Bhaj Govindam 

This is an important verse for all of us. Many a times I have heard people mentioning the names of many realised souls, and use them as an example to justify their own indulgence in life - Saying that they also indulge. On the other hand, the other extreme is also true, where people quote the example of fakirs who just wander around and feel that by aping them, they will also get realisation.

The irony is, they don't realise that what they see is the final out come, the end and not the means. They fail to see that, ones one experiences God, no matter what the situation outside, the inner self dwells in the divine bliss. He could be sitting in Yoga or Indulging in Bhog, he could be alone or in a crowd, he remains established in his true Sat Chit Anand Swaroop.

For, this realised one sees bhog in yog and yog in bhog. In the crowd or alone he is always in ekanth. 

Verse 19

योगरतो वाभोगरतोवा, 

सङ्गरतो वा सङ्गवीहिनः।

यस्य ब्रह्मणि रमते चित्तं, 

नन्दति नन्दति नन्दत्येव॥

कोई योग में लगा हो या भोग में, 

संग में आसक्त हो या निसंग हो, 

पर जिसका मन ब्रह्म में लगा है वो ही आनंद करता है, 

आनंद ही करता है॥

Yogarato Va Bhogarato Va

Sangarato Va Sangavihinah

Yasya Brahmani Ramate Cittam

Nandati Nandati Nandatyeva

The nineteenth verse said to me - Shruti Says🌷

Immersed in Yoga (Penance or Tapa),

or Indulging in Bhog (material world),

or in the crowd (in the midst of worldly relations),

or alone (silently sitting in a isolated place) ,

The one who has become one with Brahman,

has experienced Brahman,

or the one who only sees Brahman,

revels in divine bliss/anand always.

——————————

If we go to cremation ground, we see the body is put on the fire and it is burning away. The Body is burning and so is the wood on which the body has been put, it is all buring alike. The person/ Chandal, holds a stick and keeps putting the the wood which falls off or the body part which fall off back into the fire pyre. Till all of it is properly burnt. In the end he also puts the stick which he was holding into the fire. Why? Because the job of the stick is done, the wood and body alike all burnt, all ash and not the stick is no longer needed.

What is this stick? A thing that keeps reminding us that ‘I am that’, and initially it is needed the tapas, the sadhan, the penance and when that reminder is no longer, when one is established in the self. This stick can be thrown as well.

The stick is all that we do reach this state. Reading the scriptures , chanting, Japa, Tapa etc is a way of removing the over bearing conditioning and developing the spiritual muscle, and when that has been developed, and the realisation happens both the spiritual practice and the ego is dropped. We don’t remain anymore, it is all that divine and for that, to be in the own self, nothing is needed.

• Now, for some gyanis or the awakened ones the material world is nothing at all, they roam around as recluse.

• For others, they have to be in some kind of activity, they have to be working in the material world, and no one can guess their level of realisation.

• There could be yet others, who could be having families and friends and totally come across as average indulging people, again no on can guess their level of realisation also.

In other words they come in all shapes and sizes. Who will know the elevated state of these people, only those who have this urge to realise the divine, they will be drawn to any one of the above and will know, as their need to know the truth will draw them to the realised ones. They will be able to smell the love that emanates, because of being in that state.

This reminds me of a story of a Sage and a King. 

There ones lived a great sage in the outskirt of the kingdom. He was considered to be a realised soul and many visited him. The word reached the King and he was eager to meet him. Not only, did he go to meet him, but he also got the sage back to the place with him. The sage agreed, as the king truly wanted the sage to come and bless him with his wise counsel.

The king made fine arrangements for the sage, he made sure that all the luxurious that the king enjoyed are made available to the sage. The softest of beds, the choicest of cloths and most elaborate meals. The sage did not decline any of this, he wore the silks, ate the sweets and enjoyed the shows put up for him. Days rolled by and the sage lived like the second king in the place. 

Now the king started having second thought and doubts, about the authenticity of this sage. He felt that this can not be a sage, look at him indulging. He is an ordinary man who can not resists the pull of the material world. He wondered if he has been deceived by this fraud sage.

Now, after a few weeks he could not control himself and looked the sage straight in the eye and said, Why are you so revered? To me you are no different from what I am. An ordinary mortal who relishes the pleasures of the world. You do exactly what I do.

• How are you any different from me?

The sage smiled and did not reply. He went to his palace, and after a while came out. Just the way he had entered for the first time, wearing the same tattered cloths, which barely covered his body, bare feet and empty handed, as he possessed nothing. With the same smile still glowing on his face, he started walking. 

He walked outside the place, toward the gates. The king was chasing him, stop you have not answered my question, How are we different, he exclaimed. The sage, did not find it important to answer. So, he kept walking and the King kept chasing him, following him and kept on questioning him. The sage did not answer, and kept walking out the city, to the forest and near the river and was about to cross. The walk, went on for a few days, non-stop, and the king kept following, till they reached this river.

Finally, when they were about to cross the river, the king said, stop I can’t go any further, I have to go back. To which, the sage finally broke his silence and answered, well that my King is the difference between you and me, I don’t have to go back.

You are bound, by family, duty, attachment and so on. I am free, I am not bound by anything. Nor does anything affect me. If I get a meal, I accept it, if I get no meal I am fine with it. If some days it is a stale piece of bread I am grateful, on other days when I am given rich meal I am fine. 

The days when I sleep under the sun or rain I am fine, on other days when I am made to sleep on a soft bed I am fine. With the silk robe or a tattered cloth I am fine. In abuse and praise I am unaffected. 

The king kept hearing, and how he felt ashamed of judging this great Mahatma, by his outer behaviour. The king fell at the feet of this Mahatma, and asked for forgiveness. The sage said he was never offended, saying this the says crossed the river, and walked on, never to be seen again. But, the king had to head back.

That is the difference between the one who has experienced God and the one who has not. There are only two categories, the one who has felt and the one who has not felt the divine touch. There is no grey area here and it is best not to pretend also. Let’s look at an analogy to understand better how to reach that state realisation and how difficult it is to hold on to it;

Making of Ghee (clarified Butter) 

1. Cow - Satvik peity
2. Grass - Japa, penace, sacred observance, yama, niyama, blessed virtues and religious practices
3. Milk - Love when she sees the calf
4. Hind leg tie - Quietism
5. Pot - Faith
6. milker - Pure mind
7. Milk - Supreme righteousness 
8. Boil Milk on fire of - Desirelessness
9. Cool it - Contentment and forbearance 
10. Congealed using curd - fortitude + mind control
11. churn curd 
12. vessel - cheerfulness
13. stick - reflection
14. base - self restraint
15. string - truthful and agreeable words
16. Butter - Pure excellent holy butter of dispassion
17. put on fire - Yoga 
18. Fuel - Karma good and bad
19. scum is removed - worldly attachment
20. Ghee finally - Gyan 
21. Cool Ghee - with buddhi/reasaon/vivek 
22. Cold pure ghee - widsom

Now use this Ghee to light the Lamp

1. Lamp -Chitta
2. Stand - Even mindedness 
3. Cotton (wick) - Trancedental state beyond prakrit - (waking, dream, dreamless, stave, rajas and tamas)
4. Light the lamp - Immediate knowledge
5. Flame - Knowledge of self - Tat tvam ashi

Lamp is on, darkness of duality disappears, wah, we have light soo, buddhi can see and decide to untie the knot.

But….

Winds - Maya comes 

Winds - Riddhi, siddhi, troubles, 5 senses let in the windsss

And here goes off, the light of the lamp, because of the wind and again darkness prevails…

The one who revels in the divine is always in anand/bliss, no wind can ever blow the light that shines bright, as he has become the line and then that which is torture for the world, becomes an ever lasting source of joy - In yog or Bhog, with people or without - he is always established in the self and basks in ekanth.

Akelaapan v/s Ekanth

'अकेलापन' इस संसार में सबसे बड़ी सज़ा है.!

 और 'एकांत' सबसे बड़ा वरदान.!

ये दो समानार्थी दिखने वाले शब्दों के अर्थ आकाश पाताल का अंतर है।

अकेलेपन में छटपटाहट है, एकांत में आराम.!

अकेलेपन में घबराहट है, एकांत में शांति।

जब तक हमारी नज़ बाहरकी ओर है तब तक हम अकेलापन महसूस करते हैं.!

जैसे ही नज़र भीतर की ओर मुड़ी, तो एकांत अनुभव होने लगता है।

ये जीवन और कुछ नहीं, वस्तुतः अकेलेपन से एकांत की ओर एक यात्रा ही है.!

ऐसी यात्रा जिसमें, रास्ता भी हम हैं, राही भी हम हैं और मंज़िल भी हम ही हैं.!!

Hari Om 🙏