TODAY'S aadhyaatmaa LESSON 21.. daan is a ship to cross the sansaar saagar full of paapi karma......
Posted by Champaklal Dajibhai Mistry on January 1, 2003

 

brahmaa-dev continues to add to the explanation from saarsvat-muni  about daan: (slok 1.2.84):

" In the daarun saagar of sansaar meaning agonizing, pitiless, harsh, frightful, cruel, violent ocean of worldly existence comprising of eternal cycle of birth-death, which is full of waves creating mal (paapi karma) due to waves of dharma and adharma one should resort to  daan.

daan is like a ship (to cross sansaar as noted above with an aim to achieving moksh)."

.....om shaanti shaanti shaanti.......om tat sat....

Prajaapati Vishva Aashram Foundation (PVAF) is blessed to continue today ....LEARNING ABOUT LIFE AND ITS SCIENCE....which in ved is called aadhyaatmaa - the science of aatmaa (soul)....aatmaa which empowers everything in this creation called universe, earth, humans, animals, plants, non-living beings, planets, solar systems, galaxies....they are all creations of creator brhmah ...who is the parmaatmaa or supreme aatmaa..the creator and empowerer of aatmaa and all creations....aadhyaatmaa is key to our daily co-existence with our fellow creations....either to co-exist for happiness or un-happiness....is an individual choice based on free will granted by our creator brhmah....

Learing is also sharing your knowledge with others...PVAF welcomes your knowledge for sharing...you can share your knowledge on aadhyaatma with the rest of the humankind for a peaceful and harmonious co-existence by posting on this web site by clicking on POST A COMMENT in the title of this item and write and share away as much as you want.....   

Please click on the next line for studying all previous aadhyaatmaa lessons....



Backgrounder To
 aadhyaatmaa
 the science of aatmaa (soul)

All the rushio and munio of vedik lifestyle were inspired to reveal to humanity all the knowledge of creation, sustenance of creation and absorption of creation back into the sub-creators and ultimately into the creator brhmah.

This knowledge is called ved. 

shree krishna says in the beginning of Chapter 4 of bhagvad gitaa that his knowledge called ved which is being forgotten by the mankind because it stopped being handed down from father to the son during the end stage of dvaapar-yug. End of dvaapar-yug was when shree krishna said the above to arjun on the day of the start of the mahaa-bhaarat war some 5000 years ago. The loss of ved increase in the present era of kali-yug which is only 5104 years old this year and has another 426,896 years to go before satya-yug of the next mahaa-yug dawns. In the present era of kali-yug ved is being revived and remembered through to a physical extent through what we call current or modern science.

Our creator brhmah inspires us with ved knowledge when we pray. Those of our parents who live vedik lifestyle inspires their children when the parents and the children stay continually connected with each other and serve each other according to dharma of each with respect, reverence and gratitude. Our teachers inspire us continuously when we offer ourselves as students whose dharma is a wish to have continual, uninterrupted and unending desire to learn for the sake of acquiring knowledge. Our spouses inspire us continuously when we stay connected to them continually for mutual respect, reverence, gratitude, love and care and for upholding the mutual dharma of gruhastha-ashram through our married life. Our children inspire us continuously when we stay continually connected to them for nurturing and guiding their life growth through the dharma of parenting, guiding and friendship.

Everyone in the entire creation inspires us if we continually co-exists in tittiksh mode based on compliance to ritt and satya. Compliance to ritt means living live by abiding by the universal laws which sustains all creation based on dharma which is the operating and controlling system of creation to sustain itself. Compliance to satya means living life based on what is truth of not hurting anybody anytime through thoughts, words and karma (actions). Co-existing in tittksh mode means to co-exist with each and everyone of the fellow creations respecting the fellow creation as it is with its own characteristics given by creator brhmah and letting the fellow creation lead its own life in its domain given by creator brhmah. tittiksh mode is to live and to let live mutual without mutual interference.

In order to live vedik lifestyle in a tittiksh mode one need to have knowledge of ved. 

Therefore, Prajaapati Vishva Aashram Foundation (PVAF), in continuing to implement its mandate of inspiring to attain knowledge in all humans presents every day on this Aashram News page articles on practice of ved knowledge in one's life ....All this with a prayer to creator brhmah to bless us with a happy today, happier tomorrow and future of progress, prosperity and well-being with use of knowledge about oneself which is called aadhyaatmaa - the knowledge about one's aatmaa (soul) and aatmaa's relation with our physical body and aatmaa's relation with its creator brhmah....


LEARN SANSKRIT & NEW PHONETIC BASED SPELLING OF SANSKRIT WORDS

  • All the sanskrit words in the write-ups on this web site are in italics. The meaning of these sanskrit words as transcribed in English language is being continually included in the Sanskrit Glossary on this web site....It is imperative to understand the full meanings of these sanskrit words in order to understand the teachings of ved. So please make an effort to visit the Sanskrit Glossary...the karma-phal will be eternal aanand (bliss).

  • The sanskrit words are spelled as near as possible to the original sanskrit phonetics. Phonetic based spelling may seem to be different than normal usage but if the sanskrit words are not spelled and pronounced correctly the meanings could change drastically. An alphabet chart of such phonetics spellings is being developed at Prajaapati Vishva Aashram Foundation (PVAF) and will be shared here as soon as it is available. In the meantime think as a vedik bhaaratiya (Indian) and vedik genetics of the humankind will let you pronounce the sanskrit words in here correctly.

today's
aadhyaatmaa
lesson 

---------------om brhmahye namah......................

PREVIOUS POSTINGS
(PLEASE GO TO THE END OF THIS SECTION FOR
 TODAY'S POSTING) 

naarad muni in skand puraan asks saarsvat-muni this question: (slok 1.2.34-39):

"Some praise satya (Truth). Others praise tapasya (penance) and sauch (cleanliness). 

Some praise sankhya darshan (philosophy). Others speak of yog shaastra (system). 

Some praise kshmaa (forgiveness) and tittiksh (forbearance) as well as excessive straight-forwardness. 

Some praise maun-vrat (vow of silence). Some say that learning is the greatest thing.

Some praise purna GNaan (complete knowledge). Some praise param asaktah (supreme detachment). 

Some know the dharmik vidhio of agnistom as the greatest thing.

Some praise the GNaan (knowledge) of aatmaa (soul), with which one views a lump of earth or a stone or a lump of gold alike. 

When this is the state of GNaan in the world, people are deluded and confused in the matter of what should be done and what should not be done. 

People begin to argue as to which is the best GNaan among the above and which is the GNaan which contributes the most towards our welfare? 

You who are conversant with dharma, it is your dharma to say which of the above GNaan is the greatest to be pursued by the noble aatmaa

Which GNaan achieves all purushartha (purpose, goals and objectives) of life?"

saarsvat-muni replied: (slok 1.2.40-41):

I shall speak about the essence that sarasvati-devi told me. Listen to it.

"The entire vishva (universe) is of the nature of a shadow. Origin and destruction are its guno (characteristics features). vishva is transitory like the bending and breaking of the eyebrows of a veshyaa (courtesan).

dhaan (wealth), jivan (life), yovan (youth) and kaam (worldly pleasures) are unsteady like reflection of the moon in water. 

After performing dhyaan1 on this fact intelligently, one should resort to sthaaNu2 and daan (giving of charitable gifts as prescribed by ved and shaastra which will be explained later in the study)."

EXPLANATION OF 1: dhyaan

dhyaan is the 7th ang of the 8-ang yog practice (please refer to TODAY'S PRAYER and VED PAGE for learning about yog practice in daily life). 

dhyaan is defined as a process of meditation, reflection, thought, contemplation, through which divine intuition or discernment is received. 

Through the process of dhyaan one can form a mental representation of the personal attributes of a dev or devi or brhmah or any creation.  

Explanation of 2: sthaaNu

sthaaNu is an epithet of shiv-dev who is a manifestation of the tamas-gun-shakti of creator brhmah. With this genesis of sthaanu, shiv-dev is also given the attributes of brhmah-self which are firm, fixed, steady, stable, immoveable and motionless. Figuratively, the meaning is take refuge in brhmah to avoid the transitory and ephemeral nature of this creation and all that is experience in creation. Only brhmah is eternal. All brhmah's creation have origin in brhmah and hence cyclically perishes at the end of one's cylce of each life journey by being re-absorbed in brhmah for rebirth to partake the karma-pahl (fruits of karma) of each and every karma performed in sansaar (worldly life).

saarsvat-muni continues to reply: (slok 1.2.42):

SHruti1  says that a person inclined towards the rite of daan is not liable to commit paap (sins). Similarly, the SHruti1  avers that a devotee of sthaanu  does not undergo births and deaths.  

Explanation of 1: Please look up SANSKRIT GLOSSARY under SHruti 

saarsvat-muni continues to reply: (slok 1.2.43-45): Listen to the gaathaa (a dharmik verse or song not contained in shruti in ved but comes from smruti) proclaimed and sung by saavarNi-muni once upon a time:

"sthaanu  manifested as brhmah in the naam (name) and ruup (form) of shiv-dev is swami or ishvar (lord) whose vehicle is the bull. 

This shiv-dev is truly tattvaM dharma (essence of dharma). 

This mahaa-dev (= sthaanu or shiv-dev) is honoured and adorned. He is called param (most excellent) dharma

Only swaami Hara (= shiv-dev) redeems one from sansaar-saagar (the ocean of worldly existence). 

sansaar-saagar:

  • is where one gets immersed in its waters,

  • is where dukh (misery) is the whirlpool,

  • is where tamas-gun (attributes which are non-sattvik or adharmik like anger, greed, laziness) is intense,

  • is where dharma and adharma constitute the water,

  • is where krodh (anger) is the marsh and mud,

  • is where ahankaar (arrogance) and mada (intoxication due to raag or attachment) is the crocodile,

  • is where lobh (greed) is the cause of all pain and difficulty,

  • is the bubble, and

  • is of which abhimaan (false pride) and gourav (prestige) is the majestic depth extending as far as paataal (7 netherworlds where asuraao have residence and where narak (hell) exists) .

But sansaar-saagar is provided and graced with the vehicle of the sattva-guN." 

saarsvat-muni continues to reply: (slok 1.2.46-47):

"Though one's sharir (body) is asaar (useless, worthless, unsubstantial, without strength, without value, weak, feeble, infirm, fragile), one must extract the following tattva (vital essence of the body) from one's sharir:

  • daan = giving of charitable gifts to deserving living beings;

  • vrut = good and virtuous conduct in conformance with established rule, usage, traditions, laws and duty with firmness and to achieve fame;

  • vratt = observances in daily life prescribed by ved and shaastra to acknowledge and worship brhmah and all 33 karor (330 million) devo who empower all that one can do in life, sustain life and provide prosperity and continuity of lineages;

  • vaach = language, speech, power of oratory;

  • kiirti = fame, renown, glory, light, lustre, splendour, growth with expansion;

  • dharma = living daily life as with the laws, rules and regulations as prescribed by ved and shaastra to conform to one's varna and one's aashram and with a basic tenet to co-exist with fellow creations in harmony and with a lifestyle which will never to injure any fellow creations by thought, words and deeds; 

  • aayus = life, duration of life, vital power; and

  • parop.karan (perfroming sevaa to fellow creations for their welfare and well-being; benevolence; philanthropy).   

saarsvat-muni continues to reply: (slok 1.2.48):

"If one gets all of the following, one has attained the benefit of one's birth:

  • Attachment to dharma

  • chintaa for kiirti (fame, renown, glory, light, lustre, splendour, growth with expansion), (chintaa = reflection, consideration, thinking. chintaa is one of the 33 subordinate bhaav (feelings) in a living being). 

  • good indulgence in daan (charitable gifts to deserving persons), 

  • absence of kaamanaa (interest and attachment in the sensual objects)." 

TODAY'S POSTING

saarsvat-muni continues to reply: (slok 1.2.49):

"In this bhaarat-varsh1, after taking the birth as a mankind, which is not sthir or niSHchal  (stable) and nitya or akshay (permanent), if one does not pursue activities conducive to the kalyaan (welfare and well-being) of aatmaa, then that aatmaa is certainly deceived by the person."

EXPLANATION OF 1: bhaarat-varsh:

  1. bhaarat-varsh is one of the seven continents described in ved forming part of pruthvi-lok or bhuu-lok which is the domain in this brhmaand (egg of brhmah which is a universe) where mortal living beings can take birth and are supported by pruthvi with all that is required for the sustenance and continuity of life.

  2. The taking of a birth by an aatmaa as an embodied being in bhaarat-varsh is said to be very rare and auspicious as this is the only birthplace in the entire universe from which moksh can be attained by an aatmaa. moksh cannot be attained in any other seven lok (worlds - bhuu-lok, bhuva-lok, svar-lok, mahar-lok, jan-lok, tapas-lok and brahmaa or satya-lok, look up lok in SANSKRIT GLOSSARY) or in any of the seven paataal-lok ( nether worlds) where asuraao lives and where narak (hell) exists as one the domains of existence.

saarsvat-muni continues to reply: (slok 1.2.50):

"Birth as a manushya (mankind) is difficult to be obtained by devo and asuraao

After obtaining the birth of a manushya, one should perform those karma which would prevent one from falling into narak (hell). 

Human birth is the foundation of all that happens in this creation. It is conducive to the achievement of all purushaarth (goals and objectives of life) of artha, kaam, dharma and moksh." 

saarsvat-muni continues to reply: (slok 1.2.51-52):

"Even if you do not perform karma to gain anything, at least save the capital of your punya by all means.

The ship of your body (to travel during this life time) has been bought by you at a great cot of punya (merit) in order to cross the dukh-saagar (ocean of pain and sorrow of journey through this sansaar). Cross this sansaar before the ship of the body breaks (meaning before death in this life time)."

saarsvat-muni continues to reply: (slok 1.2.53):

" A person could get a body having no vikaar and dosh (diseases and dysfunctions) from the fruits of previous punya karma. But getting such a body is very difficult. 

But even after getting such a perfect body when one does not get away from sansaar (world), one becomes the slayer of one's aatmaa. Such a person thus regarded as niich, annarth and dusht (a person who is moral-less, adharmik and cruel)." 

saarsvat-muni continues to reply: (slok 1.2.54):

" tapasvio and yogio (ascetics including rushio and munio) perfrom tapasya1

sacrificing priests perform havan (= yagna1) and

daan is given

- all these are eagerly pursued for the sake of obtaining par-lok(other world then the mortal domain of bhu-lok such as svarga-lok, svar-lok, etc)." 

kaatyaayam asked:

"Of these two, namely daan and tapasya, which is more difficult? Which yields greater benefit after death?   

1: Please look up these sanskrit words in SANSKRIT GLOSSARY on this web site to fully understand the meaning of the slok.)

saarsvat-muni continues to reply: (slok 1.2.55):

"There is nothing more difficult to perform in pruthvi-lok (domain that support mortal living beings) than daan. This is perceived directly with the vishva (universe) as the witness." 

saarsvat-muni continues to reply: (slok 1.2.56-59):

"Abandoning their own dear life for the sake of wealth, mankind enter the oceans, forests and mountains out of lobh (greed). They face the great dangers therein. (This is how humankind sustains itself form the 4th quarter of krut or satya yug with lobh increasing from then to kali-yug when lobh predominates and replaces dharma. In krut-yug all that humankind needs is attained by mentally desiring and all that is desired is used for performing bhakti to creator brhmah and for karma that leads to happiness only.)

Others or some of them adopt sevaa (here means servitude or dependence) which is known as SHva-vrutti (a dog's style of life). 

Others pursue agricultural activities involving great strain and much violence.

It is very difficult to give up the wealth

  •  that has been acquired with great pain and strain, 

  •  the wealth which is more important and beloved that the praan (five vital breaths) and 

  • the wealth which has been obtained by means of hundreds of strenuous exertions. 

Whatever a rich person gives by daan or whatever he consumes is the real asset of the rich person. 

When the rich person dies, other persons amuse and enjoy themselves with the womenfolk and the riches left behind by this rich person. (This means what has been left behind rather than giving out in daan is a waste and becomes ultimately a non-asset of the person though he worked so hard to get the wealth. Only daan stays with the dead person as an asset.)" 

saarsvat-muni continues to reply: (slok 1.2.61):

"That wealth which is being given as daan is not wasted. 

Wealth given as daan increases more and more. 

This process is similar to that of a well from which when water is pumped out, the well becomes pure and also shows that the well has abundance of water from the water in the ground stream which continuously replenishes the water in the well."  

saarsvat-muni continues to reply: (slok 1.2.62-64):

"One gives up thousands of births for the sake of sukh (pleasure, joy and happiness) in one birth. 

A gnaani (person with gnaan or knowledge of brhmah) collects and stores all the sukh of a thousand births in a single birth.

A foolish man does not give wealth as daan because he is afraid of poverty in this world. 

An gnaani gives away wealth because he is afraid of the poverty in the other world. 

What will those persons resorting to their bodies that are fragile and brittle do with their wealth? The body for the sake of which one desires wealth is not permanent." 

saarsvat-muni continues to reply: (slok 1.2.65-67):

"In previous times, those who did not wish to give their wealth as daan repeated continually two syllables "naa-sti" meaning "it is non-existent or there is no wealth"'. That false saying had become the enemy of such people in subsequent life when they have to say the two syllables "de-hi" meaning "protect for I need protection from the suffering of poverty".

All the people who use the two syllable "de-hi" enlighten a miser thus:

 "Give. I am asking because I did not give in previous times. May you also not become like me if you give."

It is for helping the donor himself that the sharan-aarthin (one seeking refuge or protection, in this case from poverty) says "Give me". 

If the donor gives then he goes to svarga (heaven) and the receiver of donation stays on pruthvi (earth like domains where living beings can exists and can get sustenance)." 

saarsvat-muni continues to reply: (slok 1.2.68):

"The following persons are born as described below, because they did not give anything in daan in their previous times and lives:

  • poor people;

  • sickly people;

  • foolish people;

  • people who run errands for others.

The above people are always victims of dukh." 

saarsvat-muni continues to reply: (slok 1.2.69-70):

"These two types of persons should be thrown into water after tying a big rock around their neck:

  • a rich man who does not give daan

  • a poor man who has not become a tapasvi meaning who has not developed self-control and self-regulation of one's indriyo and manas and start performing bhakti to the creator brhmah to be enlightened about the reasons of one's state of poverty. 

(Being thrown in water is a figurative way of saying in ved that as these two kinds of people should take re-birth in the same life with enlightenment of gnaan as they are not living their life as per dharma and shaastra. This lifestyle in turn will incur paap and be futile to achieve the purushaarth (objectives) of life which are attainment of arth, kaam, dharma and moksh.)

One in hundred is born as a heroic warrior;
one in a thousand is a born as a scholar;
one in a hundred thousand is born as an orator; but 
a person who will be a daani (donor) may or may not be born." 

saarsvat-muni continues to reply: (slok 1.2.71):

"pruthvi-lok is sustained by these seven creations: 

  • cows, 

  • braahmano

  • ved

  • women who observe pati-vrat (meaning who are devoted to only one husband),

  • persons who live by dharma of satya ( meaning, always making a statement of actual truth after discriminating between dharma and adharma and also giving a correct statement without causing pain to others of what has been seen, heard, inferred and experienced by oneself.

  • persons who are not lobhi (greedy) and

  • persons who continually give daan.

brahmaa-dev confirmed the above as satya (truth) from saarsvat-muni and adds : (slok 1.2.83):

"daan is protects yagna (in the sense without giving daan after completion of yagna makes the purpose of yagna void). 

In this world, all living beings obtain livelihood from daani (donors). 

Living beings broke down enemies through daan. Through daan, enemies becomes friends. 

Everything is founded on and is sustained in daan. (The sustenance provided by brhmah's shakti satya-gun in the naam (name) and ruup (form) of vishnu-dev and laxmi-devi depends on the foundation and operation of dharma which has four paad (supporting columns): dayaa (compassion), daan, satya  and tapasya.

Hence living beings speak of daan as the greatest karma in the practice of living by dharma. "

 (Please look up all sanskrit words in  SANSKRIT GLOSSARY on this web site for understanding in-depth the meaning of this slok)    

TODAY'S POSTING

brahmaa-dev continues to add to the explanation from saarsvat-muni  about daan: (slok 1.2.84):

" In the daarun saagar of sansaar meaning agonizing, pitiless, harsh, frightful, cruel, violent ocean of worldly existence comprising of eternal cycle of birth-death, which is full of waves creating mal (paapi karma) due to waves of dharma and adharma one should resort to  daan.

daan is like a ship (to cross sansaar as noted above with an aim to achieving moksh)."

 

....om brhmahye namah....
.....
om shaanti shaanti shaanti...
....om tat sat....

------------------------

(saarsvat-muni will continue to reply IN THE NEXT POSTING to enlighten us as to who we are as human forms of embodied aatmaa and what is the purpose of life of this human body with embodied aatmaa)

 

(This continuing presentation is prepared by shree champaklaal dajibhaai mistry who acknowledges his debt to guru brahmaa-dev, vyaas-muni, naarad-muni and saarsvat muni for their transmission of original ved GNaan in sanskrit version of skand puraan. The above presentation is based on sanskrit to English translation of skand puraan by shree Dr. G. V. Tagare, G. P. Bhatt as published by Motillal Banarasidass Publishers to whom shree champaklaal and PVAF acknowledges a debt with offering of pranaam. The above presentation contains additional ved text to the original puraan text for ease of understanding and learning without corrupting the original text and its original GNaan. Explanatory text from other ved sources is also added in brackets to further facilitate the understanding and learning where it is deemed necessary)       

 

 

....ved...
 
...the eternal knowledge of... 
....creation...

 ...ved...
has
  ....no beginning....
 ....no middle....
 and
 ....no end...

ved is the knowledge of the entire creation. ved imparts to each and every creation how creation is created, how it is sustained after creation, the purpose of each creation, how each creation has to co-exist with all other creations and the grand scheme and meaning of this creation. In this process of imparting knowledge ved also subtly informs about our creator brhmah and the brhmah's relationship with all creations singly and collectively.

To get all knowledge through the study of ved is a monumental task ...which could not possibly be completed in one life time...in a life time most of us can get only a degree in one field of science or arts or commerce or medicine or engineering....to get all the knowledge of ved will take infinite years as the knowledge itself is infinite....

.....But then our creator brhmah, knowing our limitation of the life cycles, has given us a small life manual in which the basics of creations, its processes, its relationships and its purpose are outlined in about 700 to 750 aphorism like messages of few words at a time......this manual of life is has been given a name "bhagvad gitaa"....Similarly for those who desire to have detailed knowledge ved has 14 major vidyaa. A vidyaa is a specific knowledge base similar to what we currently know as engineering, medicine, law, mathematics, astronomy, astrology, grammar......and all the vidyaa is in 4 ved, 6 vedangaa, 108 upnishad and 108 puraano......

....Prajaapati Vishva Aashram Foundation (PVAF) has a primary mandate to facilitate all humans to acquire knowledge per se...PVAF believes that studying any part of ved is a good start on this path to acquire knowledge...so let us pray that we study daily ...om tat sat...

At present on this planet earth we have various faith systems leading to a Creator...each faith systems has its own name and also a name for whatever it believes as a Creator....but surprisingly all faith systems have one message to all its follower...knowledge shall set you free....let us then get this knowledge....may the Creator bless us to walk on this path no matter how we stumble, fall or sometimes give up....but we are continually blessed by our Creator to have the strength and the means to get up once more and keep walking....in the pursuit of knowledge....

....om shaanti shaanti shaanti...
....om tat sat....

 




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