(Original Article in Kannada by Dr. S. V. Chamu.
English Rendering by Sri K. Mukundan)
People are born in this world possessing either a
Theistic or Atheistic disposition, right from birth. That is why an atheist
cannot be transformed into a theist or vice-versa by persuasion. It is this
phenomenon that has been confirmed by our ancestors, through this shloka:
Janmaantara
sahasreshu yaa buddihi bhaavitaapura |
Thameva bhajhate jantuhu upadesho nirarthakah
||
{Beings assume only those tendencies that which has
been cherished by their intellect through thousands of births. Persuasion is of
no avail.}
Our Itihasas and Puranas illustrate this through stories
of various theists and atheists. The story of Prahlaada and Hiranyakashipu is an
example of this. Hiranyakashipu who is blinded with ego hates divinity in toto.
He wishes that his son Prahlaada too should follow his footsteps. But Prahlaada
is a realised soul who has experienced the presence of divinity within, right from
his birth. Hence all attempts made by Hiranyakashipu to transform Prahlaada go
in vain. Enraged by his failure he metes out cruel punishments to his son. However,
none of these punishments is able to weaken the resolve of Prahlaada. On the
contrary, he unilaterally surrenders to the Lord whom he is able to perceive
everywhere. None of the punishments is able to make even a small dent on him in
view of his total immersion in the Lord. The same all-pervasive Lord who was
sighted by Prahlaada in his heart emanates from one of the pillars, kills
Hiranyakashipu and saves Prahlaada.
Vena, who was born to the noble and devout Angaraja
was an apostle of atheism right from birth. Charakacharya says “Paatakebhyah param chaitat Paatakam naastika graha” (the sin of
atheism surpasses all sins). We may see such a sinner in Vena.
Even in devout people, the divine disposition is
not always of the same type. In most people it expresses itself in a cursory
manner. Offering salutations with folded palms to the Lord within while passing
through a temple, participation in various temple festivities, undertaking
pilgrimages, performing ceremonies for the departed souls-all these are
illustrations of the theism in the masses. In many people, we see these
practices as a mechanised adherence devoid of any strong faith, understanding
or devotion. Such people undertake these ventures to spend their assimilated
wealth. While for some it is part of entertainment. They return from their pilgrimage
to their daily routines without imbibing the spiritual gains that are to be
reaped from these activities. Though theism is superior to atheism, theism devoid
of a proper goal and perseverance does not pave the way for a man’s spiritual
progress. It thus resembles other activities which are performed as a result of
tradition or by force of habit. It is the duty of all those with a theistic
bent of mind, to develop their insight in the realm of spirituality. For, the
pure state of mind that has given rise to such a theistic disposition is itself
a gift of Almighty. This is possible only with dedication and rational effort.
In particular, it has to be a whole-hearted effort, cherishing the ideals and
following the footsteps of those great men who have achieved the ultimate goal
of realisation.
Faiths such as Shaiva,
Vaishnava, Shaaktha and so on, that have sheltered the full-fledged
development of a spiritual culture in the history of our country, have been
existent since times immemorial. There are many Saints who have carved a path
for their liberation by following these faiths.
For instance, the names of those who have attained
fulfilment following the Paashupata faith
are enumerated in the following shloka:
Doorvasa
Kaushika Suresha Mrukandu Putra Devejya
Baana
Vidhishakthi Dadhichi Raamaan |
Vaamadeva
Kavi Kumbhaja Gouthamaadeen
Punyanimaan
Parama Paashupataan Smaraami ||
{I pay homage to sanctified saintly Paashupatas
such as Doorvasa, Kaushika, Suresha, Mrukandu’s son Devejya, Bana,
Vidhishakthi, Dadhichi, Rama, Poet Vaamadeva, Kumbhaja and Gouthama.}
Similarly the names of saints who are foremost in
the Vaishnava faith are listed in the following shloka:
Prahlaada Naarada Paraashara Pundarika
Vyaasaambareesha
Shuka Shounaka Bheeshma Dalbhyan |
Rukmaangadaarjuna
Baleendra Vibheeshanaadeen
Dhanyaaniman
Paramabhaagavathan Smaraami ||
{My tribute to those gratified, extremely divine
personalities such as Prahlaada, Naarada, Paraashara, Pundarika, Vyaasa,
Ambarisha, Shuka, Shounaka, Bhishma, Dalbhya, Rukmangada, Arjuna, Balindra and
Vibhishana.}
In reality, there are innumerable personalities who
have attained the apex of spiritual enlightenment following these faiths. The shlokas
list only those who are foremost among them.
We wish to present here a brief introduction to the
tenets of Vaishnava faith or disposition of a Bhaagavata in this article.
The Rishis of yore of this country worshipped
thirty three deities through complex and arduous yagnas. A spontaneous outpouring of the exalted qualities of these Devas form the body of Vedas. Due to
intellectual degradation and other historical reasons the various facets of the
Vedic culture were lost in course of time. But few other aspects stood the test
of time and have become an invaluable part of our life even today. At the same
time many methods of worship centered around some deities, expounded by Vedas,
have undergone holistic development providing spiritual support to our people.
Especially Vishnu, Shiva, Shakthi, Surya,
Ganapathi and Skanda have become the Deities worshipped in especially
influential faiths.
Among these faiths Shiva and Vishnu have got the primacy.
The great works of Mahabharata, Bhagavadgita, Ramayana and Bhaagavata, that
portray Vishnu, one of the two prime Deities and subject of this article, have institutionalised
the worship of this Deity. These together with Agama Shaastras that were composed in later days, drawing
inspiration from the former, became the life breath of the Vaishnava tradition
that got established in all parts of the country. The thoughts, deeds and way
of life expounded by them are the Bhaagavata (Vaishnava) Dharma. This Bhaagavata
Dharma has imbibed in it the essence of Veda, Upanishad, Yoga and Saamkhya and has continued the task of
providing the ultimate peace to mankind. The works published in Tamil and other
regional languages based on this tradition, have enchanted the minds of common
man and scholars alike. The institutions that have developed based on this tradition,
have ironed out the inequities in society, and gone a long way in creating
harmony among various groups. Arts like Sculpture and Dance have drawn
inspiration from this tradition and added aesthetic beauty to lifestyles. In
short, the Vaishnava cult is a glorious evolution of intellectual and emotional
development over thousands of years.
Recounting the entire developments is neither
feasible nor intended in this short article. Instead, we would like to bring
out certain original concepts of the sacred Vaishnava perspective, in this
context.
Sacred texts such as Veda, Upanishad and Gita
contain the extempore descriptions of the state of that absolute eternal truth
realised by the Rishis of this Land, through their penance or spiritual
achievements. All these works extol the reality of the absolute truth. For
example, the sage who recited Purushasuktha describes his vision of the Cosmic
Purusha as follows:
“Purusha has countless heads, eyes and feet. He
encompasses the whole of earth and also transcends it. All that is present now
is His manifestation. He has existed before and is to manifest in future too.
He is the God of immortality. All these are indeed the attributes of His glory.
But His glory exceeds all these descriptions. All living beings are just a
fragment or a quarter of his personality. He stands beyond the world of
darkness, shining with the colour of Sun. I have realised that glorious Divine
Purusha”.
Naaraayana Suktha also beautifully eulogises the
inner experience of the same Truth by another Rishi by name “Naaraayana” as
follows:
“The heart above the navel is the abode of the
whole (micro) universe. There is a subtle crevice at the end of this.
Everything is embodied in that. There is a big fire enshrined in its centre.
Its flame has engulfed the whole Universe. It has traversed in all directions.
In its centre is present a tuft of fire pointing upwards. That shines like the
streak of lightning present in the middle of the blue cloud in the sky. That is
as subtle as the edge of a grain of paddy. It has the radiance, lustre and the
colour of Gold. With its subtleness equivalent to the atom, it stands no
comparison. Paramaatman is present at the centre of this tuft of fire. He is
Brahma, Shiva, and Indra. He is Akshara. He is the Swaraat ruling and staying beyond
everything.”
Sacred texts like Gita and Upanishads expound in
detail, the same Truths that have been experienced by various sages in the
innermost recesses of their hearts.
The ultimate goal of Vaishnavite tradition is to
realise the Supreme Divinity that is being addressed by various names like
Vishnu, Naaraayana, Vaasudeva, Paramaatma and Akshara. Our ancestors attained
that effulgent state through Yoga and Penance. But the path of Yoga is not
suitable for everybody. Everyone cannot realise the core of their being by
ascending the steps of Ashtanga Yoga. The Vaishnava tradition or Bhaagavata
Dharma hence attempts to transform the ordinary lives of men into an exercise
in Yoga which culminates in the same fulfilment. It shows a systematic and special
path of Bhakti (devotion) to attain the same cherished goal of Yoga. This is
illustrated by Bhaagavata as below:
Ye
vai Bhaghavataa prokta Upaayahyaatmalabdhaye |
Anjah
Pumsaamavidushaam viddhi Bhaagavataan hi taan ||
{Whatever simple practices are prescribed by God
for the ignorant to attain Him, recognise them as the “Bhaagavata Dharma.}
When a person identifies himself as a celestial
being or a mortal, having distanced himself from God, he is engulfed by
illusion and amnesia by the Maya of God. In order to avoid this state, a wise
man should worship God with a firm belief that his teacher is a Celestial
Being. Just as a thought process causes dream and mental desires that are
virtual, in the same way, the mind is affected by resolution and restlessness,
as a result of the past actions of life. A wise person should control these
mental states. This paves the way for Divine support-this in essence is the
core of Vaishnava Faith.
In case a man wants to escape from delusions, by
controlling his mind, he should submit all his worldly actions to the Lord. He
should not own any of the actions.
One of the invaluable advices of the Bhaagavata
Dharma enunciates:
Kaayena
vaacha manasendriyairva
Budhyaatmanaava
Prakrutheh Swabhavaat |
Karomi
yadyat sakalam parasmai
Naraayanaayeti
samarpayaami ||
The same idea as in the above shloka is enunciated
by Shri Krishna in the following:
Sarvadharmaan
parityajya maamekam sharanam vraja |
Aham
tvaam sarva paapebhyo mokshayishyaami maa shuchah ||
{After renouncing all the tendencies that are
triggered in a man due to the senses, mind, intellect etc., approach me as the
sole refuge. I will protect you against all sins. Do not be disheartened.}
Relinquishing the influence or disposition of
senses, mind and intellect you seek refuge in Me alone. As you cannot do away with all this
paraphernalia of the material world, don’t own these actions but submit them to
Me.
Listening to the stories of the Lord, Reciting His
Names, singing His stories without any inhibitions, wandering with total
renunciation, laughing and crying being overcome with His Devotion, dancing
like one intoxicated under the influence of divine bliss, being fully unaware
of the world around, are some the characteristics of a true Bhaagavata. We have
heard that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had all these attributes.
From all this it may be inferred that to follow the
Bhaagavata Dharma it requires a more emotional predisposition as against a
predominantly intellectual one. But there is also a certain inherent outlook
behind this. The verse of Purusha Suktha “Sa
Bhoomim Vishvato Vrutva“ is very much applicable to the Bhaagavata Dharma
as well. He worships the Lord by beholding the Sky, Air, Fire, Water, Earth,
Jyotis, Sathvas, Directions, Rivers and Seas as comprising the Body of the Lord
and prostrating to the same. In short all the three attributes Bhakti, Jnaana
and Vairaagya (devotion, experience of Divinity, and lack of interest in the
material world) are to act simultaneously on his personality.
Bhakti, Jnaana and Vairaagya manifest in him who
walks in the path of Bhaagavata Dharma, having immersed in the Divine Feet of
Achyutha. Bhaagavata declares that he attains incomparable peace through this.
In a way, Vaishnava faith appears to be simple. On the contrary, as Vaishnava
Faith prescribes, the same unalloyed dedication is needed to realise the truth
as Yoga. Bhaagavata Dharma is as difficult to practice as the Yoga. Vaishnavism
is advocated in essence by various shlokas of Bhagavad Gita. An example is this
Shloka:
Ananyaaschintayantho
maam ye janaah paryupasate |
Thesham
nithyaabhi yuktaanaam Yogakshemam vahaamyaham ||
The Raasapanchaadhyaaya of Bhaaghavata beautifully
illustrates the stories of the followers of this Bhaagavata Dharma.
We do not foresee any
region of our country where Vaishnavism is not practised. This faith has especially
cherished the lives of people in the Dravida region, Maharashtra and Gujarat,
by assuming the form of dance and festivities. This is a beautiful
manifestation of the Bhaaratiya Tradition and Lifestyle.