Chapter 60 - The Dialogue between Śuka and Sanatkumāra

[Note: Verses 1-36 in this chapter are mainly taken from Mahābhārata Śānti chapter 328 verses 10-57.]

Sanandana continued:

1. When the Brāhmaṇas (disciples of Vyāsa) descended (avatīrṇa) (from the height of Vyāsa’s hermitage) or departed, the intelligent Vyāsa with only his son (Śuka) as the companion [e.g., putra-sahāyavat], remained silently absorbed in meditation (dhyānapara) in the hermitage.

2. An incorporeal (aśarīrin) voice^[1] addressed Vyāsa along with his son: “O great sage: O descendant of Vasiṣṭha: (How is it that) there is no chanting sound of the Vedas (brahmaghoṣa) (in your hermitage)?

3. Why are you sitting thus silent and absorbed in meditation, as if you are (anxiously) brooding over something? This mountain devoid of the vibrant echoes (of Vedas) does not appear splendid.

4. O venerable Sir, with a delighted heart, recite the Vedas along with your intelligent son who is well-versed in the Vedas.”

5. On hearing that speech addressed to him by the ethereal voice, Vyāsa began to chant the Vedas along with his son Śuka.

6. While both of them were chanting the Vedas for a pretty long time, there arose, O excellent Brāhmaṇa, a violent wind which was as if driven by the gales that break out on the seas.

7-8. Then Vyāsa prohibited his son from continuing the Vedic study, as it was not the time suitable for studies (and hence a holiday). As soon as he was so bidden (to suspend Vedic recitation), Śuka, out of curiosity asked his father: “whence is the wind blowing? It behoves you to explain to me all the activities of the wind.”

9. Vyāsa was extremely surprised to hear these words of Śuka. He replied to Śuka that it was an ill omen which indicated the suspension of the recitation of the Vedas.

10. “You are blest with the spiritual vision. Your steady mind has been at ease; you are free from the attributes of Rajas and Tamas. You arc well established in the Truth.

11. Hence realising the Vedas in your own self do you reflect and meditate: the path pertaining to the Supreme soul is known as the path of gods (Devayāna). The path that is made of Tamas is called the path of Pitṛs (Pitṛyāna).

12a. Both of these have come to be realized^[2] —one as leading to the heaven and the other to the world below since the winds blow over the world and high up in the atmosphere.

12b-13a. The winds go on blowing both on the surface of earth as well as in the sky. They blow in seven courses. Listen and understand as I recount them one after another.

13b-14a. The (physical) body is endowed with senses which are domineered over by the (semi-divine beings called) Sādhyas and many (other) great powerful beings. They brought forth an unconquerable son called Samāna.^[3]

14b-15a. From Samāna was born a son called Udāna; from Udāna sprang Vyāna; from whom was created Apāna. From Apāna arose lastly the vital air called Prāṇa.

15b-16a. The invincible tormentor of enemies, the Prāṇa was issueless (as had no further function of such production) I shall now recount to you the different functions of these vital winds (as they are factually observed).

16b-17a. The vital wind causes all the various functions of all living beings and because living creatures are made to be pleased^[4] (Nārada Purāṇa) (are enabled to live—Mahābhārata—ibid v. 35).

17b-18. The wind mentioned first (in the above list) and which is known by the epithet Pravaha (or Samāna) impels the masses of clouds born of smoke and heat, to go by the first track. Moving through the sky and coming in contact with the water contained in the clouds, the wind manifests itself in its brilliance among the flashes of lightning.

19-20a. The second wind known as Āvaha goes on blowing with a loud noise. It is due to (the power of) this wind that Soma and other luminaries rise and appear (our body is a replica in miniature of the cosmos). Within the body this wind is known as Udāna by the learned and the wise.

20b-21a. The wind holds (within itself) the waters from the four oceans and having taken up the water gives it to the clouds for the sake of Protection.^[5]

21b-22a. The winds having equipped (filled) the clouds with waters, presents it to the presiding deity of rains. It is the mighty wind, third in the above enumeration and is famous as Udvaha.

22b-23a. The wind carries the blue big clouds and divides them into various portions, which it makes them shower rain and the clouds become solidified.

23b-24a. It is that wind which carries the celestial cars of gods. It is that fourth wind (in the list) called Saṃvaha which is capable of subduing mountains.

The fifth wind called Vivaha is full of great might anḍ speed. By that hard blowing wind, the internal juices of trees are made sick or dry.

24b-25a. It holds up (supports from below) all the heavenly waters in the sky and prevents them from falling down. Supporting up the sacred waters of the celestial Gaṅgā, the wind blows to prevent them from flowing downwards. And the holy river water stays on (high up in the sky).

25b-26a. The Sun is the source of thousands of rays anḍ it throws (a flood of) light on the earth. But it is through the obstruction of this.

26b-28a.^[6] Through the action of that wind, the Moon, after waning, waxes again till he shows his full disc. That wind is known as Parivaha and it is the excellent among the living beings^[7] and from it Soma, the divine store of nectar, is obtained.

28b-29a. That wind takes away the life of all living creatures at the time of death. His Law is abided by Death anḍ god Yama, the son of the sun-god.

29b-30a. That Law becomes the source of immortality which is attained by Yogins of quiescent mind (intellect) who are ever engaged in Yogic meditation.

30b-31a. By resorting to this wind, thousands of Dakṣa’s grandsons through his (Dakṣa’s) ten sons quickly and with speed attained the limits of the universe (broke through them to reach Mokṣa).

31b-32a. It is the wind called Parīvaha which is irresistible by anybody^[8] overwhelmed with whose showers he does not revert (?)

32b-33a. In this way all these wind-gods, the sons of Aditi, are extremely miraculous. They blow about (without being attached to anybody) everywhere. They have access everywhere and are the end of everything.^[9]

33b-34a. It was indeed a great miracle that this excellent mountain was suddenly shaken by the blowing of that wind.

34b-35. This wind is the exhalation from (the nose of) Viṣṇu. When it blows forcibly, O child, the whole world gets agitated. Hence when a stormy wind blows violently persons well-versed in the Veda do not recite it,

36-37a. The Vedas are a form of the wind. If uttered with force and loudly (at this time) the external wind gets pained.” (Hence one should not recite the Vedas when stormy winds blow).^[10]

After addressing these words to his son, the spiritually powerful son of Parāśara asked his son to resume the recitation of the Vedas (when the storm subsides). He then left to take his ablutions in the heavenly Gaṅgā.

37b-38a. Thereafter when Vyāsa departed to take his bath, Śuka, the foremost among the knowers of the Vedas and the master of the Vedas and accessories to Vedas (like Śikṣā, Kalpa etc.) resumed his self-study (and recitation) of the Vedas.

38b-39. Then Venerable Sanatkumāra^[11] approached Śuka, the son of Vyāsa who was engaged in the recitation of the Vedas in solitude, O sage. Śuka, the son of Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana got up and the son of god Brahmā (Sanatkumāra) was received by him.

40. O excellent Brāhmaṇa! Then Sanatkumāra who was prominent among the knowers of the Veda enquired, “O highly fortunate son of Vyāsa, O highly brilliant sage! What are you doing (now)?”

Śuka said:

41. O son of Brahmā, I am now engaged in the self-study of the Vedas. It is a (great) holy merit of mine whereby I have been able to see you.

42. I wish to ask you something about the principle that is conducive to the attainment of salvation. Please recount it, O highly blessed one, so that I may attain that perfect knowledge.

Sanatkumāra said:

43. There is no (other) vision on a par with learning, there is no (other penance on a par with learning. There is no (other misery on a par with sensuous attachment. There is no other happiness on a par with renunciation.

44. Refraining from sinful activities, being continuously engaged in meritorious activities, good behaviour and adherence to conventional duties—these are the most excellent things contributing to welfare.

45. Having obtained the birth as a human being (the life in) which is fraught with sorrow he who becomes attached to it becomes stupefied; such a man is incapable of being emancipated from sorrow. Attachment (to worldly objects) is an indication of misery.

46. The intellect of one attached to the worldly affairs heightens one’s vicious snare of delusion. One ensnared by delusion attains misery here and hereafter.

47. Restraint of lust and fury by all means must be pursued by one who seeks welfare. These two are conducive to the destruction of (spiritual) welfare (the moment) they crop up.

48. One must continuously guard one’s penance against fury; one must save one’s splendour and glory from (indecent) rivalry; one must save one’s learning from being over-honoured and disrespected; one must save oneself from blunders.

49. Absence of cruelty is the greatest Dharma, forbearance is the greatest strength; knowledge of the Ātman is the greatest knowledge and truthfulness is the greatest of benefits.

50. He is an erudite scholar who renounces everything. He moves about the objects of the sense-organs by means of those sense-organs that are fully submissive to himself.

51. 52a. He who is not getting entangled; he whose soul is quiescent; he who is without aberration; he who has concentration; he who does not identify himself with those beings that do not become one with the Ātman, that is, he who is with them and without them, becomes liberated and ere long attains the greatest welfare.

52b-53a. One who never sees others, never touches others, never talks with others, soon accomplishes his summum bonum. O sage.

53b-55. No one shall injure any living being; one shall move on friendly terms with all the living beings. After attaining this birth no one shall be inimical to anyone. Voluntary indigence, perfect contentment, indifference and absence of fickle- mindedness—these, they say are conducive to the welfare of one who is the knower of the Ātman, of one who has conquered the Ātman.

56-57a. Disengaging oneself from all attachment, O child, you subjugate all your senses and by that means attain the state of sorrowlessness, both here and hereafter. Those who have no desire do not feel aggrieved. One shall avoid and eschew all types of desire within the Ātman.

O gentle one, by abandoning all desires you will be released from hosts of miseries.

57b-58a. You must be permanently engaged in austerities and silent self-control. You must restrain yourself. You must be desirous of conquering what is not conquered, viz. the Brahman. You must not be entangled in any close attachment.

58b-59a. A Brāhmaṇa (one who is engrossed in the meditation of (Brahman) uninvolved in the close intimacies due to the Guṇas and always engaged in the only activity (of meditation), ere long attains the excellent happiness.

59b-60a. It is the unfortunate and wretched sage who takes delight in the pairs of Dvandvas (mutually clashing opposites). He is satisfied with a little knowledge. But he who is satisfied with perfect knowledge does not feel aggrieved.^[12]

60b-61a. It is the auspicious acts that enable the individual to attain Devahood, while the mixture of auspicious and inauspicious activities enables one to attain human birth. Through inauspicious karmas one attains the birth as lower animals. Due to his karmas, he is helpless and cannot avoid it.

61b-62a. The worldly existence is always tormented by death, old age and other miseries. Every creature realises it.^[13] Why don’t you get enlightened?

62b-63a. You have given the term Hita (beneficent) to what is Ahita (non-beneficent). You regard a thing as Dhruva (permanent) to what is Adhruva (transitory). You have given the term Artha (Meaningful) to what is Anartha (harmful). Why don’t you get enlightened?

63b-64a. Just as the silkworm in the cocoon entwines itself by means of the threads originating from itself, you are also entwined. Why don’t you awake to the correct apprehension of these?

54b-65a. Enough of attachment to objects of this world, for attachment to worldly objects engenders evils. The silk-worm which weaves a cocoon round itself is at last bound down by his own acceptance of ties.

65b-66. All beings passionately attached to one’s sons, wives and families become the victims of destruction at last, even as wild elephants sunk in the mire of a lake become gradually weakened (and meet death). Have a look at extremely miserable creatures who are dragged by the vicious net of delusion.

67. The family, sons and wives, the physical body, the mass of accumulated wealth—all belong to others. They are unstable. What is that which one can call one’s own? The merits and the sins (committed by oneself).

68. When one has to leave everything under duress and go, helplessly to the next world, why are you getting involved in a wrong and harmful activity? You don’t pursue your own interest (your real, durable wealth).

69. How will you by yourself traverse the pathway enveloped in darkness, without rest, without a support, without food and drink to be partaken of, and without a guide?

70. No one will follow you behind, as you set off from here. But the merit and the sin shall follow you (wherever) you go.

71. One seeks^[14] one’s objectives by means of learning, acts of bravery (‘purity’ in the Mahābhārata original) and great knowledge. When that objective is achieved one becomes liberated from Saṃsāra.

72. The (social) desire that one feels for living in the midst of human neighbourhoods (or habitations) is a rope-like bondage. People possessing merits succeed to cut it asunder and liberate themselves. Sinful persons are incapable of breaking it.

73. You find men of your own age and caste and having the same comely features taken away by the (god of) Death. You don’t feel dejected and depressed even nominally. Indeed your heart is (made) of steel.

74-75. The river (called the world or life) has personal beauty or form as its banks, the mind, the speed of its current, (the sense of) touch, an island (in it), taste, its stream or current, smell, the mud, sound its waters. The special part leading towards heaven is full of grave difficulties. In this boat called intelligence, forgiveness is the oar for propulsion. Truth is the material forming the boat (Satya-mayīm) and practice of dharma is the stabilising ballast. Renunciation is the wind that propels (the mast of) the boat. Driven with speed it is with this boat (of intelligence) that one should cross the river.

76-77a. After eschewing both Dharma and Adharma, eschew both truthfulness and falsehood. Eschew Dharma by means of non-conception (A-Saṃkalpa) and Adharma by means of non-violence. With the aid of intelligence eschew both truth and falsehood and at last cast off understanding itself by the Supreme knowledge.

77b-79a. Do you throw away this physical body having bones for its pillars, sinews for its binding cords, flesh and blood as its plaster, the skin (Nārada Purāṇa reading is ‘Dharma’) for its outer binding (packing?); full of urine and faeces and hence emitting putrid smell; exposed to the attacks of sorrow and senility; the very seat of diseases and unsteady; dominated by the attribute of Ṛcjas and impermanent—a temporary habitation for the being.

79b-80a. This whole universe which is both mobile and immobile, consists of the great elements and hence is material (full of atoms).

80b-82. Five sense-organs, the three attributes—Tamas, Sattva and Rajas. These (together with others mentioned above) constitute a group of seventeen and are called Avyakta (unmanifest). These with all those which are Vyakta (manifest) viz. the five objects of senses, consciousness, Intelligence, form and the group of twenty-five manifest and unmanifest ones.

When endowed with all these, it is (still) called the impermanent.^[15]

83-85. He who knows the Trivarga (i.e. virtue, wealth, and love) happiness and misery, life and death perfectly well unḍertands the origins and dissolution. Whatever is perceived by means of the sense organ is called Vyakta. That should be known as Avyakta which is beyond the scope of the sense organs, that which can be grasped only through signs and symptoms. By means of the perfectly controlled sense organs, the embodied being is propitiated as if by means of continuous downpours. He sees the Ātman pervading the world and also the world fixed in the Ātman.

86. Being rooted in spiritual knowledge, the spiritual power is never lost^[16] to a man who perceives the Supreme Soul in his own soul—the man who always sees all creatures in all conditions in his soul.

87-88. He who has become one with Brahman (transcends) by his spiritual knowledge all errors or miseries) never contacts any evil by contact with all creatures. Such a man never finds fault with practices or course of conduct prevailing in the world. A person who knows Liberation well, says that the Lord (or the Supreme Soul) is without beginning and end. It abides as a witness in all beings and is imperishable.

89. He (the soul) is inactive, non-stupefied (Mahābhārata—formless); only the being meets with grief as a result of his misdeeds.

90. For the purpose of counteracting his grief", he kills numerous creatures. As a result of these sacrifices, the performer has to undergo rebirth and perform (innumerable) new Karmas.

91. Such a person regards that what is really a source of misery as happiness. Anḍ he continuously becomes unhappy like an ailing person who eats unwholesome food not permissible in that sickness.

92. By his terrible acts, such a person is bound, pressed and tormented. Freed from them, he being bound by his karmas, obtains rebirth and thus rotates like a wheel in Saṃsāra without an axle.

93-94. Receding therefrom and being released from his own bondage, he wanders in the wide world as a result of the uprising of the activities. He revolves like a wheel without its axle (?) Many have attained Siddhis that gave rise to happiness and that had not been hindered. (That was possible for them) thanks to self-control, refraining from contacts and to the power of penance.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

In the Mahābhārata it is Nārada who advises Vyāsa to recite the Vedas.

[2]:

Nārada Purāṇa reads:—“dvāvetau pratyayaṃ yātau”—But the second line 12b becomes unconnected with 12a. Mahābhārata (ibid) v. 30—“dvāvetau pretya panthānau etc.”—is better. It means: ‘these are the two paths in the worlds hereafter.’

[3]:

The term denotes the common tendencies of sense-organs or the common factors of Sādhyas and other beings.

[4]:

v. 1 Prāṇanāt—(all are) enabled to live (Mahābhārata ibid v. 35)

[5]:

The Nārada Purāṇa reads:—“yo...dadate cāpo jīmūtebhyovanenilaḥ”—I took avane for vane, for this process is not limited to the forests: Mahābhārata (ibid) 39 reads: ambarenilaḥ ‘in the sky’. The reading in Mahābhārata is worth considering.

[6]:

Nārada Purāṇa reads yāti vasundharām—‘goes to the earth.’ Mahābhārata (ibid) verse 47 reads bhāti vasundharām ‘enlightens or sheds light on the earth’. I prefer the Mahābhārata reading.

[7]:

v. 1. jayatāṃ varaḥ: the foremost of all in energy.

[8]:

This is the probable interpretation of the text of the Nārada Purāṇa—“yena vṛṣṭyā parābhūtās toyānyena nivartate /”—The Mahābhārata (ibid) v. 52a reads:—“yena spṛṣtaḥ parābhūto yātyeva na nivartate.”—Being touched by which he is so overwhelmed that he goes away permanently (i.e. liberated from Saṃsāra) and never returns (gets Mokṣa).

[9]:

Thus reads Nārada Purāṇa:—“anāramantā sarvāntā sarvagāḥ sarva-cāriṇaḥ.”—But the sentence has no predicate. The Mahābhārata (ibid) reads:—“anārataṃ te saṃvānti sarvagāḥ sarvadhāriṇaḥ”—They blow incessantly, have access everywhere and uphold everything.

[10]:

Here ends chapter 328 in the Mahābhārata śānti. It is significant that Nīlakaṇṭha gives a secondary—Yogic—explanation to all these verses. But he, however, concludes with the mundane common sense remark: Hence one should not recite the Veda while a stormy wind blows.”

[11]:

In Mahābhārata (Śānti) ch. 329, it is Nārada who approached Śuka.

[12]:

This verse in the Nārada Purāṇa is a bit obscure; the corresponding verse No. 24 in the Mahābhārata Śānti ch. 329 is as follows:

द्वन्द्वारामेषु भूतेषु य एको रमते मुनिः ।
विद्धि प्रज्ञानतृप्तम् तं ज्ञान-तृप्तो न शोचति ॥

dvandvārāmeṣu bhūteṣu ya eko ramate muniḥ /
viddhi prajñānatṛptam taṃ jñāna-tṛpto na śocati //

That person who leads a self-contented happy life in the midst of people who take pleasures in sexual intercourse, should be known as a person whose thirst has been satiated by knowledge. And (it is known to all that) a person whose thirst or covetiousness is satisfied by perfect (spiritual) knowledge, never feels any misery.

[13]:

v. 1. Saṃsāre pacyate (Mahābhārata ibid). 26.—A living being is cooked (in the cauldron of) Saṃsāra.

[14]:

Nārada Purāṇa reads anuśīryante for anusāryante in the Mahābhārata As the reading in the Mahābhārata is appropriate in the context (and is also the original text from which the Nārada Purāṇa borrowed), it is accepted here.

[15]:

The Nārada Purāṇa reads Samāyuktam anityam abhidhīyate. But the reading is not satisfactory, though I have accepted it for translation. Mahābhārata (ibid) v. 47a reads Samāyuktaḥ pumān etc. and means “When endowed with (the above mentioned twenty-four possessions) he is called Pumān (Man). The Mahābhārata reading is better.

[16]:

The Nārada Purāṇa reads:—“Parāvara-dṛṣaḥ śaktir jñānavelāṃ na paśyati /”—The statement does not stand to reason. Hence the original reading from the Mahābhārata (ibid) v. 51 which is logical is accepted. The translation above is of the following:—“parāvara-dṛśaḥ śaktir jñāna-mūlā na naśyati /”.