Random musings - part 14

Duhkha-anubhava is source of knowledge or vairagya. But there is also this saying prasava vairagya - once the difficulty is over, we are back to square one! The knowledge or vairagya does not stay! It may be compared to the lightning in the dark clouds! Once rain is over, it is also gone! This is what the below verse expresses, in two ways - first (not so positive) is my idea and the second (positive) is my wife's tweaking.

First

अतीवदुःखे हि विवेकबुद्धिः

विभातु कालाभ्रतडित्समाना ।

क्षणे विनष्टा विफला च हन्त

पुनः कदा याति सुखे तु जाते ।। 131 ।।

अतीवदुःखे in extreme misery हि indeed विवेकबुद्धिः discriminative knowledge  विभातु shine कालाभ्र in dark cloud तडित्समाना like lightning  क्षणे in a moment विनष्टा lost  विफला useless (not productive) च and  हन्त alas पुनः again कदा when आयाति it comes सुखे happiness तु if जाते born

Let discriminative knowledge shine like lightning in dark clouds! But alas it is short-lived and not productive. Also it is not known when it will appear again once happiness ensues.

Second

अतीवदुःखे हि विवेकबुद्धिः

विभातु कालाभ्रतडित्समाना ।

क्षणे विनष्टा विफला च मा भूत्

दहेत्तु कामादि मनोगतं तत् ।। 132 ।।

अतीवदुःखे in extreme misery हि indeed विवेकबुद्धिः discriminative knowledge  विभातु shine कालाभ्र in dark cloud तडित्समाना like lightning  क्षणे in a moment विनष्टा lost  विफला useless (not productive) मा भूत् let it not become दहेत्तु let it burn but कामादि doshas like kama मनोगतं of the mind तत् that

Let discriminative knowledge shine like lightning in dark clouds! Let it not be short-lived and non-productive. Let it develop like a thunderbolt and destroy kama etc of the mind.

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If faith or belief is compared to a seed, it is surprising that it does not even sprout in the right place, where it is supposed to. Rather in the wrong place, it quickly develops in to a forest! This is surprising indeed!

विश्वासो नाम बीजं हि स्वभूमौ नांकुरायते ।

प्रायस्तूर्णमभूमौ तु विस्मयस्तद्वनायते ।। 133 ।।

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शिष्यत्वे याति काले तु गुरुरायाति हि स्वयम् ।

गुरुत्वे याति शिष्योपि सत्यमेतत्कलावपि ।। 134 ।।

It is true even in this Kali Yuga that when someone attains the qualities of a student, becomes ready, the Guru arrives on his own. In the same way when someone attains the qualities of a Guru, the sishya arrives on his own, no need to advertise!

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Fire develops in association with objects and ofcourse afflicts! That is its nature. But the fire called knowledge grows in the absence of vishaya (objects) and relieves of the affliction in samsara. This is a wonder!

ज्ञानाख्यपावकस्येह विषयासंगवर्धनम् ।

तापापसरणं चापि संसारेsयं तु विस्मयः ।। 135 ।।

ज्ञानाख्य called knowledge  पावकस्य of fire इह here  विषयासंगवर्धनम् growth in the absence of objects  तापापसरणं removal of affliction  चापि as well संसारे in the world / samsara अयं this तु but विस्मयः surprising

This is indeed surprising in the world that the fire called knowledge grows in the absence of objects and removes affliction (in samsara). The tejas or Agni called jnana does not develop as long as there is raga (attachment) to material objects...rather even it is born, the attachment to objects will douse it.

When there is the absence of material objects (vishaya), jnana develops further and removes the taapa of samsara. The jnana referred to here is supreme knowledge and not the day to day knowledge, which is ajnana only. The word asanga should be taken as detachment as well...not mere physical separation...

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The idea in the verse is an anecdote which is usually heard in upanyasams and kalakshepams.

If at all there is happiness in samsara it is like this. A man is chased by a lion in a forest. While running he falls in to a dry well but manages to hang on to a branch of tree. He sees a huge poisonous snake below and above the lion is waiting. When he curses himself on his destiny a sweet drop of honey falls on his lips, tasting which, he forgets the impending danger for a while in that happiness. Happiness in samsara is compared to hat drop of honey!

सिंहानुसारी वनकूपपाती

शाखावलन्बी विषसर्पदर्शी ।

एवं स्थिताssस्ये मधुबिन्दुपातं

हन्तेह लोके सुखमीदृशम् वै ।। 136 ।।

सिंहानुसारी chased by a lion वनकूपपाती fallen in to well in the forest शाखावलन्बी hanging on a branch विषसर्पदर्शी seen by a poisonous snake एवं स्थितास्ये in the mouth of him, who is in such a state मधुबिन्दुपातं fall of a drop of honey हन्तेह alas here लोके in samsara सुखमीदृशम् happiness is like thia वै indeed

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There are three persons from the perspective of Grammar - first person, second person and third person. In Sanskrit, they are uttama purusha, madhyama purusha and prathama purusha. Since the third person in English corresponds to prathama purusha (which also means first person) in Sanskrit, there is a confusion sometimes.

To clarify the same, this verse explains them from the point of view of a gossip. In a gossip, the speaker is the best (he knows best), let the listener be neutral or middle person while listening (he may take it to the subject of gossip later) and one who is the subject of gossip is the prathama purusha! 🤔

उत्तमः पुरुषो वक्ता श्रोता तु मध्यमो भवेत् ।

प्रजल्पप्रसंगो यस्य वर्तते प्रथमो हि सः ।। 137 ।।

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Those who have the habit of watering plants may agree to this. The daily watering can never match the kind of (overall) nourishment even an occasional rain gives to the plants! One must see the freshness! It is just a simple observation, may be insignificant!

पोषयति यथा वृष्टिः भूत्वा कदाचिदप्यहो ।

यत्नतोपि कृतं नैव तथा तु नित्यसेचनम् ।। 138 ।।

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How do we know or feel the presence of God? Sometimes we may have to infer the cause (when not evident) by looking at the effect! If the beautiful colourful art work on the clouds which is seen everyday is an effect, the presence of its artist (creator) may be felt or experienced!

अस्ति कोपि कलाकारः नित्यं तु यो नु वायुना ।

तेजसा मेघभूमौ खे स्वकलां दर्शयत्यहो ।। 139 ।।

There is an artist indeed who with air and light shows his art (his own part) in the cloud field in sky everyday!

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Some student of mine was asked to compose a birthday song in Sanskrit and he requested me to do it within an evening. This was born instantly. It can be sung in the regular 'happy birthday tune'.

भूयो भूयात् शुभं ते च यशस्वी त्वं भवेस्सदा ।

यान्तु त्वया सुखं सर्वे  चिरंजीवी भव प्रिय ।। 140 ।।

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