It is absolutely necessary for us to be conscious of the existence of God within us! It is for this that we have to protect our body. We cannot do anything without the help of our body. “Jivam bhadrani pasyati” says the Sanskrit saying. Without life nothing can be achieved. The Upanishad proclaims that the body is the temple of God! He is established in the innermost recess of our heart! “Deham devalayo proktwa Jivo Devas sanatanah”. Since God is the indweller of every creature including the human being, it is of paramount importance that we should keep our body pure and perfect. The temple can be recognized through certain marks or colors outside. It has a gopuram. The body, the temple of God too has its marks that distinguishes it. These marks are according to the people's culture and tradition. The marks or decorations are not for the mere body but for the God who is seated in the altar of our heart! No wonder that Lord Krishna echoes the same thought in the Bhagavad-Gita that whatever one does should be dedicated to Him! Parasara Bhattar, the commentator of the Sahasranama, on an occasion, was discussing on the topic of Vairagya or detachment. He said that one should be non attached like the lotus leaf in water. One should be totally detached!
The next day, all those who attended the discourse didn't bathe, didn't brush teeth nor did they bear any marks! “Why should we decorate our bodies? What is the use of it? Yesterday we were told that we should develop total detachment” they said. Parasara Bhattar was the chief priest of Sri RanganathaSwamy Temple. Those who attended the discourse on Vairagya came to worship and had a shock of their life! They saw the Bhattar smeared with fragrant sandal paste all over the body! Moreover, he had beautiful flowers in his tuft on his head! He wore garlands also around his neck! They were astounded at the sight of the Bhattar and questioned whether the discourse on Vairagya was not for him but for them! Bhattar asserted that he had not violated what he had told them on detachment.
The others wondered how the fragrant sandal paste all over his body, the flowers in his tuft and garlands around his neck establish his non attachment. Bhattar replied that what he had done for the body is only for Lord Ranganatha and not for selfish reasons! The others were dumbfounded! The Chandogya Upanishad asserts that God is the essence of all in the universe! He is also the smell or “Gandha” in all creatures! How can we stand with our foul smelling and dirty body before such a deity? Bhattar explained that his beautifying himself is similar to erecting a pandal and decorations with flags and festoons for any celebration! It is only for the sake of God one should adorn flowers and garlands. We eat food as an offering (naivedyam) to the “Antaryami”- the indweller in every body of ours! It is only when we do our acts with the realization that we do them for the Paramatma that they will fructify and yield results! The danger arises when we think that we do everything for ourselves! Offer all your efforts unto the Lord and there will be no mistake.
“Ajayamano bahudha vijayathe”- the One who has no birth has manifested in many forms! He is the indweller in all of us! He is also within every ‘achetana’ nonliving body! The word ‘Vishnu’ means all ‘pervading’, surrounding, enveloping everything in the universe. In the sloka on Sri Vinayaka the word Vishnu is used! “ Suklambara dharam Vishnum…” where the word has nothing to do with Lord Vishnu as a few may get confused. It means that Lord Vinayaka is all pervading and wears spotless white clothes!
The essence of our Sastras and philosophy is to realize the Divine within ourselves! This is called Self Realization. The very purpose of man is to realize himself! He should know the distinction between the body and the Soul within, the body that is destined to die and the Soul or the Divinity that is indestructible embedded in the body! Caught in the mire of Samsara, man is overpowered by ‘mamakara’ or attachment! Deluded by web of Maya or illusion, he considers right as wrong and wrong as right! Ignorance makes him think that riches, wife and children are permanent and he refuses to detach himself from them as early as possible! There is nothing more difficult than this in the world. This is more easily said than done! Detachment can be cultivated slowly but surely through Satsang and spirituality! Let everyone of us surrender all our actions to God and free ourselves from the consequences thereof!
No comments:
Post a Comment