The Wilderness that is Life
Bharatha having delivered a discourse to Rahugana sought to cement his advice by painting a grim picture of reality, to warn Rahugana of the various dangers one typically encounters in life.
“The jeeva bound by the confines of his nature (gunas) and delusions wanders aimlessly in the wilderness called life (Bhavaatika), egged on by eleven enemies (the five gnyaanendriyas, five karmendriyas and manassu). The mind creates innumerable and insatiable desires. Giving up the performance of the prescribed spiritual activities, the jeeva pours all its energy into satisfying its sense organs.
The jeeva suffers from the attachment it bears towards its kith and kin. Like jackals falling on a prey and tearing it apart, one’s own children do not hesitate to usurp property/ money for their selfish ends after talking sweetly and winning his confidence and affection. Like a merchant who has incurred heavy losses in his business, the jeeva is compelled to accept the charity of others and face humiliation.
The jeeva is forever engrossed in satisfying the desires of the flesh, identifying completely with the body it inhabits. It believes that it is fat/ thin; beautiful/ugly; youthful/old etc. and spends a great amount of time and effort trying to alter the situation.
The fragile jeeva, dependent on timely meals for its sustenance and existence, spends all its time in avaricious accumulation. Numerous are the kings who have ruled large and prosperous kingdoms and have lost their lives in waging wars trying to expand their kingdoms, yet not one has been able to take even a fistful of earth, when giving up the body.
The few jeevas which try to extricate themselves from this wilderness, only aspire for the temporary happiness that heaven offers and perform such fruit-bearing activities. When the time comes for such a jeeva to exit this plane of existence, it ascends to heaven for a short period of time, only to fall back into the same wilderness, all over again.
O Rahugana! Destroy this wilderness with the sword of knowledge, cross the river of perpetual life and death, and try to reach Hari. Do not get trapped in this wilderness. Pray to Hari for his grace and protection with the twin understanding that he is the doer and you are not your body!”
Rahugana exclaimed, “Blessed am I to receive such knowledge that even the divine beings in heaven may not have been able to convey. The mere touch of your lotus feet ensures loss of our sins and the birth of unshakeable devotion. I, am living proof of this! In a mere encounter of a few minutes, you rid me of a lifetime of false beliefs, ignorance and arrogance!”
Having accomplished the divinely pre-ordained task of enlightening Rahugana, Bharatha went his way.
What can be said of Bharatha, the son of Rishabha, who cast aside his riches and relationships, while adhering to every prescribed rule of conduct!
We bow to such a Bharatha who gave up wealth which even the devathes envied.
We bow to Bharatha, who gave up his life as a deer with thoughts of Hari/Naarayana!
We bow to that Bharatha, who held the supreme knowledge of the cosmos within himself, without a shred of pride or attachment!
We bow to Bharatha, who armed us with the weapon that helps us wade through the wilderness called life!
Concluded