“The third subsection is ‘Vyakarana’ or grammar. It contains the complete set of linguistic rules for perfect comprehension.
The Vedas are spontaneous inspirations; hence they are open to various interpretations. The fourth subsection is ‘Nirukta’ or the lucid yet relevant elucidation of the Vedas.
The fifth subsection ‘Jyotish’ or astrology discusses the measurement of time, the planets, the constellations and palmistry.
The sixth subsection is ‘Kalpa’ in which the religious rites and rituals are discussed thoroughly. Unimaginable pomp and show can infiltrate ‘Kalpa’ any time. One should be very cautious about this, as this can very easily transform into superstition. The one who abolishes such superstitions with determined prowess proves to be a ‘Yugapurusha’, a prophet, and ‘Yogayogeshwara’, the greatest ascetic of all. ‘Ava’ means down and ‘tar’ means to rescue. The one who descends to rescue mankind is called the Avatar, an incarnation. The one who descends to rescue the superstitious people around him, from ignorance befits to be a prophet, the greatest ascetic, an epoch-maker.” Aacharya paused for a moment. Looking at me he asked pointedly, “Did you understand, Srikrishna?”
“I clearly understood the part about how the religious pretensions transform into superstitions, but Aacharya, I didn’t quite get what you were talking about the Avatar, the incarnation!” I made a curious face.
“Didn’t get it! That’s okay. You will get it eventually, at the right time!” We both laughed so loudly that tears filled Aacharya’s eyes. Baffled, and wonder struck all the pupils kept staring at both of us. Aacharya wiped the tears with his forefinger and composed himself. Glancing around he said, “So, dear disciples, the four Vedas and the six subsections together constitute the ten vidyas.”
Aacharya’s speech had a divine lustre now. “The remaining four vidyas are – Mimansa, Tarka, Puranas and Dharma. Mimansa means critical investigation of a topic of discussion from all angles, analyzing and examining it as thoroughly and carefully as possible. There are two types of Mimansa, one is Purva and the other is Uttara. Tarkavidya is the science of Logic and Reasoning.
“The next vidya is the Mahapuranas. The first amongst these is the Brahmapurana and the last one is the Brahmandpurana. Brahma, Padma, Vishnu, Shiva, Bhagvata, Narada, Markandeya, and Agni are the major Mahapuranas. Shivapurana is also known as Vayupurana. Along with these including the Bhavishya, Brahmavaivarta, Linga, Varaha, Skanda, Vamana, Kurma, Matsya, Garuda and Brahmanda, there are a total of eighteen Mahapuranas. Each one deals with a different aspect of life.
But the Puranas carry more description of the rituals rather than meaningful discourse. That’s why they have remained away from the majority of the populace.
Now listen about the last and the most significant vidya. It is called ‘Dharma’. Try to understand and comprehend its meaning thoroughly, and ponder over it; contemplate about it. The wise men of the society have considered four types of Purusharthas to be the founding pillars. They are – Dharma-Duty, Artha-Wealth, Kama-Desire, and Moksha-Salvation. Dharma is that which inculcates the Sanskaras in the living being for its complete development.
Never forget, to practice the true Dharma in daily life, all four Purusharthas are indispensable. Dharma does not mean performing rituals. Even Dharma can sometimes experience decay. Dharma which is about to perish due to the predominance of Adharma, that is irreligiosity, needs to be revived with sheer determination.
It is the fore most duty of the Kshatriyas to protect Dharma. To fulfil that duty, in my opinion, the most important vidya is ‘Yuddhavidya’– the art of warfare. This vidya has two main divisions: Shastra and Astra. Among the Astras Varuna, Vayu, Agni, Pashupata, Parjanya, Praswapa, Narayana, and Brahmastra are the major astras. I will teach you the transmission of the astras with the recitation of their mantras and their obstruction too. Among the Shastras or the weaponry, sword, iron club, mace, Bhalla, Bhrushundi, pestle, Shataghnee, Parigha, Agnikankana, Chakra, the bow-arrow, etc. are the major weapons. The science of archery is also called ‘Dhanurvidya’. Some learned critics have regarded it as one of the Vedas, considering the tremendous velocity and exactness involved in it. Remember that Dhanurvidya is called the fifth Veda. Dhanurveda has four subsections: Diksha, Sangraha, Siddhi and Prayoga.
Diksha is paying respect to the bow before using it by incanting a mantra. Then it should be held in the left hand exactly at the midpoint to balance it. To locate the exact midpoint of the bow the bottom of the bow needs to be rested on the ground first and then raised a little bit. Immediately the bottom of the bow should be rested on the ground again and the left hand should be moved towards the top edge of the bow. With the same hand the bow should be bent and with the right hand the bow string should be tied instantly. Then the bow string should be twanged a couple of times to confirm the quality of the bow. While focusing on the target, the preferred arrow such as Jidma, Suchi, Suvarnapankha, Chandramukhi, Naraacha, Bastika, etc. should be pulled out of the quiver on the back, identifying it only by touch. This complete process is called Diksha.
‘Sangraha’ means touching the arrow to the forehead, remembering the Guru and with closed eyes silently intoning the mantra of launching the arrow and mounting the arrow on the bowstring. To achieve ‘Sangraha’ take aim at the target, with tip and the tail of the arrow near the ear in line with an archer’s vision with one eye closed.
Siddhi is the Yoga part in it. In the shooting posture one should breathe in a chest full of air, assessing the direction of the flowing wind. The posture should be steady. This is how the archer gets ready to use the bow.
Prayoga is the actual act of shooting the arrow. Once the posture is ready, the arrow should be shot instantly to hit the target unerringly. Exhaling the air, the chest should be emptied.” His solemn words intensified the silence in the cottage.
Just as there are fourteen vidyas, there are sixty-four kalaas (fine arts) that enhance the beauty of life in all aspects and make it complete. I will explain mostly all those to you in detail. Music is the first and foremost of all the art forms. It consists of seven eternal notes – Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, and Ni. Kharja, Pancham and Saptak are the Gatis or the tones in which the seven notes are sung. The seven basic notes efficiently formulate into innumerable ragas and sub-ragas such as Bhoop, Malhar, Yaman, Malkans, Kanada, Aasavari, Bhairavi, etc.
Why is music the most significant among the fine arts? The reason is that it can directly touch the heart of the audience without the aid of an agent. A single ‘aalap’ or melodic improvisation of notes conveys even more than an entire chapter of an epic. Yet music is not regarded as a vidya. Don’t forget that it has been regarded as a kalaa, an art form.”
His deep and sharp ambrosial speech was now plucking and tossing the starlets in the vast skies of knowledge, “The world is what is visible to our sight. What is beyond the world is the infinite universe. In this limitless world, our earth is bound by the rules of many basic elements. Prithvi – the Earth, Aap – Water, Teja – Fire, Vayu – Air, and Aakash – Ether are the five major elements amongst those.
Be cautious, understand the clear difference between the Aakash – Sky and Avakash – Space. The sky is clearly visible to us in blue colour. Space exists beyond it. Endless and limitless, it is black – the colour of Krishna!” Balarama, do you understand?” He suddenly asked dada. Dada instantly replied, “That which is Krishna is infinite and endless!” Both Aacharya and I looked at him and smiled at the implied meaning of his answer. But his face was just as innocent and curious as before.
Aacharya continued, “The Prana element which is a vivacious energy in the form of light impacts the space. Only then the creation of the inanimate and animate universe begins. The universe is expanding gradually. It will reach a climax of expansion; and after that will begin its contraction, reaching its lowest point. Then the process will start all over again – the impact of the Prana, the expansion and the contraction. This cycle has been running for millions of y
ears and will continue for millions more.
To comprehend this truth of life duly, you must also clearly understand one more concept – the concept of ‘Kala’, Time. We measure Time with the units of day, night, month, year, a Tapa and a Yuga. A Tapa is a period of twelve years. A Yuga consists of a thousand Tapas. A single day of Brahma consists of a thousand Yugas like this. Many such days of Brahma make a ‘Kalpa’. In short a ‘Kalpa’ is made up of four hundred thirty-two million years!”
Leaving all disciples baffled by the complicated calculations involved in Time measurements, Aacharya took a breather and smiled to himself. He posed a question and answering it himself he said, “So is it possible for anybody any time to measure the limitless Time in its totality? No. Therefore, Time is infinite. It has neither beginning nor end. Similarly, Life is also limitless, unending and eternal. The one who knows this truth is a true visionary. And the one who proclaims with full responsibility that ‘I am Kala myself’ and ‘I am Life itself’ is the greatest visionary of all times. Who knows, maybe such a visionary exists amongst you!”
Suddenly Aacharya stopped talking and opening his eyes wide, said in a clear, loud voice, “Srikrishna, what do you say?”
Looking at me he gave a meaningful smile. I silently responded with a smile that reflected his. All the aashrama pupils merely kept staring at both of us again.
Changing the topic completely, Aacharya said, “The Ego is that which encumbers the total spiritual progress of one’s soul. It is multifarious and multifaceted. The pride of one’s own authority, power, wealth, beauty, fame never lets a person move forward towards progress.
“Balarama, could you tell us which is the most dangerous pride of all?” Aacharya suddenly put dada in a dilemma. He answered instantly again, “The pride of power, Aacharya!”
“No Balarama, the pride of knowledge! The pride of the knowledge of spiritual realization is the most dangerous of all. A wise, learned person, who is a realized soul, should always be humble like a mango tree leaning with the weight of its fruit. Only then will the gold of knowledge obtain the heavenly aroma of the ultimate truth.
“Remember that an animate being always exists in three dimensions – length, width, and height or depth. The one who comprehends and acknowledges the fourth dimension of unending Time becomes the greatest of mankind – the Supreme Man – ‘Purushottama’. Some other dimensions also exist. I will share those with you some time later. Arpanam astu.” He whispered the first few words to himself and slowly closed his eyes. He quickly went into a meditative trance.
Initially Dada, Uddhava and I stayed together in a single hut. Within a few days one more friend joined us – Sudama from Saurashtra. Sudama’s arrival transformed our trio into a quartet.
Sudama was a skinny, hardworking, fair-skinned, simple and innocent son of a Brahmin. Based on my experience so far and the various tests that I had performed on my friends, I had formed a firm belief about friendship. It is not possible to explain in words how and why a pure friendship sprouts, grows and strengthens. It is a bond of hearts connected through many lives. One should not try to find its source and one should not imagine its end. It is purely meant to be experienced.
Sudama, who always spoke with spontaneous affection, became a dear friend of dada and me. Uddhava was already a part of us. We were not four individuals.
A quadrangular entity formed with the unity of our minds was living happily in the Ankapada aashrama of Aacharya Sandipani.
In his daily discourse Aacharya once touched the subject of other fine arts. Glancing affectionately over our eager and curious faces, in a melodious rhythmic voice he serenely said, “My dear pupils, the second most significant of fine arts after music is Aalekha. Aalekha means Sahitya – Literature, and the art of painting. ‘Sa’ (together with) and ‘Hita’ (welfare) means Sahitya. If it does even a slightest bit of good to the reader it is Sahitya. If it succeeds in enriching the reader even a little bit, it is indeed true Sahitya. It directly touches the heart of the reader. It is similar to the art of music. Just like the Paraavani originates from the core, literature originates from the core of consciousness. It is ageless, imperishable; it is called ‘Paraasahitya’. All the Vedas that I spoke about are examples of ageless and imperishable Sahitya. The art of Aalekha also comprises a picture which touches one’s heart through one’s vision.
An artist’s pure, innocent and capable mind is indispensable for the creation of any art form whether it is music, literature, a picture or any of the other sixty-four arts. Such a sound mind can only reside in a sound body. Therefore, in the beginning itself the creators of the Vedas have deemed the body as a divine temple of ‘Vishwadeva’. No other vidya except Yoga can offer humanity the divine ornament of a healthy body.
I consider Yoga as the fifteenth vidya. Aacharya deliberated something in his mind and stopped for a moment. He moved his glance over all the pupils with his serene eyes. Then fixing his eyes on me he ordered in a commanding voice, “Srikrishna! Get up from your seat, come and sit right in front of me along with your dada, Uddhava and Sudama.” We obediently got up and promptly took a seat in front of him. Now Aacharya closed his eyes and began to chant the Guruvandana, the prayer for the Guru, in his deep voice. This was the first time we were experiencing this. A prayer for the Guru with pure emotions from the auspicious mouth of an actual guru began.
‘Aum Guru brahma, Guru Vishnu …’ … a thought flashed instantly in my mind, ‘Really, who could be the aacharya of our Aacharya?’ Utter silence prevailed throughout the cottage now; so much so that one could have heard even the breaking of a grass blade. Gurudeva Sandipanni started sharing the ‘Yogaveda’ with dada, Uddhava, Sudama, me and all disciples. His voice became defined and brighter than usual. It got absorbed into the Paraavani. It got the sonority of Goddess Saraswati’s melodious Vina. Completely lost in himself, he gradually closed his eyes. Words started flowing out of his mouth like the stream of Himaganga rhythmically pouring down the highest summit of the Himalayas. This was an indescribable experience, simply unforgettable.
“Srikrishna …, Balarama, Uddhava-Sudama, and all! Now listen very carefully, what ‘Sankhyayoga’ is! It is the most important yoga of life.
The core, ‘Mulkanda’, of a human being is located near the navel. From the core seventy-two thousand ‘Nadis’ originate and are spread systematically throughout the body. There are six Chakras or vortices of energy, located in the human body. The scarlet-coloured divine Shakti called ‘Kundalini’ is seated firmly facing down, coiled like a serpent in the Muladhara chakra located in the region of the waist.
There are ten major Nadis above and ten below it. Two Nadis each above and below, run horizontally too. The Prana Shakti or vital air consistently flows through these twenty-four major and minor Nadis, in the form of blood.
The ten major Nadis that circulate blood day in and day out are the most important ones. Those are – Ida, Pingala, Sushumna, Gandhari, Hastijiwha, Pusha, Yashswini, Alambusha, Kuhu and Shankhini. Among these ten the Ida, the Pingala and the Sushumna are the most significant ones.
Ida is the major Nadi that is continuously functional and carries many minor veins that run through the left side of the body. The Pingala Nadi is functional in the same manner on the right side of the body. ‘Sushumna’ Nadi is constantly active, running between the Ida and the Pingala, through the spinal cord. The sacred, divine Kundalini force sits face down in the Muladhara chakra at the base of the Sushumna Nadi. Very few people realize its existence and if at all they realize, it is only due to their spiritual virtuousness. A few of them have the earnest urge to wake her up. A very limited number succeed in actually doing so, and only a single Supreme Being, a Yogayogeshwara, with prophetic vision can actually make it dance at his fingertips with sheer willpower. The divine Kundalini when awakened, can reach the Aperture, the Brahmarandhra, located at the top of the head after breaking through the six chakras in the body; and thus can get connected through that divine ingress, to the infin
ite, bright, endless Universal Soul, the Paramatma. The Paramatma is the consciousness of the boundless, omnipresent, creative and weightless energy!
The science defining the rules for awakening the divine Kundalini is called the ‘Sankhyayoga’. This Yoga contains eight stages – Yama, Niyama, Pratyahara, Aasana, Pranayama, Dhyana, Dharana and Samadhi. Though all the eight stages are important ‘Pranayama’ is the most significant one amongst them. ‘Pranayama’ means the regulation of the Prana i.e. the vital air or breath of a being, through proper technique.
Keep in mind that the breath is bound to the orbit of the Sun. Normally, we breathe through the right nostril during the day, which is called the flow of the ‘Suryaswara’ or ‘Suryapravaha’. During night, we breathe through the left nostril, which is called the flow of ‘Chandraswara’ or ‘Chandrapravaha’. Some yogis can control their breath and breathe through both nostrils during the day as well as the night. Very few exceptional yogis can breathe the Chandraswara during the day and Suryaswara during the night. It is no miracle at all, just the science of the body, easily viable through constant practice.
The Ankapada aashrama has many such individuals. A Kshatriya should always keep in mind that during the Suryapravaha it is beneficial to study the scriptures and recite the tough subjects. It is also favourable to resolve to destroy the enemy, to bear weapons and to ride horses, elephants etc. during this time.
During the Chandrapravaha it is advantageous to offer donations, diagnose diseases, reconcile for friendship, etc.
When you have your attention on Sushumna Nadi, it is apt to remember God and chant his name. If there is an ongoing war at such time, it is only suitable to chant the name of God and wish for the welfare of the world. Any curse given to a Yogi whose Sushumna Nadi is active in the Suryaswara does not fructify, never gets its desired effect.
Srikrishna- the Lord of the Universe Page 11