Atmanushasan ( Discipline of Soul) - 03

 

Saints who have renounced Himsa etc. are existent even presently

Such renunciation of violence etc. is not seen in the present, such practitioners appear to be impossible to have existed, hence  stories of such hermits of the past is just  heard (not seen) – to the people putting such argument, it is replied as follows:

Shloka 33: Disciples treading the paths of timeless great Munis are seen even at present. Those great people are owners of the earth like the Kulachal mountain. Just as mountain adopts the earth but remains detached towards it, in the same way the saintly people support jivas residing on  the earth but they remain detached towards them. Just as ocean is mine of pearls etc. jewels but it is free of desire of wealth, in the same way the saintly people also are like mine of samyak darshan etc. form jewels and do not have desires of wealth etc. And how are those saints ? They are untouched like the sky which being largest provides the residences for all worldly jivas. Just as sky is not touched by any substance and provides space to all jivas of the world for residing, in the same way the saints are not touched with any other bhavas and with their greatness they are means for removing other’s miseries.

Meaning: At the time this Granth was created, there were very few Jivas remaining who were practitioners of Muni dharma and most of the Jivas had adopted laziness. Therefore this argument is raised that Muni dharma is very difficult to practice and only stories of its practice in fourth period of time are heard, in present times no such practitioners are seen. To them it is replied that even in present times, practitioners of Muni dharma are directly seen. Why do you strengthen laziness by implying absence of dharma? In any time or place, even if dharmatmas are less or non existent, the form of dharma should be accepted to be the way it is.

Foolish tendency of worldly jivas

Unfamiliar with the path traversed by the saintly people, this lok without knowing the form of the world, indulges in different activities- this is described next:

Shloka 34: Under influence of moha in which bits of happiness are imagined- with desire of such kingly post, the father cheats the son and son cheats the father. Oh! It is great wonder that foolish people do not see the yama who always takes away the body residing  within his jaws  of the form of birth and death.

Meaning: Just as an animal trapped within the jaws of a lion, does not think of the lion who is going to eat his body but tries to play then it gives rise to great wonder. In the same way , in spite of being trapped in the jaws of Yamraj, close to its death this Lok does not think of the remaining moments  of life left and instead makes efforts for attainment of kingdom etc. – this is subject of great wonder. Hence abandoning such stupidity, contemplating of Yama, one should renounce the desire for sensory subjects.

Description of wretchedness of people blinded with sensory subjects

Enticed by the sensory subjects why do Jivas  indulge in criminal acts like killing son etc.? This reason is explained next:

Shloka 35: Whose Samyak Gyan form eyes are blinded by sensory subjects, he is blindest amongst the blinds; since the one who is blind cannot see with the eyes, but the one blinded by sensory subjects, cannot know by any of the senses.

Meaning: The blind person may not be able to see with the eyes, but the mental thinking and hearing etc. form knowledge remains present. But the one blinded by sensory desires, cannot know by any of the senses. Although the person suffering from sensory desires has capability of seeing with eyes, thinking with mind, sensing the bhava, hearing the teaching etc.; even then blinded by the sensory desires he does not care for anyone. Therefore while being blind is not good, being blinded with sensory desires is much worst.

Futility of sensory desires

It is told now that you indulge in efforts for fulfilment for sensory desires to some extent; however the sensory desires are experienced by all Jivas, but who has attained fulfilment of the desires substances in the mind ?  No one:

Shloka 36:  O Jiva ! The desire form pit within  each jiva is so deep that treasures of all the three loks are like an Anu against it. If all the treasures of the three loks are made available to a Jiva, even then his thirst would not be satiated, then with division who will get how much of the treasure (that all are satisfied). Therefore your desire for sensory subjects is meaningless.

Meaning: Treasures of the three loks are limited and each jiva has a desire form pit, so deep that all the treasures of three lok are like an Anu against it. So even one jiva’s desires cannot be fulfilled. Therefore the desires of sensory subjects is futile.

Motivation for accumulation of punya

The Muniraj practices for collection of great punya relinquishing the sensory pleasures. The desires for sensory pleasures result in acquisition of new bodies in different births again and again, hence those engaged in benefaction of soul, think and engage in activities of the soul. In the Lok the most powerful influence is the fruition of punya. This is told next:

Shloka 37: This jiva acquires long life, Lakshmi, beautiful body etc. in Deva-Manushya form different births on account of accumulated punya of past births. Those who have earned Punya, they have all favourable conditions. If the previously acquired punya does not exist, then even with lot of efforts and hardships, nothing favourable is attained. Therefore sensible people with careful thoughts make little efforts towards activities pertaining to present birth and continuously make considerable efforts towards activities pertaining to future birth with great affinity.

Meaning: Those who have accumulated special punya in previous births by means of compassions, charity, tapa etc., they only are benefitted with long life, beautiful body etc.. Those who have not earned punya earlier, in spite of making lot of efforts and undergoing hardships, they do not gain anything- with such thoughts the sensible people take little interest in activities pertaining to present birth and undertake lots of efforts with pleasure to improve the future births.

The Taste of sensory subjects is quite bitter

Here someone enquires that in the present birth, the subjects of enjoyments have been obtained due to previously acquired punya then why should we make little efforts in their enjoyments? (why not enjoy them fully ?) This is answered:

Shloka 38: Suffering with whose thirst, for their enjoyments only, you soiled your nectar form greatness and being obedient to the senses who are servant of the mind, you engaged in  them. What is the taste of those sensory subjects which are bitter like poison? Just as a person suffering with fever experiences the taste of things differently, in the same way, in spite of being intelligent, on account of sensory desires, with the spirit of raga, you taste those sensory subjects conversely. ( i.e. even the bitter taste is felt as sweet)- this is quite sad state of affairs.

Meaning: Just as the person suffering from fever tastes the things conversely, in the same way due to raga form fever you taste things conversely. What is the taste in these bitter poison form sensory subjects? But to you these appear to be tasty and enjoyable. Suffering from sensory desires you have soiled even the nectar form greatness of your own, since those who are desirous of sensory subjects, they lose their greatness.

The Ghastly nature of thirst

On account of sensory desires your mind is not free from any subject. Whatever substances are remaining, they are remaining because of your lack of capability of devouring them but from aspect of bhavas you have devoured all- this is explained next:

Shloka  39: With lack of detachment you desire to own all the wealth of the world, hence from aspect of bhavas you have not relinquished anything. Just as Rahu wishes to swallow sun and moon but is not able to do so, hence they survive. In the same way whatever is left in your mouth, that is left because of lack of your capability to consume it.

Meaning: This Jiva is so obsessed with sensory desires and thirst that if all the riches and all the sensory subjects of the world were made available to him, even then his thirst would not be satiated. Just as Rahu could not swallow sun-moon and hence they survived, in the same way whatever material has survived is due to lack of his capability of  consumption.

Inspiration for renunciation of possessions

With favourable destiny your mind has turned compassionate and with desire for Moksha you wish to take leave of violence, hence from childhood itself you should abandon all possessions- this is told next:

Shloka 40: O Bhavya! On account of fruition of some punya, with eternal enjoyment of Chakravarthy state which is the supreme state of the world, in the past several big kings have attained the permanent Nirvana state. Hence realising the renunciation of  all possessions only to be the cause for Nirvana state, abandoning all possessions , you accept Muni state in young age itself. There is nothing superior than  accepting celibacy in young age. These possessions are worthy of renunciations only. Those who enjoyed Chakravarthy state, they also relinquished it and then only they attained salvation. Those who do not rule kingdom and remain celibate, there is none superior to them. If you think that firstly I would accept possessions and then relinquish them then  don’t commit the worldly laughable folly of picking up the laddu from the mud.

Meaning: A beggar was asking form alms. Someone put a laddu in his bowl. Due to accidental stumble that laddu fell down in the mud, then he picked it up and put it back in the bowl. Witnessing this someone told “ this is very bad, you should not have picked up soiled laddu” . Then He told” keep quiet. I will wash it as home and then throw it.” Then everyone laughed,” when you do not wish to eat it and want to throw it , then why put it in your bowl in the first place? You could have left it there itself?” Just as that beggar became a subject of laughter, in the same way you say that I shall enjoy the possessions and then renounce them. But this wealth is like  the laddu lying in mud. It is not worthy of possession. When you wish to renounce it then why accept it in the first place ? Those Chakravarthy etc. who enjoyed the kingdom etc. first renounced them and then only attained salvation. Hence if you abandon it in young age itself then it would be the best. If someone is soiled with mud then by washing he becomes clean. But the one who does not get soiled with mud is the best. The one who gets soiled with mud and then washes  is a subject of laughter only. 

Inspiration for renunciation of House holder  Ashram (state)

The practitioner of Nirvana Lakshmi is Nirgranth Muni only. In house holder state the Nirvana cannot be practiced – this is strongly established now:

Shloka 41: This house holder state can never be benedictory for the jiva. Just as a drunkard carries out different kinds of drunken activities, in the same way this householder state drives the wise people into different roles. Sometime the Jiva engages in dharma with Samayik, Pratikraman, Proshadhopavas etc. ; sometimes engages in pap with women etc. and sometimes with pooja, prabhavana, pilgrimages, temple construction etc. he engages in both punya-pap together. Therefore this householder state is like a blind weaving rope or elephant bathing type of activities of mad people.

Meaning: This householder state is not beneficial to Jivas. These are activities of drunkard. Sometimes with compassion form Samayik, Proshadh etc. he engages in dharma. Sometimes he engages with women, or with adornment etc. accumulates pap. Sometimes with pooja,  sthapana, pilgrimage, temple construction etc. he accumulates pap-punya both. Therefore this house holder state is worthy of renunciation and is not benedictory. The blind person weaves rope from one end and from other end it keeps getting unravelled. The elephant after taking bath sprays dust on his head hence these are activities like those of a drunkard.

Description of the unnecessary miseries  experienced in householder state

The one practitioner of permanent Moksha form wealth only is called blessed. This house holder state is not means for permanent wealth hence it is not beneficial to Jivas. In this householder state weapons, writing, agriculture, business etc. all are means for miseries. None of them is cause for happiness- this is reinforced  next:

Shloka 42: O Jiva! Since eternal times you have suffered unnecessarily in householder state for deriving happiness, but there is no pleasure in it. You sow seeds by ploughing in the land, with weapons you serve the king, with writing you serve rich people, for business you wander in the forest and oceans. Due to ignorance you have tolerated these for eternal times. Oh! All your efforts are like trying to get oil from sand and hoping to stay alive after consuming poison. O Jiva! By subsiding desire form planet, you shall attain peace and not by thirst- not knowing this being ignorant you unnecessarily engage in hardships.

Meaning: In house holder state the activities of weapons, writing, agriculture, business all are painful and there is no happiness in them. The miseries of agriculture are directly witnessed, staying in inferior villages, engaging in unbecoming activities, being humiliated, fear of own and other people etc. form miseries are always there. Soldier serves king for livelihood which is also quite painful.

For livelihood one has to stake his life itself. Businessman travel by ship on the ocean and sometimes the ship sinks and then one has to wander around- these miseries are endless. The loss-profit always causes perturbation. The writers are always unhappy since they are dependent upon others for livelihood. You wish to derive pleasure out of them , then it is like trying to draw oil from sand or survive after consuming poison. Now discard this converse wisdom. You are suffering due to unfavourable planet of the form of hope. Hence you have never been happy. Now with elimination of effect of this planet only you shall he happy- you never realised this and hence you have wandered in different births.

The efforts of a person ignited with hope form fire

The means to happiness is contentment. In the Shastras several places it is preached for abandonment of desires, but this jiva engages conversely without realising it- this is told next:

Shloka 43: Ignited with hope form fire and believing gold -women etc. things to be definitely beneficial, one tries to occupy the shadow of bamboos to attain some coolness from heat. However this effort is meaningless since it does not eliminate the heat of the sun.

Meaning: The shadow of bamboos does not destroy heat, conversely it is dangerous. If the bamboos ignite upon friction then the one sitting there shall be reduced to ashes. The shoots of bamboo can hurt also.

In the same way the one engaged in sensory pleasures in this birth remains miserable for their accumulation, their enjoyments or lack of them. He is restless due to thirst of desires and remains miserable. In other births he suffers in Narak or Nigod. Hence these enjoyments are never beneficial.

The worldly Jiva with ignorance and ignited with hope form fire is obsessed with gold, women etc. for pleasures. But there is not even an iota of pleasure in them. They are painful in birth after birth. This world is meaningless and there is no happiness there. The delusion of this world is like shadow of bamboos which is not worthy of occupying and hence should be renounced.

Objective is not served without fruition of Punya

By force of destiny even if some bit of  happiness is attained then also it is not stationary- this is explained with example next:

Shloka 44: The force of destiny is unpredictable and painful. This thirst can never be satiated. Some person started digging well with the hope of getting water. While digging he got rock but he continued digging till the nether world. With lot of difficulty he got some water which was stinking, salty and full of insects. That too dried up soon. Therefore what is the use of such purushartha?

Meaning: Someone believes that I shall achieve the objective with efforts, but without fruition of punya, the objective is not achieved. Same is explained with example- Some thirsty person started digging ground with the hope of getting water but instead he found rock. Still with lot of difficulties he continued digging till the nether world. There he got some water which was very salty, stinking and full of insects. Even that water dried up soon. Hence it establishes that effort does not mean anything. The force of destiny is stronger.

Wealth earned with Honesty never enhances

Some one says that I shall earn money with fair play and after accumulation I shall enjoy it- He is addressed next:

Shloka 45: Just as with pure water the ocean never overflows, in the same way O Jiva! Money acquired through fair means of gentlemen never enhances.

Meaning: Improper conduct is always condemnable. But wealth earned through proper conduct also does not enhance greatly. Just as with pure water the ocean never gets filled. Hence renouncing the desire of wealth acquired with fair play also, one has to be always possessionless.

Forms of Dharma, Happiness, Knowledge and Gati

Someone believes that whether wealth enhances or not, but this householder state is the means for dharma, happiness, knowledge and good gati; he is explained in next shloka:

Shloka 46: Dharma is where Adharma is absent; happiness is where unhappiness is absent; knowledge is where ignorance does not exist; Gati is that only where next Gati does not exist.

Meaning: Where even an iota of violence etc. form pap are present, there is no dharma. Where misery form unhappiness is present, there is no happiness. Where ignorance in form of doubts is present, there is no knowledge. Where one has to return after departure i.e. birth-death are there, that is not Gati.

Inspiration for Dharma Practice abandoning wealth acquisition

Indestructible happiness etc. are difficult to attain while wealth acquisition is easily possible hence one has to earn money only- those who argue thus are persuaded next:

Shloka 47: O greedy of sensory pleasures! Thoughtless !! In this Lok for earning wealth you make efforts again and again by means of weapons, writing, agriculture, business etc. with difficulty, if you make such efforts for the Par-lok then you shall not have to undergo misery of birth and death. Hence abandoning wealth acquisition you practice dharma.

Meaning: Thoughtless people greedy for sensory pleasures make efforts again and again by means of agriculture etc. for earning wealth. The compassionate Guru preaches to Bhavya Jivas- “ Oh! You take the trouble for earning wealth again and again , if the same effort you make for the Par-Lok even once then you shall not undergo misery of birth-death again i.e. you shall go across the ocean of rebirths.

Inspiration for renunciation of spirit of desirable-undesirable in external objects

Shloka 48: O Jiva! Without knowing the real nature of things you imagine ‘ this is desirable, this is undesirable’  with such attitude you desire external objects and waste your time unnecessarily. Before this cruel time upon fruition turns you to ashes with its bright flames within its fearsome mouth, renouncing internal raga-dwesha you attain supreme blissful  state.

Meaning: Those who do not know the nature of reality, they believe kingdom, wife, wealth to be good and unhappiness, poverty, diseases to be bad. With such concept of desirable-undesirable,  they spend their time unnecessarily being greedy towards external things ( waste their manushya birth ). Hence shri guru persuades the bhavya jivas – “ O Bhavya! Abandon imagination of desirable- undesirable towards external objects wasting your time. Before you are consumed by the fire of time and turned to ashes, discarding raga-dwesha attain peaceful state in your inner self. The imagination of good-bad in other objects is a delusion.”

Suggestion  for crossing the hope form river

The hope form river sweeps you away and puts you into ocean of birth-death. Hence you make efforts to cross this river- this is suggested next:

Shloka 49: O friend! Desirous of external objects, flowing in the river of hope since eternal times, taking infinite births, you have come a long distance. Do you not know that to cross this river of hope, there is no other means other than knowledge of soul ? You yourself are capable of crossing it; hence being independent immediately you swim across the river of hope and cross it , other wise flowing in this river you shall sink in the ocean of rebirths. The ocean of rebirths is extremely fearsome of the form of huge mouth of crocodile form kaal which results in painful end.

Meaning: In this river of hope with desire of enjoyments, you have been flowing since eternal times. With knowledge of soul only you can go across this river and there is no other means. With knowledge only the hope is eliminated. Hence give up dependence and become independent soon. Go cross the rive of hope otherwise you shall drown in the ocean of the world. In this worldly ocean very powerful kaal form crocodile stays with continuously open mouth. Its huge mouth is quite fearsome which swallows the entire world. Hence if you wish to avoid kaal and do not wish to drown in the ocean of rebirths, then go across the river of hope.

Continued…..