Sri Satyatma Vani

I was asked to contribute to Satyatmavani [a forum where devotees write in short what they understand from daily pravachana].
I’m awestruck. How can so many upakathas be stringed together so well? And this is only a small li’l portion in the vaaaaast ocean of Mahabharata.

Shri Satyatma Vani 23

(20th September 2012) 

|| Satyatma Modatanayam Pranamaami Nityam ||

ನಿನ್ನ ಒಲುಮೆಯಿಂದ...

Previously we heard from His Holiness Paramapujya Sri Sri Sri 1008 Sri SatyatmaTirtha Swamiji that Ashtavakra defeated Bandhi. Kohla, his father, blesses him for saving so many noble lives. Ashtavakra takes bath in Samangala nadi [previously called madhuvala nadi] by which all his vakrate is washed away. This is symbolic of all our non-vedic practices. Lomasha advises Yudishtira to take a dip in the Samangala River. Yudishtira might have no physical impairment but he’s walking a weary walk in the forest having lost his kingdom.

After the holy dip, they move on to MainAka parvata where vinashana tirtha resides. This is the place where Kashyapa blessed Aditi with children. Her children were devata(s). If one climbs the hill on which Aditi’s children were born, one will rule their kingdom like Aadityaru ruled the world. Ganga flowed from one of the Kanakhala hills there. Lomasha asks Yudishtira to leave two things in the ashram of a rishi named Sthulashira.

1.         Ahankara

2.         Khroda

If we intend to do sadhana in the path of vairagya, we should leave behind Ego and Anger when we visit a tirtha kshetra.

Lomasha narrates a story to elaborate further the causal effect of Ego and Anger.

Raibhya rishi and Bharadwaja rishi were fellow scholars. They were equals in terms of knowledge; but Raibhya rishi had more followers. Rabhya rishi’s shishya sampattu and the respect that he received from his students raised questions in Yavakrita’s mind. Yavakrita was Bharadwaja’s son. A guru is revered for his sthana; for the fact that all jnaana flows through him. Yavakrita thought a wicked thought. He wanted to disturb the traditions followed from time unknown. He sat amidst a circle of fire for penance. When Indra appeared, he asked for a boon in which all people of earth can learn all knowledge without any help from a guru. Indra did not agree. You need to work hard; till the land, sow the seed in order to reap the benefit. [Elders have always told us that the real joy is in the journey not the destination.]

The luxuries in life have made people lazy…but everyone wants to be happy and rich. [Success comes before work only in the dictionary.] What we consider progress with all the fancy technology in this Kali Yuga is a great delusion.

Lord Indra explains to Yavakrita thus,

Guruvina gulama-naaguva tanaka doreyadanna mukuti.

Yavakrita doesn’t learn his lesson. Sits for penance, Indra refuses to grant the boon again.

Stubborn still, Yavakrita continues his penance. This time he sacrifices his body parts one after the other in agni. Indra thinks of a plan. Indra, disguised as an old Brahmin, sits on the Ganga River bank and begins to throw handfuls of sand into the river. Surprised by this act, Yavakrita asks his purpose. Indra tells Yavakrita that he wants to help the people of the world by building a bridge over River Ganga. Yavakrita laughs at the foolish act for which the old man replies:

yathaiva bhavatA chedam tapo vedArthamudyatam

ashakyam tadvadasmAbhihi ayaM bhAraH samudyataH

The same way, only a Guru can build a bridge for you. To build it on your own is like throwing sand in the powerful currents of the Ganges when even huge boulders will not disturb the course of the flow.

Yavakrita tries to negotiate in the last minute. Indra confers him and his father Bharadwaja with all the knowledge without having to learn from a guru.

Ahankara follows that which is achieved without effort. The end cannot justify the means. Dasaru has asked Goddess Lakshmi to come slowly so that her devotees will value every rupee.

ಹೆಜ್ಜೆಯ ಮೇಲೊಂದು ಹೆಜ್ಜೆಯನಿಕ್ಕುತ

ಭಾಗ್ಯದ ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿ ಬಾರಮ್ಮ

As and when people put in effort come closer; wealth has to grow steadily.

Bharadwaja narrates a story to his son as a precautionary measure [As we shall see, it doesn’t help]. Once Valadhi rishi performs penance for his son, Medhavi. He asks Surya-Indra to bless his son to be alive forever. They did not agree. Cleverly, he asks them to grant him ayushya till the moment the great mountains shake. Medhavi subjects many yogis to trouble. He is of the opinion that death will not come to him. Dhanukaksha rishi cannot take his torture anymore and gives him a shApa to die immediately. His yogic powers shake the mountain and Medhavi dies. That’s what ahankara can do to a person.

Youth, boon, arrogance, pride has taken a toll over Yavakrita. He visits Raibhya rishi’a ashram. Raibhya rishi had two sons: Paravasu and Aravavasu.

Paravasu’s wife is alone in the ashram. Yavakrita is head over heals for her beauty. He misbehaves with her. Raibhya rishi enters just in time and curses Yavakrita to die. Raibhya rishi created Krutya and a Rakshasa from his jaTe to have Yavakrita killed.

Not able to digest the news of his son’s death, Bharadwaj rishi curses Raibhya. As per the curse, Paravasu mistakes his own father to be a deer and kills him. As requested by his elder brother, Aravavasu performs yajna instead of Paravasu to be free of both brahmahatya and pitruhatya.

Paravasu is not rid of his karma. He further blames Aravavasu for having committed brahmahatya. Aravavasu does a penance and is blessed with many boons,

• His father, Raibhya rishi, wakes up from death
• His father fails to remember that Paravasu killed him
• Yavakrita is called back
• Bharadwaja who died in the funeral pyre of his son is also called back to life.

The main cause for all the mishappenings was Yavakrita. He gained knowledge without guru’s anugraha and tried to upset the natural flow of things.

He later learnt under a guru for 48 years [as opposed to the usual 12 years as brahmachari under a guru].

what did we learn:

1.         Work hard. Do not take shortcuts. Because there aren’t any.

2.         Leave Ahankara and Khroda far behind in order to further the journey along the road of dharma, jnana, bhakti, virakti.

3.         Smartness doesn’t account for if we haven’t learnt from a guru. Translated works of the sacred texts will not help in the path of sadhana.

4.         A guru is important because he’s a teacher, not merely a facilitator.

5.         Serve your guru. Seek his blessings.

6.         Gurumukhadina satshastra puranava nirutadi kelutiru

[Apologies if I haven’t used the appropriate words.]

Here's the link to the Upanyasa:

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/25554924

|| bhAratIramaNa mukhyapraNAntargata shrI kR^iShNArpanamastu ||