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Bhatrihari Wisdom - 12: Chintamani

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One who has a total control of mind would be called Yati. For that reason, our poet-analyst-preceptor wrote about him. In this context in that pure mind is valuable as Chintamani, the most valuable diamond. This sixth ten in vairagua sataka is titled manas sambodhana viyamanamu. This section has twenty slokas from 61 to 80.

O! manasa! Why do you go on worrying about getting the pity and help from others! Smile with purity of mind you would be Chintamani, the purest of pure diamonds! Your desires vanish! Then what more is there to achieve! This is the advice of the poet-preceptor. (61)

O! manasa! Why do you wander? Lie down and rest anywhere under a tree. What you need would be accomplished. O my mind! With worrying, you do not get anything. Without thinking of the past and what would come next, bhogas come of their own accord. (62)

O! manasa! Shed thoughts of sensory happiness that bother you. Take the path of purity! That leads you to happiness. Leave the worry that bothers you now for, it leads to grief. Don’t get back to the desires of samsara again. Acquire peacefulness and be absolutely flawless.(63)

O! manasa! Leave the affection for samsara. Think of living on the banks of the river Ganga. Is it right be attracted and believe in waves, bubble, women, serpents and water? (64)

O! manasa! Under the huts of the eyebrows of kings lives the prostitute we call Lakshmi. If you go about and wish for such. You can live happily clad in a torn and put together cloth, eating the cooked rice given in a palm as bhikshanna at the doorstep of a house on the Ganga ghat. (65)

O! manasa! Sweet music in your presence reading their poetry, poets of the South reading their poetry, women behind you fanning with their bangles making mellifluous music, you are attracted to the sweetness of samsaara. This is temporal. Greater is entering nivrikalpa samaadhi, the condition of absolute inaction. (66)

O! manasa! What if a man has wealth to fulfil all desires? What if he defeats all enemies? What if his friends respect him giving him their riches? What if there I no death till the end of the aeon? All these are absolutely useless? (67)

O! manasa! What is there to be desired except devotion of Shiva, fearlessness of birth and death, passion for wife and children, not being roused by Manmadha? What is to be desired except vairagya the absence of all emotions and feelings. (68)

O! manasa! Think of the endless, indestructible, highest brahman. Why these thoughts and feelings? If you think of brahma all ideas of bhogas would reveal themselves as mean and unacceptable. (69)

And the eart itse

O! manasa! You wander around the world. You miss your way. Why don’t you contemplate of betting nirvana, absolute bliss and the parabrahman! (70)

These are the seventh ten of nityaa - anitya vidhaana – thinking of the permanent and transitory things.

What use is there in shruti, smriti, purana, the valuable wisdom sources and acts of jyotirsthoma and other yajnas and yaagaas? All would make the grief of samsara evident. The great achievement is entering the absolute and endless bliss. Otherwise your acts are like bargains with buyer-sellers. (71)

In the blaze of praLayaagni, the all devouring fire, even the golden mountain Meru would melt away. Oceans, homes of fish and crocodiles, would go dry. All land around mountains the whole earth would be destroyed. The poet-analyst-preceptor goes on to say that the human body is the that feeblest. (72)

The condition of decrepit old age – skin wrinkled, feet going awry, teeth falling, vision getting deteriorated, oozing from the mouth – relatives avoiding visits, even the beloved life totally neglecting, sons would become inimical. Still you have mad love towards your body! So, don’t think of the body. Think of a way to attain moksha, liberation! (73)

On seeing a bone tied to the well for the lowest of the untouchables, people avoid the well. In the same way maidens seeing the grey hair of the old man run away with hatred. (74)

When fast diminishing youth fades, organs become weak, when the body is hale and healthy the wise and one should make efforts to attain moksha, total liberation. Trying for that at old age is digging a well when the house is under flames. (75)

Would you go to the shores of the river Ganga for intense contemplation, tapas? Or, would you enjoy sex-play with your wife? Would you like to drink at the river of sciences? Would you enjoy kaavyas, writings of literary grandeur? For the few minutes of life before you, what can we do! The plural here is to be construed as the singular. (76)

Kings have minds taking fast decisions of their horses the love: it is very difficult to stop them. It is not easy to serve the kings. We have very high hopes. The manas flies for the mountain-sized fruit. Now body and life span are almost ready devour considered this old age. My dear friend, for all these reasons thinking of moksha is the best option. (77)

At old age one would not be respected as before. Money would be lost. Beggars go back empty-handed. The number of relatives would dwindle Near relatives don’t even visit. When things are like this, for the wise person it is best to contemplate on God in the caves of the Himalayas of the purified shores of the Ganga. (78)

Bright moonshine and vast areas green pasture make anyone happy. Good company is always invigorating. Stories, literary compositions in various genres are pleasant to listen to. The tears of the wife in her anger would be attractive too. All these are lovely but these are short-lived. When the manas is full-grown none of these give happiness and joy. (79)

Wouldn’t huge buildings be fine to live in? Wouldn’t sweet song be pleasant to listen? Wouldn’t the stay of your lady-love in your lap be joyous? All these give happiness but like flies hovering around the burning wick would soon be burnt. For this reason, great minds have gone into forests to perform tapas, deep contemplation on absolute reality. (80)

This is the eighth dashaka ten called nityaanitya vastu vichaaram.

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13-Jul-2019

More by :  Dr. Rama Rao Vadapalli V.B.

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