Bharata’s conditional self imprecations have provided us with a window into Dharma. Yet a perplexing question remains, why and how could one be so much into Dharma consciousness and practice? Is there any clue into this extraordinary behavior? Let us piece together this mystery before completing our exercise of taking a peek into the remaining slokas.
At the Paramarthika level, there exists nothing other than Paramatma. Yet in our Vyavaharika level, we find Bhagawan pervades as Dharma. That is why whenever Dharma is endangered beyond a certain threshold, HE ensures its protection through HIS leelas. Even the archnemesis, Mareecha, was able to recognize Rama’s real nature in his famous declaration, “Ramo Vigrahavan Dharmaha”, which means if all Dharma in the Universe took a form, it will be Rama.
Let us go back to the birth of Rama. Dasratha obtained a pot of payasam to be distributed amongst his three wives. The first half was given to Kausalya, which was the cause of Rama. The remainder was halved and the quarter portion of the full payasam became Lakshmana and the half of the remaining quarter became Shatrughna, through Sumitra. But as Kaikeyi consumed her portion, which was quarter portion of original half first, Bharata was born ahead of Lakshmana. This establishes that Bharata was also the same form of Dharma. Just as one squeezes an apple or orange, we get its respective juice, when a person goes through situation, the real nature is expressed.
Saamanya Dharma (Contd.):
We continue our study into the remaining slokas as we try to construct a better insight into Saamanya Dharma.
Gratitude: Every living being intrinsically exhibits its interconnectedness and dependancy with its ancestors, especially the parents. The framework of life is possible only with the guidance and support of the Devas. The subtle idea of indebtedness to the various entities is at the core of Sanatana Dharma, as Runas. Lack of recognizing this debt and worse yet not willing to repay this debt reveals a Tamasic mindset. An ungrateful person is diametrically opposed to spiritual progress. In other words, having gratitude at different subtle levels accentuates one’s inclination towards a rapid inward progress.
देवतानां पित्रूणां च मातापित्रोस्तथैव च। मा स्म कार्षीत्स शुश्रूषां यस्यार्योऽनुमते गतः।। (VR 2-75-46)
devataanaam pitR^iiNaam cha mataapitroH tathaivaaha cha । maasmakaarshhiit shushruushhaam yasya aaryaH anumate gataH।।
May the one who counseled the exile of my esteemed brother, acquire the sin in the same way as a person who fails to show obedience to the gods and the ancestors and to serve his parents.
Guidance of the noble: In the world of actions, most people seek the approval of others or possessing certain objects as a state of achievement. This is referred as Object Referral. In contrast, if one relies only on the Atman, the real inner Self for guidance, it would be referred as Self Referral. A false identification of the self as body, mind, intellect are all modifications of the Ahamkara, which puts them squarely as Object Referral. Since it is very difficult even for earnest, ardent sadhakas, it is easy to observe the life of mahatmas and use it for calibrating our position, like using GPS.
सतां लोकात्सतां कीर्त्या स्सञ्जुष्टात्कर्मणस्तथा। भ्रश्यतु क्षिप्रमद्यैव यस्यार्योऽनुमते गतः।। (VR 2-75-47)
sataam lokaat sataam kiirtyaaH sajjushhTaat karmaNaH tathaa । bhrashyatu kshhipram adyaiva yasya aaryaH anumate gataH।।
May the one who counselled the exile of my esteemed brother be expelled this very moment from the world approved by virtuous men, from their renown and from their (noble) actions.
Bharata’s curse implies that sadhus approval of our actions is crucial and lack of it makes our conditions akin to a rudderless boat caught in a tempest amidst rocks on a pitch dark night. While fame by doing great deeds can be a measurable yardstick, it is critical of whose approval it gets, as fame can also be a reflection of sycophancy.
Purpose: The exalted goals for every human being in the different dimensions is referred as Purusharthas. Not aligning oneself with this swadharma results in anarta, misguided, meaningless, futile actions. The epitome of meaningful actions is doing service to one’s mother. Abandoning this duty highlights the fallen state of the person. On one count, it relates to not being grateful, but on the other shows the lack of purpose in life, as there is a huge disconnect in doing one’s swadharma.
अपास्य मातृशुश्रूषामनर्थे सोऽवतिष्ठताम्। दीर्घबाहुर्महावक्षा: यस्यार्योऽनुमते गतः।।(VR 2-75-48)
apaasya maatR^ishushruusham anarte saH avatishhThataam । diirghabaahuH mahaavakshhaa yasya aaryaH anumate gataH।।
The one who counselled the exile of my noble, longarmed and broadchested brother be banished like the one who commited the sin of leaving the ministration to his mother and engaging himself in purposeless acts.
The importance of having a purpose based on swadharma gives us a way to negate the vasanas that keep drowning us in this samsara sagara.
Responsibility: Purushartha provides the direction, but one has to take charge of one’s own life. While we may be born in certain conditions, but that is not an excuse for staying there. One must exert Purushartha to overcome the challenges.
बहुपुत्रो दरिद्रश्च ज्वररोगसमन्वितः। स भूयात्सतत क्लेशी यस्यार्योऽनुमते गतः।।(VR 2-75-49)
bahubhR^ityaHdaridraH cha jvararoga samanvitaH । saH bhuyat satatakleshii yasya aaryaH anumate gataH।।
May the one who counselled the exile of my esteemed brother be always miserable with many sons, poverty and fever and disease.
As exemplified in this curse, Bharata points out that having children comes with certain responsibilities. Having many sons indicates that such an individual has a huge role to play in their lives. Contrast that to what we see them as being controlled by children’s future or worse yet having a callous outlook towards them. In the same way poverty is not a badge of honor. If one were to be born in it or fall into that miserable state, it is the responsibility of the individual to get out of that state.
The normal natural state of every living being is to be healthy. While it may be beyond the abilities to obtain a cure for ailments, be it caused genetically or environmentally, the strife to get healthy is still one’s responsibility. Not acknowledging or playing the responsibility results in further worsening the state.
Dependability: Performing our responsibilities makes one dependable. Enticing the dependents with hope and later disappointing them leads to a grave papa.
आशामाशंसमानानां दीनानामूर्ध्वचक्षुषाम्। अर्थिनां वितथां कुर्याद्यस्यार्योऽनुमते गतः।।(VR 2-75-50)
aashamsamaanaanaam diinaanaam uurdhva chakshhushhaam । arthinaam vitathaam kuryaat yasya aaryaH anumate gataH।।
May the one who counselled the exile of my esteemed brother acquire the sin in the same way a person disappoints who miserable mendicants seeking alms and looking up to him for help.
Lack of Fear: A person aligned with Dharma is fearless. Fear is a state that appears only if one is driven by Kama. If one is driven by Dharma and is facing an uphill task of not fulfilling, the strife and struggle does not induce fear, instead energizes the individual. But when the focal point is Kama, especially when doing an action that is not sanctioned by dharma or society, there is a ripple effect of fear.
मायया रमतां नित्यं परुषः पिशुनोऽशुचिः। राज्ञो भीतस्त्वधर्मात्मा यस्यार्योऽनुमते गतः।।(VR 2-75-51)
maayayaa ramataam nityam parushhaH pishunaH ashuchiH । raajN^aH bhiitaH adharmatma yasya aaryaH anumate gataH।।
May the one who counselled the exile of my esteemed brother acquire the sin in the same way as a person, who is abusive, niggardly, impure, unrighteous and always afraid of being caught by the king, and lives by cheating others, acquires.
A thief, however smart, is always under the threat of being caught and punished. The same situation exists for one who brazenly commits guilt and they are forced to live in the shadow of fear. While the normal desires come with their corresponding lack of fruition leading to fear, overcoming even them comes by increasingly aligning with dharma and minimizing Kama.
Family as an ethical unit: Family is the smallest dharmic unit of the society. We already observed that it is the dharmic duty of every individual to perpetuate their lineage. While there may be some gender preferences in the minds of the people due to ritual practices, shastras do not favor such gender preferences.
It is considered a sacred duty, not one driven by Kama to be intimate with one’s wife for procreation. Certain times like during menstrual time must be avoided due to the biological oddities the women endure. On the other hand, a doting wife past her menstruation, after her ritualistic bath, when she approaches her husband, it is the duty of the husband to oblige. It may be strange for the traditional feminist to see such a strong departure between the popular narrative/practice and the prescribed course of action.
ऋतुस्नातां सतीं भार्यामृतुकालानुरोधिनीम्। अतिवर्तेत दुष्टात्मा यस्यार्योऽनुमते गतः।।(VR 2-75-52)
R^itusnaataam satiim bhaaryaam R^tukaalaanurodhiniim । ativarteta dushhTaatmaa yasya aaryaH anumate gataH।।
May the one who counselled the exile of my esteemed brother acquire the sin in the same way as a wickedminded person who neglects his chaste wife observing the menstrual period unfavourable for conception and had bathed after menstruation acquires.
Similarly neglecting one’s wife (spouse) rooted in dharma and worse yet pining or leching for another person’s wife (spouse) reflects not only poor ethical taste or infidelity, but also results in huge papa.
सधर्मदारान्परित्यज्य परदारान्निषेवताम्। त्यक्तधर्मरतिर्मूढो यस्यार्योऽनुमते गतः।।(VR 2-75-53)
sa dharma daaraan parityajya paradaaraan nishhevataam । tyaktadharmaratiH muuDhaH yasya aaryaH anumate gataH।।
May the one who counselled the exile of my esteemed brother acquire the sin in the same way a foolish person who abandons righteous conduct and forsakes his rightfully married wife and resorts to other man's wife acquires.
It may be common sense to understand to grasp the ethics in the above scenario, but at the root it reveals a mess of emotions blinded by the ugly modifications of Kama, in the form of moha, mada, abhishvanga and the like. This disease obstructs all forms of spiritual growth and is much more toxic than at mere relationship issue.
Gunakarma: In Varnas – a spiritual insight, we understood that birth is not the criteria for one’s varna, but it is rooted in our Guna and Karma.
विप्रलुप्तप्रजातस्य दुष्कृतं ब्राह्मणस्य यत्। तदेव प्रतिपद्येत यस्यार्योऽनुमते गतः।।(VR 2-75-54)
vipraluptaprajaatasya dushhkrutam braahmanaNasya yat । tadeva pratipadyataam yasya aaryaH anumate gataH।।
May the one who counselled the exile of my esteemed brother acquire the same sin like that of a lowbred brahmin who commits an irreversible sin acquires.
If there is a Brahmana, there is a certain expectation. Contrary to the expected behavior, if this Brahmana is committed to a wrong trajectory, in the past Yugas, it created huge ripples due to the temerity of such papas. Of course, if we were to look at today’s scenario, many Brahmanas from cultured families end up eating meat, consuming alcohol and behaving worse than a woke, we simply brush it aside calling it Kali Yuga pattern.
Conclusion: Bharata was at his worst moment of his life, having lost his father; his beloved brother – bigger than his life, left for the forest; his own mother was the conspirator and now Kausalya feels that Bharata was the co-conspirator. Faced with the worst, the pressure on Bharata is tremendous, yet even then what comes out of his mouth was unadulterated Dharma. While most of us brush aside these as emotional outburst or inconsequential swelling of feeling, it is hard to miss the wealth of Dharma buried in his statements and their practical application for all times, provided we pay sincere attention.
Dharma is the bedrock of all existence and Bharata shows that as situation worsens, we must be fine-tuned with it even more. The window to the past dharmic society painted by the values highlighted by Bharata give us an opportunity to raise ours. As he repeatedly emphasizes on the individual following the swadharma, the message echoes louder as it resonates with the absence of the same today. May we strive to understand, follow, uphold and protect Dharma in our lives.
ॐ तत् सत
