Category: Q&A

rathyā carpaṭa viracita kanthaḥ puṇyāpuṇya vivarjita panthaḥ |

yogī yoga niyojita cittaḥ ramate bālonmattavadeva || 22 ||

Meaning- The yogi very happily wears discarded and torn rags. He walks on the path that is far away from punya-papa (virtues- vices). Having been able to achieve total ekagrata (concentration) through his Yoga and totally immersed in bliss he wanders like a small child or like a madman.

When referring to Lord Datta, the phrase- ‘balonmatta pisāchavat’. These traits being explained here are very similar to the traits of an Avadhoota. The truth is that such persons are jeevanmuktas. They behave like small children or at times like absolute madmen. They will be jumping and shrieking as if possessed by some ghost. To them no disciplines apply. Restrictions such as ‘this should be done; this should not be done’ are not valid for them. They are free from virtues and sins (punya-papa), positives and negatives, and from joys and sorrows. This does not imply that they will indulge in sinful acts. This means that they enjoy absolute freedom; they are not under the control of any force.

Bewildered by their actions many times we misunderstand them.  Externally they appear as if they lack compassion towards others. There is no basis by which we can gauge their actions. They will be wandering in a state that is over and above the limitations of the three attributes of Nature (sattva, rajas, tamas). To one who is in this state, can there be a limiting factor?

The mind of such a person will be omnipresent in all the states of existence (sarvāvastha). It would have merged totally into that of the all-pervading Paramatma. It envelops the entire creation. He will be able to see himself as pervading throughout the creation. He sees himself in every object and in every living entity. He sees them in himself. The limitations of place & time, the extremities of heat and cold, the feelings of like-dislike do not affect him in the least. In fact, he is  over and above all these forms of limitations. He is above mind. He does not get entrapped in virtues-vices (punya-papa). Such a person is a omniscient and omnipresent.

Such highly knowledgeable Jnani always appear like ignorant innocent children. It is only the ignorant who seek external pomp. But an all-knowing Jnani is unaffected by any of these. He seeks no external pomp.

Sadashiva Brahmendra was a great Avadhoota. He would roam about in a digambara state. People would not even notice his presence and he too would be oblivious of people around him. He would never accept anything that was offered to him. Simply he would wander about. Once he was walking through a forest where a great Nawab was enjoying with his retinue. The Nawab was enjoying a luxurious meal in his tent when suddenly Sadashiva Brahmendra Swami walked in. The saint stepped on to that plate of the king as he passed by. Unaware and unaffected, the saint exited from that tent and continued to walk. The infuriated Nawab chased the saint and had both the arms of the saint chopped off. Sadashiva Brahmendra Swami was unaware of even this fact as He continued to walk. This is the state of an Avadhoota. After some time, the Nawab realized his mistake, and in great repentance, ran and fell at the feet of the great saint. But what a surprise! Both the arms of the great saint were intact.

Punarapi jananaṃ punarapi maraṇaṃ punarapi jananī jaṭhare śayanam |

Iha saṃsāre bahu dustāre kṛpayāpāre pāhi murāre || 21 ||

Meaning- O Murari! You are supremely compassionate. Please rescue me from this endless cycle of births and deaths (samsāra) wherein I am leaving one body only to land in the womb of another mother.

The karmas (fruitive actions) of a living being trap it in an endless cycle of births and deaths. Likes-dislikes (rāga- dvesha) are the root for the performance of karmas. Likes-dislikes originate out of infatuations and attachments (moha). This in turn stems from absence of discriminatory intelligence (avivekam). Avivekam arises due to spiritual ignorance (ajnana). From this we can conclude that spiritual ignorance is the primary root for this endless cycle of births and deaths.

The living being enters the womb of the mother. While in mother’s womb it suffers piteously and also causes limitless suffering to the mother. After entering this world it performs various fruitive actions (karma) and when it ultimately leaves this body, it re-enters the womb of another mother. This endless cycle is called samsara.

Swami Vidyaranya in his composition ‘Pancadasi‘, has stated – the being that is thrust within this cycle of endless births and deaths is like that worm which is being swept from one whirlpool to another due to the speedily flowing river currents. He is like the instrument in a weaver’s loom that is eternally being shoved from one end to the other. His illusions and imaginations cause him to travel from one death to another. This cycle of births and deaths has no beginning and no end and hence continues perpetually. Even then, it is possible to acquire liberation. It is God’s compassion which rescues the suffering being and helps him cross this samsara.

Shankara Bhagawad-pādācharya in His ‘Shivānanda lahari‘ states, – ‘this samsāra is devoid of any essence. In such a lifeless samsara which distances me from Your seva, I am a foolish person who is roaming blindly and aimlessly. O God Pashupati, you are my sole refuge. There is no power greater than You in this universe who can offer me refuge. Kindly uplift me’.

‘Murari‘ being referred to in this Bhaja Govindam and ‘Pashupati’ referred to in ‘Shivānanda Lahari’ are one and the same force. We should understand that Shiva and Keshava (Vishnu) are one and the same energy called God. Name and form are all creations. We adopt a particular name/ form to suit our requirements/ tastes in worship.

Very often Shankara-Bhagavadpāda refers to samsara using words such as samsāra sāgara (ocean of samsāra), samsāra vruksha (endless tree called samsāra) and samsāra chakra (wheel called samsāra). The idea is not to frighten the reader but to let him realize how endless this cycle is! When listening to such Vedanta subjects, many people get worried that they are sinners. This is not the intent. These will act like warning bells at the time when the person is about to commit sins.

Yogarato vā bhogarato vā sangarato vā sangavihīnaḥ |

Yasya brahmaṇi ramate cittaṃ nandati nandati nandatyeva || 19 ||

Meaning– One may take delight either in Yoga or in comforts of this world (bhoga); he may enjoy living amidst people (sanga) or enjoy living alone (nissanga), yet the truth is that only he, whose mind is totally enveloped in the company of the Supreme Brahma, can enjoy true bliss!

This stanza extols the person who has attained the vision of Brahma (Brahma Sākshātkāra). Obtaining the ‘vision of Brahma’ means to live in a state of advaita (non- dualism). In this state, the person perceives the Self everywhere. Having achieved victory over the six inner enemies (arishadvargas), he will be over and above the state of dualism and will see himself as existing within in all objects/ entities of this creation. Without any distinction, he will see the entire universe consisting of animate and inanimate objects as existing within his Self.

To such a person, being in a state of Yoga or enjoying material comforts (bhoga) are indistinguishably same. Being amidst the company of many or being all-alone is one and the same to him. Living abroad, living in the Himalayas or being seated in an aircraft, all mean the same to him. He will be in the same mental state at all times. Differences of place and time do not have any affect on him. This is because he is very well aware that only Brahma is true and eternal (satya) and that all these worldly objects are illusory, transitory and impermanent. He will be unaffected by illusion.

Kathopanishad states that the Self is unique. It is devoid of the 5 subtle sensory perceptions of taste, smell, touch, sound and form. It cannot get depleted; is without beginning and end, and is over and above even the ultimate and most subtle principle of creation called Mahat. It is unchangeable, permanent and stable.

The one who has understood this knowledge will be free from the jaws of death. In other words, he will exit from this repeated cycle of re-births. In other words, he has obtained the ‘vision of Brahma’. He will be eternally immersed in the supreme unending bliss. He will be over and above distinctions such as dharma-adharma. In his state of absolute purity, the good and bad no longer touch him.

In reality he can cause purity to all those around him wherever he is, nevertheless the risk of being defiled due to the impurity of others does not even slightly arise. In Datta Darshanam, Lord Datta taught all this to Pingalanaga. He is just like the beetle which is untouched by muddy mire even after dipping into it.

At all times and in all conditions, he is ruled by feelings of equal-mindedness. Just by his presence, everything around him turns pure. He will be over and above the feelings of arrogance, honour, humiliation. He will be unaffected by both praise and abuse.