Bhaj Govindam 

Verse 4

nalinīdalagatajalamatitaralaṃ

tadvajjīvitamatiśayacapalam ।

viddhi vyādhyabhimānagrastaṃ

lokaṃ śokahataṃ ca samastam 

The Fourth verse said to me - Sruti says🌷

Our life/chances of this body being alive are as fragile and uncertain as the existence of a trembling drop of water seated on the leaf of a lotus plant.

Infested with and in the clutch of destiny, disease of the mind/body and ego, the entire world is in the hands of great agony/sorrow.

——————-

आए हैं सो जाएँगे, राज- रंक फकीर ।

एक सिंहासन चढ़ी चले, एक बँधे जात जंजीर ॥(Kabirdasji)

Aaye hain so jayenge,raja rank phakir

Ek sinhasan chadhi chale, ek bandhe jat janjeer

This one truth if internalised, is capable of breaking the hold of maya, freeing us from delusion and connecting us to the higher eternal truth.

This is the only constant in our life, that one day we all have to leave this world and go. No one will live here for eternity. Our existence is as fragile and temporary as a drop of water on the leaves of the lotus, a slight wind, a light tremor or even the rays of the sun can dissolve its existence.

This one truth we negate through out our lives and live as if there will never be an end. The reality is far different, not only, will we have to leave, but the time of our departure though unknown to us, is predetermined.

We all have a fixed number of breaths, time ones gone never comes back, yet the biggest lie that we tell ourselves is that, we have unlimited time at our disposal. A self created illusion which we securely cocoon ourselves in. 

Maya-delusion also does her best to keep us from awakening to the transient nature of reality. The reality is that everything in life is a passing cloud and nothing really matters in the end.

Maya spins a web around the unsuspecting victims. First the victim gets stuck in the sticky webs (Samsar) and then in order to get free (of agony and to get momentary joy), the victim struggle and moves viciously (to fulfil ones desires), only to get more deeply caught (in the cycle of mundane existence). 

Just like, quick sand’s downward pull increases when one struggle to get free, the more one tries to get joy, the more one tries to fulfil ones desire, the more the thirst grows and the more one gets agonised. Mrigh-Trishna - the poor deer keeps chasing the mirage to quench its thirst or chases the smell of Kasturi (Joy) outside, not knowing that it lies within(Anand)

To strengthen her hold on us, Maya makes us feel that we are fully the masters of our own lives, and makes us firmly believe that this unreal, temporary world, is real and eternal. On the contrary, sadly the reigns are always in her hand - the three reigns that she hold are;

• Destiny 
• Disease(Body and Mind)
• Ego

Destiny

Life is but a dream, let the vision cease. But, if you can’t, fill your hours with selfless love and service free. (Vivekanadaji)

If we were to be told that there is no reason to what happens to us and no answers to our questions of why. Just like in our dreams characters and situations arise and subside when we awake. We too are, but, the actors in Gods dreams. Dreams have no reasons - does that not leave little room for justification, clarification and analysis.

But, explanation we seek, as we cannot equate our selves to nothing. Our Ego won’t allow that, would it?

So, the whole concept of Karma comes into play,. I will just keep it simple and say that there are various types of Karma’s - Sanchit karma, Agami Karma and Prarabdha. Prarabdha, simply explained is, as we sow so shall we reap, every action has an equal and opposite reaction (carried forward birth after birth). 

This very trap called Karma, we fill our existence analysing, when good happens we say we deserve it and when bad enfolds, we question, what did I do to deserve it.  

However, the wise, drops karma, by dropping the ‘Karta and Bhokta bhav’, I am neither the doers nor the one who reaps the fruits, he says. When, it is destiny(Lord) that is at play - what has to happen will happen, the way it is supposed to happen;

सुनहु भरत भावी प्रबल बिलखि कहेउ मुनिनाथ।

हानि लाभु जीवनु मरनु जसु अपजसु बिधि हाथ॥(Ramcharitra Manas)

Suno Bharat Bhavi Prabal Bilakh kahe muni nath,

Hani labh jivan maran,yash apyash sb vidhi hath.

But, not many can accept it, and just be. This absence of compete acceptance and surrender, is the cause of extreme grief in the world. 

Note: Dropping Karta and Bhokta Bhav does not make one complacent - the tremendous energies of the universe operate through this person. 

Disease (Body and Mind)

I always wonder, which is more painful, the bodily pain, pain caused by others or the mental trauma we inflict on ourselves. 

In the beginning of Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran, it is said that there are three types of Taap/Agony - Adhyatmika (origin in our own body and mind), Adhibhautika (inflicted by other creatures) and Adhidaivika (having its source in natural calamities).

Most or rather all our agonies/sorrows are just Adhyatmika in nature, inflicted by the self to the self. Nothing and nobody other than us, has the strength to cause sorrow or joy. 

External forces can present a situation, but can not dictate our reaction to it. No matter how painful the bodily disease or how disastrous the external condition, an individual has the capacity to be free from grief and sorrow. 

However, the power of maya forces us to believe that we are the puppets in the hands of Samsara and cause of our happiness and agony are external to us. 

Ego

I am, I am, I am and I am. This is ‘I ‘ the ego. 

Jab mai tau prabhu nahin , 

Aur jub prabhu tau mai nahin.

Till this ego is, there is pain, sorrow and grief and god/self realisation is not possible.

This ego - ‘I’ stands between us and our own true self. That is, the Sat Chit Anand Swaroop. This ego, does not want to accept that God alone is, that the wave is nothing, but the ocean. In the fear to lose its independent identity, it struggles an endless ordeal. If only it knew, that the wave is the ocean. 

If only it knew, Tat Twam Ashi, Aham Brahmasmi, I am that and that is is me. The tremors of the fearful drop sitting on the lotus leaf would stop, as it would know that, whether it becomes one with the water below or is evaported to skies above, it is un-destructible, it always was, it always is and it always will be.

Internalising this, to win this game and get free from the clutches of maya, one has to just stop indulging in it. One has to stop playing the game and be in full acceptance of whatever is meted. 

रात गंवाई सोय के, दिवस गंवाया खाय ।

हीरा जन्म अमोल था, कोड़ी बदले जाय ॥(Kabirdasji)

Raat ganvaai soy ke,divas ganvaaya khay

heera janm aamol tha,kodi badle jay.

One should not waste ones precious Human Birth and sleep to this every changing world and wake up to this one eternal truth - God. 

When is the right time to turn to God?

It is, right now. 

काल करे सो आज कर, आज करे सो अब ।

पल में प्रलय होएगी,बहुर- करेगा कब ॥(Kabirdasji)

Kal kare so aaj kar,aaj kare so aab

Pal main pralay hoyegi, bahuri karega kab

Because,

कल समय मिलेगा, यही सबसे बड़ा भ्रम है।(Osho)

Kal samaye milega, yehi Sabse Bada Bhram hai.

Hari Om 🙏