Despite the explanations of the Lord on the various kinds of karma marga and their variations, Arjuna is not satisfied and doubts crowd upon his mind. Now he wants to know how the followers of Nivrithi marga or Nishkama karma live in the world. Is it through samadhi or meditation or through wakeful worldly activities? Krishna is happy to answer this question as it indicates Arjuna's interest in spirituality.
The Lord explains that one who is not involved in sensual pleasures and experiences the bliss of the atma is called a Sththaprajna or Brahmajnani. He is not elated by joy nor depressed by sorrow. He treats pain and pleasure,sunshine and storm, joy and sorrow on an equal footing. He is not ruffled by either of them. He has no passion,fear or anger. He always lives in the atma. passion,hatred and anger are the qualities of one who loves his body and cares more for it. A self realized person will not care for the outward body and hence is untouched by those qualities. With a determined mind he develops an ideal detachment and remains indifferent to both joy and sorrow. A Brahmajnani is ready to sacrifice his precious life if it is useful to others. A Brhmajnani, like the one in the intuitional school, recognizes honesty as an end in itself. For him means must justify the end. Among such self sacrificing benefactors whom we remember are emperor Sibi who cut the flesh from his body to save a dove and the great sage Dadhichi who offered his backbone to Indra for his lethal Vajrayudha
Is it easy to exhibit the qualities of a Sthithaprajna? No says Lord Krishna to Arjuna. He should be in a position to withdraw all his senses and go into the shell like a tortoise. He must have total control over his sensory organs. Is it possible? If we do not feed the concerned organs with their required food, they get starved and come under our control. Controling the tongue is a real struggle. Our sensory organs are very dangerous. They can even bring down our mind. One great devotee describes his hapless situation and adresses God thus: "Oh Lord! my eyes go astray in seeing the beauty of maidens; my ears are anxious to hear sensual talk; my thoughts are on embracing the bewitching beauties; since my hands alone are free I have turned them towards you in homage and prayer!" If this is the state of a great devotee, what about ordinary, materialistic commoners like us? A Brahmajnani has all the indriyas in his grip.
What are the dangers of lack of control over sensory organs? Krishna explains that ordinary attachment is the initial stage of desire and can be easily uprooted. Kama or lust is deep rooted desire and fructified stage of attachment. Failure in possessing or experiencing leads to jealousy while anger is engendered by baffled desire. Tranquility of the mind arises when a person looks at things dispassionately. Bereft of control over sensory organs he loses peace of mind. Hence, Lord Krishna urges Dhananjaya to withdraw his sensory organs from their usual operations and concentrate on the principle of atma
The litmus test for a Brahmajnanis that a lump of sugar placed on his tongue should not melt. The Lord enumerates the essence of the Brahmajnani in the 69th sloka. The day for the common folk is the night for the Brahmajnani. His night is the day for Brahmajnani!In other words, we are wide awake in mundane things while the Brahmajnani sleeps over them and hence it is night for him. He always perceives the 'noumenon' the underlying substratum of all phenomena viz the whole world. To saint Thyagaraja, Rama is the indweller of an ant and even the mosquito! Saint Ramakrishna saw mother Kali on the mat spread for him to sit! Like a child that recognizes the mother even in her disguise, a Jnani identifies Narayana and Siva in all objects he sees in the world! The Sthithaprajna is unruffled,calm and serene like the deep see. He is peaceful as he has transcended all worldly desires and passions!
No comments:
Post a Comment