What do we understand from the episode? Nachiketas’ enquiry was not meant to confront worldly or family life. He, through his first boon, wished to reach back home and live with warmth and persuasion. The second boon showered the merits of a new ritual. And to crown all these, he sought spiritual enlightenment. There was no conflict with either religious life or worldly life.
If the lessons from the episodes of Saunaka and Nachiketas are properly imbibed, there will be no scope for doubt at all that spiritual seeking or illumination has anything in it to interfere with our normal life. As Krishna points out to Arjuna in Geeta, the Upanishadic tuitions and insight somehow got dimmed as time passed. Changes are no doubt bound to intrude any area of human life. Here too distortion and confusion overtook the thoughts and visions of people, and the entire culture became weak and enervated.
While the passive and pious people found spiritual investigation and merits fulfilling to their religious life, the rulers and administrators found the same treasure even more indispensable and rewarding.
In the Mahabharata times (that was about 5000 years ago) we find the illustrious life of Bhishma, who remained with the Kuru dynasty and Hastinapura throughout his life. In spite of Duryodhana’s overwhelming greed and relentless rivalry, in which the wicked counseling of Sakuni added untold venom, the great Grandfather withstood all the havocs, which would even today be intolerable for any human. Because of his unshakeable spiritual anchor, he did not retreat from the decisive role he took in the Mahabharata war, but succumbed willingly to the fate imposed by the superiority of Dharma, making the lessons known to the world with undying, unfading strength. His survival on a bed of arrows speaks volumes of his spiritual depth and greatness. With arrows piercing all over the body, his mind could still reign gloriously in composure, that he could hold Yudhishthira in a long, memorable dialogue, which, even now, shines as a supreme message of Wisdom, Peace, Harmony and Salvation for rulers and men of public administration.
Spiritual grace has thus always meant strength and glory to one and all. Negative thoughts on the subject are solely a creation of misunderstanding and confusion.
Quite possibly, some time after the Mahabharata age, perhaps more after Buddha’s advent, when powerful pursuit of dogmatic, full-scale asceticism was propagated with great fervour, the great comprehensive culture of the land suffered a fateful decline and abuse. Buddha’s nirvana, judged by the sequence of events that came to pass, followed his ‘unconventional’ ascetic life and mission, calling for abject distaste and dispassion towards the world. And for this reason, his philosophy also came to be identified with such stern dispassionate notes. Because of Buddha’s royal background and attendant influence, the new cult gained large-scale currency, so much so that Vedic life and Upanishadic refinement were pushed to the background.
May be this new ascetic supremacy reigned for about 1300 years, when Gaudapada appeared on the scene with his startling intellect and unyielding resolve to subdue the Buddhist supremacy in the religio-philosophical field of the country. For achieving his end, he highlighted the Upanishadic truths, which he showed was finale of both religious realization and philosophical discovery. With his marvelous commentary on Maandukyopanishad, he dismissed and disposed of the place and purpose of Bauddha contentions, emphasizing that a sheer void cannot be the goal of contemplation nor the solemn ground for a conscious state of redemption or nirvaana. Let go the soonya of Bauddhic thought, and let reign the matchless lustre of Brahman, the source and abode of fullness.
Sankara took up the thread of revival more strongly and in a widespread manner. But both of them did not unsettle the ascetic predilections of the society. They only shifted the emphasis from the Buddhistic ground to the Vedantic moorings. It was certainly a revival of the ancient Vedantic wisdom and supremacy, but not of the comprehensive Vedic glory – the fullness of divine life. The utter distaste towards the world, the total denunciation of material life, still prevailed.
But the Bhagavadgeeta, which was included in the Prasthanatraya, itself does not lay down ascetic denial as an indispensable pre-requisite for spiritual pursuit. Krishna himself was a Kshatriya. Arjuna was another. Their dialogue took place in the battlefield itself. And the purpose was to make Arjuna stick to the battleground, not to run away. How can the context be set aside?
In Bhagavadgeeta, Krishna describes spiritual excellence and the spiritually excellent individual in doubtless and inspiring terms. Here is one such description:
His mind will be free from undue attachment, obsessions and egoism. Rid of these, the mind will give rise to the best notes of will, enthusiasm and perseverance. He will remain unelated and unaffected by success or failure in his efforts, everytime. This kind of karta (performer) is the pure or the saatvik one.
What does this denote? Usually the mind and intelligence of a man are subject to a number of constrictions, and as a result they will not be able to bring forth the full measure of their potential and endeavour. But, in the spiritually sublimated person, all these negative elements would be replaced by full enthusiasm, fervour, resolve and clarity. Thus, it is a promotion and perfection that spiritual refinement and astuteness generate in mankind. Where is then a question of spiritual grace posing a conflict to activity or accomplishment?
One doubt might be there and it can be given some credibility. On picking up spiritual interests, will one’s initiative shift from worldly activity to spiritual pursuit alone? And in that case, will not worldly activities suffer for lack of proper drive?
It is this point that Sri Krishna has been dealing with throughout his Geeta gospels. On hearing about the greatness of the Soul, its immortal and ever-blissful nature, Arjuna for a moment thought that he would seek the Soul-joy exclusively, and on that account, abandon the secular and worldly life and duties. This was a prompting, no doubt, a thought or wish in his mind. But was it going to be true, harmonious or possible for him?
One may think of plunging into a cause or pursuit. But whether he has, at the time, the necessary measure of maturity to make the pursuit true and wholesome, is another consideration. To wish is a mere indulgence of the mind. To translate the wish into life-long endeavour, lasting for years and decades, is something different. Arjuna’s was only a doubt and wish, but not a meaningful and harmonious decision. Krishna clarified the subject from various levels. In the course, he summarises the position very well:
Even if a spiritual option appeals to one and he wishes to pursue it, it is better that he takes it up not exclusively by abandoning worldly involvements. Let the worldly activities prevail, and at the same time let him orient his actions spiritually. Let the attitude and aim be spiritual, although the activities apparently remain worldly. After a length of time, he will himself find that his desires and promptings for worldly involvements have attenuated well enough that he can then take up the spiritual pursuit exclusively.
“For one, who strives for yogic or spiritual attainment (yogam aarurukshoh), karma (activity) acts as the right means for applying his Sadhana disciplines (karma Kaaaranam uchyate.)”
Karma is an expression, and it always helps one to reflect his attitudes, ideals, disciplines and refinement. If given to inactivity, how can one’s nature be displayed or revealed? Inspiration, motivation, restraint, sublimity and the like always come to be revealed only when one acts and interacts. Every time such action and interaction take place, one can observe and evaluate himself, and further improvement can be brought about. Activity alone gives ample scope for this. So, for a seeker there is no conflict or repugnance in being active at all. In fact, there is all compulsion to be active.
Even those who right from early life took to an exclusive spiritual pursuit, like Sankara, Vasishtha, Vyasadeva and others, were not keeping quiet, but remaining immensely active. Think of how intensely and fervently Sankaracharya travelled throughout the length and breadth of the land, talking to people, even kings, arguing with scholars, establishing the lost principles and virtues, and bringing a new social order. Was it not activity of a greatly creative and widespread nature?
What about Vedavyasa? Though living an austere life in a hermitage, he was always available for any important event that took place in the Kuru palace, be it an instance of redeeming the lineage and dynasty, or to advice Yudhishthira after the war when his mind was tormented with guilt and repentance.
In the case of Vasishtha, he remained in the Palace of Ayodhya, available for consultation, teaching, advice and friendship in any matter concerning royal welfare or social well-being. The princes grew under the Sage’s distinguished tutelage. The King and the throne always stood to shine with his critical advice on crucial matters. Was his role any conflict either for his Sagely life and accomplishments, or for the successful conduct of public administration? In fact, the palace and the subjects both found the Sage’s proximity and availability a great boon.
Whether it was the sudden arrival of Viswamitra in Ayodhya seeking to take Sri Rama with him to contend Ravana’s men who disrupted the Yaga he wanted to complete, or again when Dasaratha met his tragic end after Sri Rama abandoned the throne and palace to live in forest exile, it was Sage Vasishtha’s judicious handling of the scenes that saved the throne and the stability of rule. But for the Sage’s timely sense and expediencies, the great kingdom would have even been driven to utter anarchy, especially when the two princes were sent to the forest and the other two were in far off Kekaya. The strength, guidance and inspiration which Vasishtha’s presence contributed to the rulers are enormous and invaluable.
As for the seekers in the initial stages of their Sadhana, so for the enlightened knowers also, activity is never disharmonious. In fact, enlightened persons will be able to display such insights and inspirations in their activity, that the whole world will find them a unique model and source of strength and persuasion. From the spiritual point of view also, as Bhagavadgeeta emphasizes (Ch.6 verse 3), it is not inactivity but samah that becomes harmonious. The mind and understanding become so much pure and sublime that the sense of ego and the usual desirefulness vanish. There is neither any strain nor any conflict in the activity, which becomes as natural as the flow of a river or wind. Enlightened people are described in Vivekachoodaamani by Sankara beautifully:
Like the spring season (vasanta ritu), great souls of peace adorn this world, fulfilling such acts as will bring goodness and elevation to mankind. Having elevated themselves from the menacing mortal plights, they go on helping and encouraging others who wish to get elevated themselves.
In this task of loka-sangraha, they are like parents before the children. If householders strive to bring up children, the enlightened ones strive to bring up the world as a whole through their tireless moral, social, philosophical and spiritual efforts and inspirations.
It is a gross misunderstanding that early spiritual exposure will intercept worldly life and its successful and energetic pursuit. This gains its ground perhaps from the manner in which spiritual texts have been interpreted to denounce the world as ‘mithyaa’ or ‘illusion’, useless and a menace. This kind of utter denunciation, giving no value or usefulness for the world takes away the comprehensiveness and beauty of our spiritual philosophy. The words ‘mithya’ and ‘avidhya’ are not properly understood and employed by the general interpreters and exponents. And the confusion leads to fundamentally wrong denunciation of the worldly life.
Spirituality aims at transforming life beautifully. It does not aim to denounce it at all.
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[Reproduced from the monthly journal VICHARASETHU - the path of Introspection, April 1991 ]
