Man is the only animal whose desires multiply even as he is fed! He is never satisfied with what he gets but aspires for more. Failures and disappointments egg him on to more effort and more dejection and desperation! Of the ‘arishadvargas’- the six inner adversaries that create havoc in man, pride of place is given to 'Kama’ or desire! What is the logic behind it? Why not one of the others be given the first place? It is because Kama or desire is the root cause of all trouble that humanity faces! Desire fires the spirit of man and when there is failure it leads to the second enemy namely 'Krodha’ or anger. This in its turn disturbs balance of mind or intellect. Man becomes the slave of anger and behaves like a beast! 'Lobha’ or miserliness plays it's own part and he develops 'Moha or attachment to various things. Pride and arrogance -Mada predominates and finally it leads to jealousy, and hatred! Thus desire leads Man to his own doom if not kept under check. Why should God create man and conceal these insurmountable enemies within? We feel angry with God! God wants to test man severely to see whether he can fight these innate emotions and rise to a higher level! The purpose of human birth is to realize himself and understand that he isn't the body but the Indestructible Soul or Atma!
For the ordinary mortal this is impossible. Is this easy and possible for men at a higher level? Probably sages, saints, and realized souls are unaffected by these 'arishadvargas’. You are totally mistaken! There are a number of instances in our Puranas and legends where we find great sages and saints falling prey to these inner enemies and going astray! But the beauty is that that they realize their faux pas sooner or later and rectify themselves! On the other hand the common man is almost consumed by these invincible emotions and is lost! It is very rarely that we come across great individuals that have conquered the 'arishadvargas’! Adi Sankara in his 'Bhajagovindam’ points out how mendicants who had renounced the world are unable to free themselves from desire and attachment or Moha! He describes the nature of the sanyasi in the sloka: 'agre vahni prushte bhanu………...Tadapi namunchatyasa pasaha’ !
Adi Sankara points to a man who sits warming up his body with the fire in front and sun at the back. During the night he curls up the body to keep out of the cold! He eats his beggar’s food from the bowl of his hand and sleeps beneath the tree. Still in his heart he is a toy at the hands of desire and attachment! Sage Viswamitra is a classical illustration of one who was the victim of these emotions! He was disturbed in his tapas by the the heavenly damsel Menaka. Obsessed with her extraordinary beauty he strayed from his penance! There is another example of a sage, Jada Bharatha who saved a motherless deer and was passionately attached to it! The mamakara or attachment was so intense that he had to give up his tapas and other activities! He would pine for it if it didn't return in time! Because of his unprecedented attachment he was born as a deer in his next birth! Ravana was the brother of Kubera, god of wealth! He was a brahmin and a great Vedic scholar! He pleased Lord Siva with his 'Sama gana’-singing the Sama Veda! But he went after every woman he saw, human or Divine and had to pay very dearly with his life! Moha was the cause of his downfall!
In another sloka, Adi Sankara decries the nature of upstart sanyasis wearing different dress and has a dig at them! “Jatilo mundi lunchitha kesa…...Udara nimittam bahu krutha veshaha” Sankara says that many are found with shaven heads and plucked hair! Some wear saffron clothes and yet others different hues-- all just for livelihood! Seeing the Truth revealed before them still the foolish ones see it not! How beautifully the the words of Sankara fit into this modern world! There are countless mutts, sanyasis, yogis and others attracting the common man. People are really confused as to whom they should approach for guidance and help!
Desire and attachment--’ashapasa’ are good if they are diverted to God! But when they are turned to mundane things they become dangerous. Like fire that leaps up when ghee is poured into it, one worldly desire leads to another in a chain reaction! Non fulfilment of desire causes depression and anger that may turn fatal sometimes! Sankara warns that man should not be a slave of desire! He should cultivate non attachment as far as possible so that he can release himself from the cycle of birth and death. Why not we heed the words of Sankara and save ourselves?
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