The Story of King Rantideva
Rantideva is glorified not only in human society but also in the World of Gods (devas), for his exemplary tolerance, compassion, and selflessness.
Rantideva never endeavored to earn anything. He would enjoy whatever he got by the arrangement of providence, but when guests came he would give them everything. Thus he underwent considerable suffering, along with the members of his family. Indeed, he and his family members shivered for want of food and water, yet Rantideva always remained sober. Once, after fasting for forty-eight days, in the morning Rantideva received some water and some foodstuffs made with milk and ghee, but when he and his family were about to eat, a brahmana (priest) guest arrived.
Because Rantideva perceived the presence of the Supreme Godhead everywhere, and in every living entity, he received the guest with faith and respect and gave him a share of the food.
During a period of devastating famine in his kingdom King Rantideva spent the whole of
his wealth in feeding the hungry and the distressed. Deeply pained by the sufferings of
his people and by way of atonement, the King undertook a fast for forty-eight days and
did not take any food or even water during that period.
On the forty-ninth day, when he was satisfied that almost all the hungry and the distressed in his kingdom had been well looked after, he decided to break his fast. Just as he was about to do so by taking a morsel of food and a cup of water he heard the piteous cry of a person of low caste (Pulkasa as he is called in the Purana), asking for water to quench his thirst. The King was then in the midst of his ministers and councillors. He stopped tasting the water placed before him and ordered that the cup be given to the Pulkasa.
The people around him remonstrated strongly at this suicidal act on the part of the King.
It was pointed out by them that it was too much on his part to take the risk of sacrificing
his own life for the sake of a pulkasa after this long fast of nearly forty-eight days.
Immediately afterwards the King began to take the morsel of food. Even for that food
there came a guest at his doors. At this stage, Ranti Deva made the famous
pronouncement recorded in fitting terms by Vyasa:
“I do not seek from the Supreme Lord the highest Bliss attended with the eight powers or
siddhis. Nor do I care for apunarbhavam or cessation of the cycle of births and deaths.
But my only desire is to be present in all beings, undergo suffering with them and serve
them so that they may become free from misery.”
In the next verse he continues to say:
“Hunger, thirst, fatigue, loss of strength in limbs, distress, languor, grief, disappointment,
delusion – all these undesirable features of my distressed soul have all disappeared upon
my giving water to one who was suffering from acute thirst.”
The Trinity of Gods, the rulers of the three God worlds, revealed themselves to him and praised his heroic sacrifice and infinite mercy for his suffering fellow men. There can be no higher or
nobler humanitarian ideal than the one revealed by this episode. Not only did Ranti Deva
seek to relieve the misery of his fellow-men, but he also desired to so identify himself
with them and become a part of them so as to undergo their suffering and thereby share
their miserable predicament.
Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of India, took hold of this great teaching of the
Srimad Bhagavatam as the inspiring motto of his life. He inscribed this verse in front of
the Sabarmati Ashram founded by him for the inspiration and guidance of his followers.
The fundamental basis of the great national movement started by Mahatma Gandhi was
suffering and sacrifice for the liberation of his countrymen from foreign yoke.
Three Basic Truths
Ranti Deva lays down three basic truths for the guidance of mankind:
• The paramount duty of relieving the suffering of others both for moral purification and for bettering the lot of our brethren.
• The doctrine of sharing the suffering of others both for moral purification and for lessening the burden of the sorrow.
• This duty of relieving the suffering of others is greater than that of working for one’s own salvation or the attainment of moksha or of siddhis or miraculous powers.
The gods have not ordained that humans die of hunger; even to the well-fed man death comes in many shapes. The wealth of the generous man never wastes away, but the niggard has none to console him.
He who, possessed of food, hardens his heart against the weak man, hungry and suffering, who comes to him for help, though of old he helped him – surely he finds none to console him. …
In vain does the mean man acquire food; it is – I speak the truth – verily his death; he who does not cherish a comrade or a friend, who eats all alone, is all sin. Rig Veda 10.117.1-2,6
Bhagavad Gita urges people to act selflessly for the welfare of others: ‘Strive constantly to serve the welfare of the world; by devotion to selfless work one attains to the supreme goal in life. Do your work with the welfare of others in mind’ (3.19-26).
One who works in devotion, who is a pure soul, and who controls his mind and senses, is dear to everyone, and everyone is dear to him. Though always working, such a man is never entangled.
One who is on the path of liberation by God consciousness is very dear to every living being, and every living being is dear to him. This is due to his God consciousness. Such a person cannot think of any living being as separate from Lord, just as the leaves and branches of a tree are not separate from the tree.
He knows very well that by pouring water on the root of the tree, the water will be distributed to all the leaves and branches, or by supplying food to the stomach, the energy is automatically distributed throughout the body. Because one who works in God consciousness is servant to all, he is very dear to everyone. And, because everyone is satisfied by his work, he is pure in consciousness. Because he is pure in consciousness, his mind is completely controlled.
And, because his mind is controlled, his senses are also controlled. Because his mind is always fixed on God, there is no chance of his being deviated from God. Nor is there a chance that he will engage his senses in matters other than the service of the Lord.
He does not like to hear anything except topics relating to God; he does not like to eat anything which is not offered to God; and he does not wish to go anywhere if God is not involved. Therefore, his senses are controlled. A man of controlled senses cannot be offensive to anyone.
Story about King Janaka - Greatest Karma Yogi
Kings like Janaka and others attained the perfectional stage by performance of prescribed duties. Therefore, just for the sake of educating the people in general, you should perform your work.
Kings like Janaka and others were all self-realized souls; consequently they had no obligation to perform the prescribed duties in the Vedas. Nonetheless they performed all prescribed activities just to set examples for the people in general.
Once upon a time, king Janaka sent a message to the people in his kingdom: "If there be amongst you a great scholar, a Pundit, a Mahatma, a Yogi, a Maharishi, a Sage, whoever he may be, let him come and teach me the knowledge of Atma." In his message he said that he expected to attain Atma Jnana, Self-knowledge, within a matter of a few moments of being properly instructed. Even while climbing onto his horse, before he was completely settled on to it, he should have attained Atma Jnana. He said: "If the person offering to teach me Atma Jnana is not able to accomplish this task of providing me an experience of instant illumination, then I don't want to see him, even if he is the greatest scholar, or the most learned person, or the highly educated person in the land." Well, all the Pundits and Rishis were a little frightened by this requirement. They saw that this would be a severe test on their scholarship and learning, and so none dared to come forth and offer himself to instruct the king and meet the conditions that had been posed.
It was at this point that the boy Astavakra entered the kingdom. While he was going on the road towards the capital city of Mithilapuram, he met a number of people coming from there, including scholars and Pundits; all of them had long faces, looking worried and grief-ridden. Astavakra asked them what was the cause for their worry and grief. They explained to him all the things that had happened. But Astavakra couldn't understand why they should get frightened over such a small thing. He added: "I will gladly solve this problem for the king." So saying he directly entered the court of Janaka. He addressed the king: "My dear King, I am ready to enable you to experience the knowledge of Atma as you desire. But this sacred knowledge cannot be taught so easily. This palace is full of Rajo Guna and Tamo Guna. We must leave this place and enter an area of pure Satva." So, they left the palace and went along the road leading out of the city towards the forest. As was the custom whenever the emperor went outside his palace walls, the army followed behind; but Janaka had them remain outside the forest.
Astavakra and Janaka entered the forest. Astavakra told King Janaka: "I am not going to fulfil your wish unless you accept my conditions. I may be only a boy, but I am in the position of a preceptor; and you may be an all-powerful emperor, you are in the position of a disciple. Are you prepared to accept this relationship? If you agree then you will have to offer the traditional gift to the Guru, the Gurudakshina that is given by the Sishya to the Guru. Only after you give your offering to me will I start my instruction to you." King Janaka told Astavakra: "The attainment of God is the most important thing to me, so I am prepared to give you absolutely anything you want." But Astavakra replied: "I don't want any material things from you, all I want is your mind. You must give me your mind." The king answered: "Alright, I offer my mind to you. Up to now I thought that this was my mind, but from now onwards it will be yours."
Astavakra told Janaka to dismount from his horse and made the horse stand in front of the king and then he told the king to sit down in the middle of the road. Astavakra walked into the forest and sat quietly under a tree. The soldiers waited for a long time. Neither the king nor Astavakra returned from the forest. The soldiers wanted to find out what had happened to them, so one by one, they proceeded to look for them. When they went along the road leading into the forest, they found the king seated there, in the middle of the road. The horse was standing in front of the king. The king had his eyes closed and sat still almost immobile. Astavakra was not to be seen. The officers were afraid that Astavakra might have exercised some magic spell over the king and had made him lose consciousness. The went to look for the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister came and addressed Janaka: "O King! O King! O King!" But King Janaka did not open his eyes; he did not move at all. The Prime Minister became frightened. Not only the Prime Minister but all the officials were now getting frightened, because the time when the King usually took his food and drink had passed and the king still had not stirred. In this way the day went on and evening came, but the king did not move from his position, sitting there immobile on the road. Left with no alternative, the Prime Minister sent the chariot back to the city to bring the queen thinking that if the queen spoke to the king, he would surely respond. The queen came and addressed the king: "Rajah, Rajah, Rajah!" The king did not stir; there was absolutely no response from the king. Meanwhile the soldiers searched throughout the whole forest for Astavakra. There, under a tree, Astavakra was seated peacefully, in absolute calm and serenity.
The soldiers caught hold of him and brought him towards the place where the king was. Astavakra told them: "Why are you all so worried? The king is safe and everything is alright." But still they insisted and brought him before the King seated on the road with his eyes closed, his body completely still. The soldier said: "Here, look for yourself! See what has happened to the king!". Until that time, whether the Prime Minister, or the ministers, or the queen or any of the other court officials or common people, had called out and addressed the king, he neither opened his mouth in answer nor opened his eyes in acknowledgment. But now Astavakra came and spoke to the king. King Janaka immediately opened his eyes and replied, "Swami!" Astavakra questioned the king: "Well, the ministers have come, and the soldiers have come, and also many others have come, why did you not reply to their entreaties?" Janaka answered: "Thoughts, words and deeds are associated with the mind, and I offered my mind entirely to you. Therefore before I can use the mind for anything, I need your permission. What authority do I have to speak to anyone or use this mind in any way without your permission and command." Then Astavakra said: "You have attained the state of God-realization."
Astavakra told Janaka to put one foot in the stirrup and get up on the horse. By the time he had climbed up and seated himself on the horse and put his other foot in the stirrup, he had attained the experience of Atma. Once a person has offered his mind, and with it all his words, deeds and thoughts, then he will not have the authority or the power to perform any actions without the permission of the one to whom he has surrendered his mind.
For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his very mind will be the greatest enemy. As long as one's mind remains an unconquered enemy, one has to serve the dictations of lust, anger, avarice, illusion, etc. But when the mind is conquered, one voluntarily agrees to abide by the dictation of the Personality of Godhead, who is situated within the heart of everyone as SuperSoul.
For one who has conquered the mind, the Supersoul is already reached, for he has attained tranquility. To such a man happiness and distress, heat and cold, honor and dishonor are all the same. A person is said to be established in self-realization and is called a yogi [or mystic] when he is fully satisfied by virtue of acquired knowledge and realization. Such a person is situated in transcendence and is self-controlled. He sees everything--whether it be pebbles, stones or gold--as the same.
Yoga becomes the destroyer of pain for him who is moderate in eating and recreation, who is moderate in exertion in actions, who is moderate in sleep and wakefulness. Little by little let him attain quietude by intellect held in firmness; having made the mind established in the Self, let him not think of anything. From whatever cause the restless and unsteady mind wanders away, from that let him restrain it and bring it under the control of the self alone.
With the mind harmonised by Yoga he sees the Self, abiding in all beings, and all beings in the Self, he sees the same everywhere. He who sees God everywhere and sees everything in God, he never becomes separated from God, nor does God become separated from him.
A yogi is greater than the ascetic, greater than the empiricist and greater than the fruitive worker. Therefore, in all circumstances, be a yogi. And of all yogis, he who always abides in Godhead with great faith, worshiping the Supreme Lord in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with him in yoga and is the highest of all.
Story about King Janasruti Pautrayana and the cart-driver
In the Chandogya Upanishad (4.1-2) we find an interesting account of a king called Janasruti Pautrayana, renowned for his generous giving and philanthropic works, and Raikva, the cart-driver who was indifferent to wealth. The king felt restless on overhearing a conversation between two geese who were flying over his palace.
They commented on the king’s charity being motivated by his desire for name and fame, whereas Raikva, the cart-driver, was at peace with himself as he cared not for wealth or fame.
The king went to Raikva loaded with gifts and asked him which deity he needed to worship in order to attain inner peace and happiness. But Raikva told the king that the gifts were of no use to him. The king again went to Raikva with lavish gifts and begged him to teach him the way to true happiness.
Raikva imparted the sacred teaching: that all things in the universe are supported by the Spirit and all belong to the Spirit. The mere giving of gifts without this spiritual wisdom can bring no true peace. A gift that is given without any expectation of appreciation or reward is beneficial to both giver and recipient. The true enjoyment and peace lie in detachment from wealth. We are not asked to renounce wealth but rather our sense of possession. Whatever we give will have no value if we part with our wealth reluctantly.
I am not the doer – That is the truth and the only truth in this World
The man of purified heart/mind and intellect, having his body fully controlled, his senses restrained, and for whom the only self is the Self of all creatures, is not tainted although performing actions. The devotee who knows the divine truth thinks 'I am doing nothing' in seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, moving, sleeping, breathing; even when speaking, letting go or taking, opening or closing his eyes, he says, 'the senses and organs move by natural impulse to their appropriate objects.'
Whoever in acting dedicates his actions to the Supreme Spirit and puts aside all selfish interest in their result is untouched by sin, even as the leaf of the lotus is unaffected by the waters. The truly devoted, for the purification of the heart, perform actions with their bodies, their minds, their understanding, and their senses, putting away all self-interest. The man who is devoted and not attached to the fruit of his actions obtains tranquillity; whilst he who through desire has attachment for the fruit of action is bound down thereby. The self-restrained sage having with his heart renounced all actions, dwells at rest in the 'nine gate city of his abode,' neither acting nor causing to act.
A person who has given up all desires for sense gratification, who lives free from desires, who has given up all sense of proprietorship and is devoid of false ego--he alone can attain real peace.
To become desireless means not to desire anything for sense gratification. In other words, desire for becoming God conscious is actually desirelessness. One who is situated in this perfect stage knows that because God is the proprietor of everything, therefore everything must be used for the satisfaction of God.
What Is Real And What Is Unreal?
There was a good king in ancient times, King Janaka, who was a sincere seeker of truth. He was free of attach-ment to all the riches and power he commanded. He was a worthy candidate for self-knowledge. One particular day, he was occupied with his ministers through most of the day and evening. He didn't get back to his private quarters until quite late. A meal had been set out for him but he didn't touch it. He relaxed on a sofa, while the queen massaged his feet. Soon King Janaka fell asleep. The queen asked the various attendants present to leave the room and made sure that the king, who was extremely tired, would not be disturbed in his sleep. She put a cover over him and banked the light low, quietly remaining by his side. Shortly afterwards, King Janaka quite suddenly opened his eyes, sat up, looked around incredulously at his surroundings, and in a most peculiar way began to ask, "Is this real or is that real. Is this the truth or is that the truth?"
The queen became a little frightened by his bewildered look and strange question; she tried to find out what exactly he was asking, but he would not explain or answer any of her queries. He just went on saying, "Is this the truth or is that the truth?" She called for the ministers, counsellors, and other important officials. They all assembled and began questioning the king. "Maharaja, what is your doubt? What exactly are you asking?" But the Maharaja would not respond to them. Finally the ministers brought the great Sage Vashishta to the court. Vashishta asked the king, "What are you asking? What is your doubt? May I clarify it for you?" The king was replying to all the questions with the same query, "Is that the truth or is this the truth? Is this reality or is that reality?"
Sage Vashishta being omniscient closed his eyes and meditated for a while to find out the cause of the king's strange behavior. Vashishta realized that King Janaka had suddenly awakened from a vivid dream in which he had lost his kingdom and was fleeing for his life. He found himself in a forest, wandering alone, bleeding, weary, despondent and forsaken. He had been staggering through that forest for days without food. He was feeling terribly hungry and kept shouting, "O, I am so hungry, I am so hungry." It happened that there were some robbers in that forest. These robbers were just sitting down in a glade nearby to have their meal, eating from plates made of leaves. Seeing him and taking pity on him, the robbers made themselves known and invited him to join them, offering him a portion of their meal.
Just at that moment, a tiger came upon them and they all ran for their lives. The tiger devoured all the food. Again Janaka found himself staggering through the forest crying out, "O, I am so hungry. I am so very hungry." When he woke up he discovered he was in a palace, on a royal sofa by the side of the queen, with a silver tray filled with luxurious food and dainties sitting on the table nearby, and he began asking whether he was the starving, forsaken wretch begging food from robbers in a fearful forest, or whether he was a king living in a sumptuous palace surrounded by all possible luxuries. "Is this true or is that true?"
Sage Vashishta immediately recognized the king's confusion and said, "King Janaka, neither of these two roles is true. You alone are true. You, yourself, are the truth. Life during the daytime is a day-dream; during the night it is a night-dream. They are both illusions. They constantly change from one thing to another; so they cannot be real and they can have no effect on you. Only you who remain constant in all these states, free of all change and illusion are real. You are the one Self, the Atma. That alone is ever real and unchanging."
THE YOGA OF KINGLY SCIENCE AND KINGLY SECRET
Lord Krishna said, Kingly Science, Kingly Secret, the Supreme Purifier is this realisable
by direct intuitional knowledge, according to righteousness, very easy to perform, imperishable .
All this world is pervaded by Me in My unmanifested form (aspect); all beings exist in Me, but I do not dwell in them . I am the father of this world, the mother, the dispenser of fruits of action, and grandfather; the one thing to be known, the Purifier, the syllable Om, and also the Rik, the Sama and the Yajus also. I am the goal, the supporter, the Lord, the witness, the Abode, the shelter, the friend, the origin, dissolution, the foundation, the treasure-house and the seed imperishable.
To those men who worship Me alone, thinking of no other, to those ever united, I secure
what is not already possessed (Yoga) and preserve what they already possess (Kshema). Whoever offers Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, water, that I accept, offered with devotion by the pure-minded. Whatever thou doest, whatever thou eatest, whatever thou offerest in sacrifice, whatsoever givest, whatsoever practiseth as austerity, O Kaunteya, do it as an offering unto Me.
Even if the most sinful worship Me, with devotion to none else, he too should indeed be
regarded as righteous, for he has rightly resolved. Soon he becomes righteous and attains eternal peace, O Kaunteya; know thou for certain that My devotee is never destroyed.
This chapter of Bhagavad-gita is called the king of education because it is the essence of all doctrines and philosophies explained before. There are seven principal philosophers in India: Gautama, Kanada, Kapila, Yajnavalkya, Sandilya, Vaisvanara, and, Vyasadeva, the author of the Vedanta-sutra. So there is no dearth of knowledge in the field of philosophy or transcendental knowledge. Now the Lord says that this Ninth Chapter is the king of all such knowledge, the essence of all knowledge that can be derived from the study of the Vedas and different kinds of philosophy. It is the most confidential because confidential or transcendental knowledge involves understanding the difference between the soul and the body. And the king of all confidential knowledge culminates in devotional service.
This knowledge is the purest form of all activities, as is explained in Vedic literature.
A person who has completely ended the reactions of all sinful activities and who is fully engaged in pious activities, being freed from the duality of this material world, becomes engaged in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. In other words, those who are actually engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord are already freed from all reactions.
For those who are engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all sinful reactions, whether fructified, in the stock, or in the form of a seed, gradually vanish. Therefore the purifying potency of devotional service is very strong, and it is called pavitram uttamam, the purest. Uttamam means transcendental. Tamas means this material world or darkness, and uttamam means that which is transcendental to material activities. Devotional activities are never to be considered material, although sometimes it appears that devotees are engaged just like ordinary men. One who can see and is familiar with devotional service, however, will know that they are not material activities. They are all spiritual and devotional, uncontaminated by the material modes of nature.
It is said that the execution of devotional service is so perfect that one can perceive the results directly. This direct result is actually perceived, and we have practical experience that any person who is chanting the holy names of Krishna (Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare) in course of time feels some transcendental pleasure and very quickly becomes purified of all material contamination. This advancement in spiritual life does not depend on any kind of previous education or qualification. The method itself is so pure that by simply engaging in it one becomes pure.
Narada tells his disciple Vyasadeva that in a previous life he was engaged as a boy servant of purified devotees during four months of their stay and that he was intimately associating with them. Sometimes those sages left remnants of food on their dishes, and the boy, who would wash their dishes, wanted to taste the remnants. So he asked the great devotees whether he could eat them, and they gave their permission. Narada then ate those remnants and consequently became freed from all sinful reactions. As he went on eating, he gradually became as purehearted as the sages, and he gradually developed the same taste. The great devotees relished the taste of unceasing devotional service of the Lord, hearing, chanting, etc., and by developing the same taste, Narada wanted also to hear and chant the glories of the Lord. Thus by associating with the sages, he developed a great desire for devotional service. Therefore he quotes from the Vedanta-sutra (prakasas ca karmany abhyasat): if one is engaged simply in the acts of devotional service, everything is revealed to him automatically, and he can understand. This is called prakasah, directly perceived.
Narada was actually a son of a maidservant. He had no opportunity to go to school. He was simply assisting his mother, and fortunately his mother rendered some service to the devotees. The child Narada also got the opportunity and simply by association achieved the highest goal of all religions, devotional service. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said that religious people generally do not know that the highest perfection of religion is the attainment of the stage of devotional service. Generally Vedic knowledge is required for understanding of the path of self-realization. But here, although he was not educated in the Vedic principle, Narada acquired the highest results of Vedic study. This process is so potent that even without performing the religious process regularly, one can be raised to the highest perfection. How is this possible This is also confirmed in Vedic literature: acaryavan puruso veda. One who is in association with great acaryas, even if he is not educated or has not studied the Vedas, can become familiar with all the knowledge necessary for realization.
In every state devotional service is joyful. One can execute devotional service even in the most poverty-stricken condition. The Lord says, patram puspam phalam: He is ready to accept from the devotee any kind of offering, never mind what. Even a leaf, a flower, a bit of fruit, or a little water, which are all available in every part of the world, can be offered by any person, regardless of social position, and will be accepted if offered with love.
How SUKA attained Highest State of Bliss?
Raja Rishi Viswamitra said to Lord Rama: "You know all that should be known. You and Rishi Suka are full of spiritual wisdom. Both of you have attained equally the highest wisdom, but you need to acquire the state of quietness and stillness."
Lord Rama: "O, please inform me how Brahm Rishi Suka achieved wisdom without quiescence of mind, and how he secured that blissful state?"
The Master: "Rishi Suka had absolute spiritual wisdom which is the only sword to cut the rope of re-birth. Once he tried to inquire of the origin of things, as thou art doing, and he then became doubtful of his wisdom. The object of his mind became disturbed, but he was free from sensual desires. Rishi Suka went to the Himalaya Mountains to his father, who was one of the Masters there, and asked for instruction that he might not lose his faith.
Thus he said to his father: 'O Father, from whence came all this Maya (illusion), which produces misery and darkness? How did it originate? How may it be destroyed?' What part does it play in the origin of the universe?' His father replied with wisdom, as he did unto all others, but his answer did not dispel his son's doubt. Suka said to his father: 'I know all that'. And alas! his father was unable to remove his doubt. His father then requested him to go to King Janaka, who was the highest being in spiritual wisdom of his time.
"Rishi Suka left the Himalaya Mountains and later approached the golden gates of the King's palace. Although the King was aware of Brahm Rishi's (Suka) arrival, he refused to go forth and meet him. He requested that the Rishi should not be admitted into his palace, as he wanted to test the sincerity of his mind. Rishi Suka waited full seven days at the golden gate.
At last he was conducted into a magnificent hall where beautiful women were indulging in worldly enjoyments. But Suka's mind did not lose its balance. He was not affected by the unjust act of the King in making him wait seven days at his gate, nor was he moved by the disgraceful conduct of worldly association.
The King came and addressed him thus: 'O, Brahm Rishi (there are three kinds of Rishis), thou hast reached the highest state. The worldly joys and sorrows do not affect thee. I beseech thee to tell what hast brought thee here?' Rishi Suka asked: 'What has caused my illusion? How does it generate? How can it be destroyed? Please instruct me.' The King gave him the same explanation that his father had given him.
Rishi Suka returned: 'I know that, and my father gave me the same information. If Maya (illusion) which is produced by a differentiation of one Atma as breath, etc.) and merged again into the Atma, then no benefit can be derived from this perishable Maya (illusion). O Highest Guru, Thou art able to dispel this delusion of my mind! Please enlighten me on this matter.'
"The King: 'Thou hast known what shouldst be known, but still thou asketh me—although thy father has instructed thee aright. The enlightenment we have given to thee is the real one. Atma alone, is that which is everywhere, just as the ether pervades all space and atmosphere. Wisdom is bound by naught else but its own thought. Freeing thyself from sensual thoughts, is freeing thyself from bondage. Thou hast clearly realized the Atmic wisdom for thou hast given up all longing for sensual objects. Thou hast by thine own efforts, through the higher mind, reached the highest Brahmic State; thou hast become a Jivanmukta (the state of emancipated embodiment).
But one thing thou hast yet to accomplish—that of giving up the delusion of the illusion which has arisen through doubt in thy mind. When thou hast accomplished this, then thou wilt be free.' King Janak thus initiated Rishi Suka into the Atmic mysteries, where he acquired the highest state of wisdom, and was freed from all misery, doubt, death and rebirth. He lived for 1000 years, then merged into that higher wisdom, which is Brahm. As water returns to the ocean, so the light which departs from the "I", returns to the higher light (Atma), and becomes Brahm. Thus Rishi attained that liberation, which is above all else. O Ram, you should follow the same path.
"To become a slave of desire is bondage; to master it, is liberation. Master your desires and become indifferent to worldly enjoyments; become a Jivanmukta (emancipated embodiment), without the assistance of austerities of religions; follow the path of wisdom and you will realize the reality. O Ram, there is but one person who can remove the doubt from thy mind, and that is the Omniscient Vashisht, who knows the past, present, and the future. He is the Guru (spiritual teacher) of all mankind."
How to attain Salvation?
Shutting out all external sense objects, keeping the eyes and vision concentrated between the two eyebrows, suspending the inward and outward breaths within the nostrils--thus controlling the mind, senses and intelligence, the transcendentalist becomes free from desire, fear and anger. One who is always in this state is certainly liberated.
Being engaged in God consciousness, one can immediately understand one's spiritual identity, and then one can understand the Supreme Lord by means of devotional service. When he is well situated in devotional service, one comes to the transcendental position, qualified to feel the presence of the Lord in the sphere of one's activity. This particular position is called liberation in the Supreme.
After explaining the above principles of liberation in the Supreme, the Lord gives instruction to Arjuna as to how one can come to that position by the practice of the mysticism or yoga, known as Kriya-yoga, which is divisible into an eightfold procedure called yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.
One has to drive out the sense objects such as sound, touch, form, taste and smell by the pratyahara (breathing) process in yoga, and then keep the vision of the eyes between the two eyebrows and concentrate on the tip of the nose with half closed lids. There is no benefit in closing the eyes altogether, because then there is every chance of falling asleep.
Nor is there benefit in opening the eyes completely, because then there is the hazard of being attracted by sense objects. The breathing movement is restrained within the nostrils by neutralizing the up- and down-moving air within the body. By practice of such yoga one is able to gain control over the senses, refrain from outward sense objects, and thus prepare oneself for liberation in the Supreme.
This yoga process helps one become free from all kinds of fear and anger and thus feel the presence of the Supersoul in the transcendental situation. In other words, God consciousness is the easiest process of executing yoga principles. A God conscious person, however, being always engaged in devotional service, does not risk losing his senses to some other engagement.
One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air between the eyebrows and in full devotion engages himself in remembering the Supreme Lord, will certainly attain to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this verse it is clearly stated that at the time of death the mind must be fixed in devotion on the Supreme Godhead by chanting OM OM OM.
For those practiced in yoga, it is recommended that they raise the life force between the eyebrows, but for a pure devotee who does not practice such yoga, the mind should always be engaged in God consciousness so that at death he can remember the Supreme by His grace. This is explained in Bhagavad Gita.
The particular use of the word yoga-balena is significant in this verse because without practice of yoga one cannot come to this transcendental state of being at the time of death. One cannot suddenly remember the Supreme Lord at death unless he is practiced in some yoga system, especially the system of bhakti-yoga. Since one's mind at death is very disturbed, one should practice transcendence through yoga during one's life.
The yogic situation is that of detachment from all sensual engagements. Closing all the doors of the senses and fixing the mind on the heart and the life air at the top of the head, one establishes himself in yoga.
To practice yoga, as suggested here, one first has to close the door of all sense enjoyment. This practice is called pratyahara, or withdrawing the senses from the sense objects. Sense organs for acquiring knowledge, such as the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and touch, should be fully controlled and should not be allowed to engage in self-gratification. In this way the mind focuses on the Supersoul in the heart and the life force is raised to the top of the head. The best process is God consciousness. If one is always able to fix his mind on the Lord in devotional service, it is very easy for him to remain in an undisturbed transcendental trance, or in samadhi.
After being situated in this yoga practice and vibrating the sacred syllable OM, the supreme combination of letters, if one thinks of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and quits his body, he will certainly reach the highest of the spiritual planets.
The power of Narayana Mantra
Ajamila was a Brahmana, who lived in the city of Kanya Kubja many, many years ago. Due to his birth, parentage and social upbringing, he was a young man who maintained all the practices and observances of a righteous life. He was virtuous and pure hearted, lived in an austere way, was learned in the Vedas and other scriptures and followed the ways of conduct written there. He accorded due respect to his parents and elders, was friendly and helpful to all, moderate in his speech and had his senses well under control.
One day, however, he was lead off in a most unruly fashion by the senses and the mind, leaving behind the scriptures, the study and the observances. He took up a lifestyle the very opposite of austere. He fell in love with a prostitute and without any real way to support her and the ten sons they eventually had, he took to gambling, highway robbery, stealing and corruption. So he spent the remainder of his years until he was eighty-eight years old, when our story begins.
Narayana, the youngest son, was most dear to his parents. His father, Ajamila, was completely besotted by him. Absorbed in his life, Ajamila was completely unaware of greater forces at work. He did not feel his lifetime ebbing away and he did not even consider that his own death was approaching. One day there appeared three of the fiercest creatures imaginable, carrying huge ropes, grinning and beckoning horribly. Ajamila did not even recognize the attendants of Yama (the Lord of Death).
Struck with fright, he screamed aloud to his child playing nearby, "Narayana, Narayana." At this cry from the dying man (who hadn't even realized he was dying), the attendants of Lord Vishnu came rushing to Ajamila's side, blocking the attendants of Yama, who roared angrily, "Who are you to obstruct the order of Dharmaraja, the Lord of Justice?" The attendants of Lord Vishnu, however, were equally adamant, and replied challengingly, "If you are indeed the attendants of Lord Dharmaraja, then you would be able to tell us the essence of dharma and its signs."
A heated debate began on dharma and adharma, and the effects of acts of merit and demerit. The attendants of Yama recounted Ajamila's previous history, which even by the simplest calculations of accumulated merit and demerit didn't look very promising. They argued that his unrighteous conduct far outweighed and negated his observances of the Vedas and other scriptures.
Also, they argued, the lords of Vishnu had no right to interfere in the first place, as Ajamila had just been calling his son. Yet Vishnu's attendants stood firm, and proclaimed, "Whosoever utters the Lord's name, even by accident, calls for protection." Furthermore, they countered, "As a fire consumes fuel, so the Lord's name, whether chanted with or without knowledge of the greatness of the name, destroys the unrighteous elements in a person. A powerful medicine, though taken by someone unaware of its properties, is still effective."
Defeated, the attendants of Yama returned empty-handed. Ajamila immediately left for Haridwar, where he sat on the banks of the river practising the yoga of devotion.
For those who aspire for liberation, there is nothing more powerful than the chanting of the Lord's name. If this can rescue Ajamila, the Srimad Bhagavata tells us, what to say of the results that can be obtained by chanting the name of Hari with faith and devotion.
Aum Namoh Narayanaya
Renunciation of the fruits of the action attains the highest bliss
I do nothing at all, thus would the knower of Truth think seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, going, sleeping, breathing, speaking, letting go, seizing, opening and closing the eyes convinced that the senses move among the sense-objects. Neither agency nor action does the Lord create for the world, nor union with the fruits of actions. But it is Nature that acts.
Thinking of That, merged in That, established in That, solely devoted to That, they go whence there is no return, their sins dispelled by knowledge.
Saints look with an equal eye in a Brahmin endowed with learning and humility, in a cow, in an elephant, and even in a dog. With the self unattached to external contacts he finds bliss in the Self: with the self engaged in the meditation of Brahman he attains endless bliss.
The enjoyments that are born of contacts are only generators of pain, for they have a beginning and an end, O son of Kunti (O Kaunteya); the wise do not rejoice in them.
He who is able, while still in the world, to withstand before the liberation from the body the impulse born out of desire and anger, he is a Yogi, he is a happy man. Eternal peace lies near to those controlled ascetics who are free from desire and anger, who have controlled their thoughts and who have realised the Self.
Shutting out all external contacts and fixing the gaze between the eyebrows, equalising the outgoing and incoming breaths moving within the nostrils, with senses, mind and intellect ever controlled, having liberation as his supreme goal, free from desire, fear and anger the sage is verily liberated for ever.
One who works in devotion, who is a pure soul, and who controls his mind and senses, is dear to everyone, and everyone is dear to him. Though always working, such a man is never entangled.
One who is on the path of liberation by God consciousness is very dear to every living being, and every living being is dear to him. This is due to his God consciousness. Such a person cannot think of any living being as separate from God, just as the leaves and branches of a tree are not separate from the tree.
He knows very well that by pouring water on the root of the tree, the water will be distributed to all the leaves and branches, or by supplying food to the stomach, the energy is automatically distributed throughout the body. Because one who works in God consciousness is servant to all, he is very dear to everyone. And, because everyone is satisfied by his work, he is pure in consciousness. Because he is pure in consciousness, his mind is completely controlled.
Being purified by his intelligence and controlling the mind with determination, giving up the objects of sense gratification, being freed from attachment and hatred, one who lives in a secluded place, who eats little and who controls the body and the tongue, and is always in trance and is detached, who is without false ego, false strength, false pride, lust, anger, and who does not accept material things, such a person is certainly elevated to the position of self-realization.
When one is purified by knowledge, he keeps himself in the mode of goodness. Thus one becomes the controller of the mind and is always in trance. Because he is not attached to the objects of sense gratification, he does not eat more than what he requires, and he controls the activities of his body and mind.
He has no false ego because he does not accept the body as himself. Nor has he a desire to make the body fat and strong by accepting so many material things. Because he has no bodily concept of life, he is not falsely proud. He is satisfied with everything that is offered to him by the grace of the Lord, and he is never angry in the absence of sense gratification.
Nor does he endeavor to acquire sense objects. Thus when he is completely free from false ego, he becomes nonattached to all material things, and that is the stage of self-realization of Brahman. That stage is called the brahma-bhuta stage. When one is free from the material conception of life, he attains eternal peace by renunciation of fruits of his actions.
