly qualities. (See 318, 322) To talk of
God's glory, to describe His kindness and love, and to sing about Him are all
forms of devotion to Him. 154 Chaupaayi:
Prabhu-prasaada suchi subhaga subaasaa: saadara jaasu lahahin nita
naasaa::
154. Vaalmeeki continued,
"O Shree Raama! Those who inhale the fragrance of the pure food they
reverentially offer you daily, who offer you their meal before eating it,
their clothes and jewellery before wearing them and treat their all as your
gift to them..." There are three points to
remember about food offered to God. (See Geetaa 9:26-27) Food offered to God or to
the hungry and then eaten is free from evil vibrations that harm us in subtle
ways. Food offered is received back as a gift from God. It should be eaten
with reverential faith. With the thought whether it is tasty or not, it
ceases to be an offering. An offering is sacred the moment before and after
the mental act of offering, which can take place earlier than ceremonial
offering. After that the offering is not desecrated if anyone touches it or
takes away a bit for eating. On an infant asking, let the housewife mentally
worship her deity in the infant. Give it a bit and then offer the rest in a
ceremony to her chosen deity in the icon. Both Shree Raama and Shree Krishna,
as children, demonstrated the correct understanding of religion. They ate on
their own from their mothers' offering before their ceremonial worship of and
offering to the deities. It may not be possible to
ensure that the vessel, the food and the cook be respectively physically or
mentally clean. The procurement or cooking of food should be free from
vibrations of any evil intent or painful thought in either. Hence is the
supremacy of food that is cooked by self, the housewife or the mother. By
offering food to God before eating it, it generally becomes pure and healthy.
(See Geetaa 4:24) Hence is the universal practice of grace before a meal. The
power of prayer explains how inadequate food sustains millions in If we remember that what
we have, eat, wear or enjoy is God's gift to us, He keeps them safe and
secure for us. They do not also pamper our ego. (See 413) 155 Chaupaayi: Seesa navahin
sura-guru-dwija daykhee: preeti-sahita kari bina-ya bisaykhee: 155. Vaalmeeki continued,
"... those who humbly bow their heads with joy and respect on seeing
a god, that is, his image or a symbol, their guru or a Brahmin, whose
hands daily worship you, who trust none for help except you Shree Raama,
and..." To have faith in a deity as
one of the forms of the Almighty God, worship Him in that form and then to
depend wholly upon God in that form is single-minded devotion or anannya
bhakti. Such a devotee trusts only God to nourish him and he expects
nothing from anyone else. (See 74) One form and
name strengthens devotion and hastens the goal. A sapling, which is not
shifted, bears fruit early. It is the faith and not the form of God that
needs strengthening. Therefore single-minded devotion or faith respects
others' deities equally as forms of the devotee's own deity. (See 65[5, 6, 10,
13]) 155A Dohaa: Kaa barana-un chhabi
aaja ki, bhalay biraajay-u Naatha: Tulaseedaasa says,
"How can I describe your exquisite glory today, O Lord. But Tulaseedaasa
will do obeisance only when you arm yourself with your customary bow and
arrows." Tulaseedaasa addressed to Shree Krishna this prayer in this
couplet. It shows that he worships Shree Raama but reveres Shree Krishna as
another form of His God Shree Raama. Shree Krishna as Tulaseedaasa's God's
form and not Shree Raama, granted his prayer and changed into Shree Raama's
icon for Tulaseedaasa to do Him obeisance. The intimacy of Tulaseedaasa's
relationship with Shree Raama gave him the courage to make such a strange prayer.
Single-minded devotion is not narrow but liberal to make this miracle
possible. (See 101)
A narrow single-minded
devotion also avoids interference with others' way. It avoids persuading
others to accept one's religion, path or objective. It avoids denigrating
others' path and thereby hurting others' feelings and sentiments. It accepts
that others can also reach God in their way. These single-minded devotees
also hold a narrow view that God has only one name of the follower's religion
and no other. God is formless and cannot have any form. God can have only the
form, which the faithful has chosen; other forms are of the Devil or deities
inferior to the God of the faithful. The only path to God is that of the
follower's religion and only its rites and injunctions are correct and no
other and so on. Common sense, which is the harmony of the heart and
intellect, avoids all narrow single-minded devotees of the limitless God with
limitless ways whom they limit by their minds. Will it not be proper to
say this? 155B Dohaa: Tulasee bhakta anannya nai, Kaanhaa ko
kahaa Naatha: Shree Raama's
single-minded devotee Tulaseedaasa addressed not Shree Raama but Shree
Krishna, as a form of Tulaseedaasa's Lord and Master. Upon this Shree
Krishna became bound by Tulaseedaasa's love of devotion to God, armed Himself
with a bow and arrows and became Shree Raama to give bliss to His devotee. On
this occasion, it was God Almighty in Shree Krishna not in Shree Raama, who upheld
the devotee's reputation of single-minded devotion to Him in Shree Raama. God
always responds in the form in which His devotee loves Him. God is limitless
to respond to unlimited concepts about Him. This common sense is experienced.
(See 101)
156 Chaupaayi: Charana Raama-teeratha
chalee jaaheen: Raama basahu tinha kay mana maaheen:: 156. Vaalmeeki continued,
"... those who visit places of pilgrimage dedicated to you, O Shree
Raama, please stay in their hearts. Those who always recite the great
incantation of your name, and with their family, worship you..." The fourth form of
devotion is described from 154 onwards. It
is a man's surrender of his possessions, body, mind and 'I' to God and
treating all as a gift from Him. After this surrender he owns nothing and is
nothing. All is God. This devotion is difficult. Man's ego that he himself
acquires and achieves everything by his effort surfaces in spite of himself.
(See 66) The greatest incantation
for the whole of the Shree Raamacharita Maanasa, is Raamanaama. Its
repetition is the fifth form of devotion. (See 33) All names of God
of all religions are truly as powerful as Raamanaama. Is it wise to
limit God who is limitless to one name and treat the names given to Him by
other religions as not of the same God? God is in His name given by His
seeker. We do not hear that God gave Himself any name. If He did, did the
meaning of that name encompass everyone's concept of Him? (See 25) One wonders. To
worship God along with the family and children is the duty of all parents.
(See 126) 157 Chaupaayi: Tarapana homa karahin bidhi naanaa:
bipra jayvaan-ya dayhin bahu daanaa:: 157. Vaalmeeki continued,
"Those who perform various rites, sacrificial ceremonies and make
oblations, who feed Brahmins and give much in charity, who treat their guru
as greater than you, O Shree Raama, and who respectfully serve their
guru..." Both a Brahmin and a guru
command respect. It is said, ‘He who is clothed with anything, who is fed on
any food, who lies down anywhere, him the gods call a Brahmin.’ (RG 298) These
are also the characteristics of a guru who has to be a Brahmajnaanee or
Brahmin. In the Geetaa 18:42, a Brahmin is prescribed nine dharma or
duties to facilitate living in his dharma or divine nature. They are:
1. To remain serene, that is, unaffected by sense objects. 2. To curb
desires. 3. To be pure in body and mind, that is, to be free from confusion
and sloth. 4. To observe austere disciplines for attaining non-attachment to
the world. 5. To be patient and forgiving. 6. To be upright and fearless in
his dealings. 7. To acquire Knowledge. (See 240[1-6, 9, 10,
21]) 8. To apply that Knowledge in his conduct. 9. To have strong faith in
the Self to sustain living in jnaana. (See 2, 419) Thus applied
Knowledge is the hallmark of the Brahmin's A description of some
Brahmins by caste in the present age Kaliyuga is given in 425. Vasishttha
said, 157A Chaupaayi: Sochi-ya
bipra jo bayda-biheenaa: taji nija dharamu bisha-ya la-ya-leenaa:: Ak172 Pity the Brahmin who
does not understand the Vedas, gives up Vedic dharma (duties) and is
engrossed in worldly pleasures. According to scriptures,
everybody is born a Sudra, inasmuch as a baby does not display any qualities
of the other three varnas namely, Brahmin, Kshatriya and
vaishya.. Many Hindus today mistakenly treat Sudra as the lowest in
society and not a socially egalitarian 157B Dohaa: Guru Govinda
dono kharhay, kaa kay laagoon paa-yay: My guru and my Lord,
Govinda, both are in front of me. Whom shall I honour first by touching his
feet with my head? I bow to my guru first. He made me fit for a vision of
God. The guru
takes precedence over God. (See 87) A guru is not
necessarily a total Incarnation of God. The former helps to save a few and
the latter saves many. (See 65 [2-15, 18,
20]) A man merely learned in
scriptures without a purified mind and so without Brahmajnaana, is a
pandit and not a Brahmin or a guru, for example, an ex-President of The knowledge of men of
divine vision and of those that are Self-realized is sometimes more than that
in the extant scriptures because no scripture can limit knowledge, which is
coextensive with man's spirit of humble inquiry subject to God's grace. (See
Geetaa 4:34, 18:63) So, these men are sometimes a law unto themselves. Both
an Incarnation of God and a guru should be tested through their accord in
goodness in motive, speech, conduct and advice. Our humble testing rids us of
charlatans posing as gurus. Before following a guru, a disciple must first
resolve all his doubts by putting them before his guru. It is said that the
word gu means darkness or ignorance and ru stands for the
removal thereof. Gu also stands for one who is beyond all attributes,
and ru, who has no form, that is, only God. (SS 73 263-64) Where words fail,
the guru demonstrates in such form that the disciple can understand what he
wants to understand. If not, the guru lacks qualifications to be a guru. Some
highly advanced gurus can communicate with their disciples through silence,
which is called the speech of rishis. A sincere seeker need not
search for a guru. Sincere seekers often find their doubts removed and
strains resolved by being struck by a casual question or comment by an
acquaintance, a stranger, a newspaper article and so on. For them it is God
within who places a guru in that form at their door. This God's grace is for
non-believers too but they call it luck, a coincidence or confuse it with a
hunch or gut feeling and so on. For all, God Himself is the guru inside. He
sharpens our capacity to learn from nature. (See 88, 295-297) For
example, a pet dog teaches us to eat once when appetite is sharp, drink more
water when it is hot, take cat naps, growl but not bite, always love regardless
of response, stick to the loved one in one's difficulty and dig for what it
wants most. Birds tell us to disregard ups and downs as changing
seasons. Many need a guru
particularly for paths such as jnaana, dhyaana or raajayoga or
for removing doubts. (See 417) A true guru
is rare to find. We cannot restrict God to an intermediary, however advanced
it may be. We cannot deny any the right to love God directly or deny that God
can reach and teach anyone. We cannot say that one cannot reach Him through
the power of one’s faith and helped by His grace. God loves all, the
illiterate, backward and one who cannot reach or understand a religion or a
guru. (See 141,
262) We do, however, come
across today teachers, though a few, who have understood the practical
essence of scriptures, are of clear understanding to remove our doubts and do
not claim any high level of spirituality. They try to live in dharma
and seek divine vision for themselves. Their holiness is transparent in their
thought, word and speech. So, they are venerable teachers or aachaaryas. We
can never know their spiritually. Similarly, rare exceptions are found in the
caste of Brahmins today who inherited some noble traits of their Here the guru, and
elsewhere, spiritually advanced persons and devotees of God have been
described as greater than God Himself. (See 266, 446) They are, if
they guide a seeker to Him. After securing them, a seeker should not forget
God. He seeks God not the guides. (See 304, 394) 157C Chaupaayi: Hara-yi
sishya-dhana soka na hara-yee: so guru ghora naraka manha para-yee:: Uk99 Kaakabhushunddi said to
Garurha, "The guru, who removes the wealth of his disciple instead of
removing his grief, will be consigned to the worst hell." Such gurus
are found in plenty today. Grief forces us to think
of and live in our past to prevent our progress. The guru explains us the law
of karma for us to see that we should forget the past and live in the present
in the jnaana of oneness of all with us in God. (See 185[2-8, 10,
11-13, 15, 16, 19, 23-25], 240[1-6, 9, 10, 21])
Some teachers rob
students of their individuality and intelligence. They want to elevate
themselves by claiming to know the only or the best path. They become
intellectual despots. To save us from such charlatans, God in Shree Raama and
Shree Krishna wants us to use our intelligence beyond even the word of God.
No guru can curb our right to humble and purposeful questions. (See 398 and Geetaa
4:34, 18:63) Unless we are alert, alien education, concepts and value systems
also deprive us sometimes of the appreciation of ancient native and sometimes
perennial values. A guru teaches his
disciple methods by which the disciple gets rid of his suffering, secures
happiness and sometimes even salvation. An unhappy disciple gets rebirth not
salvation. A guru protects his disciple. (HM 392) A guru bears the
consequences of the disciple's errors caused by his incorrect instruction.
(RK 432) So, he never seeks a disciple. Since one can reach the infinite
through any of the innumerable ways, no guru can claim his as the only or the
best way. He should not try to bend a disciple in the direction the guru
prefers. He assesses the disciple's mental level and offers the best he knows
for the disciple to develop his own potential to reach God on his own. The
guru's role is to provide the incentives and facilities for the surfacing of
the divinity in every disciple by suggestion and not by imposition of
injunctions. A guru is not an intermediary for securing God. The guru cannot
secure God for a disciple without the disciple's own yearning for God and
God's grace. Both in worldly and spiritual matters, the best maxim is to let
the disciple learn to be self-reliant. In ancient wisdom, it is better to teach
the poor to fish to feed him for life than to give a fish and feed him for a
day. A delinquent teacher is a
parasite on society. A guru gives and does not ask directly or indirectly
even for a contemptible cent. In God's name, a beggar asks for alms not a
guru. Even the suspicion of a demand from a guru, howsoever convincing to the
intellect as selfless, should distance a wise disciple today from this fraud
in the garb of a guru. A schoolteacher, not a guru, can however ask for fees.
Sanaatana Dharma does not recognize or establish any organized institution
needing funds. Institutions are man-made contrivances for a purpose, which
can also serve benign religious activity. God inspires and gives all that the
guru needs for the task, which He assigns him. The annual worship of the guru
is done in Gurus practise
spirituality rather than religion in their conduct and explain how to make
living in spirituality to receive prosperity, power of love and peace of
happiness all around. Their selfless life gives them that indescribable bliss
in the world, which Shree Krishna bestowed upon Arjuna by giving him all the
jnaana that he needed and also His own cosmic vision. Gurus live as a
model of their teachings. Sanaatana Dharma holds
that if a book, a guru, satyasanga or even an Incarnation of God or
belief in an intermediary between God and us, were necessary, billions
without having access to these facilities would have been forsaken by God.
God forsakes none. In Sanaatana Dharma, we can attract God by our direct
devotion to Him, which is remembering Him as often as we can. (See 23-33, 262-267) 158 Dohaa: Saba kari
maanga-un ayka phalu, Raama-charana-rati ho-u: 158. Vaalmeeki continued,
"…those who ask for the result of all this effort on their part in
the form only of devotion to you. O Shree Raama, along with Lakshmana and
Seetaa, you should stay in the temples of their hearts." 'All this effort' is
outlined from 156 onwards.
The Geetaa accords respect to all work, worship and meditation in any form or
religion. It accords no superiority to any path but emphasizes selfless life
of a karmayogi. It also calls devotion a royal path. (See 415 and Geetaa 159 Chaupaayi: Kaama koha
mada maana na mohaa: lobha na chhoba na raaga na drohaa:: 159. Vaalmeeki continued,
"Those who do not have any desires, particularly lust, anger, ego, the intoxication
of pride, ignorance from attachment, greed, jealousy, friendship or
animosity, crookedness and deceit, hypocrisy and snares in their mind, O
Shree Raama, please reside in their hearts." Vaalmeeki enumerates
faults we should avoid. It is an axiom that a heart purified by any
discipline, path or religion, secures God. (See 318 and Geetaa
7:21) Devotion to God removes our faults to purify us because of our faith
that God takes us into His care to make our wrongdoing unnecessary. Our faith
is tested by difficulties. If we persevere, God's grace makes us do only
correct acts. (See 177
and Geetaa 9:22) The sixth form of
devotion comprises only good conduct, which indicates some control over
senses and passions. (See 267) Generally a
man thinks of self-control after his satiety with worldly pleasures sooner or
later. With God's grace, if we persevere in self-control, our new experiences
are more rewarding than the pleasures of passions we gave up. Some are born
unattached to worldly pleasures. Out of love, God helps all. His help
includes those who are non-believers in God but are of good conduct because
they sow happiness all round. (See 139) (A Lesson
in Good Conduct) 160 Chaupaayi: Saba kay priya saba
kay hitakaaree: dukha sukha sarisa prasansaa gaaree:: 160. Vaalmeeki continued,
"Those who are loved by all or those who love all and do well unto all,
those who treat their pleasure and pain and their honour and dishonour as the
same, who think and then speak the truth in painless words, who seek your
refuge when asleep or when awake..." In his poetic works the Vivaykachurhaamani,
Shankaraachaarya says that the doorway to yoga is the discipline of speech.
(EV 3 63) This is because of the five senses, hearing and the tongue play the
maximum role in our dealing with society. Our hearing may not be noticed. Our
speech is almost the only means of contact with people and can make or mar
our relationship. Thinking before speaking, is the mark of a devotee and of a
civilized man. In the discipline of speech or writing it is most important
that we should never speak or write an unpalatable truth. The greatness of
gurus and saints is in bitter truth being presented in painless manner.
(See 235, 339) The couplets bring out
that our relationship with God should be vibrant and not a dormant or
taken-for-granted asset for use only in need. One way to keep it vibrant is
to make Him our constant guide and partner. After every day of diligent work,
we request Him, ‘Now partner, please take me in your refuge and accept what I
did, correct it and guide me to do that which remains. Please take care of
all of us in the manner you think best.’ (See 163) God needs no
reminder. We remind Him for a live link to Him. This link makes thinking of
Him our second nature and our situations favourable. To try to be loved by all
appears foolish. Yet Shree Raama's devotees become the beloved of all by
doing well unto all they deal with. Shree Raama demonstrated it in his
dealings with all from Kaushalyaa to Raavana. (See 93, 342, 399) Treating all
as imbued with Shree Raama, devotees serve Him through their loving service
of those they can reach. God however serves the world. (See 17, 288, 386)
If there are no resources, devotees wish others well and pray for them. Their
love remains unaffected by their own praise or blame by people. They are
neither scared of any nor scare any away. (See 295 and Geetaa The lesson is that our
conduct should be righteous. We should distance ourselves from the
unrighteous and, if hurt by them, seek justice from authorities and failing
that accept the situation. But our incorrect tit for tat conduct has
disastrous consequences for us. We should have faith that God's love for us,
will more than make up for hurt if we act correctly. (See 185[20]) (A
Lesson in Good Conduct) 161 Chaupaayi: Tumhahin chhaanrhhi gati
doosari naaheen: Raama basahu tinha kay mana maaheen:: 161. Vaalmeeki continued,
"... those for whom there is no other recourse or help except you, O
Shree Raama, please reside in their hearts Those who respect other women as
their mother and treat others' wealth as poison for themselves..." The seventh form of
devotion is described from 160. Swami Ramakrishna
calls maya as woman and gold. The two are maya's greatest snares for man.
Lust and greed attract not only householders but also almost all men and
women in all professions and stages of life till its end. It is observed more
in some affluent sections of society than elsewhere. (See 272[1-10, 13, 14]
and Geetaa 162 Chaupaayi: Jay harashahin
para-sampati daykhee: dukhita hohin para-bipati bisaykhee:: 162. Vaalmeeki continued,
"... those who feel happy on seeing others' wealth and prosperity, feel
pained on seeing others in trouble and who love you as their life, O Shree
Raama, their hearts are your auspicious homes." The eighth form of
devotion is that of being happy in seeing others happy and being unhappy in
seeing others unhappy. This empathy is possible when we are free from lust,
greed and envy and have compassion for others. In this form of devotion, God
seems to have no role for us. (See 259) This
devotion eliminates ego and the selfishness of the animal in us. It makes us
human, but it needs effort. We can practise this conduct only in society and
not away from it as hermits. Any pride in our compassion for the needy makes
compassion fruitless and pride our bondage for us. Many non-believers in God
live this noble life of good conduct. Instant couplets advise
us to replace envy with benevolence. Envy is the enemy of contentment and
peace. It prevents our happiness from what we have and creates misery from
seeing what others have but not we. Rare exceptions apart, if we are
ourselves in adversity, it is difficult to alleviate others' distress and
respond to others' riches with happiness. If somehow we understand the law of
karma and become a God's devotee, He secures us the minimum with contentment.
Contentment gets rid of our envy and makes our heart melt on others' misery
and rejoice in others' prosperity. This benevolent attitude secures happiness
for us, if not immediately, sooner than we think. (See 18, 27 and Geetaa
9:22) 163 Dohaa: Swaami sakhaa
pitu maatu guru, jinha kay saba tumha taata: 163. Vaalmeeki continued,
"Those who regard you as their master, friend, father, mother or guru, O
Shree Raama, along with Seetaa, both of you stay in the temples of these
devotees' hearts." One way to reach Shree
Raama is to establish with him some personal relationship and serve him in
that. (See 246,
326-327 and
Geetaa 11:44) Relationship cannot be with the formless Brahman. It needs a
form. Brahman responds and takes a human form because It is real for all and
one with them. It has to respond for us to experience and appreciate our
relationship with It. Meeraa Baayee treated Brahman in Shree Krishna as her
husband or master. The Paanddava princes in the Mahaabhaarata treated
Brahman as their friend. The ferryman, Kayvatt, treated Brahman in Shree
Raama as the Master. Angada treated It as his father. Lakshmana related to It
in all modes. If we treat God as our father and mother, we receive our
sustenance and protection. (See 275) If we treat Him
as our guru, we receive Knowledge. (See 148) In addition, a
devotee can surrender himself to God and depend for everything upon His
grace. (See 318,
227, 360) If we just
keep Him in our mind, He looks after us in every way. He responds to our
attitude towards Him. (See 34, 101) All
relationships with Him are forms of love, which God personifies. To serve God in a
relationship we can establish with Him is the ninth form of devotion. If we
have expectations, we should entrust them to God who gives more and never
entrust them to men or those we serve, who may give less and sometimes
nothing. For this, we do not snap our service of men. We should remind
ourselves that we are God's instruments. He keeps His instrument sharp, that
is, healthy and never in need. To treat ourselves as a child of God as our
mother is the best relationship with God. (See 275 and Geetaa
9:22) 164 Chaupaayi: Avaguna
tajahin saba kay guna gahaheen: bipra-dhaynu-hita sankatta sahaheen:: 164. Vaalmeeki continued,
"Those who discard others' vices and adopt their virtues, who suffer
hardship in caring for Brahmins (as symbols of Knowledge) and cows (as
symbols of selflessness and benevolence), and those well known for their
invariably benevolent conduct, that is, live in their divine nature
unconsciously, O Shree Raama, their hearts are good for your
residence." Not merely Kshatriyas
in the Varnaashrama Dharma, but everyone gets opportunities to protect
others to offer refuge and be virtuous. (See 317) Neither God
nor any path is mentioned here or in 159. God searches
for the virtuous and treats him as His devotee. Without necessarily seeking
God, virtue itself is devotion of the tenth form. (See 267 and Geetaa 165 Chaupaayi: Guna tumhaara samujha-yeen nija
dosaa: jayhi saba bhaanti tumhaara bharosaa:: 165. Vaalmeeki continued,
"Those who understand your virtues and their faults, who have only you
to rely upon, and who love your devotees, O Shree Raama, along with Seetaa
please reside in their hearts." One of Shree Raama's
virtues is His love for His devotees and disregard of their faults. (See 185[18], 186) When God
does all, why should we count our own faults? One interpretation of God does
all is that everything happens by His will which has already been determined
for all times. It is as if He has set up a computer programmed to run the
creation. He himself has stepped aside as a mere witness to enjoy all. So,
any thought, event, action, change or anything that occurs or can be imagined
in the world is predestined. Our mind and intellect, faults and virtues and
their working and any change in them are also programmed though we imagine we
have a free will. For us as a devotee of
the loving personal God, such a programmed world or pre-destination means
that God is no longer a necessity and therefore a reality for us for our relationship.
This is because the real God is a mere witness and unconcerned with us. Whom
we think as a real and loving God, is our imagination already programmed in
the computer. The thinking about our
faults and virtues is also programmed. We can be a devotee and also a robber
simultaneously as programmed. There is no spontaneity on our surrender to
God's love or His grace. In this concept, God changes nothing because all
changes are already programmed. Let such a believer have his programmed
happiness from this machine. Without any experience of
our innate divinity and in our ignorance about God, we can imagine many
things about Him such as this computerized concept or a somewhat similar
concept of pre-destination. Pre-destination means everything that happens is
pre-determined by God. No one can change anything. Swami Ramakrishna says
that it is wise to let all well intentioned concepts about God be and not
argue about them. God can be many things more than what we can think or
imagine. (RK 634-35) Our belief and awareness
that God does all and we are only His instruments rests on God as a loving
and caring real person. When we turn to Him, He cares to improve us and helps
us to rid us of our faults. (See 318) Virtues take
us near, and faults away from Him. If we stay away from fire in winter we
cannot complain that we are not getting warmth. God's grace is as fire for us
all in winter to attract us towards virtue and so to Him. Another aspect of God
does all is that we cannot interfere with the working of the universe. By His
will, God has given us an intellect for our use with faith in His grace to
make us the master of our fate. (See 42[3, 6-13], 185[2-8, 15, 16,
19, 24]) God is supreme over anything including what He Himself preordained.
He can judge when, why and what is right. His change of anything does not
make the original wrong. He has made change the role of karma and of time for
the preservation of the universe. All is under the power, inspiration and
grace of God. (See 267)
A humble devotee treats himself as God's instrument, loves Him and seeks His
grace. It is our humility to see faults in us and virtues in God. This
humility seeks and attracts God's grace to free us from our faults. One
without humility disowns his faults which stick to one. A thief, by nature, seeks
God's help in wrong acts and blames Him for failures. (See 242) When he
wakes up, he seeks God's refuge. Vaalmeeki, who was a robber, did that. God
rids the thief of his faults and corrects his path for his relief in his
time. (See 42 [3,
6-13], 177) Saints,
sinners, virtues, vices, dualities and change are necessary for the
continuance of nature and its play called evolution. As a loving mother, God
does not separate sinners from saints or differentiates in any manner. His
will gives relief to all seekers or non-believers. (See 239) 166 Chaupaayi: Jaati paanti
dhanu dharamu barhaa-yee: priya parivaara sadanu sukha-daa-yee:: 166. Vaalmeeki continued,
"Those who give up all thought of their caste, creed, wealth, dharma,
fame, their dear family, and their comfortable home, and instead, remain
engrossed in you, O Shree Raama, please stay in their hearts." Vaalmeeki is describing a
stage in our spiritual development. We are sometimes purely worldly. So, our
family and circumstances are merely to exploit for the satisfaction of our
sensuous desires or for name and fame. With God's grace, we get satiated and
change from a selfish person to one caring for the family, the needy and less
fortunate than us as our duty. This is because we now feel that we are a part
of society and not outside it to exploit it. We find joy in serving society
and cease to be a burden on it. We become God's instrument and fit for God's
abode. The things described in
the couplets for profiting by our selfless service can become our burden for
us by our selfishness. Our burden, which ties us to the world is also
described as, "Remember, all that is not ‘you' is luggage! You are not
the body... The mind the senses, the intelligence, the imagination, the
desires, the plans, the prejudices, the discontent, the distress – all are
items of luggage. Jettison them soon, to make your travel lighter, safer and
more comfortable. Learn this lesson watching the great who are humble and
simple.’ (BS 7 113-14) We are the jeevaatmaa and all these items are
attached by our choice to it as its burden or luggage. (See 42) We are advised that there
are eight fetters to our progress: shame, hatred, fear, caste, lineage, good
conduct, grief and secretiveness. A guru can help us to break them. (RK
243-44) Good conduct is a burden till we motivate all conduct by love. All
fetters arise from our attachment to worldly possessions enumerated in the
couplets here. Experience shows that worldly possessions cannot see us
through some crises. We should turn to God as our refuge from all
crises. By being engrossed in God
we cannot give up our daily duty to our family and to society. A question arises. Why
should a man give up even his dharma? Tulaseedaasa apparently alludes
here to the Geetaa 18:66. Our inalienable dharma or nature is divinity
or Satchidaananda, which we cannot give up. Forgetting this, we treat
our nature superimposed over our divinity as our true dharma. (See 66, 242, 270) We are
advised to give up this superimposed dharma and all activities in
pursuit of this dharma. It is clarified here that
both the one born in the lowest caste and the other in the highest, deserve
the same love for and of God. (See 262, 415) For this,
both need detachment from worldly possessions. This is often more difficult
for the rich than for the poor. A hundred rupees are as dear to the poor as a
million to the rich. 167 Chaupaayi: Saragu naraku
apabaragu samaanaa: janha tanha daykha dharay dhanu-baanaa:: 167. Vaalmeeki continued,
"Those for whom hell, heaven and liberation are the same, who see you,
Shree Raama, armed with your bow and arrows, everywhere and in everybody, and
who are your slaves by their thought, word and deed, O Shree Raama, please
encamp yourself in their hearts." A baby engrossed in his
toy does not think of hunger, thirst, heat or cold. Similarly many needs and
the environment do not exist for a devotee engrossed in God. To see the
omnipresent Shree Raama in all and in everything is jnaana. (See 17, 288 and Geetaa
6:29-32) If we acquire this jnaana, base our bhakti on it and
literally live in it, it will make our engrossment in God as that of a baby.
Our activities will be outwardly diligent and normal but we shall be happy to
see all activities as by God, for God and in God. In such a state, the
impact of all happiness and suffering will be bearable because we treat all
as our deserts. Our one desire for jnaanabhakti will overwhelm this
impact to reduce it further. Events of joy and sorrow may even have no impact
upon us because our mind will be elsewhere. If events are too close and
intimate, we shall receive the capacity to accept them as gifts from our Lord
for our chastening and betterment. This form of engrossment in God is rare
but is observed and is the thirteenth form of devotion referred to in the
instant couplets. 168 Dohaa : Jaahi na chaahi-ya
kabahu kachhu, tumha sana sahaja sanayhu: 168. Vaalmeeki continued,
"Those who desire nothing except natural love for you, O Shree Raama,
please always reside in their hearts as your own home." The love of a spouse, a
friend or a servant is not always selfless. The love of parents for a baby
however is selfless. (See 399) As parents
of grown up children, if we do not shed expectations, their non-fulfilment
causes us avoidable misery. Strengthened by conviction in karma, we are always
better off both as parents and as grown up children by giving to and praying
for children and our parents, respectively, as ever, and not expecting a
desired response. This selfless one-sided love can become easy if we develop
firm faith that God, and not our parents or children, takes care of us. Our
refractory situations arise from our own past doing and are relieved by this
faith, by our surrender to God and by our withdrawal from trying to remedy
the situation. (See 174,
325) Selfless
love of which this is one form is the fourteenth form of devotion. It is
almost the ultimate in devotion. Its famous example is Hanumaan. That is why
he is worshipped by Shree Raama's devotees. (See 23) Self-interest in love
makes it attachment. (See 122) True love is
the act of selflessly giving oneself for the good of the object of love, for
example mother's love of an infant and children's devoted service and care of
parents. Loving conduct surmounts obstacles, is the enemy of laziness, anger,
greed and envy and annihilates ego and invites grace. Living in love is
living in spirituality and endears us to God. (See 360) If fourteen forms of
devotion outlined by Vaalmeeki were to constitute devotion, devotion would be
more difficult than the path of Knowledge. (See 439) Why did Shree Raama call
the path of devotion easy? (See 396 and Geetaa 9:2) It is because, any one
form of devotion can make a man God's loved one. In addition, God protects
his devotee from maya, which is an obstacle in all paths. (See 275) If we feel
we are not one of these devotees, we can purify our mind by motivating all
our acts by love, by remembering Him and surrendering ourselves to Him. God
is love and so He seeks a man of this nature and conduct. God has forsaken
none and shown the path to Him to all. (See 185[2-8, 15, 16,
18, 19, 24], 204,
300, 318, 325) 169 Chaupaayi: Ayhi bidhi
munivara bhavana daykhaa-yay: bachana saprayma Raama mana bhaa-yay:: 169. In the above
manner Vaalmeeki presented to Shree Raama the places where he could
conveniently live. Shree Raama liked Vaalmeeki's affectionate answer to his
question. Vaalmeeki then said, "For the present, please set up a hermitage
on the Chitrakootta Hill. You will find it comfortable in every way." All forms of devotion
described by Vaalmeeki are in Chapter 12 of the Geetaa. The Geetaa outlines
four paths of devotion, karma, of meditation and of Knowledge. Without giving
pre-eminence to any, the Geetaa treats devotion as the easiest and the royal
path. (See Geetaa 9:2, 12:5, The Geetaa holds that
after attaining Brahman or jnaana, one should become a lifelong karmayogi
as Arjuna. A jnaanee should engage in selfless service of society and
not become a recluse as prescribed by Shankaraachaarya for Advaitins.
170 Chaupaayi: Janama marana
saba dukha sukha bhogaa: haani laabhu priya-milana biyogaa:: 170. Sumantra said to
Dasharatha, "Birth and death, happiness and suffering, profit and
loss, union with, and separation from loved ones, go on incessantly under the
influence of time and karma. It is just as the uncontrollable cycle of night
and day following each other." (See Geetaa 8:19, 18:61) Karma means ceaseless
activity in every object in the creation. The role of time and karma is
change in the form, and sometimes name, of objects in the world. For example,
time changes a seed into a tree and human activity changes cotton wool into
thread and then cloth. For human beings, karma is from breathing, thinking
and physiological functioning leading to change called aging. All thought,
speech and activity is karma. If time can stop, activity and change will also
stop. Time and activity are inseparable for their role of change in the
smallest to the biggest both tangible and intangible in the universe. (See 267, 293) 171 Chaupaayi: Sukha harashahin
jarha dukha bilakhaaheen: do-u sama dheera dharahin mana maaheen:: Ak150 171. Sumantra continued,
"The ignorant sink low in the unhappy and jump about in the happy
situations. Men of fortitude calmly treat both alike." When Shree Raama did not return
from the forest, Dasharatha could not hold on to life. So, Sumantra tried to
strengthen Dasharatha's will to live by words of wisdom in the preceding and
the instant couplets. They are summed up in the axiom this too shall pass.
(See Geetaa 5:20) (A Lesson in Conduct) 172 Chaupaayi: Bidhihu na naari hrida-ya-gati
jaanee: sakala kapatta agha avaguna-khaanee:: Ak162 172. Bharata exclaimed in
despair, "Even her maker Brahmaa does not know the moves in a woman's
mind. A woman is a mine of hypocrisy, sin and vice." Influenced by maya,
Bharata forgot that there was never a bad mother. (See 125) Maya made
his love for Shree Raama attachment and his mother's motive and actions
questionable under his passion anger. His passion brought forth his
indefensible words against his mother. Kakayee's love for
Bharata became attachment, which destroyed her trust in Kaushalyaa and made
her disbelieve her husband that his life was Shree Raama. After Kaikayee and
Bharata met Shree Raama, He removed their attachment to worldly events and
both saw the role of karma and of Shree Raama. (See 202) Bharata's words under the
influence of maya are not a truth and are a proverb for the ignorant. 173 Dohaa: Sunahu Bharata bhaavi
prabala, bilakhi kahay-u muni-naatha: 173. Vasishttha
sorrowfully said, "O Bharata! Fate is powerful. Profit and loss,
birth and death, honour and dishonour are all in God's hands. Realizing this,
how can you blame, or be rightly annoyed with anyone?" Bharata's grief and anger
on his father's death were sores, which were obstacles in his path. His
forgetting the law of karma created sores. To free Bharata from them,
Vasishttha explained to him that law. Our fate results from our
past karma. We can invoke God's grace, which is supreme over the law of
karma. Our surrender to God binds Him. His response changes our fate to rid
us of grief and anger. (See 185 [2-8, 15, 16,
18, 19, 24], 247,
261) The
ignorant and some astrologers quote the instant couplet in their support. Our
vibrant link to God proves astrologers wrong. If we have not established a
link to God, astrologers are sometimes proved right. Incidentally, astrology
is a perfect science for the pure in heart whose intuition is linked to
divinity. (A Proverb) 174 Chaupaayi: Raa-ya raaja-padu tumha kanha
deenhaa: pitaa-bachana phura chaahi-ya keenhaa:: 174. Vasishttha
said to Bharata, "The King gave you the throne. You have to fulfil
his word. Those who obey their father without questioning the appropriateness
of his command, get happiness and fame and thereafter reach heaven." Bharata
replied, "I know that the wish of the guru, father, mother, and the
master is for the good of a man. He should fulfil it happily. To examine if
it is proper, prevents a man from doing his dharma and burdens him
with sin." The importance of open
communication for expression of respect and obedience to guru and family elders
is emphasized in the instant and the next couplets. Vasishttha pressed
Bharata to obey Dasharatha's command. It was the King's command. It was the
wish of Bharata's father. Dasharatha's word given to Kaikayee would be
honoured only by Bharata's obedience. Dasharatha gave up Shree Raama and then
his life for that word of honour. If Bharata examined the merit of
Dasharatha's command to lead to his disobeying it, it would burden Bharata
with sin. Yet Bharata did state his views. (See 175) In Shree Raama's days too
it was difficult for sons to fulfil their parents' wishes. Children felt
resentful of parents' actions as Seetaa felt about Janaka's condition for her
marriage. (See (105)
in the Story) Hence the emphasis here is on the importance of
communication. The understanding of the
minimum perennial verities or Sanaatana Dharma helps communication in the
family. (See 399)
Faith in karma, that out of God's love, He gives parents the best
consequences of their past karma, frees them from insecurity, ego and worldly
attachment. By surrendering their children and themselves to God's
protection, their needs become minimal for children to fulfill and to obey
parents easily. If he understands the law of karma, the child’s faith in both
father and mother as God helps him give parents respect. This obliges parents
to continue to sacrifice, bestow love and be patient with children’s apparent
faults. The difficulty in
obedience arises when parents or children are weighed down insidiously by
passions such as ego, fame, one-upmanship, comparisons with siblings and
others, envy or other worldly considerations. For such a family, Ayodhyaakaandda
is a lesson. Each member’s conduct was humble. None harboured comparisons of
what others were thinking or doing or any polluting thoughts. In advising Bharata to do
his duty and let Shree Raama do his duty, Shree Raama pointed out the correct
role of siblings, namely, unconcern with what the other does. (See 207) Siblings'
comparison of what each does for parents' happiness creates perceptions of
parents' injustice to detract from children's duty. They repeat and not
correct for themselves the very wrong they find in their parents or siblings.
Siblings can never know all that necessitates the apparent parental
injustice. This ignorance creates expectations in children, which parents
cannot fulfill. No child can know the joy the parents receive from the
service by one child or the other. Parents can never know
fully the love of any child from his attitude towards them. Faulty thinking
in parents arises when they make a fetish of fairness to children in material
gifts and when their love is restrained by the differing treatment they
receive from each child. Similarly, children should disregard differentiation
in parent's attitude towards them. Though parents should prayerfully try, it
is not humanly possible for them to be or appear fair to all in everything.
This is for the reason that each child's perspective of the same matter
varies with his approach to life, expectations from it and his own purpose
and role for it in it. Notice that all these
situations arise because of our ego, lack of faith in karma, forgetting that
we can never know all facts and thoughts and lastly, the possibility of
ourselves being under the play of one or more of the passions. To blame any
for injustice or for failure of duty is ignorance. Wisdom is to expect
nothing from any but stick to our correct conduct to invoke God’s grace for
our needs. (See 240[23])
Before children are grown
up, elders must correct them as instantly as not to hurt them. Grown up
children need care and patience in correction. To encourage their expression
of hurt, if any, parents should try to ignore inappropriateness in children's
language and conduct towards them. Parents should listen to children's
perception of impropriety in parents' speech and conduct. Parents need not
resent answerability or responsibility, which grown up children fix on them
rightly or wrongly because the past can never be satisfactorily proved or
disproved in the absence of reliable collateral evidence. Parents should try
and desist from telling children to shut up, or mind their language and
manners. What matters to parents
is children’s happiness and not the correctness of children's perception
about parents. Parents should ignore children’s derogatory view of parents’
past treatment towards children. This view is of the past, which is dead. The
past should not be allowed to pollute our mind by any grievance to lead to
incorrect conduct in the present because thought is followed by corresponding
action. Each member in the family should do his or her selfless best
unaffected by the past. Each member should ignore the treatment received from
any other member. Each member gets right consequences for himself only
through his right karma in the present with God’s grace. This right karma
keeps the adverse consequences of our past acts suppressed as long as we persist
in correct karma. This is how God appears to strengthen our persistence in
right conduct. On both sides, we make comparisons to commit errors when we
forget that under the law of karma each member is an instrument to give to
the other what the other earned. To a great extent, communication prevents
and corrects unconscious errors in the family. Our prayers also eliminate
errors or their repetition. Careful presentation by
each member and bringing to the surface differences in perception of the same
matter secure their resolution, removal of misunderstanding and harmony
without unnecessarily conformity. In Shree Raama's story all expressed their
views sometimes under pressure of passions, anger and of circumstances. (See 223, 235)On the eve of
the exile, Shree Raama expressed his view to Lakshmana and Seetaa. The two persuaded
him to change because both submitted their views. Even Vasishttha egged
Bharata to speak his mind. (See 192). However experienced,
imaginative or intuitive a member of a family may believe himself to be, it
is only through ascertaining a view that the correct picture reveals itself.
Non-expression keeps baseless grievances and anger simmering to alienate. An
all-attentive and affectionate ear is essential to encourage an introvert or
less articulate member to present his hurt for relief. Without this, he
silently suffers in his hurt. Even Lakshmana's
perception about Bharata was erroneous. When, however, Lakshmana spoke his
mind, Shree Raama corrected it. (See 45) This prevented
Lakshmana from simmering within against something that did not exist.
Expression of a view may excite anger temporarily, but it prevents
bitterness, which corrodes a heart to destroy family happiness. Magnanimity
following a fleeting temper shows nobility. The speaker forgets but the
listener remembers a painful remark. Lingering hurt debases us. It is often
not noticed by the other. On Bharata expressing remorse, Shree Raama offered
to give up even his sacred duty of staying in exile. (See 191) Communication in a family
breaks down, more often by argument than by discussion. No member wishes any
harm to the other. Any contrary expression is temporary which is invariably
followed by remorse sooner than we think. When communication breaks down,
each member in its own and common interest should humbly search for the cause
in its heart and not in the other's conduct. We should correct and change
ourselves but may be unable to change the other by our precept. Our
unilateral example in affection and sacrifice may change the other. We should
try and re-establish communication immediately or after patience and prayers
for relief for all. One's silence cannot hide one's feelings from others.
Such silence obstructs re-establishment of communication. (See 193) Kaushalyaa was innocent
yet the most hurt person in the Story. She did not withdraw into resentment
and silence. Disregarding others' attitudes, she kept her lines of
communication open and followed her own benevolent conduct throughout. Her
faith in karma gave her the strength to bear her misfortune and remain communicative
to keep the family together. (See 197) She
exemplifies for emulation faith in karma for securing the best in the worst
situation. Her love for Bharata was not the lesser for his mother Kaikayee's
conduct. Kaushalyaa sought his mother-in-law's help for Bharata’s sake. (See
(196-197) in
the Story) The alignment of our
intellect with our Self with faith in karma and in knowing that God is the
doer, rids us of pride and resulting faulty thinking and strengthens our
perseverance in communication in the family. (See 42) Humility and
love keep open while the power of passions block communication for the flow
of grace. Unknowingly, a blocked heart does not spread happiness and repels
others' good thoughts to give it happiness. Adversity follows. God's grace
pours happiness and prosperity in a forgiving and benevolent heart. Firm
faith in the availability of grace by surrender of our ego restores broken
communication. In the ultimate analysis what sustains us in our duty and
ability to communicate is this knowledge. In spite of our best effort, none of
us is perfect and we cannot know the totality of intent, actions and
perceptions of all the other members. We should have faith to rid ourselves
of all malice, grievance and grudge, accept all as our deserts and, in a
spirit of surrender to God, do our best towards all regardless of what others
do to us. All others can have a different perspective of our effort, which we
must accept. (See 325)
For easy communication
and harmony in the family, the best for each, parents and children, is to
accept that what they are getting from the other is what they themselves
earned. All should know that what the other has, or has not, couldn’t add to
or take away from their own fate. Each fate depends upon each individual's
past and present karma. This fate is unaffected by anything outside each or
done by the other. It is wisdom to let each have or do the way each thinks
because it cannot change our fate. The less we mentally depend upon those who
we think can and should help us, and more upon God the more pure our mind and
greater God’s response in relief for us in His grace. Lastly, to be affected
by other's conduct to become less selfless and forgiving, is losing faith in
God's grace and so inviting misery in return for our fall from our own
selflessness and benevolence. (A Lesson in Good Conduct) 175 Chaupaayi: Utaru day-un chhamaba
aparaadhoo: dukhita-dosha-guna ganahin na saadhoo:: 175. Bharata continued,
"Please pardon my lack of respect in replying to you. Good people do not
look at the faults and virtues of a man in distress. My father is in heaven,
Shree Raama and Seetaa are in exile in forest and you ask me to become the
King. Do you find some good for me in this or do you think it will help you
in some big way? My own good lies only in serving Shree Raama. That has been
snatched away from me by my mother's crooked move. I have thought it over
carefully. There is no way for me except to go and meet Shree Raama. Brahmaa,
the god who writes fate, wrote only one word in my fate – service. Please
permit me to go to Shree Raama. To expect your wellbeing by making me the
King occurs to you because your love for me has become attachment under the
influence of insentient maya." This was Bharata's
response to Vasishttha and Kaushalyaa's advice. He is not a good person if he
concludes that a man's distress is caused by that man’s fault. He finds some
other cause but holds the man responsible for that cause. He blames the man
for not taking correct steps to remove that cause or his fault. He therefore
does not listen to the distressed. He is an example of a heartless
unforgiving intellect, which brings grief and destruction to him in the end.
He, who listens with compassion to the distressed and tries to rid him of his
errors or to find short and long term relief to him, is a good man with his
intellect in harmony with his heart. His compassion invokes God's grace for
his material contentment and spiritual progress. Bharata's anguish teaches us
the need for this compassion. Even parents' best of
intentions sometimes cause distress to children as happened by Kaikayee's
actions. (See 399)
Bharata's indefensible language for her, however, demonstrates the power of
anger, one of the six passions, on even a highly advanced person as Bharata.
Ignoring youngsters' slips in manners, elders, mellowed by experience, should
listen sympathetically to their grievances. The troubled youngster sees only
his troubles, is not alert, often is not in his senses and may speak bitterly
and therefore inappropriately. 175A Chaupaayi: Aarata kahahi bichaari
na kaa-oo: soojhu ju-aarihi aapuna daa-oo:: Ak258 Asking Shree Raama for a
solution, Vasishttha pointed out, "The troubled man does not think
before he speaks. The gambler sees his deal only as a winner." (See 174) Bharata's suggestion
tested others' love for Shree Raama. If they objected, they could be taken as
siding with Kaikayee. If they accepted it, they would show their allegiance
to Bharata. Bharata never intended to test anyone. He wisely pointed out that
everybody's love for him had become attachment. Unknowingly, it made them
forget their ultimate benefit, including Bharata's, in Shree Raama's
service. In not becoming king,
before going to pay respect to Shree Raama, Bharata did not disobey his
father. Bharata hoped to find from Shree Raama a way to reconcile his
father's word and his own devotion to God in person in Shree Raama. (See 181). Bharata's desire to meet
Shree Raama disobeyed Vasishttha's command, which Kaushalyaa endorsed.
Bharata disregarded both because they obstructed his way of spiritual
advance, which hurt none. It is noticeable that seeing the atmosphere in
which Bharata found himself as wholly worldly, Bharata did not say that he
was a devotee of Shree Raama Who was God. He did that later in the meeting
with Shree Raama where his view would be understood better. (See 190) He was not
going to his brother, as everyone thought. Bharata however could not disobey
her mother Kaikayee. Her remorseful anguish in her silence gave her consent
to Bharata’s desire. This consent later included Bharata's renunciation of
the throne. (See 189)
176 Chaupaayi: Lakhaba sanayhu subhaa-ya
suhaa-yay: baira preeti nahin dura-yi duraa-yay:: Ak193 176. Guha said to his
tribesmen, "I shall recognize Bharata's love for Shree Raama from his
favourable attitude. Howsoever he tries, a man cannot hide his feelings of
love or animosity." Guha saw Bharata with his
army coming towards Shree Raama. He decided to check for himself Bharata's intentions.
Guha was reminded of this proverb that one should not try to be sharp in
life. Cleverness is exposed sooner than one thinks. (A Proverb) 177 Chaupaayi: Raama Raama kahi jay
jamuhaaheen: tinhahin na paapa-punja samuhaaheen:: 177. On Guha being
embraced by Bharata, the gods praised the greatness of Shree Raama's name,
saying, "Those who utter Shree Raama's name even when they yawn, are
not confronted with sin. The world knows that Vaalmeeki realized Brahman by
repeating Shree Raama's name backwards. All psychic powers easily reach the
man who utters Shree Raama's name in a yawn." (See 62, 240[11-16, 22])
There is no poetic
licence in couplets as some point out. God's grace is in His name. Our
repetition of His name with a yearning for Him makes us His devotee whom He
not only protects from sins as a mother protects her infant from all dangers but
also provides for us to sustain us in our path towards Him. (See 275 and Geetaa 177A Chaupaayi: Jaana aadikabi
naama-prataapoo: bha-ya-u sud-dha kari ulattaa jaapoo:: Bk19 Vaalmeeki, who is
called the first poet, knew the power of Raamanaama. The backward
repetition of the name purified him of the effect of sins. The name Raama has two Hindi
syllables Raa and ma. They become ma Raa backwards. maRaa
in Hindi means I am dying. To remember Shree Raama
or God signifies a man's good past. God saves him from sinful situations by curbing
his desires of passions. (See Geetaa 178 Dohaa: Svapacha sabara
khasa jamana jarha, paanvara kola kiraata: 178. Gods commented,
"Low caste men, a forester, a tribal, an alien, an ignoramus, a
hill-man, a forest tribesman, are purified by repeating Shree Raama's name
which also secures them a good name." Different from animals,
the thought of God in some form or the other is innate in man since his
beginning on the earth till today. Without access to gurus, Incarnations and
messengers of God, by thinking about God in his concept and way, man secured
his nourishment and capacity to help others for the race to survive and advance.
The yearning of backward people mentioned in the couplet here secured them
God. (See 262)
Remembering His name that a man gives Him is the easiest way from his
beginning for man. (See 101, 140) 179 Dohaa: Sukha saroopa
Raghu-bansa-mani, mangala-moda-nidhaana: 179. While describing
Shree Raama's qualities and his own love for him, Bharata said to Guha, "He
who is the personification of happiness and bliss, the repository of joy and
the jewel of Raghu's royal dynasty, sleeps on a bed of straw. The ways of the
Writer of fate are truly inscrutable." Bharata expressed the
thought of a man who was not spirituality advanced. Such a man could not
believe that Shree Raama was God in person who decided his role by his
choice. For example, the fourteen years of exile were also for spreading His
message through some sages. Sages were better qualified than others to become
gurus to strengthen faith and revive pursuit of dharma among people by
their example. Shankaraachaarya took 18 years to spread his message in the
four corners of 180 Chaupaayi: Sira-bhara jaa-un uchita
asa moraa: saba tayn sayvaka-dharamu katthoraa:: Ak203 180. Bharata said,
"The most difficult duty is that of service. To do it appropriately, I
should walk on my head instead of my feet." Bharata’s response to
those who requested him to ride a horse shows his humility. The dust of Shree
Raama's feet on the path should find a place of respect on Bharata's head.
Touching it with his feet was disrespectful to his master, Shree Raama. By
walking on his head, Bharata could show proper respect. 181 Dohaa: Aratha na dharama
na kaama ruchi, gati na chaha-un nirabaana: 181. Bharata prayed at
Prayaaga on the bank of Gangaa, "I do not wish for any of the four
precious objects, namely, dharma, artha, kaama and moksha.
Whenever I take birth on the earth, I desire devotion to Shree Raama and no
other boon from God." (See 113) Bharata knew that Shree
Raama was an Incarnation of God. This explains the boons he mentioned in his
prayer at Prayaaga. (See 9)
Bharata wants only love for Shree Raama and nothing in response. (See 111) Even salvation
was inconsequential. (See 360, 443) His
greatness as a devotee is in 181A Chaupaayi: Bharata-sarisa ko
Raama-sanayhee: jagu japa Raama Raamu japa jayhee:: Ak218 Brihaspati said to Indra,
"The world repeats Shree Raama's name and He repeats Bharata's. Who
can love Shree Raama as Bharata does?" None. It is an axiom that God
yearns for His devotees. It is His response as the personification of love.
Bharata's love for Shree
Raama appeared to but did not supersede his duty as a king. He arranged for
the security of the kingdom before going to Shree Raama. Tulaseedaasa gives
pre-eminence to devotion to God over duty. This is because devotion to God is
complete only if we do diligently our God-given daily work as duty. (See 24) Shree Raama approved
pre-eminence to this complete devotion. (See 175, 203) 182 Chaupaayi: Yaha na adhika
Raghubeera-barhaa-yee: pranata-kuttumba-paala Raghuraa-yee:: Ak208 182. Bharadwaaja said to
Bharata, "It is hardly a matter of credit to Shree Raama if he takes
care of the family of one who just does obeisance to Him." Shree Raama is kind
without any cause. (See 261) A man's
obeisance to Him becomes a cause for His kindness, which includes happiness
for the man's family. (See 202) Without the
family's happiness a devotee cannot be happy. Therefore His making the family
happy invites no special gratitude to Shree Raama. Our gratitude is a mark of
culture. God does not need our gratitude. We express it as our civilized duty
and to keep our link to Him vibrant. The intimacy of our relationship with
God as a member of our family is brought out here. 183 Chaupaayi: Baarayka
Raama kahata jaga jay-oo: hota tarana taarana nara tay-oo:: Ak217 183. Tulaseedaasa says, "If
a man utters Shree Raama's name even once, he frees himself from bondage to
rebirth and also secures this freedom for others." Tulaseedaasa's statement
is not a piece of poetic licence but a scriptural precept. It is said that a
single name, a tiny gesture, an anguished cry or an agonized shriek is enough
to win the answer of God. We must understand that God's response to us is a
multiple of our zeal of yearning for Him with which we remember Him. The
effect of Shree Raama's name is in the name and not in its repetition. The
effect is in the purity of our intent, firmness of our faith and depth of our
yearning for our experience. It is the depth of the call, and not the number
of times it is made, that matters. Draupadee's one agonized call in the Mahaabhaarata
brought Shri Krishna to her rescue. (See 19, 24, 292) We do not
have to drink the whole Gangaa to quench our thirst or secure its merit. One
handful of its water is enough. Shree Raama protects His
helpless devotee. (See 225, 275) Sometimes
the devotee may not be there for the second call. Shree Raama is present in
His name and merciful without cause. (See 261) He seeks the
sincerity of intent and intensity of devotee's faith and not the manner or
form of the devotee’s call of yearning, prayer and faith. Shree Raama is for
the illiterate, deaf and dumb too. (See 34) A man with highly
advanced spirituality may need to turn to God once to flower his spirituality
to turn him into a guru to secure freedom for others. Such changes are far
more rare than a poor boy marrying the only child of rich parents. It is said
that the impact upon us of the consequences of our vilest sins can be
destroyed for us in one moment, that is, by one call of faith. It, however,
rarely happens because it interferes with the working of the law of karma.
(See 318, 325, 327) The words 'freedom for
others' refer to gurus, who secure their own liberation and help disciples to
secure it for themselves, such as Shankaraachaarya, Tulaseedaasa, Swami
Ramakrishna and others. 184 Chaupaayi:
Maayaa-pati-sayvaka sana maayaa: kara-yi ta ulatti para-yi Sura-raayaa:: 184. Brihaspati said, O
Chief of gods! Whoever tries tricks with those who serve Shree Raama, the
Master of maya, is himself tricked. Shree Raama is not angry with anyone
acting against Him. But the man, who hurts His devotee or servant, burns in
the fire of Shree Raama's anger. For increased opportunities for His
service, Shree Raama treats the service of his devotees as service to
Himself and animosity towards them as towards Himself." Indra, the Chief of gods
requested guru Brihaspati’s for stratagem to prevent Shree Raama’s return to
Ayodhyaa, which would let the demons escape their destruction by Him. (See 112) The guru's
advice is to seek Shree Raama’s pleasure and grace through service of His
devotees. We should not think that we could annoy Shree Raama. We do not know
enough either about God or about His law to go against them to make Him
angry. (See 211,
252) Naarada
put a curse upon Vishnu. (See 77- 78)
Parashuraama berated Shree Raama in Seetaa's marriage hall. Neither Vishnu
nor Shree Raama got angry. (See 298) God remains
unaffected by what we do. He is merciful even to those who consider
themselves as His enemies. (See 33, 347) Bheeshma
Pitaamah vowed to kill Shree Krishna in the battle of Mahaabhaarata.
After the battle, he prayed to Shree Krishna for a vision of His divine
splendour. Our correction, which God does out of His love for us, appears to
us as His anger. Hurting God's devotees is
a heinous act. (See 316)
Its result includes temporary stay in hell, which appears as Shree Raama's
anger. Hell is a temporary sojourn for the sinner's good. It exhausts the
impact upon him of consequences of his karma to secure his freedom. 185 Chaupaayi: Jadyapi sama
nahin raaga na roshoo: gahahin na paapa punna guna doshoo:: 185. Brihaspati
continued, "For Shree Raama all are alike. He has no love or anger
towards anyone. (See 318, 415) He does
not think of anyone's meritorious or sinful deeds, virtues and vices. (See
204) He made karma supreme
in the world. Whatever a man does, he bears its consequences. Shree Raama is
tender and terrible to respond to the attitude of the devotee and to that of
the wicked non-believer or a hypocrite believer, respectively." (See
211) [1] The comprehensive
meaning of karma is incessant activity of every object in the creation. The
role of karma common with time is continuous change in the name and form of
objects. Change comprises emanating, existing, growing, changing in form or
shape, declining and dying. Through change, karma sustains the world and its
evolution. [2] Karma comprises
these. First, nothing escapes karma and continual change, which is an
inalienable characteristic of the world. Second, just as God is continuously
active, a human being, being one with Him in reality, also cannot remain
without action from breathing to thinking and work for his sustenance and
progress. All effort to secure happiness and God is karma. (See Geetaa 3:5,
18:11) Third, for men karma includes its consequences to the doer. For ‘A's
deed, only ‘A' gets consequence and not 'B.' Fourth, consequences are
inherent in our act and are our inescapable right. Fifth, as a seed sown,
every act brings forth multiple fruit in consequences. (See 34) God made karma
supreme only in these five roles. Karma is not supreme over our right to pray
to God for relief from consequences of karma. God can
change, or wipe out the impact of consequences on us of our past karma. Law
of karma makes us dynamic not helpless. We have to go through the shape
of the adverse consequence of our deed that cannot be undone. This shape is
an iron law of cause and effect that God made supreme. The impact on us of
this shape as a fall from a moving vehicle is by God’s supremacy in death,
grievous injury or not a scratch. God’s grace can make us go through both
shape and impact in a dream. The ignorance of these two distinct parts of the
law prevents us from invoking God’s grace for carving out our good fortune. One seed
gives a million fruit. Another does not germinate. Sowing is an act but its
reaction is indeterminate. It is this indeterminable factor that makes it
necessary for human beings to believe in God to secure relief from Him. In
our invoking His help, He makes the seed not to germinate as a natural
phenomenon for our relief. It is hypocrisy for the rationalist to be good
because goodness results from goodness cannot be proved in a scientific or a
tangible manner and is a matter of faith in the law of karma.
By the law of karma, God
arranges the sequence of all phenomena and events in the world. For this
purpose, God is supreme over the law of karma for us and for the creation.
This is by His omniscience to judge fairly the applicability, quantum, timing
and sequence of our consequences, by His omnipotence to bring about changes
and by His omnipresence to administer the law for all in the creation for its
purpose. In His supremacy, it is God's choice to give, modify or not give us,
that means, not let us feel, consequences of our karma as He thinks best for
us. Consequences may not appear as fairness to us. Neither any holy book nor
our imagination can either say He does this and not that nor can put any
limit on His limitlessness. To secure continual bliss in life for those
around us and through that for ourselves and to advance spiritually, it
considerably helps us if we know how to make use of the law of karma with the
supremacy of God over it. It is this law that makes our daily duties God’s
assignment for us to do diligently as His service. We do not have to search
for what God has intended for us to do. [3] In a free human
society, 'A' is punished if caught for his crime and rewarded for his
meritorious deed; 'B' or anyone else is not. Yet in the imperfect
administration of human society, there are exceptions. [4] This very
jurisprudence underlies the law of karma. Its administration, however, is
perfect without any exception or escape for any. Consequences of past acts
are our human body, its capacity, our situations, family, friends and foes.
If favourable, they are our reward and if unfavourable, our correction, which
appears to us as punishment for our past deeds because none else could do or
did our deeds for us. (See 241[17-19]) In
administering the immutable law of karma, the Almighty God, the Supreme, can
alter the effect upon us of the consequences of our karma. (See 72) [5] The criminal gets
parole for good conduct. God's grace gives us relief if we surrender our past
and ourselves to Him. (See 325 and Geetaa
9:30) No one else can secure us relief. Our grievance, grudge, hatred, malice
and vengeance may satisfy our passions momentarily but add to our errors to
augment adversity for us. It is in the same way that a parolee who hurts a
witness to his crime, is back in prison. It is strange if some do not believe
in the law of karma when we see its imperfect operation in society regularly.
The concept of sin and retribution of all religions is governed by the law of
karma. If followers of religions do not call it the law of karma, the law
still remains universal. [6] There is no intrinsic
good or bad quality in any action, all being inert, for example, walking,
talking, helping, killing and so on. Almost all voluntary actions including
thought, have an underlying intent. Our ego or other passion may make us
treat an action for its own sake. Selfish and unselfish are both intents. It
is the intent, which gives quality to an act. Killing in war is noble, of a
pedestrian by drunk driving is neither good nor bad, drinking is bad, helping
a crook is bad and so on. (See 272[2, 15]) There
is no permanent relationship between desire or intent and any action.
Different desires can motivate the same action, for example killing; and the
same desire, for example for help to others, can take many forms. The same
deed can help one and harm another regardless of intent. We always act with
an objective, which should be correct; but we leave the result of our act to
God. It detaches us from the act, which makes the act desireless and so
qualityless for us to free us from its consequences for us. Hence is the need
for alertness to our intent. [7] Done knowingly or
not, every deed has consequences. We cannot escape doing karma but we can do
it without its consequences accruing to us. When we surrender the specific
fruit we expect from a noble deed to God for His good, bad or indifferent
choice of fruit for us, the deed becomes desireless for us. Thus we become
detached from it and a recluse for the deed. In effect we have renounced it.
So, its consequences do not accrue to us. We become its apparent doer and God
the real doer to whom its consequences accrue without affecting Him. (See 265, 325 and Geetaa
4:16-22) We cannot hide from God our ignoble intent behind a wicked deed and
cheat Him. [8] The aspect of the law
of karma that God dispenses the consequences of our deeds explains the
injustice and misery without apparent cause in the world. The more important
aspect of this law is that we have the right to seek relief from our misdeeds
from God's grace and our prayer can never go unanswered. (See 50 and Geetaa
2:47-49) If we cannot get relief from God, God and religion become
unnecessary. (See 165
and Geetaa 9:30) Yet as Mahatma Gandhi says, ‘God's laws are immutable.
Where should we all be if He changed them capriciously.’ True. The Mahatma is
referring to our inability to escape from karma and our liability for
consequences. We cannot, however, know all God's laws or how God makes or
changes them or administers them, nor how He bestows His grace or His love,
which transcends all laws. (See 261) It is God
Who is unchanging not the administration of the laws for changes He
continuously creates. Ceaseless change is inherent in time and karma and in
His creation. [9] In Sanaatana Dharma,
we have duties or dharma, but not any right on things, men, society
and even on God. Before or after our surrender to God, we have the right to
self-discipline, devotion to Him, pray for His grace, for refuge in Him and
for seeking relief from Him. We have no right to a particular response or
relief from Him. Our surrender to Him however puts Him under a burden. (See 34, 276 and Geetaa
9:30) [10] No man's deed can
help or harm another. When we think that a man can hurt us, we make him more
powerful than God who could not save us from that man. So, in reality it is
He who empowered that man to hurt us as a consequence of our past karma. That
man was the means for giving effect to God's will for us. The man himself was
powerless. Our malice towards him to motivate our tit for tat conduct is
wrong. The remedy for our hurt is to avail of the law of karma and, without
malice towards the offender, seek relief from God. For this reason, revenge,
the prime mover of history, is a sin in Sanaatana Dharma. To pursue our dharma,
we should forget the good we did to any and the hurt others did to us, forget
that part of history that excites revenge in us, and concentrate on the
present. This is because the present has seeds of our past and our future
both. The present was built by our past and builds our future. Similarly, our ego that
we helped someone is misplaced. This realization purifies our mind of malice
and ego for objective dynamism. God may appear tender or terrible. He is
neither. It is the consequences of our karma, which are pleasant or
frightful. God alone gives us relief. Our strains in life arise from our
blaming someone for our cruel fate or hurt. Blame feeds anger, fear and so on
to hamper our progress. Knowledge of karma and Sanaatana Dharma frees us from
grievance and malice that pervert our intellect and so are all obstacles. It
frees us particularly from fear of sin and of God as a punishing
potentate. [11] The understanding of
the law of karma makes us concentrate on our present conduct because we can
do nothing about our past, which we entrust to God for His mercy. This
understanding rids us of all past grudge, spirit of historical vengeance and
bondage to our past to distort our thought and conduct for the present
onwards. This understanding makes us think of and always ready for friendly
relations with all regardless of the conduct of any or of their ancestors
towards us in the past. Thus non-violence becomes the instant corollary of
our understanding of the law of karma and a means of achieving comity of
peoples and nations. The conviction that good actions bring good result is
proved not by logic but by the law of karma. The law proves the value of
faith and of all virtues for prosperity and happiness for society and us by
our virtuous conduct. Faith in this law is a guarantee of amity among
sections of society and nations. [12] The law of karma is
the base on which our conduct of oneness with all in God, which is practical jnaana,
rests. (See 240[1-6,
9, 10, 21]) There is no need to love all or those who hurt us if we can get
relief from hurt or from adversity otherwise. Under the law, by loving all,
as God does, we do what He does and so it attracts His grace to remove our
adversity. We are unconcerned with the offender's deserts. The stronger our
faith in jnaana, which is love, and karma which is acceptance of our
responsibility, the greater our relief from our present adversity and lesser
the difficulty in our godly path of love in life for our assured success.
(See 177)
[13] Good deeds do not
cancel out bad. Just as we sow an acorn and an apple, we reap both. So also
we reap consequences of both kinds of deeds. (See 400) When we
surrender to God, our meritorious deeds do suppress, not destroy, the effect
of past misdeeds. (See Geetaa 9:30) [14] If God had given us
the knowledge of the working of karma, its inexorability would have made us
analyze karma and consequences without end to paralyze us. Fear would have
weighed us down into inaction. Instead of scaring us, God gave us freedom from
all kinds of fears, particularly of sin and of God, by framing the law of
karma. He did not, however, reveal how He administers this law. All that we
know is that we have to bear consequences of all our acts, subject to God's
grace which we can invoke for our relief. This law makes us bold because no
one can touch even a hair of our body unless God so wills. In this faith, the
proper use of this law makes us live in love for all or spiritually. Thereby
it secures us freedom from adversity and makes us dynamically active by our
faith in God. [15] To be free from
karma and consequences, we should know that our past makes our observable
nature, which prompts our karma, which bind us into consequences and rebirth.
(See 242, 265 and Geetaa
2:60, [16] Once any karma good
or bad is done, it cannot be destroyed. Only its effect upon us can be
destroyed. This destruction alters our fate. (See 72) [17] When we are
overwhelmed by the power of the six passions in us, we forget our innate
divinity, identify our reality with our body, become ignorant of our Satchidaananda
reality and act contrary to it. (See 66) When inspired by
our jeevaatmaa, we wake up, align our intellect with it and act
correctly. (See 42[3,
6-13]) [18] None is hateful or
dear to God. He does not look for our virtue and vice, which do not sway Him,
nor does He search for sinners to send them into perdition. (See 204, 415 and Geetaa [19] If we do not exhaust
our past consequences and accumulate some in life we take rebirth on earth.
By following the above methods, we get free from rebirth. Sanaatana Dharma
has no perdition because it negates the concept of God as a loving mother for
us as Her babies regardless of our being a believer, non-believer or
forgetful of Her. Unaffected by our attitude towards Her, She takes the best
care of us. Out of Her love she gives all the softened consequences of our
acts and, in addition, bestows Her grace. Believing in karma and grace
without correct conduct, is hypocrisy or cheating ourselves. (See 241[18]) If we live
in selflessness, we become God's instruments. He changes our work for our
betterment because His instruments have to be efficient, which means our
being in continual bliss and free from fear, need and disease. [20] A word about loss,
adversity and some forms of suffering. They are the best consequences of our
past deeds, which could be heinous. A disaster sometimes changes our
perspective, attitude and path for our good. God makes good for us any loss
we suffer if we live in virtue, which is living in divinity. If this virtuous
living ended with our loss being ever greater than our gain, there would have
been neither virtue nor God nor faith in either of them. We have the right to
pray for relief from God as an infant pesters its mother but gets what she
thinks best for it. We do not know if God gives us consequences of all our
deeds or not because He is supreme over karma. We can pray for strength to
bear His will. Our increased strength relative to adversity reduces its
impact upon us. This relief appears negative but it is positive. It makes us
alert in our non-attachment to worldly attractions and attachment to God to
keep Him in our mind. The mind becomes percipient to righteous and
compassionate conduct. This percipience ensures that we do not repeat errors
for adversity to visit us and continuously invokes God's grace for continuing
relief for us in life. The law of karma explains
to a great extent the phenomena of deformed and defective bodies since birth
and very early death of children. A rebirth is the result of our past, which
has an unfulfilled desire to fulfil or to bear the remaining consequences of
some karma. An unnatural body is a consequence of the karma in the past lives
of the body. It is often not a suffering to it though it appears to be so.
The suffering it causes to parents is the consequence of the parents' past
karma. In the same way a short life span is to bear the remaining
consequences of past lives. Many of these instances of early death appear
unjust to us because these children do not have even an opportunity to commit
a sin to deserve the punishment of early death. Parents have to understand
that firstly, birth and death are consequences and neither a reward nor
punishment. Both are painless for the body and signify their entry, term on
the earth and exit. These beings that depart early are often highly evolved
souls in their last life. They have a small consequence remaining to bear to
necessitate their rebirth. It is with parents who earned the pain of their
early departure to suffer as consequence of parents' past karma. This is how
it seems the law of karma works. Practically no one knows its working as a
certainty. (See 148)
[21] To excuse ourselves
from doing our bit by believing that we cannot help anyone unless the one who
seeks our help has already earned our help by his own karma or prayers, is
hypocrisy of parading our benevolence without meaning it. We can never know
what that person has earned nor is it our concern. It may be that God made us
see the opportunity to help to avail of it for our own good consequences.
Therefore we should never miss such an opportunity presented to us to do
good. (See 259)
First, we should help where we can without concern with its result. Second,
we should pray for intended beneficiaries. God's grace in response helps
them. We do not have the power to help anyone or to fructify our blessings.
Our blessing or aasheervaada to anyone should therefore be a prayer to
God for one. The law of karma does not say, 'Do not help because you do not
have the power to help.' It says, 'Help, but leave its result to God.' If we
are unable to help materially we can always seek God's help for anyone by our
sincere prayers. To help is duty. Not to help is its failure, which brings us
adversity. An opportunity to help is God's gift to make us His
instrument. [22] Our circumstances
and temperament cause all our strains. We aggravate both by denying our own
responsibility of our past for them. When we accept responsibility, we do not
nourish grudge, get free from strains for our life to become dynamic. We make
duty joyful and seek God's refuge for bliss. (See 325) [23] We should understand
our reality as one with all in God and that it is all ‘I' or all ‘you' and
not ‘I' and ‘you.' If we hurt others we hurt ourselves and if we help others
we help ourselves. So, we should do unto others what we want done unto us. We
must understand and practise this discipline to secure for us the maximum
benefit from the law of karma. This discipline is a part of Brahmacharya
discipline from our student days for life. This discipline makes our reflexes
take care of what appears to others as shocks in day-to-day life. Our reflexes
frustrate and repel those who want to hurt us, eliminate recurrence of
adverse situations and keep us unscathed in crises. Our discipline may need
to be reinforced by question and answer sessions in holy company and by
contemplation and prayers. [24] Some selfish priests
and pandits over time instilled in the people the fear of punishment for past
karma, as if God was helpless in saving us. We do not need such a helpless
God. We must know that God is supreme. He changes our fate, if we motivate every
act by love and selflessness, leave it to God's care and not worry about
right, wrong and sin. This virtuous life makes us His instruments. He keeps
us efficient through freedom from want, disease and fear. (See 240 and Geetaa
9:22) [25] The law of karma
makes us responsible for our deeds. It is an asset for us to give us the
confidence to do the right fearlessly. It is a source of great confidence
because it assures us of bliss if we develop self-confidence to discriminate
between right and wrong and base all our acts on love for all. It ensures
bitter consequences for us if we do not use our mind and intellect with
self-confidence to make the best effort in our interest without hurt to any
and with help for all. Dedication of our noble acts to God frees us from
anxiety for specific fruit for strengthening our persistence in our
effort. [26] To think that we
ever have the power to give consequences to someone of one's wickedness, is an
incorrect and harmful understanding of the law of karma of Sanaatana Dharma
and of sin and its punishment of some other religions. We have the duty
to defend the weak and ourselves and to bring the wicked to justice by the
state. Before we retaliate, other than in defence, we should know that having
no power to give the consequences to the wicked we only invite adverse
consequences upon ourselves for our incorrect karma of retaliation. (See 295) Family feuds
skipping generations and revenge in wars against the innocent progeny of the
offender are classical examples in history of an incorrect understanding of
the law of karma of Sanaatana Dharma and of sin and its punishment of some
other religions. They cause continual misery. [27] The non-believer in
the instant couplets refers to the wicked described in 376 to 385 and in Geetaa
[28] Reason and logic, which
insist upon tangible proof of a belief, cannot prove the value of any virtue.
A society based wholly on reason and logic therefore sometimes tends to
become greedy, lustful and even vicious. That goodness results in goodness
cannot be proved. It is believed on faith in the scriptures. The proof of the
value of every virtue beyond any scripture or reason is in the law of karma,
which ancient [29] Law of karma was the
revelation to ancient sages for the methodology by which man became the
master of his good fortune and free from fear in the face of the worst
adversity imaginable. This law became a foundation for Sanaatana Dharma. The
methodology was this. The past is done and is unchangeable. So we entrust it
to God. We pray to Him for giving us the strength to bear what we receive
from Him, to forget the past, to avoid errors now onwards and to persevere in
this error-free path. With this constant prayer our link to God is
established. With faith in this link, we resolve to stick to this path and
act fearlessly. We dedicate all our thought, word and deed to God for
whatever He may or may not give us as consequences. As God is a reality and
loves us, He gives the best for us. This best is our great good fortune. It
does not appear to be so because without knowing what is best for us we fix
our expectations on things that are not in our ultimate interest that God
alone knows. This methodology is the essence of the Geetaa. Those who live by
this methodology find that at the end of the journey they gained more and
lost much less. Those who did not live by it lost more and gained much less.
There are rare exceptions but no one knows how horrendous were the past lives
of the exceptions. 186 Chaupaayi: Aguna alaykha
amaana aykarasa: Raama saguna bha-yay bhagata-prayma-basa:: 186. Brihaspati
continued, "God is without any attributes. He is not attached to
anything. He has no ego. He remains the same forever. The same God Almighty
has assumed attributes and form in Shree Raama in response to the love of
God's devotees. The Vedas, the Puranas, gods and spiritually advanced persons
witnessed that Shree Raama always cared for His devotees' feelings." Indra was afraid that
Shree Raama might yield to Bharata's love and return to Ayodhyaa. Brihaspati
explained to Indra, Shree Raama's nature, which is given in these two and the
next couplets. 186A Chaupaayi: Jo jayhi bhaa-ya
rahaa abhilaakhee: tayhi tayhi kai tasi tasi rukha raakhee:: Ak244 Tulaseedaasa says, "Responding
to the person's attitude, whatever desire he had, Shree Raama fulfilled it in
his best interest." He responds by love to the devotee's attitude. (See 101) Shree Raama responds to
our attitude towards Him. He hungers for sincerity. Next, He always responds
to prayer. Our slightest guileless effort towards God is helped by Him a hundredfold.
(See 34, 104, 318) Loving all,
God gives the best to each. Not getting help in time and requisite form
shakes our faith. Our perseverance with faith in noble pursuits gives us
experience of God's benevolence repeatedly. Often the form of benevolence is
changed perspective or improving circumstances and increased capacity to bear
to sustain our faith. (See 27, 363) Brihaspati brings out
that the more intimate our relationship of love with God, which we choose,
the stronger our bond to bind Him to us to give the best in our interest.
(See 276) So
much so that He comes in an embodied form on the earth for the sake of His
devotees. (See 328)
187 Dohaa: Raama-bhagata
parahita-nirata, para-dukha-dukhee dayaala:: 187. Brihaspati
continued, "Shree Raama's devotees are always ready for doing good to
others. They are unhappy on seeing someone suffering. Bharata is pre-eminent
among His devotees. Do not be afraid of him." Brihaspati brings out the
inalienable quality of a devotee of God, namely, compassion in thought, word
and deed, without which any path of a seeker of God is hypocritical. The next
couplet in the Book is, 187A Chaupaayi: Satya-sandha
Prabhu sura-hita-kaaree: Brihaspati continued,
"Shree Raama honours his word and is the benefactor of gods. Bharata
obeys his command." Brihaspati defines here a devotee of God. A
devotee is always intent on thinking and doing well unto others and on
selfless service with compassion for those in need or difficulty. (See 259 and Geetaa
10:1) It shows that service of all as service of God marks a devotee. (See 288, 444) Bharata
being Shree Raama's pre-eminent devotee, Brihaspati asks Indra to become
Bharata's devotee and secure Shree Raama's protection through Bharata's
intercession. (See 184,
248) 188 Dohaa: Chalata piyaaday
khaata phala, pitaa deenha taji raaju: Bharata's declining the
throne, undergoing hardships of the forest to reach Shree Raama first and
living up to his love for him, show such sacrifice that even simple forest
women praised him. Tulaseedaasa could not give a more simple proof of the
transparency of Bharata's non-attachment to his comfort and of his love for
Shree Raama. (See 181)
In this couplet, Tulaseedaasa illustrates how people quickly learn the lesson
from an example, which their ruler sets. As the ruler so the ruled, is
traditional wisdom of 189 Chaupaayi: Prathama Raama bhainttee
Kaikay-ee: sarala subhaa-ya bhagati mati bhay-ee:: 189. Shree Raama first
met Kaikayee. He showered his love, devotion and simplicity upon her heart as
rain on a parched field. He held her by her feet and put all the blame upon
time and circumstances, on consequences of past deeds and on the maker of
fate. He gave relief to her anguish and consoled her with words of wisdom.
Shree Raama then met other mothers. He assuaged their feelings by saying that
the world was subject to God's will. None could be blamed for events in the
world. All mothers accompanied
Bharata to meet Shree Raama in the forest. He first assuaged Kaikayee's
feelings of anguish at causing his exile and suffering to all. He explained that
God made all dance helplessly as a marionette as the consequences of past
deeds unless deeds were first dedicated to God. (See Geetaa 18:61) It was
God's maya, which made Kaikayee's mind perverse. Each one earned what one
suffered. Kaikayee could err but not cause suffering to anyone. So, she did
not need to feel remorse for being the cause of suffering. (See 72, 130) 190 Chaupaayi: Sakucha-un taata
kahata ayka baataa: aradha tajahin budha sarabasa jaataa:: 190. Vasishttha said to
Bharata, "I hesitate to say this, but the wise sacrifice a half when
they fear losing all. Accordingly, Bharata and Shatrughna should go to the
forest and let Shree Raama, Seetaa and Lakshmana return to Ayodhyaa." Bharata
replied, "By following your advice everyone's desire will be
fulfilled. Shree Raama and Seetaa are the inner dweller and know the inside
of every heart. O Guru! You know everything, that is, you know my intent and
are wise. Please make your advice come true." At Ayodhyaa, Vasishttha
advised Bharata to ascend the throne. Bharata disagreed and went to see Shree
Raama. Here Vasishttha is testing whether Bharata accepts to remain in the
forest for fourteen years to live up to his love for Shree Raama. Here again
Bharata treated his guru's test as a reflection of his own desire and thus
passed the test. Even when Bharata went against Vasishttha's earlier advice
at Ayodhyaa, the latter appreciated it. So, both were praiseworthy. (See 174) (A
Proverb) 191 Dohaa: Bharata bina-ya
saadara suni-ya, kari-ya bichaaru bahori: 191. Vasishttha said to
Shree Raama, "Please listen carefully to Bharata's prayer and take
into account the views of the people, and of godly persons, political needs,
the Vedic injunctions and then act correctly." Shree Raama said to
Vasishttha, "Swearing by my father and you, my guru, I can truthfully
say that the world has never seen a brother as Bharata. It is best to do as
Bharata says." So saying, Shree Raama became quiet. Every social problem
needs a short-term solution and the elimination of its cause to prevent its
recurrence in the long term. The former is an external solution and the
latter transforms us. When we change, society changes. Old problems disappear.
The process of transformation needs effort and time. Vasishttha tells us here
the tests for every solution. Tests appear contradictory because they refer
to two kinds of solutions. Shree Raama praised
Bharata so much because Bharata's renunciation of the kingdom was not less
than their father Dasharatha's giving up his life or Shree Raama giving up
the throne. History records instances
of greed for a throne. Ashoka killed his brother for the throne of the Maurya
Empire in Henry VIII gave up the
Catholic Church and Edward VIII, his throne. Both Kings of England did it for
a woman. The story of a king giving up a rightful throne for the love of his
brother, as Bharata did, is not readily traceable in history. Incidentally, being
enamoured of the Upanishads, Daaraa Shikoh had many of them translated into
Persian. His sister Zaib-un-Nisaa was also an ardent student of their message
and culture. Abdul Rahim Khan Khana, a minister of Akbar had Raamaayana
translated into Persian in the sixteenth century. Sanaatana Dharma as a
religion has these minimum beliefs, the formless Brahman and its forms in
Naaraayana and Vishnu, Its Incarnation, who is the personification of our
love for all is omnipresent and is one with our reality, karma and rebirth on
the earth. Did some of other religions trust and respect these beliefs? What
is their effect on the day-to-day conduct of their followers in 192 Dohaa: Taba muni bolay Bharata
sana, saba sankocha taji taata: 192. On hearing the
assurance given by Shree Raama to Bharata, Vasishttha said to Bharata,
"Give up all hesitation and speak out your innermost thoughts to your
loving brother, Shree Raama, who is the ocean of kindness." Bharata
said in all humility, "It does not befit me to say that I am
blameless. No one becomes holy by calling himself so." Bharata praised Shree
Raama's love for him, which remained undiminished from their childhood. Out
of his humility, Bharata blamed his misfortune of which his mother was a part
for the suffering it caused all round. In spite of Vasishttha's instruction
and Shree Raama's assurance, out of his humility, Bharata did not suggest any
solution. (A Lesson in Good Conduct) |
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Dedication
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An
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Author's
Note
Arrangement
of Book
Hindi
Spellings
Table
of Contents
Tribute
to Gandhi
Introduction
The
Raama Story
Philosophy
Baalakaandda
Ayodhyakaandda
Aranyakaandda
Kishkindhaakaandda
Sundarakaandda
Lankaakaandda
Uttarakaandda
Index
Glossary
Proper
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Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Appendices
Ghazal