Atmanushasan ( Discipline of Soul) - 04

 

Efforts of Jiva impatient with the desire for sensory objects

Impatient with desire for  sensory objects, this jiva endures enjoying even inappropriate objects – this is told next:

Shloka 50: After enjoying the worldly enjoyments, with satiation of their inquisitiveness, the objects which had been enjoyed and then discarded by Jivas, you still desire such objects. You are so much passionate as if you have never enjoyed those objects earlier; in reality you have enjoyed them infinite times. Infinite jivas have also enjoyed them infinite times earlier ; still you do not get aversion towards them. Everyone feels aversion towards the vomit of self or others. With these subjects yourself and other jivas have never attained satisfaction. Hence so long as you do not conquer this devilish hope which is like the flag of the strong army of enemies of the form of crimes, you shall not attain peace.

Meaning: The renunciation of hope only is the means for peace. So long as you have not abandoned hope which is like the flag of the crime form army of enemies, you will not attain peace. Oh! Infinite Jivas have enjoyed these subjects infinite times and discarded, still you do not feel aversion  in their enjoyment ? You are so passionate as if you had never enjoyed these objects. This deception of the world is leftovers of yourself and other jivas , why do you consume it ? It is not appropriate for you.

The Insensible nature of Jiva under influence of hope

Without giving up hope, what all you want to accomplish – this is described next:

Shloka 51: O Jiva!  Besotted with strong desire for taste  of deadly enjoyments of the form of black snake, compromising your destiny, you unnecessarily damage your happiness by inviting Apandit maran ( unholy death). You are being insensible, fearless of Par Lok, cruel, with harsh manifestations and desirous of objects of disrepute. Those whose minds are under the influence of harmful planets of the form of desires, anger etc. – such jivas are willing to undertake all improper deeds. Such desirous people be cursed.

Meaning: The enjoyments are like the poison of black snake. With their desires you invited bondage of Kugati (inferior birth). Without fear of Par Lok  (next birth) and without compassion  towards other jivas you destroyed your independent happiness. The objects which have been condemned by saints, you desired them only- shame be to such intellect. Under influence of highly fearsome planets of the form of desires and anger,  what all preposterous deeds you did not commit. Himsa of Jivas, untruth, stealing, immorality, high violence, thirst for wealth etc. several paps you committed. All these passions and sensory desires are roots of own destruction.

Transitoriness of the world

Those who do not witness the transitoriness of the world, they only desire for the worldly pleasures- this is told next:

Shloka 52: O brother! Discard your delusion! Do you not see yourself that this world is being made rootless by the winds of time. Nothing is stationary here even for a moment. Whatever rises in the morning , the same sets in the evening. Hence why do you wander in the world with hopes again and again?

Meaning: The nature of this world is transitory. The paryaya which gets generated, it gets destroyed next. When day starts, it is morning and in the evening the same day sets. This world is momentary due to strong winds of the form of time – this is known to all young and old both, then why do you not understand it? Why do you wander in this meaningless world with hopes? Why do you  not realise the real nature of things? Why do you desire momentary objects?

Description of future Miseries

Without considering the transitory nature of this world, you have suffered several miseries in all four Gatis:

Shloka 53: O Jiva! In this world in the birth in Narak etc. you have experienced extreme miseries, their recollection alone causes discomfort. Leave apart those miseries, in this Manushya birth the miseries that you are suffering, just consider them. In spite of being poor, you are desirous of different types of enjoyments and wounded by the mild laughter of sexy women and their sharp eyebrow form arrows of lust, your condition is like that of a young tree on fire.

Meaning:  Being insensible since eternal times, lusting in the worldly illusion, you have suffered several miseries of Narak-Nigod etc. in the world, whose recollection itself is quite painful. Leave apart the subject of those miseries, in spite of attaining rare Manushya birth , you did not enjoy even a bit of happiness on account of thirst of sensory pleasures. With the arrows of desires launched from the eyebrows of sexy women, your condition is like that of a growing tree on fire. Considering all this you give up desires of the world.

Desires of pleasures in the world is like Mirage. Just as a thirsty deer imagines the reflection of sand in the forest as water and runs after it, but he does not acquire water and suffers; in the same way thirsting with sensory desires, imagining women and gold to be means for happiness, you unnecessarily desire them. There is not even a bit of happiness in them, since these objects are means for unhappiness.

In this world, many do not get anything hence they remain disheartened; even if some get some things, they are not as per their desire hence they remain restless; and if some get as per their desire then also it does not remain stationary hence he remains unsatisfied always.

All these five  senses are source of unhappiness to Jiva. Those who enjoyed subjects of just one sense alone with great lust, they also could not be satisfied and being miserable they attained death. The elephant, under influence of touch sense, imagines the female elephant made of paper to be real and goes near her and falls in the pit. Thus becoming slave he suffers continuously. The fish under influence of taste sense gets caught in fisherman’s net and loses her life. The bumblebee under influence of nose sense is not satisfied with the smell of lotus flower and gets trapped overnight in the flower, losing his life in the process. The moth under influence of vision sense considers the flame to be enjoyable and turns to ashes in the flame. The deer under the influence of ear sense is attracted to music and loses his life to arrow of the hunter. In this way these jivas lose their life under the influence of desire of just one senses. Then those who desire subjects of all five senses shall suffers indefinitely in the worldly ocean. Hence giving up the sensory desires you accept Veetrag bhava which is means for happiness.

Inspiration for soul benediction

In spite of witnessing various events directly while wandering in the world, why do you not get detached ? This is asked next:

Shloka 54: O ignorant Jiva with infinite births! Taking births from different Yonis in this world you have occupied extremely dirty body made with metals and excrement. On account of anger, pride, deceit, greed you are suffering with worries of the mind and diseases of the body. Eating uneatable, with inappropriate and bad conduct, being immoral you are deceiving yourself. Unnecessarily you are being deluded with moha. Are you  enemy of own benediction? If not then why are you desiring non benediction.

Meaning: Jiva takes birth in this world by accepting new body. On account of eternal ignorance this agyani jiva believes the body to be own and occupies new bodies everytime. The body of Narak jivas is extremely painful with several diseases. The  Devas, in spite of having bodies  free of diseases, are quite unhappy with different mental worries. The bodies of Manushya and Tiryanch are also home of many diseases and extremely impure.

The bodies of Manushya are having several diseases as well as mental unhappiness. On account of this body only the Jiva becomes immoral, killer of other jivas, cruel hearted, liar, thief, desirous of other women, highly possessive  and unsatisfied person. O Jiva! Why are you attached to such a body?

Under the influence of anger, pride, deceit and greed, being highly insensible you are harming yourself  and being suicidal, deceiving yourself. You have undergone several births-deaths and still you are busy in the same exercise. You have become old but still you are not fearful of parlok. Are you mad? Why are you harming yourself? Are you your own enemy? Listening to the preachment of Guru, give up attachment towards body. Being detached from sensory subjects and passions , give up improper conduct. Engage in own benediction by eliminating the ragas etc. which are cause for bondage.

Description of Miseries caused by thirst

You have been desirous of the objects detrimental to the soul, but without acquiring desired objects, you suffer miseries only- this is told next:

Shloka 55: This Jiva, being insensible is heated with the desires of sensory subjects. Without acquiring desired objects, suffering with great thirst for them, he attempts different pap form means. Like an old bull stuck in the mud, he suffers. These senses generate heat like the rays of hot sun in summer.

Meaning: Just as rays of sun in the summer increase thirst, in the same way the senses increase the thirst of desires. This insensible jiva becomes quite restless with great thirst without acquiring desired object.

Just as an old and weak bull being thirsty  goes near the lake for drinking water , but getting stuck in the mud near the lake suffers even before reaching water. In the same way this jiva makes efforts for the sensory subjects but suffers without getting desired objects. The desire of sensory subjects is highly miserable and can be satiated only with nectar of knowledge.

The speciality of Moha form fire

Here someone enquires that it is alright that those who do not get desired sensory subjects suffer, but those Indra, Chakravarthy etc. who have all the desired subjects- they should not be unhappy- this is answered next:

Shloka 56: O Bhavya Jiva! With availability of fuel the fire ignites and gets extinct in absence of fuel. The strong fire of the form of Moha ignites in the form of thirst with the availability of possessions form fuel and in the form of restlessness in the absence of possessions. In both these states it gets ignited hence there no fire comparable to the fire of Moha.

Meaning: The fire is ignited with the availability of fuel and gets extinguished in its absence. But the fire of Moha becomes thirst form with increase of possessions and becomes restlessness form with reduction of possessions. When jiva does not get anything under influence of Asata , they he is unhappy ; but when due to Sata somethings are available ,the thirst increases. If hundred things are available then thirst for thousand and when thousand are there the thirst for a lakh of them gets generated. In this manner in both cases with the availability and non availability of things, the Moha form fire burns only. There is no happiness without satisfaction. If some sensible Jiva extinguishes it with the peaceful bhava form water, then only he can be happy.

Description of Moha-Nidra ( sleep of Moha)

This Jiva under influence of Moha engages in women etc. form sensory subjects , hence the Moha is described in the form of sleep:

Shloka 57: Whether the pap karma form Mudgar( a form of mace) is not extremely terrible which can damage the vulnerable points of the Jiva’s body? Surely it is. Whether the body does not burn with the ignition of sorrow form fire? Surely it does. Whether the Jiva does not hear the terrible sounds of the instruments of thundering Yamaraj? Surely he does. Then why does this stupid being not relinquish the non benedictory Moha-Nidra ?

Meaning: Person sleeping under the influence of deep sleep also wakes up by the knock of mudgar on vulnerable body points or by the heat of fire or by the thunder of musical instruments; but this insensible jiva, in spite of knock of fruition of pap karma form Mudgar or burning in fire of sorrow or listening to sounds of the kind “ today this person died- today that person died” – such thundering words of Yamraj ,  he does not relinquish the non benedictory Moha Nidra- this is a great wonder.

State of the person under influence of Moha Nidra

Under influence of Moha Nidra, this jiva desires this painful, meaningless world only:

Shloka 58: O worldly jiva, undergoing birth and death continuously! In this world there are several miseries in reality, even then you are attached to this world-this is subject of great wonder. Just consider these miseries. The body with which you are related, is a source of great agony. You always give up one body and accept another body  and suffer the miseries due to fruition of pap karma continuously. You yourself engage in the bondage of karmas at every moment on your own. With Nidra you take rest , in spite of fearing the Kaal , you surely attain death.

Meaning: It is the nature of the Jivas of the world that they do not wish to be miserable. But you traverse in this worldly ocean which is house of miseries. Firstly the acquisition of body itself is painful. Although the nimitta for salvation is also this body which is greatest- such body is generated by means of father and mother.

Staying in extremely impure womb hanging upside down for nine months, several miseries have to be undergone tolerating great heat. Exit from womb is also highly painful. In childhood under highly ignorant state there is no common sense. In adulthood desire, anger, pride, deceit, greed etc. form corruptions always keep one restless and in old age the body becomes  quite weak.

In Deva Gati also several mental sufferings have to be undergone. Witnessing the Devas having more supernatural capabilities than own, one feels miserable. Observing own Devis and other Devas dying is painful. Realising own death to be inevitable is highly painful.

The miseries of Tiryanch Gati are practically observed only.

What do we say about miseries of Narak Gati? They are anyway painful. They experience, penetration, beating, heating, chopping etc. form bodily sufferings, high mental agony, extreme cold or heat of the specific Narak, stink and diseases which are all painful. Narakis give pain to each other and Asurkumar’s inflict miseries upto third Narak which are all indescribable. The body of Narakis is home of miseries.

In this way the experiences of miseries due to fruition of pap karmas, bondage of karmas at every moment, being senseless in sleep, death at the end of ayu-  treating these miseries as pleasure is a subject of great wonder. Hence O Jiva! Being sad from these miseries, get detached from the world which is the real means for happiness.

Comparison  of body with a prison

The body which you believe to be your own and feel attached to it , its nature is described next:

Shloka 59: O fool! Don’t have unnecessary affinity towards this body of the form of prison. This body form prison is constructed with stones of the form of large bones, tied with ropes of the form of webs of veins, covered with lather, filled with blood and flesh, fabricated by enemies of the from of devil karmas and weighed down with Ayu karma form shackles.

Meaning: There is no other place source  of misery than a prison. This body is like that prison. Just as prison is constructed with large stones, in the same way the body is made with bones. Just as in prison several bondages are used, in the same way the body is tied with webs of veins. Just as prison is covered with roof, the body is covered with lather and filled with blood and flesh. Just as prison is constructed by rogues, in the same way this body is constructed by devilish karmas. Just as a prison has several shackles, in the same way this body is occupied with karma form shackles. Hence who would be foolish to have attachment with body form prison. Oh! Surely not.

Form of House- Family etc.

Besides body form prison, the other house-family in which you have affinity, their nature is described next:

Shloka 60: Where there is no one to protect you- such house is without protection. The family people are roots of bondage, your very familiar wife is door of the disaster form home and son is enemy- in this way the entire family is means for misery. If you desire happiness, then consider their nature and relinquishing them worship pure dharma.

Meaning : In this meaningless world what do you consider as meaningful? Whom all you like, they are all means for unhappiness. This house is root cause for several miseries, here there is no protector hence there is no shelter. These brothers-relations are cause for bondage, in this birth and the next they would give pain. The wife whom you treat as your own, she is like door of calamities. The son whom you consider favourable, is your own enemy ; since when son gets born then he reduces the beauty of your wife; in childhood he snatches your sweet food ( since in the worry of livelihood for them, you cannot enjoy as you wish) and on becoming adult he snatches your wealth, hence there is no other enemy than  your own son. Hence renounce them all! If you wish happiness then only practice pure Jain dharma.

Inspiration for  adopting Equanimity

Someone enquires that maybe the house etc. are not beneficial  to us, but wealth should be – this is replied next:

Shloka 61: O creature ! Do not despair unnecessarily ! For peacefulness adopt equanimity. What is the use of wealth which is like fuel to ignite the fire of hope ? O friend! What is the benefit of having oneness with friends and relatives who generate pap continuously? Further what is the use of this body or house which is like a burrow of great Moha form snake ? For attainment of peace you just adopt equanimity. Do not engage in Pramad ( carelessness) and manifest in the form of ragas etc. bhavas.

Meaning: For this Jiva raga etc. form bhavas are means for misery and only equanimity is the means for happiness- the same thing is preached by shri guru for bhavya jivas- “ O friend! Body, wealth, brother-relatives, family, friends etc. are all means for misery, there is no happiness in them. You desire happiness, hence do not engage in laziness, adopt equanimity. Treat loss-profit, life-death, friend-foe, rich-poor, wealth-calamity equally. (Do not  engage in raga-dwesha towards them !)”.

The instability of Lakshmi

For strengthening equanimity even wealth of kingdom should be renounced- this is preached next:

Shloka 62: Oh! Oh! This wealth of kingdom also vanishes within sight like the wind, which  is unstable like flame of lamp or movement of flabellum( fan). Then what is the hope for stability of Lakshmi for ordinary folks? Knowing this wealth of kingdom to be unstable the strong people themselves tie weapons so as to make it stable and commanders of army protect it with swords, even then it does not remain stable; within sight it vanishes.

Meaning: The wealth of kingdom is  extremely unstable like flame of lamp. In spite of protection, it gets destroyed immediately. For its protection the brave people wear weapons as if to hold it steady, even then it does not remain steady. Even with protection of sword bearing commanders it does not remain steady.

Oh! The Lakshmi of Chakravarthy is also unstable then what is the hope of the Lakshmi of others to remain steady? Hence knowing Lakshmi to be destructible, one should make efforts to acquire indestructible greatness.

In Swamy Kartikeya Anupreksha also it is told:

This Lakshmi does not remain permanently even with Chakravarthy etc. having great punya, then how shall it remain with  others?

The destructibility of body

The body on which you wear the crown of kingdom , how is that body and how do you suffer in it – this is described next:

Shloka 63: Just as insect trapped within a bamboo burning at both ends is in extreme despair, in the same way trapped within this body permeated with life-death, you suffer misery.

Meaning: If a bamboo stick is burning at both ends then where will the insect living in its middle would go? With extreme despair it would die. In the same way in this body pervaded with life-death, you are burning like that insect with extreme misery. Hence give up oneness with this body, so that the body does not have to be wore again. Knowing the attachment towards this body only is the cause for acquisition of new body, the great Muni renounce the affection towards body.

Continued…..