Upanishads - 3

RAMAYANA AND MAHABHARATA

- Like the Puranas, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are two very popular and useful Shastras of the Hindus. These are two epics (Mahakavya) produced by the sages Valmiki and Vyasa respectively. They are classed as Itihasas (histories) and they give us interesting stories through which all the essential teachings of Hinduism are stamped on one's mind. These have been translated in many Indian vernaculars. It is through these translations that the bulk of the Hindus get acquainted with their religion.

BHAGAVADGITA

- A portion of the Mahabharata is known as "Gita". The Mahabharata describes the battle of Kurukshetra. The Kauravas and their cousins, the Pandavas, were the contending parties. Of the five Pandava princes, Arjuna was the third and the greatest hero. Bhagavan Sri Krishna chose to be his charioteer. Just on the eve of the great battle Bhagavan Sri Krishna explained the essentials of the Hindu religion to Arjuna. This section of the Mahabharata containing the teachings of Bhagavan Sri Krishna is known as Shrimad-Bhagavad-Gita. Just as the Upanishads contain the cream of the Vedas, so does the Gita contains the cream of the Upanishads. Of all the Hindu Shastras, the Gita has come to be by far the most popular one.

PRASTHANATRAYA

- The Upanishads, the Vedanta Darshana and the Gita are grouped together and called the "Prasthanatraya". These are looked upon as the basic scriptures of the Hindu religion. They are highly authoritative. The founders of the important sects of Hinduism had to base their teachings on the Prasthanatraya. Only they interpreted it in different ways and came to different conclusions, such as Advaita-Vada (Monism), Vishishtadvaita-Vada (Qualified Monism) and Dvaita-Vada (Dualism).

TANTRAS

- There is yet another group of Shastras known as Tantras. These dwell on Shakti (Energy) aspect of God and prescribe numerous courses of ritualistic worship of the Divine Mother in various forms. The texts are usually in the form of dialogues between Shiva and Parvati. In some of these, Shiva, as the teacher answers the questions put by Parvati; in others the Goddess is the teacher answering Shiva's questions. The former texts are known as Agama and the latter as Nigama. Allied to the Tantras are the Pancharatna Samhitas of the Vaishnavas and the Shaiva Agamas. Like the Tantras, these also claim to present easier cults and doctrines more suited to the age (Kali-Yuga) than the Vedas. Unlike the other Shastras, these do not derive their authority from the Vedas, to which, however, they are not openly hostile. Another feature of this group of sacred texts is that they are open to all castes and both the sexes after they are initiated (Dikshita).

Upanishads - 2

DARSHANAS:

- The knowledge of God found in the vedas gave rise to six different schools of thought. The sages Jaimini, Vyasa, Kapila, Patanjali, Goutama and Kanada introduced these different schools. Each of them wrote what is known as a "Darshana"; and the six together are known as Shad-Darshana. Purva Mimansa, Uttara Mimansa (Vedanta), Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya and Vaisheshika are the six Darshanas named in order of their authors mentioned above. Each of these is written in a particular style, namely in "SUTRAS". The Sutras of sanskrit grammar remind one of the style of the Darshanas. These terse Sutras of the Darshanas require explanation and these naturally gave rise, in course of time, to a vast number of notes and commentaries on each of the Darshanas.

- Of these Darshanas, the Purva-Mimansa deals with the Karma-Kanda of the Vedas and the Uttara-Mimansa with the Jnana-Kanda. The latter is derived directly from the Upanishads. This Darshana composed by the great sage Vyasa is also known as "Vedanta Darshana" or "Brahma Sutras". This may be said to be one of the corner-stones of the Hindu religion. Great saints like Sri Shankaracharya and Sri Ramanujacharya in later days wrote brilliant commentaries on this "Vedanta Darshana".

PURANAS:

- The Darshanas are no doubt very stiff. They are meant only for the learned few. For the common folk another class of Shastras was brought out by the Hindu sages. These Shastras are called the "Puranas". Through these, religion is taught in a very easy and interesting way. The teachings are driven home through inspiring stories and parables. Moreover, glimpses of the ancient history of Hindusthan may be had through the Puranas. We have eighteen Puranas in all. Of these, the names of the following may be remembered:

Vishnu Purana
Padma Purana
Vayu Purana
Skanda Purana
Agni Purana
Markandeya Purana
Bhagavata

A portion of the Markandeya Purana is well known to all Hindus as Chandi. Worship of God as the "Divine Mother" is its theme. Chandi is read widely by the Hindus on sacred days.

Upanishads - 1

SHASTRAS:

- Certain portions of the Vedas are known as the "Upanishads". They are also called "Vedanta" either because they occur towards the end of the Vedas or because they contain the cream or essence of the Vedas.

- The bulk of the Vedas deal with details related to Yajnas. The Yajnas, that is, the ancient modes of worship, are nothing but ceremonials to be performed for purifying one's mind so that it may become fit for receiving the knowledge of God. Hence, this portion of the Vedas concerned mainly with ceremonials (Karma) is known as "Karma-Kanda". On the other hand, the portion of the Vedas known as Upanishads dwell primarily on the knowledge of God. This is why they constitute what is known as the "Jnana-Kanda" of the Vedas.

- Where and how does God exist? How are man and universe related to Him? How and why should one try to realise God? What does exactly happen when one realises Him? All these may be learnt from the Upanishads (or Vedanta).

- The Upanishads are many in number. Each of the four Vedas contain several Upanishads. Of these, following may be remembered: Isha, Kena, Katha, Prashna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Aitareya, Taittiriya, Chhandogya, Brihadaranyaka and Shwetashwatara.

SMRITIS:

- Some sages like Manu and Yagnavalkya compiled codes and manuals of Hindu life. These are known particularly as "Smritis", though the term "Smriti" in a broader sense covers all Hindu shastras except the vedas. From these Smritis by Manu, Yagnavalkya and other sages, a Hindu learns how he has to spend his entire life. They instruct him as to how he should behave at different periods of his life (ashrama) and also what special duties are enjoined on him due to his birth in a particular social group (Varna). These also describe all ceremonies connected with the domestic life of a Hindu. Moreover, these lay down domestic and social laws for the Hindus, and some of these were operative even under the British rule.

- These Smritis, in short, prescribe certain acts and prohibit some others for a Hindu according to his birth and stage of life. Their sole object is to purify the mind gradually so that one may advance step by step towards perfection. They are no doubt based on the teachings of the Vedas. Yet it is to be noted that their injunctions (Vidhis) and prohibitions (Nishedha) are related to the particular social surroundings. As these surroundings of the Hindu society changed from time to time, new Smritis had to be compiled by the sages of different ages and different parts of Hindusthan.

- Thus Raghunandana's Smriti is of a much later age than Manu's and it is applicable particularly to the Hindu society of Bengal. As our present day society has changed considerably since the days of the last Smriti-maker, time is perhaps ripe for a fresh Smriti for the Hindus of our days.

Rebith and Karmavada - 2

- But why has one to born again and again? The Hindu Shastras are very clear on this point. The divinity in man reveals itself only when the mind becomes spotlessly clean. But this takes a long, long time. One gross body cannot last long. Our lifetime is too short for this task. That's why we have to go through innumerable births before this task is done.

- There are so many things in this world that please our senses and so many that repel them. (The sense organs are ten: Five Jnanendriyas - organs of perception: Eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. Five Karmendriyas - organs of action: Hands, feet, tongue, organ of elimination and organ of reproduction). Hence, we desire to have certain things and to avoid certain others.

- Our minds are always full of such desires. To fulfil these desires, we exert ourselves. Our life consists of such exertions. Yet we can never exhaust our desires. They go on multiplying. When we fulfil one desire, the hunger of our senses for enjoyment becomes keener; and this gives rise to a crop of fresh desires. Thus we go on doing things for fulfilling our never-ending desires.

- Now, whatever we do in this way is sure to bring pleasure or pain as its effect. Each deed (Karma) is destined to bear a fruit (Karmaphala), sooner or later. A good or meritorious deed (Shubha Karma) brings pleasure as its effect and an evil deed (Ashubha Karma) brings pain. Men usually have both good and bad desires. These lead them to perform both meritorious and evil deeds and thus to pile up both pleasure and pain as their consequence (Karmaphala).

- During each lifetime, we exhaust only a portion of our past Karmaphala. This portion is called "PRARABDHA". The remainder that has to be tasted in future lives is called "SAMCHITA". The fruits of our present deeds will lie stored up as "KRIYAMANA". Hence for reaping the fruits of our own actions, we have to go from birth to birth.

- A child is born blind. His blindness is surely due to some physical cause. But his mental agony owing to his blindness, according to the Hindu Shastras, must be ascribed to some particular misdeed in any of his previous lives. When, inspite of our best efforts, we fail in any of our endeavors, we usually curse the fate (adrishta). Or, when without any effort we meet any unexpected success, we hail our luck (adrishta) with delight. This adrishta (unseen), is however nothing but the fruit of our own past actions, our own karmaphala. We need neither curse it or hail it. This comes as a matter of course, as a sure result of our past deeds. We cannot avoid the pleasure or pain caused by our own acts (karma) during the past lives. We have produced them. We have made the bed and we must lie on it. We have no right to curse anything or anybody for our griefs and ailments.

- But we can do one thing. We can make our future lives happy. That depends on our present efforts. We are the builders of our own future. If we avoid the evil deeds prohibited by the Shastras and go on performing good ones enjoined by them, then we shall surely have a happy future.

- This, in short, is what Hinduism teaches us about Karma (Karmavada). Our desires produce Karma, Karma produces its fruits as pain or pleasure, and to reap the fruits of our Karma we have to go from birth to birth. In this way our desires whirl us through the almost interminable round of births and deaths that we call "SAMSARA".

Rebirth and Karmavada - 1

- The word Samsara in the Hindu lexicon is very significant. We are all familiar with this word, yet we hardly know what it exactly means. We use the word loosely to mean either the world or wordly life. It is derived from the sanskrit root "Sri" which means passing and its prefix "Sam" means intensely. Now, our shastras teach us that we have to pass repeatedly through this world and other finer and higher worlds. This repeated passing of souls (Samsriti) is what is really meant by the word "Samsara".

- The whole of Hinduism takes its stand on this idea of Samsara. And it gives a clue to the entire Hindu view of life. Why do we offer oblations to our departed relatives? Because, we believe that they are still living either in any of the finer worlds or on this earth in some other bodies. Why does a Hindu woman take a vow of widowhood after the demise of her husband? Because, she hopes to meet her husband after her death, only if she can remain faithful to him. The Hindus perform meritorious deeds (Punya), for these, they believe, will bring them intense enjoyment after death. They try to shun heinous deeds (Papa) lest they should have intense sufferings after death. These and many other beliefs and rites are derived from the Hindu idea of rebirth. And this idea is no fiction. It rests on facts realised by the Hindu seers.

- So, this idea of rebirth is a very important thing in the Hindu view of life. We should therefore try to have a very clear grasp of this, before we proceed any further in our study of Hinduism.

- We shall not cease to exist after death. Before this birth all of us have passed through innumerable lives. In the Gita, Bhagavan Sri Krishna says to Arjuna, " Arjuna, both you and I have had many births before this, (only) I know them all, while you do not". He again says, "Birth is inevitably followed by death and death by rebirth". Indeed, one is born in this world again and again till the divinity within us is completely manifested. Each time one is born with a new body, which lasts for a while and then wears off and drops dead. But that which resides within the body remains as fresh as ever. It simply moves out of the decayed and useless body and remains for a time in the finer worlds. After that it comes to this world and gets a fresh body. The finer worlds are meant for intense enjoyment or suffering. That's why they are called "Bhogabhoomi" (Land of experience). It is this world where everyone has to come to work out his perfection. This world, therefore called "Karmabhoomi" (Land of action). So long as one does not attain perfection, one is bound to go through repeated births. Till then, one is in a state of bondage (Baddha). The necessity of passing over and over through the worlds (Samsara) is itself the bondage.

- At each birth, we get a fresh body. This body is made of matter and is called "Sthula Sareera" (Gross Body). It is built out of materials taken as food and is therefore also called "Annamaya Kosha" (Covering made of food). This gross body is our outermost cover. One lives in this body just as one lives in a house. When the house collapses, one gets out of it and builds another house to live in. So also when this gross body becomes useless, one leaves it and builds a fresh body. In Gita, this body has been compared to a piece of cloth. When the cloth wears out, one rejects it and gets a fresh one for use, so also when the body becomes useless, one passes out of it and reappears in a fresh body. This giving up of a decayed and useless body is what we call death, and reappearance in a fresh body is called rebirth. Thus, by death and rebirth, we simply change worn out bodies for fresh ones. Everyone of us has done this times without number. Those who know this truth have nothing to fear or grieve for.

- Inside this gross body, we have yet another finer and stronger body in which we live. This is called "Sukshma Sareera"(the fine body). Neither disease, nor old age nor death can touch this fine body. Nothing in nature can destroy it. Through our countless births in the past our fine bodies have been our constant companions.

- The fine body consists of seventeen parts, namely Buddhi (intellect), Manas (mind), five pranas (vital energy) and the finer counterparts of ten sense organs. It is this fine body that builds up the gross one and keeps it going. Through it, we feel, think and desire. Indeed, this fine body is the active part of our being.

- Yet the fine body is not active by itself. It is as inert as the gross body, though the later is animated and made to work by it. It (fine body) is itself animated and made to work by something else. This something is the true SELF of man. This is his Atman (Soul).

- This Atman is the source of all life, activity and consciousness (Chaitanya). Warmed up into life by its touch, the fine body animates the gross one, just as the moon illumined by the sun, lights up the earth.

- Thus, animated by the Atman, the fine body works the grosser one as long as it can and then leaves it and builds up a fresh body. In this way we proceed from birth to birth.

Story of Vysya - Helping Others

- We should drown our selfishness in love, but in helping the poor and doing such things we should never fall into the danger of priding ourselves on that account. We are simply instruments, not free agents.

- In a certain village there was once an old woman, who lived by preparing and selling cakes. She would set about her business punctually at 4AM every day. She had a hen which announced to her the break of the day as punctually, so much so that in course of time she gradually got into the belief that day would not break unless her hen raised its trumpet voice. One day, it so happened that the village boys offended her. She vowed vengeance and said, "Very well, these little fellows do not know who am I. I shall move with my hen to the next village and see how the day would break here; let the fellows suffer an eternal night. These little fellows offend me!"

- She did as she vowed that very night, and the next day, when someone came to the second village from the first, she said to them "You see, if you had appeased me, all this would have been avoided; poor men, I pity you; You have to suffer eternal night." They asked what the matter was and she replied, "Why, I have brought my hen here and so the day would not have broken in your place." It is needless to add that the men had a hearty laugh at the idiotic woman's self importance.

- A similar mistake all of us are committing; we think that, but for us, such and such a thing would never happen; we die but the world goes on all the same. We should warn ourselves against such mistakes.

What is Duty?

- A certain young sanyasi went to a forest and there meditated and worshipped and practised yoga for a long time. After twelve years of hard work and practice, he was sitting one day under a tree, when some dry leaves fell upon his head. He looked up and saw a crow and a crane fighting on the top of the tree and they made him very angry. He said, "What! You dare throw those dry leaves upon my head!" and as he looked upon them with anger, a flash of fire burst from his head - the yogi's power - and burnt the birds to ashes. He was very glad; He was almost over-joyed at this development of power; He could burn at a glance, the crow and the crane.

- After a time he had go into the town to beg for his bread. He came and stood at the door and said: "Mother, give me food." A voice came from inside the house: "Wait a little, my son." The young man thought: "You wretched woman, dare you make me wait! You do not know my power yet." While he was thinking thus, the voice came again: "Boy, dont be thinking too much of yourself. Here is neither crow nor crane." He was astonished; still he had to wait. At last a woman came and he fell at her feet and said: "Mother, how did you know that?". She said: "My boy, I do not know your yoga or your practices. I am a common, everyday woman, but i made you wait because my husband is ill and I am nursing him and that was my duty. As a daughter when I was unmarried, I did my duty; and now when I am married, I still do my duty, that is all the yoga i practise, and by doing my duty I have become illumined; Thus, i could read your thoughts, and what you had done in the forest. But if want to know something higher than this, go to such and such a town and to the market, and there you will find a butcher and he will tell you something that you will be very glad to learn." The Sanyasi thought: "Why go to that town and to a butcher." (Butchers are the lowest class in that society; they are chandalas; they are not touched because they are butchers; they do also the duty of scavengers and so forth).

- But after what he had seen, his mind was opened a little. So he went, and when he came near the city he found the market and there saw, at a distance a big, fat butcher slashing away at animals, with big knives, fighting and bargaining with different people. The young man said, "Lord, help me. Is this the man from whom I am going to learn? He is the incarnation of a demon, if he is anything." In the meantime, this man looked up and said, "Swami, did that lady send you here? Take a seat until I have done my business." The sanyasi thought, "What comes to me here?" But he took a seat and the man went on, and after he had finished all his selling and buying, took his money and said to the sanyasi "Come here, sir; come to my home."

- So they went there and the butcher gave him a seat and said "Wait there." Then he went into the house and there were his father and mother. He washed them and fed them and did all he could to please them, and then came and took a seat before the sanyasi and said: "Now, sir, you have come here to see me; what can i do for you?" Then this great sanyasi asked him a few questions about soul and god; and this butcher gave him a lecture which is a celebrated book in India, the "Vyadha-Gita." It is one of the highest flights in Vedanta, the highest flight of metaphysics. You have heard about the Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna's sermon. When you have finished that, you should read the Vyadha-Gita. It is the extreme of Vedanta philosophy. When the butcher has finished, the sanyasi was astonished. He said, "Why are you in that body, with such knowledge of yours? Why are you in a butcher's body and doing such filthy, ugly work?" "My son;" replied the Chandala, "No duty is ugly, and duty is impure. My birth, circumstances and environments were there. In my boyhood, I learned the trade; I am unattached, and I try to do my duty well. I try to do my duty as a house-holder, and I try to do all I can to make my father and mother happy. I neither know your yoga, nor have I become a sanyasi; never went out of the world, nor into a forest, but all this has come to me through doing my duty in my position."

- Let us do that duty which is ours by birth, and when we have done that, do the duty which is ours by position. Each man is placed in some position in life, and must do the duties of that position first. There is one great danger in human nature, that man never looks at himself. he thinks he is quite as fit to be on the throne as a king. Even if he is, he must first show that he has done the duty of his own position, and when he has done that, higher duty will come to him.