Taatiche Abhang: Part 3

 




# Taatiche Abhang

विश्व रागें झाले वन्ही। संती सुखें व्हावें पाणी ॥२॥
Vishwa raage zaale vanhi II
Santi sukhe vhaave paani II2II

Vishwa= universe 
Raage= anger, passion
Zaale= became, set
Vanhi= on fire
Santi = saints 
Sukhe= at peace, calm, happy
Vhaave = be, become
Paani = water

विश्व रागें झाले वन्ही।

This line can be interpreted in more than one way. 
Raag can mean anger. It can also refer to likes or passion for something. 

In the second chapter of the Bhagwad Gita Shri Krishna has elaborated on the connection between the visible world of objects or sensory experiences and anger. 

Each person’s tendency toward any particular object is predetermined by nature. For example one person may like one color very much and hate another color. Some person may love traveling, another may not like to leave their home. Some of these affinities may not be as consequential as others. For example if someone has diabetes but always desires sweets it can be harmful for health. If they are denied access to these favorite foods it will bring them unhappiness. Unhappiness may lead to irritability or even anger. If someone has been striving for a promotion at work and instead of him/ her another coworker gets that opportunity it may lead to disappointment, frustration and anger.

If situations are favorable to fulfill the desires, one continues to pursue them to such extent that it becomes a compulsion. Repeated indulgence leads to greed and hoarding. All mental and physical energies are drawn towards this enjoyment. The mind never finds time to look within and find the lasting peace and eternal principle. The awakening regarding the limited time for these pleasures comes when death is at the doorstep and none of the objects can be carried along into the next life. In a moment the world of enjoyment is set on fire with no time to process the loss. And what fills the void is anger. Anger at the emptiness. Anger at oneself. But directed at the world and the circumstances. 

 Not all desires in the world can be fulfilled. And where there is a lot of vested interest, the anger that arises after rejection of the desire is directly proportional to the invested emotion. 

And what is the nature of anger?

Krodhaad bhavati sammoha
sammohaat smruti vibhramaha 
Smruti bramshad buddhi naasho
 buddhi naashaat pranashyati ( Bh.G 2: 62)

 It is irrational. It is inconsolable. It is destructive. It can destroy a person’s ability to think intelligently and compassionately. It can make the person forgetful of valuable lessons learned in life when they are most needed. It will prevent one from finding the root cause of the problem or accepting responsibility. 


Anger leads to violence more often than not. If you look at the epics Ramayan or Mahabharat you will see plenty of examples of how desire led to anger and anger brought about a lot of destruction. Whether it was Shoorpanakha being enamored by Lakshman or Ravan wanting Sita, what followed was nothing but disaster. Dhritrashtra’s desire for his son to succeed him to the throne, Duryodhan’s contempt for his cousins and love for absolute power or Draupadi’s desire to get even with the Kauravas after they humiliated her. Desire and anger were root cause for the loss of thousands of lives. Look at the Holocaust or the civil and other wars in various countries. There is no going back because there is no checking of ambition or anger. The entire world is set on fire. 

Passion or desires, whether fulfilled or not, thus lead to anger and this anger in turn sets fires everywhere.

Vishwa raage zaale vanhi II

Under such circumstances how should a saint behave ? 


संती सुखें व्हावें पाणी 

This too is beautifully explained by Shri Krishna in the same chapter, that is chapter 2 of the Bhagwad Gita. And then again in subsequent chapters when discussing the traits of a sthithapradnya. 

Aapooryamaana achala prathishtham 
Samudra maapah pravishanti yadvat 
Tadvat kaamaa yam pravishyanti sarve 
Sa shaantim aapnoti na kaamakaami 
Bh. G 2:70

When rivers are all flooded, flowing and emptying into the ocean, yet the ever full ocean doesn’t get disturbed one bit. Similarly a true devotee or man of realization (sthithapradnya) remains unperturbed in the face of various desires and sensuous objects. His heart is filled with peace, happiness and satisfaction. Anything more will not add to his happiness. His contentment and happiness is not coming from outside.

In the 14th chapter verse 21 He says 
Trividham narkasyedam dwaaram
 naashanamaatmanaaha
Kaamah krodhah stathaa lobhas tasmaad etat trayam tyajet 

Desire, anger and greed are three doors to hell. These destroy one’s soul and lead to one’s downfall. Therefore relinquish these three.

A saint’s mind must be happy under any circumstances. Happy because he has, as Wordsworth would describe, that inward eye which is the bliss of solitude!

And vhaave paani! Be like water!

Muktabai has very thoughtfully used the metaphor of water for a saint’s temperament. 

Why like water?

Water has many properties. 

First and foremost, it remains cool. Even if you heat it, it will tend to cool down. If you are feeling hot and you are sprayed with water it will cool you down. A true saint is not aggravated by circumstances. They can also bring a calm to others who are disturbed. It has a natural tendency to extinguish fires. If anger is portrayed as fire then water is a perfect antidote for it. Angry people can be subdued by a true saint. 

Secondly it finds its own level. You pour it into a tall flask or flat tray. Fill the flask with pebbles or petals, it will find its level in both situations. The saints maintain equanimity in favorable or unfavorable conditions. Whether in the company of good or evil. Whether they are treated with respect or disrespect.

Thirdly they navigate their way around good and bad people. When a river flows its waters encounter road blocks from big boulders. But it flows around it and finds its way. If Saints are confronted by critics or argumentative people they realize when it’s no use wasting their energy and then carry on with their work irrespective. Just like the waters gently caress the rounded small pebbles in their path the saints share their wisdom and teachings with those that meet them with earnest desire to learn. 

Fourthly, what happens when water is poured into the ground? It percolates between the layers of the soil. Impurities are filtered out. Valuable minerals are added to the purified water until it reaches a rocky surface and gets stored as spring or well water. Similarly these saints walk through life constantly making efforts to give up their shortcomings and absorb virtues from whoever they meet. 

To learn from others requires humility. Younger Muktabai could give a lesson to Dnyaaneshwar because he accepted it. Another person would have said sarcastically “ so now you are going to teach me how to live life?” 

Fifth, what happens when you boil it too hard? It will form steam and evaporate, reach the clouds and rain to return to the earth as pure water. It remains water no matter what. Through thick and thin. 

Sixth, it quenches thirst. Whoever approaches saints with difficulties is never sent home empty handed. Their sufferings are diminished in some way or other. Either by instilling hope or giving them insight into their lives or correcting their mistakes. 

One other important thing to note is that the hallmark of a true saint/ guru is that they quench thirst/ hunger in the sense that they teach us to reduce our desires, wants and needs. Not increase these. Fake gurus make promises of increasing our wealth and encourage pursuit of pleasures.

Seventh, it washes stains. Company of saints automatically purifies a person. Wrongful thinking is changed. Faulty behaviors are gradually modified. While rest of the world may not forgive mistakes, saints will allow these people to reform and totally absolve them of prior wrongdoing. 

Eighth, it is transparent. You can see through it. There are no hidden agendas with the saints. 

Ninth, it is consistent. A drop of water will confer the same properties of coolness or moisture when placed on the tongue of a rich man or poor, literate or illiterate, light or dark skinned.

Tenth, it carries moisture. There is emotion, there is compassion, there is love in the hearts of the saints. Their hearts are not made of stone. 

Eleventh, it can be put into a container of any shape and size. You can’t put a pebble into a flask whose mouth diameter is smaller than the width of the pebble. But you can put water into it. These saints adjust to changing life circumstances without complaining. 

Twelfth, water is a source of life. To grow and thrive all living beings need water. These saints are similarly a life force. They can take us from mortality to immortality with the power of their spiritual knowledge. 

So Muktabai is teaching us to become like water. Even if you try to imbibe a few qualities of water you will make a difference to others and find happiness within yourself.

To summarize this line, even while the entire world around you is engaged in fulfilling personal desires and caught in the heat of passion, greed and anger you can find inner joy and contentment through self reflection and self control and remain cool and calm in the face of any circumstances. 

Saree is a cotton Dhonekhali from West Bengal. 



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