English
Whilst he was administering regal justice in his -kingdom with strict impartiality, protecting the virtuous and chastising the vicious, a train of ideas ran in his mind to the following effect — " If through my legal powers, I afflict my people, are not their pains mine ? But if I fail to mete out to them the punishments according to Dharma Sastras, then all my subjects will die in vain without a protector. Oh, this ruling over a kingdom is indeed a difficult task." With these thoughts rocking in his mind, he became afflicted at heart. At this juncture, Muni Mtindavya appeared upon the scene. Thereupon Suraghu having paid him due respects and eulogised him, addressed him thus — "Oh virtuous Muni, with thy advent my heart has been filled with complete * A low class of people who live by chase. 198 YOGA-VA'SISKTA. happiness. I am glad to see that I have found a place in a corner of the heart of good men like thyself. As thou, Oh Lord, the cognizer of all Dharmas, hast long been free from all despondencies of heart, I hope thou wilt clear the doubts of myself who am involved in manifold Karmas. There is nothing in this world so tormenting to the mind of an indivi dual as doubt. My mind grows dizzy — with the pains or pleasures my subjects undergo in this spacious earth of mine through my favour or disfavour — like an elephant before a he-lion. Please bless me in such a manner, so that equality of vision over all may set in upon my mind, like the sun shin ing everywhere." To which Muni Mandavya replied thus — "The stains of the mind will be washed away by Atmic enquiry, like fogs disappearing with the rays of the sun. If you will unceasing ly be engaged in the cogitation of the questions — who am I ? whence came the universe ? How came birth and death ? — you will be able to gain the higher seat. If you will render Atmic enquiry habitual in you, then your mind will be made subservient to your will and will quit its state devoid of pains. In the eyes of a cool mind free from its ups and downs, all worldly actions appear (as trivial) to it, as the foot prints of a cow to a huge elephant. Though trivial in the eyes of the wise, these actions are insurmountable (in the case of others). For is not the water enclosed in the cow's footprint an ocean of incalculable area to an old musquito? The farther and farther you are removed from the universe (in thought), the more and more will the divine Light of Para- matma radiate in you. So long as you are not freed from (all objects), so long will the true Principle not be cogniz ed by you. All visibles vanishing, the residue will be Itself. Paramatmic Light will not shine when the dualities of the mind are not destroyed. How can Atmic Reality be cognized when the homogeneity of gold and other objects is not perceived ? Therefore in order to attain Atma, all longings for objects should cease. If all should be given up free from all pains, then what remains is the indestructible Moksha— the supreme Brahmic Seat. Oh famous king of hunters, if after destroying your mind ever surging through the Vasanas of Ajnana in this world of objects replete with THE STORY OF SURAGHU. 1Q9 its cause and effect and co-eternal with it, you then give up even the Vasanas of body, then will the stainless beneficent Principle be attained." So saying Muni Mandavya of great Tapas returned to his own abode. Thereafter the king of hunters withdrew into his solitary crypt and there began through his subtle intelligence to ever enquire into the origin of " I." It is rather ludicrous to apply the epithet " I" to this body from head to foot. Let me see what this body is. It is composed of flesh, bones, &c., and as such is inert. Hence " I" is not this body. Again the ten Indryas are other than " I" (from the epithet of my Indryas) and are inert. Hence I am not the ten indryas. If " 1" is not this body with Indryas, &c., then what remains is Jiva. Even this Jiva is known by Pratyagatma. Therefore Jiva which is known by Pratyagatma Chaitanya, cannot be termed the Atma-Tatwa. Hence I shall free myself from the Jiva state. Shall I become "That" fit to be known ? That full Jnana which is immaculate and remains without any Vikalpas is my Reality alone. This supreme Jnana pervades, like a thread running through round pearls in beads, through Vishnu, Brah ma, Rudra, Devendra, Yama and other seats. This supreme Jnana-potency of Atma-Tatwa is without the disease of worldly acts, has a terrific incomparable form, pervades all quarters, is full in all objects, subtle and without existence or non- existence and permeates all up to Satya Loka where Brahma lives. This Chit-Sakti is the abode of all other Saktis (or potencies). It is only owing to a motion (or fluctuation') in this Jnana that all the diversified objects in this world are due and to nothing else." Having given up all objects without shackles of Vasanas and freed himself from delusions which follow a person even in his seventh re-birth, Suraghu maintained equality of vision over all, like one fixed immovably in his Sushupti state. Being freed from all through living firmly in his Atma-Tatwa, he reached the Brahmic state through certain true discrimina tion, like Muni Viswamitra of rare Tapas attaining the status of a Brahmin. Thus did Suraghu reach that Sushupti state wherein all actions cease to function, and was immovable like a picture-flight represented with its flames. In that state he was, without the dualities of blessing or curse, love or 2OO YOGA-VA SISIiTA. hatred, association or non-association, intelligence or non- intelligence. Vasishta continued — Oh Rama of mountain- like arms, hear also what took place between Suraghu of non-dual cognition and a Raja Rishi by the name of Parnadha. Suraghu had a friend by the name of Parigha of the race of Pfiraseeka who was also a king. Finding that his subjects suffered greatly on account of drought in his realm for 10 years and died in great numbers, the latter's heart gave way. Therefore quitting his country for the forest, he gave up all desires for food and performed Tapas, feeding himself upon dry leaves. Thereby he was surnamed Parnadha.* Through such a Tapas he attained Atma-Jnana, since none could vie with the Tapas of this king-recluse. This Muni who could, at his will, roam throughout the three worlds as if in his house, went and appeared before King Suraghu. Both reci procated their affections with true love and began to dis course upon their respective experiences. Suraghu began thus — "My heart has been filled to the brim with exquisite bliss at the approach of thy venerable self.'' Parnadha said — I have also been elevated (through thy sight) to that Jnana state into which thou wert initiated by Muni Mandavya. Oh King, art thou able to transact thy worldly business with a clear mind and a noble and equal vision over all? Has thy body, affected by the changes of times, been free from the trammels of diseases, mental or physical ? Art thou able to preserve thy equilibrium of mind amidst the excessive pleasures of wealth ? Hast thou been able to merge into Samfidhi without any Sankalpas, by following the path of extreme serenity and Kaivalya (isola tion), without any the least fluctuation of mind ? Whether one performs actions or not, an Atma-Jnani will never be free from Samadhi state. Persons of Jnana mind will always be in the Samadhi of true Nishta (meditation), albeit engaged in worldly actions. Oh liberal-minded brother, persons without full euen-mindedness will never be able to go into Samadhi, even though they may comply with the formalities of sitting in Padma posture and offering- salutations to Parabrahm. It is Atma-Jnana alone which forming the Agni (or fire) to the fuel of desires consti- * Parnadha from Parna meaning leaves. THE STORY OF BHA'SA AND VILA'SA. 2OI tutes the noble Samadhi. If the mind, being: destroyed through concentration, cognizes Tatwa-Jnana, such a Jn£na is stated by the wise to be Sam£dhi. The intelligence of the wise not bound by illusion, though mindful of the worldly actions, will not forget even for a moment their Atmic Reality (eternal) like time. Like V£yu blowing freely in every direc tion it wills to take, a Jnani's intelligence will always follow the path of the differenceless Atma-Jnana.