Vidura Neeti

The Vyasa Vihara with Dr. Ganesh continues. He is speaking about Vidura Neeti wherein Vidura comes at night as requested by a sleepless Dhritarashtra to give him sagely advice. This is in Udyoga Parva just before all hell breaks loose as Kauravas refuse to budge.

Among many gems of great advice, covering all aspects of human conduct, social and political and economic order, and wisdom for a ruler, I found the shloka shown above to mean a lot. 

This shloka shown above says that truly श्रियः prosperity is fostered and protected in one's life only by observance of seven virtues:

धृतिः — Fortitude and steadiness

शमः  — Temperance and self-control

दमः  — Not yielding to temptation and provocation 

शौचम् — Cleanliness in body and mind

कारण्यम् —Compassion 

वागनिष्ठुरा —Speech not hurtful

मित्राणाम् अनभिद्रोहः —Non-betrayal of friends

These seven virtues preserve and nourish prosperity just as the right ingredients build up and hold the altar fire. 

Ishwar-ji And Bhagavadgita

I am indeed blessed to have been touched by Shri Ishwar Puri-ji, the perfect living master of the Sant Mat Surat Shabd Yoga. He is a living God, 94 years old, and travels internationally all year round. His talks are like lightning strikes on our ignorance, and  he is so full of love that it is beyond description. Ever since I met him in October 2019, my life has been transformed. 

Bhagavan Shri Krishna has come to me in the form of Ishwar-ji. I am writing this article after much hesitation, but I wanted to list shlokas of the Bhagavadgita, the song of God, that closely reflect the message of Ishwar-ji as I have understood him. His You Tube videos are available at Isha News Media. 

I request dear Ishwar-ji to excuse me for any mistakes. 

सर्वयोनिषु कौन्तेय मूर्तयः सम्भवन्ति याः ।

तासां ब्रह्म महद्योनिरहं बीजप्रदः पिता       ॥ १४-४॥

Oh Arjuna, all creatures, born in whatever wombs, are born out of the womb of Brahman and I (Ishwara=God) am the one who plants the seed of everything. 

प्रकृत्यैव च कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि सर्वशः ।

यः पश्यति तथात्मानमकर्तारं स पश्यति     ॥ १३-३०॥

Nature, consisting of the mind, is the cause of all experiences and actions. The one who experiences himself as the non-doer Soul within, he sees truly. 

शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः ।

गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात्   ॥ १५-८॥

Every soul that takes up a body and departs at death carries with him the mind, full of memories, tendencies, and his karmas, just like the wind that blows always carries the fragrances of all it touches. 

स्पर्शान्कृत्वा बहिर्बाह्यांश्चक्षुश्चैवान्तरे भ्रुवोः ।

प्राणापानौ समौ कृत्वा नासाभ्यन्तरचारिणौ ॥ ५-२७॥

The way to meditate is to withdraw attention completely from all external objects and to focus on the inner eye behind the eyebrow centre. And balancing one's breath to calm the mind, to contemplate the Ultimate. 

योगिनामपि सर्वेषां मद्गतेनान्तरात्मना ।

श्रद्धावान्भजते यो मां स मे युक्ततमो मतः   ॥ ६-४७॥

Even among yogis who meditate on the Soul, the one who is totally immersed in Me (Ishwara, the Supreme Soul) with love and devotion, is the greatest meditator. 

यतः प्रवृत्तिर्भूतानां येन सर्वमिदं ततम् ।

स्वकर्मणा तमभ्यर्च्य सिद्धिं विन्दति मानवः ॥ १८-४६॥

The way to live in this world is to serve, with all one's actions, that Iswara, who is the cause of all creation and who permeates everything as the Super consciousness. 

अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जनाः पर्युपासते ।

तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम् ॥ ९-२२॥

Those who abandon every other thought and meditate on Me with love and devotion - I shall Myself take care of all their here and hereafter in all aspects (life and salvation). 

Love and devotion are the way to reach Ishwara! 

Kalidasa learns a lesson

This legend is about the greatest Indian poet, Kaviratna, Kalidasa. 

Kalidasa is proceeding on a long journey in the hot sun and is very thirsty. He sees a woman drawing water from a well.  He goes to her and requests that she give him water to drink. He is surprised when the woman says in return that she doesn't know him.  "Please introduce yourself and only then can I give you water." 

Kalidasa, the poet laureate, replies, 

" I am a traveller. (ಪ್ರವಾಸಿ)." 

The woman replies, "Sir, there are only two travellers on earth. The sun and the moon. They travel forever, regardless of anything." 

Kalidasa says, "Then I am a guest. (ಅತಿಥಿ)". 

She replies, "Sir, there are only two guests in this world. Youth and wealth. They come without announcement and go away the same way." 

Kalidasa says, a bit peeved, "Then I am Forbearance. (ಸಹನಶೀಲತೆ)." 

The woman is undeterred. She says, "Sir, there are only two embodiments of forbearance.bMother earth and the tree. We trample on earth and cut down trees. They bear it without complaint." 

Kalidasa says, "Know me to be stubborn. (ಹಠವಾದಿ)" 

The woman smiles and says, "Sir, the only two things that never listen to anyone and carry on are: one's hair and one's nails. They grow stubbornly." 

Kalidasa has come to the end of his wits. He says, "Then take me for a fool! (ಮೂರ್ಖ)." 

The woman says," Sir, surely you should know that there are only two real fools on earth. The incompetent king who doesn't know he is a fool. And his minister who goes on praising him, even when the king is a fool. "

Kalidasa says, in desperation, "At least, can I say I am a human? (ಮನುಷ್ಯ)"

The woman gives him water to drink. And reveals herself to be Goddess Saraswati. She says, "The greatest recognition for anyone is to be truly human." 

Bring up your kids rolling in wealth. They will become perhaps rich. But bring them up in tough circumstances, make them human. 

Sri Gurupadukastotram

This glorious prayer to the sandals/footwear of the Sri Guru has been composed by the colossus 

Jagadguru Sri Sachchidananda Shivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati Swamiji of Sringeri Math.

We recently went through this great composition as we were taught by Swami Tejomayanandaji of Chinmaya Mission. I am therefore inspired to write this blog. I shall attempt to give the shloka meanings word-by-word and my own understanding.

1.

• नालीकनीकाशपदाधृताभ्याम् - the pair of footwear that bear the lotus-like feet (of the Guru)
• नारीविमोहादिनिवारकाभ्याम् - that remove the infatuation with women (/men) and so on,
• नमज्जनाभीष्टततिप्रदाभ्याम् - that confer fulfilment of a series of desires for devotees who bow down,
• नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - to that sacred pair of footwear, our repeated obeisances.

2. 

• शमादिषट्कप्रदवैभवाभ्याम् - that have the glory of conferring Shama and other six-fold virtues to the seeker,
• समाधिदानव्रतदीक्षिताभ्याम् - that are vow-bound to confer Samadhi on the true seeker,
• रमाधवाङ्घ्रिस्थिरभक्तिदाभ्याम् - that grant us firm devotion to the feet of Narayana, Lord of Lakshmi,
• नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - to that sacred pair of footwear, our repeated obeisances.

3. 

• नृपालिमौलिव्रजरत्नकान्तिसरिद्विराजज्झषकन्यकाभ्याम् - that are like a pair of divine mermaids shining in  shimmering waters as they dazzle amidst a series of glittering crowns of a line of kings bowing down to the Guru for his grace,
• नृपत्वदाभ्यां नतलोकपङ्क्तेः- and that, equally, confer lordship to the line of even ordinary devotees bowing down to the Guru ,
• नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - to that sacred pair of footwear, our repeated obeisances.

4. 

• अनन्तसंसारसमुद्रतार​-नौकायिताभ्याम् गुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - that divine pair of footwear of the Guru that function as the boat to save us from the endless seas of worldly bondage,
• वैराग्यसाम्राज्यदपूजनाभ्याम् - and confer on us the kingdom of dispassion when worshipped,
• नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - to that sacred pair of footwear, our repeated obeisances.

5.

• पापान्धकारार्कपरम्पराभ्याम् - that are like a series of suns to dispel the darkness of sinful and ignorant acts,
• तापत्रयाहीन्द्रखगेश्वराभ्याम् - that are like Garuda, lord of birds, to the mightiest of serpents that are the three-fold troubles faced by mankind,
• जाड्याब्धिसंशोओषणवाडवाभ्याम् - that are like the mythical submarine fire that dries up the ocean of man's inertia in spiritual matters,
• नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - to that sacred pair of footwear, our repeated obeisances.

6. 

• कवित्ववाराशिनिशाकराभ्याम् - that are like the moon who inspires the sea of poetic and spiritual insight to wax,
• दारिद्र्यदावाम्बुदमालिकाभ्याम् -that are like a series of rain-bearing clouds to put out the fire of misery and wretchedness of man,
• दूरीकृतानम्रविपत्ततिभ्याम् - that ward off the dangers faced by devotees,
• नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - to that sacred pair of footwear, our repeated obeisances.

7.

• नता ययोः श्रीपतितां समीयुः - those bowing down to which pair acquire immeasurable prosperity akin to Lakshmi's consort Vishnu,
• कदाचिदप्याशु दरिद्रवर्याः - even when they may be indeed the most wretched lot at present, 
• मूकश्च वाचस्पतितां हि ताभ्याम् - and alike, a dumb mute becomes the lord of eloquence, bowing down to the pair,
• नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - to that sacred pair of footwear, our repeated obeisances.

8. 

• कामादिसर्पव्रजभञ्जकाभ्याम् - the pair that destroy the serpentine enemies of man like lust,
• विवेकवैराग्यनिधिप्रदाभ्याम् - and graciously grant the immense wealth of discrimination and dispassion to the devotee,
• बोधप्रदाभ्याम् द्रुतमोक्षदाभ्याम् - that confer wisdom, and quickly enable liberation of the bound soul,
• नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - to that sacred pair of footwear, our repeated obeisances.

9.

• स्वार्चापराणामखिलेष्टदाभ्याम् - to the one dedicated to contemplation of the Self, they grant all desires (which will naturally be of a spiritual nature),
• स्वाहासहायाक्षधुरन्धराभ्याम् - they bear the immense weight of Lord Shankara himself (with fire as his  third eye), as his footwear,
• स्वान्ताच्छभावप्रदपूजनाभ्याम् - and they on worship grant one infinite felicity of revelling in the Self,
• नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - to that sacred pair of footwear, our repeated obeisances.

We can see that the Sringeri Swamiji has poured great spiritual instruction into this prayer. He has described the immense glory of even the footwear of the Guru and how worshipping them frees us from bondage and takes us to liberation and grants us true devotion.

My thoughts on going through this prayer are as follows. God, as we intuit Him, in infinite glory, is beyond thought and perception for us. In His infinite grace, to redeem us, He manifests as the Guru in human form. The Guru is glory himself as he attracts us, gives us the right direction, insight, and liberation, constantly guiding us through this world of delusions and attractions and addressing our sense of being impoverished.

Even as we say this, we can at once see that even the Guru is thus beyond our comprehension. He is God in human form. The only thing we can express to him is devotion. But our devotion is in too small a measure even to reach him. So an immediate and ready opportunity presents itself to us: to worship his footwear! His footwear appear to be of material access, but indeed they hold within themselves all the power to grant us devotion, insight, and even liberation. Liberation from a sense of want and incompleteness, and liberation in the form of realising Sat-Chit-Ananda-Brahman.  So it is an easy beginning for us to worship the Guru's padukas.

Om Tat Sat!

Postscript: Some versions of this Stotram have a different sequencing of verses. For example Chinmaya Mission. The sequence shown here is taken from the 1913 publication of Sri Vani Vilas Press, Srirangam. This press was set up by a disciple of the Sringeri Swamiji, the author of the Stotram. I therefore believe this is the original. 

Shatavadhani Dr. R. Ganesh on Mahabharata - Amazing Narratives

Dr. Ganesh (Wikipedia) has been discoursing on Vyasa's Mahabharata  now for over a month. His reverence for Mahabharata is evident, and he is the right speaker on such an encyclopaedic work of India's greatest rishi poet. He reads extensively from the critical edition and also many other sources, with his own highly insightful interpretations. This series, which will continue for many more weeks, is all mercifully archived on You Tube and I share the embed link above to one of the episodes I liked very much.

Mahabharata is full of wonderful stories and episodes apart from the main narrative of Kauravas and Pandavas. Dr. Ganesh says that Mahabharata excels Upanishads, Puranas and all other literature for its immeasurable breadth and depth of narrative on almost all human affairs.

In this lecture, he covers the story of how the Ashvini Devata twins were secured the rights to Soma Havis by Sage Chyavana, son of Bhrigu Maharishi. Chyavana during his austeries invented and  partook of the herbal preparation we now call by the famous name of ChyavanPrash. 

Duirng his severe and long austerity, a huge anthill grows over Chyavana much like in Valmiki's case. Just then Sharyati Maharaja with his entourage arrives in the forest. His only daughter Sukanya is wandering around and comes across this peculiar anthill. She peeps into its holes and sees two shining objects ( Chyavana's eyes). Curiously she pokes a stick at the objects and blinds Chyavana.. An enraged Chayavana  curses her entire family that they should lose the ability to excrete and defecate for her sinful act of blinding him. Sukanya confesses to her father that she had poked the sticks to prise out what she thought were shining insects but it turned out to be the sage's eyes that shone from within. 

At the king's pleading for revoking the curse, Chyavana agrees provided young Sukanya becomes his wife and takes care of him. A contrite Sukanya agrees, despite her being a young, beautiful, princess, and this sage being very old and blind. Dr. Ganesh comments that the Bhrigu lineage was full of sages who were easily incensed, and this princess showed a great responsibility in atoning her inadvertent misdeed and making up to sage Chyavana. 

After some time, the famed twin gods Ashvinis arrive there. Throughout Vedas and Puranas, they are known to have rendered great service and healed many. When they see this beautiful young princess serving her old and blind husband, they are curious. They offer to redeem her and offer that one of them can even marry her. But she flatly refuses, saying she is devoted to her husband and in fact, if they are indeed endowed with divine powers, let them kindly restore youth and eye sight to her husband, Rishi Chyavana. They smilingly agree, and take Chyavana for a dip in the nearby lake. When the three emerge, they are all identical in youth, splendour, and divine ornamentation and dress. They ask her to identify her husband. With her Pativrata insight, Sukanya is easily able to identify the sage. Dr. Ganesh comments here that external appearance is secondary when someone or some subject is close to someone's heart. He says how scholars, goldsmiths and others have an insight and not dependent on external data. 

Sage Chyavana, in his gratitude, offers to secure for the Ashvinis the Soma Yajna offering which has been so far denied to them by Indra. This is an audacious effort, and Dr. Ganesh comments that the Bhiru clan is well known for such courageous and impossible aspirations, In fact, only by striving for something normally beyond one's reach can one discover one's true potential and also realize where the divine comes in and when the human effort stops short. Only then does true Bhakti dawn in one's heart. He quotes, " साहसे श्रीः".

Thereafter Chyavana requests his father in law, the king Sharyati, to join him in the conduct of the Soma Yaga where he will offer the Soma to the Ashvinis. At this stage Dr. Ganesh tells us that traditionally, medicine men are considered a bit impure as they deal with the sick and even the dead. This prejudice is the reason that the Ashvinis have been kept out of Soma Yagas thus far. Indra refuses to let the Ashvinis partake of Soma, saying they are mere workers going around communities seeking to do good and do not exhibit the dignity warranted by the status of Devas. At this stage, Dr. Ganesh quotes the story of Kannada's great litterateur and humourist T.P. Kailasam, who had returned with high qualifications in geology from England and was appointed in Kolar Gold Fields as an officer. But the local brown sahibs and the English frowned on his practice of spending his evenings singing his huge collection of songs and folklore with his harmonium, inviting one and all to his courtyard. Of course Kailasam didn't budge.

Dr. Ganesh also quotes the case of Prof. B.G. L. Swamy, (son of Dr. D.V. Gundappa, a great force in Kannada culture and literature), who headed the botany department in Madras University. Not being one for formalities, Dr. Swamy always went about in his Khaki shorts and short, a true scientist. When an English delegation was visiting, he was requested to stay out of the way as his demeanour would spoil the decorum needed for the occasion. He stayed quietly in his lab, which he had constructed behind a cloth curtain in his office. As the visitors came around for inspection, they were curious to see what was behind that curtain. When they saw him and his lab, they were delighted and told the officials that he truly exemplified the idea of a science professor in England.

This episode of Chyavana highlights what kind of prejudice and false dignity can run in our lives. This story should not be construed as a struggle between gods. 

Continuing the story, Indra is incensed as Chyavana begins to offer Soma to the Ashvinis. He comes to strike Chyavana with his Vajrayudha. Chyavana  uses his Tapas power to freeze Indra and his upraised Vajra. He also wants to teach him a lesson and conjures up a big Pishacha monster who comes to swallow Indra. His mouth is miles wide and with terrible fangs. Indra is terrified and relents with an apology. Chyavana releases Indra to Indra's great relief. Indra admits the Ashvinis to the circle of Devas who can partake Soma havis and the Ashvinis are properly accepted.

Dr. Ganesh shows that such acts of selfless righteousness, full of magnanimity, are seen only in great sages and in neither gods nor men nor demons. Even the way Brahma gave the Natya Shastra only to Bharata Muni and not to gods or men or demons is an example of how rishis and sages of great Tapas prowess and universal magnanimity are a cut above the rest. They stand above the triumvirate of mortals, gods and demons in Hindu Dharmic world purely because of their selflessness and Tapas prowess they use for universal good.

Meanwhile what happened to that Pishacha monster? Chyavana, having created him, needed to give him his food too. He told him to get his food from the four misdeeds of men - drinking (surapana), promiscuity (lampatya), gambling ( aksha) and hunting ( mrigayaa). Such acts present those men as fodder to this monster. 

I wanted to share this story and give the link to Dr. Ganesh's talks. His talk series is simply wonderful for immense knowledge, insight and a sense of pride it invokes in our culture.

By the way we are Bhargavas in our family gotra! Our Pravara Rishis are Bhrigu, Chyavana, Apnavaana, Aurva and Jamadagni.