chapter III - sutra 34
tasyah sadhanani gayanty acaryah
The teachers have sung about the methods of cultivating devotion.
Narada is not satisfied merely with establishing, the glory, the supremacy, and the importance of bhakti. Like Gurudev Sivananda, Narada wants to give us practical instructions on the methods to be adopted for the cultivation of devotion.
This has been the uniqueness of Gurudev Sivananda's teachings. A seeker once told me : "I am familiar with the teachings of Sri ... and Swami ... . Their writings are sublime and thought-provoking. True. But, I study them at night and get up in the morning and I do not know what to do! They do not give any practical instructions." This is where Gurudev Sivananda excels. He says, 'Get up at 4 am. and Japo Ram Ram". This is much better than all the philosophy taught without this.
Narada, too, is a practical bhakta. He gives us practical guidance.
'Gayanty' has a significance. When do we sing? When we are happy. The sages, who had a vision of the Truth, sang the hymns of the Sama Veda. In instructing the students on the methods of cultivating devotion, the teachers 'sang' ; they were delighted to find good students, and they rejoiced even while imparting instructions to these students. Bhakti is all-sweetness and all-joy at every stage.
chapter III - sutra 35
tat tu vishaya-tyagat sanga-tyagac ca
It is by abandonment of sensual objects and of all attachment.
The mainstay of all spiritual practices is the eradication of vishaya vasana - tendency to sense-enjoyment. Vishaya vasana is born of ignorance. It invites repetition of acts of sense-indulgence, which again augments the vasana. Thus a vicious circle is created, which it is very difficult to break. The spiritual hero breaks this vicious circle, by wilfully denying the mind and the senses, the pleasures they crave for, and at the same time feeding them with spiritual food - study of scriptures, meditation, japa, pranayama, kirtan, etc. Constant reflection over the great utterance of the Avadhuta,
muktimichchasi chet tata vishayan vishavat tyaja
If you want liberation, renounce the objects of sense-enjoyment as you would shun poison.
The vishayas or objects of enjoyment have in them the poison of ignorance - they thicken the veil of ignorance, they kill spiritual aspiration, and bind the jiva to samsara.
The mind must be convinced of this. Even if you are extremely hungry, and a glass of delicious, pure, cow's milk is placed in front of you, will you taste it if you are told that by mistake a dramful of poison has been dropped into that glass? No! When you look at the objects of sense pleasure, remind yourself of this: they are there only to thicken the veil of ignorance and take you farther away from God. They are poison to your spirit.
Has not everything been said when it is said, "Renounce the objects"? Why then, the addition of 'San gatyagat'?
Gurudev Sivananda has said that the heated iron is more dangerous than coals of fire themselves. Similarly, He says, the debaucherous man is more dangerous than women; the company of a gambler is more dangerous than a visit to the gambling den.
How? Through various ways, a man contracts an evil habit. While it is still 'young' in him, sometimes he realises that it is bad. He is hesitant; he is at the crossroads. If, at this psychological moment, a wicked man keeps him company and encourages him to go the evil way, he is doomed. ' But for the evil company, he might have saved himself and abandoned the evil habit. The evil company gives new lease of life to the evil habit.
Sanga can also be taken to mean the contact with the objects established through thought. We have Lord Krishna's wonderful description of how an evil thought leads one to self-destruction.
dhyayato vishayan pumsah sangasteshupajayate sangatsanjayate kamah kamad-krodho-bhijayate krodhat bhavati sammohah sammohat smriti vibhramah
smriti bhramsat buddhinaaso buddhinaasat pranasyati
The moment man thinks of an object of enjoyment, subtle, but all the same highly powerful, the link is born. This link is sanga. The mind flows through this to the object. The desire arises in the mind to possess the object or to enjoy it. If the desire is fulfilled, there is immediate destruction of intelligence, with all that it means. If it is thwarted, then anger arises. Man, under the sway of passion - in the case of fulfilment of the desire - or anger - in case they are not), is like one intoxicated. He is possessed by the wicked thought. He is not really himself. His intellect is clouded. Then comes smriti vibhramah - he forgets who he is, what his ideals are, etc. and plunges headlong in the evil. That is why people under the sway of passion or anger act in a way they would themselves look back with shame. This smriti bhramsa is, on the other hand, a spur to the fulfilment of the desire. The force of the evil plus the mad drive of self-forgetfulness combine to destroy his intelligence buddhi-nasam. From this, he 'perishes' - he falls into abyss of sin or evil.
Thought is a ripple. The moment it arises in the mind, then and there is the time to control it. Even when the 'sanga' or the link has been established, it will be difficult to break it, for the natural tendency of the mind and the senses is to flow outwards, and this force of nature would be difficult to stem. To attempt to control the impulse, after the sanga has been established and the desire has arisen, is a superhuman task - it requires God's Grace.
Narada might mean this 'sanga' also. We should guard ourselves against thinking of the objects and thus establishing a contact with them. The moment the thought arises - that is the moment to quell it - we should supplant it with good, positive, divine thought.
Mental action - thought - is real action. This is recognised even in law. Death of another may be caused by (1) accident, e.g., in a car accident, (2) on sudden and extreme provocation, and (3) as a result of pre-planned action. In the case of (1), the culprit is let-off lightly; in the case of (2), the punishment is very lenient ; but in the 3rd case, where the crime has taken good shape in the mind, the punishment is severe. Our smritis, too, follow this rule. The accidental sins we commit are antidoted by the pancha-maha yajnas that we are asked to perform daily. Sins of the second variety can be wiped off by expiatory acts, like charity or fasting. But where the sins have taken deeper root in the mind, the retribution is severe.
Why? Because, the Sastras lay greater emphasis on the papa-vasana - residual sinful tendency in the mind - than on the sin itself. Even the prayaschittas - expiatory rites - in the case of accidental or impulsive actions are meant only to guard us against repetition of the act, which over-leniency might result in. In the case of pre-meditated sinful actions, the papa-vasana is greatly strengthened; and if rigorous steps are not taken to arrest this degeneracy, soon there may not be a hope of redemption left.
Therefore, the control should primarily be exercised over the mind. Hence this insistence on 'sanga-tyaga' in addition to vishaya-tyaga. One who renounces the objects, but sits thinking of them, is condemned by Lord Krishna as a hypocrite.
chapter III - sutra 36
avyavritta-bhajanat
by uninterrupted bhajana too.
'As he thinks, so he becomes' is a universal truth. If one uninterruptedly thinks of God, he verily becomes God himself. That is the ideal.
Bhajana comes from the root 'bhaj', which means 'to resort to', 'to take refuge in', 'to enjoy the company of'. Any spiritual practice that enables us to live with and in God is 'bhajana'. But, we know that it is used to denote such practices as taking or singing the Name of God or any mantra.
There are various methods of doing this: verbal repetition of the mantra aloud, whispering it, mental repetition, the kirtan-singing form, and music - nada yoga. The effect of manasic repetition is the greatest, but the mind is more easily controlled in the following order. In music, mind is easily lulled into a controllable state. Kirtan-singing comes next. There is a certain rhythm and music, too, in this. Then comes verbal repetition - vaikhari. Upamsu (whispering) comes next. Manasic japa - mental japa - is the most difficult from the point of view of getting the mind one-pointed.
In musicology, we have elaborate thesis on the different vibrations produced by different notes. Certain combinations of these notes have been known to alter the moods of men. Recent scientific discoveries reveal that, with the help of certain machines, the vibrations produced by the human voice can be converted into electricity.
It is therefore understandable that the utterance of certain formulae - mantras, gives rise to certain vibrations and consequent electric charge, or psychic power. The ancient seers - Rishis - found that certain mantras gave rise to certain forms - and they are the Devatas. Continuous utterance of those formulae materialises the form of those Devatas. Manasic japa is still more powerful. Gross infra-red light may relieve us of pain in superficial muscles; but subtler x-ray or radium will penetrate very deep and influence even the bones. Similar is the power of thought. Thoughts are more powerful than words and deeds.
Manasic japa enables the Devata to materialise more quickly. It also builds around us an auric fortress, to protect us from evil influences in the first place, and to act as energy transmission centres in the second place. If we have a powerful aura, those who come within its sphere of influence, will be elevated, peaceful, and happy.
We have instances in the lives of our Gurudev Sivananda and of Saint Ramdas of Kanhangad, how the Mantras that they chanted mentally or verbally, were actually 'received' by even inanimate objects and relayed by them.
Mantra is chaitanya - it is a power, a consciousness. It is not the vain imagination of an ignorant person. When a devotee does japa, meditating upon the Lord, and feels that His Divine Form glows in his heart, it is more real to him than the objects of the world. It talks to him and guides him. Sometimes we have instances of the materialisation of the Divinity, objectively e.g., in the case of Lord Rama Who gave Darshan to Sri Tyagaraja, and of Lord Narayana Whose Darshan Sri Narayana Swami had. Both of them achieved this through incessant japa of the Lord's Name.
When the mantra is repeated with a desire other than for moksha, one has to observe the various rules, and also ensure that the spelling and the pronunciation are correct. Tantrik sadhakas lay great emphasis on this. Especially when one uses the Bija Aksharas, it is important that they must be uttered correctly; otherwise, the effect may often be adverse. The sadhaka projects one mental image - the wish - and quite another through the mantra wrongly pronounced. Naturally, there is a 'clash' between the two, which might affect him mentally, physically, or psychically.
This does not apply, however, to nishkamya japa - japa done without any selfish, worldly desire, but with the sole desire of attaining Him. Here, the intense faith and devotion that the aspirant has, open up the channel for the flow of Divine Grace and Grace itself , 'rectifies' whatever defects that might have existed in the intonation of the Mantra or in the external purificatory rites that the aspirant might have ignored.
It is said that, every seven years, we are completely renewed, that in seven years all the cells of our body are renewed. Hence, aspirants are often asked to devote at least seven years for a continuous repetition of the mantra. By this period, if the japa has been done continuously, every cell would have got infused with the mantra chaitanya. He would now be the very embodiment of the mantra- chaitanya, the spirit of the mantra.
For doing incessant japa, Gurudev Sivananda has given some effective practices. He says "Think of God as soon as you get up; from bed; and just before going to bed." If this is intensified into Dhyana before going to bed, then even during the sleep, the remembrance of the Mantra will be kept up by the sub-conscious mind -'this will require much practice.
He asks us to close our eyes every hour or so, for a few moments, and repeat the mantra mentally, thus renewing the current of japa frequently. This is also a great spiritual fortress for us, and will save us from great sins. In course of time, we shall be able to keep up continuous nama-smaran, even though we are engaged in the various activities of the day. This is possible, even as we go on breathing, though we are engagad in working with our hands. Only intense, sincere practice is required.
chapter III - sutra 37
loke 'pi bhagavad-guna-sravana-kirtanat
in the world also, by listening to and singing the glories of God.
Narada in days of yore, and our Gurudev Sivananda in modern times, have insisted that sadhana should not be confined to a couple of hours in the morning and evening. If we do so, and let the rest of the day be spent in giving a free scope to our lower nature to manifest itself, we shall be behaving like the foolish man who tried to fill a bottomless bucket, or one who tried to row a boat tied to the bank of the river.
"Divine Life is divinising life", insists Gurudev Sivananda. The entire daily life must be divinised, spiritualised. A sincere attempt to do so will yield a rich spiritual harvest.
Narada wants us to sing of the glories of God, and to listen to them. He is keenly aware that we shall not be able to meditate on Him all the twentyfour hours of the day. He knows that we shall have to live and move in the world; and he is anxious that we should not be lost in the world. Whether we want it or not, whether we like it or not, the vibrations of worldly thoughts, words, and actions of those around us do have their subtle if surreptitious influence on us. We ought to exert our utmost to ensure that we are not led away by them, and that, if possible, we endeavour to lead others our way.
Gurudev Sivananda has some very practical instructions to give us:
(l) Whenever you write a letter to a friend or relative, whenever you write an article, or whenever you use your pen - begin with a line of Om Om Om or some mantra. This will put you, and he who reads what you have written, into a divine frame of mind. It will be japa also.
(2) When you greet your friend or relative, say "Om Namah Shivaya" instead of "Good morning" or "Hello" etc. If you meet a hundred persons a day, you have unconsciously done one mala of japa. You have also poured the mantra into the ears of a hundred persons, and purified the atmosphere besides.
People may think you are eccentric; in course of time, they will understand you, and appreciate your way. They will also adopt it; and thus you would be bringing more and more people to the divine path.
Another most glorious sadhana prescribed by Gurudev Sivananda is to see God in all. Thus would we remind ourselves of God frequently.
Look at the sky; its vastness reminds you of the limitlessness of God. Look at the lovely birds, the giant trees, the colourful flowers, the luscious fruits, they remind you of God. Think of your own body, its anatomy - it will remind you of God.
But foolish man ignores them as 'natural'! It is all the work of Nature, no doubt. But, whose nature? Nature means nothing. It is a quality. Whose? The universe represents 'God's Nature'. Philosophers who are fond of splitting hairs, have dropped the most significant word 'God's', or took it for granted. Let us remember this; and let Nature constantly remind us of God.
Similarly, to a sincere devotee, everything in Nature is God's Miracle! A moment's reflection will convince us that even the fact that the sun rises every day in the east and sets in the west is a miracle. Birth, death, breathing, digestion - everything is a miracle. The functions of our body, everything that happens around us are all miracles of His Grace.
But the scientifically inclined modern man would assert that they art natural phenomena! Even if an actual miracle - e.g., the miracle of someone escaping unhurt in a car accident - takes place, he will say that it was chance or accident! What a great loss! He has lost one priceless opportunity of thinking of God and thanking Him for His Mercy. Even if it were regarded by others as just a chance, the devotee of God, on the other hand, would hail it as His Grace, and thus dwell in God for a few moments.
To the devotee of God, God alone exists. The universe is His Nature. Everything in it reminds him of God. He talks about God to everyone, and loves to listen of His Glories.
Thus the devotee grows in devotion in and through the world, and is transformed into divinity.
chapter III - sutra 38
mukhyatas tu mahat-kripayaiva bhagavat-kripa-lesad va
Chiefly, by the Grace of Great Ones or a little bit of God's Grace.
We noticed that the verbal or mental utterance of the mantra awakened the mantra-chaitanya. By self effort, the sadhaka will be able to rise to the heights to which the Thought and the Word can rise. But, the Upanishads declare that the Supreme Being is beyond speech and mind.
tato vacho nivartante aprapya manasa saha
and
na tatra chakshur gachchati na vak na mano
The mind and intellect fail to reach It. With what then shall we reach It? Narada answers: "By the Grace of the Great Ones."
Therefore, especially because this is considered the chief sadhana, our main effort in sadhana should be to earn the Grace of the Great Ones, the Men-of-God, the Saints, our Guru. This is echoed in the Bhagavad Gita:
tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya upadekshyanti te jnanam jnaninah tatwadarshinah
Know That from the Great Seers of Truth, by prostrating to them, by praying to them for instruction and by service. Service is important. It is said,
mahat sevam dwaramahur vimukteh
There is a door to moksha: it is service of the Great Ones - the Guru.
By service we earn their Grace. Are they, too, then mercenary in the grant of their grace. Are they not sages of equal vision Whose Grace is available to all?
Yes! The Grace of these Great Ones knocks at the door of every one of us. But only those who serve them, who are devoted to them, open the door of their heart for the reception of this Grace. However glorious may the sunshine be, unless we come out of the caves and dungeons, we cannot benefit by it. It is not the fault of the sun, but ours. Guru Kripa surrounds us. But, Guru Seva and Guru Bhakti are channels or doors as it were, through which Guru Kripa enters the chambers of our heart.
Pranipata means prostration. But mechanical prostration will not do. It must be with bhav. The bhavana is one of self-surrender. "I am Thine my Lord" - is the meaning of the namaskara, salutation or prostration. The crown of our head should be smeared with the dust of the Lotus-Feet of the Great Ones. Remember Jada Bharata's Upadesa to Rahugana Maharajah. He asserts that the knowledge of the supreme reality cannot be had,
visa mahat pada rajo abhishekam
except by bathing ourselves with the dust of the Lotus-Feet of the Great Ones.
Therefore, we are told in the Guru Gita
dhyanamulam guror murtih pujamulam guroh padam mantramulam guror vakyam mokshamulam guroh kripa
We ought to meditate upon the physical form of the Guru. When we do so, our mind should dwell on the great ideal He stands for, His divine qualities, etc. Thus would we grow in those qualities and become an embodiment of that ideal.
'Pujamulam guroh padam' - worship is not a mechanical process. All our actions, all our virtues, we offer in the form of flowers. The light of our life and intelligence, we wave before the Deity. We earnestly pray that, like the camphor, we shall be totally consumed by the Ideal, leaving no ashes behind. To emphasise this, we prostrate, fall flat on the ground. "I am not; Thou art", "I am Thine, all is Thine, my Lord, Thy will be done". This is an integral part of guru bhakti.
'Mantramulam guror vakyam' - why that is it that the same admonitions which we have heard or read a thousand times, assume life-transforming power when uttered by the Great Ones. Everyone has said, "Speak the truth"; but when Gurudev Sivananda says it, you actually feel elevated and compelled to obey. Why? Because the words that emanate from Him, rise from the realised Consciousness, a Divine Consciousness. Therefore, they have the power to go right into the innermost core of our heart. We should, on our part, have the firmest conviction that Guru's words are gospel truth. Then and then alone will 'mokshamulam guror kripa' - the Grace of Guru - bestow moksha on us. It is said that really Self-realisation does not take a long time to attain. It takes less time to realise the Self than to squeeze a flower in the hand. But, that is true only of one who has thoroughly prepared the vessel, thoroughly cleansed his heart. All our sadhana is meant only to purify ourselves.
That is the other interpretation of 'mukhyatastut'. Bhakti has been classified into
'mukhya bhakti' and 'gauna bhakti'. The first is the 'sadhya bhakti' and the second 'sadhana bhakti'. The first is the goal; the second the means. The sadhana bhakti is for us to diligently cultivate. We should do japa, kirtan, meditation, worship, study of Bhagavata, etc. We should attend Satsang, cultivate discrimination, dispassion, etc. But, 'mukhya bhakti' can be had only by the Grace of Great Ones. Gauna bhakti is for our part; and mukhya bhakti has to be left to the Grace of Guru and God.
But, God is not a whimsical being; if we do our part, sincerely and well, in due time, His Grace will enable us to reach the goal.
chapter III - sutra 39
mahat-sangas tu durlabho 'gamyo 'moghas ca
The company of the Great Ones is difficult attainment, is unapproachable and infallible.
That really Great Souls, Men-of-God, or Sages Self-realisation, are rare in this world, needs no comment.
On the platforms of India is frequently heard a cry that there should be a teacher for every 20 students, that there should be a doctor for every 100 people and so on. The teacher imparts just bread-winning education, and the doctor treats this body which in any case is bound to perish. There no one to cry for the culturing of more saints, or even sadhakas; they impart education in the methods of winning freedom from birth and death, and treat the very soul of man for the worst malady - ignorance - that everyone is suffering from. Only Lord Krishna has bemoaned the lot of humanity,
manushyanam sahasreshu kaschit yatati siddhaye tatatamapi siddhanam kaschin mam vetti tatwatah
One in a thousand aspires for perfection; again, one in a thousand aspirants knows Me, in reality.
At every opportunity Gurudev Sivananda has exhorted the public and governmental institutions to stop the misuse of funds for the production of destructive weapons, and to divert them to the creation of more ashrams and spiritual institutions which would promote the growth of more saints and devotees.
There is another aspect to this problem. Real saints are very rare indeed. But, many of even these die unnoticed! Rare is a saint; and rarer in the present-day is the sincere seeker after God who resorts to the company of the saints! Both ways this 'mahat-sanga' suffers; company of the Great Ones is an extremely rare phenomenon.
What does Narada mean by saying that it 'is unapproachable'? Surely, he does not want to tell us not to approach the saints!
Except those Great Ones who have been chosen by benign providence to guide humanity, the others disguise themselves, seclude themselves, and make themselves available only to the very best among the adhikaris, who will in any case seek them out. Even among them, only a few like Sri Gurudev Sivananda are easily approachable by all. The others restrict the admission into the fold of their influence to those who have a genuine hunger for spirituality. Company of such saints is, therefore, beyond the approach of the common man.
Perhaps, Narada does warn us not to 'too close' to the saints. There much good commonsense in it. As the saying goes,
atiparichayadavajna santatagamanat anadaro bhavati malaye bhillapurandhri chandanatarukashtam indini kurute (*)
Familiarity breeds contempt. We should resort to the satsang of the Great Ones. We should aspire to be their disciples. But, at no time in our life should we lose the supreme reverence we have for them. We should keep at a respectable distance - mentally in any case - so that the mischievous mind does not manufacture defects for being superimposed on the Great Ones. However close we may be to the Great Ones physically, we should every moment realise that, spiritually, we are poles apart; they have reached the destination which is still far far from us.
The Great Ones are spiritual fire. We need the warmth of their wisdom, the guidance of their light. But, if we begin to play with them, we are playing with fire. Instead of basking, we may be burnt.
This is perhaps what Narada meant by saying 'mahat-sanga' - unapproachable. Great caution is necessary.
Moreover, it is indispensable for every sadhaka. For, it is infalcible in the blessings it confers on him. People who say that they can do sadhana and reach the goal by their own effort, without a Guru, are dreaming, if they are not mad. The three 'taapaas' - adhyatmika, adhibhautika and adhideivika - are more real to the spiritual aspirant than to others. The Guru and the Guru alone will be able to save him from them.
Countless evil tendencies lurk in the mind. The terrible fires of lust, anger, and greed, burn in the heart of man. This is the adhyatmik taapa. Neither indulgence, nor violent restraint will be fruitful. The Guru knows how to manoeuvre the sadhaka's mind in such difficult situations. I have seen Gurudev Sivananda handle such cases. What care! What consideration! What wisdom is needed to guide an aspirant who is struggling with himself! Suppression of the desire might throw his mind out of balance. Pampering to it would make him slide down. Gurudev Sivananda would cautiously allow him to satisfy himself; but immediately bring home to him the danger of continuing to do so. At the same time, He would give a powerful turn, and divert his attention to a great positive effort in the right direction. All this is possible only when we have mahat-sanga; otherwise we would either be in the thick of worldly life, or in a lunatic asylum.
'Adhibhautika' - the elements play their own part in hindering us. In summer we think we shall not strain much and promise to make up for it in winter. The winter, when it comes, makes us hug to warm clothing, and feel summer was better for sadhana. The seasons go round; they literally dance around us, mocking at our impotence. Here, the Guru's admonitions and His practical example save us. We see Gurudev Sivananda attending the satsang and to His work day in and day out, throughout the year, unmindful of the change of seasons. If the weather changes, His dress changes; the Inner Man never changes. We learn this by His example. We could not have learnt it otherwise.
'Adhideivika taapa' - mainly karma-phala. We reap now the harvest of what we sowed in past births. But, calamities, when they come, might often shake the bravest of men. They would throw us away from the spiritual path. The Guru treats the calamity as a passing show, not worth worrying about. We derive strength from the Guru's words; and, after a time, we look upon the whole event and wonder what great fools we were to have been shaken by it. All the same, at that moment we would have been lost but for the Guru's proximity and saving hand.
Hence, mahat-sanga alone can save us. Though rare, we should resort to it at every opportunity. If we have the yearning, we shall get plenty of opportunities. How? - is explained in the next sutra.
(*) familiarity breeds contempt; frequent visits invite indifference, just as in a forest of sandalwood, the tribeswoman uses sandalwood as fuel.
chapter III - sutra 40
labhyate 'pi tat-kripayaiva
Its is obtained only by His Grace.
This mahat-sanga or company of the Great Ones is obtained by God's Grace. It is God's Grace that enables us to discover the Great Ones, and approach them with the proper bhav. It is God's Grace that enables us to derive inspiration from them.
Thousands pass by Sivanandashram every year. How many enter the gates and have His Darshan?
Yet, again, there are many among Gurudev Sivananda's devout disciples who had walked into the Ashram for a cup of water or a glass of butter-milk, and, in addition, got the nectar of Sri Gurudev Sivananda's Darshan and Upadesh - instruction.
Where lay the difference? In the measure of Grace that they had earned.
As Gurudev Sivananda has beautifully put it: God's Grace, too, is a question of demand and supply. If we earnestly pray for it, if we deserve it - by intensely desiring it - we shall certainly get it.
chapter III - sutra 41
tasmims taj-jane bhedabhavat
Because there is no difference between That and Them, i.e., devotees or Great Ones.
Let us take 'That' to stand for 'Grace', which is the immediately preceding noun. We get the soul-elevating interpretation that God's Grace itself descends on us in the form of the Guru or the Self-realised Sage. There is no difference between God's Grace and the Guru.
Or, we may take 'That' to mean God Himself. There is no difference between God and Guru. Guru is God. In answer to our prayer, in response to our aspiration, He comes to us, to awaken us, guide us, lead us to the goal of life.
Three types people into the jails: (1) the prisoner, (2) the jail visitor and (3) the ruler of the country. The prisoner is, of course, there to undergo the punishment earned by his crime. The others are free to go in and out, at their sweet will. They are not bound. The jail visitors console and instruct the prisoners; the ruler does this and also ensures their comforts, and may even release some of them.
Similarly, sometimes God Incarnates Himself on earth; and sometimes He sends the Great Ones to do His work on earth. They are not like ordinary human beings. The human being is under the sway of maya. The Great Ones are the Lords of Maya and are not deceived by her. In this respect, the Guru is also like an Incarnation of God.
Incidentally, it is said that the difference between God and Sages of Self- realisation is that the latter have no power to grant liberation to jivas - also that they have no powers to create, to protect, or to liberate which belong solely to God, just as the jail visitor can only instruct the prisoners how to get early release by good conduct, and how to avoid getting into prison again by moral life; whereas, the ruler can order the immediate release of the prisoner! Here we are not concerned with the latter. Even in regard to the former: the Guru leads us to the very door of liberation, but the Lord opens it! If this is accepted, then the difference is reduced to a nominal one.
chapter III - sutra 42
tad eva sadhyatam tad eva sadhyatam
Let that alone be made possible; let that alone made possible.
This instruction is repeated twice, in order to stress its importance and urgency. Otherwise, in sutra-literature, such repetition only means the end of a chapter.
This shows what great importance Narada attaches to satsanga or mahat-sanga. We have already seen how Narada himself was the 'product' of mahat-sanga. It is no wonder, therefore, that he holds that as the foremost sadhana, and emphasises 'tadeva sadhyatam'. In addition to the repetition, he has introduced the word 'eva' - alone - to doubly underline the need for mahat sanga company of the Great Ones.
chapter III - sutra 43
duhsangam sarvathaiva tyajyah
Evil company should be given up by all means.
Narada is extremely anxious about the company that we keep; for, company has a tremendous influence on us. Narada used the feminine pronoun while referring to devotion. The creeper is feminine. It seeks some prop to entwine itself around.
Similarly a bhakta or devotee seeks company. Bhakti yoga and karma yoga are practised more in company than alone. Specially till the bhakta attains to a stage when he can consciously commune with the Lord and keep His company - in deep meditation and samadhi, he will want some company. He experiences joy in singing kirtan; and, in order to share this joy and also to keep up his own spirit, he wants others to sing the Lord's Name with him. He wants to talk about God and His glories; but there should be people to listen. Of course, there are moments when he would want to be alone, to 'weep for Him in solitude, to meditate upon Him in solitude.
Now, if at that psychological moment he falls into evil company, then what spiritual wealth he has acquired is lost, and the little ripples of evil that lurk in his heart are made to assume great proportions.
That is the case of a bhakta.
Moreover, let us see why and when man seeks company. When man is bored with his own self, when he is dissatisfied with his own self, he seeks company. Obviously, he is unable to find peace or happiness within himself. He has been trying. This process has gone on for some time, till he got bored. Now, the mind refuses to be indrawn. It seeks company.
This is the moment when great caution ought to be exercised. A slip here might be fatal.
The wicked worldly man, who has been watching the devotee with a touch of contempt and jealousy, is waiting for his opportunity. He knows why the devotee seeks company. He is ready with his goods, the objects to divert the attention of the devotee. A beginner will easily be led astray.
Even if the sadhaka is not a beginner, it is possible that a wrong suggestion given by the wicked man might have undesirable after-effects, much later in life. The wicked man might cry down all sadhana and proclaim the non-existence of God and the foolishness of depending upon such a non-entity. The sadhaka might at that time be able to resist yielding to this suggestion - his faith is strong. But a time might come when that faith is severely tested. In a weak moment, the wrong suggestion given to the mind earlier might revive to the discomfiture of the sadhaka. These long-range after-effects are the most dangerous consequences of evil company.
We hear of the stories of great bhaktas, like Lord Gouranga, who went over to the wicked people and transformed them. But they were able and they were spiritually powerful enough to do so. To imagine that you and I have that power is to invite a moral catastrophe. Let us beware if we have to move among worldly men. It is question of who is more powerful and whose power is greater! If it is the other man's, we are gone.
The word 'sarvathiva', by all means, should be remembered. There ought to be absolutely no excuse for us to resort to evil company. We have Sri Gurudev Sivananda's own example before us. He knows that the mind revolts against monotony. Therefore, He gives us the yoga of synthesis. We do a little of everything and keep monotony away. Note how He conducts His satsang. He gives a little of everything - discourse, kirtan, humour, song, etc. If you want to see a film, see it in Satsang. If you want a music performance, have it there. If you want to witness a dance, do so in satsang. The basis or substratum should always be satsang. This way we can cleverly avoid straying from the path.
We should particularly beware of the worldly man masquerading in the garb of a religious one, and offering us spiritual guidance. His is evil company of the worst type. The devil quotes scriptures. His intelligence might win our admiration and his words might mislead us.
Even in the case of satsanga, we ought to be careful not to let it be transformed into evil company. The criterion is that satsanga must lead us to seek nissanga. Good company must lead us to seclusion. Then, even in satsanga, we are alone - with God only. We should beware of developing attachment to personalities even in satsang - else, it defeats its own purpose.
chapter III - sutra 44
kama-krodha-moha-smriti-bhramsa-buddhi-nasa-sarva-nasa-karanatvat
Because it is the cause of lust, anger, delusion, loss of memory, loss of intellect and total ruin.
Brick by brick the devotee builds up the mansion of devotion. A single bombshell from the hands of a wicked man ruins it in a minute.
Struggling and with great difficulty, the young man takes the ball up the flight of steps. A mischief-maker knocks it down from his hands; and the ball bounces down in the twinkling of an eye.
Such is the fate of the devotee who is caught in evil company. A moment of carelessness lands him in the bottom of the abyss of faithlessness. Often even the incentive to further effort is taken away.
I remember an incident in which Gurudev Sivananda went 'all out' to prevent a spiritual aspirant returning to worldly life. For once I noticed He was 'restless', so anxious was He. He explained, "I can send money to his family. If he does not want to do any work, let him not. But let him not leave this path. There will be reaction."
The sadhaka endeavours to practise self-control. He is not at once able to sublimate all his desires. Some amount of repression is inevitable. The mind which had thus been 'controlled' is waiting for an opportunity to burst its bounds. Therefore it is that we find that, when a spiritual aspirant falls, he becomes far worse than he ever was, and far worse than a worldly man.
The little desire that arises in him, is intensified by company. The worldly man's main concern is to play upon the weaknesses of the other man. Worldly life is full of raga-dwesha. He who is able to evoke fanatic attachment to something, and intense hatred to another thing, has a large following. In such company, the sadhaka is also injected with kama, krodha, etc. Kama, krodha - lust, anger - are almost synonymous with raga-rwesha - likes and dislikes. When these enter, moha - delusion - follows. This leads to destruction of memory. The devotee forgets his spiritual status, his aim in life, his goal - everything. Then comes destruction of intelligence. Up to this, Narada followed the 'list' given by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. And, Narada concludes it with a very expressive expression - sarva-nasha - destruction of everything! When discrimination is lost, dispassion is lost, and devotion is lost, everything is lost!
chapter III - sutra 45
tarangita apime sangat samudrayanti
Though they are of the form of a wave, they become like an ocean in evil company.
It is not their fault! The evil person is not our enemy. Our real enemy is within ourselves. It is the impure mind. And, the evil tendency at first manifests in the form of a small wave; evil company enlarges it into an ocean.
To take another illustration. Our own vicious samskaras are like live embers underneath. Over it we have let the ashes of devotional practices accumulate. The live embers have not been put out altogether. Evil company is like a gust of wind that blows away the ashes, and then fans the fire into a big flame and conflagration.
This is the reason why we should never try to test our own strengh! We should always assume that some evil is latent in us. We should recall to our minds the lives of great sages, like Jada Bharata, whose attempts to attain liberation were thwarted even at the last moment, by a slight attachment born of such a noble quality as compassion.
Gurudev Sivananda has never tired of warning the sadhakas to beware till the last breath; one slip at any time may prove spiritually fatal. The sight of mating fish caused the downfall of a great sage! Then, what is our fate nowadays when we are surrounded by all kinds of temptations and distractions? God is our sole refuge.
chapter III - sutra 46
kas tarati kas tarati mayam yah sangam tyajati yo mahanubhavam sevate nirmamo bhavati
Who crosses the maya? He who renounces company, who serves the sage - guru - and who becomes mine-less.
Who goes beyond maya?
He who renounces all company. As we have already seen, this only means evil company. Satsanga is really no 'sanga' at all. In true satsanga, everyone is alone with God, though in company. But, Narada insists on renunciation of all company, as he is anxious that we should get attached to persons or places in the name of satsanga.
Who goes beyond maya?
He who serves a mahanubhava. Here, the number s singular. We should not miss the significance. Once we have elected to be the disciple of a Mahatma - Great One, we should stick to Him and serve Him. A rolling stone gathers no moss. Nor does one who digs a few feet at several places, find water. We may attend every Saint's Satsang, and listen to all; but we shall serve our Guru and accept only His Upadesha as final.
In the Bhagavad Gita, the Lord points to His own Feet and declares, "He who takes refuge in Me, crosses maya." But here Narada affirms that he who takes refuge at the Lotus-Feet of a Saint crosses maya. The inference is obvious. They are not two, but one. The Lord Himself is manifest for the seeker after truth, as the Guru.
Maya is, according Gita, divine, the Lord's own power, made up of three gunas! She is not to be trifled with. The Lord Himself warns the aspirant that she is difficult to get over. In the individual, she veils the perception of truth. She is avidya - nescience; she is the ego; she is the mind. With what instrument shall we annihilate the mind or assassinate the ego? Whatever steps we take to annihilate the ego are thwarted by the ego assuming countless forms. At the base of the very effort we make to get rid of the ego, the ego itself thrives!
The most sensible method of getting rid of the ego, our arch-enemy, is to hand it over to the Guru, the Enlightened Sage, Who knows how to annihilate it. Therefore, service of the Guru is of paramount importance. He and He alone can remove the egoism in us. And, then,
Who crosses Maya?
He who has got over all mine-ness. When we have surrendered ourselves to the Guru and kept back nothing as ours, then naturally, all sense of possession disappears. When I-ness and mine-ness vanish, then maya vanishes
chapter III - sutra 47
yo vivikta-sthanam sevate yo loka-bandham unmulayati nistraigunyo bhavati yo yoga-kshemam tyajati
He who resorts to a holy, solitary place; he who roots out all attachments to the world; he who transcends the three gunas; and gives up all ideas of acquisition and preservation.
Who crosses maya?
He who resorts to a holy, lonely place. A place where the devotee can commune with the Lord, in solitude, is a holy place. And, a holy place - e.g., that associated with some aspect of God, or the life of some Great Saint or Yogi - is conducive to the attainment of the proper frame of mind quickly. This aspect of sadhana is emphasised by the Lord in the Gita.
viviktasevi laghvasi viviktadesa sevitwam aratir janasamsadi
The devotee does not have plurophobia; he is not afraid of the crowd. He is not afraid to mix with others. But, he is not moved by desire to resort to company for sense-gratification. Even if he is surrounded by a crowd, he lives in his own world. He enjoys solitude, wherever he is. Wherever he is is a holy place. But, till we reach that stage, it is better to make a positive effort to go to solitude. Moreover, even if we are unaffected mentally by the crowd, the din and bustle of a city, they do have a subtle enervating effect on our system. The distractions would make it impossible for us to meditate upon God. Why? It is difficult even to think sublime thoughts in the noisy bazar. Great thoughts, great inventions, and great works of art, are always born in solitude.
Who crosses maya?
He who roots out all attachment to the world. Merely chopping off the branches will not kill a tree. It has to be uprooted. Lord Krishna has manufactured a wonderful axe with which to fell the tree of samsara. It is non-attachment. With the sword of non-attachment, we should sever all connections with the world. God created this world. God maintains it. God knows what is to be done, when and where. Hence, we shall not overstep our bounds, but merely do our duty as an instrument in the hands of God, and avoid getting attached to anything or anybody in the world.
Who crosses maya?
He who goes beyond the three gunas - natural qualities. This is quite obvious. In the Gita it said that maya is made up of three gunas. He who wants to go beyond gaya, naturally goes beyond the three gunas. He eradicates tamas - inertia - by deliberately promoting rajas - dynamism - and becoming dynamic. Then he sublimates rajas into satwa, by saturating himself with satwa - purity. Satwa is also a bondage; it is golden shackle. But, the devotee, by surrendering himself wholly to the Lord, is enabled by the Lord Himself to transcend this Guna also.
Who crosses maya?
He who renounces all desire to acquire and preserve. God created the world and maintains it. The bhakta knows that God is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient. God knows the devotee's needs before the bhakta is aware of them. He is present everywhere, and can therefore fulfil these needs anywhere; and He is Omnipotent, and therefore there can be no question of His ability to do so. In fact, the devotee knows that, whether he assumes responsibility for the family or society, or hands it over to the Lord, it is He and He alone Who is looking after the entire creation? For example, isn't he a fool who tries to speed up a railway train by relieving it of the burden of his suit-case and carries it over his head, while he is himself in the railway compartment? In any case, it is the railway train that carries the load. Realising this, the devotee is not at all bothered about what is given to him; and is not worried over the protection of what has been given to him. It is all His responsibility. The bhakta is resigned to the Will of the Lord, or his own prarabdha, and lives an active life, treating his actions as worship of the Omnipresent God.
chapter III - sutra 48
yah karma-phalam karmani sanyasyati tato nirdvandvo bhavati
He who renounces the fruits of his actions, and who renounces all actions, goes beyond the pairs of opposites.
The entire gospel of the Bhagavad Gita is condensed into this one sutra. The Yoga of the Bhagavad is taught here.
Who crosses maya?
He who renounces the fruits of actions. That is the most sensible thing to do! If you reflect a little over this, you will agree that in reality what we do has no relation to what we achieve! We see this in our everyday life. The sanskrit equivalent to the word 'luck' is 'adrishtam'. It is the unseen power bestowing what It wills upon us. This unseen power is the fructification of our own past karma.
Two boys prepare themselves for the examination. One does not study and wastes most of his time. Just the previous night, he glances through the text; he is able to read only a few pages. The question-paper has questions only relating to those few pages; he has no difficulty in answering them. He passes the examination.
The other boy studies well. But just before the examination, he is laid up with fever. Even if he attends the examination, his mind gets puzzled. Even if he has been able to answer some questions, the mood of the examiner is spoilt by his wife. So many odds against the boy; perhaps he fails.
How are the results related to the actions themselves? Their past karma governed the fruits. It is like the functioning of this typewriter on which I work now. When I touch a particular key, a particular type is raised. Several levers come into operation. Similarly, when the boy sits for his examination, the relative key - that past action which is to bear fruit - operates, and the immediate connecting lever - viz., the exam - is just incidental! The result mainly accrues from the original action, not the immediate action; the latter is only incidental, and the connecting link.
Therefore, the seeker after truth who renounces the fruits of actions alone is wise. The man who expects a particular result to accrue from an action commits a mistake; and, of course, he asks for disappointment. How can one know what the Lord's Will or the effect of past karma will be? If it is favourable, then we feel happy that our action has been successful. If it is not, we blame ourselves and often others for the failure. We grieve.
The sanyasi - one who renounces the fruits of actions, and does not relate the action to its fruits - goes beyond the three-fold classification of desirable, undesirable and mixed results. To him everything is welcome. He knows that whatever happens is only the working out of past karma. The expenditure of the force of past karma makes him rejoice always; for, he knows that he will attain liberation once this force is spent.
'Karmani sanyasyati' should be taken to mean - not renunciation of actions, but offering of actions at the Lotus-Feet of the Lord. Performance of actions as duties, motivelessly, selflessly, and egolessly, is the ideal. But, people often find it difficult to believe that it is even possible to act thus! One cannot till he becomes one with the Lord's Will - work motivelessly, selflessly and egolessly. Till then we have to entertain good motives, strive to feel constantly that we are but instruments in His Hands, and endeavour to work, not for our own selfish good, but for the good of all. But, this is not liberating action! Since, we have not completely detached ourselves from the action, it is bound to recoil on us. The wise seeker, therefore, offers the actions as flowers of worship of the Lord. Now, the bondage is cut.
How can we know if we are sincere in this 'offering'? This philosophy might often be made a cover for committing sinful deeds and then 'offering' them to the Lord! The test of sincerity here will come when we are faced with the consequences. Are we prepared to take any consequence, coolly, cheerfully and devoutly, welcoming it as God's Will? Then we have achieved some measure of success. After offering the actions as worship of the Lord, we shall not think of them, boast about them, nor even feel proud of what we have done. Then the offering has been true and sincere. We are well on the way to liberation.
If we are successful in this sadhana, we shall naturally go beyond the pairs of opposites. We shall greet every experience as the Grace of the Lord. There will be nothing in our life which will give us pain. Pain, dishonour, failure, even these will be to us the manifestations of His Grace. What we welcome is always pleasurable. To the mountaineer, severe cold, hunger and difficult, risky, and dangerous climbing is pleasant, because he welcomes them! Pain has become pleasure, and pleasure is of course taken in our stride. Then, where is pain for us? That is why it is said that the devotee is always happy. He has crossed this illusion of pairs of opposites - he has crossed maya.
chapter III - sutra 49
yo vedan api sanyasyati kevalam avicchinnanuragam labhate
He who renounces even the vedas; and attains only uninterrupted devotion.
The frequent repetition of this thought reveals the truth that in those days people had unshakable faith in the Vedas and in Vedic injunctions. Anyone, who questioned the authority of the Vedas was regarded as a heretic and excommunicated. Anyone who failed to perform vedic rites and rituals was condemned. Hence, this repetition of the saving clause,
Who crosses Maya?
He who renounces even the Vedas. 'Trigunya vishaya vedah' - the Vedas deal with the three qualities, says the Lord in the Gita. At another place, He says, 'Gunamayi mama maya' - My Maya is of three gunas. Reading these two together, we get the interpretation that he who wants to go beyond the three gunas - maya - will perforce have to go beyond the Vedas, too. Moreover, Vedas only promise swarga - the pleasures of heaven. The bhakta is not interested in them. He does not want to go to heaven. He wants God and nothing else. Therefore, he does not engage himself in vedic rites and rituals.
Merely renouncing vedic rites and rituals will not bestow moksha on anyone. It will only lead to a downfall. It will only mean gross, unpardonable and sinful neglect of one's duties. In fact, vedic injunctions are not want only renounced by the devotee. In the single minded, uninterrupted devotion to God which occupies his whole heart, worldly duties drop away. This is an important point to be borne in mind. The devotee does not escape from worldly duties; he is engaged in more intense practice of real sadhana viz., ceaseless remembrance of God.
chapter III - sutra 50
sa tarati sa tarati lokams tarayati
He crosses; he enables others to cross.
He crosses maya. Verily, he crosses maya. The repetition gives emphasis; beyond doubt such a devotee crosses maya.
There are many types of devotees who cross this ocean of samsara. Some struggle to reach the other shore; it would be a great achievement if they made it.
Some are strong enough to save one or two drowning souls, and help them cross to the other shore.
There are others who, like a small boat, take a few people along with them to the other shore. They are the great Acharyas, the spiritual leaders.
Yet others there are who enable vast numbers of people to cross the ocean of samsara - birth and death. They are like big ocean-going vessels. The Avataras of the Lord, like Sri Rama, Sri Krishna, etc., are such.
This classification is also alluded to by the repetition of the phrase 'sa tarati'.
But, even if the devotee is just an aspirant who struggles along to the other shore - God-realisation, even he enables some others to cross the ocean of samsara, though indirectly. His example inspires some others and they, too, take to the path of devotion. Though the devotee does not have a direct hand in the spiritual evolution of the others, they evolve due to his influence. Even an ordinary bhakta is a great benefactor of humanity.