Taatiche Abhang: Abhang 3

  Taatiche Abhang 

Abhang 3

३ – सुखसागरी वास झाला

सुखसागरी वास झाला ।

उंच नीच काय त्याला ॥१॥

अहो आपण जैंसे व्हावें ।

देवें तैसेंचि करावें ॥२॥

ऐसा नटनाटय खेळ ।

स्थिर नाही एकवेळ ॥३॥

एकापासुनी अनेक झाले ।

त्यासी पाहिजे सांभाळिले ॥४॥

शून्य साक्षित्वें समजावें ।

वेद ओंकाराच्या नावें ॥५॥

एकें उंचपण केले ।

एक अभिमानें गेलें ॥६॥

इतकें टाकुनी शांती धरा ।

ताटी उघडा ज्ञानेश्वरा ॥७॥

One who resides in the ocean of bliss how could he possibly be affected by ideas of superior and inferior? 

Whatever a person strives to be, so he becomes.

The Divine play consisting of actors on the world stage is forever in a state of change. 

From one have emerged many. We need to care for them all, care for each other.

One must meditate upon the AUM uttered by the Vedas and witness the Reality that is devoid of thoughts and things. The Truth that is seemingly empty can be only experienced subjectively. 

The minute the ego raises its head and gets idea of superiority, the person faces his downfall.

Understand this and abandon all egoism to attain lasting peace. 

Open the door oh Dnyaaneshwara!

सुखसागरी  in the ocean of bliss

वास residence 

झाला  happened

उंच नीच high and low 

काय what

त्याला for him

अहो O ( Dnyaaneshwar)

आपण we

जैंसे how

व्हावें ( wish to ) become 

देवें god or fate

तैसेंचि likewise

करावें will do

ऐसा Such

नटनाटय actor mediated drama

खेळ game, play

स्थिर steady

नाही not

एकवेळ one moment 

एकापासुनी from one

अनेक many

झाले became/ happened

त्यासी They/ for them

पाहिजे must

सांभाळिले be cared for 

शून्य zero

साक्षित्वें through witness 

समजावें should be understood 

वेद Vedas

ओंकाराच्या by Omkaar 

नावें by name

एकें one

उंचपण tallness

 केले did

एक one

अभिमानें by pride

गेलें went

इतकें so much

टाकुनी discarding 

शांती peace

धरा hold

ताटी door 

उघडा open

ज्ञानेश्वरा Dnyaaneshwara 

सुखसागरी वास झाला ।

उंच नीच काय त्याला ॥

What is this ocean of bliss? And what does it mean to reside there?

Muktabai is referring to the highest stage of consciousness where the ascetic has disengaged his mind from sense objects and is disinterested in the pleasures derived from them. With this dispassion he has brought anger under his control.  He has recognized himself as the seer and his peace and happiness is inherent in that space. He knows too well that this is the only “home” that is permanent and therefore stable to reside. 

One who separates himself from the muddled waters of the lower conscious states realizes some important truths. If all other beings have a body and mind like he does they must also have the unconditioned seer in them like he is. In other words he finds that the highest level where he resides is the substratum of all creation and thus of all beings. He also gets a clear bird’s eye view of the workings of his own mind. The mischief of the mind is the same as he observes in the behavior of people around him. The three gunas are constantly realigning in every person making them vulnerable to rise or fall. Thus from every perspective he finds that everyone is equal. The concept of high and low becomes meaningless. A king and a beggar, a scholar and an uneducated man, a saint or a sinner, an admirer or critic, to him each is equally ordinary or special. Each is to be equally respected and treated with dignity.

अहो आपण जैंसे व्हावें ।

देवें तैसेंचि करावें II

The person in us is shaped by our thinking, not by our words or how we portray outwardly. A yogi with a pure heart like Dnyaaneshwar has obviously freed himself from the cravings of the physical body and surrounded himself with contemplative energy and wisdom. A vigilant sister is guarding him from being polluted by thoughts of anger and despair. She is reminding him to take charge of his emotions and thoughts. 

There are parallels in the Bible: Be careful how you think. Your life is shaped by your thoughts. 

If you slack off and allow room for negativity in the mind it will become habitual and define you.

The lines also imply that if one person cultivates goodness in himself it is a natural process that whoever comes in close contact with him will be influenced to inherit similar traits. One must therefore choose what qualities to promote in oneself as well as whose company to keep. 

ऐसा नटनाटय खेळ ।

स्थिर नाही एकवेळ II

The man who used abusive language is one of many actors on the world stage. Every person behaves as per his/ her personality traits. In the Bhagwad Gita Shri Krishna has elaborated how specific mixture of the three gunas sattva, raja, tama influences any given person’s behavior at any given time. Entire human interactions occur as a result of individuals bound by the three gunas. These gunas themselves are in a state of flux. And with them, human emotions, thinking and behaviors are constantly changing. Only the person who has dared to step outside the play of the gunas can see how the drama unfolds. He doesn’t become a helpless character in that play. He remains in control of the atmosphere of his thoughts. When unruly characters come his way their words and actions don’t sway him.

एकापासुनी अनेक झाले ।

त्यासी पाहिजे सांभाळिले II

If there is one line from the entire Taatiche Abhang that kept resounding in my mind as I studied the verses, it was this. 

त्यासी पाहिजे सांभाळिले

 I found this to be a very crucial attitude to ponder upon! The word in Marathi is उदात्त ! Magnanimous. 

The man who had abused Dnyaaneshwar was not family or friend of theirs. The viewpoint “we must take care of him/all” is therefore remarkable. Most people don’t hold that much consideration even for a family member who behaves badly. Friends become enemies with the slightest of wrongdoing. Here Muktabai is suggesting grace towards a person who has behaved like an enemy.

The steady wisdom and understanding of a person who has risen above the body identity can recognize that all beings have a common source of origin in the spiritual sense. Therefore the entire universe is one family. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. This realization brings a natural connection with all beings and along with it comes immense empathy. 

At lower levels of awareness it is natural to be enraged by people’s misdeeds and hold a grudge or seek retribution. But at higher level comes forgiveness and benevolence. An example is fights between siblings vs the equation between a parent and child. If one sibling broke another one’s toy, there will be likely retaliation. This would not be the case if the kid caused some damage to a thing that belonged to mom or dad. Just like a parent , saintly souls who have risen to higher levels of consciousness are inclined to be protective towards those that are struggling at lower levels. They consider all beings as family, being connected through a common ancestor. Their worldly mind is rendered ineffectual through purification. This was the root reason why Sant Tukaram went to check on Mambaji even after the latter had beat him up with a thorny stick. 

It takes immense strength for ordinary human beings to control the urge to react when another person wrongs them. The wise counsel to oneself to be considerate of the other person is a hard pill to swallow under such circumstances.

Such sanskar or foundation of self control intertwined with a culture to care for others was instilled in Dnyaaneshwar  by his little sister Muktabai and lasted through rest of his life. 

In his prayer composition famously known as the pasaaydaan, Dnyaaneshwar has sought the blessings of God to not kill the evil people but simply destroy the evil tendencies within them. दुरितांचे तिमिर जावो! 

शून्य साक्षित्वें समजावें ।

वेद ओंकाराच्या नावें ॥

We saw in the verse above how a person who reaches the stage of being a seer functions with natural empathy in the presence of an ineffectual worldly mind. In the following verse Muktabai is referring to that state where the mind is rendered void (शून्य) and now can be better observed and understood by the witnessing pure awareness. Indeed reaching this state of awareness is the equivalent of reaching the bottom of all creation. It is from this awareness that the primordial sound OM arises and from OM the entire elaborate scriptures or Vedas come forth. Hence once a seeker reaches the source of the Vedas he gains the essence of all the teachings of the Vedas.

प्रणव: सर्ववेदेषु शब्द:

In the Bhagwad Gita chapter 7 Shri Krishna who is the embodiment of the divine spirit describes his creation and its various components. During that discussion he cites a few examples to demonstrate how to identify HIM amongst the myriad of things. One of those examples is that HE is the OM chant in the Vedas. Other examples during that discussion include fragrance in the earth, radiance in fire, the light in the sun and moon, masculinity in man etc. The summary of the discussion is that HE is the essence of all things. 

The Vedas are ancient scriptures with extensive descriptions of mantras( sacred chants), rituals, social sciences and the essence of spiritual truth. All this elaborate and exquisite knowledge emerged from the primordial sound of OM that consists of three syllables A,U,M. These three when they come together create what is referred to as Omkaar. The spiritual seekers meditate upon the Omkaar to unravel the knowledge of the Vedas. This practice of meditation upon the Omkaar also serves to situate oneself in the seer’s consciousness and understand the stage zero before the creation of the entire universe, of which one’s physical body and mental apparatus are but a minuscule fraction. It is also stage zero before the origin of speech, both spoken and unspoken.

 Ordinarily humans are identified with the physical body and their thoughts and emotions. This is reflected in the way of their verbal expression . For example, I am tall, I am losing weight, I am angry, I am smart, I am excited, etc.. Their identity is thus very complex and densely packed. There is multiplicity of thoughts, ambitions, dreams, and dejections. The identity of people known to their mind is assigned to categories based on the workings of that mind. And these individuals are helplessly carried away by the force of all these in the tides of life.

A spiritually advanced person through years of austere living, purification and deep contemplation is able to distance himself from the physical aspect as well as thoughts and emotions and become an observer to the ever changing landscape of these layers. This brings a simplicity to his perception as well as existence. 

Take the example of an observer taking a look at the earth. If he is on the earth he can get only a limited picture. The moment he steps out of earth’s orbit he gets a bigger, more complete picture. The problems around him on earth are no longer his problems. He can look at everything more objectively. Similar is the vantage point of a person stabilized in pure awareness.

This highlights the importance of the practice of regular meditation. Unless one makes an effort to regularly “observe”  the workings of the inner apparatus consisting of thoughts and feelings, he cannot identify the dysfunction and correct it. The faults continue to engulf him, torture him and he continues to be a part of the problem. From the moment he learns to step out and become a witness he gains the ability to bring change for good ; first within himself and then in his surroundings, even by simply serving as an example. 

The stage zero, that  Muktabai is referring to as shunya, needs a little more understanding. It is zero because it is devoid of matter, thoughts and speech. It is also devoid of identity. The very expression “I” that one uses to refer to oneself is absent here. 

When I arises, it is stage 1. When “you” arises there is multiplicity, also referred to as duality. 

एकापासुनी अनेक झाले ।

Non Duality is simply reference to the stage when duality had not occurred. Thus these two stages exist only in relation to presence or absence of each other. Stage zero however is not dependent on either of the two. It is always present by itself and even in the presence of non duality or duality. Hence it is unconditioned existence. Its feature is awareness without need of an object to be aware of. Hence it is unconditioned consciousness. This existence and consciousness when experienced is felt as bliss. Bliss is much different from joy which comes as a result of some experience or object.  Thus stage zero is unconditioned bliss. Dimensions of Time and Space are secondary to this stage zero. Therefore Time and Space are incapable of measuring this stage. What this inference translates into is that stage zero which precedes the birth of individual and multiple identities is eternal and infinite. 

( An interested student may find further deeper discussion on the nature of this stage zero in Dnyaaneshwar’s original work named Amrutanubhav.)

It takes step wise purification of thoughts, feelings and all actions to reach stage zero where it is possible to witness the workings of all creation objectively, including the workings of one’s mind. Earlier we saw how empathy is integral to stage zero. This empathy when linked to clear observation is in a class of its own and distinct from judgment.

Until that point, our perceptions are very subjective and colored by the texture of our own internal environment. The labels we put on others and opinions we form are not wholly conforming to reality. Even the slightest awareness of this can allow us to be a bit more kind to others. And also a bit more relenting with our views. 

That takes us to the next couplet. What happens when we remain imprisoned within the confines of our limited identity?

एकें उंचपण केले ।

एक अभिमानें गेलें ॥

Let us go back to the example of being in the seat of an observer outside the orbit of the earth. From there I am looking at my prior existence on earth. I , the mortal on earth believed I am the smartest, most knowledgeable, most powerful, most wealthy, most good looking, most deserving of best of things, most popular amongst all etc etc. Who were the “all” in that assessment? The few who I knew and who knew me, and who I thought I knew and thought they knew me. When the initial limited field of my vision is extended to include the entire globe, I realize I am no longer the smartest, most powerful etc etc that I thought I was. Thus from the vantage point outside the earth a different reality becomes visible. I notice how small that earlier field of my peripheral vision was !! 

I also notice that even in that limited field that I lived in I was one against many. If everyone collectively rose against me I would be defeated without doubt. Thus my idea and show of greatness was misinformed, entirely in vain and inevitable to be crushed at some point. 

Muktabai has used the term tallness (उंचपण). The perceived image of oneself being taller(superior) than others. In the opening verse it was discussed how in the perspective of the highest consciousness everyone is equal. Thus any idea of superiority over another is at odds with truth.

The mysterious nature of thinking is such that one who sees himself as small( humble) is really big( man of knowledge) and one who sees himself as big( arrogant) is insignificant and ignorant. Likewise a true man of knowledge can recognize the greatness in a man who most people think is insignificant whereas an idiot considers a man of knowledge as insignificant. 

The idea of personal greatness is a product of ignorance. Knowledge that is based on facts is eternal, ignorance has an end. Whatever is rooted in ignorance similarly has an end. Hence the idea of being superior to fellow beings is destined to be destroyed at some point. 

एक अभिमानें गेलें ॥

When light is shone on that ignorance, one must have enough intelligence to realize and rectify the thinking. A stubborn mind that refuses to embrace truth even after seeing it has more pain to endure.

इतकें टाकुनी शांती धरा ।

ताटी उघडा ज्ञानेश्वरा ॥

Just like being taller than others is a false concept, being smaller than anyone is also a false concept. Both are not supported by reality. 

But Dnyaaneshwar seems to have forgotten this. If the priest insulted him and tried to undermine his worth, Dnyaneshwar should have known firmly that it’s not true. Instead he got offended by the words of the priest who declared him an inauspicious, illegitimate child born out of the consummation of marriage between a sanyasi and his wife. The young sensitive mind may have thought in his own defense “I did no wrong to anyone. Why should anyone insult me like that ? “. 

It would be natural for an ordinary man to think that way. But it was inappropriate for Dnyaaneshwar being the yogi he was. The ego stemming from one’s spiritual progress is not acceptable for a seeker of self realization.He must also not lose sight of the fact that all beings are equal. That would be not conforming with the teachings of Bramha Vidya. 

Hence the thoughtful Muktabai says to him, drop this delusion of superiority or inferiority from your mind, embrace equanimity and return to your natural state of peace O wise one. Open the door to wisdom that you have shut and let the light shine again upon you. 

Qualities:

Finding and resting in the Self

Witness state where mind is devoid of thoughts 

Unity in diversity

Equanimity 

Kindness towards all

Forgiveness 

Humility 

Uplift others to bring them at par with yourself