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DESIRE HURTS (Kamam Krodham lobham moham..)
Of the inveterate inner enemies embedded in our nature, ‘ Kama, krodha, lobha and moha are the most dangerous! They prevent man from spiritual progress! Kama is desire which can never be satiated!
Like the fuel that increases the flames, satisfying a desire leads to far more desires and there is no end for it! Kama or desire can be for anything good or bad--desire for money and wealth or for power, renown and for women and wine!
Results will depend on the nature of desire and the effort made by the individual!
When the desire is unfulfilled there is frustration and anger that result in further difficult situations.
In Sankhya Yoga of the Bhagavad-Gita Lord Krishna tells Arjuna the disastrous consequence of anger:
“ From anger arises delusion; delusion promotes confusion of the mind; confusion generates loss of reason; and finally, loss of reason leads to complete ruin. (Sankhya Yoga 63)
Desire is all-devouring, and corrupts everything. It is the greatest enemy. Desire is the Wise man’s eternal foe, O Kounteya, and is like an insatiable fire.” (Karma Yoga 37,39).
Sankara says, “ Kamam Krodham lobham moham tyakthvathmanam- avoid desire, anger, covetousness and attachment”.
Easily said than done!
It is easy for the great Jagadguru Sankara to advise the common man!
But how far is it possible for him?
From time immemorial control of desire has not been possible even for Gods!
Then why think about the hapless mortals on earth!
What made Indra, king of Gods run after the chaste spouse of sage Gautama when he was away?
It is gross desire for union with her.
He had to lose his manliness as a consequence! In spite of being a great king with all luxuries,
king Yayati was not satiated! He neglected his wife Devayani, daughter of his guru Sukracharya. He romanced with his second wife Sarmishta and on Devayani’s complaint, he was cursed by Sukracharya to lose his youth!
He would get back his youth if someone else would exchange his youth for old age!! Even at this stage the king’s conjugal desire did not leave him.
He called his sons and wanted one of them to take on his old age! They refused but finally his last son helped Yayati and took over his old age as an obedient son!
We feel sad at the plight of sage Durvasa, famous for his great tapas, and anger!
Promising his host Ambarisha, an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu, to return for meal after a dip in the river, the sage tried his patience by returning very late!
Ambarisha could not wait for the sage as the auspicious dwadasi hours progressed. He took some Tulsi water so that his vrata would not be affected
Soon sage Durvasa returned and knew what had happened. In a fit of uncontrollable rage, he created an evil spirit and ordered it to destroy Ambarisha!
But the Sudarsana Chakra of Lord Vishnu, presented to Ambarisha for his protection, immediately destroyed the sage’s evil spirit and chased the sage!
Durvasa ran for his life but the chakra did not leave him!
The Trinity, Brahma, Vishnu, Siva could not save the Sage.
Vishnu asked Durvasa to beg the pardon of his bhaktha Ambarisha, which alone is the way to avoid the Chakra! Poor Durvasa had to eat his humble pie by begging pardon from Ambarisha!
The story from the Bhagavata Purana is an illustration of what harm can meaningless anger do for an individual however great he may be!
What about Ravana the king of Lanka? Brother of Kubera the God of Wealth, and a great Vedic scholar who pleased Lord Siva by singing the Sama Veda, he was an embodiment of lust!
He imprisoned many celestial damsels, and was cursed by Vedavathi for touching her while in penance!
Aspiring for the hand of Sita, wife of Rama sealed his fate!
Whatever may be your accomplishments, the effect of Kama, krodha and moha is enough to cause one’s downfall!
It is absolutely impossible for the common man to keep his senses under control!
That is why Sri Sankara says “ bhavayakoham”- who thinks about the Atma or soul?
Fools who have no Atma jnana or realization of the Self have to suffer in the secret excruciating spheres of Naraka!” “ “atma Jnana vihinamoodah te pachyante naraka nigudah”
What then is the way out for humanity to escape from the all pervading tentacles of the inner enemies or arishadvargas?
The only way is to control your senses!
Our indriyas and senses tempt us. we should not yield to such temptations.
According to the Upanishad our body is the is chariot. Atma is the charioteer. Intellect Is the driver of the chariot. Manas or mind is the controlling factor.
The Indriyas or sensory organs are the horses that gallop uninhibited if not held in check.
Ultimately they dash you to the ground if you lose your control!
This control of senses is rather difficult but not impossible!
Meditation, chanting the name of God, sathsang, company with the wise and the saintly can play a large part in developing the crucial check on the senses.
Non attachment to mundane and material aspects of worldly life shall also help the aspirant! Hence Sankara expects every individual to develop 'atmajnana’ or self realization to escape from the clutches of the lower world or Naraka!
Self realization is the only panacea for all the evil and sufferings in the modern world!
Source: ykjanaki.blogspot
This post is for sharing knowledge only, no intention to violate any copy rights
Of the inveterate inner enemies embedded in our nature, ‘ Kama, krodha, lobha and moha are the most dangerous! They prevent man from spiritual progress! Kama is desire which can never be satiated!
Like the fuel that increases the flames, satisfying a desire leads to far more desires and there is no end for it! Kama or desire can be for anything good or bad--desire for money and wealth or for power, renown and for women and wine!
Results will depend on the nature of desire and the effort made by the individual!
When the desire is unfulfilled there is frustration and anger that result in further difficult situations.
In Sankhya Yoga of the Bhagavad-Gita Lord Krishna tells Arjuna the disastrous consequence of anger:
“ From anger arises delusion; delusion promotes confusion of the mind; confusion generates loss of reason; and finally, loss of reason leads to complete ruin. (Sankhya Yoga 63)
Desire is all-devouring, and corrupts everything. It is the greatest enemy. Desire is the Wise man’s eternal foe, O Kounteya, and is like an insatiable fire.” (Karma Yoga 37,39).
Sankara says, “ Kamam Krodham lobham moham tyakthvathmanam- avoid desire, anger, covetousness and attachment”.
Easily said than done!
It is easy for the great Jagadguru Sankara to advise the common man!
But how far is it possible for him?
From time immemorial control of desire has not been possible even for Gods!
Then why think about the hapless mortals on earth!
What made Indra, king of Gods run after the chaste spouse of sage Gautama when he was away?
It is gross desire for union with her.
He had to lose his manliness as a consequence! In spite of being a great king with all luxuries,
king Yayati was not satiated! He neglected his wife Devayani, daughter of his guru Sukracharya. He romanced with his second wife Sarmishta and on Devayani’s complaint, he was cursed by Sukracharya to lose his youth!
He would get back his youth if someone else would exchange his youth for old age!! Even at this stage the king’s conjugal desire did not leave him.
He called his sons and wanted one of them to take on his old age! They refused but finally his last son helped Yayati and took over his old age as an obedient son!
We feel sad at the plight of sage Durvasa, famous for his great tapas, and anger!
Promising his host Ambarisha, an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu, to return for meal after a dip in the river, the sage tried his patience by returning very late!
Ambarisha could not wait for the sage as the auspicious dwadasi hours progressed. He took some Tulsi water so that his vrata would not be affected
Soon sage Durvasa returned and knew what had happened. In a fit of uncontrollable rage, he created an evil spirit and ordered it to destroy Ambarisha!
But the Sudarsana Chakra of Lord Vishnu, presented to Ambarisha for his protection, immediately destroyed the sage’s evil spirit and chased the sage!
Durvasa ran for his life but the chakra did not leave him!
The Trinity, Brahma, Vishnu, Siva could not save the Sage.
Vishnu asked Durvasa to beg the pardon of his bhaktha Ambarisha, which alone is the way to avoid the Chakra! Poor Durvasa had to eat his humble pie by begging pardon from Ambarisha!
The story from the Bhagavata Purana is an illustration of what harm can meaningless anger do for an individual however great he may be!
What about Ravana the king of Lanka? Brother of Kubera the God of Wealth, and a great Vedic scholar who pleased Lord Siva by singing the Sama Veda, he was an embodiment of lust!
He imprisoned many celestial damsels, and was cursed by Vedavathi for touching her while in penance!
Aspiring for the hand of Sita, wife of Rama sealed his fate!
Whatever may be your accomplishments, the effect of Kama, krodha and moha is enough to cause one’s downfall!
It is absolutely impossible for the common man to keep his senses under control!
That is why Sri Sankara says “ bhavayakoham”- who thinks about the Atma or soul?
Fools who have no Atma jnana or realization of the Self have to suffer in the secret excruciating spheres of Naraka!” “ “atma Jnana vihinamoodah te pachyante naraka nigudah”
What then is the way out for humanity to escape from the all pervading tentacles of the inner enemies or arishadvargas?
The only way is to control your senses!
Our indriyas and senses tempt us. we should not yield to such temptations.
According to the Upanishad our body is the is chariot. Atma is the charioteer. Intellect Is the driver of the chariot. Manas or mind is the controlling factor.
The Indriyas or sensory organs are the horses that gallop uninhibited if not held in check.
Ultimately they dash you to the ground if you lose your control!
This control of senses is rather difficult but not impossible!
Meditation, chanting the name of God, sathsang, company with the wise and the saintly can play a large part in developing the crucial check on the senses.
Non attachment to mundane and material aspects of worldly life shall also help the aspirant! Hence Sankara expects every individual to develop 'atmajnana’ or self realization to escape from the clutches of the lower world or Naraka!
Self realization is the only panacea for all the evil and sufferings in the modern world!
Source: ykjanaki.blogspot
This post is for sharing knowledge only, no intention to violate any copy rights