Introspect​ion

कः कालः कानि मित्राणि को देशः कौ व्ययाऽगमौ |
कश्चाहं का च मे शक्तिरिति चिन्त्यं मुहुर्मुहुः     ||

Ka-ha kaala-ha kaani mitraaNi ko desha-ha kau vyayaa-aagamau
kashchaaham kaa cha me shakti-riti chintyam muhur-muhu-hu

Meaning:
What are (my) circumstances (kaala),
who are (my) friends (mitra),
where am I (ko desha),
what are (my) income (aagamau) and expenses (vyayaa),
who am I,
and what are my strengths
—these should be thought over, again and again.

These are some questions which we should always be alert for. Usually what happens is that we keep storing information about different aspects of our life as & when incidents happen. And then we always evaluate ourselves according to those stored memories or information. But over time, our circumstances change, and yet we still base our decisions on our preset self-evaluated data. And that leads us to not realizing our full potential.

The classic example is that of a baby elephant who is tied to trees by rope in his childhood. It tries very hard to break free from the rope but is not strong enough at that time. After a point the baby elephant stops trying to break it. Even after growing up to be the strong animal that it becomes, a domesticated elephant never tries to break the rope. Based on its childhood memories, it presumes that it is incapable of breaking the rope while in fact, now it has the strength to tear down the whole tree. Sometimes the mahout doesn't even tie the rope to the tree, but the elephant never tries. This is exactly the point that our subhaashitkaar is trying to make here.

Our circumstances constantly change, yet we fail to take notice; even if we notice, we sometimes fail to adapt to them, or don't even try to. We may fail an exam and never take it again. We may fail in some business, never to venture in to any other business again. If there is a quarrel in a friendship, we never think of trying to forge it again. If there is a strong friendship, we might assume it to be always good while in reality, it may be fading out. Our expenses usually keep increasing slowly with incomes remaining the same, and if we do not notice it, there is trouble ahead. A famous quote: "There is only one thing in this world which is constant, and that is change."

We need to constantly keep re-evaluating our circumstances, our friends, our finances, our overall strengths—in fact, on a philosophical plane, we should constantly check our internal self, or the changes in the nature of our internal character, the changes in our attitude towards life. We should check whether we are progressing in life or not, not just financially but in all the sectors of life. We should check every day whether we became a better human being than we were yesterday.

The poet or the subhaashitkaar is not only telling us the significance of alert observation & regular introspection but also giving us a direction to that mental activity.

Yashoda Maa

यशोदया समा कापि देवतानास्ति भूतले     |
उलूखले यया बद्धो मुक्तिदो मुक्तिमिच्छति ||

Yashodayaa samaa kaapi devtaa-naasti bhootale
Ulookhale yayaa baddho muktido muktim-ichchhati

Meaning: There is no deity on this earth equal to Yashodaa. He who liberates everyone, is asking her to release Him, from the mortar that she has tied Him to! 

This shloka is as emotional as it is devotional. The Lord is one who has the power to liberate each and every being in this Universe. This powerful Lord was tied down to a mortar by Maa Yashoda. And He had to beg Yashoda maa to free Him or liberate Him from the bonds.

First of all, who in this world, has the power to tie up the Lord? Yashoda was not even his real mother ! And the Lord not only accepted her bonds, but also begged her to free Him. It shows the supreme height of devotion that Yashoda was living on. She just loved her Kanhaiya. She was madly in love with Him. And that pure, mad love was her power with which she conquered the Lord of all Lords. She forgot her own self when she was with Him, and that is why the Lord submitted Himself to her. Yashoda is a role-model for all devotees of any God. Our love should be as pure and as strong as hers, to reach Him. In fact, God must be yearning for such love which is extremely rare.

Even if we leave aside the spiritual part, and just look at the human side of it, even then, it is love that prevails. With pure love, you can conquer the heart of any living being, human or animal! Love is the real power. It doesn't matter whether we are related by blood or not; we should be related by the heart. Love, without any strings attached, is the supreme weapon in the battlefield of life, with which we can win any situation or person. The best of friends and the worst of enemies—they all can be ours if we have innate love within ourselves.

Another side to it, is the importance of a mother. Even God Himself submitted to his earthly mother. That is why our 1st Bodh-vachan is Maatru Devo bhava-ha ! The significance and value of a mother cannot even be imagined. It can only be felt and realized. The purity of a mother's love is unparalleled.
God with all His powers and strength demonstrated respect & submission to His mother, whereas we are not ready to even keep our aged parents with us these days. May we never forget the value of our mother & father till the end of life !

May all of us learn to love ourselves & others unselfishly, and move on towards loving the Supreme in the same way !

MahaaPurush

गङ्गा पापं शशी तापं दैन्यं कल्पतरुस्तथा    |
पापं तापं च दैन्यं च घ्नन्ति सन्तो महाशया: ||

Gangaa paapam shashee taapam dainyam kalpatarustathaa
Paapam taapam cha dainyam cha ghnanti santo mahaashayaa-haa

Meaning: The (river) Ganga washes away all sins; the moon (shashee) removes all the heat (with its coolness), and the Kalpataru tree removes all poverty (by granting all wishes). But the noble simultaneously eliminate (all three)—sins, heat & poverty.

This shloka tells us the importance of the noble & the saintly. While the river Ganga, the moon and the Kalpataru only remove 1 hardship each, noblemen remove all three and any other.

It tells us the importance of being associated with noblemen or mahaa-purush. We should first be able to recognize a mahaa-purush, and then get associated with him or her. This association would bring great benefits to us in terms of overall development. Poverty doesn't just connote financial poverty, but the poverty of life. Such saintly association would remove all the problems or hardships from our life, and get us moving on the path of happiness.

This being the first step, the shloka also hints at the other side of it. Not only should we associate with mahaa-purush, but we should also try to become one, or like one. We should be such that people feel peace, love, and warmth, just by being with us. They should feel like becoming virtuous due to association with us. If they feel like ceasing bad deeds or sins, then that is equivalent to cleansing of sins. They should feel the sheetaltaa or coolness of the moon upon meeting us. They should be able to confide in us, share with us and feel that we are there—for them & with them. That will remove more than half of their problems & get them working.

In the 12th chapter of Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta, the Lord tells us about the quality of ana-udvigna. At a very peripheral level, it means one who is approachable, or one whom people won't be hesitant to approach or meet. We have to be ana-udvigna. Everyone should want to meet us, and be with us. There is a difference between ana-udvigna & popular. Ana-udvigna means people should not know why, but they still want to be with you. It's due to our pure & virtuous character whereas popularity is generally due to external personality.

This is a very important requirement for anyone who wants to do constructive & cultural work at whatever level. We have to be such, that people not only look up to us, but also feel comfortable with, and also feel a bond with. For people to be able to feel comfortable with us, we have to be of such character. Someone who simply carries out instructions or enforces principles is a manager, while someone with whom people connect on their own, is the person, this shloka wants us to be. Such a person can make people live on the principles desired out of mankind rather than simply follow them. We have to be such, so as to carry out any kind of constructive work effectively. The onus is always ours.

Pastime

काव्यशास्त्रविनोदेन कालो गच्छति धीमताम्
व्यसनेन तु मूर्खाणां निद्रया कलहेन वा
- हितोपदेश

Kaavya-shaastra-vinodena kaalo gachchhati dheemataam
vyasanena tu moorkhaaNaam nidrayaa kalahena vaa
- Hitopadesha

Meaning: The intelligent (dheemataam) spend their time (kaala) in studying literature (kaavya) and scriptures (shaastra) for their amusement (vinoda), while fools by (indulging in) bad habits (vyasana), sleeping (nidraa) or quarreling (kalahena).

Our hobbies, our pastimes tell us about our personalities. Intelligent people always have hobbies which enrich their minds, which add value to their lives, which take them further in life. Whereas foolish people indulge into unproductive activities like vices, too much sleeping, and having tussles and quarrels with others.

What are we spending our time on?
What do we do, when we have nothing else to do?
What do we want to do, if we had more time?
These are the questions being asked by the subhaashitkaar. If the answers contain productive activities where our mind is involved positively, even during amusement, then we are among the intelligent.

Time is of great essence, and every moment if not used productively, is causing losses to us in the business of life. We should know what we are doing at any moment, and why we are doing what we are doing. If that is well-defined, even an hour spent watching the rains or the birds, or even sleeping is well-spent. It all depends upon whether you know what you are doing, and whether there is a well-defined productive reason for what you are doing. Reading books may not be always be productive, and sleeping may not be always unproductive. They may well be vice versa. It all depends upon the 'why' behind the action. Know your whys in life and you are good to go !

Knowledge vs Pleasure

सुखार्थी त्यजते विद्यां विद्यार्थी त्यजते सुखम् |
सुखार्थिनः कुतो विद्या कुतो विद्यार्थिनः सुखम् |

Sukhaarthi tyajate vidyaam vidyaarthee tyajate sukham
Sukhaarthina-ha kuto vidyaa kuto vidyaarthina-ha sukham

Meaning: One who craves pleasure (sukha) relinquishes (tyajate) attaining knowledge (vidyaa). And one who craves knowledge relinquishes obtaining pleasure.
What is knowledge to a pleasure-seeker? What is pleasure to a vidyaarthee? (it's of no value).

Our Indian culture has structured our life in such a beautiful way that if we follow it properly, then we get the best out of life at every stage of life. The 1st quarter of our life is our Brahmachaarya Ashram wherein the main focus is pursuit of knowledge. During this student stage of life, it is very strongly emphasized to have a minimum of luxuries so as to remove any and every distraction which can shift our focus from our studies. Complimentarily, it is good to have obstacles, troubles and challenges to make us stretch much more than our capacity.

We see the exact opposite nowadays in society. My revered Dada often says that, whenever someone is checking out hostels for their son or daughter, the first thing that they look out, is whether the food is good, and whether the room is comfortable. They want to see their child in a comfortable situation, so that the child can devote maximum time to studies. But that very comfort is a hindrance to their focus at that time. Cozy, cushioned mattresses make us sleep more. Lovely hot water not only arouses our senses but also make us spend more time in the bathroom. Electronic gadgets like cell phones, computers & music players keeps us distracted from our reading & writing. The worst effect is that we are never alone with ourselves, which gives us no time to contemplate, analyze, collect, and organize our thoughts.

One of my most respected teachers, Dr. Nigal once told us, "Jo log subah ki gulaabi thanDi ko chhod dete hain, unhe aage jaakar duniya gulaab deti hai."

And this shloka applies not just in student life, but all through our lives. Knowledge is an ever-lasting process, not limited to bookish knowledge or a certain age. Knowledge as we have seen earlier, extends to change and growth in our life. Knowledge is not a function of the brain, but a function of our mind - it's a matter of being. If we want growth, we need challenges; we need roadblocks, hurdles & obstacles - of the body, of the mind, and of the heart! Seeking pleasures & comforts at this time would hinder the very process of knowledge. In fact, a true knowledge-seeker would relish troubles more than pleasures.

Doctor

वैद्यराज नमस्तुभ्यम् यमराज सहोदर: |
यमस्तु हरति प्राणान् वैद्य: प्राणान् धनानि च ||

Vaidyaraaja namastubhyam yamaraaja sahodara-ha
Yamastu harati praaNaan vaidya-ha praaNaan dhanaani cha

Meaning: Salutations to you, O Doctor (vaidya-raaj), the brother (sahodar) of Yamraaj (God of death). Yamaraj only takes life (praaNa), whereas the doctor takes life as well as money (dhana)!

Ha ha! I guess, our Rishis had a pretty good sense of humour. This shloka points out the long-standing wisdom of our sages as well as the sorry situation of the medical field—then and now. The doctor—once a noble profession, has turned into a business, and a very profitable one. This profession has the maximum opportunity to understand the wonderful mysteries of life and its Creator; but the same is used for such mundane purposes that the only feeling that comes to my mind is pity, or may be sympathy.

Anyways, next time you meet a doctor, do share this shloka, and have a hearty laugh. Who knows... he might have come for you !!!!

Guru

यथा खनन् खनित्रेण नरो वार्यधिगच्छति |
तथा गुरुगतं विद्यां शुश्रूषुरधिगच्छति ||

Yathaa khanan khanitreNa naro vaaryadhi-gachchhati
tathaa Gurugatam vidyaam shushrushuradhi-gachchhati

Meaning: Just as a person gets water by digging the earth with a spade, so also does a student get knowledge, who serves his Guru.

Though we should be remembering our Guru at all times, Guru Poornima is one festival where we should always remember our Guru. Knowledge, as understood in Indian culture, is not jut acquiring information or understanding concepts. It is far more encompassing. Knowledge as in Vidyaa, connotes a realization which enhances and elevates our life to a higher state of being. Knowledge is not knowledge unless it makes a positive, qualitative difference in our current state of living. Information is what we acquire, and knowledge is what we become. To quote my favorite Morpheus: "Don't think you are, know you are!"

With this perspective in mind, this subhaashit emphasizes the importance of a Guru in our lives. A Guru is one who not only has endless knowledge, but also endless love for you. Guru is one who knows what's best for you, and works hard for the best of you to come out. He is one to whom you can go at any time with any of your problems, academic or otherwise. He has the discipline of our father and the love of our mother. That's why Acharya comes right after Maata & Pitaa in our Bodh Vachan. 

With all his love for us, the Guru never imparts knowledge on his own. He creates hunger in us & then educates when we have the ability and eagerness to consume. That is why, knowledge has to be extracted from the Guru, just as water has to be dug out from the earth. The water is there... in abundance... but we can not acquire it without our own toil.

Today, there is a growing support to the teacher-less teaching methodologies, especially due to the advent of the Internet and video-conferencing. These are definitely very good mediums of imparting information. But knowledge is a different ballgame. In fact, in Indian traditions, students went to stay at the Gurukuls not to study but to serve the Guru. It was in the process of serving the Guru that all knowledge was gained. Sure, they had classroom studies, but that was just one part of it. The education of life & the building of character lay outside the classroom.It was through the demonstrative life of the Guru that students learned the lessons of life. It was through the conversations with the Guru that the students learned. It was the spirit of surrendering our self to the Guru through which the students learned. And the knowledge gained thus, was true Vidyaa.

A glorious modern-day example of such a life-oriented institution is Tattvagnana Vidyapeeth, situated in Thane, Maharashtra in India. Their students are true vidyaarthees; they are seekers, spending 2 years of their precious time, searching the questions of life, under the guidance of their Guru.

True knowledge lies in finding our Guru, and surrendering our full selves to our Guru for life.