Category: Q&A

Agre vahniḥ pṛṣṭhe bhānuḥ  rātrau cubuka samarpita jānuḥ |

Karatala bhikṣas-tarutala vāsaḥ tadapi na muñcaty-āśā pāśaḥ || 16 ||

Meaning – Even that person, who sleeps beneath a tree at night curling up his body to protect himself from biting cold; who builds a fire to keep himself warm even as the morning sun rises behind him; who accepts with his palms, the alms that have been given to him, is not spared from these noose called desires (āśā pāśa).

A previous stanza explained about the pretentious saints (sanyasis). This stanza explains about the real sanyasis. While the case of pretentious sanyasis who externally wear ochre robes and deceive people for the purpose of livelihood is somewhat understandable, isn’t it surprising to note that true sanyasis who have achieved detachment, who have distanced themselves from these worldly bondages and who wear ochre robes are not spared either by this noose called desires?

This stanza seeks to highlight the power wielded by desires!

A renunciate, who maintains no place of residence, finds shelter under some tree. During the early morning hours of winter, he lights a fire to keep himself warm while the Sun rises behind him. Unlike a householder, a renunciate (sanyasi) has to go from house to house begging for alms during the day. It is not that he can collect the food offered from all houses and eat them at one go. He is also not supposed to sit and enjoy the complete meal in one house. He is to approach every house and call out, “Bhavati bhikshaam dehi”. The lady of the house will then come and offer to him one fistful of food. He should collect the same in his palms and eat it then and there, before proceeding to the next house. This method is known as karatala bhiksha. Even under this method, there is a restriction on the number of houses that the sanyasi can visit on any given day, for example 5 houses. The idea behind this practice is that he should not consume belly-full food. This is how a true sanyasi should live.

From this we can understand that Shankara Bhagawad-pādāchārya practised this discipline of begging for alms. Even Swamiji practiced Madhukari during his childhood days. All this is contained in His life history. This is one of the toughest disciplines that one can ever follow.

This stanza emphasizes that desires do not leave even that person who is following these hardest disciplines. By selecting this example, Shankaracharya Swami is stressing upon the might exhibited by desires.

Our Puranas contain many instances of people, who after giving up all forms of luxuries and after undertaking the toughest disciplines are blessed with a vision (darshan) of God , and who then waste this boon by seeking materialistic benefits. When these instances are scrutinized, one can realize the might exhibited by these desires and as to how it holds a person completely in its sway.

It is said that indriyas (senses) can collectively pull down even the greatest scholar. Some people manage to bring some senses under control, but then unable to control the mind they fall prey again to desires. Even great personalities such as Vishwamitra could not escape from such fall.

Only relentless recitation of divine names can save a person from this noose called desires!

Aṅgaṃ galitaṃ palitaṃ muṇdaṃ daśana vihīnaṃ jātaṃ tuṇdam |

Vṛddho yāti gṛhītvā daṇdaṃ tadapi na muñcatyāśā piṇdam || 15 ||

Meaning- Even though the person has become old, his organs are all incapacitated and weak, is bald, toothless and walks holding onto a stick, he is unable to overcome his multitude of desires.

This stanza explains the powerlessness/ helplessness experienced during old age.

As age advances there are only sufferings to be endured. Happiness disappears. The physical body will no longer be in a position to fulfill the desire demands as it will be infirm and weak. Hair will begin to turn gray and will fall off. The person will be toothless and as such will be unable to enjoy his favorite delicacies. Yet, at the same time he will be tormented by a strong desire to enjoy all his favorite foods. Offer him a fruit and he is bound to say, “Oh, Being toothless I cannot eat”. He will never say, “I have no desire to eat it”.

The ability to effectively complete tasks will be lost during old age. He may become totally dependent on others for their care. Such old age is worse than death. In each and every minute, there is only suffering. Even amidst such suffering the person refuses to give up his desires. In fact these desires in him tend to grow by leaps and bounds.

Due to physical infirmity, the ability to enjoy sensory pleasures is totally lost.  Yet, the mind, that has been trained the entire life to fulfill sensory pleasures, continues to run behind them seeking their fulfillment. When they remain unfulfilled, the mind gets depressed. It shrinks under the weight of useless thoughts. At such times, a very huge friction erupts between the mind and the body. The mind will be eagerly looking forward to enjoying every sensory pleasure that comes its way. The body refuses to co-operate due to its infirmity. As a result, the body and mind lack unity and will part ways.

The message in this stanza is not meant for the old. In fact it is oriented purely towards the able-bodied persons who are in the prime of youth. This stanza goads youngsters that, should they fail to rein in the mind and control desires when they are in the prime of youth, they will have to go through these terrible situations in their old age.

Irrespective of its nature, every desire causes endless sorrow during old age.  Hence desires are referred to as a noose (āśā pāśa) which entangles every person. Our mind is a bundle of desires. These desires form the foundation for this samsara (life with its bondages). The dangerous outcome of desire is that as soon as one desire gets fulfilled innumerable more desires sprout from it. The web spun by it is endless.

Swamiji has explained this in His bhajan-

janmāniki mūlamu kōrikalaṇḍi kōrikalaku mūlamu āśalaṇḍi
āśa tīraka pōtēnē duḥkhamaṇḍi duḥkhamulanu anusarin̄cu rōgamaṇḍi.

This is the sequence. This is why it is extremely critical that when the body is healthy and the senses are in our control, we should turn our mind towards God. When this is done, then during old age even if the body is weak and unwell, then the mind, due to its previous training will automatically turn towards God, causing immense relief to the person. At such time, the person will accept his troubles as originating due to his past karmas and will be peaceful. As a result of this practice, the person will be rewarded with a subsequent good birth with good samskaras.  

Mā kuru dhanajana yauvana garvaṃ harati nimesāt-kālaḥ sarvam |

Māyāmayamidam-akhilaṃ hitvā brahmapadaṃ tvaṃ praviśa viditvā || 11 ||

Meaning – Let not money, power over people, and youth cause arrogance and pride in you. Time has the ability to destroy them all in just a minute. In this illusory world, distance yourself from the materialistic objects and aim at acquiring the state of liberation (Brahmapada).

This visible world that we are now experiencing was, before birth, devoid of distinctions such as bhokta (one who is enjoying) and bhogya (that which could be used or enjoyed). It was in a nirvikalpa (devoid of changes) state. It was over and above the triputi (triad of seer, seen and object being seen). At that point, only the Self existed! The Vedas confirm this- atma vā idam ekā ivagra asit. “Prior to the creation of this universe, only the Self existed.”

Before plant emerges from the seed, all that exists is a changeless (nirvikalpa) seed. This seed transforms into a huge tree with stems, branches, leaves, flowers and fruit. Akin to this, in the beginning, without any distinctions such as enjoyer (bhokta) and ‘that which is enjoyed’ (bhogya), only the Self existed. All these distinctions such as space and time are being created by illusion, which is completely under the Supreme Lord’s control. This combination led to the formation of this vast universe with so many distinctions and differences. Shankara Bhagawad-pādāchārya elucidates this in his Dakshinamurthy stotram.

We should therefore understand that this world, which is visible to us, is purely illusory. Only the causative factor (kārana) is permanent and indestructible. From mud we create objects such as pots. But these pots made of mud disintegrate back into mud. Akin to this, this entire world which emerged from Him will merge back into Him who was the causative factor behind it. At that time only He will remain. That is why the Upanishad reiterates- Brahma satyam, jagat mithyam.

A person who does not acquire an in-depth understanding of this subject continues to be enveloped in traits such as arrogance, pride, egoism etc. These traits distance him from wisdom and discriminatory capacities (viveka).  ‘I am very wealthy; I can buy anything in this world with my money; why should I care?’ will be the attitude of a wealthy person. This is known as pride of wealth.

People who have a large fan following and plenty of supporters also have arrogance in them. They assume that they can accomplish any task with this mass support. This is the pride of power.

The third is pride of youth. In the prime of youth when the body is healthy & the senses are robust, a person believes that he can accomplish even the most difficult tasks with ease. Due to this he will not respect elders and will move about with a ‘don’t-care’ attitude.

The reasons behind this arrogance are wealth, power and youth. However all these are time-bound and time-controlled. When these vanish, a person is left without even a shelter to protect himself. Just as the toughest pumpkin also has to surrender to the might of a knife, everything in life is under the control of time. Time can make the pauper a millionaire or it can render a millionaire as a pauper.

A self-realized Brahmajnani, who has distanced himself from these materialistic objects, is however unaffected by the changes caused by time. Such Brahmajnani reaches those ultimate planes from where there is no return. He will go over these shackles of births and deaths. Such a state is called Brahmapada.