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A Practical
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34.
Tulaseedaasa continues, "Talking of one's
devotion or goodness destroys it. My prayer may appear good or
bad, but Shree Raama appreciates the devotees' intent, forgets
their lapses and remembers their devotion a hundred times." (See
Geetaa 4:11)
Just as love determines the spirituality in thought, word or deed in
religions, intent, not its result, determines the correctness of a
deed. To be alert to our intent is the first discipline for us lest we
trip into errors. The overwhelming power of six passions in us gives
quality to our intent and causes all our errors. It makes a useful
discussion into a fruitless argument and turns constructive
communication into destructive pastime. When introspection and
contemplation in solitude may not be frequent with us, this alertness
to our intent saves us.
The second scriptural lesson Tulaseedaasa brings out is that God
appreciates our good intent a hundredfold for showering His grace in
the same manner as one seed, namely, our intent or act produces a
million fruit. This means that if we take one step towards God He takes
a hundred towards us to expedite our progress towards Him. If not, we
deny our faith in Him as love personified for our intimate relationship
for our good. (See 239, 246)
The third lesson is that neither the language of our prayer, an
excellent hymn, nor the mere repetition of God's name matters. God
knows our intent and fulfils it if it is sincere, virtuous and in our
best interest.
Before this couplet, Tulaseedaasa says: 34A
Chaupaayi: Ati barhi mori ddhitthaa-yee khoree: suni
agha narakahu naaka sikoree:: Bk29
Tulaseedaasa says, "It is my
obstinacy that I treat myself as the servant of such a great master.
The stench of my sins makes even hell plug its nose." Tulaseedaasa’s
past made him panic-stricken. This however never entered Shree Raama's
mind even in his dream. A question arises. How could Tulaseedaasa know
that God ignored his errors? Tulaseedaasa is merely stating a precept
of Sanaatana Dharma.
God is the personification of love of a mother. It is His Satchidaananda
nature to be happy as a mother in our enjoying innocent bliss. So that
we all reach Him as our destination, He ignores our errors and helps us
to get rid of them. (See 19, 205 and
Geetaa
A devotee of God can have a pure heart. Yet his word or deed can hurt
someone unintentionally. God appreciates the purity of the devotee's
intent. Preceding this couplet is 34B
Chaupaayi: Reejhata Raama sanayha nisautayn: ko
jaga manda malina-mati mau-tayn:: Bk28
Tulaseedaasa says, "Shree Raama is pleased with the unalloyed love
of devotion. But dull-witted and impure in mind" as I am, I often
forget it. 34C
Chhanda: Prabhu bhaava-gaahaka, ati kripaala, saprayma suni sukha
maanaheen::
Kaakabhushunddi said to Garurha, "As a keen customer, Shree Raama
recognizes only His devotee's attitude towards Him. He is kind and
derives happiness from listening to love for Him." (See 444 and
Geetaa
9:26-27)
We can express our deep devotion to God in the 'Thou' and 'I'
relationship in at least these attitudes and feelings towards Him. Shaanta,
the serene, is the attitude of the rishis who simply contemplated upon
God and desired nothing from Him except to attain Him. This is an
attitude of surrender to God and acceptance of what comes as His grace.
Daasya is the attitude of a voluntary slave of the master.
Sakhya is loyal friendship. Vatsalya,
is mother's love for her child. Madhura is a chaste woman's
love of her husband or the sweetness of the love of a pure heart. This
last attitude towards God secures for us the highest in bliss. (See 101, 360) In
any of
these attitudes, it is obvious that our faults cannot sway God. If we
sincerely stick to any of these attitudes, we get rid of our faults
too.
If devotion to God is motivated by show, worldly enjoyment, expectation
of respect or prestige, it is raajasic as Raavana's was. If it
is motivated by arrogance and selfishness causing blindness of anger,
it is taamasic as Kumbhakaran's was. If it is motivated by
selfless love and service of all as the service of God, it is saatvic
as Vibheeshan's was. (See 27) God is for
all
with their variety of natures and faults. This couplet emphasizes that
God looks for its intent and ignores the form of prayer. Being the
embodiment of love, He responds by His heart to the call of our heart
in our inadequately worded prayer. (See 262)
The second couplet brings out that Shree Raama sees the intent behind
the deed, selfish or selfless and good or bad, as its touchstone. The
same act can hurt one and help another. Also, it is neither the act (a
painful surgical operation) nor its result (death of the patient) that
matters. This is because all acts are inert and qualityless in
themselves in the same way as any phenomenon of nature. Our intent
gives our acts their quality. Since we cannot control any results, only
our good intent attracts Shree Raama's grace. (See 72, 444)
It is better that we keep our devotion within ourselves. 34D
Chaupaayi: Chheejahin nisichara dina aru
raatee: nija mukha kahay sukrita jayhi bhaantee:: Lk72
Shiva said to Paarvatee, "The demons became weaker day and night in
the same way as good deeds, such as charity, sacrifice or devotion,
are destroyed by our talking about them." Verbalizing is prompted
by pride, which destroys that on which pride is based. (See 413)
The lesson is to forget and never speak to anyone of the good we ever
do. This good includes our spiritual discipline, devotion, selfless
deeds of benevolence and charity. We should always thank God for
enabling us to be and do good and should
seek from Him more opportunities and capacity for good deeds. Under the
law of karma, good deeds make our life fulfilling and blissful, which
can only be experienced. (A Lesson in Good Conduct) 35
Chaupaayi: Sambhu keenha yaha charita sohaavaa:
bahuri kripaa kari Umaahin sunaavaa:: 35.
Tulaseedaasa continues, "Shiva first narrated Shree Raama's
Story to Paarvatee. Considering Kaakabhushunddi, the crow, Shree
Raama's deserving devotee, Shiva also narrated the Story to him.
Yaajnavalkya heard it from Kaakabhushunddi and told it to Bharadwaaja."
In addition to what he heard from his guru, Tulaseedaasa brought in
these three narratives at places in the Book. The three narrators were
Shree Raama's contemporaries. Birds, such as Kaakabhushunddi too can
have devotion to God. (See 65[6], 267)
In the chapter Uttarakaandda of the Book, it is mentioned that
Lomasha heard this Story as a gift from Shiva. Lomasha told the Story
to Kaakabhushunddi, when he was a man in one of his earlier
lives.
Some of the Indian scriptures are in the form of questions and answers.
Shiva's answers to Paarvatee's questions become Raamaayana.
(See 61, 469)
Questions
and answers explain the reasons underlying beliefs. Beliefs are one’s
religion. The reasons form the philosophy of one’s religion. Philosophy
strengthens shrad-dhaa for practice of religion by the faithful
and shows light to the sceptic. Both in science and in matters of
spirit and faith, all questions cannot be answered. In the latter,
however, inexplicable matters of faith can be experienced, for example,
the joy of living in virtue, which invokes God's grace to sustain us in
crises. Our question should invariably intend to benefit all and should
not be for our egoistic joy of its brilliance or unanswerability. (See 2 and Geetaa
10:41) 36
Dohaa: Raama ananta ananta guna amita kathaaa
bistaara: 36.
Tulaseedaasa continues, "Shree Raama and his qualities are
infinite. His story has no end. Only purified minds are not surprised
by listening to it." (See Geetaa 10:40)
It is an axiom that only a man of purified mind can see God by His
grace. No one can know God fully to narrate all about Him. (See 148, 318) The
more
pure the mind, the greater is our capacity to see miracles in the
smallest phenomenon around us. The pure mind experiences God's
omnipotence in doing impossible things. An example of such things is
God’s appearing as a human Incarnation on the earth. Only a mind
purified a little can recognize an Incarnation of God. In the Mahaabhaarata,
Duryodhana, many Kauravas and others did not recognize Shree Krishna as
God. The Paanddavas did. In the Ramayana even Parashuraama, himself a
minor Incarnation of God (ansha avataara), could not recognize
Shree Raama as an Incarnation of God (see (106) in the
story). This was because anger polluted Parashuraama’s mind. The pure
mind can believe the unending stories of the Incarnation's wonderful
deeds. Those with minds polluted by passions, particularly ego, cannot
believe that God can do more than what they can imagine or are
accustomed to believe about Him.
The epithet mariyaadaa purushot-tama (acme of righteousness
among men of noble tradition) is used for Shree Raama. It merely
confirms a fact. Without being ideal in His conduct, an Incarnation of
God cannot establish His being God and restore dharma among
people by his imperfect example. In our ignorance of the totality of
factors, including the impact of our past karma in us and of the
tradition of His times, in a particular situation before Him, the
conduct of an Incarnation of God appears to us today as faulty. It is
not so. People follow example and
not so much a precept. Every child watches parents and learns from
their example more than by their teaching. Hence the Indian tradition
is 'as the king so the people.' (See Geetaa 3:21) Shree Raama's ideal
conduct and life distinguish Him from the highest among men to attract
people and command their respect. Without either, He cannot complete
His task.
For the pure rationalist, the epithet mariyaadaa purushot-tama
does not indicate an Incarnation of God as an occurrence. For him Shree
Raama is a fictitious king among men whose story is an attempt to put
together all the virtues a man can display as an individual, as a King
or as a member of a family. For non-believers, this or any other view
is valid. (See 65[8,
9, 11], 411)
Non-believers are also contemporaries of an Incarnation of God.
Ignoring non-believers, contemporary believers as Guru Vasishttha and
Paanddava Princes consider themselves fortunate because they recognized
Shree Raama and Shree Krishna, respectively, to benefit from them. (See
269,
438)
God shows
other paths to non-believers because He loves all. (See Geetaa 4:11)
Respecting God’s omnipresence, omnipotence and omniscience, Sanaatana
Dharma also believes in the concept of ansha avataaras or
partial Incarnations of God who sometimes also show a duality. They
manifest divinity and human weaknesses both. All followers in their
selective wisdom adopt their message or example in their former phase
and ignore their conduct in the latter phase of their lives. Some
gurus also exhibit this duality. The message and conduct based on love
and bliss for all manifests divinity and its
opposite or bereft of it is to be and so is ignored by wise followers
of ansha avataaras. 37
Chaupaayi: Samvata soraaha sai ikteesaa:
kara-un kathaa Haripada dhari seesaa:: 37.
Tulaseedaasa continues, "After placing my head in reverence at Shree
Raama's feet, I write his Story. I begin it at Ayodhyaa,
Ayodhyaa is Shree Raama's birthplace. The date in the Indian calendar
mentioned here is 38
Chaupaayi: Jayhi dina Raama-janama sruti gaavahin: teeratha
sakala tahaan chali aavahin:: Bk34 38.
Tulaseedaasa continues, "It is said in the Vedas that on celebration
of Shree Raama's birth anniversary, the spirits of all the places of
pilgrimage gather at the place of the celebration."
Shree Raama's birthday is auspicious. Its celebration at home secures His devotee the blessings, which
he earns by a visit to all places of pilgrimage. The concept in the
Vedas is that remembering God in whatever manner or by any virtuous
means invites the merit of visiting all places of pilgrimage because
these places also remind us of God. Tulseedaasa gives primacy to
remembering the day but not to the place of Shree Raama’s birth. This
is because the place of his birth in Traytaayuge hundreds of
thousands of years ago cannot be determined with exactitude to build a
temple at that site. (See 79)
It is also an auspicious day when we offer gratitude to God for His
munificence to us. It is said that there are four auspicious days for
this gratitude. One is when our brothers, sisters, relations or friends
gather in a festive spirit. Another is when we avail of a chance for
feeding the poor and hungry and for caring of the needy and the
distressed. Another is when we can meditate upon God. The last is when
we meet a spiritually advanced person to inspire us towards the higher
life of the spirit. 39
Chaupaayi: Kaama koha mada moha nasaavana: bimala
bibayka biraaga barrhaavana:: 39.
Treating Shree Raama's life story symbolically as a river,
Tulaseedaasa continues, "If a man drinks its water, that is,
studies it and bathes in it, that is, reverentially listens to it,
then his desires, anger, the intoxication of pride, and his attachment
to worldly objects, are destroyed. Instead, detachment or vairaagya
and discrimination or vivayka grow in him and
the impact upon him of his sins and suffering is destroyed."
(See 185[16])
Shree Raama lived in the innate purity of human nature and thereby
showed human role and destiny in its divinity for all to emulate. The
message of Shree Raama's life provides us the principles for the
conduct of our life to achieve continual bliss. Our devotion to Shree
Raama prompts us to understand this message by the study of His life
story and discussion with knowledgeable persons in satyasanga.
The illiterates listen to the story to get guideline for life from the
narrators. The guidelines emphasize the need to get rid of our six
passions by alertness. Passions derive power from our dwelling on and
being attracted by objects around us. So, we withdraw our interest from
the outside objects, which is Vairaagya. Vairaagya becomes
easier when we sift our desires arising from objects to pick the
worthwhile and reject the worthless. This sifting develops Vivayka
or discrimination. Bhakti, vivayka and vairaagya
qualify us for bliss in life and a vision of God. (See 210)
Shree Raama’s principles for our conduct become practical for us in the
apparently stressful life today only if we have faith that if we follow
His path, He will protect and nourish us. It is the ancient Indian
precept that dharma protects those who protect dharma
by living in it first and not by fighting for it. Dharma is our innate
divine nature, which needs no protection for which to fight. Our body
needs protection by dharma for living in it. Without this
faith, Shree Raama’s path is impractical, as is the view of many today.
When we talk of today’s stress we forget that every age has its stress,
which reaches the brim of man’s capacity. This is to make man always
strive his utmost to reach beyond where he has reached for his
continuous advancement. Stresses of different ages cannot be compared.
Yet man’s capacity is always more than the burden. The proof is in the
survival of the human race. So is God’s survival because we need Him as
our succour in reality. Man and God need each other. Even advanced
scientists today see God at the end of their tether and achievement
both.
The idea that 'I' do everything and all this belongs to 'me,' is the
absence of, and the idea that God does all and all belongs to Him, is a
sign of vivayka or discrimination and vairaagya or
detachment, respectively. To realize that all is God and there is
nothing outside Him is vivayka. To treat nothing as mine and
all as His, is vairaagya. Even as an experiment if we keep
these thoughts active in our mind and dedicate our daily work
diligently done as duty to God, we experience, if we are percipient,
that God’s grace improves our situation and attitude for us to
persevere in the experiment. 40
Dohaa: Santa kahahin asa neeti Prabhu sruti puraana muni gaava: 40.
Honouring Yaajnavalkya as his guru, Bharadwaaja said, "Men of
divine vision, the Vedas, the Puranas and sages declare a maxim. A
disciple cannot gain knowledge if he hides his doubts from his guru."
Doubt is the natural preliminary for inquiry. Therefore we should
accept a guru after very carefully testing him. Testing does not hurt a
true guru. (See 157, 206)
Thereafter, we should not hold back questions, which agitate our mind
and deprive us of peace. We should learn by humble inquiry, by
experiments with what we learn, by unswerving faith and by
perseverance. (See Geetaa 4:34) Incidentally, a guru is a combination
of a psychologist, a psychiatrist, a counsellor and a benefactor and
all selflessly. (A Proverb) 41
Dohaa: Brahma jo vyaapaka biraja aja, akala aneeha
abhayda: 41.
Satee asked Shiva, "Brahman is all pervading, is pure, is never
born, has no qualities, has no desires and can never be fragmented. The
Vedas could not know Him. Can the same Brahman assume a human form?
Vishnu, a name of Brahman in Its aspect with form, assumed a
human form for the good of the gods and was as all knowing as Shiva.
Vishnu was Lakshmee's consort, the fount of Knowledge and the destroyer
of Evil. How could He, in His Incarnation as Shree Raama, be
ignorantly searching for his consort?" (See 241[36])
On seeing Shree Raama searching for Seetaa, Shiva had earlier addressed
Him as Satchidaananda. Shiva did obeisance to Him and happily
meditated upon Him. Satee saw all this. She doubted if the formless
Brahman could appear in a human body. All that is said about Brahman
appeared impossible for a man. Vishnu did become incarnate. Even He
could not be Shree Raama. She accepted Shiva's explanation that Shree
Raama was Brahman in person. Her doubt about his being God Almighty
Vishnu in a human form remained. Shiva permitted Satee to test if Shree
Raama was God Almighty Vishnu.
Satee's doubt whether God could take a human form, agitates some minds
till today. (See 21,
65
[2-15,
18, 20], 411)
The effort to resolve this doubt led to the revelation of Vedanta. (See
241)
Swami
Ramakrishna calls Brahman, the Nitya or the formless Absolute,
and Shree Raama, the Leelaa or the Relative in a form. (RK 523)
The Swami experienced the Absolute with the help of the Relative in
goddess Kaalee. In other words, the Swami attained the formless aspect
of God through His form. (See 61) 42
Chaupaayi: Ho-yihi so-yi jo Raama rachi raakhaa: ko kari
taraka barrhaava-yi saakhaa:: Bk52 42.
On Satee's departure to test if Shree Raama was Almighty God Vishnu,
Shiva had a premonition and surrendered himself to Shree Raama with
these words, "Everything happens as Shree Raama wills. What is the
sense in prolonging arguments on this subject?" [1]
What does God's will mean? God has not revealed His will or secret and
maya prevents our knowing it. (See 147-148) By our
percipient observation and repetitive experience, we can only make a
surmise about it. It is God's will that we cannot escape from karma or
activity for a moment and from going through the form of its
consequence, as for example a fall. But the impact of this consequence
on us, that is the grievousness of the injury from this fall, is
subject to God's grace, which we can invoke for our relief. (See 185[1-8,
10. 11.
23-25], 261)
We experience God's will in His response to us, in the manner of our
concept about and yearning for Him. (See 34, 101) God
provides
us repeated opportunities to redeem ourselves in our life; if we fail, God gives us as many lives as we need to
reach Him. God appears by His will on the earth in human form from time
to time to reciprocate our love for Him in the manner we can understand
it because God is a reality for the believer to experience. (See 73) [2]
For our relief, God's will provides us the facility of His name to
remember and that of repentance followed by surrender to Him and
avoiding sin thereafter. Another facility is our inability to
commit a punishable sin by the mind. (See 33, 325-326, 428) These
facilities help us to be free from suffering. (See 415)
For availing of all the above facilities God has given us a mind for
our use till our end that is free from the constraints of any sacred
book or revelation and even the word of God conveyed directly to us. If
the last was final, we should have been denied the use of our mind
thereafter by nature and not by any injunctions in any holy book. (See
Geetaa 18:63) Therefore to understand the mind for its best use becomes
our duty to ourselves. [3]
It is also God's will that He enabled the ancient Indian sages
to purify their minds and develop rarefied intellects to make the
greatest discovery that man ever made by observation and experience.
The discovery was that our reality, which is our jeevaatmaa or
human soul, is one with the reality of God in His substance, nature,
power and capacity, and that man alone is gifted with the facility of
the mind to make use of this discovery for the benefit of man. This
oneness with God is true and has practical meaning for us only if by
living in it, we become free of fear and misery on one hand and capable
of achieving any selfless noble purpose for the good of all on the
other. It is experienced that this oneness bestows unasked on us
continual bliss and unlimited power. Sages experienced that the more pure their minds were the
more power they received step by step because they became nearly one
with our jeevaatmaa. This power is beyond our
physical and mental power on which we rely and often feel proud of our
achievement in material sciences. Mahatma Gandhi received this power
because he lived by Sanaatana principles. For ancient Indian sages,
this discovery made physical sciences secondary for securing man's
continual happiness. This divine power that man holds within himself is
beyond any that any other being in the creation has. This power is for
doing the impossible as long as it is selfless and benevolent for all.
It becomes available to us when we make God our objective of life by
living in our reality of divinity. For this living, we have to align
our intellect with our inmost Self or God. [4]
For this alignment, we have to understand how our mind works and
how to control it. We should understand that the five senses are inert.
What they perceive has no intrinsic quality. It is the intelligence in
us, which gives power to senses and our six passions give quality to
perceived objects. The mind performs four functions. First. Our mind,
or mana, receives from the five senses impulses or information
from the outside, transmits them to the intellect for it to direct
limbs for action. For this function it is called the mind. Second. When
it discriminates between right and wrong and the real and unreal, it is
called the intellect or bud-dhi. Third. When it stores memories
of experiences to help the intellect to draw upon to discriminate, and
direct the organs in the body to function, it is consciousness or
Chit-ta. Fourth. It is the ‘I’ which decides to receive or not
receive impulses or respond to them, to discriminate, to make the mind
function, or not. This 'I' in our mind is called ego or ahamkaara.
It is not pride. The mind performing these four functions is called antahkarana,
or the subtle body within our physical body. (See 450[10])
In its
first role, the mind is merely a channel or the birthplace of desires
prompted by our six passions. The second role of the mind as the
intellect is to synthesize the information from observation and
experience which the mind receives to make it knowledge, to analyze
knowledge, to discriminate between right and wrong for our use and,
lastly, to discriminate between the worthwhile and worthless desires.
Compassion, which is service of the needy gives virtue to intellect to
make it common sense, which transcends intellect. Common sense is the
harmony of the intellect and the heart, neither dominating the other.
Intellect prevents the heart from becoming sentimental and the heart
prevents the intellect from becoming callous. When unrestrained, both
harm their owner. Thus common sense is not always intellect or pure
reason. Animals apparently do not have this complex mental set up or antahkarana.
[5]
In addition to our five senses and mind, God's will provides us with
six passions, namely, desire, including lust, anger, greed, the feeling
of 'I' and 'mine,' which is attachment and pride and envy. The minimum
and controlled use of passions is necessary for our survival. That is
why everyone is gifted with this essential facility of six passions. We
allow their uncontrolled power at our peril. We strengthen ourselves by
making use of them by their sublimation. For example, we channel our
desire to help others,
our anger to direct against injustice and misery, our greed for
increased capacity for charity and for selfless service, our attachment
to noble pursuits, our 'I' or ego for humility essential for
acquisition of knowledge and true leadership and our envy for emulating
the noble. In this way we make passions our friends to help us achieve
the worthwhile. This is how man has progressed to reach where he is
today. [6]
We find that the senses are more powerful than the body or
muscle power. The mind is more than the senses. The intellect is more
than the mind. The consciousness of 'I' as the doer is more than the
intellect. And, the inmost Self or the soul is more powerful than the
'I.' (See Geetaa 3:42) From the physical to mental and then spiritual,
the deeper we go within, the more powerful we become to control and
master our equipment, ourselves, situations and people for the good of
all. This power from our inmost Self diminishes with each step outward
till we reach the body. This is because with our uncontrolled mind,
senses and organs, we are naturally attracted to sensuous and material
enjoyment of and through our body, sometimes in the manner worse than
that of a beast. Our discriminating mind alerts us to the power of
senses and passions and pulls us away from worldly attractions to
develop detachment. Detachment is the first step to align our intellect
with our inmost Self or jeevaatmaa.
Thus when we indiscriminately follow our senses and passions we become
an animal. When we follow the mind with discrimination, we become
human. When we follow the intellect with compassion, we become selfless
and less worldly. When we follow our jeevaatmaa we
become divine. We should ensure that our soul or jeevaatmaa
should hold sway over all by their alignment with the jeevaatmaa.
This realization makes us experience the existence of power within us.
Our thinking that our reality is our body and brain and that we are
separate from God keeps our 'I' and intellect away from and unaligned
with our jeevaatmaa and makes us powerless, weak and subject to
misery and disease. The alignment with our reality in jeevaatmaa
with faith in its benefit to us of a powerful but benevolent mind and
of freedom from need, disease and fear, is practical Indian philosophy
or the science of living for us, for which the Shree Raamacharita
Maanasa provides us tips. [7]
This alignment of our intellect with our jeevaatmaa to give us
increasing control over our mind is sustained by our change in attitude
towards everything around and within us. This change needs that we get
convinced that God is a reality for us, is all and He does all,
and it is better to become His instrument than to seek happiness
independent of Him. We resolve to eschew errors by being alert to the
working of six passions in us that cause all errors. (See Geetaa 9:30)
We live in righteousness, rectitude, compassion and benevolence hurting
none and helping all. In our mind we are clear that the world is unreal
but we deal with it as a reality. We give a high purpose to our life by
mentally treating all as God and one with us in reality and so
motivating all our thought, word and deed by love. We treat every act
as duty dedicated to God and surrender for His choice for us the fruit
of our labour. This fruit is inherent in the act and so, is our
inalienable right. For getting the strength for this manner of living,
we make secure our link to God by remembering Him as often as we can
and mentally praying to Him for help. We cannot restrict God to respond
only to a regime of physical manner of prayers, disciplines, meditation
and austerities. He can and does take cognizance of other method that
we are capable of thinking and following to reach Him because He loves
all. [8]
We experience that our benevolence or charity creates greater capacity
and opportunities for it. For example, selfless social workers are
seldom in dire need or unhealthy; ill health, if there is any, never
obstructs their work. There is always plenty of work for them and both
energy and time for it. Often we see almost insuperable tasks performed
by seemingly incapable people. This is how this cosmic power arises
from within us by our introspection and benevolence. [9]
The mind is compared to a bundle of desires as a piece of cloth is of
threads. If we unravel the threads the cloth disappears. If there is no
desire, the mind disappears. Desire produces thoughts and vice versa.
Senses cannot do anything by themselves. When there is no desire, there
is no mind and no need for alertness for or control of passions. All
acts, however, arise from desires for a specific result or fruit. To
minimize desires, we reject the non-benevolent or ignoble one. We
dedicate noble desires, acts in their pursuit and their result or fruit
to God. Our mind is thus free from desires and purified to serve the
intellect aligned with the Self. Another way to purify the mind is to
motivate all our thought, word and action by love for all and hurt for
none. A purified mind is fit for alignment with our inmost self or jeevaatmaa.
Our conscience is more a matter of our heart where love should prevail
over the intellect. A polluted mind, however, can overwhelm our
conscience to misguide us. (See 318, 252)
[10]
Our antahkarana has tremendous power both for good and evil.
Our mind, by itself, is powerless and is a mere channel for stimuli and
response. The intellect empowers it. When the intellect is not aligned
with our inmost self, it empowers the mind for evil. Our aligned
intellect empowers the mind for doing good.
The mind is the instrument for all human achievement and, when
uncontrolled, for mass destruction. (See Geetaa 6:5-6) We rejuvenate
our mind by purposeful or healthy inquisitiveness and also by
introspection, contemplation and meditation. A rejuvenated mind
strengthens us. [11]
It is our observable 'I,' which enjoys or suffers and makes life
wretched by its anxiety for specific fruit of our diligent work for our
livelihood and progress. Once we understand that our attachment to
specific fruit is the cause of our anxiety, strain and fear, we entrust
that fruit to God's better choice for us. This entrusting frees us from
all strains, which cause inefficiency and our ill health. It
simultaneously makes our free mind listen to our intellect. This
entrusting to God is a method for alignment.
God mercifully allowed the mind to raise only one desire at a time. The
'I' can make the intellect substitute each desire motivated by a
selfish passion by another motivated by love for all. This is another
way to strengthen alignment.
To recollect the law of karma and thereby not to
bear any grievance, grudge, anger or hate against an offender prevents
the pollution of our mind and makes it aligned to our aatmaa.
Keeping the purified mind filled with prayers and benevolent thoughts
and intents for all makes it fit for alignment. Our alignment or link
to God itself purifies the mind. When we think of God we think twice
before we take any action not based on hurt none and help all. Our link
with God secures for the mind that continual happiness, which is within
us and not in objects outside us. This alignment makes us unconsciously
follow almost all paths to reach God.
The best path, which Shiva recommends for this alignment is one-sided
love for God in His personal aspect. (See 360, 444)
[12]
The above way to a noble objective needs the solitude of a room or of
the night to think for, talk with and critically examine ourselves,
followed by prayers to God for guidance and freedom from worry and from
fear. It needs faith and determination to form an incessant link to God
through prayers and perseverance. (See Geetaa 2:58-59, [13]
Sometimes even after our surrender of our ‘I’ and all to God, we slip
into thinking that we are independent in doing our deeds. This is
caused by maya through the power of the passion 'I' and 'mine.' (See 66, 239) By
knowing
this possibility, we always treat our free will as one with God's will
as Lakshmana did. We give God the power of attorney as Swami
Ramakrishna calls this surrender of our free will to God. This is bud-dhiyoga.
It is universally believed that God nourishes those who surrender to
Him without any trace of the 'I' as a doer or of doubt in their mind in
His reality and faith in that reality for our succour and intimate
relationship with Him. [14]
Tulaseedaasa shows Shree Raama telling us the practical methodology to
achieve the objective of alignment for receiving an empowered mind to
do the apparently impossible. We should develop faith based on
conviction. (See 2)
We should have a purified mind. (See 318)
Impurities
are given in 272
and 242.
We
may not succeed in mastering them by confrontation. (See 300) So,
we
follow Shree Raama's advice in 259.
[15]
Only the foolish treat the precept in this couplet as an excuse for
pessimism. God's will has provided us with all the means for dynamic
activity full of hope to achieve any noble height. The correct
understanding of God's will helps the wise use of the means for
securing bliss for ourselves through sowing it for those around us. By
having faith in the law of karma and God as being our loving mother
always running to us for our succour if we take to His path, we may not
find the above methods for our alignment beyond us. If difficult, we
can repeat God's name, keeping His form in our heart or remember Him
somehow and motivate all our acts by love all and hurt none, with faith
in Him to see us through. (See 33) It is
God's will
to respond to our unexpressed intent and desires, improve us and give
us the best. (See 205)
(A Lesson and a Proverb) 43
Dohaa: Puni puni hrida-ya bichaaru kari dhari Seetaa kara
roopa: 43.
After anxious deliberation, Satee assumed Seetaa's form. She
appeared a bit ahead in Shree Raama's path. Respectfully greeting
Satee, he announced his father's and his own name. He asked her where
Shiva was and why she was wandering alone in the forest.
Satee took Shiva's permission to test if Shree Raama was God. By
performing a miracle He removed her doubt. (See (38) in the
Story) 44
Chaupaayi: Hari-ich-chhaa bhaavee balawaanaa:
hrida-ya bichaarata Sambhu sujaanaa:: Bk56 44.
Shiva was all knowing. He thought that, after all, Hari's own will
was supremely powerful.
Returning and out of fear, Satee did not tell Shiva that she assumed
Seetaa's form for testing Shree Raama. Reading her mind, Shiva's
reaction here shows that none can alter God's will. He is greater than
Shiva, the Indian trinity of gods and all gods and deities. Fate
determined by God is undone only by Him. Secondly, whatever God does,
its cause is not known even to Shiva. (See 147)
45
Chaupaayi: Nahin ko-u asa janamaa jaga maaheen:
prabhutaa paa-yi jaahi mada naaheen:: Bk60 45.
Narrating Shiva and Satee's story to Bharadwaaja, Yaajnavalkya
mentioned the proverb, "No one was ever born on the earth who was
not intoxicated with pride on getting power and authority."
The deep Sanaatana wisdom in this couplet that is proverbial till today
is that authority unleashes the passion, pride. This passion deprives
one of discrimination or vivayka. This passion overwhelms those
with the power of authority, for example rulers, the executive and the
legislators, and causes all misery among the subjects of authority.
This people living in the traditional way enough vivayka to see and
destroyed the root of corruption in politicians by destroying absolute
power of any politicians or party in three elections in nineties. The
crust of corruption of half a century will take some time to wear
away.
The intoxication of pride, as distinct from mere pride, comprises
belittling the meritorious.
The traditional wisdom in this couplet caused Guha, the King of
Nishaada tribe and Lakshmana both, to misunderstand Bharata. They
thought that becoming King and finding Shree Raama alone in the forest
Bharata was advancing to attack him. (See 176)
Lakshmana
said to Shree Raama, 45A
Chaupaayi: Bharatahi dosha day-i ko jaa-yay: jaga bauraa-i
raajapada paa-yay:: Ak228
"Why blame Bharata? Everybody loses his head on gaining a throne." But Shree Raama replied
to Laksmana: 45B
Dohaa: Bharatahi ho-yi na raaja-madu, Bidhi-Hari-Hara pada
paa-yi:: Ak231
"Bharata is not intoxicated with kingship even if he becomes equal
to Brahmaa, Vishnu or Shiva," the Indian trinity of gods.
Three points are worth noting. Bharata was Lakshmana's brother, born
through the common gift of the fire god, yet he did not know Bharata's
mind. (See (93-95)
in the Story and 389)
The mental depth, spiritual height and the level of one's devotion are
not known either to the devotee or to another. Only God knows it
because it is a relationship with Him. Next, it is often wisdom to
check our view with one that we trust lest we may be in error under the
power of our passions. Here, Lakshmana was under the passion of
attachment to Shree Raama. He was however free from the ego of his
worldly wisdom and was humble to be able to submit his view to Shree
Raama. His desire to communicate with Shree Raama restored his normal
relations with his sibling. (See 174)
Lastly,
Shree Raama protected Bharata, as His devotee, from maya, which causes
pride of power. (See 275, 439) (A
Proverb) 46
Chaupaayi: Jadapi mitra-prabhu-pitu-guru gayhaa: jaa-yi-yay
binu bolayhu na sandayhaa:: 46. Shiva
advised Satee, "One may undoubtedly go uninvited to the house of
one's friend, master, father or guru. But it does one no good to visit
a place where there is a feeling of enmity." Not
listening to this advice resulted in Satee giving up her life at her
father's house. (See (38
- 46) in the Story) The lesson is, we
should keep away from the inimical. This shows our control over our ego
of courage and the desire to demonstrate it and avoids violence. If
duty demands our facing the inimical, we should not shirk it. (A
Lesson in Conduct) 47
Dohaa: Kaha muneesa Himavanta sunu jo Bidhi likhaa
lilaara: 47. Naarada
studied Paarvatee's palm. He told Himavanta, her father, "The fate
written by Brahmaa cannot be erased by a deity, a demon, a human being, an inhabitant of the nether world
or a sage." Four bits
of information can be surmised from the astrological birth chart, or
the palm or other signs of a person. This person can however earn God's
grace, which alters his future beyond prediction. Astrology and
forecasting the future are not wholly scientific in the modern sense.
For a correct forecast, they rely on the intuition of a purified mind.
(See 50)
First are
the consequences of the deeds of all our past lives, which we may bear,
in the present life. We have no control over their form. They comprise
our physical and mental capacity and good or bad family and circums-
tances. All these form the facilities for our use. We should not waste
time and energy in fighting these, which we cannot change. For our
fulfilment, we make the best use of what we have by accepting them as
facilities or challenges for our advancement. We do not withdraw or try
to escape from them or from the world to become a recluse. Unless we
replenish our present good fortune, which we earned in our past, it may
suddenly be exhausted to start our misfortune. If unfortunate, we need
relief. There is one method for both, replenishment of good, and relief
from bad fortune. It is the surrender of our past and of our-selves to
God. We should now onwards eschew error, motivate our deeds by
compassion for all, particularly as our service of the needy, and
always pray for God's grace for wisdom and strength to persevere. (See 185[2, 8,
15, 16,
19, 24], 259
and Geetaa Second are
the impressions and memories formed by our past and present karma or
deeds. They form our present tendencies, intuition or our nature, which
is superimposed upon our divine nature. (See 242) The
complex
of the two natures distinguishes each individual from others. This
distinguishing nature can be astrologically surmised. Third are
the deeds, which we perform in our present life. Fourth are
the consequences of deeds of the present life, which are borne in this
life itself. The greater the sin the faster is its retribution. (See 316)
Some
consequences of our past deeds are postponed for bearing in future
lives. It is doubtful if consequences in future lives can be surmised
by a fortune-teller without divine vision. Naarada
says that none else can save us from our fate. We alone can try and
change our fate by our repentance and prayer as shown in 50
and 72.
God's grace
alters our fate because God is supreme in the matter. He administers
His laws, including that of karma. (See 185[2, 8,
15, 16,
19, 24) 48
Chaupaayi: Samaratha kanha nahin dosha Gosaa-yeen:
ravi paavaka surasari kee naa-yeen:: Bk69 48. Naarada
told Himavanta, Paarvatee's father, "No one finds faults in the
powerful, for example, Vishnu (Gosaayeen), the
Sun, the fire and the sacred river Gangaa. Among
others, these four entities have their faults. 1. Vishnu rests on the
coils of a poisonous snake Shayshanaaga. 2. The sun dries up both good
and bad liquids. 3. Fire destroys both the good and bad things. 4. The
sacred and purifying river Gangaa receives filth from its banks.
(MP) For the
good of man, these four powerful entities convert their faults into or
overwhelm them with virtues. Vishnu saves man from the poisonous
attractions of the world. The sun creates rain and ripens the
harvest. The heat of fire prepares food and medicines. Gangaa
sanctifies man. These entities are not decried because they do
substantial public good. Similarly, society tolerates human follies,
which are harmless to others, if they are overwhelmed by deeds for
public good. (See 22)
God makes no one wholly good or wholly bad. The couplet reminds us to
look for merit in one before condemning one wholly for some
fault. Naarada
described four faults in Shiva. His ornaments were snakes. He drank
intoxicants and poison. His third eye was full of fire. His attire was
unclean. He smeared on his body the ash of cremated bodies. To the
sacred Gangaa flowing from the heavens to the earth, Shiva gave Gangaa
some rest on his head in Gangaa’s journey. Tulaseedaasa gives here four
similes to match the four faults associated with Shiva. (MP) (A
Proverb) 49
Chaupaayi: Surasari-jala-krita baaruni jaanaa: kabahun na
santa karahin tayhi paanaa:: 49. Naarada
continued, "A holy person never touches wine even if it is made from
the sacred Gangaa water. If that wine is put back into Gangaa, the
water of the wine is sanctified. In the same way the human being is
different from God." In his
novel style, Tulaseedaasa brings out two concepts of Vedanta. (See 241) The first
is
that the reality of the human being (the jeevaatmaa or the
human soul) and God (the Great Soul) is one. The second is that the two
appear separate because our jeevaatmaa, pure as always, is
covered by the pollution sticking to it in the form of our subtle and
causal bodies. These bodies comprise our unfulfilled desires,
attachments to worldly attractions and the ego of the observable 'I' as
the doer of our deeds. (See 318, 400, 450[10])
Wine has
two parts, Gangaa water and its impurity in fermented grape juice. The
impurity does not change the substance of water as hydrogen and oxygen.
The pollution sticks to water as dirt sticks to the human body or an
odour pervades the air. When that wine, that is, water and its
impurity, is put back into Gangaa, this union with Gangaa destroys the
impurity. It is the nature or dharma of Gangaa to destroy
impurities. Rid of its impurity, the water of the wine regains its
oneness with the sacred Gangaa water. Our
polluted subtle and causal bodies stick as dirt on our soul. This dirt
does not alter the purity of our soul. The simile is unique. Gangaa
water in the wine is compared to our soul, the ferment in the water to
make it wine to subtle and causal bodies, wine to us, and Gangaa to the
Great Soul. With God's grace, when prompted by someone, or an event or
by something on our own, we recollect ourselves, surrender to or lean
upon God, we recollect our oneness with Him. (See Geetaa 50
Chaupaayi: Jaun tapu kara-yi kumaari tumhaaree:
bhaavi-u maytti sakahin Tripuraaree:: Bk70 50. Naarada
told Paarvatee's father Himavanta, "If she observes austerities to
secure Shiva then he can alter her fate." Fate is a
mixed bag of our desires, attachment to our past deeds and their
consequences for bearing in this and or in future lives. (See 47) The Book
prescribes these remedies, by almost any of which all of us can free
ourselves from our bag of unpleasant fate. The remedies need a strong
faith in God as a loving mother. (See 275) (1)
To
repeat Shree Raama's name (See 33, 72, 426) (2)
To
motivate all our thought, word and deed by love and compassion for all
and hurt for none. (See 259) To
perform
correct acts after their dedication to Shree Raama. (See 241[18], 265, 400) (3)
To
develop devotion to Shree Raama. (See 150-168) (4)
To
follow the path of Knowledge. (See 241[23]) (5)
To
surrender our past and everything that we possess or do and also
ourselves to Shree Raama. (See 318, 325-326)
(6) To
serve Shree Raama (See 444) (7)
To read Raamaayana
with reverential faith and understand its message for daily practice.
(See 461-462)
If fate was
supreme, neither could repentance followed by correct conduct
thereafter and prayers to God secure relief for us nor was God or any
religion necessary for us. (See 165, 185[2, 8]
and
Geetaa 50A
Chaupaayi: Mantra-mahaa-mani bisha-ya-bayaala kay: mayttata
katthina ku-anka bhaala kay:: Bk32 Tulaseedaasa
says, "Engrossment in Shree Raama's virtues displayed in his life
story is a mantra, the most precious jewel. It destroys the poisonous
snake of worldly attachment and wipes out our misfor-tunes." If we
remember His name, form, glory or abode and pray to Him, He alters our
fate. (See 49,
325
and Geetaa We cannot
know either what is written in our fate or how much of it is wiped out
by our effort, which earned God's grace. We are advised that, ‘God's
grace can destroy the effects of past karma or modify its rigour. Never
doubt that Grace is like the morphine, the pain is not felt though you
go through it. If you earn the anugraha or grace of the Lord,
no astrological combination of planets (grahas) can harm you.’
(BS 1 196; 4 120; 2 28, 126) (Parentheses Author's) This is
because God loves us as our mother and never hurts us. The past cannot
be altered. Nothing in the coming events in the universe is
unalterable. Our fate coming to us the next moment onwards is not
beyond the universe and is therefore alterable. Man's fate is God's
will. God Himself can alter it. (See 185[2, 8,
16,
24], 261)
The context
of the instant couplet refers to Paarvatee. Her fate is written not by
God but by Brahmaa, the god entrusted with bringing about the creation
and the writing of the fate of creatures. So, Shiva has the power to
alter the impact of this fate. Moreover, Shiva is known to be easily
pleased. To pray to him is to get a fast response. 51
Chaupaayi: Jaba tayn Satee jaa-yi tanu tyaagaa: taba tayn
Siva mana bhaya-u biraagaa:: 51.
Narrating Shiva and Paarvatee's story to Bharadwaaja, Yaajnavalkya
said, "After Satee immolated her body, Shiva developed
non-attachment to his surround-ings. Shiva is consciousness and bliss,
the very nature of Brahman. He is beyond any attachment, pride and
desire. He gives happiness to the three worlds. He fixed his mind on
Vishnu (Brahman in person), and wandered about on the earth."
Brahman or
His manifested form in Shree Raama, is the
controller of maya. Maya creates attachment to the world to cause
ignorance. Even the Indian trinity of gods became a victim of mayaic
attachment. (See 406)
Shiva himself recalled later the effect of maya
on him. 51A
Chaupaayi: Taba ati socha bha-ya-u mana moray: dukhi bha-ya-un biyoga
priya toray:: Uk56 Shiva said
to Paarvatee, "I greatly suffered from your separation when, as
Satee, you immolated yourself." (See (51) in the
Story)
The
performance of her duties to her husband makes a wife his devotee. (See
220)
In
this way Satee was the single-minded devotee of her Lord
Shiva. 51B
Chaupaayi: Karayhu sadaa Sankara-pada-poojaa: naari-dharama pati dayva
na doojaa:: Bk102 Her mother
told Paarvatee, "Always worship the feet of your Lord Shiva. A
woman's one dharma is that she has no God other than her
husband." This sacred injunction also makes Satee Shiva's devotee.
(See 216)
Scriptures demand the husband's chastity to the wife. Shree
Raama demonstrated it. Happiness
in marriage rests upon oneness of spouses. Maximum adjustment for this
oneness is often easier for a woman than for a man. That is why to
facilitate that adjustment or merging is emphasized as her dharma.
Man’s lust denies chaste love and security to spouse to obstruct this
oneness that demands care and sacrifice for her. Man’s lust destroys
marriage, nourishes prostitution of woman and sometimes man’s
destruction. It is always an obstruction to man’s power, prosperity and
fame. (See 222,
312)
Satee, a
devotee, immolated her body in the sacrificial ceremony where she could
not bear disrespect to her husband and Lord. (See 345) Her
Lord,
Shiva,
was pained by his devotee's sacrifice. His non-attachment to his
surroundings, caused by this pain, was the proof of the love of a
personal God, Shiva, for His devotees. The gods in the Indian trinity
know when maya affects them and why. Shiva knew his attachment to Satee
was maya and found refuge in God's name. (See 67,407)
Unlike gods,
it
is difficult for us to recognize maya's insidious working within us
through the six passions, particularly pride or our ' 52
Chaupaayi: Guru kay bachana prateeti na jayhee: sapanayhu
sugama na sukha sidhi tayhee:: Bk80 52.
Paarvatee said to the seven sages. "The disciple who does not trust
his guru's words does not get peace and happiness even in his dream."
A guru can
remove a disciple's doubts and fears and give him relief in his
suffering. (See 157)
The doubting disciple does not ask his guru and
secure relief. His mind remains agitated and without any peace. The
lesson is: when in doubt or in difficulty, inquire and communicate, and
not withdraw into a shell. (See 174)
53
Dohaa: Mahaadayva-avaguna bhavana, Bisnu
sakala-guna-dhaama: 53.
Paarvatee continued, "Maybe Shiva is the home of all faults and
Vishnu of all virtues, but one's heart is in what it fancies." To test
Paarvatee's love for Shiva, he sent seven sages to her. They decried
Shiva and extolled Vishnu as a better groom for her. Paarvatee's
response is sound advice even today. Treating
Shiva, as her God, Paarvatee was observing austerities. She was praying
to Him to secure His love. A man can establish with God any loving
relationship he likes. (See 34, 246)
Paarvatee
shows that we should remain firm in the relationship of mother, father
or any other with our deity as the form of Brahman. We should not
change our relation-ship or shift from one deity to another as the form
of Brahman. Single-minded devotion is called the devotion of a chaste
wife to her husband. (See 155) The
name and
form of God we worship do
not matter if we stay with the same for good. Shifting devotion delays
growth, as the shifting of a plant. Both Shiva
and Vishnu are aspects of God. It is ignorance to compare gods and
God's own Incarnation in Shree Raama. No one has complete knowledge
about both. (See 65[2-15,
18, 20], 411)
To devote
to one form and respect others' deities also as forms of one's own God
is the correct single-minded devotion to God. After
living in the message from the scriptures in which he believes, a man
gains experience of God. Another may experience beyond scriptures.
Every experience differs. (See 101) God,
not the
book gives the
experience. A holy book or a guru only helps. God is as one believes in
Him. A godly man cannot question another's concept of God (Who creates
concepts), the form of his worship (which is immaterial to God in man's
direct relationship with Him) and the practices of his society (which
are changeable and not religion). So, to respect the concept of God and
the form of His worship in others' religions as an aspect of God we
worship is Sanaatana Dharma. All paths to or forms of worship of God
lead to Him. Sanaatana Dharma prohibits us from trying to change a
man's belief about, form of worship of, or his path to God. It is
violence. (See 398)
Sanaatana Dharma helps all to become firm in their
own religion by exemplifying the core of all religions, namely, our
oneness with all in God through our conduct of love and peace. (See 464
and Geetaa 7:21) The seven sages tried to change Paarvatee's faith in
Shiva. Paarvatee admonished them. (A Proverb) 54
Chaupaayi: Tadapi karaba main kaaja tumhaaraa:
sruti kaha parama dharama upakaaraa:: Bk84 54.
Kaamadayva said to the gods, "I shall do your work because the
Vedas declare service for others as the highest dharma."
(See Geetaa 3:21-24, The gods
requested Kaamadayva to wake up Shiva from his blissful meditation. If
Kaamadayva annoyed Shiva, Kaamadayva could lose his life. Remembering,
however, selfless service of others for the welfare of society as the
highest duty and the highest form of devotion to God, Kaamadayva
proceeded to do it. (See 386 and
Geetaa
5:25, 12:4) He tried to wake up
Shiva by overwhelming him with lust. Shiva destroyed him as the god of
lust. With the
destruction of lust in us, love shines forth in its true majestic form.
One of the forms of that love is compassion, sympathy and selfless
service particularly of the needy around us. (See 259, 360[9, 11,
12], 444)
Baba
says, ‘If the individual is deluded into believing that he is
saving others, then woe be to him; for there is no other at all. All
are one; one man's sorrow is everyone's sorrow.’ (BS 3 68) (See 241) 55
Chaupaayi: Naarada kara main kaaha bigaaraa:
bhavana mora jinha basata ujaaraa:: 55.
Paarvatee's mother Mainaa exclaimed in despair, "How have I hurt
Naarada that he wished my established home uprooted? He has neither any
sense of shame nor fear. How can a barren woman know the pangs of
childbirth?" Shiva's
scary apparel and frightful attendants in his marriage party scared
Mainaa. If she refused to marry her daughter, Paarvatee, to such an odd
bridegroom, she could take it that her established home would be as
good as destroyed by the groom's attendants. How could Naarada know the
pain of seeing a home uprooted when he never set up a home for himself?
Many disturbing incidents resulted from Naarada's discourses. 55A
Dohaa: Naarada kara upadaysa suni kahahu
basay-u ko gayha:: Bk78 The sages
told Paarvatee, "After listening to Naarada's discourse, whose home
remained established?" The listeners developed non-attachment to
the world and gave up their hearth and home. Sages told Paarvatee not
to trust mischievous Naarada. Without
learning lessons from experience of suffering, one cannot fruitfully
advise another in his suffering. This proverb cautions us against
inexperienced advisers. (A Proverb) 56
Chaupaayi: Ajaa anaadi sakti abinaasini: sadaa Sambhu
aradhanga-nivaasini:: Jaga-sambhava-paalana-la-ya-kaarini: nija
ich-chhaa leelaa-bapu-dhaarini:: Bk98 56. Naarada
explained to Mainaa, Paarvatee's mother, "Paarvatee never takes
birth, has no beginning or end and is cosmic power personified for
ever. She remains Shiva's inseparable consort and the symbolic half of
his body. She creates the universe, sustains it and destroys it. She
appears in any form of her choice." It is
Paarvatee's body that takes birth and dies just as a human body does.
Her soul does not. It enters and leaves the body. All Shaktis
such as Paarvatee, Saraswatee and others incarnate as the active or
maya aspect of Brahman by Its will. (See 85) It is
believed that every universe has its own gods of the Indian trinity
along with their power. Shakti or power is their integral
attribute and personified as their consort. (Geetaa Goddess
Paarvatee personifies a woman's lifetime married status with one
husband. So, she is symbolically the left half of Shiva’s body. This
signifies that for a happy married life, the wife merges her identity
in her husband’s. For his own protection and survival by being the
right half, the husband cares for her as for his own body. The
husband’s interests precede her maternal interests. The husband avoids
pain to his wife, including that to her maternal bonds, as he avoids
pain to his own body. 57
Chaupaayi: Kata bidhi srijee naari jaga maaheen:
paraadheena sapnayhu sukha naaheen:: Bk102 57.
Paarvatee's mother Mainaa said, "Why has Brahmaa created woman in
the world? She can never have happiness even in her dreams because she
depends on others?" At the time
of giving away Paarvatee in marriage to Shiva, her mother Mainaa
exclaimed these words of anguish before Paarvatee. If a
husband provided the needs of his wife, there would be no women's
liberation movement. When society lived in truth and self-sacrifice the
family had its primary role of the proper bringing up of children.
Women sustained culture for a self-sufficient, noble and advancing
society. The essential element in this was provision for women's
security, chaste love, leisure for noble
pursuits in spirituality, art, literature and crafts for
self-expression to spread joy around them. In their security, women
never needed independence and gave immense power to their husbands
through their devotion to them as their God. (See 222) Is
women's
happiness in independence from their husbands or in the couples
reverting to their conduct in divine nature of truth and love that
gives to, and not demands from the spouse? Love that demands is lust or
attachment or an animal passion. It destroys homes that animals do not
have. Sanaatana Dharma emphasizes control over, and independence from
our six passions. The happiness of love is in the selfless service of
the loved one, which is helped by control over passions. (See 360)
Incidentally,
in the absence of gurus, the illiterate Indian masses retained their
grounding in Sanaatana Dharma through innumerable proverbs in local
dialects such as this couplet. It reminds us of the need to rely not on
people and things around us but on our inmost Self. (See 42[3, 6-13]) (A
Proverb) 58
Chaupaayi: Siva-pada-kamala jinhahin rati naaheen: Raamahin
tay sapnayhun na suhaheen:: 58.
Narrating Shiva and Paarvatee's story, Yaajnavalkya said to
Bharadwaaja, "Those who had no love for Shiva were not liked by
Shree Raama even in His dream. The sign of Shree Raama's devotee was
that he had guileless love for Shiva. Who could equal Shiva as Shree
Raama’s devotee who gave up his consort as good as Satee for no fault
on her part?" The reason
why Shiva gave up Satee was, 58A
Chhanda: Siyaa-baysa Satee jo keenha tayhi aparaadha
Sankara pariharee:: Bk98 Narrating
the story of her past life as Satee to Paarvatee's mother, Mainaa,
Naarada said, "Satee assumed Seetaa's form. For this apparent fault
Shiva gave up Satee." (See 41-44) Seetaa
was
Shree Raama's consort,
who was Shiva's master. To Shiva it was against his sense of propriety
to continue his former relationship with Satee after she assumed the
form of Seetaa even for a few moments. (See 411)
Shree Raama
is shown also to point out that a sign of devotion to him is the
seeker's devotion to Shiva. (See 395 and Geetaa 59
Dohaa: Prabhu samaratha saravagya Siva
sakala-kalaa-guna-dhaama: 59.
Paarvatee said to Shiva, "You are the Lord who has all power and
knows all. You are the repository of all arts, virtues, meditation,
Knowledge and non-attachment. The repetition of your name is the wish
fulfilling tree for the seeker of your refuge." Paarvatee
prayed to Shiva first in this manner and then asked him to enlighten
her about Shree Raama. A kalpataru is a legendary tree. It
fulfils all good and bad wishes affecting the seeker, be he good or
bad. The tree is similar to Shiva only in treating all seekers alike.
It is believed that the tree can make a person religious minded. It
cannot secure him heaven, a vision of God and salvation. Being a guru
and a god, Shiva can secure a disciple these boons also. (MP) 60
Dohaa: Jo nripa-tana-ya tau Brahma kimi naari-biraha
mati bhori: 60.
Paarvatee asked Shiva, "If Shree Raama was the son of a king, how
could he be Brahman? How could he be so distraught on the loss of his
consort? What I see of his actions and what I hear of his praise from
you confuse my mind. Please describe Shree Raama's glory together with
the essence of the Knowledge which has ever been heard or Shrutis,
that is, the Vedas." Paarvatee
thought her doubts would be resolved only after knowing the concepts
revealed as the Vedas. Shiva's narration of Shree Raama's story and
explaining to her its message, however, satisfied her. This is because
the characters in this story reflect in their conduct the practical
essence of the Vedas and how to live in it. So, the greatness of the
Shree Raamacharita Maanasa or Raamaayana is in presenting the
practicable essence of the Vedas. (See 2A, 36) After
studying
this Book
and a little introspection, we notice that almost all of us live to
some extent in vivayka, vairaagya and jnaana. The
exception is when our passions overwhelm us. When we say no to many desires, which we can afford, it is Vairaagya.
When we think about doable or not doable and sift desires, it is Vivayka.
When we do not hurt any, and help all, treating them as one with us in
our reality, it is jnaana. We need to know a little more about
the subject, its value and the ease of its practice for
receiving increased power of our mind by the grace of God. Vaalmeeki
narrated the Raamaayana to Shree Raama’s sons Lava and Kusha in
his lifetime. This Raamaayana is said to show the path of
action, deeds or works. The later Adhyaatmic Raamaayana
attributed to Vedavyaasa, emphasizes the path of devotion but also gave
prominence to the path of Knowledge. Tulaseedaasa presented in the Book
all paths giving pre-eminence to the path of devotion based on
Knowledge. (See 437
and Geetaa 9:2) The basic
framework of the traditional story is broadly maintained in all Raamaayanas. The
importance of the Raamaayana is not in the proof of events in
history or archaeology. It is therefore purposeless to fix the date of
the earliest Raamaayana or the exact spot of Shree Raama's birth
that took place in the Traytaayuga. (See 79) The
importance
is
in the eternal existence of Shree Raama and all Incarnations of God in
the devotees experiencing them all over the world till today. The ideal
conduct in life of all Incarnations of God is their message. God and
His Incarnations do not exist for non-believers. When non-believers
need them, they make their benevolent reality felt by them. (See 267[2])
61
Chaupaayi: Prathama so kaarana kahahu bichaaree: nirguna
Brahma saguna bapu dhaaree:: Bk110 61.
Paarvatee said to Shiva, "First please tell me why the unmanifested
Brahman manifested Itself as Shree Raama? Please narrate His story and
of His lovely childhood. Please explain devotion, Knowledge or jnaana,
its experience or vijnaana and non-attachment or vairaagya
separately." Paarvatee
thought God did not incarnate in human form. On Shiva's explanation,
she accepted it. Did Shree Raama demonstrate His being God since his
childhood? Thinking that his story might not tell her the means of
attaining God, she asked Shiva about each of those means separately.
Shiva's narration of Shree Raama's story and its import resolved all
her doubts and gave her Knowledge. This shows that if we understand the
message of Shree Raama's story, it gives us the essence of practical
ancient Indian wisdom that was the secret of Some take jnaana
to mean wisdom, metaphysical truth or intuitive knowledge and vijnaana
as rational, scientific knowledge or intellectual truth.
Shankaraachaarya took jnaana as ‘knowledge of the Self and
other things acquired from scriptures and teachers’ and vijnaana
as the personal experience of the things so taught. (RG 149)
Tulaseedaasa takes, jnaana as Knowledge of the Self (Brahman)
through the path of rational inquiry and meditation, and vijnaana
as the experience of that Knowledge. This experience develops in the jnaanee
love for Shree Raama, Who is an embodiment of Brahman. This love
enables the jnaanee to continue to enjoy in life the
indescribable bliss of jnaana. (See 438)
Tulaseedaasa's
view was experienced by Swami Ramakrishna. He says, ‘He alone who after
reaching the Nitya, the Absolute, can dwell in the Leelaa,
the Relative, and again climb from the Leelaa to the Nitya,
the Absolute, has ripe knowledge and devotion... It is vijnaana.
To know that there is fire in wood is jnaana. But to make a
fire with that wood, cook food with that fire, and become healthy and
strong from that food is vijnaana.’ (RK 523, 911) Incidentally,
the English word selfish is easily understood. The similar words self
and Self are not easily understood without proper background of the
Indian concept under-lying them. The three words are poles apart from
the Hindi words of which they are the nearest equivalents, namely, swaarthee,
mamatva and jeevaatmaa, respectively. Some ignorant
English-educated Indians today therefore assert that Sanaatana Dharma
is a selfish religion. So, this Dharma, which led Shiva's
answer to Paarvatee's inquiry comprises for us today practically all
that Sanaatana Dharma is about. All the couplets from the Book bearing
upon the topics raised by Paarvatee could not be included in this
Selection. The representative few that are included,
indicate what a vast ocean of practical wisdom Tulaseedaasa compressed
into the small mother of pearl of a small lake called the Shree
Raamacharita Maanasa. 62
Chaupaayi: Banda-un Baalaroopa so-yi Raamoo: saba sidhi
sulabha japata jisu naamoo:: 62. Shiva
said to Paarvatee, "I do my obeisance to the infant Shree Raama.
The repetition of his name makes easily available all psychic powers.
He removes unhappiness and bestows bliss on everybody. As an infant, he
played in Dasharatha's courtyard. O Shree Raama! Be kind to me." Before
answering Paarvatee's questions, Shiva visualized Shree Raama as a
child playing in Dasharatha's courtyard because Paarvatee had asked for
the narrative from Shree Raama's infancy. Shree Raama performed
miracles from His childhood to demonstrate His being God. Moreover,
Shiva, as His devotee himself, wanted to enjoy Shree Raama's story from
His childhood. Shree
Raama, playing as an infant in their courtyard, delighted Dasharatha
and Kaushalyaa's hearts. Shree Raama's devotees also want that delight
from that same image in their hearts. Shiva is shown to express that
common desire in the second couplet, which makes this a very endearing
couplet for Shree Raama's devotees. (For Shree Raama's Devotee)
63
Chaupaayi: Dhanya dhanya Giri-raaja-kumaaree: tumha samaana
nahin ko-u upakaaree:: 63. Shiva
congratulated Paarvatee saying, "There is no benefactor such as you.
You asked me for Shree Raama's story. Listening to it sanctifies all
the worlds as the sacred river Gangaa purifies a sinner (when he
turns to God Who fulfils all his noble intents such as sincere
repentance and purification of his mind). You have devotion to
Shree Raama. However, you asked the questions for the benefit of the
worlds." The worlds
are the nether lands, the earth and the heavens. Do those in heaven
also have sins to wash off? Residents of heaven enjoy the consequences
of their meritorious deeds. After exhausting them, they have to come to
the earth again to bear the consequences of other deeds or to fulfil
their remaining desires. (See 390 and
Geetaa
9:21) Heaven or hell is a
temporary sojourn in our journey to merge ultimately in, or regain our
oneness with our origin, God. There is no perdition or an eternal
heaven in Sanaatana Dharma. Some attain God or Self-realization in life
and live as karmayogis such as Janaka, Vaalmeeki and
Yaajnavalkya, while others do so after a cycle of rebirth. (See Geetaa
9:18) (Shiva's Discourse to Paarvatee Begins) 64
Chaupaayi: Jinha Hari-bhagati hrida-ya nahin aanee: jeevata
sava samaana tayi praanee:: Bk113 64. Shiva
continued, "A man who has no devotion to God is like a live
corpse." Non-believers
in God's glory and those averse to Him often called ungodly,
are not necessarily bad persons. (See 211, 344) We
become a
non-believer when we forget that God is our reality and underlies the
life principle in us. When we do our acts remembering Him we become
believers. Those who love and live for others, which is the highest
form of devotion to God, truly live in God. It matters little if they
are not aware of God or His being in them and are not seen as believers
or as devotees of God. (See 267) They
are as
good as any sincere
devotees because both live in love, the core of all paths to God. If,
however, non-believers are unrighteous in thought, word and deed, along
with hypocrite devotees, they are as good as living corpses. A corpse
is avoided and burnt by followers of Sanaatana Dharma. By calling a
non-devotee a corpse, Tulaseedaasa treats him as a
pollution for our thought, word and deed, to be avoided. (See 11, 15) But godly
men should meet those averse to God to lead them to the right path.
Please see 398
and 464.
65
Chaupaayi: Sagunahin agunahin nahin kachhu bhaydaa: gaavahin muni
puraana budha baydaa:: 65. Shiva
continued, "The sages, the learned, the Puranas and the Vedas all
say that there is no difference between God without form and attributes
and with form and attributes in His Incarnation. God has no attributes,
has no form, is not visible and is never born. He is forced by the love
of His devotees, to assume a form and attributes. How can a formless
being have a form? It is in the same way that shapeless water takes the
shape of a hailstone." [1] Water
has no shape. It takes the shape of its container. Each hailstone
however, which is but water, has its individual shape. The formless God
similarly takes different shapes in His Incarnations. [2] To
understand the reality of a human Incarnation of God we have to start
from basics. The basic to any religion is its or its followers’ concept
of God. In Sanaatana Dharma God is omnipresent, omnipotent and
omniscient. Second. God is the only reality that exists and nothing
else can exist outside Him as a reality. So, the reality of all
entities in the creation is one with God. Third. God is the
personification of the limitless love of our mother. Fourth. He creates
the appearance of or brings about, or extends as a part of Him what we
observe as the creation, preserves and destroys it cyclically through
incessant change in the name and form of all objects in it. Lastly,
apparently He gives pre-eminence to man in the creation but does not
deny to the rest of it the experience of His relationship with it
because He is the reality for all. The reality of God taking a human
form arises from these basic and minimum concepts about God and is
experienced repeatedly. [3] It is
in his omnipotence and omniscience that He decides to take a human form
for His role of personification of love to give a personal experience
of it to those yearning for it on the earth. Love was the only
relationship He bestowed upon men from their birth for men and with
Himself since man's beginning. We all know it, practise and experience
it from our birth and enjoy its bliss by motivating all our acts by it
in our family. The only universal religion, if there is any, is love.
In the instant couplets, the reason for the Incarnation of Shree Raama
is in the words ‘forced by the love of His devotees.’ This reason was
more important in the three ages other than Kaliyuga. Another
role for the Incarnation is to revive men’s faith in God by exemplary
living in His message. The destruction of the wicked in the past or
their transformation into good because of their large numbers today is
an incidental role of an Incarnation of God. [4] That
God is the only reality or the Truth shows that all in the creation
have to come out of Him and are of His substance and nature in its
divinity. This is because something cannot come out of nothing or of
unreality. Every object manifests this divinity in varying degree. It
is as the same flame in a lamp, but visible differently according to
the translucence of its walls. In man walls comprise our egotism. It
prevents manifestation of our divinity and separates us from God. In
the Incarnation, God manifests His Divinity almost fully. In all of us
with God's grace, we can make our divinity manifest by the purification
of our mind for our continual bliss and for reaching God. Men of
purified mind or annihilated egos are found in all religions and among
gurus of divine vision. In India they are called ansha avataaras
or minor Incarnation of God. [5] To
experience our oneness with God, He has gifted us with our mind. It
observes the objective world. Beyond the senses, however, it
experiences the subjective and spiritual world. This world beyond
includes the concept of God, gods, goddesses, their world and that of
the sentient and insentient, heaven, hell and many worlds and planes of
existence to facilitate the upward journey of man. Man being one with
God, ancient sages underwent severe disciplines to purify their mind to
recall journeys and sojourns of their past lives in these worlds in
their effort to attain oneness with God. Our incapacity to repeat the
ancient disciplines and feats of memory does not negate the tradition
of their discoveries. For example, the concept of rebirth on the earth
was a subjective discovery by these sages. Modern research in hypnotic
prenatal mental regression proves rebirth on the earth. [6] The
subjective world is as real as the objective. It is our subjective mind
which experiences the limitlessness of God in His capacity to do the
impossible, such as His taking a human form, create dinosaurs and make
them extinct and birds and animals talking as human beings in Shree
Raama's army and then making them extinct. It is well known that ‘Saint
Francis could communicate with animals, birds and even flowers.’ (EFS
134) ‘With men things are impossible, but with God all things are
possible.’ (Matthew 19:26) Subjective experience cannot be brought
about by logic. Logic cannot disprove experience. For those interested,
Alain Danielou has discussed one aspect of this subject in his book
'The Gods of India.' [7] Our
mind is for our experience of God in the manner of our choice and for
our use till the end of our life. That is why after giving jnaana
and a vision of His cosmic form to Arjuna, Shree Krishna, advised him
to think for himself and then act accordingly. (See Geetaa 18:63) Shree
Raama also gave the same advice to citizens of Ayodhyaa. This advice
safeguards against our treating God's word in a scripture as final. It
prevents our becoming a slave of its interpreter to forget that God is
its author inasmuch as He revealed its contents. We cannot bind Him by
its puny interpretation or by the experience of revelations to one or a
number of men. This insistence of Sanaatana Dharma on the use of our
mind encourages purposeful and humble inquiry, exchange of thought,
gives value to satyasanga and established a respected tradition
in [8] The
difficulty of the non-believer in an Incarnation can be his inability
to understand an intangible reality under-lying the tangible. The
difficulty can be to understand the literal concept of omnipotence and
omniscience in that the imperceptible God knows best and can also take
a human form. That He does appear as an Incarnation on the earth is
experienced by believers in their concept of God of their choice
because God is a reality for them. For a non-believer in God in human
form He does not appear for them and so is not recognized by them. They
even deride others’ experience of God in person. The difficulty can be
the inability to experience realities free from others' interpretation
of revelations in scriptures. For example, Shree Raama and Shree
Krishna were not named in the Vedas and so were not real. It can be the
inability to experience phenomena beyond imagination. So, one can
decide that God can only be imperceptible and intangible. In this, one
limits the limitless God to one’s imagination. The difficulty can also
be the inability to understand that it is God who creates strange and
contradictory concepts about man and the creation and even about
Himself and responds to them for His purpose. Since God is the only
ever-unchanging reality, in Sanaatana Dharma, an Incarnation is also a
manifestation by God in a form in His totality but limited by His form
and by the name His followers give Him. [9] Some
argue that if God can have tangible forms, for example in an
Incarnation, He is not the same forever. God, the reality does not
change. All His forms in His creation continuously change. Some argue
that the Vedas do no mention Shree Raama and Shree Krishna. Accord-ing
to the Shree Raamacharita Maanasa the Vedas existed before Shree Raama.
(See 438)
Moreover, the Vedas record more of conclusions based upon
revela-tions, experience and thought than all the names and events
leading to conclusions. The concept of an Incarnation of God was
transmitted to us from the Vedas through the Upanishads as the Dvaita
[10]
Evolution of the human mind is a fact in which the Incarnation of God
has a distinct place. The kindergarten stage of a devotee appears as
the worship of the spirit of trees and of natural forces. The doctoral
stage appears as belief in the Ultimate Reality as imperceptible God or
Brahman and Its Incarnation. The multiplicity of man's concept of the
Creator and of man's relationship of the heart with Him is not
ignorance. It is by His will. We cannot prove that the cave man had no
concept about God or that his concept did not include experience and
vision of God in a human form. After all we see levels of intelligence
incapable of believing in a loving and merciful God who has no form
resembling human form. We cannot prove that God cannot or does not
appear for these minds in the manner they can love Him and can feel the
response of God’s love. We can also not prove that from the cave man
till today, various concepts about God did not give His intimate or
personal experience and joy to man. Their joy sustained man before any
religion was articulated or any scriptures were written. So, Sanaatana
Dharma holds that there cannot be an only or superior religion and
respects the multiplicity of concepts, including God taking a human
form, which continues to give relief and innocent joy to man over time.
God, gods, goddesses and His Incarnation are all forms of God, the only
one that there is, and are all seen or experienced in the manner of the
choice of the faithful from time to time and by the insentient in the
manner we do not know. The inability of the insentient to show their
relationship with God or His forms is no different from our inability
to show it and its depth and extent within us to others. [11] Shree
Raama and Shree Krishna were much before recorded history. For our
personal experience history is irrelevant. Without archaeological or
other scientific evidence, some rationalists and seekers of tangible
proof in matters of the heart, spirit and experience, consider
Incarnations of God as not facts but as mythology or at best a symbol.
So is God Himself by the same logic and test of tangible proof. Some
scientific truths are modified from time to time. The final, unchanging
and all encompassing truth or reality eludes scientific discovery.
Those who cannot imagine the ever-unchanging reality as the Truth nor
can see Its manifestation in myriad forms need a tangible proof. A
tangible proof for everything remains a fascinating illusion. (See 67)
An insular observer laughs at an Indian trying to reach God in heaven
through strange rituals. Each method and experience is, however, true
for the seeker of God. God Himself gives experience to the seeker to
suit his capacity. To the superficial observer even the universal
truths in different religions and in the three aspects of Vedanta appear
contradictory. (See 241[6])
The Incarnations, gods and goddesses are
true to the believer in God in His with form aspect. They are a myth to
the believer in God in His aspect without form. Hence is the parable of
blind men and the elephant. By touching the ear, the tail, the legs,
the trunk, and the torso, each thought of the elephant as a fan, rope,
a pillar, a python, a wall, and so on. [12] We are
warned by Swami Ramakrishna who saw God that ‘The attitude that my
religion alone is right and all other religions are false is not good.
I see that God Himself has become all these men, images and Shaalagraamas.
(Shaalagraama is a stone symbol through which Vishnu, a name for
God Almighty, is worshipped.) I see one alone in all these; I do not
see two. I only see one.’ (RK 578) (Parentheses Author's) Icon
worship is not a sign of ignorance. ‘He who pervades everything
including an idol or icon is invoked in it. (See Geetaa 8:22, 9:6) He
is approached reverentially by a purified mind anxious to efface itself
to the Eternal and the Universal.’ When we see our beloved in a
picture, the paper, paint, glass and frame disappear. If we believe
otherwise, we can reject the concept of an Incarnation of God and of
His pervading the icon. God will still respond to our form of His
worship because He is real and for all. (See 101, 186) It is
however
unwise to reject the value and benefit of faith of the believer in
them. The wisdom of his silence in a non-believing society does not
negate the truth and joy of the believer's experiences. Amongst others
in the West, Saint Joan of Arc heard heavenly sounds, had visions of
saints and saw God Himself. Saint Bernadette of [13 ] Gods and an Incarnation of God are all God's
forms but ordinarily invisible except the Incarnation of God on the
earth. All forms have assigned tasks with necessary power to perform
them by God's power, inspiration and grace. All have a name and a form
and so their bodies must come to an end at the end of their task. (See 79 and dohaa
81 of Uttarakaandda of the Book) The
difference is that the Incarnations as Brahman in Its totality decides
upon Its own time, place, task and the manner of doing it with
limitless power of Brahman in Him but limited by His body and its
limitations in speech and in the performance of some roles. Gods are,
however, assigned a task. Their power is limited for this purpose and
exercised to its maximum and not limited by the body and its
limitations except when they choose to perform a task by materializing
into a body or to give a vision to their devotee. [14] The
Shree Raamacharita Maanasa does not mention Shree Raama taking any
other form but gods and goddesses take forms for their tasks. 65A
Chaupaayi: Dayva danuja dhari manuja-sareeraa: bipula-beera aa-yay
ranadheeraa:: Bk 251 Gods and
demons in the form of human beings and powerful warriors have come to
Seetaa's marriage. 65B
Chaupaayi: Sachee Saaradaa Ramaa Bhavaanee: jay sura-tiya
suchi sahaja sa-yaanee:: In the
guise of beautiful ladies, Shachee, Saraswatee, Ramaa, Paarvatee, consorts of Indra,
Brahmaa, Vishnu and Shiva, respectively, and other goddesses of pure
and unusually wise nature were singing sweet songs in the 65C
Chaupaayi: Bidhi Hari Hara disipati
dina-raa-oo: jay jaanahin Raghu-beera-subhaa-oo:: Brahmaa,
Vishnu, Shiva, the protector gods of the ten directions, the Sun and
other gods assumed the form of venerable Brahmins to watch the
function. Without recognizing them, Janaka revered them as if they were
gods and gave them seats of honour. [15] Does
not the Incarnation out of Brahman make the latter the lesser for it?
Brahman remains the same just as the ocean is neither reduced by
evaporation nor increased by rivers flowing into it, nor a flame
reduced by lighting lamps nor a teacher's
knowledge by imparting it to students. Eesha Upanishad states
that the human soul is of the same substance and divinity as the
complete Brahman. It is a part of Brahman's totality and is also that
totality. Fullness is Brahman's nature. When the Full is taken away
from that Full, the Full remains. This is an Upanishadic axiom. Even
after parting with Its totality in Its Incarnation in Shree Raama or
others, Brahman remains total. In this divine arrangement the
mathematical law of the part and the whole does not apply. Scientific
laws are limited to man's knowledge through the five senses and
imagination. Divinity demonstrates its being beyond both knowledge and
imagination by producing daily phenomena beyond the present ken of
science. [16] The
message of God's love through the Incarnation or otherwise spreads by
itself because it is the truth in one of its many aspects. Christianity
came to Kerala, [17]
Strange it may seem but [18] From
his childhood, the Incarnation of God performs ‘divine’ miracles
necessary for His task."Bhagwaana has seven chief
characteristics: aishvarya (splendour), keerti
(prosperity), jnaana (wisdom), vairaagya
(non-attachment), srishtti (creation), sthiti
(preservation) and laya (destruction). Whoever has these seven,
you can consider as having Divinity in Him. These seven are the
unfailing characteristics of avataaras. (BS 1 191) Western
specialists published in recent years an account, which was properly
investigated for accuracy, of an Incarnation of God living in [19] Man
being one with God in his reality, a tiny fraction of the miraculous
powers of Incarnations of God are shown by
extraordinary men throughout the world. (See 240[12-13])
A
yogi
gave
gratis a mantra to Giri Baalaa, a woman in [20] Some
believers in the imperceptible God can and do visualize Him in their
heart as having a human form, such as a Hallowed Lord sitting on a
glorious throne dispensing grace, who can respond in the human
attributes of love, mercy and punishment but of a limitless order. This
visualization is also natural for those who cannot imagine these human
attributes in an imperceptible Godhead of their religion. For such
believers, God's human Incarnation is necessary. This is because God is
the personification of love for the experience of this love by these
believers. This truth of Incarnations of God could be experienced in
person by many Indian sages before the advent of the Vedas and of some
Incarnations of God. The sages communicated their experience and how to
have it, as their gift for its enjoyment by humanity. They did not
leave their names in tradition or record. 66
Chaupaayi: Nija bhrama nahin samujha-yeen ajnaanee:
Prabhu para moha dharahin jarha praaanee:: 66. Shiva
continued, "One who is himself under an illusion about
Universal Consciousness as the Ultimate Reality or Godhead and its
aspects, blames God for His attachment to His own creation
which keeps Him under an illusion. That one is like a fool who
thinks that clouds have deprived the sun of its lustre." Hurt by his
failures and misery, an ignorant man thinks that God is ignorant
because He cannot see how much injustice and suffering He causes in the
world. What is our
illusion or ignorance? It is maya, which causes it; so, maya is also
called ignorance. (See 237-239)
To think
that there is no such thing as
God whatever way one may think about Him is ignorance. Ignorance has
also these forms. To think that in reality I am my body with a name and
an identifiable form. To think that I am an individual reality with my
mind, thoughts, preferences and passions. To believe in 'I' and 'mine'
as separate from all others in reality. To think that the end of
happiness is sensuous enjoyment and in accumulating money, knowledge,
comfort, name or fame. We are warned that when we think that we are the
body and not its tenant, desires warp the path of work, greed that of
worship and anger that of wisdom or knowledge. Desires for fulfilment
generally make deeds selfish and not selfless. Greed makes worship mere
propitiation of God for favours. Anger is the enemy of knowledge. If we
live at the level of the physical body, we create physical and
'intellectual giants and moral pygmies.’ A common
ignorance is to think that I am separate from God and am the doer of
all my deeds independent of God. This ignorance is called the egotism
of the doer. For example, if I do not earn for my family, it will
starve to death. To be diligent in our duty to maintain the family is
wisdom. To think that without me it will starve to death is ignorance.
In this pride of the indispensable doer, we forget three observable
phenomena. First. Death is invariable but starvation to death of the
surviving family is not invariable. Second, we have no control on
innumerable factors without which our effort can be fruitless. They
make our effort tiny for success in earning for the family. Continuous
earning is not a certainty and is not in our control. Third, under the
law of karma every family member brings his fate. We are merely a means
to provide him what he brought. If not we, someone else will provide it
to him. The means are changeable but his survival is not changeable by
our effort. That is in God's hands. Knowledge is to understand that not
we, but God is the provider and preserver. As His instrument, we merely
do our duty without any control on the survival of the family. To keep
this knowledge in mind and do everything that comes to us as our duty
to God corrects our perspective, removes our ignorance and frees us
from its result. The result is in the form of our anxiety, worry,
strain and suffering. These are in reality all consequences of our past
acts. We have
four states of experience, namely, the wakeful, the dream, the deep
sleep and the state beyond these called tureeya. In the dream
and the deep sleep states we are not as aware of our body, or of our
'I' or of our individuality as in the waking state. Tureeya is
a state of inner consciousness and of unawareness of the outside. It is
the sleepless sleep of advanced yogis referred to in 135. There is,
however, an inspirer and a silent witness of our self within us
throughout. The states are temporary but this witness is unchanging,
continual and real. It is
wisdom to know that this witness is Paramayshwara, our reality,
in the form of our jeevaatmaa or soul. We are the embodiment of
the soul, which is purity, love, bliss and power within. The real we
are the soul or divinity within the body. That reality is one with all
in God who pervades all. We are the imperishable soul in our perishable
body and brain. To think that we are the body with a soul within is
ignorance. Our identification of our reality with our body makes us
forget the ever-present divinity within us. This identification limits
us to the capacity which the body and brain possess. When we are
convinced that we are the soul, we live in that conviction to receive
the unlimited capacity of the soul beyond the capacity of our mind to
make our mind perform the impossible. This is done through alignment of
our intellect with our inmost self. (See 42[3, 6-13]
and
Geetaa Merely to
know that we are not the body but the inmost self is not enough. Mere
knowing is not being. We have to experience this awareness for our
conviction and then use it in our daily conduct in life. We do that by
trying to live in righteousness and benevolence for all, which is in
accord with our Satchidaananda dharma or our divinity. (See 242, 259) This
living
in our innate nature is being what we are. When
this living puts us in control of our senses and passions and purifies
our intellect to take our vision beyond dualities, that is, the feeling
of 'I' and 'you' ceases, we gain Knowledge or realize the identity of
our Self with Brahman or God within. Then we become what we are,
namely, God. To concentrate upon our divine nature one with all men and
God, is the aim of Sanaatana Dharma. Under the law of karma, what we
give to others is to ourselves. Therefore our intent and conduct should
always be benevolent and righteous. This is knowledge. These ideas
that follow show our ignorance. To think that there is no God or that
He lives in the far away heaven, beyond the reach of our sincere call.
To think that He is not within everything, including us. To remain
under the control of the six passions, which make us think that the
worldly pleasures are real and are the be all and end all of our being. To harbour the pride of knowledge. (See 70) Knowledge
and ignorance are always with us. It is in the same way that darkness
disappears when the lamp is brought in and reappears when it is taken
out. Ignorance as darkness did not come or go. It was there all the
time. When we let slip our capacity to distinguish the real from the
unreal, we become ignorant. (See 67) To treat
the multiplicity of changing forms in the world as real and not
understand that their underlying reality is one is ignorance. To deny
our oneness with all in reality and not to act with love, that is,
benevolence for all as one with us, is ignorance. Motivating all our
acts by such love is living spiritually in our reality and divinity and
is knowledge. Our
overwhelming passions put us in the control of maya to make us ignorant
of the true form of objects and to distort our perspective. Our greed
sees a metal (gold) as precious, lust sees the opposite sex as an
object for carnal desire, egotism sees
others proud and faulty, and so on. (See 407) This
ignorance caused by
the power of our passions deprives us of discrimination, makes us blind
to reality, attaches us to worldly pleasures and takes us away from
continual bliss and God. Worldly attachment through passions is
ignorance. (See 134)
Our
forgetting the law of karma also causes our ignorance. Not to make
intelligent use of this law to invoke grace for our relief and
prosperity is one of the main causes of suffering in the world. (See 185[2-8,
10, 11-13, 16, 19, 23, 24, 25]) To forget
two things is ignorance. First. If we surrender to God in advance all
that we do daily and also ourselves, He loves to remove our suffering
to give us bliss. Second. His grace wipes out our faults, our
attachment to past deeds and the impact upon us of their consequences
in present suffering because He is supreme over Karma. (See 50, 325)
This ignorance causes continuance of our suffering. In short, if we do
not know ourselves and our relationship in reality with God and have no
faith in that knowledge, we cannot know the cause of our problems and
solutions available to free us from suffering. Ignorance
has many forms. Each is created by one or more passions in us. For
instance, our egotism calls the world imperfect with rampant misery,
dualities of good and bad and of happiness and suffering. It is not
possible to answer why God created an apparently imperfect world. Since
dualities make the world imperfect, in a perfect world there should be
no dualities even of the smallest difference. Everyone should have the
same mind, capacity, tastes and intellect for getting equally what one
wants by mere wishing or by identical effort with identical results.
There can be no obstacles to fulfilment of wishes to cause unhappiness
to some. Effort means hardship or unhappiness to some degree, so, the
perfect world will be without any effort. So, in a
perfect world, there will be neither effort nor any activity. Without
unhappiness to compare it with, people will not know the kind of
happiness and its qualities, gradations and height, which we experience
in this imperfect world of differences and dualities. The perfect world
becomes a couch potato world of no enjoyment of variety because variety
arises from dualities, which in the present imperfect world cause
unhappiness. Heaven, the abode of gods, may be the perfect world. No
one returns from it to tell us about its manner of perfection and the
nature of its bliss. Even heaven and hell imply dualities. The
indescribable bliss of jnaana and samaadhi or tureeya
is incommunicable. It is not for all. Both are experienced in, and so
cannot exist without, the imperfect world. In the end, we realize that
the apparently imperfect existing world is perfect for its role of
making us all know true happiness, strive for it and enjoy it in the
world itself. The cause of all forms of misery is ignorance. So it is
removable to a large extent by our own knowledge and effort. Similarly,
there is universal ignorance of the totality of factors or
circumstances leading to an occurrence or our achievement. The
knowledge of those factors is necessary to form correct premises for
thought or action. A viewer of a movie knows all the occurrences around
each actor. Each actor in the story does not know it. Hence is the
play. So, our ignorance of the totality of our past and of the future
makes possible our acting in the play of life and the continuance of
the world. This ignorance is also called maya. It makes knowledge
worth
our striving for. |
|
Home
Dedication
Reviews
An Appeal
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
Names
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Appendices
Ghazal