HYMNS OF CREATION: RIG-VEDA

NAASADIYA SUKTA OF RIG-VEDA

Rig-Veda happens to be the most ancient book on this planet. The modern scientists, of course, have done a lot of research on cosmology and creation, but to do that they have all the scientific resources at their disposal. The modern man’s intelligence stands on the powerful plinth of millenniums of observations and scientific inventions. But our Rishis did not have that privilege. Think of some such visionary of extreme past, (more than six thousand years back) sitting on the banks of Ganges, on the side of some Himalayan ice capped hill and meditating on cosmology and creation and reveals the most wonderful and divine hymn of all the time.

I would like you to see the beauty of Naasadiya Sukta of Rig-Veda popularly known as Hymns of Creation. The internet is full of various translations of this beautiful Sukta appearing in the last chapter of this sacred book. Every translation is good and encompasses a different meaning of the Mantras the translator could grasp out of the Sukta.

I, first time, read the translation of ‘Hymns of Creation’ in a book called ‘Wonder, That was India’ some fifty years ago and was so thrilled by its poetry that I copied it down in one of my diaries. Then, year after year, my diaries got changed but this Sukta has to remain there. It was quite later I read Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s book “Eternal India” and found the same translation there too. To me this translation is more attractive and meaningful. But the real beauty lies in the Mantras of the Sukta it self. If you know little bit of Vedic Sanskrit, I would advice you to read the Mantras directly and try to grasp the meaning, because I very strongly believe that no translation, however beautiful and accurate, can reproduce the exact beauty of Naasadiya Sukta.

CONTENTS

The title word ‘Naasadiya’ is made out of the first word of this Sukta ‘Na Asad’. The seven Mantras of this Sukta are in Trishthup  (त्रिष्टुप) meter, a very popular meter in Vedas. It has four padas of eleven syllables each (total 44 syllables)  making a mantra of this meter. It is the most prevalent meter of the Rig-veda, accounting for roughly forty percent of its verses. Its Rishi or Seer is Parmeshthi Prajaapati (परमेष्ठी प्रजापति) who, as per my knowledge, is the Rishi of only this Sukta. Here please know that a Rishi does not mean author. ऋषयो मंत्र द्रष्टार: (निरुक्त २/११). That means the seer of the mantra is a rishi. Prajaapati is not a cast or title but most of the rishis of vedas including Vahisth and Viswamitra etc are preceeded or followed by ‘Prajaapati’ meaning ‘god or king who protects’. The names of the Rishis are also indicative of some quality or Vedic truth and are not proper nouns.  This Sukta is dedicated to the Vedic Devata called Bhava Vrittam (भाववृत्तम्). Here again I would like to state that Devatas in Vedas are only the subject matter of the mantras and are not personal gods.

PRESENTATION

I am placing here the seven Mantras the way they are written in the Vedas, I mean, with the stresses controlling the sound of particular letters with respect to the meter in use plus the sense and meaning of the total word. Some of you may not have any use of these stresses, but to them who know the Vedas, these stresses are extremely important. They would not tolerate a text of Vedas without proper stressing marks. Keeping everything in view, I am putting the text as it is with the poetic translation of the same below each mantra.

RIG-VEDA MANDAL 10, SUKTA 129

NAASADIYA SUKT OR HYMNS OF CREATION

Then even nothingness was not, nor existence.

There was no air then, nor the heavens beyond it.

What covered it? Where was it? In whose keeping,

Was there then cosmic water, in depths unfathomed?

Then there was neither death nor immortality

Nor was there then the torch of night and day.

The one breathed windlessly and self-sustaining,

There was that ONE then, and there was no other.

At first there was only darkness wrapped in darkness.

All this was only un-illumined water.

That ONE which came to be, enclosed in nothing,

Arose at last, born of the power of heat.

In the beginning desire descended on it-

That was the primal seed, born of the mind,

The sages who have searched their hearts with wisdom

Know that which is kin to ‘that which is not’.

And they have stretched their cord across the void,

And know what was above, and what below.

Seminal powers made fertile mighty forces.

Below was strength, and over it was impulse.

But, after all, who knows, and who can say

Whence it all came, and how creation happened?

The gods themselves are later that creation,

So who knows truly whence it has arisen?

Whence all creation had its origin,

HE, whether HE fashioned it or whether HE did not,

HE, who surveys it all from highest heaven,

HE knows - or may be even HE DOES NOT KNOW.

MIND AND INTELLECT (THE REHABILITATION OF PERSONALITY)

THE REHABILITATION OF PERSONALITY

Humans Vs Animals

We had a significant discussion about the powers of mind in my previous posts. It was seen that mind is only a function and not a biological organ and its powers are generated by the flow of thoughts. In animals, unlike humans, the mind is created by the impulses. There the pattern if distinct thoughts is in its basic form and depends mainly on the stimulus received through the senses. On the other hand, human have a capability of analyzing the stimulus and react discriminately. But if a human reacts without the control of this discriminating faculty, he indeed is nothing better than an animal. In Sanskrit a तिर्याक is the word used for animals. तिर्याक  means the one who has its body parallel to ground. It denotes the animals because their heads and the rest of the body are in a line and thus the head is, by its nature, considered responsible for every thing that follows it (that is the rest of body). But a human is different.  He has his head above his body over the shoulders and thus, unlike animals is destined to bear for more responsibilities than that of his body. Vedanta believes that for that reason they are in possession of a discriminative faculty called intellect.

Power of Discrimination

The human personality is defined by the quality and the texture of the mind and the intellect. It is the mind and intellect combination that can make or mar human personality. Since man alone has the capacity to discriminate and analyze his feelings, as and when they arise, and allow his actions to be guided and directed by his power of discrimination, instead of being driven and carried away by momentary impulses and feelings (as in the case of animals). This faculty of discrimination, this power of judgment, this capacity to discern, what is right and what is wrong, what is to be done and what is to be avoided, is the function of the intellect. The dignity and culture of mankind lie in the exercise of this faculty and when it is left neglected, man is bound to deteriorate to the status of an animal and suffer the consequences thereof. Religion and philosophy helps man to rehabilitate his personality by chastening the mind and educating the intellect. By improving the state of his mind and developing a sense of subtler discrimination, man enjoys a happier and more harmonious relationship with the ever hanging phenomena of the external world of the things and beings.

Since man’s personality derives its essence from the structure of his mind and intellect, all schemes and plans envisaged by religion and the philosophies related to religion are directed to personality rehabilitation. By that they promote the development in the over all character of men and enable them gain perfection on this subtle equipment in him.

Dangers of Unbridled Mind

In the day to day experiences in a civilized and modern society most actions seem to emanate from the realm of the mind and people are misled by feelings instead being directed by discrimination. Generally a man does a thing because he feels like doing it and not because he thinks it right to do so. In these cases the intellect is divorced from his mind and consequently there is no discrimination and considered choice in his actions. Such actions depending upon the whims and fancies of the mind are detrimental and dangerous to his welfare and prosperity. Religion helps man to keep his intellect alert at every moment of his life. When the actions of an entire society are thus guided by proper discrimination they become not only dynamic and productive but at the same time bring about peace and cheer in that society.

Differentiate Mind from Intellect

I have seen that most of the people are not aware of the difference between ‘mind’ and ‘intellect’ and they frequently make use of one in place of the other. The mind, though very powerful, but is only a responsive institution in our body complex. It, if it is necessary to give a practical example from outer world, may be likened to receiving clerk in an office. The clerk may hold all the files, records and be an important person in that office but there has to be an officer-in-charge.  If the boss (that Officer-in-charge) is incompetent and not available, and the whole office is left on the whims and fancies of the clerk to do what ever he will, there is bound to be confusion and disorder in the organization. This in short is the sad state of affairs in the human system of the modern age. The mind receives impulses from the external world and responds directly without the guidance or control of the intellect which is the officer in charge or the boss within our body politic. Consequently there is so much confusion within, leading to dissatisfaction and discontentment in life.

The mind, you may recollect, was also defined as a flow of thoughts just as the flow water in a river.  In the case of a river its banks guide and direct its flow and when the banks are not firm the water runs helter-skelter and sometimes does tremendous damage. We have witnessed such damage in Uttarakhand recently. Mind without any control of intellect, becomes extremely dangerous. I have explained the virtues and evils mind in terms of Dasharatha and Dasanana in previous chapters. If the intellect is not firm and determined, the mind function as it wants, and man dances to the tune of his environment and circumstances. To keep the intellect steady and the mind to be constantly guided by its dictates, is the training imparted by VEDANTA.

Secrets of Sucess

The secret of success behind men of achievement lies in the faculty of applying their intellect in all their activities without being misled by surging emotions of feelings. Religion offers the technique of developing this faculty and leaves the choice to man to make use of it and rise to the highest perfection or ignore it and deteriorate to the state of other living creature.

Live Gita within YOU

In life we pamper our innocent senses and take them to their fields of enjoyment. Day after day we whet their appetites and excite them to more and more sensual enjoyments. While cajoling and caressing them thus, our intellects lose their control over them, until at last we realize to our misfortune that we have become helpless slave to our passions. On the contrary we can live GITA in us if and only if the mind becomes receptive to the dictates of the intellect. Visualize the scenario of Gita. The Lord, in His high seat, keeps mum and is almost deaf so long as we are arguing and asserting our maturity as intellectual beings. But when we come down to live and act as emotional beings, when tears of desperation trickle down the cheeks of true devotees, then, unasked, the LORD OF COMPASSION rushes forward to reach the lost souls and guides them out of their inward darkness to the resplendent LIGHT OF WISDOM. A soul, identifying with the intellect, can seek and discover itself; but, when it is identifying with the mind, it needs the help and guidance of the Lord.

Here, I would like to bring back the allegorical significance of GITA that I gave in the previous chapter. Standing between the two forces, the good and the bad, arrayed for a battle to death, (as we are in the battles of our life) Arjuna (the jeeva) surrenders completely, to the Lord (the subtler discriminative intellect), his charioteer, who holds the five horses (the five senses) yoked to his chariot (body), under perfect control. When the stunned and confused ego – Arjuna – totally surrenders to Krishna, the Lord, with a smile, reassures the Jeeva of its final victory, and declares the entire message of spiritual redemption, the Geeta. Please compare the story and and let your ego (Arjuna) in its dejection sits back in the body (chariot), throwing down all instruments of ego-centric activities (Gandiva), and let the sense-organs (the white horses) be held back, well under control, by the pulled reins (the mind), then be sure that the charioteer (the Pure Intellect) shall lend the ego a divine strength, and guide it to the ultimate victory over the forces of Adharma with the help of the dynamism of Dharma, even though the former may seem much stronger in force than the simple-looking dynamism in the later.

OM TAT SAT

YADURAJ SINGH BAIS

AN APPROACH TO SQUEAMISH NEGATIVISM (Letter to a skeptic well-wisher.)

AN APPROACH TO SQUEAMISH NEGATIVISM

 

(Letter to a skeptic well-wisher.)

Over skepticism is some times taken by some people as a tool to exemplify their intelligence, and also as a moderate cover of their ignorance on the subject in question. “I hate so and so word since the same appeared in such and such text, and therefore I desist myself from reading any text that contains that word, or I don’t like so and so character in so and so book and therefore I don’t read any book having any of its character resembling to that name” etc, are the examples of such over skepticism. This is can be called a squeamish and unhealthy negativism in the part of such persons and needs to be attended very carefully.

I have received some reactions on my previous posts on Vedanta and I have willingly submitted my explanations to the persons directly. Questions that demand and deserve answers must be attended to. Intelligent queries must attain their solutions. This is precisely the way to move ahead. I am thankful to the people who adopted that way. But, at the same time I also received some fanatic and insulting statements (with no justification for such outburst). This cannot be a healthy tradition. I have been likened to a Vakil in the sense as if I advocate for hypocrisy. That is not at all true. I am not one of priests who is duty bound to support one view and reject the other. I am also not one among those pundits or gurus who earn their magnificent living by their oratory skills on public platforms by propagating one or other magical method to gain perfection or enlightenment. I am a simple man self-contented and want nothing in return in terms of money or in kind from those who read these pages and there by gain some insight. I believe in Vedanta. I have studied it and practiced it in my life. As usual I too was extremely confused and overwhelmed with anxities and sorrows. But a kind teacher, Sri Swami Chinmayanand ji guided me and taught Vedanta. Now, it has been over thirty-five years that Vedanta, as taught by the teacher, rule my life. It has been extremely rewarding. Now I fully enjoy my life and wish to share the thrill and contentment with every one. I only intend to spread that knowledge to every one who may care to seek the same. I strongly believe that even one right person, if somehow reaches these pages, will exonerate me from Guru-rin (the debt of teacher). I am a minor and insignificant speck in the field of Vedantic wisdom. But I know how some skeptic people reacted in the past to the Masters who possessed distinctive wisdom. Still I feel like to clarify few points here that have become major part of skepticism in few corners of this world.

Here are the normal objections which I come across if I utter the word “Rama”. The first one is related to Shambuka who according to Adhyatma Ramayana was a shudra ascetic and was beheaded by Rama for attempting to perform penance in violation of dharma, which, as stated in the book, caused the death of Brahmin’s son. Adhyatma Ramayana is the only book that states this story, (and how such things are incorporated in holy texts, I am going to explain in detail just after the preliminaries). This has created a skeptic view about Rama since he is also called Maryadapurushottama (The great man who actualized Principals of life by living them). People detest the deed and thereby denounce the character. The other incidence is from Valmikeeya Ramayana where, in the last chapter called ‘Lava-Kusha Kand”, it is said that on some sarcastic remarks of a washer man, the king Rama, exiled his wife Sita while she was pregnant. The feminists naturally cannot digest any justification to this deed, and so they get allergic to the character and even to an extent detest the mention of the name. If any of these incidences depicted in these books were true, I mean had really any historical significance, I would have joined the leading list of the protesters against Rama. But no literature is history or should be taken as history. We need to more about these books, their making, and analyze a number of other things before reacting to any such conclusion.

The word ‘Rama’ is a Sanskrit word and initially used at some places in Vedas, in different context than that of Puranas. The word ‘Rama’ etymologically means ‘that which pervades all’ and therefore, in philosophically it can only denote the all-pervading Spirit. This word was designed or formulated by Rishis in the Vedas and also used in the same context, millenniums before any epic was written, nay, even the first rhyme of any poetry was composed, not only in India but also on this planet. Quite later, the philosopher-cum-poet, Valmiki, who is also known as Aadi-Kavi (the first poet), characterized it (or may I say, allegorically depicted its sense) in Ramayana as character. The poets of later generations also adopted this technique of depicting subtle ideas by personifying them into some or other character.We come across thousands of allegorical stories where we find the ideas or ideals get personified and play a role of a living character, but we understand the import and never take so fanatical opposition against such characters. I did describe a few important aspect of such characterization adopted in Ramayana (and also in Gita) in some of my posts on “VEDADNTA: THE ULTIMATE PHILOSOPHY”.

There is a large number of poets and literary giants who have worked on this theme (the theme that depicts Rama as main protagonist) and are still working, taking one or other philosophical idea and personifying the same as one or other character of their theme. While doing that they may portray that subtle philosophical idea on some matching historical, puranic or social figure exclusively or just create altogether an imaginary character by picking up bits and pieces of character from here and there. For example take a very recent epic ‘Saaket’ by Maithilisharan Gupt, that mainly concentrates on dipction of feminine fortitude as the same was essentially required in the freedom struggle movement of his time and he found the same in the character of Urmila wife of Laxamana of Ramayana which was not given due representation by Tulsi Das in his all inspiring epic “Rama Charit Manasa”. The importance of feminine fortitude was also realised by an other poet of that time named Ayodhya Singh Upadyaya (Hariaudh) composing another epic ‘Priya-pravaas’ portraying the fortitude of Raadha, a Puranic fenine character. A poet is bound to be influenced by the need of his time and can take advantage of history or mythology to meet his requirement. But it would be a great injustice to call any of these literary works a historical presentation. History is never written in poetry. It is a different subject governed by some essential rules that have its own ways of presentation. The literature, on the other hand, is a form of an art and has a different field of artistic expression. In literature, a

Master can pick up the characters from society (even from history or mythology) and then create the story that depicts his idea(s). Also it never demands to be treated as history. This is a universally accepted way in literature. Examples in this case can be very many. You can pick up any book of literature which appears to be encompassing some historical facts and see it yourself. You will find that those historical facts are selected by the author only to prove his idea and not to prove its historical implication. So, taking literature as history and creating overwhelming likes or dislikes for one or other character of the literature, is not fair.

If we talk of the stories related to Rama, you will find various contradictions in themselves. For example take ‘Lava Kusha Kaanda’ of Valmikeeya Ramayana. Even the most devoted Bhakta of Sri Rama, and a most prominent poet of the modern Hindi literature, Tulsi Das did not believe it to be true or acceptable and therefore, did not include that story in his epic-book. I too don’t believe the same. Ramayana is basically known for seven Kandas (and can not philosophically include an additional Kanda to total the number to eight). Here the number seven is of great significance. Though according to pundits the number of chapters, as was supposed to be intended by the Master, denoted hundreds of ideas related to religion and mythology. In my opinion  the only idea that must have compelled the Master, has philosophical implication of importance. That is, our individuality (the composite of body-mind-intellect entity) is made up of seven sheaths (कोश) and the epic (Ramayana) as I described elsewhere in one of my posts, is a representation of this individuality. Valmiki, who, as a poet-cum-philosopher, very cleverly placed the story in seven of its chapters representing an ego (this individuality). Out of these seven chapters or Kandas the four are directly related to places. They are Ayodya, Aranya, Kishkindha and Lanka Kandas. Baal Kanda, the first one, describes the childhood of Rama, and therefore has significance in its name. Only two chapters, in the entire epic of seven grand chapters, are not related to the places and situation (as of Bal Kanda). and they are Sundar Kanda and Uttarkanda. I will not go into details of Sundar Kanda except that the hero or main protagonist of the entire epic is not the hero of this Kanda and therefore the change in name. As about Uttar Kanda, which is the last of these seven chapters, is evidently has a suggestion. Word Uttar (उत्तर) is a very pregnant word of Sanskrit which may mean alibi, solution, result, response, reply, replication, north, defense, answer, end etc as per its use. The same word is also used as adjective in many other senses. But here the word suggests either ‘last or end’ or ‘answers’. The critics take the first meaning and conclude that Uttar Kanda must be the last or ending chapter of Ramayana. The preachers take the other. But no other meaning of the word Uttar is applicable to this Kanda. If it is the last kanda of the epic then the additional kanda (Lava-Kusha Kanda) makes no sense. The poet of an epic cannot be so casual with the names of the chapters he assigns. Then, in the entire epic (with the exception of this Lava-Kusha Kanda whose authenticity is under question) no chapter is named on the name of some character(s), not even Sundar Kanda whose main protagonist is Hanumaan ji. So, the analysts of Ramayana candidly consider this Lava-Kusha Kanda as Kshepak (a pastiche or an added episode).

 

In ancient times, the books were written on loose sheets or leaves and preserved in a bundle of a cloth. The binding of these books was not in vogue. These books were either maintained by a family, generation after generation, or by the Ashram of the Master through the ages. In the course of time, the custodians of that literature had a privilege to add or delete some idea or insert or extract any page. It all depended on their discrimination what they do with the book and in which way do they preserve the contents. The custodians of the book may or may not be having the similar set of mind-intellect equipment as the Master had. So, a lot many pages were inserted between the texts (and even following the original text) for the reasons we can easily guess. The name of the original Master continued to represent the whole volume even after insertions. We normally take the book, without caring for these insertions and extractions, as a complete book and blame the author for every thing that is unworthy or ridiculous without giving any thought to the main objective of the Master. The modern scholars on the subject very strongly maintain that this ‘Lava Kusha Kaanda’ as whole was an insertion done at later time and was not a part of the original document. Besides there are hundreds of other Slokas (and stories) in other Kanda’s of the same book that were inserted at later dates requiring only a little discrimination can prove that.

The grand epic ‘Mahabharata’ (by Vyasa) was originally a small compilation called ‘Jaya’ and later in about five hundred years, it developed to ‘Bharata’ and then ‘Mahabharata’. Even some of the old copies available now in some libraries don’t have Gita in its Bhisma Parva. That is the place in the book where Gita was supposed to be discoursed. (In these ancient copies available Gita is not a part of Mahabharat). Naturally this has been inserted in recent times (just before eighth century to, be precise) by some unknown (great) philosopher. But as per the ancient tradition the name of the author remained undisturbed. Vyasa in fact was never a name. It was used as title of to a person writing or preaching the contents of Purana, and the same continues to till date.

Consistency of character in any work of literature is essential, observes Aristotle. If there is inconsistency in any character, it must be consistently inconsistent. You can say Aristotle had nothing to do with Sanskrit literature. True. But that is a rule adhered to by all the literature of the world. This rule stands as it is even if Aristotle has said some thing different. It is same way as the law of gravitation would have worked even without being observed by any Newton.According to Sanskrit scholars the elegance is a necessary part of literature (सलालित्यम साहित्यं). Keeping the consistancy of character and necessary elegance in mind will it be proper to analyse an epic on the basis of some pastiche (क्षेपक). Will you assess the quality and worth of a tree on the basis of a rotten fruit on it?

If on the basis of this contrived kaanda of Vaalmikeeya Ramayana Sita, a pregnant woman, was denounced and exiled by apparently (tyrannical and male chauvinistic) king named “Rama”, is your ultimate knowledge about the character of Rama, leaving all available literatures unnoticed and unanalyzed, then please select some other subject for your scrutiny. Literature is not your subject that you are qualified and deserve to study. If the way of your every literary analysis is based on the crap lying in the trash that suits your whimsical hypothesis, while every aspect of the literature contradicts it, then what is the use of logic, rationale, discrimination and analysis?  The same attitude is seen in some Dalit thinkers who are allergic to this word because in the some other Ramayana, some brahmin custodian inserted some pages stating what Rama did and wanted the king of that time to follow the suit. The person, who did that to meet his selfish ends, is to be blamed for such insertion and not the author of the book. These selfish devils can make use of the scriptures in their favour better than any one else. Forget about scripture, you take any law of the land and you will find some devilish minds misappropriating the same in their favour. This has been done earlier even in ancient times, being done in the present and will continue in future. So, the need is of proper discrimination and analysis. Just think, how could you think Rama, (whether historical or mythological figure), punish a Shudra because he was doing some penance and just ignore another Shudra Shavari whome he so categorically preached Bhakti yoga? Then, on what grounds will you discard his relationships with the tribal people who helped him all through his 14 years of banishment. Was it not a literary blunder on the part of an epic writer to discard the consistency of a major character in his literary work? If the poet was such a blind fool not to notice this deviation in consistency then how could he compose such a great literature? Such blunder is not done even by the small time writers. Think. Think!!

As far as calling me names, I take it as compliments. May God bless you.

OM TAT SAT

YADURAJ SINGH BAIS

POWERS OF MIND (2)

POWERS OF MIND

2

Please also see previous posts to maintain continuity of thought.

I did talk of the personification of Vedic philosophical ruling that got characterized in our great religious texts. Dasharatha and Dasaanana of Ramayana are the examples of two extremes that portray the powers of our ‘mind’ as two opposite poles. Our ‘mind’ is the greatest friend and also the worst enemy and all of us are bound to obey its commands. We can make ourselves by the proper use of this ‘mind’ and also destroy by its improper use. It all depends on how we use this unlimited power given to us. All religious books through medium of their characters explain the power of mind and illustrate the ways to tame its powers for the useful purposes. Even the pure philosophical books like Yogavaashishthya (योगवाशिष्ठ्य), all through their texts, discuss the ways and designs of activities of mind and give valuable advices to harness its powers. Vedanta is particularly dedicated to this task.

Gita, a prominent constituent of Vedanta philosophy, if taken literally, appears to be a discourse between the Lord and Arjuna on the battle field of Kurukshetra, and we, the unthinking bhaktas, so blindly confine ourselves to the literal meaning, that we never even look beyond and see the allegorical significance of the same, at all. And those, who are a bit squeamish, don’t even appreciate the scripture simply because that such a long discussion could have not taken place on a battle field keeping both the armies waiting. We, like ignorant fools, never dare come out of the rut we are placed in, by the priest class, or otherwise, and analyze the intent of the scripture in a wiser way.

This priest class or the self proclaimed pandits of our society, who have the authority to preach the religion and philosophy just because of the co-incidence of their births, have done tremendous damage to our commonly inherited great religious and philosophical values. They introduced the rituals, traditions and endless dogmas whereby they can rule over the Hindu society, dictate their terms and earn their living as their privilege. If you some how gather guts to question them or their authority, believe it or not, they would get united and have well designed methods and measures to show you your place then and there. The Vedantins, in fact, stand as a minority in the present Hindu society. In the majority of orthodox Hindus there exists a vast section of people who fanatically believe in orthodox dogmas and behave as an army of fanatic fools if you just open your mouth against blind practices. Pained by this state of affairs, Swami Vivekananda once commented, “Your bhakti is a sentimental nonsense.” In another lecture he painfully further stated, “Half has been stolen and lost; and the other half which remains is in the hands of men who, like dogs in the manger, do not eat themselves and will not allow others to do so....The West is groaning under the tyranny of the Shylocks, and the East is groaning under the tyranny of the priests.” (Shylock is a character in Shakespeare’s drama ‘Merchant of Venice’ symbolic of base materialism)

Let us come back. Gita is not a discourse between two living characters. It is an eternal discussion going on within each one of us. It is, however, a different issue, that we take cognition of the discussion or simply ignore it. If we think and look at the scripture in the light of wisdom we can visualize the truth of Gita. When the ego (Arjuna) in its dejection sits back in the body (chariot), throwing down all instruments of ego-centric activities (Gandiva), and when the sense-organs (the white horses) are held back, well under control, by the pulled reins (the mind), then the charioteer (the Pure Intellect) shall lend the ego a divine strength, and guide it to the ultimate victory over the forces of Adharma with the help of the dynamism of Dharma, even though the former may seem much stronger in force than the simple-looking dynamism in the later. Most necessary condition for this dialog to take place is that the reins of the horses of Indriyas should be pulled back by the mind and listen to the directions of the pure intellect. If that is done, in any field of life and performing any activity, we are guided by the Blessed Lord and win the battle. But normally, if properly introspected, we can easily see the wall between the mind and the intellect, and we like a blind man run in directions that our Indriyas lead and the mind dictates.

All our actions that make or mar our personality emanate from the tendencies we have so meticulously and laboriously harvested in our minds. The actions are the gross extensions of thoughts and a mind is said to be generated by the continuous flow of thoughts. Please remember that the Mind is not a biological organ in our body. It is generated the same way as the current is generated out of electrons by a difference in their potential or the current in the water when it is moving from a higher platform to lower one. Nevertheless, it happens to be a cause and dynamism behind all activities, whether they are physical, mental or even intellectual. The psychological researches also show that the Individual minds are some way related to some unseen total or Universal Mind. The frenzies and revolutions are caused by a typical thought-flow in the total (Universal) Mind and every individual gets unknowingly affected. Some thing happens in Delhi, and suddenly the whole of India, nay, even the foreign countries react to that. We find every one coming out of the houses and rushing to the streets and protesting against the evil done. Have we ever analyzed whether that was first evil deed committed and also it became the last, never to recur again? Before this horrible incidence and even after that, the worse incidences took place but remained un-noticed by the people, simply because the total Mind did not react to that. The heroes of the past, in fact, were the approval of the total Mind and the public followed them. So, let us understand that the individual mind is a part of the Universal Mind. Each mind is connected with every other mind. And each mind, wherever it is located, is in actual communication with the other minds of whole world.

If our minds were isolated entities, one there and another some where  else, scattered all over the world with no connection between the two, then how would it be possible for my thought to reach you? In the ordinary cases, it is not my thought that is reaching you direct; but my thought has got to be dissolved into ethereal vibrations and those ethereal vibrations go into your brain, and they have to be resolved again into your own thoughts. Here, when dissolution of thought takes place, the resolution of the same thought occurs at the other end. It is a roundabout process. But in telepathy, it is direct, no dissolution and no resolution. Yogis call it a continuity of mind. The mind is universal. Your mind, my mind, all these little minds, are fragments of that Universal Mind, little waves in the ocean; and on account of this continuity, we can, if we have the control over the mind, convey our thoughts directly to one another.

The laws of Karma, therefore, first of all involve individual mind and then the Universal Mind. I don’t reap the fruits of only my own actions and the same thing is applicable to you too. All of us are bound to face the reactions of total karmas. Our good deeds and thoughts make the overall world good and vis-à-vis. If we don’t go by this logic a number of aspects will remain un-clarified. Swami Vivekananda says: “Just as every action that emanates from us comes back to us as reaction; even so our actions may act on other people and theirs on us. Perhaps all of us have observed it as a fact that when persons do evil actions, they become more and more evil, and when they begin to do good, they become stronger and stronger and learn to do good at all times. This intensification of the influence of action cannot be explained on any other ground than that we can act and react upon each other. To take an illustration from physical science, when I am doing a certain action, my mind may be said to be in a certain state of vibration; all minds which are in similar circumstances will have the tendency to be affected by my mind. If there are different musical instruments tuned alike in one room, you may have noticed that when one is struck, the others have the tendency to vibrate so as to give the same note. So all minds that have the same tension, so to say, will be equally affected by the same thought. Of course, this influence of thought on mind will vary according to distance and other causes, but the mind is always open to affection. Suppose I am doing an evil act, my mind is in a certain state of vibration, and all minds in the universe, which are in a similar state, have the possibility of being affected by the vibration of my mind. So, when I am doing a good action, my mind is in another state of vibration; and all minds similarly strung have the possibility of being affected by my mind; and this power of mind upon mind is, more or less, according to the force of the tension whether it is greater or lesser.”

Let us conclude. Flow of thoughts generates a mind and the mind dictates our actions. Individual minds how ever individual they may be, they are part and parcel of Universal Mind and so are the actions (Karmas). Each action affects the world, and each one of us is affected by the actions performed by the others. We are socially interlinked and reap the harvest of our total actions together. This truth was realized by our ancestors, sadly though we have forgotten the same. Vedas declare:

वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम THE WHOLE WORLD IS ONE FAMILY

It is neither justified nor logical to have divisions after divisions. So, Let us seek the wisdom in the following lines of Tagore:-

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

OM TAT SAT

YADURAJ SINGH BAIS

POWERS OF MIND (1)

POWERS OF MIND
1

Previous References:-

First Post: It's Never Late To Contemplate on the Values of Shastras

Second Post : Three Layers of Personality and Happiness

 Third Post : The Passage to Endless Strength and Courage

You must read the above pages before you read the following to get the full picture.

We have discussed the individuality consisting of three personalities and their ranges of activities followed by the resultant out-puts in terms of conditions enforced and contents blessed. These personalities are based on the three basic constituents of our beings; and they are body, mind and intellect, grossest to subtlest, in that order. Our gross body is made up of physical body and the Pranas. The five fold faculties (पञ्च प्राण), which correspond to the five physiological systems detailed by the biologists, represent the Vital-Air-Sheath. The five faculties (Pranas) comprising this sheath, are:-

(i)     Faculty of Perception (प्राण):- that controls the five-fold perception, viz., seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching.

(ii)    Faculty of Excretion (अपान):- That controls the throwing out or rejecting by the body of excreta such as faces (excrement), urine, sperms, sputum, perspiration etc

(iii)    Faculty of Digestion (समान):- Is that which digests the food received by the stomach.

(iv)   Faculty of Circulation (व्यान):- Is the power by which the digested food is distributed to the various parts of the body through the blood stream.

(v)    Faculty of Thinking (उदान):- Is the capacity to entertain, absorb and assimilate new thoughts. This capacity helps a person to acquire knowledge and educate himself.

The physical body contains ten important organs (five organs of action and five of perception). They are popularly known as Karmendriyas (कर्मेन्द्रियाँ) and Gyanendriyas (ज्ञानेन्द्रियाँ). I don’t have to go into details of these as this is a basic observation and knowledge of even mediocre people. These total ten Indriyas (organs) are governed and regulated by the mind (मन). This Mana or mind is the most important factor controlling every thing connected to our individual world of experiences.

The human personality is defined by the quality and the texture of the mind and the intellect. The religion helps man to rehabilitate his personality by chastening the mind and educating the intellect. By improving the state of his mind and developing a sense of subtler discrimination man enjoys a happier and more harmonious relationship with the ever-changing phenomena of the external world of things and beings. For this reason the whole religious literature of the world, the volumes of different scriptures, the preaching imparted and directions given by all the sages and saints over the entire past, one way or other, only try to examine and explain the methods and manners related to chastening of this mighty factor called MIND or (मन), and sharpening the regulatory device in our constitution, called Intellect (बुद्दि). This chapter is going to deal with these two, but, of course, within the limits and the abilities of the person behind this key board. I must confess that this is going to be a difficult and all encompassing topic, so please cooperate.

  

Mind (मन)

Since, the mind controls all ten Indriyas, it is considered in our Vedas as the king of Indriyas, the head of all heavenly dwellers, the Indra (इन्द्रियानाम राजा सः इन्द्र राजा). If you go through the Mantras portion of the Vedas (also known as Samhitaas), you will come across many of these mantras invoking Indra. The Upanishads are said to be the culmination of knowledge and therefore are the main scriptures dealing with the Vedanta. (Vedanta = VEDA + ANTA, where the word Veda means knowledge or wisdom). The Vedas are also called Shrutis. Literally the word Shruti means “what is heard”. In Hindu tradition, a category of sacred writings understood to be the direct revelation of Eternal Truth. The Vedas are said to contain four parts, and they are the Samhitaas, the Brahamanaas, the Aranyakaas and Upanishads. These revelations in each part of the above category are termed separately. For example, a revealing verse in Samhitaa is called a mantra while the same in the Upanishad is termed as Shruti. The other Vedantic scriptures are Brahmasutras and Gita.

The Upanishads are the explanations of highly evolved and enlightened Rishis. These Rishis some times were approached by extremely dynamic, curious and receptive disciples, may be at their aashramaas, to get enlightened into the realms of Absolute Truth. There, they were not only explained the Absolute but also the methods and means to reach that state. The Mana or mind, as of the necessity, was considered a major role player in that voyage. These discourses (mostly one sided) became the contents and themes of Upanishads. The Shrutis or the revelations by the Rishis, available in these sacred books, are very precise in nature and condensed with compact wisdom. I shall take such Shruti declarations later, but here we are discussing the mind or mana. Let us examine how a Shruti advises the aspirant.

The Shruti says, a seeker of absolute truth must discipline his mind and its ten extensions first, and then only strive for truth. In due course, the truth will dawn in his bosom. And in cases these ten Indriyas and the mind are not properly disciplined and educated, the mission will be a race against impossible, and will cause irreparable damages.

         A Rishi might have whispered above stated advice in to the

 ears of the obedient disciple. The disciples, those days, 

approaching to a Rishi, were far better equipped in the field of 

astuteness and sincerity than the pseudo-intellectuals and self  

proclaimed mahatmas of our time. They possessed clean minds, 

were ready to obey and came tothe Rishi with receptive intents, 

with un-deterring determination to seek the Truth. The things are 

different these days. Most of the saffron clothed men these days 

became saadhus as they are incapable to do any other useful work 

to maintain their livelihood (नारि मुई गृह सम्पति नासी, मूंड मुंडाई भये सन्यासी). 

And with the prevailing 

traditions in our country, such 

people do get not only a 

better living while doing 

nothing, they also get a 

respectable status and some 

times abundant of luxury and 

wealth.Shankara once warned 

about such saadhus and said, “These typicaly shaved heads,or long 

dangling hair, the orange coloured cloths and variety of  make-ups 

all over the body, adopted by these people, O Fool, even having all 

seeing faculties intact can’t you see that these are only for the 

purpose of easy livelihood :-

जटिलो मुंडी लुन्छित केशः,

काषायांबर वहुकृत वेशः,

पश्यन्नपि च न पश्यति मूढो,

उदर निमित्तम वहुकृत वेशः

.

The Vedic days were over and the Truth became more and more difficult to seek. The minds of the people were not as pure and receptive as of the ancients. The ego started dominating the three personalities. The Shrutis in that ambiance became too dull and ineffective. Even the aspirants started enquiring for the easier and entertaining ways to wisdom. The same trend continues till date, nay, it has worsened. Now, most of the people think that by a magic touch of some so called Mahatma or Saadhu, they will get rid of all the sins they have committed and will turn virtuous, in return of the money they had offered. They want short cuts where no effort is needed. My teacher in his first letter to me very strictly stated, “If you think by a magic touch somebody is going to make you spiritual, you are dreaming. Religion is not cowards...” So it is. But during the age of epics and puranaas, though the condition was not as bad as of the present, but needed different and easier ways to contemplate on the philosophical dictions. It was for this reason the later thinkers and philosophers decided to change the tactics. To

educate delicate truths envisaged by the Rishis in simpler way, and keeping the real intents of Upanishadic doctrines intact, they used the method of allegorical illustrations. These thinkers of that time developed a unique method of creating some very attractive and compendium like stories. They hid the philosophical beauty of the contents of the Upanishads beautifully in the texts of those ancient books. Each of those puranic characters and stories, if analyzed properly by an intelligent seeker, can unfold the wisdom of our Rishis beautifully wrapped in the form of a poetic gift pack, left so lovingly for us. This was done the way we give a gift to a baby on his/her birth day. We beautifully wrap the precious and loving gift in a packet, keeping the curiosity of the baby alive and leave him/her to find out the contents by him/her self to understand and enjoy the real gift. (By the way, even these little children unwrap the covering and find out the real gift, but we, unfortunately don’t do the same thing with the precious gifts of knowledge and wisdom left for us by our loving forefathers.) Let us examine at least one ancient epic in the light of the intent of Rishis and search for the gift they have so kindly left for us. We will take Ramayana today for this purpose, because it happens to be the most popular epic delineating Hindu way of life comprehensively. But first of all let us refresh the idea of the Rishi so simply worded.

The Rishi said: A seeker of absolute truth must discipline his mind and its ten extensions first and then only strive for truth. In due course, the truth will dawn in his bosom. And if these ten Indriyas and the mind are not disciplined and educated properly, the mission will be a race against impossible, and will cause irreparable damages.

How should an epic poet and a Hindu-philosopher-thinker deal with this idea? We must remember that the idea was to be wrapped by an appropriate and attractive story-cover, keeping the intent of the gift inside it. This was to be done in such a way that an intelligent seeker can discriminate and grasp the essence of it and at the same time it should sooth the hearts of the people who are not so sharp in the realm of introspective thinking and intelligence. The seekers of the later times were, thus, required to be advised in great details about the possibilities of nuisances that could be sustained by this mighty MIND. Let us examine here the advice of the Shruti in the contents of Ramayana.

The poet-philosopher of Ramayana to depict the aforesaid idea first created two opposite characters with the base word दश meaning ten. The first character is Dasharatha who represents the first segment of the Rishi’s advice. Please make a note of the beauty and the characterization of the poet. A Ratha meaning chariot is being driven by ten horses. A normal chariot will be driven by only two or four horses and never by ten, but in Vedic literature the number of horses pulling the chariot was always symbolic. The chariot of sun is said to be driven by seven horses and those seven horses represent the seven colours of spectrum. The ten horses in Dasharatha symbolize the ten Indriyas. Naturally, the poet made no mention of the horses separately, but in the name

of the character, the word दश included the sense of horses as well, or else how a chariot or a ratha will move? In this portrait of Dasharatha, we have three main ingredients, viz, ten horses, the charioteer and the structure i.e. the Ratha, or the chariot it self. The ratha also includes a destination in its undertones because the same with the ten horses pulling it is supposed to have a movement and destination, to prove its name. The horses that drive the chariot are well trained and are always under the strict and watchful control of the person who is driving the chariot (the charioteer) holding the reins of those then horses. No charioteer can afford to employ untrained or recalcitrant horses to drive the chariot. So the picture is like this. There is a serviceable chariot (our body) driven by ten trained horses (ten Indriyas) and an efficient charioteer (Mind) that constitute the personality of a character called Dasharatha, as designed by the brilliant poet. This character represents first segment of the advice whispered by the Rishi to his dynamic disciple. As a result, Dasharatha, (the right seeker of truth) gets duly rewarded. The Supreme Self (Rama)(यः रमन्ति सर्वाः सः रामः) is born in his house. Even the earthly prosperity and peace represented by Sita is betrothed by Rama and brought in his dwelling as his daughter-in-law.

         On the other hand as a contrast to the first character, the second character of the epic is Ravana, the ten headed Asura (दशानन), created so to depict the other extreme possibility of Mana. Dashanana, naturally has a different psychological constitution that could represent the darker and dangerous aspect as against that of Dasharatha. Here also the word Dash or Ten represent the same number of Indriyas, but instead of showing them as horses, they are portrayed as heads. This way of portrayal, which is so popular among modern cartoonists, shows that the Indriyas acting like heads are very much independent in their nature and subsequently are stubborn, indiscipline, turbulent and recalcitrant. About the heads, there is a popular saying that each head has a peculiar tendency totally different from the others (मुंडे मुंडे मतिर्भिन्ना), and therefore, in the present context, all of them face in ten different directions and have different likes and dislikes. Their contradicting motives, intentions, and cravings are bound to create confusions in the individuality. Incoherence created by pulling or pushing of these ten Indriyas in divergent directions, destabilizes the whole purpose of life. Also, in the character of

Ravana we don’t find a charioteer like segment (MIND) as available in formulation of the character of Dasharatha. This evidently shows that the heads representing Indriyas in the character called Dashanana do not have a central authority to control or regulate them. The consequent result of the life of such character is prophesied in the ending segment of Shruti by the Vedic Rishi, which virtually was a warning. In the story of the epic this character steels the prosperity and peace (Sita) and forcibly brings her to his possession, does every thing on his disposal to preserve that stolen virtue, but miserably fails. He gets destroyed along with every thing he possessed. The ruler of the golden Lanka(the body) is destroyed by the very Self (Rama) who on the other hand blessed Dasharatha.

Isn’t the depiction wonderful? Two psychological ends are brought to life and a grand epic is written by the master for the successors to enjoy, learn the values of life and also to investigate and find the sacred gifts of the Rishis so nicely placed in the text of the epic-characters. There are various other psychological and philosophical ideals or views personified and became living characters in the same masterpiece. The numerous stories contained in bulkiest books called puranas also do illustrate some or other ideal or ideology or Vedic truth, and that could easily be unwrapped and found by any diligent seeker. Even the portraits of deities like Vishnu, Brahma, Shiva, Ganesha, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Parvati, Durga etc, are also wrapped so that they contain abundant of philosophical gifts for us, left by the masters of yore. Do we care to open the wrappings and ever see the beauty of the ideas hidden there in? No, never. We appear to be content with the visible and overt covering, enjoy it, and curse those who even try to delve deep in search of the inherited treasures in those wrappings.

Even if I wish, I cannot explain every Puranic character in the way I did here about the two character of Ramayana. That will be a voluminous work, which I cannot afford to do on these pages. I have some other plan for this blog. So, I humbly request you to do that yourself. Or get guidance of someone who is conversant with such analysis. This essay is still incomplete but has already covered space of over a thousand words. So, here I end the present discussion, and hope to come back soon with the subsequent information’s on the present issue.

Good bye. Good Luck.

OM TAT SAT

Yaduraj Singh Bais

 First Post: It's Never Late Contemplate on the Values of Shastras

http://yaduraj1.blogspot.in/2013/07/its-never-late-contemplate-on-values-of.html

Second Post : Three Layers of Personality and Happiness

http://yaduraj1.blogspot.in/2013/07/three-layers-of-personalities-and.html

 Third Post : The Passage to endless Strength and Courage

http://yaduraj1.blogspot.in/2013/07/the-passage-to-endless-strength-and.html