SELF-REALIZED SPIRITUAL FREEDOM HIGHLIGHTED IN VAIRAGYA
SATAKAM
(Compilation by N.R. Srinivasan based on the
lecture of Swami Chidananda of FOWAI Forum, June 2020)
What is Vairagya?
Vairagya is a Sanskrit word in Vedanta that is
used in Hindu as well as Jain
philosophy that translates as
dispassion,
detachment, or renunciation, and in particular renunciation from the pains and
pleasures in the temporary material world that is defined as Samsara. Hindu philosophers who advocated vairāgya
told their followers that it is Moksha (Moha+ Kshaya) a means to achieve
Mukti. It is Sanyasayoga. True vairāgya
refers to an internal state of mind rather than to external lifestyle and can
be practiced well by one engaged in family life and career as it can be by a
Monk. Vairāgya does not mean
developing repulsion for material objects. By the application of viveka to life
experience, the aspirant develops a strong attraction for the inner spiritual
source of Bliss or unlimited happiness and limited attachments fall away
naturally. Balance is maintained between the inner spiritual state and one's
external life through the practice of seeing all limited entities as
expressions of the Brahman that is
Cosmic Consciousness. Vairāgya is an abstract noun derived from
the word virāga that is vi +raga devoid of passion.
This gives vairāgya
a general meaning of "ascetic disinterest" in things that would cause
attachment in normal people. It is a "dis-passionate" stance on life.
An ascetic who has subdued all passions and desires is called a vairāgika.
Further etymological definition indicates the root rang referring to
color. Virága
therefore can also means "to go beyond color" or turn pale or
"to be devoid of color". A
practitioner of vairagya is called Vairagi or Bairagi. It is a sort of detached outlook of
attachment. A vairagi needs food but he
has no attachment to any particular food.
The concept of Vairāgya is found in the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali, where it, along
with practice, is the key to restraint of the modifications of the mind. The
term vairāgya appears in the
Bhagavad Gita where it is recommended as a key means for bringing control to
the restless mind. It is the main topic of Mokshopaaya or Yoga-Vāsishtha.
Another important text on renunciation is Vairāgya śataka
or "100 verses of Renunciation", a part of the Śatakatraya of
Bhartrihari. To develop disinterest towards the subjects of the sensual
and physical pleasures is detachment. Aversion leading to renunciation is Advaita
Concept
HUNDRED
FACES OF FEAR KILLED BY DETACHMENT--SATAROOPA BHAYAM VAIRAGYA SADHNENA
VINASYATI-WEBINAR 173
The psychological suffering of the Corona virus
pandemic causes may be as difficult as the physical suffering. The economic
fallout from the lock-down pushing the world to the brink of a financial
depression is a matter of great concern for everyone. When I came to this world
I did not bring a single cent with me and when I leave I can’t take a cent even
with me. Why then worry with this illusory wealth or economy?
Fear is the first emotion that arises from
ignorance of our true nature that gets us caught in duality, conflict, uncertainty
and suspicion. Fear paralyzes us, makes us doubt anything we can do to improve
our situation, or worry about anything negative that may possibly happen. ‘We
have nothing to fear but fear itself’ as Roosevelt said. There is no challenge
we cannot overcome with a higher awareness, but fear can prevent us from doing
so if we linger in its shadows. Yoga and Ayurveda provide many tools to
bring peace and clarity to our psyche. Overall we must learn to keep our
minds free from outside disturbances, which the media constantly throws at us,
provoking fear and panic, or just distracting us with fantasy and
entertainment.- Don’t be guided by outside agencies but be guided by your
Inner- Self--Om ityaatmaanam yunjeeta (From the wisdom thoughts
of David Frawley)
When the Corona virus lockdowns began almost two
months ago, the outdoors seemed like a scary place to fear. It was where
you could get infected by a neighbor, jogger, public bench,
doorknob or any number of other things. As more virus research has emerged,
however, the outdoors has begun to look safer. It still brings risks (like
those doorknobs). But they are fairly small. People have started to go stir
crazy. This combination is leading to a surge of new expert advice that might
be boiled down to: Get out. Marty Makary of the Johns Hopkins School of Public
Health says: “The outdoors is not only good for your mental state. It’s
also a safer place than indoors.” Many cities are now expanding outdoor
activities. Several states are reopening beaches, parks and golf courses. Our
network information on various factors behind our fears is complex and
confusing. Only thing sure is that fear and insecurity is our constant
companion in life as the dark shadow that follows us which can be overcome only
by turning to our Inner-net: Vijnaanena aatmaanam vedayati; aatmanaa vindate
veeryam” as Upanishads say.
Today all our thought, acts and communications
hover around Corona virus. Slowly and steadily Swami Chidananda is drawing our
focus towards our Inner-net moving away from Internet in this Quarantine
Season. Swami Chidananda draws our attention to sloka 31 of Vairagya
Sataka that I have quoted below with full meaning. Our Sages raised their
voices to the Supreme bogged down by fear of death “Mrityor maa
amritam gamaya”--lead us from death to immortality that gave birth to
Upanishadic thoughts. Bharthrihari being a learned scholar of Upanishads
came out with 100 gems of verses called Vairagya Satakam asking us
to tie our mind with Love of Brahman overcoming not only all kinds of fear in
life but also overcome the fear of crossing the ocean of
cycles of births and deaths (samsara). Sloka 31 to 40 deal with
Bhogasthairya varnanam-- delineation of evanescence of enjoyment. Swami
Chidananda discusses in detail the message of Vairagya Satakakm that promotes
Sanyasayoga with clarity of mind that again says:
“veeta
bhayah visharogabhayam yudhyasva vigatajvarah brahmane
prthisahthitam --Desisting your mind from fear fight the Corona virus
without anxiety establishing your mind on the Supreme Being!
Bhoge
rogabhayam kule chyutibhayam vitte nripaladbhayam |
Mane
dainyabhyam bale ripubhayam roope jarayaa bhayam ||
Sastre
vaadabhayam gune khalabhayam kaaye kritantaadbhayam |
sarvam
vastu bhayaanvitam bhuvi nrinaam vairaagyamevaaabhayam ||
There is
fear of disease in the enjoyment of sensual pleasures; in lineage, fear of
decline; in riches, fear of kings; fear of humiliation in honor; fear of
enemies when in power; fear of old age in beauty; in learning, fear of
disputants; in virtue, fear of the wicked; in body, fear of death. All facets
of man's life on earth engender fear; renunciation alone is fearless.
Here is
my grasp of the message of
Vairagya Suktam which Saivites say helps to attain “Sivalokam apnoti”
and Vaishnavites say ”tadvishnoh paramampadam” while overcoming
all insecurity in this life.
Birth is
attacked by death, and bright youth by old age; contentment by greed for
wealth; peace of mind by seductive women; virtues by the envy of others; forests
by beasts of prey; kings by the unscrupulous; and even fame by transistorizes.
Is there anything on earth that is not afflicted by something?
Hundreds
of varieties of illness root out health of people.
Adversities find an open door wherever Lakshmi, Goddess of Wealth, is present.
Whatever is born, Death is sure to make it powerless and absorb it into itself,
again and again! Then what has the Creator made that can be regarded as
stable?
Sensual
pleasures are transient like the breaking of high waves. Life can end in a
moment. Youthful cheerfulness in infatuation lasts only a few days. Wise
teachers, having realized that the whole revolving wheel of life is lacking
in true worth, strive to achieve equanimity for the benefit of the
people. Sensual pleasures are as fickle as the flash of lightning in
the clouds. Life can collapse as easily as the drop of water on the edge of
a lotus leaf swayed by the wind. Fickle are the longings in youth. Quick realization
of this lets the wise ones engage their minds in equanimity, attained easily by
courage.
Life
undulates like a wave. Youthful beauty lasts a few days. Riches are as
short-lived as thoughts. The successive enjoyments are like autumnal lightning
flashes. The beloved's embrace round the neck lasts only a moment.
Lovingly tie your mind to Brahman to overcome the fear of crossing the
ocean of cycles of births and deaths.
Purandara
Dasa Bhakti lyric says “Eesa beku! Iddu Jayisabeku”- we have to swim and
succeed. In the present context I would take “eesa” as Isa--We need the Supreme
to lead a successful life who is is also hailed as Captain of Bhavasagar Ship!
INSECURITY IN HUMAN LIFE
A Problem with a Hundred Faces
Gist of the Presentation by Swami
Chidanandaji:
Insecurity – biological or
psychological – has myriad forms and often goes unrecognized for years. Even
when we recognize our insecurity, we are often not clear of its hidden causes.
Even when we identify certain causes, the network of various factors behind our
fears proves to be complex. With its spread going both vertical and horizontal,
insecurity is life’s companion from the cradle to the grave. “Everything on
this earth engenders fear,” observed Rājā Bhartrihari, the famous author
of Vairāgya-Shatakam (a hundred verses on dispassion). This
webinar will examine the operation of the sense of insecurity in its gross,
subtle and very subtle expressions. It will finally bring the light of Vedānta
upon the contentious issue.
bhoge roga-bhayam, ..roope jarāyā
bhayam, .. vitte nripālād bhayam.. |
sarvam vastu bhyānvitam bhuvi |
vairāgyam-eva-abhayam |
“Fear of possible disease when you
enjoy, Fear of old age when you admire your own looks, Fear of taxes when you
are getting rich,… fear marks everything in life! Only detachment brings relief
-- Vairāgya-Shatakam, verse 31
Philosophy
of Vairagya:
अशीमहि
वयं
भिक्षामाशावासो वसीमहि। शयीमहि महीपृष्ठे कुर्वीमहि किमीश्वरैः॥
aśīmahi vayaṃ bhikṣāmāśāvāso vasīmahi।
śayīmahi mahīpṛṣṭhe
kurvīmahi kimīśvaraiḥ॥
Let us eat the food we have begged; let the sky be our
clothing; let us lie down on the surface of the earth; what have we to do with
the rich?
Bhartrihari was a celebrated Sanskrit
poet who is well known for his work on the three śatakas or
‘hundreds’, consisting of three thematic compilations
on Shringara, Vairagya and Niti of hundred verses
each.
This Sanskrit Shloka is from Vairagya
Shatakam, which talks about the renunciation and living a very basic life.
Vairāgya translates as dispassion, detachment, or renunciation, in
particular renunciation from the pains and pleasures in the material world also
known as Maya. The point is to broaden our thinking and not have ourselves
limited to small selfish materialistic things.--Bhartrihari Vairagya Satakam
55.
Tradition
attributes the authorship of these 100 verses to Bhartìhari, the elder brother
of the most renowned King Vikramáditya of Ujjain. These verses composed by Bhartìhari tend to
present to view the background of such a nature still holding in control lower
susceptibilities, once indulged, by the dawning possibilities of a life of
yoga. The poet’s voice gradually merged in the silence of the highest
realization.
The hundred verses of the Vairágya-Satakam are divided into ten groups under
the following ten headings:
1)
Trishna Dooshanam--condemnation
of desire;
2)
Vishaya Parityaga Vidambanam --futile efforts to give up sense-objects;
3)
Yanchadainya
Dooshanam--condemnation of the poverty of a supplicant attitude;
4)
Bhogasthairya Varnanam--delineation of the evanescence of enjoyments;
5)
Kalamahimana Varnanam--Description of the working of Time, or the principleof change;
6)
Yati-Nripati Samvada Varnanam-Comparison as to how a monk stands
to a king;
7)
Manah Sambhodana Niyamanam--
control of mind by stimulating wisdom in it;
8)
Nityaanitya Vastu Vichaarah--discrimination
of the mind immutable reality from the mutable
9)
Sivaaraadhana--Worship of Siva
10)
Avadhutacharya-- The way of life for an Avadhuta or
self-realized ascetic characterized by the highest spiritual
freedom.
The core principles of Sanyasayoga are Vairagya
and Abhyasa that forms the main theme of Vairagya Satakam. Vairagya is a state of being free from attachment
to materialistic life. It can also be defined as the material state of mind
that lets go all of attachments that belong to materialistic world. That is letting go of feelings such as pride,
ego, aversion, inferiority and superiority complex,and false identities of fear
that are all associated with Vairagya.
“Abhyasa and Vairagya, core principles of Yoga,
set the stage for other practices that lead to control of mind and self-realization.
Together, these principles take one through the right path to achieve the
ultimate goal of realization of Self.
Sadhana means practice. To the Sadhu or yogi,
the way you integrate yoga into your life
will vary based on your level n of maturity in the practice, your own
personal discipline, commitment and according to yogic philosophy, your Karma
in this life-time. Probably Sadhu gets
his name from Sadhana he is submerged with!
To evolve Sadhana dedicate what you can to your
daily practice because consistency is the key to forming the right habits to
achieve the best results. It is better to be a little bit in Sadhana every day
rather than a full day on a week. This
may be 15 Mts., at sun rise, daily, simply breathing and practicing
mindfulness, meditation or could be taking a daily yoga class.
For most in the West, our practices start with
taking few asana classes. Immediately we begin to feel change in our bodies.
From there we tend to explore seated practice, perhaps changing our diet,
reflecting on our personal relationship or forming new friends in our yoga
family.
The goal is that we experience steady progress,
both inwardly and outwardly. The key to seeing development in your Sadhana is
Vairagya which translates to non-attachment to outcome. Yoga practice is your
personal mastery, not personal perfection. It is about the journey and not the
destination”--says a Yoga master.
“Alternating periods of intense
activity and rest is an important part of life, so it's no surprise that this
principle serves as the foundation of yoga itself. Sometimes these periods are
personified as the divine couple, the feminine Shakti and the masculine Shiva;
other times, they're characterized as the categories abhyasa, typically
translated as "constant exercise," and vairagya or
"dispassion."
Abhyasa and vairagya are often compared
to the wings of a bird, and every yoga practice must
include equal measures of these two elements to keep it aloft: the persistent
effort to realize the goal, which is always self-understanding, and a
corresponding surrender of worldly attachments that stand in the way. But these
definitions tell only half the story.
The word abhyasa is rooted in
as, meaning "to sit." But abhyasa isn't your garden-variety sitting.
Rather, abhyasa implies action without interruption—action that's not easily
distracted, discouraged, or bored. Abhyasa builds on itself, just as a ball
rolling downhill picks up momentum; the more we practice, the more we want to
practice, and the faster we reach our destination.
As also means "to be
present." This reminds us that for our practice to be effective, we must
always be intensely present to what we're doing. Eventually, such resolute,
vigilant enterprise on the yoga mat becomes part and parcel of everything we do
in daily life.
Vairagya
is rooted in raga, which means both "coloring" and
"passion." But vairagya means "growing pale." One
interpretation is that our consciousness is typically "colored" by
our attachments, whether they are objects, other people, ideas, or other
things. These attachments influence how we identify with ourselves and with
others. And because they come and go willy-nilly, we're always at their mercy
and suffer accordingly.
Through vairagya, we "bleach"
our consciousness of these colorings. This isn't to say we have to abandon our
possessions, friends, or beliefs; we just have to recognize their transitory
nature and be ready to surrender them at the appropriate time. Our
consciousness becomes like a "transparent jewel" (Yoga Sutra
I.41) that allows the light of our authentic Self, the atman, to shine
through brilliantly without distortion. Then we know ourselves as we truly are,
at once eternal and eternally blissful”--Richard Rosen in Yoga Journal\
VIVEKANANDA’S
EXCERPTS OF BHARTRIHARI’S VAIRAGYA
SATAKAM
This is
Swami Vivekananda's free translation of verses from Bhartrihari's Sanskrit poem
Vairâgya
Shatakam.
The
Swami's translation is from Sister Nivedita's Unpublished
Notes of Some Wanderings with the Swami Vivekananda — selected verses
recorded almost verbatim, but not necessarily in Bhartrihari's order, by Sister
Nivedita as Swami Vivekananda translated them orally for some of his Western
disciples
[A
translation of verses from Bhartrihari's Sanskrit poem Vairagya Shatakam]
I have
travelled in many countries, hard to travel in, and got no result; Giving up
pride of birth and position, I have served all. Like a crow stealing into a
kitchen, fear I have eaten the bread of others in their homes, Yet thou, Desire, who leadest to evil deeds, leavest
me not!
The earth have I dug into in quest of precious
minerals, and metals from rocks have I smelted; the ocean have I crossed, and
the favor of kings have diligently sought; nights have I spent on burning grounds
with my mind occupied with mantras
and worship; and not even a broken cowrie have
I obtained; be satisfied, therefore, oh Desire!
[Many are the inaccessible and perilous places
I have travelled and yet obtained no riches; sacrificing proper dignity of
birth and social position, in vain have I served the rich; like the crows have
I fed myself, devoid of self-respect, at the house of others
in the expectation of gain; and yet, oh! Desire, thou prompter of evil deeds,
thou art waxing lustier and art not still satisfied.]
In our servile attendance on the (wealthy)
wicked, their shabby manners and talk we have somehow put up with; suppressing
tears that swelled up from our hearts, we have smiled out of vacant minds;
obeisance we have made to dullards stultified by too much wealth; in what more
fooleries wouldst thou have me dance, oh Desire, thou of ungratified yearning!
What have
we not endeavored to do, with our depraved conscience, for the sake of pránas (five
vital forces)
which are unreliable and compared to water on the leaves of a lotus, since in the presence of the rich, with
their minds stupefied by the pride of wealth, we have shamelessly committed the sin of recounting
our own merits! [According
to the scriptures, self-glorification is tantamount even to the sin of
suicide.]
[For
this life, which is like a drop of water on a lotus leaf, we have not enjoyed, but
enjoyments have enjoyed us. We did not penance, but penances burnt us up. Time
did not fly, yet we are gone. We become decrepit with age, but not so Desire. Infirmity
assails us, the skin wrinkles, Desire alone grows younger every day. (Verses
5-8)]
Hope is like a flowing river of which the
ceaseless desires constitute the waters;
it rages with the waves of keen longings, and the attachments for various
objects are its animals of prey; scheming thoughts of greed are the aquatic
birds that abound on it, and it destroys in its course the big trees of
patience and fortitude; it is rendered impassable by the whirlpools of
ignorance, and of profound depth of bed as it is, its banks of anxious deliberation
are precipitous indeed. Such a river the yogis of pure mind pass across to
enjoy supreme felicity.
[Hope
is the name of this river, whose water is Desire and Thirst the waves thereof. Passion
is the crocodile living in that water, Vain resolves are the birds that reside
in the tree of virtue on the shores and kill it.
But there are the whirlpools of Delusion and Despondence, the high banks.
The great Yogis are blissful because they, with their pure minds, never crossed
this river (Verse 10)
Blessed
are they that, living even in the caves of mountains, and Meditate on the
supreme Light. Even the birds will fearlessly drink of the tears of pleasure
that flow from their eyes. Alas! (Here Swami Vivekananda's handwritten
translation begins.) our minds grow familiar, even in imagination, with palaces
and pleasure — gardens, and thus our lives fleet by--(Verse 14)
Even
when the only food is gained by begging, and that is tasteless;
One's bed, the dry earth; One's whole family, his own body; His only clothing,
a ragged bit of cloth — Alas, alas, the desire for enjoyment does not leave a
man. (Verse 15)
[Alas
our minds [dally but] in imagination with palaces and pleasure gardens, and
thus our lives are spent. [One's] only food is by begging — and that too is
tasteless; one's bed, the dry earth; all of one's family, one's own body; and
the only clothing a tattered piece of cloth around the waist — alas, still the
desire for enjoyment does not leave a man. (Verses 14-15)]
Not
knowing the power of flame, the insect falls into it. The fish swallows the bait,
not knowing the hook inside. That, well aware of the vanity and dangers of the
world; We cannot give it up — Such is the power of Delusion--(Verse 18)
Have
such places in the Himalayas become extinct that a man should go begging at
others' doors? Have the roots in the mountain forests all disappeared? Are the
springs all dry? Are the trees all withered that bear sweet fruits and bark for
garments that a man should look with fear on the face of a fool, whose head is
turned by a little wealth (Lit., "Whose eyebrows are dancing with the wind
of the pride of a little wealth--Verses 24-25)
[Not
knowing the power of flame, the insect falls into it. The fish swallows the
bait, not knowing the hook inside. And knowing full well the vanities and
dangers of the world we cannot give it up —such is the power of delusion world.
[With rocks cooled by] the spray of the
Ganga's waters, where the Vidyâdharas love to sport —Have such places in the
Himalayas become extinct that a man should beg (in disgrace) at other's doors? (Verse
18, 24)]
Have the roots in the mountain forests all disappeared? Are the springs all dry? Are the trees all
withered that bear sweet fruits and bark for garments that a man should look
with fear on the face of the fool, whose eyebrows are dancing [in] the wind of
the pride of a little wealth? (Verse 25)
Arise! Let us go into the forest where
pure roots and fruits will be our food, pure water our only drink, pure leaves our bed, and where the little-minded, the thoughtless, and those whose hearts are cramped with wealth
do not exist--(Verse 26)
In enjoyment
is the fear of disease; In high birth, the fear of losing caste;
In wealth, the fear of tyrants; In honor, the fear of losing her; In strength,
the fear of enemies; In beauty, the fear of the other sex; In knowledge, the fear of defeat; In virtue,
the fear of scandal; In the body, the fear of death. In this life, all is fraught with fear. Renunciation alone is fearless-(Verse
31)
The
root of health has always round about it, a thousand worms in the form of
dangers and disease; where fortune falls, open a hundred gates of danger. Whosoever
is born, him death will surely swallow. Say, where is that Providence who ever
created anything that died not? (Verse 33)
[A
person's] health [is uprooted by] thousands of [worries] and disease. Where
fortune falls upon a hundred gates of danger. Whosoever is born, him
death will surely swallow. Say, [has] Providence ever created anything that
died not? ]
Life is
like a wave upon the waters; Youth only remains a few days. Wealth is like a
fancy of the mind, it immediately vanishes. Enjoyment is like a flash of
lightning amongst dark clouds. Our most beloved one is only for a moment. Knowing
this, O man, give your heart unto Brahman to cross this ocean of life. (Verse
36)
. . .
Living in whom gods like Indra, Brahmâ and
others appear like a blade of grass; Whose
anger can destroy the worlds in a moment. O sage, know Him, that One Supreme
who dies not, and give not your mind to false enjoyment.--(Verse 40)
Ah,
where is happiness in this life? (At best it lasts but a hundred years, of
which half is spent in sleep; of the other half, half in decrepitude; of what
remains — one half goes in childhood and, of the rest, still half in serving
others!) O man, in this futile, wave-like life where is happiness?--(Verse 49)
Now you
appear as child and now as a youth, whose whole occupation is love. This moment
poor, another wealthy, now a babe, and again a decrepit old man. O actor man,
at last you vanish from the stage when death beckons you behind the scenes-- (Verse
50)
You are
a king, but we have served Gurus who are great in knowledge.
You are known by your wealth as a king; we for our knowledge. There is infinite
difference between us and you; therefore we are not the persons to wait upon
you, O Kings! (Verse 51)
Oh,
when will that day come? When in forest to say Shiva", "Shiva";
My days shall pass? A serpent and a garland the same; The strong foe and the
friend the same; The flower-bed and the stone-bed the same; A beautiful woman
and a blade of grass the same! (Verses 85, 90)
O Shiva,
when shall I be able to cut to the very roots of my Karma, by becoming
solitary, desire-less, quiet —my hands my only plate, and the cardinal
points my clothing? (Verse 99)
The
fruits are sufficient food; The waters of the mountain sufficient dinner;
The earth a sufficient bed; And bark a sufficient garment — These are all
welcome. Only I cannot bear the proud words of fools, whose organs are all
disordered by the drink of the wine of new wealth! (Verse 54)
What if
you have got the wealth that fulfils every desire? If your foot is on the heads
of your foes, what of that? If you have made all your love wealthy, if your
body remains a Kalpa (A periodic cycle of creation and dissolution.) — What of
that? The only thing to be desired is Renunciation
which gives all love to Shiva--(Verse 67)
Fear
only life that brings Birth and Death; Have no love of friends, no lust, no
attachment. Alone, living alone in a forest; what is more to be longed for than
this Renunciation--(Verse 68)
Going searching
in the lower regions, going into the skies, travelling through all the worlds,
this is but the fickleness of the mind. Ah, friend, you never remember the Lord
who resides within you! How can you get happiness? (Verse 70)
What is
there in the reading of Vedas, the Shrutis, the Purânas and doing sacrifices? Freedom
alone takes off the weight of this dreadful world, and manifests
Self-blessedness. Here is the truth: the rest is all shop-keeping. (Verse 71)
When
the body is still healthy and disease-less, when old age has not yet attacked
it, when the organs have not yet lost their power, and life is still full and
undiminished-- now, struggle on,
rendering great help to yourself!
My friend, it is useless to try to dig a well in a house that is already on
fire!--(Verse 75)
In
Shiva, who is the Lord of this Universe, or Vishnu, its soul, I see no
difference. But still, my love is for Him who has the young moon on His
forehead--(Verse 84)
Oh when
will that time come, when in a beautiful full-moon night, sitting on the banks
of some river, and in a calm, yet high notes repeating "Shiva! Shiva!
Shiva!" All my feelings will come
out through the eyes in the form of tears? (Verse 85)
When, wearing only the Kaupina,
(Loincloth.) lying on the sands of the holy Ganges in Benares, when shall I weep
aloud, "O Lord of ghouls", saying this, and whole days shall pass
like moments? (Verse 87)
When,
bathing in the pure Ganges water, worshipping Thee, Omnipresent, with holy
fruits and flowers, stretching myself on stones in a stony cave, my whole soul
shall go into meditation, and according to the voice of my Guru,I shall avoid all misery, and purify the mind defiled with serving the rich.--(Verse
88)
This
whole wide earth my bed, my beautiful pillows my own two arms, my wonderful
canopy the blue sky, and the cool evening air to fan me, the moon and the stars
my lamps, and my beautiful wife, Renunciation, by my side--What king is there
who can sleep like me in pleasure? (Verse 94)
This
Universe is only a little circle. What is there to desire in it? Will the ocean
go into waves by the jumping of a little [fish?]? (Verse 92)
There
was a time when I could see nothing but Women in this world: And now that my
eyes are opened, I can see nothing but Brahman. Beautiful are the rays of the
moon, beautiful are the lawns in the forest, beautiful is the meeting of the
good, beautiful is poetry, and beautiful is the face of the beloved. But to me
none of these are beautiful, knowing that they are evanescent.--(Verse 79)
Oh
mother earth, father wind, friend light, sweetheart water, brother sky--
Here take my last salutation with folded hands! For today I am melting away
into Brahman, because my heart became pure, and all delusion vanished thro' the
power of your good company-- (Verse 100)
Old age
watches us, roaring like a tigress. disease, like enemies, is striking us
often. Life is flowing out like water from a broken jar. curious still how men
do evil deeds in this world! (Verse 38)
Those
beautiful cities; those mighty monarch; Those powerful nobles; Those learned
assemblies; Those moon-faced women; Those proud princes; and those that sang their praises — They have
all been swept away from the memory of man. My salutation, therefore, is to
Time who works all these! (Verse 41)
The sun
by his coming and going every hour is lessening the life of man.
Time flies without our knowledge, crushed as we are by the load of many works. Seeing
the evils of Birth, Old Age, Danger, and Death we are not afraid. Ah me,
drinking the wine of delusion, the world has become mad--(Verse 43)
I have
not learnt that knowledge which defeats all opponents! Nor have been able, at
the point of the sword, which can cut thro' an elephant's back, to send our
glory even unto the skies; Nor, under the light of the full moon, drunk the
nectar of the budding lips of the Beloved. My youth is gone fruitless like a
lamp in an empty house-- (Verse 46)
SHAIVISM’S
FOCUS ON VAIRAGYA SATAKAM ON SIVA--AS Y0GA GURU, ASCETIC AND
SUPREME SPIRIT
Shaivism
is the Hindu tradition that most accepts ascetic life and emphasizes yoga,
and like other Hindu traditions encourages an individual to discover and be one
with Shiva within. Shaivism is one of the largest traditions within Hinduism.
Their pick-up of Slokas from Vairagya Sukta is at variance with the Advaitic Approach of Sivoham of Vivekananda, focused on reaching Sivalokam by worship and
dedication. Please go through the slokas that has attracted the attention
Siva-Sakti Worshipers with Puranic back-ground. It starts with praising Siva
and ends with complete surrender to him leading an ascetic life:
To
Him who appears radiant in the shimmering rays, like half-bloomed buds, of the
crescent moon which ornaments His head; who sportively burned Cupid like a
moth; whose presence augurs supreme well-being; who, like the sun, inwardly
dispels the dense darkness of ignorance engulfing the mind; who is like a lamp
of knowledge shining in the hearts of yogis; Victory to Shiva!
Traveling
across many difficult and dangerous places brought me no wealth; giving up
pride of lineage, I have served the rich in vain, without self-respect, in
others' homes; I have craved and eaten like crows in others' homes; and still,
oh Desire! Instigator of wicked deeds, you prosper and even then remain
unsatisfied.
Digging
the earth for wealth, smelting the rocks for precious metals, crossing the
oceans, laboring to keep in favor of kings, chanting incantations with a
totally absorbed mind in cremation sites-brought me not even a broken piece of
a glimmering shell. Oh Desire! Therefore, remain contented.
Enduring
somehow in servility the talk of the wicked; holding back tears; smiling with a
vacant mind; bowing low to wealthy but stupid people; oh insatiable Desire!
What other futile deeds would you have me dance in?
Our
energies, as fickle as the water drops on the lotus leaf, we have spent with
thoughtless abandon. In front of the rich, with their minds dulled by the
arrogance of wealth, we have sinned by flattering ourselves.
Forgiving
out of weakness, giving up comforts of the home out of lack of fulfilment,
tolerating the unbearable cold, wind, heat, without fulfilling austerities,
thinking of riches day and night within tense energy but not on Shiva's feet,;
thus have we performed the actions of the ascetic recluse, but devoid of the
benefits.
We
have not enjoyed mundane pleasures, but ourselves have been devoured by
desires. We have not performed austerities, but got scorched ourselves,
nevertheless; time is not gone but we approach the end. Desires do not wear
out, only we ourselves are struck down by senility.
Face
covered with wrinkles, the head painted white with gray hair, the limbs feeble,
and yet Desire alone stays youthful.
With
desires receding, even much respect of many dropping away, dear friends close
to my heart fleeing to heaven, standing up slowly with the help of a stick,
eyesight darkened by cataracts,---even then the body in its stupidity, wonders
at the prospect of death!
Hope,
like a river, with fantasies as water, agitated by waves of desires;
attachments to various objects serving as prey; abounding in thoughts of greed,
like birds; destroying the foes of courage; surrounded by eddies of ignorance
deep and difficult to cross; with precipitous banks of anxiety---such a river
the perfected yogis of pure minds, cross to enjoy beatitude.
I
do not see true well-being accruing from actions repeated life after life in
this world. On deep thought, I find it fearsome this collection of merits. By
this great store of merits further enjoyments can be procured. Attachment to
pleasures only brings more misery.
Sensual
pleasures will surely leave us sometime, even if they stay with us for a long
time. Then, what difference does it make if the people discard them by their
own choice? The mind is sorely afflicted if pleasures leave us of their own
accord. However, if people renounce them voluntarily, such self-control gives
infinite bliss.
Ah!
Knowledge of Reality gained by discrimination through purified intellect must
be difficult. For it results from the absolute renunciation of desires which
wealth enabled them to enjoy. The same obtained in the past or present, or to
be obtained in the future, we are unable to renounce, though they remain as
mere longings.
Blessed
are they who live in mountain-caves, meditating on the Supreme Light, with the
birds fearlessly sitting on their laps drinking the tears of joy. Our life
fades away, reveling in fantasies in palaces or on the banks of refreshing
ponds, or in pleasure gardens.
For
eating I have tasteless food once a day, after begging of alms; the earth for a
bed, and my own body as a servant; for dress, a blanket made from hundreds of
rags; and yet alas! Sensual desires do not leave me!
The
poets give such metaphors as golden vessels to the breasts which are but two
lumps of flesh; the mouth, seat of phlegm and mucus, are compared to the moon;
the loins, outlet for wet urine, are likened to the forehead of an elephant;
thus glorifying the human form that is always contemptible.
Uniquely
great is Shiva among the sensuous, for he shares half the body with His
beloved; among the dispassionate no one excels Him in detachment from women.
Rest of the people, stunned in infatuation by Cupid's irresistible arrows
tipped with serpent poison, can neither enjoy their desires nor give them up at
will.
Like
a moth falling in fire, not knowing its burning power; or like the fish caught
in ignorance by the baited hook; we, despite knowing the dangers, do not
renounce sensual pleasures. Oh! How profound is the glory of delusion!
When
the mouth is parched with thirst, a person drinks cool and sweet water; when
smitten with hunger the person eats rice, flavored with meat et cetera.; when a
fire with passion, he embraces the wife with great firmness; thus, joy is the
remedying of these diseases (thirst, hunger, and lust), and yet how much
distress in these remedies!
Owning
towering mansions, with sons honored by the learned and wealthy; with a
charitable and youthful wife, the ignorant people regard this world as
permanent, and enter this prison of repeated cycles of birth and death. Blessed
indeed is one who sees the momentary transience and renounces it.
Distressed,
misery written on her face, constantly tugged at her worn-out clothes by
hungry, crying children---if one were to see such a wife, what wise person,
smitten with hunger, with a choked and faltering voice, would say "Give
me", fearing refusal of his entreaty?
Clever
in undoing the knots of self-respect; like the moonlight brightly shining on
the lotus of virtues; like a hatchet cutting off the lush creepers of our
vaunted modesty--- such is the hard mockery of filling the pit of the stomach.
Wandering
in holy places or extensive forests, whose outskirts are grey with smoke of
fires tended by priests expert in rituals; a begging bowl in hand covered with
a white cloth; entering from door to door to appease the distressing hunger by
filling the stomach and sustaining the energy, is preferred by a
self-respecting person to being a beggar among his compeers every day.
Will
the Himalayan ranges, cooled by the fine spray from the waves of the Ganges,
and with the beautiful rocky plateaus habited by celestial musicians, dissolve
and disappear, prompting people to disgrace themselves by depending on others
for their livelihood?
Have
the roots and herbs from the caves gone out of existence, or have the streams
disappeared from the mountains, or have the trees yielding succulent fruits on
their branches and barks from their trunks been destroyed, which would lead
these wicked folks, destitute of good breeding, to show their faces, with
eyebrows dancing like wind-blown creepers due to arrogance of laboriously
earning their meager livelihood?
Now,
accepting lovingly the sacred roots and fruits for sustenance and the earth
covered with fresh leaves of branches for a bed, let us go forth to the forest,
where people whose minds are mean and devoid of discretion, and who always talk
excruciatingly of the afflictions of wealth, are not even heard from.
With
fruits available at will in every forest, and cool, sweet water from holy
streams in every place, and a bed made of tender leaves and twigs, still these
miserable people endure sorrow at the gates of the rich.
Those
who grovel before the rich, and those given to meanness with their reason
satisfied with mere sensual pleasures, may I recall their days of plight with
an inner smile, while lying down on a stone-bed in a mountain-cave, during
lulls in-between meditation.
The
joy of those who are contented remains uninterrupted, while those greedy for
wealth and with confused reason never have their cravings killed. Therefore,
for what purpose did the Creator bring into existence the Meru Mountain of
infinite riches, which serves only to glorify itself? I have no taste for it.
Food
obtained by begging alms is not humiliating, gives joy that is not dependent on
fulfilling others' needs, and is totally devoid of fear. It destroys envy,
arrogance, pride, impatience, and the stream of miseries. It is easily
available everywhere, without great effort, and regarded as sacred by holy
persons. It is like Shiva's feeding house, ever accessible and inexhaustible.
Thus do the perfected yogis describe it!
There
is fear of disease in the enjoyment of sensual pleasures; in lineage, fear of
decline; in riches, fear of kings; fear of humiliation in honor; fear of
enemies when
in power; fear of old age in beauty; in learning, fear of disputants; in
virtue, fear of the wicked; in body, fear of death. All facets of man's life on
earth engender fear; renunciation alone is fearless.
Birth
is attacked by death, and bright youth by old age; contentment by greed for
wealth; peace of mind by seductive women; virtues by the envy of others;
forests by beasts of prey; kings by the unscrupulous; and even fame by
transistorizes. Is there anything on earth that is not afflicted by something?
Hundreds
of varieties of illness root out health of people. Adversities find an open
door wherever Lakshmi, Goddess of Wealth, is present. Whatever is born, Death
is sure to make it powerless and absorb it into itself, again and again! Then
what has the Creator made that can be regarded as stable?
Sensual
pleasures are transient like the breaking of high waves. Life can end in a
moment. Youthful cheerfulness in infatuation lasts only a few days. Wise
teachers, having realized that the whole revolving wheel of life is lacking in
true worth, strive to achieve equanimity for the benefit of the people.
Sensual
pleasures are as fickle as the flash of lightning in the clouds. Life can
collapse as easily as the drop of water on the edge of a lotus leaf swayed by
the wind. Fickle are the longings in youth. Quickly realizing this, let the
wise ones engage their minds in equanimity, attained easily by courage.
Life
undulates like a wave. Youthful beauty lasts a few days. Riches are as
short-lived as thoughts. The successive enjoyments are like autumnal lightning
flashes. The beloved's embrace round the neck lasts only a moment. Lovingly tie
your mind to Siva (Brahman) to overcome the fear of crossing the ocean of
cycles of births and deaths.
Conclusion:
In
essence the Vairagya philosophy expressed in Vairagya Satakam echoes Upanishadic
thought on Liberation:
Vedanta-vairagya-(*vedantavijnaana)-vinischtaarthaah
sanyaasa yoggaad yatayah suddha-satvaah te sivaloke (*brahmaloke) tu
paraantakaale paraamritaah parimuchyanti sarve ||
All
those aspirants who strive for self-control by Vairagya who have rigorously
arrived at the conclusion taught by the Vedanta through direct knowledge, and
who have attained purity of mind through the discipline of yoga and
steadfastness get themselves into the region of Siva and Sakti in Sivaloka at
the dissolution of their body.
*In Mahanarayana Upanishad
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
[This Compilation is from the
translation of Vairagya Satakam from Swami Madhvananda of Advaita Ashram, Hand
notes of Swami Vivekananda, E-mail sent to HR Forum Participants and Saiva
Siddhanta Swamiji’s views, the lecture by Swami Chidananda of FOWAI Forum for a
discourse and various internet sources that are gratefully acknowledged]
No comments:
Post a Comment