Original Kannada article – Subrahmanya Somayaji
English Translation – Dr. Shrinivasan
Which is your country? For Indians it is Bharatha
- India, for the British – England, for
Americans – USA, Japanese – Japan. So, what is so special? It is common to
ascribe the place of birth and growth as ones motherland. The place where
we would have nestled is also termed as motherland. Patriotism,
love and affinity to the country of origin is not uncommon.
Here swa is the Jeeva-soul that rules
our existence. We owe our existence - living, talking, breathing to the power
of the Jeeva. The soul is fundamental to everything. According to the Great
Sages’ internal experience, the extent of operation of the Jeeva of the
individuals have spread over the three worlds. What are these three worlds? –
what we see is Bhuhu - earth (physically world); that which
supports it is Bhuvaha – the "subtle", this is the
abode of Divine incumbents. The core anchor of all, is the subtlest
suvaha the world of the parabrahma - the Ultimate. The
Jeeva is capable of traversing through the three worlds by tapasya (spiritual
discipline that involves deep meditation, austerity/moderation and
self-discipline).
Thus the sages who had realized and
experienced the supreme joy of all the three worlds within themselves during tapsya,
did not just consider themselves as inhabitants of a specific geography in this
physical world. For them svadesha- their motherland consisted of all the
spheres that were permeated by the parabrahma – the source and substratum of
all. That experience was the source of their statement ‘swadesho
bhuvanatrayam’.
We mortals who are driven by
sensory impulses are not able to perceive extra sensory regions such as suksma –para (dormant
and paramount) which sustain us unseen. Thus we identify the limited region as
motherland. It is no surprise that the sages, who could enjoy the association
of omnipresent paramatma could declare unbounded regions also,
as their motherland. Thus, the declaration swadesho bhuvanatrayam is
borne of their internal experience and enchantment. It is not an emotional
statement. It is a solemn declaration of those who have experienced it directly.
This thought is further
substantiated by the oft-quoted subhashita , ‘Ayam nijaha
parovethi ganana laghu chetasaa, udara charitanaam tu vasudhaiva kutumbakam’ meaning-
the myopic who can see no more than the physical world thinks, this is mine and
that belongs to someone else. However, it is common for the broad minded and
realized one, to see the Divine, the Originator, in everything, hence, the
universe is his family.
In order to get that broad minded
outlook, one must realize Satya-Absolute reality that exists within
every one of us. Our motherland Bharatha was one that cultivated
hearts and homes, cities and states, nay the nation itself with the prime goal of
realizing that Divinity within oneself, so that our lives may
be that nest of bliss. The vision- that the three worlds are my homeland (swadesho
bhuvanatrayam) is the outcome of such an exalted internal experience.
Note: The Kannada version of this article can be viewed at AYVM blogs