April 15, 2017 archive

Bhaja Govindam 3: Be content with the wealth you earn (verse 2)

Mudha jahīhi dhanāgamatrśnāṃ kuru sadbuddhim manasi vitrśnām |

Yallabhase nija karmopāttaṃ vittaṃ tena vinodaya cittam

Meaning – O fool! O ignorant person who lacks the discriminative intelligence between permanent and impermanent objects! Give up this desire to earn money & wealth. Cultivate a noble intellect (buddhi) that is totally free of transformations (vikāra) of any kind. Be content with the wealth that accrues to you based on the actions of your previous births.

The first stanza taught about spiritual ignorance (avidya). To escape from this ignorance, reciting the names of the Lord was the suggested remedy.

Now the second stanza warns us against entertaining excessive desires (kāma) and on the necessity of controlling the mind.

The word ‘kāma’ is not limited merely to lustful desires. ‘Kāma’ includes desire of every form i.e. desire to obtain wealth, position/ title and possession of any kind are all part and parcel of kāma. This is also known as ‘trishna’. Trishna means thirst. Only water quenches thirst. Where a person is excessively thirsty and water is unavailable, his life will be in danger. Likewise when desire crosses all limits, it causes the person to fall to unimaginable levels! For this reason, Swami preaches that we should not allow desire (kāma) to come anywhere close to the mind.

Bhagavad Geeta explains the dangers of kaama in the following way- sangāt sanjāyate kāmah kāmāt krōdhō ‘bhijāyate.

Meaning- Association leads to desire; desire in turn paves the way towards anger. Anger causes the person to forget himself. This delusion causes faltering of intellect (buddhi). Complete destruction occurs in the person whose intellect is weakened and is in a very poor state.

As all these have their origin in desire, it is very important to ensure that the mind is untainted by desires.

People erroneously believe that fulfilling the desire is the best and only way to drive away the desire from the mind. Bhagavad Geeta however disagrees. It compares desire to fire. Offering ‘ghee’ (clarified butter) only increases the strength of the flames in the holy fire (homa). Likewise fulfilling of a desire only multiplies craving towards it. The person who is truly desirous of putting off the flames should pour water on it. What is the use of supplying it (desire) with ghee hoping that the flames will subside?

This ‘Moha Mudgara’ is not some preaching meant merely for saints or for very knowledgeable persons who are walking on the path of the Supreme. This holy text is equally important for people of all castes and communities irrespective of their social status and gender. For this reason, Shankara Bhagawad-pādāchārya Swami does not declare that earning wealth is bad.

He instead states that every person has some merits and demerits (punya-paapa) that he has brought forward from earlier births. Earning of money on earth is totally dependent on the merits and demerits that have thus been brought forward. Hence he preaches that every person should be content with whatever is earned by him with his efforts in this world. Do not entertain excessive desires.

People of this generation cannot be preached that earning money is wrong. Such preaching is not suited for present times. Instead the person is asked to be content with whatever is earned righteously with his hard work. That’s all. Secondly we should get over the misconception that fulfilling the desire will bring it to an end. As explained above, desire only multiplies once it is fulfilled. The craving increases. To control fire water or some other substance which puts out the flames should be used. Likewise the efforts that are needed to curtail the desires should be practiced. Only then desires will disappear.

Permanent link to this article: https://puttugam.com/episode-3-verse-2-be-content-with-the-wealth-you-earn/

Kolli Gopalakrishnaih, Vijayawada

Around 1987, my wife expressed a desire to do ‘Lalitha Trisathi’ and asked Sri Swamiji to give her permission. Sri Swamiji agreed and blessed her with a budding rose. Even after fifteen years the rose remained intact!

During 1989, my wife had been suffering with breathlessness and acute pain in her heart; she was having all the symptoms of a heart-attack. In a vision she became aware the Sri Swamiji visited her and she was sitting down in the corner of His kitchen. She felt as though someone was cleaning the valves of the heart with a spoon. Then she felt as if the blockage was being removed. After sometime she was relieved of the pain. After this vision, her history of heart problems was solved forever!

Permanent link to this article: https://puttugam.com/kolli-gopalakrishnaih-vijayawada/

J Hemalatha, Mysore

When we were living in Mekedatu, once, early in the morning I smelt a very pleasant Vibuthi fragrance. I got up but saw nothing so I lay back and just closed my eyes; I did not completely go into sleep. Meanwhile, I saw Sri Swamiji, in pure white clothes, coming near me. He called, asking me to get up. He caught my hand and took me along with Him high in the sky and there He initiated me into a sacred mantra (mantrōpadesam). At that time He appeared as fresh as dew drops on the grass during morning hours! I could really feel the freshness and was mesmerized with the beauty of the sky and Sri Swamiji! Suddenly He disappeared and as I opened my eyes I realized that I was in my home.

Later when I went to Mysore and asked for Mantrōpadesam, Sri Swamiji said, “I have already given you Mantrōpadesam.” I was shocked! Prior to this I had a small doubt as to whether the incident was true or whether it was just a dream. Now I realized that Sri Swamiji had really come!

Permanent link to this article: https://puttugam.com/j-hemalatha-mysore/

Shelke family, Bangalore

Sri Swamiji used to make impromptu visits to our house in Mysore. Sometimes, He would come late in the night, around midnight, and in order not to wake us, He would remove His padukas and tip toe into the house. He would come and play with the children, sometimes wrestle with my sons. He was a part of my family. He encouraged the children to come to the Ashrama on Saturdays and Vimal and I should go on Sundays.

One Saturday it was late in the night and the children did not return from the Ashrama. My wife got worried and kept pestering me to go to the ashram. I told her, “Why are you worrying about them, they are with Sri Swamiji.” Then at midnight Sri Swamiji brought them home in a car. He went straight to my wife and said, “Why are you worrying about them, they are with Swamiji!” He repeated the very same words I had spoken a while ago.

Permanent link to this article: https://puttugam.com/shelke-family-bangalore/

Anoesoeja Brijmohan-Hindori, Surinam/Holland

In 1994, I had gone to Mauritius, and a friend gave me a plaque with the letter OM written on it. The next day I was standing on the balcony of my hotel with the plaque in my hand, I was looking out at the clear blue sky with amazement. Suddenly I noticed an object in the sky moving closer and closer to me. I first recognized it as a chariot, and then as it came closer I saw Sri Swamiji’s form in it. Then His form merged into the OM on the plaque, which I was still holding in my hands. From that moment, I stopped seeing Him as my Guru and began seeing Him as God.

On another occasion, I was in Holland at a salon getting a Pedicure. When I was finished and came out to get my car, I realized that it was dark in the parking lot and I was afraid to go alone. Just then, Sri Swamiji came down to me from the sky held my hand and led me to my car. I got in and drove home safely. My God was taking care of me.

Permanent link to this article: https://puttugam.com/anoesoeja-brijmohan-hindori-surinamholland/

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