Blog Post #62 - Adi Shankara and What is the use?

After we dropped my nephew in airport my son Arnav said 

'Daddy it is easy to drop someone at airport but it is hard to see them go away'
The next time we met his friend who had dropped her cousin off he said  "It is easy to say Bye but it is sad to see them go away".

This made me think about Yaksha Prashna . The questions that Yama - the god of justice/death asks Yudhishtra (his son!) are 100 in number. One of the question that Yama asks is 'What is the funniest thing on earth? The answer that was given was - People who are going to die crying for people who died.

Adi Shankara talks about this in Baja Govindam.Punarapi Jananam Punarapi Maranam. The basic idea of Brahamin /Bramam is to attain salvation by moving up the hierarchy from algae to holy human(not holy cow).

Adi Shankara - The Guru of all Gurus in Hinduism. According to Sivakumar Manikanteswaran (Me) if not for him the nation of India and the surrounding regions could have been Buddhist (not that we like dictatorship or Military governments). . the sad reality being any nation that adopts Buddhism is ruled by Military dictators - Japan , China ,Myanmar,Afghanistan (do you remember the 3 buddhas which the Taliban blasted in protest to US assault in 2001 ) Pictures below

Read about those Buddhas at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhas_of_Bamiyan

According to the website below

http://vedantavision.org/bhaja-govindam/bhaja-govindam/bhaja-govindam.html

Adi Shankara's work can be classified into 3 categories.

1. Bhashya: Commentaries on the scriptures such as the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita and the Brahmasutras

2. Stotras: Devotional compositions like the Dakshinamoorthy stotras

3. Prakarana Granthas: Introductory manuals for spiritual studies

I would like to discuss about 2 songs composed (music and lyrics? - by Adi = Adi Shankara!)
My favorite song isThotaka ashtakam  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7I1RzMwI2I
I will not discuss about this song here.

We will talk about 

Guru Ashtakam   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JutVlgPS9i8
 and Baja Govindam http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4FUQxn4CnY

Lets start with Guru Ashtakam
The catchy phrase for me is Thatha kim Thatha Kim, which roughly translates to What is the use?(The title for this post - What is the use?)
http://www.sathyaprema.com/guru_ashtakam.htm

So what ? - What is the use if you have

Handsome Body
Attractive wife
Fame spread far and wide
Enormous  wealth and stable (like Mount Meru - who knows what that is!)
Wife,Wealth,Childern,GrandChildren,House,relations and born in great family
Expertise in six angas and the four vedas
Expertise in writing good prose and poems
If you are considered 'Great Abroad' (in facebook or twitter or youtube)
Considered rich in your place
Greatly Engaged in virtues and Life
Even if you are king of a great region (corporate equivalent - Board of directors,'C' level - CEO ,CFO,CIP ,SVP)
Served by kings and great kings (corporate equivalent Managing other VPS,Directors)
If you are very famous all over world
Your are know for your charity and fame and world like you (like Bill Gates and Bill & Melissa Foundation)
If you concentrate your mind on passion,yoga and fire sacrife or in the affairs of wealth
You have a great Jewel collection
You have a passionate wife
If your mind wanders in forest or in house of in duties of great thoughts

YOU MUST GET ATTACHED TO THE WORDS OF YOUR TEACHER AND MUST BOW TO YOUR TEACHER'S LOTUS FEET.THAT IS THE WAY TO ATTAIN BRAHMAN.

Ok. Get it?

Adi Shankara knows and understands Guru is important.

Mata,Pita,Guru and Deivam(GOD). The order has always been established as Mom,Dad,Teacher and God.

Adi Shankara focussed on 3rd here.

Also the greatness of Adi Shankara is that he is a Shaivite ('A Shiva Work shipper) who wrote about Shiva songs,Shakti - Goddess songs and Vishnu (Govinda,Krishna et all).
Bajha Govindam is a Vishnu song. At the height of the fight between Hindu fractions he dominated the scene by writing about all the gods and demigods of Hinduism.

A physically fit health freak who travelled from Kerala to Kashmir by foot. I think twice to walk to the neighbourhood park.


Remember the context - Adi Shankara is walking in city of Kashi and finds a teacher repeating sanskrit language grammar rules (substitute this with arithmetic,algebra,physics laws or whatever you like). So verse 1 talks about that....but the whole Bhaja Govindam song bring the meaning of attachment and usefulness.

There is the story of Valmiki which brings this point to life(life point to point) - if you do anything for others-others will enjoy the fruits but may not approve the means and accept its consequences. So profound. Think about it..

From Wikipedia

The Uttara Kanda tells the story of Valmiki's early life, as an unnamed highway robber who used to rob people after killing them. Once, the robber tried to rob the divine sage Narada for the benefit of his family. Narada asked him if his family would share the sin he was incurring due to the robbery. The robber replied positively, but Narada told him to confirm this with his family. The robber asked his family, but none agreed to bear the burden of sin. Dejected, the robber finally understood the truth of life and asked for Narada's forgiveness. Narada taught the robber to worship God. But, as Lord Vishnu forbid the divine sage Narada from preaching the Ram_Nam mantra of salvation, Narada cleverly wrapped the mantra as "Mara-Maram". When continuously uttered it would become the moola mantra "Ram". The robber meditated for many years, so much so that Ant-hills grew around his body. Finally, a divine voice declared his penance successful, bestowing him with the name "Valmiki": "one born out of ant-hills" (Valmikam in Sanskrit means Ant-hill).

Here is the meaning of Bhaja Govindam as written in http://www.kamakoti.org/shlokas/kshlok19.htm

1. Adore the Lord, adore the Lord, adore the Lord, O fool! when the appointed time (for departure) comes, the repetition of grammatical rules will not, indeed, save you.
2. O fool! leave off the desire for accumulation of wealth; create in the mind, thoughts about Reality, devoid of passion. What you get - i.e. what you have achieved through your past deeds - with that, satisfy your mind.
3. Seeing the seductive female form, do not fall prey to frenzied delusion. That (female form) is (but) a modification of flesh and fat. Think well thus in your mind and again and again.
4. The water on the lotus-leaf is very unsteady; so also is life extremely unstable. Know that the entire world is devoured by disease and conceit, and smitten with sorrow.
5. As long as you have the ability to earn money, so long will your dependents be attached to you. After that, when you live with an infirm body no one world even speak to you a word.
6. As long as there is breath in the body, so long people in the household ask about one's welfare. Once the breath leaves, on the destruction of the body, the dependents dread that very same body.
7. When a boy, one is attached to sport; when a youth, one is attached to as young woman; when old. one is attached to anxiety; to the supreme Brahman, no one, alas, is attached!
8. Who is your wife? Who is your son? Exceedingly wonderful, indeed, is this empirical process! Of whom are you? Who are you? Whence have you come? O brother, think of that truth here
9. Through the company of the good, there arises non-attachment; through non-attachment, there arises freedom from delution; through delusionless-ness, there arises steadfastness; through steadfastness, there arises liberation in life. 
10. When youth is spent, what lustful play is there? When the water has evaporated, what lake is there? When the money is gone, what dependents are there? When the truth is known, what empirical process is there?
11. Do not be proud of wealth, kindred, and youth; Time takes away all these in a moment. Leaving aside this entire (world) which is of the nature of an illusion, and knowing the state of Brahman, enter into it. 
12. Day and night, dusk and dawn, winter and spring come repeatedly; Time sports, life is fleeting; yet one does not leave the winds of desire.
13. Why worry about wife, wealth, etc., O crazy one; is there not for you the one who ordains? In the three worlds, it is only the association with good people that can serve as the boat that can carry one across the sea of birth.
14. The ascetic with matted lock, the one with his head shaven, the one with hairs pulled out one by one, the one who disguises himself variously with the ochre-coloured robes - such a one is a fool who, though seeing, does not see. Indeed, this varied disguise is for the sake of the belly. 
15. The body has become decrepit; the head has turned grey; the mouth has been rendered toothless; grasping a stick, the old man moves about. Even then, the mass of desires does not go. 
16. In front, there is fire; at the back, there is the sin; in the night, (the ascetic sits) with the knees stuck to the chin; he receives alms in his palms, and lives under the trees; yet the bondage of desire does not leave him.
17. One goes on pilgrimage to the place where the Gañgá joins the sea; or observe the religious vows with care; or offers gifts. But if he be devoid of knowledge, he does not gain release-according to all schools of thought-even in a hundred lives.
18. Living in temples or at the foot of trees, sleeping on the ground, wearing deer-skin, renouncing all possessions and their enjoyment - to whom will not dispassion bring happiness?
19. Let one practice concentration; or let one indulge in sense-enjoyment. Let one find pleasure in company; or in solitude. He alone is happy, happy, verily happy, whose mind revels in Brahman.
20. For him, who has studied the Bhagavadgitá even a little, who has drunk a drop of the Gañgá-water, and who has performed the worship of the Destroyer of the demon Mura (viz. Ùri Køúïa) at least once, there is no tiff with Yama (the lord of death).
21. Repeated birth, repeated death, and repeated lying in mother's womb - this transmigratory process is extensive and difficult to cross; save me, O Destroyer of Mura (O Køúïa), through your grace!
22. He who wears a dress made of rags that lie about in the streets, he who walks in the path that is beyond merit and demerit the yogin whose mind is given up to yoga revels (in Brahman) just as a child or as a mad-man.
23. Who are you? Whom am I? Whence have I come? Who is my mother? Who, my father? Thus enquire, leaving aside the entire world which is comparable to a dream, and is essenceless.
24. In you, in me, and elsewhere too, there is but one Viúïu (God). Vainly do you get angry with me, being impatient. See the Self in all things, and leave off everywhere ignorance which is the cause of difference.
25. Make no effort to be either at war with, or in league with, enemy, friend, son, or relative. If you want to attain the status of Viúïu (Godhood) soon, be equal-minded towards all things.
26. Leaving off desire, anger, greed, and delusion, make self-inquiry; who am I? They are fools who are without Self-knowledge; as captives in hell, they are tortured.
27. The Bhagavadgètá and the Sahasranáma should be sung; the form of the Lord of Lakúmè (Viúïu) should always be meditated on; the mind should be led to the company of the good; and wealth should be distributed among the indigent.
28. One easily takes to carnal enjoyment afterwards, lo, there is disease of the body. Although, in the world, death is the refuge, even then one does not relinquish sinful ways.
29. `Wealth is no good'; thus reflect always; there is not the least happiness therefrom; this is the truth. For the wealthy, there is fear even from a son; everywhere this is the regular mode
30. The regulation of breath, the withdrawal of the senses (from their respective objects), the inquiry consisting in the discrimination between the eternal and the non-eternal, the method of mind-control associated with the muttering of mantras - perform these with great care.
31. Being devoted completely to the lotus-feet of the Master, become released soon from the transmigratory process. Thus, through the discipline of sense and mind-control, you will behold the Deity that resides in your heart.

Jaya Jaya Shankara
Hara Hara Shankara
Keep LEarning

Sivakumar Manikanteswaran
.