YAKSHA PRASHNAM – SATHSANG PART 6

By Chitra Devraj

Knowledge alone leads to one to the right path of happiness. It is the torch that one carries in this dark path of samsara.WHAT IS THE SOUL OF MAN?

THE SOUL OF MAN IS HIS SON. (Just as the soul keeps taking new bodies and forms an unknowable link through generations, the son perpetuates the lineage and forms a knowable link through generations. A man identifies himself in his son more than in anything else being born through him. He sees the son as his hope and everything in life and the son is his very life.)

WHO IS THE FRIEND GRANTED BY GODS TO MAN?

THE WIFE IS THE FRIEND BESTOWED ON MAN BY GODS. (The Saptapadi or walking seven steps around the Agni during the time of marriage signifies that the bride and the groom go together in all seven planes of consciousness in performing the dharma. When the bride takes the seven steps to the Northeast, the bridegroom sings the following verses: “Step one for vigour, step two for vitality, step three for prosperity, step four for happiness, step five for wealth, step six for seasons, step seven for friendship. To me be devoted.” After the seventh step he makes her remain where she is and says: “with seven steps we become friends. Let me reach your friendship. Let me not be severed from your friendship. Let your friendship not be severed from me.” A man shares everything with his wife, be it joy or sorrow. The wife walks with him in all circumstances in life with total willingness. A friend is someone who knows about you but still loves you. A wife knows everything about her husband be it a positive or negative quality but continues to love him without pre-conditions. In our puranas there are stories about women who were ready to serve their husband even after they knew that their husband had fallen in love with other women. We have seen Sita walked out to forest with Rama. We have seen Draupadi who faced all hardships in life with a smiling face. The rishi pathnis mostly were from royal palace but lived in the forest, in a hut. But they led a life of love and friendliness with their dharma as a wife.)

WHO IS THE CHIEF SUPPORT OF MAN?

THE CLOUDS ARE THE CHIEF SUPPORT OF MAN. (The clouds are a man’s chief support stressing the importance of timely rain. If there are no rains, the crops cannot grow. No water to drink. Lack of rain affects the people to great extent. Without crops our very living becomes a problem. The timely rain makes a place, kingdom prosperous. In those days, the poets know the welfare of the kingdom by asking this question to the king – ‘maadam mummaari peidadaa? Or ‘did you get rain on time? The clouds give rain without any expectation but as a duty on time. Like clouds there are great people around us who are giving without expectation and through them many people get benefitted. The best of the clouds is the Guru who showers knowledge without expecting anything in return. He is the support for the one who looks out for the rain of knowledge.)

WHAT IS THE MOST VALUABLE OF ALL POSSESSIONS?

KNOWLEDGE IS THE MOST VALUABLE OF ALL POSSESSIONS.(Two days back myself and my daughter were going in a taxi to our friend’s place in Dubai. We don’t know hindi or urdu. The taxi driver doesn’t know English. It was very difficult for us to communicate to him the way and we were not sure whether we will reach the destination or not. The knowledge of little Hindi is a great possession than my English knowledge or the big money I had in my purse. Environmental requirement was missing at that time.

Swami Rama writes in his introduction in Himalayan Masters that ‘childhood is the foundation stone upon which stands the whole life structure. The seed that is sown in childhood blossoms into the tree of life. The education which is imparted in childhood is more important than the education which is received in colleges and universities. In the process of human growth, proper guidance along with environmental learning is important’.

’Bheeshma Pitaamaha says in his advice to yudishtira that ‘the eye of the knowledge is the keenest eye’. Other possessions are temporary be it wealth, name, fame, talents, beauty etc. The knowledge alone leads to one to the right path of happiness. It is the torch that one carries in this dark path of samsara. The scholarly knowledge is of no use if we don’t put it into practice. Once a person went to Swamiji and asked ‘Swamiji, I have gone through Bhagawad Gita so many times but there is no change in my miserable life’. Swamiji replied ‘you have gone through Bhagawad Gita. But how many times did Gita flow through you?’ Knowledge is established in practice and not in reading or talking about it. Knowledge alone lasts forever. The great saints and sages were able to pass on the knowledge from generation to generation as they were convinced that this is the best of all possessions. Knowledge is an ocean. The learning continues till one dies. Knowledge is the eternal friend of one. In this world everything is got out of hard work. But knowledge needs the grace of the Guru who is none other than the Lord Himself.)

WHICH IS THE BEST OF ALL GAINS?

HEALTH IS THE BEST OF ALL GAINS. (If one is healthy then one can regain lost wealth and fame but if one is not healthy then wealth and fame are of no value. How one can enjoy the wealth and fame when one is on the sick bed? Another reason why good health is stressed here is that it is believed that the soul that resides in each of us is an aspect of divinity. Therefore our body is a temple and we are responsible for its well being. The best health is also one aspect which brings us happiness. Our Guru and Lord Krishna insists on moderate food, moderate sleep, physical exercises to keep this body fit and healthy because through this body only we are going to reach the ultimate. How we keep our vehicle in which we are going in a perfect condition till we reach the destination, similarly the body need to be maintained well for the sadhanas. The discipline of the body shows the discipline of the mind. Skipping our walking, eating too much, sleeping too much, keeping ourselves awake for a long time, fasting more than one can shows our tamasik nature. It is not for the good look in the physical sense, but as a good machine in the spiritual sense, the body needs to be maintained well.)

WHICH IS THE BEST OF ALL KINDS OF HAPPINESS?

CONTENTEMENT IS THE BEST OF ALL KINDS OF HAPPINESS. (Previously Yudishtira answered that good behavior brings one happiness. Now he shows us another face of happiness that is contentment. Lord Krishna says in Gita ‘santushtah satatam yogi’ – a yogi is one who is contented always. It is the state that one feels there is nothing more to add in his life. Contentment is the state of absence of desires. As long as one has desires, contentment cannot come.

The contentment mentioned here is not temporary contentment. For example, I see a beautiful saree in the shop and I desire to buy that. The time I buy the saree and wear it, there is a feeling of contentment. But that contentment lasts only till I see another wonderful saree or some other person wearing the same saree which I had bought. The desires are like mirage. You see something very glittering and think that will bring you happiness. But the chasing is the never ending action in life.

Any action done to fulfill our senses and mind or the body in short will never bring happiness as it is temporary. Any action done to feel the Lord who is within us, brings us everlasting happiness.

The real contentment comes when one has the complete faith in the Lord. Hanumanji being a great devotee said ‘I have got the great gem of Rama in my heart, what do I care for worldly things?’ The more we are contented the happier we are in life. Rajaji has written a beautiful song in Tamil which shows the contentment of a devotee – ‘kurai onrum illai’. He writes in the song that the Lord never says no to anything we ask and He has the mother who is the ocean of mercy – when You are there what is that I lack in my life Krishna? Contentment is the foremost quality of a seeker and that alone enables one to meditate and have the inner experience.

The virtue of contentment can be acquired through the purity of mind. It is acquired through purification by the treasure of truth speaking. This virtue is attained by subduing the evil passions and a man who is endowed with this virtue doesn’t indulge in sinful deeds. The virtue of contentment is instilled in men by the study of scriptures and it is attained by getting rid of the three thorns i.e., ambitions, deception, and wrong belief. This virtue is attained finally by maintaining purity in thoughts. It is contentment which relieves one from old age and death.

CONCLUSION:

Contentment is the cheapest, safest and surest remedy for all troubles that may possibly come upon man. In fact, all our existence and happiness in life depends on our mental attitude. Human mind is the supreme power that governs all our actions. Only a calm, contented mind will lead us to a blissful life. Healthy mind results in healthy body. The calm mind can meditate and reflect on the truth and helps in the dawn of knowledge which is the greatest of all possessions. Let us be happy with what we have understanding that Lord is the source of us and He is the best person who knows what we deserve in life. As said in Bhagavatham if an ant is provided with food and shelter, why not for us? Let us count our blessings in life rather than counting our desires in life. Let us not complain but start treating our life partners as our own friends. Like clouds which give rain on time, let us shower our love and affection to people at home and people around us today, on time. We are not assured of tomorrow.

Hari Om!