Lessons from Yayati - Swarga

    Yayati has been a wonderful summary of entire human life. Lessons from Yayati have provided extremely valuable insights through the episodes in – Prelude, Endless desire and Renunciation. We have realized the metaphorical connection between Yayati and our own lives. This veritable treat from Mahabharata (with references in Srimad Bhagavatam) showcases more than the ancestral connections of Krishna and the Kurus.

Storytime:

    Yayati having realized that desires will never be quenched and the fire keeps growing as one feeds it, retires to Vanaprastha life, having developed Viveka and Vairagya. Giving up on the perpetual chase of pleasures in samsara with a resolve to realize one’s true nature is the first step. As a Grihastha he had an exemplary dharmic life, yet this pleasure chase and desire hankering/satisfying game grew weary on the dharmic mind. He focuses more on the internal rearrangement through tapasya, atma vichara and sense/anger control, pleasing the devas and pithrus with his actions. The Mahabharata catalogs his spiritual feats at great length. This results in him going to Swarga.

    Owing to his Tapasya strength he was even able to visit Brahmaloka. Once when he was in Swarga, Indra struck a conversation with Yayati, eager to know the advice given by him to his son, Puru, on the eve of regaining his youth and his coronation. It maybe prudent and profitable for us to get a deep insight into this timeless wisdom.

Yayati’s advice to Puru (and us)

• Human beings must give up poverty, anger, cheating, greed and hate. Not only they cannot be under their spell, but must also not promote it.

• Wise people never cross their bounds with mother, father, elders, learned, rishis and the patient. One endowed with strength tolerates, ones who are weak get angry.

• Kali Yuga characteristics: Characterless people will deem the Sadhus as enemies. In the same way, powerless ones will display hate against the powerful (here it is understood as arajaka/anarchy over dharmic rulers), hideous ones will hate the beautiful, poor will hate the wealthy, ones not observing dharma or not following their karma will despise the ones who observe dharma and perform karma.

• Satya Yuga characteristics: Irrespective of their Varnashrama, everyone is focused on promoting Saatva through their actions and gain fame. The implication here is our actions as a society can create the Yuga characteristics we live in.

• Anger control: The one who controls anger is far superior to the one who cannot; the patient controller of senses is superior to the ones who cannot; the silent suffering of a sense controller is enough to burn the aggressor for the transgression.

• Choice of words: One must always use sweeter choice of words as opposed to harsher ones that cause wounding of the heart. Bad choice of words spread inauspiciousness. Learn to tolerate the harsh words of the fickle. Words are like arrows, cannot be recalled. Hence care must be shown on where it is deployed. There is parity for the virtues of showing kindness to animals, charity and sweetness of words.

Fall of Yayati:

    Indra was very pleased with Yayati’s response. He wanted to know how he would rate his tapasya. Yayati humbly stated that there was no equal to him in Tapasya amongst the devas, humans, gandharvas and rishis. This created a huge offense. Yayati had discounted all the ones who excelled or equaled him in Tapasya thus indirectly abusing them. Indra stated due to this huge fault, Yayati’s stay in swarga has been terminated due to the taint.

    Yayati was quick to realize this blunder, he sought Indra’s grace that when he falls from swarga, he must fall amongst those who excel in sattva, sadhus. Indra granted him the wish and informed that his fall amongst sadhus will elevate his thinking and he will regain his status. The fall was instantaneous.

    Ashtaka, Vasuman, Pratardana and Sibi, the best amongst sadhus, saw the falling Yayati. Ashtaka inquired at the falling Yayati, “Who are you who looks like Indra, with the tejas of Agni, falling from the dark clouds shining like a bright sun?” We are anxious to learn why someone who is akin to Indra and Agni has to have a grave fall. Seeing a shade of fear in Yayati, Ashtaka assured that Yayati can give up any reason that is disturbing his mind.

    Owing to his attractive form and aura, the dominant question in their minds is to know about the reason for his fall. Having placed that question first, Ashtaka wanted to know his origins of the still falling Yayati. Ashtaka again assured that Yayati must give up his sorrow, fear and delusion. Being amongst Sadhus Yayati can be assured that even the powerful Indra cannot dare to hurt him, breaching their protection. The only refuge for anyone who has lost themselves from the path of felicity is Sadhu Satsangha. Sadhus are the sole refuge for everyone. Agni is the primary source of heat, Bhoomi alone infuses the life force for the seed, surya alone illuminates everything and for the sadhus only the athithi alone can command them. Thus commenced a wonderful discussion between Ashtaka and Yayati, which we will analyze in the next article.

Practical applications: The implications in our life is of utmost importance than a grand incident.

• Anger control: Throughout Yayati episode, we repeatedly hear the glorification of anger control from Shukracharya and Yayati. The feat is stupendous and a critical milestone in one’s spiritual journey. Shri Krishna highlights the same in Bhagavad Gita by calling lust, anger and greed as doors to naraka (त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः । कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् ॥ trividhaṃ narakasyedaṃ dvāraṃ nāśanamātmanaḥ kāmaḥ krodhastathā lobhastasmādetattrayaṃ tyajet 16-21). Anger stored without expressing as forgiveness acts as a sure potent poison that one has consumed.

• Swarga is temporary: Yayati’s fall from Swarga reminds us that all the states the Jiva perceives is not its real state. They are mere projections of the body, mind and intellect to express the Karma Vasanas or enjoy the Karmaphala. Doing all good Karma only ensures that there is good Karmaphala, maybe Swarga, that awaits as a result. The results are definitely finite, however grandiose and most certainly temporary at best. This doesn’t mean one must stop doing good Karma. Instead one must accrue the punyaphala to strengthen their understanding and practice of Dharma, besides giving up the hankering for the Karmaphala.

• Humility: Yayati was an exemplar as a human being, in his tapasya. Indra’s question put him in a spot to highlight about his own achievement. An extremely minuscule pride was evident as he claimed that there was no equal to him. This was sufficient to nullify all the great spiritual achievements. The Mahabharata deems talking about one’s own glory, even if accurate, is akin to one’s death.
   

• Yuga characteristics: Apart from the human and cosmic Yuga scales that are used to measure time, Itihasapuranas repeatedly inform that the Gunas and Karmas expressed by the society creates the Yuga characteristics. This implies that each one of us are responsible the society’s Yuga traits and its repercussions.

• Kama, Krodha and Ahamkara: Yayati climbed this extremely arduous spiritual peak by overcoming his basal tendencies. He mastered kama/desires, despite being a slave for thousands of years. Due to his extraordinary sense control, he even mastered Krodha (anger/wrath). This allowed him access to Swarga. Yet when confronted by a question, a subtle hint of Ahamkara was still persistent. This made him declare himself as a superlative tapasvi. The Ahamkara made him ignore the feats of the ones who excelled or equaled him.

• Satsangha: The only desire that all the years of punya and dharma adherence made Yayati seek out was Satsangha. At times of distress there is no solace but Satsangha. This clears the confusion and provides safety amidst the tempest of Samsara. Even at the instantaneous throwing out of swarga, Yayati requests that he fall where sadhus are. Yoga Vasishta declares the Satsangha is one of the four guaranteed paths that lead us to Moksha.

    Adi Shankaracharya declares the significance of Satsangha and its effects in Bhaja Govindam as “Satsangatve nissangatvam Nissangatve nirmohatvam Nirmohatve nischalatattvam Nischalatattve jeevanmuktih” (Bhajagovindam – 9). Satsangha leads to non association (non attachment), which results in destroying the delusion. With no delusion, there is clarity in understanding the ultimate truth and reality thus liberating us. Satsangha is the bridge that can carry us away from the perpetual confusion of samsara to the supreme reality. May we strive hard to dissociate from the bad association causing our samaric bondage and proactively increase our satsangha thus keeping us always on the path of Dharma and Moksha.

ॐ तत् सत

Lessons from Yayati - Renunciation

    Yayati has been providing wonderful insights into ourselves in Lessons from Yayati – Prelude and Lessons from Yayati- Endless desire. Casting aside the recent illogical sickular assertions to brush aside these historical incidents as myths, we profit immensely by developing little shraddha in our itihasapuranas. We immediately realize that itihasapuranas have relevance in our daily lives.

    As we noted elements of this incident is found in the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavatam. We will blend them here to return to our focused research.

Storytime:

    We recall that Yayati was cursed with progeria, premature aging due to his affair with Sarmishta. Only his youngest son, Puru, was able to think along the lines of Dharma and offered to swap his youth for his father’s old age. Yayati having gotten a second chance, pushed his youthful vigor to its limits. He enjoyed pleasures to his heart’s content. His rule was steeped in dharma. Devayani brought extreme intense joy to Yayati though all her endowments of mind, word and body.

    While Yayati was immersed in a pleasure fest, he was performing many yagas and yajnas with plentiful dakshinas. He also tried to infuse the thoughts of Hari. Whenever he worshiped Narayana, he kept it untainted with thoughts of Kama and Artha. For a thousand years, he pursued the satisfaction of every whim and fancy, every desire in the hopes of dousing the raging fire of the manas and the five indriyas. Yet he remained farthest from satiety.

Parable of the Goats:

    Immersed in sensual pleasures, the uxorious Yayati suddenly realized his spiritual fall. As the strengthening viveka produced lasting vairagya, he created a parable to transfer his wisdom to Devayani. He informed her that the story mirrored his life. Due to the past karmas, a he-goat, roaming in the forest, chanced upon a she-goat trapped in a well. The sex intoxicated he-goat began to create a passage by ramming its head against the side of the well. The beautiful she-goat now desired to mate with its hero and rescuer. But the lust driven he-goat, not content with this she-goat, went after many mates. It forgot its real nature (आत्मानं नावबुध्यत ātmānaṁ nāvabudhyata SB 9-19-6).

 

     The she-goat got frustrated by the lack of loyalty returned to its former caretaker. Unable to persuade its mate, the he-goat instead found the angry brahmana, who cuts its testicles, which he later restored through yoga. The he-goat continued to happily enjoy more pleasures by taking the she-goat, yet there was no satisfaction.

Renunciation:

    Yayati highlighted that he was reduced to a pitiable state for ignoring his real nature and wrapping himself with infatuated love. Out of his concern for her, he shares the wisdom soaked in viveka and vairagya.

• A person’s lust/greed will never be satisfied even by owning the entire world, including all the food grains – rice, barley; gold, livestock and all the women (यत् पृथिव्यां व्रीहियवं हिरण्यं पशव: स्त्रिय: । न दुह्यन्ति मन:प्रीतिं पुंस: कामहतस्य ते ॥ yat pṛthivyāṁ vrīhi-yavaṁ hiraṇyaṁ paśavaḥ striyaḥ na duhyanti manaḥ-prītiṁ puṁsaḥ kāma-hatasya te SB 9-19-13). 

   

• Contrary to the common understanding, desires are never satiated by obtaining the objects of desire. Just like adding butter to a fire only makes it stronger. Desire fans its flame though its modifications of pleasure, pain, anger, greed, jealousy, delusion, yet lust thrives stronger (न जातु काम: कामानामुपभोगेन शाम्यति । हविषा कृष्णवर्त्मेव भूय एवाभिवर्धते ॥ na jātu kāmaḥ kāmānām upabhogena śāṁyati haviṣā kṛṣṇa-vartmeva bhūya evābhivardhate SB 9-19-14).

   

• When anyone is centered on treating everyone with equanimity, seeking the welfare of everyone, then he finds happiness in all directions. (यदा न कुरुते भावं सर्वभूतेष्वमङ्गलम् । समद‍ृष्टेस्तदा पुंस: सर्वा: सुखमया दिश: ॥ yadā na kurute bhāvaṁ sarva-bhūteṣv amaṅgalam sama-dṛṣṭes tadā puṁsaḥ sarvāḥ sukhamayā diśaḥ SB 9-19-15). This is possible only by raising above raaga-dvesha (likes and dislikes) and by developing an attitude of Sarva Bhuta hita – welfare and prosperity of all beings.

• Hankering of sensory enjoyments doesn’t decay with age. Getting attached to such desires makes them extremely difficult to give up. Anyone seeking happiness must give up the thirst from which wells the desire. (या दुस्त्यजा दुर्मतिभिर्जीर्यतो या न जीर्यते । तां तृष्णां दु:खनिवहां शर्मकामो द्रुतं त्यजेत् ॥ yā dustyajā durmatibhir jīryato yā na jīryate tāṁ tṛṣṇāṁ duḥkha-nivahāṁ śarma-kāmo drutaṁ tyajet SB9-19-16). It is akin to quicksand, the more we struggle, the deeper we get entangled. The more we desire and pine for pleasures, the more we get entrapped.

   

    As recalled even after a thousand years, the urge to seek out pleasure did not get satiated and only has grown stronger. Yayati decided to abandon his grihastha roots attachments and renounce everything. Instead he decided to focus his entire attention only on the Supreme SELF. Realizing the ephemeral nature of the pleasures, objects of senses, one must stop pining for them or enjoy them under the fallacy that the objects provide lasting pleasure. The entangling nature of samsara, the binding nature of any karma and karmaphala is always remembered and understood by the learned man. Such a person has studied the real nature of their SELF and is truly enlightened. (द‍ृष्टं श्रुतमसद्बुद्ध्वा नानुध्यायेन्न सन्दिशेत् । संसृतिं चात्मनाशं च तत्र विद्वान् स आत्मद‍ृक् ॥ dṛṣṭaṁ śrutam asad buddhvā nānudhyāyen na sandiśet saṁsṛtiṁ cātma-nāśaṁ ca tatra vidvān sa ātma-dṛk SB 9-19-20)

 

    Yayati now gave up his kingdom and youth to Puru, having sent the other children to the different directions of his kingdom’s borders. Upon being questioned by scholars, as noted earlier, he laid his irrefutable arguments. He immediately gave up all his sensory attachments that were bogging his realizing his real nature. He became absorbed in the Supreme Self, Vasudeva. Devayani realized that the amusing story was a parable of their life, imparted to elevate her thinking. She realized that her relationship with her husband, children, relatives and friends were tethered to this bodily existence and temporary at best. She too, absorbed her mind on Vasudeva and obtained liberation.

Metaphorical connection:

    Old age represents death. Yayati gets old and later younger. This signifies the rebirth. Even when we are reborn, our vasanas stay strong and fresh. Even if there is no vasana pressure, there is a constant input and attraction from the sense objects, which keep exerting a strong pull on the senses. As the mind is already following the senses, it continuously remains trapped in these constant attractions. But as Vasanas add the strong push towards these objects of desire, the Jiva is unable to extricate from this undying thirst to enjoy the objects of pleasure.

    Yayati though immersed in the world of desirable objects, was equally connected to Dharma. This Dharma forced him to have limited Satsangha. This kept sowing seeds of Viveka and Vairagya. Though it took forever to germinate, they slowly but surely began to take root in time. The subtle effect had an internal Guna transformation, though he was still busy enjoying the pleasures of life.

    The same is true in our lives. We may be buried in samsara, yet if we remain committed to Dharma at all times, it will slowly lead us to Satsangha.

Practical Applications:

• Develop a strong ruchi for dharma. This will not only keep us on track but also help us protect the good vasanas.

• Pursuit of pleasures is a futile endeavor as it never brings satiation. The same is true with avoidance of pain. Instead if one pursues the path of contentment, it leads to peace and eventually liberation.

• Desire is an unquenchable fire. The very fact one attempts even in thought strengthens the vasanas. The desire when attained seems to give a temporary feeling of pleasure, but leaves a strong pining for more leading to greed, jealousy, delusion and lust. If it not attained, it leads to grief, depression and anger. In both cases the vasanas grow stronger. Add on to this the time waiting for Karmaphala more vasanas and thirst for the object grows stronger, which only adds more fuel to this inferno.

• A fire grows continuously when there is fuel, oxygen (oxidizing agent) and a source of heat. Desire does all three by itself. It thus keeps the inferno of an inextinguishable thirst raging, besides ensuring the option to flare up more by strengthening the vasanas.

• Desire may be a legitimate object, yet the attachment to the object desired, adds more complexity to this mental modification. This constant hankering for objects keeps us away from the quest of realizing our true SELF.

• Satsangha and adherence to dharma are sure ways to slowly effect a guna transformation. As the mind gets more Saatvic it tends to give clarity in thinking. This slowly leads to a stronger buddhi, which starts to develop viveka and vairagya. Discretion and Discipline, namely, guide the person to steer clear from the temptations of the sense objects and the tendency of the senses to constantly seek their association.

 

   Yayati provides a wonderful insight into the complete life cycle of every Jiva. His choices offer us a laboratory of experiences which we are currently undergoing and its future trajectory. He also provides us with an escape mechanism from this rut. Dharma and Satsangha are definitely sure shot antidotes to the overwhelming powers of desire and vasanas. This can be definitely sped up by controlling the senses and not giving a free access for the desires to drive the mind. The combination of satsangha (association with Sat) and a deliberate dissociation from desires/vasanas provide a definite and time tested shortcut to realizing our true SELF. May Yayati’s story continue to inspire and guide us to the lotus feet of Bhagawan.

ॐ तत् सत