Vairagya Shatakam

BHARTR̥HARI
Vairāgya Śatakam
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Vairāgya Śatakam - Verse 1 6
Verse 1 10
Vairāgya Śatakam - Verses 1, 2 23
Samsāra Dōṣa Darśanam 24
Verse No. 2 32
Vairāgya Śatakam - Verses 3, 4, 6 37
Verse No. 3 38
Verse No. 4 42
Verse No. 6 45
Vairāgya Śatakam - Verses 7, 8, 29, 67 53
Verse No. 7 55
Verse No. 8 57
Verse No. 29 60
Verse no. 67 65
Kṣaṇikatvam 69
Verse No. 50 69
Verse No. 49 72
Verse No. 41 74
Verse No. 9 78
Bhayaṁ 83
Verse No. 11 88
Verse No. 31 91
Verse No. 32 94
Verse No. 33 97
Vairāgya Śatakam - Verses 33, 73, 18 100
Verse No. 33 100
Verse No. 73 108
Mōhaḥ 112
Verse No. 18 113
Vairāgya Śatakam – Verses 18, 38, 43 115
Verse No. 18 115
Verse No. 38 121
Verse No. 43 125
Vairagya Stutihi 129
Verse No. 10 129
Vairāgya Śatakam - Verses10, 12 132
Verse No. 10 134
Verse No. 12 141
Verse No. 12 145
Verse No.13 149
Verse No. 52 153
Verse No. 53 158

Verse No.68 165
Verse No. 93 170
Vairāgya Śatakam – Verses 93, 94, 75, 61 172
Verse No. 93 172
Verse No. 94 176
Upadēshaha 180
Verse No.75 180
Verse No.61 184
Vairāgya Śatakam –Verses 61, 62, 63, 69, 100 187
Verse No.61 187
Verse No. 62 191
Verse No. 63 194
Verse No. 69 196
Verse No. 100 198

Lectures by Swami Paramarthananda on Selected Verses of Bhartruhari Vairāgya Shatakam
Vairāgya Śatakam - Verse 1

Bhartr̥hari Vairāgya Śatakam Talk 1 - Mangala Ślōkam
सदाशिव समारम्भां िङ् कराचाययमध्यमाम्

अस्मद् आचायय पययन्ताम् वन्दे गुरु परम्पराम्
sadāśiva samārambhāṃ śaṅkarācāryamadhyamām
asmad ācārya paryantām vande guru paramparām
In the evening sessions, I will be dealing with Vairāgya Śatakam- 100 verses on
the topic of detachment, written by a great author Bhartr̥ hari. Many stories are
written in many places about Bhartr̥ hari, and we are not very sure about the
exact biography of Bhartr̥ hari. This is the uniqueness of Indian history.
Nobody bothers to talk about one’s biography. They thought that everything is
the glory of the Lord. Therefore, we should not talk much about ourselves. So,
this attitude is a very good attitude, but the problem is that we have no way of
knowing about these great Ᾱcāryās. Ᾱdi Shankarāchārya is one of the greatest
Ᾱcāryās of our country, but we have no clear idea about his life and time.
There are so many biographies of Shankarāchārya, giving different accounts of

his life. Some people say he is born in Kerala and some say he is not born is
Kerala. Some people say that he belongs to the 8th century A.D. and some
people say he belongs to 5th or 6th or 3rd or 4thB.C.
Similarly, Kālidāsā is one of the greatest Sanskrit poets and we do not know
about his time also. It is because we did not have a sense of history. That is why
somebody said - Indian history is a mystery. Regarding Bhartr̥ hari also, we find
Talk 1 - Mangala Shlokam Downloaded from www.arshaavinash.in Page 6 of 201

a similar problem. Many people say that he belonged to the 1st century B.C. and
he was a brother of Vikramāditya, the great ruler of Ujjain.
Bhartr̥ hari was not only a great King, he was a great scholar, he was a great
poet, he was a great Yogi, he was a great Vedāntin. In fact, he was a versatile
genius. This Bhartr̥ hari has written many works in Sanskrit, out of which the
three Śatakams are very popular.
One is Shringāra Śatakam, the second is Nīti Śatakam and the third is Vairāgya
Śatakam. He has written these three Śatakams. Śatakam means a work
consisting of 100 verses. He has written these three Śatakams to reveal the four
Purushārthās which are accepted in our tradition. The four Purushārthās are
human goals which are Kāma, Artha, Dharma and Mōkṣaḥ.
Kāma means pleasures. Seeking pleasures is natural to any animal, including a

human being. If human being is intelligent, he will intelligently seek pleasures.
That will only be the difference, but seeking pleasures is very natural and
common. Therefore, our sāstrās accept Kāma as a legitimate human goal.
Not only the Śāstras accept the pleasures, Śāstras also prescribe methods of
fulfilling the worldly desires. The entire Veda Pūrva Bhāga contains many
religious rites for the fulfillment of worldly desires. We have a popular Hōma
known as Āvahantī Hōma. Even now it is done in many places, privately and
publicly.
It is a Hōma meant for wealth, meant for lot of food, lot of clothing etc. All such
Karmās meant for fulfilling the desires of a human being are known as Kāmya
Karmās. The very fact that Vedās prescribe Kāmya Karmās indicates that Vedās
allow the fulfillment of worldly desires. Vedās only prescribe certain conditions.
The desires must be legitimate and the means of fulfilling those desires also
must be legitimate. Desires themselves are not sinful. In keeping with the Kāma

Purushārtha, Bhartr̥ hari writes a Śatakam known as Shringāra Śatakam or

Kāma Śatakam, which is the fulfillment of the desires of a human being.
Then, he writes another work known as Nīti Śatakam, through which he deals
with the next two Purushārthas -Artha and Dharma. Artha means acquiring
possession, acquiring security. The Śāstras talk about the importance of wealth.
We do not look down upon wealth as Samsāra. That is why wealth is symbolized
as Lakshmī Devī. Lakshmī Devī is very much worshipped in our tradition,
indicating that wealth also is a legitimate need.
The only thing is that it should be acquired and utilized properly. Therefore,
Bhartr̥ hari deals with the importance of wealth in the Nīti Śatakam. tasmāt
dravya mupārjaya shrunu sakhe, dhravyena sarve vashāh - if wealth is not
there, nobody will look at you. You will lose even family members. As
Shankarāchārya says in Bhajagōvindam –
यावद्वित्तोपाजयन सक्तः स्तावन्न्नज पररवारो रक्तः |

पश्चाज्जीवद्वत जजयर दे हे वातां कोऽद्वप न पृच्छद्वत गेहे ||५||
yāvadvittōpārjana saktaḥ stāvannija parivārō raktaḥ |

paścājjīvati jarjara dēhē vārtāṁ kō:'pi na pr̥cchati gēhē ||5||
Thus, wealth has got a very important role, which is accepted and allowed in our
tradition. Therefore, in the Nīti Śatakam, Bhartr̥ hari deals with Artha
Purushārtha and he also deals with Dharma Purushārtha, the importance of
values. I dealt with this Nīti Śatakam in my previous camps. I pointed out that
Dharma deals with three different things -
1) A religious way of life is also called Dharma.
2) A life of values like honesty, truthfulness etc, is also called Dharma.
3) A life of proper attitudes is also called Dharma. Attitudes such as how I

should look upon my parents, how I should look upon my teachers, the rivers,
the mountains etc.

If we are respecting the river as mother Gangā, that is the uniqueness of our
culture. In how many countries will you find a river being shown Ᾱrati? The
moment you see a river, the thought will be to jump and swim. But in our
culture they say - never enter the river straightaway. Because when you enter a
river, your legs are touching the river which is disrespect.
Therefore, before putting your leg into water, first touch the water and touch
your head. Then, pray Gangēca or Gangā Gangēti. So, revere the river,
thereafterwards enter. This attitude is also Dharma. Thus, healthy attitudes,
healthy values and healthy religious life - all these three put together is known
as Dharma
Thus, in the Nīti Śatakam, Bhartr̥ hari deals with Dharma Purushārtha and Artha
Purushārtha. How many Purushārthas are over? śrr̥ ṁgāra Śatakam deals with
Kāma Purushārtha. Nīti Śatakam deals with Dharma and Artha Purushārtha.
Naturally, Vairāgya Śatakam should deal with and it does deal with Mōkṣaḥ
Purushārtha (Pārishesha Nyāyena).
So, Vairāgya Śatakam deals with Mōkṣaḥ Purushārtha. Of course, Vairāgya

Śatakam does not directly deal with liberation. If it has to directly deal with
liberation, it has to talk about Ᾱtma Jnānam. So, Bhartr̥ hari does not directly
deal with Ᾱtma Jnānam– which is the means of liberation.
But he talks about an important qualification required for Ᾱtma Jnānam. We

have seen in our classes that self-knowledge requires four important
qualifications known as Viveka, Vairāgyam, Shamādi Shatka Sampatti and
Mumukshutvam. Translated in English, they are 4 D’s -Discrimination,
Dispassion, Discipline and Desire for freedom.
Discrimination - Viveka, Dispassion - Vairāgyam, Discipline – Shamādi Shatka

Sampatti and Desire for freedom - Mumukshutvam. These four are considered
to be the prerequisites for Ᾱtma Jnānam, self-knowledge, which is the only

means of liberation. Of these four qualifications also, the most important thing
is considered to be Vairāgyam, which is generally indicated by Sanyāsa.
The difference between Vairāgyam and Sanyāsa is - generally, the word Sanyāsa
is used for external renunciation and the word Vairāgyam is used for internal
detachment. Practically, Vairāgyam and Sanyāsa are synonymous. But
conventionally, when I say Sanyāsa, you think of Kāvi, Kāshāya, leaving home
etc. Therefore, the word Sanyāsa generally refers to external renunciation; the
word Vairāgyam generally refers to inner detachment.
Therefore, Vairāgya Śatakam can also be called Sanyāsa Śatakam. But if I say
that, you may not attend the camp. Therefore, we are calling it Vairāgya
Śatakam. As I said, Vairāgyam means detachment. Only where the detachment
is there, the knowledge can take place, which alone can give liberation.
So this is the content of Vairāgya Śatakam - dispassion or detachment. Like the

other Śatakams, this Vairāgya Śatakam also begins with a beautiful prayer. In
Nīti Śatakam also, we had a beautiful prayer. Vairāgya Śatakam also has got a
beautiful prayer or Mangala Ślōkaḥ or Dhyāna Ślōkaḥ. We will start with this
Mangala Ślōkaḥ.
Verse 1
चूडोत्तंशसतचन्रचारुकशिकाचञ्चच्च्छखाभास्वरो
िीिादग्धद्वविोिकामििभः श्रेयोदिाग्रे स्फुरन् ।
अन्तःस्फूजयदपारमोहद्वतममरप्राग्भारमुच्चाटयन्ः
चेतःसद्मद्वन योद्वगनां द्ववजयते ज्ञानप्रदीपो हरः ॥ १॥
cūḍōttaṁsitacandracārukalikācañcacchikhābhāsvarō
līlādagdhavilōlakāmaśalabhaḥ śrēyōdaśāgrē sphuran |
antaḥsphūrjadapāramōhatimiraprāgbhāramuccāṭayanḥ
cētaḥsadmani yōgināṁ vijayatē jñānapradīpō haraḥ || 1||
In this prayer-verse, Bhartr̥ hari is invoking Lord Śiva in the form of the light of
knowledge. Here, Lord Śiva is invoked in the form of Ᾱtma Jnānam or self-
knowledge -Jnāna Dīpaha. You can see in the 4th line - Jnāna Pradīpō Haraha. So,

Jnāna Pradīpaha means the great flame of lamp of knowledge. Haraha is the
name of Lord Śiva.
The word Haraha means the one who destroys ignorance -ajnānam haratī iti
haraha. Lord Vishnu is called Hari because of the same reason only -ajnānam
haratī iti harihi.Since both do the same job, you can worship any one of the
Lords. You need not ask if Hari is great or Hara is great.
That is why Dayānanda Swāmiji beautifully says - Hara is ending in ‘a’, another
is ending in ‘i’. There is only a superficial difference. One has got the horizontal
stripes and Vaishnavā has got the vertical stripes. That is the only difference.
That Lord Śiva, who is the light of knowledge, is invoked here. To understand
this verse, you have to know some details about Lord Śiva, as given in the
Purānās.
Lord Śiva is supposed to have the digit of the moon as an ornament in his head.
That is why the Lord is called Chandrashekaraha. One of the names of Lord Śiva
is Chandrashekaraha - the one who has got the moon as an ornament in his
head. Another name is Chandrakalādharaha. Chandrakala means the digit of
the moon.
Chandrakalādharaha means the one who is having the digit of the moon on his
head, as the ornament. What is the significance of this? We can see several
reasons. One is that we look upon the Lord as the very creation itself. One of
the unique ways of looking at the Lord is Vishvarūpa Īshvaraha.
We have seen in our classes that a devotee looks upon the Lord in three
different ways, depending upon his spiritual maturity. In the initial stages, the
Lord is seen as a person. A personal God is worshipped. He is given hands and
legs and ornaments and dresses. He is located in the heaven or Vaikumtha or
Kailasa.

He is also supposed to have hunger, thirst, etc. Therefore, you also feed him
three times. If you go to North, in some places they have got special bedroom
for the Lord and there is also a mosquito, fan is there, chappals are there and
the bedroom is air conditioned. A mosquito bites me. Therefore, I imagine Lord
also will be bitten by mosquitoes. So, I look upon the Lord as a person.
This is called Kevala Nimitta Kārana Īshvara concept. Then, once a person
advances further, he is not satisfied with the Lord as a limited person. Then, he
begins to appreciate the Lord as a particular form, but he appreciates the Lord
as all the forms -Ananta Rūpaha. Anādi madhyānta ananta vīryam ananta
bāhum shashi sūrya netram - so, all the hands, all the legs etc, everything is the
Lord. Sahasra shīrshā purushaha etc.
This is called Vishva Rūpa Īshvaraha - Lord as the cosmos. This is called
Parināmi Upādāna Kārana Īshvara concept. I am not explaining the technical
aspects here, because you are already attending the classes. I am only just
connecting that. Then, the next highest vision is where the Lord is neither seen
with one with many forms, but the Lord is appreciated as Arūpa Īshvaraha - the
formless one.
Eka Rūpa Īshvaraha, Aneka Rūpa Īshvaraha, Arūpa Īshvaraha - depending upon
the level of the seeker. When we look upon the Lord as Vishvarūpa, in our
tradition, we see all the luminaries as the ornaments of the Lord. It is because, if
the whole universe is the Lord, the earth must be the feet of the Lord -bhūh
pādaou yasya nābhir viyadasura nilaha.
So, the earth must be the feet of the Lord. Therefore, the top portion of the
creation must be the head of the Lord. That is why the blue color is compared to
the blue neck of Lord Śiva. Beyond the blue sky is the Sun, Moon, Stars, Planets
etc. They are all looked upon as ornaments.
पीठं यस्य धररद्वि जि धर कििं, शिङ् गमाकाि मूर्ततं,

नक्षिम् पुष्पमाल्यम्, ग्रहगन कुसुमम्, चन्रवन्यकय नेिम्
pīṭhaṁ yasya dharitri jala dhara kalaśaṁ, liṅgamākāśa mūrtiṁ,

nakṣatram puṣpamālyam, grahagana kusumam, candravanyarka nētram
So, the stars, planets etc, are seen as ornaments. Similarly, Sun and Moon are
sometimes presented as the eyes because eyes are also on top. Sometimes, the
Sun and the Moon are presented as Ᾱbharanam on the head of the Lord.
Therefore, Lord Śiva is called Chandrashekharaha, Chandrakalādharaha. This is
one of the significances.
There is a second significance also. The Sun and Moon represent the time
principle because our days are determined by sunrise and sunset. Amāvāsya,
Pournami, Ekādashi etc, are determined by the Moon. Therefore, our days and
our Tithis are represented by the Sun and the Moon. Therefore, Surya - Chandra
represent the Kāla Tatvam –
ददक्कािौ वॆदयन्तौ जगद्वत मुहुररमौ सन्जरन्तो रवीन्रृ

िैिोक्या िोकदीप वद्वप दधद्वतयौ रॆव दै त्योर् जगाना
Dikkālau vedayantou jagati muhurimou sanjarantou ravīndu
trailōkyā lōkadīpa vapi dadhatiayo reva daityōr jagānā
Dikkālou Vedayantou. The Lord wears the Sun and the Moon as the ornaments
indicate the Kāla Tatva. The time principle is only an ornament of the Lord. They
do not bind the Lord.While Kālam binds the human being, a Samsāri, time is not
bondagefor a Jnānī, but time is an ornament.
Therefore, Chandrakalādhara means the master of time. This is the Purānic

presentation of Lord Śiva. We should remember that.Then, the 2nd idea that we
should remember from Purānā is - Lord Śiva doing the Tapas and the Tapas is
disturbed by Kāma Devahā, the cupid. Manmatha comes to disturb the Tapas of
Lord Śiva before the birth of Kumāraha, Subramanya.
You might know the story. Kumāra Sambhava is the elaboration of this story.
Then, Śiva and Pārvati get married. Thereafter only, Subramanya is born and
the Rākshasās are destroyed. But when Manmatha comes to disturb the Lord
Śiva’s Tapas, Lord Śiva gets angry and opens his 3rd eye. You know the story.

Manmatha is burnt to ashes and there afterwards, the cupid does not have a
physical form at all.That is why Manmatha is called Anangaha. Anangaha means
without a physical body. Why? He is destroyed by Lord Śiva. How? By opening
the 3rd eye. For this Purānic story, there is a philosophical significance also.
The 3rd eye represents Jnāna Agniha - the fire of knowledge. The Lord Śiva
burning Manmatha with the 3rd eye indicates the fire of knowledge destroying
all Kāma or all desires because Manmatha is known as Kāmaha, Śiva destroyed
Kāma with his 3rd eye. AJnānī destroys Kāma with his eye of knowledge.
यथा सवॆ प्रमुच्यन्तॆ कामा यॆस्य ह्रुददस्ह्रुताह

yathā sarve pramucchyante kāmā yesya hrudishrutāha
प्रजहाती यदा कामान् सवायन् पाथाय मनोगतान्

आत्मन्यॆवा आत्मन्तुस््तह
prajahātī yadā kāmān sarvān pārthā manōgatān
ātmanyevā ātmantushtaha
So, Jnānī destroys the desires. How? Not physically, but with the eye of wisdom
or knowledge. Therefore, Lord’s Kāma Dahanam has got a philosophical
significance. This story also you should remember to understand this verse. The
next thing you should remember is that in our tradition, knowledge is
compared to light because knowledge makes things known and light also
makes things known.
Suppose this room is dark. When I switch on the light, what does the light do?
Light does not produce things. Light can never produce things. Light makes an
already existent thing known. Similarly, what is the job of knowledge?
Knowledge does not produce anything. Knowledge makes an already existent
fact known.
Therefore, light is an illuminator; knowledge is an illuminator. Therefore, light

and knowledge have got similar properties. Therefore, knowledge is compared
to the light. That is why in the Gītā -

तेषां सततयुक्तानां भजतां प्रीद्वतपूवयकम् ।

ददामम बुद्धियोगं तं येन मामुपयान्न्त ते ॥ १०-१०॥
tēṣāṁ satatayuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prītipūrvakam |
dadāmi buddhiyōgaṁ taṁ yēna māmupayānti tē || 10-10||
तेषामेवानुकम्पाथयमहमज्ञानजं तमः ।
नाियाम्यात्मभावस्थो ज्ञानदीपेन भास्वता ॥ १०-११॥
tēṣāmēvānukampārthamahamajñānajaṁ tamaḥ |
nāśayāmyātmabhāvasthō jñānadīpēna bhāsvatā || 10-11||
The Lord says - I light the lamp of knowledge in the mind of the devotee. So,
knowledge and light are similar. That is the also reason that we light the lamp in
our tradition for everything because all our problems are due to ignorance.
Therefore, our ultimate goal is only knowledge.
Whether it is wealth or house or marriage, whatever we do, they are all only the
means. But the ultimate goal according to our scriptures is knowledge. That is
why in our regular Sandhyāvandana Mantra, even a boy of 7 or 8 years old,
when he does -āpōhishtā mayōbhuvaha tāna ūrje dhadhātana maheranāya
chakshase.
So, he sprinkles water and his prayer is mahateramanīyāya chakshase jnānāya -

O Lord, my ultimate goal is self-knowledge. Make me fit for this knowledge and
let me become wise. How to indicate that? Get up in the early morning. In our
tradition, the first job that we should do is light the lamp. They say if lamp is not
lit, in that house, no auspicious thing will take place. Thus, light represents
knowledge. The opposite of that is also true. What is that? Darkness represents
ignorance. That is why Guru is called Guru.
गुकारश्चान्धकारस्तु रुकारस्तन्न्नरोधकृत् ।
अन्धकारद्ववनाशित्वात् गुरुररत्यभभधीयते ॥ (1-33)
gukāraścāndhakārastu rukārastannirōdhakr̥t |
andhakāravināśitvāt gururityabhidhīyatē || (1-33)
Gu means darkness. Ru means eliminator. Gu-Ru is darkness eliminator. Does it

mean that he will switch on all the lights in every lecture hall? There are two

darknesses as it were. One is the external darkness and the other is internal
darkness. Guru is the light, who is the remover of the inner darkness.
उद्यन्तु ितमाददत्यः उद्यन्तु ितममन्दवह

द्ववना अपरोक्षानुभवं न नश्यन्न्त आन्तरं तमः
udyantu śatamādityaḥ udyantu śatamindavaha
vinā aparōkṣānubhavaṁ na naśyanti āntaraṁ tamaḥ
The inner darkness is removed by the light of knowledge and that light, the
Guru lights. Therefore, the next point you should remember is - darkness
represents ignorance and light represents knowledge. Jnānam burns desire.
Lord Śiva’s eye destroys Kāma. Lord Śiva has got Moon as his ornament.
If these points are remembered, this Ślōkaḥ will be understood. jnāna

pradīpaha haraha vijayate - Lord Śiva in the form of light is shining. Where? Not
everywhere, in the heart of Yogīs. Lord Śiva in the form of self-knowledge is
shining in the heart of all the Yogīs. Vijayate means shine. The first three lines
describe the Lord.
cūdotamsitachandracārukalikācancaccikābhāsvaraha - The whole line is one

compound word. In Sanskrit, we can have one compound word with so many
words put together. Here itself, Bhartr̥ hari brings out his poetry and Sanskrit
knowledge. Whenever you resolve the Sanskrit compound, you have to go from
the right to left. Bhāsvaraha means shining, brilliance.
Who is brilliant? Lord Śiva. In what form? In the form of the lamp of knowledge,
Lord Śiva is bright, brilliant, effulgent. Shikā means the flame or the radiation.
What type of Shikā? Canchat Shikā - the radiating light, the glowing light,
SphurantīShikā. From where is this light radiating? Chandra Cāru Kalika.
Chandra means Moon, Cāru means beautiful, Kalika means digit. Digit means
either 1/15th or 2/15th. That is called Kalika. Cāru Kalika means the beautiful digit
of the Moon. From the beautiful digit of the Moon, the light is radiating.

Because of that radiating light of the Moon ornament, the Lord Śiva is very very
brilliant.
Where is the moon situated? Cūdottamsita. It is situated on the Cūdā. In

Sanskrit, Cūdā means head. From that only we have Cūdāmaniha. The head
ornament is called Cūdāmaniha. Uttamsita means kept as an ornament.
Uttamsaha means ornament. Uttamsita means worn in the head as an
ornament. Therefore, what is the final meaning?
Lord Śiva, the lamp of knowledge, who is brilliant because of the light radiating
from the beautiful digit of Moon, which is worn as the ornament on the
head.What else is the glory of that Lord? Līlādagdhavilōlakāmashalabhahā -
This Lord Śiva effortlessly destroyed Manmatha, the cupid, the Kāma Devaha,
the Lord of Desire. How did he destroy? Līlādagdha. Līla means effortlessly.
He destroyed the Kāma Shalabaha sportively. Kāma here is Manmatha and

Shalabhaha means insect. For the Lord, Manmatha was like an insect. To
destroy an insect how much struggle would you have? Suppose a mosquito is
sitting on your body.To destroy it, youdon’t plan, you don’t take some exercise.
As even you listen to the class, you effortlessly destroy.Similarly, for Lord Śiva,
the most difficult Manmatha himself was like a moth. Shalabaha means a moth
or insect. That too, what type of insect? Vilōlakāmashalabha. It is an insect
which moves here and there.
The Lord destroyed effortlessly a fast moving insect like Manmatha. We have to
see this from philosophical angle also. Kāma from Purānic angle it refers to
Manmatha and from philosophical angle, Kāma means desire. From the Purānic
angle,Vilōlaha means the one who is fast moving because he has that much
power.
From philosophical angle, Vilōlaha means wavered. The desire does not have
any rhyme or reason. We do not know which desire will come when. It doesn’t

ask permission. It is not going to consider other things. It just appears.

Therefore, it is called Vilōlakāmaha. The wavered desire is effortlessly destroyed
by Lord through the 3rd eye which represents Jnānam.
So, līlādhagdhavilōlakāmashalabhahā. There is also another significance here.

He packs many meanings in this Mantra. Now, Lord Śiva has been compared to
the flame of knowledge. Wherever there is flame, you know the insects will
move around. Even though the insect can fall into the fire or into the oil and
destroy itself, it doesn’t know. It moves around and ultimately, falls into the fire
and gets destroyed.
Similarly, Lord Śiva is like the flame of knowledge and Kāma is like the moth.The
KāmaShalabha -Kāma moth moves about, and ultimately falls into the fire and
destroys itself. Thus, from Jnāna angle, you can read this word.From fire angle,
you can read this word. From Purānic angle, you can read this word.
From three different angles, you have to see the meaning of

LīlādhagdhaVilōlaKāmaShalabhaha. Then, Shreyodashāgrespuran. If the Lord is
the lamp of knowledge, when is this lamp lit? The lamp of knowledge is lighted
only at the end of Vedanta Vichāra, JnānaMārga, which is here called
ShreyoDashā .Shreyaha means Jnāna Mārgaha or Jnāna Yōgaha, which we
have seen in Kathōpanishad -
अन्यच्रे योऽन्यरृतैव प्रेय-

स्ते उभे नानाथे पुरुषँ शसनीतः ।
तयोः श्रेय आददानस्य साधु
भवद्वत हीयतेऽथायद्य उ प्रेयो वृणीते ॥ Part I - Canto I I ॥ १॥
anyacchrēyō:'nyadutaiva prēya-
stē ubhē nānārthē puruṣam̐ sinītaḥ |
tayōḥ śrēya ādadānasya sādhu
bhavati hīyatē:'rthādya u prēyō vr̥ṇītē || Part I - Canto II || 1||
There, Shreyo Margā and Preyo Mārga are talked about. Shreyo Margāha
means the pursuit of self-knowledge. Here, it is called Shreyo Dashā. That
means Vedanta Shravana, Manana, Nidhidhyāsanam. Agre means at the end of

Jnāna Mārga. Spuran means the self-knowledge is lighted. The self-knowledge

becomes evident at the end of JnānaYoga.
This very word can be looked from another angle also. The word Dashā in
Sanskrit has got two meanings. One meaning is the life-style of Jnāna Yoga, self-
enquiry. Another meaning is Dashā as the wick of the lamp. So, if you take
Shreyas as the wick of the lamp, at the end of the wick, what will be there? The
flame will be there.
Shreyo Dasha Agre - the Lord is shining and also the flame is shining.
Therefore, Shreyō Dashā grespuran - at the tip of the Shreyo Dashā, Lord Śiva,
in the form of self-knowledge shines forth.What is further description of that
Lord?
antahsspūrjadapāramōhatimiraprāgbhāramucchādayan. It is nnother huge

compound. uccātayan - The Lord in the form of the lamp of knowledge, drives
away. Ucchātanam means driving out. What does he drive out? Mōha Timira
PrāgBhāram -Mōha means ignorance.In this context, Mōhaḥ means Ajnānam.
Timira means darkness, Andhakāraha. So, Mōha Timiraha means Ajnāna

Andhakāraha, the darkness of ignorance which is within. This darkness is also of
different gradation. There is light-darkness. By evening 7’o clock or 8’o clock,
darkness is there a little bit. But in the midnight, when there is no light at all, the
darkness is dense-darkness.
Self-ignorance is the densest-darkness because it is the most powerful darkness

which is covering the most powerful light.What is that light? Brahma
Chāitanyam itself. Jyōtishām Jyōtihi. If the ignorance should cover even that
most powerful light of Brahman, how powerful it must be! Therefore,
PrāgBhāram means the densest darkness of ignorance.
This densest darkness of ignorance, Lord Śiva in the form of knowledge,

Ucchātayan, drives out. How much? What is the limit of that darkness? Apāra

Mōha Timira - it is Apāram. Apāram means the vastest or the most pervading
darkness. Not only it is the densest, but it is also the most-pervading, because
ignorance is there in the mind of all.
Whether a person has English knowledge, Mathematics knowledge, or

Economics knowledge, whatever knowledge a person has, one ignorance is
common to all. What is that? It is self-ignorance. Therefore, he might have
degrees and degrees and degrees. But if you ask - who are you? He answers
everything, in all other ways except saying AhamBrahmāsmi.
He doesn’t say that. Even after teaching, he refuses to say that. Therefore, the
ignorance is universal and it covers the all-pervading Brahman. Therefore, the
ignorance which covers the all-pervading Brahman must be more pervasive
than even Brahman. Therefore, Apāra-it is Ananta Ajnānam.
The Lord drives out such densest and vastest darkness of ignorance. Where is
that ignorance? Is it outside? No. Antaha Spūrjat - the ignorance which is
internal, which is not external darkness.So, Spūrjat means which is looming
large within. Such an ignorance, the Lord in the form of the lamp of knowledge
drives out.
Here again, the idea is that our problem is ignorance. Therefore, the solution is
only knowledge.Therefore, if Bhagavān has to bless us, He can bless us only in
one way.What is that? He should give knowledge. By no other method can
Bhagavān really bless me. Suppose there is darkness in the room and I ask the
Lord - you please remove the darkness.What can the Lord do? He cannot do
anything else other than bringing the lamp of knowledge.
If Bhagavān comes and does any other thing, will it remove the darkness of the
room? It will not be removed. If you sweep the room, will darkness go? It will
not. You chant Vishnu Sahasranāma 101 times. Will darkness go? No. You do
Yogāsana.Wdarkness go? No. You raise your Kundalini from back to head or
head to back. Will darkness go?

You can do everything else. They all will have their own utility, but none of them
can remove darkness. Because the law is - darkness will go away only by light.
Extending the same law, ignorance will go away only by knowledge.That is
why,when Krishna wanted to help Arjuna, what did he do?
He only decided to teach Arjuna. If there is any other alternative path for
liberation, Krishna would have told Arjuna - Arjuna, you take to this path or that
path. He does not say that. Krishna said there is only one way. I have to give
Jnānam.
तेषामेवानुकम्पाथयमहमज्ञानजं तमः ।
नाियाम्यात्मभावस्थो ज्ञानदीपेन भास्वता ॥ १०-११॥
tēṣāmēvānukampārthamahamajñānajaṁ tamaḥ |
nāśayāmyātmabhāvasthō jñānadīpēna bhāsvatā || 10-11||
If Guru is not available, Bhagavān himself will come as a Guru. In one way or
the other, Lord has to come down in the form of knowledge. Therefore,
Bhartr̥ hari in this Mōkṣaḥ Grantha, introduces the topic of Jnānam. In our
regular prayer, we have -jnāna vairāgya sidhyartham bhikshāmdehica pārvati.
Therefore, the first Ślōkaḥ starts with Jnānam. The later Ślōkaḥs deal with
Vairāgyam. Therefore, this is a book of Jnāna and Vairāgyam as a means of
liberation.yōginām chetassadmani vijayate - such a Lord in the form of
knowledge is enshrined in the Chetassadma - in the temple of the heart, in the
heart temple.
Here, Sadma means temple. It is not an external temple, but Chetassadma -it is
Hrudaya Devālayaha, the heart sanctum. Of whom? Not of everybody.Yōginām
Chetassadmani. Yogi means Jnānī. Vijayathe - the Lord is ever present. Let that
Lord come to my heart also and bless me with liberation.
ॎ पूणयमदः पूणयममदं पूणायत्पूणयमुदच्यते

पूणयस्य पूणयमादाय पूणयमेवावशिष्यते ॥
ॎ िान्न्तः िान्न्तः िान्न्तः ॥

om̐ pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidaṃ pūrṇātpūrṇamudacyate

pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate ||
om̐ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ |

Vairāgya Śatakam - Verses 1, 2

Bhartr̥hari Vairāgya Śatakam- Talk 2- Verses 1, 2

In the 1st verse, Bhartr̥ hari invoked Lord Śiva as the very self-knowledge itself
because Vairāgya Śatakam is written here as a means of self-knowledge only.
b
After this 1st Mangala Ślōkaḥ, Bhartr̥ hari begins his topic of Vairāgyam.The 100
verses of this text are divided in different groups based on topics.
Various Ācāryās have grouped the verses according to the topic discussed
therein. For the convenience of learning, I also propose to divide the verses
based on the topic. I am not doing the entire text. I have selected some verses
and divided them into four topics. The 1st topic is Samsāra Dōṣa Darśanam -
seeing the minus points or the disadvantages of worldly pursuits.
Samsāraha means worldly pursuits, worldly struggles, material activities. Dōṣa

means minus points or disadvantages. Darśanam means seeing,
understanding, noting, recognizing. The 2nd topic is Mohaha. It means the
delusion of the human being which makes him incapable of seeing the minus
points. It blinds him.
Talk 2 – Verses 1 and 2 Downloaded from www.arshaavinash.in Page 23 of 201

Then, the 3rd topic is Vairāgya Stutiha - the greatness of Vairāgyam, dispassion,
detachment. The 4th topic is Upadeshaha- Bhartr̥ hari’s advice to the humanity,
Bhartr̥ hari’s instructions to the humanity. Under these four topics, I want to
discuss some of these selected verses. The 1st topic that we are going to see is
Samsāra Dōṣa - the defects of material pursuits.
Samsāra Dōṣa Darśanam
One thing that is common to all human beings is pursuit of various things in the
world, right from early childhood. As Shaṅkarā said - bālastāvat krīdāsaktaha
tarunastāvat tarunīsaktaha etc. Right from the early childhood, the seeking
begins. As Dayānanda Swāmīji beautifully says - there is a constant Tambūra
Shruti behind the human being and that Tambūra is - I want.
What I want varies from stage to stage, but that I want, does not vary at any
time. Like, the Tambūra Shruti remains the same, but the Rāgā svary like
Kambhojī, Kalyānī, Mukhārī, Ānanda Bhairavi. Rāgās vary, but the Tambūra
Shruti is constant. Because of this ‘I want’ background, there is a constant
struggle in the human being to acquire various things.
In and through all these pursuits, human beings basically seek two things -
security and happiness. By acquisition, by expanding my possessions, by
expanding my family, by expanding my relationships, in and through all these
acquisitions, there are two basic things which I seek and they are security and
happiness.
When I acquire various things of life, my hope, my perception is - that object or

that person or that position will give me security and happiness. It is with that
impression, with that fond hope, I am going after things. Bhartr̥ hari accepts
that the things of the world do give some security and happiness.

If they don’t give security and happiness, one will not seek them, one will not
pursue them. Therefore, it is very clear that the very fact that human beings are
after them, indicates that they do give some security and some happiness. At
least, a false sense of security and happiness they must give. Otherwise, man
will not be after them.
That is how they are advertised also that this will give you happiness and this
will give you security. But what Bhartr̥ hari wants us to know is - even though
the worldly things may give pleasure and security, it is only one side of those
objects. We are only seeing the positive side of those objects that they can give
pleasure and security. Unfortunately, this perception is a partial perception.
That they do give happiness and a sense of security is true, but that is not the
whole truth of the object. Then, what is the total truth? Everything that gives
happiness, gives unhappiness also. This is what Bhartr̥ hari wants to emphasize
throughout Vairāgya Śatakam. Everything and being that is a source of
happiness also happens to be a source of sorrow.
The intensity of sorrow is as much as the intensity of happiness that they can
give. Similarly, every object which gives security, that object is a source of fear
also. Whatever is Abhaya Hetuha, it is also Bhaya Hetuha. Whatever is Sukha
Hetuha, it is also Dukha Hetuha. Thus, every object in the world has got two
sides.
One side is their capacity to give happiness and the other side is their equal
capacity to give pain. One side is their capacity to give security and the other
side is their equal capacity to give insecurity or Bhayaṁ. Bhartr̥ hari says that as
long as we don’t clearly, convincingly, intensely appreciate and assimilate these
two sides of the world, our knowledge of the world is partial knowledge.
What are two sides? Whatever is Sukha hetuḥ is equally duḥkha hetuḥ and
whatever is Abhaya hetuḥ is equally Bhaya hetuḥ. As long as we don’t have this
holistic vision, this total knowledge, our life is greatly risky. We are unprepared,

underprepared to face the life. As we tell in Vedānta - total ignorance is bliss

and total knowledge is also bliss.
Total ignorance is bliss is proved in deep sleep state. We are totally ignorant
and we enjoy total happiness also. Total knowledge is also a bliss. That is why a
wise person has no problem. But, what is dangerous is partial knowledge. We
give the Vedāntic example - when there is a rope lying on the ground, if it is
broad day light, there is no problem because I have got total knowledge that
this is a rope.
If it is pitch darkness also, there is no problem because I don’t see anything. But
what is problem? When there is Manda Andhakāra - that is twilight, dusk or
dawn time, I know there is something, I have got partial knowledge. At the
same time, I don’t know what exactly it is. Partial knowledge can create all the
problems.
Similarly, if I don’t know the world at all, there is no problem. If I know the
world completely, there is no problem. But when I know the world partially,
there is a problem. What is the partial knowledge? Seeing the objects as source
of security and happiness, without seeing the other side of insecurity and
unhappiness is partial knowledge.
That will create a great problem. Therefore, Bhartr̥ hari wants to educate us by
telling us that the whole world is a mixture of Sukham and Duḥkha, Bhayaṁ
and Abhayaṁ. Therefore, when you are going after pleasure, you are equally
going after pain also. You cannot take pleasure part alone and reject pain just
as you cannot take the head of a coin alone, leaving behind the tail.
If you take one side of a coin, the other side also comes. Now, once we know
that world is a mixture of pleasure and pain, what can we do? How can I modify
my life in such a way that I will not get into world trap? Is there a way out? We
are facing a peculiar situation here. Suppose, I go after worldly pleasures,
certainly I can enjoy pleasures, but the problem is I will be inviting pain also.

Whether you like or not, whether you are aware of it or not, whether you close
your eyes or not, going after pleasure means inviting pain also. When you go to
a Rose plant, not only you are going after the Rose, you are going after the
thorn also. Therefore, if I go after pleasures, the problem is that the pain will be
waiting.
This is called problem of Pravr̥ tti. Going after pleasure, makes me a victim of
pain also. I don’t want pain at all. To avoid this, what should I do? I should not
go after pain. But when I reject the pain, then automatically, I cannot go after
the pleasures also. Rejection of pain equally involves the rejection of pleasures
also.
Therefore, the minus point is that when I reject the worldly pains, automatically
I have to deny the worldly pleasures also. Here, the problem is – there is a
vacuum in the mind. When I reject the worldly pleasures, certainly there is an
advantage. What is the advantage? I don’t have worldly pain.
But what is the minus point? When I reject worldly pleasures, certainly there is a
vacuum in the mind because human beings are in search of happiness. The
urge for happiness is innate. Therefore, when I negate the worldly pleasures, I
suffer from the problem of inner vacuum. I was just reading an article in the
magazine ‘Wisdom’.
They have statistically studied in America as to who are healthier, single people
or married people. They have found that married people are healthier because
they say the sense of loneliness, the lack of companionship can create such a
vacuum in the mind that even health-wise problems are more in single.
By using the word single they mean bachelors, widows or widowers or

divorcees. Physical problems and stress, strain problems are more in single
people. It means that a sense of loneliness, a lack of companionship can be
equally painful. This is called stuck. Either way, we are in trouble.

Dayānanda Swāmīji tells that before taking Sanyāsa, Swāmīji had come to
UttaraKashi. He had just told his plans of taking Sanyāsa to some of the
Sanyāsīs in that area. Do you know what most of the Sanyāsīs recommended to
Swāmīji? They said, we have somehow committed the mistake; because
peculiarly, Sanyāsa Āshrama is one-way traffic.
It is only from any other Āshrama to Sanyāsa, never the other way around.
Therefore, they said that we are utterly frustrated and disillusioned. Never
commit the mistake of taking Sanyāsa. Whereas, when all the Gruhasthās come
to this place, they say - Swāmīji, why can’t we stay here forever? Himalayas are
such beautiful mountains. From this, it is very clear that grass is greener on the
other side.
Therefore, in pravr̥ tti also there is problem, in nivr̥ tti also there is problem. What
is the problem in pravr̥ tti? When I go after pleasures, the problem is that I have
to equally face pains also. Bhartr̥ hari will enumerate what the pains are. If I
reject pleasures and pains together, then there is a problem of vacuum. That is
why Krishna said in the Gītā –
कमेद्धन्रयाभण संयम्य य आस्ते मनसा स्मरन् ।

इद्धन्रयाथायन्न्वमूढात्मा ममथ्याचारः स उच्यते ॥ ३-६॥
karmēndriyāṇi saṁyamya ya āstē manasā smaran |
indriyārthānvimūḍhātmā mithyācāraḥ sa ucyatē || 3-6||
A person who renounces the worldly pleasures because they give pain and goes
to a quiet place and in the mind, he mediates upon the very same sense
pleasures which he had renounced. Krishna says such a person is Mahā
hypocrite. That is why he also said - sanyāsastu mahābāho dukha māptum
mayo gatahā.
Therefore, we are in a peculiar problem. If we go after pleasures, pain is there.

If you reject pleasures, vacuum is there. So, what should we do? Commit
suicide! That is not a solution. You have to live in the world. Therefore, there are
two methods. What are the two methods? It is like going to Badrinath.

You want to have the Badrinath Darshan, where the temperature is 10°C or 5°C.
You don’t want to give up Badrinath, because you would love to go there.
Therefore, what is the method you adopt? You go to Badrinath, but you have
the method of protecting yourself against the cold. Therefore, go to Badrinath.
There is a disadvantage of this temperature. What do you do?
You strengthen yourself to face the minus point. Keep the plus point in mind, be
aware of the minus point and also prepare yourself to face the minus point.
Similarly, go after pravr̥ tti Mārga. You have things, people and possessions, but
the minus point is that they will certainly give pain. What do you do?
When they give pain, you strengthen yourself in such a way that those minus
points, those pains will not affect you. Therefore, what is the 1st method? Go
after pleasure, but be prepared to face the pain. This is called getting strength.
The 1st method is Getting Strength. What is the 2nd method?
Reject pleasures, so that you won’t have to face the pain. Reject pleasures,
renounce all pleasures, don’t go after anything, possess nothing, have no
relationship. What is the problem? The problem is this vacuum. Now, you
should have the inner resources to fill up the vacuum. You call it Pūrnatvam or
contentment.
You call it by whatever word you like. You should have the inner resources to fill
up the vacuum so that I am full and complete even without people, even
without relationship, even without possession - ahaṁ pūrṇaḥ. Thus, what are
the two methods? Go to Pravr̥ tti Mārga, have the inner strength to face the
pain.
Or take to Nivr̥ tti Mārga and have the inner resources to fill up the vacuum -
inner strength in Pravr̥ tti Mārga and inner resources in Nivr̥ tti Mārga. Now the
question is how to get the inner strength, if I am in Pravr̥ tti Mārga? How to get
the inner resources if I am in Nivr̥ tti Mārga? The answer is - for both the inner

strength and the inner resources, there is only one method. By now, you must
have known.
There is only one method and that method is Ātma Jnānam. Ātma Jnānam is
self-knowledge. The advantage of self-knowledge is whatever worldly things

you have, you have got inner strength to face the minus points of those worldly
things and possessions. Similarly, if you have Ātma Jnānam, even if you don’t
possess anything like wife, children or ashram, then also, you have the inner
resources -
यस्त्वात्मरद्वतरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः ।

आत्मन्येव च सन्तुष्टस्तस्य कायं न द्ववद्यते ॥ ३-१७॥
yastvātmaratirēva syādātmatr̥ptaśca mānavaḥ |
ātmanyēva ca santuṣṭastasya kāryaṁ na vidyatē || 3-17||
Therefore, be a Gruhasthā and face whatever be the minus points. Be a Sanyāsi

and face whatever be the minus points. The 1st one you face through inner
strength and the 2nd one you face through inner resources or inner wealth.
Therefore, whether you are in Pravr̥ tti Mārga or in Nivr̥ tti Mārga, whether you
are with possessions or without possessions, whether you are with
relationships or without relationships, most important thing is that I should
have Ātma Jnānam. This is what Bhartr̥ hari wants to teach us. The world has got
plus and minus points.
Whether you go after the world or you go away from the world, either way
problems will be there. You should be aware of the problems. Then alone, you
can discover the solution. If you are not aware of the problem, your diagnosis
will be wrong diagnosis. That is why some people think going to the Gruhastha
Āshrama is the solution and get into trouble.
There are some other people who think taking Sanyāsa is the solution and get
into another type of problem. At least, Gruhasthās are better off because from

Gruhastha Āshrama they can go to Sanyāsa Āshrama. That is why Krishna said
in the Bhagavad Gītā - karmayōgō viśiṣyatē - It is less risky.
Therefore, now in the 1st topic Samsāra dōṣa darśanam, we are going to clearly
see that everything in the creation is a source of happiness and equally a source
of sorrow also. The world has got many minus points. Bhartr̥ hari need not talk
about the plus points because we already think of the plus points.
We generally ignore the minus points. That is why even in the cigarette
advertisement, the warning ‘cigarette smoking is injurious to health’ is
practically not seen. They put it in the smallest letters possible, whereas all
other things are put very prominently. Therefore, even though Bhartr̥ hari may
get a bad name by talking about the minus points, for the benefit of the world,
now he is going to magnify the minus points so that we are warned.
The one who magnifies the minus points is the one who is interested in our
well-being. The one who talks about only the plus points and traps us, is not
really a well-wisher. What are the Dōṣas or defects of this Samsāra? Bhartr̥ hari
is going to present many defects. Of which, we are going to highlight three
defects.
What is the 1st Doshā or defect or minus point or disadvantage of worldly

pursuits? Bhartr̥ hari says Atr̥ pti. Atr̥ pti means you will never get satisfaction.
Whatever you acquire, the sense of want, the sense of inner-vacuum will never
go away. As we have seen in the Bhagavad Gītā –
द्वनःस्वो एकितं िद्वत दिितम् िक्षं सहस्राददपः

िक्षॆिः भक्षद्वतपािकः भक्षद्वतपद्वत चक्रेितं वाञ्छद्वत ।
चक्रेिः पुनररन्रतं सुरपद्वतर् ब्रह्मास्पतं वाञ्छद्वत ।
ब्रह्म द्ववष्णुपदं हररर् हर पदं द्विष्णा नददम् कोगधः ॥
niḥsvō ēkaśataṁ śati daśaśatam lakṣaṁ sahasrādipaḥ
lakṣeśaḥ kṣitipālakaḥ kṣitipati cakrēśataṁ vāñchati |
cakrēśaḥ punarindrataṁ surapatir brahmāspataṁ vāñchati |
brahma viṣṇupadaṁ harir hara padaṁ triṣṇā nadim kōgadhaḥ ||

Nisvaha means the one who has no money at all. He says - for a decent life, 100
rupees is enough - nisvaha ekashatam. Once he gets 100, he wants 1000 - shatī
daṣaśataṁ. Once I have got few 1000’s, now it is a few lakhs - laksham
sahastrādipaha. laksheshaha kshitipālatām - one who has got few lakhs, wants
to become a King of a small Kingdom like an MP.
kshitipatiha cakreshatām vāncati - once I become MP, I wants to become PM.

Cakresha means an Emperor. cakreshaha punarindratām - what is the use of
becoming an Emperor on miserable earth. I want to become the Emperor of the
heaven. On interviewing Indra about whether he is happy, he says he wants to
become Brahmaji - surapatir bramhāspadam vāncati.
If you interview Brahma, Brahma wants to become Vishnu - brahmā vishnu

padam. Therefore the 1st minus point is - you think once I acquire these things, I
will be contented and happy. But the actual experience will be like trying to
reach the horizon meeting the earth. It appears to meet the earth faraway.
But when I walk, the horizon recedes and recedes. Tr̥ pti will never come. So, the
1st Dōṣa is dissatisfaction. Some verses give this dissatisfaction beautifully. We
will select those Ślōkaḥs.
Verse No. 2
भ्रान्तं दे िमनेकरृगयद्ववषमं प्राप्तं न द्वकच्ञ्चत्फिम्

त्यक्त्वा जाद्वतकुिाभभमानमुमचतं सेवा कृता द्वनष्फिा ।
भुक्तं मानद्वववर्जंतं परगृहेष्वािङ् कया काकवत्
तृष्णे जृम्भशस पापकमयद्वपिुने नाद्याद्वप सन्तुष्यशस ॥ २॥
bhrāntaṁ dēśamanēkadurgaviṣamaṁ prāptaṁ na kiñcitphalam
tyaktvā jātikulābhimānamucitaṁ sēvā kr̥tā niṣphalā |
bhuktaṁ mānavivarjitaṁ paragr̥hēṣvāśaṅkayā kākavat
tr̥ṣṇē jr̥mbhasi pāpakarmapiśunē nādyāpi santuṣyasi || 2||
Bhartr̥ hari is bringing into picture a person who is in the latter half of his life. He
has accomplished lot of worldly things. He is looking at his own heart - when I

began, I started with dissatisfaction and I have accomplished a lot of things. He

is studying the condition of his mind and he finds that it is as empty as before.
We should know the logic behind it. It is not only an experiential truth, but it is
also a logical truth because a finite person accomplishes lot of finite things.
Finite + Finite = Finite. What is the distance between the finite and infinite? The
distance will be the same. Whether I have got a 1000 rupees or a billion rupees,
I am as much away from infinitude as I was before.
Since, the distance always remains constant between the finite and infinite, the
emptiness will always be constant. Only the poor person thinks the rich man is
lucky. The poor person is envious of rich man, but any rich man will say – we are
all middle class people. He will have a few houses, a few cars or a few industries.
He will say - we are all middle class. The whole world says he is rich. But he
doesn’t feel the richness because he knows the distance between the finitude
and the infinitude. Therefore, he says Bhrāntam Dēśaṁ - I have roamed all
around the world in search of wealth, expanding my business prospects.
Bhartr̥ hari uses Bhrāntam in double language.
One meaning is I have travelled, the second meaning is Bhrānta. Here,

Bhrāntam means I roamed about expanding my empire, bought so many
businesses. In what type of countries I have travelled? anēka durga viṣamaṁ.
viṣamaṁ means inaccessible countries which are not easily accessible because
of anēka durga. durgaḥ means obstacles.
Anēka durga viṣamaṁ - I travelled the countries which are inaccessible due to
many obstacles. When I look at my heart and ask -are you satisfied? prāptaṁ na
kiñcitphalam - I did not get any benefit out of it because my incompleteness
continues. My seeking continues or my Tambūra Shruti still continues.
Only thing is, when the song is going on, you don’t hear the Tambūra Shruti.
When the song is over, the Tambūra Shruti gets magnified. Similarly, when I am

busy, I don’t feel. But when I don’t have much work to do, the mind comes up
and asks - what do you feel? Therefore, he says Kimcit Phalam Na Prāptam.
Tyaktvā Jāti Kula Abhimānam- for the sake of going to other countries, I gave up
all the traditional Ācāra and anuṣṭāna which is prescribed by the Vedās. I was
fortunate enough to be born in the Vedic society. I had all these family values.
My forefathers and fathers followed so many religious disciplines.
What did I do? I gave up all those disciplines. I do not know Sandhyāvandanam,
Gāyatrī. Therefore, Jāti Kula Abhimānam Tyaktva - I gave up all the traditional
and family values - Varnāshrama Dharma, Varnāshrama Ācāra. Ucitam - for
getting things done, I even gave up human decency. Whom did I serve?
Sevā Krutā Nishphalā - I served all types of people who do not deserve any type
of service, who do not have any values. Just because they had the money and I
was working under them, I had to salute them all the time. Daily we are
supposed to worship the Devatās, who deserve the worship.
Instead of doing Tarpanās to Devatās, I did all kinds of Tarpanam to all kinds of
useless fellows, giving up the traditional Tarpanam. So, Sevā Krutā Nishphalā. At
least, did it give any benefit? Nishphalā - it was also utterly useless. Bhuktaṁ
Mānavivarjitaṁ paragr̥ hēṣu - Our scriptures prescribe the rule that we should
not eat food anywhere and everywhere.
The food is divided into Sātvika, Rājasa and Tāmasa Āhāra. Sātvik food and the
food which is offered to the Lord should be taken. But what did I do? I gave up
all that Ācāra and ate in different places, food prepared by different people and
in all kinds of different conditions. Therefore, Māna Vivarjitam Bhuktam -
without observing any decency or Varnāshrama rules, I ate.
paragr̥ hēṣu - So, Para Annam is not supposed to be very good. Because
according to the Śāstrā, when we receive food from others, we indirectly take
their character also. Since, we do not know what type of character the other
person has, unknowingly I may be imbibing negative character also.

That is why, in daily Sandhyāvandana, there is a Prāyashcitta mentioned. If I

have received food from someone who does not have character, for that
Pāpam, I am doing the Prāyashcittam - asatānca pratigraha ag svāhaha. That
Pāpam is called Asat Pratigraha Pāpa. In daily Sandhyāvandanam, for Asat
Pratigraha Pāpa, the Prāyashcittam is prescribed.
What did I do? I received food from all types of people. At least, if I had done
Sandhyāvandanam, it would have neutralized Pāpam. I did not do that also.
That is why they say –
किौ कल्मषमचत्तानां पापरव्योपद्धजद्ववनां

द्ववमधद्वक्रय द्ववहीनानं गद्वतर् गॊद्ववन्द कीतयनम् ॥
kalau kalmaṣacittānāṁ pāpadravyōpajivināṁ
vidhikriya vihīnānaṁ gatir govinda kīrtanam ||
In the Kaliyuga, it seems all this will happen. Pāpa Dravya Upajīvina means
earning money by corrupt methods. For Prāyashcitta, there are certain regular
prayers. That also I don’t do - Vidhi Kriyā Vihinānām. They said - at least, you
chant Bhagavan Nāmā to neutralise. Unfortunately, people do not do even
Nāma Sankīrtanam.
Therefore, he says here - paragr̥ hēṣu Māna Vivarjitam Bhuktam. All the time, I
did not eat happily. āśaṅgaya - I ate with fear. What is the fear? I should
propitiate those people. They are my clients. My business should run properly.
Therefore, whether the food is good or not, I should eat it and I should also say
that it is very good.
Otherwise, my business will go. If business goes, my job will go. Therefore,
āśaṅgaya - I ate food with fear in all houses. Like what? Kākavat - just as a crow
goes to different houses and pecks, similarly, I also did. After doing all these
things, at least are you happy now? Bhartr̥ hari says no.
tr̥ ṣṇē pāpakarmapiśunē - He is addressing his own desire. O desire, you have
made me do all these Pāpa Karmas. You have made me violate all the Ācāra,

Anuṣṭāna, religious disciplines. Therefore, you are pāpakarmapiśunē. Piśunē

means Kāranam. So, you are the cause for all the Pāpa Karmas.
I thought I will get better earning elsewhere and therefore, I voted for that.
Therefore, when I want to earn more, there is a conflict – whether money is
important or culture is important. Generally, we vote for money. When the
culture goes, all the Dharma also goes away. That is why he says - Pāpa Karma
Piśunē.
O desire, who is the cause of all Adhārmic activities. jr̥ mbhasi - even now you
are as big as before. You have not become smaller. So, jr̥ mbhasi means you are
as powerful as you were before. In fact, it is not even as powerful. You have
become more powerful. That is why they give the example - when you feed the
fire, the fire is not going to be satisfied unlike a human being.
When you feed a person, after some time he will say enough. Even the most
voracious eater, at least after the 25th Gulab Jamun, he will say enough. But any
amount you feed the fire, it only asks for more. That is why fire is called
Analaha. Desire is also called Analaha. You have never been quenched.
In fact, you have become a huge conflagration. Na Adyāpi santuṣyasi - even

now, you are not at all satisfied. Even at this late age, you are asking me - go
here, go there, do this. Therefore, the 1st Dōṣa is Atr̥ pti. More details, in the next
class.


Vairāgya Śatakam - Verses 3, 4, 6

ॐ

Bhartr̥ hari is talking about the Dōṣās of Samsārā, with an intention of creating
Vairāgyam in the minds of people. Because Vairāgyam is the result of Dōṣa
Darśanam only. That is why, in the Bhagavat Gītā, Lord Krishna also says - janma
mṛtyu jarā vyādhi duḥkha doṣa anudarśanam. It is not that we do not know these
Dōṣās.
We are aware of these defects. Since we do not dwell upon them, we do not
take any steps to remedy these defects. Whenever there is a serious problem of
Samsāra, then for the time-being, we think of Bhagavān, we think of Vedānta, we
think of some Swāmīs or some Āshramās. As long as that sorrow remains, these
thoughts continue.
There afterwards, again we revert back to our own good old way of life. This is
called Smaśāna Vairāgyam. Whenever some death happens, some loss
happens, some serious disease comes, then alone people think of the problem
of Samsāra. Our problem is we do not dwell upon it. Therefore, Bhartr̥ hari is
dwelling upon the problem so that we will seriously think of Samsāra Dōṣa
Nivr̥ ttiha.
Talk 3 – Verses 3, 4 and 6 Downloaded from www.arshaavinash.in Page 37 of 201

The primary problem is that whatever we accomplish in life, the Atr̥ pti
continues. Atr̥ pti is not a disease or a problem by itself. Atr̥ pti is a symptom of
some other problem. Atr̥ pti or dissatisfaction is an expression of a sense of
limitation - I am small, I am incomplete. The sense of limitation itself is the
result of self-ignorance. When the Pūrnatvam of mind is not known, I mistake
myself to be Apūrnaha.
Therefore, Ajnānam Apūrnatva Adhyāsaha and Apūrnatva AdhyāsahaAtr̥ ptiha

and Atr̥ ptiha Kāmaha. Therefore, Kāma is not a disease in itself. It is a
symptom of a deeper disease called Ajnānam. Since we have not diagnosed the
basic problem, we are only trying to remove the symptoms by doing this and
that.
If because of some indigestion problem or some other stomach problem, there

are boils all over the body. Suppose, I apply ointment on the boil, it may be
temporarily gone. But as long as the disease is not cured, the boil is going to
appear elsewhere. It is like cutting the branches of a tree without removing the
root.
When the branches are cut, again fresh branches are going to come. Therefore,
here the root is Ajnānam. As long as it is not cut, one Atr̥ pti I may remove, it will
lead to some other Atr̥ pti. If that is removed, it will lead to some other Atr̥ pti.
Therefore, Bhartr̥ hari says - I have done so many things, but the problem of
Atr̥ pti continues.
He points out this in several Ślōkas. We saw in the 2nd verse – tr̥ ṣṇē jr̥ mbhasi
pāpakarmapiśunē nādyāpi santuṣyasi - I am not able to satisfy you at all. The
same idea is again mentioned in the next Ślōkaḥ-
Verse No. 3
उत्खातं द्वनमधिङ् कया भक्षद्वततिं ध्माता द्वगरेधायतवो

द्वनस्तीणयः सररतां पद्वतनृयपतयो यत्नेन संतोद्वषताः ।
मन्िाराधनतत्परेण मनसा नीताः श्मिाने द्वनिाः

प्राप्तः काणवराटकोऽद्वप न मया तृष्णे सकामा भव ॥ ३॥

utkhātaṁ nidhiśaṅkayā kṣititalaṁ dhmātā girērdhātavō
nistīrṇaḥ saritāṁ patirnr̥patayō yatnēna saṁtōṣitāḥ |
mantrārādhanatatparēṇa manasā nītāḥ śmaśānē niśāḥ
prāptaḥ kāṇavarāṭakō:'pi na mayā tr̥ṣṇē sakāmā bhava || 3||
Again, the Samsārī is looking back into his life and taking stock of the situation -
what all things I have done with a hope of getting some fulfillment in life.
kṣititalaṁ utkhātaṁ - I excavated the earth with a hope of finding some treasure
or with a hope of striking some mines and getting some metals or ores.
nidhiśaṅkayā - Nidhi means some treasure. With a hope of getting some
treasure, I dug the earth. I did get them.
girērdhātavō - I found some valuable ores in the mountain. Dhātavaha means

ore. Girēhi means from the mountain. Ore is the metal with lot of other
impurities, which has to be purified and the metal has to be extracted. Such
ores I found.
They were Dhmātā. Dhmātāha means I treated that ore, I smelted that ore,
separated the impurities and got lot of metal and other valuable things. I did
this with a hope of making some money. Was I satisfied? No. Even though I
acquired lot of wealth by that method, still there was no Tr̥ pti. Therefore, what
did I do?
saritāṁ patiha nistīrṇaḥ - saritām patiha means samudraha. Sarit means river and
saritāmpatiha means the Lord of the rivers. Who is the Lord of the rivers? The
ocean. saritām patiha nistīrṇaḥ - I crossed the ocean and went to several
countries to expand my business. For that purpose, I had to do lot of other
things. What are those things?
nr̥ patayō yatnēna saṁtōṣitāḥ - I had to propitiate so many government officials,

Kings, from both sides. I did all the things that I needed to do, to get the permit
for doing business in this country. But that is not enough. In the other country
also I should get the permit. Therefore, I took lot of trouble.

Yatnena - with much time, energy, effort, tension, stress and strain, and leaving
the family members. Often, the children do not even know who the father is
because he is out most of the time. Therefore, I was not even available for my
wife. She was complaining that I don’t have even one minute of time for her.
Wife was complaining, children were complaining.
I had no time for my family itself. What to talk of Gītā class or Upaniṣad class!
They are all far, far away. All the time, my only aim was to somehow make
money. Therefore, yatnena nrupatayaha samtoshitāha. It goes to such an extent
that previously, at least the family was strong.
But now, the problem is that if the husband is not available, wife even decides
to change the husband himself! Therefore, even family breaks down. Children
are disappointed. They have lot of emotional problems because father is not
available. Therefore, I did all these things with the idea that I can bring up the
children very well.
My motive is that I should provide for the children. But those children think that
I am not available for them. So, if I stay at home, money won’t come. If I bring
money, I am not available for the children. At the end, children ask - what did
you do for me? That becomes the greatest frustration.
The children complain that you did not know how to bring us up properly. I told
you this story before. The child was reading the book ‘How to bring up the
children’. Then, the parents asked - why are you reading this book? The child
replied - I want to find out that whether you are bringing me up properly or not.
Therefore, I do everything and children don’t seem to have any gratitude at all.
If it is a daughter, once she is married, she is gone. If it is a son, once the
daughter-in-law comes, there is a doubt whether he will be available or not. I
spend whole life for their sake. What is the result? Zero. Therefore, he says -
yatnena samtoshitāha.

I propitiated not the Devatās, but all the ‘local Devatās’. Still, I was not satisfied.
So, I had tried all the Dhrushta methods. There afterwards, I even tried the
Adhrushta method. What is Adhrushta method? Checking Nādī Josyam, consulting
astrologers, going to three temples on seven Paurnamis etc.
So, I not only tried regular methods, I tried even the religious methods. So, he
says - mantra ārādhana tatparena manasā - with an intention of propitiating
various Devatās through Mantra. So, mantrena ārādhanam or mantraiha
ārādhanam. So, with an intention of propitiating various Devatās through Mantra,
where did I go?
I go wherever the astrologer asks me to go because there is no rhyme or

reason or logic. What all things did I do? Bhartr̥ hari says - I chanted the Mantra
even in the Smaśāna . Smaśāna means cremation ground. So, Shmashāne. That
too, when? Nishā. I went to cremation grounds in the night and chanted special
Mantrās, with a hope of propitiating some Devatās.
Here, what he means is this. Generally, going to cremation ground and that too,
in the night etc, are meant for propitiating Durdevatās or destructive Devatās.
Such Karmās are called Ābhicārika Karmās - black magic. Here, Bhartr̥ hari wants
to say is - once money becomes very important and once I get into rivalry in
society, once the competition increases, the desire can turn to anger - kāma
eshaha krodha eshaha.
Once the competitor is thriving and I am not able to be successful, that anger
can lead to even Pāpa Karmās. I think of how to destroy the competitor. Such
thoughts will lead to even Ābhicārika Karmās. Therefore, Bhartr̥ hari says atr̥ pti
even leads to Pāpa Karmās. All kinds of corruption that we see in the business
field are because of the greed alone.
Therefore, Bhartr̥ hari says - greed drove me to even to practice Ābhicārika

Karmās or sinful actions or Tāmasik actions. But what is the problem? If I
propitiate the Durdevatās, I may succeed in destroying the enemy. But the

problem is that all this will come back to myself and will create lot of problems.
All those who practice black magic will have a terrible future.
Therefore, Bhartr̥ hari says - kānavarātakahaapī mayā na prāptaha - I did not

even get a single paisa. kānavarātakaha means a coin with a hole in the middle.
Kānaha means one eyed. So, one eyed coin means one holed coin, one penny.
Even a single penny I could not get out of all these types of practices. I was
driven to all these things because of whom? tr̥ ṣṇē. O Desire, this is my present lot.
At least now, sakāmābhava - may you be fulfilled. At least now, may you go away
from me. It is not going to go away, but he is requesting the desire to go away.
Verse No. 4
खिािापाः सोढाः कथमद्वप तदाराधनपरैः

द्वनगृह्यान्तबायष्पं हशसतमद्वप िून्येन मनसा ।
कृतो द्ववत्तस्तम्भप्रद्वतहतमधयामञ्जशिरद्वप
त्वमािे मोघािे द्वकमपरमतो नतययशस माम् ॥ ४॥
khalālāpāḥ sōḍhāḥ kathamapi tadārādhanaparaiḥ
nigr̥hyāntarbāṣpaṁ hasitamapi śūnyēna manasā |
kr̥tō vittastambhapratihatadhiyāmañjalirapi
tvamāśē mōghāśē kimaparamatō nartayasi mām || 4||
Again, Bhartr̥ hari says what all things people do. As Shankarāchārya said in
Bhaja Govindam - udara nimitta bahukruta veṣaḥha. I did all kinds of things for
the sake of security and wealth. What are they? khala ālāpāha sodhāha - I served
all types of people. I did not bother whether that person has values, whether he
is a religious person, whether he takes to corrupt practices. Nothing I bothered.
The only criterion was - somehow or the other, will he pay me well? I served
under him with the intention of getting money and money alone, I served under
him. He was such a characterless person (as we saw in Nīti Śatakam), he
criticizes me whatever I do. If I keep quiet - why are you staying silent like rock?
If I talk - he says keep quiet!

So, if I talk, there is a problem. If I don’t talk also, there is a problem. In Nīti
Śatakam, it is said - to be a Dāsa is a task which even Yogīs cannot accomplish!
Therefore, he was such a person that whatever I did, he criticized me. Even
though it was illegitimate criticism, even though it was mere Dōṣa Āropanam, I
cannot counter question because I am an employee and he happens to be a
boss.
Therefore, whatever he says, I had to quietly swallow. Therefore, sodhāha.

Sodhāha means to bear, to put with, to endure, to swallow. Khala means wicked
people, who happen to be in higher position. They are either ministers or my
boss.
Therefore, I put up with all kinds of rubbish because of my need for wealth. Why
do I put up with all these things? Because kathamapitadārādhanaparaiha. I had
only one intention, I should do Ārādhanam. Ārādhanam means propitiation. So,
with an intention of pleasing my people, pleasing my boss, I swallowed all of
them.
Normally, I am a man of self-respect. If anybody says even the smallest thing or

a negative word, I will flare up. This is my natural tendency. But here, I
swallowed - kathamapi. I don’t know how, but somehow I managed to please
my boss. Then, what else did I do? nigruhyaantarbāshpamhasitamapi.
He was insulting me, criticizing me. Actually, tears were coming out, but I
cannot show that. Therefore, in front of them, I withheld my tears. bāshpam
antaha nigruhya - I withheld my tears within myself. Even though, my heart was
burning inside me, outside, I only had a smile - Hasitamapi. I smiled a false
smile.
Since it was only at the lip level, there was no heart behind it. Therefore,
shūnyenamanasā - without the heart behind my smile, I just only had a lip smile,
an empty smile. Not only that, krutahavittastambhapratihatadhiyāmanjalirapi. I

did Namaskāra to all these people. Not only the boss should be respected, but I
also have to satisfy the boss’s wife, the boss’s children.
There are many people who do more work for the boss’s family than the
company. Only then, promotion will come. That is how many students also
complain. They say - Swāmīji, I do the office work very well, but I don’t get the
promotion. But my colleague gets promotion because he knows how to do
sycophancy.
He does all kinds of things and he gets the promotion. Therefore, he says -
krutaha anjalihaapi. Even Namaskāra was done to such valueless, characterless
people. What type of people are they? vittastambha pratihata dhiyaha - their
intellect is stultified, is made incapable of thinking, because of the arrogance
born out of wealth. Vitta means wealth. Stambha means arrogance.
Pratihata means obstructed. Dhīhi means discrimination. So, their discrimination

is obstructed because of the arrogance born of wealth. Such indiscriminate
people were worshipped by me, respected by me - anjalihaapi krutaha. At least,
after such a service, am I happy now? Bhartr̥ hari says - again the condition is back
to square one.
he tvam āshe - O desire, mogha āshe. We have heard Moghāshā in the Gītā -
moghāshāḥ mogha-karmāṇaḥ mogha-jnānā vicetasaḥ. Moghāshāḥ means of futile
expectations, of futile hopes. O desire, your hopes have never been fulfilled,
never been implemented. What is the hope? The Pūrnatvam. The Pūrnatvam has
never been attained.
he tvam āshe, mogha āshe. Both are Sambhodhana - addressing the desire. kim
aparam ato nartayasimām- So, what all dances do I have to do, to whose all
tunes do I have to dance, to whom I should put Jalra (musical instrument in
Bhajans). In the temple, when the Īshvara Nāma was uttered, there I have false
sense of decency.

Even among campers, when the Nāmāvali is chanted, nobody opens the mouth.
If you don’t utter the Nāma of the Lord, if you don’t put Jalra for the Bhajan,
Bhagavān will force us to put Jalra for all kinds of local people. When Bhagavan
Nāma is uttered, we have to chant without shyness. Therefore, I danced to the
tune of all these kinds of people’s music. Therefore, what more dance I have to
dance! So, kim aparam ato nartayasimām.
Verse No. 6
क्षान्तं न क्षमया गृहोमचतसुखं त्यक्तं न संतोषतः

सोढारृःसहिीतवाततपनक्िेिा न तप्तं तपः ।
ध्यातं द्ववत्तमहर्नंिं द्वनयममतप्राणैनय िम्भोः पदं
तत्तत्कमय कृतं यदे व मुद्वनभभस्तैस्तै फिैवयच्ञ्चताः ॥ ६॥
kṣāntaṁ na kṣamayā gr̥hōcitasukhaṁ tyaktaṁ na saṁtōṣataḥ
sōḍhāduḥsahaśītavātatapanaklēśā na taptaṁ tapaḥ |
dhyātaṁ vittamaharniśaṁ niyamitaprāṇairna śambhōḥ padaṁ
tattatkarma kr̥taṁ yadēva munibhistaistai phalairvañcitāḥ || 6||
Here, Bhartr̥ hari points out that the people who seek worldly accomplishments,
have to put forth lot of effort. Not only that, but they have to face lot of
obstacles and pain. Therefore, effort is required for the fulfillment of worldly
desires. Pains are also involved, obstacles are also involved in Sakāma Karma.
There is the other person who is in the spiritual path, who wants to attain
Sādhana Catushtaya Sampatti and later, Jnānam and Mōkṣaḥ. He also has to
perform Karma. But what type of Karma? Nishkāma Karma. Therefore, the effort
is common for both a spiritual seeker and material seeker. Material seeker also
has to do Karma and spiritual seeker also has to do Karma.
Material seeker does Karma for what purpose? - For the fulfillment of worldly
desires. Spiritual person performs Karma for what purpose? Citta Śuddhi. Material
seeker also faces lot of obstacles. Spiritual seeker also faces lot of obstacles and
difficulties. Bhartr̥ hari says - everything remaining the same, who is a better
person?

He says - a material seeker is really cheated because even though, he puts forth
effort, at the end of several years of effort, there is no difference in his position
because he has travelled from Atr̥ ptiAtr̥ pti. Finitude  Finitude. Perhaps,
Atr̥ pti more Atr̥ pti.
It is because previously, when I was single and I only missed certain things at
my own personal level. Therefore, the number of desires I had were only for my
own sake. After further expansion, not only I have desires for my own sake, now
there are desires for the sake of the other people also.
That means wife is there, children are there. The child has not completed the
education. Even though, the problem of incompleteness is only for the child,
because of my identification, the incompleteness is felt by me. If there are 4
children - he has not completed B.Com, he has not cleared IIT entrance, etc.
Therefore, incompleteness has become cumulative. Some people say - Swāmīji,

in America my grandchild is there. For him, something is not yet got. That also
is included in the incompleteness. Therefore, Atr̥ pti has become lesser or more?
After lot of KāmyaKarmās, Atr̥ ptihas become more and more.
That is why, SwāmīChinmayānanda beautifully says - the happiness can be easily

measured. It is -
Number of desires fulfilled

Happiness =
Number of desires you have
That is the unit of happiness. Suppose, I have got 10 desires and I fulfill one
desire. My happiness is 1/10. I fulfill the 2nd desire, it has increased to 2/10. I
fulfill the 3rd desire, it has increased to 3/10. Similarly, 4/10, 5/10, 6/10. We have
got wonderful dreams that there will be one day when the last desire will be
fulfilled. Then, it will be 10.
Then, my happiness will be 10/10. It is no more fraction-happiness. It is one

whole happiness. So, with this plan, daily night I see what all desires are fulfilled

and what are not fulfilled. But what happens? When I fulfill all the 10 desires,
instead of having one whole happiness, I find my unhappiness is more.
Where does the problem lie? Logically speaking, 1/10, 2/10, 3/10, it must be one
whole happiness. The problem is - as even you are fulfilling the desires, the
numerator goes on increasing. But we think that in the denominator, the
number will remain same. But the problem is - there is increase on the top and
there is increase in the bottom also.
Not only that, the rate of increase at the top is very, very slow whereas, the rate
of increase at the bottom is very fast because every TV advertisement is a
potential threat. Therefore, by the time I go from 1 10 at the top, at the
bottom it has increased from 10  1000 (1000, to be moderate).
Therefore, when the 10th one is fulfilled, what is my happiness? 10/1000 i.e. 1/100.
When my first desire was fulfilled, it was 1/10. After the completion of 10
desires, I have travelled from 1/10  1/100. Now, is it a progression or
retrogression? That is why, as a child I thought - once I become old, I will be
satisfied.
But all old people uniformly say - those childhood days should come again. The
student days are always wonderful. Therefore, the problem is the rate of
increase of the desire is much, much more. Therefore, Atr̥ pti only increases.
Therefore, he says - a person who does Sakāma Karma goes from Atr̥ pti more
Atr̥ pti.
Whereas, a spiritual seeker, puts forth effort and he goes from Atr̥ ptiTr̥ pti.
Therefore, who is an intelligent person - material seeker or spiritual seeker?
Bhartr̥ hari says - material seekers are unintelligent. They are cheated in life.
Whereas, spiritual seeker alone is intelligent. So, that is the essence of this
verse.
Look at the Ślōkaḥ. Kśāntam. Kśāntam means endured. Difficulties are endured
by material seeker also and spiritual seeker also. Both Sakāma Karmī and

Nishkāma Karmī put up with lot of pain. But what is the difference? A Karma Yogī,
a Nishkāma Karmī (Bhartr̥ hari calls him a Muni), when he endures difficulties,
because of his proper attitude, it is converted into Tapas.
What is the difference between suffering and Tapas? The difference is only in the
attitude. It is like the difference between fasting and starving. What is the
difference? In both, the discomfort is there. But when I am starving, it is against
my will. I do not have a healthy attitude. Therefore, starving gives me only pain,
no benefit.
In the case of a Muni, a Tapasvī, he also will have the discomfort, but the very
same discomfort is converted into Tapas. Therefore, it becomes Citta Śuddhi
Janakam. Therefore, he says - a material seeker suffers and he doesn’t get any
Citta Śuddhi. Otherwise, we can easily convert any travel day into Upavāsa day. It
is very simple, but we will never do that. If there is a two day journey, what all
plans will be there!
Therefore, we have to plan food from night, next day morning, afternoon, in-
between, night, next day morning and then lunch. All of them must be very
good quality also. We take food from all kinds of places and also spoil the
stomach. The easiest method should be to convert the travel day into Ekādashī
day.
You get two-fold benefit - you don’t spoil your stomach and you also get Citta
Śuddhi. Do we do that? No. I am waiting for somebody to tell - Swāmīji, don’t
arrange any food on that Delhi-Rishikesh travel. People suggest all kinds of
things, but nobody suggests - Swāmīji, why can’t we make it an Upavāsa day.
Until suggestion comes from you, I have to arrange. What I say is, that must be
the easiest thing. By avoiding one day meal or one meal or one breakfast or one
lunch, are we going to die? We are not going to die. We can even eat fruits. But
this is the difference. Bhartr̥ hari says - we will undergo difficulties, but we will
never get Chitta Śuddhi.

It isbecause when the difficulty comes, we don’t take it with proper attitude. We
go on murmuring, grumbling, murmuring, grumbling. Suffering remains the
same and you don’t get any benefit also whereas, a KarmaYogīis one who
immediately coverts the difficulty into Tapas. If current is not there, that
becomes a Tapas.
If food is not there, that becomes a Tapas. Whatever is not there, immediately
gets converted into Tapas. This is not done by the material seeker. Therefore, he
says - Kśāntam. He undergoes difficulties, but he undergoes them grumbling.
Therefore, he says - nakshamayā - not with an attitude of acceptance. There is
no kshama at all.
Similarly, gruhocita sukhamtyaktam. Many of the household comforts, he will

have to forego at certain times in family life. He might have to travel out. He
might have to go out for one purpose or the other. He might have to sleep
outside. He might have to eat outside. At all such times, what is he doing? He is
foregoing gruha ucita sukham.
There are many people who not only want cooked food, but they want food
cooked by their own dear wife. For some people, not only the food must be
cooked by the wife, but it also must be served by the wife. Otherwise, they get
wild. They are married for 70 years and still they want!
Even after the daughter-in-law has come or the wife is sick, it doesn’t matter.
She has to come and serve. Sometimes, when he has to forego that, he has not
done that with a healthy attitude. He does it with scolding, criticizing. Therefore,
he says - gruhocitasukhamtyaktam. The comforts of home were renounced by
these people, not willingly, but with dissatisfaction, criticism, complaint -
nasamtoshataha.
Therefore, there is no benefit at all. Similarly, this person also puts up with
opposite experiences like Shīta-Ushna, Sukhaha-Dukhaha, Māna-Apamāna, etc.
Sodhāhameans endured. What all things were endured? Shīta Vāta - cold wind in

the morning and Tapana - heat in the afternoon. Sometimes, power also is not
there.
Therefore, heat and cold were endured. kleśaḥ - such difficulties, such pains.
dussahaḥ - which are unbearable. Unbearable pains caused by heat, cold, etc.
were endured by this material seeker. But how did he endure? Not with a proper
attitude. Proper attitude means Karma Yoga. Karma Yoga will give Citta Śuddhi.
Grumbling makes it Samsāra.
One simplest value that scriptures teach is - never grumble under any
condition. That is the principle. But this person always grumbles. Therefore,
suffering will continue and no benefit will be accrued. In the case of the other
person, the suffering will produce Citta Śuddhi. So, kleśaḥ sodhāha parantu
tapahana taptam. So, he did not practice any Tapas at all by entertaining proper
attitude.
Then, dhyātamvittam. This person also did Dhyānam. One pointed concentration
he had and not only that, all the time, he had one single pointed attention. The
only difference is that the object of meditation was Vittam - money and money
only. Therefore, money was meditated upon. When? Aharnisham - day time as
well as, night time.
In which bank which deposit is there, which deposit will mature when, which
scheme has how much interest. Some people promised 30% and gave nothing.
Therefore, all kinds of things and sleepless nights. That is why somebody said -
why the 1st month of the year is called January? Janānām + worry = January.
Therefore, I planned and planned and planned and calculated and calculated -
simple interest, compound interest and interest of interest, all kinds of things.
The causality was the religious life. No time for prayer, no time for Gītā, no time
for Upaniṣad, no time for anything. We don’t say those things are not required.
Very, very careful.

Bhartr̥ hari doesn’t say that we should not bother about money. Money is
important, house is important, family is important, duties are important. But
what Bhartr̥ hari says is - they should not take the whole life. That is why I give
the example. We require pickle. Otherwise, we cannot eat curd-rice. Therefore,
we require pickle.
But you should remember whether you are eating pickle for curd-rice or
whether you are eating curd-rice for the sake of pickle. Which is primary, which is
secondary? Am I living for the sake of Artha, Kāma? Or am I living for the sake of
Dharma, Mōkṣaḥ? It is a healthy life when Dharma and Mōkṣaḥ become
Pradhāna, and Artha and Kāma become subservient to Dharma and Mōkṣaḥ.
Here, Bhartr̥ hari is criticizing those people who have time for only money and
entertainment. That is strongly criticized. We answer that we will take care of
spirituality after 75 years as though, we are very sure that we are going to live.
Even if we are going to live, who knows if we will have all the sense organs
intact! That is why Bhartr̥ hari is going to tell that when all the organs are
functioning reasonable well, you listen to good things.
Therefore, vittamaharnishamdhyātam. How? Niyamita Prānaiha. Prānaiha means

with tension. Tension was so much that even I did not do proper breathing. So,
Niyamita Prānaiha. With all tension, I meditated upon Vittam. nashambhoha
padam - I never thought of the feet of the Lord. I never thought of Mōkṣaḥ.
In short, tat tat karma krutam - everything that a spiritual seeker does, all those
things, a material seeker also does. The same amount of pain, the same amount
of concentration, the same amount of effort, the same amount of obstacle-
crossing. But what is the difference? taihi taihi phalāihi vancitāha. The material
seeker is cheated because he doesn’t get what he wants to get.
What does he want to get? He wants to get Tr̥ pti, fulfillment. But after 70 years,
he has travelled from where to where? Atr̥ pti more Atr̥ pti. Don’t say
Atr̥ ptiAtr̥ pti, but from Atr̥ pti Mahā Atr̥ pti. Therefore, he has been cheated.

So, Taihi taihi phalāiha; he is deceived of the real results of those actions, -
Vanchitā.
He is deceived means he doesn’t get at all. On the other hand, we can do all
those Karmās and change the attitude. Instead of making it a Sakāma Karma,
make it a Nishkāma Karma. Then, it would have long before lead to Citta Śuddhi,
Guru Prāpti, Jnāna Prāpti, Mōkṣaḥ Prāpti. Bhartr̥ hari says - I did not know.
Therefore, his warning is that at least, the other people should learn a lesson
and change their direction.


Vairāgya Śatakam - Verses 7, 8, 29, 67

ॐ

Bhartr̥ hari is talking about the limitation of worldly pursuits, the limitation of
Kāmya Karmās. We should remember that whenever Karmās are criticized in the
Śāstrā, it is always the criticism of Kāmya Karma only, because Kāmya Karmās do
not give any spiritual progress.
The scriptures do not criticize Nishkāma Karmās because they do contribute to

the spiritual growth of a person. That is why, in the 2nd chapter, Krishna first
criticizes the Karma and then, immediately asks Arjuna to perform Karma.
यामममां पुन्ष्पतां वाचं प्रवदन्त्यद्ववपभश्चतः ।

वेदवादरताः पाथय नान्यदस्तीद्वत वाददनः ॥ २-४२॥
yāmimāṁ puṣpitāṁ vācaṁ pravadantyavipaścitaḥ |
vēdavādaratāḥ pārtha nānyadastīti vādinaḥ || 2-42||
कामात्मानः स्वगयपरा जन्मकमयफिप्रदाम् ।

द्वक्रयाद्वविेषबहुिां भोगैश्वययगततं प्रद्वत ॥ २-४३॥
kāmātmānaḥ svargaparā janmakarmaphalapradām |
kriyāviśēṣabahulāṁ bhōgaiśvaryagatiṁ prati || 2-43||
भोगैश्वययप्रसक्तानां तयापहृतचेतसाम् ।
Talk 4 – Verses 7,8,29, 67 Downloaded from www.arshaavinash.in Page 53 of 201

व्यवसायात्त्मका बुद्धिः समाधौ न द्ववधीयते ॥ २-४४॥

bhōgaiśvaryaprasaktānāṁ tayāpahr̥tacētasām |
vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ samādhau na vidhīyatē || 2-44||
In these three verses, Krishna strongly criticizes all the Karmās. He even
criticizes Veda Pūrva Bhāga saying veda vādaratāha - those foolish people all the
time talk about the Karma Kānda of the Veda which talks about varieties of
Karmas, which only cause janma karma phala pradā.They only cause punarapi
jananam punarapi maranam cycle.
Having strongly criticized Karma in these three verses, later the very same
Krishnasays - karmanyevādhikāraste mā phaleshu kadācana. Later, he says
yogasthaha kuru karmāni saṅgaṁ tyaktvā dhananjaya. How come Krishna
criticizes Karma in the earlier portion and Krishna himself recommends Karma
later? In the 3rd chapter also -
द्वनयतं कुरु कमय त्वं कमय ज्यायो ह्यकमयणः ।

िरीरयािाद्वप च ते न प्रशसद्ध्येदकमयणः ॥ ३-८॥
niyataṁ kuru karma tvaṁ karma jyāyō hyakarmaṇaḥ |
śarīrayātrāpi ca tē na prasiddhyēdakarmaṇaḥ || 3-8||
If we look superficially, Krishna is contradicting himself by praising Karma in

one place and criticizing Karma in another place. How can we resolve this
contradiction? There is only one way of resolving. When Krishna criticizes the
Karma, it is the Kāmya Karmas and Niṣidda Karmas that are criticized.
When Krishna glorifies Karma, it is the glorification of Nitya and Naimmitika

Karma. To put in another language, Krishna criticizes Rājasic and Tāmasic
Karmās. The very same Krishna glorifies Sātvika Karmāni. Here also, when
Bhartr̥ hari talks about the futility of all the worldly pursuits, Bhartr̥ hari is not
criticizing the Citta Shodhaka Karmāni.
Bhartr̥ hari is criticizing those Kāmya Karmās, by which I want to acquire the
worldly things. By acquiring worldly things, I want to fill up my heart. The heart

can never be filled up by any amount of worldly acquisition. That is why,

Bhruhadāranyaka Upaniṣad beautifully presents this.
When Yājnavalkya is about to take Sanyāsa, he calls his two wives, Maitreyī and
Kātyāyini. He asks Maitreyī to take half of whatever he has. Then, Maitreyī asks
the question - even if I have got the wealth of the whole world, will I get Pūrnatvam?
yannu maiyam bhagoha, sarvā vittasya pūrnasyām katham tena amrutāsyāmiti.
Yājnavalkya says - neti hovāca yājnavalkyaha, yathaiva upakaranāvatām jīvitam

tathaivate jīvitagmsyāt. All the things of the world can give you physical comfort,
but none of them can promise mental peace. So, we should not mix up physical
comfort and mental peace.
The world can only promise physical comfort, but it can never promise inner
fulfillment -amrutat tvasyatu nāshāsti vittena. Amrutatvam means Pūrnatvam.
Pūrnatvamcan never be attained by the wealth of the world. Then, Maitreyī
intelligently says - who is interested in physical comforts? We are interested only
in the inner fulfillment.
yenāham amrutāsyām - you please teach me that by which I will become Pūrna.
Then, Yājnavalkya becomes very happy. He at-least got one student.
priyāvatāre naha sati priyam bhāshase yehyāsva vyākhyāsyāmite

vyācakshānasya tume nidhidhyāsasva navā are patyuha kāmāya pati priyo
bhavati ātmanastu kāmāya pati priyo bhavati
Yājnavalkya gives the famous teaching to Maitreyī, pointing out that Pūrnatvam
is never outside, Pūrnatvam is only our nature. That alone was declared by
Naciketa also. na vittena tarpanīyaha manushyaha - no human mind will be ever
satisfied with any amount of wealth. So, it is that material seeking pursuits that
Bhartr̥ hari is strongly condemning. He is not condemning any action which is
meant for Citta Śuddhi.
Verse No. 7

भोगा न भुक्ता वयमेव भुक्ताः

तपो न तप्तं वयमेव तप्ताः ।
कािो न यातो वयमेव याता-
स्तृष्णा न जीणाय वयमेव जीणायः ॥ ७॥
bhōgā na bhuktā vayamēva bhuktāḥ
tapō na taptaṁ vayamēva taptāḥ |
kālō na yātō vayamēva yātā-
str̥ṣṇā na jīrṇā vayamēva jīrṇāḥ || 7||
In this beautiful verse, Bhartr̥ hari is using certain Sanskrit verbs which have got
two meanings. You have to take one meaning at one time. He repeats the same
verb the 2nd time. There, you have to take the 2nd meaning. In the 1st line, he
takes the verb Bhuj. This root has got two meanings.
1st meaning is to experience, to enjoy. 2nd meaning is to consume or to eat. With

regard to eatables, Bhuj will mean to consume or to eat. With regard to sense
pleasures, the very same root Bhuj will mean to experience. He says bhogāna
bhuktāha - sense pleasures were not experienced by us. vayameva bhuktāha -
only we were consumed by the sense pleasures.
So, we did not consume or experience the sense pleasures. Only we were
consumed by sense pleasures. That means we only die away enjoying the sense
pleasures. bhogā na bhuktāha vayameva bhuktāha - sense pleasures were not
consumed by us. On the other hand, we are consumed by the sense pleasures.
Then, in the 2nd line, he takes the root tap (tapatī). This root also has got two
meanings. 1st meaning is to perform austerity or to do Tapas. The 2nd meaning
is to be tormented, to burn, to be afflicted. Both meanings are there. The root is
repeated twice. 1st time, you have to take the meaning - to do austerities.
2nd time you should take the meaning - to be tormented. So, tapahā na taptam -
austerities were not performed by us. On the other hand, we only are
tormented, afflicted. We only undergo heart burn. Then, in the 3rd line, he uses
the root yā (yāti). It has got the meaning - to pass away. This also is used in two
meanings.

One meaning is passing the time, spending the time. The second meaning of
pass away is to die. So, in both meanings Bhartr̥ hari is using kālaha na yātaha -
time does not pass away. On the other hand. vayamevayātaha - we only pass
away. We try to pass the time. The time does not pass away, but it continues.
On the other hand, in time, we only pass away. So, kālona yātaha vayameva yāta.
Grammatically also, this is a beautiful Ślōkaḥ. Meaning wise also, he is revealing

the truth. In the 4th line, he is using the word Jru (Jaratī) - to weaken, to become
feeble, to become emaciated or to become thin. That is also used in two
meanings. One is becoming lesser and another is becoming weaker. He says,
tr̥ ṣṇā najīrnā- the desires have not weakened, the desires have not come down.
On the other hand, vayameva jīrnāha - only we have become weakened. The
desires have not weakened. Desires have only multiplied. On the other hand,
body has become weaker and weaker. It is natural also, because our capacity to
fulfill the desires becomes lesser and lesser. The desires are increasing, but our
capacity to fulfill them is decreasing.
Therefore, the backlog of unfulfilled desires will mount up. Then, kimahagm
sādhunā karavam kimaham pāpa makaravamitī; There is also a lot of time
because we cannot move about. In young age, we can be busy and forget our
desires. But in old age, we cannot be active, we are bedridden and we cannot
spend time in any other way.
Nobody comes around to talk because they know our weakness. The moment
they ask how we are, we start from 1953! There will be no full-stop, comma or
semicolon. Often, we talk about the same subject which we have talked
umpteen times. Therefore, people avoid us. Therefore, what do they do? vr̥ ddha
stāvat cintā saktaha. So, tr̥ ṣṇā na jīrnā vayameva jīrnāha.
Verse No. 8
विीभभमुयखमाक्रान्तं पशितेनाङ् द्वकतं शिरः ।

गािाभण शिशथिायन्ते तृष्णैका तरुणायते ॥ ८॥

valībhirmukhamākrāntaṁ palitēnāṅkitaṁ śiraḥ |

gātrāṇi śithilāyantē tr̥ṣṇaikā taruṇāyatē || 8||
Bhartr̥ hariagain says that the only thing that grows and grows in us is tr̥ ṣṇa.
Everything else is growing weaker. valībhiha mukham ākrāntam- the face is full
of wrinkles. In Sanskrit, Valī means wrinkles. What about the head? shiraha
palitena ankitam - the head is full of grey hair.
अङ् गं गशितं पशितं मुण्डं

दिनद्ववहीनं जातं तुण्डम् |
वृिो याद्वत गृहीत्वा दण्डं
तदद्वप न मुञ्चत्यािाद्वपण्डम् ||१५||
aṅgaṁ galitaṁ palitaṁ muṇḍaṁ
daśanavihīnaṁ jātaṁ tuṇḍam |
vr̥ddhō yāti gr̥hītvā daṇḍaṁ
tadapi na muñcatyāśāpiṇḍam ||15||
He gives the same idea here - shiraha palitena ankitam. Why do the teeth go
away? One person wrote a Ślōkaḥ for that also.
malinai ralakai retai shuklatvam prakatīkrutam

tad roshādiva niryātāha vadanāt radanāvaliha
It seems the teeth are the whitest portion in the mouth. After sometime, the
hair started becoming white, competing with the teeth. In the competition, the
teeth got defeated and therefore, they felt insulted and decided to walk out.
Therefore, dashana vihīnam jātam tundam; palitena amkitam shiraha
gātrānishithilāyante - all the limbs of the body fall apart.
You become aware of every joint in the body. Before, we never knew that there
are joints in the body. Now, you become aware of every joint. The limbs which
you want to move do not move. The limbs which you do not want to move, keep
on moving. It is just like an old car where every part of the car makes the noise,
except the horn!

Therefore, gātrānishithilāyantetr̥ ṣṇā ekā tarunāyate - there is only one thing

which is growing stronger and stronger and stronger for the ignorant person.
For wise man, there is no problem.
वेदान्तवाक्येषु सदा रमन्तो

भभक्षान्नमािेण च तुद्वष्टमन्तः ।
द्वविोकमन्तः करणे चरन्तः
कौपीनवन्तः खिु भाग्यवन्तः ॥
vēdāntavākyēṣu sadā ramantō
bhikṣānnamātrēṇa ca tuṣṭimantaḥ |
viśōkamantaḥ karaṇē carantaḥ
kaupīnavantaḥ khalu bhāgyavantaḥ ||
Where the wisdom is there, old age becomes the most enjoyable age because it
is the ideal time for Nidhidhyāsanam as nobody will disturb - yastu ātmarati
revasyāt ātma truptashca mānavaha. For a wise man, others not talking becomes
advantageous. For an ignorant person, others not talking becomes rejection or
isolation.
Situation remaining the same, for one it is loneliness and for the other one it is
aloneness. Aloneness is called Kaivalyam.ekāntesukhamāsyatām. Therefore, for
the wise person, Ekānta becomes nidhidhyāsana kāla; for an ignorant person, it
becomes a big complaint.
He says - I have got 4 sons and 6 daughters. Nobody has time to come.
Previously, they were at-least calling once a week. So, this person misses.
Therefore, in a quiet place, an ignorant person says - it is quiet like a cremation
ground. Wise person says - it is quiet like an Āśrama. Quietude remaining the
same, for an ignorant person, it is threatening burial ground. For a wise person,
it is Śānta Āśrama.
From this, it is very clear that the problem is not with the outside condition but,
with what type of person I am. That is why somebody said - what you have does
not matter, but what you are matters. Therefore, all these problems are for the
ignorant person. For wise person, old age is time for Nidhidhyāsanam.

Verse No. 29
ये सन्तोषद्वनरन्तरप्रमुददतस्तेषां न भभन्ना मुदो

ये त्वन्ये धनिुब्धसंकुिमधयस्तेषां न तृष्णा हता ।
इत्थं कस्य कृते कृतः स द्ववमधना कीरॅक्पदं सम्पदां
स्वात्मन्येव समाप्तहेममद्वहमा मेरुनय मे रोचते ॥ २९॥
yē santōṣanirantarapramuditastēṣāṁ na bhinnā mudō
yē tvanyē dhanalubdhasaṁkuladhiyastēṣāṁ na tr̥ṣṇā hatā |
itthaṁ kasya kr̥tē kr̥taḥ sa vidhinā kīdr̥kpadaṁ sampadāṁ
svātmanyēva samāptahēmamahimā mērurna mē rōcatē || 29||
Again, Bhartr̥ hari conveys an idea through a figurative language. He talks of

two types of people. One person, who is contented with himself, who is self-
sufficient - ātmanyeva ātmanā tushtaha. The other person is one who is not
happy with himself, the one who is bankrupt, empty.
Bhartr̥ hari says the external wealth is useless for both types of people. How? In
the case of the 1st person, who is ātmanyeva ātmanā tushtaha, the external
wealth is not going to be of any use at all because he is full and complete
without that just as rivers do not add even an iota to the ocean.
आपूययमाणमचिप्रद्वतष्ठं
समुरमापः प्रद्वविन्न्त यित् ।
तित्कामा यं प्रद्वविन्न्त सवे
स िान्न्तमाप्नोद्वत न कामकामी ॥ २-७०॥
āpūryamāṇamacalapratiṣṭhaṁ
samudramāpaḥ praviśanti yadvat |
tadvatkāmā yaṁ praviśanti sarvē
sa śāntimāpnōti na kāmakāmī || 2-70||
If the rivers say I am adding to the ocean, ocean will only smile. It will not even
answer because ocean knows that the river exists because of ocean only.
Therefore, for the wise person, the external wealth is of no use. It doesn’t make
any change in him. What about the 2nd type of person?
Can external wealth bring about any change in this empty hearted person?
Bhartr̥ hari says - in his case also, the external wealth cannot make any change

because he is finite and because of his finitude, he feels Apūrnaha. This ignorant
person is Apūrnaha and with this Apūrnatvam, he acquires a lot of wealth.
Apūrna + Apūrna wealth (finite wealth) will keep him Apūrna only. Therefore,
what change the external wealth has brought about in him? From Apūrnatvam
to Apūrnatvam only. Which distance is greater - the distance between Rs. 100
and Pūrnatvam or the distance between one billion rupees and Pūrnatvam? The
distance is the same.
I am as much away from infinitude when I have one billion rupees, as much I
was when I had one rupee. Therefore, the external wealth cannot make the
ignorant person happy. The external wealth cannot make the wise person also
happy, Therefore, Bhartr̥ hari figuratively asks this question - why did Bhagavān
create this useless wealth at all?
Of course, Bhagavān has got some other purpose. That is not the idea here. But
by putting this question, what Bhartr̥ hari wants to say is that the wealth cannot
alter the mental state of either the ignorant or the wise. That is why we say - if I
am not happy with myself, I will never be happy with anything in the world.
That is why those people who change things, will go on changing because if I
am not happy with one thing, I can never be happy with anything else. Because
the unhappiness does not depend upon external condition, it is an internal
condition. If I am happy with myself, then I don’t require anything in the
external world to get happiness.
This is the idea that Bhartr̥ hari conveys. So, he enumerates two types of people
first - ye santosha nirantara pramuditaha. Suppose there are people who are
fulfilled with themselves, who are self-sufficient because of the constant
(Nirantara) sense of contentment. As we see in the Gita - santushtaha satatam
yogī.
That satatamis important - santushtahasatatam. So, this is the first type of

person. He is happy. Why is he happy? He doesn’t have the answer to the

question why. Suppose I say I am happy because of something, then I am in

danger. So, why am I happy? It is because unfortunately or fortunately, that
happens to be my nature.
Therefore, nirantarasantushtaha; teshām mudahana bhinnā - their mental

condition is not altered by external wealth.Mudaha means their happy
condition, their cheerfulness, their enthusiasm in life. Mudaha is plural.
(dakārāntaha strīlingaha mud shabdhaha). So, their happy mental condition is
not disturbed by or altered by external wealth.
What does that mean? External wealth is useless with regard to the wise
person’s mind. Now, let us take the case of the 2nd set of people - the ignorant
ones. yetu anye - suppose there are some others. dhana lubdha sankula dhiyaha -
whose minds are ever restless because of planning for acquisition, day-
dreaming.
So, dhiyaha sankula; sankula means ever restless or ever disturbed. Disturbed
because of what? Dhana lubdha - disturbed because of their greed for wealth. So,
this is the 2nd type of people. For them, will the external wealth be useful?
Bhartr̥ harisays external wealth will not be useful in their case also, because
even after acquiring the wealth, their mental disturbance will continue.
One person told me - Swāmiji, there was a fair in Madras. They have varieties of
things for sale and some games with lot-taking and other things. He said - I got
the beautiful watch from this lottery. I had to pay one rupee, that too the entry
fee. So, got the watch for one rupee and the watch must be costing a few 100
rupees.
I said - you are really lucky and you must be very happy. He said - no Swāmiji, I
got the first prize and it was watch. Later, I came to know that on the 2 nd day,
the 1st prize was a scooter.

Now, he is not happy that he got a watch for one rupee. If only had he got the
same 1st prize on the next day, he would have got a scooter. He is worried as
though he has lost a scooter. So, did the watch give him happiness?
This is called dhana lubdha sankula dhiyaha. For them also, external wealth is
utterly useless; they continue to be restless. Therefore, Bhartr̥ hari says - teshām
tr̥ ṣṇā api na hatā.
So, their craving also has not subsided because of external wealth. Therefore,
my conclusion is that external wealth is utterly useless with regard to the
mental condition of a person.
External wealth is useful for feeding. It can provide you the food, the clothing
and shelter. But as far as the mental condition is concerned, external wealth
cannot alter at all. Therefore, he says ittham - in this manner. kasya krute sahā
vidhinā krutaha - for whose benefit Bramhāji has created external wealth?
Because neither it benefits a wise person nor does it benefit the empty minded,
ignorant person. There is no 3rd variety. All the people will be either wise or
ignorant. Therefore, this being so, kasya krute - for whose benefit has external
wealth been created by Vidhinā. Here, Vidhi means Brahmāji.
The word Vidhi has got several meanings, according to the context. One
meaning is Prarabdha Karma or the fate. Then, the 2nd meaning is Veda Vidhi. In
the Upadesha Sāhasri class, jātyādayaha vidhīnām syāt prayojakaha.The Vedic
injection is also called Vidhi -aharaha samdhyā upāsīta; satyam bhruyāt; satyam
vada dharmamcara.
They are all VedaVidhi. So, commandment or Vedic injection is also called Vidhi.
Then, the 3rd meaning is Bramhāji. He is also called Vidhi. So, in this context,
Vidhi means Bramhāji. So, for whose benefit has Bramhāji created this external
wealth? What type of external wealth? tādrukpadam sampadām.

There is another reading for tādruk i.e. kīdruk. Tādruk is an easier reading.
Therefore, I will take that. Tādruk padam sampadām - why should Bhagavān
create such an abode of external wealth? Here, Bhartr̥ hari is keeping in mind a
source of wealth mentioned in the Purānās. In the Purānās, they talk about Meru
Parvatam. Several people have several opinions regarding this Meru Parvatam.
Some people say it is the Himālayās. Some people say it is the mountain in the
Arctic Circle. We do not exactly know what Meru is, but it is a mythological
mountain. What is the uniqueness of this Meru Parvatam? It is supposed to be
made of gold. It is Hema Parvatam. So, it is very clear that it cannot be the
Himalayas. It is not only gold, but underneath, there is supposed to be lot of
gems, etc. That is why Sankarāchārya in his Shivānanda Lahari writes a beautiful
verse:
करस्थे हेमारौ द्वगररि द्वनकटस्थे धनपतौ

गृहस्थे स्वभूयजाऽमरसुरभभमचन्तामभणगणे ।
शिरस्थे िीतांिौ चरणयुगिस्थेऽखखििुभे
कमथं दास्येऽहं भवतु भवदथं मम मनः ॥ २७ ॥
karasthē hēmādrau giriśa nikaṭasthē dhanapatau
gr̥hasthē svarbhūjā:'marasurabhicintāmaṇigaṇē |
śirasthē śītāṁśau caraṇayugalasthē:'khilaśubhē
kamarthaṁ dāsyē:'haṁ bhavatu bhavadarthaṁ mama manaḥ || 27 ||
He says - you are the Lord of MeruParvatam. What does that mean? You have got
lot of wealth. Kubera is under you. Therefore, you have got everything.
The only thing you are missing is a mind like mine. That is the only thing you do
not have. Therefore, O Lord, I would like to give this mind to you as a gift. What
does that mean?
I am surrendering my mind to you. So, he says karasthe hemādrau. Hemādri

means that gold mountain is in your hand. This Meru Parvatam is supposed be
the adobe of all wealth. So, Bhartr̥ hari asks - why should Bhramhāji create such a
Meru Parvatam, which is abode of all wealth, when such a wealth cannot be useful
either to a wise person or an ignorant person?

svātmanyeva samāpta hema mahimā. Therefore, all the glory of the gold (of the
wealth) will be of no use to other people. Therefore, all the glories resolve into
the Meru Parvata itself. It does not spread anywhere because it is of no use. All
the glory subsides within itself. Hema Mahimā means the glory of gold.
Svātmanyeva Samāptam means it just resolved into itself.
Suppose, there is a great scholar and he lives in the Himālayās. Because of the
scholarship, he has got a great teaching capacity. What happens to his glory if no
disciple comes? It doesn’t spread anywhere. It will die along with himself.
Therefore, he says that the Meru’s glory will die along with itself.
It cannot bless either the wise or the ignorant. Therefore, thinking of the Meru
Parvatam, I am not attracted. It doesn’t have a great appeal for me. meruha
name rocate - Even a gold mountain doesn’t have a great appeal to me because
it is of no use.
Verse no. 67
प्राप्ताः भश्रयः सकिकामरृधास्ततः तकं

न्यस्तं पदं शिरशस द्ववद्विषतां ततः तकं ।
सम्पाददताः प्रणमयनो द्ववभवैस्ततः तकं
कल्पच्स्थतास्तनुभृतां तनवस्ततः द्वकम् ॥ ६७॥
prāptāḥ śriyaḥ sakalakāmadudhāstataḥ kiṁ
nyastaṁ padaṁ śirasi vidviṣatāṁ tataḥ kiṁ |
sampāditāḥ praṇayinō vibhavaistataḥ kiṁ
kalpasthitāstanubhr̥tāṁ tanavastataḥ kim || 67||
As long as I don’t discover fullness within myself, whatever I acquire in my life,

my limitation will continue. Crutches cannot make the legs strong. More the
crutches I have, weaker the legs will become. Therefore, if at all I should make
the legs strong, I should not add to the number of crutches. I should try to get
rid of them so that my legs can become self-sufficient.
Therefore, strength does not come by adding. Strength comes by only giving up
- tyāgena eke amrutatva mānashuha. Generally, we think that success in life is

determined by what I have whereas, in Vedanta, success is determined by what

I can be without. What I can be without indicates my glory.
If I can be without a crutch, it only shows my strength. That I have many

crutches is not a glory of mine. It only is a sign of weakness. Therefore,
Bhartr̥ hari says - you do anything in life, if you are finite, the finitude will
continue. That is why Shankarāchārya writes a work called Anātma Shrī
Vigarhanam.
Anātma Shrī Vigarhanam means criticism of the external conditions, factors or

things (Anātma). He says –
अत्ब्धः पद््यां िङ् मघतो वा ततः तकं

वायुः कुम्भे स्थाद्वपतो वा ततः द्वकम् ।
मेरुः पाणावुित ृ ो वा ततः तकं
येन स्वात्मा नैव साक्षात्कृतोऽभूत् ॥ ९॥
abdhiḥ padbhyāṁ laṅghitō vā tataḥ kiṁ
vāyuḥ kumbhē sthāpitō vā tataḥ kim |
mēruḥ pāṇāvuddhr̥tō vā tataḥ kiṁ
yēna svātmā naiva sākṣātkr̥tō:'bhūt || 9||
What if you can lift the Himālayās or have Siddhīs. What if you might eat fire or
you might cross the ocean on feet. As long as you don’t discover inner
fulfillment, emptiness will continue. Finally he says -
धातुिोकः सामधतो वा ततः तकं

द्ववष्णोिोको वीभक्षतो वा ततः द्वकम् ।
िंभोिोकः िाशसतो वा ततः तकं
येन स्वात्मा नैव साक्षात्कृतोऽभूत् ॥ १६॥
dhāturlōkaḥ sādhitō vā tataḥ kiṁ
viṣṇōrlōkō vīkṣitō vā tataḥ kim |
śaṁbhōrlōkaḥ śāsitō vā tataḥ kiṁ
yēna svātmā naiva sākṣātkr̥tō:'bhūt || 16||
You might go to Bramha Lokā and come back. Or vishnor lokā vīkshitovā
tatahakim - you may conduct a Sādhana camp in Vishnu Lokā. Or shambhor lokā
shāsitovā tatahakim- what if you might rule Śiva Lokā for some Yugās. The

smallness is your smallness. By knowing even Bhagavān is great, your

smallness is not going to go away.
On the other hand, a small person going near Bhagavān will feel smaller. The
bigger the other person is, the more you are going to feel your smallness.
Therefore, your smallness can never go by acquiring any big things. Your
smallness can go away only by knowledge. What knowledge? That I was never
small, I am never small, I will never be small.
ब्रह्मैवाहममदं जगच्च सकिं मचन्मािद्ववस्ताररतं

सवं चैतदद्ववद्यया द्विगुणयाऽिेषं मया कत्ल्पतम् ।
इत्थं यस्य रॅढा मद्वतः सुखतरे द्वनत्ये परे द्वनमयिे
चाण्डािोऽस्तु स तु द्विजोऽस्तु गुरुररत्येषा मनीषा मम ॥ २॥
brahmaivāhamidaṁ jagacca sakalaṁ cinmātravistāritaṁ
sarvaṁ caitadavidyayā triguṇayā:'śēṣaṁ mayā kalpitam |
itthaṁ yasya dr̥ḍhā matiḥ sukhatarē nityē parē nirmalē
cāṇḍālō:'stu sa tu dvijō:'stu gururityēṣā manīṣā mama || 2||
Bhartr̥ hari says other than knowing I am the biggest, whatever you do, it is
going to be of no use at all. Therefore, shriyaha prāptāha - you have acquired
wealth and wealth and wealth. What type of wealth? sakala kāma dughā -
prosperity which can purchase everything. You have acquired such wealth
which can fulfill all your desires.
tataha kim - so what? nyastam padamshirasi vidvishatām - you might have

trampled upon the head of all your enemies. That means you might have
destroyed your enemies by hook or crook. You could have used black magic etc.
In places like Bombay, there are Gundas who are professional killers. You might
have destroyed your enemies. tataha kim - so what?
sampāditāha pranayino vibhavaiha - you might have purchased many people to

sing your glories just as local ministers have got some sycophants around.
Therefore, you might have bought many people because of your wealth
(vibhavaiha). tataha kim - so what?

kalpasthitāha tanubhrutām tanavastataha kim - you might have increased

longevity, not only for yourself, but even for your people. How long? Kalpasthitā -
they may be there for Kalpās together. tataha kim - so what? The beggarly mind
will continue. Atr̥ pti is the Doshā.



ॐ

We are discussing the first topic of Vairāgya Śatakam namely, Samsāra Dōṣa
Darśanam.Bhartr̥ hari emphasizes three types of Dōṣas in Samsāra, of which we
were discussing the first Dōṣa namely, Atr̥ ptihi. I had selected eight verses
dealing with the topic of Atr̥ ptihi. There are more verses dealing with the same
topic. They are very similar to what we have seen.
Now, I would like to go to the second Dōṣa that Bhartr̥ hari is pointing out and
that is Kṣaṇikatvam of life, the fleeting nature of life, the evanescence of life, the
temporariness of life.
Kṣaṇikatvam
Verse No. 50
क्षणं बािो भूत्वा क्षणमद्वप युवा कामरशसकः

क्षणं द्ववत्तैहीनः क्षणमद्वप च सम्पूणयद्ववभवः ।
जराजीणैरङ् गैनयट इव विीमच्ण्डततनुः
नरः संसारान्ते द्वविद्वत यमधानीयवद्वनकाम् ॥ ५०॥
kṣaṇaṁ bālō bhūtvā kṣaṇamapi yuvā kāmarasikaḥ
Talk 5 – Verses 50, 49, 41, 9 Downloaded from www.arshaavinash.in Page 69 of 201
kṣaṇaṁ vittairhīnaḥ kṣaṇamapi ca sampūrṇavibhavaḥ |

jarājīrṇairaṅgairnaṭa iva valīmaṇḍitatanuḥ
naraḥ saṁsārāntē viśati yamadhānīyavanikām || 50||
Here, Bhartr̥ hari compares our life to a temporary drama played on the stage of
the world, wherein we put on several Veṣaḥs such as the Veṣaḥ of a Bāla, Yuva
etc. For us, the life may appear to be a big affair. But when we look at the life, it
is nothing but a fleeting drama, after playing which a person quickly enters into
the green room of Yama Dharma Raja.
So, from Yama Dharma Raja he comes out, dances a little bit here and there and
again he goes back to the green room of Yama Dharma Raja namely, mr̥ tyuḥ.
So, he says kṣaṇaṁ bālo bhūtvā- he was a bālaḥ, a child playing about, giving
happiness to people all around. But when we look behind and see the boyhood
state, it is nothing but a few fleeting moments.
So, he was a bāla for some time. Now only he was a bāla, but before long, I find
kṣaṇaṁapi yuvā - next moment, I find this person to be a youth (yuvā), kāma
rasikaha - interested in all types of entertainments, pleasures. kṣaṇaṁ
vittairhīnaḥ - for some time, he was in extreme poverty without any wealth.
kṣaṇaṁapi ca sampūrṇa vibhavaḥ - then some Punyam or some Sukra Dasha

came and therefore, he got a lot of money. He became a Prime Minister
because of some luck. Even before he is aware of all these things, he finds
himself to be an old man. Even before he could recognize that he has acquired
all these things, he should enjoy all of them.
Before even he recognizes that, jarā jīrṇair aṅgair - he was so busy acquiring
wealth that he was not even aware of the time flying. Somebody nicely said that
human beings are the only people who live their lives in absentia. When we are
in the present, we are so busy planning for future that we never live in the
present.
By the time he has acquired all those things to enjoy, he is not in a position to
enjoy them because he has lost all his faculties in his effort or struggle to
acquire them. Therefore, he says even before he recognizes, jarā jīrṇair aṅgair
valī maṇḍita tanuḥ - he is a person whose body is marked with wrinkles. valī
means wrinkles.
tanuḥ means body. Body is decorated with wrinkles. He doesn’t require any
necklace. The wrinkles form a nice ornament. jarā jīrṇair aṅgair- his limbs
(angās) are weakened with jarā. The tragedy is that I have spent all my life for
enjoyment, but I am not able to enjoy because by the time I earn enough
wealth, I have sacrificed all my health.
As a beautiful saying goes - a person squanders his health in search of wealth.

This is the first part of life. In second part of life, he squanders his wealth for the
sake of his health and ultimately losses both. Therefore, he can order all the
pleasures. But the doctor says that you have got pressure, therefore no salt.
You have got sugar, therefore no sugar. You have got ulcer, therefore no
tamarind. Then, what is left out? You can only take the pumpkin juice three times
a day. All the best dishes that they prepare will be enjoyed by the servants
around. That is called Punyam. So, he earned everything so that somebody else
could enjoy.
valī maṇḍita tanuḥjarā jīrṇair aṅgairnataha iva - he is like an actor changing

roles from bālyam, koumāryam, jarā. samsāra ante - at the end of his life.
naraha yamadhānīyavanikām vishati-yamadhāni is the city of Yama Dharma
Raja. yavanika means the green room. Because Bhartr̥ hari has compared life to
a drama, Yama Dharma Raja’s place is compared to a green room.
When he looks at the whole life, it appears as though 60 or 70 years, but when
he looked behind, everything happened so fast like some programs in the
school anniversary where children will come from one side of the stage, they
dance and then they go through the other side. It all took place in two minutes.
Even before they enjoy, the whole thing is gone. So, this is the fleeting nature of
life.
Verse No. 49
आयुवयषयितं नृणां पररममतं रािौ तदधं गतं

तस्याध्ययस्य परस्य चाधयमपरं बाित्ववृित्वयोः ।
िेषं व्यामधद्ववयोगरृःखसद्वहतं सेवाददभभनीयते
जीवे वाररतरङ् गचञ्चितरे सौख्यं कुतः प्राभणनाम् ॥ ४९॥
āyurvarṣaśataṁ nr̥ṇāṁ parimitaṁ rātrau tadardhaṁ gataṁ
tasyārdhyasya parasya cārdhamaparaṁ bālatvavr̥ddhatvayōḥ |
śēṣaṁ vyādhiviyōgaduḥkhasahitaṁ sēvādibhirnīyatē
jīvē vāritaraṅgacañcalatarē saukhyaṁ kutaḥ prāṇinām || 49||
Here, Bhartr̥ hari shows how our life is wasted. āyurvarṣaśataṁ nrunām
parimitaṁ - the maximum life that is allotted to a human being is 100 years. It is
not that everyone will get 100 years, but the maximum possible is 100 years.
parimitaṁ means allotted. Of those 100 years, ardhaṁ rātrou gataṁ - half of that
life is gone in the night.
That means it is gone either in sleep or in a sleepy condition. Even though we

sleep for maximum seven or eight hours, we will find that after getting up early
in the morning, we are sleepy for sometime and we cannot do anything. During
night also we are sleepy before we actually sleep. We are also sleepy after lunch
in the afternoon. Some people are sleepy all the time.
Therefore, half of the life is gone in either sleep or a in sleepy condition. What is
left out? 50 years (if 100 years are there!). tasya ardhasya - of those 50 years.
parasya - the other 50 years. aparam ardhaṁ - one half of that 50 years (25
years). bālatva vr̥ ddhatvayoh - 12 ½ years go in bālatva. Towards the end, 12 ½
years go vr̥ ddhatvam.
That means, when I am Bālaḥ, a boy or a child, I do not have the right
discrimination to use the life properly because my faculties are not developed.
Therefore, I cannot choose and act. Towards the end of my life, even though I
have discrimination and I know what to do, unfortunately my faculties do not

cooperate with me to do what I want to do.
Therefore, because of bālatvam and vr̥ ddhatvam (old age and childhood),
another 25 years are gone. Therefore, 50 years are gone in sleep, 25 years are
gone in bālatva and vr̥ ddhatva. Now, what is left over? 25 years. Can we at-least
fully utilize those 25 years? Bhartr̥ hari says śēṣaṁ.
Do we utilize the rest of the 25 years, which we call the prime of life, for
something great? No. He says, vyādhi viyōga duḥkha sahitaṁ sevādhibhirnīyate
- he spends the rest of 25 years for seva. seva means serving this person or that
person. It refers to all kinds of material pursuits. vyādhi means either physical
or mental disturbance. I do not have quality time to spend for spiritual pursuit.
viyōga - the loss of near and dear ones which disturbs the mind. Because of
that, my mind is not available for healthy pursuits. duḥkha sahitaṁ - various
other kinds of mental disturbances. vyādhi is physical disturbance and duḥkha is
mental disturbance. The peculiar situation of human being is - he cannot think
either when he is very happy or when he is very sorrowful.
In happiness, he doesn’t want to think of spirituality, Mōkṣaḥ etc. It is because

why should I think of Vedānta when everything is fine? When everything is fine, I
don’t want to think of Vedānta and when things are not fine, I cannot think of
Vedānta. So, in happy state, I don’t think and in unhappy state, I can’t think.
Then, when will I think of Vedānta? That is what Bhartr̥ hari says. śēṣaṁ vyādhi
viyōga duḥkha sahitaṁ - because of all these distractions and disturbances,
nīyate- it is lost, the time is gone. That being so, jīvē vāritaraṅgam cañcalatarē -
life is so fleeting and evanescent like the vāritaraṅgam;
Taraṅgam means a wave. vāritaraṅgam means a wave in the ocean. Just as the
wave appears and disappears, life is also so fleeting. That being so, saukhyaṁ
kutaḥ prāṇinām - where is the question of comfortable time or ideal time for
pursuing something great? We can never look for Ideal time. It is never going
to come.
That is why we always say that the pursuit of Mōkṣaḥ should be here and now.
That is why Krishna said in the 8th chapter - tasmāt sarvēṣu kālēṣu
māmanusmara udhyacha - when things are so unpredictable, never look for an
ideal time to start. There is a saying that anything good should be started right
away- śubhasya śīgraṁ.
But our tendency will be - we will start from New Year. Then, when New Year
comes, we say that Śivarātri is an auspicious day. Then, we say that Tamil New
Year is better. We just postpone. Bhartr̥ hari says never postpone, start right
away.
Verse No. 41
सा रम्या नगरी महान्स नृपद्वतः सामन्तचक्रं च तत्

पाश्वे तस्य च सा द्ववदग्धपररषत्ताश्चन्रद्वबम्बाननाः ।
उिृत्तः स च राजपुिद्वनवहस्ते बद्धन्दनस्ताः कथाः
सवं यस्य विादगात्स्मृद्वतपथं कािाय तस्मै नमः ॥ ४१॥
sā ramyā nagarī mahānsa nr̥patiḥ sāmantacakraṁ ca tat
pārśvē tasya ca sā vidagdhapariṣattāścandrabimbānanāḥ |
udvr̥ttaḥ sa ca rājaputranivahastē bandinastāḥ kathāḥ
sarvaṁ yasya vaśādagātsmr̥tipathaṁ kālāya tasmai namaḥ || 41||
Here, Bhartr̥ hari says when we think of the very history of great kings and great
empires, in front of the eternity of time, even those empires have disappeared
and have been reduced to a few pages in history. When this is the lot of empires
and emperors, what to talk of the smallness of the individual!
When you look at the individual from individual standpoint, it appears as

though very big. But in front of the totality of time, all these things are only
bubbles. Therefore, he is imagining the story of empires. He says sā ramyā
nagarī - people tell the story that at that time, it was a big affair. Now, it has
been reduced to a nice story.
People say that the capital of that king like Ayodhya of Rama or Ujjain of
Vikramāditya was beautiful. Bhartr̥ hari is supposed to be the brother of
Vikramāditya. Once upon time, Ujjain was a great center. Bhartr̥ hari imagines in
the 1st Century B.C that people will be talking later that there was a beautiful
city called Ujjain.
mahānsa nr̥ patiḥ - and they will say that there was a great emperor called
Vikramāditya who ruled almost the whole India. Not only that, but it is
supposed to be the golden period of our history. He even started a new era
called Vikrama Era. Even now, some people say that 56 B.C is supposed to be
the beginning of Vikrama Era, named after king Vikramāditya. So, how great he
might be!
Who remembers that Vikramāditya? You go to Ujjain and there is no sign of

Vikramāditya, no palace, no street. There is only dirt everywhere. In one corner,
there is a cave and they have written Bhartr̥ hari Guha. He did not get interested
in all these affairs.
He just entered the cave, became a Sanyāsi and did Tapas. What is the condition
of that cave? Recently, we had been to that cave. We were just thinking of those
days. Vikramāditya, huge kingdom, great people and Bhartr̥ hari, being the
brother of the Vikramāditya, must be so great! He was also a great scholar also
and now, there is nobody to care of the very cave itself.
When we enter the cave, hundreds of bats came out. Therefore, imagine those
days of Vikramāditya Empire and now it has been reduced to ruins. He
visualizes it as it were. mahānsa nr̥ patiḥ - people will talk about the great king
Vikramāditya. sāmantacakraṁ ca tat - he had many other smaller kings who
were under Vikramāditya and they had to come and pay the tax to King
Vikramāditya.
Thus, all those feudatory kings were there surrounding King Vikramāditya.
pārśvē tasya ca sā vidagdhapariṣat - Vikramāditya was not only great, but he
patronized very many great scholars. They talk about Nava Ratnāni, great gem
like scholars in the court of Vikramāditya.
dhanvantari kshapanakāmara simha shanku vetāla bhatta ghatakarpara

kālidāsāh khyāto varāhamihiro nrupate sabhāyām ratnānivair vararuchir
nava vikramasya
Each one was a giant in a different science like Astrology, Mathematics, Sanskrit
Poetry. Kalidāsa was himself patronized by Vikramāditya. Such a great people
were there around. Even that Kalika temple is there now where Kalidāsa went
and got the blessings of Kali Devi and started the Syāmala Dandakam.
It is one of the most beautiful works of Kalidāsa. He also wrote Kumara

Sambhavam, Raghuvamsam etc. Such great poets and scholars were there
around Vikramāditya. Not only he was a patron of scholarship, but he was
equally a patron of art, music, dance etc. Therefore, Bhartr̥ hari says tāha
chandra bimbānanāh;
Beautiful court dancers were also patronized. chandra bimbānanāh means the
one who has a face like the full moon. Full Moon is the description of the poet,
not the scientist. The scientist says that Full Moon is full of craters. Therefore, it
is a poetic description. chandra bimbānanāh are on one side and there are
princess all round.
udvruttah sa ca rājaputra nivahaha - the group of princess are all arrogant

(udvruttaha). When father has power then, generally the children will have
arrogance. Therefore, those wayward princesses were around basking in the
glory of the father. Not only that, but te bandinaha; bandi means court minstrels
or poets who sing the glory of the king to wake him up in the early morning.
Just as we have got Suprabhātam for the Lord, daily Suprabhātam has to be
sung in front of the king’s room. They are called bandis. So, they are there
around. Tāhakathāh - there are many stories talking about the glory of
Vikramāditya. All the things were there and they all have been reduced to a few
pages in history now.
Therefore, he says sarvam - all these great things, smruti patham agāt - have
then reduced to a few memories in the minds of a few people. In those days, it
would have been so great, but now it has been reduced to a few memories.
When this is the lot of emperors, then what to talk of the ordinary human
being!
These days, it may be appearing in obituary column. Bigger person means it will
come for one week. Otherwise, it will come for one day. This is what you call as
autobiography. That is why I say that an autobiography means a biography of
an auto. What is the biography of an auto rickshaw?
It goes from here to there, there to here and then it goes back. That is all the
life is. So, sarvam yasya vishāt agāt smruti patham- have been reduced memory
because of kālaḥ. Everything is conditioned by the time. That is why we say
Mōkṣaḥ is Kāla Atītatvam.
My Namaskāram to that Kāla. That is the reason why all the great people in our
tradition never felt like writing their biographies because their mind was all the
time thinking of the infinite time and infinite space. When we have got the
Sankalpa, we talk about the infinite time and space. In infinite time and space,
the entire solar system is a dot.
In the solar system, Earth is an ordinary planet. Even if the solar system
explodes, nothing is going to happen. In the planet, one corner is the Asian
continent. In there, one corner is India and in there, one corner is Uttar
Pradesh, one corner is Rishikesh, one corner is Purani Jhadi, one corner is the
Dayānanda Āsram, one corner is the lecture hall which we are occupying.
When you think of that infinite, you never feel like giving importance to a dust
of matter. That is why Shankara never wrote about himself. Kalidāsa never
wrote about himself. Bhartr̥ hari never wrote about himself because they felt it
ridiculous to talk about a small dot of matter. People thought that they don’t
have histories.
But the thing is that they were all the time in the Macrocosm that the
Microcosm was so insignificant. That is why he says kālāya tasmainamaha.Kāla is
going to reduce everything into a bubble.
Verse No. 9
द्वनवृत्ता भोगेच्छा पुरुषबहुमानोऽद्वप गशितः

समानाः स्वयायताः सपदद सुहृदो जीद्ववतसमाः ।
िनैययष्युत्थानं घनद्वतममररुिे च नयने
अहो मूढः कायस्तदद्वप मरणापायचद्वकतः ॥ ९॥
nivr̥ttā bhōgēcchā puruṣabahumānō:'pi galitaḥ
samānāḥ svaryātāḥ sapadi suhr̥dō jīvitasamāḥ |
śanairyaṣṭyutthānaṁ ghanatimiraruddhē ca nayanē
ahō mūḍhaḥ kāyastadapi maraṇāpāyacakitaḥ || 9||
In the previous three verses, we saw that Bhartr̥ hari talked about the fleeting
nature of human life or the life of the very creation itself. This is the second
Dōṣa of Samsāra. The first Dōṣa is Atr̥ ptihi. The second Dōṣa is Kṣaṇikatvam, the
fleeting nature. The third Dōṣa that we are going to see is Bhayaṁ. One thing
that is constantly running in the human mind is the insecurity.
This insecurity will continue as long as we are physical. As long as we have the
physicality, the fear of mortality will continue. That is why somebody nicely said
that transformation in life is transcending the form (trans-form-ation). To have
a form is to be physical and to be physical is to be vulnerable.
Therefore, if you don’t want to be vulnerable, insecure, don’t confine to the

physical form taking it as yourself. Transcend your form and own up the
formless nature of yours. Then and then alone, there is freedom from
insecurity. Therefore, what is spiritual transformation? It is transcending the form,
transcending the finitude.
This insecurity is talked about in a few verses. He is talking about the old
person. nivr̥ ttā bhōgēcchā - this person has seen enough of life’s enjoyments
and all his desire for sense pleasures is now gone. Why have they gone? It is not
because he has got Sādhana Chatushtaya Sampatti. It would have been fine
then.
Now they are not there because his faculties are not there to enjoy them. Even
though he would love to eat Muruku, unfortunately the teeth are missing. Even
though he has got false teeth, if he eats Halwa or anything, the teeth will go
there. One old person went to a cinema theatre. After interval, he was groping
on the floor.
Then, the neighbor was disturbed and asked him what he was groping for in
the darkness. He said that his chocolate has fallen down. The neighbor said - it
is just a chocolate, why can’t you see the picture? This man said that his denture
is in that. So, the teeth are stuck in the chocolate. Therefore, this person cannot
enjoy even that.
So, bhōgēcchā nivr̥ ttā is not because of Vairāgyam, it is because the teeth are
missing. Eyes cannot see, ears cannot hear and therefore, bhōgēcchā nivr̥ ttā.
Somebody asked an old man if he would like to marry a young girl. He asked a
counter question - who will give a young a girl in marriage? He did not say I
don’t want.
His question was - which young girl will marry me? That means if somebody is
there, he is ready. Therefore, puruṣabahumānō:'pi galitaḥ - this person is not
only old, but all the respect that he commanded till now are all gone. Nobody is
there to respect because he is no more a productive member of the family.
Remember Bhajagovindam -
यावद्वित्तोपाजयन सक्तः स्तावन्न्नज पररवारो रक्तः |

पश्चाज्जीवद्वत जजयर दे हे वातां कोऽद्वप न पृच्छद्वत गेहे ||५||
yāvadvittōpārjana saktaḥ stāvannija parivārō raktaḥ |
paścājjīvati jarjara dēhē vārtāṁ kō:'pi na pr̥cchati gēhē ||5||
Therefore, puruṣabahumānō:'pi galitaḥ; Swāmiji, wife doesn’t respect, children

do not respect, is the constant complaint. I thought of sharing my feelings with
my friends. What do I find? Most of my friends have left the earth. samānāḥ
suhr̥ dō svaryātāḥ - I cannot share with youngsters because youngsters never
understand the plight of, the feelings of the old ones.
One student was asking yesterday - we are saying how the parents should
handle the children. How the children should handle the parents should be
taught because they all get educated and get settled in America. This is one of
the biggest new situations that are coming. They cannot come here because
they all are well settled and well employed.
These people here cannot go there because without any work, you will go crazy
there. And anything you want to do, you require their help. If you are a woman,
you end up cooking for them or babysitting. I don’t like that. Can I be here? If I
am here, I am missing the children or grandchildren. Now what to do?
Should I go there or should they come here? If I have to share this plight with
others, he says they are all gone. You know why Bhartr̥ hari describes all these
things? He wants to show that Vedānta is the only solution. He is threatening all
of us only to drive us to Vedānta. That is the only remedy. So, the idea is not to
frighten, the idea is not to create frustration, the idea is not to create
disillusionment.
The aim of the author is not to make you pessimistic. The aim of the author is -
somehow or the other, will they come to Vedānta. Otherwise, normally we are
not supposed to write like this because creating frustration and negative feeling
is not a healthy thing to do.
One of the Ācāryās discusses why Sankarāchārya should frighten everyone by

saying that life is very short, wife also doesn’t really love you. Why should
Shankarāchārya put negative ideas through Bhajagovindam? The purpose is not to
put negative ideas. It is a two-fold purpose. One is that we should know the
facts of life.
This is not pessimism. This is fact. Talking about fact should not be taken as
pessimism. Not only that, but we should be prepared to face the facts of life
also. Therefore, the whole idea is to create Mumukshutvam in the minds of
people. Otherwise, these verses will look as though creating negative type of
thinking.
samānāḥ suhr̥ dō - friends who are of the same age. Contemporaries or peers
are called samānāḥ suhr̥ daḥ. jīvita samāh - who are bosom friends, who are as
dear as our own life. I wanted to share my intense feelings with such friends.
But what I find is swaryātāh - they all have departed.
What about my movements? shanaih yashti uddhānam - my movements are also

restricted. All the movements are only with the help of yashti. yashti means the
walking stick. Previously, I was jumping up and down. Even with a walking stick,
getting up is a project now. Can I see things very clearly?
ghana timira ruddheca nayane - eyes are obstructed, veiled by ghana timiram
(cataract). Advanced cataract has covered the eyes. Now, I have got sarvatra
samadarsanam. This is the only samadarsanam we have. Because of the
cataract, everything appears the same. At-least now, is this person ready to quit?
Bhartr̥ hari says - still this fellow wants to do Mrutyumjaya Mantra and wants to
live for a few decades.
Still, nobody is ready to face death. Therefore, he says aho mūdhaha kāyaha-
how deluded is physical this body. tadapi - in spite of such an old age or senile
condition, he does not want to quit. marana apāya cakitaha - he is worried about
maranam. In-fact, this problem comes in several houses.
Certain diseases come for which there is a treatment, but it costs so much.
Medicine has created certain peculiar situations because of the advancement.
They will say this surgery or that surgery and they will say it costs 2 or 3 lakhs.
This person has got only 2 lakhs totally. Children are there and they have to be
educated.
The old parent is there. Now, there is a dilemma whether money should be
spent for parents or for the sake of children. It is a big conflict. If a parent is
ready to say - don’t spend on me. After all, my life is over. They don’t say that.
Therefore, if I don’t get them treated, it is not proper. If I get them treated, how
will I spend for my children?
There are so many conflicts. So, he says tadapimarana apāya cakitaha- still the
Old man wants to get treated. He says even if it is 5 lakhs, spend on me. I want
to survive for some more years. So, nobody wants to die. Marana Bhayaṁ is one
of the fears which is constantly haunting a human being.
They say that one devotee was going to the temple and he just prays to the
Lord - O Lord, I want to merge into you, I want to attain Mōkṣaḥ. He used to
regularly pray. His prayer was so long and so intense that the Pujari could not
close the temple. He also has to go home and he was wondering what to do.
Then, one day he thought and went behind the idol. When this devotee said - O
Lord, I want to merge into you, I want to attain your lotus feet, then this person
said from behind - O devotee, I am very very happy with your devotion. I have
decided to take you with me. Therefore, you please come prepared tomorrow. I
will take you.
That was his last visit. There afterwards, he never disturbed the Pujari.
Therefore, this is the attitude.


ॐ

Bhayaṁ
Talking about the Dōṣaḥs of Samsāra, Bhartr̥ hari dealt with the problem of
Atr̥ ptihi. Then, he talked about the Kṣaṇikatvam, the temporary nature of
everything. Now, he is going to deal with the Bhayaṁ which is an intrinsic part
of the Sāmsāric life. I hope you will be able to withstand the onslaught of
Bhartr̥ hari.
He doesn’t spare anything. Everything that we consider near and dear and
great, Bhartuhari is relentlessly attacking all those things. If you do not take it in
the proper spirit, it can create a lot of problem. One may think that Bhartr̥ hari is
a person who cannot enjoy life and who won’t allow others also to enjoy life.
It appears that he is a very very cynical person and we may develop Vairāgya
towards Vairāgya Śatakam itself. Or if you are not very careful in studying these
verses, you may even develop hatred towards everything in the world, which is
also not a healthy attitude.
If attachment is an obstacle to Mōkṣaḥ, we should remember that hatred is also

an equally powerful obstacle to Mōkṣaḥ. Then, we should clearly know what
Bhartr̥ hari is trying to communicate. When we develop Rāga towards the world,
then the scriptures will talk about the defects of the world to neutralize the
problem of attachment.
This is the technique of the scriptures. But when we develop dvēṣa towards the
world, then the very same scriptures will say - never hate the world, never hate
your body and never hate anything that is in front of you because the whole
creation is the manifestation of the Lord. As we saw in Vibhūti Yoga, the rivers,
the mountains, the very Vishwarūpa Darśanam is developing reverence towards
the creation.
Therefore, the scriptures use two methods. When we have the problem of Rāga,
they criticize the world. When we have the problem of Dvēṣaḥ, they glorify the
universe. It is like a rope walker. He keeps a huge bamboo in the hand. When
he is about to fall on one side, he brings the bamboo to the other side so that
he can bālance.
When he goes to the other side, he will bring the stick to this side. Similarly,
living is like rope walking. Interaction with the world is like rope walking. If we
are not alert, we may either develop Rāga or we may develop Dvēṣaḥ.
Therefore, scriptures go on bālancing our mind either by criticizing when Rāga
is the problem or glorifying when Dvēṣaḥ is problem.
So, what is the final result? One should not have either Rāga or Dvēṣaḥ. Rāga
Dvēṣaḥ Rahita Darśanam is the objective appreciation of the world. When I have
got either Rāga or Dvēṣaḥ, I am never living in the Ēshwara Sr̥ ṣṭi. I am living in
my own Jīva Sr̥ ṣṭi, private creation. And a private creation will always cause
Samsāra.
When I remove the Rāga-Dvēṣaḥ goggles, then the very same Jīva Sr̥ ṣṭi is
converted to Ēshwara Sr̥ ṣṭi. Ēshwara Sr̥ ṣṭi is never a cause of Samsāra. So, by
developing Rāga-Dvēṣaḥ, I have two disadvantages. The first disadvantage is

that the private creation creates Samsāra for me.
The second disadvantage is that I miss the beauty of Ēshwara Sr̥ ṣṭi also.
Therefore, the aim of Vairāgya Śatakam is to remove Rāga and Dvēṣaḥ from our
mind. There is a second purpose also. When we live in the world which is
constantly undergoing change, which is constantly in motion, the appreciation
of a constantly changing world is possible only when we hold on to something
which is changeless.
Without the support of a changeless substratum, we can never enjoy a

changing field. What do we do first when we are on a tour? When we go to place,
first we fix a headquarters as the center, which we claim as our relatively
permanent place.
Once a relatively permanent place is fixed, now we are ready to go about and
enjoy everything because in my mind, there is something which is relatively
permanent. Tomorrow, you are going and all the time, you will have in mind
that Rishikesh is the head quarters which you can come back to.
So, to enjoy the impermanent thing, you require something more permanent.
You are able to enjoy the camp here because you know that after this camp,
you have got some permanent address which you keep in your mind. You think
that you can always go back to your permanent place.
Therefore, human mind requires something śāśvatvam, something firm to enjoy

a changing field. Once, when I was going to Kedar, there was a mountain. It
appeared to be a smaller mountain. So, I thought that we can easily climb it
instead of going round about. At that time, I was Brahmachāri also.
Normally, they say brahmachāri shata markataha - one Brahmachāri is equal to

100 monkeys. You have this monkey Buddhi also. So, it was deceptively small.
After climbing to some height, I found that there was a tree and dry leaves have
fallen all over. Unknowingly, I stepped over one dry leaf and I was wearing
canvas shoes. I slipped and fell.
For support, I kept other leg which was on another dry leaf and that also
slipped. Then, I wanted to hold on something. I just put my hand down and that
was on another dry leaf. Therefore, this also started moving. I took the other
hand and kept on another dry leaf. Now, all the four limbs were on dry leaves
and I see myself happily moving down. I was totally helpless and nothing could
be done. It was like free skating.
I was coming down below and there was a Pahadi. Pahadi is a mountain
villager. He was shouting and I could not do anything. I was just falling hoping
to get something which will be firm and steady. Later, I caught hold of a plant
and there was no problem. Therefore, you require a Terra Firma, a strong
support to enjoy any movement.
What is the first thing you do if you want to take Ganga bath? When you get down,
you look for something which will not move. You keep your feet on sand and
sand starts moving. You hold on to rock and the rock starts rolling. If you have
to enjoy Ganga bath, make sure that you have got something permanent,
holding on to which you can enjoy Ganga Snanam.
In the same way, we are facing the powerful flow of time in life. It is a very very
powerful flow which is much more powerful than Ganga. The events are
happening, things are appearing and disappearing. If I have to enjoy the flow of
time and flow of events, it requires something which is permanent, which is
solid support.
Our problem is we are trying to hold on to various things and everything we

hold onto can be swept off by the powerful flow of time. When we do not
understand this fact, we are going to be surprised. Therefore, the scriptures
point out that before you start the life, make sure you have something
permanent to hold onto and that permanent thing should not be affected by
the flow of Kāla.
आयुनयश्यद्वत पश्यतां प्रद्वतददनं याद्वत क्षयं यौवनं

प्रत्यायान्न्त गताः पुननय ददवसाः कािो जगद्भक्षकः ।
िक्ष्मीस्तोयतरङ् गभङ् गचपिा द्ववद्युच्चिं जीद्ववतं
तस्मात्त्वां िरणागतं िरणद त्वं रक्ष रक्षाधुना ॥ १५॥
āyurnaśyati paśyatāṁ pratidinaṁ yāti kṣayaṁ yauvanaṁ
pratyāyānti gatāḥ punarna divasāḥ kālō jagadbhakṣakaḥ |
lakṣmīstōyataraṅgabhaṅgacapalā vidyuccalaṁ jīvitaṁ
tasmāttvāṁ śaraṇāgataṁ śaraṇada tvaṁ rakṣa rakṣādhunā || 15||
Shankarāchārya says - O Lord, I have understood that you are the only one who
will not be swept off by time. Therefore, what I want to do is to hold on to the
Lord. In Vēdāntic language, hold on to Ātma. When you say hold on to Lord, it is
called Bhakti. When you say hold on to Ātma, it is Gnyānam. Whether you call it
Bhakti or Gnyānam, once that is there, you can happily take the Ganga bath of
enjoying the events of life.
Bhartr̥ hari does not say you should not enjoy the life or you should not
experience various things. The sense objects are there only for the sense
organs to enjoy. Therefore it is perfectly alright to have Brahmacharya Āshrama,
Grihastha Āshrama, children and grandchildren. Everything is fine, but make
sure that you have got something strong to hold on to.
Therefore, he wants to convey the idea of holding on to the Paramātma or

Ēshwara and what will be the problems if I don’t hold on that. So, the idea is -
the one who doesn’t hold on to Lord will have lot of Bhayaṁ in Samsāra.
Tomorrow, some of you will go to Haridwar. There, they have put chain to take
bath in Ganga.
Once you are holding onto chain, you can take any number of dips. Some
people are afraid of powerful flow. Therefore, they never take bath. That is also
foolishness. Another person doesn’t hold on to chain and he takes a risk. But
who is an intelligent person? He enters water, but holds on to chain.
Similarly, we need not get away from life, run away from family, run away from
our possessions. That is not what is said here. Have everything, but hold on to
Ēshwara. If that is not the case, the problem is Bhayaṁ. Bhartr̥ hari is going to
describe what that Bhayaṁ is.
Verse No. 11
न संसारोत्पन्नं चररतमनुपश्यामम कुििं

द्ववपाकः पुण्यानां जनयद्वत भयं मे द्ववमृितः ।
महद्धद्भः पुण्यौघैभश्चरपररगृहीताश्च द्ववषया
महान्तो जायन्ते व्यसनममव दातुं द्ववषमयणाम् ॥ ११॥
na saṁsārōtpannaṁ caritamanupaśyāmi kuśalaṁ
vipākaḥ puṇyānāṁ janayati bhayaṁ mē vimr̥śataḥ |
mahadbhiḥ puṇyaughaiściraparigr̥hītāśca viṣayā
mahāntō jāyantē vyasanamiva dātuṁ viṣayiṇām || 11||
saṁsārōtpannaṁ caritam-the enjoyments that are procured or the lifestyle that

is carved out of material pursuits are no doubt very very nice and enjoyable
now, but when I study that, na kushalam anupashyāmi - I don’t think that they
are very, very favorable or safe to me. Why are they not safe?
punyānām vipākah me bhayaṁ janayati- when I study the nature of any Karma
Phalam, superficially seeing, they give happiness. Every Karma Phalam
especially, superficially seeing the Punya Karma Phalam, it does give me
happiness as long as I don’t probe into that happiness. But what comes to my
mind when I probe into that?
vimr̥śataḥ mē - when I analyze the nature of that happiness,mē bhayaṁ janayati -
it only generates fear in me. Superficially, they generate pleasure or enjoyment,

but when I go into the depth of their nature, then it only creates fear in me. Why
should I be afraid of Punya Phalam? After all, Punya Phalam gives only Sukham.
It gives me all favorable conditions like nice house, nice wife, nice children and
nice friends. Everything nice comes because of Punya Phalam. Therefore, I
should happily enjoy. Why should I consider them to be unsafe? He says because
ciraparigr̥ hītāśca viṣayā-no doubt favorable conditions are enjoyed for long
term.
viṣayāh means favorable conditions, favorable sense objects. viṣayā includes

things and beings also. So, everything wonderful is enjoyed for a long term.
mahadbhihi punya ōghaih - As result of big mass of Punyam, no doubt one
enjoys favorable things and conditions for a very long time. But what else is
happening?
He says mahāntō jāyantē - every sense object is gradually becoming more and
more powerful, capable of enslaving me. Initially, when I acquire the sense
objects, I am the master of those sense objects. I have worked for them and I
have acquired them.
But by enjoying or using them, I am gradually becoming addicted to them. The

more I enjoy them, the more they become powerful. Powerful means instead of
me controlling them, they begin to control me. It is like any addict. The first
time he takes liquor or cigarette or drug or coffee he chooses to have, second
time also he chooses to have, third time, 50/50. That also commands me.
A time comes when I don’t want to have; it says you should have a cigarette
now. Who says? - The cigarette itself. This person says - no, I don’t want. Then it
says - no, you should take it. Suppose, he forces himself and says no, it will not
allow this person to do anything. There will be only cigarette Dhyānam.
Even Ēshwara Dhyāna will not be done so efficiently. Therefore, initially I start
as a master and later, I end up as a slave. That is what is said in the Ramayana.
When Vāli comes in front, half of the strength of the other person will go to Vāli.
Vāli represents every sense object. The moment I face the sense object, half of
my strength is gone to that.
That means if I am not alert, every sense object is capable of enslaving me.
Then, what will it do? A time will come when either I am not able to enjoy that or
that object has to go away in time. It is because as I said in the beginning,
everything in the creation will be swept off in time. When the object goes away,
then it is capable of creating immense sorrow in my mind.
Who has invited the sorrow? It is not the object. The object did not come to me. I
myself invited the object and I myself was enslaved and I myself cried when it
went away. Therefore, he says mahāntō jāyantē - all the Punya Phalam become
extremely powerful to produce vyasanam dātum - sorrow in the mind of those
people.
What type of people? Not for everyone. An intelligent person who has got a
permanent thing in his heart, either in the form of Lord or in the form of Ātma,
enjoys an object as it is available and he is ready to allow the object to go away
when the time comes. So, an intelligent person enjoys as things are coming and
allows them to go as they are going.
But a viṣayi who is not prepared for that, who doesn’t have Lord as a permanent
hold, tries to take viṣaya as permanent. And expectation of permanence in
theVishaya is a wrong expectation. For an intelligent person, that wrong
expectation is not there because he depends on the Lord for permanence.
Therefore, he accepts the impermanence of the world. Just like when I am in the
Ganga, I enjoy the flow of water. I don’t want water to be stagnant. Similarly, an
aviṣayi is not affected by change, but a viṣayi who is not prepared for these
changes will be afflicted tremendously.
Therefore, viṣayinām, for Abhaktānām, for Agnyāninām, for Avivēkinām, every

sense object is a potential sorrow. That is why Krishna said in the 5th chapter -
ये द्वह संस्पियजा भोगा रृःखयोनय एव ते ।

आद्यन्तवन्तः कौन्तेय न तेषु रमते बुधः ॥ ५-२२॥
yē hi saṁsparśajā bhōgā duḥkhayōnaya ēva tē |
ādyantavantaḥ kauntēya na tēṣu ramatē budhaḥ || 5-22||
If you are not alert, every temporary source of joy is a potential source of
sorrow.
Verse No. 31
भोगे रोगभयं कुिे च्युद्वतभयं द्ववत्ते नृपािाद्भयं

माने दै न्यभयं बिे ररपुभयं रूपे जराया भयम् ।
िास्िे वाददभयं गुणे खिभयं काये कृतान्ताद्भयं
सवं वस्तु भयान्न्वतं भुद्वव नृणां वैराग्यमेवाभयम् ॥ ३१॥
bhōgē rōgabhayaṁ kulē cyutibhayaṁ vittē nr̥pālādbhayaṁ
mānē dainyabhayaṁ balē ripubhayaṁ rūpē jarāyā bhayaṁ |
śāstrē vādibhayaṁ guṇē khalabhayaṁ kāyē kr̥tāntādbhayaṁ
sarvaṁ vastu bhayānvitaṁ bhuvi nr̥ṇāṁ vairāgyamēvābhayaṁ || 31||
Here, Bhartr̥ hari shows how a person who lives in his own private world of
Rāga-Dvēṣaḥ, will have to face fear caused by everything in the creation. bhōgē
rōga bhayaṁ - bhōga means sense pleasures. If a person indulges in sense
pleasures, then there is constant fear of rōgaḥ. Anything in excess will create
only rōga, whether it is eating or sitting.
Person has got vehicle and therefore, he does not want to walk at all. From
house, he goes to the car and from car, he goes to office and from there again,
he comes back. Everybody will say that he has got a nice life as he need not
walk at all. Doctor says that you have no exercise. Therefore, you have to park
the car two miles away and walk.
Similarly, all the time AC. They say that AC also can create some problems. If
you watch the Television all the time, that also creates problem. If you eat
sweets all the time, that also creates problem. Anything in excess has got its
own minus point. Therefore, bhōgē rōga bhayaṁ;
kulē cyuti bhayaṁ - Suppose, a person has got a nice family. In fact, you can take
it as the extension of the previous Slōka. As the result of Punyam, he has got
favorable conditions. What are the minus points in that? kulē - suppose a person
has a nice family. The parents and grandparents are all Ghanapātis and have
got a great status in life.
Then, this person again has a fear. What is the fear? I should be able to maintain
the status in the society. Especially India, it is a very big worry. They have
maintained the family in such a way that a Brāhmana marries a Brāhmana and
they also see the Gōtra and status. They educate the child and send them to
America or some place.
Then, the letter comes that I am going to marry a Chinese girl or someone else.
This person thought that I should have a Brāhmana girl to come and all the
traditions should be maintained and he doesn’t know how to face the society.
Therefore, he considers that purity of the family is gone. There is a constant
fear.
Therefore, when I belong to a great kulam, the fear is there that the purity of
the family may go away -kulē chyuti bhayaṁ.vittēnrupālādbhayaṁ - when there is
lot of wealth, then also there is fear. Fear from whom? nrupālaha. nrupālaha
means the King. These days, kings are not there, but we have got Government.
Therefore, how can we avoid taxes? Therefore, there are lot of manipulations and
worrying as to where to put money, where to invest etc. There is constant worry
and then, donation seekers are there and the politicians are there. Therefore,
there is constant worry about protection of the money. Therefore,
vittēnrupālādbhayaṁ;
mānē dainya bhayaṁ - when he has got self respect, he wanted to be respected
everywhere, then there is a constant fear that I may be insulted by others.
There is the fear of insult. When there is this so called, self respect or pride then
there is the fear of Dainyam, Apamāna. Here Dainyam means Apamāna and the
fear of Apamāna is very powerful.
When people are insulted, sometimes they even commit suicide. Even children
those who get the 1st rank all the time, when they get 2nd or 3rd rank, they get so
upset. If they fail in the exams, they even commit suicide. That is why you find
that everywhere they refer to mānam only.
In Ramayana, when Dasharatha refused to give the boon to Kaikeyi saying that I
will not send Rama to forest, Kaikeyi used only one final argument. She said -
you belong to a great family who keep their words. If you don’t keep your
words, what kind of blot you will bring to the Surya Vamsha!
You will be responsible for the Apamānam of not only yourself, but the entire
Surya Vamsha. Then, Dasharatha could not withstand that and said Ok.
Similarly, when Arjuna has about to run away, Krishna used the same language
- akīrtim chāpi bhutāni kathaishyantitēvyaya. So, Apamāna is very, very powerful.
Therefore, mānē apamāna bhayaṁ;
balē ripu bhayaṁ - if you are a powerful country and you have a powerful army
and for that King, ripu bhayaṁ.He is always afraid of the neighboring country
becoming more powerful. So, they will never allow the other country to become
powerful.
Even now, most powerful country will never like any other country becoming
powerful. Therefore, they should have atom bombs and nobody else should
have. They are very, very responsible people, but we are irresponsible.
Therefore, it should not be there. That is always there. So, balē ripu bhayaṁ;
rūpē jarāyā bhayaṁ - if I am very very particular about my beauty, my form, then
there is always the fear of old age (jarā). Old age is a threat to the body. So,
what will be the condition of Miss Universe at the age of 93, if you take a close up
picture? Everything is gone. Therefore, rūpē jarāyā bhayaṁ;
shāstrē vādi bhayaṁ - if I am a great scholar, then I am always afraid of another

great scholar. He may ask a question which I may not be able to answer. If I am
ignorant, there is no problem, but if I am a scholar, there is problem. Therefore,
shāstrē vādi bhayaṁ; gunē khala bhayaṁ- if I am virtuous person, I am always
afraid of wicked people who do not have values.
The wicked ones always have the guilt in their mind. Swāmiji says that
everybody knows what is right and wrong. Nobody is ignorant of values. So,
when a person violates values, there is certainly guilt constantly hurting his
mind. Whenever he sees another person of values, the guilt is activated.
Therefore, this person suffers more in the presence of a man of virtues.

Therefore, constantly he has to criticize the man of virtues. So, he will say this is
all external show. Whenever you say that he is a great person, this person will
say - you don’t know his private life. He cannot withstand that. So, he has to
criticize or he has to tease.
Therefore, gunē khala bhayaṁ- when a person has virtues, he is always teased
by, hurt by, insulted by, criticized by the wicked ones. Therefore, when I have
virtues, I am afraid of wicked people.
kāyē krutāntād bhayaṁ - when I am attached to the body itself, then there is
greatest fear from krutāntaha. krutāntaha means Yamaha. sarvasya antaha
krutaha yēnasaha krutāntaha - the one who puts an end to everything.
Therefore, there is a fear of Yama. Yama Bhayaṁ is there.
In short, sarvam vastu bhayānvitam - everything causes fear. For whom? Not for
all. The wise person is not afraid of anyone of these things because he accepts
the creation as it is. The fear is only for the person of attachment. Therefore,
vishayināmsarvam vastu bhayānvitam; What is the only fearless thing?
vairāgyamēva abhayaṁ- Vairāgyam alone is Abhayaṁ. To put in another

language, we can say God alone in the source of Abhayaṁ or to remember
morning class, ātma ēva abhayaha - Ātma alone is the source of fearlessness.
Verse No. 32
आक्रान्तं मरणेन जन्म जरसा चात्युज्विं यौवनं

सन्तोषो धनशिप्सया िमसुखं प्रौढाङ् गनाद्ववभ्रमः ।
िोकैमयत्सररभभगुयणा वनभुवो व्यािैनृयपा रृजयनैः
अस्थैयेण द्ववभूतयोऽप्युपहता ग्रस्तं न तकं केन वा ॥ ३२॥
ākrāntaṁ maraṇēna janma jarasā cātyujvalaṁ yauvanaṁ

santōṣō dhanalipsayā śamasukhaṁ prauḍhāṅganāvibhramaḥ |
lōkairmatsaribhirguṇā vanabhuvō vyālairnr̥pā durjanaiḥ
asthairyēṇa vibhūtayō:'pyupahatā grastaṁ na kiṁ kēna vā || 32||
Everything in the creation is threatened by something or the other. Basic threat

is from Kāla and there are so many other secondary threats also. He
enumerates what the threats are for everything in the creation. ākrāntam
maranēna janma - wherever there is Janma, no doubt it is a beautiful event, but
it has got the other side.
What is the other side? maranēnaākrāntam - Janma has got the other side called
Maranam. Janma is threatened by, attacked by, contaminated with Maranam -
jātasyahi dhruvō mr̥ tyuḥ dhruvam janma mrutasya cha. jarasā cha atyujvalam
yavvanam - yavvanam, the youth, the beauty of the youth, the strength of the
youth is attacked by jarasā.
jarasā means old age. santōshaha dhanalipsayā-the contentment is constantly

threaten by greed for things. Even if I don’t have greed, greed is generated by
the external world, especially a society which constantly advertises one thing or
the other. Even if you watch the News, between 15 minutes News, there will be
14 advertisements.
They say you buy a television for one rupee and there afterwards, you will have
to pay 1000 rupees monthly for rest of life. But they will put that in small letters.
Similarly, if you have a headache, take a tablet and the next moment he will
smile. In one second, the headache is gone. You will get the headache by
constantly hearing the advertisements.
That is their aim also. Then only you will use the medicine. Therefore, they
constantly advertise to buy this and that and all the other people around get
them. Then, we also get tempted. Therefore, he says Santōshaḥ, the
contentment is always disturbed by the greed for more wealth and more
possessions.
śamasukhaṁ prauḍhāṅganāvibhramaḥ śamasukhaṁ, the peace of mind, the

quititude of the mind is disturbed by prauḍhāṅganāvibhramaḥ - the charms of
youthful women which represent all the sense pleasures. The tempting sense
pleasures disturb the quititude of mind. Then, gunāh lōkaih matsaribhihi
ākrāntaha;
You have to add ākrāntaha for everything. Gunāh or virtues are disturbed by, a
virtuous person is disturbed by matsaribhirguṇālōkair - envious people who do
not have these virtues and who cannot withstand the virtuous people.
Therefore, they spread stories and they criticize as we saw in the previous verse.
Therefore, Gunās are also threatened. Suppose, I want to give up everything

and go to the forest, vanabhuvō vyālair - though the forest is very nice and
wonderful, it is full of wild animals. vyālaha means tiger or any wild animal. So,
that is also threatened.
nr̥ pāḥ durjanaiḥ - the kings are constantly threatened by the neighboring kings
who are interested in conquest. There is one Hitler or there is somebody else
who cannot stand. Therefore, they are also attacked. nrupāha
durjanaihākrāntāh;What about wealth and prosperity?
asthairyēṇa vibhūtayaḥ - all the prosperity that one enjoys is affected by

asthairyam. asthairyam means their fleeting nature, unpredictable nature.
Lakshmi is known for her unsteady character. lakshmihi tōya taranga bhanga
chapala - Lakshmi is known for her Chāpalyam. That is why one day a person is
on the top and next day, he is in the bottom.
Now, the ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan is sentenced to 5 years imprisonment -

from Prime Minister-ship to imprisonment. Even the dictators of some countries
will be the President one day and the next day, he will be in the jail. Therefore,
there are all fleeting – vibhūtayaha asthairyēna ākrāntāh.They are threatened by
unsteadiness.
Therefore, what is the conclusion? You cannot find a thing in this creation which is
totally good. Therefore, don’t rely upon the world for permanent happiness. If
you want permanent happiness, rely upon God. Relying upon God, whatever
happiness the world gives, let it be a bonus.
When it comes, you enjoy and even if it goes, you don’t mind because you have
got permanent source of happiness. It is like a person in Madras who has got a
well. Well water is there and corporation water is also there. He uses
corporation water, but you do not know when it will stop and he doesn’t care
because well water is there.
Suppose, well water is not there, you are constantly under fear. You don’t know
when it will stop. Or you have got UPS (Uninterrupted power supply) system.
When that is there, he will not be afraid because if the power goes, that will take
over. If power is there, we can use that.
But if that is not there, there is a constant fear. Similarly, God is UHS
(uninterrupted happiness supply). Let World be the corporation water. When it
comes, use it. You certainly enjoy that, but let there be UHS behind. When
things are there, it is fine and when things are not there, ātmanyēva ātmanā
tushthaḥ.
Therefore, Gnyāni does not run away from the world nor does he refuse to
enjoy the world. He will enjoy a beautiful sunrise, he will enjoy a nice television
drama, he will enjoy nice sports, he will enjoy wonderful Ganga bath. He will
enjoy everything, but he knows that these are all Corporation water.
As long as it is available, it is wonderful. If not available, he need not even

switch on. It is automatically connected to UHS. If that is not there, your life will
become miserable. That is the essence of the teaching. grastaṁ na kiṁ kēna vā-
tell me what thing in the world is not affected by defect?
Verse No. 33
आमधव्यामधितैजयनस्य द्ववद्ववधैरारोग्यमुन्मूल्यते
िक्ष्मीययि पतन्न्त ति द्वववृतिारा इव व्यापदः ।
जातं जातमवश्यमािु द्ववविं मृत्युः करोत्यात्मसात्
तखत्कं तेन द्वनरङ् कुिेन द्ववमधना यन्न्नर्मंतं सुच्स्थरम् ॥ ३३॥
ādhivyādhiśatairjanasya vividhairārōgyamunmūlyatē
lakṣmīryatra patanti tatra vivr̥tadvārā iva vyāpadaḥ |
jātaṁ jātamavaśyamāśu vivaśaṁ mr̥tyuḥ karōtyātmasāt
tatkiṁ tēna niraṅkuśēna vidhinā yannirmitaṁ susthiram || 33||
It conveys the same idea that everything in creation has got plus and minus
points. Welcome the plus points, enjoy the plus points, but be mentally
prepared to face the minus points also. ādhivyādhi śatair. ārgōgyam unmūlyatē-
ārgōgyam means the health and health has got minus points.
What is the minus point? It can be anytime disturbed by ādhivyādhiśatair. Ādhi

means Manō Duḥkha or Manō Rōgaḥ. Vyādhi means śarīra Rōgaḥ. Ādhi is mental
disease and Vyādhi is physical disease. So, by these two types of diseases,
janasyaārgōgyamunmūlyatē;
The Ārgōgyam of the people is unmūlyatē - uprooted or disturbed. How many

types are there? vividhaih - endless diseases. lakṣmīryatra patanti tatra vivr̥ tadvārā
iva vyāpadaḥ - where lot of wealth is there, no doubt they can enjoy the wealth,
but there are lot of quarrels also. When money comes, there is lot of fight.
In one family itself, brother and brother quarrel, brother and sister quarrel,
father and son going to court and all kinds of things because there is money.
अथयमनथं भावय द्वनत्यं नात्स्तततः सुखिेिः सत्यम् |

पुिादद्वप धन भाजां भीद्वतः सवयिैषा द्ववद्वहता रीद्वतः ||२९||
arthamanarthaṁ bhāvaya nityaṁ nāstitataḥ sukhalēśaḥ satyam |
putrādapi dhana bhājāṁ bhītiḥ sarvatraiṣā vihitā rītiḥ ||29||
Bhaja Govindam
If the people do not have values, for the sake of money, everything such as
values, father, mother, brother, sister etc, is sacrificed. Therefore, vyāpadaha -
money brings its own calamities. More, we will see tomorrow.

Vairāgya Śatakam - Verses 33, 73, 18

ॐ

Verse No. 33
आमधव्यामधितैजयनस्य द्ववद्ववधैरारोग्यमुन्मूल्यते
िक्ष्मीययि पतन्न्त ति द्वववृतिारा इव व्यापदः ।
जातं जातमवश्यमािु द्ववविं मृत्युः करोत्यात्मसात्
तखत्कं तेन द्वनरङ् कुिेन द्ववमधना यन्न्नर्मंतं सुच्स्थरम् ॥ ३३॥
ādhivyādhiśatairjanasya vividhairārōgyamunmūlyatē
lakṣmīryatra patanti tatra vivr̥tadvārā iva vyāpadaḥ |
jātaṁ jātamavaśyamāśu vivaśaṁ mr̥tyuḥ karōtyātmasāt
tatkiṁ tēna niraṅkuśēna vidhinā yannirmitaṁ susthiram || 33||
The discipline that is prescribed by our scriptures is that we have to gradually

learn to go from world-dependence to God-dependence. World-dependence is
very natural in the beginning because I do not know God and I cannot depend
upon myself as I am a small being. Since there is no other way, I will helplessly
depend upon whatever is available in front.
Therefore, the natural course for every human being is depending upon the
world. When I say world, it means things, people and situations. The scriptures
Talk 7 – Verses 33, 73, 18 Downloaded from www.arshaavinash.in Page 100 of 201
point out that since world dependence is a risky affair, one should gradually
find out an alternative to stand by, which is a more reliable support and that is
God dependence.
By God, we mean the Lord in any Iṣṭa dēvatā form. To train our mind for this
God dependence, we have got enough Purānās which talk about the Lord in
various forms. We have got the literature of Āchāryās also which nourish the
Iṣṭa dēvatā Bhakti. Also, we have got the biographies of great devotees which
will help in developing this Iṣṭa dēvatā Bhakti or God-dependence.
We should remember that it is not opposed to the Advaitic teaching because

this God dependence is presented only as an intermediary stage, where God is
seen as external objective entity. Finally, one discovers that the very same Lord,
which was worshipped externally with a form, is non-different from the real ‘I’.
When the Lord is discovered as the real self, then God dependence will be
converted into self dependence or independence. Therefore, this God
dependence is presented as an intermediary state which is required for most of
the people. Even Shankarāchārya, who talks about Jīvātma Paramātma Aikyam in
all his Upaniṣads and Brahma Sūtrās, writes many Bhakti Slōkās in which he
describes the Lord in various forms.
That shows that there is no contradiction between Advaita Gnyānam and

Ēshwara Bhakti, as an intermediary stage or as a Vyāvahāric stage. One of his
works called Shivānanda Lahari which is a very, very beautiful work talks about
the iṣṭa dēvatā Bhakti. Today being Shankara Jayanti day, I will just refer to one
Slōka.
This Slōka shows how Shankarāchārya enjoys the Lord as an iṣṭa dēvatā. He says
- O Lord, I was wondering why you are staying in mountain caves and dancing
on rocks. Your body is so tender and your feet are so soft. Why should you dance
on hard rock? It is not that you don’t have better auditorium.
After all, Kubēra is under you and the Mēru Parvata which is full of riches is
yours. If only you want, you could have wonderful auditoria where flower petals
can be strewn and you could have happily enjoyed your dance painlessly. In-
spite of all the facilities being there, I was wondering why you danced on rock. I
cannot say that you are fool.
You are a sarvajñaḥ. After scratching my head for long time, I got an answer.
What is that? After all, you are omniscient and you know that I am going to be
born here on the earth. And I have got a heart which is so hard like rock
because I am so cruel and so ruthlessly materialistic. I have no feelings for
others and have no devotion to the Lord. So, my mind is like a rock.
Not being a devotee, I don’t even require your grace. Even though I don’t
deserve it, you have a plan to bless me by coming to my mind and dance. But
dancing on my mind is going to be very painful because it is very hard like a
rock. Therefore, what did you do? To dance in my heart now, you wanted to have
some rehearsal.
As a rehearsal, you have danced on the rocks. It is all your compassion.

Shankarāchārya who talks about Jīvātma Paramātma Aikyam can enjoy devotion
in this dualistic form also. That is why I say that there is no contradiction
between Advaita Gnyānam and Dvaita Bhakti because the levels are totally
different. So, Shankarāchārya says -
एष्यत्येष जतनं मनोऽस्य कदठनं तत्स्मन्नटानीद्वत म-

रक्षायै द्वगररसीन्म्न कोमिपदन्यासः पुरा्याशसतः । ….
……… || 80 || Śivanandalahari
ēṣyatyēṣa janiṁ manō:'sya kaṭhinaṁ tasminnaṭānīti ma-

drakṣāyai girisīmni kōmalapadanyāsaḥ purābhyāsitaḥ |
……… || 80 || Śivanandalahari
kōmalapadanyāsaḥ purābhyāsitaḥ- kōmala padam means tender feet. You have

done Abhyāsa. Abhyāsa means rehearsal. Why should it be so
…….
नोचेदिव्यगृहान्तरेषु सुमनस्तल्पेषु वेद्याददषु
प्रायः सत्सु शििातिेषु नटनं िंभो द्वकमथं तव
॥ ८० ॥ Śivanandalahari
…….
nōcēddivyagr̥hāntarēṣu sumanastalpēṣu vēdyādiṣu
prāyaḥ satsu śilātalēṣu naṭanaṁ śaṁbhō kimarthaṁ tava || 80 ||
Śivanandalahari
When you have got wonderful places where you can happily rest, why should you
practice? Like that, Shankarāchārya writes hundreds of verses on Śiva on Devi
on Kārtikeya etc, indicating that devotion to the Lord as an Ishta Dēvata is
definitely all right as an intermediary state.
This intermediary stage alone is from world dependence to God dependence as

a standby. Remember the well in your own house and corporation water. Once
you have got a permanent well in the house, there is nothing wrong in using
corporation water. Even as you use, there is no anxiety in your mind because
there is already a standby.
By any chance, if the corporation water goes, you have got a pump which you
can use. If that standby, God dependence is not there, if I am going to depend
upon the unpredictable corporation water alone, my life is going to be risky.
Similarly, the world dependence can become very, very risky and dangerous.
Such a world-dependence, without the backing of God-dependence is

converting the world into Viṣayaḥ. In Vedanta, there are two beautiful words.
One is Viṣayaḥ and another is Padārthaḥ. Viṣayaḥ means an object which is
capable of binding me. Padārthaḥ means an object which is the object of a word
- padasya arthaḥ padārthaḥ.
This pen or this clip is a Padārthaḥ. Dependence is to two fold. Either I require
its presence to be happy or I depend upon its absence to be happy. Isn’t it?
There are some people whose presence we want and there are some other
people whose absence we want. One person nicely said that some people give
happiness wherever they go and some people give happiness whenever they
go.
Similarly, we depend upon the presence of an object to be happy or we depend

upon the absence of the object. Object includes person also and person
includes situations also. That is called converting the object into Viṣayaḥ. When I
have got world dependence without the support of God dependence, every
object is a potential source of unhappiness, either by its presence or absence.
The world is no more a Padārthaḥ. The entire world is Viṣayaḥ. That means I am
always vulnerable. When I am surrounded by Padārthaḥ, I am safe and when I
am surrounded by Viṣayaḥ, I am always vulnerable. Not only the Padārthās
create problems, but even every relationship is a potential problem.
Any relationship can cause a strain. Father-child relationship, husband-wife

relationship, brother-brother, brother-sister relationship can be a potential
threat or strain.I am talking about relationship caused strain because
psychologists talk about the strain in life caused by relationships.
In fact, for many people, the headaches are only because of relationship strain.
When there is a strain in relationship and I am not able to release that strain,
there is bottled up emotion or cumulative effect which the psychologists call as
unconscious problem. It is because I am not able to release that.
The wife wants to shout, but in Indian culture, the wife cannot shout at the
husband, children cannot shout at the father, Sishyās cannot shout at the Guru.
Therefore, all these bottled up emotions go to the unconscious mind and then it
is waiting for an opportunity to blow. It is like when there is a lot of strain
underneath the ground, there is the release of the strain which is called earth
quake.
Earth at the lower levels has got slabs like things. When they slightly adjust, that
is called the earthquake. That is the release of the pressure. we call those
psychological problems transference. When I am not able to express that bottle
up emotion towards someone, I look for some potential victim and I release it
when anybody comes.
You only ask the question - when did you come? That person shouts for half an
hour for that. Generally, spouses are the ideal victims of transference. When the
other person is intelligent enough, he knows how to handle. But if the other
person doesn’t know the problem of transference, he also reacts. That is called
counter transference. The family is a nuclear explosion.
Now, when a person has got God-dependence, the advantage is that whenever
I want to show my emotion to someone and when no one is available,
according to our Purānās, the very Lord in one form or the other becomes the
object of transference. That is why we have got so many songs. When I cannot
scold anyone, the Iṣṭa dēvatābecomes the object of sharing.
Lord can be invoked as husband, Lord can be invoked as father, Lord can be
invoked as a child. One can invoke any form of relationship so that there is no
more bottled up emotion. The therapists also ask us to write a letter and tear it
off. They ask us not to post it to anyone. You should not forget to tear it off.
Otherwise, it can become a very big problem. Daily write a letter and tear it off.
The psychologists do not know whom to write, whereas already our Purānās
have understood that. They said that if you want to get angry, get angry with
the Lord. Whatever emotion you want, you direct it to the Lord so that the
emotions are released.
Thus, God dependence is a wonderful intermediary state. It is a wonderful

psychotherapy by which the strains caused by world dependence are easily
neutralized then and there. The account is settled readily. Once a person enjoys
a stress-less mind by God-dependence, then alone, we can go to the next stage
- What is the nature of that God? Is God a person? If God is a person, can he be
limitless and eternal?
Therefore, that God has to be non-different from me. To probe into those
intellectual accepts, I require an emotionally stable, undisturbed, calm mind.
Thus, God dependence gives me a healthy mind and it will ultimately lead to self
dependence. Self dependence is a knowledgeable mind. So, emotionally sound
mind to a wise mind.
Bhartr̥ hari wants to say - if you don’t have God dependence and if you don’t
have self dependence and if you are only depending upon the world, how
vulnerable you are! How risky it is! It is like straight away entering into Ganga
without having any hold. That is what is explained in these verses.
Ādhivyādhi śatair janasya vividhair ārōgyam unmūlyatē - you are depending upon
your body which itself is not reliable. How many people thought that when they
come to the camp, what will be the condition of the weather? How many people
thought that they will lose their throat? How many people thought they may fall
sick? How many people thought that they might have to return two days
before?
So, I have no control over my own body. This is the condition of your physical
body. What about the condition of mind? ādhi - I don’t entertain the emotions.
Swāmiji asked - is anger an action or a reaction? If you think anger is an action,
then I will ask all of you to get angry for one second now. All the people will
smile. You don’t entertain anger.
It is never an action. It happens without your permission. It means that the

mind also doesn’t seem to be as reliable as you think. Ādhivyādhi śatair -
hundreds of emotional and physical problems. Vividhaih - varieties. janasya
vividhair ārōgyam unmūlyatē - the ārōgyam is uprooted. Sometimes it is
temporary and sometimes it is also permanent. This is the condition of the
body.
What is the condition of wealth? Lakshmīhi yatra- when there is poverty, there are
lot of problems. I thought that if money comes, all the problems will be solved.
But what I find is that when money comes, the poverty based problems are
gone, but it is replaced by money based problems. A person even begins to
wonder - I would be happy without this money.
Such people even write off all their wealth to the Āshramās. Therefore,
yatralakshmīhi - where there is wealth. What do I find there? vyāpadaha tatra
patanti - varieties of money-based problems. Even beautiful relationships are
also strained because of wealth. Like what? vivruta dvārāh iva-like rain falling
from a hole in the ceiling. Like that, problems also pore.
Not only that, jātam jātam mr̥ tyuḥ ātmasāt karōti - whatever is born, whatever is
accomplished, whatever is acquired, everything falls within the mouth of Yama
Dharmaraja. Everything falls within the mouth of Yamadharma Raja. The only
difference is if you have got some nuts in your mouth. What is the difference?
Some nuts are bitten first and the others are waiting. Sooner or later, they also
will be chewed.
Remember the 11th chapter of the Gīta. Similarly, we are all existing in the huge
mouth of Yamadharma Raja. The only difference is that some people are
already chewed and some people are waiting in the queue. Sometimes he also
bites and leaves. A person had heart attack and he went to the doctor and
electrical shock was given and he was revived.
He went into the jaws of death. Even Avatāra śarīraṁs (Rama śarīraṁ, Krishna
śarīraṁ) are not out of Kāla. śarīraṁ means it is subject to arrival and there is no
choice also. avashyam mr̥ tyuḥ ātmasāt karōti-ātmasāt karōti mean she absorbs
into himself. How? āshu - directly, immediately. Avashyam -definitely.
For every rule, there is an exception. But even to that rule, there is an exception
that there is a rule without an exception. What is that rule? jātam jātam avashyam
- jātasya hi dhruvō mr̥ tyuḥ. It seems some doctor wanted to find out a medicine
(Kāya Kalpam) by applying which the body will be eternal. Such medicines are
there even now, but they will never work. What is the proof that they will never
work?
The very authors who wrote the work have themselves disappeared. Therefore,
there is no escape at all. avashyam mr̥ tyuḥ ātmasāt karōti. That being so, tat kim
vidhinā susthiram nirmitaṁ - tell me one object in the creation which is created
by Bramhāji which is eternal, which is steady, which is permanent. Somebody
said that the only permanent thing in creation is impermanence.
So, the only changeless law is that everything changes. Here, Vidhi means
Bramhāji. What kind of Bramhāji? niraṅkuśēna vidhinā. niraṅkuśa means whose
powers are unrestricted. Even though he has got unrestricted powers, he
doesn’t have power for one thing. What is that? - Creating an eternal thing. The
joke is that Bramhāji himself is not permanent. As we have seen in the Gīta -
ābramha bhuvanāl lōkāha punarāvartinōrjuna.
Verse No. 73
This is the last verse in this Dōsha-Darshana/ Bhayaṁ series.
गािं संकुमचतं गद्वतर्वंगशिता भ्रष्टा च दन्तावशि-

रॅद्वष्टनयश्यद्वत वधयते बमधरता वक्िं च िािायते ।
वाक्यं नादरयते च बान्धवजनो भायाय न िुश्रूषते
हा कष्टं पुरुषस्य जीणयवयसः पुिोऽप्यममिायते ॥ ७३॥
gātraṁ saṁkucitaṁ gatirvigalitā bhraṣṭā ca dantāvali-
dr̥ṣṭirnaśyati vardhatē badhiratā vaktraṁ ca lālāyatē |
vākyaṁ nādriyatē ca bāndhavajanō bhāryā na śuśrūṣatē
hā kaṣṭaṁ puruṣasya jīrṇavayasaḥ putrō:'pyamitrāyatē || 73||
This is a description of the old age. It is an ideal verse which gives a typical
description of what old age is and how a person has to be prepared for this by
God-dependence or self-dependence. One of these two is necessary. If this
preparation is there, one can gracefully grow old. If the preparation is not there,
old age will be problem for one self.
More than that, it will be problem for the others also. Therefore, to give the
idea, he gives a description of a typical old person. gātraṁ saṁkucitaṁ- gātram
means body. Dhruda gātram means the body is well built and healthy. As we
grow old, what is the condition of the body? saṁkucitaṁ - it is all shriveled and
shrunk.
So, body is shrunk. Hands, legs and skin are shrunk. The natural oiliness of the
skin is gone. Even if you apply liters of Vaseline, when its natural thing is not
there, it won’t work at all. Therefore, gātram saṁkucitaṁ - skin also is shrunk.
gatirvigalitā - the movement is tottery, unsteady. So, a stick is required, a person
is required. Sometimes, he falls even with a stick.
bhraṣṭā ca dantāvali - the beautiful teeth which he carefully nourished have

gone. These days, they put braces for the teeth which have to be maintained
carefully, spending hours. Sometimes, they also cover them with gold. The
mouth also constantly moves. So, you require something to support the skin.
You should be able to imagine and laugh at the whole thing, instead of getting
frightened. When can you laugh at it? You can laugh at it only when you have got
something else to fall back. Otherwise, this will become a great threat.
dr̥ ṣṭirnaśyati - the cataract or any other thing comes and covers the eyes.
Therefore, the vision is also gone.
Therefore, I have to keep a book either so close by or so far away. A person

went to the eye doctor and the doctor asked him whether he could read the
second line or third line or fourth line better on the board. This person asked -
where is the board? Therefore, only if see the board first, I can say which line I
can see well.
vardhatē badhiratā - equally, ears are also becoming deafer. When the wife
scolds for half an hour, he asks her what she has been eating for so long. She
has been shouting at him and he thinks she is eating something. How
frustrated it will be! You shout and the victim has not heard it. What a waste of
energy!
So, before shouting, give the hearing aid. It is like the auto rickshaw fellows and
the car fellows. This fellow overtakes through wrong side and that person has
gone. This driver shouts at the other driver. What is the use of shouting at the
driver when he has gone? Isn’t it a waste of energy? vaktram cha lālāyate-lālā
means saliva.
Normally, saliva should come whenever it is necessary, but all those controls
are gone. Therefore, it comes all the time. Or it comes when it is not required
and doesn’t come when it required. So, the mouth is salivating all the time.
vākyam cha nādriyate bhāndhava janaha - I only think that I am an old,
experienced person and I can give advice to all the people and I am ready to
give the advice.
But unfortunately, nobody is interested in my advice. By advising, I only lose my

dignity and they begin to enquire where the old age homes are. Then, they
send us to the old age home. We feel that we have brought up the children they
don’t take care. We also don’t know how to remain decent and they also have
problems. All kinds of problems because of one simple thing - I don’t know how
to gracefully grow.
The greatest art is gracefully growing old because that is one thing we cannot
avoid. That is a necessary preparation because we are financially preparing for
old age by investing in LIC, Mediclaim, Provident fund etc, but emotional
preparation we have got zero. Therefore, it becomes a painful thing. I feel
lonely.
Even if they come to tell us that they want to start something, when they have
decided to start something and they want to take blessings from us, you just
give blessings. It is wonderful. But the problem is that when they have already
decided to start something, I ask - why are you starting that now? You need not
do that. There will be problem if you do that etc.
Therefore, we give suggestions even when they don’t ask for them. Therefore,
next time they start without informing us and then we feel bad that they are not
informing us. If they inform us, we don’t keep quiet. Therefore, if they have
decided and they are doing, wish them all the best. Maximum, if there is some
opinion; instead of a commandment, give a suggestion and that too once.
That is the ideal and decent way of transaction. But generally, the old people do
not know that. Of course, there are problems with youngsters also. There are
problems with old people also. Therefore, what happens? bāndhava janaha
vākyamna ādriyatē- they don’t respect my words. When my words are not
respected, I feel that I am not respected.
bhāryā na sushrūshatē - until now, wife was doing everything. Now, she tells -
everything is there. Why can’t you help yourself? She might be tired of helping.
Whether one likes it or not, wife is also growing old. Generally, the old
husbands are not aware of the fact that wife is also growing old.
They think wife is eternally 16 and they only are going through Shastipurti,
Shatābhishēkam etc. Therefore, as before, they keep asking the wife to get
things for them. She gets so bored and she refuses to serve. Therefore, bhāryā
na śuśrūṣatē - she also doesn’t serve. In short, what is the condition?
hā kaṣṭaṁ - Alas! unfortunate is the lot of this human being. Which human
being? The unprepared human being, who is not trained in God dependence. If
he had trained his mind, old age is ideal. You can read wonderful Slōkās like
Shivānanda Lahari. You can go through Upadēsha Sāhasri. So many wonderful
prayers are there.
It is a blessing if I am prepared and it is a curse if I am not prepared.
purushasya jīrna vayasaha - the human being who is aged. putrō:'pyamitrāyatē -

the last and worst tragedy is that the relationship with the son itself is strained.
Whether one likes are not, in our tradition, generally the parents are supported
by the son.
I don’t want to get into whether it is right or not. Generally, the custom is that
the parents are supported by the son. If the relationship with one son is
strained, they can go to other sons if they have three or four sons. If there is
only one child, I cannot go anywhere else. hā kashtam putraha api amitrāyatē -
even son becomes an enemy, which is the greatest tragedy in life.
With this, Samsāra Dōsha Darśanam is over. Now itself, enough impact has been
given. He has written many Slōkās like these. If you have the heart to withstand
more, you can read the translations. With this, the Bhayaṁ topic is also over.
Bhartr̥ hari has talked about the three Dōshas of Samsāra.
They are Atr̥ ptihi (dissatisfaction), Kṣaṇikatvam (fleeting nature) and Bhayaṁ
(insecurity). These are the three main or prominent Dōshas of Samsāra. What is
the definition of Samsāra? World dependence without the backup of God
dependence is the new definition of Samsāra. Now, we will go to the next topic.
I said that there are four topics. Samsāra Dōsha Darśanam topic is over.
Mōhaḥ
Then, the next one is Mōhaḥ - delusion. What do you mean by delusion? In spite
of facing so many problems because of world dependence, man does not learn
a lesson. Man suffers because of the sheer world dependence, without the
backup of God dependence. Man is supposed to be an intelligent creature and
therefore, he supposed to learn from his life.
But Bhartr̥ hari says - I don’t know what is wrong with human being. In spite of
going through all this painful hardships, man doesn’t seem to learn. That is why
Shankarāchārya said - bhaja govindam bhaja govindam govindam bhaja

mūdhamatē.So, we will see Mōha topic.
Verse No. 18
अजानन्दाहात्म्यं पततु ििभस्तीव्रदहने

स मीनोऽप्यज्ञानािमडियुतमश्नातु द्वपशितम् ।
द्ववजानन्तोऽप्येते वयममह द्ववपज्जािजदटिान्
न मुञ्चामः कामानहह गहनो मोहमद्वहमा ॥ १८॥
ajānandāhātmyaṁ patatu śalabhastīvradahanē
sa mīnō:'pyajñānādvaḍiśayutamaśnātu piśitam |
vijānantō:'pyētē vayamiha vipajjālajaṭilān
na muñcāmaḥ kāmānahaha gahanō mōhamahimā || 18||
We have heard about Rama Mahima, Krishna Mahima, Śiva Mahima. Here,
Bhartr̥ hari says Mōha Mahima. What a greatness of Mōha! Mōha means
delusion. That means incapacity to learn from the experiences of life. Vivēki is
one who learns from the experiences of life. There also, there is a brighter
Vivēki.
They are of two types. One type of Vivēki learns from his own experiences.
Another type of Vivēki learns from others’ experiences. He is a smarter one.
This one neither learns from others’ experiences nor from his own experiences.
Bhartr̥ hari says - in the case of animals, I can appreciate.
They commit the mistake again and again. They don’t learn. But how come the
human beings do not learn! He gives two examples. One is the example of a
moth. It is an insect which goes round the flame and ultimately falls into either
the flame or the oil even though several moths have already died.
This fellow has got eyes and therefore, it should avoid and save itself. But the
moth doesn’t have a good intellect. Therefore, Bhartr̥ hari says - let a moth
commit that mistake. I can understand because it doesn’t have Buddhi.
dāhātmyam ajānānan - without knowing the fiery nature of the flame.
Dāhātmyam means heat.
śalabhastīvradahanē patatu - let the moth fall into the hot fire (tīvradahanē). That
is understandable. sa mīnaha api ajñānāt vaḍiśayutam aśnātu piśitam-badisha
means the angle. It is the instrument used for fishing. In that Badisha tip, there
is the bait which is called piśitam.
piśitam means flesh or an eatable insect which is fixed to that angle. The fish
bites that and gets hooked. Even though the fish has seen other fishes getting
hooked, it never learns a lesson. That also I can understand. But why should a
human being commit that mistake?
They give the example that to catch the monkey which takes away the nuts and
other things which are kept for drying, they fix a vessel in the ground. Only the
mouth of vessel will be open and the vessel will have a narrow neck. Inside the
vessel, there will be some nuts and when the monkey puts its hand, it will go
inside.
Once it takes the nuts, it cannot take its hand out. It tries to run, but the hand
doesn’t come out. It seems these people go and beat the monkey. I do not
know if it is a fact or a story. Now, when it gets the beating, what should it do? It is
very simple. If it drops the nuts, it can easily take out the hand and run. But it
holds on and gets the beating left and right.
In the same way, the human being holding onto unhealthy things gets the
Yamadharma Raja’s beating left and right, but still this human beings do not
leave the Abhimāna or the hold and get the thrashings all the time. That is the
Mahima. We will see the details tomorrow.

Vairāgya Śatakam – Verses 18, 38, 43

ॐ

Verse No. 18
अजानन्दाहात्म्यं पततु ििभस्तीव्रदहने

स मीनोऽप्यज्ञानािमडियुतमश्नातु द्वपशितम् ।
द्ववजानन्तोऽप्येते वयममह द्ववपज्जािजदटिान्
न मुञ्चामः कामानहह गहनो मोहमद्वहमा ॥ १८॥
ajānandāhātmyaṁ patatu śalabhastīvradahanē
sa mīnō:'pyajñānādvaḍiśayutamaśnātu piśitam |
vijānantō:'pyētē vayamiha vipajjālajaṭilān
na muñcāmaḥ kāmānahaha gahanō mōhamahimā || 18||
After seeing the Dōṣaḥs of Samsāra (i.e. dependence on the world), now we are
seeing the topic of Mōhaḥ or delusion on the part of the human being, because
of which he does not learn anything from his life’s experiences. Even though
Bhagawan has blessed the human being with a capacity to learn from
experiences, often he does not learn.
parikṣyalōkān karmachitān brāhmanaha nirvēdamāyāt - the Upaniṣad carefully

uses the word brāhmanaḥ. It does not say manuṣyaḥ nirvēdamayāt. If every
human being gets mature through experiences, the Upaniṣad would have used
the word manuṣyaḥ. But by using the word brāhmanaḥ, the Upaniṣad means
that only some people learn from life’s experiences and become mature.
Here, the word brāhmanaḥ means Sātvika Puruṣaḥ or Vivēki. He alone can learn
through four Pramānās. Shankarāchārya writes in his Bhāshyam - pratyakṣa
anumāna upamāna āgama pramānaih lōkān parikṣya. We can learn through
direct experiences and we can infer and learn indirectly by seeing the
experiences of others. We have got upamāna pramānam also.
From one experience, we can compare and understand another experience.

Above all, we have got the Veda Pramāna to talk about the nature of the world.
Therefore, the one who has the capacity to use all these four Pramānās alone
will convert experiences into maturity. Experiences cannot automatically turn
into maturity.
It is like when we eat the food, naturally the food is converted into physical
nourishment. It is a natural process. We need not consciously convert the food
into physical nourishment. Similarly, the life’s experiences are like food which
can be converted for the Sukṣma Śarīra personality. That is Vivēkaḥ or maturity.
This conversion of experiences into maturity is not a natural process. Swāmiji

says - there should be an initiative on the part of the human being to learn from
every small and big experience. If that capacity is not there, he is trapped in his
own Mōha. Such people will not get the benefit of the precious human life.
iha chēt avēdi atha satyam asti na chēt iha avēdī mahiti vinaṣtihi. In youth, when
all their faculties are in their peak, they will spend and waste all the faculties for
mere Artha-Kāma pursuit. He will not have the farsightedness to face the old
age and death and Samsāra, in general. Thus, an intelligent person has got
farsightedness. Unintelligent person has got shortsightedness. That is Mōhaḥ.
Bhartr̥ hari is talking about that Mōhaḥ alone. I have selected three verses on
the topic of Mōha. The first one is the 18th verse. To illustrate this
farsightedness, which is a unique faculty that the human being is blessed with,
Swami Chinmayānanda tells a nice story as an example. It seems, there was a

kingdom and that kingdom had a unique rule.
The rule is that anybody can become the king of that small kingdom. No
qualification is required. But there is a condition that they can rule the Kingdom
for only five years. During those five years, they have all the benefits of the
royalty.
They can have a gala time because everything is at their disposal. But the only
condition is that at the end of the fifth year, the king will be banished. He will be
sent out to the neighboring forest, across a wide river. Once the king is sent to
the forest, he has no chances of survival as the forest is so huge that he cannot
go to the other side and it is full of wild animals.
He cannot come back to the kingdom by swimming because the river is in full
spate all the time and it has wild aquatic creatures. Therefore, only thing that
can happen is a slow and a painful death. So, for five years there is wonderful
time, but the rest of the life will be terrible suffering and death. This is the
unique system in that kingdom.
People have two types of approach. Some people are initially tempted by the
royalty. When they think of the later life in the forest, they say - I don’t want the
kingdom, even though it is very nice. Who can suffer that slow death! There are
some other people who think - make hay while the sun shines. Let us enjoy for
five years.
There afterwards, we will face whatever happens. So, some people used to
become the kings and also, they enjoyed the life very well. But, what happens?
They thoroughly enjoy the first three years, but once the fourth year comes, the
countdown begins. Even though all the pleasures are around, their mind begins
to think of the sixth year.
Generally, they don’t enjoy. All those things will be there, but he cannot enjoy
anything. Once the fifth year comes, he is more miserable. In the 12th month of
fifth year, he is almost a dead person walking. When the last day comes, the
people are there to take him across the river. When they come, he will fall at
their feet pleading not to take him.
In spite of all that, those people will pull him and push him into that boat. That
boat is also an old rickety boat. Anyway, he is going to die. Why a good boat for
dying person. Then, in the boat also, he will request to take him back. But they
say nothing doing, a rule is rule.
They are like Yama Dūtās. They won’t give even one minute extra. Then, they
will push him into that forest and when they turn back, he shouts and requests
not to leave him alone there. They just turn a deaf ear and come back. Nobody
knows what happens to those ex-kings. They would have had a miserable
death.
This was going on and then came one unique king. He started ruling the
kingdom very well and enjoyed all the pleasures. They saw that there is
something special about this king, but they didn’t know what it is. The third
year they came and still, the king is very happy, thoroughly living in the present
and not worried about the future at all.
Then, the fourth year came, fifth year came and still he is enjoying. Then, came
the last month and then also there is no change. He is thoroughly enjoying the
kingdom. Then, came the last day and people have already started to wonder
about the secret of his happiness. Nobody knew what it is! Then, the people
came to pull him.
Then, he said - why are you pulling me? I know that this is the last day and I
have to quit. I am ready to come. These people also were surprised because this
is the first person who is naturally coming. Then, he saw the boat and said -
now also I am a king. Why are you keeping such a useless boat? Bring a good
boat. They had no way out.
They brought a beautiful boat. They were about to push him and he said don’t
touch me. I will happily enter the boat. These people were very surprised. At
last, they asked him the secret of his happiness because he is the most unique
person. He said - it is a very simple common sense rule. I know that I have got
only five years to enjoy this kingdom.
During these five years, everything is in my hands, under my control. Therefore,

in the first year itself I knew that after five years, I have to go to that forest. First
year itself, I sent a team of people to survey and find out how to convert the
wild forest into another kingdom. They came back with a beautiful blue print.
Second year, I sent a team of people to remove all the unwanted trees, keeping
the marked trees so that they can become garden and avenue trees. So, leaving
those trees, every other tree was cut. Roads and buildings were built in the third
year. In the fourth year, I decided who are going to be the citizens of the new
kingdom.
In the fifth year, administration was set up and ministers and counselors were
fixed with me as the king. Then, towards the end, I even arranged for a grand
welcome for me. Now, when I am going, there the people are waiting with
Raja’s Pūrna Kumbha. Why should I cry? This is called farsightedness.
So, an unintelligent youth is that person for whom old age is like a wild forest,
whereas an intelligent person is one who has enjoyed the youth very well like
that king and parallelly, he has prepared emotionally. Everybody does financial
preparation. For the one who has prepared emotionally, old age is not like a
wild forest, but it is like a beautiful kingdom.
It is a different kingdom in which he has got a different type of enjoyment. Such

a person is called Vivēki. Bhartr̥ hari says that this Vivēka is common-sense, but
how come it is so uncommon! Somebody said that common-sense seems to be
one thing which is the most uncommon thing. That is what is being described
here.
If an animal does not have common-sense, it is understandable. ajānan

dāhātmyam shalabhaha tīvradahanē patatu - a moth falls into the fire and oil.
Even though it sees other insects falling and dying, this moth does not learn a
lesson. That also flies into the flame and dies. I can understand a moth doing
that because it doesn’t have the grey matter.
Similarly, saha mīnaha api agnyānāt piśitam ashnātu - the fish get trapped by
biting the bait. That is also understandable because fish has got only a fishy
intellect which is not very great. Bhartr̥ hari says, but what I am not able to
assimilate - yētē vayam. Bhartr̥ hari is very intelligent. He doesn’t say you are all
unintelligent. That will become arrogance. He says we were all deluded.
yētē vayamvipajjālajatilānvijānantaha api - We all know the vipajjālaha. Vipad

means the minus points, the Dōṣaḥs. He talked about various Dōṣaḥs before.
They are Atr̥ pti Dōṣaḥ, Bhaya Dōṣaḥ, Kshanikatva Dōṣaḥ. All these Dōṣaḥs are
glaring at us on all the time and each defect is like a trap. jālaḥ means like a net.
Each Dōsha is like a net and the whole world is full of such Dōsha networks and
we are seeing many people getting trapped in one net or the other. Therefore,
vijānantaḥ; We know, but what is the beauty? Knowing, very thoughtfully, we also
get into the same net. Vijānantahaapi - In spite of repeated experiences of ours
and other’s;
yētē vayam - these people (we). vipajjālajatilān –jatila means full of. vipat means
disadvantages, Dōṣaḥs. Still, kāmān na munchāmah - we do not give up world
dependence. We are totally relying upon a world which is in itself insecure. For
infinitude, we depend upon a finite world. For security, we depend upon
insecure objects and people.
We do not give up. We don’t have God dependence as a backup. So, we are
working on corporation water only, without our own well. So, kāmān na
muñcāmaḥ - We don’t drop total world dependence. What can I attribute this to?
I can attribute this universal problem to only one thing and that is Mōha
Mahima. It is the glory of Mōhaḥ. It is the glory of Māya. Arjuna asked in the 3rd
chapter –
अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरद्वत पूरुषः ।

अद्वनच्छन्नद्वप वाष्णेय बिाददव द्वनयोद्धजतः ॥ ३-३६॥
atha kēna prayuktō:'yaṁ pāpaṁ carati pūruṣaḥ |
anicchannapi vārṣṇēya balādiva niyōjitaḥ || 3-36||
He said the same thing here. Mōhaḥ means Tamō Guna of Māya. This Tamō
Guna of Māya is gahanaha - very deep indeed. brāhmanaḥ means one who does
not allow the Tamō Guna to dominate in his life.
Satva Guna Pradhānaha brāhmanaḥ. Rajō Guna Pradhānaḥ Kshatriya & Vaishya;
Tamō Guna Pradhāna is Shūdraḥ; Anyone who is Tamō Guna Pradhānaor Rajō
Guna Pradhāna, doesn’t learn from life. Tamō Guna Pradhāni will not think at
all. Rajō Guna Pradhāni can think, but he is so busy in life, running here and
there.
parānchikhāni vyatrnat swayambhūh tasmāt parāng pashyati - he is so restless

and wandering that he doesn’t have time to think. Therefore, either dominated
by Tamas or dominated by Rajas, Satva Guna is stifled. Because of that, he
doesn’t learn at all.
Verse No. 38
व्याघ्रीव द्वतष्ठद्वत जरा पररतजययन्न्त

रोगाश्च ििव इव प्रहरन्न्त दे हम् ।
आयुः पररस्रवद्वत भभन्नघटाददवाम्भो
िोकस्तथाप्यद्वहतमाचरतीद्वत मचिम् ॥ ३८॥
vyāghrīva tiṣṭhati jarā paritarjayanti
rōgāśca śatrava iva praharanti dēham |
āyuḥ parisravati bhinnaghaṭādivāmbhō
lōkastathāpyahitamācaratīti citram || 38||
Going back to the example of the wild forest, even as this person is ruling the
kingdom and thoroughly enjoying, one corner of the mind keeps telling that
after five years, you have to go to the wild forest. But the other kings did not do
anything about it. The intelligent king decided to do something about it and be
prepared.
It is not that he left the present kingdom. He fully enjoyed five years rule. There
afterwards, he prepared for the next stage of life. Similarly, here also, our youth
is like the present kingdom. Old age is like the wild forest which is there facing
all the time because we know that it is definite. Therefore, Bhartr̥ hari compares
the old age to a wild tigress.
A tigress is supposed to be more ferocious than even a tiger. Instead of using

the word ‘tiger’, he uses the word ‘tigress’. vyāghri iva - like a tigress. jarā
tiṣṭhati - the old age is waiting there. It cannot do anything now because in the
youth, our body has got full immunity. You do anything and the body can face,
but in old age, the resistance goes away. Therefore, all the diseases are waiting
saying we will see you then.
Therefore, like a ferocious tigress, the old age is waiting to catch everyone.
paritarjayanti- frightening. So, paritarjayan tiṣṭhati. rōgāśca śatrava iva praharanti
dēham.- there are rōgās.rōgās means diseases. Diseases are there like enemies.
They are waiting all over to attack at any time.
So, fighting the diseases is like fighting a person in a dark room. Imagine that I
am fighting with some people who are in the dark and they can see me. It is
such a terrible thing. I cannot defend. I wouldn’t know if they are behind me.
Therefore, like enemies in a dark room who can see me, but I can’t see them,
rōgāḥ śatrava iva praharanti.
Therefore, cold came and by the time it is cured, headache comes. After that
stomach upset. If both of them are gone, back pain comes. Something or the
other comes. What did I think? I thought after curing all diseases and getting
perfect health, I will start Vedanta - sādhana chatushtaya sampannādhikārinām
mōkṣaḥ kārana bhutam.
Therefore, I thought that I can do it when I am in the youth. I thought that after
the children are settled, I will start. Children are settled then second babysitting
starts. Now, everybody has two babysittings. One is their own and there
afterwards, the grandchildren. Therefore, I go on postponing.
One thing or the other comes and before I recognize, Yamadharma Raja sends
a telegram saying time is up, pack up. Therefore, he says āyuḥ parisravati - life
is getting drained fast, exhausted fast like water from a leaking pot - bhinna
ghaṭā ambu iva. bhinna ghaṭā means a pot with many cracks or holes.
So, as even you fill the pot, it gets drained. Similarly, Prāna is like water and our
body is like cracked pot. The body crack is - nava dwārapurē dēhi. Therefore,
every sense organ is considered to be a hole in the body because our life is
spent through the sense organs also. In śabdaḥ sparśa rūpa rasa and gandhaḥ, I
am utilizing my life.
My time is gone, my energy is gone. That is why parānchikhāni vyatrnat

swayambhūh. There also, Kathōpanishad uses the word khāni. kham means the
hole. Instead of using the word ‘sense organs’, the Upaniṣad uses the word
‘holes’ because through these holes, the life, energy, intelligence everything is
getting dissipated.
Therefore, the life is getting dissipated fast. But what is the surprise? tathāpi -
inspite of all these things, lōkaḥ ahitam ācaratī- Lōka does not know what is
Hitam for oneself. Nobody is very clear about what he or she wants. Perhaps
that itself takes 75% of life. We are not very clear about what exactly we want.
If somebody asks you what you want, you start with something and say perhaps
it is something else. It is just vagueness. Dayānanda Swāmiji calls it Purushārtha
Nischaya Abhāvaha. What is the primary goal is not clear. First, he tampers with
lot of Artha Purushārtha and there afterwards, with Kāma Purushārtha.
After crossing Artha, Kāma and Dharma, he may come to Mōkṣaḥ , if he survives.
So, even though the only Hitam is Mōkṣaḥ, he does not know that. Therefore,
Bhartr̥ hari says ahitam ācharati, mōkṣaḥ viruddha jīvitam nayati, mōkṣaḥ pratikūla
jīvitam nayati, mōkṣaḥ ananukūla jīvitam nayati.
It is understandable in any other culture because in many other cultures, this

Mōkṣaḥ Purushārtha doesn’t exist at all. Even if it exists, it is a posthumous
business. You have to die to go to Mōkṣaḥ, whatever be their Mōkṣaḥ. But here,
we are born in a culture where the words Mōkṣaḥ, Gnyānam etc, are prevalent
all the time.
Even in the daily Sandhyāvandanam, right from Upanayana ceremony, during

āpōhishthā mayō bhuvaḥ, he keeps repeating mahēranāya chakshasē,
yōvasśivatamōrasaḥ tasya bhājayatēhanaha usha tīriva mātaraha. What a
wonderful prayer! I should get the śivatamōrasaḥ, the most auspicious essence
of life (Mōkshānanda), Ātma Gnyānam.
This boy at the age of 7 or 8 also tells that I know that for Mōkshānanda, I
require Yōgyata. Whatever Yōgyata is required, O Lord you just give me. I don’t
know. tasya bhājayatēhanaḥ - How should you give? I do not know which Sādhana
is required when.
Therefore, O Lord you should decide when Vivēka should come to me, when
Vairāgyam should come, when Shamādi Shatka Sampatti should come. O Lord,
you have to nourish me like a mother - usha tīriva mātaraḥ. Mother knows when
to give liquid food, when to give semi solid food, and when to give solid food.
Therefore, first liquid is given. That is called Karma Yōgaḥ. Semi solid is Upāsana
and then solid is Gnyāna Yōga. O Lord, you should nourish me with all these
things. This is prevalent in our culture. Bhartr̥ hari says, in spite of this being so
prevalent, still people do not make use of this wonderful Vaidika Dharma.
It must be the power of Mōha. Therefore, ahō chitram; chitram means wonder.
That wonderful provision is not made use of. Here, lōkaḥ means people. lōkaḥ
janāha tathāpi ahitam prēyō mandaḥ yōga kshēmāt vrunītē.Thus, you can take all
those things here.
Verse No. 43
आददत्यस्य गतागतैरहरहः संक्षीयते जीद्ववतं

व्यापारैबयहुकाययभारगुरुभभः कािोऽद्वप न ज्ञायते ।
रॅष्ट् वा जन्मजराद्ववपशत्तमरणं िासश्च नोत्पद्यते
पीत्वा मोहमयं प्रमादमददरामुन्मत्तभूतं जगत् ॥ ४३॥
ādityasya gatāgatairaharahaḥ saṁkṣīyatē jīvitaṁ

vyāpārairbahukāryabhāragurubhiḥ kālō:'pi na jñāyatē |
dr̥ṣṭvā janmajarāvipattimaraṇaṁ trāsaśca nōtpadyatē
pītvā mōhamayīṁ pramādamadirāmunmattabhūtaṁ jagat || 43||
Here, hartr̥ hari says that all the people are caught up in Karma trap. Actually,
Veda visualizes a beautiful discipline of life for every human being, in which a
person should get into Karma, without getting trapped in Karma. As I said
before, Karma is not an end in itself.
It has its utility. We have to enter into Karma, get maturity and grow out of it.
But if we are not very careful, kruti mahādadhou patana kāranam phalam
ashāshvatam gatinirōdhakam. So, the very action will become a whirlpool like
thing. A person, who is caught in a whirlpool, goes round and round and he will
be sucked inside to death.
What is the Vedic vision? Initially, a person’s Karmās are niṣidda Kāmya Pradhāna
only. Because of our Rāga-Dvēṣaḥ, many our actions are improper actions. Rāga-
Dvēṣaḥ governed actions will often be Niṣidda Karma because selfishness is
dominant. Therefore, I don’t care about other people. That is why Krishna said -
काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः ।

महािनो महापाप्मा द्ववद्ध्येनममह वैररणम् ॥ ३-३७॥
kāma ēṣa krōdha ēṣa rajōguṇasamudbhavaḥ |
mahāśanō mahāpāpmā viddhyēnamiha vairiṇam || 3-37||
Therefore, initially our Karmās are full of Niṣidda Karmās and Kāmya Karma
Pradhāna. Veda gradually trains us and first asks us to drop the Niṣidda Karmās.
All the prohibited actions have to be dropped immediately because it will take a
person away from Mōkṣaḥ. Veda allows Kāmya Karmās.
You can get out of Kāmya Karmās gradually. Some time period is given for that,
whereas for Niṣidda Karma, there is no time gap. You have to drop it
immediately. Thus, in Grihastha Āshrama (initial part of a life), Kāmya and Niṣidda
Karmās are there. He has to gradually get out of Niṣidda Karma and then get
out of Kāmya Karma also.
When Kāmya and Niṣidda Karmās are dominant, there is no time for Nitya
Naimittika Karmās because all the time is devoted to Kāmya, Niṣidda Karma.
There is not time for prayer, there is no time for Sandhyāvandanam, there is no
time for Japa, there is no time for Pārāyanam, and there is no time of Gīta class
etc.
Even if I work for 5 days a week, I am so tired the last two days. That is why the
last two days are called weekend because I am weakened. Again, Monday to
Friday rush and during Saturday and Sunday, I am busier than week days as I
post every work. I am busy seven days a week and all the four weeks of a month
and all the twelve months of a year and all the years.
There is no time for Nitya Naimittika Karmā. But the scriptures say that you have
to find sometime at least for Nitya Naimittika Karmā. It is compulsory. niyatam
kuru karmatvam karmadyāyōhya karmanaha. If you don’t have time for
Sandhyāvandanam, at-least you chant 11 Gāyatri, or at-least you chant some
Rama Nāma you chant. This is called Vedic devise.
What will happen? Initially, the life will be Kāmya Niṣidda Pradhāna. Nitya
Naimittika Karmā is diluted. Thus, they are less dominant. But Nitya Naimittika
Karmās are so powerful that gradually they will increase. The second part of
Grihastha Āshrama is Nitya NaimittikaPradhāna. Kāmya Niṣidda Karmās will be
less.
In Grihastha Āshrama itself we have two stages. First is Kāmya Pradhāna and
later is Nitya Pradhāna. Or to use our Gīta language, it is Pancha Mahā Yagnya
Pradhāna. He has grown out of many of the petty desires of life. This is
Grihastha Āshrama.
There afterwards, the scriptures prescribe VānaprasthaĀshrama in which it is

Upāsana Pradhāna. So, Grihastha Āshrama is Karma Pradhānam,
VānaprasthaĀshrama is Upāsana Pradhānam. What about Brahmacharya
Āshrama? Brahmacharya Āshrama is Adhyayana Pradhānam.
It is only learning about the map of life. How can I practice without the theory?
Therefore, in Brahmacharya Āshrama, he has to learn the whole design. Once he
has gone through Karma and Upāsana, then the Sanyāsa Āshrama is Gnyāna
Pradhāna.
What a beautiful design! Grihastha is Karma Pradhāna, Vānaprastha is Upāsana

Pradhāna and Sanyāsa is Gnyāna Pradhāna. Even if a person doesn’t physically
change the Āshrama, he may remain in the house itself, but there itself he can
change the importance given to the type of Sādhana. This is the Vedic design.
But what happens?
Bhartr̥ hari complains that people go to the first stage and never come out to
the second or third stages at all. Even if Śāstrā gives warnings, it doesn’t fall in
his ears at all. Therefore, he says ādityasya gatāgataih- just as the Sun’s arrival
and departure. Arrival means rising and departure means setting.
Everyday, the Sun rises and sets and one day of my life is less. Therefore, jīvitaṁ
saṁkṣīyatē. A few Sun rises and Sun sets make one year and I am older by one
year and the countdown begins. Then, vyāpāraih-he doesn’t have time to look
back and take stock of what he has really accomplished.
They say that the month of January is named after a Greek animal called Janus
which has got two heads facing opposite directions. What can be
philosophical significance? When January comes, we have to look
back and ask what I have accomplished and also look forward
and see what I proposed to do. But, there is no time.
Therefore, January becomes janānām worry. He only worries about this and
that. vyāpāraih - because of various types of activities, commitments. bahu
kāryabhāra guribhihi- which are heavy responsibilities because of many types of
kāryams or things to be done. So, kārya means the secondary satellite activities.
We have got two types of activities. One is the main one. In Sanskrit, it is angi
and every angi has got so many anga. Even to conduct one camp, camp is the
angi. Whatever you do for that, they all become Anga Karmās. Thus, he is caught
up in the Angi Karmās and Anga Karmās.
Therefore, what happens? kālōpi na gnyāyatē- he is not aware of time running out
at all. Therefore, Yamadharma Raja wants to remind him. What is the reminder?
One-by-one, every person around me disappears.
When my peers, my colleagues, my cousins, go one-by-one, Yamadharma Raja

is giving a warning notice.
There afterwards, Yamadharma Raja has various indications in our own body
like the hair turning grey. They say that at first, hair turns grey near the ear so
that it can whisper that you are getting old. So, drushtvā - he sees these things
around.
What? janma - birth. jarā - old age. vipatti - various adversities or dangers and
finally, maranam.So, the best thing is to visit some hospital once in a while.
Then, we will know what is disease, old age, death etc. But seeing all these
things, trāsaha na utpadyatē - the human being doesn’t get concerned at all.
Maximum, one day he spends sleepless night and with the next morning’s
coffee, everything is forgotten. This is called Smasāna Vairāgyam. Swāmiji calls it
smoky Vairāgyam, which comes along with the smoke in the cremation ground
and when the smoke goes away, Vairāgyam also goes away.
It must be because of what? There must be only one cause.pītvā mōhamayīm

pramāda madirām- all the people are drunk. madira means liquor. Pramādaḥ
means negligence, mechanical-ness, postponement, carelessness. vishādī

dīrgha sūtrīcha kartā tāmasa uchyatē.
Therefore, postponing everything or being negligent is called pramāda, which is

caused by Mōhaḥ. Mōhaḥ means the Tamō Guna of Māya. So, having drunk this
negligence liquor or mechanical-ness, jagat unmatta bhūtam - the whole world
is unmattāha.unmattāha means they are not sane.
The whole world has become insane. Shankarāchārya says elsewhere that the
whole world is - bhrāntālayē bata janāha viharanti. The whole world is a
bhrāntālayaha, the biggest mental hospital. Some of them are special varieties.
So, the whole world is an OP ward. Shankarāchārya says this, not me.
When there are a few sane people among the insane, a few sane people will
become insane. They will sympathize with a few people who come to Vedanta.
The other day one of the students was telling that if any youngster attends the
Gīta class, they say he must be treated or counseled. Therefore, the normal
thing is that you should not be interested in Gīta.
Not only that, but Shankarāchārya has told in Bhaja Govindam - ramatē bāla
unmattava dēva.Therefore, for the majority of the insane, the few sane people
will appear to be insane. So, with this, the Mōha topic is also over. Now, we go to
the next topic, namely Vairagya Stutihi - the glory of Vairāgyam.
Vairagya Stutihi
Verse No. 10
आिा नाम नदी मनोरथजिा तृष्णातरङ् गाकुिा

रागग्राहवती द्ववतकयद्ववहगा धैययरम ु ध्वंशसनी ।
मोहावतयसुरृस्तराद्वतगहना प्रोत्तुङ्गमचन्तातटी
तस्याः पारगता द्वविुिमनसो नन्दन्न्त योगीश्वराः ॥ १०॥
āśā nāma nadī manōrathajalā tr̥ṣṇātaraṅgākulā
rāgagrāhavatī vitarkavihagā dhairyadrumadhvaṁsinī |
mōhāvartasudustarātigahanā prōttuṅgacintātaṭī
tasyāḥ pāragatā viśuddhamanasō nandanti yōgīśvarāḥ || 10||
In this verse, Bhartr̥ hari talks about the nadī of desire, which is the most
fundamental expression of Samsāra. So, Samsāra is defined as not being at
home with myself. I am not at ease with myself. When I am physically not with
myself, it is called physical dis-ease. When mentally, psychologically, I am not
with myself, it is mental dis-ease.
That psychological condition that I am not full and complete with myself is
called Apūrnata, which expresses in the form Āsha. Bhartr̥ hari says that every
human being is caught up in this river and he is struggling. What is the nature of
this terrible river of Samsāra?
He says āshā nāma nadī - desire is the river. manōradha jalā- the waters are
varieties of fancies. So, we have got various fancies as to how my house should
be, how many children should be. The child is just born and I visualize that he
should be doctor, engineer, settled abroad and then, he must be so nice that he
takes me around the world.
The child is just born and we plan what he has to do after 25 years plan. This is
called day dreaming fancies. That is jalā, the waters. tr̥ ṣṇā tarangākulā -tr̥ ṣṇā
means deep yearning, tīvra iccha.manōradha means feeble fancies.
They have not become very powerful desires, where as tr̥ ṣṇā has become
powerful because of dhyāyatō viṣayānpuṁsaḥ saṅgastēṣūpajāyatē. By repeated
dreaming, when it becomes an obsession, a craze, it is called tr̥ ṣṇā. That is the
Taranga. Taranga means the wave in the river of desire.
And because of these waves, it is disturbed ākulā. rāga grāhavatī - it is full of

sharks in the form of attachment. vitarka vihagā - there are birds flying around
in the form of doubts. vitarkaha means samsayaha whether I should fulfill this
desire first or that desire first. They are the birds flying around.
dhairya druma dhvamsinī - it destroys the self confidence. This powerful desire,
by creating concern or anxiety in the mind, even the present capacity is stifled.
druma means a tree.dhairya druma means the tree of courage, perseverance,
will power. Those trees are uprooted by desire.
mōha āvarta sudustarātigahanā- there are whirlpools in the form of delusion,

conflict. Ātigahanā - it is very, very deep. prōttunga chintātatī - it has got two
banks which are so high. What are the two banks of this river? chintā, worry. So,
they are worry banks.
This ocean of Samsāra, vishuddha manasahayōgīshvarāh pāragatā-only the rare

Gnyānis have crossed over the sense of incompleteness, having discovered the
fullness in themselves - prajahāti yadā kāmān ātmanyēva ātmanā tushtaha.
Therefore, what do they do? nandanti.nandati nandati nandatyēva-they are happy
with themselves. If things are around, it is wonderful and if things are not there,
it is equally wonderful.

Vairāgya Śatakam - Verses10, 12

ॐ

Bhartr̥ hari wrote three Śatakams -Shrungāra Śatakam, Nīti Śatakam and Vairāgya
Śatakam. Śatakam means a group of hundred verses. We saw selected verses of
Nīti Śatakam in some of the previous camps. The third Śatakam is Vairāgya
Śatakam corresponding to Mōkṣaḥ Purushārtha. Here, Bhartr̥ hari deals with
three topics.
Almost interchangeably, he takes Vairāgyam and Sanyāsa as synonymous. It is

because, Vairāgyam is inner renunciation and Sanyāsa is external renunciation.
In-fact, Sanyāsa is meaningless if Vairāgyam, inner detachment is lacking.
Therefore, Bhartr̥ hari deals with the topic of Vairāgyam, which for him is equal
to Sanyāsa.
In our tradition, Vairāgyam and Sanyāsa are prescribed only as a part of Brahma
Gnyānam. Renunciation is prescribed and allowed only for one pursuit and that
is the spiritual pursuit, Vēdānta Vichāraḥ. If a Sanyāsi takes to any other pursuit,
it is going against the very spirit of Sanyāsa. It is because if he wants to pursue
any other thing, he has the other Āshramās.
Talk 9 – Verses 10, 12 Downloaded from www.arshaavinash.in Page 132 of 201

Brahmacharyaand GrihasthaĀshramās are exclusively designed for material

pursuits. Sanyāsa Āshrama is designed for Brahma Gnyānam. Therefore,
Bhartr̥ hari takes Sanyāsa and Brahma Gnyānam as synonymous. Thus,
Vairāgyam, Sanyāsaḥ, Gnyānam; We have 100 verses dealing with the topic of
detachment, which is otherwise called renunciation, which is otherwise called
Gnyānam, which is otherwise called Mōkṣaḥ.
Since it is dealing with Sanyāsa, Gnyānam and Mōkṣaḥ, this Śatakam is very
popular among all the Vēdāntic seekers, especially among all the Sanyāsis here.
The first thing that many Sanyāsis do is to get this Śatakam by-heart.Whether
Vairāgyam goes inside or not, let the Śatakam go in, so that even if Vairāgyam is
missing, it will ripen in due course.
Thus, this work is a very important work for a Vēdāntic seeker. Here, the word
Vairāgyam means freedom from Rāga and Dvēṣaḥ. It is not only freedom from
attachment, but it is also freedom from hatred and aversion because hatred is
as dangerousand as much as an obstacle as attachment. Therefore, Vairāgyam
means transcending both likes and dislikes.
Being a mature person is called Vairāgyam. This detachment has to be internal,

more than external. If external renunciation is there, it is optional. But whether
it is there or not, inner detachment is compulsory. With external renunciation
and inner attachment, life can become miserable. Krishna talks about such a
person in the Gīta -
कमेद्धन्रयाभण संयम्य य आस्ते मनसा स्मरन् ।

इद्धन्रयाथायन्न्वमूढात्मा ममथ्याचारः स उच्यते ॥ ३-६॥
karmēndriyāṇi saṁyamya ya āstē manasā smaran |
indriyārthānvimūḍhātmā mithyācāraḥ sa ucyatē || 3-6||
Renouncing the world externally and sitting in a secured place, mentally

dwelling upon what all I am missing, that life becomes a life of pressure, life of
frustration, life of tension, life of hypocrisy and it can turn to a life of madness.

Therefore, our śāstrās say - when it comes to external renunciation, don’t be in

a hurry.
Concentrate on inner detachment. If conducive situations come for external

renunciation and it happens, it is ok, but what is more important is - nalanī
dalavat; padma patram iva ambhasā na lipyatē. This inner detachment or
Vairāgyam is the topic of this Śatakam. In the last camp, I selected some verses
from this Śatakam, categorizing it into various heads.
I have come to the third topic. We dealt with the Samsāra Dōsha, we dealt with
the topic of Mōha and we have come to the topic of Vairāgya Stutihi or
glorification of Vairāgya. The previous topics are also wonderful. Now, we will
continue and I would like to discuss two more topics in this session.
One is a few verses in Vairāgya Stuti and then Upadēshaha - Bhartr̥ hari’s advice
to spiritual seekers and conclusion. These are the topics that I propose to take
up. First, we will go to Vairāgya Stutihi - the glory of Vairāgyam. I have selected
some verses. We will see one by one. First we will take up verse No.10.
I might have done this verse before, but for some students, I did not do it.
Therefore, I am deliberately, consciously repeating it, hoping that you won’t
have Vairāgyam towards that verse.
Verse No. 10
आिा नाम नदी मनोरथजिा तृष्णातरङ् गाकुिा

रागग्राहवती द्ववतकयद्ववहगा धैययरम ु ध्वंशसनी ।
मोहावतयसुरृस्तराद्वतगहना प्रोत्तुङ्गमचन्तातटी
तस्याः पारगता द्वविुिमनसो नन्दन्न्त योगीश्वराः ॥ १०॥
āśā nāma nadī manōrathajalā tr̥ṣṇātaraṅgākulā
rāgagrāhavatī vitarkavihagā dhairyadrumadhvaṁsinī |
mōhāvartasudustarātigahanā prōttuṅgacintātaṭī
tasyāḥ pāragatā viśuddhamanasō nandanti yōgīśvarāḥ || 10||

As a part of glorifying Vairāgyam, here Bhartr̥ hari is glorifying those people who
have Vairāgyam. Those who have Vairāgyam are called Virāgī. Here, Virāgī Stuti -
the glorification of the people of detachment. What is their glory? First, we will
see the fourth line.yōgīshvarāh- these Virāgīs are great Yōgis.
Here, Yōgaha means Gnyānam and Yōgi means a Gnyāni. In-fact, because of the
Gnyānam alone, they have developed detachment. Because we hold on to
external dependences as long as we cannot stand on our own feet. Who will be
using a walking stick? Who will be using a walker? Who will be using crutches? Only
those people hold on to them who are weak legged, weak kneedand who
cannot stand.
The moment I am strong enough to stand on my own feet, I cannot use the
walking stickeven for one hour. If you have any doubt, try using a walking stick
for a day. In-fact, it will be a torture for a person who doesn’t need.Our
psychological personality is exactly like that.
As long as I have not found fullness in me, I depend upon people’s support,
care and love. I require emotional support because I am emotionally dependent
and weak. Brahma Gnyānam makes me emotionally independent, emotionally
strong, capable of living alone without feeling loneliness and without feeling
isolation. I discover self-sufficiency.
Those people are called yōgīshvarās. They are those who do not emotionally
depend upon anyone for their happiness. These yōgīshvarās are vishuddha
manasaha. They have a pure mind, free from attachment. The impurity is
emotional leaning. So, the impurity of emotional leaning, emotional weakness,
and emotional bankruptcy is not there.
What is their life because of that? nandanti- they revel. While the whole society
sympathizes with them saying that they are alone (no wife, no children etc), but
this person, nandatinandatinandatyēva. These happy people have done the

greatest feet of mastering a powerful force. They have attained mastery over
the bondage known as Āsha.
They have mastered or conquered the disease ofĀsha. What is this Āsha? It is
described in the first three lines of this verse. It describes how powerful the
Āsha is and how difficult it is to cross over this Āsha and the Yōgis have
conquered it. To convey this idea, Bhartr̥ hari is comparing Āsha to a huge river.
He symbolically says that these people have crossed the river of Āsha. Just as in
the Dhyāna Slōka of Bhagavad Gīta we say - sōttīrnā khalu pāndavai rananadī
kaivartakah kēshavaha. I hope you remember the description of
rananadī.bhīshma drōna tatā jayadhrada jalā gāndhāra nīlōtpalā etc.
All these descriptions are to show extreme difficulty in crossing this river and
these people have managed to cross. Now, we will see the description of Āsha.
āshā nāma nadī - āsha means the sense of want - wanting things in life, wanting
people, wanting atmosphere, wanting things, wanting situations etc.
The sense of ‘I want’ is compared to a nadī. Why is it compared to a nadī? Nadī

flows perennially, permanently and constantly. Just as the river continuously
flows, the Āsha,‘I want’ also flows throughout our life. As a baby, I said I want
computer games.Then, I want motorbike or something. What I want varies, that
I want continuously flows.
Dayānanda Swāmiji compares with to Tambura Shruti - I want, I want. The

Rāgās and the Swarās change, but in and through all of them, the constant
thing is the Tambura Shruti. Similarly, what I want varies, but that I want
continuously flows. Therefore, Bhartr̥ hari says Āsha is the flow of wants in life.
If Āsha is a river, then what are the waters which constitute the Āsha river? He says
manōradha jalā- it has got the fancies as their waters. Manōradham means
fancy. We do not desire an object in the beginning. In the beginning, we study
the object, we study its glories. Even if we don’t study, every advertisement

talks about that. They will say wonderful object, cheap object, given in 94 years
installments!
Take a television set for nine rupees and then every month you pay Rs 9999, for
12 years. But that will be written in small letters. These are all the study of the
object which gradually increases my fancy. First, I say that it is beautiful object.
Then, I say it is worth having. Then, I say I want it and finally, I say I cannot live
without that. This initial stage of desire (bījam), the seed of desire is called
manōradham.
This Manōradham is the silent water of the river. It has not become turbulent. It
has not become that noisy. Then, there are some other desires which have
become stronger. What are they called? tr̥ ṣṇātaranga ākulā. In some part of the
river, there are the turbulent waters.If you look at the Ganga, it is quiet in some
areas.
It is in Manōradha state. Turbulence has not started. In some other areas, it is

noisy and wavy. Those waves of powerful desires are called tr̥ ṣṇā tarangam.The
waves of craving, the waves of obsession, the waves of deep yearning, the
waves of infatuation are called tr̥ ṣṇā taranga.
These two types of waters manōradha (silent water) and tr̥ ṣṇā (noisy waves) put
together is āsha nadī flow.ākulā means turbulent. This river is flowing. What else
is there in that Āsha river? There are also so many other dangers making it
extremely difficult to cross over. What are they? rāga grāhavatī. grāhaha means
sharks or crocodiles.
That which grasps you is called grāhaha. rāga or attachment is the shark.So,
every desire after its fulfillment gets converted into attachment. An object of
desire becomes an object of attachment. What is the difference between desire
and attachment? Desire is before possession.
When I see very attractive objects in the shop, I say I want to buy. I don’t have
an attachment because it is not owned by me at all. I have a desire. How long

does the desire continue? Until I take the object, pay the money, receive the
bill.Once the transaction is over, the desire has been converted into attachment.
I cling to this object.
I don’t want to even lend this to others. Thus, Āsha becomes Rāga. Therefore, all
those Rāgās are the sharks lurking underneath.It is said to be lurking
underneath because it is potential. Then, vitarka vihagā - when there are rivers,
you can see birds flying off and onabove the river. They are not permanently
there or regularly there.
They just fly over it and fly out because they get fish or something. Similarly,
Āsha brings another factor along with that and that is called vitarkaha.
Vitarkaha means doubt - will I be able to accomplish that or will I not be? Bigger
the desire, the more will be the self-doubt. Can I make it? Can I accomplish? -
this doubt constantly nags the mind.
Not only my mind goes to pros and cons, but there are people also saying -
don’t plan that. You cannot make to Rishikesh. There will be somebody else
who say that you can make it. When some people encourage, I feel I can and
when some other people discourage, I feel I can’t.
This can-can’t vacillation is called Vitarka bird, flying off and on over the head.
dhairya druma dhvamsinī- what do I do? At last, I take to the venture of fulfilling
my desires. As the life progresses, we find that our desires are many and the
number of desires that I could fulfill is very, very small, even though I gradually
trim my desires.
As a teenager, I have got big dreams nourished by the parents. They also have
wonderful hope. Then, they gradually trim the desires.They say at least, some
clerk somewhere is ok. Somehow, get married and it is enough if you are able
to run the show. Thus, we keep on trimming our desires.
Often, the failures seem to be more than successes.Therefore, they gradually

begin to build up self diffidence and weakness. I become more and more

fatalistic than will-oriented. If you generally study human life, the initial part of
life is will-oriented. I want to do that. I can do that. What cannot be
accomplished by me!
As the age goes to the wrong side of 50, they have a different view. Many
people after 50, never believe in freewill. Even if Swāmiji establishes freewill in
one hour,they say that it is all nice to talk in the class, but not practical.This is
called diffidence taking root. Thus, the very same Āsha brings along with it the
weakness.
Therefore Bhartr̥ hari says it is the destroyer of all enterprise, all dynamism and
all optimism.These desires destroy all optimism because of the number of
failures in life. So, dhairyam means the will power, confidence. dhruma means
the tree. dhvamsinī means the up-rooter. Why is this comparison given?
If you see Ganga in month of July and August, they say that along with water,
many uprooted trees will be floating from both banks, including dead animals.
In the same way, the Āsha river uproots my optimism and my confidence trees.
Not only that, but mōha āvarta sudustarā-it is full of whorl pools, eddy currents.
Whorl pool means a place where the water goes round in circles because of a
deep depression on the floor.You can study this phenomenon even in your
wash basin. What is the whorl pool in the Āsha river? The whorl pool is Mōhaḥ,
delusion, conflict. So, delusion or confusion is the āvartaha, the whorl pool.
Because the more the desire is, the more the discriminative power is clouded.
धूमेनाद्वव्रयते वशिययथादिो मिेन च ।

यथोल्बेनावृतो गभयस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम् ॥ ३-३८॥
dhūmēnāvriyatē vahniryathādarśō malēna ca |
yathōlbēnāvr̥tō garbhastathā tēnēdamāvr̥tam || 3-38||
āvrutam gnyānamētēna gnyāninō nitya vairina-what Krishna calls kāma in the 3rd
chapter, it is called āsha in this verse. Because of the clouding of the intellect,
my thinking becomes clouded. That is why you should remember that finite

cannot become infinite. Fulfillment of desires will never give me pūrnatvam. This
is the fact.
Nachiketa tells in Khatōpanishad- na vittēna tarpanīyaḥ manuṣyaḥ. Money can

never give satisfaction to people. This is a very, very simple fact of life which we
can learn from thinking and experience, but we don’t discover this evident fact.
Somehow, I miss. That is why I am busy amassing wealth. Why am I not able to
discover this evident fact? It is because of mōhaḥ- thinking doesn’t take place.
Therefore, because of whorl pool of delusions, sudustarā; This Āsha river cannot
be crossed over. Because as even we are fulfilling one set of desires, the next
set is ready in queue.
Even before I complete the exam and results come,I have a list of what all
things I have to do! I have to complete it, I have to get a job, I have to marry, I
have to get a child and how the child should be named and what should I do
with my child and how that child should take me around the world!
So, we are busy building castles in the air. Therefore, there is no time to take
stock of our life. It keeps us busy. The whole life is OT. OT means over time.
Therefore, sudustarā- it is very difficult to think because it affects the very
thinking faculty. ati gahanā- often, I myself don’t know my deep rooted desires.
If I scratch the top layer of my mind, the immediate desires surface. Then,
scratch a little bit more, the next layer surfaces. Scratch a little bit more, next
layer surfaces. We ourselves don’t know how many layers of wants are there.
Therefore, ati gahanā- it is very, very deep.prōttunga chintātatī- for this Āsha
river, there are two high banks or high shores.
What are they? chintā; chintā means worry or pain - one worry regarding the
past and another worry regarding the future. So, regrets of the past and
anxieties of the future are not letting me be in the present at any time.It is
always making melive in absentia. I spend my entire life in absentia because I
am either in the past or future.

This is the powerful desire. prōttunga -tunga means tall or high.chintā means
worry. tatī means bank. tatī is feminine gender because the word āsha is
feminine gender. Nadī is feminine gender.In Mahabharata war river, we saw
that the Pandavas crossed the river because of kaivartakaha kēshavaha.
Similarly, one can cross over this river if the kaivartakaha, āchāryaha is there. If
the Guru boat man andGnyānam boat is there, one can cross. Only very few
people cross and they are indeed great! So, virāgis are those who have crossed
desires. This is the essence of the well known Gīta Verse –
प्रजहाद्वत यदा कामान्सवायन्पाथय मनोगतान् ।

आत्मन्येवात्मना तुष्टः च्स्थतप्रज्ञस्तदोच्यते ॥ २-५५॥
prajahāti yadā kāmānsarvānpārtha manōgatān |
ātmanyēvātmanā tuṣṭaḥ sthitaprajñastadōcyatē || 2-55||
Or the well known Kathōpanishad Mantra - yadā sarvē pramuchyantē kāmā yēsya
hrudi shrutāh; atha martyaha amrutō bhavati.Incidentally, we should note a point
that whenever we criticize Kāma or Āsha, we should remember that we are
criticizing Adhārmic and binding desires. Dhārmic non-binding desires are never
criticized in the Śāstrā because they don’t create any problem.
Even Gnyānis have got Dhārmic, non-binding desires. Dhārmic desires are
those which are meant for the wellbeing of the world -Lōka Sangraha Iccha.
Non-binding desires means their fulfillment and non- fulfillment will not make
any difference.
If Bhartr̥ hari had died before completing this Śatakam, he would not worry.If it
is completed, it is wonderful,if not completed, wonderful.Thus, you can have
Dhārmic, non-binding desires. But Adhārmic, binding desires are poisonous.
They are criticized and condemned here.
Verse No. 12
अवश्यं यातारभश्चरतरमुद्वषत्वाद्वप द्ववषया

द्ववयोगे को भेदस्त्यजद्वत न जनो यत्स्वयममून् ।

व्रजन्तः स्वातन््यादतुिपररतापाय मनसः

स्वयं त्यक्ता ह्येते िमसुखमनन्तं द्ववदधद्वत ॥ १२॥
avaśyaṁ yātāraścirataramuṣitvāpi viṣayā
viyōgē kō bhēdastyajati na janō yatsvayamamūn |
vrajantaḥ svātantryādatulaparitāpāya manasaḥ
svayaṁ tyaktā hyētē śamasukhamanantaṁ vidadhati || 12||
In this interesting verse, Bhartr̥ hari is comparing and contrasting loss of an

object and renunciation of an object - Loss-renunciation comparison, loss-
renunciation contrast. By comparison, we mean what is the common feature -
sādharmyam kim. By contrast, we mean what is the uncommon feature -
vaidharmyam kim.
First, he wants to talk about sādharmyam, the similarity. First, he says that every
possession will be lost. This is the law of creation. Nobody can change the law.
Whatever one possesses in lifewill have to be dispossessed. Every association
has to end in dissociation. Every birth has to end in death. Every raise has to
end in fall.
Therefore, loss is an inevitable fact of life. Whether we like to acknowledge it or

not, it is a fact. The second thing is renunciation, wherein I choose to voluntarily
give up the object. Now, what is common to both? Bhartr̥ hari says separation is
common to both.
When a thing is lost, I am separated from the thing. When I renounce an object,
I am separated from it. In Sanskrit, Viyōgaha is the sādharmyam (common
feature). To put in another language, in both, I have to learn to live without the
object. If I lose money, I have to learn to live without money. If I renounce
money, I have to learn to live without it.
In short, separation is the common feature. Then, Bhartr̥ hari raises a question
to the people at large. When loss and renunciation bring out the same situation
of separation therefore, both are similar in nature, I don’t know why people
hesitate to renounce!

When loss and renunciation are essentially same in the form of the separation
between the processor and the possessed, I don’t why people don’t come for
renunciation? Why renunciation gets minority votes and how come people
suffer loss of things? This is his question to the public. What will be the answer
by the public?
They will argue that when both are the essentially the same, why do you insist on
renunciation? It is like the story of a monkey which has lost the tail. When the
monkey lost the tail, it felt jealous of the other monkeys. So, it wanted many
monkeys for company. Therefore, it said that it feels very nice to be without a
tail. Hearing that, the other monkeys also cut the tail and came. Like that,
Bhartr̥ hari seems to be a minority Sanyāsi and therefore, he wants to have
more votes for him.
Therefore, he asked why majority does not renounce. For that, what is the
answer of the majority? - Why should we? You only say in your own words that
both are one and the same. Therefore, why should we renounce? Let the things be
lost in their own due course.
Then, Bhartr̥ hari looks at them and says - even though they are essentially the
same in the mechanism in its nature, there is a big difference in the
consequences. I agree that separation is the same.There is sādharmyam, but
there is a big difference in the consequence in the result that happens in the
mind.
What is the difference? Bhartr̥ hari says - when a thing is lost, I am trying to hold
on to that thing against my wish, plan, desire and hope. It means that I have a
feeling of failure. Why failure? I wanted to hold on to the object and in-spite of
my desire to hold on, the object was lost. Therefore, I am a failure. I get hurt by
that object which goes away from me.
Therefore, whenever an object is lost, I am hurt, wounded by the object. If I am

hurt, wounded by the object, is the object stronger or am I stronger? It is very clear

that the object is afflicting me, affecting me, wounding me, and frustrating
me.It indicates that I am a weakling and the lost object is stronger, which is
capable of hurting me, paining me.
Therefore, every loss invokes my slavery. Every loss invokes my weakness and
every lost object wounds me in my life. Whereas, when I choose to renounce
the object, I am not going to have a sense of defeat or frustration because I
have chosen to give up that object. Therefore, renunciation does not invoke my
weakness.
Renunciation invokes my mastery, my strength. Therefore, is the renounced

object stronger than me or weaker than me? Naturally, it is weaker. Therefore,
separation remaining the same, a lost object hurts me and I am a slave,
whereas a renounced object does not hurt me and I am a master. Therefore,
renunciation makes me a Swāmi (master), whereas loss makes me
anĀsāmi.Āsāmi is the opposite of Swāmi. Āsāmi means a slave.
Therefore, Bhartr̥ hari says that even though superficially, they look identical,
renunciation is far superior to loosing thing. Therefore, why can’t you join in my
party? This is Bhartr̥ hari’s election speech.



ॐ

Verse No. 12
अवश्यं यातारभश्चरतरमुद्वषत्वाद्वप द्ववषया

द्ववयोगे को भेदस्त्यजद्वत न जनो यत्स्वयममून् ।
व्रजन्तः स्वातन््यादतुिपररतापाय मनसः
स्वयं त्यक्ता ह्येते िमसुखमनन्तं द्ववदधद्वत ॥ १२॥
avaśyaṁ yātāraścirataramuṣitvāpi viṣayā
viyōgē kō bhēdastyajati na janō yatsvayamamūn |
vrajantaḥ svātantryādatulaparitāpāya manasaḥ
svayaṁ tyaktā hyētē śamasukhamanantaṁ vidadhati || 12||
We saw the essence of this verse in the last class. Bhartr̥ hari says that a lost
object is always stronger, more powerful than the loser. Therefore, any lost
object enslaves the loser. It disturbs the loser. In-fact, the loser is not able to do
anything else because the lost object continues to disturb his or her mind.
Therefore, every loss reveals my vulnerability. Every loss reveals my

dependence. Every loss reveals my weakness. This is on one side. On the other
side, Bhartr̥ hari says that a renounced object is always weaker than the
renouncer. Therefore, a renounced object can never disturb, enslave the

renouncer.
Therefore, every renunciation reveals only the independence of renouncer, the

strength of the renouncer. Even though in loss and renunciation, separation is
the same, there is a big difference in the consequence of loss and the
consequence of renunciation. Therefore, Bhartr̥ hari says renunciation is
superior to losing a thing.
I remember one lady mentioning about her experience to me. It seems she was
visiting Guruvayur and it was very crowded there. They have to walk round and
round and have a repeated Darśanam. When it is crowded, you cannot stay in
front for long. While she was doing the Pradhakshinam, she lost her gold chain
and it disturbed her very much.
Naturally, she felt very disturbed. Later, she got an idea.When she went the next
round and came in front of the deity, she said - O Lord, if I get back the chain, I
will offer it you. Then, to her surprise and by the grace of the Lord, she got the
chain. As promised, she handed the chain to the Lord. Now, tell me what is the
difference in the mind?
Before getting the chain back, chain was not with her. After getting the chain
back and giving it to the Lord, then also, she doesn’t have the chain. Separation
is the same and that she has to go without the chain is also the same. But what
is the difference? When the chain was lost, she was very, very disturbed.
When she got the chain and donated to the Lord, it was her own voluntary gift.
Therefore, she never felt sad for ‘loosing’ the chain. Now, tell me what brought
about this difference? Bhartr̥ hari says -in the first case, it is a lost chain and it is
capable of disturbing. In the next case, it is a donated chain.
Donated means it is a voluntarily renounced the chain. She goes and tells
everyone that she gave the chain to the Lord without pain. That means when I
voluntarily give up, it strengthens me. When it is lost, it weakens me. Therefore,
Bhartr̥ hari says vrajantah svātantryāt; it is the third line. I have explained the
first two lines yesterday.
Svātantryādvrajantah - when the object is lost without my permission, without

the involvement of my freewill, atula paritāpāya manasaha- it leads to intense
grief.atulam means incomparable. It generates intense grief in the mind.
Whereas,swayam tyaktā hyētē-when the very same object (the chain) was
voluntarily donated to the Lord or is given up, not only the object does not
enslave me, but also the very same renunciation gives me shama sukham.
It is the opposite experience of fulfillment, happiness, fullness.It is Ānandam in

the form of containment or fulfillment.anantam - which is limitless. Previously,
he used the word atulam. Here, he uses the wordanantam.Both have a similar
meaning.There, it means intense sorrow and here, it means intense happiness.
Even though the event is the same - the object is no more with me. So,shama
sukham anantam vidadhati; Therefore, Bhartr̥ hari’scontention is - renunciation is
always better than and superior to loss. Suppose, a person argues - I will do
neither. I will not renounce, I will also not allow the thing to be lost.
What will you do then? For that, Bhartr̥ hari answered in the first line.avashyam
yātāraha- you can never avoid loss of an object. Therefore, you can never say I
will do neither. You have to necessarily choose one of the two. If you have to
choose one of the two, Bhartr̥ hari says it is better to choose renunciation.
Then you will ask the question - Swāmiji what do you want us to do? Do you say
that you all renounce and settle in Rishikesh, as you are repeatedly saying that
renunciation is superior? I am not asking you to renounce your house, bank
account and car etc. If a person does not actually renounce, there is an
equivalent of renunciation which I talked about yesterday.
The equivalent of renunciation is Vairāgyam. Actual external giving up is called

Sanyāsa. Internal detachment is Vairāgyam. Inner renunciation is as powerful as
external renunciation. Therefore, if one does not take to Sanyāsa, one should
develop Vairāgyam towards the possession. An object of detachment is as good

as a renounced object.
Therefore, one can replace Sanyāsa by detachment. Then, the next question is -
how can I develop detachment as a replacement for Sanyāsa as I am afraid of
Sanyāsa? Therefore, as a replacement of renunciation, I am willing to develop
detachment. How am I to do that?
The method is to remember that anything that I have is not meant for owning.
Anything that I have is not meant for owning, but only for using and growing. I
don’t own anything. I can’t own anything. I can use everything gifted by the
Lord. By using, I mean learning to care and share.
And by living that life, I have to grow spiritually. I can never afford to own
anything. If I don’t own anything, then who owns everything? There is only one
owner and that owner is the Lord. That owner Lord has lent me everything for
sometime because they are required for my spiritual growth.
Therefore, it is like using the school and college for my learning and then, while
coming out of the school, I should not bring the things from school. I should
leave everything there itself and thank the authorities. Similarly, Bhagavan has
given parents, wife/husband and children. So give up the ownership idea
internally.
Bhagavan has the right to give and Bhagavan has the right to take away also.
Not when you want, but when he decides. If I don’t develop ownership, if I
remember that Bhagavan is the owner, when Bhagavan chooses to take back, I
never lose anything because I never had it.
Suppose, I say I lost a Benz car. Somebody asks - when did you have one? I
never had one and I say I lost. Then, you will put me in mental hospital. I cannot
lose a thing which I don’t own. Therefore, a person who remembers Lord as the
ultimate owner of everything, is never going to lose anything.
Since he is going to allow the Lord to take away anything, it becomes a

renunciation only. That is why when they say ownership flat, they tell you the
truth. Ownership means you areflat.For worldly purposes, you have ownership,
the documents etc. You have all those papers for Loukika Vyavahāra.But in the
heart of hearts, daily say - tan man dhan sabkuch tera.
It is not for mere verbalization, it should come from my heart. Therefore,

renunciation can be replaced by detachment and detachment is developed only
by assimilating the fact that the Lord is the ultimate owner and we are only the
users of things. Therefore, develop Vairāgyam.
Verse No.13
ब्रह्मज्ञानद्वववेकद्वनमयिमधयः कुवयन्त्यहो रृष्करं

यन्मुञ्चन्त्युपभोगभाञ्ज्यद्वप धनान्येकान्ततो द्वनःस्पृहाः ।
सम्प्राप्तान्न पुरा न सम्प्रद्वत न च प्राप्तौ रॅढप्रत्ययान्
वाञ्छामािपररग्रहानद्वप परं त्यक्तुं न िक्ता वयम् ॥ १३॥
brahmajñānavivēkanirmaladhiyaḥ kurvantyahō duṣkaraṁ
yanmuñcantyupabhōgabhāñjyapi dhanānyēkāntatō niḥspr̥hāḥ |
samprāptānna purā na samprati na ca prāptau dr̥ḍhapratyayān
vāñchāmātraparigrahānapi paraṁ tyaktuṁ na śaktā vayam || 13||
In this verse, Bhartr̥ hari identifies with a common man and says renunciation is
extremely difficult. So, those who really renounced are indeed great! They are
doing an extraordinary feat which is not that easy for a common man. To
understand this, we will classify renunciation into three varieties or three levels.
Each level is higher than the previous one and therefore, more difficult. The
highest and toughest renunciation is a real renunciation of a real possession
that I have.It is the toughest. This is the highest. The next inferior one which we
can try practicing as a stepping stone for the toughest state is - imaginary
renunciation of a real possession.
Imaginary renunciation of a real possession is the next lower grade. The last
grade is the imaginary renunciation of imaginary possession. Bhartr̥ hari says
that we are not able to practice even the third one.Where is the question of going
to the first variety? I will give you one or two examples of the third one.
Suppose, a person promised to give me one lakh rupees next month; Then, I
started calculating next month’s income as one lakh extra. One day before he
said - I thought I will give, but I don’t think I will be able to give. Now, I have not
even possessed the money. I only imagined that I will be the possessor of one
lakh next month.
On the the last day of this month, that person said that he will not give. Now,
tell me - have I lost the money or not? Now, this person says I lost one lakh
rupees, even before possessing. This possession is imaginary possession which
he had to give up. Imaginary possession has to give up imaginarily only.
I remember a person telling me. It is very interesting. He was showing his

watch and he said - Swāmiji you know how I got this watch? In Madras, they
have trade fare. Everyday, they have a lucky dip for whoever purchases the
tickets. Ticket is Rs.3 and whoever wins, will get some first prize.
He got the first prize and it was a watch costing Rs.400 -Rs.500.He has spent
Rs.3 and he got a watch worth Rs.400 or Rs.500. I said it is wonderful that you
got a watch for Rs.3. Then, immediately he said -Swāmiji, listen to the story. The
next day, I came to know that the first prize was a Scooter.
Now, he is not happy with the wrist watch. He is talking as though he has lost a
scooter which he never owned or possessed. Every time he looks at the watch,
there is no happiness, but only scooter Dhyānam comes. This is our lot. When
are we going to renounce our possession? We are not able to renounce a scooter
which we never had.
Then, when are we going to renounce the other things? Therefore, Bhartr̥ hari says
brahma gnyāna vivēkanirmaladhiyah. These great people have got a pure
detached mind. nirmalam means pure. Here, purity is freedom from the
impurity of attachment. How did they get this brahma gnyāna vivēka?
They got it because of the discrimination born out of Brahma Gnyānam - satya
mithya vivēka ityarthaha. So, these people who have got a pure mind caused by
Brahma Gnyānam, dushkaram kurvanti- In-fact, they do something which is
almost impossible. dushkaram means they accomplish extraordinary feat.
ahō - he himself is wonder struck(Āscharyam). What is their feat? upa bhōga

bhānji dhanāni api munchanti- they really renounce.They are the first variety.
They do real renunciation of the real objects which are really useful. We all
renounce useless objects in the waste paper basket. upa bhōga bhānji- those
which are considered to be worthwhile, useful.
jakārāntaha napumsakalingaha upabhōga bhāj shabdhaha dwitiyā vibhaktihi

bahuvachanam dhanāni ityasya vishēshanam. Literally, it means useful,
worthwhile. Dhanāni literally means wealth. Here, it means possession. So, even
the worthwhile, useful possessions they give up - munchanti.
How? Ēkāntataha - totally. Not that after giving up, they go on wondering
whether they should have given up. Even publicizing the renunciation and
trying to get some glory indicatesthat I have a value for that. Therefore,
anybody who claims glory by renunciation also has got that Rasam.But these
people don’t even regret.
They just renounce without batting the eyelid. How are they able to do that?
niḥspr̥ hāḥ - because they have already mentally detached from the object.
Without mental detachment, external renunciation is dangerous. It is a sticky
renunciation. Once mental detachment is there, external renunciation is very
simple.
That is why you cannot peal the banana skin when it is raw. But when it is ripe
inside, pealing the skin is very simple. Renunciation is like pealing the skin. That
can automatically and naturally happen only when there is ripeness inside. What
is the definition of inner ripeness? niḥspr̥ hāḥ - detachment is inner ripeness.
That alone will make external renunciation simpler. So, this is the highest one.
They do that. What about us? Bhartr̥ hari identifies with the common man and
says we are not able to practice even the third variety. What is the third variety? It
is imaginary renunciation of imaginary possessions.
He gives the description of imaginary possession in the fourth line. vānchāmātra

praigrahān - it means imaginary possession, fancy possession, dream
possession. These objects are not really mine at all. Therefore, he says
samprāptān na pura- I never possessed these objects in the past. na samprati- I
don’t possess those objects in the present.
prāptou drudha pratyayān - really speaking, there is no hope of possessing in

future also. pratyayaha means hope.na pratyayaha means there is no hope,
indicating that I don’t possess these objects in all the three periods of time.It
actually means that I possess them only in my imagination.
If somebody asks me to renounce that imaginary possession, I say I cannot.

Therefore, he says vānchāmātra praigrahānapi- even such imaginary
possessions. tyaktum vayam na shaktāh - we, the ordinary people are not able to
give up. We have to start practicing this.After succeeding in this, we can go the
first one.
Then, we have to go to second one. The second one is not discussed in this
verse. What is the second one? I said that it is the imaginary renunciation of the
real possession. That is what Arjuna was trying. Bhishma, Drona etc, were not
lost. He only imagined a condition when Bhishma, Drona etc, will not be there.
Therefore, is their loss actual or imaginary? It is at the imaginary level. It is the loss
of the real thing or imaginary thing? Bhishma, Drona are real. So, when he
thought of his life, he imagined his life without the people who are around him
now. They are not imaginary. Suppose, I give them up and they are not there
(not even permanently).
Many people cannot allow their wife to go to their house for even a week.One
week I cannot be without her. Where is the question of actual renunciation?
Bhartr̥ hari says I have to get thrashings in life and then I will know. They give
the example of a monkey which steals groundnuts.
The owners wanted to teach the monkey a lesson. So, they just put a vessel with
a short and very thin neck and it was fixed to the ground and inside that vessel
groundnutswere stored. The monkey put its hand inside and took hand full of
groundnuts. Naturally, when it tried to take the handout, it was not able to.
Then, this fellow came and started beating it. Now, what should it do to escape? It
is a simple job. It just has to drop it. Renounce and be happy. The monkey
doesn’t understand. It holds and gets beating. We are also very, very
similar.That is why the name for man and monkey is very close.
We are called Naraha and that is called Vānaraha. There is not much difference.
Therefore, if you hold on, Bhagawan will keep thrashing you until you
understand. Dropping is the solution. I don’t want to threaten too much. He
says this is our condition.
Verse No. 52
अथायनामीशिषे त्वं वयमद्वप च द्वगरामीश्महे यावदथं

िूरस्त्वं वादददपयव्युपिमनद्ववधावक्षयं पाटवं नः ।
सेवन्ते त्वां धनाढ्या मद्वतमिहतये मामद्वप श्रोतुकामा
मय्यप्यास्था न ते चेत्त्वमय मम द्वनतरामेव राजन्ननास्था ॥ ५२॥
arthānāmīśiṣē tvaṁ vayamapi ca girāmīśmahē yāvadarthaṁ
śūrastvaṁ vādidarpavyupaśamanavidhāvakṣayaṁ pāṭavaṁ naḥ |
sēvantē tvāṁ dhanāḍhyā matimalahatayē māmapi śrōtukāmā
mayyapyāsthā na tē cēttvayi mama nitarāmēva rājannanāsthā || 52||
This verse has got a simple idea. I have chosen this verse more for its poetry
and double meaning. The idea conveyed through this verse is that a Sanyāsi
really does not miss anything in life even though, superficially looking from a
worldly angle, his situation appears to be a pathetic one.
Not having a companion to share the journey of life, no children and not sure as
to who will take care in the old age and who will give a sip of water in the last
moment. So, superficially seeing, Sanyāsi’s life seems to be a pathetic one,
missing everything. Here, Bhartr̥ hari wants to say that really in the heart of
hearts, he does not miss anything.In-fact, he is happier than a king. Therefore,
in this verse, there is animaginary conversation between this king and that king.
This king means the Sanyāsi king. In Sanskrit, Sanyāsi is called Yati Rājaha.We
have the Yati Rāja College in Madras.Rājaha means a King and Yatihi means
Sanyāsi. By using the word Yati Rājaha, Rāja Rishihi etc, what is said is that he is
as rich as a king. Therefore, he is going in front of a king who is sympathizing
with this Sanyāsi.
It is nicely presented and the language is very interesting. Therefore, I have

chosen this verse more for the language. In the first line, he uses the word
artha in double meaning. O king, you are the master of Artha. I also am the
master of artha. Can you guess the two possible meanings? The first ‘artha’
represents wealth.
As a king, you are the master of land. You determine how the property and
prosperity is utilized. Therefore you are the master of Artha, wealth. What about
me? I am also the master of Artha. What Artha? śāstrārtha.Therefore, in the
second case, ‘artha’ means meaning, the teaching, the essence - vēdānta
vignyāna sunischita artha.
Therefore, you are also artha prabhuhu and I am also artha prabhuhu. tvam
ardhānām īshishē- īshishē means you are the master of Artha (wealth). vayam -
we are also. Īshmahē - masters of.yāvadartham- all the meanings of girām.girām
means śāstrā vākyānām. gih means word.
girām means śāstrāshabdhānām.śāstrā vākyānām samastham artham vayam

jānīmahē.That is why somebody said - in those days, they talked about
Ramayana for giving the meaning and now, they are talking about Ramayana
for the sake of money (Artha).Then, they said Artha for Ramayana and now they
talk about Ramayana for Artha.
Then, what is the second comparison? He says tvaṁ śūraḥ - you are a powerful
person, capable of defeating your opponents.Opponent means all the
neighboring Rajas who may threaten him. So, you can fight with them and
defeat them. So, you are ever a victor. He says - I am also a powerful person
capable of defeating my opponents.
Who are the opponents for this person? It is not the king, but every other
philosopher, every other Pūrvapakshi is his opponent. Sānkhya, Yōga, Nyāya,
Vaishēshika, Pūrva Mimāmsa, Dvaitam, Visishtādvaitam,all these Pūrvapakshis are
my opponents who are objecting to Advaitic teaching and I am such a powerful
person who can answer them all.
As is done in Brahmasūtra, all philosophical opponents are defected in the war

of argument. Therefore, I am ever the winner of argument war. You are the
ever the winner of real war.We both are winners. In the first line, both are
masters and in the second line, both are winners.
So, śūrastvaṁ - tvam means ‘O King’.
We also, vādidarpa vyupashamana vidhou -vādi means the opponent

philosophers, the objectionists. darpa means their arrogance, their challenge.
vyupashamanam means meeting them, subduing them. So, in the subduing or
meeting the challenges of the opponents, we have got akshayam patavam - we
have got endless skill, endless expertise.
If one argument does not defeat, I have got another argument. Those who are
attending Brahmasūtra classes can try to recollect. Therefore both are winners.
Then, what is the next one? sēvantē tvām dhanādhyāh- you might have several
people coming after you. You might be a very great, wanted person in the
society because you are a king.
Therefore, many people want financial help. Those who have finances, they
require kings permission for infrastructural help.So, king is always surrounded
by people wanting interviews. He says if you have people wanting you, I also
have equal number of people interested in learning from me. Countless
students are there.
Therefore, he says dhanādhyāh- wealthy people.tvām sēvantē - they serve you

seeking various types of help.dhanādhyāh is only a sample.
All types of people serve you seeking various forms of help. If that is true, I am
also a wanted person.shrōtu kāmāh māmapi- shrōtu kāmāh means those who
want to do Shravanam. Why do they want to learn from me?
matimalahatayē- to remove their ignorance, to remove their doubts, the

impurities of the mind. What is the mental impurity? It is ignorance and doubt.
Therefore, for removing the mental impurities of ignorance and doubt, there
are many people after me also. So, what do I miss? I don’t miss.
Then, the king may answer - Ok, all the other people may be interested in you,
but I am not interested in you. Then, this Sanyāsi says - other people may be
interested in you, but I am also not interested in you.He says mayyapyi ānāsthā
chēt- If you have no interest in me, if you are going to disregard me.
tvayi api ānāsthā mama - I also am not interested in you hē rājan.It is just a fun
Slōka to to show that a Sanyāsi is not going to be jealous of a king, jealous of
wealthy people etc. A real Sanyāsi does not miss anything in life.
That is why Taitrīya Upaniṣad says satyam gnyānam anantam brahma yōvēda
nihitam guhāyām paramēvyōmann sōshnutē sārvān kāmān saha - through
knowledge, Gnyāni fulfills all his needs. There afterwards, he has nothing that is
needed by him. So, this is another glory of Sanyāsi.


ॐ

Verse No. 53
वयममह पररतुष्टा वल्किैस्त्वं रृकूिैः

सम इव पररतोषो द्वनर्वंिेषो द्वविेषः ।
स तु भवतु दरररो यस्य तृष्णा द्वविािा
मनशस च पररतुष्टे कोऽथयवान्को दरररः ॥ ५३॥
vayamiha parituṣṭā valkalaistvaṁ dukūlaiḥ
sama iva paritōṣō nirviśēṣō viśēṣaḥ |
sa tu bhavatu daridrō yasya tr̥ṣṇā viśālā
manasi ca parituṣṭē kō:'rthavānkō daridraḥ || 53||
In this verse, Bhartr̥ hari is giving a new śāstric definition for poverty and
prosperity. What is poverty and what is prosperity or richness? We have already
got a conventional definition of poverty and prosperity, which is Loukika
Lakṣaṇaṁ. What is that conventional definition? The one who possess plenty of
money, property etc, is considered to be a prosperous, rich man.
In short, possessions are considered to be richness or prosperity. Poverty is

considered to be just the opposite. Whoever does not have any possession or
whoever has minimum possessions, that person is conventionally considered to
be a poor person. So, having possessions is prosperity and lack of possessions

is poverty.
This is the conventional definition. Bhartr̥ hari says śāstric approach is always
different. What is that? According to Śāstrā, the definition of prosperity is
contentment, Tr̥ ptihi, Santōshaḥ, Paritōṣaḥ. It is internal richness. Even though
one may not possess anything outside, if contentment is there inside, a person
is wealthy internally. Therefore, contentment is richness or prosperity.
Then, what is poverty? You can easily extend. The Śāstric definition of poverty is
greed or tr̥ ṣṇā. Greed or Trushna is internal poverty because a greedy person is
always a needy person. Even though he has got 100 crores, he needs 101stcrore
to be happy. Therefore, greedy = needy = poor. This is Śāstric approach.
In English language also, needy is a word used for poor people. This
conventionally rich man also is struggling for more wealth. Therefore, his heart
is still empty. Therefore, he needs more to fill up his heart. Therefore, internally
he continues to be a poor person. Therefore, we can say that Loukika definition
of external richness is possession and external poverty is the lack of possession.
Internal richness is contentment and internal poverty is greediness. Of these

two, which one matters more? Is it the Śāstric approach which deals with
internal richness and poverty important or conventional approach which deals
with external richness and poverty important?
If you ask, the Śāstrā says that we should not take into account the external
richness and poverty because a person’s happiness in life does not depend
upon the external richness and poverty. A happy life has no connection with
external richness and poverty. How do you prove that? There are many externally
rich people who are very, very unhappy.
In-fact, they are cursing their fate that they have so much money. All the family
quarrels are there because of that - putrādapi dhana bhājām bhītihi.Therefore, in
life we do see instances where external richness is there, but happiness is not
always there. If external richness and happiness have cause-effect relationship,

wherever there is external richness, there must be happiness. But we don’t see
that.
In the same way, the other way round also is true. There is no cause-effect
relationship between external poverty and unhappiness because there are
many externally poor people who are extremely happy. From that, it is very
clear that external richness and poverty have nothing to do with a person’s
happiness or unhappiness, whereas internal richness and poverty are directly
connected to happiness and unhappiness.
An internally rich person is invariably happy. A contented person is always

happy, universally happy without exception. In the same way, a greedy person,
a discontented person is universally unhappy. There is not even a single
exception. A greedy person is invariably unhappy. Therefore, Bhartr̥ hari says -
‘O people’, don’t go by external richness and poverty.
That is incidental and depends upon many factors, including Prārabdha. So,
concentrate or focus more on internal richness and on avoiding internal
poverty. This is the essence of this verse.It is a beautifully presented verse. Here
also, Bhartr̥ hari is bringing a King and a Sanyāsi (himself) and makes a
comparison and contrast.
The King has got external richness because he has got a palace, ornaments, rich
clothes etc. Bhartr̥ hari, who is standing in front of the King is the opposite. That
means external poverty is there. Bhartr̥ hari says this is the contrast between us
at the external level. When we compare our internal condition, Bhartr̥ hari says -
‘O King’, you also have contentment and I also have contentment.
Here, he is talking to a contented King, enlightened king. Therefore, he says

internally, you are contented and I am also contented. Therefore, both of us are
rich internally and externally, we are not the same.Bhartr̥ hari says, when we
study our happiness, both of us are equally happy.
You are extremely happy as a King and I am also externally happy as a Sanyāsi.
From our equal happiness, we should have some equal cause. What is the equal
cause? The internally contentment is the equal cause. If you are going to
compare us externally, we do not have equality at all. We are unequals
externally. Therefore, what is the derivation that we get?
External inequalities, in terms of poverty and richness do not matter. What

matter arethe internal conditions and both of us have got equal internal
conditions. Therefore, both of us are happy. Bhartr̥ hari doesn’t want a person
to be externally poor. He says, be externally rich, I don’t care. Be externally
poor, I don’t care.
What I want you to note is don’t bother if you are externally rich or poor. Bother
about your internal conditions. This is what he said. vayamihaparitushthāh
valkalai- we, the Sanyāsis are externally happy because of our internal richness
in the form of contentment, even though our possessions are valkalai.valkalam
means bark of a tree.
I don’t even have good clothes. Even though I am externally poor,I am very
happy because of my internal richness.What about you? tvam dukūlaih- you are
also happy because of your inner contentment, even though you happen to be
rich. dukūla means silk garments, expensive garments. Suppose, we get a
doubt;
The King is happy. The King has got both internal richness and external richness
andcontentment is there. How do you know whether the King’s happiness is
because of the external richness or internal richness, because he has got both? It
can be due to either. For that only we have a contrast. He said - I am also
externally happy.
Can you understand the logic? If the external richness is the cause of happiness,
what would have happened? Only the King will be happy, Bhartr̥ hari would have
been miserable. Bhartr̥ hari would have been miserable if external richness was
the cause of happiness. The very fact that Bhartr̥ hari did not have external
richness and still he is extremely happy indicates that external richness is not
the cause.
This is called Anvaya Vyatirēka Nyaya. The only common factor is sama iha
paritōṣaḥ. So, both of us have got common internal richness. What is the internal
richness? paritōṣaḥ. You are contented and I am also contented. The
contentment (internal richness) is samaḥ.
Since the internal richness is equal, our happiness also is equal.nirvishēshō

vishēṣaḥ- our difference is no difference. That means there is no difference in
our happiness. From this, we come to know that internal richness
(contentment) is the real source of happiness.
Now, we have to find out what is the internal poverty which is the cause of
sorrow. He gives that in the third line. satu bhavatu daridraḥ- the person who
has got internal poverty is one whose greed is extensive, inordinate - yasya
tr̥ ṣṇā vishālā. The one who is greedy is internally poor, even though he has got
so much.
In-fact, they tell the story of a poor wood cutter. He was just cutting the wood,
selling it and living a very happy, simple life. One day, when he cut a tree, under
that there was a pot full of gold. He found that the gold was only up to the
neck.A little bit was missing. He thought it would be nice if only if it were one
full pot of gold.
Therefore, he thought that somehow or the other, he will save money, buy gold
and try to fill it completely. He could not sleep that night because whether he
adds or not, he has to make surethat this pot is not lost. Therefore, he kept it
under his head. Then, he started getting more gold and started filling the pot.
It was a peculiar vessel. Any amount of gold you add, it doesn’t get filled. Even
though gold was there, he started starving so that he can save money to make
it a round figure. After years, he discovered that it was never getting filled
up.He said that I have lost my sleep, my happiness.
Therefore, he decided to throw away the pot and it seems some Sanyāsi or a
wise person came and he asked him why this vessel is not getting filled up.
Then, that person said that this vessel is made up of human skull. Human skull
means that our mind represents that which will never get filled up by any
amount you add -vittēna tarpanīyō manuṣyaḥ. Therefore, he said satu bhavatu
daridraha yasya tr̥ ṣṇā vishālā.
manasi cha parituṣṭē - once there is internal richness which gives me happiness,
what does external differences matter? kaḥ arthavān- who is the rich person?
kaḥ daridraḥ - who is poor person? It means that once internal richness has
been accomplished, external richness and external poverty do not matter at all.
Therefore, concentrate on internal richness called Santōshaḥ. That is why in the

Bhagavad Gīta, Gnyāni is called santushta satatam yogi.What is his external
richness? koupīnavantaḥ khalu bhāgyavantaḥ - he doesn’t even have a complete
dress.
सुर मंददर तरु मूि द्वनवासः िय्या भूति मद्धजनं वासः |

सवय पररग्रह भोग त्यागः कस्य सुखं न करोद्वत द्ववरागः ||१८||
sura maṁdira taru mūla nivāsaḥ śayyā bhūtala majinaṁ vāsaḥ |
sarva parigraha bhōga tyāgaḥ kasya sukhaṁ na karōti virāgaḥ ||18||
You can see the happiness glooming in his face, even though he doesn’t know
from where his next meal is going to come or whether is going to come at all.
From that, it is very clear that internal richness or contentment matters. A Virāgi
is rich not because of his external condition, but because of his inner richness.
That is why we glorify a Sanyāsi not for his external conditions, but for his inner
richness. Here question may come.It is a general complaint that is made that in
our culture, we always emphasize contentment or Tr̥ pti- yallabhasē nija
karmōpāttam, vittam tēna vinōdaya chittam. So, many people think that as we are
emphasizing contentment, our country is not growing materially because we

have a very negative philosophy.
This is the complaint of the modern people. As we talk about contentment, we

don’t create wealth, we don’t earn well and we don’t produce. Therefore, in the
international arena, India is extremely poor because of Vēdānta. Poor Vēdānta
Swāmis are available. Therefore, blame them.
The philosophy is that contentment is an obstacle for material prosperity

because contentment means one will not earn. What is our answer for that? The
answer is - wherever we talk about contentment, we never talk about
contentment from the stand point of earning or producing. Earn plenty,
produce plenty.
We talk of contentment with regard to owning. There is the difference between

earning and owning. Vēda never talks about contentment with regard to
producing. annam bahukurvīta - produce plenty of food, but with regard to
owning, let there be contentment. Then, what will be the consequence?
Imagine a society in which every member is earning plenty, but owning less.
Then, there is plenty of wealth available for nation building, for sharing, for
schools. Imagine a person earns plenty and owns everything. Where will the
society benefit? How will the Āshrams run? Remember that Āshrams are runs by
those people who have earned plenty of wealth and who decided to share a lot
with the society.
How could they share the wealth? It is because they decided to own less.
Therefore, Karma Yōgi is one who produces plenty, but who lives a simple life.
Therefore, all the noble works of the society, Pancha Mahā Yagnyās are done by
contented people. To do Pancha Mahā Yagnyās, we have to share the wealth.
A discontented person may produce wealth, but he cannot share even a single
pie. That richness is always good if all that money is available for promoting
schools, hospitals, Āshrams and Sanyāsi. Therefore, contentment is good for
the country. Therefore, Vēda says annam bahukurvīta. The next paragraph says
–
na kanchana vasatou pratyāchakshīta, tad vratam, tasmāt dyayāhayā cha vidhayā

bahvannam prāpnuyāt - earn plenty and then do - arādhyasmā annamityā
chakshate - I have got lot of money to share. If anybody comes for a good cause,
I am ready to give.
Therefore, will such a society be behind? If we are behind, we are either lazy or we
are greedy. We are lazy, therefore we don’t produce wealth or we are so greedy
that we produce plenty and we want to keep it with ourselves. So, what type of
people do we want? We want active, contented people. They are the wealth of
the country. Therefore, contentment is never with regard to
production.Contentment is with regard to owning, leading a simple life.
Verse No.68
भशक्तभयवे मरणजन्मभयं हृददस्थं

स्नेहो न बन्धुषु न मन्मथजा द्ववकाराः ।
संसगयदोषरद्वहता द्ववजना वनान्ता
वैराग्यमत्स्त द्वकममतः परमथयनीयम् ॥ ६८॥
bhaktirbhavē maraṇajanmabhayaṁ hr̥disthaṁ
snēhō na bandhuṣu na manmathajā vikārāḥ |
saṁsargadōṣarahitā vijanā vanāntā
vairāgyamasti kimitaḥ paramarthanīyam || 68||
Here, Bhartr̥ hari talks about the six important possessions of a happy person.
He talks about the six important factors which will make the life happy, rich,
fulland wonderful. What those six factors? Bhaktir bhavē- In this context, bhavaḥ
means Lord Śiva. The word bhava has two meanings. Samsāra is also called
Bhavaha -Bhava Rōgaḥ.
bhēshajam bhava rōginām akhilā padāmapahārinam daksha yagnya vināshanam

trigunātmakam trivilochanam. In Bhava Rōga, the word Bhava means Samsāra.
Here, the word Bhava means Śiva. bhaktirbhavē means devotion to bhavaḥ.
bhavāya dēvāya namaḥ, sarvāya dēvāya namaḥ.
What is devotion to Śiva? It is learning to depend upon the Lord for everything. It
is learning to depend on the Lord for my emotional need, for my security, for
my Pūrnatvam, for my moral support.It is also training our mind to say that I
depend on Lord for everything. It is a training. It takes time, but it is very, very
important.
bhaktihibhavē- devotion to Lord for our needs. Then, the second one is - marana
janma bhayaṁ hrudistham- in the mind, I should remember the limitations of
the worldly things. I should remember the finitude, ephemeral nature, fleeting
nature of everything else, other than God. So, everything other than God is
subject to marana janma.
To remember Gīta - janma mrutyu jarā vyādhi dukha dōsha anudarśanam. If we

don’t remember the ephemeral nature of the world, we tend to depend on the
world; we tend to depend on worldly people; we tend to depend upon worldly
possessions.Therefore, devotion to Lord can be sustained only if I remember
that nothing else is really dependable.
It is not that people are not trustworthy.We don’t mean negatively. Even the
trustworthy people are impermanent and their money may be impermanent.
Ask people who have invested in financial companies. They say that some of
them are really good. Something happened and therefore, they were in trouble.
Therefore, what can you trust? Therefore, it is the nature of the world to be like
that. Therefore, remember the undependability of the world. Then, you will
learn to depend more on God. maraṇa janma bhayaṁ hr̥ disthaṁ - remembrance
of the finitude or limitation of the world. This is the second thing.
The third one is snēhō na bandhushu- freedom from attachment with regard to
the people around. bandhu means the kith and kin, the relatives. With regard to
them, na snēhaha - freedom from attachment. This has to be understood very
carefully.Parallelly, I remember the Gīta Verse - asaktiranabhiṣvaṅgaḥ
putradāragr̥ hādiṣu
When Bhartr̥ hari says absence of attachment, he never says lack of love. Never
get confused. We should love all the people around. By love, we mean the
capacity to care for them, the capacity to share my resources with them,
consideration for them, compassion for them, sharing my time with them.
These are all expressions of love.
If I have no time for people in my family, I am not expressing my love.

Therefore, giving quality time and sharing the feelings of the others is also a
form of love. No Vēdānta, no Bhartr̥ hari ask you to stop all these expressions of
love.All must be there.
Then, what do you mean by detachment? You love them, care for them, show
compassion, but for all your needs, you have to depend on God, You cannot
afford to depend on others. You have to learn to depend on God alone.
Therefore, never say I am dependent on my son.We are not saying son is bad.
Son is very good, very loyal, devoted, obedient, wealthy and also an obedient
daughter-in-law.Therefore, let everything be there. But in your mind, tell
yourself that I depend upon the God. Do you know the advantage on depending
on God? If god wants to help me, he can help through anyone, including my son.
But if you depend upon your son only, if everything goes fine, it is fine.
Otherwise, we do not know. Therefore, even if you have all wonderful people
around, train your mind saying that I depend on God for everything. This is
called freedom from attachment towards others. You need not tell themthat. It
is a headache.
If wife is away, don’t say that I am not depended on you. That creates problems.
Therefore, these are all to be kept inside secretly. You can tell that I need your
love, this and that.You should know the trick of the trade in these things. But
inside, be firm - God and God alone. This is the third one. I don’t know what to
do if both are attending the class.
The fourth one is na manmadhajā vikārāh -manmadhaha means Kāmaha, Rāga-

Dvēṣaḥha, Kāma-Krōdhaha, which are innate weaknesses of every human being.
Nobody can totally eradicate them. Krishna himself accepts this fact by saying -
indriyasyēndriyasyārthē rāgadvēṣau vyavasthitau
Swāmiji beautifully says that even our Gods have preferences. They prefer their
vehicles.They prefer their musical instruments. Krishna doesn’t use Veena and
Saraswati doesn’tuse flute. They have preferences. Even Gods have
preferences. Then, what to talk of human beings!
So, Rāga-Dvēṣaḥs will be there, but the effect or the impulses of Rāga-Dvēṣaḥ,
the force of Rāga-Dvēṣaḥ, the momentum of Rāga-Dvēṣaḥ is to be toned down.
vikāraha means effects. What do you mean by the effects? Rāga-Dwēshās are
originally at mental level. When they become powerful, the effects first come
out at the verbal level.
Language problem is one effect which can hurt people and create problems.
They are Rāga-Dvēṣaḥ Vikāraha at the verbal level. They are still more forcible
when they come at the physical level. Therefore, Vāchika, Kāyika expressions of
Rāga-Dvēshās are called manmadhajā vikārāh and we have to train to handle
them.
Let them rise at the mental level, but I do the editing work, monitoring work at
the mental level itself. So, thought comes and let it come.Therefore, you are not
totally free about what happens in your mind as our Pūrva Janma, as well as this
Janma Vāsanās will generate those thoughts.
Let the things come at the thought level, but before they grow and express
themselves at the word and deed level, you clip or handle them. This is called
mastering Rāga-Dvēṣaḥ. Swāmiji says never say destroying Rāga-Dvēṣaḥ. It is
not there. It is mastering Rāga-Dvēṣaḥ. Krishna himself says. tayōrna
vaśamāgacchēttau hyasya paripanthinau || 3-34||
Have Rāga-Dvēṣaḥ but don’t be their slave. This is called mastery and this is the
fourth possession. What is the fifth possession? samsarga dōsha rahitāavijanā
vanāntāha- seclusion is my fifth wealth. It is the capacity to spend time alone.
vanāntāha means outskirts of village, forests.vijanā means secluded.
samsarga dōsha rahitāha-where samsarga dōshais not there. samsarga dōsha

means the defect called company or friendship. Why do you call company or
friendship a Dōsha? It is very good, but we should know when company is a
deliberating that I do or company is my weakness to escape from my problem.
Many people use company as a method of escapism. They are incapable of

being alone. It is a threat for them. They cannot face their own mind. If you
cannot face yourself, where can you go? If you cannot face others, you can run
away. Therefore, company is good, but addiction, dependence, weakness is
dangerous.
That is why Krishna adds in the Gīta - aratir jana samsadi. It is a very important
value. aratir jana samsadi means not getting lost in friendships. When the
friends are gone and I am left alone, I feel miserable. That is how many people
take to vices. They either take to cigarettes or to liquor or to drugs.
Some people switch on the television loudly. Then, they feel that people are
around. These are all escapism. So, shut of this escapism and spend some time
alone. When Swāmi Chinmayānanda used to conduct camp in Siddhabari, he
used to ask the students to walk around alone in the evening just reflecting
over the classes.
It is possible in Siddhabari as it is a vast area.When Swāmi Chinmayānanda

gives an order, he follows up. Everybody knows that. So, they used to go out
singly and meet at some place. It is incapacity to be alone. Every Sanyāsi should
have the capacity and a Grihastha has to develop this capacity.
That is inner Sanyāsa.samsarga dōsha rahitāavijanā vanāntāha- the capacity to

live in seclusion. Krishna calls it Vivikta Dēsha Sēvitvam. It is the fifth possession.
Finally, the sixth possession is vairāgyam asti- I have got Vairāgyam, the internal
richness or contentment.
When this six fold wealth or possessions are there, itah param kim arthanīyam- I
don’t require anything. Whatever I have is a bonus. If there is a car, it is a
bonus.If there is a palatial house, it is a bonus. It is a luxury. It is not a need.
Verse No. 93
मातियच्क्ष्म भजस्व कंमचदपरं मत्काङ् भक्षणी मा स्म भूः

भोगेषु स्पृहयािवस्तव विे का द्वनःस्पृहाणामशस ।
सद्यःस्यूतपिािपिपुदटकापािे पद्वविीकृतै-
र्भंक्षावस्तुभभरेव सम्प्रद्वत वयं वृत्तत्तं समीहामहे ॥ ९३॥
mātarlakshmi bhajasva kanchidaparam matkānkshinī mā sma bhūh bhōgēshu
spruhayālavastava vashē kā nispruhānāmasi
sadyah syūta palāsha patra putikā pātrē pavitrī krutaih
bhikshā vastu bhirēva samprati vayam vruttim samīhāmahē
Here, a Virāgi is addressing Lakshmi Devi. He says - O Mother Lakshmi,

previously I was chasing you, I was running after you. Lakshmi Devi is known
for her fickleness - lakshmī stōya taranga bhanga chapala. Lakshmi Devi is called
Chapala- very fickle minded. She will come to people very rarely.
Even if she comes, she doesn’t stay for long. She goes away. Therefore, I was
busy chasing and you were also very, very elusive. Now, I have come to a stage
where I am no more after you.Now, when I am not after you, you may come
and offer.He says - even if you want to come, I have a request.
There are many people who are still chasing you. Perhaps, you can bless some
of them at least for sometime. I am no more interested in Lakshmi. My interest
has shifted from Lakshmi to Saraswati. Lakshmi stands for Pravr̥ tti Mārga-
Dharma, Artha, Kāma. Saraswati stands for Nivr̥ tti Mārga, Gnyāna Mārga, Mōkṣaḥ
Mārga.
Why do we say so? Can you see the logic? Money is the basic necessity for the first
three Purushārthās. What are they? Artha, Kāma, Dharma. Arthaha means
possessions like house, vehicles etc. You require money for all the Artha
possessions. What do you require for entertainments, Kāma? - Money. If we want
to go a movie, we require money.
So, money is the basis for Artha. Money is basis for Kāma. What about the
Dharma or Punyam? Scriptures talk about noble deeds, noble service or
contributions to get Punyam.I again need money to do noble deeds. You need
money for Anna Dānam, Vastra Dānam, to build schools etc. Whatever you want
to do, money is required. Therefore, Lakshmi represents Dharma, Artha, Kāma.
How much money do you require for Mōkṣaḥ? You require money of a different
type - dravinagm sa varchasam. Taitrīya Upaniṣad calls it Gnyāna Dhanam- vidyā
dhanam sarva dhanāt pradhānam. Therefore, he says - I was still in Pravr̥ tti
Mārga and now, I have to come to Nivr̥ tti Mārga.
Therefore, I am interested in Saraswati. That is why for Grihasthas who are in

Pravr̥ tti Mārga, the prefix in their name is Shri. Shri means Lakshmi. The suffix
for every Sanyāsi is so and so Saraswati.Therefore, Saraswati is Nivr̥ tti and
Lakshmi is Pravr̥ tti. We will see the exact meaning tomorrow.

Vairāgya Śatakam – Verses 93, 94, 75, 61

ॐ

Verse No. 93
मातियच्क्ष्म भजस्व कंमचदपरं मत्काङ् भक्षणी मा स्म भूः

भोगेषु स्पृहयािवस्तव विे का द्वनःस्पृहाणामशस ।
सद्यःस्यूतपिािपिपुदटकापािे पद्वविीकृतै-
र्भंक्षावस्तुभभरेव सम्प्रद्वत वयं वृत्तत्तं समीहामहे ॥ ९३॥
mātarlakshmi bhajasva kanchidaparam matkānkshinī mā sma bhūh bhōgēshu
spruhayālavastava vashē kā nispruhānāmasi
sadyah syūta palāsha patra putikā pātrē pavitrī krutaih
bhikshā vastu bhirēva samprati vayam vruttim samīhāmahē
I introduced verse No. 93, in which we saw that Bhartr̥ hari is addressing
Lakshmi Devi. I pointed out that Lakshmi Devi represents Dharma, Artha and
Kāma Purushārthās, otherwise known as Prēyas, otherwise known as Pravr̥ tti
Mārga, otherwise known as materialistic pursuits.
Bhartr̥ hari says - O mother, I was after you until now. Not that I have any
regrets because only through Pravr̥ tti Mārga, one has to come to Nivr̥ tti Mārga.
There is no direct road leading to Nivr̥ tti. Through Pravr̥ tti alone, there is Nivr̥ tti.
In-fact, the whole principle of life is - you enter a field, grow in that field and
come out of that field.
Right from birth, we had to first enter the womb of the mother and our initial
growth is only inside the womb. Even if by mistake, there is a premature
delivery, an artificial womb (an incubator) is required.Therefore, everyone
should enter the womb and one has to grow for 10 months in the womb.
Thereafter, the baby should not say - I like the womb very much. I will stay here
forever. No mother will be interested. So, you have to enter, grow and come
out. You enter LKG, grow and come out. You enter secondary school, grow and
come out. The whole life is like that.
Similarly, everyone has to necessarily go through Pravr̥ tti Mārga. Then alone,
one has to come to Nivr̥ tti. We may get a doubt that there are some people who
directly go to the Nivr̥ tti Mārga. We don’t see them entering Grihastha Āshrama
and having all those Vyavahārās of Grihastha. They take to Sanyāsa directly.
How come, they enter Nivr̥ tti without Pravr̥ tti? The Śāstric answer for that is that
they have already gone to Pravr̥ tti Mārga in the Pūrva Janma. There is no
escape. Either you should have gone through it in previous Janma or you have
to through in this Janma. This Pravr̥ tti Mārga is represented by Lakshmi Devi.
So, Bhartr̥ hari says - I was with you. I also got the benefit out of you. Now, I
have grown out of you. Now, I am after Saraswati (knowledge), Nivr̥ tti Mārga.
Therefore, O mother, I have no need for you hereafter. Therefore, you need not
come to me. There are so many people who still need you very badly.
College is not needed for me after I pass out. That does not mean that college
should be demolished as there are others who still need it. Therefore,
Bhartr̥ hari says mātaha lakshmi- O mother Lakshmi Devi. kanchit
aparambhajasva- may you go to some other person who is in Pravr̥ tti Mārga and
who is after Dharma, Artha and Kāma because all those three require money.
What about me? matkānkshinī mā sma bhūh- kindly don’t be interested in me

because I am positively not interested in you. By chance, even if you come to
me and pour money, I will hand over that money to people who need.
Matkānkshinī - may you not desire me.
Just because I am not interested in you, you don’t feel rejected as there are
many others who are very badly craving for you. bhōgēshu- here, bhōga
represents Dharma, Artha, Kāma or Prēyas or Pravr̥ tti. spruhayālavaha means
interested, committed people. tava vashē- there are many people who are under
your control.
That means those who are your slaves. tava refers to Lakshmi Devi.kā
nispruhānām asi- Who are you? What value you have among us, who are
Virāgis? nispruhāha means Virāgis, detached people,Sanyāsis. So, among us
Sanyāsis, what big value are you going to have?
Then, Lakshmi Devi may ask - Ok, you may not be interested in Dharma, Artha,
Kāma, but you have to run your life. You require your livelihood, you require
Śarīra Yātra. Don’t you require money for that? The basic needs have to be
fulfilled. Food, clothing and shelter require money. So, how are you going to
manage that without me? For that, Bhartr̥ hari answers - No problem. I can always
manage.
सुर मंददर तरु मूि द्वनवासः िय्या भूति मद्धजनं वासः |

सवय पररग्रह भोग त्यागः कस्य सुखं न करोद्वत द्ववरागः ||१८||
sura maṁdira taru mūla nivāsaḥ śayyā bhūtala majinaṁ vāsaḥ |
sarva parigraha bhōga tyāgaḥ kasya sukhaṁ na karōti virāgaḥ ||18||
As Shankara said in Bhaja Govindam, Bhartr̥ hari also says sadyah syūta palāsha
patra putikā pātrē pavitrī krutaih paatraihh pavitri krutaih bhikshā vastubhi - for
my food, I can always get Bhikṣaḥ. Why should I have money? Without touching
money, I can always get Bhikṣaḥ.
You may get Bhikṣaḥ, but you require a plate, you require a cup, you require
two tumblers, one for water and one for buttermilk. Where will go for all these
things? He says - It is not a problem. palāsha patra putikā pātrē- I can easily
make a cup made out of palāsha leaves. putikā means made into a form of a
cup.That itself is pātram.
What is the glory of that pātram? You have to wash your pātram again and again
and use and bother whether others have washed it properly. I have no such
problem. Whenever I need one, I immediately have afreshly manufactured
vessel. Therefore, he says sadyahsyūta. sadyah means just made. Just made
palāsha patra putikā pātrē;
At least, Bhartr̥ hari talks about an external vessel. Shankarāchārya goes one
more step further and says even that is not required. Bhagawan has given
pātram for us. Just join the two hands and make a cup. It can hold food and
water also -karatala bhikṣaḥha tarutala vāsa. What is the difficulty?
Therefore, in that pātram, pavitrī krutaih bhikshā vastubhihi - I will lead my life
with bhikṣaḥ which is sacred. Why is bhikṣaḥ said to be sacred here? It is because
of two reasons. The first reason is that for Sanyāsis, bhikṣaḥ alone is prescribed.
Therefore, since it is the swadharma sampādita bhikṣaḥ, it is sacred.
For a Grihastha, Bhikṣaḥ is not allowed because Grihastha is one who has to
give Bhikṣaḥ. If Grihastha also seeks Bhikṣaḥ, what will happen? Therefore, it is
banned for a Grihastha.That is why Lord Krishna strongly criticizes Arjuna -
Arjuna, you were talking about bhaiksham which is Para Dharma. Therefore, it is
Pāpam.
A Sanyāsi need not feel bad asking for Bhikṣaḥ.I n fact, it is his
privilege.Therefore, he says pavitrī krutaih- it is sacred, Śāstrā vihitatvāt. It is not
only sacred because it is Śāstrā enjoined, but it is sacred because I look upon
the Bhikṣaḥ as Ēshwara’s gift. It is because of my attitude towards that.
Krishna talks about itin the Gīta - yadrucchā lābha prārabdhāyasamarpitam.

Therefore, whatever comes is because of Prārabdha and Prārabdha is always
coming from the Lord’s hands. Lord being Karma Phala Dāta, we should
remember thatPrārabdha Phalamis coming from Lord’s hands.
Therefore, whatever is the type of Bhikṣaḥ, yadrucchā lābhasantushthaha.

Otherwise, he is not a Sanyāsi. He cannot say bhavati dosa dēhi, or bhavati gulab
jamun dēhi. One commentator goes one step further - yadrucchā
alābhasantushthaha. One day, if nothing is there, convert that day into Ēkādashi.
For a Sanyāsi, special Ēkādashi Vratam is not required. When there is no

Bhikṣaḥ, it is Bhagawan decided Ēkādashi. Generally, you find that Sanyāsi
never has Ēkādashi. Daily it becomes Dwādashi. For Grihasthās, there is only
one Dwādashi for fortnight. For a Sanyāsi, for trusting God, he will end up
becoming Guru. Guru has two meanings.
One meaning is teacher and another meaning is overweight. So, he says I don’t
worry at all -bhikshā vastu bhirēva samprati. After coming to Nivr̥ tti Mārga, vayam
vruttim samīhāmahē- we people like to lead our life by Bhikṣaḥ. vrutti means
livelihood. samīhāmahē means like to take care of our livelihood by Bhikṣaḥ.
So, what is the glory of Sanyāsi? kanthāmiva shrīm api kutsayantaha. He is able to
send away Lakshmi Devi.That is the greatness of Sanyāsi. This is another Virāgi
Stuti.
Verse No. 94
महािय्या पृथ्वी द्ववपुिमुपधानं भुजिता

द्ववतानं चाकािं व्यजनमनुकूिोऽयमद्वनिः ।
िरच्चन्रो दीपो द्ववरद्वतवद्वनतासङ् गमुददतः
सुखी िान्तः िेते मुद्वनरतनुभूद्वतनृप इव ॥ ९४॥
mahāśayyā pr̥thvī vipulamupadhānaṁ bhujalatā
vitānaṁ cākāśaṁ vyajanamanukūlō:'yamanilaḥ |
śaraccandrō dīpō virativanitāsaṅgamuditaḥ
sukhī śāntaḥ śētē muniratanubhūtinr̥pa iva || 94||
In the previous verse, Bhartr̥ hari said how he will take care of his food needs
without the help of Lakshmi Devi (money). He said - I can very nicely manage.
Only in the other countries, there is saying that there is no free lunch. But in
India, Sanyāsa is part of the Indian culture. Brahmacharya Āshrama is part of
Indian culture.
Whoever dedicates his life to spirituality, he will be taken care of by Indian

society. Even though this is considered to be a poor country, the biggest Anna
Dānam takes place in this country alone. We are even famous for the cheapest
medical treatment. Therefore, we get all the best things here because of the
greatness of Vedic culture.
Ok, you will manage your food. What about your shelter? Bhartr̥ hari says - I have
got the biggest shelter in the world. mahāshayyā pruthvī- the entire earth is my
bed. If I want hard bed, it is available. If I want a soft bed, it is also available.
Therefore, I have got a very comfortable bed.
mahāshayyā means a big bed. What about a pillow? It is very costly. How will you
get the pillow? He says - No problem. I have got fat arms. Because of Bhikṣaḥ, I
have become so fat that my arms are wonderful pillows. vipulam upadhānam
bhujalatā -bhujalatā means the hands, the arms. bhujalatā is vipulam
upadhānam.
It is a very big pillow and Bhagawan has given two of them (one spare). I will
use one arm and after sometime, if I want a change, the other arm is there.
What about the ceiling? vitānam cha ākāsham- the whole sky, the blue canopy
given by the Lord, free of cost. Swāmiji beautifully says that these people pay a
lot of money for five star hotels.
I have got a Multi Star guest house.What do I miss in life? What about fan? I don’t
depend upon the local fan where the current will go off and on. If I use the
generator, diesel price will be hiked. I don’t depend on all those.anukūlaha
anilaha- the favorable, soft, wonderful breeze is my fan. Where will you go for
bed room light?
sharatchandraha dīpaha - the wonderful full moon and that too the
sharatchandraha- the autumnal moon is the dīpaha. What will you do for
company? Bhartr̥ hari says - I have got a wonderful wife who will follow me all
the time.The other wives may or may not follow.
Who is that wife? viratihi. viratihi means Vairāgyam. What is the definition of a
spouse? saha chārini - the one who is supposed to be a company all the time
and who makes my life wonderful is the spouse. The one who always follows
me in prosperity or adversity, and makes my life enjoyable and comfortable is
the spouse.
He says Vairāgyam does exactly that job. Firstly, Vairāgyam follows me

everywhere, all the time. It not only follows me, but it also makes my life
comfortable, beautiful and happy. Therefore, he says virati vanitā.He doesn’t
use the Vairāgyam. He uses the word viratihi. There is a grammar trick.
In Sanskrit, the words also have genders, irrespective of the meaning. kalatram
is a word which means wife, but the word is neuter gender. What is the
connection between meaning and gender? There is no connection at all. Here,
there are two words for detachment in Sanskrit.Vairāgyam means detachment
and Viratihi also means detachment.
Vairāgyam is the neuter gender - akārāntaha napumsaka lingaha vairāgyam

vairāgye vairāgyāni iti rūpāni. The word viratihi is feminine gender. Detachment
is compared to a wife. Therefore, he uses virati vanita. In some other context,
they use the word shānti vanita.
shānti vidēha sutā sahachāri daharāyōdhyā nagara vihāri mōhā mahārnava

tārakakāri rāgadvēṣaḥ mukhāsuramāri chēlati mama hrudayē. Who is Rama’s
wife? shāntihi. This is the Adhyātma Ramayana, looking at the Ramayanam
philosophically.The word shāntihi is also feminine gender.
You choose any word and it follows a Gnyāni all the time. shānti follows and
viratihi follows. Therefore, he says I don’t lack companion. I don’t miss
anything. virati vanita- here, vanita means wife, the wife in the form of
detachment. sangaha means association, companionship of detachment is
there.
That is why somebody nicely said
satyam mātā pitā gnyānam

dharmō bhrātā dayā sakhā
shāntih patnī kshamā putraha
shadētē mama bhāndhavāha –
I have family members. Who are they? satyam mātā, pitā gnyānam, dharmha
bhrātā- bhrāta means brother. dayā sakhā- dayā is my friend. shāntihi patnī,
kshamā putraha.
Shadētē - these six are my kith and kin. Similarly, virati vanita sanga means by
the association. muditaha- I am very, very happy. I never feel lonely. How do you
know that this person doesn’t feel lonely? He says I sleep very well - sukhī śāntah
shētē munihi. This Sanyāsi, with such a house, with such a wife is very relaxed -
śāntah.
He doesn’t know what stress, strain, worry, tension are andhe does not require
a sleeping pill.sukhī- he is very comfortable. munihishētē; How? nrupaha iva- like
a king. He is a yati rājaha. Like a king who has got all the costly paraphernalia,
this munihi sleeps. What type of muni is he?
atanubhūtihi -atanuḥ means mahā, great.tanu mean alpam. atanuḥ means

opposite of alpam. That means abundance. bhūtihi means prosperity, wealth.
So, this Sanyāsi is a person of abundance of wealth. What wealth? He has got the
inner wealth.So, mahābhūtihi nrupaha iva munihishētē. Therefore, he doesn’t
depend on anyone.
With this, I am concluding the topic of Virāga Stutihi and Virāgi Stutihi. Now, I will
go to the next topic of Upadēshaha. Bhartr̥ hari is giving the advice for those who
want it. This topic division is mine. Bhartr̥ hari has not gone in this order. Hence
we are going forward and backward.
Upadēshaha
Verse No.75
यावत्स्वस्थममदं िरीरमरुजं यावज्जरा रॄरतो

यावच्चेद्धन्रयिशक्तरप्रद्वतहता यावत्क्षयो नायुषः ।
आत्मश्रेयशस तावदे व द्ववरृषा काययः प्रयत्नो महान्
संदीप्ते भवने तु कूपखननं प्रत्युद्यमः कीरॅिः ॥ ७५॥
yāvatsvasthamidaṁ śarīramarujaṁ yāvajjarā dūratō
yāvaccēndriyaśaktirapratihatā yāvatkṣayō nāyuṣaḥ |
ātmaśrēyasi tāvadēva viduṣā kāryaḥ prayatnō mahān
saṁdīptē bhavanē tu kūpakhananaṁ pratyudyamaḥ kīdr̥śaḥ || 75||
Advice No.1: What is that? Don’t postpone your spiritual pursuits. No doubt, we
all have to have material pursuits. Vēda is never against it.Vēda accepts all
Dharma, Artha and Kāmaas Purushārthās. Human mind wants comforts,
entertainments, distractions. All those things are required.
But he says that the human pursuit should also include spiritual growth
because we are a mixture of both material personality (Anātma) and also
spiritual personality. Therefore, there should be a bālance of material and
spiritual pursuits. The general design that the Vēda has is that the initial part of
life is material pursuits dominant, in most of the cases.
Generally, in the initial part of life, in the most of the cases, it is material pursuit
dominated. Only there are exceptional cases where the life starts with
spirituality. But that also appears exceptional. That is also not exceptional
because a person who starts with spirituality, has already gone through
material pursuit in Pūrva Janma.
Remember the sixth chapter of the Gīta.The Yōga Bhrashta of the Pūrva Janma
becomes a spiritual genius of the present Janma. As somebody nicely said - the
best method of catching the bus is to miss the previous bus.Like that, if a
person misses the spiritual pursuit or fails due to some reasons, then it begins
in the next birth -
athavā yōgināmēva kulē bhavati dhīmatām; tatratam buddhi samyōgam labhatē

pourva dēhitam etc. Otherwise, the normal course is - material pursuit and later,
gradually the shift takes place from material to spiritual pursuit. That too should
not be sudden. You cannot say that suddenly the day after retirement, I will
start from 4 o’clock, three hours meditation.Therefore, acclimatization is
required.
That is why in Grihastha Āshrama, we do give time for Pārāyana, japa classes etc.
There afterwards, this should increase and later, this can become very, very
predominant. Our tendency will be to postpone. So, Bhartr̥ hari says - what is the
guarantee that you are going to survive? Has Yama given a guarantee letter that you
are going to live for 100 years? You don’t know.
Even if you are going to somehow manage to survive, how do you know how
many organs would intact and how many organs would be replacements? Most
of them are spare parts. Therefore, he says start early. The domination can
come in due course, but start somewhere. Therefore, he says yāvat idam
śarīraṁ swastham - when your body is reasonably healthy.
Perfect health never exists. It is like ideal gas of chemistry which never exists.
When your śarīraṁ is reasonably healthy, arujam- without serious diseases; rujā
means rōgaha.arujam means rōga rahitam, arōgam. yāvat jarā dūrataha - when
old age and problems like senility etc, are reasonably far away or when old age
has not fully set in.
yāvaccha indriya shaktihi apratihatā- when the sensory faculties are not seriously
obstructed, not seriously stifled, not atrophied. indriya shaktihi means
Gnyānēndriya Shaktihi, Karmēndriya Shaktihi. Because for Shravana-Mananam, I

should be able to sit for some time and I should be able to write notes and at-
least, read my notes.
apratihatā means unobstructed. yāvat āyushaha kshayaha na- when the

longevity has not gone or as long as the life is intact. When all these relatively
favorable conditions are there, you at-least have to start. He says mahān
prayatnaha kārayaha- a great effort, a committed effort, a sincere effort, a whole
hearted effort should be put forth.
What for? ātma shrēyasi- for one’s own Mōkṣaḥ . Here, ātma is reflexive pronoun,
in the sense of one’s own.There is significance in this word. Shankarāchārya
tells in Vivēka Chūdāmanithat there are certain goals of human life for which
others can work. Suppose, I want to carry something to a place and if I don’t
have the strength to carry, I can take the help of somebody else.
Shankarāchārya says –mastakanyastabhārādērduḥkhamanyairnivāryatē . If I am

carrying a load on my head, my friend or son or anybody can help me out. If
father has got some loan which he cannot pay off, the son can do that on behalf
of his father. Even in many ritualistic procedures, what I cannot do, I can ask
somebody else to do that.
In-fact, all the Pūjās in the temple are done by the Pūjāri for our sake. Even
though he is doing, you know that the result of that Pūja comes to you.
Bhagawan’s computer doesn’t have Y2K problem. It will correctly hand over to
the person. Thus, there are many goals for which others can function.
Shankarāchārya says there are certain other goals for which you alone have to
work. He gives the example of hunger. Suppose, you are hungry and your son
says I will eat for both of us. Or your roommate doesn’t feel like walking to
dining hall and you eat double Bhikṣaḥ. Then, both will become sick. He says if
you are hungry, better you eat.
Then, Shankarāchārya says no one in the world can work for your Mōkṣaḥ .Only
you have to work. Your husband or wife may be very, very dear, but the
Sādhana camp or Vēdanta Shravanam should be done by the respective
individual. Some ladies ask me - Swāmiji, can I come to the class? Will I be giving
up my duty?
This worry comes because the husband asks- where are you going? I want you to
stay back and serve food for me. She says - I have Gīta class.He says - what is
said in Gīta? Svadharma.What is your Svadharma? - Serving me food. So, these
are all problems.
We should remember that your Swadharma is not only to home, but working
for your Mōkṣaḥ, listening to Vēdānta also comes under your Svadharma.
Therefore, we should remember that we have to work for our Mōkṣaḥ.
Therefore, Bhartr̥ hari says ātma shrēyasitāvadēva.
tāvadēva means when the conditions are conducive, favorable as mentioned

above, effort should be put. By whom? vidushā. vidushā means by an intelligent
person. Just like we always plan for our futuresuch as how to invest the money
properly, how to buy some extra property, how to keep some gold, how to buy
some property in the name of children etc, we should also plan for our spiritual
growth.
We are all wonderful in planning for the material, financial aspects. If somebody
asks what you are doing for spiritual growth, you have no answer. That is not
correct. You plan for the future.You not only save money for yourself, but also
for your children and grandchildren. We are so well organized in material,
future planning.
What plan do we have for Mōkṣaḥ? By the time we are aware of that, it is time for
going. Therefore, he says - start now. Otherwise, if you are planning to start
spirituality in your grand old age, when you cannot even sit properly and when
you cannot read because of poor eye sight, if you try Vēdānta, it is like sandīptē
bhavanē-whenthe house is on fire, kūpa khananam- this person starts digging

well.
How ridiculous it appears! So ridiculous is postponing spirituality. kūpa

khananamprati -prati means with regard todigging a well. udyamaha means
effort. kīdrushaha- what type of effort will it be? It will be a foolish effort. Similar
will be your late pursuit of spirituality. Therefore, what is lesson No.1? Don’t
procrastinate by some excuse or the other.
Verse No.61
परेषां चेतांशस प्रद्वतददवसमाराध्य बहुधा

प्रसादं तकं नेतुं द्वविशस हृदय क्िेिकशितम् ।
प्रसन्ने त्वय्यन्तः स्वयमुददतमचन्तामभणगणो
द्ववद्ववक्तः संकल्पः द्वकमभभिद्वषतं पुष्यद्वत न ते ॥ ६१॥
parēṣāṁ cētāṁsi pratidivasamārādhya bahudhā
prasādaṁ kiṁ nētuṁ viśasi hr̥daya klēśakalitam |
prasannē tvayyantaḥ svayamuditacintāmaṇigaṇō
viviktaḥ saṁkalpaḥ kimabhilaṣitaṁ puṣyati na tē || 61||
Here, Bhartr̥ hari says that one of the toughest and almost impossible tasks in
life is pleasing others. There are many problems. Firstly, you do not know what
will please others. Still worse, even if you know what will please others, you
don’t know when it will please because most people are moody. Therefore, one
thing which pleases at one time, the very same thing at another time, it
displeases.
Therefore, the first problem is that I don’t know what will please others and
when.Therefore, often with all good intentions, I do something to please others
and I not only end up not pleasing others, but I end up displeasing others. Not
only displeasing at that time, but lifelong, the person blames me for all later
consequences.
This is the first problem. I don’t know what will please a human being and when
it will please. The second problem is that whatever you do, the other person is
not pleased. We would have often faced such people. Everyone will have at least
one example.
Bhartr̥ hari said in his Nīti Śatakam, bramhāpi naram na ranjayati- there are
certain cases where even God cannot please them. That is that person’s Jātaka
Rāshi. Whatever you do, that person cannot be happy. That is why Swāmiji told
the example of a person who went by train and there was no water. Water
bottle was forgotten.
He kept on saying that he was thirsty. The wife could not do anything. He said -
don’t worry, we will get itin the next station. I have forgotten. It is my mistake.
At last, water was got in the next station and this person drank. She thought
hereafter, he will be at peace.Then, he started saying - I was thirsty, I was
thirsty.
Now, what will you do? Jump from the train. That is all you can do. Thus, there
are people who manage to successfully become unhappy, no matter what you
do. This is the second problem in pleasing people. The third problem is
tougher.When you do one action to please one person, the very same action
displeases another person.
When you change your idea and change the action to please the other person,
this person becomes unhappy. One man came to me and profusely sobbed and
cried saying - Swāmiji, I don’t know what to do.If I do something to please my
wife, mother is unhappy. If I do something to please my mother, wife is
unhappy. She says - if your mother is there, have her and leave me.
Swāmiji, I am the only child. What shall I do? I felt like asking him to come with
me. But the thing is that by his action, only one of them will be displeased. By
my action, both may be displeased. Even now, his problem continues. He is not
able to keep his mother because the wife has given the warning that the day
she steps in, she will be out. And that person is the only child!
So, this is another problem in life. When you please one person, the very action
displeases other. Therefore, Bhartr̥ hari says drop the idea of pleasing others.
Do your duty. If they are pleased, it is their Punyam. If they are displeased, pray
for them.

Vairāgya Śatakam –Verses 61, 62, 63, 69, 100

ॐ

Verse No.61
परेषां चेतांशस प्रद्वतददवसमाराध्य बहुधा

प्रसादं तकं नेतुं द्वविशस हृदय क्िेिकशितम् ।
प्रसन्ने त्वय्यन्तः स्वयमुददतमचन्तामभणगणो
द्ववद्ववक्तः संकल्पः द्वकमभभिद्वषतं पुष्यद्वत न ते ॥ ६१॥
parēṣāṁ cētāṁsi pratidivasamārādhya bahudhā
prasādaṁ kiṁ nētuṁ viśasi hr̥daya klēśakalitam |
prasannē tvayyantaḥ svayamuditacintāmaṇigaṇō
viviktaḥ saṁkalpaḥ kimabhilaṣitaṁ puṣyati na tē || 61||
In Verse No. 61, I introduced the second advice. Bhartr̥ hari was pointing out
how difficult it is to please others. Therefore, he asked us to drop the idea of
pleasing others. This advice should be carefully understood. Otherwise, it will be
taken as being selfish, being rude, being inconsiderate etc.
We should remember that Bhartr̥ hari never asks us to be unpleasant to people.

It is our duty to be pleasant to people, to be considerate, to be helpful to the
extent we can. But at the same time, Bhartr̥ hari says: drop the idea of pleasing
Talk 13 – Verses 61, 62, 63, 69,100 Downloaded from www.arshaavinash.in Page 187 of 201
people. It looks contradictory. We should understand that there is a very thin

dividing line.
It is our duty to be pleasant to others. We have seen in Gīta -anudvēgakaram

vyākyam satyam priyam hitam cha. But what Bhartr̥ hari wants to say here is -
being pleasant to people is in your hands. But by being pleasant to others,
whether others will be pleased or not, is not in your hands. You can be smiling,
you can use gentle words, and you can be considerate. These are all being
pleasant and are within my control.
What will be the response of the other person for my behavior? How do I know
whether the other person will be pleased or irritated by that? Therefore,
Bhartr̥ hari says - karmani eva adhikarāha. Being pleasant to others is within in
your choice, but whether they will be happy or irritated by that, is not in your
hands.
Perhaps, for no reason, some people do not like us at all. Then, however
beautifully you behave, they are not going to be happy with that. Or they might
have some other problem. Therefore, my duty ends with being kind, good,
pleasant, considerate and helpful. But whether this will make another person
happy or not happy is not in my hands at all.
If you expect the other person to be happy by your behavior, you may be
disappointed. That is why I said that there are some people to whom whatever
you do, they choose to be unhappy. Therefore, this advice should be very, very
carefully taken. We are to be pleasant, good natured, compassionate,
considerate and helpful.
Our job is over with that. How the other person responds is certainly not in my
hands. Therefore, drop the idea of pleasing others or making the other person
pleased. A person may say - I can’t drop pleasing others because I have to get
things done through them. To get things done through them, I have to
propitiate them, please them.
Many people have to do such jobs with regard to boss, for the sake of business
etc. Some people may argue with Bhartr̥ hari - I cannot drop pleasing because I
require favors from them. Then, Bhartr̥ hari asks the question - for what purpose?
He wants to complete the cycle. So, you want to please others to get favors.
Then, Bhartr̥ hari asks the question - why do you want favors? He says - so that I
will be happy. You are struggling to please another person and you are trying to
get favors from that person and through those favors, you want to become
happy, successful in life. Bhartr̥ hari says -why do you go in a roundabout way?
Instead of struggling to please other people and get favors from them and
being happy through those favors, why can’t you struggle yourself to be happy
without going through the impossible, unpredictable, uncontrollable external
people and world?
Therefore, instead of going through the indirect method of controlling the

world and through the world, controlling your happiness, why can’t you directly
control your happiness? Our method is that we want to control people and the
world so that we can be happy. Bhartr̥ hari says -why do you control the world
which is impossible and try to be happy?
Why can’t you handle your mind directly and find the same fulfillment, happiness
wherein, the struggle will be worthwhile? This is the essence of this verse. It is
working for direct happiness, instead of working for indirect happiness, through
the world, through the propitiation of others.
parēshām chētāmsi pratidivasamārādhya-in the second line, there is a word

hrudaya. hrudaya is addressing his own mind. Bhartr̥ hari is addressing his own
mind. O mind, ārādhya- you want to propitiate, please. parēshām chētāmsi- the
minds of other people, which itself is an impossible task.
It is not enough that you please once. You have to do it on a regular basis -
pratidivasam. I don’t want to go to the details of how. You all know that.
Therefore, you can supply that. shōdasha upachārās are there, including helping
the wife of the boss. Therefore, pratidivasamārādhya;
ārādhya means literally worshiping,propitiating, pleasing other’s minds. How?

bahudhā- by manifold methods. Some of them may be Dhārmic; some of them
may be Adhārmic and also belittling oneself. In-fact, we saw some of the verses
in the previous Vairāgya Śatakam. Even though, I know that the person is doing
Akrama, even though I know that the person is insulting me, just to remain in
his good books, I have to put an artificial smile.
Not only that, but I have to glorify saying you are wonderful, you are great.What
is all this for?Only then the promotion will come or business will run.Therefore,
bahudhāārādhya- O mind, by manifold methods, you are trying to please. What
is the purpose? prasādam nētum - Pūja is only for getting prasādam later.
prasādam means favors from those people, consideration from those people,
anugraha from those so called, deities.So, prasādam nētumohrudaya
klēshakalitam vishati - complicated methods involving full of struggle, pains.
Often, one has to give up one’s values, morals, principles, dignity, prestige,
family status.
One has to give up everything. Bhartr̥ hari even used the word kākavat. He gave
the example of kākavat. Therefore, you have to stoop down to such level. Vishasi
- you are entering the field of propitiating others. Through those favors, you
want to either attain Dharma, Artha or Kāma.
Dharma is doubtful. Artha and Kāma are meant for security and fulfillment. He
says - why are you trying this impossible task? Directly train the mind to be happy
and secure without depending on all these external factors. Therefore, he says
prasannē tvayyam-O mind, once you become tranquil, free from false values,
free from greed.
Then, antaha swayamudita chintāmani gunaha viviktaha sankalpaha - when your

mind is pleased, tranquil and quite, you will develop a Sankalpa Shakti. The mind
itself has the power.What type of Sankalpa? viviktahasankalpaha - clear and

unobstructed Sankalpa Shakti. What type of Sankalpa Shakti is it? chintāmani
gunaha-which has the properties of Chintāmani stone. chintāmani is a mythical
stone or gem.
What is its greatness? Keeping that Chintāmani,whatever a person thinks, all

those wishes will be fulfilled like Kāmadhēnu or Kalpaka Vruksha -chintāmātrēna
sarva kama pradatvāt chintāmanihi. Since it fulfills your Chintā, your mind itself
will become a Chintāmanihi, capable of fulfilling all your Purushārthās, without
depending on any external factor, without falling at the feet of all the immoral
people.
swayam udita chintāmani gunaha-from where does that Sankalpa Shakti come?It
comes from itself - swayam udita. So, learn to depend on yourself. That is the
advice here. Learn to handle your mind, instead of depending upon external
people. If that is done, kimabhilashitam tē na pushyati-then, which desire of yours
will not be fulfilled?
He is addressing the mind. O mind, which desire of yours will not be fulfilled, if you
learn to handle your own mind? Therefore, the second advice is to learn to handle
your mind and tap your own inner resources.
Verse No. 62
पररभ्रमशस तकं मुधा क्वचन मचत्त द्ववश्राम्यतां

स्वयं भवद्वत यद्यथा भवद्वत तत्तथा नान्यथा ।
अतीतमननुस्मरन्नद्वप च भाव्यसंकल्पयन्
नतर्कंतसमागमाननुभवामम भोगानहम् ॥ ६२॥
paribhramasi kiṁ mudhā kvacana citta viśrāmyatāṁ
svayaṁ bhavati yadyathā bhavati tattathā nānyathā |
atītamananusmarannapi ca bhāvyasaṁkalpayan
natarkitasamāgamānanubhavāmi bhōgānaham || 62||
Now comes the third advice. Here, Bhartr̥ hari wants to point out that the past
and the future can be either made favorable or unfavorable to us in the
present, depending upon how we approach them. If we properly approach, our

past can be favorable. If we improperly approach, the past can be unfavorable.
Similarly, if future is properly approached, it can be favorable andif it is

improperly approached, it can be unfavorable. What do you mean by proper and
improper approach? If we are going to brood over the past and go on feeling
regret and guilt and nourish the hatred for the past hurt given by others and
nourish the guilt for the past mistakes that I have done, the past regrets the
past guilt are going to become heavy in the present.
The mind is going to become heavy, nonfunctional, burdened and my present

efficiency is diluted or cancelled. This is wherethe past is abused by me. On the
other hand, if I am discriminative, I can use every past experience for learning
some valid lesson or other. Every experience has a hidden lesson.
There is no lesson-less experience in life. But the lessons are hidden like the
ghee in the milk, like sugarcane juice in the sugarcane. They are not available.
You should know how to crush and take it. If we decide to learn valid lessons
from the past, then our past will make us more mature, more seasoned, more
experienced.
To use the Upaniṣad expression - parīksha lōkān karma chitān;If we do parīksha,

then our past will make us more mature, more seasoned, more experienced
and therefore, more efficient in the present. Thus, past can either decrease my
efficiency or increase my efficiency. What should be our aim? It is to use the past
for increasing the efficiency.
How to do that? Learn the lessons and thereafter, spit out the experience like the
sugarcane juice. Crush the sugarcane, take the juice and remove the pulp. Don’t
dwell upon why people treated me like that. From that, I have learned this
lesson and then, I have forgotten.Similar is the attitude regarding the future
also.
If future is going to create anxiety in me, if future is going to create worry in

me, then the future decreases my efficiency. On the other hand, if future makes
me plan very well in the present, I use it for planning and I use it for
preparations. In-fact, death itself should make me well prepared.Death should
not create anxiety.
Death should trigger preparation in me because I cannot avoid death. So,

better I be prepared instead of worrying. Similarly, I cannot avoid old age. So, I
better be prepared. I cannot avoid separations in life.So, I better be prepared.
Thus, if I use the future for planning in the present, then the future will make
me efficient. Brooding over the past and worrying over the future is an
unintelligent reaction. Whereas, learning from the past and planning for the
future is intelligent action. We should know the difference between reaction
and action.
What is reaction with regard to the past? It is worrying. What is the action with
regard to the past? It is learning. What is the reaction with regard to future? It
is worrying. What is the action with regard to future? It is planning. Therefore,
Bhartr̥ hari says learn and prepare well and then forget the past and future.
He says hē chitta- o mind, vishrāmyatām- learn to relax. kvachana - at-least, for

some time. paribhramasi kim mudhā - why are you unnecessarily restless,
wavering, wandering, vacillating.mudhā means unnecessarily. By your hurry,
tomorrow is not going to come earlier. Therefore, why are you unnecessarily
making yourself restless?
mudhā means in vain. svayam yad yathā bhavti tat tathā bhavati- whatever is
going to come tomorrow according to the Law of Karma, that will happen.Why
are you fretting and fuming? na anyathā- not otherwise. Therefore, what is my
advice? atītam ananusmaran- stop brooding over the past.
Our past brooding consists of two parts. Either I brood over what others have
done to me or I brood over what I have done to others. One is called Bhōkta
based worry and another is called Karta based worry. Bhōkta based worry is
called hurt and Karta based worry is called guilt.We brood efficiently over hurt
and guilteven during meditation session.
So, atītam ananusmaran- learn from the past and spit it out. What about future?
He says api cha bhāviasankalpayan- don’t worry about future. Planning and
acting are important because planning and acting can improve the future.
Worry can never improve the future.
Not only that, but it will only effect the present. Therefore, plan and act, but
strongly refuse to worry. At least, verbally say - I don’t worry. At least, practice
saying - I won’t worry. So, bhāviasankalpayan; Then, what do you do?
bhōgānanubhavāmi-may you face the present experiences efficiently. iha is the
alternate reading for aham.
iha means in the present.May you face the experiences.What type of experiences?
atarkita samāgamān- which have come to you without your knowledge.
atarkitam means unpredicted, unexpected arrivals.May you face them as they
arrive. Therefore, live in the present. Don’t allow the past and future to affect
the present.This is the third advice.
Verse No. 63
एतस्माद्विरमेद्धन्रयाथयगहनादायासकादाश्रय
श्रेयोमागयमिेषरृःखिमनव्यापारदक्षं क्षणात् ।
स्वात्मीभावमुपैद्वह संत्यज द्वनजां कल्िोििोिां गततं
मा भूयो भज भङ् गुरां भवरततं चेतः प्रसीदाधुना ॥ ६३॥
Ētasmādviramēndriyārthagahanādāyāsakādāśraya
śrēyōmārgamaśēṣaduḥkhaśamanavyāpāradakṣaṁ kṣaṇāt |
svātmībhāvamupaihi saṁtyaja nijāṁ kallōlalōlāṁ gatiṁ
mā bhūyō bhaja bhaṅgurāṁ bhavaratiṁ cētaḥ prasīdādhunā || 63||
The fourth advice is - by following the spiritual pursuit, may you find
contentment, fulfillment with yourself. swātmībhāvamupaihi- may you attain
your own higher nature, fuller nature, secure nature, happy nature. Like a
suffering dreamer wakes up and he is free from dream problems, may you
wake up to your higher nature.
How do you do that? shrēyō mārgamāshraya -by resorting Shrēyō Mārga, Gnyāna
Mārga or Vichāra Mārga, spiritual paths.What is the glory of this Mārga?
ashēsha duhkha shamana vyāpāradaksham- it is capable of subduing all your
worries -ashēsha duhkha shamanam. So, in totally subduing your worries,
vyāpāradaksham- it is capable, expert.
How long will it take? Kshanāt. Kshanāt means immediately, instantaneously it is

capable of subduing your worries. Such a Shrēyō Mārga may you take to and
own your higher nature. Observe how he has come from Vairāgyam to Vēdānta
Vichāra.
Somebody may say that I don’t have time and that inner leisure for that. Even if
time is there, mind is thinking of so many things. Then, he says you have done
enough of those things. Now withdraw from those.ētasmād virama- may you
withdraw from all other pursuits. What are they? indriyārtha gahana- withdraw
from the dense forest of complicated materialistic pursuits.
gahana means dense forest. indriyārtha means the material objects. What is its
nature? āyāsakāt- stress ridden.āyāsa means stress, tension. How do you know?
Because you find that stress management programs are increasing and there
are so many people going for stress management.
Therefore, the very fact that the stress management programs are increasing
indicates that it is all tension ridden. So, may you withdraw from or at-least,
reduce the stress ridden pursuits of the materials and spend that quality time
for Vēdānta Vichāra. By way of that, svātmībhāvamupaihi- may you own up your
higher nature.
Your mind will be vacillating. It says - I know this is important. I know I have to
change. There are people in Madras, every time they meet me, they say - I want
to join classes Swāmiji. They are saying that for the past 10 years.So, I want to, I
want to never crystallizes. Therefore, Bhartr̥ hari is remonstrating saying kallōla

lōlām gatim nijām santyaja- drop this vacillation.
Vacillating like a wave. kallōla means a wave, unsteady. So, may you give up
your thinking which is unsteady like a wave, like a bubble. Having decided to
commit yourself to spiritual pursuit, there afterwards, never go back.mā bhūyō
bhaja bhangurām bhava ratim- may you not again go back to. bhūyō mā bhaja-
bhaja means seek again, go back to.
bhava rati means the sensory pleasures,your attachment to the Sāmsāric

pleasures which arebhangurām. Bhangurām means fleeting. May you not again
go back to the fleeting material pleasures. He is addressing the mind. O mind,
steady yourself. prasīda adhunā- may you relax, may you be pleased and may
you change your direction.
So, the fourth advice is own your higher nature, fall on your own lap. That is
why in Tamil, Mōkṣaḥ is called Veedu. Come home, you have wandered
far.chētaha is advising the mind. Bhartr̥ hari is doing in double purpose.When he
advices, people may ask - who are you to advice? Then, he says - I don’t advice
you. I am advising my own mind.
Verse No. 69
तस्मादनन्तमजरं परमं द्ववकाशस

तद्ब्रह्म मचन्तय द्वकमेभभरसद्विकल्पैः ।
यस्यानुषङ् द्वगण इमे भुवनामधपत्य-
भोगादयः कृपणिोकमता भवन्न्त ॥ ६९॥
tasmādanantamajaraṁ paramaṁ vikāsi
tadbrahma cintaya kimēbhirasadvikalpaiḥ |
yasyānuṣaṅgiṇa imē bhuvanādhipatya-
bhōgādayaḥ kr̥paṇalōkamatā bhavanti || 69||
What type enquiry should be done? He is defining here the Shrēyō Mārgam
mentioned in the previous Slōka. tasmāt- having got a clear direction in life,
having got a clear goal in life. tat brahma chintaya- athātō brahma jignyāsa. What
type of Brahman? anantam ajaram paramam vikāsi-anantam means eternal, time-

wise limitlessness.
vikāsi means expanded. It means space-wise limitlessness.ajarammeans

without decay.paramam means which is absolute. dwandvair vivarjitam- which is
beyond the pairs of opposites. tat brahma chintaya. What about all the other
things? asat vikalpaihi kim -vikalpāha means products, which means creation.
vikalpaha is equal to kāryam. Technically, it means Adhyāsaha or Kārya

Prapancha. What is their nature? asat means Mithyā. So, mithyā kārya vastubhihi
kim prayōjanam - What is the use of holding on to the Mithyā Prapancha? Come
to Satyam Brahma. Then, you may ask - what will I get if I come to Satyam
Brahma? What will I get is the crucial question?
He says bhuvanādhipatya bhōgādayaha- all the pleasures of the world, including

the pleasures of an emperorship.bhuvana adhipati means an emperor. It means
sovereignty, all the pleasures, including the pleasures of an emperor.The
pleasures that you are giving are going to be replaced by the higher pleasures.
So, yasya anushanginaha - all those pleasures are only a part of that Brahman.
anushangi means they are all parts, they are all a pratibimba - yasya
brahmānandasya anushanginaha pratibimba bhūtāh; Therefore, you are not
going to miss anything in life. These pleasures are of what nature? krupana lōka
matāh. These worldly pleasures which are valued by unfortunate people are
only a poor copy or reflection of the original.
Therefore, the whole world is running after the fake worldly

pleasures.Therefore, they are called krupana lōka. krupana lōka means
unfortunate people. matāh means valued, abhimatāh, sammatāh. These worldly
pleasures which are valued by unfortunate people are really reflections of that
Brahman. Therefore, at least you come to the original.
Let the people hang to the fake one. With this,I am completing the Upadēsha
part also. He gives plenty of them, but I have selected samples of Upadēsha.
The final Upadēsha is Brahma Vichāram Kuru. Now, I come to the final topic
which is conclusion - Upasamhāraha. I have chosen the last verse which is the
100thverse.
Verse No. 100
मातमेददद्वन तात मारुत सखे तेजः सुबन्धो जि

भ्रातव्योम द्वनबि एव भवतामन्त्यः प्रणामाञ्जशिः ।
युष्मत्सङ् गविोपजातसुकृतस्फारस्फुरन्न्नमयि-
ज्ञानापास्तसमस्तमोहमद्वहमा िीये परब्रह्मभण ॥ १००॥
mātarmēdini tāta māruta sakhē tējaḥ subandhō jala
bhrātarvyōma nibaddha ēva bhavatāmantyaḥ praṇāmāñjaliḥ |
yuṣmatsaṅgavaśōpajātasukr̥tasphārasphurannirmala-
jñānāpāstasamastamōhamahimā līyē parabrahmaṇi || 100||
In this Upasamhāra Slōka, Bhartr̥ hari talks about the thought of a wise person,
at the time of death. What will be his thinking pattern? He is putting it in first
person, singular. Therefore, you have to imagine Bhartr̥ hari in death bed or any
Gnyāni in death bed. As far as we are concerned, we are allergic to that topic.
We say - we are all fine. Why do you bring this topic? Bhartr̥ hari happily brings
this topic. He says that a wise person calls all the five elements as very close
relatives and they have gifted him the body. It is because the body is made up
of the five elements. Therefore, O elements, I have been associated with you
because you have given me this physical body.
The good news is that I have put this physical body to good use. What is the
good use of the body? There is only one good use. It is knowledge. Therefore,
because of my association with the physical body which is your gift, I have
attained fulfillment. Now, having used the body, I want to return it with a note
of Thanks.
I am not returning it with a complaint. I am returning the body with gratitude.

My delusion is completely gone. I am becoming one with Brahman.
parabrahmani līyē- I am only merging into my nature. How does he address the
five elements?mātahamēdini- O mother, Earth.tāta māruta- O father, Air.sakhē

tējaha- O friend, Fire.
subandhō jala - O relative, Water.bhrātar vyōma- O brother, Space. bhavatām

antyaha pranāmānjalihi nibaddhaha - I am offering my final Namaskāra to you.
He has worshipped all the elements previously.In Sandhyāvandanam, there is
water worship, there is fire worship and there is air worship.
I have worshipped all of you before also, but this is antyaha, the final pranāma
anjalihi,the final Namaskāra.nibaddha means offered.What is my present
condition?
yushmatsangavashōpajāta sukruta sphāra sphurannirmalagnānāpāstasamasta

mōhamahimā is one word in Sanskrit. You will understand the meaning if you
start from right side. mōhamahimā- varieties of delusions, samasta means all of
them.
apāstam - are all gone from me.gnyāna- because of the knowledge that I have
gained. Nirmala - which is pure.sphurat- which is shining, bright. sphāra- which
is intensely shining, extremely brilliant.sphārais an adjective of sphurat. The
knowledge is born of the sukruta. sukruta means the blessing, the Punyam.
upajāta- which is born out of. yushmat sanga vasha - my association with
you.What is the association? My body is your gift. Through my body, I am
associated with you.I got the knowledge because of the human body alone.
Therefore, by the power of that knowledge, all the delusions are gone. This
whole word refers to ‘I’.‘I’, whose delusions are gone; Having been freed from all
delusions, what am I doing now?parabrahmani līyē.What about will, house, money
bank account? All thatneeds to be done by you, do it before.
At the time of death, you should have only one thing to do. Conveyingthanks to
everything else and merging into the Lord. This is possible only when there is
Vairāgyam. With this, Bhartr̥ hari completes his Vairāgya Śatakam.

www.arshaavinash.in
WEBSITE FOR FREE E-BOOKS ON VEDANTA & SANSKRIT
Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati launched Arsha Avinash Foundation’s website

www.arshaavinash.in on Dec 31, 2014.
All the E-books available on the website can be downloaded FREE!
PUJYA SWAMI DAYANANDA SARASWATI- A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY BY N. AVINASHILINGAM. It is

available in English, Tamil, Hindi and Portuguese.
SWAMI PARAMARTHANANDA’S TRANSCRIBED CLASS NOTES: Available class notes are

Bhagavad Gita (3329 pages), Isavasya Upanisad, Kenopanisad, Kathopanisad, Prasna
Upanisad, Mundaka Upanisad, Mandukya Upanisad with karika, Aitareya Upanisad,
Chandogya Upanisad, Brihadarnyaka Upanisad (1190 pages), Brahma Sutra (1486 pages),
Tattva Bodha, Atma Bodha, Vivekachudamani (2038 pages), Panchadasi, Manisha
Panchakam, Upadesha Saara, Saddarsanam, Jayanteya Gita, Jiva Yatra, Dhanyastakam,
Advaita Makaranda, Dakshinamurthy Stotram, Drg Drsya Viveka and Naishkarmya Siddhi.
BRNI MEDHA MICHIKA’S BOOKS ON SANSKRIT GRAMMAR: Enjoyable Sanskrit Grammar

Books- Basic Structure of Language, Phonetics &Sandhi, Derivatives (Pancavarrttayah),
Dhatukosah, Astadhyayi, Study Guide to Panini Sutras through Lagu Siddhanta Kaumudi,
Sanskrit Alphabet Study Books- Single Letters, Conjunct Consonants.
There are many more books and articles on Indian culture and Spirituality, Chanting, Yoga
and Meditation. There are also books in Tamil on Vedanta.
Published by
Arsha Avinash Foundation

104 Third Street, Tatabad, Coimbatore 641012, India
Phone: +91 9487373635
E mail: arshaavinash@gmail.com
www.arshaavinash.in

Vairagya Shatakam

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Vairagya Shatakam

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Vairagya Shatakam

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

BHARTR̥HARI

Vairāgya Śatakam - Verse 1 6

Vairāgya Śatakam - Verses 1, 2 23

Samsāra Dōṣa Darśanam 24

Vairāgya Śatakam - Verses 3, 4, 6 37

Vairāgya Śatakam - Verses 7, 8, 29, 67 53

Vairāgya Śatakam - Verses 50, 49, 41, 9 69

Vairāgya Śatakam - Verses 33, 73, 18 100

Verse No. 33 100

Verse No. 73 108

Verse No. 18 113

Vairāgya Śatakam – Verses 18, 38, 43 115

Verse No. 18 115

Verse No. 38 121

Verse No. 43 125

Vairagya Stutihi 129

Verse No. 10 129

Vairāgya Śatakam - Verses10, 12 132

Verse No. 10 134

Verse No. 12 141

Vairāgya Śatakam – Verses 12, 13, 52 145

Verse No. 12 145

Verse No.13 149

Verse No. 52 153

Vairāgya Śatakam – Verses 53, 68, 93 158

Verse No. 53 158

Verse No. 93 170

Vairāgya Śatakam – Verses 93, 94, 75, 61 172

Verse No. 93 172

Verse No. 94 176

Verse No.75 180

Verse No.61 184

Vairāgya Śatakam –Verses 61, 62, 63, 69, 100 187

Verse No.61 187

Verse No. 62 191

Verse No. 63 194

Verse No. 69 196

Verse No. 100 198

Vairāgya Śatakam - Verse 1

सदाशिव समारम्भां िङ् कराचाययमध्यमाम्

There are so many biographies of Shankarāchārya, giving different accounts of

Talk 1 - Mangala Shlokam Downloaded from www.arshaavinash.in Page 6 of 201

Kāma means pleasures. Seeking pleasures is natural to any animal, including a

Talk 1 - Mangala Shlokam Downloaded from www.arshaavinash.in Page 7 of 201

Purushārtha, Bhartr̥ hari writes a Śatakam known as Shringāra Śatakam or

यावद्वित्तोपाजयन सक्तः स्तावन्न्नज पररवारो रक्तः |

yāvadvittōpārjana saktaḥ stāvannija parivārō raktaḥ |

1) A religious way of life is also called Dharma.

2) A life of values like honesty, truthfulness etc, is also called Dharma.

3) A life of proper attitudes is also called Dharma. Attitudes such as how I

Talk 1 - Mangala Shlokam Downloaded from www.arshaavinash.in Page 8 of 201

So, Vairāgya Śatakam deals with Mōkṣaḥ Purushārtha. Of course, Vairāgya

But he talks about an important qualification required for Ᾱtma Jnānam. We

Discrimination - Viveka, Dispassion - Vairāgyam, Discipline – Shamādi Shatka

Talk 1 - Mangala Shlokam Downloaded from www.arshaavinash.in Page 9 of 201

So this is the content of Vairāgya Śatakam - dispassion or detachment. Like the

Talk 1 - Mangala Shlokam Downloaded from www.arshaavinash.in Page 10 of 201

Talk 1 - Mangala Shlokam Downloaded from www.arshaavinash.in Page 11 of 201

पीठं यस्य धररद्वि जि धर कििं, शिङ् गमाकाि मूर्ततं,

Talk 1 - Mangala Shlokam Downloaded from www.arshaavinash.in Page 12 of 201