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Having saluted the Supreme Self, Valmikiji who is the teacher tells the student Bharadwaj, how Lord Rama was able to transact His business in His daily life. If we have not understood the gist of life, then in this so called life there are lot of problems. Valmikiji was answering this question in verse number 4. The verse was - Valmikir Uvach: Jivanmukti-padam prapto Yatha Ramo mahamanaha Tatteham shrunu vakshyami Jara-maran-shantaye (4) Yatha Mahamanaha Ramo Jivanmukti padam praptaha ..the way in which the great noble Lord Rama attained ‘Jivanmukti’ liberation while living.. Tatte aham vakshyami shrunu. I will tell you, you listen. For jara maran shantaye, for quietening your old age and death, which means you will be free from these afflictions only by attaining jivanmukti. That is explained here. Unless and until liberation is gained freedom from the sorrows, afflictions caused by old age and death will not be attained. So purpose of studies is also explained as Jivanmukti and the only way out from all our sorrow is also jivan mukti. There is an entire chapter about jivanmukti where what is liberation while living is elaborately explained. In
2nd chapter of Bhagwad Gita there is one verse which comes in
sthitaprajna lakshana..vihay kamay sarwan….having renounced all
desires..one who moves around puman charati nispruhaha..he moves around as
desire less individual and nirmamaha nirahankaraha..with no I’’ness and no
‘My’ness. So this is the Samsara - I and Mine. All our understandings they
start with ‘I am this body’ and then ‘things that belong to me’ whether
objects, people or surroundings. All those things related to which we have
this idea of power, position, and wealth. All these things get
accumulated. So once if we understand that all these problems are body
related and I should try to be free from this then that is what this
jivanmukti is, freedom from this idea that ‘I am this body’. We saw
earlier that this scripture is meant for those who are not totally
ignorant and those who are not totally knowledgeable, who are in between,
which means those who know that this world the way it appears is not the
ultimate reality. So they have seen some limitations in the world and they
want to seek answers. It is
already explained where this incident comes in. I will just quickly revise
this that where this happens. Lord Rama had gone to pilgrimage after His
high school graduation. He went around all over Shri Ramaha Vishwmitram Prati Uwach: What that menas is Shri Rama now spoke to Vishwamitraji explaining what is going through His mind. Kathayamyaham-ajnopi vicharah kriyate maya jayate mrutaye loko mriyate jananaya cha (5) Aham ..adnyaha api even though I am ignorant (so He accepts that I don’t know so many things as compared to vishwamitraji and Vasishthaji ..He accepts that you all are great master and I know very little and actually I don’t know anything.) Maya Vichara Kriyate..I am speaking to you even though I am ignorant but I have done some thinking. Maya Vicharaha Kriyate..which means thinking has been done by me. So you see these are the qualifications now..slowly we will see how Lord Rama shows sadhana Chatushtaya..which is the most important thing for a seeker. What this thinking is that is explained in the second line. Jayate Mrutaye lokaha. Jayate means people are born. Mrutaye means people die. Lokaha means people, world, things, everything is considered. Mriyate Janananyach means those who are dead are born again. First thing we can see ‘Jayate Mrutaye lokaha’, things which are born we can see them as dying. People are born and they can be seen as dying but ‘Mruyate jananayach’ how can some person say that this person is died and now he is reborn? About individuals we cannot see this, right? First aspect is pratyaksh, we can see that. The second aspect is through Agama, through shrutis, so different pramana is used. Different means of knowledge is used to establish this idea. So scripture says those who go from here they come back as far as human beings are concerned and as far other things they come and go, come and go constantly. Objects get transformed from one form to another, so this is constant change that is going on, that is this thinking done by Him. Similar idea is also given in Bhagwad Gita, ‘Jatasyahi dhruvo mrutyhu..dhruvam janma mrutasyacha’ those who are born, they die this is guaranteed. Anything that is born shall perish. It cannot be eternal. And if we take only this aspect also what is our pursuit in life when we are ignorant? We want to maintain this existence for ever, right? This is what we try to do as an ignorant. And that will never happen because that which is born is bound to perish. So He says I have seen this happens. Now what is this ‘Vichara’. He says ‘vichara Kriyate maya’, what is this thinking? So at different levels this thinking is done. One is just mere observation in the world. I will give you one example. Let’s say you want to buy a house in some area. A house, ashram or whatever you want to buy. You go to some location and you start seeing things. When we reach some place immediately we will have this thought I cannot buy this house here or you will say ‘Yes, this is it!’ immediately we will have this idea. That this is the right thing or this is not the right thing, right? When we go to certain place how we have this idea that no, this is not what I want. Because we see some things and immediately we have this ‘so called dispassion’ from that area and we see certain things happening and we say, ‘No, I don’t want this’. Same thing is true when we take up a job also. We go to some company for interview and within five minutes knowing how man and women talk and the way things are done we say we are not interested even if they offer me whatever they want to. Or for our kids education if we go to some school district just by looking kids running around we can make out what to expect from that school district, right? In the same way Lord Rama has done this Vichara about this world. You see we do lot of thinking about other things. He says, no I don’t want this world. That powerful conviction He has about this world. After seeing what is going on. When we have this conviction that “No, I don’t want this world and I also don’t want higher worlds because it is said, ‘Mriyate Jannayach’ those who are dead from here they go to heaven, hell whatever but they still come back, .which means this world is also rejected, higher world is also rejected.” Vichara is Viveka. And rejecting joys of this world and the higher world is Vairagya. So Viveka and Vairagya have been established. When we say ‘Enough of this world!’ that means we have become a true seeker. As long as we have this idea that I will study Vedanta but I can enjoy this world, Vairagya has not come. Because we still seek joy here and the language that Bhagwan Rama uses it is so powerful. He takes up every aspect of life and hammers. He says, this is what we call life? This crazy kind of living we call life? Running around without any motive? So first thing He says vanity of life. Then about this ego, how it gets hurt over small small things in life. So much we hold on to this ego. He says for sake of this we are doing all these things and this ego does not have real identity. Then He takes up cravings. How we have craving for things which puts us in all situations in life. What all things we do? Then sense pleasures, mind, flickering nature of mind, .at one place it cannot sit for five minutes. This is what Lord Rama is saying, how powerful the words are. So true Vichara Kriyate Maya, how proper thinking He does. Then He takes up every stage of human life. He says what do we do in our childhood and every scripture explains how we run after toys thinking that this is the greatest thing in life. Then youth where there is insatiable desire for lust, for men and women of opposite sex, that goes on. And sarvendriyanam jarayanti tejaha, all it does is weakens our strength and vigour. Then he talks about old age and suffering. He says every time people want to run away from this old age. But like ‘Kala’ it will never let anyone escape. So many things He says about life that is real Vichara. True observation of life of what it is. And He does not hesitate to call spade as spade. You see we also have seen lot of things. He is not saying anything that we don’t know. Unless those words come through us, not that we have to speak it to somebody but we also should be convinced that, ‘Yes this is 100% true’. That is true Vairagya. When that dispassion comes, this knowledge will be for us. Otherwise it will be knowledge for Lord Rama. Once this understanding has come into Him further He continues - Asthira sarwa evaite sacharachara cheshtitah kim me rajye na kim bhogaih koham kimidam agatam (6) Sarwa evete sacharachara cheshtitaha..asthiraha..all these things...right from human body.. mind..ego..going inward or going outward as this world, and all the other higher worlds,..sarwa evaite..sacharachara..everything that moves or does not move, all of them are impermanent. So the whole thing is summarised in one line. And “I don’t seek what is impermanent”..that is to be understood. “What I want is something that is eternal..not ephemeral”. Kim me rajye na..”what do I have to do with kingdom?”. Kim bhogaihi..what about these objects of joys..which means “I don’t have anything to do with them..I don’t see any interest of what use they are to me” as it is translated here. Koham..”who am I?” So the beginning of inquiry starts. And kim idam agatam… “From where has this world come?” Idam means jagat. “From where has this world come”, means about creation. Question about Jiva..who am I..what is jagat and followup of that is who created this? So Ishwara. “Jiva-Jagat-Ishwara”..that is us. Why we should seek what is permanent? We all always want everything that is eternal, whether it is our joy or things that we have. We want our marriage to last eternally. We want our house to be in good condition eternally. We want our joys to remain eternally. So that eternal nature is what we always seek. It is said people give up this eternal thing and try to gain what is ephemeral, what is not permanent. They have actually already given up permanent and what was impermanent was never with them. “Yo Dhruvani parityaja..adhruvam parikshewate..dhruvani tasya nashyanti..adhruvam nashyamevach” those who give up what is permanent and try to seek what is non permanent, that not permanent thing is never there and they have already given up what was permanent, which means they are neither here not there. That is our condition. Now, about Rajya about wealth Lord Rama was Prince which means He had plenty of wealth. Still he says “kim me rajye kim bhogaiye” what do I have to do with this kingship, kingdom and also these objects of the world, these joys, which mean, limitations of all these joys have been summarised by Him. In life everything looks like movie set. Movie sets are fake, absolutely fake, whole thing as though appears real. Inside is there anything? It is all fluff. We can see that is how everything is. Once we know like that, we will not be interested in getting those things. Life even if of Movie stars, how glamorous it is portrayed but those who know even little bit of it will say don’t even go there. That is true dispassion out of proper understanding and analysis. That is what is given there. We say that this world is a drama or stage but really it is a drama. It just goes on. The moment we understand this properly we are on this path of inquiry and this Koham. To understand impermanent nature of this world, things and objects we can use the technique which we had used earlier. We first have to use Shruti then Yukti and then Anubhuti? One is Scriptures then Logic and then our own experience that we negate this world when we go to sleep. Same thing is also true to know that impermanent nature of this world we have pratyaksh praman also becaues we can see what is going on. Scriptures also says this world never was with anyone and never will stay with anyone. So many kings have come and gone who say this is my land. Kings just come and go. Land just stays here. Logic can also be used. All these means show the impermanent nature of this world. You will say why am I hammering this point so much? You see this teaching we have to get. Lord Rama already got it and He realised also. This text should strike us. And when we study lot of Vedanta, Viveka is natural to certain extent because we have taken so much information. Vairagya is lacking. That is why so much work we need to carry out. Vairagya is most important thing. People love their sorrows (I am serious). They don’t want to part from their sorrows. Once we realise this then we will feel this teaching applies to me. “Koham” what is this Koham? Koham means “who am I?”. This who am I inquiry is very famous after Bhagwan Ramana Maharshi has given the steps and details of it. Basic idea is “what is it that I refer to as I”. That is this who am I. So first we have to understand this question properly. What is it that I call as I. Because if I say I am this body then I called body as I and with respect to body I say I am young or old, I am fair or black and related to so and so or my profession or father mother are so and so, all that is with respect to this body. That means I consider body as I, which is not the case. Then am I hungry or thirsty, which mean I consider pranas as myself. I am happy or sorrowful, .I have likes and dislikes which mean I consider mind as myself. So which aspect of this I consider as I, with what I am identifying. But without any identification what is my true nature that is this who am I inquiry. That is a real thinking which we all should do. So Lord Rama says I want to know who am I, what is my true nature and from where this world has come. Now you see all scriptures of Bhagwana Shankaracharyaji or Bhagwad Gita anything where there is dialog between Teacher and student these questions are common. In Bhagwad Gita similar verse is there, Kinno Rajye na Govinda..Kim bhogat jivite navaha..(?) Arjuna is asking. What do I have to do with this kingdom, there also he had kingdom and enjoyments. He says what I have to do with all these things. And in Vivekchudamani similar questions are there “Ko nama bandha..kathamesha agatha” what is this bondage from where it has come how does it sustain..In Bhaja Govidam also Bhagwan says you ask yourself..Kate kanta kaste putraha..who is this your wife? Dhanagata chinta ..matula kim tava nasti niyanta..don’t you think you have your Lord kastwam koham kuta ayataha..where have you come from? Who are you? Ask these questions. So this inquiry is most essential. And once there are questions then we have to seek the answers also. So the student also goes on this path. This is how questions come to him and also if you see life of other Mahatmas e.g. bhagwan Buddha, Sidhharth he had these questions. What is this life? Etc. He gave up the whole kingdom to seek the answers. Unless these questions come we continue to live happily in this life. See after answers also Lord Rama continued to live in this life. But the life was totally different. As Jivanmuktim padam praptaha..so having attained that absolute bliss even if we continue in this world everything is still happy. That is the idea. Evam vimrushatas tivram sarweshwapi ch vastushu aratir-mama sanjata pathikasya marushviva (7) Evam ..in this way..in this way means having seen all these things sarwe swhapich vastushu tivram vimrushata..in all these things and all objects ..sarweshu apich vastushu..tivram vimrushataha..vimrush means to think. Vimrushataha..having thought tivram..in very serious way and having done this inquiry mama artihi sanjata..I have gained this dispassion. Prose order goes like this. Evam tivram vimrushataha..mama sarweshapich vastushu artihi samjata. Evam in this way tivrram vimurushutaha..having done serious thinking mama sarweshwapich vastushu artihi sanjata..I have cultivated strong dispassion towards all objects and all things arising out of Vichara. Vimrush. So after viveka, vairagya has come to me now. So this is must for all of us. And what is that dispassion is explained in last quarter of that verse pathikasya marushwiva. Pathika means individual who is walking in desert land. Marushu means..desert sand. Somebody who is walking in this desert sand..and there is scorching heat and that sun makes him very thirsty and because of that reflection of sun optical illusion takes place and he sees water in that desert land, mirage water. And he says..O..there is water…let me go. He goes there. What happens? Actually there is no water. So when he moves he thinks..O water is little bit ahead. So he moves little forward. He keeps on moving the water also keep on going farther and farther. He continues to chase that water. Does he ever find it because it is never there? In the same way we also chase objects. You see some of these things are very serious. When we run after objects ..here I will get some joy..there I will get some joy..Unless we sit down and decide..no there is no joy here, then alone this running around will stop. Otherwise what will happen? This individual who is running in this desert land, he is already thirsty and out of this running his thirst increases more and he gets tired and he will perish. He will give up his body. Same thing will happen to us also running after these objects which have never given any joy to anyone. So what the great people have done? That is what we also should do. Yad yad acharati shreshtaha..tatt deve taro janaha. Whatever great men have done in the past, that is what everyone else does and that is the right thing to do. But if we do something just casually as life goes on, Guruji has mentioned if we continue to do what we always did then we will continue to get what we always got, sorrow. That is all we will get. So we have to rethink, prioritise what is most important. Then life will be wonderful. Tree of
Samsara: Now in our life how this tree of Samsara has come. There is one beautiful simile given by Bhagwan Shankaracharyaji and that is you see the cause of all this is ignorance. Not knowing who I am. And from there the immediate first thing that happens is idea that I am this body. Somebody asked Ramana Maharshiji at the beginning of second world war..that “Maharshiji, this world war is going on, please tell what people should do and how they should work?” He said “which world?” That’s all He asked. Which world you are talking about? That world is in your mind. His level of thinking was so high that the reporters and journalists that were there had no clue what He was talking. So this idea of all these things is there because we give it so much reality. Ignorance is the cause. Ignorance is like a seed. Then there is a sprout that I am this body. Then this sprout grows further with our likes and dislikes, because that is how our life goes on .I like this because for body it is bringing comfort so I go after it. I dislike something because I think this is not what I want. After having likes and dislikes we do more and more karmas actions, so that is like water giving to this plant and it grows, strengthen and the fruits are the karma phalas. And the individual bird is the bhokta, enjoyer of this. This is also very famous simile given in Upanishad. So the life continues like that. Now after giving all these explanations Lord Rama wants to conclude saying that Bhagwan, there is so much. Now I don’t need to say too many things because you know all these things, because He is talking to Vishwamitraji and Vasishtaji. They had come to him to asking him for his help for war. And Lord Rama gives detailed description in his chamber itself. He says I will not come out of this until I have the answers. His dispassion level is great. Try to see as much we can get out of this in our life. What does he say now? Yatha janasi bhagwan tatha moha-nivruttaye bruhi me sadhvo yena nunam nirduhkhatam gatah (8) Yatha janasi bhagwana..O bhagwan..O Lord..out of respect for Vishwamitraji he says ..O Lord..Yatha janasi..you know this..tatha..me moha nivrutta ye bruhi..Or tatha..me bruhi moha nivruttaye..To remove my delusion please instruct me. O Lord..tell me since you know this... ye na sadhwaha nunam nirdukkhata gataha..that by which sadhus means great men…people of wisdom ..how they have attained freedom from sorrow. O Teacher you please tell me. So many things are revealed in this verse also. He has understood that He has these questions..but he has also understood that He does not have the answers, which means we have to go to somebody who knows these answers. That is called approaching the Teacher. Guru upasadanam. This is must for a student. Next thing he says moha nivruttaye..for removing this delusion of mind me bruhi..please teach me. Which means..I am ready to be free from this. That is Mumuskhutwam. And also Yatha janasi..means you know already this. So he has approached teacher knowing very well that Teacher is Shrotriya Brahmanishtha. What a wonderful thing. And then he has shraddha that this means of knowledge works. Because he says Ye na sadhawaha nunam nirdukkhatam gataha. Nunam means certainly..definitely..that by which the seekers in the past have attained this. So I know that you are not going to experiment this thing. I am not your first student. In the past others have gained this knowledge and the solution is time tested formula. So you please give me that by which I shall also attain, which means he has shraddha. Sadhana chatushtaya, qualification of the teacher, approaching the teacher, everything is covered here so far. Which means background stage for Brahma Vidya is established. If everything is ready knowledge will take place. So in every scripture when we study, this qualification of student is very essential and we have to see ‘what we have’ and ‘what we are lacking’ and work for ‘what we don’t have’. So ‘what we don’t have’ work for it! This is the only way. There is no other shortcut. There is no other way. We have to do it NOW. So this conviction once we have then this teaching will flow through very easily. So having surrendered to teacher saying that,”Now you teach me”, Bhagwan Rama is rising up his hands and saying “I have said whatever that I wanted to say. Now it is up to you. However you want to give this knowledge, give me. Instruct me. I am not going to budge any more.” Do or Die situation. That is what we also should have. Either I will be free or I will give up my party but I will not compromise on the solution that I want. I will not play with toys any more. I want something real, ever lasting. That is His conclusion. |