Atmanushasan ( Discipline of Soul) - 06

 

The indefiniteness of Ayu

What does soul do in Manushya Paryaya- this is told next:

Shloka 82: Everyday while sleeping, apprehension of death is generated and again on waking up celebrates life- the Jiva is  in such state, whether he would remain for ever in the body? He would not.

Meaning: This jiva while sleeping becomes like a dead person and becomes alive on  waking up. This is the state everyday. There is no assurance of the Jiva staying in this body. Deciding that this jiva would soon leave this body, one should carry out suitable activities.

The family people are not benefactors

Thus telling that the body does not benefit the soul , now it is told that the family people also are not benefactors of the soul:

Shloka 83: O Atman! Tell truth! Have you found relatives to be carrying out suitable beneficial activities in this world? We do not see any benefaction of yours done by your family people. The only benevolence of theirs which is apparent is that after your death they shall gather and burn this body form enemy of yours.

Meaning: Those who do something beneficial for self are called brother-friends. Oh! Those whom you call as your brother-friends, if they have done something good for you then tell! So that your belief would be true. The enemy of enemy is called friend. By burning your enemy form body after your death, these people have taken your revenge with the body. This much only appears to be the good they have done for you.

In this way the family does not benefit – knowing this, it is preached not to indulge in raga towards them.

The helpful relative in marriage etc. only is the real enemy

The marriage etc. activities are carried out by relatives only, hence why they cannot be called benefactors – this question is answered next:

Shloka 84: Performing activities of marriage etc. thus enhancing the tradition of the world, our relatives only are the enemies of this Jiva. Oh! Other enemies who take life only once are not real enemies.

Meaning: Those who take life once, you believe them to be your great enemy. However by his acts the life does not end, that happens only with the end of Ayu. Therefore the one who takes your life  is not your real enemy. On the other hand, your family people, who engage  you in the activities of marriage etc. with the nimitta of raga etc. , thereby generating reasons for new karma bondage, only are your enemies. Knowing this , not accepting them as benefactors, one should not have raga towards them.

Delusion  of peace while  burning in the fire of thirst

The relatives are means for meeting  desired objectives of women, wealth etc. by marriage etc., hence it is not right to call them enemies – this doubt is cleared in next shloka:

Shloka 85: This Jiva being deluded, pours wealth form fuel in the hope form fire and with its enhancement burning himself, believes own soul to be happy and peaceful.

Meaning: Just as some mad person burning in a small fire himself, pours more fuel in that fire and by burning more considers himself to be cooled; in the same way this ignorant soul is suffering under the influence of hope due to delusion, therefore by pouring wealth form fuel in the hope form fire, with the enhancement of  hope, being more miserable, he believes himself to be happy. In reality he is not happy. With acquisition of wealth etc., the thirst increases and misery also enhances. Hence wealth etc. are cause for misery. The relatives etc. are also on account of wealth etc. and hence means for misery;  therefore they should be believed to be enemies.

The real implication of greying of hair

With deluded belief what all is happening to you- this is described next:

Shloka 86: With excuse of white hair, the purity of your intellect itself is leaving your body. Hence in old age, being incapable, how can you contemplate of ParLok ? Since in this state any reflection cannot be carried out.

Meaning: You think that in adulthood I should enjoy the pleasures of this Lok by means of wealth, women etc. and in old age I shall make efforts for ParLok by practicing dharma. In old age the hair turn grey so we believe that in the form of white hair the purity of your wisdom itself is leaving the body ( i.e. the wisdom is waning) With absence of wisdom even worldly activities cannot be contemplated then how can the reflection of ParLok be carried out? Therefore before the old age arrives, realising wealth etc. to be cause for misery, it is appropriate to make efforts for ParLok.

The form of worldly ocean

Jivas with pure wisdom and without Moha,  contemplating of ParLok are very few:

Shloka 87: In the worldly ocean, Jivas staying away from the wide open mouth of moha form crocodiles are very scarce. This worldly ocean is filled with salty water of the form of pleasures generated with desired things. Just as by drinking salty water of ocean the thirst is not quenched, in the same way by sensory pleasures form water of worldly ocean, the desires are not quenched.

Meaning: This worldly ocean is heated with several mental unhappiness form fires. Just as fire in the ocean absorbs the water of ocean, in the same way the mental worries of the world do not  permit enjoyment of sensory pleasures hence they are misery form only.

The worldly ocean is transitory  with waves of birth-death-old age. Just as the waves in the ocean spurt, in the same way in the world the birth-death-old age states keep changing.

In such as worldly ocean the moha form crocodile is opening its mouth wide i.e. its fruition is in occurrence. Those who keep away from the wide open mouth of Moha form crocodile i.e. not being corrupted with the fruition of moha, such jivas are very rare. If such Jivas were more in the world then how would the world continue? Therefore such jivas are very few enabling the world to continue.

Blessed are the Jivas illuminated with knowledge

Staying away from the jaws of Moha, you are severe practitioner of conduct, your earlier well nourished body is now witnessed by does; hence you are blessed:

Shloka 88: The body which was well nourished with continuous pleasures in household state, which was praised by playful lotus-eyes of women adorned with beautiful bodies, which was pleasurable and enjoyable; now in adult state upon realisation and becoming venerable, your that body has turned to ashes, therefore in the forest does witness it like a burnt tree, hence you are blessed.

Meaning: It is the tendency of Jivas that they indulge in activities as per their practice. Several Jivas after attainment of Manushya gati tolerate miseries only. However some people, upon fruition of past punya, in spite of  being quite happy with the family, wealth etc. upon  realisation in adulthood itself engage in tapa accepting ordination. Them the does type animals witness like a burnt tree in forest. Hence those jivas are blessed and venerable in all respects.

Look! Such is the greatness of soul knowledge! Extremely blissful Tirthankara and Chakravarthy also attained ordination and became stationary like Sumeru mountain. Bahubali etc.  also practiced such a Pratima Yoga that creepers wrapped around their bodies. The Sukumalji, to whom even mustard used to prick, when the female jackal started eating him, even then  he remained stationary. Several such people have existed in the past- they all are blessed.

The rarity of Dharma in childhood etc. three states

Your birth also would be successful by this means only, not by any other means – this is informed next:

Shloka 89:  In childhood state with lack of developed body, you are not aware of the good or bad. In adulthood, wandering in the dense forest of women form trees, you remain blind with desires. In middle age with strong thirst for earning wealth, you suffer carrying  weight like animals in activities of agriculture etc. and in old age you are half dead. How can your Manushya birth be successful? When would you attain pure dharma?

Meaning: Amongst  all the paryayas the Manushya paryaya has been declared to be the means for practice of dharma. With practice of dharma only the Manushya Paryaya is meaningful but how can your Manushya paryaya be successful? Since in childhood you did not have the knowledge of good or bad. In adulthood you became blind with desires of women. In middle age with enhancement of family etc., you became restless for earning wealth for their upkeep. In old age with deterioration of senses and mind you become like half dead. In such a situation when would you practice dharma? And how can your Manushya birth be successful?

Therefore the childhood and old age states are beyond your control. Hence in adulthood and middle age only by relinquishing raga towards women-family etc. and practicing dharma only your manushya birth can be successful.

In three stages of childhood etc. the miseries due to karmas

In all the three stages described above, the karmas make you suffer, hence it is not right to be within their control- this is stated next:

Shloka 90: In this paryaya, in the childhood stage, the wrongs carried out by karmas to you are not worth remembering. In middle age, engaged in means for earning wealth, there is no misery left which karmas did not inflict upon you. They insulted you in old age with pulling teeth etc. form harsh sufferings – in spite of seeing all this, O dim-witted ! you still wish to remain  in the influence of these karmas?

Meaning: In the Lok one does not wish to remain under influence of one who has committed wrong towards you even once, labelling him to be enemy; hence keeps contemplating of the means for his destruction. Eternally these karmas have wronged you, which you do not remember. But in this paryaya the childhood states of womb, birth, body development etc., the middle states of wealth acquisition etc. and insults of breaking teeth in old age – these acts of karmas were directly witnessed  by you and still you wish to remain under their influence. You do not look  for means for their destruction? This lack of purushartha would only hurt you.

Inspiration for soul benefit against old age

Witnessing the activities of senses, it is not appropriate for you to remain carefree:

Shloka 91: The ears do not wish to hear the words of insult, abuse and condemnation spoken by others in your old age, as if they have become incapable of hearing. Your pitiable state, the eyes do not wish to witness, hence as if they have become blind. The body is shaking scared of the arrival of kaal in front. In this way withered with old age and staying in burning body form house you are carefree- this is amazing.

Meaning: Death is inevitable hence wise people do not remain carefree and prior to death itself they make efforts for ParLok. After old age the death comes as a rule only and in spite of senses weakening for enjoyments of pleasures, you are hoping to continue to stay here and be carefree. Just as by witnessing someone sitting carefreely in a burning house causes wonder, in the same way one witnessing your state we are amazed. Being carefree you do not make efforts for evasion, hence you are warned.

Admonition to Jivas engaged in sensory subjects with logic

The carefree jiva described above is reprimanded:

Shloka 92: There is a saying in the Lok that the one with whom close contact and familiarity is there, with respect to them the attitude is derogatory while with respect to new subjects it is affectionate. Even then you remain obsessed with very familiar ragas etc. defects and do not have affection towards samyak darshan etc. form new qualities, thereby negating the saying of the Lok.

Meaning: In the Lok it is well known that the one which has been enjoyed a lot, it gets neglected and there is attraction and affection towards new items. But the ragas etc. have been enjoyed by you since eternal times but still you are seen to be obsessed with them while the benefit of Samyak darshan is new but you do not have affection towards it. So how do you make this saying of the Lok to be a lie. This is highly amazing.

The Addicted has no sense of good-bad

Obsessed with flaws and being addicted without spirit of good-bad you have suffered birth-death etc. several miseries in the world- this is explained with example:

Shloka 93: This lotus flower is not eatable by swans since it is extremely hard, it does not merge with water and blooms in the day time only – not realising the nature of lotus, the bumble bee greedy of the scent, attains death unnecessarily. In the same way the addict does not have sense of good-bad under influence of his obsession.

Meaning: Here the principle is explained with a metaphorical example. Just as bumble bee attracted by the scent sits inside the lotus flower without considering that the swans have not eaten it since it is hard, it remains separate from water and it closes in the night. Thus being highly obsessed he attains death inside lotus flower. In the same way desirous of pleasures this Ragi jiva enjoying sensory subjects does not think that great people have relinquished these enjoyments , these subjects are harsh and painful, they are different from pure nature of soul and on fruition of pap they vanish. This ragi jiva unnecessarily accrues bondage of pap and become eligible for Narak etc., since addicted people do not have sense of their own welfare. On account of obsession towards senses nothing is considered and as a result the miseries have to be suffered.

The negligence of wise people is saddening

Due to absence of Samyak Gyan this jiva does not notice his flaws and wandering in this world attainment of Samyak Gyan is extremely rare- this is informed next:

Shloka 94: In the world having the wisdom to think is  rare and having wisdom to contemplate of ParLok is even more rare. Hence in spite of getting such wisdom, the Jivas remain negligent is a subject which wise ones should think about.

Meaning: One sensed, Asangyi (without mind), and some Aparyaptak Sangyi jivas do not have activities pertaining to mind and in this world very long period has to be spent in these paryayas only, hence firstly attainment of wisdom is quite difficult. Even per chance some wisdom is attained then consideration of dharma for Par Lok is extremely difficult. After being with mind for infinite times only, some jiva acquires wisdom for dharma. Those Jivas who do not remain alert in spite of getting wisdom of dharma with great fortune and remain lazy in dharma practice, the Gyanis worry about them that what kind of destiny awaits those who miss the opportunity. Hence after getting wisdom of dharma one should not be negligent.

The Gyanis being servants to Kings etc. is a subject of contemplation

In spite of having wisdom for dharma and being brave, with the desire of wealth, the Gyanis serve the king etc. This is sorry state of affairs:

Shloka 95: The practice of dharma due to which king etc. become ruler of Lok, equipped with the same Lok famous dharma practice and bravery, the gyanis  become servant to kings – this is very saddening. Why do they do this? Thinking about them makes us very sad.

Meaning: It is famous in the Lok that the kingdom is acquired as a result of dharma. Those jivas who are quite brave and capable of practicing dharma and realise the result of dharma being gyani, in spite of this they do not practice dharma and instead with desire of wealth they serve the king etc. We are worried about them that by practice due to which the king acquired this kingdom- abandoning such practice of dharma why do they serve the king? Here the implication is that abandoning the practice of dharma engaging in other activities is not worthwhile.

Means for attainment of Dharma

In this shloka, in the guise of revealing the hiding place of the wealth of Krishna named king, the means for attainment of dharma form wealth  is being revealed:

Shloka 96: Here a metaphor is used with two meanings. The first meaning reveals the  inaccessible  hiding place of wealth of king named Krishna by a minister named Sarvarya. In the second meaning it is applied to revealing  the means of dharma.

First meaning: That place was magnificent with mountains. On that mountains such tall bamboos were there that their ends could only be imagined. Their peaks were extremely tall as if to be equipped with the height form wealth. The path to reach them was extremely long but in presence of snakes etc. enemies it was extremely inaccessible. On that path the directions could not be determined clearly hence that place was unknown to general people and was rugged. Even then the Sarvarya named minister of the king has gone and observed it directly- thus in first meaning the minister Sarvarya is praised.

Second Meaning: That dharma is magnificent wherein others are preached. For wealth only people bow their heads in front of kings- that is the result of dharma only. These kings are belonging to Ikshwaku etc. family and are extremely wise, great and have enormous wealth. These kings are principal since they belong to specific dharma. The path to that dharma is of several kinds in the form of charity-vows etc. form divisions, devoid of desires and inaccessible – invisible  to people with lust. Oh! Prime amongst the saintly people, ourselves are also incapable of describing the path of dharma, i.e. we do not have capability to reveal it totally. Worshipped by all Arya i.e. Ganadhar etc. saints, Sarvarya i.e. Omniscient deva has revealed the path of dharma, that path should be traversed by all.

Thus here in first meaning the minister named Sarvarya is praised. In the second meaning the form of fruition of dharma and nature of those who reveal the path of dharma is described.

Affection of Munis toward other’s welfare

The form of Muniraj is described who narrates the dharma and the path of dharma to the Jivas after generating detachment towards body etc. within them. The Muniraj does not have any desires for own benefit. His attitude is that of doing welfare of others- this is told next:

Shloka 97: Residing within  this body which is impure in every possible way and has several bodily and mental miseries, the worldly jiva does not get detached towards it, rather he adores it even more. “ Does this Jiva not highly adore after seeing this body, surely he does” – such statement is the false preachment of Mithya Gurus. However the great Muniraj preach these jivas in meaningful manner and attempt to detach them from the body. The interest of the great Munis towards other’s welfare is worth noticing.

Meaning: The preachment which other Jivas may like, such educators are quite a lot. But the Muniraj has interest towards other’s welfare hence they make the  Jivas obsessed with bodies to be detached from the same. This Jiva directly witnesses the body to be impure and means for misery, even then he does not get detached from it and instead he adores it even more. However just as some compassionate person saves the moths falling upon the lamp, in the same way the Muniraj preach this Jiva to be detached from the body. Although he knows that his preachment would appear bitter to this Jiva , even then knowing him to be miserable, he preaches them. These Munis do not have any other desire. Look! The great people are such benevolent.

Body : Residence of all Miseries

Why do Muniraj give meaningful preachment to the Jiva who is not detached from the body  to  become estranged from the body – this is answered next:

Shloka 98: This body is such and such – what is point of repeating it again and again? O Jiva! You have enjoyed this body again and again and abandoned it. Briefly only this much has to be told to you that this body is residence of all miseries for the Jivas.

Meaning: Enough preachment has been carried out. If your benefit is not destined then what ever is told is meaningless. Since eternal times you occupied this body and discarding it after suffering several miseries, you occupied new body again. Hence briefly we tell you this much only that this body is residence of birth-death, thirst-hunger etc. form diseases. Hence being estranged with the body, such efforts should be made that there are no relations with body itself in future.

Miseries of Foetal state

For occupying this body what was your condition in foetal state is described next:

Shloka 99: O Jiva! Under influence of karmas you stayed in mother’s stomach along with  excrement  and with desire for growth you consumed the food eaten by your mother for long. You kept your mouth open with the hope that a drop of water enters your mouth,  thus you suffered thirst-hunger. Occupying congested place in stomach without movements you were accompanied with insects being born there. This is the condition of foetal state, hence O Jiva! I believe that you are scared of death which is a cause of rebirth since you are afraid of the miseries of the birth.

Meaning: O Jiva! Leave apart the miseries of Narak etc. caused by the attachment towards this body, you just contemplate of the miseries which you have undergone in foetal state for attaining this great Manushya paryaya itself. For this reason we believe that after death you would have to take birth again, hence you are afraid of the death. The sufferings that you have undergone in taking birth; in fear of them, the fear of death prevails within you. Therefore knowing the miseries of birth of this body, such efforts should be made that these miseries are not experienced again.

Continued…..