“punarapi jananam punarapi maranam punarapi jananí jathare çayanam iha samsare bahu dustare krupaya pare pahi murare
The cycle of births and deaths is endless. Oh Lord, kindly help me cross this unsurpassable ocean of the world. Bhaja Govindam
In the Mahabharata there are two beautiful characters Arjuna and Abhimanyu, they were father and son. When Abhimanyu was in the mother’s womb, Subhadra, who was Abhimanyu’s mother and the wife of Arjuna, asked her husband a question about the strategies in warfare. Arjuna started explaining about a special impregnable arrangement of soldiers on the battlefield, which one has to penetrate and come out successfully or one could get trapped and killed. The particular arrangement he was describing was known as chakra vyuha. Subhadra listened only up to the point when one can enter the arrangement and fell asleep. Abhimanyu was also listening from the womb up to the point where the mother slept.
The baby was born and grew up to become a brave warrior. In the battle of Mahabharata Kauravas formed the chakra vyuha and Arjuna, the only one who had the skill of going in and coming out successfully was away at another place. In his absence Abhimanyu volunteered to go in as he remembered what he had heard from the mother’s womb. He went in but could not come out successfully as he had heard only up until the time the mother slept. The other warriors who wanted to help could not follow as the vyuha closed before they could enter.
The world is a chakra vyuha. Most people know how to get in but cannot come out. Arjuna knew how to go in and come out. Sri Ramakrishna described the world as a river full of alligators, which we have to cross. It is infested with many wild animals like the ego, anger, jealousy and judgmental attitude. At every footstep there is temptation.
The shield of discipline: There is a belief that if you smear the body with turmeric paste and then enter the waters the alligators do not come to you. Yellow color indicates satttva, red rajas and black tamas. The rajasic mind is restless and entertains anger and pride. The tamasic mind is clouded with pramada and alasya. One should try to be more sattvic, but how?
Ramakrishna said life is like a jackfruit. A special technique is needed to cut the jackfruit. If you apply some oil to your hands and smear the knife with oil then it is easy to cut the jackfruit. If not the jackfruit could be very sticky. The world is sticky. With love for God as the oil, we enter the world without getting entangled in the world. Swami Sivananda said, cultivate virtues and eradicate vices.
Without disciplining the mind there is no growth. Gurudev is a shining example of discipline and consideration. Whether it is summer or winter he would get up very early at a particular time and if he had to go out he would use a torch light in a manner that it does not disturb others. I have seen many monks and lived with them but I have not seen such discipline. If we really want to cultivate sattva, discipline of the mind is essential. Time passes away so fast it will not wait for any one.
Be alert: Arjuna could come out, but Abhimanyu could not. Arjuna was the teacher. When the teacher was teaching Subhadra the disciple was sleeping. This caused the failure of Abhimanyu. When realized Masters are trying to teach us are we really learning?
After the last supper Jesus said, “Do not sleep” and went to the backside of the house to pray. When he came back he found them sleeping and said “Can you not stay awakened for a few minutes?”
How long will we sleep? The goal is far and we are travelers on the path. If we do not walk towards the goal as long as there is light we may not reach the goal before the night. The evening of life is approaching fast. We forget the goal and the purpose of our life and we move here and there life after life.
The vicious cycle. As Adi Shankara said, “punarapi jananam punarapi maranam punarapi jananíjathare çayanam” Born again, dead again and back again to the womb of the mother.
It is also said, janma dukha jară dukha, jăyă dukha punah punah samsăra săgaram dukham tasmăt jăgrata jăgrata- Beware of the ocean of the world of birth ,death and entanglement for it is full of sorrow.
Bhagavad Gita describes the world as dukhălayam – the place of suffering. We cannot find peace in the world. World is a place of war and we cannot run away. We have to fight with the enemies.
The world is a chakra vyuha. It is a vicious cycle of births and deaths.
Remember God: God the mother is happy as long as we are engrossed in our play with the toys. The mother comes to the baby only when the baby is in need of the mother and cries for the mother.
Be spiritual and optimistic. Being realized does not mean there will be no problems. Spiritual beings are not affected by the problems as their mind is engrossed in God. Kunti prayed to the Lord to keep her in difficulties so she would never forget him.
Sant Kabir sang, dukhme sumiran sabkare sukh me karane kon—All remember God in difficulties but how many remember God in pleasure?