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Nithin Sridhar
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(This article was published in UDAY INDIA weekly on December 1st, 2012 in both internet and print editions)
1.vivekino
viraktasya Shamaadi guna shaalinaha|
Nithin Sridhar
__________________________
(This article was published in UDAY INDIA weekly on December 1st, 2012 in both internet and print editions)
“Sukha
or Happiness” is the one thing that every person in this world strives for.
Every action of man is directly or indirectly aimed at achieving happiness. There
are two ways a person can live his life. He can either spend his whole life
pursuing desires, ambitions and happiness in the external sensory world or he
can turn-away from the sensory world which is temporary in a search for the
eternal ever-lasting bliss.
In the former case, People work hard, pursue careers,
earn money, earn fame, make family etc so that they can lead a happy life. But,
in this approach one never finds contentment. Without contentment, one is
always running behind one object after another which he perceives as a source
of happiness. But the physical-sensory world being temporary and ever changing,
happiness is never accompanied by contentment. Hence, a person in this path
always ends up in disappointment and sorrow (dukkha). This path which leads a
person to a never ending cycle of sukha and dukka is Pravritti Marga.
In the
latter case, a person develops an understanding that the external world is
temporary in nature (viveka) and hence he turns inwards in pursuance of
Ananda-eternal Bliss. Because of the development of viveka, a person becomes
detached and content with whatever the physical world offers him. He neither
gets agitated with the dukkha the world offers nor becomes indulgent in the
sukha the world offers. This path which ultimately leads to Ananda is Nivritti
Marga.
Most
people assume that Pravritti Marga is the path of householders and the Nivritti
marga is the path of Sanyassins (Renounciates). But this may not always be so.
According to Shastras, there are four Purusharthas (goals) of life- Dharma,
Artha, Kama and Moksha. A person in Pravritti Marga pursues materialistic
desires (Kama) and prosperity (Artha) whereas a person in Nivritti marga
pursues Moksha (Liberation), and Dharma being a common element to both the
paths. A renunciate does not become Nivritti margi just by the virtue of his
giving up the external world. As long as he has the notion of I-ness (Ahamkara)
and Mine-ness (Mamah-Kara), a Sanyasi will be a Pravritti Margi. On the other
hand, a householder will become a Nivritti Margi by giving up the doership of
action while performing his worldly responsibilities. Tyaga/giving up is not
“Inaction”, it is performing Karmas by giving up the doership of such
performance.
Pravritti
marga is about indulgence (Bhoga/Bhukti) in sensory objects and the actions performed
are “Kamya/with specific desire”. This indulgence becomes “Over-Indulgence”
when one forgets Dharma due to his attachment (Moha) for Kama and Artha. Whereas
Nivritti marga is about turning away from sensory objects towards the Inner
Self (Atman) in pursuit of Jnana and Moksha/Mukti while performing worldly
duties into a “Nishkama Karma/Actions without desires”.
Liberation
from the cycle of birth and death (Moksha) is not possible without Atma Jnana
(Self Realization). And any spiritual goal is unattainable without Sadhana.
Hence a person desiring Atma Jnana must first develop Adhikara/competencies
that make him eligible to practice the Sadhana. Adi Shankaracharya says that
the qualities that make one eligible for the practice of Sadhana are Viveka,
Vairagya, Shatka Sampatti and Mumukshutva (1).
Viveka represents the knowledge to
differentiate between the Nithyam (Eternal) and Anithya (Temporary). The
Brahman/God who is Sacchidananda Swaroop is Nithya and the ever changing world
which has a Srishti (Creation) and Laya (Dissolution), the whole manifestation
is Anithya. A person must first learn to discriminate between the two. Vairagya
refers to dispassion/detachment towards the sensory objects. When a person
realizes that sensory objects give only temporary happiness and not eternal
contentment, then he develops dispassion towards those objects. Only Vairagya
can make a person pursue the path towards Brahman.
Shatka
Sampatti refers to the six fold qualities of Shama, Dhama, Uparati, Titiksha,
Shraddha and Samadhana. Shama refers to Antar-Indriya Nigraha/Control of Mind
and Dhama refers to Bahir-Indriya Nigraha/Control of five senses. One must
develop control over ones five senses and the mind only then the mind will be
able to direct itself towards God otherwise the mind will always be indulging
in sensory objects. “Uparati” comes when Shama and Dhama are perfected. Uparati
is a state when the Mind remains drawn away from External world and remains
fixed on God spontaneously. Titiksha refers to “absence of anger/revenge”. It
is a state where a person does not feel anger or revenge towards anybody else. Adi
Shankaracharya defines Titaksha as “Sahanam Sarvadukham Apratikarapurvakam (2)”meaning
“One must patiently bear all the sorrows without developing hate or a sense of
revenge”. This is possible only when one gets an understanding that happiness
and sorrow are results of one’s own past actions and hence it’s futile to blame
others. Shradha refers to faith in scriptures and in one’s Guru. Samadhana
refers to One-pointed fixing up of mind on Brahman. Finally Mumukshutva refers
to the burning desire for Moksha.
So, a
person desiring to travel the Nivritti Marga, must begin with putting his
efforts in achieving these qualities without which he will not be able to
achieve Atma Shakshatkara. He must learn to surrender the action, the doership
of action and the fruits of actions to God. Then he must try to give up his
Ahamkara and Mamah-Kara. He must recognize his Dharma and perform it with a
Nishkaama attitude. He must become a Stitah-Pragya, a person unaffected by
external stimulus neither by praise nor by denounciation.
Footnotes:
mumukshoreva hi
brahmajijnasayogyata mata||
(Vivekachudamani, Verse 17)
2.Vivekachudamani, Verse 24
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