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Re: Bodily health

From the Bhakti List Archives

Valathur Muralidharan • July 22, 1999 


Thanks for the excellent topic.  Adiyen would like to add few sentences to
this.  A piece from Gita, would aptly fit in here. "Etham shariram kauntheya
skhetram"  - Oh Son of kunti ! your body is the field (for your karma).
Gita also insists only who maintain the sharira gets to conquer the path of
yoga - bhoga(bodily happiness) - roga(disease) .  

The paramapurusha - "Purusha" - as addressed by the Upanishads gives him
four attributes.  Poornathvath Purusha - Puranathvath Purusha -Bahudanath
Purusha - Purisayanath Purusha .  

The last attribute - Purisayanath Purusha - the one who is inside us -
within our body.  The  Paramathma is within us.  Hence we have to maintain
this body as a abode of God.  This truth should clarify the questions on
maintaining the sanctity of ourselves - to sustain our mind and soul in to
the innerself.  The beautifications of the body or  undergoing medical
treatments  -  the bhoga and the roga - needs to be conquered in order to
achieve and conquer the yoga.

-----

When I just finished the previous mail one of the kalakshepam stories came
to my mind.  The upanishads (as well Gita) describes the body as a tree
where the soul - the bird resides.  The Paramathma also resides within the
same body.  A normal question that could arise is that - does paramathma
undergo the pains and joy of the body ? The Paramathma remains in the body
unaffected just the same way as a feathered bird would be uneffected by the
climate unlike the unfeathered one.  The climatic changes of rain and heat
stick to the body of unfeathered one while the feathered one remains un
effected.  A teacher was explaning the same at a Gurukulam when one of the
students started arguing. "How's that it would stick to one bird but not to
other? " He argued that he was not ready to accept unless Guru gave concrete
proof.  The Guru - calm and knowledged - advised that it was not him but the
vedas which say that. And that vedic truths shouldn't be doubted.  The
student was unconvinced.  To put the end to the discussion the guru said he
couldn't prove it at that time and would do so later.  The student now was
pride enough that he was asking questions that the guru couldn't answer.
All these were happening in the month of Kaarthigai(Nov-Dec).  Then came
maargazhi. The 27th day - the Koodaravalli day.  Unlike the second day of
Margazhi where it advises of fasting and praying, the 27th paasuram
(Koodarai vellum), asks us to enjoy. It asks us to feast with Pongal- with
ghee floating over the Pongal - the ghee should flow over the hands while
having it (mooda nei peithu muzhangai vazhi vara).  The guru asks 'our'
disciple to come first and have it.  He made him more happy by offering him
second time.  Then he said to the other disciple to bring in some cheeyakai
powder, so that he could wash his hands (which was now sticky with ghee) off
and start serving others.  Guru retained some cheeyakai powder and gave some
to the disciple to wash off his hands.  The desciple came back and the guru
offered him some more cheeyakai.  The disciple declined it saying his hands
are clean now.  The guru said back that this was to clean his tongue of the
ghee.  The disciple retarded that ghee wasn't sticking to his tongue.  Guru
calmly said - "Can  you  make the meaning of THAT veda truth now ?".  The
disciple prostrated.  The Guru continued "if a ordinary ghee can have the
property imagine Paramathma - He is Purisayanath Purusha. The sun rays fall
on Gopuram as well as mud.  It livens the lotus while scorches dry twigs.
The sun rays themselves remain uneffected.  Just the same way the Paramathma
remains in us uneffected "