The study of the Vaivasvata Manvantara can be pursued, as to minor
details, from more than one stand-point. But I am at present concerned
with only the broad outlines of its esoteric aspect.
We are to understand, in the first place, that there are certain types
of human races in this as in other Manvantaras. Each of these types has
a history of its own. Each has its stages of growth, rise and decline,
and some have their periods of revival in this Manvantara as well. Each
racial type has to be studied separately.
The connection of the races with the Sun and the Moon requires a little
consideration.
Those who are acquainted with Hindu astrology know that the life time of
a man is divided into certain divisions, each division being under the
influence of one planet. Each planetary period again has its
sub-divisions, in each of which there is a secondary run of the planets.
According to the Bengal School, the main planetary run takes 108 years
for its completion, and according to another school, it takes 120 years.
The following is the order of planetary succession according to the
second school, which prevails all over India, except in Bengal: --
Sun 6 years, Moon 10, Mars 7, Rahu 18, Brihaspati 16, Saturn 19, Mercury
17, Ketu 7 and Venus 20. Thus if a man lives for 120 years, all the
planets will in turn have influenced his life in the above order,
commencing from the planet of his birth. Again there will be
corresponding sub-runs of all the planets during each planetary run. The
races are also governed by such planetary influences.
The Solar Dynasty means that the particular type of humanity so denoted
was born under the influence of the solar planet. When all the planets
have in turn exercised their influence over this Dynasty, it disappears
for a time and is re-born under the influence of the Sun.
Similarly there will be a revival of the Lunar dynasty -- that which
commenced under the influence of the Moon.
The law of planetary influence over the human races is not as clearly
known as that over individual men. Otherwise the future history of each
race would not be the sealed book to us which it is.
The humanity of the present Manvantara was first born under the
influence of the Solar Planet. Our Moon is the son of the Sun-God.
The races that first appeared were called Solar races.
Other races appeared under the influence of the Moon. In these races we
find first the influence of Brihaspati or Jupiter, through his wife
Tara, then of Budha or Mercury, and lastly of Sukra or Venus, through
his daughter Devayani.
This planetary succession may be only a Sub-run of the planets. We read,
in the account of the previous Manvantaras, of the appearance of Sukra
as the guide of the Daityas, and of Brihaspati as the guide of the
Devas. We have also read of the appearance of Rahu in the sixth
Manvantara. This shews that the main planetary round has to be found in
the Kalpa itself.
Our knowledge on the whole subject is however so poor that it is unsafe
to make any distinct suggestion.
Now we shall take the Solar Races, or the sons of Vaivasvat Manu, in
order of their treatment in the text. _Prishadhta_ and _Kavi_ were the
first spiritual races. They did not marry _i.e._ there was no sexual
reproduction among them.
Next in order was the _Karusha_ race inhabiting the north.
The _Dharshtas_ were also a spiritual race (Brahmanas).
The descent towards Materiality commenced with Nriga. He is said to have
been transformed into a lizard. His grandson was _Bhutajyoti_, Bhutas
being different forms of matter. _Vasu_ is a God of Material wealth.
_Pratika_ means the reverse or opposite (_i.e._ the reverse of spirit.)
_Ogha_ means a current. The current of materialism set in with the line
of Nriga.
The next line, that of Narishyanta, shews further materiality. Midhvat
is that which wets (the root _mih_ means to pass water). _Viti_ is
production, enjoyments. Vitihotra is the name of a sacrificial fire.
_Agnivesya_ is an incarnation of Agni or the Fire-God, but he is
nick-named Kanina or son of an unmarried woman and also _Jatukarna_ (the
name of a Vedic Rishi). There seems to have been sexual procreation in
this line. The incarnation of Agni further indicates that the present
human form was complete, for Agni is the form-giving energy in Nature.
In the next line of _Dishta_ we have _Vatsapriti_ or affection for
children, _Pransu_ or tall, _Pramati_ or full-grown intellect,
_Khanitra_ or digger, _Chakshusha_ or the eyed, and _Khaninetra_ or the
hollow-eyed. This line represents the race of the earliest diggers, very
tall, with the hollow eye predominant in them as a characteristic
feature; this race was very powerful and capable of direct communion
with the Devas, and the gods acted as waiters in the Yajna of Marutta.
The line of Saryati refers to Anarta and a town named Kusasthali, built
in the midst of the Sea. Evidently the continent on which the race
flourished is now under water. Anarta is supposed to be Sourashtra
(modern Surat.) But the site of Kusasthali cannot be ascertained. There
were remnants of this race till the time of Krishna, for Balaram married
Revati, the daughter of Kakudmin (hump-backed). The line of Nabhaga is a
short one and it merged itself into that of Angiras who was the father
of Brihaspati or Jupiter. Ambarisha is the prominent figure of this
period.
Then we come to the line of _Ikshvaku_. This is the best known line of
the Solar races. It flourished during the last Tretayuga. _Ikshvaku_ is
called the eldest son of Manu. Perhaps this has reference to the
appearance of the Race in the previous Manvantaras.
The eldest son of Ikshvaku is Vikukshi (_Kukshi_ is womb.) He is also
called Sasada or the Rabbit-eater. The Moon is called Rabbit-marked.
_Puranjaya_ is the son of Vikukshi. He is called Indra-Vaha or
Indra-Vehicled. Several of the kings of this dynasty befriended the
Devas of Svar Loka.
Further down we find King _Purukutsa_ forming an alliance with the
elemental serpents, and holding communion with the dwellers of Rasatala.
The river Narvada is mentioned in connection with Rasatala.
_Mandhata_ is a traditional name that has been preserved upto this time
in common parlance in the saying "As old as king Mandhata." The line of
Mandhata was divided into three different branches. _Muchukunda_
represented a branch of Yogins. The long, unbroken sleep of Muchukunda
is traditional and he is credited also with Yogic powers. Another branch
that of Ambarisha, Youvanasva and Harita represented a spiritual
sub-race. But we have to follow the history of the Atlanteans through
Purukutsa. The connection with Rasatala, or the plane of Material
ascendancy, affected the destiny of this line. In Trisanku, the
aspiration ran very high. He became a Deva, but had his head turned
downwards, _i.e._ turned towards materiality. With the powers of a Deva,
but with the aspirations of an Asura, the ground was prepared for the
downfall of this line. For a time, however, the Race flourished in all
its materiality. The alliance between Devas and men became cemented by
the performance of Vedic sacrifices. This was the first spiritual
advance of the human race, through the temptations of Svarga life.
The time of Haris Chandra is the Vedic era, when the earliest Riks of
what we know as Rigveda were composed. Visvamitra and his disciples were
the Vedic Rishis of this age. The Vedas tried to curb the riotous course
of materiality by prescribing a number of restrictions on the enjoyment
of material desires. Elaborate rules were laid down as to how the
desires might be best gratified for a prolonged period in Svargaloka, by
the performance of sacrifices or Yajna. The whole of the life of the
regenerate classes was regulated by rigid laws and a glowing picture was
given of life in Svarga after death. The sacred injunctions were not,
however, potent enough to check the Kamic tendencies of the race and the
cyclic law which now required the spiritual evolution of humanity was
continually disregarded by the race. This was poison (_gara_) to the
system of humanity and king Sagar imbibed this poison. Hence he was
called the Poisoned. He had two wives. The sons of one wife were 60
thousand in number. They offended Kapila, an Incarnation of Vishnu, and
thus were all consumed. They reached the limit of material degradation,
where final extinction awaited the race. The number 60,000 is
suggestive.
The extinction of Sagara's sons was attended with great changes on the
earth's surface. It is said they dug the earth and made the seas in
their search for the sacrificial horse. Hence the sea is called Sagara.
This may refer to the sinking down of Atlantis when a large portion of
that great continent became a sea-bed. There was a corresponding
upheaval of land and the Himalayan chain reared up its head, as we can
easily infer from the first appearance of the Ganges. The first flow of
Ganga indicated a many sided revolution in the appearance of the earth's
surface. A new continent was formed to which India was attached as the
prominent link. Spiritual sub-races grew up on the banks of the sacred
river who more than atoned for the sins of their fathers. The
fore-runner of the race of spirituality was Asamanjas (rising above the
ordinary run). He was a Yogin not led away by the material tendencies of
the age. His son was Ansumat (having the ray or light in him). Ansumat
pacified Kapila.
Ganga is said to be a spiritual stream flowing from the feet of Vishnu.
With the advent of this stream, the spiritual rebirth of humanity
commenced in right earnest, for the remaining period of the Kalpa.
Already the path had been paved by the Karmakanda of the Vedas, which
put restrictions on the wanton and reckless performance of Karma or
action. The pure magnetism of the holy river helped on the process of
regeneration. But this was not in itself sufficient to cope with the
forces of materiality. Accordingly we see _Kalmasha_ or sin appearing in
the line of Bhagiratha. King Kalmashapada became a Rakshasa. A Rakshasa
is an elemental of destruction. When mind becomes too much identified
with the gross body and its desires, its connection with the Higher Self
is liable to be cut off by the action of the Rakshasas. These forces of
Tamas act in different ways to serve different purposes in the economy
of the Universe. When the material downfall of man reaches its furthest
limit in the Kalpa, the Rakshasas become Tamasic forces in man and he is
unconscious of his higher nature. That sleep in time becomes a permanent
sleep, and the lower man becomes dead to his real Self. This is the real
death of man, when the ray sent forth by Ishvara comes back to Him,
without any spiritual harvest, and what constituted the personality of
man dissolves into the Material Universe.
The time had come when a fresh departure was necessary in the methods
pursued by the Lila Avataras for the spiritual regeneration of the
Universe. They had now to appear amongst men, as ordinary beings, to
give direct teachings to their votaries, to infuse as much Satva as
possible into humanity and to retard by all means the further extinction
of the human race.
For a time the Rakshasas reigned supreme, but not over the new
continent, permeated as it was by the sacred waters of the Ganges. Their
stronghold was Lanka, the remnant of the Atlantean continent. Following
the descent of Ganga therefore, Vishnu incarnated himself as Rama, one
of the greatest of his manifestations. The Rakshasas of Lanka were
killed. Vibhishana only survived, but he was allied to Rama and so
became immortal in spirituality. The Rakshasa survives in us but its
energy of dissolution does not militate against the evolution of man. It
was Rama who first gave the idea of Ishvara to the degraded human races
of the present Manvantara. They knew, for the first time, that there was
one greater than all the Devas -- the Gods of the Vedas -- and that
there were planes higher than even Svarga. The path of devotion was
proclaimed. And it became possible for men to cross the limits of death
and of Triloki by this quality. The downfall was stopped no doubt; but
the ascent was only permanently secured by Lord Sri Krishna as we shall
see later on.
After Rama, there is little of interest in the line of Ikshvaku. The
decline commenced and the line became extinct with Sumitra, but it is
said one king Maru of this line became an adept in Yoga and retired to
Kalapa, where he bides his time to revive the solar dynasty towards the
end of the Kaliyuga. We may take him to be the originator of another
race which will be the re-incarnation of the Ikshvaku race.
We have considered the line of Ikshvaku's descendants through Purukutsa.
There is another line of his descendants through Nimisha. Then we come
to the Lunar Dynasty.
The Lunar races first appeared while the descendants of Ikshvaku were
still flourishing, though on the eve of their decline. They had immense
possibilities of spiritual evolution, and the great Aryan race seems to
be connected with them. The appearance of these races is almost
simultaneous with the first flow of the Ganges. For we find Jahnu, who
swallowed up the Ganges in her first terrestrial course, is only sixth
in the line of descent from Pururavas.
The Lunar dynasty originated in the union of Tara, the female principle
of Brihaspati (Jupiter), and the Moon. The issue was Budha (Mercury),
the direct progenitor of the Lunar dynasty.
The son of Budha was Pururavas. He married Urvasi, the renowned Deva
nymph.
Pururavas had six sons. But we are concerned with only two of them, Ayus
and Vijaya.
Vijaya gave the Adept line of the race and Ayus, the ordinary humanity.
In the line of Vijaya, we find Jahnu, purified by the assimilation of
Ganga, Visvamitra, pre-eminently the Rishi of the Rig Veda and one of
the seven sages who watch over the destiny of the present Manvantara,
Jamadagni, another of the seven sages of our Manvantara and Parasurama
one of the coming sages of the next Manvantara. We have already
mentioned the part taken by Visvamitra and his sons in the composition
of the Vedic Mantras.
Coming to the line of Ayus, we recognise the forefathers of the Aryan
races.
In the short-lived branch through Kshatra-vriddha, we find the Vedic
Rishi Gritsamada, his son Sunaka, the renowned Sounaka, Dirghatamas and
Dhanvantari, the promulgator of Ayur-veda.
But the longest history of the Race is through the descendants of
Yayati.
King Yayati married Devayani, the daughter of Sukra, the presiding Rishi
of the planet Venus, and had by her two sons, Yadu and Turvasu. Sukra is
the son of Bhrigu, the Rishi of Mahar Loka. Devayana, is the path
leading beyond Triloki, after death.
But the King had also connection with a Danava girl, who brought forth
three sons, Druhyu, Anu and Puru. For his Danava connection, King Yayati
had in youth to undergo the infirmities of age. This evil was
transmitted to Puru, the youngest son of the Danava girl.
The line of Puru was short-lived. But it is this line that gave some of
the renowned Vedic Rishis, viz. Apratiratha, Kanva, Medhatithi and
Praskanva. Dushmanta, the hero of Kalidasa's renowned drama also came of
this line. Vishnu incarnated in part as Bharata, son of Dushmanta.
Then there was a revolution. Bharata found that his sons were not like
unto himself. So the direct line of Puru came to an end. What followed
is a little mysterious. Bharata adopted Bharadvaja as his son.
Bharadvaja was begotten by Brihaspati (Jupiter) on the wife of his
brother Utathya named Mamata (Egoism).
Bharadvaja is one of the seven presiding Rishis of the present
Manvantara. His name is connected with several Mantras of the Rig Veda.
The great actors in the Kurukshetra battle were the descendants of
Bharadvaja. We find much diversity of spiritual characteristics among
them. The material and spiritual forces were gathered together, in all
possible grades from the Pandavas downward to the sons of Dhrita-rashtra
and their allies. The poetical genius of the author of the Mahabharata
has called forth characters in the Drama of the Kurukshetra battle, that
stand out in all the details of real life and find a permanent place in
the genealogy of the Lunar dynasty. The study of the racial account of
the line of Bharadvaja becomes therefore extremely difficult.
The Lunar dynasty will be revived by Devapi, a descendant of Bharadvaja,
who is biding his time at Kalapa.
The early inhabitants of Bengal, Behar and Urishya were the sons of Anu,
the second son of Sarmistha. The famous Kama, one of the heroes of
Kurukshetra, also belonged to this line.
The eldest son of Sarmistha by Yayati was Druhyu. Prachetas of this line
had one hundred sons, who inhabited the north as Mlechha races.
But the greatest interest attaches to the line of Yadu, the eldest son
of Yayati by Devayani. The early descendants of this line were the
Haihayas, killed by Parasurama, and the Talajanghas, killed by Sagar --
both of the Solar Dynasty. The Mahabharata has given an importance to
the overthrow of these early Yadu classes as a victory of the Brahmanas
over the Kshatriyas. Next to the Brahmanas in intelligence were the
Kshatriyas. They eagerly accepted the teachings of Rama, who incarnated
as one of them. They knew Isvara as higher than the Devas and the
Brahmanas. They thought they could profitably employ their time in
seeking after the knowledge of Brahman. This necessarily offended the
orthodox Brahmanas, who performed the Vedic sacrifices and had no higher
ambition than to resort to Devaloka. The Kshatriyas thus represented a
religious evolution, of which the Upanishads were an outcome. In time,
some Brahmanas even became disciples of Kshatriyas. Both Rama and
Krishna incarnated themselves as Kshatriyas. We are to understand that
by Kshatriyas, during this period of Puranic history, is meant seceders
from Vedic Karma Kanda more or less.
The early seceders, the Haihayas and Talajanghas were put down by the
Brahmana Parasurama and by the Kshatriya King Sagar, who espoused the
cause of Vedic Karma Kanda and of the Brahmanas, represented by Rishi
Aurva of this time.
Parasurama did not like any meddling with Vedic Karma Kanda by persons
not perfected in wisdom. Even Rama had to respect the Vedic Rishis and
had to protect them in the performance of Vedic sacrifices from the
attacks of Asuras and Rakshasas. When Lord Krishna appeared on the
scene, the Asuras still survived; the Vedic Rishis denied offerings to
Him, Vedic Karma had a strong supporter in Jarasandha, there was
hypocrisy in the name of religion, and there were pretensions in various
forms. On the other hand great improvements had been made in the proper
understanding of the realities of life and of the laws of nature.
Intellect overflowed in many channels of thought, and the religious
nature of man found vent in all directions from atheism to religious
devotion.
Leaving this general resume, we may now enter upon a closer study of the
history of religious movements in our present Manvantara, so that we may
understand the great work done by Lord Sri Krishna. The races live as
individuals live. However developed an individual may be, when he is
re-born after death, he first becomes a child as any other child. There
is much of spiritual life in the child, and sometimes pictures of
heavenly life are presented to his spiritual vision, which are denied to
to the grown-up man. The child begins his life when he is grown up, and
then his individual characteristics soon manifest themselves. We do not
read much of the man in the child. Hence the history of the early
spiritual races, who were infants in the racial life, does not teach us
anything. We find some of them had communion with the Devas of Svarga
Loka, but that is more on account of their infant spirituality than any
thing else.
When the races developed in time, they became most intellectual as well
as most material at the same time. Manvantara after Manvantara was taken
up in developing the physiological (Pranic) activities, the sense
(Indriya) activities, and then the lower mental activities of the Jivas.
The personal man was fully developed in the sixth Manvantara and the
great churning only opened the door for another line of development. The
possibility of spiritual activity was secured to men by Kurma.
When the races of the Sixth Manvantara therefore became reborn in the
Seventh Manvantara, they were the most intellectual of all races, but
they had also the power given to them of developing spiritual faculties.
They could not however shake off the Asuric element all at once. They
were extremely fond of material joys, and they devised all means, which
human intellect could contrive, of gratifying material desires. That was
right which gave material gratification; that was wrong which militated
against material enjoyment.
Bhuvar Loka is the plane of animal desires. The human beasts go after
death to Bhuvar Loka. They do not possess anything which could take them
to Svarga Loka.
The Svarga Loka is for those who develop in themselves the faculty of
discriminating between right and wrong, and who do or attempt to do what
is right. Far more it is for those who love others and who do good to
them. For service and love pertain to planes higher even than Svarga.
But in the higher planes, service is unselfish and love is divine. The
lower forms of service and love pertain to the plane of Svarga. In
Svarga there is selfishness, but it is mixed with spirituality. It is
only the good, the virtuous, the devoted that go to the plane of the
Devas and there gratify their higher desires to their heart's content.
There are divine music, divine beauty, divine objects of gratification
in Svarga Loka -- allurements enough for a man of desire. And if his
merits be great, he enjoys the things of Svarga Loka for an enormously
long period.
But a man by bare intellectuality can not cross the threshold of Svarga.
The Devas reject the intruder. However much Trisanku might aspire to
have the enjoyments of Svarga, and however great his intellect might be,
he was not allowed to enter the coveted plane, without the passport of
spirituality. Humanity had still to learn the proper means of securing
life in Svarga.
Poor and chance spiritual acquisitions give only a passing life in
Svarga and that not of a superior character. So all the knowledge as to
attaining Svarga life had to be revealed in time.
The Rishis made great efforts to improve humanity by securing for them a
prolonged existence in Svarga, most of all Rishi Visvamitra, one of the
seven sages of our Manvantara. Visvamitra failed in his attempt to send
Trisanku to Svarga. He then tried with his son Haris Chandra. It is said
he advised the Raja to make a human sacrifice to Varuna. But we find the
victim Sunah-sepha living after the sacrifice, under the name of
Deva-rata, or one given up to the gods, and some of the Riks even were
revealed to him. Haris Chandra succeeded in entering Svarga. That was a
great victory for Rishi Visvamitra. The Vedas were revealed to the
Rishis and sacrifices came to be known.
Narada also helped the cause in another away. He related the beauty and
the virtues of king Pururavas to the Devas in Svarga. Urvasi, the famous
Deva nymph, hearing all that, became enamoured of the king. She had
then, by the curse of some god, a human form. So she could keep company
with the King. The king was enchanted by her beauty. When she left, he
followed her advice and pleased the Gandharvas. The Gandharvas gave him
the fire, with which the king could perform sacrifice. The fire became
threefold. With one he could perform his duties to the Devas and go to
Svarga Loka. With another, he could perform his duties to the Pitris.
With the third fire, he could perform the duties of a house-holder. Thus
sacrifices meant duties. And it is by the performance of duties that men
can perform Vedic sacrifices and go to Svarga Loka.
The Vedas laid down injunctions and prohibitions. They regulated the
actions of men, propelled by Kama or desire. Men must eat meat. The
Vedas said this meat was prohibited, but that could be used. Men mixed
with women. The Vedas laid down restrictions. Even they regulated the
relations between man and wife. Then the Vedas laid down the duties
which men owed to all classes of beings. In order to induce men to
accept the Vedic injunctions, the Vedas held out Svarga as the reward of
Vedic Karma. They even favoured the belief, that there was to be
immortal life in Svarga gained by the performance of Vedic Karma.
Detailed rules as to the performance of Vedic sacrifices were given. So
long as men did not aspire to become Indra, or the ruler of Svarga, the
Devas were pleased with the sacrifices; they helped the performer as
much as they could, giving them all objects of desire, and they welcomed
them to Svarga, when they passed to that plane after death. The Devas
were as friendly to the performer of Vedic Karma as they were unfriendly
to the immature Trisanku.
The Vedic Karma Kanda became thus fully revealed. The revelation was
made in the last Treta-yuga of the present Manvantara. "At the beginning
of the Treta Yuga, the three Vedas were revealed through Pururavas." IX.
14-49. "The path of Karma was promulgated in Treta Yuga, by the division
of the Vedas." _Sridhara_.
The great churning was justified. The Devas asserted themselves for the
good of humanity. The Rishis got the revelation and helped men to place
themselves in active relationship with the Devas. Men learned to
regulate themselves and to give up the wantonness of material life. And
they had a strong inducement to do so in the prospect of eternal life in
Svarga. The great actor in this Vedic movement was Rishi Visvamitra,
(Hallowed be his name!) Others followed him in quick succession, and
there was a brilliant combination of Vedic Rishis who propounded the
whole of the Karma Kanda of the Vedas, as it was revealed to them by the
force of Kalpic necessity.
At all times there have been two parties, one following the current of
evolution, and another going against it. At all times there have been
cavillers and sceptics.
The Haihayas and Talajanghas were confirmed materialists and great
sinners. They ridiculed the Brahmanas, who performed Vedic Karma, and
often set themselves in opposition to them. They were very troublesome
to the Brahmanas. King Sagar wanted to extinguish the race, but he was
prevented from doing so. Possibly Atlantis was the country inhabited by
these races and Nature helped the cause of evolution by dragging down
the continent itself under water. The sacred Ganga also flowed at this
time, spreading purity over all lands lying on her banks.
The Haihayas however still flourished; and they had a great leader in
Karta-Viryarjuna. Then came one of the great Avataras, Parasurama. He
extirpated the Haihaya Kshatriyas, and went on killing the Kshatriyas
till Rama appeared, and it was then that he thought his mission was
over.
If there were some Kshatriyas who disregarded the Vedas, there were
others who found transitoriness, even in Svarga Loka, and honestly
thought that the complete wisdom was not to be found in the Karma Kanda.
They were for further revelations At first, the Brahmanas did not look
with favour upon these Kshatriyas. But when it was found that the
Kshatriyas got real light, they were soon joined by the Brahmanas. The
foremost of these Kshatriyas was Janaka, and the foremost of the
Brahmanas was Yajnavalkya. The further revelations were called the
Upanishads.
King Janaka found Sita, the consort of Rama, at the end of his plough.
Yajnavalkya defeated all the Brahmanas of his time in discussions held
at the court of king Janaka.
When Rama incarnated, there existed the people of Lanka, a remnant of
the Atlantean continent, who had inherited a mighty material
civilisation, but who were called Rakshasas, on account of their gross
iniquities. They reached the last point of material downfall, and lost
all spirituality. They were called Rakshasas as final extinction was
their lot, and as the force of dissolution was strong in them.
Then there were the regenerate classes, who performed Vedic sacrifices.
There were a few again, who accepted the Upanishads as a teaching, but
they could not boldly declare themselves against the performance of
sacrifices.
Rama finally did away with the Rakshasas. The bard who sang his glory,
the great Valmiki, thus began his lay: -- "O Killer of birds, thou shalt
not live for ever, as of the pair of storks thou hast killed the male,
so passionately attached to his consort." Verily the Purusha in us, the
ray of the supreme Purusha, becomes passionately attached to the element
of Prakriti in us, so that we may acquire spiritual experiences through
the body. And it is a cruel act to separate our Prakritic
individualities completely from him by turning ourselves persistently
away from the Purusha. But when Rama became an Avatara, the fate of the
separator was sealed.
When the Rakshasas were killed, the Rishis were left free to perform the
Vedic sacrifices.
Rama did something more. He married the daughter of Janaka, and by this
act openly espoused the cause of the Upanishads.
Lastly Rama offered Himself as an object of worship. This was the
beginning of Vishnu worship, which makes no distinction between classes
and castes. Rama openly made friendship with Guhaka, belonging to the
lowest class, whom it was an abomination to touch, for Guhaka was
devotedly attached to Him, as an Incarnation of Vishnu.
The world admired Rama. No man could reach such eminence. He must be
something more than a man. In time men accepted him as an Avatara. At
any rate, he was an example to others in every respect. The ethical
standard he laid down in his own life was unimpeachable. The world had
never seen such sacrifices in the performance of the duties of life. A
model king, a model son, a model husband, a model brother, a model
warrior, a model friend, the model of models, Rama left an indelible
mark as a religious and moral teacher, on the age in which he lived, and
on all succeeding ages.
The example was not lost on the world. The many-sided picture, that Rama
presented, produced a spirit of enquiry, which has never been rivalled
in this Kalpa. Men thought on different lines. They studied the
Upanishads, which had been favoured by Rama. They could not forget also
that Rama taught salvation for the performers of Vedic sacrifices. Then
there was the teaching of his own life. The light was manifold.
Independent schools of thought grew up, notably the six schools of
philosophy. Each school tried to find its authority in the Upanishads
and the divine scriptures supplied texts enough for all the schools.
Every school found a part of the truth but not the whole truth. Yet each
school regarded its own part as the whole. So they quarrelled. The
Mimansakas said that the performance of Vedic sacrifices was all in all.
It had the sanction of time-honored texts and of the most ancient
Rishis. And Jaimini supplied the reasoning by which the practice could
be supported. The Sankhyas said that the chief duty of a man was to
discriminate between the transformable and the non-transformable element
in him, and when that was done, nothing more was needed. The followers
of Patanjali said that mere discrimination was not sufficient, but a
continued practice was required. The Vaiseshikas studied the attributes
and properties of all objects and sought by differentiation to know the
truths. There were others who worshipped the Bhutas, Pretas and
Pisachas, so that they might easily acquire powers. Others worshipped
the dwellers of Svarga Loka. Some worshipped Ishvara. But mostly the
worship of Siva was prevalent. Gifts and charities also were not
unknown, in fact they were very extensive in some instances. But
generally the object of all religious observances was self-seeking more
or less.
Amidst this diversity of religious ideas and religious observances,
seemingly so contradictory, Sri Krishna, the greatest of all Avataras,
appeared and He brought the message of peace and reconciliation. He laid
great stress on the fact that the performance of Vedic sacrifices could
lead us only to Svarga Loka, but when our merits were exhausted, we were
bound to be born again on Bhur Loka, our Earth. While on Earth, we form
fresh Karma, which gives rise to other births. The performance of Vedic
Karma does not therefore free us from the bondage of births, for, as the
Lord said, there is object-seeking in these performances. Object-seeking
for one's own self does not find a place in the higher Lokas. Its
highest limit is Svarga Loka. So long as man remains self-seeking, he
can not transcend the limits of Triloki. In the higher Lokas, there is
no recurrence of births and re-births. Once you are translated to Mahar
Loka, you live for the whole of the remaining period of the Kalpa,
passing through a gradual evolution to the higher Lokas. And if you form
a devotional tie with the Lord of many Brahmandas, the First Purusha,
even the Kalpic period does not restrict your existence. Liberation is a
relative term. It may be from the bondage of births and re-births in
Triloki. It may be liberation from the bondage of Bvahmandas or solar
systems. Those who worship only material objects remain chained to this
earth. Those who worship the dwellers of Bhuvar Loka (Bhutas, Pretas,
Pisachas and Pitris) or cultivate aspiration for them become allied to
them and they pass only to Bhuvar Loka after death. Those who worship
the Devas and cultivate this aspiration go to Svarga Loka after death.
Those who worship Hiranya-garbha go up to Satya or Brahma Loka. Those
who worship the Lord of all Brahmandas pass beyond even the Brahmanda.
The first thing that a man should do is to transcend the limits of
Triloki. This he cannot do as long as he is self-seeking. He should
therefore perform his actions _unselfishly_. And the Lord said as
follows: --
1. There is the perishable and the imperishable element in us. Karma or
actions appertain to the perishable element. The perishable element
constantly changes, so it cannot be our real self or Atma. From the
stand-point of our real self, we can dissociate ourselves from our
actions, which relate to our transitory nature. Here the system of
Sankhya came into requisition.
2. But by this discrimination, we can not forcibly stop the performance
of actions. For the actions are propelled by (_a_) active tendencies
which form an inseparable part of our present nature, and (_b_) by the
necessity of our very existence. So by stopping actions, we force the
tendencies to mental channels, and cause more mischief by producing
mental germs for the future. And we cannot stop all actions, as some are
necessary for our bare existence.
3. Therefore we are to perform actions, and we can perform them
unselfishly, if they are done from a pure sense of duty. We are to take
duty as a law of our very existence. _Yajna_ is only another name for
this law. The Lord of beings, having created all beings with the Yajna,
said of yore, -- "You shall prosper by the performance of this Yajna and
this Yajna shall be the producer of all desired objects for you." Yajna
consists of mutual sacrifices, as all beings are dependent on one
another. "Think of the Devas by means of Yajna, and the Devas shall
think of you." All our actions may be classed under duties -- duties
which we owe to the Devas, the Pitris, the sages, the animals and to
other men. If we perform our Karma for the sake of Yajna only, we
perform it unselfishly.
4. As discrimination is useful in realising the real self, so restraint
is necessary to put down the acquired self. The tendencies of the
acquired self, if left to themselves, prompt men to ever recurring
actions, which again produce their own effects, some of which develop
into fresh tendencies or strengthen the pre-existing tendencies. So
restraint is to be constantly practised. The object of restraint is to
free the mind from thoughts of the object world and to fix it on the
real self, Atma. Here the system of Patanjali comes into requisition.
But the system is to be accepted with this reservation that Yoga does
not necessarily mean renunciation of Karma. It includes the unselfish
performance of Karma and, for the average humanity, renunciation of
Karma is harmful as an expedient of Yoga. Though there may be some who
do not require Karma for themselves, yet they should not renounce it, if
they want to set an example to others and not to confound their
intellect.
5. But the Purva Mimansakas say: Vedic Karma is all in all, and the
authority of the Vedas is supreme. Here Sri Krishna had to assert
Himself as an Avatara, and He asked people to accept His own authority.
He said there was self-seeking in Vedic Karma, and one could not
therefore avoid the recurrence of births by the performance of Vedic
Karma. So Sri Krishna said to Uddhava: -- "If the Vedas say that men
attain Svarga by the performance of Vedic Karma, it is simply by way of
inducement, and not as pointing out the supreme end. The father says;
'Boy, eat this bitter medicine and I will give thee this cake in my
hand.' The boy takes the medicine for the sweet thing. But that really
leads to his recovery from the disease. So the Vedas mean final
liberation as the end. But to enforce restraint, they hold out the
prospect of Svarga, which is most agreeable to men." (Elaboration of XI.
21. 23.)
Many were unwilling to accept the authority of Sri Krishna, and the
chief amongst them was Sisupala.
This was the teaching of Karma Yoga by Sri Krishna. But the unselfish
performance of Karma is not all. It is only a negative virtue. It
purifies the mind and frees it from the taint of selfishness. The mind
then becomes prepared for the higher planes and becomes fit for the
direct influence of Ishvara.
So Sri Krishna gave to His disciples the true conception of Isvara. He
told them Isvara was One, the source of all existence, all knowledge and
all bliss. He told them how one Isvara pervaded the whole universe and
became thus manifested through the Universe. He also pervaded all
beings, and became manifested through these beings. The Universe and the
Jiva were His Prakritis or bodies as it were. The Universe body was
eight-fold in its character, beginning with that most susceptible to His
influence and ending with the division most obtuse to that influence.
This eight-fold Prakriti also entered into the constitution of Jiva. But
there was something more in Jiva, -- the consciousness, the knower. This
element was Isvara Himself, as limited by Jiva Prakriti, or Jiva body.
The whole universe being the body of Isvara, His knowledge and powers
were unrestricted, whereas the body of the Jiva, being limited and
restricted, his powers and knowledge were also restricted.
This highest conception of Isvara is not adapted for all. So Sri Krishna
gave the conception of Isvara, as manifested by His powers, and as
manifested in Time and Space, and lastly as He is manifested in the
human body with four hands and the Crown, symbolising His lordship over
the whole Universe.
But this conception of Isvara is not enough. As man owes a duty to all
beings, the performance of which is Karma, so he owes a duty to Isvara,
and that duty is Upasana. All beings make sacrifices for one another,
and so they owe duty to one another. But Isvara makes the greatest
sacrifice for all beings and He holds all beings close to His bosom in
each Kalpa, that they may work out their evolution under the most
favorable circumstances. He waits for those that give up everything for
His sake, and give themselves entirely up to Him, so that He may bear
their Karma upon Himself and hasten their evolution to such an extent,
that they may approach His own state. As Isvara gives Himself to the
service of the Universe, so do His Bhaktas too. Men owe the highest duty
to Isvara, and this they discharge by means of Upasana. Upasana is the
law of being for all Jivas, when they reach the state of manhood.
Surrender is the essence of Upasana, and this Sri Krishna taught to
Arjuna.
_When a man by performing his duties to other beings and to Isvara
becomes purified and single minded, he is entitled to receive the final
teaching, and not before._ And Sri Krishna gave that teaching at the
very last to Arjuna. He said that Jiva and Ishvara were one in essence.
It is the difference in Prakriti that makes all the difference between
Jiva and Ishvara. When all the bonds of Prakriti are broken through,
only Brahman remains, the one reality, underlying both Ishvara and Jiva.
When we become fixed, in this wisdom all is Brahman, and final
liberation is attained. This is the real teaching of the Upanishads, as
embodied in Uttara Mimansa. In this connection, Sri Krishna pointed out
the fallacy of the Vaiseshika system in attempting to know the
Attributeless, through the attributes.
The highest wisdom of the Kalpa was revealed and the world resounds with
all glory to Sri Krishna. The Rishis and Mahatmas took up His work. All
the religious movements and religious writings that have followed only
reproduce His teachings.
There was something however wanting in these teachings as given in the
Mahabharata -- the relation of Sri Krishna to His own Bhaktas. What He
did for the Universe and how He did it are fully related in the great
Epic. But what He did for those that had already given themselves up
entirely to Him, who did not require the teaching of Karma, Upasana and
Jnana, who were His own people, who knew no other Dharma than Himself,
who had followed Him through ages, and who simply took births as He
appeared on this earth, what Sri Krishna did for these Bhaktas, what His
relations were with them, are not described in the Mahabharata at all.
The lordly side is given but not the sweet side. The picture of the Lord
edifies and overawes, that of the Lover enchants and enthrals. The
Bhagavata sings what the Mahabharata left unsung. That is the peculiar
significance of the Tenth Skandha which follows, the Skandha that
maddens the hearts of all real devotees.