Random musings - part 12

Though both Science and Philosophy try to understand the mysteries of life, their starting points are different. For example, Science says life is adventitious on Earth because of the presence of right conditions on it. Philosophy (Traditional Indian) states that the earth is (ever) there to support life as different beings have to be born again and again due to their beginning less karma. Let me ask earth herself!

अनादिकर्मणाऽस्माकं भूमे! भ्रमसि किं सदा ।

त्वं भ्रमसीति हेतोः किं भ्रामयति तु कर्म नः ।। 111 ।।

अनादि beginningless कर्मणा due to karma अस्माकं our भूमे! Earth! भ्रमसि you rotate किं what सदा always त्वं you  भ्रमसि rotate इति thus हेतोः due to the reason किं what भ्रामयति cause to rotate कर्म karma नः us

Earth! Is it due to our beginningless karma that you are (also) rotating constantly (to support us)? Or is it due to your rotation, we are born (somehow) and the (accumulated) karma is pushing us in to the cycle of rebirth?

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With the kind of medical advancement that we see today, man is and will certainly be afflicted by one condition for sure - 'extended old age' with no real aim to pursue but to depend on family and others! With geographically split nuclear families being the order of the day I am seriously worried whenever I look at any old person!

I sincerely wish our Acharyas and the coterie surrounding them seriously think of building vriddhashramas where people can spend the dusk of their life peacefully.

शैशवयौवने शीघ्रं वर्धेते क्षयतश्च वै ।

शनैः शनैस्तु वार्द्धक्यं पीडितो हन्त मानवः ।। 112 ।।

शैशव infancy / childhood यौवने youth शीघ्रं quickly वर्धेते set in क्षयतः go off च and वै indeed शनैः शनैः very slowly तु but वार्द्धक्यं old age पीडितः afflicted हन्त alas मानवः is man!

Infancy and youth set in and pass off quickly but alas the old age sets in slowly and stays for a longer time, afflicting people for long!

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Spiritual happiness is irrespective of material possessions whereas material happiness is with respect to material possessions. The material world is supposed to assist us in spiritual elevation; Their existence is centred (revolves) around us. We are not for them but unfortunately our existence revolves around them.

सूर्योऽहं तद्धि विस्मृत्य पृथिवीं हन्त सर्वदा ।

चन्द्र इव भ्रमन्नस्मि सूर्याद्यधिप! मामव ।। 113 ।।

सूर्यः Sun अहं I am तद्धि that indeed विस्मृत्य having forgot पृथिवीं the earth हन्त alas सर्वदा always चन्द्र the moon इव like  भ्रमन्नस्मि revolving सूर्याद्यधिप the Lord of Sun etc..(of earth, moon also) मामव save me.

Though I am like the Sun in reality (self-subsisting), alas! I am always revolving around the Earth like a moon under its influence. The Lord of Sun, earth etc! save me!

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In the normal course of life activities such as breathing, functioning of the senses etc do not depend on our will or agency.

When there is an object before, eyes see, a sound to be heard, ears listen and so on. What we call as instinctive. Sometimes going along with the instincts is misunderstood as freedom and obstructions are opposed. We are simply dragged. But when breath, senses and mind have to be restrained for a purpose, indeed our will and agency do matter.

विना संकल्पकर्तृत्वे प्राणेन्द्रियप्रवर्तनम् ।

ताभ्यां सहैव शक्यं तु नूनं तेषां निवर्तनम् ।। 114 ।।

विना without संकल्प will कर्तृत्वे and agency प्राण breath इन्द्रिय senses (and mind) प्रवर्तनम् function ताभ्यां with the two सहैव only शक्यं possible तु but नूनं indeed तेषां of the senses etc निवर्तनम् restraint

Without resolve and agency do the breath, mind and senses proceed. But their restraint is possible indeed only with the two.

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If poetry is a field of art, analysing poetry in the name of alankara (types of similes, figures of speech etc) is another. I am keen on the former and not on the latter as sometimes time is wasted due to over analysis.

हितसहितसाहित्ये भवेन्मे चिन्तना सना ।

अलंकारादिचर्चायां व्ययोऽस्ति समयस्य वै ।। 115 ।।

हित good सहित along with साहित्ये in literature भवेत् be there मे my चिन्तना thoughts सना always अलंकारादि alankara etc चर्चायां in discussions व्ययः wastage अस्ति is there समयस्य of time वै indeed

Let my thoughts be always in composing and reading good literature. Never in discussion on matters like alankara etc which entail wastage of time indeed. My point of view!

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One of the characteristics of a Pandit or scholar is to be envious of another - 'What does he or she know?' 'All luck or influence'. All said, however a fool is, he never envies another fool. In this he is better than a Pandit!

कथमपि भवेन्मूर्खः वरो नूनं स पण्डितात् ।

ईर्ष्यति न सजातीये कदापि पण्डितो यथा ।। 116 ।।

कथमपि however भवेत् be मूर्खः a fool वरः is better नूनं indeed स he पण्डितात् than a scholar ईर्ष्यति envy न does not सजातीये in another of his kind कदापि ever पण्डितो Pandit यथा like how

Let a fool be however he is. But he is indeed better than a scholar. He never envies another of his kind unlike a scholar (who is always in to it)!

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If problems are like seeds, because of our ignorance in tackling it, we nourish it well so as to make it a fruit-full tree, generating new seeds.  Whereas when we are able to confront them with right knowledge, not even a sprout comes forth! We compound and complicate our problems so much because of lack of wisdom! May not be true for all problems, but I think it is true in most cases!

कष्टं नाम नु बीजं तत् वृक्षायते त्वविद्यया ।

विद्यया याति दौर्बल्यं नैवापि पल्लवायते ।। 117 ।।

कष्टं difficulty नाम is नु indeed बीजं a seed तत् that वृक्षायते becomes a tree तु because अविद्यया of ignorance or karma विद्यया due to knowledge याति attains दौर्बल्यं weakness नैवापि never ever पल्लवायते does it sprout even

Difficulty is a seed that becomes a tree to an ignorant, whereas a jnani renders it impotent!

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The tamas (inertia or laziness) in me is not that bad! It has not allowed be to attain sattva aspects. Let it be so. At the same time it has prevented me from being consumed by rajas, passion. Salutations to that tamas!

अयाति मयि सत्त्वेषु तदस्तु किञ्चिदप्यहो ।

येन रजस्स्वशेषं च तमस्तस्मै नमो नमः ।। 118 ।।

अयाति not attained मयि I have सत्त्वेषु the virtues तदस्तु let it be किञ्चिदप्यहो alas even a bit येन due to which रजस्सु in rajo guna अशेषं completely च and तमः tamas तस्मै to it नमो नमः repeated salutations!

That I have not attained even a bit of virtues due to tamas, let it be but I am not completely consumed by passion as well...my salutations to that tamas!

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With due respect to the Sannyasins, my many salutations to those who are karmayogis, abandoning all pleasures always! The point of comparison is the abandoning of pleasures!

If we become Yudhisthira even for a short while and notice the good around us, we can take cognisance of many karmayogis around us! A watchman, milkman, gardener etc etc (in both genders)! It is because of them the world is still revolving! Salutations to them!

सन्तु सन्न्यासिनः पूज्याः किन्तु ये कर्मयोगिनः ।

त्यक्तसुखास्सदा नूनं तेभ्यो भूयो नमो नमः ।। 119 ।।

सन्तु let be सन्न्यासिनः Sannyasins पूज्याः respectables किन्तु but ये those कर्मयोगिनः karmayogis त्यक्तसुखाः have abandoned pleasures सदा always नूनं indeed तेभ्यो to them भूयो much नमो नमः salutations!

Let the respected Sannyasins be! My abundant salutations to those have abandoned pleasures for the sake of their duty!

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Trees when raised in our compounds do give us shades etc. But what about the dry leaves that keep falling and clogging the space? This is just one aspect of the difficulty.

छायां ददाति वृक्षस्तु शुष्कपत्राणि चापि वै ।

लोके न कोऽपि वस्त्वस्ति यत्सुखमात्रदायकम् ।। 120 ।।

छायां shade ददाति gives वृक्षः tree तु but शुष्कपत्राणि dry leaves चापि as well वै indeed लोके in the world न no कोऽपि single वस्तु thing अस्ति is there यत् that सुखमात्रदायकम् gives only happiness

A tree gives shade but also dry leaves! There is nothing in the world that gives only pleasure! We have to sweat to enjoy the pleasure of something! 

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