4. अमृतोपमभाषणः Amṛtopama-bhāṣaṇaḥ

One whose speech was like nectar

The compound word ‘amṛta-upama-bhāṣaṇaḥ’ meaning ‘One whose speech is like nectar’, specifically employs the word ‘upama’ (like), though even without its explicit use, the meaning implied would only be ‘One whose speech is like nectar’. The significance of this may gleaned from the following example.

The Upaniṣad says, “ākāśavat sarvagataśca nityaḥ ((Brahman is) all-pervading and eternal like space).”¹⁹ Here space is cited as an analogy to understand the nature of Brahman. The phrase ‘ākāśa-vat’ (like ākāśa) indicates not that Brahman’s pervasiveness and eternality are on the same footing as those of space, but that Brahman is superior to space vis-à-vis these criteria. Brahman is more pervasive than space, for It pervades space as well. ‘Space is eternal’ is only a relative characterization, for though it does remain while other entities are annihilated during pralaya (cosmic dissolution), it too is finally destroyed. On the other hand, Brahman is eternal, for It is never ever subject to destruction.

Likewise, ‘His Holiness’s speech was like nectar’ implies not merely that His speech was equivalent to nectar, but that it was far superior to nectar. Nectar is delicious and joyful; it grants the devas (gods) who partake of it, freedom from death for the time being. However, the words of His Holiness conferred not just fleeting sweetness and joy, but pure knowledge and unalloyed, absolute bliss. His words gave the supreme knowledge that granted disciples liberation and thereby permanent freedom from rebirth.

The Upaniṣad instructs, “Know that alone, the one Ātman; eschew every other speech (that is not conducive to the realisation of the Ātman); this is the bridge to ‘amṛta’ (immortality).”²⁰ In accordance with this, His Holiness’s words were ever directed towards bringing about what is truly good to others, in the process of leading them on the path to liberation. That His Holiness guided spiritual aspirants to this Supreme amṛta, was glimpsed under nāma 2. Apart from giving individual guidance, He delivered anugraha-bhāṣaṇas (benedictory discourses) in the thousands, invariably stressing on the importance of assimilating spiritual pursuits into one’s life.

❧

[The following is excerpted from His Holiness’s exposition on karma-yoga.]

Three brothers went on a vacation to a hill station and stayed there in a cottage booked by them. One night, when they were fast asleep, a powerful earthquake wreaked havoc in the region. The roof of the cottage fell and would have crushed them to death had not a portion of the roof-beam come to rest on a piece of wooden furniture in the bedroom. From the creaking sounds that the brothers heard, they realised that, in moments, the roof would descend on them. There was simply no question of their remaining where they were till help arrived.

They turned towards the two doors that led out of the room. Due to an electric short-circuit, a fire had started near one of them. The flames were spreading. The way to the other door was strewn with glass pieces from the shattered window panes. One of the brothers ran towards the door where the fire was. He managed to escape through it but suffered severe burns and had to be hospitalised for weeks. The second brother recognised the danger of passing through the flames and so moved as swiftly as he could to the second door. His soles were pierced at several spots by the glass pieces on the way. He had to be hospitalised for two days.

The third brother thought, ‘It is madness to remain here. Heading towards the spreading flames is foolish, for severe burns will be inevitable. So, I must escape through the other door. However, I must first do something to protect my feet from the glass pieces.’ He tore his bed-spread and wrapped a piece of cloth on each foot. He worked fast and so the whole process took only seconds. Then, he headed for the door chosen by him. He escaped unhurt.

A person cannot remain without performing some action or the other just as the brothers were not in a position to remain where they lay in the bedroom. All his acts do have consequences. If he engages in adharma, he will experience much suffering in future, in hell or on earth. His behaviour would be on par with that of the brother who headed towards the door engulfed by fire. He who performs meritorious deeds experiences happiness for some time in heaven or acquires a good birth on the earth. In any case, he has to be reborn. Thus, even the acquirer of puṇya (virtue) does suffer the bondage of transmigration. His conduct is comparable to that of the second brother. The path to the fiery door was easy to tread as is the path of evil; the way to the other door was difficult as is the path of dharma, to go along which one has to restrain the mind and the senses.

The Lord has explained how a person may perform actions but avoid being bound by them. A person should dedicate all his actions and their fruits to God and discharge his duties without hankering for the results. This means of performing actions but escaping bondage is called karma-yoga. The performer of karma-yoga is like the third brother, who escaped through the very door through which the second brother had left, but without suffering any injury. The most intelligent of the brothers protected his feet with bandages; the karma-yogin protects himself by dedicating his actions and their fruits to God.

A devotee who sincerely performs the duties ordained for him by God and specified in the scriptures and, further, does so in a spirit of dedication, pleases God greatly and receives His grace in abundance. By the Lord’s grace, his mind becomes very pure. In due course, he realises the Truth and gets liberated.

A woman doted on her young son and took great care of him. One day, she woke up with an intense headache, fever and nausea. Nevertheless, she attended to the child’s morning requirements without any laxity. That day, she found the rice prepared by her to be slightly overcooked. Promptly, she started to cook some more. Her husband noticed this and told her, “You are sick and in pain. Why do you want to strain yourself? The rice that is ready is quite eatable.” “I want to give my son only the kind of rice that he is used to and likes. As for the overcooked rice, I shall consume it,” replied the wife. Out of deep love for her child, the woman did her very best for him. Likewise, a karma-yogin, by virtue of his devotion to God, performs his duties to the very best of his ability and refrains from adharma.

Two students appeared for an examination. In spite of having prepared well, they fared badly because the questions were very tough and some of them fell outside the scope of the prescribed syllabus. One of them, who did not practise karma-yoga, became highly dejected because of his inept performance. When he went home and sat down to prepare for the next day’s subject, his mind kept reverting to that day’s question paper. His worry greatly hampered his preparation. The other boy, being a practitioner of karma-yoga, did not experience the least anxiety. This is because, in the examination hall itself, he had dedicated his performance and its fruit to God. After returning home, undisturbed by worry, he focused his attention on the next day’s subject.

On the following day, the first boy became flabbergasted on encountering a tough question. The karma-yogin read the question carefully and answered it to the best of his ability without getting perturbed in the least. It is hardly surprising that the first boy secured a lower rank than his friend. This example shows that the efficiency of a karma-yogin exceeds that of a person who acts with a longing for the fruits of his actions.

The Lord has declared in the Bhagavad-gītā, “Perform your prescribed duties, for action is superior to inaction. Moreover, even the maintenance of your body will not be possible through inaction. Man becomes bound by all his actions except those done by him for the sake of God. O son of Kuntī, perform actions for the sake of God, without being attached…. By performing his duty without attachment, a person attains liberation (through the purification of his mind).”²¹

❧

[The following are extracts from benedictory discourses of His Holiness in which He spoke on the practice of meditation.]

Dhyāna or meditation is the one-pointed fixation of the mind on the object of concentration. Bhagavatpāda, in His Bhagavad-gītā-bhāṣya (commentary on the Bhagavad-gītā) speaks of dhyāna as the proximate means to Self-realisation. Dhyāna is of two types. In saguṇa-dhyāna, one meditates on a form or sound while these are absent in nirguṇa-dhyāna. The final aim of dhyāna is to bring the spiritual aspirant face to face with the Truth. Saguṇa-dhyāna must be practised till one is competent to perform nirguṇa-dhyāna. This does not, however, preclude the possibility of one who is an adept in nirguṇa-dhyāna performing saguṇa-dhyāna. The actual method of spiritual discipline to be practised is to be decided only by the Guru and the procedure is likely to vary from person to person on account of differences in temperament, state of spiritual development, circumstances and the like. This being the case it is not possible to describe a way of practising meditation common to all.

One method of performing saguṇa-dhyāna, which is suitable to many, is concentration on one’s iṣṭa-devatā (favourite form of God) as seated in a red lotus in one’s heart. One should imagine the red-petalled lotus in full bloom with the iṣṭa-devatā seated in it in the manner described in the appropriate dhyāna-śloka (verse describing the divine form associated with a mantra). Concentrating one’s mind on the form of the iṣṭa-devatā one should perform japa. An easier method for some is to imagine the iṣṭa-devatā as seated in front of one. Another method is to meditate upon a jyotis (effulgence) in the space between the eyebrows, while performing nāma-japa. Meditation on the Guru can also be practised.

For some who are unable to mentally, clearly visualise their iṣṭa-devatā, a simple method would be to sit in front of a picture of the iṣṭa-devatā, look at the picture and perform japa. Japa may be done audibly, with the lips moving but without sound coming out, or mentally, the last one being the best. As one gains in concentration, one can begin to close one’s eyes for brief periods of time and visualise the iṣṭa-devatā as seen in the picture. With due practice, meditation can be performed without the aid of the picture. Saguṇa-dhyāna can also be done by concentrating one’s mind on the mantra alone, without taking recourse to the form of the iṣṭa-devatā.

Two difficulties generally encountered when people practise dhyāna are extraneous thoughts disturbing the meditation process and the aspirant feeling sleepy. The inability to keep one’s mind fixed on the object of meditation is a difficulty which almost all sādhakas face. The method of tackling this problem consists in being vigilant at the time of meditation. If the mind wanders, it should be brought back to the object of meditation. In most cases, it is futile to attempt to simply force the mind to remain on the object of meditation. Therefore, as and when the mind goes out, one has no other choice but to watch its movement and bring it back. An aid to block the mind from going outwards or at least reduce the tendency, is to hold one’s breath for a moment or two when one finds the mind going out. Another aid is to visualise the presence of the iṣṭa-devatā in whatever object the mind chooses to think about, so that the mind is made to think of the iṣṭa-devatā. Uttering the japa with somewhat greater vigour also helps one in gaining control. If one notices the commencement of distraction, more than half the problem is solved as one can fixate the mind again on the object of meditation. In most cases people become aware that the mind has deviated from the object of concentration only after some time has elapsed. Vigilance, stressing on the mind about the transitory nature of external objects, and their inability to produce any happiness should be practised in order to hold the wandering mind. Perception of faults in the objects towards which the mind runs, acts as a brake on the wandering mind.

It must be borne in mind that these aids are, as it were, emergency measures adopted during the course of the meditation period. Brahmacarya (celibacy), complete faith in the Guru, bhakti (devotion), vairāgya (dispassion) and practice are all very necessary to achieve success in meditation.

In nirguṇa-dhyāna, the mind is focussed on the Supreme Ātman which is beyond all name and form and defies any positive conception. To perform nirguṇa-dhyāna, one should initially look at a light for a few moments. When one does so, worldly concerns are forgotten. Even the thought, ‘I am forgetting’, will be absent. At that juncture, the eyes should be closed. Next, one should feel, ‘The eyes are seeing within.’ Spontaneously, an effulgence will manifest. Unlike common illumination, it is generally blue-hued. At times it resembles moonlight. Feeling that the gaze is in-drawn, one should hold on to the thought, ‘I am pure consciousness’ and realise consciousness as all pervasive. If one does so, the process will culminate in nirvikalpa-samādhi, and by this method one can attain the realisation of the Self.

❧