A Study of the Bhagavata Purana or Esoteric Hinduism Part 74

"Devotedly follow one Guru, who knows Me and is full of Me, being calm and quiet at heart.

"Be humble and unenvious, active, free from the sense of "Mineness", strong in friendship (towards the Guru. _Sridhara_) not over-zealous, eager to know the truths and free from malice. Do not indulge in idle talk. Be indifferent to wife, son, house, land, relations, riches and all other things, for atma is the same every where and its working is the same in all bodies.

"This atma is neither the gross body nor the subtle body. It is the self illumined seer. Fire that illuminates and burns is separate from the fuel that is illuminated and burnt.

"The fuel has beginning and end. It is big and small. It is of various kinds. The fire that pervades it is limited by the nature of the fuel.

So atma which is separate from the body bears the attributes of the body.

"The birth and re-birth of the Jiva have their origin in the gross and the subtle body, which are the outcome of the Gunas, subordinated by isvara. The knowledge of atma (as separate from the body) cuts off the course of rebirths.

"Therefore by seeking after knowledge fully realise that atma in self is separate and is beyond the body. Then by degrees do away with a sense of reality in respect of the gross and the subtle body.

"The preceptor is the lower piece of wood used for kindling the sacred fire. The pupil is the upper piece of wood. The teachings form the middle portion of the wood where the stroke is made. Vidya is the pleasing fire that comes out. (The pupil by constant questioning should extract the fire of wisdom from the Guru _i.e._ one should learn atma Vidya from his Guru.)

"The pure wisdom that is thus acquired from the Guru shakes off the Maya that is begotten of the Gunas. It burns up the Gunas themselves, which const.i.tute this universe of re-incarnation and then it ceases of itself.

The fire consumes the fuel first and then it is extinguished of itself.

"Or if you think that the doers of actions, their pleasures and pains, the enjoyers and sufferers (Jivatmas or Egos) are many and that the place and time of enjoyment and suffering, and the scriptures relating thereto and to the enjoyer or sufferer are all alike not constant."

(We have found in the former slokas that atma is one and constant. It is self manifest and it is conciousness itself. When we speak of atma as the Doer, the Enjoyer and so on these attributes really relate to the body which forms the phenomenal basis of atma. Every thing else besides atma is transitory and formed of Maya. It has been therefore said that one should free himself from all attachments and should attain liberation by the knowledge of atma. This is the conclusion arrived at by a reconciliation of all the Srutis. But there is another school, that of Jaimini, which arrives at a different conclusion. To remove all doubts whatsoever, the author refers to it for the sake of refutation.

The followers of Jaimini deem Jivatmas - the doers and enjoyers in all beings to be essentially separate and many. According to them, atma is known by the feeling of "I-ness." Now this feeling is different in different bodies. "I am the doer" "I am the enjoyer" every one feels this separately for himself. There is no one Parmatma, which is the essence of all these Jivatmas and which is above all transformations.

Therefore freedom from attachments or dispa.s.sion is not possible. You may think, that the enjoyments are transitory, and so also that the time and place of enjoyment, the scriptures that enjoin them, and the _enjoying_ atma itself are not constant. Hence you may justify dispa.s.sion. But all this is not a fact. This is the argument of the followers of Jaimini. _Sridhara_.)

"And if you consider that all substances are constant by the eternal flow of their existence and that consciousness grows and is separate according to the difference in every particular form." (According to the followers of Jaimini there is no break in the objects of enjoyment nor are they formed of Maya. All substances perpetually exist by the constancy of their flow. They say that there was no time, when the Universe was not what it is. Therefore there is no maker of the Universe, no ishvara. And the Universe is not a delusion - Maya. It is what it appears to be. There is no one and constant consciousness of which the essence is atma. "This pot" "this cloth" - Our consciousness grows by the process of perceiving these differences. Therefore consciousness is not constant and it has separate forms. The hidden purport is this. atma is not absolute consciousness itself, but it is transformed into consciousness. But you can not say, because it is subject to transformation, therefore it is transient. For it has been said authoritatively that its transformation into consciousness does not interfere with its eternity. Therefore for the purpose of liberation (Mukti), atma can not transform itself without the help of the senses &c. And if atma attains liberation, in the state of jada (or unconsciousness) nothing is gained. Therefore the best path to follow is that of Pravritti or Inclination and not that of Nivritti or Disinclination. _Sridhara_. The above commentaries of Sridhara form one of the best expositions of the philosophy of Jaimini. Only the last pa.s.sage requires a little elucidation. atma in itself is not consciousness. Its transformation into consciousness is its highest evolution or Mukti. Now this transformation is caused by the perception of objects, it is made complete by the perception of all objects and it is made constant by a constant desire for all objects. This object, or that object may vanish, this man or that woman may die, this flower or that flower may perish, but there is no time when the objects as a cla.s.s do not exist, when there is no enjoyer, no object to be enjoyed. So there is a constancy in the desires. Therefore one must form attachments, have desires, that atma be made fully conscious. But if atma be left to itself, it will remain Jada or unconscious. There is nothing to be gained by this. Therefore one should persistently follow the path of desires as laid down in the Karma Kanda of the Vedas, a.n.a.lysed by Jaimini in his Purva Mimansa. One should not give up Vedic Karma and selfish desires as he is taught to do in the Jnana Kanda of the Vedas, the Upanishads, as a.n.a.lysed by Vyasa in his Uttara Mimansa, and as expounded by Sri Krishna in the Bhagavat Gita. It must be remembered that this philosophy of Karma, so effectually refuted by Sri Krishna, was suited to the materialistic cycle of evolution, when Rajas had to be sought rather than put down. The minerals and vegetables were unconscious. The animals shewed a slight development in consciousness.

But the full development was in Man. And this was due to the pursuit of the Path of Inclination or Pravritti Marga up to a late period in the past history of the Universe. Notwithstanding the attacks of Sri Krishna, the school of Jaimini had its followers till the time of Sri Sankaracharya, when Mandana Misra the most learned Pandit of the time, was its chief exponent. After his memorable defeat by Sri Sankaracharya the Mimansakas fell into disrepute and Vedic Karma became a thing of the past.)

"Granting all that, O dear Uddhava, all atmas have constantly their births and other states, by connection with the body and by reason of the divisions of time." (_i.e._ though you may say that atma itself is transformed, still you can not deny that the transformations take place by its connection with the body and that they are brought about by time.)

"It follows then that the doer of actions, the enjoyer of joys and the sufferer of sorrows is dependent on other things." (For atma is dependent upon the body and upon time for its highest transformation.

Sridhara says if atma is the doer and enjoyer, why should it do wrong acts and suffer sorrows if it were independent. Therefore atma must be dependent according to the Mimansakas). Now who in seeking his greatest good would worship one that is dependent on others?

"(Do not say that those who know Vedic karma thoroughly are always happy and only those that do not know that are unhappy. For it is found that - _Sridhara_) even wise men sometimes have no happiness and the ignorant have no misery. Therefore it is mere vanity (to speak about Karma). Even if (the followers of the path of Pravritti) know how to gain happiness and destroy misery, they certainly do not know the means by which they can get over death. And when death is near at hand, what objects of desire can give joy? What can please the victim that is carried to the place of sacrifice? (This is so far as this life is concerned. Then as to life after death). What you hear about Svarga life, even that is as bad as the life we lead on this earth. For in Svarga, there is jealousy, there is fault finding, there are inequalities and consequent uneasiness, and there is a finality in the enjoyments and the desires are full of obstacles, even as agriculture is and so after all even Svarga is of no good. When the Vedic Karma is properly performed without any obstacle whatsoever, hear how the performer of Karma loses the place acquired by his Karma. He makes offerings to Indra and other Devas by the performance of Yajna and he goes after death to Svarga. There he enjoys heavenly objects like the Devas, objects acquired by his own Karma. He moves in white chariots the acquisitions of his own merits, among Deva girls and is adored; by the Gandharvas. The chariot moves at his will. It is adorned by small bells. He whiles away his time with the Deva girls in the gardens of Svarga and he does not know his own fall.

But he remains in Svarga only so long as his merit is not exhausted. And when the merit is run out, down falls the man by the force of time, even against his will. (The above is the course after death of those who perform Kamya Karma, according to Vedic rules. This is one way of following Pravritti Marga. There is another way - the following up of one's own inclinations, in disregard of the Vedic rules. The next Sloka refers to the performers of prohibited Karma). And if again a man indulges in the prohibited acts, through evil company, if his senses are not controlled, and if in consequence, he is pa.s.sionate indiscriminate, greedy, excessively fond of women, and unkind to other beings, if the man kills animals wantonly and worships Pretas and Bhutas, he goes, driven by the law, to the Narakas and finds there intense Tamas.

"Therefore karma (selfish actions) ends in unhappiness. By performing karma with the body, men seek the body again. What happiness is there in the possession of this transitory body? The Lokas and Lokapalas have to fear me, they who live for one full day of Brahma. Even Brahma who lives for 2 Parardhas has fear of me."

(Therefore Pravritti Marga leads to evil. It should be shunned and Nivritti Marga should be adopted. This is the purport. _Sridhara_).

(Now Sri Krishna goes on to refute the first two a.s.sumptions (1) that atma is the doer and (2) that atma is the enjoyer). The Gunas create actions and the Gunas lead the Gunas. (The Gunas are Satva, Rajas and Tamas. These primal attributes of Prakriti give rise to all her manifestations. The Indriyas, the senses, and the mind are Satvic and Rajasic transformations of the Ahankara manifestation of Prakriti. So they are the Gunas first referred to. The senses and the mind create actions. Our actions are all prompted by them and not by atma. So atma is not the doer. It may be said however that the senses and the mind are guided by atma. But it is not so. The primal attributes (Gunas) lead the senses and the mind (Gunas). If Satva prevails in a man his actions are Satvic and so on. It is the nature of the Prakritic transformations of a man that determines his actions. This is only an elaboration of Sridhara's notes.)

The Jiva enjoys the fruits of Karma, being connected with the Gunas (The enjoyment by Jiva is also due to its phenomenal basis. "Connected with the Gunas" _i.e._ connected with the senses and other Prakritic elements. Jivatma dwells in the body. When the house falls down, he occupies another house. When the houses are merely halting stations in his long journey, he does not care much for the house itself, he does not identify himself with the house. So when Jivatma becomes indifferent to the body, it is not affected by the changes of the body. When a house burns, the dweller in the house feels pain. When the house is comfortable, the dweller in the house feels pleasure. His connection with the house is however temporary.)

As long as there is difference in the Gunas (i. e, Guna transformations, Ahankara &c.), so long there is plurality in atma. As long as there is plurality so long is it dependent on others. (The difference in Jivatmas or individuals, is not due to any difference in atma, but to differences in the Guna transformations which give rise to the body. Dependence is also an accompaniment of those transformations),

So long as Jiva is dependent on others it has fear from ishvara. Those that worship the Guna transformations are given up to sorrow and they become deluded.

BONDAGE AND LIBERATION.

*SKANDHA XI. CHAP. 11.*

Uddhava asked: -

"atma dwells in the transformations of the Gunas forming the body. Why should it not be bound down by the Gunas. Or if atma is free (like Akasa) why should it be at all in bondage? What are the indications of atma in bondage and of liberated atma? Is atma ever in bondage? (for connection with the Gunas is eternal. _Sridhara_) or ever in liberation (for if liberation is a state to be acquired, atma can not be permanent.

_Sridhara_)"

Sri Krishna replied: -

"Bondage and liberation are terms applied to Me not with reference to my real self, but with reference to My Gunas (the Guna limitations, Satva, Rajas and Tamas that are subordinate to me. _Sridhara_). The Gunas have their origin in Maya. Therefore I have neither liberation nor bondage.

"Sorrow and delusion, joy and grief, even the attainment of body - these are all due to Maya. The dream is only an illusory form of the mind, even so the course of births is not real. Vidya and Avidya both proceed from My Maya, O Uddhava. I am one and the Jiva is only my part (as the ray is of the sun). The bondage of Jiva is caused by Avidya and its liberation by Vidya. This is eternally so. Now I shall tell you the different indications of the imprisoned and the liberated Jiva. (The difference is twofold: that between Jiva and isvara and that amongst the Jivas themselves. The author first speaks of the former. _Sridhara._) Jiva and isvara though of different attributes dwell in the same body.

They are two birds like each other (for both are manifestations of conciousness), companions that have made a nest for themselves (the heart), in the tree of body, of their own free will.

"Of these one (the Jiva) eats the fruits of the tree. The other (isvara) though not a partaker of the fruits is the mightier of the two. For He who does not partake of the fruits is the knower of self as of others.

But the partaker of fruits is not so. He (Jiva) who is joined with Avidya is always imprisoned. He (ishvara) who is joined with Vidya is always liberated. (Maya of ishvara or Vidya does not throw a veil round and does not delude). The "conscious" are two in every individual. The consciousness of isvara is universal. Jivatma however takes upon himself the limitations of individuality and becomes the conscious centre in every man. "I perceive" "I conceive" "I do," that "I" is atma limited by the sense of individuality. The perception and conceptions are of Jivatma and he is the partaker of the fruits. This "Jiva" element in an individual is in bondage. But the isvara element in him is always liberated. And Jiva becomes liberated, when the individual limitation is withdrawn).

"(Now the difference amongst Jivas liberated and imprisoned).

"The liberated (Jiva) though dwelling in the body does not dwell in it as it were, even like one aroused from dream. (The awakened man remembers his dream body, but realises it as unreal, So the liberated Jiva looks upon his body as unreal or a temporary halting station, not a part of his own self). The ignorant identifies himself with the body, like the man in dream.

"The senses perceive the objects of the senses. The Gunas perceive the Gunas. The wise (Jiva) does not identify self with these. He is therefore not distracted.

"The ignorant, however, while dwelling in this body brought about by prior Karma, in which the senses act, thinks that he is the doer and becomes thus bound down.

"The wise one sees with disgust that the actions of others bind him.

Sleeping, sitting, walking or bathing, seeing, touching, smelling, eating or hearing, the wise (Jiva) does not bind himself like the ignorant, for in those acts, he realises that the Gunas (senses) perceive (and not his self). He dwells in the body, but is not attached to it, like the Akasa, the sun and the air. (s.p.a.ce is in all things, but the things form no part of s.p.a.ce. The sun becomes reflected in water, but is not attached to water. The air moves about all around, but does not become attached to any thing). By the force of dispa.s.sion, the vision becomes clear. All doubts are removed. And the wise (Jiva) rises as it were from sleep, and withdraws himself from the diversities (of body and other material objects).

"The Jiva whose Pranas, Indriyas, Manas and Buddhi function without the promptings of self-centred desires is freed from the attributes of the body though dwelling in the body.

"Whether injured by others or adored the liberated Jiva is not affected in the least. He neither praises nor blames others for their good or bad deeds or words. He knows no merits nor demerits. He looks on all with an equal eye. He does not do anything, he does not say anything, he does not think on any thing, good or bad. He is self-entranced and moves like a sense-less being (Jada).

"If a man well-versed in the Vedas is not fixed in the Supreme, his labour becomes fruitless like that of a man who keeps a breeding cow that bears no calf. A cow that does not give milk, an unchaste wife, a body that is under the control of others, an undutiful son, wealth that is not given to the deserving and words that do not relate to me: he only keeps these whose lot is misery.

"With discrimination such as this do away with the notion of diversity in self. Then fix your purified mind in Me, who am all pervading, and desist from everything else.

"If you can not fix your mind in Me, then offer up all your actions unconditionally to Me. Hear with faith the words that relate to Me. Sing of Me, meditate on my deeds and Incarnations. Imitate these. Whatever you do, do that for Me. Then will be gained, O Uddhava, fixed devotion to Me. That devotion (Bhakti) is to be acquired in the company of Sadhus."

SaDHU AND BHAKTI.

*SKANDHA XI. CHAP. 11-12.*

Uddhava asked: -