THE PURUSHARTHAS

• What is the purpose of man on earth? Why is he born? Is it simply because he should eat, sleep, reproduce and disappear from the surface of the earth? If it were so what is the difference between human beings and animals? Every creature has a specific purpose for which it is created.You may say that it is one's karma in the previous birth that is responsible for human birth. Even here, birth is necessary to enjoy or suffer the consequences of one's actions in the previous birth! In short there is a purpose or aim in the birth of every creature on earth. The Vedas and our ancient scriptures have earmarked specific goals for human beings. They have pointed out what are important for human existence and how men can live ideally and happily. These goals are otherwise called the “Purusharthas”-- the need for every human being in the world. They are Dharma or Righteousness, Artha or money, Kama or Desire and Moksha or Mukthi or Salvation. It is now clear that these goals have to be pursued relentlessly if man wants to be really happy. Is it possible to live without any of these goals? No. All these Purusharthas are absolutely essential for an ideal life on earth!

• First and foremost is Dharma or Righteousness-- living according to the principles laid down by the Vedas and the shastras. But mere Dharma is not enough. Artha or money is essential to practice Dharma. Without money nothing can be done. In the Ramayana sage Vasishta tells Rama that money is absolutely essential in this world and that he sees no difference between the man without money and the dead! “ Dhanamarjaya Kakutsa dhanamula midamjagat antaram nabhijanami nirdhanasya mrutasyacha.” Money earned should be according to Righteousness-or Dharma, not through crooked or devious ways! The Taittiriya Upanishad ordains, “ Satyam vada, Dharmam Chara” Don't stray away from the the path of Dharma and Satya! The third goal of man is Kama or Desire. It should also be according to Dharma. No desire can be fulfilled without ‘Artha’ or money. So after living a life according to the principles of Dharma and earning money one should satisfy his desires sanctioned by Dharma! The next stage after this Dharmic life, is to prepare for Mukti or Salvation! These are the four Purusharthas to be achieved by every human being on earth!

“Earn wealth through righteousness and use wealth for promotion of righteousness. And let liberation to your only desires. Man should actually have only one desire in this lifetime, that of liberation- getting rid of bondage ie bond of ignorance (ajnana) and realize that living is only another name given to the acquirement of alternate misery and happiness; hunger and contentment; desire and fulfilment; illness and health” (SSS Vol X page 69) counsels Bhagawan Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba. Too much of money is dangerous! Too little makes one poor and struggle for life! “Arthanamarjitham dukham arjiithanancha rakshanam nase dukham vyaye dukham ki marthm dukha bajanam?”-there is sorrow in earning money, sorrow in protecting it, sorrow in its destruction and sorrow in spending! Why this money that brings sorrow in everything? Money just essential for a simple happy living is enough! “Artha manartham bhavaya nityam” declares Adi Sankara in his Bhajagovinda Stotra and says there's practically no happiness with it!

Kama or Desire is the root cause of all sorrows! Desire is insatiable! Fulfillment of one rakes up another. It is similar to adding fuel to fire. Non fulfilment results in frustration that engenders anger! Extreme anger results in imbalance of mind leading to actions irrespective of consequences! It thus leads to the doom of the individual! Desire for trivial and transitory things should be avoided. Man should discriminate between what is eternal and what is evanescent or temporary. Desire for God is always good as this leads man to devotion and spirituality! The word Kama has another meaning and denotes lust, physical satisfaction of the senses! Many a great sage and devotee and scholar has fallen victim to this evil! Kama is the worst of the six inner enemies in human beings called “Arishadvargas” It works havoc in their lives! Sage Viswamitra had a bitter experience with the heavenly damsel Menaka! Ravana, king of Lanka suffered the worst and had to pay the heavy price of his life by going after every woman he saw including Sita, Rama's wife

What is the present trend in society? Dharma or Righteousness and Moksha or Salvation are almost extinct and forgotten! It is said that in Kaliyuga Dharma stands on one leg ie only one fourth. Even that is doubtful! All principles of Dharma are being flouted with impunity! Man thinks that he is God himself! Where is the question of salvation or mukthi? He has become the worshipper of Mammon! He goes to any extent to earn money breaking all principles of propriety! Fraud, forgery cheating, smuggling and other devious ways are being practiced assiduously! On the other side abuse of women, abduction, and rape have become the order of the day! The old order has changed totally but not for the better! The world is drowned in materialism and there seems to be no hope for the future since the priorities are completely different! The Purusharthas have almost no relevance in the present set up of society!

BEWARE OF THE SENSES

What is the use of the body without the Senses gifted by God? The very purpose of creation will be defeated if it were so! Man will then be equal to a corpse incapable of activities physical or mental! Life cannot exist without the Senses which are responsible for all activities in life. This God given gift is not properly understood and utilized by man for his happiness.These Senses have to be used for a good purpose and not misused. We have the Jnanendriyas that offer knowledge of everything-- “ Sabda, Sparsa, Rupa, Rasa' and Gandha.” The Karmendriyas carry out what the Jnanendriyas recognize. Ears, skin, eyes, tongue, and nose help us in realizing whatever we wish. Who's the enjoyer? Though the sense organs are engaged in action, it is the mind that enjoys the result. The power of discrimination or ‘Buddhi’ sifts the good from the bad for the body! It is only when the mind is led by the intellect there is experience of genuine joy!

The Katha Upanishad gives the timely warning to all humanity about the senses. “ The senses, they say, are the horses, the objects of the senses their roads.When the Self is in union with the body, the senses and the mind the Wise call him the enjoyer.”Indriyani hayanyahur virshayastheshu gocharan atmendriya manoyuktam bhokthethyahur manishinaha.” The Upanishad continues and declares the real truth. “ Know that the Self is like the Lord of the chariot, and the body is his chariot. Know that the intellect is the charioteer and the mind the reins.” “ Atmanam rathinam viddhi sareeram rathamevatu Buddhimtu sarathim viddhi manah pragrahamevacha.” The chariot of the body is driven by the horses called the senses! The galloping senses have to be checked and controlled by the mind which acts like the reins. The intellect or buddhi plays a large part in deciding what is right or wrong, desirable or undesirable. If the senses are allowed a free sway, their gallop will end in serious fatal accident! Hence the importance of controlling our senses.

Sense control is an absolute necessity as it guards against a number of evils. “ Man should avoid errors and evils that the ear, the tongue, the eye, the mind and the hand are liable to commit. These are known as five vices--panchadoshas. The eye has a tendency to seek the vile and vulgar. The ear is ever eager for scandals and gossip. The tongue is extremely dangerous. It is indeed difficult to lead the tongue to the path of bhajans and japa- chanting the Lord's Name!” declares Bhagawan Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba. (SSS Vol X) According to Swami soft speech is the expression of genuine love. “Hate screeches, fear squeals, conceit trumpets but love soothes and applies balm”. Swami says that man has more poison than the snake! His poison is in his eyes, tongue, hands, mind, heart, and his thoughts! The study of the movement of the tongue is an eye opener to all of us. It moves very cleverly up and down, side to side when a person speaks or eats. But it does not let the thirty two teeth  hurt it!

The very purpose of man’s existence is to realize himself, to know that he is not the body but the eternal Soul enshrined in his body! The senses have been granted by God purposely to enable man to

reach that goal in life. There is no point in misusing or abusing the senses by directing them to evil and illegal ends. Every sense organ has its specific function. The eyes should see good, the ears hear good, the tongue speak good, hands do good, legs move to good and sacred places! Thoughts should be pure and Noble not crooked and impure! Sri Kulasekhara Azwar in his classic “Mukunda Mala” lays down what each organ of the body has to do to get salvation! He addresses the tongue and other organs and says, “ O Tongue! sing the glory of Kesava, the enemy of asura Mura; O Manas! worship Sridhara; O Ears! hear the stories of the Divine sports of Achyuta! O Eyes! look at Krishna's glorious form! O Feet! walk towards the temple of Hari; O Nose! smell the fragrant water of Tulasi from the feet of the Lord; O Head! bow down in devotion to Adokshaja!”

The modern trend is to enjoy life with a gay abandon! Epicureanism has overtaken the people who want to give maximum freedom to the senses, eat, drink and make merry all the time! They forget death is lying in wait for them. Days already spent can never return and future is very uncertain! By realizing the significance of arresting the freedom of the sensory organs and by placing a ceiling on desires man can make his life a paradise on earth! Otherwise he will have to regret his stay on earth!

SANKARA'S SURRENDER (SOUNDARYA LAHARI 100)

     Vagdevatas describe the glorious attributes of Lalithambika in no uncertain terms in Sri Lalita Sahasra Nama Stotra! She is 'Pancha pretasanasina’ and 'Pancha Brahmaswarupin!i’ She is the Creator as Brahma, mysterious as Vishnu, and takes the form of a Rudra while desroying everything.” Srushti kartri Brahmarupa Goptri Govinda rupini Samharini Rudrarupa Tirodhana kariswari!” She can, in a trice, create the worlds and destroy them by batting Her eye lids! She has thousand heads and faces, eyes and feet! She is 'Katyayini’ the destroyer of Time, and worshipped by Lord Vishnu! “Katyayani kalahantri Kamalaksha nishevita” She is “Sri Mata pSri Maharajni Srimath Simhasneswari” She has taken the avatar of Sri Mata the Supreme Empress who occupies the holy Lion throne! She residesin Kailas and has shoulders as soft as the lotus stalks! “ Mahakailasa Nilaya mrunala mrududorlata!”

In the concluing part of Soundarya Lahari Sri Sankara exposes his ardent desire for attaining “Brahmajnana! He is anxious to drink deep the water from Her lotus feet reddened by the color of the Laksharasa applied to them! That is equal to the ‘thamboola' rasa of Goddess Saraswath that can transform anyone into a poet and scholar! One who worships Devi as “Chandrakala” is the most fortunate since he is blessed with scholarship and extreme riches! In that way he becomes the rival of both the creator Brahma and the protector Visnu! He will cut himself away from ‘Avidya’ or Ignorance and live long enjoying the bliss of the other world!

In this final sloka of Soundarya Lahari, Sri Sankara wonders how it was possible for him to describe Devi's ethereal Beauty! Is it because of his scholarship and poetic and philosophic fervor? Who is he, after all a frail mortal, to describe Devi's majesty, beauty and grandeur? Can any one attempt such a Herculean job without the ‘Sankalpa’ of Lalithambika Herself? Says Sankara, “ O Mother! To describe and praise Your Beauty and Glory with the language granted by you is similar to offering harati to the Sun with the light of a burning torch! It is equal to offering water (arghya) to the Moon from the water oozing out of “Chandrakanta stone!” In short, both are meaningless! Where is the blinding Sun and where is the torch light? Where is the soft, cool Moon and where is the water of Chandrakanta stone?

What Sankara points out is that he is not at all responsible for the magnum opus “Soundarya Lahari!” It is purely Devi's “Sankalpa” or Wish that has egged him on to embark on this colossal task! There is nothing in this work that he can call his own! The Stotra is Devi! The subject or object of Soundarya Lahari is Devi Herself! She is the Deity eligible for glorification! Sankara thus submits himself to the will of Sri Lalita Maha Tripurasundari and states clearly that it is Her

Divine Sankalpa that has resulted in this great work! It is Devi who writes through the pen of Sankara the poet and philosopher!

Without the will of Devi nothing can move in the world! Even a blade of grass or leaf can stir only when Devi wills! We have seen in Kenopanihad how Indra, Agni and Vayu are humiliated by Devi when they could not exercise their power over an ordinary blade of grass! The sun, the moon, the stars, lightning, and fire can never shine by themselves! It is Her power and light that illuminates and energizes them for the benefit of all! “ Na tatra suryo bhati na chandra tarakam ne mo vidyuto bhanti ku thoya magnihi Tameva bhanti manubhati sarvam tasya bhasa sarvamidamvibhati” Illustrious poet and philosopher that he is, Sankara is not puffed up with pride and arrogance. On the other hand he is simple and humble before his Divine Mother! She knows him intimately as a true UPASAKA and Her child! She has showered on him Her benediction and Grace such that he could bring out Her amazing Beauty for the benefit and understanding of all mankind! It is a lesson to all writers that they should never blow their own trumpet and glorify themselves whatever be their accomplishment! May Sri Lalita Maha Tripurasundari shower Her benign Grace on all my viewers who have read these blogs on Soundarya Lahari! Om Tat Sat!

REFLECTIONS ON DEATH

There are two things that are certain in this world! They are Birth and Death! The interregnum between birth and death is called Life which is uncertain and full of vicissitudes! Man knows that death is certain but doesn't want to die! He wants to be immortal with his mortal body made up of the five elements.” Jatasya maranam dhruvam” says the Sanskrit adage! We see our years draining away every second of the day, and our youth slowly leaving us.The days spent can never return and Time swallows up the entire universe! “ Ayur nasyati pasyatam pratidinam yati kshayam yaunanm pratyayanti gatah punar na divasa Kalo jagad bakshakaha!” Life is so sweet for mortal man that he desires to live forever! Yudhishtara, in the Mahabharata,... was asked a ticklish question by the Yaksha.”What is the most astonishing thing in the world?” The pandava warrior thought for a while and remarked, “ Man sees everyday people dying and being carried away to the burial ground. He knows that one day or other death shall overtake him.

But still he wants to live for ever and hates death over which he has no power or control! That is the most astonishing thing in the world!” The Yaksha was pleased at this truth and brought back to life the other pandava warriors who had fainted!

Death is relentless and takes away everything that is born and disintegrates all constructed by man! Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba says, “Death is neither good nor bad. Man has no choice in the matter. Man cannot have it sooner if he wishes it to be so, nor can he avoid it. It is a consummation which is inevitable and commences from the very moment of birth. Some reach the cremation ground earlier than others, who go by a roundabout way and arrive late” “Like trailing clouds of glory do we come from God who is our home” says Wordsworth the Nature poet! Should we not return to our original Home? We should remember that our sleep is a temporary death for we don't know whether we wake-up in the morning. In other words we die every night and live in the morning! We sleep permanently when we die! We think of Yama as the God of Death. But Time is the God of death! “ Kalakshepo na karthavyaha kshina mayur kshane kshane Yamasya karuna nasthi karthavyam Hari kirtanam” “ Time and tide waits for no man” is a well known maxim. Swami says, “ The dying man spins the rope by every act of his during his life now or in the past. All acts done with egoism, self interest, an eye on the beneficial consequences, the fruits give a little more length, a stronger twist to that rope.”

How to live and die purposefully? Swami answers, “Men are born with a helpless cry; they should die with a smile of happy joy. That is the purpose of the years between”--(SSS March,1965) Man should realize that he is not the body composed of the five elements. He is the eternal Atma or the Soul enshrined in the body! It is indestructible, cannot be made wet or dried or cut by any instrument! The Lord has reminded Arjuna, the Pandava warrior, “Nainam chindanti sasthrani Nainam dahati pavakaha……”when he became despondent and put down his bow Gandiva and the quiver of arrows on the chariot! Knowing full well he has to depart one day or other williy nilly, Man has to prepare himself for a gleeful exit, not a moment of anguish. Swami suggests practice of ‘humility, obedience and compassion. Sankara warns in his Bhajagovinda Stotra, “ Ma kuru dhana Jana yauvana garvam harathi nimeshath Kalam sarvam” Money, materials, relations, wife and property can never go with the dead! Life is considered to be a bubble that can be pricked at any time!

How can mortal man become immortal? He cannot achieve this with the frail body destined to die! The thirst for immortality in man can be achieved by realizing the principle of the Self or the Atma! “ Mrutyorma Amrutam gamaya” Our great sages and seers had harnessed their energies in conquering death by severe penance and contemplation on God. While other nations utilize their knowledge for mass destruction, “In India, people are taught to dive deep and win the Pearl.”

Life is a journey where individuals have their own destinations. The sooner they reach their stations, the quicker they get down! Similarly when man reaches his goal of life, he has to shed his mortal coil, the body! Man should not waste his time in pursuit of wealth, wine and women and other transitory things. He has to reduce his wants and keep a ceiling on desires! These desires are the root cause of all sorrows! They are insatiable and one fulfillment leads to another! Swami says, “When death deprives you of resistance, your kith an kin even will cut off your nose to remove the nose-stud!”

WHAT IS "MIND?"

Mind is the most important God given gift to Man for without it he becomes worthless! Mind is one of the the “Antahkaranas” the others being buddhi or intellect, Ahankara or ego, chitta or will. It is accepted by science that the more subtle part of the food we take feeds our intelligence and the most subtle part becomes the mind. We cannot see the mind physically not can we identify it in any other way. It is recognized by the way an individual reacts to situations that he faces. Let us take the example of a piece of cloth. It is made of cotton and woven through the yarn made out of cotton.Three stages, cotton, yarn and finally the cloth complete the process. Without basic materials no cloth can be produced. Similarly without food mind cannot exist and perform its function of discrimination, preferences, and judge do's and don'ts. When can the cloth disappear? It is when every yarn is pulled out! Likewise when there are no do's and don'ts mind cannot exist! So we can define Mind as a bundle of desires! It cannot have real entity. It has no power of its own! How does it get its name? “Mananam manah”-that which remembers, recollects as well as ruminates.

Mentàl activity results in resolutions or in their dissolution. In other words the quality of the Mind is “ Sankalpa and Vikalpa”. Mind does not exist in the absence of the two.

“ The body is the garment worn by the mind. Thoughts automatically give rise to actions, which then form into habits, and habits then form the character of man. It is character that decides our destiny, as per the law of cause and effect. (karma)”- says Bhagawan Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba. (SSS Vol X) Mind is the boiling pot of resolves and indecisions. Excitement upsets the mind and leads to grief. Good thoughts purify the mind. Nobody knows what the mind is but they suffer because of it and its illusory existence! It is our desires that form the warp and woof of the mind. If desires are under check or removed Mind disappears! Swami says, “If a car is moving, there must be a road which is stationary. Likewise, Atma is the basis for the functioning of the Mind, senses and the body.” According to astrology moon is the karaka for the mind. The position of the moon in the horoscope of the Individual decides the mentality of the person.The word “Lunatic” comes from the word “ Luna” which means the moon! Its bad position makes one a mad person or one with instability of mind. While fire has a tendency to move up, Mind tends to move downwards and get involved in petty things!

It is the Mind that is responsible for any attachment or detachment!” Mana eva manushyanam karanam bandha mokshayoh” The senses tempt the mind to like something and attachment is developed. But it is very difficult to get detachment since one cannot extricate himself from his desires and family life. It is only when one is disgusted with Samsara there is an attempt to get detached! What is the nature of Mind? “ Man's mind makes him the crown of all animals.The mind plays tricks with man, who believes that some things are good and some bad, some eternal and some transitory. There is no pleasure that is unmixed with pain, there is hardly any act that is not tainted with egoism. So be warned and develop detachment which will indeed save you from grief” counsels Swami-(SSS VolX)

Original state of the Mind is purity. It is ‘ Nirmala'. But it is spoiled by sensory impressions that bring in likes and dislikes. Animal mind is not affected by attachments and attractions. Mind has fourfold functions, the mental, the intelligence, the chitta or the will, and ahankara or the ego. In discrimination our intellect comes into action. It is intellect that decides what is right or wrong.This is also an aspect of the mind. It is extremely difficult to control or set right the mind. Swami says “You can reset a tree to make it grow straight. You can straighten even a granite stone. But, you cannot easily set right the mind.”

How can man live happily? This is a question that demands a proper answer. Man needs peace of mind to lead a happy life. But in this complex day today world of materialism, desires, and disappointments, it has become a mirage! However much he tries to attain peace of mind, it eludes him. Man's mind is compared to the turbulent waters of the Ganga! It has to be restrained by applying some brakes. Meditation or Dhyana is the suitable brake that can arrest the vacillating mind. Single minded concentration is otherwise called as Dhyana. “ Your calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges. So relax! The mind is like water. When it is turbulent it is difficult to see. When it is calm everything becomes clear. A calm mind always brings a better outcome. To a mind that is still the whole universe surrenders! Train your mind to keep calm and stay positive in every negative situation”