30.02 : SHLOKAS 6 TO 10 OF SHATASHLOKI
6.
kashcit-kITaH kathamcit-paTumatir-abhitaH kaNTakAnAM kuTIraM
kurvans-tenaiva sAkaM vyavahRti-vidhaye ceshhTate yAvad-AyuH /
tadvaj-jIvo’pi nAnA-carita-samuditaiH karmabhiH sthUla-dehaM
nirmAya-atraiva tishhTan-nanu-dinam-amunA sAkam-abhyeti bhUmau //
kashcit kITaH paTumatiH : A silkworm
kurvan : building
kathamcit : somehow (by its own efforts)
kaNTakAnAM kuTIraM : a cocoon
abhitaH : all around (itself)
tena eva sAkaM : (and) with its help
ceshhTate : moves about
yAvad-AyuH : all its life
vyavahRti-vidhaye : in the discharge of its activities.
tadvad-api : So also
jIvaH : the individual soul
nirmAya : building up
bhUmau : on this earth
sthUla-dehaM : a physical body
karmabhiH : by means of ‘karmas’
nAnA-carita-samuditaiH : accumulated by multifarious (past) actions
atra eva tishhTan : and remaining there itself
abhyeti : moves about
anudinaM : daily
amunA sAkaM : along with it.
7.
svIkurvan vyAghra-veshhaM sva-jaThara-bhRtaye bhIshhayan-yashca mugdhAn
matyA vyAghro’ham-ithaM sa nara-pashu-mukhAn bAdhate kim nu satvAn /
matvA strI-veshha-dhArI stry-aham-iti kurute kim naTo bhartur-ichhAM
tadvac-charIra AtmA pRthag-anubhavato dehato yas-sa-sAkshhI //
yaH : A person
svIkurvan : assuming
vyAghra-veshhaM : the mask of a tiger
sva-jaThara-bhRtaye : for his own livelihood
bhIshhayan ca : and frightening
mugdhAn : the innocent ones –
sa bAdhate kim nu : does he ever injure
nara-pashu-mukhAn satvAn : any person, beast or living thing
vyAghro’haM ithaM matyA : by the impression “I am a tiger” ?
(Or, )
naraH : the actor
strIveshha-dhArI : donning the role of a woman --
ichhAM kurute kim : does he pant for
bhartuH : a husband
strI ahaM iti matvA : thinking “I am a woman”?
tadvat : So also (is)
AtmA : the Self
shArIraH : living in the body
pRthak : but being different
dehataH : from the body
anubhavataH : (as well as) from experience;
saH sAkshhI : he is only the witness.
Note: The lesson therefore is the same as the punchline teaching of the Gita: “ Act, act, in the living present, with a total detachment to everything that ‘comes and goes’ (AgamApAyI). Everything associated with this body, mind and intellect, comes and goes!
8.
svaM bAlaM rodamAnaM cira-tara-samayaM shAntim-Anetum-agre
drAkshhaM khArjUram-AmraM sukadalam-athavA yojayaty-ambikA’sya /
tadvac-ceto’ti-mUDhaM bahu-janana-bhavAn mouDhya-samskAra-yogAt
bodho-pAyair-anekaiH avasham-upanishhad-bodhayAmAsa samyak //
ambikA : A mother
shAntiM AnetuM : in order to pacify
svaM bAlaM : her child
rodamAnaM : who has been crying
cira-tara-samayaM : for a very long time
yojayati : offers (or) places
asya agre : before the child
drAkshhaM : grape,
khArjUraM : date,
AmraM : mango,
sukadalaM : good banana,
athavA : and the like.
tadvat : So also
Upanishhat : The Upanishad
Samyak bodhayAmAsa : has well taught (i.e., enlightened)
anekaiH bodhopAyaiH : by various teaching strategies
ati-mUDhaM cetaH : the utterly foolish mind
avashaM : which is not in control of itself
mouDhya-samskAra-yogAt : because of the acquired dilution of faculties
bahu-janana-bhAvAt : consequent to the numerous lives (that it has gone through).
Note 1: So when the scriptures show you a carrot at the end of the stick, even if it be a heavenly carrot, that is only a “bodhopAya”, ‘a teaching strategy’.
Note 2: Compare shloka XI – 3 – 44 from Shrimad Bhagavatam:
Parokshha-vAdo vedo’yaM bAlAnAm anushAsanaM /
Karma-mokshhAya karmANi vidhatte hy-agadaM yathA //
meaning, The Vedas always tell you only indirectly, they hide their real intent. It is like getting things done by children. The Vedas prescribe actions/rituals for you so that in due time you may be relieved of all actions.
9.
yat-prItyA prIti-mAtraM tanu-yuvati-tanUjArtha-mukhyaM sa tasmAt
preyAn-AtmA’tha shokA-spadam-itarad-ataH preya etat-kathaM syAt /
bhAryAdyaM jIvitArthe vitarati ca vapuH svAtmanaH shreya icchan
tasmAd-AtmAnam-eva priyam-adhikam-upAsIta vidvAn-na cAnyat //
saH AtmA : That Self
yat-prItyA : whose dearness is the reason for
tanu-yuvati-tanUjArtha-mukhyaM : all things like the body, wife, children and wealth
prIti-mAtraM : being dear,
tasmAt preyAn : must be dearer (than these things).
Atha : On the other hand,
itarat : those other things
shokAspadaM : are sources of misery.
atah preya etat kathaM syAt : How then can they be dearer than the Self?
jIvitArthe : For the sake of one’s life
vitarati : one gives up
bhAryAdyaM : (even) one’s wife and others;
ca : and
svAtmanaH shreya icchan : for the good of one’s own self
vapuH (vitarati) : one gives up the body (of oneself).
tasmAt : Therefore
vidvAn : the wise person
upAsIta : should cherish
adhikaM priyaM : most dearly
AtmAnam-eva : the Self only
na ca anyat : and not anything else.
Note: This shloka is a beautiful synopsis of a famous long passage from the Brihad-Aranyakopanishad Ch.II, 4th Brahmana, concluding with the words:
“na va are sarvasya kamaya sarvam priyam bhavati, atmanas-tu kamaya sarvam priyam bhavati; atma va are drastavyah srotavyo mantavyo nididhyasitavyo”. For an authentic exposition of the passage see: http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/brdup/brhad_II-04.html , particulary the portion before and after the following conclusive observation:
“The love that you feel in respect of an object is in fact the love that you feel towards that which is called perfection and completeness. It is not really a love for the object. You have thoroughly misunderstood the whole point, even when you are clinging to a particular object as if it is the source of satisfaction. The mind does not want an object; it wants completeness of being. That is what it is searching for. Thus, when there is a promise of the fulfilment that it seeks, through the perception of an object that appears to be its counterpart, there is a sudden feeling that fullness is going to come, and there is a satisfaction even on the perception of that object; and there is an apparent satisfaction, just by the imagined possession of it together with the yearning for actual possession. So, what is it that you are asking for? You are not asking for any object or thing; you are asking for a condition of completeness in your being. So, my dear friend, says Yajnavalkya, nobody is dear. No object can be regarded as lovable or desirable. It is something else that you love and are asking for, but by a notion that is completely misconstrued, you believe that the object is loved”.
10.
yasmAd-yAvat-priyaM syAd-iha hi vishhayatas-tAvad-asmin-priyatvaM
yAvad-dukhaM ca yasmAd-bhavati khalu tatas-tAvad-evA-priyatvaM /
naikasmin sarva-kAle’sty-ubhayam-api kadA’py-apriyo’pi priyaH syAt
preyAn-apy-apriyo vA satatam-api tataH preya AtmAkhya-vastu //
iha : In this world
yAvat : as long as
priyaM syAt :there is pleasure derived
yasmAt vishhayataH : from an object,
tAvat : so long
priyatvaM : (there is) love
asmin : for that object;
ca : and
yAvat : as long as
dukhaM bhavati : there is pain or suffering
yasmAt : from an object
tAvad-eva : so long only
apriyatvaM khalu : (there is) indeed dislike
tataH : therein.
ekasmin : In the same object
sarva-kAle : at all times
ubhayam-api : both (pleasantness or unpleasantness)
na asti : do not exist.
kadA api : Sometimes, however,
apriyaH api : even an unpleasant thing
priyaH syAt : becomes pleasant
vA : or,
preyAn api : even a pleasant thing
apriyaM (syAt) : becomes unpleasant.
tataH : Therefore,
AtmAkhya-vastu : The entity known as the Self
satatam api preyaH : is always the most beloved.