The story of
a conversation between a Rishi who recites Gayatri Japa, a King, Yama, Mrtyu, Kaala, Virupa
(desire) and Vikrita (anger) is a fascinating one. Bhishma is answering a
question on the merits of performing japa (mantra meditation or recitation).
This is from Section 192 (Sanskrit) or Section 199 (English) of Book 12.
The most
interesting part to me is a set of slokas (61 to 69) which emphasize the role of Truth in one’s
life. You may wish to go to the original and taste the majesty of the language. I just give a brief summary in the following paragraph.
"Dharma
(virtue) is Truth. Everything grows out of Truth. Truth is Brahman. Truth is
penance (tapa, ardor). Truth is sacrifice (yagna). Truth is wisdom (gnana). Truth is OM. It is because of Truth that the sun shines, wind
blows and fire burns. When compared to yama and niyama (self control and
rituals), Truth is more important”.
Now, to the story. A rishi (son of Pippalada) performs
Gayatri Recitation (japa) with great intensity for several years. Gayatri and
Savitri show up and offer him whatever he wants. He says: “I just want to be able to recite
and feel the pleasure of reciting and be able to merge in Samadhi”. The way I
interpret is that the rishi is doing japa not for any worldly rewards, but for
experiencing and merging with Brahman. The rishi gets his request. Gayatri also
says that "one day Dharma, Yama, Mrtyu and Kala will come to you and have a
discussion on dharma (morals)".
Sure enough one day Dharma, Yama, Mrtyu and Kala
do come. Each one of them tells him (the rishi) that he has earned a reward because
of his recitations and that they have come to take him to heaven. He says that
he has no use for heaven when he has the bliss of meditation. Therefore, he does not want to “leave” his
body and go.
At this time the king (Ikshvaku) arrives. The
rishi receives the king as a honored, unexpected guest (athithi) and says: “You have
come to my abode. What can I give you?” The king says: “No, I am kshatriya whose duty
is to give. I am the one who should give to you,. so you may continue with your
japa, yagna etc”. Here we can see the duties of two varnas, as known in those
days, being told.
The rishi says: “I have stopped
accepting gifts (daana). You can give your gifts to those who are still working
(vaisyas, sudras) and still accepting gifts (brahmanas). I do not need
anything. Therefore, what can I give you?”. The king says that the only thing
he asks for is a “battle” (Kshatriya duty). The rishi says that they are both in
an equal status since "they are both content with performing their respective
duties as a kshatriya and as a brahmana”. He concludes by saying: “ Do what you
wish to do”.
The king says: “Since you initiated
this discussion by offering me a gift, please give me the rewards of your
recitation of the japas”. The rishi says: “Please take half of it; but if you
want, all of it”. The king says: “It is so good of you to do this. But, I do not
need the fruits of your recitations, since I do not know what they are. What are
they?”.
The rishi says he does not know what
the fruits of his recitation are since he did not perform them for any
particular result. This is another major point for me in this episode. One has
to perform these recitation with concentration for the bliss and not seeking
worldly rewards. If so, the usual recitation of “phala stuti” (rewards of
recitation) that comes at the end of several puranas and prayers are only to
make people believe in those results, hoping they will do recitation at least
for wealth and progeny and prosperity.
The rishi says that the king should
accept it since he made the offer and the king accepted it in the presence of
Dharma, Yama, Mrtyu and Kala as witnesses. If they do not, both of them will be
abandoning the Truth. This is where the slokas on Truth listed earlier come on.
Dharma addresses the rishi and the king and says: “By the king accepting
the gift of the rishi, both of you keep the Truth and get your merits.
Therefore, go ahead and settle the dispute”.
The king says: “I have no need for heaven. If the rishi has a need to go
to heaven, let him keep the merits and go”.
The rishi says: “ I will not accept
gift from no one. I will recite the Gayatri, do my duties and study the Vedas
and earn my merits”. The king says: “OK,
let me accept half of your merits as gift and give you back half of the merits I
have won by my work”.
At this time, two ugly creatures show
up. Note the word “ugly”. Their names are: Virupa and Vikrita. They are arguing
among themselves because each of them owes a cow to the other but the other
will not accept. Each one of them says: “I gave it as a gift. How can I take
it?”. They come to the king for arbitration. Now, the king realizes how
difficult to judge any situation. In this case the two factors to the judge are:
giving and taking; between keeping a promise and maintaining truth (in my
interpretation, the varna dharma).
Now, Virupa and Vikrita show
themselves to be Desire and Anger. Dharma, Yama, Mrtyu, Kala, Desire and Anger
point out that they have observed the rishi and the king maintaining their
duties according to their varna and at the same time keeping the truth. They
invite both of them to the land of Bliss.
Finally, Bhishma gives his
comments. He says: “ By performing
recitations (japa) and sacrifices (Yagna), one can reach the abode of the Sun
and of the Stars and Heaven. But, it will be a temporary stay (implies that one
has to come down to earth again). But, if one performs one’s duties, without
attachment to the results and meditate, one can become one with Brahman, that state of bliss in which there is no
desire, anger, time, disease and death or a separate consciousness”.
Bhishma uses the words: “He becomes Brahman’s self free from the
opposites”. Such a person is in that immutable state, which is beyond the
external knowledge which requires proof, and free of hunger, thirst, grief,
delusion,, diseases and death. He gets absorbed in that one Supreme Soul. To me these statements mean that pure
meditation is a superior method if we do not want rebirth and samsara cycle.
There are also statements to suggest
that the meditator (yogi) can reach one of several states, whichever he
desires. One is full absorption and another is separate existence so that he
can be aware and enjoy the Supreme. This seems to suggest a starting point for
the Advaitha,Dvaitha and Visihtadvaita philosophies. Or, he can go to one of
the heavenly abodes.
In the next section, there is another
interesting statement. Both the yogi and the one who recites japa reach
Brahma’s abode. The difference is that the Yogi reaches Brahman during this
life, in this world. But, the one who recites Japa reaches Brahman after death
and is received by Him.
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