VAIRĀGYA PRAKARAṆA I-4
I. VAIRĀGYA PRAKARAṆA
Dispassion of Rāma 4
Kāla— All the pleasurable objects of enjoyment in this world, arising through Ajñāna in the series of rebirths, take leave with the arrival of Yama (death or time), like a thread nibbled by a rat.
There is nothing in this world which is not devoured by Kāla (time), like Vāḍavāgni (the deluge fire) quenching the ocean waters abounding in crocodiles, fishes, etc.
Even in the case of the ineffable, Great Ones, he does not wait a minute beyond the allotted time. Having swallowed up everything, he would be all himself.
Even divine kings, the beneficent Brahma, Asura Vṛtra, mighty as Mahāmeru and others come under his clutches like a serpent under an eagle’s grip.
He easily destroys all things, whether they be tendrils or leaves, a straw or Mahāmeru, the ocean waters or the lofty Mahendra mountains and wields them according to his will.
He creates in the morning this forest which is the universe with the Aśvattha (fig) tree, on which grow the fruits, (the mundane eggs) buzzing with myriads of flies (egos),
and having seen them ripen at noon through his eyes which are the sun, plucks them when grown into the guardians of the quarters, and eats them up (at night).
He also strings in the rope of three guṇas even gems in the form of the highest men of the universe, and makes them his prey. In the dilapidated dwelling which is this small universe, he collects like rubies, in the casket of Death, all worldly men scattered everywhere.
Having hunted the egos in the form of beasts, birds, etc. in the great forest of this essenceless universe, he, at last, during the Mahākalpa, sports in the tank comprised of the great ocean, filled with the lotus which is the shining Vāḍava fire.
This personage Time has, in the repast made of the diverse created worlds, all living creatures as his dainties with the six tastes such as bitterness, etc. and the incomparable seven seas of milk, clarified butter, etc. as his beverage;
he moves in cycles round and round among the objects created at every Mahākalpa.
Destructive Śaktī—This invulnerable and destructive Śaktī (potency of Brahman) does away with the universe with all its moving and fixed objects and reigns triumphant like a tigress in the forest of delusion along with her attendants, the goddess Durgā and others.
Having put an end to all living beings and the universe, she holds up in her hand a honeyed vessel, which is this earth, and wears on her breast the three Lokas (worlds) like a garland composed of the three lotuses, blue, red and white.
In her arm, she carries, as if it were, a sportive parrot in a cage, a man-lion thundering with the sound of a thunder-cloud.
On her body, stainless and still as the autumnal sky, she has the great Time, sportively, as it were a young cuckoo, and has a sweet voice like that of the melodious flute. Her victorious bow is the non-existence of all and her arrows, the created pains.
Thus (at the time of Pralaya or dissolution) she dances and sports everywhere at her sweet will and pleasure with great radiance.
She wears on her head Svarga as her head ornament and on her feet, Pāṭala, the many hells strung as her leg ornaments. The sun and the moon are her ear ornaments, the Himalayas her bones, and Mahāmeru, her golden ornament and the Cakravāla mountain, her girdle.
Sometimes she rides on the peacock-vehicle of Subrāmaṇya (the son of Śiva), inclining backwards and moving to and fro. Sometimes she assumes the head of the Rudras, having three eyes and the terrible moon on their head.
Sometimes she wears (on her person) as a Chowry the beautiful locks of the goddess Parameśvarī or the writhing, headless, living trunks of the mighty and terrible Bhairavas; or she carries as an alms-bowl the body of Devendra shining with a thousand eyes.
Wearing (on her neck) the garland of skulls, strung together by the bodily muscles, she annihilates all the worlds in a manner terrifying even to herself and stays in the one, shining Ākāśa.
It is this terrible woman that at the time of the great Pralaya dances with joy with garlands on her breast composed of lotuses, namely the round heads of the all-pervading Viṣṇu.
All the objects heretofore described by me are not real. This dire mind arises only through Ahaṁkāra. All visible objects are dead to me.
I am not able to know the end (and aim) of these births. Therefore my mind falters and is afflicted by mental cares. The disease of desire preponderates in all.
It is rare to find high-souled men who are free from the thick, mist of desires. This, my youth, which is well fitted for the acquisition of the higher spiritual ends is now vainly spent in fruitless endeavours.
Association with the Wise — True love for great personages is at a great discount and hence the path of Mokṣa (salvation) is not known. Hence it is that it is rare to attain Ātma-tattva.
As the impure mind (of man) has not the benevolence to consider another’s happiness as its own, it is ever troubled. Again, as this mind has not the complacency to rejoice at another’s, virtue, there is no internal contentment.
As it does not consider the pain of others as its own, compassion does, not arise in it. Again if it is not indifferent to the vicious actions of others, baseness (of mind), however distant, will overtake it. And then cowardice will take the place of courage; else persons degraded into hell will again return to Svarga.
It is very easy to contract an association with the ignorant, but it is very hard to do so with the truly illumined.
All thoughts of objects, which appear but to perish, produce only bondage. All the hosts of egos which are the result of their Vāsanās separate themselves (from their bodies) and go to heaven or hell.
All the quarters will cease to exist in the absence of the sun which differentiates them. All countries visited get new appellations, and change with time. The grandest mountains are scattered to dust.
When Sat (the Reality) alone prevails (at the time of dissolution), the three worlds of Bhū, Antarīkṣa and Deva (or Svarga) perish, the oceans become parched, stars are pulverized and scattered in space and the hosts of Devas and Asuras disappear.
Then Siddhas will be annihilated; Dhruva (the pole star) will die; the Trinity (Brahma, Viṣṇu and Rudra) will be absorbed in the Supreme Reality;
Time, the power of Īśvara, who through his Saṁkalpa produces creation, etc. along with its law of ordination, comes to an end; the all-full Ākāśa perishes;
and even the ancient, visible macrocosm becomes merged in the non-dual Parameśvara (the Supreme Lord) who is the liberator from the delusion of Māyā, the one Reality above the reach of speech and mind and the one Jñāna completely devoid of stains.
People in this world die, ever being engaged in such frivolous thoughts as the following:
“This time is an auspicious one, this is the spring season (for doing work). What is the best time favourable for pilgrimage? Relatives only grace an occasion. I cannot hereafter attain the like of the enjoyment I had at such and such a time.”
If after resolving within themselves to act according to the lives of the great Wise Ones, they do not utilize the day for this purpose, how can they expect to have sound sleep at night?
Having centred all their affections upon wife, children and wealth, as if they were nectar, and having identified themselves with them, they ever accumulate wealth. But if those much longed-for things disappear through some mishap, their sorrow knows no bounds.
Having vanquished all enemies, some men come into the safe possession of immense wealth without any rivals; but lo! Yama glides in from some covert place and puts an end to all their fond, cherished hopes.
The illusions called wife, sons, etc. are like wayfarers who meet together in the course of a journey. Even Brahmas die in a Kalpa which is but a moment of time (compared to eternity).
It is absurd on the part of our mind with its very limited perception of time to attempt to know anything about the extreme smallness or greatness of time.
All men are subject to diverse kinds of pain. The really learned are very few in number. The manifold Karmas of the different castes or orders of life generate pain and are illusory.
How then am I to live (amidst such pain)? Let me walk on that path on which I shall be freed from all actions involving me in auspicious days, great wealth, etc. and become of the nature of thought itself.
All things generating pain in this world such as dangers, wealth, birth and death perish in the instant of time stated in our books of computation.
A brave warrior dies at the hands of a coward and a hundred persons die by one man’s hand. How men of cringing spirit exalt themselves to the status of lords!
Thus is the wheel of time gyrating without any limit.
Therefore, in my mind, severely scalded by the forest fire of these earthly stains, there will no more arise the ever-increasing desire for wealth, like the delusion of a mirage in a desert.
I do not long for a life of royal pleasures or for death which is inevitable. Therefore I would rather be as I am now, without any pain to suffer.
But there is the despondency in my mind harrowing me, from which I have to free myself. And if you, through your well-trained mind, cannot remove it now, when else will it be done?
Even the most virulent of poisons is no poison to me; but sensual objects are truly so. The former defiles the body only, whereas the latter soil many bodies in successive rebirths.
Pleasure, pain, relatives, friends, life, death, etc. in no way enthral the mind of the (emancipated) wise. To them, this passing life is like water drops sprinkled by the wind and sensual enjoyments are like a lightning flash. Also, the period of youth which is conducive to men’s salvation (if properly utilized) is only ephemeral.
Having reflected well upon these things, quiescent sages like you are ever engaged in deep Samādhi (deep meditation). The proclivities of my discriminative mind are also towards the identification of myself with Kūṭasthā (Brahman); but like a lady separated from her dear lord, my mind neither attains the certainty of Brahman nor inclines towards material desires.
Therefore, in this dilemma of mine, please point out to me that ever resplendent, and eternal state, devoid of pain, frailties, Upādhis (or vehicles of matter), doubt and delusion.
What is that eternal state, unapproached by sorrow, where I shall remain unscathed by the fire of sensual objects, though moving amidst them, like a ball of mercury exposed to fire?
Like the ocean which is nothing else but its waters, Saṁsāra (mundane existence) rests on words only, proceeding from the power of speech.
How did the righteous Great Ones manage to avoid the pain of this world?
Please be gracious, enough to impart to me that certainty of yours. Does not this supreme state exist? Is there not this state (sthiti) of quiescence? If so, will not anyone unlock to me the real mysteries?
Otherwise, I shall not, through my efforts alone, be able to attain the quiescent state. For being devoid of doubt and Ahaṁkāra, I shall not perform any duties.
Neither food nor sweet water nor fine clothes will I long for. I shall not perform the daily ceremonies of bathing, giving, etc. My mind will not incline towards wielding the regal sceptre or towards pleasure or pain. Without love or hatred, I shall only remain silent and desireless, statue-like.
Thus did Rāma, with a face like the stainless, cool, full moon, a sweet accent and a mind now full blown through Ātmic discrimination, deliver himself before the assembly of joyful Munis and then remain silent like a peacock ceasing to cry while facing the dark thunder clouds.