One day, Shiv was told that people were worshipping the Shivling, believing that it would allay their problems. Concerns were expressed that this belief would cause superstition among the people and they might develop aversion to self-effort. It was once again that Shiv spurned the contention, averring that a person was not only required to work hard but he also needed to have some spiritual solace by putting his faith in whatever he liked. To the chagrin of the detractors he supported the worship of Shivling, predicting that it would be of great symbolic value to the people to appreciate the origin and growth of life on the earth. He prophesied that the Shivling worship would serve great purpose in future.
9.12
Years later, Kashi developed into a rich city; richness abounded in all spheres – religion, spiritualism, art, culture, and trade and commerce. A beautiful temple named Vishwanath Temple had come up above the Shivling, which was now called Vishwanath, the lord of the world, after a sobriquet for Shiv.
There was one Mrikandu, a Brahman of Kashi, who had earlier been running a gurukul to earn his livelihood by teaching disciples at his home. Under new education system of Shiv, he had closed his gurukul and dedicated himself to the worship of Shiv. The closure of the gurukul had not cast much impact on the household of Mrikandu as he with his wife had frugal needs. But, the issueless couple would miss the squeals of the little disciples playing in the forecourt of their house. This loss kindled a desire in their hearts to have a child of their own, though they were aware that they were too old.
Mrikandu’s wife was very keen to conceive a child. She brushed aside Mrikandu’s apprehension about his capability to father a child, and exhorted him to make attempts to the hilt. She reminded him that he was a devotee of priapic Shiv and worship of Shivling would certainly bless him with virility. Mrikandu, in turn, stressed that she also needed fertility, which could be earned only by the grace of the Yoni girding the Shivling. The couple worshipped the Shivling daily in the morning.
After about a year a son was born to the couple. Believing it a boon of the worship of Shivling, they organised a big puja, the ritual worship, at the Vishwanath Temple. The baby boy was named Markandey, the progeny of Mrikandu.
Years later, one day, Shiv saw Mrikandu and his wife, surrounded by a huge mob, wailing at the Vishwanath Temple. Their son, Markandey, was lying senseless, his arms wrapped around the Shivling. Baffled, Shiv asked impatiently, “What is all this; what happened to Markandey?”
The cries of the grief-stricken couple grew shriller when they saw Shiv before them: “Cobra has robbed our son his life.” Irritated over the cryptic cry of the couple, Shiv demanded, “Speak out clearly what you mean.” Sobbing inconsolably, Mrikandu recounted that a snake had bitten Markandey while he was playing hide-and-seek with other children in the nullah near the Manikarnika Ghat. When asked by Shiv whether he had approached Sushrut and Charak for treatment, Mrikandu replied in affirmation, and added that it all was in vain. Instructing them to remain there, Shiv rushed towards the nullah at the Manikarnika Ghat.
After about an hour everybody at the Vishwanath Temple was petrified with horror to see Shiv coming running, with a huge cobra entwined around his neck and a vat of the Ganga water held aloft in his raised arms.
Shiv poured the water over the Shivling, splashing Markandey’s senseless body. Shiv suddenly started shrieking wildly and the cobra, which had unfurled its hood over Shiv’s head, cringed in fear and came, with hood downcast, before Shiv’s face. Shiv continued screaming as if he was demanding to know something from the snake, which was waving its downcast head. Immediately after their weird dialogue, Shiv prepared a solution in a clay crucible and administered that to Markandey’s body. To utter surprise of the people, the body which was lying like a corpse started jerking and emanating deep guttural cry. Shiv quickly knelt beside the body and put his mouth on the snakebite wound. Shiv sucked in the whole poison in a trice. The people were surprised to see that Shiv’s throat was shining more brightly with bluish glow as he stopped the poison in his throat instead of swallowing it.
The people were stunned to see that Markandey sat up with a deep-throated whimper and asked for water to drink. Shiv shouted an order not to give him water, but to bring a cup of tepid milk immediately. He hastily prepared a potion from the leaves of certain plants he had brought from the nullah. He administered the potion to Markandey and then made him drink the milk. When called, Charak came running to Shiv who directed him to immediately prepare a salve from leaves of certain shrubs and apply that at the snakebite wound.
Smile flitted across Shiv’s lips when he spoke to Mrikandu and his wife, “Your son is alive now. But let him first sleep a day and night so that he can recover fully.” The couple fell at Shiv’s feet, weeping with gratitude.
The people filled with ineffable delight to witness Shiv’s victory over death. In exultation, they shouted, “Har Har Mahadev. Jai ho Mrityunjay Mahadev.”
Shiv moved away swiftly, waving his right hand at the crowd, signalling them to disperse. But, he was surprised to see that the crowd continued shouting slogans in his praise. Sensing that the crowd were in no mood to disperse, Shiv returned to the crowd, and asked them what they wanted. The crowd remained silent till one person ventured out to ask whether Shiv was not afraid of the deadly cobra. The innocent query made Shiv to speak:
“Dear friends, I know you fear a snake, perceiving it as a deadly tool of death. But once you will come to the realisation of the truth, your fears will be allayed and you will also start loving snakes like me.”
When Shiv paused for a while to settle his breath, someone from the crowd suddenly came up butting in: “What is that truth, Mahadev?” Smiling at the impatience of the inquisitor, Shiv spoke addressing him directly, “My dear friend, the truth is that snake is an innocuous creature, and bites only in self-defence. The nature has equipped it with poisonous fangs to scare away and deter an attacker – whether real or perceived. Had snake not been gifted with this deadly deterrence, its beautiful body – with shining skin and slithering gait – would have been extinct. But, once it feels that you are harmless, it develops friendship with you the way this cobra is friendly with me.”
“Is it not weird to have friendship with a deadly snake, and how is it possible to convince a creature like a snake in a humanly manner?” quipped the inquisitor. Appreciating the genuineness of the query, Shiv replied, “No, it’s not weird. It is possible to convince a snake about fearlessness through compassion. It requires a high practice to evolve compassion in you and show it naturally to others – whether friend or foe. It’s not true in case of only a snake, but all creatures – whether docile or violent.”
The crowd cheered in approval, and resolved to practice compassion to win friendship with all creatures, starting with snake. Most of them, however, could not realise the import of what Shiv talked about. Instead, they started worshipping snakes, mostly in symbols, by offering flowers and milk. Fear still existed there and so was persecution of snakes.
Chapter ten
Paths to Enlightenment
10.1
The Sadhna Kendra at the Kashi Vidyapeeth, which was supposed to serve as a centre of spiritual persuasions, remained a nonstarter. Patanjali, the only Acharchya at the Kendra, would sit idle, confused about his assignment. Ved Vibhag, which had commenced studies in the Vedas, claimed to address the spiritual needs of the people. But, Shiv was aware of the limits of the tall claims of this department. He was wary that the wishful prayers to celestial devatas and paeans of their claimed miracles were not enough for the inner development of the human being. He wanted to do something pragmatic for the people.
Shiv delved deep into the the cause of human sufferings, and found out paths suitable to individual nature and temperament. He had already devised a path to realization, and had used it while at Kailash. He had fancifully named it Yog, meaning that the path would make the lower self of the aspirant unite with, and ultimately dissolve into, the Highest Self. Now, he
wanted to make the path of yog easy and structured for the common people. He straightened various loops and filled various gaps so that the path might be a smooth highway without bumps. He erected eight posts of progress along the path, and named it Ashtang Yog, meaning eight-step path of union. He structured the path with a view that it could provide for an all-round development of the aspirant.
Shiv selected Patanjali as the the first initiate, considering him intelligent enough to comprehend the teaching and industrious enough to pursue the path unto perfection. Patanjali was very happy when Shiv disclosed that he was chosen to be the first initiate on the path. On an appointed day, Patanjali, having purified himself by bathing and donning new clothes, sat with great humility before Shiv to receive the knowledge.
Shiv taught the eight steps in eight lessons, one day each, in eight days. For the first two days he talked about conduct of the aspirant, prescribing a ten-point code of conduct that comprises five abstentions and five observances. He emphasised that the virtues were earned over a protracted period in life by conscientiously preventing negativity from creeping into one’s personality and nurturing positive traits assiduously. He cautioned the aspirant against proceeding further before sufficiently equipping himself with positive personality traits, and removing negative ones..
The third day was assigned to the learning of sitting postures named Asan, which was required for physical fitness of the aspirant so that he could sit in comfortable position for long periods for pursuance of the path. On the fourth day, Shiv taught the techniques of Pranayama, so that the life force could be controlled and utilised for the progress on the path. The fifth day was the day to learn withdrawal of the senses from external objects. This process was named Pratyahara. Concluding the three-day exercise session, Shiv clarified that these exercises were required to provide the aspirant with psycho-somatic preparedness for the further steps of the path.
On the sixth day, Patanjali was asked to concentrate his attention on a single object to attain one-pointedness of mind. When Patanjali failed to do so, Shiv asked him to try again, pampering him amply, “Patanjali, you’ve achieved in a few days what others will achieve in months and years. You are a chosen one. You are the luckiest of all to become the first initiate of the great path, which will be a great redeemer of human miseries. Don’t behave like an imbecile. Come up, try again, you’ll succeed. Don’t delay, don’t hang back, go ahead, buck up.”
Patanjali closed his eyes again, took some deep breaths and started struggling to collect his wandering thoughts at a focal point. He tried hard. He sustained the struggle for a bit long, picking up the drifting thoughts and depositing them at the focal point. But, they slipped out of his grip, making riotous noises. Their collective din was so deafening that Patanjali was baffled, though he kept trying to quell them. Eventually he yielded. In desperation he opened his eyes, miserably looking at Shiv.
Shiv, who was closely watching the impressions of struggle on Patanjali’s face, consoled him and exhorted to try again. Defeated and distressed, Patanjali fell at Shiv’s feet, sobbing in despair that he be spared as he was not capable of doing that. Shiv was exasperated over Patanjali’s baulking, but did not lose his cool. Instead, he whispered to Patanjali affectionately, “What’s bothering you, my dear friend?”
“I cannot control my thoughts,” bemoaned Patanjali.
“That’s no problem,” quipped Shiv, and trying to allay Patanjali’s fears he intoned, “Don’t bother yourself too much, rather understand the nature of thoughts. Thoughts are the vrittis, the waves, in the ocean of chit, the consciousness. They are like a mad monkey, straying fancifully. Don’t lend relevance to their runs. Let them roam seamlessly; don’t pay attention to them. They thrive on your attention and eat into your concentration.”
“Alright, I can understand it, but how not to pay attention to them,” asked Patanjali impetuously, but soon realising that he had stomped on Shiv’s speech, cut a sorry figure and sought to elucidate the issue, “The thoughts catch my attention forcefully. They don’t spare me a moment to exercise my volition.”
“You remain steadfast in your focal point. Make your focal point more powerful and attractive than the thoughts. Make your focal point a blazing flame and let the thoughts be attracted to it and burn out like flies,” suggested Shiv.
“I understand it,” said Patanjali, but asked nervously, “But, what object should I focus on?”
Shiv: “Any object, which appeals to you, which claims your full attention, which is capable of making you thoughtless.”
Patanjali: “Any object! Will you please elucidate it?”
Shiv: “Yes, any object. Any object you may visualise in your mind, which may be capable to capture your attention. It may be a real thing or some imaginary object.”
Seeing Patanjali gaping at him in confusion, Shiv tried to make him understand by illustrating, “Suppose you love a woman from core of your heart, you may focus your whole attention on her, visualising her fully in your mind. But, once you achieve enough strength in concentration you would have to move ahead to meditation, leaving the efforts of concentration behind. When you are adequately entrenched in meditation, you will effortlessly slip into super consciousness. This super consciousness is the ultimate goal of a living creature where one gets liberated from the bondage of life and death.”
Now well enthused, Patanjali embarked on concentrating his thoughts on what was dearest to him, and soon his face was glowing with signs of transformation. Patanjali, who had learnt the technique of yog in merely eight days, remained in Samadhi for full eight days. Shiv had prevented others from visiting the Sadhna Kendra so that Patanjali's Samadhi was not disturbed.
Patanjali was a changed person, when he came out of Samadhi. He fell at the feet of Shiv, praising him profusely that he was the Great Guru, greater than even the God. A sense of peace and accomplishment was writ large on his face. He was now an enlightened person - liberated from all bonds of misery.
As desired by Shiv, Patanjali carried forward the task of teaching the technique of yoga to others. He authored a book titled ‘Yoga Sutra’ on the subject, providing a pithy description of the techniques in formula form. Recollecting his struggle for controlling thoughts, he mentioned at the very opening of the book that yog was the technique of controlling thoughts. He, however, never revealed as to what was it which pivoted his stray thoughts nor he provided other seekers the liberty of choosing any object for concentration as he was privileged by Shiv. He rather recommended that the aspirant should focus on the God as the object of concentration.
10.2
One day, early in the morning when darkness had not fully withered away and the Sun was still far away from taking over the charge of the day, Shiv was returning from his daily bath in the Ganga. As usual he was carrying a vat of the Ganga water on his head. The vat sat so firm on his head that it never required support from his hands for steadying and Shiv would move comfortably with trishul in one hand, damru in the other hand and the snake around his neck. Nandi, which equally liked bath in the Ganga, would move beside him.
Suddenly, Shiv’s right foot encountered some soft lump. Without bending his neck for fear that the Ganga water would spill out of the vat, Shiv saw with his downcast eyes that it was a human body. Throwing away damru and trishul, he put down the vat on the ground, and knelt beside the body to check who he was and whether he was alive. He saw that it was the body of a middle-aged man who was unconscious but alive. He immediately loaded the body on the back of Nandi, and putting his assortments in place, brought the body to his home. He immediately called for Charak to conference with for the appropriate treatment. Their joint effort bore fruit as the person came to his senses and soon regained health.
Shiv was eager to know who that man was and who had strangled him and left to die along the riverside. But, the man was stubbornly reticent and refused to divulge anything about him. Shiv was alarmed when the man asked Shiv to let him go so that he could rid himself of the
pains of the world by ceasing his life. It made Shiv more curious about the person and more vigilant against him.
On persistent prodding from Shiv, the man eventually divulged that he was a tantiputra, son of a weaver – the eldest among the four brothers. His wife had developed liking for his younger brother, which he had been objecting to. That had triggered frequent quarrels between him on one side and his wife and the younger brother on the other side, and his other brothers and parents being mute spectators. He suspected that his brother and wife might have poisoned him and taken him to the riverside, believing that he was dead after having been strangled. The person wept bitterly, howling that he would embrace death rather than returning to his cruel kin.
When Shiv made that man realise that suicide was not a solution to the sufferings, he grimaced in helplessness there was no other way. Shiv offered him a way, emphasising that there was a gracious way out of all sufferings of the world, provided the seeker remained steadfast in the pursuance.
The man, who later revealed his name Atanu, was so moved that he expressed willingness to follow the path as told by Shiv. Shiv found in him a good student who could be taught at Sadhna Kendra. Shiv decided to initiate him himself and that too in a system different from what he had taught to Patanjali. Keeping the temperament of Atanu in mind, Shiv decided to teach him kundalini (serpent) yog, which he had experimented while at Kailash. He had named it so because he had envisioned that pran, the life force, remained positioned at the base of the spine in the human body, like a coiled-up serpent. He had realised that when Kundalini or the coil was straightened, the life force flowed upward and crossing the six milestones reached the seventh stage which was located at the crown of the head. This flow of life force from the base to the crown had caused a great awakening in him. It had generated a huge spiritual energy making him realise liberation.
Shiv knew very well that the techniques of kundalini yoga suited the temperament of Atanu and could address his problems well. He was also aware that Atanu was quite frail and needed rigorous physical and mental strengthening before he could be led on the path of the kundalini yoga.
Becoming God Page 17