(36) The horrid hell of Samsaara

​ EXTRACT FROM MUMUKSHU VYAVAHAARA PRAKARANAM

वसिष्टोवाच​ परिपूर्णमना मान्यः प्रष्टुं जानासि राघव वेत्सि चोक्तं च तेनाहं प्रवृत्तो वक्तुमादरात् ।  

Vasishta spoke: Raaghava, you know how to place your queries as you are of an excellent mind and respected among all as intelligent. You will definitely understand the statements spoken by me.

That is why I am eager to teach you.

रजस्तमोभ्यां रहितां शुद्धसत्वानुपातिनीं मतिमात्मनि संस्थाप्य ज्ञानं श्रोतुं स्थिरो भव ।

Make your mind free of worldly tensions (Rajas) and laziness (Tamas) and fill it with enthusiasm to absorb knowledge (Sattva). Be of a steady mind and get ready to understand my instructions.

विद्यते त्वयि सर्वैव  प्रच्छकस्य गुणावली वक्तुर्गुणाश्चैव मयि रत्नश्रीर्जलधौ यथा ।

All the virtues that are needed in a questioner are in you; and I am endowed with the virtues that a teacher should have like the wealth of gems inside the ocean.

आप्तवानसि वैराग्यं विवेकासङ्गजं सुत चन्द्रकान्तेवार्द्रत्वं लग्नचन्द्रकरोत्करः ।

Son! You have attained dispassion which is born by the contact of Viveka like the melted moon stone by the touch of the cluster of moon rays.

चिरमाशैशवादेव तवाभ्यासोऽस्ति सद्गुणैर्शुद्धैर्शुद्धस्य दीर्घैश्च पद्मस्येवातिसंततैः ।

From childhood itself, you have practiced noble qualities of extreme purity which attract everyone, like the lotus with its spread out petals attracting one and all with its fragrance which it develops from the bud-state itself.

अतः श्रुणु कथां वक्ष्ये त्वमेवास्या हि भाजनं न हि चन्द्रं विना शुद्धा सविकासा कुमुद्वती ।

Therefore, listen to what I say. You alone are fit to receive it.  Without a moon, the lake of night lotuses cannot bloom up fully with all the whiteness.

(My words will not bloom fully without you as the moon to affect them.)

ये केचन समारम्भा याश्चकाश्चन दृष्टयः ते च ताश्च पदे दृष्टे निःशेषं यान्ति वै शमम् ।

All the worldly enterprises filled with agitations, all the theories and many view points which have not cleared the doubts, will all subside fully without a trace, when the Supreme vision is obtained.

यदि विज्ञ्नानविश्रान्तिर्नभवेद्भव्यचेतसः तदस्यां संसृतौ साधुश्चिन्तामौढ्यं सहेत कः ।

If the restful state of proper understanding is not obtained by a man of noble disposition, how can that intelligent person bear with the foolishness prevailing in the Samsaara ever?

परं प्राप्य विलीयन्ते सर्वा मननवृत्तयः कल्पान्तार्कगणासङात्कुलशैलशिला इव ।

All the mental processes will dissolve off after attaining the Supreme state like the rocks of Kula Mountains by the arrival of the group of suns at the dissolution time.

दु:सहा राम संसारविषावेशविषूचिका योगगारुडमन्त्रेण पावनेन प्रशाम्यति ।

Rama! Unbearable is the cholera of Samsaara with the poison spreading fast. It can be completely cured only by the sacred Gaaruda mantra called ‘Yoga’ (union of the individual Self with the Supreme Self).

स च योगः सज्जनेन सह शास्त्रविचारणात्प​रमार्थज्ञानमन्त्रो नूनं लभ्यत एव च ।     

That Yoga is indeed the Jnaana-Mantra of the Supreme truth which is obtained by analyzing the statements of scriptures with the help of a Knower.

अवश्यमिह हि विचारे कृते सकलदुःखपरिक्षयो भवतीति मन्तव्यं नातो विचारदृष्टयोsवहेलया द्रष्टव्याः । One should understand that the proper enquiry and analysis of the Truth (Vichaara) leads to the destruction of all the afflictions of doubts. Therefore one should not look down upon such discussions (as waste).

विचारवता पुरुषेण सकलमिदमाधिपञ्जरं सर्पेण त्वचमिव परिपक्वां संत्यज्य

विगतज्वरेण शीतलान्तःकरणेन विनोदादिन्द्रजालमिव जगदखिलमालोक्यते संयग्दर्शनवता

असंयग्दर्शनवतो हि परं दुःखमिदं ।

A person who does Vichaara and has obtained the correct vision, discards the entire cage of afflictions like the dried up skin by the snake; is cured of his fevers (of worries), gets a cool mind; and sees the entire world with amusement like seeing a magical show; whereas to a non-seer this world is extremely painful.

विषमो ह्यतितरां संसारोरगो भोगीव दशत्य​सिरिव च्छिनत्ति कुन्तेव​ वेधयति रज्जुरिवावेष्टयति

पावकेव दहति रात्रिरिवान्धयत्यशङ्कितपरिपतितपुरुषान्पाषाणेव विवशीकरोति

हरति प्रज्ञां नाशयति स्थितिं पातयति मोहान्धकूपे तृष्णा जर्जरीकरोति

न तदस्ति किन्चिद्दुःखं संसारी यन्न प्राप्नोति ।   

Ah! This ‘Samsaara-serpent’ is indeed terrifying.

It bites like a snake (with venom of pain.)

It cuts like the sword (the biting is like a cut from the sword.)

It pierces like an insect (with its fang).

It tightens like a rope (with its body slithering all over us.)

It burns like the fire (like the snake poison).

It blinds like the night (one loses his consciousness).

It makes the unsuspecting stumbling ones faint hitting them like a stone; robs off the understanding.

It destroys the stability; and makes one fall into the dark deep well of infatuation.

(Mouth dries up by the poison.)Trshnaa (thirst for sense pleasures) shatters one to the utmost!

There exists not a pain which a world-oriented person will not get!

दुरन्तेयं किल विषयविषूचिका यदि न चिकित्स्यते 
तन्नितरां नरकनगरनिकरफलानुबन्धिनी तत्तत्करोति 
यत्र शिलाशितासिशात: पातोपलताडनमग्निदाहो 
हिमावसेकोऽङ्गावकर्तनं  चन्दनचर्चातरुवनानि

घुणवृत्तान्तःपरिवेषोsङ्गपरिमार्जनमनवरतानलविचलितसमरनाराचनिपातो 
निदाघविनोदनं धारागृहसीकरवर्षणं शिरच्छेद: सुखनिद्रा 
मूकीकरणमाननमुद्राबान्धुर्यं महानुपचय: ।  

Terrible indeed is the cholera caused by the poison of sense pleasures; if not treated in time it will result in binding one completely to hosts of hells;

where there is heavy fall of hundreds of swords sharpened on rocks like ‘lotuses tossed in sport’;

where scorching in fire is the ‘sprinkling of snow’;

where writhing of organs is the ‘application of sandal paste’;

where there is no end to the hells one falls into;

where the shower of sharp arrows is indeed the ‘shower of cool water created to relieve one of summer heat’; severing the head is the ‘restful sleep’;

to remain ‘speechless in joy’ is the strangling of the neck;

losing the power of hearing is appreciated as an ‘improvement’.

{Naraka-nagara- nikara –the bodies are the cities filled with stinking flow of urine and excreta; their collection is the company of one’s own relatives and friends. The desire for sense pleasures is the cholera which binds you forever to the embodied state in different births which are hosts of hells.}

तदेवंविधकष्टचेष्टासहस्रदारुणे संसारचलयन्त्रेsस्मिन्राघव नावहेलना कर्तव्या

अवश्यमेवं विचारणीयमेवं चावबोद्धव्यं यथा किल शास्त्रविचाराच्छ्रेयो भवतीति ।    

Therefore, Raaghava, one should not act careless in this perpetually moving torture machine called Samsaara which is filled with thousands of extremely painful sufferings.

One should definitely ponder in this manner only and enlighten oneself in this manner since the analysis of truths given in this scripture will lead one to his welfare (liberation).

अन्यच्च रघुकुलेन्दो यदि चैते महामुनयो महर्षयश्च विप्राश्च राजानश्च 
ज्ञानकवचेनावगुण्ठितशरीरास्ते कथमदुःखक्षमाऽपि दुःखकरीं तां तां वृत्तिपूर्विकां 
संसारकदर्थनामनुभवन्तः सततमेव मुदितमननसस्तिष्टन्ति ।

Hey Moon of Raghu dynasty!  These Mahaa Munis, Maharshis, Brahmins, and the kings experience the horrid state of Samsaara and go through unbearable painful events, and do not feel any pain also because their bodies are protected by the armor of Knowledge. How else will they stay cheerful at all times?

इह हि Here alone!

विकौतुका विगतविकल्पविप्लवा यथा स्थिता हरिहरपद्मजादयः

नरोत्तमाः समधिगतात्मदीपकास्तथा स्थिता जगति विशुद्धबुद्धयः ।  

Just as Shiva, Vishnu and Brahmaa exist without any curiosity, and without any agitation and confusion, those excellent men also who are of pure intellects and who have obtained the light of Aatman exist like them in this world.

परिक्षीणे मोहे विगलितघनेsज्ञानजलदे परिज्ञाते तत्त्वे समधिगत आत्मन्यतितते  

विचार्यार्यैः सार्धं चलितवपुषो वै सदृशतो धिया दृष्टे तत्त्वे रमणमटनं जागतमिदं ।  

Mist of delusion is destroyed; the thick dark cloud of ignorance is gone; the correct understanding of the truth is obtained; absorption in the Aatman is achieved with all divisions erased off; and moving along with the noble ones remaining engaged in Vichaara thinking like them, when the true vision is obtained, this world is just a pleasant walk in the garden.

अन्यच्च राघव​  Moreover Raaghava,

प्रसन्ने चित्तत्त्वे हृदि शमभवे वल्गति परे शमाभोगीभूतास्वखिलकलनादृष्टिषु पुरः

समं याति स्वान्तःकरणघटनास्वादितरसं धिया दृष्टे तत्त्वे रमणमटनं जागतमिदम् ।

The principle of Chit is realized. The mind stays tranquil. All that is understood is experienced as the quiescent state only. The thoughts in the mind are equal and quiet.  The essence of Brahman alone is tasted as all. When the true vision is obtained, this world is just a pleasant walk in the garden.

अन्यच्च Moreover,

रथ स्थाणुर्देहस्तुरगरचना चेन्द्रियगतिर्प​रिस्पन्दो वातो वहनकलितानन्दविषयः

परोsणुर्वा देही जगति विहरामीत्यनघया धिया दृष्टे तत्त्वे रमणमटनं जागतमिदं ।   

Body remains inert like a piece of wood and is the chariot (used for moving).

Senses are the horses (used for perceiving only).

The air-movement in the body is the gentle pleasant wind.

Supreme atom that is in all is the one owning the body.

The intellect is taintless and feels that I am just taking a pleasant walk in the world.

When the true vision is obtained, this world is just a pleasant walk in the garden.