Pranam
Complementary pairs of virtues. From Birthrhari by Paramananda part 6
aishwaryasya sujanata vibhūshanam.
Vibhūshanam literally means an ornament. In this context, we should
understand it as complementary, completing virtue. Aishwaryam means
prosperity or wealth. It has two meanings. One meaning is over-lordship -
Ēshwarasya Bhāvaha. The second meaning is prosperity or wealth. In this
context, we are taking prosperity as the meaning of Aishwaryam. Sujanata
means simplicity, kindheartedness. So, the idea is simplicity is
complementary to prosperity. Prosperity will shine only when the
prosperous person also has the virtue of Sujanata, kindheartedness or
simplicity. The significance of the word ‘Sujanata’ is the capacity to
mingle with all levels of people -Soujanyam, Soulabhyam, accessibility.
2 Bhartruhari says that prosperity should go along with simplicity.
That is, the capacity to mingle with all types of people, whether they are
rich or poor. That is why in our Purānās, they show Rama as mingling with
all types of people. Guha, a hunter, is Rama's devotee. He says you are our
brother. Similarly, Rama mingles with Jatāyu, and Shabari. Rama mingles
with all types of people. In Krishna Avatāra, we see that even though
Krishna is the richest person in that area, when Kuchela comes, Krishna
comes down, welcomes him, seats him on his throne, does Pāda Pūja, takes
that dirty water and sprinkles on his head.
3 The second pair is shouryasya vāk samyamaha.shouryam means bravery.
shūrasya bhavaha shouryam. Bravery should go along with vāk
samyamaha-restraint of speech. People of accomplishments are people of few
words. People of many words are people of few accomplishments. So, the idea
is that if one has to accomplish something, he has to reduce speaking.
Speaking is one thing which makes a person extrovert. It dissipates the
mental energy. Therefore, it reduces the Sankalpa Shakti. Naturally, that
mind without Sankalpa Shakti cannot accomplish much. Sankalpa Shakti is the
capacity to accomplish what I want. Therefore, a person who is talkative
cannot accomplish much. Therefore, bravery should go along with silence -
restraint of speech. shouryasya vāk samyamaha. You have to add Vibhūshanam.
So, the ornament of bravery is restraint of speech.
4 Then, the third one is gnyānasya upashamahavibhūshanam - The ornament of
wisdom is Shānti, fullness or withdrawal. upashamaha means Nivrutti or
withdrawal born out of Trupti and fulfillment. prajahāti yadā kāmān sarvān
pārtha manōgatān ātmanyēvaātmanā tushthaha;Gnyānam leads to fulfillment,
fulfillment leads to the reduction of desires and reduction of desires will
lead to reduction of Kāmya Karma pursuit. That is withdrawal. “ yadā hi
nēndriyārthēṣu na karmasvanuṣajjatē | sarvasaṅkalpasaṁnyāsī
yōgārūḍhastadōcyatē || 6-4|| “ The more empty the heart is, the more
outgoing the personality. The more fulfilled the heart is, the more
withdrawn is the personality. “bāhyasparśēṣvasaktātmā vindatyātmani
yatsukham | sa brahmayōgayuktātmā sukhamakṣayamaśnutē || 5-21|| “ Therefore,
Gnyānam goes with Nivrutti and Karma goes with Pravrutti. “ dūramētē
viparītē vishūchi avidyāyācha vidyēti gnyāta.” Therefore, Nivrutti is
complementary to Gnyānam. Gnyānam becomes meaningful only with Nivrutti.
Then, shrutayasa vinayaha; everywhere we have to add
Vibhūshanam.gnyānasyaupashamahavibhūshanam, shrutasyavinayaha
vibhūshanam.Here,shrutammeans scholarship of all other sciences.
5 The sign of that knowledge is Vinayaha, humility. They say that empty
vessels make the maximum noise. The full vessels are silent. Therefore, the
more the person learns the quieter and silent he becomes. That is the sign
of learning. vittasya pātrē vyayaha - Vittam literally means wealth. Here,
it means prosperity or richness. The virtue complementary to richness is
charity. Vyayaha means giving, expending or sharing. It is not reckless
giving or thoughtless giving which can create a lot of problems. “
adēśakālē yaddānamapātrēbhyaśca dīyatē | asatkr̥tamavajñātaṁ
tattāmasamudāhr̥tam || 17-22
6 It is from the 17th chapter of Gīta. Dānam given to Apātram, an
undeserving person is Tāmasa Dānam. Of course, Tāmasa Dānam is better than
Adānam. There are some people who say - I don’t want to give to undeserving
people. Therefore, I don’t give. That is not the argument. I don’t want to
give to undeserving people and therefore, I look for deserving people.
Between Adānam and Tāmasa Dānam, Tāmasa Dānam is better. Between Tāmasa
Dānam and Rājasa Dānam, Rājasa Dānam is better, Between Rājasa Dānam and
Sātvika Dānam, Sātvika Dānam is better. I am not going into the details of
three Dānams. You all know that. Therefore, pātrē vyayaha means Sātvika
Dānam. Charity alone is the ornament for wealth because in our culture, we
never glorify a person who has amassed maximum wealth. We always glorify a
person who has given up the maximum.
7 Therefore, the ideal of our culture is - na karmanā na prajayā na
dhanēna tyāgē naikē amrutatva manashuhu. Tyāga alone is important.
Therefore, vittasya pātrē vyayaha. Tyāgam is the ultimate renunciation of
all. For Tyāgam, rehearsal is Dānam. In Dānam, you don’t renounce
everything. You give a part. Therefore, Dānam is rehearsal for Tyāga. That
is said here - pātrē vyayaha. Here pātram means a deserving person.
Then, akrōdhaha
tapasaha - the ornament or the complementary virtue of Tapas is
akrōdhaha-management of anger. Tapas means all kinds of disciplines,
Vratams like fasting, keeping awake on Shivarātri day, etc. It means
various austerities. In that, we control our external organs. But that is
not the real control. We must be able to control the internal organ. That
is Akrōdhaha. So, it is the general mind discipline. Particularly, it is
the discipline of anger because that is the most difficult thing.
Generally, during Vrata time, body is weak. When the body is weak, anger is
strong. Therefore, the sign of Tapas is mind management - Akrōdhaha,
Shānti. “mātr̥hīna śiśu jīvanam vr̥thā; kānta hīna navāyauvanam | tintr̥ṇi
lavaṇa hīna bhojanaṁ, kṣānti hīna tapasaphalam || shāntihīna tapasah phalam
vrudhā.” He says Bhōjanam is waste without tamarind and salt. Some south
Indian must have written this Slōka. “tintrinī lavanahīna bhōjanam vrudhā.”
He wants to say that Tapas is a waste without acquiring Shānti. For that,
the example that he gives is - eating without tamarind and salt is waste.
Therefore, the sign of Tapas is Shānti. Then, kshamā prabhavituhu;
Prabhavita means a powerful person. He is a man who has power, who has
position, who has control over some people. Head of any group has got some
power. Along with that power, Kshamā or patience must go.
8 Bhartruhari talks about the worst enemy of a human being. It is an enemy
which is born along with the individual. It is a congenital enemy. What is
that enemy? It is Ālasyam.Ālasyammeans laziness. Laziness or indolence is
the worst enemy of a human being. The best friend of a human being is hard
work, effort, will power. Literally, it is effort or industry. Bhartruhari
says that if a person has this enemy, he need not feel guilty about it
because this is a universal problem. Once we know that there is a weakness
in other people also, there is some consolation. First, the author gives us
consolation that laziness is a universal problem and it is there, ingrained
in the body. Body has been mixed with laziness. It is the manufacturer’s
mistake. It is there in all lots. If you remember Tatvabōdha, the physical
body is made out of the Tamōguna of Pancha Bhūtāni. Now, we know the
cause. The physical body is made out of the Tamōgunaofnot one element, but
all the Pancha Bhūtās. Therefore, Tamas is there in the body and Tamas
alone express themselves in the form of Nidrā, Tandrā, etc. Nidrā means
sleep and Tandrā means sleepiness. For some people, only these two
conditions are there for 24 hours. Either they sleep or they are sleepy.
They are in sleeping condition or sleepy condition. Very rarely they are
awake. Therefore, he says ālasyam manushyānām mahān ripuhu. Laziness is the
worst enemy of every human being. Where is that enemy? Don’t search for him
here and there. sharīrastaha - he is there within the body itself. How to
break that? To break this Tamōguna alone, our VēdaKarma Kānda is full of
rituals.
9 Therefore, free-will should be accepted. Self effort should be accepted.
Krutvāyam - talking to this. na avasīdati - one never fails in life. nahi
kalyāna krut kaschit durgatimtāta gacchati - the time will vary from person
to person, depending on so many factors. But definitely the result will
come. Through these questions and answers, Bhartruhari reveals some virtues
or gives some important information. First question is - kaha lābhaha. What
is the real gain, real accomplishment or real profit in life? He says guni
sangamaha. It is not getting money, it is not getting a house, it is not
getting married or it is not getting children. They are also gains in life,
but the real gain is guni sangamaha which means Sajjana Sangaha. Guni means
Sajjanaha and Sangamaha means Sangaha. So, guni sangamaha means Sajjana
Sangaha or Satsangha. What is the glory of Satsanga? Bhartruhari himself
will explain later. So, I am not going into the details. I will briefly
mention here. Satsangaha is great because - satsangatvē
nissangatvam,nissangatvē nirmōhatvam,nirmōhatvē nischalitatvam,
nischalitatvē jīvan muktihi. Satsanga can lead a person up to liberation.
Satsanga is considered great because it is an audio-visual teaching as I am
seeing a live model of our culture, the wisdom.Normally, people value
Artha-Kāma more than Dharma. But a Sath Purusha is one who values Dharma
more than Artha-Kāma. Initially, we think that a person cannot be happy
without Artha-Kāma. That is not the idea. But it is not inevitable in life.
But when we consistently see everybody having it, then it looks that it is
a rule that we cannot survive without that. Similarly, we have certain
misconception that without Artha-Kāma, one cannot be fulfilled. But when I
see a Sath Purushaha, he is fulfilled without these things. Then for the
first time, it will strike in our mind that fulfillment does not require
all this paraphernalia. It is not that we should hate and throw them away,
but that misconception must go away. It is nice if they are there or if
they are not there, but fulfillment does not require these things. You
require only one thing for happiness and that is you.
KR IRS 3622
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