1
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 1:
Maitreyah -
Bhagavan samyak aakhyaatam yat prushto asi mayaa akhilam |
Bhoo samudra aadi saritaam samsthaanam graha samsthtih || Maitreyar asks *Paraasharar *- O Bhagavan, you have told me completely everything that I wanted to know, whatever I requested you. About the earth, oceans, mountains, their positions, the planetary positions, etc.
2
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 2:
Vishnu aadhaaram yathaa cha etat trai lokyam samavasthitam |
Paramaarthah tu me prokto yathaa jnyaanam pradhaanatah || ***You also told me how this entire world consisting of sentient and non-sentient, is having Sri Vishnu as its inner self, Vishnu being the Inner Controller of everything, how everything is existing like that, being His shareera, He is aatma for everything. In that, most prominently, you have told me what is Paramaartha, that is, the jeevaatman, their jnyaana svaroopa, that is eka roopa. How jeevaatman is also Paramaartha, that they never change, also you tole me prominently.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Vishnu aadhaaram iti | Chit achit aatmakam jagat yathaa vishnu aatmakam
tathaa uktam | Yathaa chit amsho nija siddha jnyaana ekaakaaratvena
avinaashitvaat paramaarthah tathaa praadhaanyena uktah | You told me the important thing that the jeevaatman, the chit amsha, the sentient part, because of the nature of consciousness, which is their natural state. They are eternal and never change, they never get destroyed. Bodies get changing and prakruti gets changing all the time. Jeevaatmans are always unchanged, avikaari in their essential nature. You told me that also. That the jeevaatmans do not change in their essential nature is the most important aspect to know.
3
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 3:
Yat tu etat bhagavaan aaha bharatasya maheepateh |
Shrotum icchaami charitam tat maam aakhyaatum arhasi || You also told me about Bharata who was king; you had told that you will tell me his story. I would like to know his story. Please do tell me the story of Bharata.
[[211]]
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Atha bhagavat praapti upaayasya jnyaana yogasya tat antaraaya parihaarayoh
cha udaaharana bhootam bharata charitam praak prastutam vistarena shrotum
maitreyah prucchati - yat tu iti | ***What is the sangati of Bharata’s story coming immediately after telling that everything is Vishnu-aatmaka, and about this bhuvana kosha, that *Jyoteemshi *vishnuh, bhuvanaani vishnuh, etc., that everything is Bhagavat aatmaka. Now, what is the connection, transition to the story of Bharata, coming here? This is explained in the Commentary. In the last shloka of the previous chapter, it was told that “Having known that this jeevaatman takes on different forms and it is not in his real nature like that; because of karma, he becomes deva, manushya, pashu, pakshi, he is suffering here, thinking that he only is all that; but in reality, he is not so; knowing that, and understanding that, one has to put effort by adopting which means, he will get rid of this karma, and he will attain Vaasudeva. One has to do whatever is required to get rid of this samsaara”, this was told in the end. The means to attain Vaasudeva was told there. It was told that one has to do that, the means; one has to do the upaaya anusthaana. That is not easy, bhagavat upaasanaa is difficult, and is full of obstructions, so many obstructions to attaining Vaasudeva. To attain that jnyaana yoga, the obstructions which are there in the path of attaining Vaasudeva, and the way one can get rid of those obstructions - the story of Bharata, whichever was mentioned earlier, is a good example for that. In order to listen to that in detail, Maitreyar is asking Sri Paraasharar.
4
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 4:
Bharatah sa maheepaalah saalagraame avasat kila |
Yoga yuktah samaadhaaya vaasudeve sadaa manah || You had told that Bharata was a king, who was living in Saalagraama kshetra, he was always focussed, meditating upon Vaasudeva, performing that yoga, he was living in Saalagraama kshetra.
5
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 5:
Punya desha prabhaavena dhyaayatah cha sadaa harim |
Katham tu na abhavan muktih yat abhoot sa dvijah punah || ***In spite of that, in spite being completely engaged in meditation of Vaasudeva, meditating upon Him all the time, because he was staying in such a punya kshetra, sacred place, because of the prabhaava of that punya kshetra, how come he did not attain liberation, and he was born again as a Brahmin?
6
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 6:
Vipratve cha krutam tena yat bhooyah sumahaatmanaa |
Bharatena munishreshtha tat sarvam vaktum arhasi || ***When he was born as a Brahmin, what all did he again do in order to attain Vaasudeva? All that, please do tell me. [[212]]
7
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 7:
Sri Paraasharah -
Saalagraame mahaabhaago bhagavan nyasta maanasah |
Sa uvaasa chiram kaalam maitreya pruthivee patih || *Sri Paraasharar *- Having focussed his mind on Bhagavaan Vishnu, meditating upon Him, in Saalagraama kshetra, Bharata who was a great person, lived there for a long time.
This Saalagraama kshetra, is in Nepal now.
8
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 8:
Ahimsaadishu ashesheshu guneshu guninaam varah |
Avaapa paramaam kaashthaam manasah cha api samyame || ***All the qualities like Ahimsaa and others, which are all accessory to Yoga, one has to have all these aatma gunaas, asteya, aparigraha, satya, tapas, the qualities told in Yoga shaastraas. One engaged in Ashtaanga Yoga has to cultivate these *aatma *gunaas. He had all these qualities, and was a very great person. He was a noble person. He attained the ultimate in all these. He had complete control of his mind.
9
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 9:
Yajnyesha achyuta govinda maadhava ananta keshava |
Krushna vishno hrusheekesha vaasudeva namostu te || When he was meditating upon Bhagavaan, on the so many divine names of Bhagavaan, he was praying to Him as *Yajnyesha (the Lord of all yajnyaas, worshipped by all the yajnyaas, and also the bestower of fruits), Achyuta, Govinda, Maadhava, Ananta, Keshava, Krishna, Vishnu, Hrusheekesha, Vaasudeva. He was praying thus with all the auspicious names of Bhagavaan, he was engaged in Dhyaana. ***
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Ahimsaadishu iti | Ahimsaadishu guneshu yogaangeshu vakshyamaaneshu |
10
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 10:
Iti raajaa aaha bharato hareh naamaani kevalam |
Naanyat jagaada maitreya kinchit svapnaantareshu api |
Etat pathan tadartham cha vinaa naanyat achintayat || ***The king Bharata was only uttering the names of Hari, all the time. Even in his dreams, he did not say anything else. He was only doing the japa of Bhagavannaamaas only. Apart from this, he did not think of anything else.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Iti iti | Svapnaatareshu svapna madhyeshu | Etat - yajnyesha ityaadinaama |
Etat naama tat artham cha tat pravrutti nimittam kevalam achintayat, etat [[213]]
***vinaa na anyat | ***Even in his dreams, he used to say *Yajnyesha, Achyuta, Govinda, Ananta, Madhava, *Keshava, etc. The name, Yajnyesha and also its meaning, yajnyaanaam eeshah, he is the Lord of the yajnyaas, and the purpose of that word; this word is telling some of the attributes of Paramaatman, that He is the one worshipped by all the yajnyaas, He is the one who bestows fruits of all yajnyaas, phala pradaataa, and also the aaraadhya. Like this, for each of the Bhagavannaamaas, he was meditating upon with meaning and all attributes denoted by those names. He did not think of anything else, or utter any other word, even during his dream.
11
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 11:
Samit pushpa kusha aadaanam chakre deva kriyaa krute |
Na anyaani chakre karmaani nissango yoga taapasah || He only performed those karmaas for worshipping Bhagavaan, like offering *samit, *pushpa. He went and collected darbhaas, samit, pushpaas, which are used for all the karmaas for worshipping Bhagavaan, the nitya naimittika karmaas. He was not engaged in any other karma. He was detached from everything else, and was always engaged in yoga.
12
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 12:
Jagaama so abhishekaartham ekadaa tu mahaanadeem |
Sasnou tatra tadaa chakre snaanasya anantara kriyaah || Once he went for taking bath to the river. He took bath there and was performing all the karmaas performed after the snaana. ***
13
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 13:
Atha aajagaama tat teeram jalam paatum pipaasitaa |
Aasan na prasavaa brahman ekaa eva harinee vanaat ||*** At that time, a female deer came there, which was very thirsty. It came thereto drink water. This female deer was about to deliver a baby. From the forest, that female deer came there.
14
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 14:
Tatah samabhavat tatra peeta praaye jale tayaa |
Simhasya naadah sumahaan sarva praani bhayankarah || ***When that female deer had almost drunk the water, there was a great roar of the lion, which all the animals fear.
15
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 15:
Tatah saa sahasaa traasaat aaplutaa nimnagaa tatam |
Ati ucchaarohanena asyaa nadyaam garbhah papaata sah || ***Immediately, that female deer started to climb back onto the banks, to a higher place. Because of climbing high, the new born fell into the waters. [[214]]
16
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 16:
Tamoohyamaanam vegena veechi maalaa pariplutam |
Jagraaha sa nrupo garbhaat patitam mruga potakam || ***From that garbha, womb, the baby was thrown out and was being carried away by the waters, the waves. King Bharata held on to that young baby deer, which was born there.
17
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 17:
Garbha prachutyi dukhena proktunga aakramanema cha |
Maitreya so api harinee papaata cha mamaara cha || Because of the pain of giving birth to that baby, and also because of climbing the high banks, the mother deer was very much suffering and fell and died there itself.
18
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 18:
Harineem taam vilokya atha vipannaam nrupa taapasah |
Mruga potam samaadaaya nijam aashramam aagatah || ***This sage Bharata saw that female deer, which had died there. He took the newborn baby deer, and brought to the aashrama.
19
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 19:** Chakaara anudinam cha asou mruga potasya vai nrupah | **Poshanam pushyamaanah cha sa tena vavrudhe mune || He started nurturing and feeding that baby deer everyday and it started growing, being nurtured by Bharata.
20
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 20:
Chachaara aashrama paryante trunaani gahaneshu sah |
Dooram gatvaa cha shaardoola traasaat abhyaayayou punah || It went as long as the end of the aashrama, in search of grass. Whenever it was scared of lions there, when it went far away from the aashrama, it used to come back to the aashrama.
21
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 21:
Praatah gatvaa atidooram cha saayam aayaati atha aashramam |
Punah cha bharatasya abhoot aashramasya utajaajire || In the morning, it will go very far away from the aashrama, and in the evening, it used to come back to the aashrama again. Again, it used to come to *Bharata’s *aashrama only in the evening.
22
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 22:
Tasya tasmin mruge doora sameepa parivartini |
Aaseet chetah samaasaktam na yayaa vanyato dvija || [[215]]
Bharata was slowly getting attached to that deer. When it went far away, his mind also used to go far away. His mind would not go anywhere else, but would simply follow that baby deer wherever it went. His mind was always getting attached to that deer.
23
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 23:
Vimukta raajya tanayah projjita ashesha baandhavah |
Mamatvam sa chakaara ucchaih tasmin harina vaalake || ***Having renounced his kingdom, his children, having renounced all his relatives completely, he was so much attached to that deer, that, the mamataa, he got deeply attached to that baby deer.
24
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 24:
Kim vrukaih bhakshito vyaaghraih kim simhena nipaatitah |
Chiraayamaane nishkraante tasya aaseet iti maanasam || ***Whether it is eaten by wolf, or by tiger, or was it injured by lion; it has gone long ago, and has not yet come, he started thinking like that.
25
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 25:
Eshaa vasumatee tasya khuraagrakshatakarburaa |
Preeyate mama yaato asou kva mama enaka baalakah || ***This baby deer used to play on the earth, and used to make pictures with its hoof. He used to feel very happy seeing those drawings, that the earth is looking so good with all these marks from its hooves, he used to say. It has come back again in order to please me. He used to worry about where has it gone, during daytime, if it did not come for a long time.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Eshaa iti | Kshata karburaa - kshataih vishama samsthaanaa | ***
26
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 26:
Vishaana agrena mat baahukandooyanaparo hi sah |
Kshemena abhyaagato aranyaat api maam sukhayishyati || ***With its horns, it will come and scratch my back and arms, which gives me a lot of joy. If he comes safely back from the forest, he will make me very pleased. Like this, he was thinking all the time about this baby deer only.
27
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 27:
Ete loona shikhaah tasya dashanaih achirodgataih |
Kushaah kaashaa viraajante vatavah saamagaah iva || ***He used to look at the darbhaa and other grass grown there, kusha, kaasha, and other grass, and the teeth had just come for that baby deer. With these teeth, it has just cut the top edges of the grasses. Looking at the darbha and other grasses with their [[216]]
tip being cut, and eaten away by the baby deer, he says that they are all looking so beautiful, they look just like the Brahmin boys chanting saama gaana, with their shaven heads, with so much of varchas, tejas.
28
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 28:
Ittham chiragate tasmin sa chakre maanasam munih |
Preeti prasanna vadanah paarshvasthe cha abhavan mruge || ***When the deer was not seen for a long time, he used to think about all these things, whatever he was seeing when the deer was in his aashrama. He used to be only thinking about the deer all the time. When the deer came close to him, sitting next to him, he used to be extremely pleased.
29
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 29:
Samaadhi bhangah tasya aaseet tanmayatvaadrutaatmanah |
Santyatka raaja bhogarddhi svajanasya api bhoopateh || That king who had completely renounced the kingdom, the enjoyments, pleasures of the king, his prosperity, his relatives, and was engaged in meditation, his yoga was broken and he lost his concentration on Vaasudeva. Because he was all the time thinking of the deer only. ***
30
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 30:
Chapalam chapale tasmin dooragam dooragaaminee |
Mruga pote abhavat chittam sthairyavat tasya bhoopateh ||*** If the deer is wandering here and there, his mind also used to wander here and there. If the deer is far away, his mind also would go far away following it. That Bharata who had a steady firm mind established on Vaasudeva, his mind started wandering along with the deer. He lost steadiness of the mind.
31
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 31:
Kaalena gacchataa so atha kaalam chakre maheepatih |
Piteva sraasam putrena mruga potena veekshitah || After some time, he left his mortal body, died. At the time of his death, the baby deer was looking at him with tears, just like a son is looking at his father at the time of death, with tears in the eyes.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Kaalena iti | Kaalam maranam | ***
32
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 32:
Mrugameva tadaa aadraaksheet tyajan praanaan asou api |
Tanmayatvena maitreya na anyat kinchit achintayat || At that time of death, he was only looking at that deer and was only thinking about that. He breathed his last only looking at the deer and thinking of it. He was thinking [[217]]
about it only all the time. He did not think of anything else.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Mrugameva iti | Tanmayatvena chitta vrutteh tat praachuryenaa || ***
33
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 33:
Tatah cha tat kaala krutaam bhaavanaam praapya taadrusheem |
Jamboo maarge mahaa aranye jaato jaatismaro mrugah || ***Whatever he thought at time of death, he attained that only, and was born as a deer. Jamboomaarga is a place on the banks of Gangaa river. He was again born there in a great forest, and because of his yoga, he remembered his earlier birth.
Yam yam vaapi smaran bhaavam tyajatyante kalevaram, tam tam eva eti kounteya sadaa tadbhaava bhaavitah | is told in the Bhagavad-Gita. Whatever he is thinking at the time of death, he will attain that only. ***
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Tatah cha iti | Jamboo maarge gangaa teera visheshe |*
34
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 34:
Jaatismaratvaat udvignah samsaarasya dvijottama |
Vihaaya maataram bhooyah saalagraamam upaayayou || ***Again, because of yoga mahimaa, that he remembered his previous birth, he was completely detached from samsaara. Leaving his mother deer, he again went to Saalagraama kshetra only, where he lived in his earlier birth as Bharata.
35
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 35:
Shushkaih truhnaih tathaa parnaih sa kurvan aatma poshanam |
Mrugatva hetu bhootasya karmano nishkrutim yayou || There, he was only eating all the leaves, and others, dried grass and leaves, and used to live by that. And all the karmaas responsible for being born as a deer, those he completely finished; he experienced the fruit of that. The cause of being born as a deer, that karma, he completely exhausted. ***
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Shushkaih iti | Karmanah karmaatra mruga snehah, tat bhaavanaa cha | Because of being attached to a deer, and thinking about it, whatever karmaas he had accumulated, he exhausted the fruits of those.
36
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 36:
Tatra cha utsrushta deho asou jajnye jaatismaro dvijah |
Sadaachaaravataam shuddhe yoginaam pravare kule || Then he left his body of deer, and was again born as a Brahmin, who again, [[218]]
remembered his earlier births. He was born in a kula, who had all sadaachaara, all the shishtaas, in a kula of yogis.
It is told in Bhagavad Gita that even if little yoga is done, it does *traayate mahato *bhayaat.
37
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 37:
Sarva vijnyaana sampannah sarva shaastraartha tattvavit |
Apashyat sa cha maitreya aatmaanam prakruteh param || Because of his earlier birth, the yoga that he had done, he had all the knowledge required, he had mastered all the shaastraas along with their meanings, he remembered all of that, along with the loukika jnyaana required. He knew the realities taught by all the shaastraas. He saw himself as completely different and distinct from the deha, indriya, from the prakruti which is present in the form of body, indriya; he was self-realized.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Sarva iti | Vijnyaanam shilpa aadi jnyaanam, prakruteh param dehaadi roopena
sthitaayaah prakruteh vilakshanam, jnyaana ekaakaaram apashyat | ***
38
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 38:
Aatmano adhigata jnyaano devaadeeni mahaamune |
Sarva bhootaani abhedena sa dadarsha tadaa aatmanah || ***Having realized his true nature, that it is different from this matter, prakruti, and it is only jnyaana aakaara. He used to see all beings, deva and others, as very similar. In all of them, he used to see the aatman, who is jnyaanaakaara. He realized that he is also jnyaanaakaara. He also realized that all these embodied souls have individual self who are all jnyaanaakaara.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Aatmana iti | Aatmano adhigata jnyaanah adhigata aatma jnyaanah, deva
manushyaadi deha sthitaani sarva bhootaani tat tat aakaara vilakshana jnyaana
ekaakaaratayaa svaatmanah nirvisheshaani apashyat | He realized that all the beings, embodied souls, the individual selves in that, are different from those forms which are seen as the body there. That they are all jnyaana svaroopaas, he saw them as not different from his own nature.
39
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 39:
Na papaatha guruproktaam kruta upanayanah shrutim |
Na dadarsha cha karmaani shaastraani jagruhe na cha || Upanayana was done for him. Whatever Vedaas the guru taught, he never used to say that. He did not also do any karmaas, at that time.
[[219]]
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Na iti | Praak eva adhyayana janmasya jnyaanasya nisargaat eva siddheh,
vipratve api vedam na papatha ityaadi uktih uktaa | * Aarurukshoh muneh
yogam karma kaaranam uchyate, iti vachanaat asya cha yoga aaroodhatvena
siddha aatmaa aaparokshasya yajnyaadi karma ananushthaanam cha yuktam |
Ne etaavataa vaakyaartha jnyaana maatravatah karma tyaago yuktah * tat
praapti hetuh jnyaanam cha karma cha ityaadi vachanaat | Whatever adhyayana he had done in the earlier janma, he naturally remembered everything, he was already endowed with all that knowledge. Though he was a Brahmin, he did not recite the Vedaas, because he was already endowed with that complete knowledge, because of the previous janma. It is said that one who has perfected the yoga, the karmaas done earlier will lead him to attain perfection in the yoga. He had attained perfection in the yoga, he had perceived the self directly; aparoksha jnyaana is pratyaksha jnyaana of the aatman. Because of that, he was a realized soul, and was always established in the self, in the aatma jnyaana; for such a person who is a yogaaroodha, it is alright if he does not do yajnya and other such karmaas. By this it does not mean that one who has simply known the vaakyaartha jnyaana, who just has studied the Vedaas and knows the meanings of the mantraas without having the aatma jnyaana and having not realized the meanings - such a person is not supposed to leave the karma. Because, in order to attain perfection in yoga, one has to get jnyaana and *karma *- both are required. *Karma *anushtaana is also required for shuddhi of the mind. When he attains perfection, at that time, he would have realized the self. A person who has only *vaakyaartha *jnyaana cannot give up karmaas.
40
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 40:
Ukto api bahushah kinchit jada vaakyam abhaashata |
Tat api asamskaara gunam graamya vaakya ukti samshritam || ***Though the gurus tried to make him tell many times, he used to tell *jada vaakyaas *(he used to mutter something) as though a dullard (who does not understand anything) is telling something. He used to make grammatical mistakes and mix it with very meagre talk.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Vyakta iti | Jada vaakyam jadasya eva vaakyam, haasaavaham, asamskaaram
vyaakarana ananushishtam | Agunam shlesha prasaadaadi guna shoonyam,
graamya vaakyasya vreedaa jugupsaa maangalya daayinah ukti aashritam | He used to tell something which will make people laugh at him, without any vyaakarana, grammar. He used to have all kinds of grammatical errors. His talk did not have the lakshana of the kaavyaas; his used to talk something which will make someone ashamed, he used to mix such talk in between.
41
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 41: [[220]]
***Apadhvastha vapuh so atha malina ambaradhruk dvijah |
Klinna danta antarah sarvaih paribhootah sa naagaraih || ***His body was full of dirt, he used to wear all dirty clothes, he had never brushed his teeth, his teeth were full of dirt, and all the people around him used to ridicule him; they used to ill-treat and disrespect him.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Apadhvastha vapuh iti | Apadhvastam pankaadi rooshitam, klinna dantaantarah
ashodhita dashana madhyah | ***He never brushed his teeth.
42
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 42:
Sammaananaa paraam haanim yogarddheh kurute yatah |
Janenaavamato yogee yogasiddhim cha vindati | ***This is hiranyagarbha vachana. Hiranyagarbha has taught the yoga shaastra. He has told that one who is established in yoga, for him, the most dangerous thing is being praised, or somebody honouring him, because it destroys his yoga, it obstructs his yoga, makes him give up that yoga, because of all the honours he receives. A yogi who is disrespected, dishonoured by people, he attains yoga siddhi, is told.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Sammaananaa iti | Sammaananaa ityaadi shloka dvayam hiranya garbha
vachanam | Yogino hi anyaih sammanyatve aham adhiko asmi iti abhimaanika
sukhabhogena eva yoga sukrutam charitaartham syaat | Evam avamaanajena
dukhena paapam cha ksheeyate | This is told by Hiranyagarbha. If a yogi is being honoured by others, it gives a feeling that ‘I am such a great person, being honoured by everyone’; because of that feeling, whatever yoga he has attained will all go away. When he is being dishonoured, disrespected, he feels sad because of that, and all his sins will get destroyed.
43
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 43:
Tasmaat chareta vai yogi sataam dharmam adooshayan |
Janaa yathaa avamanyeran gaccheyuh naiva sangatim || This is how a yogi should be in society. Not hampering the dharma of sajjanaas, he behave like a jada. He has to present himself in such that all people around him will ridicule him, disrespect him and dishonour him. They never some to him, never talk of him, never do any transactions with him; like this he has to behave.
44
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 44:
Hiranyagarbha vachanam vichintya ittham mahaamatih |
Aatmaanam darshayaamaasa jadenmattakrutim jane || ***Thinking of the Hiranyagarbha vachana like this, he started showing himself, and behaving himself as though he is mad, jada, unmatta, that he does not know [[221]]
anything.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Tasmaat iti | Sataam dharmam adooshayan iti | Yadi asou jadataam
anabhivyanjayan karmaani na anutisthet tadaa itaro janah tadvat karmaani
ananutishthan pratyavaayaat narake patet | Tasmaat yathaa avamanyeran
tathaa jaadyena charet | A yogi has to behave like a jada, like a person who does not know anything, does not understand anything. Not behaving like that, if he does not perform the karmaas, then others also will follow him, and they will all go to narakaa, not performing karmaas properly, and he will also get paapa because of that. Whereas if a yogi is behaving like a jada, then nobody will follow him; they will say that this is a useless person, and ridicule and dishonour him; and nobody will follow him; so if he does not do karma, it is alright for him. He has to behave such that they all disrespect him.
45
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 45:
Bhunkte kulmaashavaatyaadi shaakam vanyam phalam kanaan |
Yat yat aapnoti subahu tadatte kaala samyamam || ***Whatever he was getting, horse gram, urad daal, which were not even cooked properly, some kind of rice which is not normally used, he used to eat those only. Some vegetables and fruits available in the forest, he used to eat them only. Whatever he gets one day, he thought that it is more than enough.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Bhunkta iti | Kulmaashah eeshatpakvo maashayaavakaadih | Vaatyo
maashamayo bhakshyah, kanah syaat kshudra tandulah | Yadyat iti | Kaala
samyamam mrutyu nirodhakam deha dhaarakam bhakshyam yat yat aapnoti tat
tat alpam api santoshaat subahu manyamaanah atte atti, bhunkta iti yaavat |
Aatmane padam aarsham | Tadatyekaanta samyamee iti cha paathah | That which is required only for survival, only for living, he used to eat only that. Whatever little is available for living, for keeping his body, he used to eat that thinking that that itself is more than enough.
46
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 46:
Pitari uparate so atha bhraatru bhraatruvya baandhavaih |
Kaaritah kshetra karmaadi kadannaahaara poshitah || When his father died, his brothers and nephews started using him for all kinds of work, to plough the lands, etc. Whatever is left over food, they used to give him, and use him for all work in the fields. ***
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Pitari iti | Bhraatruvyah bhraatrujah | [[222]]
47
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 47:
Samaakshaapeenaavayavo jadakaaree cha karmani |
Sarvalokopakaranam babhoova aahaara vetanah ||*** He was fat and well built, he would do blindly anything that was told. Because he used to eat whatever little they gave, he did not expect anything else, whatever leftover they used to give, he used to eat it very happily. They used to use him for all kinds of work. They used to feed him with all kinds of old stuff.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Samaakshaa iti | Jadakaaree jadavat kartaa | * Kartari upamaane iti ninih |
Aahaara vetanah aahaaramaatra bhrutikah, sarveshaam karmakaro babhoova |
Then the Souveera Raaja’s story is going to come, where King Souveera is going towards Kapila Aashrama, to obtain instructions on the aatma jnyaana. How he meets Bharata, the yogi, is going to come next.
We saw the story of the antaraaya with the mruga, how he had to be born as a deer, how he expended all that karma responsible for that janma, and again was born in a yogi’s kula, and is again established in aatma jnyaana.
We are studying Amsha 2, Chapter 13, the Jadabharata upaakhyaana; about how Jadabharata, was born in a great yogi’s family, as a brahmin, had *poorva janma *smaranaa, and was endowed with complete knowledge, a person who had perfected the yoga already, and knew that because of the praarabdha karma, he had to continue and do all the things that are coming. As a yogi, he was so much involved in his yoga, following the Hiranyagarbha vachana. He used to fear any honour, because that will bring some kind of ego, and will disturb the yoga. When a yogi is dishonoured and disrespected by people, then this yogi attains perfection soon. He used to live as though he was jada, unmatta, etc. as if he is a dullard, not knowing anything, and absolutely useless kind of feeling. He used to wear all dirty clothes, and was never bothered about any of these things. Whatever little people used to give, leftovers, he used to think that itself as a lot, and used to be very happy, contented with whatever he used to get to carry his body. He used to be happy with whatever was given, even old and spoilt stuff.
He was fat and well built. Looking at him, people all around used him for all kinds of work.
48
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 48:
Tam taadrusham asamskaaram vipra aakruti vicheshtitam | [[223]]
***Kshattaa souveera raajasya kaalye pashum akalpayat || ***He was not cleaning his body, but had all the samskaaraas, upanayana and others. King Souveera’s servant saw him, and took him as the sacrificial pashu given to Kaali.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Tam taadrusham iti | Asamskaaram mrujaadi rahitam, na toopanayanaadi
rahitam | Vipra aakruti viveshtitam shikhaa yajnyopaveeta snaana sandhyaa
japa upaasanaadi shishta aachaara-maatravantam | ***He had all the signs of a Brahmin. He had what was required minimum, the signs of shikhaa, yajnyopaveeta.
49
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 49:
Taatrou tam samalankrutya vaishastasya vidhaanatah |
Adhishtitam mahaakaalee jnyaatvaa yogeshvaram tathaa || Vaishasa is the bali offered in sacrifices. They nicely decorated him as told in the shaastraas, about how a bali pashu has to be brought in decorated. They brought and placed him in place of the bali, and Mahaakaali saw him, and She knew that he was a yogeshvara, a great yogi.
50
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 50:
Tatah khadgam samaadaaya nishitam nishi saa tadaa |
Kshattaaram kroorakarmaanaam acchinnat kanthamoolatah |
Svapaarshada yutaa devee papou rudhiramulabanam || She pulled out her sword, which was very sharp, in front of the king’s servant, and She just beheaded him, because he was doing such a bad act of bringing a great yogi, without knowing that he was such a great person, and using him as a bali pashu. Along with all her attendants, kinkaraas, Mahaakaali drank the blood of the king’s servant, who had done this bad act.
51
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 51:
Tatah souveera raajasya prayaatasya mahaatmanah |
Vishtikarthaa atha manyeta vishtiyogyo ayam iti api || Souveera Raaja had started on a journey to go to Kapila Aashrama, and one who employs labourers, he saw him ( Jadabharata) as fit for forced labour, where they don’t pay any money, and he dragged him along for that work.
52
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 52:
Tam taadrusham mahaatmaanam bhasmacchannamiva analam |
Kshattaa souveera raajasya vishtiyogyam amanyata || ***Such a great yogi who was like fire covered with ashes, where we cannot see the fire underneath, the king Souveera thought that he was fit only for being employed for forced labour.
[[224]]
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Tam taadrusham iti | Kshatta saarathih dvaasto vaa, vishtih karma kartura
phaladam balaat karma, tat yogam | ***
53
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 53:
Sa raajaa shibhkaaroodho gantum krutamatih dvija |
Babhoova ikshumatee teere kapilarsheh varaashramam || Paraasharar is telling - O Maitreyar, that king Souveera, wanted to go to *Kapila *Maharshi’s aashrama, on the banks of Ikshumati river, he had started his journey seated on a palanquin.
54
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 54:
Shreyah kim atra samsaare dukhapraaye nrunaam iti |
Prashtum tam mokshadharmajnyam kapilaakhyam mahaamunim || He wanted to ask Kapila Maharshi, about what is the ultimate good for a person, for a king, for a human being; in this samsaara filled with grief, what is the utmost good? He wanted to enquire Kapila Maharshi, who was a moksha dharmajnya, who had that knowledge of all the shaastraas, and whatever is required for attaining liberation.
55
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 55:
Uvaaha shibikaam tasya kshatturvachanachotidah |
Nrunaam vishtigruheetaanaam anyeshaam so api madhyagah || Jadabharata simply obeyed the instructions, he was pulled into carrying the palanquin, and he carried that palanquin along with others, who were also brought in like that, as told by the servant of the king.
56
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 56:
Gruheeto vishtinaa viprah sarvajnyaanaikabhaajanam |
Jaatismaro asou paapasya kshayakaama uvaaha taam || Jadabharata was resort of all knowledge, he had the ultimate knowledge with him. Because he remembered his earlier birth, and he knew that there were some sins to be expended by experiencing them, he wanted to expend it as quickly as possible. So, he carried the palanquin without telling anything.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Gruheeto iti | Vishtinaa nimittena | ***
57
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 57:
Yayou jadagatih so atha yuga maatra avalokanam |
Kurvan matimataam sreththah tat anye tvaritam yayuh || ***He carried the palanquin without any interest, and was just looking at the yoke (the carrying pole), and nothing else. All others were carrying fast, whereas he was going slowly and lazily dragging along, looking at the yoke placed on his shoulder. [[225]]
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Yayou iti | Jadagatih mandagatih | ***
58
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 58:
Vilokyam nrupatih so atha vishamaam shibhkaam gatim |
Kim etat iti aaha samam gamyataam shibikaavahaah || ***The palanquin used to shake a lot, and looking at that, the king asked them why is it going so unevenly, why are you not carrying it properly? O carriers of this palanquin, move properly and uniformly.
59
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 59:
Punah tathaa eva shibikaam vilokya vishamaam hi sah |
Nrupah kim etat iti aaha bhavadbhih gamyate anyathaa || ***Whatever he said, it was moving in the same way, with a lot of shake, and unevenly. He was angry, and again he asked about what is this improper carrying of the palanquin?
When Jadabharata was carrying the palanquin along with all others, and it was going very uneven, the king got very angry and asked them again and again, because after telling also, it was going in the same way. He said that “I am telling you many times, still you are carrying in the same way. What are you doing?”.
60
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 60:
Bhoopateh vadatah tasya shrutvaa ittham bahusho vachah |
Shibikaavaahakaah prochuh ayam yaati iti asatvaram || ***When the king said so many times, all the other carriers of the palanquin said pointing at Jadabharata, that this is the person who is coming very slowly. We are all carrying uniformly, with uniform speed. He is the one coming very slowly and making it uneven.
61
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 61:
Raajaa uvaacha -
Kim shraanto asya alpam adhvaanam tvayodhaa shibikaa mama |
Kim aayaasasaho na tvam peevaan asi nireekshyase || King said - O man, you are already tired? You have carried for a very short distance. You look quite fat, and should be able to tolerate this strain. Why are you not able to tolerate this?
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Kim iti | Aayaasa saho naasi kim | Aayaasa saha eva asi | Tatra hetuh peevaan
nireekshyasa iti | Aarhatvaat na lopa abhaavah | ***
[[226]]
www.sadagopan.org
62
**SrI VishNu PurANam (Vol. 2) *****Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 62:
Braahmanah -
Naaham peevaa na chaivodhaa shibikaa bhavato mayaa |
Na shraanto asmi na cha aayaasah sodhavyo asti maheepate || ***The Braahmana Jadabharata replied - I am not fat, and I am not carrying your palanquin also. I am not tired at all. I have no strain to tolerate also.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Na aham iti | Peevatva aadeeni na aham arthasya, kim tu shareerasya iti
abhipraayah | Aayaasah bhaara udvahana aadeh deha kleshah | Tena karma
ashaktih shraantih | ***When Jadabharata is always in aatma dhyaana, he is replying from that point of view, that he is not fat; because being fat and such things are not the characteristics of the self, not the dharma of jeevaatman. They all belong to the shareera, being fat or thin. Aayaasa is nothing but the tiredness of the body, carrying weight, etc. Not being capable of doing work, is the tiredness.
63
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 63:
Raajaa -
Pratyaksham drushyase peevaan adyaapi shibikaa tvayee |
Shramah cha bhaarodvahane bhayatvena hi dehinaam || King replied - I am seeing you right in front of my eyes, you are fat, and carrying my palanquin. For everybody, when they carry a lot of weight, they do get tired.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Abhipraayamajaanaan prucchati pratyaksham iti | ***King did not understand the real meaning of what Jadabharata was telling. He was thinking from the body point of view as he did not have the aatmajnyaana.
64
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 64:
Braahmanah -
Prayaksham bhavataa bhoopa yat drushtam mama tat vada |
Balavaan abalah cha iti vaachyam paschaat visheshanam || ***The Braahmana Jadabharata replied - O king, whatever you saw, you tell me that first. After that, you can tell the characteristics of what you saw, as whether I am powerful or weak.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Prativakti pratyaksham bhavati iti | Mama yat roopam tvayaa pratyaksham
drushtam tat vada | Na aham drushtah, achaakshushatvaat aatmanah iti
abhipraayah | Tasya peevatvam shraanti aadikam bala abala roopam
visheshanam paschaat vaachyam - sutaraam durvacham, visheshyasya dharmina
eva apratyakshatvaat iti bhaavah | [[227]]
Whatever you saw, my form, you tell me that, what you directly perceived. The real meaning of what Jadabharata said is that I was not seen, because self cannot be perceived with our eyes. What Jadabharata meant was the form of him that the king saw. After that comes the fatness, strong, weak, etc. can be told. Because if he had seen the proper form, that “I am not the body”, then he cannot say all these things, because it cannot be said like that. When the visheshya is not seen, how can you tell about the visheshana? When the qualified object, aatman cannot be seen, how can the qualities of the aatman be told? You are telling about fatness, which is not the aatma dharma. ***
65
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 65:
Tvayodhaa shibikaa cha iti tvayi adya api cha samsthitaa |
Mithyaa etat atra tu bhavaan shrunotu vachanam mama ||*** You told me that you carry the palanquin. Even now, you are carrying it. What you saw is false, listen to me.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Tvayaa iti | Vachanam uttaram iti sheshah | ***
66
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 66:
Bhoomou paada yugaavasthaa janghe paada dvaya aashrite |
Oorvoh janghaa dvayaa avasthaa tat aadhaaram tathaa udaram || ***He explains what is that the king saw. On the earth, the two legs are standing. The thighs and its lower part are resting on the feet. The thighs are resting on the janghaa. The stomach is resting on all these things.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Bhoomou iti | Avasthaa sthitih | Aatah cha upasarga iti praanktaattaap |
67
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 67:
Vakshasthalam tathaa baahoo skandhou cha udara samsthitou |
Skandha aashritaa iyam shibikaa mama bhaaro atra kim krutah || On top of that, the chest and two arms and shoulders are supported, resting on the stomach. This palanquin is supported on the shoulders. This is the body structure. What is this weight for me?
Means that “I am not carrying this weight, this is carried by the body made of feet, legs, stomach, chest, arms, shoulders”.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Vakshasthalam iti | Mama aham arthasya kimkruto bhaarah ? Ato na aham
vodhaa iti abhipraayah | ***What is this weight for the aatman? So, I am not carrying. [[228]]
68
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 68:
Shibikaayaam sthitam cha idam vapuh tvat upalakshitam |
Tatra tvam aham api atra prochyate cha idam anyathaa || ***And you are also not being carried on the palanquin. Your body which is sitting on this palanquin, is actually what you said as upalakshana for aatman; you saw that as aatman itself. Only the body is sitting on the palanquin.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Na api tvam vaahya iti aaha - shibikaayaam iti | Tvat upalakshitah tvayaa
aatmatvena lakshitah bhraantyaa drushto dehah shibikaayaam sthitah | Atra
dehe sthitah tvam, aham api asmin dehe | Atah idam aatmanoh vaahyatvam
vaahakatvam cha anyathaa mitthyaa iti uchyate | What you thought as aatman, you have perceived it wrongly as the body. You have perceived the body as aatman, wrongly. You are in that body, and I am in that body. You are being carried, and I am carrying you, are all false, because it is thinking that body itself is aatman. You are thinking like that, and telling me.
69
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 69:
Aham tvam cha tathaa anye cha bhootairuhyaam paarthiva |
Guna pravaaha patito bhootavargo api yaati ayam || I, you and all others also, are being carried by the pancha bhootaas. The collectivity of elements, is being carried away in the flood of guna pravaaha.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Yadi aham tvayaa na oohye, kena tarhi? Tata aaha aham tvam cha iti | Bhootaih
dehatvena parinataih | Bhoota sanghaatasya cha gamanaadi vyaapaara bhedah
guna kruta iti aaha - guna pravaaha iti | Guna parinaama roopa teevra
srotovega paratantro yaati, trunam iva vaayu udakaadibhih | Durbalam iva
dushta ashvaah, antahkarana paryantam sanghaatam tasthaah gunaah gamana
aasana icchaa dvesha aadi roopena bahudhaa pravartayanti | Atra * prakruteh
kriyamaanaani gunaih karmaani, ityaadi anusandheyam | If I am not carried by you, who else is carrying, is the question that the king would have got in his mind. For this, Jadabharata is giving the reply. Pancha bhootaas which have got modified, into the form of the body, and the collectivity of the body - this going, coming, sitting, are all because of the gunaas. Because of the gunaas, they are engaged in all these activities. It is the effect of the gunaas, which is like a stream which is flowing, and this body is being carried in that flowing stream. Just as a blade of grass is being carried by air, water, etc. Just like a weak person is being dragged here and there by horses which are uncontrollable, wild horses, so also, all the collectivity of the pancha bhootaas, till the antahkarana, the inner sense organ the mind, and all the qualities, sattva, rajas, tamas of the prakruti, come in the form of walking, sitting, desire, hatred, and all these forms. [[229]]
In Bhagavad Gita also, it is told that " Prakruteh kriyamaanaani gunaih karmaani **sarvashah | Ahamkaara vimoodhaatmaa kartaaham iti manyate ||". He thinks that I am the doer, whereas these are all activities of the body, which are due to the prakruti, the gunaas sattva, rajas, tamas.
70
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 70:
Karmavashyaa gunaa hi ete sattvaadyaah pruthivee pate |
Avidyaa sanchitam karma tat cha ashesheshu jantushu || Because of karma, the gunaas keep getting modified. Sattva, rajas, tamas are all karmajaa, accumulated due to avidyaa.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Gunaah cha praacheena karma aayatta iti aaha karma vashyaa iti | Karma cha
avidyaa moolam iti aaha avidyaa iti | Anaatmasu deva aadi deheshu aatma
buddhih avidyaa | Tat cha avidyaa moolam karma brahma aadi sarva jantu
saadhaaranam iti aaha tat cha ashesheshu jantushu iti | How sattva, rajas, tamas are varying and creating all kinds of activities, in this body of the jeevaatman, are all because of the karma. Based on the karma, the gunaas keep getting modified. Karma is because of avidyaa. The deva and other bodies which are not the aatman, which are the prakruti parinaamaas, having the idea of aatman in the body, is because of avidyaa. From Chaturmukha Brahma, till the lowest being, the karma which is leading to this avidyaa, of having the sense of aatman in the body, is common to all the bound selves.
71
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 71:
Aatmaa shuddha aksharah shaanto nirgunah prakruteh parah |
Pravruddhapachayou naasya cha ekasya akhila jantushu || Bharata is telling the nature of aatman. Aatman is shuddha, which is without *karma, *parishuddha, in his svaroopa. He is indestructible. Aatman does not have *oormi *shatka. Aatman does not have gunaas. He is different from prakruti.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Evam aatmanah drushyatvam vaahakatvam cha na aaseet iti uktam | Atha
peevatva aadi visheshanam na asti iti aaha aatmaa iti | Shuddhah karma rahitah
pooya shonita aadi asamsprushtah cha, aksharah avinaashee, shaantah
ashanaayaadi oormi shatka rahitah, nirgunah - sattva aadi guna rahitah | Atra
hetuh - prakruteh para iti | Atah pravruddhi apachayou na asya | Hetu antaram
aaha - ekasya iti | Ekasya - asanghaata roopasya | Sandhaata roopasya hi
dehaadeh vruddhi hraasou, na asanghaata roopasya gagana paramaanu aadeh |
* Aham tvam cha tathaa anye chetivat yathaa mayi tathaa sarveshu aatmasu
saadhaaranam roopam etat iti aaha akhila jantushu iti | Uktam akhila jantushu
drashtavyam iti | Yat vaa akhila jantushu ekasya iti sambandhah | Jantu shabdo [[230]]
deha vishishta aatma vaachee | Jantushu aatma amshah eka eva iti arthah |
Dehaanaam sanghaatatvaat pratyekam anekatvam | It was said that it is because of prakruti, gunaas, karmaas which are accumulated due to avidyaa. So, the aatman does not have all these. By these, we can know that aatman cannot be seen, that he is not carrying, etc. He also does not have the characteristics of being fat, etc. Aatman is untouched by the blood and all things, impurities in the body. He is indestructible. He is free from *ashanaaya, pipaasa, **jaraa, mrutyu, dukha, sukha *- these are the *oormi shatka *- hunger, thirst (characteristics of the praana), old age, death (characteristics of the deha), happiness and sorrow (characteristics of the mind); this oormi shatka is not there for the aatman. The prakruti gunaas sattva, rajas, tamas are not there for the aatman. He is different and distinct from prakruti. He does not have the dharmaas of prakruti. Therefore, either growth or deterioration are not there for the aatman. Body grows and shrinks in old age - these are all not there for aatman. One more reason is that he is eka; the meaning is not that there is only one aatman in all of us, but that he is not a collectivity, he is niravayavi. Body is collectivity of five elements, which has indriyaas, which are ahamkaarika, but all are prakruti parinaama only. Body is sanghaata, collectivity. Whereas aatman is eka, niravayavi. Because it is a collectivity, deha and other things grow and shrink. That which is not a collectivity, like the sky, or paramaanu, it does not have growth and shrinkage. Just as you and I are not the body, all the embodied souls are like that, the aatman which is present in all the embodied souls, is similar to the aatman who is in you and in me. Whatever I said, you can see in all the beings. He is jnyaana svaroopa in all the bodies. In all beings, aatma amsha is only one, is also another meaning of ekasya akhila jantushu; there is one aatman in every being. Because deha is sanghaata, collectivity, there is multiplicity like that. Each body is multiple, because five elements are there, whereas aatman is one only in every body.
72
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 72:
Yathaa na upachayah tasya na eva apachayah tathaa |
Tadaa peevaan asi ittham kayaa yuktyaa tvayaa eeritam || Just as the aatman does not have increase, in the same way, he does not shrink or deteriorate, decrease. You said that I am fat, with what logic did you say this? What is the reason for telling like that? (It is not reasonable).
73
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 73:
Bhoopaada janghaa kati ooroo jatharaadishu samsthite |
Shibhikaa iyam yathaa skandhe tathaa bhaarah samah tvayaa || Earth, the feet, lower part of the leg, thigh, hips and stomach, and the shoulders which are supported by all these, on that, the palanquin is sitting. If I am carrying weight, for you also, it should be same - implying that both of us are not carrying. You are not being carried and I am not carrying.
[[231]]
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Matto anyasmin skandhe sthitah shibikaa bhaaro mama chet syaat tava api
syaat, sarva jeevaanaam api syaat, sarve bhaaraah sarveshaam syuh iti
vaahyaadi prasangam vaahakaadi prasangam cha aaha - bhoopa aadi ityaadi
dvayena | ***This palanquin which is resting on me and others here, if it is mine, for you also it should happen in the same way. For all beings, it should be there.
74
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 74:
Tathaa anyaih jantubhih bhoopa shibikodhaa na kevalam |
Shailadruma gruhottho api pruthivee sambhavo api vaa || ***If all weights are carried by everyone, is what is being told here, others also will be carrying this palanquin. Whether it is the mountains, trees, houses, or wherever on the earth, all will be carrying in that case.
75
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 75:
Yadaa pumsah pruthak bhaavah praakrutaih kaaranaih nrupa |
Sodhavayah tu tadaa aayaasah katham vaa nrupate mayaa || ***Because of the prakruti sambandha, we see people as different, as humans, gods, etc. We see difference. It is because of the prakruti that we see various bodies, various beings all around. Because of the association with prakruti only, these weights are being carried; then for me, how can there be aayaasa? By my aatma svaroopa, there is nothing for me, these are all not related to me.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Ato mama bhaara udvahana abhaavaat tat krutaa shraantih cha na iti aaha
yadaa iti | Kaaranaih karanebhyah | ***
76
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 76:
Yat dravyaa shibikaa cha iyam tat dravyo bhoota sangrahah |
Bhavato me akhilasya asya mamatvena upabrumhitah || ***Whatever this palanquin is made of, this body is also made of the same material. This body is also paanchabhoutika, and the palanquin is also paanchabhoutika. Both are made of the same material. For your body as well as mine, for everyone, they are all thinking that “This is mine”, which is wrong thinking.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Kim cha paarthivatva avisheshaat tat jaateeya kaashthaadou iva dehe
mamakaaro api na yuktah, kimuta ahamkaara iti aaha yat dravyaa iti | Bhoota
sangrahah dehah | Mamatvena upabrumhita iti vachanaat dehe mamatvam api
upabrumhitam - aaropitam, na svatah tat iti darshayati | Both are paarthiva only, a stick or broken piece of tree, just like that, even the body we should not think as mine. When we see a stick lying somewhere, we don’t say that [[232]]
it is mine; in the same way the body is also made of the same material, we cannot say that it is mine. What is the I and Mine, there? These are superimposed on that. Body is mine means that I am different and body is different. Aatman is superimposed on that. This is not really true.
Thus Bharata said - I am not carrying you. You are not being carried. I am not carrying this weight. all of these are only bodies, bodies are only carrying. After telling these, he said that aatman is different from the body, the aatma dharmaas are different, it is all because of prakruti, the karma, avidyaa, it is because of these that we are thinking like this.
77
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 77:
Sri Paraasharah -
Evam uktvaa abhavan mounee sa vahan shibikaam dvija |
So api raajaa avateerya urvyaam tat paadou jagruhe tvaran || ****Sri Paraasharar *- Having told all these, Bharata kept quiet, carrying the palanquin. The king got shocked, and he just got down from the palanquin and hurriedly held Bharata’s feet. The king realized that he is no ordinary person.
78
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 78:
Raajaa -
Bho bho visrujya shibikaam prasaadam kuru me dvija |
Kathyataam ko bhavaan atra jaalmaroopa dharah sthitah || Raaja said - O Brahmin, please leave that palanquin. Please do grace me. You are looking like a jada, an inert useless person. Tell me who are you in reality. I want to know. ***
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Bho bho iti | Jaalmo jadah |***
79
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 79:
Yo bhavaanyannimittam vaa yat aagamana kaaranam |
Tat sarvam kathyataam brahman mahyam shushrooshave tvayaa || ***Who are you, and for what reason have you come here? I am asking you, please do kindly tell me, everything about yourself. What is the reason for your coming here. Raaja says - I am interested in learning about who you are, what is the reason you have come here, why are you like this.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Ko bhavaan iti etat vivrunoti yo bhavaan iti | Ya iti jaati kula prashnah |
Nimittam prayojanam, aagateh kaaranam utpaadakam | ***
[[233]]
Then Bharata replies again, and tells what is it you are telling - tvam, aham, etc. He does the aatma upadesha, which we will see next.
We are studying Amsha 2, Chapter 13, where Mahaayogi Bharata, who is not revealing his nature that he is a great yogi, is showing himself as a dullard, or useless person, is made to carry the palanquin of the king Souveera. And as he is going in an uneven way, the king asks the carriers to carry them properly, then Jadabharata starts to give strange answers, when everyone points at him. The king asks him - You are so stout, well built, why re you not carrying properly, are you tired. He starts to give strange answers and the king does not expect such answers from someone who looks like a labourer, who has been brought to carry his palanquin. He tells that the king does not have aatma jnyaana, that the self is different and distinct from the body; the king starts to still argue with him that he is fat; Bharata explains to him that these are all prakruti only, the aatman is different and distinct from the body, and that the aatman is not carrying anything. He says that if I have to carry this weight, if I am carrying this weight, I should carry the weight of the pruthvi also, all the mountains, and everyone should be doing that including you. Whatever is the material from which your palanquin is made, from the same material the body is also made, and keeps quiet. Immediately, the king recognizes that he is no ordinary person, that he is a great yogi, then jumps from his palanquin and holds his feet firmly, and requests him to tell him who he is, and teach him that aatma jnyaana. Then Bharata starts to teach.
79
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 79:
Yo bhavaanyannimittam vaa yat aagamana kaaranam |
Tat sarvam kathyataam brahman mahyam shushrooshave tvayaa || ***
80
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 80:
Braahmanah -
Shrooyataam so aham iti etat vaktum bhoopa na shakyate |
Upabhoganimittam cha sarvatra aagamana kriyaa || ****Bharata *- O King, listen to me, I cannot say. The reason why we are all moving around everywhere is to experience the fruits of the karma.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Ko bhavaan iti asya prashnasya eshah aham iti uttare vaktavye jaati aadeh
anaatma dharmatvam iti abhipretya yah tvam iti prashtum aham esha iti
prativaktum cha na shakyam iti aaha shrooyataam iti | Nimitta prashna uttaram
upabhoga iti | Pumsah sarva deshseshu aagatih sukhaadi bhogaaya | If the king was asking “Who are you”, if I have to say as “Whom are you seeing”, with jaati like “I am a Brahmin”, these jaati and other dharmaas are not the *aatma *dharmaas, not the attributes of the self. So, you cannot ask as to “Who are you”, and I [[234]]
cannot also say that “I am so and so”. If he said that “For what reason are you here”, the answer is to experience the fruits of the karma. The chetana is moving around with a body everywhere, in order to experience the fruits of the karmaas, that he has accumulated.
81
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 81:
Sukha dukha upabogou you tou deha aadi upapaadakou |
Dharma adharma udbhavou bhoktum jantuh dehaadim rucchati || Sukha and dukha are coming from dharma and adharma, following the shaastra and not following the shaastra. When we transgress the shaastraas, we will be punished, and this leads to dukha. When one is following the shaastraas, he will be rewarded, and will enjoy some sukha. In order to experience all these things, the good and bad of the virtues and sins, he takes different bodies, and they are the cause for all these things.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Etat vivrunoti sukha iti | Tou dharmaat udbhavou sukha aadi bhogou yasmaat
prati-niyata desha deha kaala bhogyou tasmaat tou bhoktum jeevou deha
deshaantaraani yaati | The fruits of the karma are to be experienced in a particular place, at a particular time, in a particular body. This is all well established. Whatever karmaas we do, the fruits will be according to those, and will in a particular place, time and body. For each karma for each person, it is well established, that that person has to experience the fruits for this karma, with this body, at this time, and in this place. In order to experience those fruits, he keeps moving around, in different places. To experience the results of those karmaas, he takes different bodies, and moves around in different places.
This is the answer to the question of the king - “Why have you come”. He says that this is to experience this karma. For everyone, it is like this.
82
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 82:
Sarvasya eva hi bhoopaala jantoh sarvatra kaaranam |
Dharma adharmou yatah kasmaat kaaranam prucchyate tvayaa || For everyone, everywhere, dharma and adharma are only the causes. You are asking “What is the cause, reason why you are here, in this body”, for this, Bharata says that dharma and adharma are only the causes of a jeevaatman taking on a body.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Kaarana prashnottaram sarvasya iti | Sarvatra janmaadou api |
83
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 83:
Raajaa - [[235]]
***Dharma adharmou na sandehah sarvakaaryeshu kaaranam |
Upabhoga nimittam cha dehaat dehaantara aagamah || ***King - There is no doubt that for all things that we do, dharma and adharma only are the causes. One moving from body to body is to experience the fruits of the karma. I have no doubt about this.
84
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 84:
Yat tu etat bhavataa proktam so aham iti etat aatmanah |
Vaktum na shakyate shrotum tat mama icchaa pravartate || ***Whatever you told me that " Sah aham", is with respect to the aatman; one cannot say with respect to the aatman that " Sah aham", I want to understand that.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Soham iti vaktum na shakyate iti uttarasya abhipraayam ajaananah cha
chodayati - yah tu etat iti saarddhena | Yah tu etat iti | Etat svaroopam iti
sheshah | Why Bharata said that one cannot say " Sah aham" with respect to the aatman, king is asking that question. Etat means with respect to the svaroopa, nature.
85
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 85:
Yo asti so aham iti brahman katham vaktum na shakyate |
Aatmani esha na doshaaya shabdo aham iti yo dvija || ***O Brahmin, how can you say that one who is here - “He is I”, why cannot one say that? This shabda of aham is not wrong if I tell it with respect to the aatman.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Ya iti | Ya aatmaa kartru bhoktru roopena sphuran sadaa asti, so aham iti
shabdena katham vaktum na shakyate | Na hi nirarthako aham shabdah; na cha
nirvisheshano aham arthah, * aatmaa shuddha ityaadi visheshana ukteh |
Tasmaat soham iti uktou na anupapattih, yo bhavaan iti prashtum cha na
anupapattih iti bhaavah | Anaatmani khalu aham iti shabdo na prayujyate |
Aatmani tu tasya prayoge ko dosha iti abhipraayena aaha aatmani iti | The aatman who is always present as a doer, as an enjoyer, why can’t I say aham with respect to that aatman? Aham shabda is not a waste. Aham is told with respect to the aatman only. Aham artha is not without any attributes, to say that I cannot say aham. Because many attributes are told with respect to *aatman, *aatman is shuddha, etc. So, if I say sah aham, there is nothing wrong in this, it is reasonable. In the same way, if I ask who are you, for that question also, there is nothing wrong in that, it is also quite reasonable. With respect to that which is not an aatman, if I say aham, then it is wrong. But, with respect to aatman, I should be able to address it as aham; what is wrong in that, is the abhipraaya.
86
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 86: [[236]]
Braahmanah -
Shabdo aham iti doshaaya na aatmai esha tathaa eva tat |
Anaatmani aatma vijnyaanam shabdo vaa bhraanti lakshanah || *Bharata *- There is nothing wrong in addressing the aatman as aham. This is quite alright, what you said. But thinking that using that shabda with respect to what is not the aatman, that is the bhraanti, the wrong knowledge, which is not correct.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Uttaram aaha shabdo aham iti | Ayam abhipraayah - (prativaktuh) esho aham
shabdo na aatmani doshaayeti yat uktam tat satyam | Ahamtaa hi pratyaktvam
| Tena pratyaktvena avabhaasamaana eva aatmaa, na dehaadih | Ato ayam
aham iti vaktum shakyo api, so aham iti vaktum yo bhavaan iti prashtum cha na
shakyate, tasya shuddhi aadi visheshana antara sadbhaave api jaati aadi
dharma asat bhaavaat iti aatma vijnyaanam aham buddhih, shabdah aham iti
shabdah | Whatever you said that this is aham, I, there is nothing wrong in that; that is true. He is known, He reveals to Himself; this is only called as aham-tva. The aatman only reveals with that pratyaktva, and not the body. Even though we can say aham with respect to this aatman, “This is I”, and “Who are you” - these kind of questions cannot be asked, is the bhaava. He does not have jaati, class and other dharmaas, attributes. We cannot say that “I am a Brahmin, a Kshatriya, a king, etc”, though one may have the attributes of avikaari, shuddha, etc., this kind of jaati and other dharmaas which are of the deha, cannot be told to be aatman. This is the abhipraaya of this shloka.
87
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 87:
Jihvaa braveeti aham iti dantoshthou taaluke nrupa |
Ete naaham yatah sarve vaang nishpaadana hetavah || Now he explains why it cannot be said as “Who are you”?, “I am he”, etc. The tongue says " Aham", the lips, teeth, palate, are all involved, when the sound is produced. All these are not I, these are all mere instruments of producing the sound, speech. They are all not I.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Evam taavat dehaadi vilakshana aatma paksha parigrahena yo asti so aham iti
prashna prativachana upapattim vadan nrupah prati uktah | Idaaneem dehaadi
aatmatva paksham tasya mate pradhaanam kurvan niraakaroti jihvaa iti tribhih
| Jihvaa iti | He nrupa | Jihvaadi aham iti braveeti iti kim manyase ? Tat na |
Ete na aham bahutvaat na aham arthah, aham arthasya ekatvena prateetih |
Kim cha yato jihvaadeeni shabda nishpatti kaaranaani, atah na kartru bhaavam
anubhavanti | Kartaa khalu aatmaa | Anena nyaayena aham sprushaami
smaraami ityaadishu baahya antara kaaranaanaam aatmatva niraasah | Assuming that aatman is different and distinct from the body, how do you say that “That is I”, it was told that that is correct to the king. Now, what Bharata is explaining [[237]]
is that thinking that the body itself is the aatman, this is the major reason why king is asking these questions, it is told that it is not true, in these three shlokaas. The tongue and others are saying I, do you think like that, that is not true. These are all not I, because they are many - there is tongue, lips, teeth, palate. Aham is not like that. Aham is only known as one. Ekatva is known. Because the tongue and others are just the causes of producing the speech, that is why they are not the doers. The doer is aatman only. From this, “I am touching this”, “I am remembering this”, with respect to the external and internal sense organs which are there, thinking that they are the aatman, is rejected from this.
88
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 88:
Kim hetubhih vadati eshaa vaak eva aham iti svayam |
Atah peevaan asi iti etat vaktum ittham na yujyate || This organ of speech is telling " Aham". For what reason it is telling like that? For the same reason, if you say that “You are fat”, that is also not correct.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Shankaantaram aaha - kim hetubhih iti | Atha vaak indriya roopaa jihvaadyaih
karanaih svaatantryena aham iti braveeti, tena sa eva aatmaa iti matam; tat
cha na; tasya api kaaranatvena svaatantrya abhaavaat, aatmatve na vaachah
sthoulya abhaavaat peevaan asi iti aatma dharmatvena peevatva ukti
vyaahateh, mama vaak iti bheda vyavahaara anupapatteh cha | Kechit shabda
eva artha iti vaiyaakarana paksha parigrahena jihvaadi karanaih vaanee sva
aatmaanam aham iti vadati iti; yathaa ghata shabda eva ghata iti uchyate iti
varnayanti | Tatra api ukta eva doshah | Anena nyaayena sparsha roopa
aadeenaam buddhi sukha icchaa aadeenaam cha kartrutva nishedhah | Thinking that he may have one more doubt, he is clarifying like this. The organ of speech itself, along with the instruments of tongue and others, is telling " Aham". In this case, the vaak indriya will itself become the aatma. This is also not true. Because it is also an instrument, and is not independent. Assuming that the vaak indriya is itself the aatma, it cannot say that “You are fat”, because the aatma is not fat. If *vaak *indriya is itself aatman, then also it would not have told that you are fat, because that is not the dharma of the aatman. And we use in our regular transactions that “My speech” - this also shows that speech is different from I. There is on *Vyaakarana *paksha, grammarians, which says that shabda itself is the artha, with the tongue and other instruments, the organ of speech is itself telling aham, they explain that *ghata *shabda is itself the ghata. That is also not correct. By this, *sparsha, roopa, buddhi, **sukha, icchaa *- all these do not have any doership. None of them have the kartrutva is made clear here.
89
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 89:
Pindah pruthak yatah pumsah shirah paani aadi lakshanah |
Tato aham iti kutra etaam samjnyaam raajan karomi aham || [[238]]
The person’s body is different. It is made of head, hands, etc. Because the body which is different from the individual self, who is inside, and body has head, hands, etc., where will I say that “this is I”, Will I say “Hand is I”, or “Head is I”? It has all these things in the body, and these are different from the individual self, where can I say that I am this.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Pinda iti | Evam jihva aadi aadhaara shareerah paayu paani aadi samudaayo
deho api na aatmaa, jaagare mama dehe iti pruthak bhaavaat | Svapna
sushuptyoh aatmani bhaasamaane api dehasya anyathaa bhaanaat abhaanaat
cha; svarga kaama aadi shruti siddha shareera vilakshana aatma prasiddhi
virodhaat cha | Yat vaa pindah pumsah pruthak - shira paani aadi roopena
aneka iti yatah, aham arthah cha eka iti yojanaantaram | Tasmaat deha indriya
aadi naama na aatmatvaat teshu kutra aham shabdam karomi iti aaha - tata iti
| ***In the same way, the body which is made up of head, paayu, paani, etc., is a collection of all these, and is the support of tongue and others. That body is also not the individual self. When one is awake, we say that “This is my body”, I am different from the body, as clearly experienced. In the dream state and deep sleep state, even though aatman is present and is self-vivid, svayam prakaasha, and deha is different, the body is experienced as differently, or it is not experienced at all. In dream state, we experience different things, and in deep sleep, nothing is experienced, but the aatman is still there. This also shows that body is different from *aatman. *Shruti says " Svarga kaamo yajeta", meaning that one who wants to go and experience in svarga, he has to perform this yaaga. If aatman is not different from the body, the body is destroyed when one dies, and svarga and other fruits are experienced after death only, in some other birth. If the aatman is not different from the body, then all these things will become meaningless. It is very clear in the shrutis that aatman is different and distinct from the body. Or, the body made of head, hands, etc., has got many parts, avayavaas, aham artha is only one. It can also be explained in this way. Deha, indriya, are all not the aatman, with which part shall I say " aham", “this is I”. That is why I am not able to say.
90
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 90:
Yadi anyo asti parah ko api mattah paarthiva sattama |
Tadaa esho aham ayam cha anyo vaktum evam api eeshyate || ***If there had been another person, if the other person was different from me, then only I can say that “This is I” and “This is him”. That is why I cannot say that he, and I, because all are of the same nature, aatma-aatma saamya. If another aatman is of a different nature from me, I could have said that.
91
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 91:
Yadaa samasta deheshu pumaan eko vyavasthitah | [[239]]
Tadaa hi ko bhavaan so aham iti etat viphalam vachah || In all the bodies, the aatman is only one, all are prakaaraas of Paramaatman; there is only one aatman who is prakaara of Paramaatman in all the bodies; there is an aatman in each body, but they are all prakaara of Paramaatman. In this case also, questions like “Who are you”, “I am this”, are of no use because we are all prakaaraas of Paramaatman only.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Nanu dehaadi vyatiriktasya aham shabdo vaachako astu iti aashankya tasya
sarva bhooteshu avasthitasya jnyaana-eka-aakaaratayaa eka-prakaaratvaat
shuddhatvaadeh cha saadhaaranyaat, vyaavartaka jaati aadi dharma abhaavaat
cha ko bhavaan so aham iti prashna prativachane nirarthake iti aaha - yadi anyo
asti iti dvayena | Yadi anyah asti iti | Na atra aatmaanaam vyakti aikyam
pratipaadyate | Kutah ? Yadi anyo asti parah ko api matta iti svasmaat
vyatiriktam aatmaanam abhyupagamya tasya anyatva nishedhaat | Ekasmin
arthe para shabda anya shabdayoh prayoga ayogaat anya shabdah parasyaapi
jnyaana-eka-aakaaratvaat anyaakaaratva pratishedhaarthah | Let the aham shabda be used with respect to the aatman only, different and distinct from the body - if there is thinking like that, because the aatman is there in all the bodies, because all aatmans are jnyaana-eka-aakaara, and of the same mode, and shuddhatva is common to all the aatmans, jaati and other dharmaas which differentiate one from the other - these are also not there in the aatman, questions such as “Who are you”, “I am this”, are all not proper. This is told by these two shlokaas. According to our siddhaanta, aatma-bahutva is accepted, that every body has a different aatman. Every body has an aatman, but all are of the same nature - all are jnyaana-eka-aakaaraa, and all are prakaara of Paramaatman. In this way, all are similar, equal, and it is not identity. The individual selves are many, there is not one individual self. Why we can understand like this? If there is one who is different from me, it is accepted that there is one in another body also. If the aatman in another body is different from me, then only we can say that “He is he”, and “I am I”. We know that, and it is accepted that there is an aatman in another body also, but he is not different from me, in the sense that we are of the same nature. Vyakti aikya is not told. Accepting that there is another aatman who is other than me, he is not different; the meaning is that he is of the same nature. If it had been only one aatman, words like anyah, parah would not have been used here. I cannot say that “He is anya”, because the other person is also *jnyaana-eka-*aakaara only. That he is different is negated here. ***
Etat uktam bhavati - yadi mat vyatiriktah ko api aatmaa mat aakaara bhoota
jnyaana aakaaraat anya aakaarah syaat, tadaa aham eva aakaarah, ayam cha
anyaadrusha aakaara iti shakyeta vyapadeshtum | Na cha evam asti,
sarveshaam jnyaana-eka-aakaaratayaa samatvaat, jaati kula aadeh anaatma
dharmatvaat cha | Prakaara aikya cha ekatva vyavahaaro mukhya eva, [[240]]
samaana-dharma asamaana-dharma iti asmin arthe samaana-dharma aneka-
dharma iti prayoga darshanaat, * eko vreehih sunishpannah supushtah kurute
prajaah, iti cha darshanaat | This is the gist of these two shlokaas here. If any other aatman would have been different from me, who is of a different nature than jnyaana-eka-aakaara of mine, pure consciousness, in that case, I would have told that I am jnyaana-eka-aakaara, and he is of a different nature. It is not true like this. This is the *aatma-aatma-*samatva which is told in Bhagavad Gita also, that all are jnyaana eka aakaaraas, they are all equal. The difference which we see in jaati, kula, etc, is not the dharma of the *aatman *- these are not the attributes of the individual self, who is only of the nature of consciousness. All are prakaara, modes of Paramaatman, so that we can say that all are equal, one. All are prakaara of Paramaatman. For everyone, Paramaatman only is the inner self. He is the prakaari, antaryaami. There is only one Prakaari, but all are modes of Paramaatman. All are prakaara of Paramaatman, so all are one. All are prakaara of Paramaatman, can be told in the primary meaning itself. There is a prayoga called *samaana-dharma *asamaana-dharma aneka-dharma; that they are all of the same attributes, they are of different attributes, and same attributes and many attributes; all are of the same attributes, all are of different attributes, in this kind of meaning, if it is to be conveyed, all are of same attributes, all are of many attributes, is also used. *Eko *vreehih is a common usage. When we see a heap of rice, we say In all houses, it is the same rice which is used. Means that vyakti aikya is not there. Rice is same means that they also eat rice and we also eat rice, but it is not the same rice eaten at both places.
Ato na ayam oupachaarikah prayogah, prakaara ekatvasya nimittasya
vidyamaanatvaat | Atra poorva shlokena aatma bheda nirdesha mukhena
teshaam aneka aakaaratvam nishiddham | So, it is not a secondary meaning here. Prakaara is one for everyone, and it is not oupachaarika. So, oneness can be told of all the aatmans. In the first shloka above ( Shloka 90), aatmans are different in each body, but they are all of the same nature, they are not of different nature. So, the fact of the aatmans being of different nature is negated here, but not the multiplicity of aatmans.
***Uttara shlokena eka aakaarataa vidheeyate | Aatma ekatva pakshe - * nityo
nityaanaam chetanah chetanaanaam * aham tvam cha tathaa anye cha *
ityaadinaa virodhah | Samaana aakaaratvam cha * nirdosham hi samam brahma
ityaadishu uktam | Tasmaat aatmaanam vaishamya abhaavaat prashna
prativachane yukte iti arthah | ***In the second *shloka *( Shloka 91), the eka-aakaarataa is told. They are all of *jnyaana *svaroopa, and are all prakaara only. With respect to the Poorva pakshi, who says that aatma is only one, not many, who does not accept the multiplicity of individual aatman, there will be many pramaanaas which will be against telling [[241]]
that. Upanishad says - *ekah, nityah, chetanah, nityaanaam, bahoonaam, **chetanaanaam *- one Paramaatman who is eternal, of the nature of consciousness, he grants the desires of many eternal aatmans. If you accept that there is only one aatman, it will be totally against this shruti. It is also said " *Aham tvam cha tathaa *anye cha" ( Shloka 69 above) - so it is not one aatman, but it is one aatman in each body, of the same nature and they are all being the prakaara of Paramaatman, all jnyaana-eka-aakaara. And also of the same nature, the Bhagavad Gita shloka is told. The aatmans, individual selves, the vaishamya is not there, they are of the same nature. Therefore, the question asked by the king and the replies given by Bharata are proper, as can be understood from this.
92
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 92:
Tvam raajaa shibikaa cha iyam ime vaahaah purassaraah |
Ayam cha bhavato loko na sat etat nrupa uchyate || You are the king, and this is the palanquin; the labourers are all the carriers. All these are not said to be sat.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Evam taavat dehaadeenaam pruthak upalabdhi kaaranatva anekatva aadibhih
anaatmatvam uktam | Idaaneem anityatvena anaatmatvam aaha tvam raajaa
ityaadinaa adhyaaya sheshena | Tvam raajaa iti | Atra shibikaa grahanam yat
dravyaa shibikaa itivat anityatve anaamatve cha drushtaanta artham | Etat
raaja shibikaadikam sarvam, na sat anityam | Ato na aatma iti abhipraayah | ***So far, Bharata taught him that deha, indriya, etc. are very clearly different from the aatman; they are experienced and known as different from the aatman. They are many, and very clearly understood as different from the aatman. Because of that, they are all not the aatman, was told. From now, what is told is that they are all anitya and aatman is nitya. In the remaining part of this chapter, this is being taught. Palanquin is being told here, because whatever is the material of the palanquin, it is anitya and anaatma also. It is not nitya, it is anitya. These are all not eternal. So they are all not the aatman, is the meaning.
93
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 93:
Vruksho daaru tatah cha iyam shibhikaa tvat adhishthitaa |
Kim vruksha samjnyaa vaasyaa syaat daaru samjynaa athavaa nrupa || ***He asked a question to the king that there is the tree, we take the wood from the tree, and then make this palanquin, and you are sitting on that. Is this palanquin called the tree itself? Or is it called wood?
This palanquin is not called either tree or mere wood. It is called as a palanquin.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Drushtaantam niroopayati vruksha iti | Iyam shibikaa jeeva drushaayaam [[242]]
vrukshah, bhinno daaru, paschaat samyojitaa shibikaa | Tatra shibikaa
avasthaayaam vruksha daaru samjye kva gate ? Vrukshatvaadi avasthaa
naashaat nashte iti arthah | This palanquin, when it is living, it is in the form of a tree. When cut from the tree, it becomes wood. And then, it is assembled into a palanquin. When it is in the state of palanquin, it does not have name of tree and wood. The state of tree is gone, the state of wood is also gone. The palanquin is only existing. So it keeps changing from state to state. They are all anitya, not permanent.
94
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 94:
Vrukshaaroodho mahaaraajo naayam vadati te janah |
Na cha daaruni sarvah tvaam braveeti shibikaa gatam || Nobody will tell you that you are sitting on a tree. When you are sitting on the palanquin, they will also not say that you are sitting on a wooden block. They will say that you are sitting on the palanquin only.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Etat upapaadayati vrukshaaroodha iti | Tvaam jano vrukshaaroodha iti na
vadati, daarunyaaroodhaa iti cha, kim tu shibikaa gatam braveeti | ***They will not say that you are sitting on wood, or on the tree. They say that you are sitting on the palanquin only.
95
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 95:
Shibikaa daaru sanghaato rachanaa sthiti samsthitah |
Anvishyataam nrupa shreshtha tat bhede shibikaa tvayaa || ***The palanquin is a collection of wooden pieces. Even this palanquin is also impermanent.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Shibikaa cha asthira iti aaha shibikaa iti | Rachanaa sthiti samsthito daaru
sanghaatah shibhikaa; saa tat bhede anvishyataam nashta iti arthah | ***Wood is assembled in a particular form and given the shape of palanquin. The collectivity of wood in a particular formation is constructed into a palanquin. The wooden pieces, and the differences between that and the palanquin, can you find out? No, because they are all collected together, so that you cannot differentiate like that.
96
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 96:
Evam chatra shalaakaanaam pruthak bhaave vimrushyataam |
Kva yaatam cchatram iti esha nyaayah tvayi tathaa mayi || In the same way, there is an umbrella, and all the sticks. They are all assembled from different parts. Same way it is in me also.
[[243]]
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Evam iti | Evam shalaakaa pruthak bhaave cchatram vimrushyataam | Tvam
aham arthatayaa lokaabhimateshu anityeshu shareereshu api esha nyaayah | ***When the sticks are all taken out and separated, when it is destroyed, can you say where is the umbrella? Umbrella is all gone, destroyed. Whatever the world thinks that you and I are the body only, and the shareera is all anitya, in the same way, we cannot say that I am the body.
97
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 97:
Pumaan stree gourajo vaajee kunjaro vihagah taruh |
Deheshu loka samjyeyam vijnyeyaa karma hetushu || In the world, when people see like that, that he is a man, that she is a woman, this is a cow, this is a goat, this is a horse, this is an elephant, this is a bird, this is a tree. These are all the names given to the body only. They have all come because of the karmaas only. They have karma as the root. What we identify as differences are only in the body and not in aatman.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:** **Pumaan stree iti | Aatmatayaa abhimateshu deheshu lokasamjnyaa, na tu
shaastra nyaaya drushta aatma samjnyaa | This is only according to the views of the people of the world, and not according to shaastraas.
98
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 98:
Pumaan na devo na naro na pashuh na cha paadapah |
Shareera kruti bhedaah tu bhoopa ete karma yonayah || He is not a deva or a nara, or a pashu or a tree. They are all differences in form or shape of the body only, and are all born due to karma, caused by karma only. Bharata says that this jeevaatman is not a manushya, not a deva, or an animal or a tree. These differences in the body and it form, etc. are because of the karma. Because of the karma, the jeevaatman has got these bodies.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Pumaan iti | Pumaan aatmaa, na deva aadi roopah | Ete devatva aadayah | ***Pumaan means jeevaatman here.
99
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 99:
Vastu raajaa iti yat loke yat cha raaja bhata aatmakam |
Tathaa anyat cha nrupettham tat na tat sankalpanaamayam || ***Raaja, raaja-bhata and all those which we see here, all those things which are born out of sankalpa, they are all created, and the world is full of these creations, like father and son, all these creations here are not eternal. They are not sat. [[244]]
O king, whatever is told in this loka as vastu, the raaja, raaja bhata, and whatever things you told - they are not sat, they are asat. They are all created, relations like father-son, etc. are not sat, they are asat.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Vastu iti | Ittham sampratiyogikam pitru putratva aadikam yat tat
sankalpanaamayam sankalpanaa utpattih tanmayama tat prachuram | Ato na
sat |
100
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 100:
Yat tu kaalaantarena api na anya samjnyaam upaiti vai |
Parinaama aadi sambhootaam tat vastu nrupa tat cha kim || ***Even at different times, he does not get called by different names. And he does not undergo any change. That which does not get a different name, at any point of time is vastu. The *anya *samjnyaa comes because of parinaama. The achetana goes on continuously changing in its svaroopa itself, and because of that, it keeps on getting different names. The previous state is destroyed and a new state is created. For achetana, there is parinaama in the svaroopa itself. Whatever is vastu is only that which does not get a different name or form, at any point of time. It is of the same form at any point of time; there is no change in its svaroopa. It is all not what is seen here; these are all avastu.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Atra achit vastuni avastu asat shabdou na tucchatva mitthya tu aparou; api tu
vinaashitva parou it aaha yah tu iti | Yat tu kaala bhedena parinaama
upaadhyaayadibhih krutaam anya samjnyaam na yaati tat vastu tat kim?
drushyeshu na kinchiti iti arthah | Yat vaa vastu iti uktam tat na tuccham
mitthyaa vaa, kaala antarena iti vachanaat | Vidhi nishedhayoh desha kaala
aikye hi virodhah | Atra tu kaala bhedaat avirodhah | ***Achit is being told as avastu and asat, does not mean tucchatva or mithyaatva, not bhramaa or illusion, because achit also is nitya in a particular state. Anityatva that is told with respect to avastu is meaning that it continuously undergoes changes, satata parinaami. In the state of avyakta, the moola prakruti, it is also eternal. But, it undergoes changes, that is why it is called as asat, or avastu, because it does not remain in the same state all the time.
We are at the end of Amsha 2, Chapter 13, where Bharata is teaching the *aatma svaroopa, to King Souveera, that the aatma svaroopa is different from deha, indriyaas, and we need to study the last few shlokaas. ***With respect to the achit, achetana, what is meant is avastu and asat; tuccha means [[245]]
it gets destroyed, it does not exist; mitthya means that it is imagined, it is only appearance; it is not like this, because though there is change in the essential nature, there is no complete destruction.
In one of the earlier shlokaas, it was told that whatever is mud, it became pot; that mud is destroyed and pot is created. Then pot is destroyed and kapaala is created. Then kapaala is destroyed and choorna, powder is created. Then the powder is destroyed, and it becomes dust. Then, it is destroyed and it becomes anu, which is not seen. But, in all these, the svaroopa naasha is not there. It is only there in some other state. The previous state gets destroyed, and the next state is created, avasthaantaraapatti. There is no complete destruction of the svaroopa.
So avastu or asat does not mean tucchatva or mitthyaatva.
The *avastu *- state gets destroyed, and it gets into new state. Due to a different time, because of the parinaama or upaadhi, like karma, different form comes. That which does not get that, what is that - it is not whatever you are seeing here. How can we know that it is not tucchatva or mitthyaatva; the word kaalaantarena indicates that as time passes, whatever does not change is told with respect to the vastu, which is aatman. This means that the avastu changes over time. This indicates that it is not mithyaa.
If it is in the same place, and same time, then vidhi and nishedha both cannot happen. So, it can happen at different times, and different places, it is possible. Desha, kaala aikya is not there. What was mud in the morning, it becomes pot in the afternoon. Mud is destroyed and pot is there. So, destruction and creation, does not happen at the same time and place, but there is time difference, there could be place difference, etc. If there is desha kaala aikya, then virodha can happen, but it is not so here. ***
101
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 101:
Tvam raajaa sarva lokasya pituh putro ripoh ripuh |
Patnyaah patih pitaa soonoh kim tvaam bhoopa vadaami aham ||*** The Braahmana continues to say - you are the king of all these lands, with respect to your father - you are son, with respect to your enemy - you are his enemy, you are husband with respect to your wife, you are father with respect to your son. Should I say that you are father, or you are son, or husband, what should I say?
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Asthiram asat iti uktam tat nidarshayati - tvam raajaa iti | Raajatva aadeh
lokaadi upaadhikatvaat asthiratvam | ***Whatever is asthira is asat, it was told. This is explained in this shloka. It is with respect to the upaadhi of this loka, that there is a mutual relationship of father-son, [[246]]
and he becomes father with respect to his son, etc. Raajatva and all these are coming because of all this. He rules over people, and is called as king. These are all caused by upaadhi, and are not permanent.
102
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 102:
Tvam kim etat shirah kim nu greevaa tava tathaa udaram |
Kimu paada aadikam tvam vai tava etat kim maheepate || Are you your head, or are you your neck. Or are you your stomach, what are you? Or are you your feet? Are you all of these, or do they belong to you? Shall I say you are the head, or shall I say that it is your head?
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Atha * Pindah pruthak ityaadinaa sankshepena uktam artham upapaadayan deha
aatma vivekam prakarana artham upasamharati - tvam kim etat iti |
Andhatamasi akshi nimeelane cha niravayavatvena aatmanah pratyaktayaa
aham iti bhaasamaanatvaat, idam buddhi bodhyam adrushya aparabhaagam cha
shira aadi naatmaa, na cha aatmano avayavah | ***What was told earlier that you are different from the body, and indriyaas, etc., it is explained again, and the prakarana is concluded with these shlokaas now. The gist of this prakarana is deha aatma viveka, differences and specific distinctions between body and aatman, is being concluded here. In darkness, and when someone is closing their eyes, as aatman is niravayavi; meaning that when we close the eyes, aatma’s eyes are not closed, as aatman does not have eyes, hands, etc.; so it is niravayavi. Pratyaktva is svasmai bhaasamaanatvam; it always reveals itself as aham aham.
There is a wonderful portion in Bruhadaaranyaka Upanishad called Jyoti Braahmana. There, these things are explained in detail. It is asked - how is the aatman known when the Aaditya, Sun is not there? It is answered that - is it Chandramaa, is it Agni? Finally when it is complete darkness, what is it that gives light to the Purusha? This is called as Jyotirbraahmana. First, it says Aaditya; Aaditya is the one which gives light to the jeevaatman. When Sun is not there, there is the Moon. When the Moon is also not there, how does the jeevaatman know; it is through Agni. When Agni is not there, extinguished, what is the light. Finally it comes to when it is full darkness, it is vaak, speech. When there is complete darkness, we can know by speaking. When vaak is also not there, it is svayam jyotih, aatma jyoti. He knows himself, does not need any external light, or anything else. This is svasmai bhaasamaanatva. He is always known as aham. Aatman is aham, everything else is idam. When we point to some object, we say idam. When we say ourselves, we say aham. This is different from I. Whatever other parts of the body are there, head and others, they are not aatman; they are told as idam. They are also not parts of the aatman. Aatman is a niravayavi.
103
***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 103: [[247]]
Samasta avayavebhyah tvam pruthak bhoopa vyavasthitah |
Ko aham iti atra nipuno bhootvaa chintaya paarthiva || From all these parts in the body, eyes, ears, hands, legs, etc., you are existing separately from all of them, O King. You have to intelligently think “Who am I”.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Samasta avayavebhya iti | Tasmaat ebhah pruthak aatmaa vyavasthita iti
arthah | Nipuno bhootvaa iti paathah | Yathaa uktam yaamunaachaaryaih *
Aham buddhya paraagarthaat pratyak artho hi bhidyate * iti | ***Because of this, the aatma is existing separately from all these things, different and distinct. Yaamunaachaarya’s sookti is referred here by *Sri Engal Aalwaan *- the Pratyagaatma is revealed to himself, *svasmai bhaasamaanah, paraak *artha is parasmai bhaasamaana. From that which is only revealed to others, but does not know itself, the aatman who knows itself is different, by aham buddhi, known as aham aham. Whereas things which are revealed to others are known as idam, they don’t know themselves. This is the difference.
104
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 13, Shloka 104:
Evam vyavasthite tattve mayaa aham iti bhaashitum |
Pruthak karana nishpaadyam shakyate nrupate katham || Tattva, reality exists like this. Whatever is possible of being separated from the aatman, how can I say that as aham? I have to address that as idam only; that is not the aatman.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Prakrutam prashna prativachana vaiyarthyam upasamharati evam iti | Tattve
aatma svaroope | Pruthakaranam pruthak kaarah, deva aadi jaaticharana aadi
pruthak kaarasya bhedasya dehagatatvena anaatma dharmatvaat
atmaantarebhyah pruthak karana nishpaadyam vachanam bhaashitum na
shakyam, sarva saadhaarana aakaarah aham iti vaktum na shakyata iti arthah | ***The question and answer which they exchanged initially was not proper because this is how reality is. This is concluded here. The reality, nature of the aatman is like this. We can separate hands and feet, or also as *deva, manushya *- we see this kind of separation and differences. This is the bheda. These are all characteristics of the body, and not the aatman; they are all anaatma dharmaas. From other aatmans also, whatever can be separated - I cannot say that I am that. I cannot say that I am like all others, because one is deva, one is manushya, one is someone else, etc. Whatever forms we are seeing outside, with all the parts of the body, the jaati, etc. we cannot say that I am all that.
This concludes Chapter 13.
*|| Iti Sri Vishnu Puraane Dviteeye Amshe Trayodasho Adhyaayah || *[[248]]
- **|| Iti Sri Vishnu Puraana Vyaakhyaane Vishnu Chitteeye Dviteeye Amshe Trayodasho Adhyaayah || **** [[249]]
|| Atha Chaturdasho Adhyaayah ||** *
Now Chapter 14.*** ***