[Chaturamnaya] Adi Sankara's Bhaja Govindam - 10

[S Jayanarayanan]

(Continued from previous post)
 
 
Verse 23
कस्त्वं कोऽहं कुत आयातः का मे जननी को मे तातः |
इति परिभावय सर्वमसारं विश्वं त्यक्त्वा स्वप्नविचारं ||
Kastvam kOham kuta aayatah, Kaa mE jananI kO mE taatah
Iti paribhaavaya sarvamasaaram, Viswam tyaktvaa svapnavichaaram
 
Who are you (tvam kah? त्वं कः) Who am I (kah aham? कः अहं) Where did we come from? (kuta aayatah? कुत आयातः) Who is my mother? (kaa mE janani? का मे जननि) Who is my father
(kah mE taatah? कः मे तातः) Giving up [the entanglements] (tyaktvaa त्यक्त्वा), consider (paribhavaya परिभावय ) the entire worldly experience (sarvam viswamसर्वं विश्वं) as [being]
without essence and dreamlike (asaaram, swapnavichaaram iti असारं स्वप्नविचारं इति).
 
The above two verses constitute a call to examine some fundamental questions. All the relationships I have in this world – with a spouse, father, mother, son, etc. –
are all that of me as the mind-body-sense complex. But if the real “I” is not any of them but the consciousness that gives life to them all, then where was I before
I took this body? So also, where were all my relations before they took their respective bodies? We don’t even know who we are and where we came from and definitely
so little about others, and yet we act as though we know each other and get very attached to each other. When one starts to ponder over these questions, all worldly
interactions do indeed appear strange and unreal. As stated by the aacharya (आचार्यः) in the Dakshninaamurthy Stotram (दक्षिणामूर्ति स्तोत्रं) , this entire world is just a projection
of our mind like the image of a city seen in a mirror (viswam darpana drsyamaana nagarI tulyam विश्वं दर्पणदृश्यमान नगरीतुल्यम् ).
 
Once again, we note that the above is not to deprecate one’s affection and the performance of one’s duties in one’s role as a father, son, spouse, etc. We quoted earlier
some statements of the aacharya that recognize unequivocally the importance of grihastasrama (गृहस्ताश्रम) in the sustenance of the world. He is also one who took on his entire
community and despite being sanyaasi (सन्यासि) still fulfilled the desires of his mother to be by her side at the time of her death and performed her final rites. At a
practical level, what he is pointing out here is that even as we relate to others in our various roles and show affection to them, we should maintain a sufficient level
of objectivity and not let those bonds blind us and get in the way of our seeking liberation for ourselves.
 
A full understanding of the above requires a deeper dive into the non-dualistic (advaita अध्वैत) philosophy which is not possible here. In a nut shell, that philosophy
cogently argues that the real “I” is pure consciousness, that the consciousness is all pervading and negating the very concept of two distinct entities, and that the
diversity we observe in this world is purely illusory and a projection of our minds as in a dream (maayayaa bahirivOrbhootam yatha nidrayaa मायया बहिरिवोर्भूतं यथा निद्रया –
Dakshinamurthy stotram).
 
With or without the understanding of any philosophy, there can be no denying, however, that the questions posed above are really important and fundamental. But can we
really ponder over these questions and grasp the explanations given in the saastras while our minds are clouded by preconceived and unsubstantiated notions underlying
our relationships that bind and blind us? So, we need to disengage from the various relationships that bind us to find time to contemplate. This disengagement does not
imply running away to another place, for the “another place” would still be a location in the illusory viswa विश्व ; what is implied is the attainment of a psychological and
internal disengagement and freedom. The maturity to effect that requires much preparation of the mind.
 
The important aids in preparing the mind are association with noble people (satsanga सत्सङ्गः), guidance from a guru, and, most importantly, prayer and a prayerful attitude.
Tatvabodha (तत्वभोध) asserts four important qualifications for one seeking spiritual knowledge, namely, wisdom (vivekah विवेकः ) which consists of understanding what is eternal
and what is ephemeral, dispassion (vairagya वैराग्यः ), the six-fold noble qualities like forbearance (shamaadi shadka sampathi: शमादि षट्क संपत्तिः [1]) and a passion for liberation
(mumukshutvam मुमुक्षुत्वं ). Through the various verses that expose the hollowness of many of our worldly affections and pursuits, Bhaja Govindam, is indeed imparting viveka
and vairaagya and kindling in us a high degree of mumukshutvam.
 
The essential lesson of the verses covered in this and the previous part is eloquently stated in the following verse from NarayanOpanishad (नारायणोपनिषद्), invoked as a
prayerful welcome to sanyaasins everywhere:
 
न कर्मणा न प्रजया धनेन , त्यागेनैके अम्रुतत्वमानसुः
Na karmanaa na prajayaa dhanEna, tyaagEnaikE amrutatvamaanasu:
 
“Not through actions, not through one’s offspring, not through wealth is attained immortality; it is attained only through renunciation.” While not everyone is fit or
may be willing to enter sanyaasa and renounce the world entirely, the gaining of a high degree of detachment from the world is absolutely necessary to realize significant
freedom from the feelings of guilt, wants, worries, and worldly bonds that collectively go by the name samsara संसारः .
 
ॐ तत्सत् |
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[1] शमादि षट्क संपत्तिः refers to the following six qualities: forbearance – mastery of one’s mind (शम ); mastery of sense organs (दम ); observance of one’s dharma(उपरम ); endurance in the
sense of ability to accept pleasure and pain (तितिक्षा );, faith in the scriptures and in one’s guru (श्रद्धा ); and a single pointedness of the mind (समाधान ).
 
 
(Continued in next post)