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by Jayaram V
In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad we come across an interesting story
about gods
(devas) and demons (asuras). They were both children of
Brahma, the creator god. The asuras were elders and the devas were
younger. A deep enmity existed between them from the beginning as they both
competed with each other to
establish their supremacy over the worlds. In order to ensure their
victory over the demons, the gods decided to perform a specific vedic
rituals known as Udgitha Yajna and sought the help of various entities,
who could become their allies in fighting against the demons and establishing
their supremacy. The yajna required the entities to chant some sacred
syllables from the Vedas.
Before the story is narrated it is important to remember that
according to Hindu scriptures, the divinities and the demons exist both
within us and also in the universe as opposing forces. A constant power
struggle of epic proportions goes on between the two within our
personalities as well as in the entire universe. Which of them will win
ultimately in us depends upon which aspects of our personalities are
aligned with whom, especially the body, the sense organs, the mind,
breathing and intelligence. As human beings, endowed with free will, we
have a choice either to pursue the path of the gods and do good or that
of the demons and indulge in evil.
To return to the story, the gods first approached Speech (vacham) and
requested it to chant the holy Udgitha for them. Speech obliged them and began chanting the
Udgitha. The demons
realized that if Speech continued the chant, the gods would become
stronger and they would lose their strength. So they pierced the Speech with
the sin (papam) of imperfection. As a result of their action, Speech become
improper and defective.
The gods then approached the Life-breath (pranam) and requested it to
chant the Udgitha for them. The Life-breath obliged them and began chanting the
sacred mantra. Perceiving the danger, the asurans struck again and pierced the Life-breath with
sin. Their action made Life-breath susceptible to foul smell and
irregular breathing.
Next gods requested Eye (chakshu) to chant the holy Udgitha. The Eye
obliged and began chanting the mantra. The asuras rushed towards the eye
and pierced it with sin. As a result, Eye became tainted with the
impurity of sin
and began seeing things improperly.
The gods then approached Hearing (shotram) and repeated their
request. Hearing agreed to chant the mantra and began chanting it. The
asurans knew what was going to happen if the gods succeeded. So they
rushed towards the Ear and pierced it with sin. As a result the Ear began
hearing what was improper.
Then the gods made the same request to mind and the asuras again
struck it with sin as it began chanting the mantra. As a result of the
sin, the mind began thinking improperly.
Finally, the gods approached the Soul and requested it to chant the
mantra. As the soul obliged and began chanting, the asuras attacked it
and tried to pierce it with sin. But before the Soul they were so
powerless that most of them perished trying to attack the Soul and the
rest were scattered in various directions by its indestructible and
limitless power. As a
result, the gods achieved victory against the demons and prospered,
while the demons grew weaker and their population decreased.
The moral of the story is that our inmost Self is immune to
immorality, sin and all forms of impurities and it alone can save us from
our evil tendencies and animal nature. On the other hand, the senses,
life breath and minds of human beings are imperfect instruments and
unreliable. They are susceptible to the impurities and the influence of
evil forces and if we are not careful they would lead us astray. Therefore we
cannot rely upon them without the help of our inner self.
Symbolically speaking, a constant battle goes on in ourselves between
the positive and negative tendencies. The battle is with regard to which
side takes over the control of our minds, bodies and senses. The divine
forces try to enhance pleasure and happiness through senses, while the
demonic forces try to inflict pain and suffering through them. The
battle intensifies especially when we are on the spiritual path and
engage ourselves in such practices as chanting of mantras, doing yoga
and meditation etc. The battle between the two comes to an end only when
a seeker finds his inmost self and realize who he is.
The inner self or atman is beyond the mind, the body, the senses and
even intelligence or buddhi. It is pure, eternal, imperishable and
unchangeable. It cannot be touched by
any evil or sin because it is divinity itself and impervious to all becoming
and changing either for the good or the bad. If we approach it with a pure
heart and sincere intentions, it will oblige us and help us in
overcoming all our imperfections and sinful nature. A seeker of truth
should therefore identify himself with his inmost self and seek shelter
in it, as he tries to battle against the impurities, imperfections and
sinful tendencies caused by his senses, mind and breathing. As he tries
to restrain his mind and senses through the practice of dharma, he
should guard himself against improper speech, hearing, seeing, thinking
and breathing by establishing himself in his inmost self.
Suggested Further Reading
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