Atma Bodha - Post 62

VERSE 52:

UPAADHI-STHAH API TAD-DHARMAIH

ALIPTAH VYOMA-VAT MUNIH

SARVAVIT MOODHA-VAT TISHTHET

ASAKTAH VAAYU-VAT CHARET

(Though living with Upaadhis and their attributes,the contemplative one is unattached to them, like Space. Though knowing everything, he may behave as a fool, or, totally unattached, he may yet move about like wind.)

Three similes are interwoven in this single verse – that of Space, that of a fool or mad-man, and that of wind.

SPACE

Firstly, the inter-relationship of all three needs to be seen. The primary simile is the one on Space. This is intended to illustrate the attribute of non-attachment. To illustrate two extreme examples of this non-attachment, the other two similes arise.

Vyoma-vat: “like Space”. Reference is again made here to ‘Space’

An ordinary person identifies himself with the pot, not the free space within or outside the pot.

The Jivanmukta is the opposite. He identifies himself with the free space, and remains indifferent to the pot (the body) which he views as a temporary shelter. He is free to move in and out of his pot-body or mind, and identifies himself with all space.  

Space, within which all objects are found, is never attached to those objects. Even if the objects transform into other objects, the Space remains the same. There are two extreme cases that illustrate such a non-attachment, and each of them has been ascribed a simile in this verse.

FOOL

The first of the two extreme examples illustrates the non-attachment which leads one to do nothing – he is regarded by the world as a fool.

Moodha-vat: “like a Fool”.

The detached sage, not being attached to any image of himself, has no need to display himself in society. His detachment frees him from all obligations to please society. 

Thus he is able to withdraw himself from all activity amongst men. Thus he opens himself to appearing as a fool by those who do not have any knowledge of his spirituality. He is comfortable with that charge! He remains unconcerned with such matters, having risen above praise and censure. Only one who is unattached can do this.

A jivanmukta may seem to be attached to the Upadhis such as mind and the sense organs on account of association to the body but he considers Self only as a witness to their activities and is least concerned about anything. 

We learn this from the lives of great saints such as Sadashiva Brahmendra, Ramana Maharshi etc. who were ever unattached to the body and the world. 

WIND

Asakta Vayu-vat: “free like the Wind”

The wind can move about in space freely. No man-made laws can control its flow.

A sage, identified with all space, may sometimes enter the Upadhis and function as ghattaspace or even go to a higher level and function as mutta-space (that is, as head of an organisation). 

He is not limited by his body or mind. His detachment from them gives him the power to act beyond those Upadhis and perform superhuman deeds as and when he likes. That is the freedom he has acquired, like wind.

Lord Jesus, after being in seclusion for 18 years of his life, returned to Jerusalem and in his remaining 3 years began his world-transforming mission.

In recent history we see the case of Srila Prabhupada, who went to the west at the age of 66 years, having two heart attacks on the ship that took him there. Within 10 years, he raised the world-wide organization of the Hare-Krishna Movement.

Swami Vivekananda and Swami Sivananda are other classic examples of sages who “moved like the wind” in spreading their mission. 

Like the wind, a sage takes his fragrance wherever he goes. He is welcome everywhere because he carries such a good, healthy fragrance. 

People are enchanted by the sweet aroma of his divine personality. That power of attraction draws people to him. He is wanted by many just for his presence.

Love

PS- A sincere reader who reads this post and contemplates on the same will realize the beautiful sequence in which the nature of a Jivanmukhta has been given by Sankara through this verse.

Once a yogi transcends this creation and moves about/exists like SPACE, totally unattached,  then, for those who are still bound to this world, the yogi will appear as a FOOL.

Once the yogi exists as SPACE, then he in fact transcends all limitations of even space and time and therefore, he acts like WIND, working faster than any other Jiva can work, in the mission taken up by him!

Love