Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – Tripura Rahasya Day 6 – January 9, 2022 – Mysore
Compiled by Parimala Eshwarla
Chapter 5
Parashurama who was in great urgency to reach Dattatreya’s ashram instantly started walking in the Northern direction. As he walked quickly, he was thinking of the ways of the world.
He thought, ‘Until now I have not focussed on that which should be focussed upon. Until now I have behaved like one who gets carried away by the forceful flow or like a blind man who follows another. Due to this, the person will never obtain any good result. Although only bad results are obtained, the ignorant human mistakenly believes the bad to be good and gets deceived.
At times, some good fortune may cause a person to suddenly obtain some good results. The humans fail to understand that good results were obtained due to the Lord’s will. Instead, they wrongly believe them to be the result of their deeds. This is where they go wrong.
(They think- in some birth, I have done some meritorious deeds or given extensive charities, hence I have obtained these good results).
Desirous of those fruits, they further get trapped in a delusion and continue to rotate in this cycle of repeated rebirths. Desiring the insignificant visible fruits of this world, they get trapped just as the fish, seeking the tiny meat piece, gets trapped in the hook.
How can a person who rotates in this wicked cycle of rebirths ever obtain happiness? He cannot. Nevertheless, all beings beginning from the tiniest germs that have a lowly birth, eternally work hard to secure worldly comforts and happiness.
The physical pleasure enjoyed by the king of the three worlds for tongue taste and conjugal pleasures is similar to that which a worm that lives in urine and excreta, experiences.
(The worm believes its bodily pleasures to be the most enjoyable. The king too feels the same. If so, what is the difference between them?)
In this world, everything is sought only for the body that is made up of the 5 elements. Such a body is filled with urine, excreta, blood and muscles. From its many holes, only bad smells are emitted. This body is despicable and is the cause of sorrow. Has anyone ever obtained permanent happiness with this body? No. Hence it is condemnable. Children, wife and friends are connected only to this highly condemnable physical body.
People perceive this impermanent and extremely fearsome body, which is the cause of all sorrow, to be their Self. Considering the body to be the Self is truly deplorable. Both the ignorant and the learned are aware that this physical body is devoid of even the basic good qualities.
The ignorant consider this body, which is filled with pathways for the flow of liquids, which emits only foul smell, which is filled with urine, excreta and phlegm, and which is filled with hair, skin and blood, to be the ultimate, and develop extreme love for it.
Hence, they decorate it with fragrant flowers, sandal-paste and other perfumes, and delight in it. They forget all the faults that exist in this body. Forgetting that this body changes with every passing minute, they artificially decorate it and rejoice considering it to be the most beautiful.
This physical body is the repository of all diseases and troubles. Further, from the body, a foul smell is always emitted.
Due to the consciousness that exists within, the body appears sentient although inherently it is inert. This body, which is impure and filled with filth, is despicable.
Every day the person sees others agonize due to painful physical diseases. Yet, being foolish, he wrongly believes that his body will never be troubled with disease and that it will not get destroyed. This is how deluded humans think.
Men and women in this world get deluded at seeing each other’s beauty and develop a mutual attraction. Instead, they should stop and think, ‘Where is beauty in this body?’ Only urine and excreta exist in this body. Is there any beauty in it?
The deluded person sees beauty in this perishable body. Those who take delight in this body that is meant to be loathed, are at par with worms. Fie on them! Due to lack of Self-enquiry, they perceive the greatest faults as supreme virtues and greatest virtues as faults.
It is desires and anger that cause the person to develop a liking for the body. Trapped in desires and anger, people agonise like those caught in a burning fire. They cannot remain stable at any place. Just as the ball of cotton flies circularly due to whirlwinds, those trapped in desires and anger continuously rotate in the sorrow known as repeated births and deaths.
Filled with lust, the deluded people eternally strive for the fulfilment of their desires and in the process fail to notice the dreadful death that stands beside them. Although they are aware that they are short-lived, they seek permanent results for the deeds they perform.
For their selfish needs, they succumb to desires and anger, lose their reasoning capacity and even commit terrible sins such as murders. Those who have succumbed to desires and anger always strive for comforts yet fail to obtain even the least comforts. This is undoubtedly true.
Those whose minds are enveloped with the fiery flames known as greed can never experience the cool comfort of the fragrant sandal paste known as detachment. (As Avadhootas have applied this sandal paste called detachment, they are eternally glowing).
Better than humans who have succumbed to desires and anger are animals and birds which, with a peaceful mind, experience comforts. The desire to hoard does not exist in them. When hungry, they put in the effort to obtain only as much food as necessary to fill the stomach, and remain content with it. Such animals and birds are more fortunate than humans.
All the efforts and the plans made for earning wealth fail in a person who has succumbed to desires. This is because those who have succumbed to desires lack contentment. Further, succumbing to desires only intensifies their agony. Fie on those who are slaves to desires.
The human can never remain without worry even for a second even after he acquires all the wealth, grains, cattle and women in the world. The person who, despite obtaining emperorship and possessing all material prosperity, remains filled with desires, experiences only sorrow.
Wealth is the cause of all miseries. Wealth generates fear. People acquire this wealth after toiling very hard and after many stringent efforts for a very long period.
That is why, on turning rich, even friends and sons become enemies. Even the son who is his own reflection, his wife who is his dearest love, his parents, as well as his friends, eagerly await the day when the rich man will die.
All of them, who are loved by him, turn into enemies on seeing his wealth. Hence, I do not believe that money, which is equivalent to death for the person, will give him any joy.
Due to delusion, the ignorant man eternally craves wealth although it throws him into many dangers. He tries his best to safeguard his wealth. He strives enormously and undergoes great turmoil to protect his wife and children believing them to be his own. A relationship is nothing but love. Even this relationship is for obtaining wealth and ultimately it yields only sorrow.
Despite the long and strong relationship, ultimately the couple has to separate due to bereavement. This separation from the loved one only throws the person into deeper grief.
In this way, until separated by death, they live happily together and in the end, are left grieving. This is the only outcome of all relationships. The outcome of relationships and relations is ultimately only sorrow.
Yet, without thinking rationally, humans consider their spouse and children to be everything and lead their lives with this belief. While living with their families they consider these relationships to be permanent, and immersed totally in the wellbeing of the family members, are ultimately left grieving.
Both humans and wealth are fickle by nature. This fickleness and the destruction of the good qualities due to the fickleness cannot be eradicated. This is by far the biggest fault with this world. This defect arises due to associating with others (sanga).
Hence, those who truly seek their wellbeing should never seek such associations with other humans. Death is extremely powerful and the entire world is pervaded by this fear of death.
Wealth, spouse and heavens are obtained by a being purely based on his/her past actions (karma).
In this world, everything ultimately only throws the person into grief and is coupled with death. Hence no wise man will ever seek these worldly comforts.
Everyone should understand the Supreme Essence that is freed from all fear and should strive to obtain the protection it offers. With Dattatreya Swami’s help those who seek the Self’s well-being and freedom from all fears, remain without sorrow. Hence I shall approach Datta Swami”.
Parashurama who was thinking thus came across a very tall mountain that appeared to be touching the skies. It was the mighty Mountain Gandhamadana on whose peaks Devatas eternally reside.
The interiors of the mountain eternally reverberate with the melodious music of the celestial maidens. When the apsaras dance, their anklets jingle melodiously. Deva and Gandharva women joyfully play on the swings. On this extremely beautiful mountain, intoxicated Yaksha women sport in the caves.
The interiors of the mountain are filled with the fragrance of the Kadamba flowers that is carried everywhere by the gentle breeze.
The many lotus-filled ponds are enlivened by countless swans, ruddy geese and the cranes that swim around the lotuses. The buzzing of the female bees reverberates in that area.
Parashurama noticed this king among the mountains which is known as ‘the residence of the Devatas’ and as he approached it, he thought, ‘The renowned Yogi Dattatreya, who was described by Samvarta Muni, and who, with the intent of uplifting pitiable beings who are submerged in the ocean called worldly bondages, resides here’.
He then noticed the ashram of Datta swami, for whose darshan he was deeply longing. ‘Perhaps this ashram that I see is the residence of Dattatreya, the Guru of Samvarta Muni. Aha! I, the unfortunate being, have suddenly turned fortunate today. When the right time arrives, the fortune of each living being ripens.
Today I shall see Lord Dattatreya’s lotus feet that douse the fiery flames called worldly bondages, that shower nectar and fill one with bliss’- thinking thus, Parashurama reached the door of the hut.
There he saw a Brahmin engrossed in meditation. Fearing that the meditative state of the Brahmin would be disturbed if he stepped in, Parashurama stood at a distance.
A little later the Brahmin came out of the meditative state, opened his eyes and saw Parashurama standing at a distance. Parashurama then approached him, prostrated to his feet and enquired,
“O Brahmin! To whom does this ashram which, with its mere sight, fills the person with total peace, belong? Where is the ashram of Guru Datta Swami? O best among Yogis! O compassionate for the distressed! Please be compassionate and answer me”.
Then that Brahmin, who was of a pleasant mind, in a melodious voice smilingly replied, “O Muni! This is the ashram of Sadguru Datta Swami who is the best among the Yogis. What work do you have here? Who are you? From where have you arrived? Tell me”.
Hearing this, with all humility, Parashurama said, “O great Muni! I belong to the Bhrigu lineage. I am the son of the renowned Jamagadni. My name is Parashurama. Based on Samvarta Muni’s command, I am here for a purpose. I immediately seek the darshan of Guru’s lotus feet. O Brahmin! My mind longs to bow to the lotus feet of that Sadguru.
He who wanders in the forest called the desert and who is caught in the scorching fire known as the blazing Sun finds no respite other than cool drinking water. Nothing else gives him happiness. Likewise, only with the darshan of Sadguru’s feet, I will get respite, not otherwise. I can relish nothing else now”.
Smilingly that Brahmin said, “O Rama! I am serving the supreme Mahatma Sadguru. Due to the power obtained by serving His lotus feet, I know the purpose of your visit.
The best among the sages, Guru Datta who is the friend for the entire universe is inside the ashram. You can go in”.
Parashurama then entered the ashram. There he saw Guru Datta, the most supreme among the Avadhoota Sanyasis, seated on a supreme seat. He was being served by supreme Yogis of great merit.
Immediately he prostrated at the lotus feet of Datta Sadguru. Then, with joined palms, he stood to a side observing the posture in which Datta Swami was seated.
(Those who are going to meet Sadguru should know beforehand the purpose of their visit. Although it is not entirely wrong to hold on to a Guru for solving worldly problems, it is always best to serve the Sadguru seeking the highest purpose of life. Only when we have the necessary detachment, we obtain a Guru quickly. Not otherwise).
Om Srimatre Namah