Why God?
What
should one understand from this? It is all right up to a degree
that
we dispose of questions of God, His mystery and ways, in a
purely
emotional manner, saying ‘it is all indescribable’. While indescribability
is
true, perhaps in the ultimate view, we cannot forsake
description.
Because we are living in a visible world, with
seen
objects, with relationships and institutions–moral, religious,
economic,
social and the like, which have a basis and purpose, all
to
our clear understanding, we have to give a similar description
to
the so-called God as well if our approach to this concept or reality
has
to be of a level compatible with our day to day living and
needs.
I cannot avoid such a statement. There is already a lot of
confusion
about the very religion, the way and what for it, the way
in
which it should be practised. Whoever is the so-called religionist,
will
immediately say that his ‘religion’ is a matter of pure faith.
But
the
pity is that only in the field of ‘religion’ he calls faith into aid
and
ends with it. The very same person may be a lawyer or a doctor,
and
in that field he never calls or relies upon faith so much. His
very
birth is not a myth, his relationship with the world and the
people
is also not so. So we find two distinct compartments in one
man,
one taking refuge under the so-called faith, the other resorting
to
hard and unnegatable facts and the findings based upon it.
I
ask: is this not an incoherence? Can there not be a harmony, a
greater
affinity between the two?
Religion
might have remained within the so-called temples, dealt
with
and pursued as an emotional extension of one’s being. But is
man
merely a product and outcome of sentiments alone? In that
case,
there should be no discussion of knowledge or the effort to
promote
it in several fields.
Religion and Reason
The
flat earth of the ancient religionist cannot any more be acceptable
to
our children or even to the present elders. That earth which
was
flat then has now turned to be round. It has further grown as a
bubble
in the bottom-less and borderless womb of space, its very
weight
and density to be even questioned and doubted at a certain
level.
Yet man continues to live here. Naturally the question arises:
What
is this religion according to the developed understanding of
man
and in conformity with his elevated pursuits. If religion cannot
be
described in the language of understanding, then it cannot
suit
the man of understanding.
I
was born in a pious family. I was brought up also as that. Besides
the
question of ‘being brought up’, I liked to grow as pious and religious.
Even
today I more than ever before like to be pious and unshakably
so.
But this was not for nothing, or with nothing to precede
and
follow it. In the years of my life earlier, and quest later,
the
so-called religion and the pivot of it, namely God, had to shed
its
mask and mystery. And there came a time, when I could know
as
clearly as I do the other seen and heard things of the world,
what
this wonderful God-concept and pursuit are, or at least must
be.
God
is not an evident fact or reality. What is evident is the object
and
material world, its varied constituents and contents. By God
we
have always meant the 'subject' presence and power within the
object.
That is why God, the supreme Reality and Power, calls for
acceptance
as well as rejection in the hands of people. Those who
accept
God do not have any general proof or evidence. Those who
reject
the Truth also do not have an absolute stand for doing so.
Thus
the supreme Reality and God come to be accepted by some, at
the
same time rejected by others. Primarily therefore it is a question
of
one's prima
facie attitude or inclination. Either
sentimentally or
emotionally
or instinctively some feel disposed towards the acceptance
of
the God-idea. Equally so, some others feel in the opposite
direction.
Beyond
this stand of the two sections of people if we have to say
anything
about God and Supreme Reality, it should be in the
sphere
of reason and argument. Either on the basis of an experience
of
one, or the very display of the world phenomena, their
rhythm
and order, one has to think cogently and arrive at conclusions
either
proving or disproving what he wants to posit, whether
God
is or not.
In
India, right from the ancient days we find both spiritual philosophy
as
well as material philosophy equally in vogue. Both had their
respective
votaries. One argued in favour of God and the other
against.
The faith and intention of our honoured thinkers was that
only
those who felt the inadequacy of the material philosophy need
seek
and pursue spiritual philosophy, its teachings and practice.
Thus
everything was properly set to regiment and fulfilled the
thinking
of men and women.
I
always say on my part that I am equally at home with those who
believe
in God and those who do not. In both cases it is the belief of
man.
What is his
God? It is something which his mind
believes in.
And
for the disbelievers, it is a thing which their mind does not believe
in
and fails to accept. Both take their position in their own
minds
and what the mind dictates. Whether belief or non-belief,
both
are equally reflections of the mind, the conclusions and decisions
arrived
at by man. Is God anything more than such
faith, such
conclusion,
for any one, any time? Even the world is what man sees
before
him, and not what world sees before itself !
The
mind, in both cases, is first there. It is accepted by both the
groups
of people. The real substance, the Supreme Reality, too is
this
mind, in one sense. It is the subject presence in the objects, the
inward
being and power in the outward objects and things.
What
do I want to say by all this? My intention is to bring about a
clear
understanding in the matter of religion and God. I do not
deny
the presence of Providence. The ultimate Truth is that everything
is
Providence, Providence’s display and only that. Though
this
is so, we should not confuse ourselves in the actual pursuit of
our
life. Life for humans is extremely complex. Complexity is all
the
more because of the social connections and involvements of our
life.
Unlike animals and birds, which too are alike us in many
ways,
human life is much more organized, and hence too complicated.
Draupadi,
right from the start, stood firm on her ground: ‘Did the
king
pledge and lose himself first, or pledge and lose me first’? This
was
her vital question. This question of hers is evidently a creation
of
her intelligence. I can agree that the intelligence is a gift of God
and
nature, as is everything else in the world and in us. ‘If the king
had
lost himself first, what moral right did he have to pledge me
then?’
This is a very legitimate point. She again argued that if the
defeat
of Dharmaputra meant her defeat as well, then why was he
asked
to pledge her specially? Are not both questions quite fundamental
and
reasonable? It was this question that led to the entire
fate
of hers in the assembly.
If she had
accepted her servitude right from the time she was told of it by
Duryodhana’s
messenger, nothing tragic as the disrobing of hers would
have taken place.
She refused to accompany Duhshasana, as
was the
order
of the new master Duryodhana. This refusal was clearly her
decision,
an act of her choice. It was this refusal that enraged
Duhshasana
who then pulled her by hair to the assembly.
When
her question was yet being debated and even Bheeshma confessed
he
could not give a verdict, which meant she persisted in her
stand,
even the disrobing of her body was attempted. Where does
Providence
come here? Was not all this a development within the
region
of the human intelligence, its decisions and the will exercised
by
the persons concerned?
When
the question was still awaiting an answer and none seemed
to
emerge so soon, Duhshasana began his assault. This assault of
his
was improper on all grounds. Human considerations like sympathy,
a
sense of accommodation, regard for a woman and the like,
all
were thrown into the air by the wicked Duhshasana. His act,
even
according to the custom and codes of propriety prevailing
then,
also in the view of the elders present at the time, was not at
all
just. While he went ahead with his assault and Draupadi's own
husbands
could not do anything, also the elders found it improper
to
interfere, Draupadi cried out in distress. When all external
sources of help and
redress failed her, it was natural that some
internal source
came to her rescue in a totally unimaginable manner.
The
unimaginability does not make it doubtful or unauthentic.
The
very origin of the world is an event unimaginable. Our imagination
and
reason themselves begin to work only when events and
phenomena
come to pass off first.
Then
how can any intelligent man hold that the external and material
things
alone are real and carry authenticity with them? The
very
idea of ‘external' and 'material' first of all implies its opposite
and
contrast, namely 'internal' and 'non-material' or 'spiritual '. Further,
in
the very beginning, was there any external-internal, division
at
all? If reason and observation and vice-versa are any guiding
force
in our understanding, was not all ‘this’ (meaning
the existence
as
we perceive around us), before its very origin, a mere mass of
nothing which in
truth can neither be described as anything nor nothing!
Anything and
something as contrary to nothing,
existence as contrary
to
non-existence, internal as contrary to external, all these became
thinkable
and began to occupy our imagination only after all this
(that
we perceive now) came into being. Before it came into being,
there
was no difference or contrast at all.
So
our very thought that externality or materiality alone can be factual
and
can be accepted by us with authority is baseless. Higher
reason
or pure reason clearly tells us this truth.
What
value and place does an external process or development
have
in our understanding, the same place the internal ones also
have,
at least to a consistent thinker. Here, in the case of Draupadi,
two
are the points involved. Was her plight bearable to her? Was it
bearable
to the others as well? Impropriety is just another expression
of
the same implication. When it was not bearable by all standards
and
no one from outside could do anything to rescue her,
naturally
opened up an inner door. It is just like a man who trips
on
a stone is helped suddenly by another nearby, or gets hold of
some
support nearby. When the help is external,
the poverty of the
human
mind and understanding look low upon it and regard it as
quite
normal, nothing impressive or providential. When it is something
strange
or invisible, his mind, out of its own rut of normalcy,
is
tempted to take it as magnificent and Godly. This is a mistake
which
comes out of sheer ignorance. Deluded by the spirit of distinction,
man
it not able to think of Providence in a uniform manner.
World
and life's normal happenings are taken for granted.
Providence,
of course, is something extra, different, superior and
only
occasional. Alas! see the poverty of the human mind!
Everything,
right from the solid matter up to the boundless space,
and
even beyond, is Providence, no doubt. But Providence is not
exhausted
just by these. It extends far beyond. The phenomena It
produces
within this material range have some order, rhythm, etc.
Rarely
these are overruled by Providence and a strange phenomenon
here
and there is caused. This does not mean that: the 'out of
the
normal' alone is Providence, not otherwise. To look for Providence
only
in the extraordinary and the out of the normal is the
sheer
bankruptcy of our understanding.
In
the case of Draupadi, I will not segregate the protection she got
when
Duhshasana was disrobing her and then say that that alone
represents
the Divine help. In fact, even after Duhshasana withdrew
from
this venture, the humiliation of this great woman continued.
Duhshasana
and others were again after her. The only force
that
kept all under check was her demand for a clear answer to the
question
about her slavery. Everyone, including Duryodhana, had
to
concede to this point. That is why Duryodhana changed his
stand
and said 'If the Pandava brothers admit that Yudhishthira is
not
their Master, I shall let Draupadi free'. This was quite against
his
earlier statement, namely Draupadi was his property and she
'should'
accept his lordship.
True,
that the mysterious lengthening of the saree plugged one
source
of Draupadi’s distress. But there were other holes too, in fact
larger
and deeper. If her slavery was a fact and she had to accept it
without
question, then not merely herself but the entire Pandava
brothers,
her husbands, would have remained in total servitude
and
there would be left no way of rescuing them. The earlier dangers
and
misfortunes could be avoided by some physical means or
other
– for instance the attempt to burn them off in the wax palace
–
but here was a situation which none other than the great Draupadi
could
take up and resolve. The solution lay in the right study,
analysis
and understanding of what transpired and how best it
could
be implicated.
An
event which calls for the use and application of intelligence and
then
for evolving the right formula or solution has no substitute.
Where
intelligence and its timely effort are needed, we should look
for
and exert the intelligence itself, none other.
For
right and authentic causes, the intelligence will definitely get
the
proper attunement and inspiration from the Indweller, who is
the
best representative of Providence. Of all the visible expressions
of
the Supreme, the human mind and intelligence are the most
amazing
and potential. Of all the weapons man can think of and
wield,
his intelligence is the most powerful and queer.
Think
for a moment further how Draupadi’s plight which hung on
the
fruition of her enquiry progressed further. Bheeshma repeated
what
he already said, adding that ‘I cannot give you an answer to
your
question. Yudhishthira alone can give a right answer to this.
But
I do know and can say that very soon this Kuru family, given
to
immorality of the worst magnitude will meet their destruction.'
The
implication, of this to me, is too grave.
The
best of the Knowers of Dharma (Bheeshma) clearly sees that
Duryodhana's
stand is wrong, his cause ignoble, and as a proof of it
he
also envisages the destruction of that family as a whole. Thus
though
the fact that Draupadi's assaulters were 'in the wrong' was
evident
before Bheeshma (that is why he said they would meet destruction
before
long), yet he found himself unable to arrive at a
clear
answer to the distressed Draupadi's question, despite the fact
that
an answer to it would alone resolve her distress. My imagination
soars
mystically at this point. Realize how deep and grave is
the
problem and its magnitude.
Vidura
too followed Bheeshma to say that Draupadi was not in servitude,
and
it was immoral for Duryodhana to discuss about a
woman
in an open assembly like theirs. Even then the pathetic
plight
and indecision continued, with greater vigour and emotional
cyclone.
Providence
had really worked its magic, laid the foundation for its
own
chosen purpose right from the start when conspiring Shakuni
and
Duryodhana began to prevail upon the innocent Yudhishthira
to
pledge his belongings one after another and started picking his
brothers
in the series. From brothers Shakuni switched on to
Yudhishthira
himself.
Even
after Yudhishthira's pledge and loss was ensured, Shakuni
and
his group were not content. Their crooked intelligence told
them
that it was not an adequate humiliation of Yudhishthira and
his
brothers. Perhaps they also had in their minds the thought of
Draupadi,
who had earlier laughed aloud sarcastically when
Duryodhana
on a visit to their palace walked around lifting his
dress
thinking that there was water on the polished floor. In fact
there
was no water. Such was the glazing polish of the floor that it
created
an illusion of water. At other places he was tricked to walk
through
pools of water though the floor showed no sign of water at
all
and thereby he got wet. This incident really went deep into his
mind,
humiliation in the hands of a woman for a folly of this kind
and
from that time onwards he wanted to take revenge.
However,
the effort of Duryodhana and the others to ensure their
own
mastery and the slavery of Yudhishthira and the rest, was the
one
which landed them in exactly the opposite shore. This is how
Providence
works its mystic ways and fulfils its chosen ends. But
for
this greedy step of theirs, the outcome of the whole episode
would
have been different.
If
you ask me why should the devoted and pious, Yudhishthira,
Draupadi
and the rest be subjected to this kind of abject suffering,
does
it fit in with the reward of goodness, there is an answer. In
spite
of his extreme goodness and nobility Yudhishthira did have a
weakness
for playing dice. When challenged and provoked, his
mind
got drawn into ways and measures which his own sound reason
would
have, in calm moments, resented and refused. What
does
this indicate? He clearly had a sense of competition and challenge
so
far as his royal position and powers were concerned. In
giving
vent to this sense, he stood by his independence, never
thought
of taking consultation from his brothers. I am not saying it
was
wrong on his part to do so. But I only state that every trait and
feature
must have its course of resultant outcome. Goodness is rewarded
in
its own way, badness too equally well. Rarely does
goodness
reign without the least shade of its opposite, in any one.
As
Bhagavadgeeta says, any undertaking is associated with some
defect
or other.
Coming
back to Draupadi, why was her saree pulled? Was it not
too
much for her to have been subjected to this kind of torture and
agony?
Well,
the answer which comes to my heart is that Draupadi's stand
did
naturally warrant such a development. Yudhishthira had already
sent
word to her that she should come to the assembly with a
single
dress on her body, during her ‘period'.
That very sight
would
make the elders in the assembly think gravely of the evil
intentions
of the Duryodhana group. By pulling her dress forcibly,
Duhshasana
only inflamed their hearts all the more.
Again,
it was not just a rash step. Draupadi's arguments and the
refusal
to accept her own slavery were the pivot of the whole development.
Perhaps
this was something which even Yudhishthira
and
the rest did not envisage. He must have been quite straightforward
and
innocent in his mind when he staked all his things, himself
and
Draupadi in the game. He stood by his innocence and the
spirit
of the game and its fate. But to everybody's surprise and an42
noyance
all that was his was won by his opponents leaving no
chance
of any rescue at all.
To
this summary position, it was Draupadi who breathed a surprising
and
vital note of change and challenge. After listening to her
views,
and finding that Bheeshma found equal weight on both
sides
of the dispute, Karna said that the superiority of Duryodhana
and
his lordship over Yudhishthira should be demonstrated by
asking
the Pandava brothers to give off their dress to their Lord. At
this,
Yudhishthira and his brothers, without any doubt or delay,
took
off their upper garment and kept it on the floor. What does
this
tell us? Here the issue was between Yudhishthira and his people
on
the one hand, their slavery, and Duryodhana and his lordship
on
the other. Duryodhana demanded his lordship and
Yudhishthira
was ready to concede to it. So where is the dispute at
all
then? Bheeshma, on his part, did not and could not say that either
the
lordship or the slavery was out of place. He found arguments
and
propriety on both sides only so far as Draupadi's plight
and
stand were concerned. One should remember that this was still
an
undecided question.
Once
the husbands accepted their slavery and took off their dress,
Draupadi,
as their wife, was expected to follow suit. And that was
what
normally one would have expected. But Draupadi had her
own
inspiration and course of action provoked by her great humiliation.
Bold
as she was she would not accept defeat even in the
hands
of a devil. Seeing her husbands in total servitude, with not
even
a ray of escape, this lady, the symbol of complex womanhood,
got
high1y inspired and totally moved. Even with the worst of sacrifices
and
sufferings, she was determined to redeem her lords.
This
is highly commendable. More than a pious wish or attitude, it
was
really a great decision, a strong-willed move, which could
shake
even the heaven and hell together. Before such a heroic and
loyal
mind and heart, nothing could stand up and fight. Even
Providence
can only stand in wonder and appreciation, thinking "Is
my
creation, at least one speck here and there, capable of rising so
high
in its thought and inspiration? Is it so wise and bold as to
swear
itself on my strength and vindicate the supreme law of Satya
(Truth)?
But for persons like this, how can my glory be made evident
to
the ignorant as well as the wise of this mortal and proud
world."
At
the same time, such a decision was pregnant with its own chosen
ends.
The decision to stand by her own independence and
thereby
reject her slavery unlike her husbands, was clearly Draupadi's.
At
the same time, the finality of her independence had not
been
decided by the assembly, not to speak of Duryodhana and his
group.
In so far as it was as yet an undecided point, Duhshasana
and
Karna must have had at least the basic sense not to touch
Draupadi,
because she was still to be given a definite answer to her
question.
After all, it was only the success in the game that made
them
assume lordship over Draupadi. This right over her was to
come
to them only by virtue of the propriety of Yudhishthira's
pledge.
Inasmuch as the very question of pledge was not decided
upon
to the satisfaction of the assembly and Draupadi in particular,
Duhshasana
was clearly wrong in his approach. Equally Karna was
immature
and cruel in having instigated Duhshasana to take away
her
dress by force.
However,
in this queer world Nature has given ample chance, nay
she
has made ample provision even for such unjust, (shall I call it
so)
cruel, wild developments and instigations.
Nature's
idea is that nothing what-so-ever should lie outside the
orbit
of Her Creation. In Her warm embrace must come everything
right
from extreme goodness to the worst of badness. Only then
will
Nature be exquisite and amazing in every way. In order to incorporate
alike
in Her being, both beauty and ugliness, both goodness
and
badness, with equal vigour and glare, Nature has first
made
Herself neither beautiful nor ugly, neither good nor bad, but
the
magnificent 'neuter' of all the opposites. No doubt Her being is
transcendental
at all levels and spheres. In being so does she constantly
frightens
as well as allures the human, stimulating his deepest
thought
and enquiry. For the real seeker and investigator, the
best
of delight, nay the fulfilment of his life, consists in probing into
Her
mystery and wonder.
In
assaulting Draupadi, Duhshasana had clearly thrown aside the
basic
rule and code which even the crude dacoits on the road
would
honour and obey. Draupadi's steadfastness, her spirit of loyalty
and
sacrifice, was thus pitted against the most ruthless adversary.
This
was the biggest, yet most pregnant fun which Providence
could
instrument and indulge in.
Human
will is inherited from Providence of course. Its potency is
marvellous,
no doubt. But how far can it rise up in strength? Can it
rise
in revolt and begin to question the Power and Design of the
Supreme,
from whom indeed it has derived its own birth? Can the
Creator
be at any time the slave of man, the topmost of His Creation?
Can
the Human will ever rise above the Creator's? Duryodhana
and
his brothers had, it is true, been successful in enslaving
the
righteous Yudhishthira. But can they rise above the Supreme
and
its Power?
On
his side, Duhshasana had his manly power and strength to assault
the
helpless woman of the Pandavas. But the challenge im45
plied
something far graver and greater. The victim of his assault
was
not just the woman alone in Draupadi, whom he and his people
hated,
but also the Lord who dwelt in her heart, whom no one
could
hate, from whom none could ever get away or escape. To this
Lord,
devotion and piety were dearer than everything else.
Duhshasana
had thought that his manly strength was unchallenged
before
Draupadi and she could have nothing to defend herself.
He
forgot the basic truth that every man is born of the woman,
and
thus the woman is his mother and fosterer. The blood and
bone of
man may be
stronger, but stronger still and unyielding are the heart and
mind of a loyal
and dedicated woman. Even
the superior reason of man
got
stupefied before Draupadi's interrogation!
All
this had to be demonstrated before the hetero-genous assembly,
where the choice
of the wicked counted, not the voice of the wise and the
elderly. For
the Providence, every event is a fun or sport. For man
alone,
it proves to be a lesson.
When
those men, her husbands, who were to give protection themselves
were
made to stand back mute and helpless, nay when they
were
the ones to cause this plight to her, Draupadi found nothing
left
in this seen world to look to in her distress. What is an innocent
mortal
to do at such a time, in such an event? The only choice was
to
look to herself, her own within. That is what she did. The within
of
everyone is visible and available to himself alone, to none else.
Every
human is born into this world with an intrinsic right. No
one
can
dissuade or dislodge him from it. By this he is enabled to look
to
the Creator's hand of protection as the last resort, when the Creation’s
hand
refuses and betrays him. The secret of devotion or piety lies
in realizing this
right and resorting to it with exclusiveness in time with
reliance,
humility and hope.
Many
get steeped in delusion, or they are swept by pride and egoism.
As
a result they over-value themselves or misbelieve altogether.
Thereby
they miss the Supreme, the benefit of His infinite
love
and power. Alas!
Here
we have an exemplary fusion of the two, the faithful and the
faithless,
the humble and the proud, the innocent and the infatuated,
and
their corresponding fates. A great battle for winning supremacy,
no
doubt. As well-known for all time ever since the dawn
of
human history, the faithful, the humble and the innocent had the
victory;
to the discomfiture of the other and to the discernment of
one
and all. Without combats and duels, the deeper lessons of
Truth
and piety cannot be let known to men and women of the
world.
The
within
is truly the cause of the entire without.
In the within lies
the
golden solution for all the problems caused by the without. In
the
within alone originate
as well as dissolve all
polarities, all contradictions,
all
opposites.
The
Invisible Lord is enshrined truly in the within of each mortal.
One’s
own within is the potent and infinite zero upon
which subsist
the
whole
range of numerals and their multiples. The
cause and
source
are but one. And that one reigns secretly in
one’s own within.
It
needs great eyes to see this truth, lofty wisdom to discern it, noble
and
pious heart to cling to it and gain succour. Draupadi was
one
rare soul with the choicest blessings in this regard. With her
invincible
husbands tied down in total slavery with the wise elders
struck
dumb in doubt and indecision, with the next kith and kin
(Duryodhanas)
frowning with vengeance and cruelty, she looked
desperately
to the Power within, calling it by her own beloved
name.
The name means but little. The call alone matters and the
depth
and reliance with which it is made. Before such heroic hearts,
even
the hardest rock has to melt, the ferocious river has to go dry,
the
tallest mountain crumble and turn to mere dust. And this is
what
happened in the case of Draupadi. In an instant the villain
turned
to a mere weakling, bashful and exhausted pitiably, to the
ridicule
of the noble and to the surprise of even the wicked.
In
fact this imposing Universe and the entire visible things have
sprung
from the Invisible. Everything rests in the latter and upon
it.
Nothing has an abode outside the Invisible. Everything is in
truth
and that alone. Is not our body, of many parts and limbs, belonging
to
the one ‘I’ within it, the Spirit? So too is this single body
of
the universe with all its constituents and contents belonging to
the
one mighty ‘I’ within, the Almighty Spirit, the Supreme Lord.
Our
left hand scratches an itch on the body, aggravating the suffering,
but
only to make the right hand apply medicine to heal it. The
same
‘I’ causes the one hand to scratch and another to resist. Both
of
them inhere in the same body, possessed and propelled by the
same
spirit, the soul within. For both, the Master is the same, the
only
one. In this universe too, in spite of its endlessness and ramification,
the
process worked is the same, though it is hazy and elusive
to
the unwary eye. The one Lord is the owner, possessor, motivator
enjoyer,
sufferer, in short everything and all. He is the giver
and
the taker alike. He gives through one hand, but only to take
through
another.
Through
a villain He chooses to be cruel. Through a graceful another,
He
chooses to be kind. He it is that tortures. He alone is the
tortured
alike. The
problem is not His, but ours, to know this naked mystery.
The
challenge is perpetually there before every man and
woman.
Once man succeeds in knowing this truth, saved is he for
ever.
His life will get fulfilled once and for all.
Both
Grace and Cruelty, Grandeur and Filth stand in a mystic embrace
in
the Invisible Lord. The world is so designed that this mystic
blending
may be revealed constantly, in every corner at every
time.
Try
with all your might, the world cannot be otherwise. For those
who
yearn for Grace, there is enough of it to descend. For those
who
wish to revel in cruelty, there is equal chance and scope. It is
merely
a question which of the two one wants, in which way one’s
mind
turns and works.
Draupadi’s
own mind and feeling really worked the miracle before
her.
If she had not sought the help, sought it so frantically, that
which
happened would not have been. It is the will of the human that
produced the
display of the Divine. Like
the star of the firmament, the
Divine
and its potency are always there. There is no dearth of them
any
time. Yet It chooses to manifest only when some earthly creation
first
invokes it and yearns for it. Duhshasana, standing in the
same
assembly, right in front of the one he assaulted, believed in
his
own might and displayed it openly. Draupadi, on the other
hand,
believed not in her might but that of the Invisible, and so she
made
it manifest copious1y. The Lord and His might were in both,
inside
as well as outside, but to the one it was nothing and nowhere,
while
to the other it was everything and everywhere; The
difference is
wrought by the human. Even
now believers believe in
their
belief. Disbelievers believe in their disbelief. Both are strong in
their
stand and reason. Both are motivated by their minds and
hearts.
Truth and God
impartial
The
Indweller is impartial always. He is made partial and is seen to
be
so by virtue of the different men and women. He helps you the
way
you want and seek. For, ultimately, He has nothing to lose or
gain.
The gain and loss, if at all, are to us, the mortals. One butchers
out
of one's own instigation and motive. In a sense the Indweller is
made
to give him the instigation he needs. But the desire, the demand,
comes
from the butcher. Equally so one is moved to protect.
Here
too the inspiration and motive come from the mortal man.
The
Lord merely plays the role He is made to, wanted to. The
house
is made the way the owner wants it. The architect is there
only
to plan it the way the owner wants.
It is this superb
neutrality that makes the Indwelling Lord what He is,
preserves His
glory untarnished forever. The
moment He were to shift
from
this position, He would descend to be a mortal as so many
others
are.
The
whole game of life is crowned with its destined glory and fulfilment
once
the seeker recognizes this supreme truth and remains
seated
in it as much as he can. The fall, if at all, will be to this recognition
and
the abidance in it. Our scriptures and scriptural stories
are
designed to lead man to the enquiry of this nature. Even Draupadi's
plight
and role guide the true seeker only to the sublime enquiry
for
truth.
The
seeker's enquiry is deep and persisting. Far from superficiality
it
has to sink deep and rise high, be deeper than the oceans and
higher
than the sky. The young boy Nachiketas is made to enquire
from
the God of Death (in the Kathopanishad) as to what lies beyond
the
ken of both morality
and immorality. Morality is man50
made.
It has its specific relevance to immorality, again another concept
of
man. May be the latter is inferior to the former. But what of
that
to the Supreme Reality? The immoral inspirations come from
one's
own within, the mind and intelligence. The moral ones too
emerge
from the same twins, mind and intelligence. If the Indweller
is
said to be within everyone, it becomes a paradox. God is
at
the back of both. He would be the cause of both. If both morality
and
immorality are thus motivated by Him, why prefer one and
abhor
the other? What exactly is the difference between the two? Is
there
any difference at all? Are both to be identified with God and
hence
accepted or both eschewed regarding them as of humans?
The true Yearning
So
Nachiketas presents his yearning in an exemplary way.
He
says: 'Only if you see anything supreme rising above both
dharma and
adharma,
tell me what it is, not otherwise.'
In
the last chapter of Bhagavadgeeta too we find the concluding
verse
of Sri Krishna, the great succour for one and all:
"Abandon
all considerations of dharma, cast
them aside and then
seek
me out, the one and only one." Evidently, the supreme truth is
one,
its only description is 'oneness'. And that one is different from
everything
else, all twos and threes. Dharma and
adharma,
both together,
constitute
a pair in the world of man, the intelligent mortal.
They
are a typical set of two, like the so many other comrades of
theirs.
All the twos are born of the three, sattva, rajas and tamas.
But
the Truth of God or Self is above and beyond these three, as the
so
many twos created and preserved by them. That is how the Self
becomes
Gunateeta
(beyond the gunas)
Can
the seeker feel inspired to seek It? Can he elevate himself to
that
level? Then alone will he deliver himself from mortality. The
enquiry
for the Truth in finer stages is not for the weakling and the
unsteady.
It is for the most heroic hearts and minds, the most penetrating
intellects.
As Mundakopanishad puts it:
Naayamaatmaa
balaheenena labhyah
Na cha pramaadat
tapaso vapyalingat
This
Self, though it dwells within the body of every seeker, is not
available
to the fragile minds, brittle minds. Nor can it be obtained
by
means of improper austerities. It is not enough if you do austerity.
Ranging
from early rising and bath, starving, fasting, half-fasting
and
the like to the various meditations initiated into by a variety of
preceptors,
austerities are multiple and colourful. But all these need
not be
the proper ones for knowing the Self. Find out the proper
one
and pursue it if you can.
At
one stage I feel like saying God is created in the image of man. Yes,
man imagines God
and makes Him the way he wishes. He can
make any
mistake
in so doing. And all such mistakes will bring in their troubles
and
dangers. In the whole field of God, there is little which
man
does not make himself. And this is how a lot of confusion and
fight
prevails.
Where
did Duhshasana lose, and where did Draupadi gain, if they
really
did so? This is a conflict which should be understood and
then
resolved. Our Scriptures present a number of conflicts and
contradictions.
That is their way. The intention is to make the intelligent
man
and seeker think for himself, enquire deeply and find
out
what he wishes to. Then he has to stabilize his understanding
and
faith in what he has found out firsthand. To make his search
safe
and fruitful, there is every help and guidance given.
The triplets of
Dharma
Sincerity
of purpose is the one quality that counts everywhere in all
our
actions and pursuits. To be sincere all have an equal chance
and
power. Even the weak and the unintelligent can raise sincerity
in
themselves as much as their more blessed counterparts. It needs
no
greatness of position, power or superiority. You find in the instance
we
discuss, both Duhshasana and Draupadi equally sincere.
The
womanly weakness and inferiority did not stand in the way of
Draupadi
arousing the best notes of sincerity from within her. The
child
can be as much sincere as the grown up. So, none can complain
of
unequalness or lack of opportunity in this sublime virtue.
Sincerity
arises from sentiments and emotions, or say feelings. It is
a
kind of total identification with the object or purpose in hand.
There
is no need for reason or anything subtler like that to evoke
sincerity
at any time. In India there have always been a number of
spiritual
seekers and saints, whose pursuit was dominated by sincerity
of
purpose and total identification more than anything else.
Steeped
in sincerity many have gone to several extremes, which
would
have normally been considered wrong and disastrous. But
they
were extraordinarily saved from the disastrous consequences.
Why?
Only because, they had their stand in sincerity. The mere
dint
of sincerity, however much wrongly placed it was in the eye of
reason,
is the only force and power which saved them. This is but a
natural
law, a fundamental one, governing the human heart and
life.
But
mere sincerity will not be adequate, as perhaps the instance of
Duhshasana
suggests. What is further needed is an important enquiry.
The motive and
ideal must be good. Goodness is the ultimate
watchword.
Well, the question arises as to what goodness consists
of.
Goodness can have several facets and expressions. But briefly it
lies
in giving freedom to the others as much as one wants it for oneself.
One
should let others live just like one seeks to live oneself. In
the
pursuit of our life, we should not take away or interfere with
the
others' lives. The needs, urges and ideals of life are there for one
and
all. And each should consider them as relevant and necessary.
A
consideration of this nature instantly brings in the need for
restraints
in oneself. A
number of restraints applying to the body and
senses
on the one hand and to the mind, intelligence and heart on
the
other thus call for adoption and pursuit. Restraint is thus the
third
virtue, quite imperative as the others. Every misbehaviour,
interference
and assault arises only when restraints are lacking.
Duhshasana
failed to apply the restraint needed and that is why he
assaulted
Draupadi. Yudhishthira, standing on the opposite side,
displayed
it copiously. Bound by his own promises, he removed
his
garment just when Kama demanded it and laying it on the
ground
he stood mute as a loyal servant of the enemies. Bheema
now
and then erupted, no doubt, lacking restraint, but when admonished
he
checked himself.
One
takes to thieving only because he lacks restraint. One takes to
stealth
due to the same instigation and cause. In any walk of life, it
is
greed and misplaced feelings and thoughts that pull a man to the
wrong
course of life.
In
the Bhagavadgeeta, though many things are discussed and laid
down
as the foundation and pursuit of dharma,
there is one point
which
alone ranks supreme. It is placed as the first and last limb of
Dharma
and Wisdom. Indriya-nigraha
or indriya-niyamana is
this
fine
virtue – restraint of the senses. In describing the stitha-prajna,
the
guna-ateeta,
the bhakta as well as the knower, Sri Krishna repeatedly
stresses
upon the one limb, namely restraint of the senses.
When
one’s senses are restrained, he becomes a lover of everyone,
even
of the enemy. He is also loved by one and all. All quarrels,
fights,
competitions and conflicts, all have their origin in lack of
restraint.
In pursuing and practising the right type of restraint in
the
right and feasible manner, lies the golden solution for all human
problems,
both individual and social.
In
the case of Draupadi’s humiliation, Duhshasana respected only
his
own feelings and views. He threw aside those of Draupadi as
well
as the several others including some of the best elders like
Vidura,
Bheeshma, etc. Where a check and restraint had to be applied
he
deliberately did not. For that mistake, he alone was responsible.
Naturally
it brought its own consequences. The indweller
in
him did not interfere with his trend of thinking or values.
Those
whose feelings were interfered with and thereby got
wounded
and pained were Draupadi herself and then her husbands,
besides
the elders like Bheeshma and Vidura. Each of them
came
out with his own counter thoughts and measures.
Draupadi
found Duhshasana impossible to bear. But she could not
do
anything to resist him bodily or externally. Her husbands, who
were
the ones to give her defence were standing helplessly mute.
Naturally
her
sincerity and need both turned to the Indweller. She
used
her
wits and powers in desperation to bring the Indwelling Power
to
an extraordinary measure of protection. Why not? That was her
wont,
decision and challenge. She was moved more by the dire
need
of the hour and the spontaneous feelings of her heart. It was
not
so much reason. Reason arises only when the background of
calm
and composure is first there. Draupadi's mind gave forth reason,
but
that was earlier when the news of Duryodhana gaining her
in
the game was broken to her by Pratikami. She sternly responded:
"Whom
did the king stake first, himself or me?"
But
now the situation was far more unnerving and sudden. It was
an
instance of molest, that too right in the midst of an open assembly
by
an act of pulling her dress. Probably that was the first time
when
a woman of the land was ever submitted to a plight such as
this.
Naturally
a flood of emotions and feelings surged up in her heart.
It
gave vent in the form of a hectic call for protection. The within -
the
presence dwelling within whatever we see outside, being the
cause
of everything be it the vast space or the numberless galaxies,
here
too the within could produce the necessary extraordinary phenomenon.
God's identity
absolute
God
and His Power are not anything remote or separate, as many
are
prone to think. He may be transcendent, but surely He is immanent.
Everything
is He himself, not the least different. Like a pinch
of
sugar dissolved in a cup of water, His nature and Power are
fused
in everything created, animate as well as inanimate, and are
found
to exist in one form or other. Every form of existence has its
own
specific place and importance. Nothing is inferior or superior.
The
crow flies because of its power, which is truly the power of
God
Himself. The mosquito too bites in exactly the same manner,
deriving
its motivation from the same single source.
The
humans too are fused into the being of God. God’s power is
fused
in them as sugar in water. It is this power that makes the
body
breathe and function. The mind thinks because of it. The intelligence
reasons
due to the same Power and source. In the working
of
the body and likewise in that of the mind and intelligence,
nothing
except God’s power becomes manifest. It is but a question
of
knowing this supreme Truth.
To
look for God’s Grace as if it were something away and separate
from
what already is in us and everywhere else, is the sheer poverty
of
true wisdom. To view only the extraordinary phenomena,
sudden
strokes of miracles like what happened in the case of Draupadi,
as
an act of God's Grace is also a poor wit of man. As God is
equally
present everywhere, the real seeker should try to think of
him
alike in all events and causes. That is the road leading to
enlightenment
and redemption.
The
prompting of Draupadi's intelligence when she was first told
of
her servitude to Duryodhana, by which she torpedoed the whole
attempt
of the Kaurava camp headed by Shakuni, was equally an
act
of God’s Grace and protection. The continuous lengthening of
her
dress when Duhshasana forcefully pulled it asunder was none
the
more. One was internal, the other external. If at all, the seeker
should
try to find his inspiration in both. To stress one and thereby
lower
the other will cut across his own ultimate object and ideal.
Differentiation
is sometimes dangerous. It may lead him far too
astray.
Intelligence, the
Supreme Creation
Of
all the things created by the Supreme, the human within, the
mind
and intelligence of the human, are the most superb. They are
the
most potent. From the mind can arise the most august feelings
and
urges like love, kindness and sacrifice. Equally so, from it can
emerge
the most corrupt feelings and urges like hatred, cruelty and
selfishness.
Because the mind is the seat and source of these opposites,
the
scope and tussle of man is perpetually there to bridle the
mind
the way he wants and the way that is the best. But for this
mystic
swingingness, our life would become stale and even inert.
Likewise
the intellect of man too can drift in the two directions, the
creative
and the destructive, the useful and the useless. Because the
drifting
is sure to be there, it becomes an uphill task to have it produce
the
best and the most fruitful.
That
is how right from the ancient times when our Seers began to
probe
into the hidden truths of Nature and the secret of supreme
Goodness,
they hit upon the
Gayatri as the most needed and fruitful
prayer
and desire. More than the usual prayer, it is a creative
thought
where the thinker determines for himself the path he
wants
to tread. The Gayatri mantra is very simple and lucid, precise
and
firm in its content and import. May our intelligence be
'properly'
propelled by the Indwelling Lord, who is worshippable, and
whose brilliance
we meditate upon.
The
suggestion is very clear and should make everyone think what
it
means to him or her.
Coming
back to Draupadi's plight and the way it was resolved,
even
the withdrawal of Duhshasana did not terminate the whole
issue
and liberate her and her lords. The debate and indecision continued.
When
no decision could be arrived at, suddenly Dhritarashtra's
palace
was rebounding with evil portends caused by birds,
animals,
etc. The news was reported to the old King. He got terri58
fied.
In his mind he was already sure that the designs of Duryodhana
and
Shakuni were bad and disastrous. But the insistence of
his
son and his own parental ties of attachment prevented him
from
sternly preventing Duryodhana from what he was proposing
to
do. Now that the evil portends were also there, Dhritarashtra felt
all
the more sure that his family would soon be on the verge of annihilation.
So
he hurried to get Draupadi to his presence and speaking
to
her in gentle terms of approbation, he granted her three
boons;
As a loyal wife and as a wise moralist, she chose only two of
them
by which she gained the freedom of Yudhishthira and the
four
brothers. She refused to avail of the third boon, regarding it as
superfluous
to her purpose and stressed the need for avoiding
greed.
She also declared, 'With my husbands set free, I want nothing
more.
Whatever is needed by me, they will accomplish.' What
greater
prudence and moderation can one think of?
Here
the sudden emergence of evil portends is also an act of Providence.
First
was the intelligent
enquiry of Draupadi as to who got
staked
first. Second was the visible protection given to her when
molested
by Duhshasana. Third is the emergence of evil portends.
All
these are steps in the same ladder, leading to the same height of
purpose.
One should not overstress one step or underrate another.
Each
is in place and has the same importance as that of another.
The Value of Dharma
Let
me end the narrative on this important episode of moral and
ethical
complexity. Let us see what this story tells us, the men and
women
of the present day in the context of our lives and problems.
Whether
it is devotion to God, the Almighty, or morality and ethics
in
one form or another, in truth this is but a pursuit of man, which
he
takes up for the merit and protection which it is capable of giving
him.
Righteousness has its value, place and usefulness for man.
It
is this usefulness that makes righteousness desirable, nay imperative.
To
consider that righteousness is a law born from the unseen
heavens
is not so much proper. The same is the case with devotion
to
God. Belief in God and the pursuit of devotion are meritorious
for
the intrinsic value and usefulness which they hold for
man.
These again are man's wont, decision and pursuit.
Knowing
that this is so, it is for the devotee and moralist to make
his
devotional and moral pursuits as true and proper as possible.
Under
the garb of devotion or morality, none can expect a license
for
committing wrongs and excesses. Like a false step, knowingly
or
unknowingly done by any other person, the error made by the
devotee
and moralist is also sure to bring in its wake its specific
consequences.
Insofar
as Yudhishthira, much against his wishes or those of others,
including
Sri Krishna, chose to play dice with Shakuni and as the
first
step began to offer valuable and great stakes, describing his
riches
and power in eulogical terms, it was natural that he was led
to
the consequences of the venture. In a game one loses or gains.
And
in this case Yudhishthira lost. It is true that he was a great
Dharmishtha (moralist).
But the fact is that even then he played the
game,
agreed to play with Shakuni, knowing fully well that the latter
was
an adept in foul play. When the game progressed, at every
stage
Yudhishthira tried to win, but could not and did not. Naturally
the
fate of the loser had to be accepted and faced. Was not this
that
happened?
So
even the best of the righteous has to face the inevitable consequence
of
what he does, knowingly and even unknowingly. There
is
nothing in righteousness which can insulate him from the consequences
of
what he does. Now one may ask. What is then the special
protective
power of righteousness or dharma?
In
spite of the worst consequences and the righteous having to face
them,
he will find an ultimate course of redemption. It is true that
the
redemption will not always be easy or fast. As hard and painful
as
the consequences are, so hard and slow will the redemption also
be.
But redemption is sure to come. That is where dharma derives
its
unique merit. It becomes worthy of man's option and pursuit.
Dharma
protects when protected and preserved, is the one infallible
assurance.
You
find this clearly demonstrated in this episode. Holding on to
dharma Yudhishthira
hazarded to play the game, though he knew
well
the stealth and its aftermath in the process. But the refusal to
play
would tantamount to cowardice and withdrawal in fear.
Duryodhana
should not have caused the play in the manner he
did.
Once he chose to challenge Yudhishthira, it was not right for
him
to back away from the game. A true Dharmishtha must
preserve
his
dharma
at any cost. Whatever consequences may
be ahead
for
him, he should not flinch from its pursuit. Fearing deceit and on
that
account withdrawing from a venture that faces the
Dharmishtha in
the natural course of his life is not heroic or exemplary.
In
the pursuit of dharma,
dharma's own damage alone need be
considered
and avoided.
Once
he chose to play, Yudhishthira did his part as was customary
in
a heroic manner. One after the other, he began to lose his stakes.
Further,
each time a new stake was offered, particularly that which
his
opponent. Shakuni, wanted and insisted upon. It was in that
strain.
Yudhishthira offered himself first and then at the insistence
of
his adversary staked Draupadi too.
If
while clinging to Dharma and
its pursuit a Dharmishtha
is exploited
by
his adversary by fair means or foul and is made to take
disastrous
steps designed to destroy him, well, what is the solution?
Where
lies the protection for the votary of Dharma? To
this,
the
answer lies in the very sequence of things that took place in the
game.
Shakuni and Duryodhana had their evil intentions. In making
them
pursue these, the Supreme Power had seen to it that their
object
of attack, namely Yudhishtira, was destined to be saved. Just
like
the passage for escape had been built in the wax palace, which
was
later on set fire to, here too Providence had made the hole for
escape.
In the former, the escape hole lay outside the palace. The
latter
was built right within the body by making the intelligence
shortsighted.
What precisely did Shakuni and Duryodhana plan to
ensure,
namely the slavery of Draupadi, that indeed became the
lever
for escape and means of redemption for the opponents.
Draupadi, the
complex woman
Now
let us think of Draupadi. Draupadi was bold and shrewd. She
as
a typical woman could take stock of the situations with a practical
touch.
But along with heroism, exclusive loyalty and faithfulness,
she
had enough of competition and intolerance towards the
Duryodhana
brothers. She had spoken teasingly about Duryodhana,
Karna
and others, and that is what provoked the latter's
wrath
and cruelty. Her morality and steadfastness were good and
rewarding,
but her other traits and indulgence too were equally
damaging
in their own way. One does not mean an escape from the
other.
Each has its own law of compensation.
But
nonetheless she was exclusive in her personal loyalties and ide62
als.
Her nature was such that in the pursuit of her loyalties she
would
brook no resistance or opposition. Although Arjuna was the
one
who won her hand after hitting the target with the bow in the
marriage
assembly, Kunti, the mother of Arjuna, accidentally pronounced
her
as the prize to be equally possessed and shared by all
the
five sons of hers. Without the least doubt or resentment, she
honoured
and accepted this verdict of her mother-in-law and
abided
by it throughout her life. Arjuna and his other three brothers
had
accepted the elderliness and leadership of Yudhishthira in
all
matters. That indeed became the law for Draupadi too. All this
clearly
reveals the greatness and exclusiveness of her thinking and
decisions.
As
a true woman, complex and strong in her emotions and sentiments,
Draupadi
did embody a sentimental side also within her. A
woman
would cease to be a woman if she is weak in the display of
timely
sentiments. Giving vent to her sentiments liberally on the
one
hand and pursuing the best and hardest ideals on the other,
this
indeed is a curious moral mixture. It cannot but bring a mixture
of
reciprocal developments and outcomes. And that is what
took
place.
Who,
particularly which woman, will indeed have the courage and
timely
prompting to resist heroically, without succumbing, the assault
of
a tyrant like Duhshasana, who had not merely the might of
position
but also the strength of righteousness (at least until Draupadi
questioned
it) to do what he did? Indeed it was no small heroism,
no
ordinary decision. By making such a decision and showing
such
heroism, Draupadi had proved herself exceptionally strong
and
adorable in her mental and moral mettle and ideals. Naturally
on
two accounts her step was pregnant with untold consequences.
One
was that like a strong whirlpool attracting the substances float63
ing
on the surface near about into itself, her thoughts and feelings
would
inevitably warrant their own reciprocal outcome. Secondly
only
a heroic mind will be tested in an extraordinary manner. By
means
of the first the natural laws of the mind are fulfilled, and by
the
latter a great elevation and reward are accomplished. Both are
quite
in place and promoting too in their effects.
To
be a strong and exclusive moralist or devotee does not mean to
be
soft and be gentle always or to pass through an easy and challengeless
life
in the world. As high and deep, as strong and exclusive,
are
one's ideals and pursuits, so hard and tough will be the
trends
and ordeals they will call for. No hardship or test can be an
excess
for such a person of pure ideals and pursuits. By stepping
into
such hardships and trials, the devotee and the moralist
strengthens
and glorifies his decision and pursuits on the one hand.
On
the other, he allows Nature or Almighty to reveal to the rest of
the
world how rewarding and redeeming an exclusive pursuit can
be
though attended with a number of risks and battles.
Even
today it is not the lakhs and crores of mortals who eat their
daily
bread, grow outwardly and in the end breathe their last, perhaps
leaving
to their posterity some bounty in the form of houses
and
other riches that constitute the backbone of mental and moral
civilization
of the mankind and their deep-rooted culture. Instead it
is
those rare few, mostly countable in fingers, who, right from the
start
or soon later in their life set before themselves sublime values
and
sound standards in the pursuit of which they make, with
pleasure
and willingness, any extent of sacrifices and risks. Of all
such
people, the assiduous moralists (righteous and dharmic persons
like
Yudhishthira) and the exclusive devotees (like Meera and
others)
rank supreme. It is because of instances such as these and
the
historic influences which they have perpetuated in our society
right
from the ancient days, that even today at least one man here
and
another woman there are born whose hearts and minds get
inspired
to make the highest of seeking and the deepest of yearning.
