Chapter 7, Sections 21 to 24
Mantra 7-21-1
yada vai karotyatha nistishthati nakrtva nistishṭhati krtvaiva
nistishthati krtistveva vijijnasitavyeti krtim bhagavo vijijnasa iti || 7.21.1 || iti
ekavimsah khandah ||
(Sanatkumara said:) ‘When a person is given to Action (Karma
Yoga), he becomes steadfast. If one does not engage in Action, one cannot have
steadfastness. One attains steadfastness through Action. But one should try to
know what Action means.’ (Narada replied,)
‘Sir, I want to know about Action’. End of section twenty-one.
Karma Yoga (Action) gives one Chitta suddhi (purity of
mind) and Chitta ekagratha (single-pointedness of mind) and it involves
the repeated practice of Self-restraint and self-discipline which Sri
Sankaracharya emphasises for cultivating Nishtha or steadfastness. So Action is the best way to cultivate
steadfastness. Further the control of
senses and concentration of thought helps one to serve the Guru better in the
gurukula stay and to absorb his teachings.
Narada wants to practice Action and with Narada’s request the section
ends.
Mantra 7-22-1
yada vai sukhaṃ labhate'tha karoti nasukham labdhva karoti
sukhameva labdhva karoti sukham tveva vijijnasitavyamiti sukham bhagavo
vijijnasa iti
|| 7.22.1 || iti dvavimsah khandah ||
(Sanatkumara said,) ‘A person Acts only when he expects to get Happiness (Sukham). He does not Act without expecting Happiness. Only to get
Happiness one does Act. But the true nature of Happiness one must desire to
understand. (Narada replied,) ‘Revered sir,
I want to know well the true nature of Happiness’.
Every activity one consciously undertakes in life has for its
goal some satisfaction and through satisfaction, happiness to oneself. This applies to spiritual goals also. In the context of spiritual life, it
represents awakening in one of the spiritual urge
to attain freedom from all sorrow. It is the search for everlasting Happiness
either in the present or in the future, that makes a person turn Godward,
failing to find it through worldly pursuits. Narada wants to understand this
Happiness and the section ends with Narada’s request.
Mantra 7-23-1
yo vai bhuma tatsukham nalpe sukhamasti bhumaiva sukham bhuma tveva
vijijnasitavya iti bhumanam bhagavo vijijnasa iti || 7.23.1 |||| iti
trayovimsah khandah ||
(Sanatkumara said,) ‘That which is Infinite is alone Happiness.
There is no Happiness in anything finite. Happiness is only in the Infinite.
But one must desire to understand what the Infinite is.’ (Narada replied,) ‘Revered sir, I want to clearly
understand the Infinite’. End of section
Twenty-three.
Bhuma is
Brahman that is Infinite without any limitations of Time and Space. It
is Infinite in every respect while space is infinite space-wise only and Time
is infinite time-wise only. Sri Sankaracharya says,
anything that is finite causes trshna, thirst, i.e. it increases one's desire for more. Even if one possesses the whole world, still
one would not be happy desiring other worlds or fearing losing this world. But
on getting established in the Infinite, one feels totally peaceful and
contented with no wants or fears. As is said in Bhagawad Gita (6-22), “Yasmin
sthito na duhkhena gurunaapi vichaalyate (wherein established, he is not
moved even by heavy sorrow)” for Bhuma is unequalled, unlimited and
unsurpassed bliss. Narada wants to know Bhuma
and with Narada’s request the section ends.
Mantra 7-24-1
yatra nanyatpasyati nanyacchrnoti nanyadvijanati sa bhumatha
yatranyatpasyatyanyacchrnotyanyadvijanati tadalpam yo vai bhuma tadamrtamatha
yadalpam tanmartym sa bhagavah kasminpratisthita iti sve mahimni yadi va na mahimniti || 7.24.1 ||
(Sanatkumara said,) ‘Bhuma [the Infinite] is that in
which one sees nothing else, hears nothing else, and understands nothing else.
But alpa (the finite) is that in which one sees something else, hears
something else, and understands something else. That which is Infinite alone is
immortal, and that which is finite is mortal.’ (Narada asked,) ‘Revered sir, what does Bhuma rest
on?’ (Sanatkumara replied,) ‘It rests on
its own Power, or not even on its own Power (i.e., it depends on nothing else)’.
This is a description of Bhuma, the Brahman. At the level of Bhuma, the Infinite, there is only Bhuma; nothing but Bhuma. So in Bhuma there is no seer-seen duality, no hearer-heard duality, no knower-known duality and no subject-object duality. Bhuma is advaita vasthu. Only in alpa, the finite nama-rupa, the duality and plurality exists. Narada is not satisfied completely with this attempt at defining the Infinite. He is still thinking in terms of some object that he cannot yet imagine and so enquires whether Bhuma has any further basis or support. Bhuma, the Infinite, does not depend on any other thing. It itself is the Substratum of all other things and has none upon which It rests. It supports itself. In fact, there is nothing besides Bhuma to speak of supporting or not supporting. There is just one. If there are two things, then only does the question of supporting arise.’
Mantra 7-24-2
goasvamiha mahimetyachakshate hastihiranyam dasabharyam
kshetranyayatananiti nahamevam bravimi bravimiti hovachanyohyanyasminpratishthita
iti || 7.24.2 || iti chaturvimsah khandah ||
“Cattle, horses, elephants, gold, servants, wives, farmlands, and houses
are counted as a person’s power in this world. I do not mean this type of power,
for these things are not independent of each other. What I am talking about is this-- “. End of section 24
In
Vedic times cattle and animals, besides gold and farmlands, were treated as
wealth and as a source of power. In such
a case, the owner and the possessions are mutually supportive. The power of Bhuma, the Infinite,
cannot be measured this way for it is all Power that is immeasurable and there
being no second thing, the question of mutual support or dependence does not
arise. More on this Bhuma, the Infinite, Sanathkumara will be explaining
to Narada in the ensuing sections and this section ends here.
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