Controller

ವಿಧಿಗೆ ನೀಂ ಕಾರ್ಯನಕ್ಷೆಯ ವಿಧಿಸ ಹೊರಡದಿರು |
ಅಧಿಕಾರಿ ನೀನಲ್ಲ; ವಿಧಿ ಬೆಪ್ಪನಲ್ಲ ||
ಹದವರಿದು ವಿಧಿ ತಾನೆ ಕುದುರಿಸುವನೆಲ್ಲವನು |
ಅದಟದಿರು ನೀನವನ ಮಂಕುತಿಮ್ಮ ||

Try not to force a roadmap to fate, neither are you an authority nor is the fate an idiot. When the right time comes, things will all set right, do not try to disturb him, or chase him oh dull minded dumb fellow!

We all develop plans and blame others if they fail. We always seem to think ourselves as experts or authorities in the subject: "he should have done this way", "this is not fair", "I dont know why, I do not have any luck". But if we were experts we should have never failed, or we would not talk about luck. Strangely, when others achieve something it is by luck, but when we achieve something we would've deserved it. We are not just hypocrites but seem to think that we are in full control of our lives, but are we? Yes we are to some extent.

I was playing this game with my daughter once. We would push the train and make the train move by sitting inside the train. Believe it or not, we did make the train move, or so did my daughter think. We are no more intelligent than my 3 year old daughter was. We think that its our efforts that keep things on the move, but we forget that it keeps moving whether we sit in it or not. There is a driver who controls the train, who is the "vidhi raya", the "kaala chakra", the "karma" system who churns the wheel. We are just passengers in that. We have a journey to make, do what you may the direction of the journey does not change. You may try to change course but you could be punished; you could try to jump out of this cycle, this journey, but you could be wounded. We take different trains (different journeys) depending on our karmas and take a route that is predetermined for us. The only freedom we have is to choose what we want to do within the confinements of the compartment that we are in; may be move around across compartments once in a while, but even that is dictated by the facilities provided by the railway system. So is life.

When the destination comes the train stops and we can get off, but its better to be patient and wait for the stations to come while we continue to perform activities that we can (or should).

In Bhagawad Gita (3.5) Lord says:

"karyate hy avasah karma,
sarvah prakrti-jair gunaih
All men are forced to act helplessly according to the impulses born of the modes of material nature; therefore no one can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment.

In the same chapter (3.36) Arjuna inquires:

"atha kena prayukto 'yam,
papam carati purusah,
anicchann api varsneya,
balad iva niyojitah"
By what is one impelled to sinful acts, even unwillingly, as if engaged by force?

Even before the war starts, after exhibiting the Vishwa Roopa DarshaNa to Arjuna, the Lord says: All the great warriors--Drona, Bhisma, Jayadratha, Karna--are already destroyed. Simply fight, and you will vanquish your enemies. All that we can do is to be "Instruments" and carry out our roles "nimitta-matram bhava savya-saacin"!!

We seem to have control but that control is not in our control, the control that is in our control is also controlled by a supreme controller. We are extremely minute and a negligible part of this creation and do not make any difference to this world (as a system, universe) though we may make some difference to some "people" on this system. Anyway.

There is a right time for everything; whatever happens, happens for good. Two popular sayings are beautifully potrayed in this verse.

Sri KrishnarpaNam.

Look Ahead

ಲೋಚನದ ಸಂಚಾರ ಮುಖದ ಮುಂದಕಪಾರ |
ಗೋಚರಿಪುದೇನದಕೆ ತಲೆಯ ಹಿಂದಣದು? ||
ಪ್ರಾಚೀನ ಹೊರತು ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರ ನೀಂ, ಸಾಂತವದು |
ಚಾಚು ಮುಂದಕೆ ಮನವ ಮಂಕುತಿಮ್ಮ ||

The eyes are well positioned to the front, does it ever wander to peek into the back? free from the past, spread your mind to the front oh dull headed dumb fellow!

I dont think anyone can translate this as is to any other language than Kannada without losing its beauty and weight! Anyway. This idea is nothing new, but the way it is written is amazingly fresh.

Eyes can scan upto 180 degrees, I suppose, but it is front (or future) facing. There is a reason that it faces the front, DVG hints, so not to look behind. Optimism is about looking forward, pessimism is about looking behind. Past should only helps us learn from it and move on, past should not slow us down.

The other beauty of creation is that it can only see a certain distance. Imagine if you could see 100s of KMs, your life would be miserable because you would be diverted beyond your control. So, is the way life should be lived. Never look back, look ahead but do not look too much ahead, look as much as is needed for you to move on. In essence, live in the present; neither in the past nor in the future. This also does not warrant one to ignore the future. Another crude example is like driving from Bangalore to Chennai (or anywhere), one needs a map (a plan) but one needs to drive towards it with focus only on shorter distances.

May you be free of your history! One cannot escape history, but here history refers to the "limitations of the past" or the "repents" and the "regrets" that can slow you down.

Wonderful verse.

Sri KrishnarpaNam.

Dont Worry, Be Happy

ಕುಸಿದು ಬೀಳಲಿ ಧರಣಿ ಕಳಚಿ ಬೀಳಲಿ ಗಗನ |
ನನೆಸಲಿ ನಿನ್ನೆಲ್ಲವು ಏನಾದೊಡೇನು ||
ಬಸವಳಿಯದಿರು ಜೀವ ವಸಿಸು ಶಿವಸತ್ವದಲಿ |
ಕುಶಲವೆದೆ ಗಟ್ಟಿಯಿರೆ ಮಂಕುತಿಮ್ಮ ||

Let the ground collapse, let the sky fall apart, let what may come, remain unshaken, take shelter of the absolute knowledge of the self (paramata tatva, or pure/ultimate form), there you will be sound, and when you have a solid, brave heart you will be happy oh dull minded dumb fellow.

This is testimonial to DVG's optimistic approach towards life. I remember having heard this somewhere (or may be i am making it up here), that a man's heart is revealed in the way he stands a shaking ground. Ground symbolizes elements that we base our existence on - may be qualification, job, family, friends; when our values are challenged, when our existence is threatened, when everything seems to go out of control. Sky sybolizes things that are beyond our control, may be the economy, the environment, the future. Sky could also stand for authority, that someone else controls us, compelled to helplessness. DVG ushers us to remain happy and undisturbed even when either of these (controllables, uncontrollables) is threatened.

The biggest trouble is our commitments in this world. We have loans for everything these days - house loan, mouse loan, car loan, bar loan, personal loan and so on and are continously worried about fulfilling these obligations. Our sense of insecurity is epitomized by the locks that we use, or the amount of life/health insurance that we invest on. We are systematically becoming slaves to these external controls. Every change outside results in a sense of loss of control.

We have unwanted, unlimited, ever increasing attachments. Lord Sri Krishna cautions about excessive "attachments" in Bhagawad Gita (Chapter 2, verses 62 and after): from attachments comes lust, from lust anger, from anger delusion, from delusion bewilderment of memory, with this intelligence (the ability to differentiate, ability to distinguish "reality" from "illusion") is lost, when this intelligence is lost one gets more entangled. It is this vicious cycle that we are all stuck in, with little knowledge of our spiritual nature, with little knowledge to escape from this whirlpool, the chakravyuuha. We are getting more and more attached and thus severely disturbed by minor fluctuations in life.

Anyway.

ಬಸವಳಿಯದಿರು - do not lament or worry over meaningless things; to stop endless complaints about how things are and how they should be; be satisfied with what you have. But, can we remain unperturbed under all circumstances? is there a way out? It is in a similar context that Arjuna asks: "sthita-prajnasya ka bhasa", for which the Lord answers in the Gita (Chap 2.61): One who restrains his senses and fixes his consciousness upon me, he is known as a man of steady intelligence. This is an extremely difficult state as the Lord acknowledges, that controlling mind is like controlling wind, but in the end he also proposes the best case scenario (the most difficult too):

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah

If we could take complete shelter of the parama aatma tatva, "shiva-tatva", shelter of the absolute truth, the Lord himself, then freedom is assured (so says the Lord).

One needs to take shelter of this supreme knowledge, that which is the king of all knowledge (raaja vidya), the purest and the superior most of all that is known and that is to be known (pavitram idam uttamam), but also the most difficult because it is secretive (raaja guhyam) only known to and realized by a few. Secretive does not mean that it is unavailable to commons, but that commons cannot understand its presence; just as a non-software guy will look at Java code and think that its all absurd, it needs the knowledge of "programming" to understand, otherwise it remains a secret. Sorry for deviating again.

Coming back. We also need to develop a ಗಟ್ಟಿ-ಎದೆ, a rock solid, strong heart that does not beat too hard even during the most trying times. So if we could pad our hearts with knowledge, that we are beyond this material matter, only then there is ಕುಶಲ - welfare or happiness.

Shri KrishnarpaNam.

Stormy times!

ಮಳೆಯ ಹೊಡೆತಕೆ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿ ಹಳೆಯಮನೆ ಬೀಳ್ವುದೇ |
ಇಳೆಗೆ ಬೇಸರ ತರುವ ದಿನದಿನದ ಮಾತು ||
ಅಳಿದ ಮನೆಯನು ಮತ್ತೆ ನಿಲಿಸಿ ಕಟ್ಟಿಸಿ ಬೆಳಕ- |
ಗಳಿಸುವವೊಲ್ ಯತ್ನಿಸೆಲೆ ಮಂಕುತಿಮ್ಮ ||

Old houses collapse when a heavy storm strikes it, but such storms are only infrequent, erect and build those fallen houses, invest your sincerity in this rebuilding effort oh dull minded dumb fellow.

Houses have been frequently associated with the the body, the self-concept, the ego, the "I", that is inseparable from the soul! House also symbolizes associations, family, samsaara. The body, self, and ego covers the soul. Storms are those turbulent times that bring about change in our lives; may be when we lose our near and dear ones (people or otherwise), when everything/ everyone seems to go against our wishes. A storm provides a severe jolt to our ego, only few show courage to come back with a bang. People lose hopes during these times, and some give up.

Check out! Its not just a house that DVG is interested in, but an "Old House"!! What difference does it make? Old house signifies a weakned base as a result of aging and poor configuration. Oldness is not just physical oldness, but a psychological oldness; a popular saying goes, "age is in the mind". Why and how do we get old? By forgetting to see the newness in everyday life? forgetting to sharpen our knives? forgetting to polish our skills? or whatever! In many ways, we let rust develop in different aspects of our lives. These gradually make us vulnerable to stormy weathers. But, these stormy weather should not be an excuse to give up, DVG seems to hint.

The funny part is, we do not even need a storm to jolt us, harmless winds (minor fluctuations in the environment) are enough to destabilize us, demean our pride. As a crude recall, think of the time you graduated from school, or watch a student graduate. Be without a job for sometime! or remember a time when you were "cheated" by a girl/boy or by circumstances! Life will soon appear meaningless, and hopeless! People lose confidence, get desperate and some even get into depression. Such simple events are enough to kick the hell out our beings. DVG calls for a conscious rebuilding effort, that old houses are meant to fall.

ಕುಸಿದು ಬೀಳಲಿ ಧರಣಿ ಕಳಚಿ ಬೀಳಲಿ ಗಗನ |
ನೆನೆಸಲಿ ನಿನ್ನೆಲ್ಲವು ಏನಾದೊಡೇನು ||
ಬಳವಳಿಯದಿರು ಜೀವ ವಸಿಸು ಶಿವಸತ್ವದಲಿ |
ಕುಶಲವಿರೆ ಗಟ್ಟಿಯಿರೆ ಮಂಕುತಿಮ್ಮ ||

Let the ground collapse, let the sky fall apart, let what may come, remain unshaken in the shelter of complete knowledge of the self-concept (the pure form), develop a brave heart oh dull minded dumb fellow.

The thorny path!

Let me skip the sequence and jump into random shlokas, ones that have inspired me. with no order of preference though.

ಮುಳ್ತುಂಬಿಹವು ಜಗದ ದಾರಿಗಳದೆತ್ತಲುಂ |
ಕಾಲ್ತೆಳಕೆ ನೀಂ ಜ್ಞಾನದೆಲೆ ಹಸರು ಸವರು ||
ಮುಳ್ತಲೆಯ ಬಾಗಿಪುದು ನೆಲಹುಲ್ಲ ಹೊದೆಯುವುದು |
ಬಾಳ್ತನದ ತಂತ್ರವಿದು ಮಕುತಿಮ್ಮ ||

There are thorns throughout this world, apply the paste of knowledge to your foot, the thorns will bow down to you, the ground will lay grass for you, this is the trick to this life oh dull minded dumb fellow.

World and life is not a cake walk or a journey on a flower bed, though it could appear so for a few for some of the times. It rather is a journey that is filled with "thorns" or "hurdles" that one has to tread. The current economic state is probably a testimonial to this. If you are not faced with a challenge everyday then your life has not been exciting enough. Some see these challenges as "problems" and others as "opportunities", DVG has a much deeper perspective.

As said in the Bhagawad Gita there is nothing superior to knowledge (nahi jnyaanena sadhrisham), the world bows to the seer, the knowers, the knowledgable ones. Fools keep complaining about their struggle, about their material miseries. There are various levels of intelligence as we know: samsaari, gnaani, vignaani, and sanyaasi. A samsaari is entangled in this material world with attachments that eventually engulf his existence. A gnaani knows by experience, but forgets with time. A Vignaani knows by analyzing and he always remains stable (not the materially confused scientists who are restricted to the laboratory knowledge). A vignaani then transcends to the state of a sanyaasi who is completely detached (in complete knowledge of the absolute) from this material world, though he lives in and with this world.

Look at the wonderful analogy: gnyanadele (the leaf of knowledge) hasiru (the essence of that leaf) can be obtained by a careful extraction of that juice from the leaf that soothes. There is a tree out there, but all you need is a leaf out of it - the Bhagawad Gita. Not every tree (material knowledge) or leaf is useful, but the right leaf from the right tree, that provides the right protection from these material sufferings. Finally, DVG says "savaru" (apply) which implies that YOU NEED TO APPLY YOURSELF; just by listening to others or reading about others will not help but you need to practise yourself.

Important Note

There is something important that is worth mentioning at this point. Some friends checked with me as to why DVG is so pessimistic. Simple answer is: No, he is not. Firstly, he is just raising a few key questions that have been commonly raised in scholarly scriptures. Second, we have seen just 7 or 8 out of the magnificent 300+ verses. When one mines out gold, what you see at the begining is the dirt and dust. This does not mean that these queries are dirt and dust, but that DVG is intentionally digging out the surface for extracting (or is it for seeding) the jems within. These questions are highly relevant as they set the context and the platform that DVG utilizes with the expertise of an delicate artist.

Slaves of the senses

೧೦)
ದಾಸರೋ ನಾವೆಲ್ಲ ಶುನಕನಂದದಿ ಜಗದ |
ವಾಸನೆಗಳೆಳೆತಕ್ಕೆ, ದಿಕ್ಕುದಿಕ್ಕಿನಲಿ ||
ಪಾಶಗಳು ಹೊರಗೆ, ಕೊಂಡಿಗಳು ನಮ್ಮೊಳಗಿಹವು |
ವಾಸನಾ ಕ್ಷಯಮೋಕ್ಷ ಮಂಕುತಿಮ್ಮ ||

Tired of being called a slave? Here goes one more!! DVG starts with the phrase "we are all slave of the traps outside". "daasa" or "slave" has little to independence to choose. It appears as if we have plenty to choose from but our senses dictate those options. So, its a myth that we make the choice. The tongue dictates what we eat; people have absolutely no control over what they eat - obesity is soon becoming the biggest headache worldwide as junk food dominate our tastes. Skin dictates the touch and feel, the male and female attraction for the sake of sensual pleasure. Similarly, we simply follow their instructions of our eyes, ears, and nose. Even if Mind intervenes it is soon overpowered by these senses. So, are we not slaves?

We may argue against this but psychological studies have consistently shown that we are not in control! We seem rational, logical, but rationality and logic are in the end only to satisfy these senses - for the pleasure sake only. We know that some food are unhealthy but we have little control. It needs self-control, and conscious effort to overcome these powerful signals.

There are numerous traps out there and we have the hooks within us looking for those traps, worse than the fishes. Will freedom from this never ending attrachment to external objects ever end?