Exploring the Divine Payasa in Valmiki's Ramayana

09.09.2026

POST NUMBER 14

VALMIKI RAMAYANA

BALA KANDA

CHAPTER NUMBER 14

THE DIVINE PAYASA OR PUDDING

TO which Lord Narayana replied in feigned ignorance, “Well, my children, I shall do even as you wish. But I do not see clearly the easiest and most effective method of bringing about his death. You have thought over it long and deeply, and may be you can suggest the best course.”

The Devas bowed low before the Eternal One and rejoined, “Lord! The sinful wretch contrived to win the favour of Brahma, the foremost and the best of us all. He was pleased by his terrible austerities. So he granted the wretch the immunity from death at the hands of every one in all the worlds, above and below. But, the wretch has, in the height of his contempt, omitted men from his list. He fondly thinks that he is safe from every object in the universe through his boons. Thus he has become very proud. And his pride is equaled by his cruelties. The groans of the insulted Devas and the shrieks of the ravished damsels cry out against him. And the bleached skeletons of holy sages, whom he had murdered in cold blood, is fast growing into a mountain. Man and man alone is his fate. And from Man he meets his death. Do Thou take human form and slay him in dire battle.”

Then said Lord Vishnu, “I shall come down among men, as the son of Dasaratha. He is even now performing a holy rite to get a boy in his old age.” The Lord ended and having given leave to the assembled celestial hosts to depart, vanished then and there, lauded by the rejoicing Devas.

Soon after, Rishyasringa, in the course of the rite he was conducting, made an offering to the Fire Ahavaniya. There rose out of it a radiant Presence of vast proportions. Like a towering peak he stood. And the blazing Fire or the noonday sun was nothing before the blinding glory of that mighty One. His face was fiery red and the hair upon it was of the hue of molten gold, even as the tawny mane of the monarch of the forest. Clad in robes of reddish black, his beautifully proportioned limbs were adorned with lovely ornaments. Of inconceivable might and power, even as the royal tiger in the flush of his strength and fierceness, his voice sounded as the great war drum that fill the warrior’s heart with fire and energy. His hands were closed around a golden vessel of exquisite workmanship, silver-covered, as lovingly as ever a lover’s arms were twined round the neck of his beloved. And this was full of the divine Payasa. He turned to the king and said, “I am a man sent to you by the Four-faced One, Brahma.”

Dasaratha replied with folded hands, “Lord! Hast thy journey hither been a pleasant one? (Has your journey here been a pleasant one?) What does my Lord want with his servant?

“Only this,” said the Radiant One, “the gods are pleased with you and your Horse-sacrifice and Putreshti and have sent you this Payasa. It confers glory and weal and, more than anything else, the son you so much yearn for. Accept it. Let your queens partake of it and sons four shall be yours. This is what you have toiled for, ever so long, through horse-sacrifice and vows innumerable.”

“Thy commands shall be obeyed,” replied the king, in awe and reverence. Receiving the Payasa sent him by the Devas, he bowed low to the Divine Messenger and went round him in respect. His heart leaped for joy, even as that of a beggar that has come upon a precious treasure. And the mighty Being, the Messenger, having accomplished his mission, disappeared into the fire from which he sprang.

Thereafter, the king concluded the rite. And retiring to his apartments, said to his queens, “This divine Payasa, the gift of the celestials, will bear you sons. Do you partake of it.” And their faces shone thereat, even as the sky illuminated by the rays of the autumn moon.

He then distributed it among them thus;- One-half to Kausalya, one-fourth to Sumitra and one-eighth to Kaikeyi. But, to give the remaining one-eighth to her would be to place her on a level with Sumitra, her elder, and that should never be. So he divided it equally between the two. The queens were highly satisfied with his distribution to partake of it. They ate it and shone brighter throughout the period of pregnancy than the smokeless fire of the brilliant sun. And the old king, saw it. His heart was lifted off its weight of sorrow and he rejoiced even as the great Indra, honoured in heaven by the Siddhas and the Sages.

BLOGGER’S COMMENTS:

SO the Divine Messenger rose from the blazing fire indeed? And gave Dasaratha the Divine Pudding or Payasa to be distributed to his queens? Tell it to the birds, man! Well, a non-believer might take it for a cock and bull story. And one cannot fault him, you know. There have been numerous sighting of the flying Saucers and when I read an article in the Reader’s Digest some forty years ago (It was a back volume even then!) I could hardly believe the accounts.

Ok, some people are over-sensitive and some prone to exaggerate. But the main part of the article gave me a window into a world of fantasy with the aliens coming down to take me, a hardy, twenty-five years old man with a sensitive mind and the rest of the blah blah. So, the rest of the blah blah indeed? Some five years earlier I had seen the Movie, “The Close Encounter” and it had not made much of an impression on my mind. But this article in the Reader’s Digest had a great appeal.

Around this time I read a film review about an American Movie, which I hadn’t seen, in some magazine. In that review I read about a species of snake, namely, Side Winder. You know it can’t move like other snakes. It winds down its length so both ends almost meet only to release the winding circle with force sideways. The resultant impetus gives it motion away from the former place of occupation and this way through a series of side-winding and releasing it moves rather fast but always sideways. Well, you know, this was after I had read the article about the flying saucers, some two-three days later. One fine morning I was going for a walk along a single track in my village. You might find it hard to believe me. I am not given to lying, sisters and brothers. I saw a side-winder! It was brown in colour and about one and half foot long. It had been lying on the track filled with soil and I had thought I had seen a strait stick of wood or a length of a rod or something lying on my path! But all of a sudden, when I neared it, it side-winded past the grassy edge of the single track into dense bush. It was early morning and the sun was just starting to appear above the trees to my left and I could distinctly see the snake!

You say coincidence. I too say so. But to see a side-winder described in an American movie which probably had been shot in some distant jungle or virgin forest plump in a village in Tamil Nadu! So you see that is why I think we cannot deride at all the accounts of the sightings of the flying saucers.

Coming back to the Messenger divine coming out of Fire, well, we must see the Fire walkers only to believe that. You probably have seen, at least in some local movies, how the devotees literally walk through a fiery path filled with burning coal and cinders. And I have seen the devotees’ acts in person. You know they don’t rush along the fiery path which is spread four feet wide and fifteen feet long. They just walk! They pronounce the name of their deities and just walk quite unhurriedly. And I have seen folks in documentaries who just dip their hands into the boiling oil in a cauldron and take out something like ‘murukku’ or ‘vada’ being fried in an unhurried manner! And what about people who can let high voltage electricity through their body and hold a chat and laugh and smile to people around them!

Fire and heat will scorch us but not all. And this is true among human beings. And we are reading about the accounts of a divine messenger rising from the midst of the blazing fire and hold out the Payasa to Dasaratha!

And the Horse-sacrifice occupies an important place among the Vedic rites and sacrifices. You know in the Vedas there are mantras and incantations to set fire to an enemy’s paddy field filled with a good harvest. There are sacrifices to beget sons, to obtain long life. And there certainly are sacrifices like the Nachiketas Sacrifice described in the Kena Upanishad to fetch a place in the Brahma Loka, the world of Brahma where we can spend deliriously happy days for a longish long time before returning to earth’s plane to work out the remaining ‘samskaras’.

And Brihadharanyaka Upanishad opens with the internalized Hors-Sacrifice. While the external Horse-sacrifice can only be performed by great kings, that is only King of Kings, this internalized version described in the Upanishad can be performed by all who has the devotion and other wherewithal. Here Dasaratha performs this wonderful sacrifice, very difficult for other kings to perform, and the result is he gets the mediation of the divine messenger.

The Horse-sacrifice can be performed by all of us, thanks to the opening account and Sloka or Verse in the Brihadharanyaka Uapnishad! And the result will be the same as the one performed by Dasaratha!!!

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09. 09. 2026

POST NUMBER 14

THE MAHABHARATA

BOOK 1- ADI PARVA

ASTIKA PARVA

CHAPTER NUMBER 14

“Meanwhile the great ascetic Jaratkaru wandered over the whole earth making the place where evening fell his home for the night. And gifted with ascetic power, he roamed, practising various vows difficult to be practised by the immature, and bathing also in various sacred waters. And the Muni had air alone for his food*1 and was free from desire of worldly enjoyment. And he became daily emaciated and grew lean.

“And one day he saw the spirits of his ancestors, heads down, in a hole, by a cord of virana roots having only one thread. And that even single thread was being gradually eaten away by a large rat dwelling in that hole. And the Pitris in that hole were without food, emaciated, pitiable, and eagerly desirous of salvation. And Jaratkaru, approaching the pitiable one, himself in humble guise, asked them, ‘Who are you hanging by this cord of virana roots? The single weak root that is still left in this cord of virana roots already eaten away by the rat, dwelling in this hole, is itself being gradually eaten away by the same rat with his sharp teeth. The little that remains of that single thread will soon be cut away. It is clear you shall then have to fall down into this pit with faces downwards. Seeing you with faces downwards, and overtaken by this great calamity, my pity has been excited. What good can I do to you? Tell me quickly whether this calamity can be averted by a fourth, a third, or even by the sacrifice of a half of this my asceticism, O, relieve yourselves even with the whole of my asceticism. I consent to all this. Do as you please.’

“The Pitris said, ‘Venerable Brahmacharin, you desire to relieve us. But, O foremost of Brahmanas, you cannot dispel our affliction by your asceticism. O child we too have the fruits of our asceticism. But, O Brahmana, it is for the loss of children that we are falling down into this unholy hell. The grandsire himself has said that a son is a great merit*2. As we are about to be cast in this hole, our ideas are no longer clear. Therefore, O child, we do not know you, although your manhood is well known on earth. You are of good fortune, you who thus from kindness grieve for us worthy of pity and greatly afflicted. O Brahmana, listen to our story.

” We are Rishis of the Yayavara sect, of rigid vows. And, O Muni, from loss of children, we have fallen down from a sacred region. Our severe penances have not been destroyed; we have a thread yet. But we have only one thread now. It matters little, however, whether he is or is not. Unfortunate as we are, we have a thread in one, known as Jaratkaru. The unfortunate one has gone through the Vedas and their branches and is practising asceticism alone. He being one with soul under complete control, desires set high, observant of vows, deeply engaged in ascetic penances, we have been reduced to this deplorable state. He has no wife, no son, no relatives. Therefore we hang in this hole, our consciousness lost, like men having none to take care of them. If you meet him, tell him, from your kindness to ourselves, Your Pitris, in sorrow, are hanging with faces downwards in a hole. Holy one, take a wife and beget children. O, you of ascetic wealth, you are the only thread that remains in the line of your ancestors. O Brahmana, the cord of virana roots that you see we are hanging by, is the cord representing our multiplied race. And, O Brahmana, these threads of the cord of virana roots that you see as eaten away, are ourselves who have been eaten up by Time. This root you see has been half-eaten and by which we are hanging in this hole is he that has adopted asceticism alone. The rat that you see is Time of infinite strength. And he (Time) is gradually weakening the wretch Jaratkaru engaged in ascetic penances tempted by the merits thereof, but wanting in prudence and heart. O excellent one, his asceticism cannot save us. Behold, our roots being torn, cast down from higher regions, deprived of consciousness by Time, we are going downwards like sinful wretches. And upon our going down into this hole with all our relatives, eaten up by Time, even he shall sink with us into hell. O child, whether it is asceticism, or sacrifice, or whatever else there be of very holy acts, everything is inferior. These cannot count with a son. O child, having seen all, speak to that Jaratkaru of ascetic wealth. You should tell him in detail everything that you have seen. And, O Brahmana, from your kindness towards us, you should tell him all that would induce him to take a wife and beget children. And who are you, O excellent one, that thus grieve for us all like a friend? We wish to hear who you are that stay here.’”*3

Sauti said. “Jaratkaru, hearing all this, became excessively dejected. And from sorrow he spoke to those Pitris in words obstructed by tears. And Jaratkaru said, ‘You are my fathers and grand-fathers gone before. Therefore, tell me what I must do for your welfare. I am that sinful son of yours, Jaratkaru! Punish me for my sinful deeds, a wretch that I am.’

“The Pitris replied, saying, ‘O son, by good luck you have arrived at this spot in course of your rambles. O Brahmana, why have you not taken a wife?’ “Jaratkaru said. ‘You Pitris, this desire hath always existed in my heart that I would, with vital seed drawn up, carry this body to the other world. My mind has been possessed by the idea that I would not take a wife. But you grandsires, having seen you hanging like birds, I have diverted my mind from the Brahmacharya mode of life. I will truly do what you like. I will certainly marry, if ever I meet with a maiden of my own name. I shall accept her who, of her own accord, will be as alms to me, and whom I shall not have to maintain. I shall marry if I get such a one; otherwise, I shall not. This is the truth, you grandsires! And the offspring that she will beget shall be your salvation. And you Pitris of mine, you shall live forever in blessedness and without fear.’

Sauti continued, “The Muni, having said so unto the Pitris, wandered over the earth again. And, O Saunaka, being old, he obtained no wife. And he grieved much that he was not successful. But directed (as before) by his ancestors, he continued the search. And going into the forest, he wept loudly in great grief. And having gone into the forest, the wise one, moved by the desire of doing good to his ancestors, said, ‘I will ask for a bride,’ distinctly repeating these words thrice. And he said, ‘Whatever creatures are here, mobile and immobile, so whoever there be that are invisible, O, hear my words! My ancestors, afflicted with grief, have directed me that am engaged in the most severe penances, saying, ‘You marry for (the acquisition of) a son.’ ‘O you, being directed by my ancestors, I am roaming in poverty and sorrow, over the wide world for wedding a maiden that I may obtain as alms. Let that creature, among those I have addressed, who has a daughter, bestow on me that am roaming far and near. Such a bride as is of same name with me, to be bestowed on me as alms, and whom, besides, I shall not maintain, O bestow on me!’

Then those snakes that had been set upon Jaratkaru’s track, ascertaining his inclination, gave information to Vasuki. And the king of the snakes, hearing their words, took with him that maiden decked with ornaments, and went into the forest to that Rishi. And, O Brahmana, Vasuki, the king of the snakes, having gone there, offered that maiden as alms to that Rishi. But the Rishi did not at once accept her. And the Rishi, thinking her not to be of the same name with himself, and seeing that the question of her maintenance also was unsettled,*4 reflected for a few moments, hesitating to accept her. And then, O son of Bhrigu, he asked Vasuki the maiden’s name, and also said unto him, ‘I shall not maintain her.’”

Sauti said, “Then Vasuki spake to the Rishi Jaratkaru these words, ‘O best of Brahmanas, this maiden is of the same name with you. She is my sister and has ascetic merit. I will maintain your wife; accept her. O you of ascetic wealth, I shall protect her with all my ability. And, O foremost of the great Munis, she has been reared by me for you.’

And the Rishi replied, ‘This is agreed between us that I shall not maintain her; and she shall not do anything that I do not like. If she does, I leave her!’ “Sauti continued, ‘When the snake had promised, saying, ‘I shall maintain my sister,’ Jaratkaru then went to the snake’s house. Then that first of mantra-knowing Brahmanas, observing rigid vows, that virtuous and veteran ascetic, took her hand presented to him according to shastric rites. And taking his bride with him he entered the delightful chamber set apart for him by the king of the snakes. And in that chamber was a bed-stead covered with very valuable coverlets. And Jaratkaru lived there with his wife. And the excellent Rishi made an agreement with his wife, saying, ‘Nothing must ever be done or said by you that is against my liking. And in case of your doing any such thing, I will leave and no longer continue to stay in your house. Bear in mind these words that have been spoken by me.’

“And then the sister of the king of the snakes in great anxiety and grieving exceedingly, spoke unto him, saying, ‘Be it so.’ And moved by the desire of doing good to her relatives, that damsel, of unsullied reputation, began to attend upon her lord with the wakefulness of a dog, the timidity of a deer, and knowledge of signs possessed by the crow. And one day, after the menstrual period, the sister of Vasuki, having purified herself by a bath according to custom, approached her lord the great Muni; And thereupon she conceived. And the embryo was like unto a flame of fire, possessed of great energy, and resplendent as fire itself. And it grew like the moon in the bright fortnight.

“And one day, within a short time, Jaratkaru of great fame, placing his head on the lap of his wife, slept, looking like one fatigued. And as he was sleeping, the sun entered his chambers in the Western mountain and was about to set. And, O Brahmana, as the day was fading, she, the excellent sister of Vasuki, became thoughtful, fearing the loss of her husband’s virtue. And she thought, ‘What should I now do? Shall I wake my husband or not? He is exacting and punctilious in his religious duties. How can I act as not to offend him? The alternatives are his anger and the loss of virtue of a virtuous man. The loss of virtue is the greater of the two evils. Again, if I wake him, he will be angry. But if twilight passes away without his prayers being said, he shall certainly sustain loss of virtue.’

‘And having resolved at last, the sweet-speeched Jaratkaru, the sister of Vasuki, spoke softly to that Rishi resplendent with ascetic penances, and lying prostrate like a flame of fire, ‘O thou of great good fortune, awake, the sun is setting. O thou of rigid vows, O illustrious one, do your evening prayer after purifying yourself with water and uttering the name of Vishnu. The time for the evening sacrifice has come. Twilight, O lord, is even now gently covering the western side.’

“The illustrious Jaratkaru of great ascetic merit, thus addressed, spoke to his wife these words, his upper lip quivering in anger, ‘O amiable one of the Naga race, you have insulted me. I shall no longer live with you, but shall go where I came from. O you of beautiful thighs, I believe in my heart that the sun has no power to set in the usual time, if I am asleep. An insulted person should never live where he has met with the insult, far less should I, a virtuous person, or those that are like me.

“ Jaratkaru, the sister of Vasuki, thus addressed by her lord, began to quake with terror, and she spoke to him, saying, ‘O Brahmana, I have not woken you up from desire of insult; but I have done it so that your virtue may not sustain any loss.’

“The Rishi Jaratkaru, great in ascetic merit, possessed with anger and desirous of forsaking his spouse, thus addressed, spoke to his wife, saying, ‘O you fair one, never have I spoken a falsehood. Therefore, go I shall. This was also settled between ourselves. O amiable one, I have passed the time happily with you. And, O fair one, tell your brother, when I am gone, that I have left you. And upon my going away, do not grieve for me.’

“Thus addressed Jaratkaru, the fair sister of Vasuki, of faultless features, filled with anxiety and sorrow, having mustered sufficient courage and patience, though her heart was still quaking, then spoke to Rishi Jaratkaru. Her words were obstructed with tears and her face was pale with fear. And the palms of her hands were joined together, and her eyes were bathed in tears. And she said, ‘May it please you not to leave me without a fault. You tread over the path of virtue. I too have been in the same path, with heart fixed on the good of my relatives. O best of Brahmanas, the object for which I was bestowed on you has not been accomplished yet. Unfortunate that I am, what shall Vasuki say to me? O excellent one, the offspring desired of by my relatives afflicted by a mother’s curse, do not yet appear! The welfare of my relatives depends on the acquisition of offspring from you. And in order that my connection with you may not be fruitless, O illustrious Brahmana, moved by the desire of doing good to my race do I entreat you. O excellent one, high-souled you are; so why shall you leave me who am faultless? This is what is not just clear to me.’

“Thus addressed, the Muni of great ascetic merit spoke to his wife Jaratkaru these words that were proper and suitable to the occasion. And he said, ‘O fortunate one, the being thou hast conceived, even like to Agni himself is a Rishi of soul highly virtuous, and a master of the Vedas and their branches.’

“Having said so, the great Rishi, Jaratkaru of virtuous soul, went away, his heart firmly fixed on practising again the severest penances.” Sauti said, “O you of ascetic wealth, soon after her lord had left her, Jaratkaru went to her brother. And she told him everything that had happened. And the prince of snakes, hearing the calamitous news, spoke to his miserable sister, himself more miserable still.”

“And he said, ‘you know, O amiable one, the purpose of your bestowal, the reason thereof. If, from that union, for the welfare of the snakes, a son be born, then he, possessed of energy, will save us all from the snake-sacrifice. The Grandsire had said so, of old, in the midst of the gods. O fortunate one, have you conceived from your union with that best of Rishis? My heart’s desire is that my bestowal of you on that wise one may not be fruitless. Truly, it is not proper for me to ask you about this. But from the gravity of the interests I ask you this. Knowing also the obstinacy of your lord, ever engaged in severe penances, I shall not follow him, for he may curse me. Tell me in detail all that your lord, O amiable one, has done, and extract that terribly afflicting dart that lies implanted for a long time past in my heart.’

“Jaratkaru, thus addressed, consoling Vasuki, the king of the snakes, at length replied, saying, ‘Asked by me about offspring, the high-souled and mighty ascetic said, ‘There is,’–and then he went away. I do not remember him to have ever before speak even in jest nothing that is false. Why should he, O king, speak a falsehood on such a serious occasion? He said, ‘You should not grieve, O daughter of the snake race, about the intended result of our union. A son shall be born to you, resplendent as the blazing sun.’ O brother, having said this to me, my husband of ascetic wealth went away–Therefore, let the deep sorrow cherished in your heart disappear.’

“Sauti continued, ‘Thus addressed, Vasuki, the king of the snakes, accepted those words of his sister, and in great joy said, ‘Be it so!’ And the chief of the snakes then adored his sister with his best regards, gift of wealth, and fitting eulogies.

“Then, O best of Brahmanas, the embryo endued with great splendour, began to develop, like the moon in the heavens in the bright fortnight. And in due time, the sister of the snakes, O Brahmana, gave birth to a son of the splendour of a celestial child, who became the reliever of the fears of his ancestors and maternal relatives. The child grew up there in the house of the king of the snakes. He studied the Vedas and their branches with the ascetic Chyavana, the son of Bhrigu. And though but a boy, his vows were rigid. And he was gifted with great intelligence, and with the several attributes of virtue, knowledge, freedom from the world’s indulgences, and saintliness. And the name by which he was known to the world was Astika. And he was known by the name of Astika (whoever is) because his father had gone to the woods, saying. ‘There is’, when he was in the womb. Though but a boy, he had great gravity and intelligence. And he was reared with great care in the palace of the snakes. And he was like the illustrious lord of the celestials, Mahadeva of the golden form, the wielder of the trident. And he grew up day by day, the delight of all the snakes.’”*5

BLOGGER’S COMMENTS:

*1. Can a person live on air alone? Could air substitute sumptuous food? The answer is that even for the householders there are many Yoga Asanas or Postures to mitigate many problems of nature. For example ‘Shitali Pranayama’ is effective in bringing down the body heat for a person who finds himself in an extremely hot clime! This Pranayama was also put into service by ascetics roaming the jungle to relieve them of hunger and thirst. There must be yogic techniques that enable one to live on oxygen present in air. It’s been long since I read the extraordinary accounts described in the remarkable autobiography, “An Autobiography of a Yogi” by the saint, Paramhansa Yogananda. In his ineffable book he describes an ordinary unlettered householder, a woman, Giri Bala, who lived for long on air alone. Her mother-in-law rebuked her severely about her inexhaustible hunger and for being a glutton. And Giri Bala prayed to the Lord to save her from the severe treatment meted out to her by her mother-in-law, and the Lord answered her prayer sumptuously. From that day she never took food or drink. Paramahansa Yogananda gives an explanation in the book how the lady was able to live on air alone!

*2. Why is a son of great merit? Because, he will be able to perform shradha and give libations to his manes to the seven degrees in the ascendant! Otherwise the pitris or the ancestors will have to suffer additionally in the nether worlds. For long there was this problem in Hinduism. The practice of adoption, adopting a male child by the widow of the deceased husband or by the childless parents, came later in Hindu Law. What one’s own blood and flesh can’t do in the absence of a son, an adopted son can.

Regarding other things about Jaratkaru’s ancestors pining for a son’s son and continuation of the lineage, we have already dealt with the same.

*3. This passage is written once again! The passage Jaratkaru’s meeting with his Pitris have been dealt with. But this is an interesting passage. And the Author Veda Vyasa has gone through this once again to highlight the drama that is there in this Chapter about Jaratkaru marrying his namesake, the sister of Vasuki, and take her for a wife and their life together and how they part ways.

Apart from the former passage that dealt with Jaratkaru meeting his Pitris hanging heads down in a dark hole, we have one more detail about the rat that is continuously eating away the rope. Well it is not a rat, but the inexorable Time! Well Time waits for none and it starts to deal literary death strokes from the time a child is born! It continues with that till the culmination of our life here on earth.

*4. The question of maintenance must be settled!!! What is the question involving maintenance? Well, the husband will not physically maintain his wife! That is the question to be settled! That is the question to be settled after other conditions were fulfilled. Wow! What a way to live! Here was an ascetic of high merit and he has to take a wife to beget offspring so as to save his Pitris. He has nothing to offer his would-be. But there are preconditions! Read on dear Sisters and Brothers. Go to the next note.

*5. All the premarital conditions were met sumptuously and the marriage itself was held. But the wife has transgressed one of the conditions. She has done something not to the liking of her husband. She has disturbed him in sleep so he could perform his evening prayers and thus not lose his virtues.

A virtuous wife, OK? The sister of Vasuki is an ideal wife. But before she wakes up her husband who is sleeping on her lap, she finds herself on the horns of dilemma. If she did not wake her husband, then he might not say his evening prayer and thus lose his virtue. If she disturbs him in his deep sleep, then he might get mad and do something drastic!

See, the horns of a dilemma! Who is suffering like this? A virtuous wife! She is a pregnant lady. And obviously her hubby has been sleeping for long on her lap. What about the intense discomfiture she was undergoing. Actually it ought to have been the other way round! Indeed she must have fallen asleep on her hubby’s lap! And what was the consequence of her pregnancy? Well, she was carrying the one answer or solution as to why her husband, an ascetic of high merit, married her! The son who will continue the progeny and relieve the Pitris that are hanging down like bats in a dark hole.

So, instead of rewarding his dutiful and highly virtuous wife, Jaratkaru, the Rishi, gets angry like an ordinary man in the street. He says she has transgressed one of the premarital conditions, of not displeasing him in any manner!

And there is no word about the hubby not displeasing the wife!

Certainly the position of a woman in those days must have been very undesirable indeed. There certainly was gender inequality. Woman was not given her due.

Well, as a matter of fact, women, Sisters and Brothers, were given their due even in the olden times. Indeed the wife was called “dharma patni” because she was an equal partner and along with her her husband carried out his self-ordained duties. So she was considered a saka patni, an equal partner. Women were held in high esteem even in Vedic and Puranik times. They certainly were given their due in the family and the society.

The legendary Lawgiver, Manu says, according to the latest issue of Thuglak Tamil Weekly, that where women are given their due and respected the Devas are delighted. Otherwise all the auspicious ceremonies performed in the households will be set at naught and become useless (9.56). If the woman’s (Wife’s) relatives are left to suffer in sorrow, that household will perish. On the other hand, where the woman’s (Wife’s) relatives are happy, that family will flourish (9.57). Not just that, Sisters and Brothers, Manu is quoted in the Weekly as having said that if the eligible girl who has attained the stage of being given in marriage remains unmarried for three years, she can choose on her own an eligible groom from the Caste equal to hers!(9.90) So, what is the import? A girl who has attained majority of age can choose on her own her mate, her life partner, if the family cannot or will not find her a suitable groom! This several thousand years ago in India! Don’t forget, Manu is a Lawgiver and his provisions were given high merit in the running of the governments in those days by the concerned kings.

In Tamil Sangam Literature we have numerous references to young men and women of suitable age getting married on their own! It did not only have the sanction of the society, but was also considered to be in keeping with the high Tamil culture.

Swami Vivekananda says in India we call a stranger girl or woman regardless of her age as mother. The wife was certainly considered as the queen of the family and without whose help neither the family life nor the social life can be gone through by man.

After all, only in Hinduism we have Lord Siva who gave the half of his body to his Consort! For a long time in India there has been vainglorious talks about giving women 33% seats in the Lok Sabha or Lower House of the Indian Parliament. But Sri Bhagavan gave 50% in his own flesh-and-blood body!

We must never forget that Indian Civilization could not have continued for so long over the millennial years without the woman being given her due both in the family and the society. As Swami Chidbhavananda says where there is a culture of concentration of mind in a society, the society continues without losing place to ennui down the millennial years. And the same Swamiji would fondly say that any civilization which has failed to accord high respect for its womenfolk will destroy itself. Thus, you see, the very fact that the Indian Civilization has been able to hold its good from the hoary past stands out to speak in favour of the fair sex being accorded high merit in India.

But there are women in India now, all highly educated, who are not satisfied with the place an Indian woman is given in the family and the society. But just no one can satisfy those exalted and illustrious intellectuals who are up in arms against the second place accorded to women and third-rate manner in which, as they see, women are treated in society.

All said and done, we must agree that even in the West where women are accorded as much social freedom as the Indian women intellectuals would like it is a man’s world. Well, there are some biological reasons and there are some vestige of animalism in Man all over the world that considers woman second to him.

Another aspect is that only in societies in which their culture facilitates women to take slightly a lesser position behind their own men in the family, the culture continues and flourishes. Only such societies give birth to such wise sayings: “No man is a hero to his own wife!” “Behind every successful man there is a woman!” Just think and ponder. How true!

But, I think, Hinduism gives a unique answer to this conundrum. Should woman be given equal place in all exertions and field and should she enjoy as much, not nearly as much, freedom as her Man? Well, this is left to the conscience of each man, in the ultimate analysis. There is a Constitution, an ineffable Law of independent India, almost put in the back burner by Ms. Indira Gandhi, the mother-in-law and great grandmother of Ms. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, respectively, WHICH ACCORDS EQAUL RIGHT TO OUR WOMAN IN EVERY WALK OF LIFE. But even this is not enough. I say even this is not enough! It should be left and it is left to the conscience of each man to accord equal and greater importance to women. Or else is the spiritual situation!

How?

See, in India, among Hindus, we have a staunch belief in the doctrine of reincarnation! You take this doctrine out of Hinduism, and it will surely fall to the ground. So we strongly believe in reincarnation. And any man who has treated his woman in particular and womanhood in general would be, inter alia, born a woman in his next birth and possibly become a wife to the one who served as a wife in the former birth and pay through the nose! Well, I am not stating as a factual law in the nature of shruti or even as smiriti, but THERE IS ENOUGH IN HINDUISM BY WAY OF THE LAW OF NATURE, THE LAW OF KARMA, THE RULE OF samskaras TO NOT JUST INFER BUT OPENLY ASSERT THAT ANY HUSBAND, SON, BROTHER OR FATHER WHO HAS ILLTREATED HIS WOMAN IN THE FAMILY AND ALSO IN THE SOCIETY WILL HAVE TO COME BACK TO EARTH AS A WOMAN TIME AND TIME AGAIN SUTABLY RELATED TO THE CONCERNED MAN IN THE FORMER BIRTH, TO GET SUFFICIENTLY EVEN WITH SUCH HEARTLESS HUSBAND, SON, BROTHER OR FATHER. NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.

At the end of the day, let it be said, a stranger girl or a woman is a mother. And must be treated as such for our Civilization to flourish and continue on earth.

ANY SOCIETY THAT FAILS TO ACCORD HIGHEST PRIORITY TO WOMAN WILL PERISH! HISTORY HAS TAUGHT US THIS LESSON!

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09.09.2026

POST NUMBER 14

THE UPANISHADS

Isha Upanishad or Ishopanishad

VERSE 5

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION:

tadejati tannaijati taddoore tadvantike

tadantarasya sarvasya tadu sarvasyaaya baahyatah

SANSKRIT WORDS AND PHRASES AND THEIR MEANING IN ENGLISH:

tadejati = It moves; tannaijati = It moves not; tadoore = It is far; tadvantike = and It is near; tadantarasya sarvasya = It is within all this; tadu sarvasyaasya baahyatah = and It is also outside all this;

TEXT IN ENGLISH:

It moves, It moves not. It is far, and It is near. It is within all this, and It is also outside all this.

BLOGGER’S COMMENTS:

Sisters and Brothers, in the last post I said I would sort of simplify this verse and spoon-feed you with the focus on the overall message of the Isha Upanishad so far as these first few Verses go. Here we go:

You see, the opening verse is very significant and sacred. It is at once metaphysical and psychological. It also lays the path for the much important practice of Karma Yoga or Yoga of Action or Yoga of Proper and Right Action.

That is, how must the life here on earth be lived? The first Verse says that everything here in this universe is clothed and pervaded (enveloped) by Isha or the Lord. When we come to realize that everyone and everything here is pervaded by God, everyone is a fit object of veneration. That is, we must see in all and everything God and God alone.

What is the import? First we must realize that everything in this universe is filled with God. We must see God and God alone in everyone and everything in the world. Second, nothing in this wide world belongs to us! Got it? God fills all. God fills every little and big thing here.

So he is the absolute owner of the universe. We own nothing. That is why, in the fitness of things, we must see only God in everyone and everything here in the world. First, the vision. Second, the question of ownership.

These two things stand out and these are the essential import of the first portion of the First Verse.

But suppose we refuse to see God in everything. Still better, we are unable to see God in everything, what is the consequence? Will Verse 3 come automatically into operation? Will we all become self-slayers? Will we all go to the dark world with frightening possibilities after death? In other words, if we are honestly unable to see God in everyone, will we go to those dark worlds? In the sense, will we be doomed for ever because of our inability to see God alone in all? God! How can I see God in my worst enemy X? I can’t even see the angel in him/her. He/she is a fiend. He is subhuman. He/she is not worth loving. How can I see God in him/her?

Mind you it is a 24 x 7 job! In the sense, I cannot afford to love him/her for two hours and hate like anything for the rest of the day! I have to love my neighbour all the time because he/she is a literal repository of God!

Is it humanly possible? Can anyone develop this kind of Gandhian love for all and everything in this world?

And if we fail to love our worst enemy, will we become offenders and consigned to the dark dungeon? And stay there for always?

And if we can’t develop this grand vision of seeing God alone in everything and everyone, will I become the tenant of the dark hell?

Nothing like that! And Hinduism does not contemplate perpetual damnation.

The Soul was with or in the Lord to start with. We were tossed into ‘samsara’ the world of birth and death and reincarnation. And absolute freedom from birth is our sacred right inviolable. No permanent damnation. Everyone has a birth right for becoming one with Brahman. The only question is how long and how many hundreds of births will we take before our final self-realization?

That said let us come to the mother of all questions. Will we be consigned to dark worlds just because we have failed to develop the grand vision of seeing God alone in all? And if we fail to love our enemies all the time and see into them God alone, will we incur the wrath of Brahman? Is Brahman that harsh?

Well, the Rishi in the first Verse lays the path for Karma Yoga. It is for us to walk the path and fetch our salvation now rather than several rebirths later, that is, now in the present innings itself. Honestly folks, do we all love the prospect of coming back to the earth’s plane time and time again after death? So what better way to be able to script our emancipation now itself instead of postponing the same for some distant birth-death!

Hinduism does not only not contemplate permanent damnation, but it does not punish heartlessly disproportionately. It does not say, OK buddy, you failed to love your ememy for so many days and hours of your life after reading this Upanishad, so you should be confined to the dark world because of it!

It is not like that at all.

How?

If we are unable to develop this grand vision of seeing only God in all fully, we will not end up as a total loser. Our staunch efforts to get into this vision fully will be taken note of. It is good if we can develop this grand vision and start loving all throughout our lives. We will be there to harvest the bounty at the end of our present innings. But even if we trail behind, and are not able to script our salvation at the first attempt itself, the merit of our honest striving will be taken note of. You ask, “Suppose, despite my earnest striving, I could not fully develop this vision and love all, will I not have wasted the days of hard striving? I might as well have lived a carefree life!”

This kind of question is put by none other than Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita. Arjuna actually asks the Lord, “O Lord, if I win in my striving to take to this yogic path, I will have no rebirth. But what will become of me if I only cross the well only halfway? What will happen if I die before I can script my emancipation? Will I not have lost to the Yogic path and wasted my time in pursuing Yoga of Action instead of enjoying like others the bounties of Nature here? In such a scenario I will have lost this world and that world, as well!”

The Lord assures the disciple, “O, my Arjuna, do not worry. In yoga there is no such thing as a permanent loss. Even if you have been able to walk this path of yoga only so much and not all the way, you will have gained the merit of such yogic exertions! You will be paid for your earnest effort you put in. Nothing permanently would be lost. YOU WILL GAIN THE MERIT OF YOUR STRIVING IN THE PATH OF YOGA EVEN IF YOU HAPPEN TO DIE BEFORE YOUR TOTAL EMANCIPATION. AFTER YOUR DEATH YOU WILL COME BACK HERE TO START FROM WHERE YOU HAD LEFT AND CONTINUE TO WALK THE PATH OF YOGA!”

SISTERS AND BROTHERS, This is a promise held out by the Lord of Gita for all the Humanity for all ages and yuga!

There is no loss in taking to the spiritual path; the path of yoga. What little advance we have been able to make in this birth will go to annihilate great fear, are also the Lord’s words. And blessed you will be if you can have faith in the Lord’s words.

So the path of yoga takes care of all kinds of our fear. We must be armed with this knowledge about the nature of Yoga. Dr.S.Radhakrishnan says, “Knowledge is strength!” And it is true in converse too. That is, ignorance breeds fear. Our worldly life is strewn with all sorts of fear and uncertainties. Yoga is the panacea for all kinds of fear.

So don’t worry if you cannot develop this grand vision of seeing only God in all here and love all TO THE FULL! Whatever distance you have traversed in this path will enure to your benefit and we will be able to start from where we left at death and come back here AS HUMAN BEINGS with suitable births in the suitable families so we can pick up the thread from where we had left and make further forays into the spiritual path.

OK? So don’t worry if you are not fully able to see only God in all for all the time and love all for all the time. So don’t develop second thought. Don’t ask yourself, “Just why the hell did I start to read this Upanishad. For it fills me with fear besides assailing me with doubts!”

For if you do that you will be the loser, not the Rishi of this Upanishad.

He has shown us a glorious path of Karma Yoga and it is for us to reap the benefit.

Even your blogger is not a consummate yogi, but my intellectual understanding of the import of this Upanishad is full. To become a consummate yogi or Karma Yogi I must strive more. And I am inviting you to the path of yoga which according to Sri Krishna, “Even if you travel only to a certain distance in this birth and die, it will not be lost to you.”

The great Commentators write, if you are building a house and it is only partly built and the roofing is yet to be finished, if anything happens to the building, it will affect the whole structure. If you sow seeds and water the paddy seedlings and manure the same properly but desist from bringing the harvest home, the whole of you efforts will be lost. It is not like that in Yogic Path. Even if you have been able to traverse only so much and so long, it will enure to your great benefit, and nothing would be lost. But the Rishi takes a hard stand in Verse 3 only with a strict father’s care and affection so we will become fully involved in the way of new life, wherein we will see only God in all and we will love all as God personified.

So read on the Upanishad without losing heart.

Sisters and Brothers, having said so, let me wind up this Post-Session by saying a few words about Verse 5 which is only a continuation of Verse 4.

In other words, Verses 4 and 5 should be read together. In both these Verses the nature of Atman is described in a poetic way. There is nothing like Self. Of the things we know Self is entirely distinct. Human language is limited and it is limited by the limitations of this relative world. Our mind cannot form a full understanding of Self which is the stuff of Brahman Itself.

So the Rishi here in these two Verses resorts to a poetic way of explanation. In Verse 4 the Rishi said that the Self is Unmoving, One, swifter than the mind. It is both unmoving and swifter than the mind! If we can form a good understanding of it, then there will be no problem in understanding Verse 5.

The Self is eternal unlike this world and like Brahman pervades everything here. There is nothing here which is not filled by Self. It not only pervades human beings, but the animal and plant kingdom as well. Not just the living beings but inanimate things as well. When we ultimately shed our human bodies what remains unchanged is Self. It is not subject to the onslaught of time and place and as such is incapable of direct explanation.

It pervades all and everything here. That means it is omnipresent. When it exists everywhere in the universe, it stands to reason it is Unmoving. But here comes the teaser: the Rishi says It is unmoving and in the same breath he says it is swifter than the Mind! We know the speed of the mind. But Self is swifter than the mind! Because mind is not omnipresent like Self. So when we think of one object we cannot think coherently about another object. So mind’s speed is to be reckoned in terms of its movement from object to object. But all objects exist in this universe which is utterly pervaded by the omnipresent Self. So when the mind starts its journey from one object in space to another, Self is already there in the sense Self is omnipresent. This is how Self is swifter than the Mind.

Now we can elongate and relate this analogy to the one found in Verse 5: verse 5 says Self moves and moves not. It is far and near. And finally the Rishi says Self is within all this, and It is also outside all this!

The Self moves and moves not.

Of course Self is omnipresent. There is no activity in it whatsoever. It cannot move. That is why it moves not. But it moves, the Rishi says. This kind of movement of Self is conditioned by the movement of other things like the mind. When a thing travels from one place to another, since Self is there both at the starting point and the arrival point as also in between, mind cannot outstrip it. From object ‘A’ mind travels to ‘B’ but Self pervades both A and B and others in between. So this movement is relative and in comparison to the actual movement of the mind.

This can be understood by comparing Atman with Nirguna Brahman and Saguna Brahman. Nirguna Brahman has no modifications. It exists for ever. It is outside the onslaught of time, space and causation. Nirguna Brahman has no ‘nama rupa’, name and form. Its intrinsic nature is sat-chid-ananda, and in this Nirguna Brahman there is no movement as it is outside the pale of all movements. Like the unmoving rails, cinema screen and the anvil It moves not.

When the Rishi says Self also moves it refers to Saguna Brahman which is not the same as the Nirguna Brahman.

All the movement that takes place in it can be related to the movement of the Unmoving Space within the pot. Space inside the pot (Kadakasa) seems to be moving along with the moving pot. But, since the extant space cannot move, Self also cannot move, but it looks to be moving like the space in the moving pot. This apparent movement is likened to Self’s movement.

Self is far and near. And finally the Rishi says Self is within all this, and It is also outside all this!

The omnipresent nature of Self is eulogized here. Self is far and near. Because it exists everywhere! It is here, there and everywhere.

Self is within all this and also It is outside all this.

That is, Self is within this universe. But not just that. It is outside all this. Here ‘this’ stands for the universe. So, like Brahman, Self also is within the four corners of this universe and outside the extent of this universe. because, like Brahman, It is independent of the universe.

And now it becomes clear how the Devas could not overtake it and standing still It outstrips all other Devas who are running.

Senses like the ear and eye are symbols of the Devas. These sense organs are just external projections. The eye does not see, and the ear cannot hear on its own. It is the Self which sees and hears through the instrumentalities of them. The same goes for the action of the mind. Mind itself cannot function in the absence of Self. This is why and how Self overtakes the senses for It ran before them.

Atman in Its true nature stands still. But by Its omnipresence it outstrips the mind and the senses which are running frantically.

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09.09.2026

POST NUMBER 14

THE BHAGAVAD GITA

CHAPTER 1 : VERSES 20 To 23

Arjuna Vishadha Yoga

THE DESPONDENCY OF ARJUNA

VERSE 20

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION:

atha vyavasthitaan drshtvaa dhaartaraashtraan kapidhavajah

pravrtte sastrasampaate dhanur udyamya paandavah

hrsheekesam tadaa vaakyam idam aaha mahipate

SANSKRIT WORDS AND PHRASES AND THEIR MEANING IN ENGLISH:

atha = now; vyavasthitaan = standing arrayed; drshtvaa = seeing; dhaartaraashtraan = Dhrdraashtra’s party; kapidhvajah = monkey-ensigned; pravrtte = about to begin; saastrasampate = discharge of weapons; dhanuh = bow; udyamya = having taken; paandavah = the son of Pandu; hrsheekesam = to Hrishikesa; tadaa = then; vaakyam = words; idam = this; aaha = said; maheepate = O Lord of Earth.

TEXT IN ENGLISH:

Then, O Ruler of the Earth, seeing Dhrtarashtra’s host being positioned and the fighting about to commence, Pandava, whose ensign badge is Hanuman, lifting his bow spoke the following words to Krishna.

Verses 21 & 22

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION:

arjuna uvacha

senayor ubhayor madhye ratham sthaapaya me ‘cyuta

yaavad etaan nirtkshe ‘ham yoddhu kaamaan avastheetaan

kair mayaa saha yoddhavyam asmin ranasamudyame

SANSKRIT WORDS AND PHRASES AND THEIR MEANING IN ENGLISH:

arjuna uvacha = Arjuna said:

senayoh = of the armies; ubhayoh = of both; madhye = in the middle; ratham =car; sthaapaya = place; me = my; acyuta = O Achuta; yaavat = while; etaan = these; nirtkshe = behold; aham = I; yodhu kaamaan = desirous to fight; avashthitaan = standing; kaih = with whom; mayaa = by me; saha = together; yodhhavyam = must be fought; asmin = in this; ranasamudyame = eve of battle.

TEXT IN ENGLISH:

Arjuna said:

Place my chariot, O Achyuta, between the two armies so that I may behold the war-minded that stand here, with whom I must wage this war.

Verse 23

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION:

Yotsyamaanaan avekshe ‘ham ya ete ‘tra samaagataah

Dhaartaraashtrasa durbuddher yuddhe priyachikeershavah

TEXT IN ENGLISH:

I desire to discern those that throng here to fight, intent on pleasing in battle the evil-minded son of Dhrtarashtra.

BLOGGER’S COMMENTS:

In Verse 20 Arjuna is seen as a normal person, his usual self, that is, raring to go full throat ahead. The battle is about to commence. But Destiny beckons. The inexorable hand of fate is at work. But for the Verses 21, 22 and 23 Gita proper might not have come into existence. Without the Gita teaching the very purpose of Krishna avatara or INCARNATION descent to the earth might have remained incomplete. But could it have happened that way. No! Gita must come into being. But the battle field was the most suitable context. So it is the hand of the inexorable fate that started to guide the great archer, Arjuna. He had to come down in spirit so the chances of the world for this Yuga would get brightened with the utterance of the Bhagavad Gita. So we see a calm and collected Arjuna, a born fighter, veteran of numerous battles, at Kurukshetra bidding his Master, Sri Krishna, who has donned the role of his charioteer, to place the chariot between the two mighty armies so that he might behold the war-minded that stood there, with whom he must wage this war.

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post 14 – Lord ram is engendered in the womb of kausalya, a discussion of women’s right in mahabharata, upanishads & bhagavad gita!

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