Sunday, 5 June 2016

(27) Story of the unreal entity (I and You)

  

STORY OF THE UNREAL ENTITY (MITHYAA PURUSHA)

Emptiness! Conscious blissful all-knowing emptiness!
In that emptiness appeared a shape made of emptiness, like a wave from the ocean!
He, the ‘Empty-man’ had great powers!
He saw shapes in the emptiness and sought them!
He heard sounds in the emptiness and jumped in glee!
He touched solids in that emptiness and avoided dashing into them!
He tasted the emptiness and felt satisfied!
He smelt the emptiness and chose the shapes!
He walked and moved! Instantly ‘Space and Time’ rose around him caging him all around!

But that caged empty man was happy in that prison made of emptiness!
Moreover, he wanted to possess the emptiness around him!
He drew lines in the emptiness around the emptiness and constructed a house and protected it as ‘his’!
He was very fond of his possession! He took care of the emptiness day and night like his own life!
But alas! In the time-cage created by him, the house which contained his treasure of emptiness, gradually got worn out and perished in course of time!
The poor empty man! He cried, wept, rolled on the floor made of emptiness and lamented long for the loss of his house which protected his only treasure namely ‘Emptiness’!

He would not give up!
He dug a well in the emptiness.
He and protected his treasure named ‘Emptiness’ in that well!
But alas! In the time-cage created by him, the well which contained his treasure of emptiness, gradually got worn out and perished in course of time!
The poor empty man! He cried, wept, rolled on the floor made of emptiness and lamented long for the loss of his well which protected his only treasure namely ‘Emptiness’!

He would not give up!
He made a pot in the emptiness and protected his treasure named ‘Emptiness’ inside that pot!
But alas! In the time-cage created by him, the pot which contained his treasure of emptiness, gradually got worn out and perished in course of time!
The poor empty man! He cried, wept, rolled on the floor made of emptiness and lamented long for the loss of his pot which protected his only treasure namely ‘Emptiness’!

He would not give up!
He dug a huge pit in the emptiness and protected his treasure named ‘Emptiness’ inside that pit! But alas! In the time-cage created by him, the pit which contained his treasure of emptiness, gradually got worn out and perished in course of time!
The poor empty man! He cried, wept, rolled on the floor made of emptiness and lamented long for the loss of his pit which protected his only treasure namely ‘Emptiness’!

He would not give up!
He constructed a huge hall in the emptiness and protected his treasure named ‘Emptiness’ inside that hall! To offer more protection, he built four huge halls all around the inside hall in all the four directions, to safeguard the hall which contained his treasure namely ‘Emptiness’!
But alas! In the time-cage created by him, the hall with four halls around it, which contained his treasure of emptiness, gradually got worn out and perished in course of time!
The poor empty man! He cried, wept, rolled on the floor made of emptiness and lamented long for the loss of his hall-structure of four halls surrounding a huge hall which protected his only treasure namely ‘Emptiness’!

He would not give up!
He constructed a granary in the emptiness and protected his treasure named ‘Emptiness’ inside that granary! 
But alas! In the time-cage created by him, the granary, which contained his treasure of emptiness, gradually got worn out and perished in course of time!
The poor empty man! He cried, wept, rolled on the floor made of emptiness and lamented long for the loss of his granary, which protected his only treasure namely ‘Emptiness’!

000

(If these repeated words bore you, pray tell me what else is your life, but repetitions? Aren’t you bored of it still?)

(All the objects he built collectively refer to the body, which is a house the ego lives in. The well refers to the pathway from the mouth to the inside; the pot refers to the chest region; the pit refers to the abdomen; hall with four halls refer to the body with hands and feet; granary refers to the belly.)

And the story of this empty man is never-ending!
He keeps on protecting his treasure of emptiness drawing various structures again and again!
He loses them and cries!
He again draws lines around the emptiness and tries to protect it! He laughs and jumps with joy seeing them!
He loses them in course of time and cries!

Who is that idiot who holds on to the emptiness?
‘I’! The ‘Ahamkaara’! The ego!
The imagined self-image which arises by the interaction with the objects of the world!



What is the world?
Shapes drawn on the ever-moving empty atoms by the brain, and sounds attached to those shapes to identify them!

The imagined man-structure holds on to an imagined shape-structure; cries when the lines get erased off; draws more lines; cries when the lines get erased off; draws more lines; cries ……….!

This is the never ending story of the idiot called the ‘ego-man’, who is not at all real!!!





NO END

(26) Story of Yoginee Chudaala - 6

   
[29]

Many days passed like this.
After the king fell asleep, Chudaalaa returned to the palace and completed her duties of the kingdom.
In the morning Kumbha became a young man again and wandered with his friend. At night also, as a female named Madanikaa, he slept with the king, only as a friend.

One day Madanikaa told the king that her youthful charms as a girl were going waste without fulfillment. She requested ShikhiDhvaja to marry her and give company at night.

ShikhiDhvaja had stopped bothering about anything that happened in the world. For him, body was just an illusion.
If Kumbha, his friend wanted to be happy by marrying him, he had no objection he said; he would do anything for a friend who had guided him in the correct path.

That very night, Madanikaa created a divine hall made of precious stones; and married him in a grand manner through proper rites.

Kumbha acted as a friend at day times and as a wife at night times.
They both enjoyed many happy days in the company of each other.
Chudaalaa observed that the king was not at all disturbed by any act of passion and that he remained always in the unwavering state of the Self.

She decided to test him as to whether he would be attracted by the pleasures of heaven.
By her power of Yoga she created Indra and his retinue.

[30]

ShikhiDhvaja saw in front of him, Indra with his complete retinue of gods and Apsaraas.
Indra saluted him and requested the great Sage to accept all the Siddhis as a gift and come to heaven; and to reside there enjoying all the pleasures of heaven.

ShikhiDhvaja refused the invitation politely and said that he perceived no divisions of heaven and earth any more. He was in the state of Self and found heaven wherever he stayed.

Indra was disappointed; greeted Kumbha who was standing next to the king; and vanished from sight.

Chudaalaa was happy that her husband was not attracted towards pleasures whether of heaven or earth.

Now she decided to test whether he could get angry or annoyed by any event.


[31]

One evening, ShikhiDhvaja was engaged in the worship of Sandhyaa on the river bank.
Madanikaa intoxicated by drinking wine walked into a bush nearby. She created through her Yogic power, a handsome paramour waiting for her inside that bower. She and her illusory paramour spent some time in various amorous sports.

ShikhiDhvaja finished his evening worship and came searching for Kumbha.
He saw Kumbha as Madanikaa in the company of another young man.
He silently walked away without disturbing the passionate couple.
He sat on a rock in a solitary place and was absorbed in contemplation.

Soon Madanikaa came there, flushed in the face and body.
She stood embarrassed in front of him, feeling shy and guilty.
ShikhiDhvaja tenderly asked her as to why she had to come off so soon, as he would never have minded her being happy in the company of someone else.
Madanikaa confessed that because the king was engaged in his evening worship, she was overcome by passion and had to seek another man’s company. After all she was a foolish girl apt to make mistakes.
She pleaded with him not to get angry.
The king consoled her saying that he was not at all disturbed by her immoral act.
Chudaalaa knew that it was the ripe time for her to reveal her original form.

[32]


To the amazement of the king-turned Sage, Chudaalaa appeared out of Madanikaa’s form. The king was overcome by the bliss of his beloved wife standing before him and without any control embraced her with much affection and love.
Both remained in each other’s embrace for long, like carved statues.

Chudaalaa told him all that had happened and begged him to forgive her.
Instead of getting annoyed, the king praised her devotion for the husband and acclaimed that she was the best of all women in the three worlds.
He said that he was indeed very fortunate that he had a wife who lifted her husband out of the deep pit of ignorance.
Chudaalaa then suggested that they both should return to the kingdom and remain there as the king and queen.
Since ShikhiDhvaja had no likes or dislikes, he agreed to his wife’s suggestion.
By his request, Chudaalaa created a huge army of men, horses, and elephants. They both sat on the best of elephants and journeyed towards their kingdom. After many days they reached the kingdom and were welcomed by all the people and ministers with affection.

ShikhiDhvaja and Chudaalaa together ruled the kingdom for ten thousand years and attained Videha Mukti at the end of their earth-life.


[33]

Sage Vasishta completed the story of ShikhiDhvaja and Chudaalaa and said to Rama-
“This story happened in the Dvaapara Yuga of the previous Kalpa.
It will again happen in the next forthcoming Dvaapara Yuga of this Kalpa!
Rama! Jeevas are all like waves rising in the ocean of Brahman.
Everything is Brahman alone!
The same Brahman can randomly appear as any Jeeva at any time again and again.
There is no second! Only Brahman alone shines forth as all!”




END




(25) Story of Yoginee Chudaala - 5



[22]

ShikhiDhvaja was not convinced. He said-

“I have renounced the kingdom, wealth, wife, and land!
 How is it not ‘SarvaTyaaga’?”

Kumbha said-

“Yes! You have renounced the kingdom, wealth, wife, and land; yet you have not renounced everything.
Still there is some excellent part of yours that you have not renounced!”

ShikhiDhvaja for a moment pondered and said-

“I will renounce now the entire forest!”
He removed from his mind the thought of the forest.
He said-“The forest has been renounced! I have renounced everything now!”

Kumbha said-
“Yes! You have renounced the forest; yet you have not renounced everything.
Still there is some excellent part of yours that you have not renounced!”

ShikhiDhvaja for a moment pondered and said-“I will renounce now the hermitage!”
He removed from his mind the thought of the hermitage along with the hut, water-stream, trees etc.
He said- “The hermitage has been renounced! I have renounced everything now!”

Kumbha said-

“Yes! You have renounced the hermitage; yet you have not renounced everything.
Still there is some excellent part of yours that you have not renounced!”

ShikhiDhvaja for a moment pondered and said-
“I will renounce now the objects that I had been using!”

He collected all the bowls, grass-seats, deer-skin, rosary-garland, and other things from inside the hut and set them on fire. He left the Kamandalu near the water-stream where it was found.
Then he set fire to his hut also.
He searched here and there; collected all the things he had used without leaving anything and threw them all into the fire. He did not even leave any fruits or flowers back.
After everything had turned to ashes, he said- “I have renounced everything now!”

Kumbha laughed aloud and said-

“Do not pretend to have renounced everything, King!
Still there is some excellent part of yours that you have not renounced!”

ShikhiDhvaja for a moment pondered and said- “I will renounce now this body!”

He got ready to throw himself down into the chasm.

Kumbha stopped him and told him that his poor body was inert and faultless; and did not deserve to be killed. It was a slave of some one else!

ShikhiDhvaja asked- “Whose slave is this body?
What should I renounce to complete my ‘SarvaTyaaga’? What is ‘everything’?

Kumbha told him that mind was the seed of everything that is perceived and he should renounce that alone, to accomplish his ‘SarvaTyaaga’.

ShikhiDhvaja asked- “How do I renounce the mind?”

Kumbha told him that he should destroy the mind by the self-enquiry of ‘Who am I?’

Kumbha gave him detailed instruction about the knowledge of the Self and the method of reasoning it out.


[23]

Kumbha took leave of him saying that he had told him all that was to be told and now he had to go to the court-room of Indra, where his father would be waiting for him and that he did not want to annoy his father by any delay.
He floated in the sky and vanished.

ShikhiDhvaja was amazed by all that happened.
He was surprised that he should be taught by a great divinity like Naarada’s son.
He soon was absorbed in Nirvikalpa Samaadhi.

[24]

Chudaalaa meanwhile changed into her original form; went back to her palace; attended to the affairs of the kingdom; and after three days returned to the forest where her husband was absorbed in Samaadhi.
She saw him sitting there like a painted picture.
She decided to wake him up so that he would return the kingdom and take over the responsibility of ruler-ship.
She stood in front of him and made roaring sounds of a wild animal. Even after her repeated shouts, the king did not move even a little.
She understood that he would continue in that state itself for a few more days; the body would fall dead at some future time; and he would attain Videha Mukti.
She decided to give up her body also, for she thought that a life without her lover was not worth living.
But somehow a doubt arose in her as to whether the king was completely freed of Vaasanaas or any mind-factor was left back in him.
Being a Yoginee, she touched his heart and found out that the king would not be able to attain Videha Mukti in that state. Some mind-vibration was still left back in him, which would make him wake up in that world only, maybe after many years. He would then wake up, only as an old man with dilapidated limbs.
Instead of waiting for him to become old, sitting there in that forest, she decided to wake him up then and there. Through her Yogic power she entered the Self-state of ShikhiDhvaja and woke up his mind.

[25]

ShikhiDhvaja woke up and saw Kumbha standing in front of him.
Kumbha told the surprised king that he had become attached to the king’s company and could not be away from his dear friend. He expressed his wish to live with ShikhiDhvaja in that forest itself.
From then onwards, ShikhiDhvaja the dispassionate Sage and Chudaalaa in the form of Kumbha stayed together always. They wandered all over the earth together and never separated from each other.

Chudaalaa was getting tired of all this. Her young lover’s heart wanted to be with her husband as her own self, as his beloved wife. But she had a slight misapprehension as to whether the king still entertained the same attitude towards his wife as before.
Would he get angry with her for acting like Kumbha?
Will he get annoyed with her and walk off, angry at her for deceiving him as Naarada’s son?
She decided to test it out herself.

[26]

One day, Kumbha told his friend that he had to be in Indra’s court on that particular day of ‘Chaitra full moon’, where his father would be waiting for him. He promised the king that he will return to earth on that very same evening. 
As the king kept on shouting ‘Come back soon’, Kumbha flew up in the sky and vanished from sight.

As soon the king was out of sight, Chudaalaa changed into her original form; went to her palace; attended to her royal duties; again took the form of Kumbha and descended down, in front of her husband.

Kumbha appeared very anxious and worried.
ShikhiDhvaja enquired Kumbha about the cause of his anxiety.
Kumbha told him this story.


[27]

GREAT SAGE DURVAASA

Sage Durvaasa was a great Sage filled with compassion and love for all.
He was a realized Sage. He was always in the state of Brahman. He had no identity with his body. Body was just a projected shape he presented in front of others. He never even bothered whether the body was properly covered by clothes or not. He had no name as such; but people called him by his one and only identity – one who never wore garments properly- ‘Durvaasa’.

Sage Durvaasa was a perfectionist. He had no patience for fools. He would get annoyed with any smallest mistake of others.
He usually kept away from all people, including all Gods. He was another Shiva in dispassion.

Chudaalaa mentally saluted him and used his name in her made up story of Kumbha’s curse.



DURVAASA’S CURSE

Kumbha left the court of Indra as soon as the assembly was over with.
He hurried through the sky and floated along with the clouds down to the earth. The clouds were huge, dark and filled with hosts of lightning flashes. At that time he saw Sage Durvaasa hurrying among the clouds. As the Sage had no thought of a physical body, he was passing through the clouds as if he was just a piece of space passing through those dense clouds. He was intent only on reaching the celestial river Gangaa to perform his evening rites.
Kumbha watched him with amazement.
He could only see the black clouds covering Durvaasa’s body, which was getting drenched by the waters of the clouds. Lightning flashes shone forth all over his body like shining ornaments. Durvaasa was a cloud among clouds floating speedily towards Gangaa. And Gangaa was the beloved of the Sage waiting for him under the shade of the huge trees that covered her banks!

Chudaalaa was a lover at heart. She was the one hurrying towards her husband in that darkness, like an ‘Abhisaarikaa’, to meet her lover waiting under the tree.
Abhisaarikaa is a woman who goes to meet her lover on dark cloudy nights; concealing her form adorned by ornaments, in dark clothes; and getting wet by the pouring rains.
When Kumbha saw the Sage, he saluted him immediately.
But, as he floated down towards earth, he made a witty remark towards the Sage. He said- ‘Hey Sage! You look like an Abhisaarikaa!”

Sage Durvaasa was annoyed by such an impolite remark and cursed Kumbha to become a female every night.

[28]

Kumbha finished his story and lamented that he was feeling embarrassed by the fact that he would be a female every night.
ShikhiDhvaja consoled him, saying that it does not matter what the body looks like, as they both were realized Sages, and the body was after all just an illusion.
Evening came.
ShikhiDhvaja performed his evening worship.
At that time Kumbha came hurrying towards him, crying and screaming in embarrassment.
His handsome form of a boy adorned by white clothes and sacred thread, had changed into a beautiful form of a girl adorned by divine garments and ornaments.
The king consoled Kumbha and they both slept as usual on the same bed like friends.
Chudaalaa observed that the king’s mind did not waver in the presence of a divine damsel who was beautiful beyond words.





(24) Story of Yoginee Chudaalaa - 4

[17]


KUMBHA’S STORY

Once, Sage Naarada was absorbed in contemplation inside a cave of Meru Mountain. Outside the cave, celestial Ganges flowed adorned by the garland of white shining waves.
Suddenly sounds of laughter and happy screams disturbed the meditation of the Sage. He peeped outside the cave and to his amazement, saw a group of extremely beautiful Apsaraas sporting in the waters with full abandon, without any coverings on their bodies!
His mind swerved from the state of the Self for a fraction of a second; his ‘Veerya’ (semen virile), slipped out instantly.



Naarada immediately brought his mind under control; placed his Veerya-drop inside a crystal pot (Kumbha), placed next to his meditation seat. He willed the pot to be filled with milk. The shining drop increased in size like a moon; and after a month, a boy shining forth with luster appeared out of the pot.

Naarada named his son Kumbha (born from a pot). He took his son to Brahma Loka.
Brahma was pleased to see him and taught him all the Vedas and scriptures.
Like his father, he roamed all over the three worlds.
On that particular day, he happened to cross the sky above the forest and saw the king engaged in penance. He wanted to find out about the Sage who was doing penance in this forest and descended down to this Ashram!

[18]

ShikhiDhvaja told Kumbha, his whole story, as to how he had renounced everything and was living in that forest for the past eighteen years.
Kumbha chided him for wasting his life in the forest like this, doing actions mechanically, without any fruitful result.
The king begged Kumbha to instruct him about the highest Knowledge that could lead one to the state of the Supreme. He promised to accept the words of Kumbha without a question.
Kumbha started his instructions, by relating to him two stories.

[19]

  STORY OF THE CHINTAAMANI STONE

There was a rich man in a village!
He was very learned. He was endowed with all virtues.
He knew all arts. He had studied all scriptures.
He also was also well-versed in the ways of the world.
Though he had everything, he did not have the knowledge of the Supreme state of Brahman; or did not know much about it.
He wanted only one thing in his life, the great magical ChintaaMani gem, which could fulfill all the wishes.
Somehow he felt that the gem was the greatest acquirement in life and by acquiring that he will be always happy.
Without delay, he became engaged in practicing the necessary rites that would get him his precious gem.
Because of his sincere and hard effort, the gem appeared in front of him, just within the reach of his hand.
But that fool did not even extend his hand to take it!
He thought that it was an illusion he was having!
How could he, an ordinary man of no-merit, ever gain a ChintaaMani, that too so soon!
Even after years of practice, people fail to get this Mani.
How could he, a person stuck with misfortune, ever have the merit to get it?
He did not even touch that ChintaaMani gem shining in front of him, fearing that it was an illusion which may disappear if he even moved, and some other terrifying illusion may follow it!
After some time, the gem flew up in the sky and vanished.
The man continued his practice for getting the ChintaaMani gem.
Some Siddhas who observed this wanted to play a trick on him. They placed an ordinary glass piece which shone like a gem, in front of him.
The fool took it, thinking it to be the great gem of ChintaaMani.
He did not need any more wealth or money, he decided. He discarded all the wealth he had previously owned.
He left his city, believing all the people there to be sinners.
He left his relatives thinking them to be malicious and evil.
He went far into a jungle carrying that worthless glass piece.
Soon he met an untimely death attacked by some wild animal!

[20]

STORY OF THE KIND ELEPHANT

A huge elephant lived in the great forest of Vindhya Mountain. It had two tusks which were very sharp and strong. The elephant was immensely strong and very tall; and was the leader of a huge herd of forest elephants.
Unfortunately, one day it got trapped in a huge net made of iron. The net had spikes all over and hurt the elephant, if it moved ever.
The elephant-catcher climbed a Taala tree nearby and sat on the top, keeping a watch over the trapped elephant.

The elephant could not see him. Anyhow, it struggled hard; and poking repeatedly at the net with its tusks, it made a hole in it. Soon it tore the iron net and came out.

The elephant catcher saw the elephant escaping and jumped on it from the top of the Taala tree. But he missed and fell down at its feet.

The elephant could have crushed him to death in a second; but it felt compassionate towards the helpless human and did not injure him in any way. It hurried off to another far off jungle, and started living there happily.

The elephant-catcher was annoyed that he had let the elephant get away. Without giving up, he searched for the elephant in all the jungles and found him at last, resting under a tree in some forest.
He soon brought some tools from the king’s palace and also some men to work for him. They all dug a huge trench all around that forest in which the elephant rested. They covered the trench with tender creepers on the surface.
The poor elephant got up after some time and soon fell inside that deep trench. However much it struggled, there was no way of escaping. It was quickly chained by that elephant catcher.
Even today, the elephant is still inside that hole, suffering immense pain, not able to come out of it.
If it had killed that elephant catcher when he had fallen at its feet, it would have never got trapped like this inside that trench!

[21]

ShikhiDhvaja asked Kumbha as to what the stories meant actually.
Kumbha laughed and said that both the stories were similar to the king’s own story!
He was the person who chased the ordinary ChintaaMani gem instead of
Self-knowledge!

The ChintaaMani here refers to the ‘SarvaTyaaga’, renunciation of everything which the king got obsessed with.

Instead of trying to enquire about the Self, he had stuck to the term ‘SarvaTyaaga’ in the literal sense. Actually the term ‘SarvaTyaaga’ means renouncing the entire perceived phenomenon along with the mind and remaining only as the Self. But ShikhiDhvaja had missed the real meaning of the term and had literally followed the renunciation to the letter, by renouncing the family, kingdom etc. 

Though the ChintaaMani of ‘SarvaTyaaga’ was there for him within reach as Self-enquiry, he ignored it and went to the forest.

Just like the idiot in the story grabbing the glass-gem as the real gem, ShikhiDhvaja had chosen penance as a means of self-realization.

Like the fool in the story had suffered by the possession of the glass-gem, ShikhiDhvaja also suffered through the hardships of penance.

By the routine life of the forest in solitude, he had achieved nothing but the satisfaction of suffering. Instead of possessing a kingdom, he possessed a hut and the accessories needed for the forest-life.
The idea of possession did not decrease in the least.

He had not done any ‘SarvaTyaaga’ at all and was stuck only to the mechanical routine-works of the forest-life, like the fool who had let go off the ChintaaMani gem and pounced on the glass gem.

In the ‘elephant story’, the king was the actual elephant who was trapped by the elephant catcher.

The king was the elephant with the two tusks of Viveka (Discrimination) and Vairaagya (Dispassion).

The elephant catcher was the ignorance.

Though the elephant was capable of throwing off the elephant-keeper, it humbly obeyed him and went the way shown by him, like the elephant trapped in the iron net.

Attachment was the iron net used by the elephant trapper named ignorance.
The ordinary iron-net may rust in time, but the ‘desire for pleasures’ increases as time goes by!

The ignorance always keeps a watch on the trapped Jeeva, like the elephant keeper sitting on the Taala tree.

When the king tore off the net, he had renounced the kingdom with great dispassion. The ignorance then fell down ready to get destroyed by the king. He should have killed it then and there by Mana-Tyaaga (Renunciation of the Mind). But he did not!

The elephant-trapper namely the ignorance got up again with more vengeance at heart and pushed the king into the deep pit of penance!

The tools and the men used by that elephant keeper are the worries and anxieties of the forest-life.

Kumbha also chided the king, for not listening to his wife Chudaalaa, when she talked to him about Self-knowledge.


(23) Story of Yoginee Chudaala - 3

  
 [11]

ShikhiDhvaja had at last found a solution to all his problems!
He knew now, how he could attain the state of Brahman in this life itself!
And it was through ‘SarvaTyaaga’ –‘Renunciation of all that he possessed’!

‘What did he possess?
Wealth…?
Yes! That he will renounce and become a recluse!
Kingdom and the position of emperorship…?
Yes! That he will renounce! Some one else can take over his place of the ruler!
His people..? Ministers..? Relatives…? Friends…?
Yes! All that he will renounce and forget all of them!
Palace…?
Yes! That he will renounce and go away!
Wife…? Chudaalaa…?
The king felt as if his heart was getting squeezed!
Can he ever bear to live without her?
Can she also even breathe a second more, after he left?
But there was no other way! If he desired liberation, he had to renounce her too! He cannot take her with him to the forest! Poor thing! She can’t bear the hardships of a forest-life! Let her stay in the palace and enjoy her youthful pleasures. The kingdom will be taken care of by the ministers. She won’t be troubled in any way!
To separate from her was the hardest thing! But he had to do it!
Anyhow, all the mortals get separated from their kith and kin at the time of death. It is better that he moves away from her when he is still alive and try to achieve the state of immortality. Later, maybe, he can guide her also in the spiritual path!’

The king had made a firm decision!
He will renounce everything! He will do ‘SarvaTyaaga’, the surest way of attaining liberation! That is what the Scriptures state and they could never be wrong!
He will renounce everything, even his wife; and go away far from all!

[12]

ShikhiDhvaja decided to take leave of his wife before leaving for the forest. He went to the harem that night and confided in Chudaalaa, his great decision of wanting to live in the forest till death and try for the state of liberation.
He requested her not to prove an obstacle in his spiritual path.

Chudaalaa tried her best to dissuade him from his decision. She argued that they both were young and could wait till they both became old; then they both could leave for the forest together, and live a life of renunciation!

The king had no ears for her pleadings. He remained silent and did not say anything back.

Morning came. The king left for attending to his day duties. 
He attended to all the affairs of the kingdom, as usual.
At the end of the day, he performed the evening worship of Sandhyaa.
He went back to Chudaalaa’s private chambers and slept along with her.

At night, when every one was fast asleep and silence reigned, he slowly removed Chudaalaa’s arms entwined around his neck and stood up.
His wife was fast asleep; or so he thought!
He gently kissed her on the forehead; a tear drop fell from his eyes on her cheek. Chudaalaa did not move.
The king went away.

[13]

ShikhiDhvaja was now attired in the simplest of clothes. He wore no ornaments. He told the guards at the gates that he was going out for patrolling the city.
Appearing like an ordinary poor man of the world, with just a sword in hand, he walked out of the gates of his city. He turned back and saluted the Goddess of the kingdom and started walking.
The king crossed many countries, many hills, many rivers, and many oceans; and at last reached the Mandara Mountain forest, after twelve days and nights of incessant walking.

He searched for a good place to perform penance and selected a grassy land next to a small stream. The bank was filled with many fruit yielding trees.
He built a small hut there, out of leaves and creepers to serve as his dwelling-place.

Within a few days he collected many hardened gourds and converted them into bowls for eating fruits, drinking water etc.

He found an old Kamandalu fallen near the stream and took it with reverence. May be some other Sage had lived here and had left his water-pot here!

Soon the king had a seat made of Dharbaa-grass for meditation purposes, a grass-bed for sleeping, an umbrella made of leaves to block the Sun and rain, a foot-wear made of leaves, a basket made of bamboo to collect flowers, a basket to collect fruits and so on.

When everything was ready, he began his forest life of penance for attaining ‘Moksha’!

He daily got up before sun-rise; performed his recitation of Mantras; then collected flowers for worship; took bath; worshipped the deities; collected some fruits and roots and made a light meal out of them; recited ‘Mantras’ for some time; and finally slept off at night on a bed made of leaves.

This was the routine he followed regularly, day in and day out.

The forest was completely deserted. There were no wild animals that could do any harm. Just some deer and rabbits wandered in that grass-land.

The king was all alone; completely alone!

In that huge forest, he stayed all alone and performed his so-called penance, without a break in the routine, for eighteen years and waited for liberation!

[14]

What happened on the day when the king left for the forest?
Chudaalaa woke up from sleep suddenly and saw that the bed next to her was empty. Anxious about his welfare, she rose up in the sky with her subtle body and looked out for him.
She saw him in that dark night walking alone, away from the city holding a sword in the hand. She returned home and pondered for some time, as to what should be done by her. She understood through her Yogic power that her husband was not ready for the path of knowledge yet, and would not grasp whatever was told to him.
He had to purify his mind of all Vaasanaas through the one single Vaasanaa of his- ‘to live in a forest as an ascetic’.

She had to wait, till the time was ripe for him to receive instructions about knowledge! Some day in the future she will visit him; but not at present!

Next morning, she announced in the court-room that the king had left on some urgent work and she would be ruling the kingdom on his behalf.

Eighteen years passed for her too, as she waited for the right time to visit her husband!

[15]

Chudaalaa rose in the sky and floated along the clouds. She journeyed through the path of Siddhas; and within minutes was above the forest where her husband was living as a recluse.
She made herself invisible and like a wind she entered the hermitage area of her husband!
Her heart throbbing with the thrill of seeing her handsome lover, she passed her eyes all over the place.
Where was her noble king who ruled the earth like another Indra?
Slowly her eyes fell on a skeleton-like structure, plucking flowers from the creepers.
She was shocked to see her Lord in that horrible condition!

ShikhiDhvaja had completely changed. He was very thin and emaciated.
His body had turned black in color. His matted locks were brown and dusty.

Chudaalaa wanted to rush towards him and embrace him with all the love she had kept suppressed for eighteen long years.
But she stopped midway!
How would the king react to meeting his wife after all these years? He may not welcome her with open arms! May be he will get annoyed and try to go away from this forest too!

Chudaalaa pondered silently for some time thinking how to deal with her ignorant husband. He will not ever trust his wife’s words if she tried to correct his ways. He will need some authoritative person, whom he would trust, for acting as his teacher!

She decided to take on the form of some God and appear before him. But he may immediately offer salutations at the feet; and that would be highly improper!
May be a Sage! No!
May be a Sage’s Son!
Which Sage? Better not meddle with other great Sages and offend them!

Why not act as Naarada’s son? Naarada had no son of course!
But she could take the form of a young boy and pretend to be his son!
She will mentally take permission from that great devotee of Naaraayana and appear as his son, in front of the king!

But could she lie like this?
Won’t it be termed as deceit?
What else to do?
The king would never treat her female-form with respect!
If she met him as his wife, he will run away from her also and enter into more horrible ascetic practices in some other terrifying jungle!
She will be using just a harmless trick to bring him to his senses.
If he realizes the Self, he will surely forgive her for this ‘act of deceit’ done by her, for the love of her dear husband!

Chudaalaa immediately changed her form to that of a young Brahmin boy; and shining with divine luster and appeared suddenly in front of her husband!

[16]

ShikhiDhvaja could not believe his eyes.
He saw a shining divine form standing in front of him.
The divinity looked like a young Brahmin Sage.
He wore a pair of soft white clothes.
He held a Kamandalu in his hand.
A Tilak adorned his forehead.
Two ear-ornaments hung from his ears.
The hair was tied up above his head. A Mandara garland adorned his head.
A beautiful garland woven with white flowers hung from his neck.
His shining luster filled the whole area; and his feet were not in contact with the ground at all.

ShikhiDhvaja poured the flowers in his basket into his hands; not on the feet, for the boy was very young.

After welcoming him with Arghya and Paadya, the king questioned politely about, who that boy was and why he was here.

Chudaalaa told him the story of the Brahmin boy in detail.


(22) Story of Yoginee Chudala - 2



[7]

Chudaalaa at last gave up the hope of convincing her husband about the knowledge level she was in!
It has been weeks since she had seen him last!
He avoided her, as if her very sight may lead him astray.
Not that he lost his love for her; but her being a female was her fault.
Women lead towards sins! They have to be avoided by a man who desires the Supreme state!
May be some idiot scholar would have brainwashed the king about the harmful effects of female company!
Even the ministers could not meet him. He was busy always with some rites or other; doing charities; visiting temples; and so on!
They all now came to the queen to get guidance from her about the matters of the kingdom.

Chudaalaa tried to visit the king herself and talk things out. But when he had taken the vow of not seeing any female, thinking that they blocked the path of liberation, how could she even communicate with him?

She took care of the duties of the kingdom and left the king to his own methods of liberation.

With lot of time at hand, she decided to achieve some Siddhis for a change. Somehow she felt that those Siddhis may help her in the future for some good purpose.
She mastered the art of Praanaayaama and through following strictly the required practices, under proper ‘Gurus’, she attained all the eight Siddhis.
The king was unaware of all this.

As he kept scraping at the lowest ladder of spirituality, Chudaalaa had flown high in the Siddha-path and had become a great Yoginee with all powers and knowledge. Even Indra’s heaven was just a play-ground for her!
But all these achievements did not erase her love and devotion for her husband. She loved him dearly and missed no opportunity to serve him in some manner or other. She never felt proud of her achievements, for she had the equal vision of the Self and never was bound by the limited identity of her form.
When there was only the single Self appearing as all, what is there to be proud of? Where was a second person to look down upon?
Her husband was also another projection of Chit, like her own form labeled Chudaalaa, was a projection of Chit.
Both were illusory shapes!

The differences were created by the minds.
Even these differences had their own charm!
Chit as the husband! Chit as the wife!
Chit as the love between them both!
Chudaalaa enjoyed both her formless state of Chit and her limited form of a wife. And she loved loving her husband, like her very life.
She had the best of both worlds.
She as Chudaalaa was drowned in the nectar of love for her husband and yet was always in the knowledge of her true nature of Self!

But her husband?
He never even understood the meaning of the word ‘Self’!
He searched for the ‘Self ‘outside himself, through actions and accessories, not understanding that he himself was the Self peeled of all limitations which were conceived by the mind. He had to just ‘un-conceive’ them; that is all!
But instead he conceived more actions, more complications, and more hardships; and looked away from the Self!

With a great Yoginee waiting in the harem at his service, ready to offer all her knowledge at his feet with devotion, he decided to search for the Self in a forest!

[8]

Sage Vasishta stopped his story-telling and looked at Rama. He knew there were so many questions disturbing his dear student and nodded his head slightly, allowing Rama to word out his doubts.
 Rama asked-
“Master! How is it that ShikhiDhvaja failed to grasp the instructions about Self-knowledge, though it was taught by a great Yoginee like Chudaalaa?
If one cannot attain knowledge even from such a great Guru, then what about people who seek ordinary Gurus?”
Sage Vasishta smiled and said-
“Rama! Be it the study of the Scriptures or the instruction of a Guru, they are just the methods to be followed as a rule; that is all.
Actual success depends on the effort of the disciple himself.
Just by studying scriptures or attending to discourses, one cannot attain Self-knowledge. Even meritorious acts and the practice of penance do not lead to that highest state.
Only the sincere effort of the student will lead him to his goal.
Guru is just a guiding light in the path of realization. He cannot magically bestow realization on anyone.
Listen to this story of a merchant.”
[9]

THE MISERLY MERCHANT

Once there lived a merchant. Though he was very rich and prosperous, he was very miserly and stingy.  He always worried about his money, day and night.
One day, he had to go to another city for some work and had to journey through a forest-path. He carried his money-bag with him, well-hidden inside his garment.
After walking every few steps, he would feel anxious about his money and count the coins again and again.
In one of his counting sessions on the road, one little cowrie (a shell used as money) fell out of his hand and disappeared inside the grassy bushes.
One cowrie! If he had, had it with him and invested it in his business, it would have become two in no time, then four, then eight, then hundred, then even thousand!
One cowrie for him was equal to thousand cowries.
Anxious and worried, he searched inside the bushes for his precious cowrie. It was nowhere to be seen.
The merchant did not give up.
He searched madly all over that area again and again.
Three days passed in his futile search.
Still the merchant would not give up. He did not bother about the ridicules and comments of the passersby.
As he probed here and there with a stick unrelentingly, he found something shining inside a grassy weed. He took it out and examined.
It was a gem; not an ordinary gem, but a wish-fulfilling magical gem!
The most wonderful ChintaaMani gem!
The merchant was overjoyed. He returned home happily.
He could instantly get any object he wished for, by the power of the gem.
From then onwards, he had no need to worry about each and every single cowrie. His wealth had no limits.
Slowly he lost his miserliness.
He shared his wealth with all.
There was so much wealth that he soon lost interest in it.
He developed dispassion.
He reached higher states by serving the noble and pious.

[10]

Sage Vasishta continued his speech-
“Rama!
The merchant got the magical gem by searching for a worthless cowrie.
Suppose he had not searched for that cowrie and gone off home, he would have never found that gem.
He searched for something with utmost effort and got something else.

So also, a person who listens to the instruction from the Guru attains
Self-knowledge, when he tries hard to think it out himself.
If the student does not analyze in his mind what his Guru had said, then he can never attain Self-knowledge.

Just by listening to discourses and studying spiritual books, one cannot attain the knowledge of the Self.
A student has to rigorously search for the Self, like the merchant searching for his cowrie, without giving up the effort for fear of failure.

Chudaalaa attained Self-knowledge by such analytical reasoning alone.
Whereas, her husband ShikhiDhvaja was of the opinion that Self-knowledge was not an easily attainable state. He never bothered to analyze in his mind what the scriptures stated as truths. He never bothered to search for the cowrie and never got the gem also.

What can a Guru do, if the student has no inclination to think!
Moreover, a sincere seeker of the Self does not even need a Guru.
He can attain Self-knowledge by the Vichaara-method like Shuka, or Janaka or Chudaalaa!”


Sage Vasishta again continued the story of the realized Chudaalaa and ignorant ShikhiDhvaja.