Savour the Holy Land of the Lord -3
=Pt.ShriRam Sharma Acharya
(Akhand Jyoti May-June2009)
The vision of snakebite
Before sitting for meditation, Shriram used to visit the Shiva temple. That day after the darshan of the Lord, he sat beneath the mango tree. He had just sat there when he had the following vision (as he later told to his friends): “I had the darshan of Lord Shiva and was climbing down the steps. The seat of meditation was still 24 to 25 steps away. As I was climbing down, my feet fell on a soft object. I saw that I had stepped on a snake. Within seconds, the angry snake raised its hood and bit my lower leg. Before I could understand what was happening, the snake again bit at my calf muscle and beneath the waist.”
He had heard that a snake bites only once. When the fellow listener interrupted, Shriram said he was feeling this in trance. Then he continued further – “After the snakebite, my body fell to the ground. I was not aware of the treatment that was given. It appeared as if this was being done to somebody else. As the poison from the snakebite began to spread through my body, I experienced drowsiness. People sitting nearby were sprinkling water on my face. The doctor came and asked for some medicines to be brought. By now, the mantrik had also come. He began to beat the metal plate like a drum and chant some incantations. The sound from the plate was very rhythmic. My mind began to get absorbed in that music. The mantrik continued to chant incantations. Once the medicines that were ordered by the doctor came in, the potion was prepared. I drank the potion and instead of getting relief, the pain increased further. It felt as though snakes were biting my entire body. I could experience the sharp stinging and burning sensation; and after some time, those parts of the body first became numb and within a few moments the pain became even more intense.
“I did not know when life ebbed away from my body. When I regained consciousness, I saw a sanyasi with matted locks dragging my body from the river. My family had thrown my body into the river thinking that I was dead. The body of a person who dies of snakebite is not cremated. Whatever might be the physical reason behind it, the occult belief is that snake symbolizes time. It is believed that when Time has chosen somebody, there remains nothing in his being that can be consigned to ashes. The sanyasi pulled my body out of the river and laid it on the bank. The sanyasi sat beside the unconscious body and meditated for a while. The gentle presence of the sanyasi brought back my senses slowly. He lovingly patted me and said ‘Get up and go home. Your parents must be getting worried’.
“On hearing the command of the sanyasi, I tried to get up. The other message that came to me was not to come to that place again. I was asked to mediate at home. I very much wanted to know who the great man was but could not do so because of fear. The sanyasi probably understood my thoughts and hence replied to the unasked question, ‘I am just one of the seekers trying to find the path to liberation from the pangs of this world. Don’t mistake me to be a spiritually realized person. I am an ordinary sanyasi and nothing more’.
“I mustered courage to express my wish and asked ‘Respected sir, will you please guide me?’ The sanyasi replied, ‘No, I am myself a traveler. But the power that guides you is looking after you at all times. It will present itself to you at the appropriate time. Don’t ask me when? I can only say that it will be very soon. Be assured of this and do not accept anyone as your Guru in haste.’ The sanyasi was telling something more but I am not able to recollect anything. The only words I heard last were ‘Get up and go’. When my eyes opened, I saw my father crying piteously. I got up and prostrated before him.”
His father believed that this incident happened because of narrating Bhagavat to Shriram. Many thoughts crossed his disturbed mind. Then he resigned to fate and decided –“Whatever is acceptable to the Lord will happen. God must have decided something specific for Shriram and it will happen. What can anybody do? It is better to believe that everything will be fine at the end.” Panditji’s mind was at peace for sometime and then again indulged in his son’s future. He knew for sure that his son would not go anywhere leaving his parents behind but his mind was filled with infatuation towards his son. This ‘Moha’ (attachment) is a strange emotion that does not allow the mind to focus on one thing.
Panditji decided that very moment that he would not narrate Bhagavat Katha to his son anymore; and would not tell him about sanyasis and renunciation; he would also not leave Shriram in the company of such people. After this decision, Panditji decided to stop narration of Bhagavat Shastra. Whenever a preceptor decides to stop preaching, then he arranges a purnahuti. This tradition has become almost extinct today but all those who have been initiated by a Guru to narrate Bhagavat still follow the tradition of conducting purnahuti when they finally decide to stop narration. A person renounces preaching Bhagavat Katha when either his body becomes weak with old age or when he becomes a parivrajak sanyasi (an ascetic) or when he does not find organizers who have enough resources to arrange for such programs.
Panditji decided to renounce the Pothi (book) of Bhagavat when he perceived that his lineage was seeing an untimely sanyas. For this purpose, he invited twenty one Brahmins and arranged Yagya and installed the Bhagavat Shastra in the temple of Vasudeva
The demise of father
On the day the Purnahuti Yagya was completed, Panditji’s condition deteriorated by nightfall. After his voice became mute, he stopped his physical movements also. He used to lie down on the bed and communicate with others using hand signals. His lips were continuously vibrating as though he was doing the Japa of Dvadashakshari (12-syllable) mantra. The next day, he stopped taking any food. When his family members insisted, he told them through gestures that the end had come and they should not try to give food and keep the body alive. Within 2 days, the news of Panditji’s illness and his decision to shed the body spread amongst their friends and relatives. They began to stream in to enquire about his welfare. The house was crowded with people. Panditji would look at everyone and greet him or her with folded hands. He could not say anything but from the countenance of his face, it looked as if he was seeking forgiveness for any mistakes he had done or if his behaviour had caused them any pain. After this expression of feelings, the other persons would also reply to him. On hearing their replies, Panditji’s face would light up. On the morning of Shukla Paksha Dasami, Panditji called his son Shriram. He asked him in sign language that he be put in sitting position. He then assumed Padmasan (the cross-legged posture), kept both hands in his lap, closed his eyes and sat quietly for a few moments. After sitting in Dhyan mudra for five to seven minutes, the mantra ‘Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya’ escaped from his lips.
He asked his son to read the basic (mool) Bhagavat. Shriram began to read the four basic shlokas ‘Ahamevasamevagre nanyad yat sadasatparam│ paschadaham ------------ ││. After reading the shlokas, he began to explain the meaning for the benefit of all those present there - ‘The Lord says: I alone was there at the beginning of creation. There was no truth or untruth; or physical, subtle and causal nature. At the end of creation also, I alone will be present. The universe that is visible is also Me. That which remains after the dissolution of the universe is also Me. This has been explained as the nature of Brahma. The appearance of untruth, weakness and grief in the Jivatma is also Me. When Sat-Chit and Anand are not felt in the Jivatma, know that it is also due to my Divine Maya. Just as the five basic elements (soil, water, fire, air and space) are present in everything - big and small, I am present in those basic elements and also absent from them. The seekers of Truth should understand that whatever is present and absent everywhere is the Supreme Spirit.’
By the time the meaning was read out, Panditji’s soul separated from the body. His individual consciousness merged into the universal consciousness. In the posture that he was seated, scholars explain that such people merge into their adored deity. Panditji was sixty-seven years old then. The moment he left his body, crying and grieving began all around. However, Shriram was very serious as though lost in contemplation or trying to understand something.
This was the first time Shriram saw the snapping of bond of body and soul. The moment, crying and wailing started, Shriram sat cross-legged near his father. He was sitting in a Padmasan posture just like his father. Taiji saw her son imitating his father and must have felt that he too was leaving her and hence let out a piteous cry. She was shaking her son out of the cross-legged position instead of going through the symbolic rituals of widowhood. Shriram did not budge from his position. The family members tried to console Taiji. According to his family members, it was natural for Shriram to try to understand death in his own way. After sitting steady in dhyan mudra for about 20 minutes, Shriram got up and busied himself in the arrangements to bid farewell to his father’s body.
After Antyeshti (cremation) and maronattar sanskars (last rites), the discussion about who should be the successor of Panditji’s heirloom came up amongst the family members. Shriram cut himself out of the property affairs saying that he would only continue the tradition of Bhagavat Katha and nothing else. He said that he would keep himself for only God’s work. On hearing this, the family members realized that this was the effect of seven - day Katha that Panditji narrated to him before death. They thought that once the worldly responsibilities weigh on his shoulders, he would understand the stark realities of life. The eldest remaining member of the family, Jyoti Prasad, took over the headship of the family. As per the tradition, others also got their share of inheritance. Till the end, Shriram kept saying that he was not meant for family life or for managing the land and property. He just wanted to follow his Dharma.
Some Incidents
After the demise of his father, Shriram began to feel lonely. There were many other family members, but their interests were primarily in material possessions. They were busy in managing the farms, in collecting taxes and in the work related to the court. They had good understanding of astrology, ayurveda, governance and social service. Shriram was interested in yoga, meditation, spirituality and the basic truths of existence.
There were many incidents in Shriram’s childhood which speak of his nobility of character and trustful nature. In villages mothers took special care of feeding milk and butter to their children. One day, Shriram saw how a cow was milked. The calf was first taken to the cow. The udders of the cow would fill with milk. The calf was then taken away and the cow was milked. The cow kept looking at her calf lovingly through the entire process of milking and would try to reach out to her calf. Shriram was pained to see the helplessness of the cow and the calf. He went into the house and told his mother that he would not drink milk henceforth.
Taiji and other family members tried to explain that milk gave strength and the capacity to fight against diseases. Shriram had only one reply for everyone – ‘I do not want to strengthen my body by snatching the food of the calf.’ The process of convincing him continued for months. At last, a consensus was reached that the calf be left to suck the milk of its mother till its hunger was satisfied and after it had moved away from the cow on its own, the cow should be milked. The milk thus got would be acceptable to Shriram. The milk obtained thus was very little but it was felt that it was more important to take care of the needs of the calves too.
There is an incident about buying a lock from the market. The regular household chores were done by servants. The mother felt that Shriram should have a practical idea about worldly tasks. The lock of a suitcase needed replacement. A new lock would cost two to three quarter of a paisa. Mother gave Shriram money and asked him to get a new lock. The shopkeeper quoted the price of the lock as three paise. This was definitely four or five times the price told by his mother. Shriram told the shopkeeper that he was charging him more money. But the shopkeeper insisted that this was the actual price and he could enquire about it anywhere. Before the shopkeeper could complete his argument, Shriram took out three paise and took the lock, asking the shopkeeper to stop his lame talk. He said ‘Stop talking. I know the actual price of the lock but I am giving the price you quoted. I trust you.’ On reaching home, Taiji gave him a small lecture and the incident was forgotten. After this, Shriram went past that shop several times but never lifted his head to look at the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper used to see him and expect that Shriram would halt. One day, he called out to Shriram and said, ‘I repent for what I have done. I had taken extra money from you. I don’t know why greed overwhelmed me and I took four times the actual price of the lock. Please take back the extra money I took then and forgive me.’ Shriram listened to the plea silently. When the shopkeeper continued to apologize even after returning the money, Shriram said, ‘Uncle, what is there to repent about now? I listened to you then and even today I have no complaint against you.’
This incident from his youth exhibits his tendency to trust others. Because of this habit, he had to bear losses several times but his philosophy was that only trust can transform a person. The lack of trust leads to increase in doubt and evil. It also distances people from one another.
Thanks GOD,Thanks Sadguru,
Shiv Sharma
No comments:
Post a Comment