by Shri Lakshminarayan Aithal
“O अर्जुन , this
itself is lust,
this itself is
anger; this is
born from the
passion – quality; it has
insatiable appetite, this
is the great
sinner; this itself
is man’s enemy
which impels him
to commit sin.”
Not only that,
the composer of the
स्मृतिs tells :-
यच्च कामसुखं लोके यच्च दिव्यं महत्सुखम् ।
तृष्णाक्षयसुखस्यैते नार्हतः षोडशीं कलाम् ।।
मो. ध. 174-46.
‘The happiness
obtained by the
enjoyment of lust
in this world,
the great happiness
experienced in the
heaven by performing
the meritorious and
religious rites; and
the happiness obtained
by eradicating the
first two happiness;
the one sixteenth
part of the
third one cannot
be equated even
to the sum
total of the first two
ones.’ Then, how
does the one
who desires the
desires obtain Peace ?
कामबन्धनमेवेदं नान्यदस्तीह बन्धनम् ।
कामबन्धनमुक्तो हि ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते ।।
मो. ध. 251-7 [कामबन्धनमेवैकम्]
“This whole worldly
life is made
up of the bondage of
lust alone and,
other than this
there is no
bondage at all,
here. The one
who has obtained
freedom from the
bindings of lust achieves
the Liberation which
is freed from
birth.” In this
manner, our ancients
have ridiculed the
lust. Such being
the case, how
does the love
of the form
of lust become
an expedient to
obtain God ?
This objection has
arisen without knowing
the difference between
lust and love
in God. This
Love is not
of the form
of lust; and
it is of
the form of
restraint .
निरोधरूपत्वात्
30. For,
this Love is
of the form
of destruction of
all desires .
प्राप्यान्तं कर्मणस्तस्य यत्किञ्चेह करोत्ययम् । तस्माल्लोकात् पुनरेत्यस्मै लोकाय
कर्मणे इति नु कामयमानोSथ अकामयमानो योSकामो निष्काम आप्तकाम आत्मकामो न तस्य प्राणा उत्क्रामन्ति ब्रह्मैव
सन् ब्रह्माप्येति ।। बृ. 4-4-6. तदेतत् प्रेयः पुत्रात् प्रेयो वित्तात् प्रेयो
अन्यस्मात् सर्वस्मात् ।। बृ. 1-4-7.
A lustful
one, under the
subjection of desire,
does actions; in the other
world, he decreases all
fruits of his
performed actions; and,
again, coming to
this world, he
engages in action
alone. But, the one
who is free
from lust doesn’t
have any action;
by obtaining God
alone, his all
desires are fulfilled;
therefore, he becomes
the one who
has obtained his
desire (आप्तकाम)
which is his
Self only (आत्मैककाम ); hence,
he has become
free from desires (अकाम). He doesn’t
have either another
birth or any
bondage. He being
the Form of
God, unites with
God alone. This
Self is more
beloved than money,
son, etc. Thus
the श्रुति
declares clearly the
difference between lust
and Love in
God.
31. Restraint (निरोध)) means giving
up all desires.
But, for whom
is it possible
to remove all
desires ? In
this world, whatever
a living being (जीव) does
has the desire – root.
यद्यद्धि
कुरुते जन्तुस्तत्तत्कामस्य चेष्टितम् ।। मनु. 3-4.
Thus,
the स्मृति
also tells. Suddenly
it can be
seen that for
certain activities like : breathing, heart
beating, etc. – man’s desire
is not the
root. Still, if
one examines the
origin of such
activities desire itself
is the root.
It can be
told that if
any one wishes
he can with
full of effort
stop breathing; therefore,
only a desire
to live is
the cause for
it. योगि’s are
capable to stop
their heart beating
for some time.
Similarly, one can
have the knowledge
that all
activities of animals
are conducted only
through desires. One
can ask that
some people are
interested only in
helping others; do
they have any
desire ? The answer
is yes; they
also have the
desire of fame
that gives happiness
to their mind. Then,
how do the
devotees overcome all
their desires ? The
answer is as
follows :-
निरोधस्तु लोकवेदव्यापारन्यासः ।। 8 ।।
8. But,
the restraint means
giving up of
all worldly and
Vedic activities.
32. There
are two types
of actions; some
of the worldly
actions are needed
for the conduct
of affairs of
the world; and
some of the
Vedic – actions are connected
to the happiness
of the other
world. Only the desire of
enjoyments of respective
worlds is the
cause for the
two types of
actions; therefore, the
devotee who, giving
up all desires,
has turned towards
God doesn’t need
any one of
the actions. Not
only that :-
इत्यच्युताङ्घ्रिं भजतोsनुवृत्त्या
भक्तिर्विरक्तिर्भगवत्प्रबोधः ।
भवन्ति वै भागवतस्य राजन् ततः परां
शान्तिमुपैति साक्षात् ।। भाग. 11-2-43.
Sage कवि tells
to निमि
named king : The best भागवत-devotee has
devotion, absence of
passions(विरक्ति) and
the Knowledge of
the Form of
God; therefore, why
should he perform
any
Action ?
देहस्थोsपि न देहस्थो विद्वान्
स्वप्नाद्यथोत्थितः । अदेहस्थोsपि देहस्थः कुमतिः
स्वप्नदृग्यथा ।।
इन्द्रियैरिन्द्रियार्थेषु गुणैरपि गुणेषु च
। गृह्यमाणेष्वहं कुर्यान्न विद्वान् यस्त्वविक्रियः ।।
दैवाधीने शरीरेsस्मिन्
गुणभाव्येन कर्मणा । वर्तमानेsबुधस्तत्र कर्तास्मीतु
निबध्यते ।।
एवं विरक्तः शयनेsआसनाटनमज्जने
। दर्शनस्पर्शनघ्राणभोजनश्रवणादिषु ।।
न तथा बध्यते विद्वांस्तत्र तत्रादयन्
गुणान् । प्रकृतिस्थोsप्यसंसक्तो यथा खं सविता निलः ।।
भाग. 11-11-8तः 12
The one who
knows the Reality
of God, even
if he is
in the body,
doesn’t feel proud
of it, as
awakened person doesn’t
egoistically attach to
the dream – body. An ignorant
one, though really
he is not
in the body,
as a dreamer,
feels proud of
his body. While
organs made up
of three fundamental
qualities function in
their respective objects
made up of
same qualities – the wise – devotee doesn’t
egoistically attach to
their functions. The
functions like : sleeping,
sitting, moving, bathing, seeing, touching
something, smelling, eating,
listening – are conducted by
a respective quality
in a particular
quality; and this
wise – devotee is least
attached in such
functions. Neither the
Sun, nor the
Air – is attached to
the sky, so
the wise, though
he appears to
be in the
nature, he is
always least attached.
Though the sky
is all – pervading, it
doesn’t have the
touch of anything;
the Sun illumines
everything and the
former doesn’t come
in contact of
either merits or
demerits of illumined
objects; the air
carries dust or
fragrance of flowers
without attaching to
them; similarly, the
prudent one though
he works, he
never becomes an
agent of any
work. In this
manner, the devotee
has given up
all worldly and
Vedic actions; therefore,
his Devotion is of the
form of restraint
of all desires.
Some have given
a different meaning
to लोकवेदव्यापारन्यासः
. According to
them, all actions
should be performed
and fruit of
them should be
given up. To
support this opinion,
they quote one
verse from the गीता : सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं प्राहुस्त्यागं
विचक्षणाः (गी. 18-2). It is true
that in the
eighteenth chapter of
the भगवद्गीता, the dialogue
between श्री
कृष्ण and अर्जुन
has come to
determine the meaning
of संन्यास (asceticism)
and त्याग
(generosity) words. It
is not proper
to determine the
meaning of लोकवेदव्यापारन्यासः by partly
meaning of त्याग
of the गीता. In
order to determine
the opinion of
the Lord, the
has to study
the whole subject
matter of the
work.
The
context is this :-
अर्जुन asked : ‘Please, tell
the principle of संन्यास and त्याग’(18-1).
Then the Lord
said : ‘ A
few have given
discriminating meaning to
these words : asceticism and
generosity. They tell
that asceticism is
to give up
desirable actions (काम्यकर्म) and generosity
is to give
up fruit of
all actions (सर्वकर्मफलत्याग). Some
others tell that
actions like : sacrifice, donation
and penance – should not
be given up -
thus people have
different opinions’. But,
the Lord tells
his theorem : ‘According to Me
: the Eternal Actions
(नित्यकर्म)
should not be
given up; by
giving up attachment
and fruit , these actions
should be performed.
This is the
conclusion.
Up to
the 11th verse : यस्तु कर्मफलत्यागी स त्यागीत्यभिधीयते (गी.
18-11).
In this part,
it is clear
that the meaning
of त्याग
is giving up
only; for, here,
the subject of
deliberation is – whether an
action should be
given up or
should be done ?
And, it is
not the subject
of discussion that – whether the
fruit of action
should be given
up or not.
Then, in the
next verse, one
can find the
praising of ascetics
who have given
up all actions .
अनिष्टमिष्टं मिश्रं च त्रिविधः कर्मणः फलम्
। भवत्यत्यागिनां प्रेत्य न तु संन्यासिनां क्वचित् ।। गी. 18-12.
In this
verse, the Lord
has raised a
theory : Those who perform
an action obtain – desired, not-desired
and mixed fruits
in the other
world according to
their respective actions;
and those real
ascetics who have
given up action
don’t obtain any
fruit. Here, also,
asceticism and generosity have
the same meaning : giving up.
Further it, is explained :-
तत्रैवं सति कर्तारमात्मानं केवलं तु यः ।
पश्यत्यकृतबुद्धित्वान्न पश्यति दुर्मतिः ।। गी. 18-16
Thus body, agent,
organ, activities of
vital airs and
deity – these five are
causes for an
action; therefore, there
is no agency
itself for the
mere Self; the
one who imagines
agency to the
Self is a
fool ; the one
who is devoted
only in God
has no action;
and the Lord
has upheld this
theorem itself. Hence,
this is the
conclusion : The ignorant –
seeker of liberation
should perform action;
attachment and fruit
should be given
up by the
performer; and, great
devotees who are
wise have no
work. On the
authority of the भागवत – sentences,
we have already
shown and decided
that the devotee
has no agency;
isn’t it ?
In the same भागवत –
नैष्कर्म्यमप्यच्युतभावविवर्जितम् न शोभते
ज्ञानमलं निरञ्जनम् ।। भाग. 1-5-12.
The asceticism
conducted without devotion
doesn’t shine; thus,
a mere asceticism
is condemned. Therefore,
the decision what
we have taken
is the right
one. न्यास
has only the
meaning : giving up of
worldly and the
Vedic activities. In
spite of this,
those who hold
the sentence : सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं प्राहुस्त्यागं विचक्षणः as the
authority never obtain
the theory that
‘giving
Up of fruit
itself is न्यास’. For, काम्यानां कर्मणां
न्यासं संन्यासं कवयो विदुः .
Thus in the
same verse, it
is told that
giving up of
desirable actions (काम्यकर्म) is न्यास; therefore, by the
authority of that
verse one should
get the same meaning to
that word. But,
they don’t like
this meaning. Therefore,
the great devotee,
in the view
of conduct, doesn’t
perform any action
for his sake;
he doesn’t have
a desire of any fruit
to be obtained
either in this
world or in
the other one;
therefore, he gives
up all actions.
यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः ।
आत्मन्येव च संन्तुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते ।। गी. 3-17.
(The one who
rejoices only in
the Self, is
satisfied only by the
Self; he, pleasing
only by the
Self, has no
desire; and, he
has nothing to
do for himself.)
In the vision
of Reality, he
doesn’t have agency;
therefore, though he
externally appears to
do works, really
he does nothing.
This itself is
giving up of
worldly and Vedic
activities.
तस्मिन्ननन्यता तद्विरोधिषूदासीनता ।। 9 ।।
(Lakshminarayan
Aithal has served for over 3 decades in Swami’s institution and is the former
Principal of the Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Institutions at Muddenahalli.
Inspired by Swami’s direct message to study the Upanishads, he first learnt
Sanskrit and then studied the direct works of Adi Shankaracharya and Swami.
Sincere perseverance led him to the reality of Aham Brahmasmi and He realized
and experienced Swami’s words: “I am God and so are you”. He shares the import
of the Upanishadic teachings with us in this series of articles)
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