BHAJA GOVINDAM - 16. Swami Adi Sri Sankaracharya.
Chaturdasha Manjarika Stotram
PART III – Slokas : 14-27
“Where Is Happiness?”
========================================================================
Monday, 15 May, 2023. 06:00.
Song - 16: Fooled by Austerity
=========================================================================
Swami Chinmayananda :
Song - 16: Fooled by Austerity
1 agre vanhih prishthe bhaanuh = In front is the fire, at the back the sun;
2 raatrau chubuka samarpita jaanuh; = night he sits with knees held to his chin;
3 karatala bhikshas-taru-tala-vaasah = with a tree as shelter, his alms in his palms –
4 tadapi na munchaty-aashaa paashah. = yet the noose of Desire spares him not!
=========================================================================
Swami Chinmayananda :
The Geeta Mother.... the Universal Religion of Geeta, is the one to whom the children of any age can always confidently turn to, expecting nothing but total forgiveness and complete love, even after a million outrageous acts which the individuals might have committed.
=========================================================================
This song depicts the other extreme – utter self-denial – in the hope that it will
exhaust all desire. Aversion, as opposed to indulgence, is attempted. If some have
discovered that they have been fooled by indulging in desires, there are others who have
been equally fooled by making senseless efforts to deny themselves all bodily comforts.
These efforts are also doomed to failure because they do not address the Mind, where the
problem lies.
========================================================================
1-3
In this Song certain torturous methods, quite common in Shankaracharya’s time
but seen to this day, of inviting bodily discomfort are used to check one’s desires. Again
the glaring truth is ignored that the mind needs to be checked, not the body. All the cases
quoted take the body to extreme levels of endurance in the belief that desire will be rooted
out by such methods. They bypass the problem area completely.
These methods are prompted mainly by the ego. A pure mind will not think of these
techniques. Only a Rajasic or Tamasic mind, which does not have the power to grasp the
essence of what scriptures are trying to say, will reveal its lack of understanding by adopting
such methods of austerity. The Bhagavad Gita calls such austerity Rajasic or Tamasic. As in
the previous verse, the details of the methods are not so important. Its the central principle
at work that is important.
=========================================================================
4
The result is that the ego drives the will to practice such tormenting methods. The
ego seeks to take the credit for “achieving” liberation for itself. It hijacks the entire practice
of Sadhana among the unwary seekers. The ego sets out on the premise that “it will conquer
the senses”. Such efforts have deluded many individuals on the spiritual path.
In this whole process, Desire remains untouched!
In trying to struggle out of the “noose” of Desire in this manner, it gets tighter and
tighter!
We see behind these verses, the maturity of God-experience of Sri Shankaracharya
being brought to bear in his advice for the benefit of genuine spiritual seekers.
*****
Next
Song - 17: Fooled by Moderation :
To be continued
=========================================================================
Comments
Post a Comment