DEBATE IN JANAKA’S COURTROOM (2)
(AARTABHAAGA QUESTIONS YAAJNAVALKYA)
(Grahas and Atigrahas are discussed here, which cause the
bondage of a Jeeva.
Graha means that which extends to grasp; and Atigraha is
that which gets grasped, but holds sway over the Graha.
Graha also means that which perceives. )
(How does an individual gets bound?
Subtle organs move forth to seize and get seized by objects
in turn.
Both became inseparable.
The perceptions holds on to the perceiving entity without
leaving him till the death of the body.
Grahas are - Praana,
Vaak, Jihvaa, Cakshus, Shrotram, Manas, Hasta, Tvach; namely,
Vital force, speech, tongue, eyes, ears, mind, hands, skin
Corresponding Atigrahas are Apaana, Naaman, Rasa, Roopa,
Shabda, Kaama, Karma and Sparsha (Apaana, name, taste, form, sound, desire,
action and touch.)
(1)
अथ हैनं जरत्कारव आर्तभागः पप्रच्छ ।
याज्ञ्नवल्क्येति होवाच
कति ग्रहाः कत्यतिग्रहा इति ।
अष्टौ ग्रहाः अष्टावतिग्रहा इति
ये तेऽष्टौ ग्रहाः अष्टावतिग्रहाः कतमे त इति ॥१॥
Then,
AarthaBhaaga of the lineage of Jaratkaaru bean his interrogation.
He asked;
“Yaajnavalkya!
How many are the
Grahas and how many are the Atigrahas?”
“There are eight
Grahas and eight Atigrahas.”
“Which are those
eight Grahas and eight Atigrahas?”
(2)
प्राणौ वै ग्रहः
सोऽपानेनातिग्राहेण गृहीतः
अपानेन हि गन्धाञ्जिघ्रति ॥२॥
“Praana is the
Graha; it is controlled by the Apaana.
Through Apaana
it smells the odours.”
(Praana is the breathing function and Apaana is the
discarding function.
Praana and Apaana functions both belong to the main Praana,
the vibrating power of Brahman.
Praana is the Graha; it contacts the outside world.
It is seized by Apaana; which brings in the outside world in
the form of the smell.
Praana alone as the subtle sense of nose understands smell
because of Apaana.
The two things unite together to produce the misconception
in the mind; that there is an object outside which has smell.)
(Actually the idea of outside is also a conception of the
mind only.
If one meditates on the source of Praana and Apaana, the
outgoing and ingoing breaths which are the functions of Praana, his body
identity will cease; and he will rest in the formless Brahman.)
(3)
वाग्वै ग्रहः
स नाम्नातिग्रहेण गृहीतः
वाचा हि नामान्यभिवदति ॥३॥
“Vaak is the
Graha; it is controlled by the name.
Through Vaak,
one utters the names.”
(Vaak is the function rising from within, which
differentiates the objects through various sounds; these sounds are understood
by the mind as names denoting objects.
Names take over the organ of speech.
Mind differentiates objects through names uttered by the
organ of speech.
Speech cannot exist without the words and meanings, which
denote the objects of the world.
The individual Jeeva, who is actually Brahman in essence,
gets stuck to Vaak and name; and identifies with a name and form.)
(4)
जिह्वा वै ग्रहः
स
रसेनातिग्राहेण गृहीतः
जिह्वया हि रसान्विजानाति ॥४॥
“Tongue is the
Graha; it is controlled by the taste.
Through the
tongue, one understands taste.”
(Tongue is the function rising from within, which
differentiates the objects through various tastes; these tastes are understood
by the mind as qualities belonging to the objects. Taste takes over the organ
of tongue.
Mind differentiates objects through tastes sensed by the
organ of tongue.
A Jeeva is bound by the taste sensation.
It superimposes the idea of taste in the objects and gets
attached to food, good and bad.)
(5)
चक्षुर्वै ग्रहः
स रूपातिग्राहेण गृहीतः
चक्षुषा हि रूपाणि पश्यति ॥५॥
“Eye is the
Graha; it is controlled by the form.
Through the eye,
one sees forms.”
(Eye is the function rising from within, which
differentiates the objects through various shapes; these shapes are understood
by the mind as qualities belonging to the objects.
Shape takes over the organ of eye.
Mind differentiates objects through images sensed by the
organ of eye.
Mind superimposes forms in the emptiness outside and is
bound by these perceptions.
It can never understand anything that is without a form or
name.)
(6)
श्रोत्रं वै ग्रहः
स शब्देनातिग्राहेण गृहीतः
श्रोत्रेण हि शब्दान्शृणोति ॥६॥
“Ear is the
Graha; it is controlled by the sound.
Through the ear,
one hears sounds.”
(Ear is the function rising from within, which
differentiates the objects through various sounds; these sounds are understood
by the mind as qualities belonging to the objects. Sound takes over the organ
of ear.
Mind differentiates objects through the sounds sensed by the
organ of ear.
Though the sound exists only in the ear, the mind superimposes
sound as belonging to the objects.)
(7)
मनो हि वै ग्रहः
स कामेनातिग्राहेण गृहीतः
मनसा हि कामान्कामयते ॥७॥
“Mind is the
Graha; it is controlled by the desire.
Through the
mind, one desires objects of want.”
(Mind is the function rising from within, which
differentiates the objects through various desires, as liked and disliked;
these desired objects are understood by the mind as pleasures belonging to the
objects.
Desire takes over the organ of mind.
Mind differentiates objects as having varied types of
pleasures through desires sensed by all the senses of Knowledge.
Mind is made up of subtle Vaasanaas and it perceives the
world which becomes a stage for its Vaasanaa fulfillment.
It is pulled by desires here and there; and suffers like a
man pulled by many ropes from all sides.)
(8)
हस्तो वै ग्रहः
स कर्मणातिग्राहेण गृहीतः
हस्ताभ्यां कि कर्म करोति ॥८॥
“Hand is the
Graha; it is controlled by the action
Through the
hand, one performs actions.”
(Hand is the organ of action; it is seized by the action.)
Desires make one do actions.
Believing in a world outside made of sensations only and not
real objects, the mind extends forth as a physical body (again made of
sensations).
The hands move as willed by the mind, perform actions to
gain the end of desire fulfilment.
Actions become so much a part of life, that even for a
second, a man cannot remain without doing some action or other.
Senses and Praanas keep the Karmendriyas (hand etc) always
on the move.
(9)
त्वग्वै ग्रहः
स स्पर्शेनातिग्राहेण गृहीतः
त्वचा हि स्पर्शान्वेदयते
इत्येतेऽष्टौ ग्रहाः अष्टावतिग्रहाः ॥९॥
“Skin is the
Graha; it is controlled by the touch.
Through the skin
one understands touch sensations.”
(Skin is the function rising from within, which
differentiates the objects through different sensations of touch; these
sensations of soft, hard etc are understood by the mind as qualities belonging
to the objects.
Touch takes over the organ of skin.
Mind differentiates objects through sensations of touch
sensed by the organ of skin.
The skin covering the body is inert; but through this, the
mind experiences the sensations of touch. This sensation makes the Jeeva move
through various objects with the idea of differentiation. If the sense of touch
was not there, even a sand particle cannot be held by the fingers. )
(10)
याज्ञ्नवल्क्येति होवाच
यदिदं सर्वं मृत्योरन्नं
का स्वित्सा देवता यस्वा मृत्युरन्नमिति ।
He asked;
“Yaajnavalkya!
Since everything
is the food for death.
Who is that
deity for whom death becomes the food?
(It is understood that a Jeeva is bound by these Grahas and
Atigrahas.
After struggling in the life for just the fulfilment of
desires through senses, a man ends up in death only.
Everything wastes away into nothing.
All actions and enterprises vanish off as nothing.
Which deity should be worshipped, to conquer this death?)
अग्निर्वै मृत्युः
सोऽपामन्नम्
अप पुनर्मृत्युं जयति ॥१०॥
“Fire is death.
Death is the
food for the water.
He (who knows
thus) conquers death.”
(A Jeeva identified with the body, lives a body and dies as
a body.
The individual Self chasing the pleasures is the fire that
blazes high with experiences; and dies when the body dies.
Water destroys the fire.
When one experiences the essence of Brahman within, he
conquers death.
Staying as identified with Brahman, one becomes immortal;
and does not die along with the body.)
(11)
याज्ञ्नवल्क्येति होवाच
यत्रायं पुरुषो म्रियते उदस्मात्प्राणाः
क्रामन्त्याहो क्रामन्त्याहो क्रामन्त्याहो नेति ।
He asked;
“Yaajnavalkya!
“When this
Knower dies, do his Praanas go up from him or not?”
(Even when a man is liberated, others around him see the
death of his body.
At such a time, what happens to his subtle senses and
Praanas which form his subtle body? Does the liberated man get bound by them
again?)
नेति होवाच याज्ञ्नवल्क्यः
अत्रैव समवनीयन्ते स उच्छ्वयति आध्मायति
आध्मातो मृतः शेते ॥११॥
Yaajnavalkya
said;
“No! They merge
in him only; the body swells, is inflated and in that state lies dead.”
(Since the liberated man is one with the Brahman, he has no
identity with the Praanas or organs. They do not project out again; but merge
into him like waves inside the ocean.
For the others, the body will swell with air and remain
motionless.
A liberated man never knows death ever; for his body dies
the very moment he is one with Brahman. He lives as Brahman only, after
realization.
Others see his body and its actions; he remains as a witness
only for the actions of the body. )
(12)
याज्ञ्नवल्क्येति होवाच
यत्रायं पुरुषो म्रियते किमेनं न जहातीति ।
He asked;
“Yaajnavalkya!
“When this
Knower dies, what is it that does not leave him?”
(After his death, what is left back?)
नामेति ।
अनन्तं वै नाम
अनन्ता विश्वं
देवाः
अनन्तमेव स
तेन लोकं जयति ॥१२॥
Yaajnavalkya
said;
“Name!
Name indeed is
infinite.
Vishva Devas are
infinite.
He (who knows
thus) wins thereby an infinite world.”
(Name alone is left back as belonging to the Vaak
functioning in others.
A man just becomes a memory in other minds, after his death,
whether liberated or ignorant.
Name is a word with meaning.
Name refers to an individual with form.
Deities and Gods are also understood as having names and
forms.
If one contemplates on the source if this name, one will
understand that the name is bondage and Brahman, the source essence is nameless
and formless.
A Knower is free of the mind which conceives names as bound
to the forms.
He never is bound by names and forms again.
He never has the idea of differentiation.
He sees the source of Grahas and Atigrahas as Brahman only
and remains firm in the seat of the Self.
Brahman the source of all names is infinite; so are the
deities with names and forms who are Brahman in essence.
One who knows this wins infinite world; because he has
understood his true essence.)
(13)
याज्ञ्नवल्क्येति होवाच
यत्रास्य पुरुषस्य मृतस्याग्निं वागप्येति
वातं प्राणः, मनश्चन्द्रम्, दिशाः श्रोत्रम् पृथिवीम् शरीरम् आकाशमात्मा
ओषधीर्लोमानि, वनस्पतीन्केशाः अप्सु लोहितं च रेतत्श्च निधीयते
क्वायं तदा पुरुषो भवतीति ।
He asked;
“Yaajnavalkya!
When the man
dies,
his Vaak enters
the fire; Praana enters the air; eye in the sun; ear into the directions; body
into the Prthvee; individual self into Aakaasha; hairs into herbs; hair on the
head into trees; blood and seed into the water;
then where is
that man?”
(AarthaBhaaga now wonders – after the death of the body, all
the subtle organs also enter into their sources. There is nothing left back.
If the man has not realized yet, then where is anything left
over as his identity that can lead him to the state of liberation? Or how does
he continue to his next incarnation when nothing of him is left back, except
his name in the minds of others?)
आहर सोम्य हस्तमार्तभाग ।
आवामेवैतस्य वेदिष्यावः ।
न नावेतत् सजन इति ।
(Yaajnavalkya
said)
“Hey good man!
AartaBhaaga! Give me your hand.
Let us discuss
this between ourselves.
We cannot do
this in a crowd.”
(Mimaamsakas believed in Gods and heaven; Buddhists in
Shoonya, Chaarvaakas in materialism and so on.
There are many theories in vogue about what happens to a man
after death.
Therefore Yaajnavalkya and AarthaBhaaga move away from the
crowd and discuss various theories and come to the conclusion that Karma alone
was left back.)
तौ होत्क्रम्य मन्त्रयांचक्राते ।
They both went
out and discussed the topic between them.
तौ ह यदूचतुः कर्म हैव तदूचतुः ।
अथ यत्प्रशंससतुः कर्म हैव तत्प्रशशम्सतुः ।
पुण्यो वै पुण्येन कर्मणा भवति ।
पापः पापेनेति ।
What they talked
about was ‘Karma’.
What they
praised was ‘Karma’.
A man becomes
meritorious by performing meritorious deeds; and wicked by wicked deeds.
(They both concluded that a man after the death of the body
is just a collection of results of his good and bad deeds. That alone carry
forward and push into other body-identities, good or bad. Therefore, a man who
performs good actions ends up in bodies which enjoy the merits of his actions;
and a man who performs wicked acts suffers the demerits of his actions.
The body and identity connected to the body dies along with
the body.
A nameless formless emptiness with the bundle of merits and
demerits produces another body, another identity and another flood of actions,
bound by Grahas and Atigrahas.
A man who realizes the state of Brahman through proper reasoning
power is untouched by both good and bad actions. He is not bound by actions, or
Grahas and Atigrahas. He stays as the
essence of Brahman and never again suffers the bondage
of any birth or death.)
ततो ह जरत्कारव आर्तभाग उपरराम ॥१३॥
इति द्वितीयं ब्राह्मणम् ॥
Thereupon,
AarthaBhaaga of the lineage of Jaratkaaru kept silent.
[Thus ends the
second Braahmana section.]
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