THE ANCIENT INDIAN SCRIPTURES!

22.09.2026

POST NUMBER 15

VALMIKI RAMAYANA

BALA KANDA

CHAPTER NUMBER 15

THE COMING DOWN OF THE GODS

WHEN Lord Vishnu had taken the preliminary steps to come down as the son of Dasaratha, the Lotus born One (Brahma), from whom the future is not hidden, said to the Devas, “The Lord goes down among men in pursuance of His promise to us and for our good. Send you down, from your essences, sons to assist Him in His fight with Ravana. Choose fit vehicles among the Apsarasas (beautiful women in Devaloka) and Gandharvas (it is a different world) and beget sons ape-like in form. Capable of assuming any shape at will they shall be masters of illusion. They will be like the Wind-God in speed and the Supreme Vishnu in might. With the strength of fierce lions they will be invulnerable and unconquerable. They shall be endued with the terrible energy of all the Astras (weapons) and as such immortal like the celestials who have drunk ambrosia (nectar). They shall also be intelligent, conversant with every rule of morality and skilful in adopting the means to the ends.

He further added, “Once, when I indulged in a deep yawn, I brought forth a mighty bear, Jambavan by name, of course, with an eye to future contingencies.”

In cheerful obedience to his commands, the sages, the Siddhas, the Vidyadhara, the Uragas, the Charanas and the other celestial orders, brought forth sons of their own essence, monkeys that roamed the woods. The great Indra gave birth to Vali, the great monarch of the monkeys, of vast proportions even as the Mount Mahendra. The Sun-God begot Sugriva. Brihaspati begot Tara, the wisest and foremost of the monkey host. Visvakarma begot Nala. Agni begot Nila, radiant as his sire and excelling the other monkeys by his glory, splendour and valor. The handsome Asvins begot Mainda and Dvivida, no less beautiful than their sires. Varuna begot Sushena. Parjanya, the God of Rain, begot Sarabha of vast strength. Vayu begot Hanuman who was like Garuda in speed and of adamantine body, impervious even to the Vajra (a formidable weapon).

Thus, countless myriads of apes, baboons, monkeys and bears came down on Earth to assist the Lord in exterminating Ravana and his wicked brood. Their strength was immesurable. They could take any form they liked. They were of vast bulk like Meru or Manara, resembling their sires in shape and height, some were born of monkey mothers. Some were born of bears, some of Apsarasas. Some were born of Vidyadhara maidens. And some were born of Nagas and Gandharvas. Some were born of celestial fathers, some of sages, some of Gandharvas, some of Garuda, some of Yakshas. Some were born of Vasuki and the others of Nagas. Some were born of Siddhas, some of Vidyadharas and some of Uragas.

Proud in their strength even as lions and tigers, fighting with rocks, trees, teeth and claws, they could shatter the strongest tree and uproot the huge mountains. Their speed was such that the mighty Lord of the Rivers was shaken to his very bottom. With the blow of their feet they could rend the solid earth in twain. They could lightly leap across the vast oceans, course along the sky and catch by the hair the fleet-footed clouds. They could fly away in sport with huge elephants that range the forests in the pride of their strength. Their roars could cause the most powerful birds to drop down dead from their dizzy home among the clouds.

These mighty beings ranged the earth and the sky. And their seed grew and grew by hundreds and by thousands and covered the face of the globe. Some of them lived along the sides of Rikshavan and other mountains, in dark forests and lonely woods, on the banks of charming lakes and swift-coursing rivers, on the high hills and in the low valleys.

All of them recognized as their monarchs, the brothers Vali and Sugriva, the king and the heir-apparent. Their leaders were Nala, Nila, Hanuman and other mighty monkeys. Vali extended his powerful arm over them and under its shadow lived, in peace and prosperity, the high-minded and valiant apes and monkeys, bears and baboons. And these mighty beings, of various shapes and features, and of vast and fearful bulk, like huge mountain peaks or cloud-banks came down into the world to help the Lord in His noble task and darkened the broad bosom of the Earth, and its numerous mountains and valleys, hills and dales, forests and woodlands.

 BLOGGER’S COMMENTS:     

When the Lord was preparing to come down to earth as Rama, Brahma counseled the gods including Indra to send down an army of formidable monkeys, baboons and apes to assist the Lord in the form of Rama to victoriously carry out the fight against the indefatigable Ravana in the war that was sure to ensue!

What was the need? While Lord Vishnu Himself  comes in the garb of Sri Rama what was the need for such armies of redoubtably formidable Sena (army) of Monkeys? Was the Lord afraid of Ravana? Did Brahma Himself think that the Lord was not a match for the Rakshasa?

These are not impertinent questions. To go by the whole chapter in epic it would seem that half the Deva loka was sent down to fight Ravana.

But who was Ravana and what was his power and prowess? 

In the last chapter when the gods begged the Lord to save them and all beings in the nether worlds, they vouchsafed for the prowess of Ravana. The Rakshasa was simply terrorizing Devas, Gandharvas and others in all the worlds. All this was due to the impunity given to him by the almost all encompassing boon he obtained from Brahma.

This is not all. When Akampana goes to report the rout by a single handed Rama of all at the beautiful Janasthan, Ravana thunders, “Who casts himself in the fire of my wrath. Indra, Kubera, Yama or Vishnu dare not displease me!” That if they did indeed, they could kiss goodbye to their hope of well being. He further declares, “I am the Death of Death. I am the Fire that consumes Fire. I am Time that destroys Time. Roused to fury, I reduce to ashes the sun and the Fire-god massed together. I render the Lord of air utterly powerless. There is none who has any idea, though faint, of my might.”

Such was the strength and prowess of Ravana and he had become sensual too. So there was no limit to which he will employ his prowess to get an upper hand of everyone in every situation.

Against such a formidable enemy, Rama had to have the assistance of infinitely large army of monkeys and apes.

This is rather a long answer to a short question. Well, the question remains whether Lord Ram was not a match for Ravana and if he indeed needed such a mighty army of Vanaras (monkeys). For he was a He. He was Vishnu who deigned to come to earth as a human being! Couldn’t Vishnu worst Ravana at the battlefront? Did he need such an illimitable and unlimited army of Vanaras?

Here we must bear in mind that while Lord Vishnu decided to come down to earth as Dasaratha putra (Son of Dasaratha), he was not clothed with all the immeasurable and infinite prowess and power of Vishnu in all respects. Of course, he was great Rama who routed the army of Ravana at Janasthan on his own unassisted by Lashmana. But Rama required outside help as Lord Vishnu had voluntarily undergone a process whereby he came down as a human being. Rama, for all his might and prowess, was a human being. Lord Vishnu’s totality of the prowess did not accompany the Dasaratha putra for obvious reason: In the Bhagavad Gita  Lord Krishna declares that whenever adharma gains an upper hand and dharma declines, to kill the unrighteous and save the righteous, He will incarnate Himself, age after age!  And in the same Gita Sri Krishna declares He with the help of His Yoga Maya (power of illusion) reincarnates Himself . But Lord Krishna was God and it is proved many times in the epic, Mahabharata. For example, when he visits Duyodhana’s court as the emissary of the Pandavas, the later tries to arrest him, and Lord Krishna shows his Visvarupa (His macrocosmic Self). Arjuna also sees His Visvarupa. But when Lord Vishnu incarnated as Rama, it was for the specific purpose of destroying Ravana and his mighty Ego AS A HUMAN BEING UNDER THE EXISTING PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCE. So Rama required assistance from others also. 

Thus the Lord’s yoga Maya is involved in His incarnations, but when He deigned to come down as a Man, Rama, there was a limit beyond which Lord Vishnu would desist to go. Lord Rama, despite his greatness and great valor, was essentially a human being, extraordinary and edifying at that. But a human being, mind you! He walked the earth with all the strength of a Godly Hero, but at the same time his feet was planted on the earth as a human being. On the other hand, it would not be right to say that Lord Vishnu willingly limited his limitless might when He came down as Krishna.

We should never forget that Ravana had obtained the boon that he should not be worsted in battle and killed by anyone in all the worlds. That he had contrived to win the favour of Brahma who granted him immunity from death at the hands of every one in all the worlds, above and below. The only chink in his armour was that in the height of his contempt, he had omitted human beings from his list.

So Lord Vishnu deigned to come down not as God but as Man, a great Man at that, but, still, a Man; with all man’s strength and human frailties. Rama was a superhuman being, but never God Himself.

Otherwise the Ramayana will not have such an appeal to all over the millennial years. Lord Vishnu deigned to come down as a human being at fight Ravana. This is why and how Sita was snatched away to Lanka. Lord Rama was not aware of his Godhood. He was acting as a human being. He wept and wailed like any good husband when Ravana had contrived to kidnap his spouse. He went through all human emotions. But he had that steel of character and fortitude, who formed the alliances, got help and worsted Ravana in the great war.

But even though God had come down as a human being, we see Godly qualities in Sri Rama at too many occasions in the epic. This is why, when his undying faithfulness to search for Dharma and always dealt others, even his desperados like Ravana within the four corners of Dharmic Law (law of righteousness).

This is why we see God in Rama though Lord Vishnu had only come down as a human being.

The Godliness shines forth in all Rama’s activities and dealings because he was the acme of human endeavours. Ravana was his chief enemy, the one formidable enemy. Rama gets the better of Ravana in the duel after all his army was routed, but instead of killing him like a beast he was, Rama asks him to go in peace and recoup himself and come back to fight with him after resting himself!

Not only here but everywhere in the epic we see Rama, the apple of our eye, as an extraordinary human being and not as Lord Vishnu, who had only to utter a word to punish Ravana, the beastly Rakshasa.

And this is why Rama is worshipped and at the same time seen as an ideal human being.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

BLOGGER’S INSTRUCTION AND APPEAL:

SISTERS AND BROTHERS, with this 15th Post, which is the last of the Free Posts, Free Posts come to an End. Razorpay Payment Button will be set up soon; soon afterwards the First of the Paid Posts (16th POST) will be published. The Blogger thanks ALL OF YOU for YOUR unstinting SUPPORT so far and requests for such unqualified SUPPORT also in future. AFTER THE 16th POST, POSTS WILL BE PUBLISHED ON ALTERNATE DAYS. THUS YOU WILL GET 15 POSTS PER MONTH.            

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO  

22. 09. 2026

POST NUMBER 15

THE MAHABHARATA

BOOK 1- ADI PARVA

ASTIKA PARVA

CHAPTER NUMBER 15

Saunaka said, “Tell me again, in detail,–all that king Janamejaya had asked his ministers about his father’s ascension to heaven.” 

Sauti said, “O Brahmana, hear all that the king asked his ministers, and all that they said about the death of Parikshit.”

“Janamejaya asked, ‘You all know what happened to my father? How did that famous king, in time, meet with his death? Hearing from you the incidents of my father’s life in detail, I shall ordain something, if it be for the benefit of the world. Otherwise, I shall do nothing.’

“The minister replied, ‘Hear, O monarch, what you have asked for, viz., an account of your illustrious father’s life, and how also that King of kings left this world. Your father was virtuous and a great soul, and always protected his people. Now hear how that great soul conducted himself on earth.  The monarch, cognizant of virtue, virtuously protected the four orders (Castes), each engaged in the discharge of their specified duties. Of incomparable prowess, and blessed with fortune, he protected the goddess Earth. There was none who hated him and he himself hated none. Like Prajapati (Brahma) he was equally disposed towards all creatures. O, monarch, Brahmins and Kshathriyas and Vaisyas and Sudras, all engaged contentedly in the practice of their respective duties, were impartially protected by that king. Widows and orphans, the maimed and the poor, he maintained. Of handsome features, he was to all creatures like a second Soma. Cherishing his subjects and keeping them contented, blessed with good fortune, truth-telling, of immense prowess, he was the disciple of Saradwat in the science of arms. And, O Janamejaya, your father was dear to Govinda. Of great fame, he was loved by all men. And he was born in the womb of Uttara when the Kuru race was almost extinct. And, therefore, the mighty son of Abhimanyu came to be called Parikshit (born in an extinct line). Well-versed in the interpretation of treatises on the duties of kings, he was gifted with every virtue. With passions under complete control, intelligent, possessing a retentive memory, the practiser of all virtues, the conqueror of his six passions of powerful mind, surpassing all, and fully acquainted with the science of morality and political science, your father had ruled over these subjects for sixty years. And he then died, mourned by all his subjects. And, after him, O, first of men, you have acquired this hereditary kingdom of the Kurus for the last thousand years. You were installed while still a child, and are thus protecting every creature.’

 “Janamejaya said, ‘There has not been born in our race a king who has not sought the good of his subjects or been loved by them. Behold especially the conduct of my forefathers ever engaged in great achievements. How did my father, blessed with many virtues, meet with his death? Describe everything to me as it happened. I am desirous of hearing it from you!’

Sauti continued, “Thus directed by the monarch, those councilors, ever solicitous of the good of the king, told him everything exactly as it had occurred.”

“And the councilors said, ‘O king, that father of yours, that protector of the whole earth, that foremost of all persons obedient to the scriptures, became addicted to the sports of the field, even as Pandu of mighty arms, that foremost of all bearers of the bow in battle. He made over to us all the affairs of the state from the most trivial to the most important. One day, going into the forest, he pierced a deer with an arrow. And having pierced it he followed it quickly on foot into the deep woods, armed with sword and quiver. He could not, however, come upon the lost deer. Sixty years of age and decrepit, he was soon fatigued and became hungry. He then saw in the deep woods a great Rishi. The Rishi was then observing the vow of silence. The king asked him about the deer, but, though asked, he made no reply. At last the king, already tired with exertion and hunger, suddenly became angry with that Rishi sitting motionless like a piece of wood in observance of his vow of silence. Indeed, the king knew not that he was a Muni observing the vow of silence. Swayed by anger, your father insulted him. O excellent one of the Bharata race, the king, your father taking up from the ground with the end of his bow a dead snake placed it on the shoulders of that Muni of pure soul. But the Muni did not speak a word, good or bad, and was without anger. He continued in the same posture, bearing the dead snake.’”

Sauti continued, “The ministers said, ‘That King of kings then, spent with hunger and exertion, and having placed the snake upon the shoulders of that Muni, came back to his capital. The Muni had a son, born of a cow, of the name of Sringin. He was widely known, possessed of great prowess and energy, and very wrathful. Going (everyday) to his preceptor he was in the habit of worshipping him. Commanded by him, Sringin was returning home, when he heard from a friend of his about the insult of his father by your parent. And, O tiger among kings, he heard that his father, without having committed any fault, was bearing, motionless like a statue, upon his shoulders a dead snake placed thereon. O king, the Rishi insulted by your father was severe in ascetic penances, the foremost of Munis, the controller of passions, pure, and ever engaged in wonderful acts. His soul was enlightened with ascetic penances, and his organs and their functions were under complete control. His practices and his speech were both very nice. He was contented and without avarice. He was without meanness of any kind and without envy. He was old and used to observe the vow of silence. And he was the refuge whom all creatures might seek in distress.’

“Such was the Rishi insulted by your father. The son, however, of that Rishi, in wrath, cursed your father. Though young in years, the powerful one was old in ascetic splendour. Speedily touching water, he spoke, burning as it were with spiritual energy and rage, these words in allusion to your father, ‘Behold the power of my asceticism! Directed by my words, the snake Takshaka of powerful energy and virulent poison, shall, within seven nights hence, burn, with his poison the wretch that hath placed the dead snake upon my un-offending father.’

“And having said this, he went to where his father was. And seeing his father he told him of his curse. The tiger among Rishis thereupon sent to your father a disciple of his, named Gaurmukha, of amiable manners and possessed of every virtue. And having rested a while (after arrival at court) he told the king everything, saying in the words of his master”

“Gaurmukha said, ‘Thou hast been cursed, O king, by my son. Takshaka shall burn you with his poison! Therefore, O king, be careful.’

“O Janamejaya, hearing those terrible words, your father took every precaution against the powerful snake Takshaka. And when the seventh day had arrived, a Brahmana Rishi, named Kasyapa, desired to come to the monarch. But the snake Takshaka saw Kasyapa. And the prince of snakes spoke to Kasyapa without loss of time, saying, ‘Where do you go so quickly, and what is the business on which you go?’

“ Kasyapa replied, saying, ‘O Brahmana, I am going to see the king Parikshit, the best of the Kurus.

 ‘He shall today be burnt by the poison of the snake Takshaka. I go there quickly in order to cure him, in fact, in order that, protected by me, the snake may not bite him to death.’

“Takshaka answered, saying, ‘Why do you seek to revive the king to be bitten by me? I am that Takshaka. O Brahmana, watch the wonderful power of my poison. You are incapable of reviving that monarch when bitten by me.’

“ So saying, Takshaka, then and there, bit a lord of the forest (a banian tree). And the banian, as soon as it was bitten by the snake, was converted into ashes. But Kasyapa, O king, revived it. Takshaka thereupon tempted him, saying, ‘Tell me your desire.’

“ And Kasyapa, too, thus addressed, spoke again to Takshaka, saying, ‘I go there from desire of wealth.’

“ And Takshaka, thus addressed, then spoke to the high-souled Kasyapa in these soft words, ‘O sinless one, take from me more wealth than what you expect from that monarch, and go back!’

 “And Kasyapa, that foremost of men, thus addressed by the snake, and receiving from him as much wealth as he desired, wended his way back. And Kasyapa going back, Takshaka, approaching in disguise, blasted, with the fire of his poison, your virtuous father, the first of kings, then staying in his mansion with all precautions. And after that, you were, O tiger among men, installed (on the throne). And, O best of monarchs, we have thus told you all that we have seen and heard, cruel though the account is. And hearing all about the discomfiture of your royal father, and of the insult to the Rishi Utanka, you decide that which should follow!”

 Sauti continued, “King Janamejaya, that chastiser of enemies, then spoke to all his ministers. And he said, ‘When did you learn all that happened upon that, banian reduced to ashes by Takshaka, and which, wonderful as it is, was afterwards revived by Kasyapa? Assuredly, my father could not have died, for the poison could have been neutralized by Kasyapa with his mantras. That worst of snakes, of sinful soul, thought within his mind that if Kasyapa resuscitated the king bitten by him, he, Takshaka, would be an object of ridicule in the world owing to the neutralization of his poison. Assuredly, having thought so, he pacified the Brahmana. I have devised a way, however, of inflicting punishment upon him. I like to know, however, what you saw or heard, what happened in the deep solitude of the forest,– viz., the words of Takshaka and the speeches of Kasyapa. Having known it, I shall devise the means of exterminating the snake race.’

 “The ministers said, ‘Hear, O monarch, of him who told us before of the meeting between that foremost Brahmana and that prince of snakes in the woods. A certain person, O monarch, had climbed up that tree containing some dry branches with the object of breaking them for sacrificial fuel. He was not perceived either by the snake or by the Brahmana. And, O king, that man was reduced to ashes along with the tree itself. And, O king of kings, he was revived with the tree by the power of the Brahmana. That man, a Brahmana’s menial, having come to us, represented fully everything as it happened between Takshaka and the Brahmana. Thus have we told you, O king, all that we have seen and heard. And having heard it, O tiger among kings, ordain that which should follow.’

 Sauti continued, “King Janamejaya, having listened to the words of his ministers, was sorely afflicted   with grief, and began to weep. And the monarch began to squeeze his hands. And the lotus-eyed king began to breathe a long and hot breath, shed tears, and shrieked aloud. And possessed with grief and sorrow, and shedding copious tears, and touching water according to the form, the monarch spoke. And reflecting for a moment, as if settling something in his mind, the angry monarch, addressing all   ministers, said these words. ‘I have heard your account of my father’s ascension to heaven. You now know what my fixed resolve is. I think no time must be lost in avenging this injury upon the wretch Takshaka that killed my father. He burnt my father making Sringin only a secondary cause. From malignity alone he made Kasyapa return. If that Brahmana had arrived, my father assuredly would have lived. What would he (the snake) have lost if the king had revived by the grace of Kasyapa and the precautionary measures of his ministers? From ignorance of the effects of my wrath, he prevented Kasyapa–that excellent of Brahmanas–whom he could not defeat, from coming to my father with the desire of reviving him. The act of aggression is great on the part of the wretch Takshaka who gave wealth unto that Brahmana in order that he might not revive the king. I must now avenge myself on my father’s enemy to please myself, the Rishi Utanka and you all.’”

BLOGGER’S COMMENTS:

Though we have already had the occasion to go through this passage, the author, Veda Vyasa, has repeated this whole account so that he could tell us how King Janamejaya decided upon that course of avenging himself of his father’s death. From the previous account of the passage one vital thing is missing in this passage. That before Kasyapa agreed to be satisfied with the bounties and wealth Takshaka gave, the Snake had told him that the king, Parikshit was doomed to die any way as his fate had destined him to die exactly at the time Takhshaka was going to bite him! The snake is addressed by Kasyapa as O Bramana and it was common among Brahmanas to not utter a falsehood even to inherit the world and coming forward to die if forced to utter a lie.

So it must have been true; that Parikshit’s fate had predestined him to die about the time when the Rishi’s son had cursed him to die of the poison of Takhshaka. Only thereafter Kasyapa agreed to be gratified by the snake and wended his way thus clearing the field for the snake to kill the king, Parikshit.

The question why the author, Veda Vyasa, left out this vital fact is easily answered; he obviously wants to stake the points in favour of Janamejaya coming forward to conduct the sacrifice to kill all snakes. Because, if the truth of Parikshit’s fate had been told, Janamejaya might nearly have concluded that he needed not actually avenge the death of his father by conducting the sacrifice. This becomes crystal clear from the way Janamejaya inquired his councilors about the way and means they came to know of that incident that had passed between Takhshaka and Kasyapa. Only when the counsilors related to the king about the person having scaled the banian tree to get some fuel for conducting a sacrifice and being burnt by the poison of Takhshaka along with the tree and then revived by Kasyapa’s mantras along with the tree. Of course, this evidence was not a hearsay. It was direct and pointing exactly toward the account from the first person. And this was how king Janamejaya came to decide that his counsilors had obtained direct evidence of the incident transpired between Takhshaka and Kasyapa.

Thus it is great dramatic ploy on the part of the author of intense immortality.

But this was not why I started to pen these comments today for this passage, dear Sisters and Brothers.

The author of the epic has added a few details about the way the great Rishi maintained a stoic silence in  the face of such dire circumstances. Of course we know from the former account of this passage by the immortal author of the epic that the great Rishi maintained absolute silence even though king Parikshit was goading him to come up with an answer.

But, you see, I was moved to tears by the few nuanced details the author has added about the way the great Rishi maintained absolute silence.

See, he was a great Muni whether Parikshit knew it or not. He was observing silence only. He was not in deep meditation at the time. This becomes clear from these added facts by the author. Previously, you see, I had a vague suspicion that the Rishi, after all, had been immersed in a yogic silence in the sense apart from observing the vow of silence, he was also in tapas. That doubt had lingered. But no more! Now, with the benefit of these facts the author gives us, it is crystal clear that the great Rishi was seated there unmoving and unspeaking owing to his vow of silence!

Wow! This is simply great! Just transport yourself to that time and place when the scene actually transpired. The king Pariskshit, in his advanced age, fatigued and hungry and thirsty, approaches the person, the Rishi indeed, seated like a statue with mum for his word.

The anguished king first enquires the man as to whether he happened to see or sight a dying deer embedded with his arrow. Mum was the answer! The king became exasperated. Well, he repeats his query. And the Muni, the silent man, repeats not but continues his act of motionlessness and silence.

Now the king gets mad. Mind you he is a king. Whether he is in the forest or in his domain, he is what he is, a samrat, a monarch. Thus he was accustomed to his words, nay, even slightest of gestures completely obayed and answered according as the occasion. In the sense, he has never had to repeat his query to anyone. He is accustomed to get an answer even before the final word or phrase of his question tumbles out of his lips.

But here what does he see? Gosh! The stranger is seated and continues to sit as motionless as an immobile corps. He will just not open his mouth to answer the query.

Not that alone, Sisters and Brothers, the stranger does not move his arm or head to give an answer by way of communication by gesture. NNNNO! He does not move his body. He will not dismantle his deportment. He will not even come forward to slightly, ever so slightly, move his lower lip by way of answering the repeated query!

What do you expect to be given under such circumstance? A roll of parchment containing some encomium besides a song from the royal lips!?

Well, the king actually does something he might never have done under normal circumstances. He takes hold of a carcass of a snake with the nimble end of his pointed bow end and places the dead snake on the shoulders of the stoical gentleman.

God! For crying out loud, the man did not make so much as blinking of an eye at the sight of a ssssssnake being placed on his shoulders!

What kind of a vow of silence was it, Sisters and Brothers? A vow which is inexorable and imponderable!

Here’s a diversion.

We all know our patriarch, the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, observing a day’s silence every week. And, you know, he would not sssspeak even a word during the day of silence. He writes in his autobiography, MY EXPERIMENTS WITH TRUTH about the mental and spiritual peace he gets through the regular observance of weekly silence.

But the dignitaries, his chelas, the fellow freedom fighters like, Nehru, Patel and the crowd found it highly disheartening. God, how could they conduct the freedom movement if the leader of such intense following and mass appeal will just not speak the whole day a week! But, you know, they had to meet him and speak to him. They were not observing any vow of silence. So they would speak to the Mahatma about various issues and emergencies and exigencies.

But Mahatma Gandhi would not utter a word. But he would speak through gestures. And if need be, he would write down his reply. This was how the freedom fighters used to fight with the Mahatma one day every week!

But the Mahatma was not a yogi. Even he would not see him as a yogi. But he was very much in search of a suitable master throughout his life! He was a politician and a leader leading the three hundred million people towards his unswerving goal of attainment of complete freedom. He couldn’t help speaking through gestures and writing by his own hands. You know he was ambidextrous when it came to writing. He could write with both hands!

Now come back to our Muni of incomparable merit.

He was observing a complete and total vow of silence or a vow of total silence. So he could not carry out a conversation even through his limbs or silent lip movements. Gosh, he wouldn’t even deign to so much as shake his head this way or that way or both ways, you know, ever so slightly, regard being had to the occasion.

He will be and was silent like a statuette. Under the threat to life and person! For all the king knew, the Muni did not have any wherewithal to discern that what was placed on his shoulders was a lifeless snake. So, from his own standpoint of view, what was placed on the shoulders was a ssssnake! And the man will not so much as let out a harsh breath!

Now that is silence! And what do you think he was thinking about when he was observing that vow of silence? Why, he was silent to himself as to the world. He was not thinking about any single, slender and slight thing.

So total silence in mind, word and deed! Even we could maintain silence for a few minutes to the outward word. But can we be silent to ourselves, in the sense without thinking about anything. Now, that is yoga, I say! And we must, at some point of time of our life try once or twice this art of maintaining a vow of silence at least for the duration of one single slender minute! You think, phew, it’s child’s play? Well, you should evaluate the efficacy of silence. We will do that, evaluate the efficacy of silence in some future posts.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

BLOGGER’S INSTRUCTION AND APPEAL:

SISTERS AND BROTHERS, with this 15th Post, which is the last of the Free Posts, Free Posts come to an End. Razorpay Payment Button will be set up soon; soon afterwards the First of the Paid Posts (16th POST) will be published. The Blogger thanks ALL OF YOU for YOUR unstinting SUPPORT so far and requests for such unqualified SUPPORT also in future. AFTER THE 16th POST, POSTS WILL BE PUBLISHED ON ALTERNATE DAYS. THUS YOU WILL GET 15 POSTS PER MONTH.   

  OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO                                                          

22.09.2026

POST NUMBER 15

THE  UPANISHADS

Isha Upanishad or Ishopanishad

 VERSE 6

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION:

yastu sarvaani bhootaanyaatmanyevaanupasyati

sarvabhooteshu chaatmaanam tato na vijugupsate

SANSKRIT WORDS AND PHRASES AND THEIR MEANING IN ENGLISH:

yastu sarvaani bhootaani aatmanyevaanupasyati = “But he who sees all beings in the Self alone.”

sarvabhooteshu chaatmaanam  = “and the Self in all beings.”

tato na vijugupsate = Freedom from revulsion and sorrow.

TEXT IN ENGLISH:

But he who sees all beings in the Self alone, and the Self in all beings, does not, by virtue of that, feel revulsion. 

BLOGGER’S COMMENTS:

The beloved Rishi has not exhausted his spiritual dissertation on Self. Self is imponderable. But the Rishi has realized his Self in full and as such resorted to some paradoxical way of defining Self in verses 4 and 5, now the Rishi has shifted his position; hitherto he described the WHAT-ness of the Self; now, he starts to describe in verses 6 and 7 from the focal point of the consequences of realizing that Self.

Now we must know something about the Sanskrit word, “Jivanmukta”. Jivan may be described as a (human) being; “mukta” stands for the jivan who has attained “mukti” or moksha or salvation. A Jivanmukta is a person who continues to live on earth even after his obtaining the salvation. I have tried to explain this elsewhere. Here I will deal with it very briefly. Karma is of three kinds: sanchita karma, prarabdha karma and agami karma. Sanchita karma is the great body of cumulative karma that has accumulated over many many past lives of a person here on earth. Hinduism strongly believes in the theory of reincarnation. So a person comes back to this earth’s plane death after death, life after life. All the unexpended, so to speak, karma cumulatively are called sanchitha karma. A person cannot be held to pay for all his karma in the course of one birth. So the karma that has not borne fruit will get automatically added to such body of karma that has remained intact over a period of reincarnations. Now, prarabdha karma is responsible for the place, family of birth, and other questions of parentage, relationship, character, longevity, etc. Prarabdha karma is made of a portion of the mass of cumulative karma of a person known as sanchita karma.

Now, a person who has attained self emancipation and becomes a “mukta” (having attained mukti or moksha or salvation) might sometimes continue to live on in this world; but he will be living as a perfected soul, for whom there will be nothing more required to be done by way of scripting his salvation; the reason such persons continue to live on earth even after becoming a released and realized soul can only be described in terms of the inexorable character of prarabdha karma. Among other things, prarabdha karma determines how long a person will live on earth each time he comes back to the earth’s plane as a human being. Suppose a person’s prarabdha karma has determined his age at 85 but he has managed to script his tapasvic or meditation-born moksha or self realization when he is just 75 years old, then he will continue to live here on earth till 85 according to the dictate of his prarabdha karma. Thus that jivan or man or woman will continue to live for another period of 10 years.

But what will be the nature of such realized persons’ life on earth after his attainment of emancipation? Well, he will continue to live according to his station in life carrying out activities natural to his station, but with a difference. He will not be subject to the pulls and pressure of this illusory world. He is called a “jnani” or Person who has attained Wisdom. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Swami Vivekananda, Ramana Magarishi and in recent history, Maha periyava or Sri Chandrasekarendira Saraswati Swamigal of Kanchi Mutt near Chennai are some sumptuous examples of “Nirai Jnanis” or “Jivanmuktas”.

We can take a leaf out of the books of great Souls from their earthly days’ exertions after their obtaining salvation.

It will be perfect to read the verse 6 of the Isha Upanishad with such jnani’s life on earth after they became saints or seers.

But, on no account, it should be understood that the verses 6 and 7 are designed by the Rishi of this Upanishad with such Jivanmuktas in mind. Nothing could be farther from the truth and reality. For such perfected Souls do not require the guidance of the Isha Upanishad. All the same, it is very beneficial and profitable to keep the examples set by such realized Souls who continued to live on even after obtaining their salvation.

Now let us make a deep dive into the verse 6. The Rishi of the Isho Upanishad says “But he who sees all beings in the Self alone.”         

1. sarva bhootaany aatmanyeva = Seeing all beings in the Self.

Both verses 6 and 7 describe the consciousness of the “Jivanmukta”. The Rishi wants us to seriously believe that the kind of consciousness of the “Jivanmukta” can be cultivated by us if only we tried our level best and carry out suitable meditation and spiritual enquiry, which is the sure means to ward off mortal fear, delusion and sorrow.

Though both verses 6 and 7 are connected together seamlessly, we will see and consider in this blog post verse 6 alone. Obviously there is much to write and share with my Sisters and Brothers.

The seeing of all in the Self and the Self in all is a grand Vision opened for our spiritual progress by the Rishi. The first stage of the Vision relates to SEEING ALL BEINGS IN THE SELF.

All beings do not relate to human beings alone. It includes the other lives also belonging to the plant and animal kingdom. As a matter of fact, the vision includes all the sentient and insentient beings and things.  In the sentence “He sees all beings in the Self alone” the word “alone” is much more significant than we might have given importance to. Really what does the Rishi mean by “seeing all beings in the Self alone” Just no being is alien to our Self. Everything here is seamlessly connected and integrated to form one Self. So we must cultivate the habit of seeing all beings in our Self alone. It is the confirmed conviction of the Vedantins that though there are any number of beings here in the universe, there is but one Soul. Soul is seamless one that fills everything here in the universe. In “The Travels with my Aunt” the gifted writer Graham Green depicts a character, a lover of dogs, who ponders deeply whether Dogs have Soul! For the creature, Man’s best friend, is so lovable that it would be very sad to say that dogs have no Soul! Certainly, as a logical corollary, another question will crop up. The dogs’ Soul, if they have one, cannot be superior to Man’s. Man, a superior animal must have a superior Soul. And among men and women, it would be interesting to think whose Soul will be superior. And among Men a superior man must be holding and author to a superior Soul! And there will be no end to such considerations and deliberations if we are not informed by the Rishi that there is but one Soul that fills all in the universe, sentient and insentient beings and things.

Then who is God? He must definitely be a superior Soul, indeed. For the Soul of the universal beings cannot match the immortal God’s Soul’s excellence! But no, all these logical considerations will lead us nowhere.

Indeed, the Soul that fills all here in this universe emanates from God and mingles with Him and becomes one at the end of both the universal and individual day(s)! This might be an oversimplification. But it has a valid point. Sisters and Brothers should know that that God, Brahman, fills everything here. That everything here shares one Soul. And the question of emancipation of the individual Soul will not detract from the fact that Soul is one and single and, like Brahman, immortal.

The only difference between God and the universal Soul is that which emanated from God starts to share a bond with the individual beings. But, at the end of the earthly day, when each Man obtains his salvation, the Soul enters God or Brahman and become one and the same. So at the end of each cycle of time or Yuga when the universe is dissolved, the universal Soul, the only one, will enter Brahman and become absorbed in Him or It, till it is released into the new universe at the onset of the next Yuga or Age. Thus, it is clear that Soul is immortal.

The grand vision of this Upanishadic Rishi involves the fact that all here is filled pervasively by one and the only Soul. That is the fact, and as such, we cannot script our individual emancipation except first by acknowledging the fact that our Self inheres in all and all of us, the animate and inanimate, are seamlessly connected together. Since it is the truth, we start to obtain a great sense of peacefulness and certain sense of fulfillment when we intensely acknowledge the fact that we all are umbilycally connected with each other! This is the crux of the matter and truth.

We, the sentient and insentient, are closely and intrinsically connected to form a whole. Take out one little living thing, a dog, or a speck of dust, the universe is not whole and as such incomplete. This is the truth. And we cannot become free from the onslaught of the pulls of the illusory “Maya” of this world and become free from the “samsara” or the cycle of repeated and endless births and deaths.

To achieve freedom and self emancipation, this vision should become a mission. Just nobody can free himself from the enchaining and enslaving pulls of the sensual world if this grand vision does not become one’s motto to strictly live by. Seeing everything and everyone in one’s Self is the panacea for all the ills of human birth ranging from the innate sense of imperfection and indescribable fear and delusion.

By cultivating the habit of looking all in our Self, both sentient and insentient, we strongly enter upon an assured path of emancipation. Then the spiritual sky is only so high that you can extend your arm and touch it! So it is a sacred duty of all to view everything and everyone in our individual Self.

This state of mind is a realization which gives rise to a new awareness. Until now we were only looking after ourselves and the families. Hereafter we should care for all and everything. We become a trustee for the whole universe! We individually are responsible for this universe! This is not a new-found responsibility. It was there from births and time immemorial. We started to have this and realize about our having this responsibility for the whole universe not just now, it indeed started with the onset of this Yuga or Age when we were born as human beings. Only we were not aware of this basic and intrinsic responsibility. Only now we have started to realize that we always have had this responsibility. This is a new awareness of an age-old responsibility and trusteeship. We must see all, just about everyone and everything, in our own individual Self. This new awareness should clothe us with elation and an innate sense of emancipation. If we feel ourselves burdened with a new and colossal responsibility for the whole universe, it will only show our half-hearted and imperfect understanding of the whole thing.

Instead of getting ourselves tied down with the so-called burden born of this new awareness of our innate responsibility to the universe, we should start singing and dancing with this new-born awareness! God! It was my imperfect comprehension of my sole responsibility to myself and my family! We must breathe-in the air of freedom and enjoy with careless abandon this new-found awareness relating to our age-old responsibility to the whole universe but newly realized! This responsibility to the entire universe is not enchaining but liberating. We are liberated from the fetters of enchaining shackles with which we enveloped ourselves arresting all the movements and liberated exertions of our free universal Soul.

This realization and awareness of our native responsibility to the entire universe must get staunchly impressed in our subconscious. For that we must consciously practise. We must keep reminding ourselves even in the midst of our day-to-day hard and harsh exertions, that we are the master of our own Self (here Self is misunderstood for the body), but we must realize we are individually masters of this universe and everyone and everything in the universe. This should not lead to a new sense of power. We must never forget that this is a responsibility born of the right realization of the universal law, called Sanatana Dharma. We must daily remind ourselves that we are not just we and the families, but we are the Universe! We are not a narrow and puerile owner of our bodies and families. We must keep reminding ourselves of this factual fact. We should see all here in this universe in our Self. Our Self is not a narrow, shuttered and dark cell. It relates to the whole universe. It is expansive and inclusive. It expands as far as the four corners of the cosmos.

We cannot afford to plough a lonely furrow. For we are not narrow individual self-contained Self, but are related to the Universal Self! We must see all here in our Self; for the simple and humble reason and belief that we are the entire world, and more! How!? We cannot afford to be alone even for a trillionth of an atomic second! We are the Self, which does not extend just as far as the unlimited universe reaches, but it goes so far, away from the limitless limits of this universe and relates to Brahman who declares He does not live in this world but this world lives in Him! Well, that means, He is this world and to spare! He is this universe and more! The universe is just a thought, an intelligent thought, of Brahman. It cannot confine Him and who, though the Master of this universe, is more than this world. This remains   unchanged when there is no universe, or during Pralaya or end of this Yuga or Cycle. At pralaya the whole universe enters Brahman. The universe is just slurped up by Brahman. The picture of His slurping up the whole world gets graphically described in the Bhagavad Gita relating to the Lord’s Viswarupa Dharshana. And that is exactly why we should not try to arrest, so to speak, the expanse of our Soul. And from out of that fact springs forth this conception of having to see all here in our own Self.

We must make a daily devotion. We must consciously practise this. And this awareness of all beings and non-beings here inhering in our Self will get indelibly impressed in our conscious through a regular practice of meditation. And we must indulge in self-inquiry or Atma Vichara during the regular periods of meditation so that this realization of all here relating to our own Self becomes enshrined in the state and concept of our own personality. Thenceforth ‘I’ will not mean just my body (and my family), but the whole universe!

We must seek for that truth in our meditation. Till we get attuned to the whole universe in our conception of our own individual personality. This awareness that we are indeed the whole world, this realization gives rise to a greater consciousness which is not only personal but universal. How? When we become firmly instilled in this consciousness, we will get to know that this personal consciousness is part and parcel of the Universal Consciousness. When the individual being realizes that his Self effortlessly includes and relates to the Universal Consciousness, then it may be concluded that he has got into the glorious fabric of the Vision the Rishi of this Upanishad enjoins on every one. It is a case of microcosmic individual consciousness relating to the macrocosmic universal consciousness.

This is the first part of our realization that we are not narrow individuals but universal in nature, and now we have entered the realization or the first part of the realization the Rishi enjoins on us.

What is the fruit or beneficial result of this consciousness relating to the realization of the whole universe is encompassed in our individual Soul?

Well, at long last, we become compassionate Selves; ‘Karuna Moorthies’ or personification of great and universal compassion. This sense of bonding and brotherhood relates and connects us individually to the entire world, whereupon we become singularly incapable of hating any one! Universal brotherhood is achieved without much of an exertion. It will no longer be difficult for me to love my neighbour. And the beauty of this vision is that this always means, my neighbour means, all in this universe. Loving and caring for all becomes a motto and not restrictive of our personal freedom and thus a burden! We get into the oneness of realization and responsibility for the welfare for all becomes as natural and easy like it is natural for a fish taking to water.

The Second Vision:

• SEEING THE SELF IN ALL BEINGS!

sarvabhooteshu chaatmaanam  = and (SEEING) the Self in all beings:

What does “and seeing the Self in all beings” stand for?

To see all in the Self stands for an acknowledgement of the universal fact that one’s self encompasses and covers the spectrum of creative beings and inanimate non-beings. The immortal Tamil poet, Subramaniya Bharathi, gives an eloquent utterance and tesimony whereby he celebrates the universal brotherhood in these evocative words: “kaakai kuruvi engal jaathi / neezh kadalum malaiyum engal koottam!” (The crow and the sparrow belong to my Caste / The long sea and the mountains constitute our Crowd!)  

This is the vision, which is a logical corollary to the first vision of seeing all in the Self. The second vision encompasses a realization that what appears to be an individual consciousness (or individual human being) always includes the universal consciousness.

So no question or choice of ploughing the lonely furrow!

There is no question of restricting our lives to our own individual Self. It will tantamount to a negation of the universal fact that when we say I it relates to the we of the collective consciousness. Individual consciousness is a misnomer, for it always relates to the universal consciousness. But can’t we eat an apple or drink a divinely endowed morning cup of coffee without a strong guilty consciousness? Does the second consciousness of seeing all in the Self inhibit me from going through my life and my day-to-day exertions like, eating, drinking and sleeping without an overmastering sense of guilt?

No that is not so. But the second vision involves a sense of utter umbilical relationship that effortlessly connects me with the whole universe without much of an exertion. Thus, there is not a duty to care for all suffering people. It might look to be in the positive. But to expect one who has sufficiently scaled some spiritual heights to look first for what is good for the self before considering the good of his neigbour and the society is to insist a Mahatma Gandhi or a Mother Teresa to first look forward to their hope and possibility of finding breakfast to self before trying to assuage the disease of hunger of the neighbours!

In other words, the second vision relates to the fact that each and every one of us is a Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa. Thus we come to have, because of this second vision, and entertain a vested interest in the wellbeing of ALL.

A vested interest in the collective wellbeing of all in the world! That is the sum and substance of the  Mahatma or the Mother! They knew full well that they individually had this sense of deep rooted vested interest.

Could there indeed be a vested interest inhering in me in my neighbour getting his morning cuppa in time? Could we have a vested interest in his dog getting its daily bone today also? Does the vested interest relates to just the neighbour? What about some Ram, Rahim or Philip living in the next street getting his morning cuppa in time, do and should I have a vested interest in that? Why should we care whether Philip’s child gets her prize from her idea of Santa’s benevolence each Christmas morning every year or not? Should I really care whether Kamala and Vimala got good grade in the NEET Exam, though these Kamalas and Vimalas are not my relations or my people? Why should I have a vested interest in a person living on the Pole getting his share of protein rich and and juicy steak today?

But, God, why, after reading about this wonderful vision of the Rishi of the Isha Upanishad that I have this enabling feeling deep inside of my core that I have a vested interest in seeing each school girl or boy and the elderly people safely across the busy road at the peak hour traffic! Why do I have this staunch conviction that I indeed have a vested interest in the famished python getting its monkey food and what about the screaming monkey, that part of the monkey’s salvation involved in becoming a timely prey to the hungry Python? Why do I get this blossoming sensation that I have a definite sense of belonging to all here and I have a vested interest in Mr. Donald Trump’s unerring understanding that people, ok, creatures outside of America-first America have an equal right to live a dignified life. Why can the bully in my classroom not succeed in making me hate him and I, instead, feel and sense a strong vested interest for the bully in my class to reform his self?

O, God! I do have a vested interest in God’s plan for the humanity and the world gets fulfilled sooner than painful later? Let a thousand flowers bloom in my neighbour’s garden. Let everyone in the world get his/her share not of woe but of bliss from life! Because I have a vested interest in that!

The Rishi of Isha Upanishad has enabled me to realize that I do have a vested interest in each and every   being of this world getting his vested honourable interests fully fulfilled!

The school going boy is chasing an automobile. Now he has one foot on the footboard of the running van. Why do I experience this pull of vested interest to see through that the boy gets his second foot also firmly planted on the footboard? What made Mother Teresa advising the American women when she had gone there during Mr. President Regan‘s reign to have their chastity intact to beautify lives of their would- be life partners? Let each ant in the anthill get its due, for I have a vested interest in it. Let the cock chasing the hen around the barn have the sumptuous opportunity to have access to the bodily society of the hen soon! For I, a vegetarian, have a vested interest in the hen laying an egg that will fill the tummy of an orphan in Ethiopia. God, why this persistent sense of having my vested interest in all   getting their due in due course? Because I have read the immortal lines of this imponderably great son of ancient India who has taught me in Uganda to have a vested interest in all having his due!

And I am happy! Only now I have come to have this unalloyed sense of happiness and fulsome fulfilling!

I am living on a farm in America and my brother is living in the Outback of Australia and we are filled with wonder because of the spiritual exertions of the ancient Indian Rishis  who have come up with these masterful Mahavakyas or Great Sentences! The Rishi writing the Aitareya Upanishad has uttered “Cosciousness is Brahman” (Prajnanam Brahman). I am in Sri Lanka and I am what I am because of my Consciousness. The fast paced Londoner’s consciousness unites the consciousness of the merchant in Israel. The Rishi of Brihadharanyaka Upanishad tells me living on a distant Island “I am Brahman” (Aham Brahmasmi). And this transports the wench who is a seamstress in France to another world. Whenever the wisdom of the Mahavakya, “Tat Tvam Asi” (Chandogya Upanishad) telling the farmer in South Africa “Thou art That” meaning You are That, the immeasurable joy about my birth right to realize in Me (Thou) the Ultimate Brahman (That) cannot be described in words! The modest school teacher in Malaysia gets his whole life fulfilled when his students understand his quotation from the Rishi of the Mandukya Upanishad declaring to the world, “Ayam Atma Brhaman” and tells them THIS VERY SELF IS Brahman!

It is the reign of the Upanishadic Rishis the world over. Rightly the brave Swami Vivekananda declared that India will win the world not by flesh but with Spirit!

THE UTILITY!

What is the use of reading the Isha Upanishad?

Well, one becomes utterly free from the enslaving mentality born of Hatred and Anger, Jealousy and Envy and a deep seated sense of the overmastering Fear.  

• “does not, by virtue of that, feel revulsion”. 

Tato Na Vijugupsate — Freedom from Revusion and Sorrow.

We have been given two visions in verse 6 of this Upanishad. But we should understand that these two visions are not different from one another. Both of the visions point to the one elevated state of mind and spirit. One cannot have one and throw to the winds the other. The very fact of one’s ability to see all in his Self will automatically translate to see his Self in all.

And now the Rishi declares that anyone having these unified vision of seeing all in his Self and his Self in all WILL NOT SHRINK AWAY FROM ANYTHING OR ANYONE.

A Jivanmukta is free from revulsion, disgust, contempt and condemnation.

REVULSION. WHAT IS MENT BY REVULSION?

Revulsion is common and primitive to all uninformed persons. We simply cannot stand the sight of a slovenly slut or an unkempt, dirty man who is dirty physically and decaying mentally. God! The sense of revulsion an upright man or woman feels who just can’t stand the sight of an immoral, sinful or evil person. One may shrink from people belonging to a different Society, Race, Class, Caste, background, or group. In all cases Revulsion is born of the sense of the OTHER from ME.

We have just read about the twin visions. For such persons who see their self in all and all in their self, there is no place or sanction for Revulsion of the physical type, the moral type or social type.

So a Jivanmukta does not shrink away and wince in the presence of such persons who are dirty physically or unkempt and decaying mentally. Neither does he shrink away from immoral and or sinful persons. The perceived differences born of social, racial, class-wise, caste-wise or group-wise shrink away from a Jivanmukta. What is the import? Does this mean, a Jivanmukta will go out of his way in hugging a slut, unkempt man, and men who are immoral, sinful or evil?

Would a jnani or wise person take hold of a venomous serpent and put it around his neck? Well, if he did that that act would be the height of hypocrisy and foolishness.

Sri Ramakrishna Parmahansa tells a story and the same has been cited and described in his immortal Commentary to Bhagavad Gita by Swami Chidbhavananda of Ramakrishna Tapovanam, Tiruparaithurai, Trichirapally, Tamil Nadu:

An overzealous  disciple of a Master takes his Master’s words that Lord Narayana inheres in all beings and beasts foolishly literally without imbibing the truth of the Guru’s words. One day when the Guru and his disciples were walking along a street an enraged elephant comes on a run towards the saintly group. All persons including the Master took to their heels towards safety except the overzealous disciple, who stood rooted to the earth without so much as blinking an eye. And, of course, the elephant took hold of the foolish disciple and tossed him on the side of the street. After the boy was resuscitated by other disciples, the Guru asked the disciple, “Why did you not take to your heels like the rest of us?” And pat came the reply from the ignoramus disciple, “Sir, as per your words, I did see the elephant as Lord Narayana!” Then the Guru chastised him by saying, “You were hurt by Lord Narayana in the elephant because you did not pay heed to Lord Narayana, the mahout’s words of warning who was riding the mad elephant that the elephant was mad and please everyone run for life!”             

So in the face of a slut, unkempt dirty man, sinful wretch or immoral person, what would a saint do?  Well, he would only see the Atman or Soul of such persons and, taking all precautions from not having anything to do physically with them, he would still love them as his own self. He would not feel any shrinking of self. He would not hate them. He would not fear them. On the other hand, while still deeply loving them in his heart of hearts, he would not so much as pick up a blade of grass and toss it on them or cry out in anguish at his having to go through life in the presence of such persons. For the Jivanmukta, under such circumstances, such persons would not cease to have the eternal Atman which is pure and cannot be sullied. For the Jivanmukta all people and beasts and non-beings are endowed with Soul. So he would see all in his self  and his own self in all. For him the Self inhering in all is one and the forms only are multiple and of different colour and hue!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

BLOGGER’S INSTRUCTION AND APPEAL:

SISTERS AND BROTHERS, with this 15th Post, which is the last of the Free Posts, Free Posts come to an End. Razorpay Payment Button will be set up soon; soon afterwards the First of the Paid Posts (16th POST) will be published. The Blogger thanks ALL OF YOU for YOUR unstinting SUPPORT so far and requests for such unqualified SUPPORT also in future. AFTER THE 16th POST, POSTS WILL BE PUBLISHED ON ALTERNATE DAYS. THUS YOU WILL GET 15 POSTS PER MONTH.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

22.09.2026

POST NUMBER 15

THE BHAGAVAD GITA

CHAPTER  1 : VERSES 24 To 27

Arjuna Vishadha Yoga

              OR

THE DESPONDENCY OF ARJUNA

VERSE 24

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION:

samjaya uvaacha

evam uk to hrsheekeso gudhaakesena bhaarata

senayor ubhayor madhye sthaapayitvaa rathottamam

SANSKRIT WORDS AND PHRASES AND THEIR MEANING IN ENGLISH:

evam = thus; uktah = uktah = addressed; hrsheekesah = Hrishikesa; gudaakesena = by Gudakesa; bhaarata = O Bharata; senayoh = of the armies; ubhayoh = of both; madhye = in the middle; sthaapayitvaa = having staioned ; rathottamam = best of chariots.

 TEXT IN ENGLISH:

Thus requested by Gudakesa, Hrishikesa, O Bharata, having placed the best of chariots in between the two armies.

Verse 25

bheeshma dronapramukhatah sarveshaam cha maheekshitaam

uvaacha paartha pasyai ‘taan samavetaan kuroon iti

SANSKRIT WORDS AND PHRASES AND THEIR MEANING IN ENGLISH:

 bheeshma drone pramukhatah = in front of Bhishma and Drona; sarvesham = of all; cha = and; maheekshitaam = rulers of the earth; uvaacha = said; paartha = O Partha; pasyya = behold; etaan = those; samavetaan = gathered; kuroon = Kurus; iti = thus.

TEXT IN ENGLISH:

Facing Bhishma and Drona and all the rulers of the earth, spoke, “O partha, behold all the Kurus gathered together.”

Verse 26

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION;

tatraa pasyat sthitaan paarthah pitrn atha pitaamahaan

aachaaryaan maatulaan bhraatrn putraan pautraan sakheems tathaa

svasuraan suhrdaas chai ‘va senayor ubhayor api

SANSKRIT WORDS AND PHRASES AND THEIR MEANING IN ENSHISH:

tatra = there; apasyai = saw; sthitaan = stationed; paarthah = Partha; pitrn = fathers; atha = also; pitaamahaan = grandfathers; aachaaryaan = teachers; maatulaan = maternal uncles; bhraatrn = brothers; putraan = sons; pautraan = grandsons; sakheen = friends; tathaa = too; svasuraan = fathers-in-law; suhrdah = friends; cha = and; eva = also; senayoh = in armies; ubhayoh = (in) both; api = also.

TEXT IN ENGLISH:

Standing there Partha then beheld in both the armies, paternal uncles, grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, cousins, sons, grandsons, comrades, father-in-law and benefactors.

Verse 27

 TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION;

taan sameeksya sa kaunteyah sarvaan bandhoon avasthitaan

krpayaa parayaa ‘vishto visheedann idam abraveet

TEXT IN ENGLISH:

He, the son of Kunti, gazing at those kinsmen posted in positions spoke thus in sadness, filled as he was with choking compassion.    

BLOGGER’S COMMENTS:

Verses 24 & 25

According to Swami Chidbhavananda, Ramakrishna Tapovanam, Tiruparaithurai, Tiruchirappalli, Gudakesa relates to Arjuna, the incomparable Archer, in the sense one who has control over sleep. Hrishikesa means (relating to Krishna) the Lord of Senses.

For a human being to have mastery over sleep is no small achievement. Most of us do not have this mastery. Some of us can get up in the morning at five or six irrespective of the time they went to bed the previous night. Napoleon Bonaparte had some mastery over sleep. He did not have time to sleep during the nights. But he would go to sleep on horseback while riding his horse for a stretch of time and that was enough for him! This is certainly a hallmark of the greatness of a person who can hold a sway over the overmastering sleep. Swami Chidbhavananda would say that the culture of a society can be measured by the people who have the innate ability to concentrate. Likewise, it must be said, the greatness of a person can be measured by how little sleep he requires to lead a naturally healthy life. Most of us spend almost half of our life in sleep! And the doctors insist that to have an average of eight hours’ sleep every night is a sine quo none for a healthy mind and body. But some people are exceptions to this rule. Mahatma Gandhi was known, among other things, for his punctuality. He would go to bed at the stated hour and have a good sleep which is not enough for most of us. And during the day, while he was dictating something to somebody to write letters or something, he would tell him, “Let me sleep for ten minutes!” Thus the mahatman (great soul) would sleep not just in the middle of the day but literally in the middle of his dictation, but he would become wide awake exactly after ten minutes and start to dictate from where he had left off! See, great people had their own way of mastery over sleep. And, Sri Krishna says that one of Tamasic person’s inclinations is inordinate habits of sleeping off most of his life.   

 But to choose to have only a stated length of time to sleep and that too the place where he would go to  sleep were staunch habits characteristic of Arjuna. It is no small achievement. Only those who are having a mastery over the Senses can have such an overmastering grip over sleep. And Arjuna had this mastery over his Senses.

And who was Sri Krishna? He is eulogized as one having lordship over the Senses! And the very fact that He condescended to become Arjuna’s charioteer bespoke of his mastery over Self. We know how Karna was insulted by others for his being a son of a charioteer (sutaputra). But he himself was a warrior   nonpareil. He was not a charioteer. And we have in Sri Krishna this mastery over Senses and Ego that he willingly became Arjuna’s Charioteer!

So we see Sri Krishna was the right person to teach Arjuna the Gita philosophy. What about Arjuna? He was a great Archer, and among warriors, he walked like a colossus. But even such a person of proven mettle is going to give himself up to a stroke of choking compassion!

A great warrior of proven mettle is going to moan like an old nanny. He is simply steeply in unseasonal compassion and utterly swamped by self pity. Because he was going to be plumbing the depth of self pity and compassion at having to kill his own people at Kurukshetra! Thus we have a great man who is soon going to give himself up to the internal upheaval that made him decide to do things he would not have even dreamed of doing in his chosen hour of sleep! So we should not underestimate his self doubt and sorrow which just swooned down like a great bird, Garuda, to engulf him. This is why this first discourse between Sri Krishna and Arjuna is described as a Yoga: Arjuna Vishada Yoga.

But we don’t have any symptom so far as to Arjuna’s unseasonal tumultuous acts of self doubt and misplaced ‘atma vichara’ or self inquiry. He is what he has come to this world to be for. He is a great Archer whose presence on the Pandava’s side sent chills of discomfort down the spine of so great warriors like Ashwatama and Duryodhana.

But without the downfall of Arjuna, even for a little fleeting time, Gita could not have been brought to earth. It was one of the defining moments in the life of Arjuna and the rest of the humanity which would certainly become poorer in the absence of this wonderfully uplifting SONGS OF GOD. Thus Arjuna had to suffer so that we may draw solace from the nectar-like words of Sri Krishna.

And when the all-knowing Lord, Sri Krishna, was showing all the fund of chivalry in becoming a condescending charioteer and drove the great chariot so that his friend, playmate and disciple might get to see his own people whom he had no reason to not worship: Bhishma and Drona.

Verses 26 & 27

Arjuna, having been placed at the vantage point from where he could discern the very purpose of his being, the holy forms of Bhishma and Drona. And he also had a good look at his uncles, cousins, sons, grandsons, comrades, fathers-in-law and benefactors! And in Verse 27 Sanjaya aptly describes Arjuna as ‘kaunteya’ the son of Kunti. So, irrespective of his great greatness, Arjuna was just a human being born of the womb of a woman! He was not a Sri Krishna, who had only sportingly condescended to be born of a woman’s womb. Arjuna was a human being, basically and simply. So, despite his high merit, he was soon to simply give himself up to one of the basic instincts of an average human being, compassion; chocking compassion.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

BLOGGER’S INSTRUCTION AND APPEAL:

SISTERS AND BROTHERS, with this 15th Post, which is the last of the Free Posts, Free Posts come to an End. Razorpay Payment Button will be set up soon; soon afterwards the First of the Paid Posts (16th POST) will be published. The Blogger thanks ALL OF YOU for YOUR unstinting SUPPORT so far and requests for such unqualified SUPPORT also in future. AFTER THE 16th POST, POSTS WILL BE PUBLISHED ON ALTERNATE DAYS. THUS YOU WILL GET 15 POSTS PER MONTH.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO