Pranam
PRASHNOTTARA MALIKA BY Birthrhari through Paramananda part 7
1 kō lābhō guṇisaṅgamaḥ kimasukhaṁ prājñētaraiḥ saṅgatiḥ kā hāniḥ
samayacyutirnipuṇatā kā dharmatattvē ratiḥ | kaḥ śūrō vijitēndriyaḥ
priyatamā kānuvratā kiṁ dhanaṁ vidyā kiṁ sukhamapravāsagamanaṁ rājyaṁ
kimājñāphalam || 103 ||
This verse is in the form of a Prashnōttara Mālika. It is a series of
questions and answers. Through this, Bhartruhari reveals some important
ideas. First question is kaha lābhaha - what is the true gain or true
accomplishment in life? He himself gives the answer for this - Guni
Sangamaha,Sajjana SangahaorSatsangahais the real gain. Why do we say
Satsanga is real gain? It is because Satsanga will first create interest in
Dharma. Once a person develops interest in Dharma, soon that interest will
be transferred to Mōksha. Before that, a person’s interest is only in
Artha-Kāma. The Satsanga will change the direction of life towards Dharma
first and then towards Mōksha.
2 Therefore, any other pursuit is samayachyutihi.chyutihimeans loss.
samayaha means time. There is another meaning also. samayaha means
opportunity. So, samayachyutihi means loss of opportunity. It is also a
real loss. Then, comes the next question. kā nipunata - Whatis skill? What
is Smartness in life? Who is a skillful person? Is it the one who is
successful in business? Is he the one who is successful in becoming the top
most one in the corporate ladder? Is it the top most one in the sports? Who
is the really skillful person?
3 He himself answers, dharmatatvē ratihi - One who is committed to Dharma
and understands that Artha and Kāma are subservient to Dharma. They are
like side dishes. They are like pickles. Do we eat curd rice for pickles or
do we eat pickles for curd rice?Curd rice is the main dish and for eating
that, we use a little bit of pickle. There are some people who love
pickles. Therefore, they keep mainly pickles and they eat a little bit of
curd rice in between. Similarly, our main pursuit must be Dharma. Money and
entertainment must be there. Nobody says no because with constant
involvement in Dharma, the mind gets a little bit tired or bored.
Therefore, we need entertainment. Therefore, cultural entertainments which
are not against Dharma are there in our culture. Mind needs entertainment.
Otherwise, it will become saggy. But the problem is entertainment should be
subservient to Dharma. Dharma must be given priority. Therefore, he says
dharmatatvē ratihi. Commitment and dedication to the understanding and the
pursuit of Dharma is Koushalam Yōgaha KarmsuKoushalam.
4 Who is a brave person, a valorous person, or a powerful person?
Normally, we think that the one who conquers many people in the war, etc,
is a brave person. Here he says vijitēndriyaha - The one who has mastered
his own sense organs is a brave person. The one who is a master of himself
or herself is a brave person.
bandhu rātmātmanastasya ēnātmaiva ātmanājitaha yastu vignyānavān bhavati
sa manaskaha sadā shuchihi sat u tatpadamāpnōti yasmāt bhūyō na jāyatē.
In Gīta, Kathōpanishad, etc, we have seen that the real mastery is not
the mastery of external world, but it is the mastery of oneself. They say
conquer yourself and you have conquered the whole world. Self-Management is
World Management or Family Management or Company Management. Here, Indirya
indicates both the sense organs and more importantly, the mind. To put in
Vēdāntic language, they are Shamaha and Damaha.When we use the words
management, control, etc, we should be very careful. We are not talking
about the suppression of the mind and senses. Suppression is as dangerous
as giving license to the mind and sense organs. As much damage is done by
looseness of them, so much damage is done by forceful restraint of them.
So, suppression is like stopping the flow of a river. If the flow of a
river is forcibly stopped, the pressure mounds up and a time comes when it
breaks the wall and floods all over. Therefore, what is done is, they build
a dam, but there are holes and channels. The water should be channelized.
Therefore, Indirya Jayaha is not stopping the senses. Indirya Jayaha is
directing the senses to healthy fields.
5 One of the names of wives is Saha Dharmachārini. Now, the ladies
are Saha Arthachārinis because husband earning is not enough. The cost of
living is going high. Therefore, they work to augment their income.
Therefore, it is Saha Arthachārini or Saha Kāmachārini - going together for
different entertainments. -What is true wealth? We will wonder why this
question is asked since everybody knows the answer. Money or dollars is the
true wealth. Bhartruhari says that is the mistake we have been committing.
na cōra hāryam na rājaḥ hāryam, na bhrātaḥ bhājyam na ca bhārakārī | byayaḥ
kr̥tē bardhatē ēva nityam vidyā dhanam sarba dhanam pradhānam|| What is the
difference between knowledge wealth and material wealth? Material wealth is
chōra hāryam. It can be stolen by any thief, whereas Vidyā Dhanam cannot be
stolen by a thief. Knowledge, once gained, nobody can steal it. Therefore,
na chōra hāryam na cha rāja hāryam - the Government cannot take away the
knowledge as tax. The money can be taxed, but knowledge cannot be taken
away as a tax. na bhrātru bhājyam - if there is family property, then so
many people will come to share that. But this wealth only expands in
sharing.
6 kāntākaṭākṣaviśikhā na lunanti yasya cittaṁ na nirdahati
kōpakr̥śānitāpaḥ | karṣanti bhūriviṣayāśca na lōbhapāśai- rlōkatrayaṁ
jayati kr̥tsnamidaṁ sa dhīraḥ || 106 ||
In this verse, Bhartruhari talks about the nature of the mind of a
mature person who has grown up internally. We are not talking about
physical maturity. It is not a great achievement. Physical maturity doesn’t
require any great thing. We are talking about inner growth and maturity.
Bhartruhari says the sign of inner growth or maturity is not being over
powered by three fold weaknesses. Not being overpowered by three fold
weaknesses known as Kāma, Krōdha and Lōbhaha. kāmakrōdhalōbhaih avashyatvam
- not being under control of Kāma,Krōdha and Lōbha which Krishna calls in
the 16th chapter as the basic Āsuri Sampath. In the 16th chapter, Krishna
talks about two sets of characteristics or qualifications. One set he calls
Daivi Sampath and the other he calls Āsuri Sampath. He said daivi sampad
vimōkshāya[1]Daivisampad will promote Knowledge and Mōksha whereas,
nibandhāya āsurimata - āsuri Sampath will keep a person within Samsāra. He
gives a big list of Āsuri Sampath. Having given an elaborate list in the
16th chapter, Krishna condenses all the Āsuri Sampath into three basic
problems. He says they are Kāma, Krōdha and Lōbha.
7 Krishna does not say they should not rise in the mind. Kāma will rise,
Krōdha will rise and Lōbha will rise. Krishna accepts that. indriyasya
indriyasyārthē rāgadwēshou vyavasthitou[1]they are bound to rise, but what
Krishna says is - being overpowered by them is the problem. If I am able to
retain my Vivēka Shakti, then they cannot do the damage. If I can retain my
Vivēka Shakti, as they rise, I will be able to judge them because they all
rise in the form of Sankalpa. Anger never comes suddenly. If a person
suddenly gets angry with you, remember that it has not come suddenly. He
has been angry with you for long time and he has not been able to
express.Therefore, Shatru and Vyādhi (disease) should be handled in the
beginning. If they are not handled in the beginning, ati pushtānga yuktōpi
- even though, you are the healthiest person, the Vyādhi will overpower you.
Similarly, the internal Manōvyādhi is Kāma-Krōdha-Lōbha. As even they rise,
if the Vivēka Shakti is made use of and they are nipped in the bud, that
person is called Dhīraha, matured. Mature person is not free from them. Mature
person is one who can handle them, as even they arise. If it is an
Adhārmika Kāmaha, he says this is not proper. It is like a sugar patient
liking beautiful Jilebi served today. It says - it is very attractive, you
eat. Then, Vivēka Shakti comes and says - this is not good for your health,
nothing doing. Similarly, pickle for a pressure person. The mind will ask
for it. Asking for it is not wrong, but allowing it alone is the problem.
Therefore, he says the one who handles these three internal enemies is a
mature person. Such a mind is a mature mind. The first line talks about
Kāma handling, the second line talks about Krōdha handling and the third
line talks about Lōbha handling. Bhartruhari, being a poet, puts in a
poetic language. kāntā katāksha vishikhā tasya chittam na
lunanti.kāntāmeans a woman.katāksha means glance. vishikhāh means
arrow-like.
8 dhyāyatō viṣayānpuṁsaḥ saṅgastēṣūpajāyatē | saṅgātsañjāyatē kāmaḥ
kāmātkrōdhō:'bhijāyatē || 2-62|| krōdhādbhavati sammōhaḥ
sammōhātsmr̥tivibhramaḥ | smr̥tibhraṁśād buddhināśō buddhināśātpraṇaśyati
|| 2-63||
All those things we should remember. So, he is not overpowered by Kāma.
Then, the second one is Krōdha. kōpa krushānutāpaha tasya chittam na
nirdahati - the heat of the fire of anger does not burn his mind. Burning
the mind is burning the discriminative power. In anger, he shouts at
people, punishes people and he is not able to see whether it is a just
punishment or whether he is doing injustice. We are not against punishment
itself, but what the Shāstra says is punishment also should be just
punishment. The person who deserves three months in prison cannot be in
prison for six months. If that must be done, the judge must be with all the
discriminative power. First, he must allow the person to talk. He must be
able to defend himself and after hearing the argument of the other person,
then alone I should give punishment. But when we are overpowered by anger,
we don’t allow the other person to talk. We think that he had committed a
mistake. Immediately, I either shout or punish. That is being overpowered
by anger. WHAT IS THERE IF SOMEONE BEHAVES LIKE URCHINS; LAUGH; IDUKKAN
VARNKAAL NAGUGA. LAUGH IN DISTRESS.
9 What is medicine? It is the Sajjana Sangamedicine. Gradually, I came to
normalcy. What is normalcy? I do not know things at all. I know a few
little things, but it is nothing compared to ananta shāstram bahu
vēditavyam. Therefore,mē madaha vyapagataha- my arrogance went away with
knowledge like Jvaram. Just as fever goes away by taking Crocin similarly,
because of the Satsanga, this fever of arrogance went away. KR IRS 4622
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