Hari
OM
Application - that is what 'Workings-days' are about!
The text under study is BHAJA GOVINDAM, song of despair of time-wasting, by Sri Adi Shankaraachaarya.
Having
given us a glimpse of how it might be to live in the Realised state, the next
verse (thought to be penned by Sri Aanandagiri) softens things a bit towards
those who are striving and dreaming only of ever reaching that condition.
_agvÌIta
ikiÂdxIta
g¼a
jllvki[ka pIta,
Sak&dip
yen murairsmcaR
i³yte
tSy ymen n ccaR.20.
Bhagavad-giita
kinchid-adhiitaa
Gangaa
jala-lava-kanikaa piitaa,
sakRd-api
yena murari-samarchaa
Kriyate
tasya yamena na charchaa ||20||
To one who has studied the Bhagavad Gita even a
little,
Who has sipped at least a drop of Ganges water,
Who has worshipped at least once Lord Muraari,
There is no discussion (quarrel) with Yama, Lord of
Death.
For
the regular seeker, taking a pilgrimage is considered desirable action. One
does not have to travel, as such, to be on yatra. It can be achieved by proper
and thorough study of scripture; a little every day is most effective. If one
can indeed travel to sacred places all the better. Among the most sacred in
India, is the Ganges river, and it is then 'de rigeur' to sip of the waters.
Muraari refers to 'the destroyer of egos'.
The
scripture pointed to here in the verse is the Bhagavad Gita. In its eighteen
chapters are contained all the essential teachings of the Upanishads and it is
therefore a compact tool of learning in spirituality. A study of these chapters
is an intellectual discipline by which we can come to understand what exactly is
the secret Essence of Life, what exactly is the goal and what are the methods
by which that goal can be reached.
The
Ganges is considered to spring from the intellect of Lord Shiva and is
considered the very flow of wisdom. Shiv-ji was the only being who could face
the onslaught of her high powers and knowledge. In taking it all into Himself,
and at the request of Sri Bhagiiratha, he gave out the Knowledge in a thin
stream which could be more readily absorbed and handled by the country and its
people. Not only does the physical Ganges nourish the country, but the
spiritual Ganges keeps the seeker thirsting for more. There are those, in our
scientific age, who would decry this tendency to deify a river. However,
symbolism is important for all senior practices and understandings and for
loyalty to a path. The national flags of any country are nothing more than bits
of cloth crudely stitched together… yet they are imbued by all who believe in
their homelands with a worth far beyond their material existence. Never deny
the potency of symbols.
Having
the intellect nourished by the Gita and the body nourished by the sacred water,
what is required next is to have a guide, a pilot upon the stormy seas of life
as we seek to find our way to safe harbour. Here it is suggested to use the
form of Muraari. Withdrawing the mind from all other preoccupation, centring it
upon the goal, calling upon the assistance of Muraari, we can reasonably hope
for success. What we put in is what we get out.
In
following this path we find that, in fact, death itself no longer holds any
mystery or fear for us. Creation and annihilation are necessary for a forward
movement, for progress. At all levels of existence it is going on. Nothing in
the material existence is permanent - the Great Knowledge is that 'we' are
beyond the material and are therefore without birth and death. It is a
liberating understanding!
