The Ancient Indian Scriptures!

THE ANCIENT INDIAN SCRIPTURES

                                   VALMIKI RAMAYANA

                                             BALAKANDA

                                      CHAPTER NUMBER  1

          {OM! Jai Shri Ram! Jai Shri Ram! Jai Sjri Ram! Jai Sitaram! Jai Sitaram! Jai Sitaram! May all the Prosperities, Aishwaryam, Happiness, Contentment and Auspiciousness attend the Readers of this Exalted Story of the Lord Rama! – BLOGGER’S INVOCATION –}

LONG, long ago, when the world was yet young, and the Treta yuga*1 was nearing its end, there lived a sage, by name, Valmiki. His knowledge of the Vedas and Vedangas*2 was deep and profound. He had traversed or walked the Four-fold Path*3 that leads to Liberation.  And to him came Narada, the divine sage, Narada, the best and foremost of the mind-born*4 sons of Brahma. His long life had been spent in unselfish prayer and devout meditation. The bonds of Karma*5 and material existence were to him a thing of the past. He knew no other joy than to contemplate the countless perfections of the Lord of All. And from his Vina, Mahati,*6 he drew forth such strains, as held enthralled the hearts of all, gods and men. To the accompaniment of the strains from his instrument  he sang the praises and the glory of the Great Lord, Vishnu, as embodied in the hymns of the Sama Veda.*7 Very few equals he had in the art of speech; so clever and so convincing was he.

To him Valmiki respectfully submitted the following questions:-

“Among men in the world, who is the one crowned with every excellent quality?

“Who has mastered the science of weapons, human and divine,*8 and out of the might engendered thereby, is able to scatter his foes before him?

“Who is versed in the mysteries of Dharma*9, as revealed in the Vedas?”

“Who is that who does not bear in mind the grievous wrong done to him by others, but magnifies any single act of kindness on their part?

“Who is it whose thoughts, words and deeds are ever in perfect harmony?

“Who never strays from his Dharma,*10 even in the face of direst peril and distress?

“Whose life is pure and spotless?

“Whoever seeks the highest good of Humanity and of himself, here and hereafter?

“Whose eyes see clearly and unerringly between the Real and the Unreal? *11

“Who has a profound knowledge of men and things and twines himself round the hearts of all?

“Who is a perennial source of delight to all that approach him?

“Who, like a skillful driver,*12 has his mind and senses under perfect control?

“Who is it that allows not his temper to get the upper hand of him?

“Who is it, of presence so charming, that men can never have enough of beholding him?

“Whose heart knows not envy, spite and calumny? *13

“Who is it that men and gods dare not face, when the fierce joy of battle is on him?

“Verily, it is almost hopeless to find all these noble elements combined in one single individual. But, if there be such a one, you would know it of all men; for, Reverend Sir, there is nothing, either in the heavens above or in the worlds below, that escapes your all-seeing eye.*14 And nothing would gladden my heart so much as to hear it from your lips, if you but deem me worthy of the honour.”

Having asked his questions, Valmiki paused for a reply from the venerable sage, Narada!

Narada was happy at this opportunity of giving out to the world what was very dear to his heart, the story of the Lord Rama. With a glad heart Narada spoke to his disciple, Valmiki: “There rules the earth a king, by name Rama. He hails from the godly line of Ikshvaku*15. In him you will find the answers to all the questions you have raised!”

Narada continued: “Rama has his self under perfect control. His prowess is unequaled. The splendour of his presence baffles description. He is serene alike in weal and woe. His intellect is strong, keen and comprehensive. There is very little that he does not know about king-craft. His sweet speech charms away the hearts of men. You can never have enough of looking at him; so lovely a sight he is to see. He has no enemies.

“Broad are his shoulders and mighty. His arms are stout and strong. His neck is poised on his shoulders with perfect grace. And the three lines around his head make it charming to behold. His massive jaws are but an index to the iron will of the man. His broad chest and deep flanks speak of his strength that could lightly take up a bow and string it, that others would never dream of approaching. His joints are strong and supple and embedded deep in muscle. His hands are long and powerful and reach down below his knees. His head is exquisitely modeled and his forehead beautifully arched like a crescent. He is graceful and majestic in gait (walk) even as that of the lion or the elephant or the tiger.

“Neither too short nor too tall, he is marvelous. His limbs are beautifully proportioned. And his rich complexion speaks of the perfect health of the man. His eyes are large and lustrous, even as the petals of the lovely lotus. He is rich in all things of the world that makes a man happy. He is, in short, beau-ideal of a man.

“The weak and the oppressed find in him a ready and fearless champion. He never makes a resolve but it is accomplished to the utmost. He is ever intent upon the highest good of all beings. He is the refuge of the stricken and the terror of his foes. He is ever engaged in meditation on the Supreme Brahman*16. He is untouched by desire or hate. He is an adept in yogic practices.

“He looks after the welfare of his subjects, even as the great Patriarch, Brahma*17. He has every kind of wealth, enough and to spare. He has a watchful eye on the rights and duties of all grades of society. He is a strictest of taskmasters. And his daily life is but a silent example and an unspoken lesson to the world. Ever the spear and the shield of his friends and his followers, his heart seeks their highest good here and hereafter*18.

“No arts or sciences have any secrets for him. His memory is something marvelous. In arguments he is ever clear and convincing. He is keen and thorough in his grasp of a subject. Anticipating the slightest objections and difficulties of his opponents, he is quick and ready in his replies. His manners are sweet and refined. The waves of adversity might beat against him; but they soon roll back, baffled and broken. He is ever wise and skillful in his relations with the world, lay or religious.

“Rama, the pride and joy of his mother Kausalya, unites in himself every conceivable perfection!”  

BLOGGER’S NOTES:

 *1.  In Hindu cosmology, the massive cycles of time – the Yugas, Manvantaras and Kalpas – form a cyclical structure that describes the evolution and dissolution of the entire universe. These scales are so vast that they dwarf modern scientific estimates of the age of the Earth. Now without going into the calculation of Manvantaras and Kalpas, let us see the details of the YUGA.

 There are four Yugas. I.  Satya Yuga (Golden Age): It lasts 1,728,000 years. This Yuga is considered as the Golden Age because it is characterized by 100% virtue and truth. II.  Treta Yuga (Silver Age): It lasts 1,296,000 years. This Yuga is considered as the Silver Age because in this Yuga Virtue declines to 75%.  III.   Dvapara Yuga (Bronze Age): This Yuga lasts 864,000 years. This Yuga is considered as Bronze Age because in this Yuga Virtue is at 50%. IV.  Kali Yuga (Iron Age): This Yuga lasts 432,000 years. The current Age is the age of darkness and materialism, with only 25% Virtue remaining! Thus the total Maha Yuga spans 4,320,000 human years!

*2. In Hinduism, the Vedangas (literally the “limbs of the Vedas”) are six auxiliary disciplines developed in ancient times to help scholars and practitioners properly read, understand and apply the Vedas. There are six Vedangas: 1. Shiksha(Phonetics and Pronunciation): 2. Chandas (Meter): 3. Vyakarana (Grammar): 4 Nirukta (Etymology): 5. Kalpa(Ritual Instructions) and 6. Jyotisha (Astronomy and Astrology).

*3.  In those days a person’s life included four distinct stages: 1. Brahmachariya (Student days); 2. Grihastha (Householder’s life); 3. Vanaprastha (Slow withdrawal from the worldly ties) and 4. Sanyasa (the life of a recluse in the forest). There are other 4 factors being allowed by Hinduism in the householder’s life: 1. Artha (earning money necessary to conduct a good life but within the bounds of morality); 2. Kama (sensual enjoyments and enjoying the earnings in the daily life within the bounds of morality); 3. Dharma (leading a moral life in accordance with one’s self-ordained duties or swadharma so that the individual’s life will not cause any discordant note in the cosmic dharmic symphony – please read the About Page).

*4. Mind-born, that is birth taking place without the agency of a mother. Though it cannot be compared to the Immaculate Conception, the effect is the same. 

*6.  Once a person reaches the stage of advancement in the life of renouncement, his every day works or Karma will not bind him. Because we are bound by our actions as we indulge in them to enjoy the fruits thereof. The real spiritual trick is to indulge in activities without any stake in the fruits thereof. That way we can escape the operation of the Law of Cause and Effect. All our actions bind us. Good actions bind us as much and as badly as bad actions. For good actions we must, after death, go to a particular loka or world to enjoy the good fruits. And for our bad actions here, after our death, we must go to some other chartered loka or world to be punished for the bad actions in proportion to the wickedness we were parties to through such bad acts on our earthly sojourn. This is in accordance with the theory of reincarnation.  

Whether we do good or bad, we must go to the chartered loka or world after death to enjoy or be punished and then, once the samskaras or impressions created by our actions are exhausted, we must come back to the earth’s plane to start to live and work out the remainder of Karma.

But a recluse or a person who has renounced the earthly life and still continues to act till death, but without any like or dislike, that is, without any expectation of fruits of his actions, he will have created no samskaras, negative or positive, so he will not have to return to this earth after death, but will mingle with God or Brahman. This is the Advaita (non-dualistic philosophy of Adi Shankara who lived here some 1400 years ago. This philosophy still holds good.

*6.  The stringed instrument called “vena” was and is famous in India. The sage Narada is associated to the vena, a type called ‘Mahati Vena’.

*7.  Vedas are four in number. They are Rig or Rick, Yajur, Sama and Atharvana Vedas. Among the four Vedas, the Sama Veda is famous for its mellifluous songs or hymns. So much so, in the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna advises his disciple, Arjuna to not become a slave to the mellifluous hymns in the Vedas!

*8.  In ancient India, weapons did not just mean physical. Of course, there were the bows and arrows for which Lord Ram and Lakshman are famous. And the swords and spears were very much in vogue. But apart from these, there were weapons which had the mental force in them. They might look like ordinary bows and ordinary arrows. But once discharged, they can create great holocaust in the battlefield. There were weapons that can produce the scorching fire or trenching rain.

The main thing about these weapons is that they might look to naked eyes just the ordinary bows and arrows   made of pliable and strong wood. But they would be carrying the power and raw energy of great yogic tapas or meditation by the person who had brought such weapons into being through sheer spiritual power and prowess. And the person handling the astra or the weapon should be proficient in the art. Otherwise deleterious effect would ensue to self and other beings and properties.

*9.  If Dharma was just the proper righteous conduct, how could they be mysterious? Draupati, the wife of the five Pandava brothers, is manhandled and outraged in the public saba or the court hall of the king, Duriyodhana. Unable to withstand the torture, Draupati appeals to the seniors present in the hall. While she directly appeals to the elderly statesman of extraordinary merit, asking him if what happened to her was Dharma or according to the tenets of Dharma,  Bheeshma, the old Patriarch, answers in measured language that Dharma could be very nuanced and at times not readily understandable to even great persons well versed in Dharma.

So the righteous conduct does not always stand to ordinary scrutiny by ordinary householders. Only great sage-like persons can understand the standpoint of Dharma in respect of an action or context or situation. This is because human conduct is motivated by so many factors; sometimes the persons who are parties to a particular action cannot easily decide the righteousness of the conduct. Only experts can explain the dharmic standpoints involved in the conduct and the inner condition of the actor as also the surrounding circumstances. So dharma can be very tricky at times.

*10.   We come to know in the Ramayana that Ram never swerved from his self-ordained duty. He was always mindful of his dharma at any particular context. When his father, Dasarata concluded to crown him as a Prince, Ram decided as the eldest son of his father, it was his dharmic duty to help his aged father bear the yolk of administration. So he readily agreed to be crowned a Yuv Raja. But his stepmother came in the way, all of a sudden, and Ram was summoned to her chamber where his father was also present. And his stepmother declared that her own son, Ram’s younger brother, should be crowned Yuv Raj and Ram should go and spend 14 years in the forest, Dhantaka. Ram accepted her edict without even pulling his facial muscle. In Kambaramayana when this scene is described, the poet says that when the stepmother divulged the message of banishment, Ram’s face was like a full blown lotus that has lately bloomed!

*11.  Ram was destined to rule the kingdom. He must have all the basic qualities and qualifications. This power of mindreading is one such he was natively crowned with.

*12.  Driving a chariot is not like driving a modern car. To drive the latter, just some good training is necessary. But driving a chariot yoked to many steeds is never an easy joke. Because man and beasts must think as one person under trying circumstances so that the chariot could be driven without any mishap. Greatest skill and energy and expertise are necessary for driving such a chariot. That kind of skill and prowess resides in Ram. The great power over one’s senses which always have a tendency to run amuck, to handle tricky situations involved in the business of kingship.  

13.  Envy, spite and calumny are very powerful tendencies which can enslave even great souls. Even persons of impeccable merit and quality can easily fall a prey to any one or all these three vices. We must be always on our guard to protect against the soul-slaying power and prowess continuously exerted by these three vices. Ram was supremely above this pettiness.

*14.  Sage Narada is known for his ‘triloka sanjaram’ or wandering among the three worlds. This earth and the world above the same in the sky and the one underneath constitute three lokas or worlds. The other two lokas or worlds are having different sets of vibrations and so we cannot sense and see them. Sage Narada is a great Devotee of Vishnu. He will always be beating out mellifluous strains out of his Vena, Mahati, to the soulful accompaniment of the chanting of his Ishta Devata’s Names like ‘Narayana’ while wandering through three worlds. So his disciple Valmiki says there could be none in existence in the three worlds without the great wanderer knowing about.

*15.  Ram belonged to the Solar dynasty, Ikshvaku.

*16.  Brahman is different from Brahma. We shouldn’t confuse one with the other. The former is the Ultimate reality that works in this cosmos through the latter (who creates for Brahman). Vishnu protects and sustains all the created beings on behalf of Brahman, and Siva dissolves the created beings and, at the pralaya or cosmic dissolution, non-beings on behalf of Brahman. Brahman has no ‘nama rupa’ name or form. But the trinity of Gods have Names and Forms.

*17.  Like the creator, Brahma, Lord Ram is caring for the subjects. (Ram is one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu).

*18.  Ram was a great leader. He did not just look after the goodness of his friends and associates on this earth’s plane. But he also cared for them as a spiritual master who would care for his disciples, and always looked after their well being in the nether worlds after their death. That is Ram will discourage his friends and followers from indulging in activities and thoughts that would, as the Rishi in the Isha Upanishad says, slay their soul. Ram is an ideal son, ideal husband, ideal brother, ideal disciple and an ideal King. Our modern welfare States indulge in some such activities and there is great opposition to the same. For example, Child Porn was banished and declared illegal as soon as the Narendra Modi Government came to power. This kind of measure is very important to safeguard the subjects’ spiritual welfare.          

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                                            THE MAHABHARATA

                                                        (Paushya Parva)

                                                         CHAPTER 01

{Dear readers, the convention is to start the Epic Mahabharata from the birth of the heroes. But I want to give you a complete experience. So I am starting from the Paushya Parva, instead of beginning from Adi Parva. Paushya Parva, Pauloma Parva, Astika Parva are also is very interesting. But most people who are conversant with this Epic will not be able to speak about these Parvas before the celebrated Adi Parva. Let us begin from the beginning.

My great attempt is to give you the whole epic without compromising on the content. It is also my endeavour to serve this great epic with its original flavour. For this purpose, I might, at places, leave the longish sentences without shortening them. Mr Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s (KMG) English is Victorian, and as such archaic to the modern readers, and I have spared no effort in bringing the style and flow of the language modern and up to date. I wish you all a great, good and smashing reading experience. This is the curated version of the original translation of the Epic from Sanskrit by the legendary KMG}

                                            THE  MAHABHARATA

Om! Having bowed down to Narayana and Nara, the most exalted male Being, and also to the goddess Saraswati, must the word Jaya be uttered.

 Ugrasrava, the son of Lomaharshana, surnamed Sauti, well-versed in the Puranas, bending with humility, one day approached the great sages of rigid vows. The sages were sitting at their ease, who had attended the twelve years’ sacrifice of Saunaka, surnamed Kulapati, in the forest of Naimisha. Those sages, wishing to hear Sauti’s wonderful narrations, began to address him who had thus arrived at the forest of Naimisha. “Where are you from, O lotus-eyed Sauti? And where have you spent the time?”

 Accomplished in speech, Sauti gave in the midst of that big assemblage of contemplative Munis (Yogis) a full and proper answer in the following words: “I heard the diverse, sacred and wonderful stories which were composed in his Mahabharata by Krishna-Dwaipayana. And they were recited in full by Vaisampayana at the Snake sacrifice of the high-souled royal sage Janamejaya in the presence of that chief of Princes, the son of Parikshit. Then I wandered about, visiting many sacred waters and holy shrines. I journeyed to the country venerated by all, which is called Samantapanchaka, where formerly was fought the battle between the children of Kuru and Pandu. Then, anxious to see you, I have come to be in your presence. You reverend sages are to me, Brahma himself *1! You greatly shine in this place of sacrifice with the splendour of the solar fire. You have concluded the silent meditations and have fed the holy fire with the oblations. What shall I repeat, shall I recount the sacred stories collected in the Puranas containing precepts of religious duty and of worldly profit, or the acts of illustrious saints?”

The Rishis replied, “The Purana, first promulgated by the great Rishi Dwaipayana (Vyasa). The same, after having been heard both by the gods and the Brahmarishis, was highly esteemed. Because the same had been    gleaned from the Vedas! It is a sacred work. Composed in elegant language, it includes the subjects of other books. It is elucidated by other Shastras, and comprehends the sense of the four Vedas. We are desirous of hearing that history also called Bharata*2, the holy composition of the wonderful Vyasa! This story will dispel the fear of evil. It was cheerfully recited by the Rishi Vaisampayana, under the direction of Dwaipayana himself, at the snake-sacrifice of Raja Janamejaya!”

Sauti then said, “Having bowed down to the primordial being Isana, to whom multitudes make offerings. He   is adored by the multitude. He is the true incorruptible one, Brahma, perceptible, imperceptible and eternal. He is the universe and also distinct from the existing and non-existing universe. He is the creator of high and low. He is the ancient, exalted, inexhaustible one. He is Vishnu, beneficent and the beneficence itself. He is  worthy of all preference, pure and immaculate. He is Hari, the ruler of the faculties, the guide of all things moveable and immoveable. I will declare the sacred thoughts of the illustrious sage Vyasa, of marvelous deeds and worshipped here by all. Some Poets have already published this history. Some are now teaching it.  And others, in like manner, will hereafter promulgate it upon the earth. It is a great source of knowledge, established throughout the three regions of the world*3!”

Sauti continued, “King Parikshit’s son, Janamejaya was attending his long sacrifice along with his brothers at Kurukshetra. Kurukshetra was a sacred place with vast extents of land for conducting great sacrifices. Janamejaya’s brothers Sruteasena, Ugrasena and Bhimasena beat the cub of the Celestial bitch, Sarama. And the offspring of Sarama ran away to his mother crying. The Celestial bitch, on coming to know of the fact, confronted Janamejaya and his brothers. She asked as to why the three brothers beat the innocent son of hers. The brothers kept silent as they could not speak to their innocence. The Celestial bitch got angry and cursed them saying evil shall come upon them when they least expected!

Janamejaya became exceedingly alarmed and dejected. He returned to Hastinapura after the sacrifice. He    started on a search for a suitable Purohita (Priest ) who could procure absolution for his sin and thereby neutralize the effect of the curse. One day Janamejaya observed while hunting a hermitage. There lived a Rishi (Saint) of considerable fame by name Srutasrava. He had a son named Somasrava. Janamejaya wanted to appoint that son who was well established in ascetic devotions as his Prohita. He humbly addressed the Rishi and asked if he would let his son be his Prohita. The Rishi said, “O, Janamejaya, my son is well versed in the Vedas and endued with the full force of my asceticism. He was born of a she-snake who had drunk my vital fluid (semen). He is able to absolve you from all offences save those committed against Mahadeva. But he has one particular habit. He would readily grant to any Brahmana whatever he might ask for. You can take him if you can put up with that habit!” Janamejaya agreed to this. He returned to the capital in Hastinapura with Somasrava as his Purohita. There Janamejaya introduced the Purohita to his brothers. He said as Somasrava was his spiritual master, they must obey all his biddings without any question. His brothers agreed to do as he said. Then Janamejaya engaged Takshyashila (a country) in war and brought that country under his authority.

About this time there was a Rishi by name Ayoda-Dhaumya who had three disciples. Their names were Upamanyu, Aruni and Veda. The Rishi bade Aruni of Panchala to go and stop up a breach in the water-course of a certain field. And Aruni went to the spot and saw that the breach was bigger than expected by his preceptor. So he entered the breach and thus using his own body to staunch the leaking and lay there. Thus the leaking was stopped immediately. Sometime later,  Ayoda-Dhaumya asked his other disciples as to where  Aruni was. They said Aruni had not returned after he was sent to stop the breach in the water course. So the Rishi and the other disciples went to see what happened to Aruni.

And having arrived near the spot, the Rishi shouted, “O, Aruni of Panchala, where are you? Come here, my child.” And Aruni came speedily out of the leaking hole where he had entered and stood before his preceptor! He said, “Since the breach was larger I had to wedge my own body into the hole to stop the breach, Master! And hearing your words, I have emerged out of the water course and am standing before you, sir. Now, tell me Master, what I have to do?”

The pleased Rishi replied, “O, Aruni, you have in obedience*4 to my words emerged out of the ditch and thus have let the water flow again. Since you have obeyed my words, you will obtain good fortune. And all the Vedas and the Dharmasastras shine in you. After being blessed by his preceptor, Aruni went to the country of his choice.

Another disciple of the Rishi, Ayoda-Dhaumya was Upamanyu. The Rishi ordered him to go look after the cattle. Upamanyu went away to look after the cattle. And having watched them all day, he returned in the eveining to his preceptor’s house. Standing before him, he saluted his Master. His Master looked at him and decided the disciple looked none the worse for the ordeal. So he asked Upamanyu, “My child. Upon what do you support yourself? You are exceedingly plump!”  He replied, “Sir, I support myself by begging.” The Rishi said, “Whatever you get by begging should not be eaten by you before you offer the same to me.” And Upamanyu went away to beg. Having obtained alms, he offered the same to his preceptor. The preceptor took from him all the food. Thus treated, Upamanyu went away to look after the cattle. Having watched them all day, he returned to his preceptor’s house in the evening. He stood before his preceptor and saluted him with respect. His preceptor looked at the disciple who was in good condition.

 The Rishi asked him since he had taken the whole food got by Upamanyu without giving him anything to eat, how it was possible for him to look in a good shape and condition. The disciple replied that he went to beg for the second time and ate the food. Then the preceptor told him that this was not the way for him to obey his Master. That by going for the second time begging for food he had diminished the support of others that live by begging.*5 “You have proved yourself to be covetous having supported yourself so!” Upamanyu went away to look after the cattle. And having watched the cattle all day, he returned in the evening to his Master’s house. He stood before him and saluted him respectfully. And watching him the preceptor decided he was still fat. “Upamanyu, my child,” the preceptor asked him, “I take away all you obtained in alms and you do not go begging for food a second time nor do you drink cow’s milk, how do  you support yourself?” Upamanyu replied that he now was living by sipping the broth the calves throw out while sucking their mother’s teats. The preceptor said, “These generous calves, I think, throw out large quantities of froth out of compassion for you. Would you stand in the way of their full meals? Know it is unlawful for you to drink the froth.” And Upamanyu, having assented to his preceptor’s bidding, went away to tend to the cows. He goes without any food.

One day Upamanyu ate the leaves of the Arka (Asclepias gigantea). The leaves were pungent, acrimonious, crude and saline. With the result, his eyes were affected and he became blind. He had to crawl about. Thus he fell into a pit. The sun was sinking down behind the summit of the western mountains. He still was not present before his Master. Upamanyu’s master went into the forest with some other disciples. He shouted in the forest, “O, Upamanyu, where are you?” Upamanyu heard the cry of his master and answered in a loud voice, “I am at the bottom of a well.” On further enquiry the preceptor came to know as to what had happened to his famished disciple. He advised Upamanyu to sing the twin Aswins, the physicians of the gods. “They will restore your sight.” he further said.

Upamanyu started to sing the glory of the twin Aswins in poetic words. After a great invocation, the twin Aswins appeared before Upamanyu.*6 “We are satisfied.” the Aswins said. “Here is a cake for you. Eat it!” they said. Upamanyu replied, “Your words, Aswins, have never proved wrong. But without first offering this cake to my preceptor I dare not take it.” And the Aswins replied, “Formerly, your preceptor had invoked us. Thereupon we gave him a cake.  And he ate it without first offering it to his master. So do what your preceptor did.” At this Upamanyu replied, “O Aswins, I crave your pardon. Without offering this cake to my preceptor I dare not eat the cake.” Then the Aswins said, “O, we are pleased with this devotion of yours to your preceptor. Your master’s teeth are of black iron. Yours shall be gold. You shall be restored to sight and shall have good fortune. “

Upamanyu recovered his sight. He went to relate the whole thing to his preceptor after saluting him respectfully. The preceptor was well-pleased with him and said, “You shall obtain prosperity even as the Aswins have said. All the Vedas shall shine in thee and all the Dharma-sastras.” And this was the trial of Upamanyu.

Then Ayoda-Dhaumya called the other disciple, Veda. The preceptor once had asked Veda to stay for some time in his house and serve him. Veda had as such stayed in the preceptor’s house to serve him. He strived like an ox bearing heat and cold, hunger and thirst, at all times without a murmur. Soon his master was satisfied. Veda obtained good fortune and universal knowledge from his preceptor. And this was the trial of Veda.

Veda received the permission of his preceptor, and leaving the latter’s residence after the completion of his studies, entered the domestic mode of life. And living in his own house, he got three pupils. He never told them to perform any work or to obey implicitly his own biddings. Having himself experienced much woe while living in the family of his preceptor he did not like to treat them severely.

After a certain time, Janamejaya and Paushya, both of the order of Kshatriyas, appointed the Brahmin, Veda as their spiritual guide (Teacher). Veda served as the spiritual teacher well. One day he had to go out on some business related to a sacrifice. So he asked one of his disciples, Utanka, to take charge of his household. He said to Utanka, “Do whatever is necessary in my house. Let it be done by you without fail or neglect!” And having given these orders to Utanka, he went on his journey.

 So Utanka, always mindful of the injunction of his preceptor, took up his residence in the latter’s house. And while Utanka was residing there, the females of his preceptor’s house addressed him, “O Utanka, your mistress (your preceptor’s wife) is in that season when connubial connection might be fruitful. The preceptor is absent; then standing in his place you do the needful!” Utanka said to those women, “It is not proper for me to do this at the bidding of women. I have not been enjoined by my preceptor to do anything that is improper.”

After a while, his preceptor returned from his journey. And his preceptor having learnt all that had happened, became well-pleased and, addressing Utanka, said, “Utanka, my child, what favour shall I bestow on you? I have been served by you well; thus our friendship for each other has increased. I therefore grant you leave to depart. You go, and let your wishes be accomplished!”

Utanka, thus addressed, replied, “Let me do something that you wish, for it has been said, “He who bestows instruction contrary to usage and he who receives it contrary to usage, one of the two dies. I, therefore, who have received your leave to depart, am desirous of bringing you some honorarium due to a preceptor. His master, upon hearing this, replied, “Utanka, my child, wait a while.” Sometime after, Utanka again addressed his preceptor, saying, ‘Command me to bring that for honorarium, which you desire.”

And his preceptor then said, “My dear Utanka, you have often told me of your desire to bring something by way of acknowledgment for the instruction you have received. Go then in and ask your mistress what you are to bring. And you bring that which she directs!”

And thus directed by his preceptor, Utanka addressed his preceptress, saying, ‘Madam, I have obtained my master’s leave to go home, and I am desirous of bringing something agreeable to you as honorarium for the instruction I have received, in order that I may not depart as his debtor. Therefore, please command me what I am to bring.”

Thus addressed, his preceptress replied, “Go to King Paushya and beg of him the pair of ear-rings worn by his Queen, and bring them here. The fourth day hence is a sacred day when I wish to appear before the Brahmanas (who may dine at my house) decked with these ear-rings. Then accomplish this, O Utanka! If you should succeed, good fortune shall attend you; if not, what good can you expect?”

Utanka thus commanded, took his departure. As he was passing along the road he saw a bull of extraordinary size and a man of uncommon stature mounted thereon. And that man addressed Utanka, “Eat the dung of this bull!” Utanka, however, was unwilling to comply. The man said again, “O Utanka, eat of it without scrutiny!”

BLOGGER’S NOTES:

*1.  Brahma is the Lord of creation. Brahma should not be confused with Brahman. The latter is the Ultimate God. Upon His bidding, the gods of creation, sustenance and dissolution do their respective work.

*2.  Sage Vyasa, before writing the epic Mahabharata, wrote the same story entitled “Bharata.” Please refer to the “About Page.”

*3.   The epic is a great source of knowledge. The story of the epic is famous throughout the three worlds, ‘the upper world which is in the sky.  And underneath the earth there is yet another loka or world, patala loka. The story of the epic is justly famous in all the worlds.    

*4.  Obedience to the Master or Preceptor is a sine qua non for discipleship. In Hinduism it is the Master or Guru who has to lead the disciple towards ultimate liberation and self-realization. Implicit obedience fetches the student the knowhow as to how to approach God. And the Guru will start to instruct the disciple on the attainment of knowledge about Brahman only to those disciples who have what it takes. Implicit obedience is different from slave mentality. The science that leads to the attainment of knowledge about Brahman is so very nuanced and subtle that the student has to show great interest in knowing. Even when the cheela or student is begging for knowledge about Brahman, the spiritual teacher will not start teaching the same to the whole group of students. The preceptor will ask the student who exhibits intense interest and simply thirsts for this ultimate knowledge to get near him and then start to speak to the student in whispers.

*5.  In those days, the young scholars had to live by begging. The method of education obtaining then involved the small brahmacharis or young students begging for food. They did this not only for feeding themselves, but also readily gave the alms to their master’s family. Partaking of the proceeds of the alms collected by the disciples very much was part of the education and a source of sustenance to the family of the Guru or Teacher.

Thus begging at such tender age is not an occupation, it is a vocation.

*6.  We often come across in both the epics about gods and Gods appearing before a person given to mighty penance. This power is next only to God’s power. That is why even though God knew full well the tapasvi or the person who indulges in transcendental meditation is aiming for a sidhi or supernatural power like walking on the water, swimming in the air, etc. This universe is run according to the cardinal principles   known as rta and sanatana dharma which is entirely dependent on the Cause and Effect law. (Please refer to the About Page). So if a person goes through the grueling and self-denying acts of a tapasvi or yogi then it gives rise to a cause and the effect must follow. If the person is successful in his demanding Nature to do anything on the strength of great acts of meditation, the gods and Gods have no power of exercising volition; they must appear before the yogi or tapasvi to grant his wish/es. Even in modern times, this theory works. If we earnestly ask for something, this force of asking works through the medium of our self-conscious which fetches whatever we desire with intense passion and earnestness from the cosmic forces and intelligence. Whatever we need and require is available in ample quantity in the cosmos, but it is not just a matter of asking. But we must show such earnestness that is one with deep meditation.  

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                                                THE  UPANISHADS

                                           Isha Upanishad or Ishopanishad

                                                                                         INVOCATION

The Shanti Mantra

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION

poornam adah poornam idam, poornaat poornam udacyate

poornasya poornam aadaaya poornam evaavashishyate.

Om Shaantih, Shaantih, Shaantih!

SANSKRIT WORDS AND PHRASES AND THEIR MEANINGS IN ENGLISH

poornam adah (or poornamadah) = That is Whole; (poornam – Whole: adah – That is)

poornam idam (or poornamidam) = This is Whole; (poornam – Whole : idam – This is)

poornaat = From the Whole

Poornam udacyate (or poornamudacyate) = the Whole arises; (poornam – the Whole : udacyate – arises)

Poornasya poornam aadaaya (or poornasya poornamaadaaya) = When the Whole is taken from the Whole

Poornam evaavashishyate (or poornamevaavashishyate) = the Whole alone remains.

Om Shaantih, Shaantih, Shaantih = Om. Peace, Peace, Peace.

TEXT IN ENGLISH

That is full; this is full. The full comes out of the full. Taking the full from the full the full itself remains. Om (Aum), Peace, Peace, Peace.

IN OTHER WORDS

Om. That is Whole. This is Whole. From the Whole, the Whole arises. When the Whole is taken from the Whole, the Whole alone remains.

BLOGGER’S COMMENTS:

SOME MORE EXPLANATION

Om. That (the Unmanifest Brahman) is Whole. This (the Manifest Universe) is Whole. From the Whole (from the Unmanifest Brahman), the Whole (the Manifest Universe) arises. When the Whole (the Manifest Universe) is taken from the Whole (the Unmanifest Brahman), the Whole (the Unmanifest Brahman) alone remains. Om. Peace, Peace, Peace.

First we must see the difference between That Whole and This Whole. That Whole is called the Unmanifest Brahman, or the Creator. But he has no qualities and we cannot qualify or quantify Him or It. The Unmanifest Brahman is called by the Rishis as Nirguna Brahman. Nirguna means That without any guna or tendencies, qualities or other limiting adjuncts. Nirguna Brahman is very very difficult for the human mind even to conceptualize and form even a hazy understanding.

This is why Nirguna Brahman is described negatively: that is, Nirguna Brahman, the Ultimate God or the Creator has no body, not even an amorphous mass; It is not divisible; It is the biggest and the largest; yet no proportions and form; It has no beginning nor end; It is the most ancient, yet It is also the latest and most fresh; It has no limiting adjunct like all the created beings and non-beings, the sentient and insentient.

This Nirguna Brahman created the whole cosmos and every being and insentient in it. This Nirguna Brahman is understood by the Muslims as Allah; by the Christians as the Holy Spirit.

But, since it is very difficult to either to conceptualize and understand Him or It, out of great compassion, the same Nirguna Brahman can be understood as Saguna Brahman; that is, as One with nama-rupa or Name and Form. Saguna Brahman has qualities and gunas. Nirguna Brahman, though the Ultimate Cause, and the Causless Cause, indulges in the work of creation only through the Saguna Brahman. Saguna Brahman is easy to think of and understand. Even ordinary folks can indulge in devotion and pray to Him. In Hinduism, Saguna Brahman is understood, as Vishnu, Shiva, etc.

This Upanishad’s first Verse starts with Ishavasyam idam sarvam or all in this world is enveloped by Isha.

Now, having understood the basic difference between the Manifest Isha or Manifest Brahman and the Unmanifest Brahman, let us move to the first assertion by the which says, That is Whole. Here That stands for the Unmanifest Brahman or Nirguna Brahman. Nirguna Brahman is Whole and infinite and indivisible and absolute.

This is Whole. That is, The Manifest Universe is Whole. That is, the Upanishadic Rishi calls this World as Whole.

That, (the Nirguna Brahman) is Whole indeed. It is infinitely Whole and indivisible. It has no origin no end.

Then the Rishi says This Universe also is Whole. That is, he describes this World as Whole!

Indeed, wherefrom This Universe, or This Whole has arisen? Certainly the Ultimate Brahman. This World is described by the Sages and Rishis as the Body of God.

How, it is from That Unmanifest Brahman, everything here has arisen. Brahman created this World out of His mind. This Universe is a great Thought. It is out of Brahaman this World has come and arisen. So this Universe, irrespective all the limitations, all injustice, inequality, ugliness along with the sublime is indeed Whole!

The Rishi has said so out of his knowledge, jnana and understanding. But we cannot understand this World as Whole.

But we can experiment. We can accept this world as Whole and instead of finding fault with it we can think of this world as the best place available to work out our salvation. But all of us cannot embark on that path and nobody is asking us to renounce the world and spend one’s life in working out one’s salvation.

But still we can experiment. First we must shed all our anger and a sense of dissatisfaction with the world and take it as our finest place that gives us ample opportunity and platform to live our live to the full in the right sense of the term. To live one’s life to one’s heart’s satisfaction starts from recognizing other fellow human beings and animals and sub-human beings as having equal right to live their own individual lives to their individual heart’s content.

If we start to live life according to this new sense of personal right and duty to others’ right, not only legally but spiritually also, we will soon shed all our notions about this world being incomplete, ugly, unequal, etc, etc.

So, to come back to the Upanishadic words, That, the Nirguna Brahman, is Whole. And This, the Manifest Universe is Whole. What is the next assertion?

From the Whole, the Whole arises.

That is, from the Unmanifest Brahman Whole, the Manifest Universe arises.

This cosmos arises from Brahman alone. Brahman creates this world out of Himself; not like a potter creating   the pot from the clay, but like a spider weaving its web. Great Commentators make a differentiation between the potter’s act of creation and a spider making the web out of the substance from its own body.

In the above analogy, the potter could not have created the pot without the help of the clay. Thus the potter is the efficient cause or intelligent cause and the clay is the material cause in the creation of the pot. But Brahman in the act of His creation is both the efficient or intelligent as well as the material cause. How? Like the spider which creates the web out of the substance from its own body. Here the spider is the efficient or intelligent cause. And its own substance is the material cause of the web.

In the act of Brahman creating this world an external substance is not used. Brahman is the Unmanifest Whole and It has become this world as the Manifest Universe. But both are one and the same.    

What is the next assertion by the Rishi?

When the Whole is taken from the Whole, the Whole alone remains.

In the common parlance or the worldly way of expression this Upanishadic statement sounds nonsense. How could it be?

When the Whole is taken from the Whole, what could remain? Obviously the That Whole (Brahman) that has created This Whole (the Universe) must suffer some loss in proportion. But the Rishi will have us believe that Brahman (That Whole) does not suffer any diminution. And That Whole remains Whole as always.

That Whole (Brahman) was and is Unmanifest before and after the creation of This Whole (the Universe). So creation is just a projection. What was The Unmanifest has become Manifest. That Whole (Brahman) knows no starting point and end. This Whole, though is withdrawn at the time of Dissolution or Pralaya (great flood). Only to be projected after the duration of the utter darkness for a full cosmic cycle or Maha Yuga.

So this World is poornam, full or Whole. If we can look at it and understand like this, we can become completely comfortable with our spiritual self. One who is comfortable with oneself will be comfortable with World! Nothing amiss will take place in our life.

Then what is the ending of this INVOCATION?

Om. Peace, Peace, Peace.

In the Vedic Verses, every mantra or Verse ends with this utterance which is repeated three times in succession.

The Rishi invokes three types of Peace from suffering.  There are three types or category of suffering for the worldly man. Adhyatmika, Adhibhautika and Adhidhaivika.

Adhyatmika connotes disturbances arising within one’s own body and mind; like illness, pain, worry, anger, jealousy, fear. The list is almost endless.

Adhibautika connotes disturbances arising from the external world; from the other people, animals, insects. The list is almost endless.

Adhidaivika connotes disturbances from cosmic forces; from the floods, draughts, earthquakes and the influence exerted by the planets.     

“True and lasting Peace on all three levels is only possible when one is firmly established in the vision of Poornam or Whole.”

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THE BHAGAVAD GITA

                                           CHAPTER  1 : VERSE  1

Arjuna Vishada Yoga

             OR

THE DESPONDENCY OF ARJUNA

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION

              dhrtaraashtra uvacha 

dharmakshetre kurukshetre samaveta yuyutsavah

maamakaah pandavas chai ‘va kim akurva

SANSKRIT WORDS AND PHRASES AND THEIR MEANINGS IN ENGLISH

dharmakshere kurukchetre = the field of religion;

 kurukshetre = at Kurukshetra;

 samavetaah = gathered together;

 yuyutsavah = desirous to fight;

 maamakaah = my people;

 paandavaah = the sons of Pandu;

 cha = do;

eva = also;

kim = what;

akurvata = did do;

samjaya = O, Sanjaya

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

                                                                                   DHRTARASHTRA SAID:

Gathered together at Kurukshetra, the field of religious activities, what, O Sanjaya, did my war-inclined sons and those of Pandu do?

COMMENTS BY THE BLOGGER

In the About Page the readers can get a good background material both under the heading Mahabharata and The Bhagavad Gita. Without being conversant with the About Page, it is very difficult to understand the context of the opening Verse and other Verses in this Chapter. So the readers are advised to be conversant with the About Page.

Still, it would not be out of place to say a few words about the context of these Verses in the First Chapter. The Pandavas (Five Brothers – sons of Pandu) and the Kauravas (One Hundred Brothers – of Dhrtarashtra) were cousins. Both the Pandavas and the Kauravas are the common descendants of the Kuru Family or Clan.

Pandavas were five in number, and they were Yudhishthira, Beeman, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadheva. And the Kauravas were one hundred in number and Duriyodhana was the eldest. There was long cherished enmity between the two Families. The cousins were completely incompatible.

The Five Pandavas stood for righteousness. The Kauravas, under the head of the eldest son, Duriyodhana, stood for everything unrighteous and despicable and they were very jealous of their cousins, Pandavas. The Pandavas were for amity between the two families. Their father Pandu had died long since. Dhrtarashtra was the younger brother of Pandu and blind from birth. And Pandu’s eldest son, Yudhishthira came to assume power.

Under the eldest son among the Pandavas, Ydhishthira the kingdom flourished. The people were leading a happy and contented life. This was too much for Duriyodhana, the eldest of the Kaurava brothers. With the connivance of his blind father, Dhrtarastra, he influenced Yudhisthira to play at dice. Yudhishthira was not an expert at the game of dice. So he lost his kingdom and everything. He even pledged himself and his brothers besides his wife, Panchali or Thraupati as articles of pawn and lost!

According to the terms and conditions of the game, the five Pandava brothers were exiled into the forest. They had to spend twelve years in exile and one more year incognito. During this one year period if ever their identity was found out, they were to spend another spell of twelve years in the forest! They managed to spend the stipulated 13 years in the forest including the one year of living incognito.

At the end of the banishment the Pandavas returned to Hastinapura, the capital of the country to claim their share of the country. But Duriyodhana refused to give back their due share.

Bheeshma, the old patriot of the cousins and other elder people counseled the Kauravas to reconcile with their cousins, the Pandavas and thus avert the annihilation of the Kuru Clan. Shri Krishna tried his level best to avert the war. But Duriyodhana refused to reconcile. He had a great influence on his blind father, Dhrtarashtra. Dhtarashtra refused to effect a reconcilement between the cousins.

So a great war ensued between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Both had the backing of great armies. The great war of utter annihilation ensued at the famous site, called Kurukshetra, a vast land generally used for the purposes of conducting great sacrifices. Now countless lives were sacrificed at Kurukshetra. Pandavas won and the all the Pandava brothers were alive at the end of the war. All the one hundred brothers on the Kaurava side were slain in the war, including Duriyodhana. This is why this book Mahabharata itself is referred to as the Great War.

Here at the start of the war, we see the father of the Kauravas, the blindman, Dhrtarashtra asking one of his ministers, by name, Sanjaya to describe the war to him.

The question itself betrays his partiality. He wants his sons under Duriyodhana to win the war. That is why he refers to the warriors fighting on the side of the Kauravas as maamakaas, that is, my people. And he refers to the Pandavas as the sons of his deceased younger brother, Pandu. He knows how righteous the Pandavas were. And how wicked his first son, Duriyodhana and his 99 brothers are. Yet he openly yearns that his sons under his son, Duriyodhana should win resoundingly in the Great War.       

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