English
THE STORY OF BHEEMA, BHA'SA AND D'RUDHA, I 17 them ; all dangers flee from before them and they are in possession of all incomparable acquisitions. What is there that cannot be encompassed easily by those stainless men, through their ceaseless efforts, their intelligence and a study of the supreme spiritual books? If only the readers of Atma- Jnana works who do take delight therein, will not be hasty in longing for the fruits at once but will meditate regularly and gradually upon them, then the mind will by degrees be ripened and at the end the endless Atma will be reached. May you, without pains or fear or sloth or egoism, walk in the path laid out by Atma-Jnana books, without heeding to the illusory voices of any one. Do not court destruction (by treading a wrong path). All our properties are but futile. All our wealth land us but into dangers. But non- desires take us into Elysium. Fame, longevity and acquisi tions as well as Brahmic seat are involuntarily attained, like a soft tendril in spring, by those wise men who, walking in the right path, do not in the least long after material plea sures productive of the pains of SamsaYa. Having prostra ted at the beautiful feet of those great persons, one should free himself through their aid from the trammels of re-births which cannot be avoided through mere Tapas or pilgrimage or study of spiritual books. The Great persons are those who have minimised greatly the bootless delusion of " I" and anger and treading the virtuous path, live out their lives according to Atma-JnAna books. Those who have not cog nized Brahman, the true significance of " I," cannot be said to have seen Chid&kas ; but those who have cognized Brah man, can be said to be Chidakas itself. If the cloud of Ahan kara called " I" do screen the sun of Jnana-Akas, then the lily of Brahman which is *' Non-I," will never bloom. The original sprout of the painful Ahankara with its tender stem of re-births at length ramifies itself everywhere with its long branches of " Mine" and " thine" and yields its unripe fruits of Naraka (hell). This tree can be destroyed to its root by Jnana fire only. Here Rdma queried the Rishi thus — what is the nature of this Ahankara (the ideation of I) ? How can we master it ? What are the results of such a mastery by a person, whether he is associated with the V&sanas of the body or not ? n8 YOGA-VA'SISHTA. > To which, Muni Vasishta replied thus — " In the three worlds, there are three kinds* of Ahankaras. Of these, two kinds of Ahankaras are always beneficial and one always condemnable. That Jnana which after discrimination enables us to cognize that all the worlds and Paramatma are our selves, that the self (or I) is eternal and that there is no other to be meditated upon than our self is the Supreme Ahankara. That Jnana which makes us perceive our own Self to be more subtle than the tail-end of paddy and to be ever-exis tent, exterior to (or above) all the universe, is the second kind of Ahankara. These two kinds of Ahank&ras will certainly be found in Jivan Muktas and will enable them to attain Moksha after crossing Samsara ; but will never subject them to bondage. That certain knowledge which identifies the " 1" with the body composed of the hands, feet, &c., is the third kind of Ahankara, This is common to ail persons of the world and dire in its results. It is the cause of the growth of the poisonous tree of re-births. It should be destroyed at all costs. Dire, very dire are its effects. Through this dire Ahankara, myriads of souls have been deluded and bereft of all intelligence. The more you soon annhilate this Ahankara through the above mentioned two kinds of Ahankara, the more will the Brahmic Principle dawn in you. Endeavour, through the higher two kinds of Ahankara, to attain Brah man : then if you are firmly seated in that Seat where even these two kinds of Ahankara are given up, one by one, then such a state is the ripe Brahmic seat. The non-identification of " I" with the visible body (or the visibles) is the Nirvana proclaimed by the Yedas. Now hearken well to the characteristics of these Ahan karas. After the utter annihilation of the above mentioned Asuras, D'ama and others, Sambar£sura who was well versed in MAyavidya became greatly incensed with the haughty Devas and having reflected in diverse ways upon devisfng means for their destruction soliloquised thus — "The three Asu ras, D'&ma and others, whom I created before were devoid of Atma-Jnaiia; and hence seized with the unreal conception of * The 3 Ahankaras rise in reference to the three bodies of man. In the second kind of Ahank&ra, their direct experience is they are like the tail end of paddy or the thumb and not this body. THE STORV OF BHEEMA, fcHA'SA AND D'RUDHJL 119 ^ I" and " mine," succumbed to the Devas in fight. There fore I will again create, through my Mayavic power, Asuras of Jnana, well read in Atma-Jnana Sastras. Possessed of the true Jnana, they will not be destroyed through the illusory Ahankara." With this determination to overpower the D6vas, S'am- bara willed into existence, through his stainless mind, three Asuras who arose through Mdya like bubbles on the surface of the ocean encircling the earth. They were omniscient and through their own wisdom, knew themselves to be of the nature of Jnana. They had not the taint of Sanchita Karmas or love or hatred. They were able to firmly be in whatever state they wished to be. They were so illuminated as not to have any doubts. These pure personages cared not a straw for the whole Universe ; their names being Bheema, Bhasa and D'rudha. Being asked by their maker to wage war with the Devas, they marched straight against them and fought terribly with them for countless years : whenever the idea of " 1" and "mine" flitted across the minds of these Asuras, they would probe unto their hearts for the origin of "I" through their subtle Jnana enquiry. And then this manifes tation of "I" and "mine" vanished at once like the wealth of non-charitably disposed persons. Those who have divested themselves of this ever-waxing Ahankara through Atmic enquiry in diverse ways will never be touched by the fear of births and deaths, will be stainless and content with whatever objects they can easily get and will look equally upon all through their present Jnana-vision existing from a remote period. Therefore in the war with Bheema and others, the whole host of Devas chose rather to fly away from the field like the wealth dissipated by a rake in a short time and to hide them selves in different quarters. They then went to Vishnu for asylum and prostrated themselves before Him who strode the tarth with three strides.* Having assured them of his aid and told them not to be afraid, Vishnu marched to the battlefield in great anger and waged a rare war by flinging at the three Asuras the weapon, discus. The three Asuras were burnt * The three strides are in Vamana (Dwarf) Avatar. I2O TOGA-VA'SISHTA by the flames issuing out of the said weapon and were carried at once to the Loka called Vaikunta wherein resides Vishnu wearing on his neck the Tulasi garland. Thus through Vasanas, bondage is caused ; with the disappearance of the former, the latter also vanishes. There fore, Oh Rama, you should know well all things through your discriminative Jndna. Through such a knowledge of Tatwas, there will be an extinction of all Vasanas which form the medium of enjoyments. With the extinction of all Vasanas, the undaunted mind will get quiescence like a gheeless lamp. THE STORY OF DHA'S'OORA. Summary— Having explained that the renunciation of Ahankdra tends to the attainment of Atma, the author again illustrates in this story the theory that Atmic Sankalpa makes this universe to shine and constitutes it. The best means of disposing of this great danger of Maya involving all in pains is the destruction of the mind* Oh R&ma, may you hear from me and not slip from your memory the true significance of the perfect Tatwa-Jnana. The longing after the stainful material enjoyments is itself bondage ; the renunciation of the same is Moksha of the nature of Brahman. Of what avail are other paths, such as the study of Sastras and others ? You should, without the least suffering of mind, walk in this path of renunciation of desires.