Articles for Saadhana

Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru. Jai Guru.

Bhagavadgeeta appears in the Bhishma Parva of Mahabharatam. I think it is eighteen chapters commencing from the 25^th chapter to the 42^nd. It is actually a conversation between four people, Sanjaya on the one hand and Dhritharashtra on the other narrating whatever took place, transpired in the battlefield of Kurukshetra. And in the battlefield itself, the conversation was between Arjuna and Krishna.

I mentioned that Bhagavadgeeta is not just an occasional gospel. It is not a gospel produced by just the time, the event. It is true that the dialogue transpired in connection with an episode, with an event. But the message of Bhagavadgeeta was already there in our land. It has been a cultural growth, a cultural development, a spirituo-philosophical thought process which had taken shape right from the Vedic period particularly the Upanishadic age. But as I mention, the Upanishadic thought process transpired in the very calm and quiet environment of the forest. It is always the hermits that greeted the enquirers who came after renouncing worldly life to know about the truths, about the mind, intelligence, ego, heart etc. and also about the world, its complexity and the source of all these.

There are some people who have wicked tendencies. Others have virtuous tendencies. All of them have the same body, the same mind. Our mind is not generated by us. We only have the mind. Like the body itself evolved by nature, the human mind and intelligence are also evolved in a very subtle manner within the body, connected with the body. To the genesis of the mind and growth of the mind you cannot always hold the individuals or the society as fully responsible. We do have a part to play. That is where the choice of the human being comes. He is placed in between the best and the worst tendencies possible. Now, he has to discriminate between the two, find out which are the fissiparous ones and which are the benevolent ones. It is for him to decide whether he will follow the benevolent ones or the fissiparous ones. If he decides, then he has every will and power to mend his ways and walk the righteous path.

But the fact that we are a complex creature with complex tendencies of the mind cannot be denied at all. This being so, we are necessarily confronted by opposing traits in ourselves, opposing traits in the family members, opposing traits in the society including neighbors and in the world as a whole. Varieties in oneself, one’s family, or outside in the society, I think all of them equally become a matter of concern and a subject for introspection in any intelligent, rational human being, or at least a hearty person. Whether I am wrong or my brother is wrong, what difference does it make? Can I escape saying that my brother is wrong, I am not and therefore I am saved. It is okay up to a degree, but when the mind becomes large and comprehensive it cannot have that kind of a redress, a solution or a relief. I am living in a society where people are given to immensely bad tendencies and I am a part of the society. I have to interact with them or my children or grandchildren will have to.

So this geographical difference does not mean anything. The society is complex. In this complex society how are we to live? We are born without our knowledge, we shall die also. In between birth and death of the body is our life. If it is so complex and it is placed between gravest conflicts and contradictions what shall we do? We cannot be responsible for the present plight. But we are certainly responsible to handle it and go forward. What is the way? This is where the Upanishadic thoughts became linked with the interactional complex life and Ramayana was sought after and written by Valmiki. Don’t think that Valmiki just recorded what is there. No. Before Valmiki also the thought process was there. That is why he wanted to know from Narada, "Is there any good, noble, great, powerful, strong heroic person who is given to nobility, who is given to ethics, who is given to goodness, compassion? At the same time he should not be a weakling." Then he was told about Rama.

And as Valmiki was writing the story of Rama, Rama was growing up. From a prince he became a king, from a king he became older and older, and in the process two big sacrifices of complex nature he had to do. One is the abandoning the crowning and willingly going to the forest for fourteen years. Another is abandoning the pregnant Sita, his wife. The second was very, very traumatic. It was very, very consequential. Nevertheless he decided to do it. Can a human mind rise to this dimension? If so, when, and how? Are we to find fault with Rama on any reason? Or are we to admire and appreciate it? What is the extent of will that man can muster and exercise? How is he able to do it? So, Ramayana presents before you the potential of the human mind and the possibilities of the human mind. At the same time, the challenges, the persecutions, the privations, the assaults, the confrontations.

Life is like the flow of a river. It goes on flowing. Which direction it will take we cannot say. Our Bhāgīrathī is called Uttaravāhini in Benares because it comes from the north and it flows back to the north. I think this is the only river which flows back to the direction from which it has sprung. So it is called Uttaravāhini. Like that our life also can have a number of reverses, a number of obstructions, a number of diversions, a number of distractions. But it cannot be abandoned. Ultimately there is a supreme reality which is responsible for the preservation of the planets in their respective orbits. Similarly the same reality is also microscopically responsible for the preservation of our mind. What is that law? What is that process? How did Rama do it? How did Sita bear it? How did Valmiki accept the plight for himself? These are three important questions.

Like that the thought process evolved from Tretā Yuga to Dwāpara Yuga and when we come to Dwāpara Yuga ‘Bhagavadgeeta’ becomes a climax where the Upanishadic thought process becomes very vibrantly linked with the complicated human life. You may say the citizens have a lot of problems etc. But the real person who has problems is the one who sits on the throne. For the king, the entire kingdom is his family. He is the family head. All are his children. And some of the children are wicked. They require to be punished and eliminated. So when a king punishes or beheads a citizen for his crime, understand it is just like killing one’s own son. This is the attitude of the king. All the sins committed by the people come to him. All the virtue committed by the people also flow to him. If the king is a large family head in which a number of people, all the citizens are there. So, so many kings after a successful rule became despondent and dejected and they abandoned the throne and sought refuge in the woods doing penance and austerity with a view to resolve and redress their mind’s problems. The rewards they gave to good people were no problem at all but the punishments sometimes, capital punishments given to the wicked always, always victimized them, strangulated their mind. They were not able to bear. There are instances when, one instance where Kodungalloor king because he had ordered beheading Kannagi’s husband and when Kannagi came she challenged, “My husband has not stolen the anklet of your queen. Here is the remaining one.”, and she dashed it in front of him. And it was different. The mistake is done. The king coolly walked from the throne and he committed suicide. Just imagine. To which extent the mind can become conscious of. And how much can be the pull and the push. So to be a king is not easy at all. In a family you can excuse your son and keep quiet. The king cannot excuse a citizen. He has to take drastic, even capital punishments.

So the thought process was continuing and it becomes the gravest, the most severe, the most excruciating, in the Kurukshetra battlefield. Dhritarashtra was offered ‘divya drishti’ by Veda Vyasa. Vyasa said, “If you want to see your own sons fighting in the war, an unprecedented war, I will give you a divine vision.” Dhritarashtra said, “No, I don’t want to see my children die. I will only hear about it.” Now for making him hear Veda Vyasa told to Sanjaya and gifted him with a divine power by virtue of which he would know everything that transpired in the battlefield either outside in the open or in the camp sheds etc. army camps. He will not be seen by anybody, hurt by any weapon, he had freedom to go anywhere. And then Veda Vyasa departed. Sanjaya starts narrating "What is the world? How panchabhūtas were born? What is the role of the earth, range of the earth, how is it surrounded, how many dveepas are there? What is this Bhāratavarsha that we call?" All these things, "What are the big and the great mountains? What are the rivers? What are the samudras? What are the holy places?" All these things he narrates. It is in connection with that that I told you he also refers to Drāvida Kerala. Something like that. When he was progressing in his narration suddenly the war started. So he stopped the narration and rushed to Kurukshetra. And he went on remaining there witnessing whatever happened for nine consecutive days. On the tenth day Bheeshma was hit by Arjuna’s arrows, Shikandi’s arrows, and he fell from the chariot. This was a sight that Sanjaya could not contain and assimilate. He was overpowered, he was dazzled, he was in consternation. So to report the event to the blind king Dhritarashtra, he runs to him. And he says. The king was sitting and contemplating upon what all could, would have been taking place in the battlefield. What all would have been taking place in battlefield, in the battlefield, he was contemplating upon them.

"I, Sanjaya have come to continue the narration. I prostrate before you." And he said,

"By Shikhandi, Bheeshma the great grandsire had been de-seated and he is lying on the floor." When Dhritarashtra heard about it he was completely overwhelmed. He was under a consternation, discomfiture, absolutely upset and shaken. Bheeshma, the great, the great, the powerful, the invincible, the unconquerable, the unassailable. He had not merely the archery skill and weaponry strength, he also had spiritual, spiritual enlightenment and the power that comes from the soul. A very rare soul equipped and enriched by the power of matter and the power of the spirit. He was de-seated and he has fallen.

"Who has done this crime? I am not able to understand. Is it that the Pandavas wanted to rule the kingdom and enjoy the royal luxuries after killing Bheeshma their grandfather, who brought them up so lovingly and who does not hate them even now, who has all good wishes for them? Is it that my sons also want to inherit the throne and enjoy the royal bounties after killing their own grandfather? What does it mean? What has the world gone to? Is there not anything called Dharma in this world? Is it that Dharma has become weak? Adharma has become powerful?

My mind tells me that righteousness is an old story and memory forgotten, unrighteousness is the rule of the day. That is what is triumphant, rules the world, rules the mind. No, no, that also cannot be right.

Pandavas cannot be blamed. In an Aapath or in a calamity things like this will happen. Episodes like this will come to pass. Actions like this will have to be taken.

The Kshatriya code of Dharma is certainly very cruel, very cruel, extremely excruciating. Our Maharshis have thought of and provided and stipulated this Kshātra Dharma. Very cruel. A brother will fight and kill the brother. Maybe a son also has to kill the grandfather or the father. Our Dharma is so cruel but that is also part of the Sanātana Dharma. I am completely losing my mind Sanjaya. I don’t know what to do. This is the tenth day as you are coming and reporting the events. So nine days events have passed. It cannot be days of worship. It cannot be date of, date of praising and extolling. Every day the war was fought, hundreds and thousands of people have been killed on both the sides. My sons also would have been immensely hurt. How can I listen to all this story? I am not able to contain my mind. But I understand

धर्मक्षेत्रेकुरुक्षेत्रे , The Kurukshetra has got the background of being a Dharma-kshetra. Kuru, the ancient, the ancient ancestor, he had done prolonged austerity in Kurukshetra and the entire field has become very austere, very holy, very sublime, very benevolent. And there is an immense uncontrollable Dhārmic vibration and pulsation there. In that Dharma-kshetra Kurukshetra certainly dharma alone will take place. Adharma may be escalated but it’s only for getting greater ruin. Dharma is the most powerful. So is there anything which the Dharma-kshetra exerted or exercised by virtue of which Pandavas before doing this kind of an immense crime, did they think about it? Did they not get upset? Was it a sudden development or it is a well thought out process? Dharma-kshetra has got its own influence.

So I would like to know Sanjaya, before the commencement of the war was there any moral or righteous question which arose in the mind of the Pandavas, any one of them? And was this question raised as a puzzle, as an enigma, and was there any discussion on it? When I think of it I find that Arjuna had Krishna as the charioteer and Krishna’s greatness and splendor can never be measured. And you now report that

Shikandinā kirīdinā , It is Arjuna who hit Bheeshma. So this Arjuna must have been possessed of this question and did he enquire anything about it? Was he upset? Did he make any Dhārmic enquiry? Is it right to fight with Bheeshma the grandfather who still loves me and blesses me? It was a great moral question. So was there any moral and ethical dialogue? If so, who raised it and who answered it? I find Krishna and Arjuna would have been the best people to bring about such a dialogue. So let me know what transpired in the field of Dharma, in the Kurukshetra battlefield before the actual battle commenced.

I would like to know after entering into the Kurukshetra battlefield what did my sons first of all do? And what did Pandavas do? Let me know. Only if you narrate the Dhārmic dialogue if any that had transpired there I will be able to derive the right strength, insight and presence of mind to listen to the further painful narrations of the nine day war and this tenth day up to this point." So the word dharma-kshetra prefixed to Kurukshetra which marks the beginning of Bhagavadgeeta tells us a universe of information and knowledge.

Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru.