Philosophy

While bringing up a baby, is one who feeds milk superior and one who cleans the cradle is inferior? Is the person who rocks the cradle superior to the one who takes the baby to the toilet? Due to the love a mother has for the baby, she is equi-poised towards all activities that have to be done to keep him healthy and happy. There is no evaluation of the work as superior or inferior. Even in the service of Bhagavān, it is similar; there is no superior or inferior.

In our times, the question of why is a brāhmaṇa given more importance has become more and more vociferous. The answer to that is in the description of the above qualities. A brāhmaṇa is devout and truthful; he regards that knowledge is of paramount importance and is always peaceful. All people of all countries respect such a person. Respect for those qualities are not out of drum-beating or force or even encouragement. It is born by itself from within the breast.

Impurities comprise impressions carried over from many lives, or natural temperaments — different tastes, wavering wants and infatuations, etc. Thus, the unconscious tastes and impressions from past lives are the impurities. Some of them are to be suppressed and purged. Others are to be experienced fully and then only can they be done away with. Purifying the sattva means eradicating the past impressions. This happens when they are indulged and used up in dealings with the world.

The dialogue between Yājñavalkya and Maitreyī (bṛhadāraṇyaka) continued

There are three types of pleasure as well.

yat-tadagre viṣamiva pariṇāme’mṛtopamam ।
tat-sukhaṃ sāttvikaṃ proktam ātma-buddhi-prasādajam ॥

BG 18.37

The victory of Yājñavalkya (bṛhadāraṇyaka) continued

Let us look at Śrī Rāmānujācārya’s commentary for the above sūtra. The interpretations of the three schools of Vedanta differ from one another only in parts where it is not possible to give proof to anyone. Where it is possible to provide proof, they have no objections.

The story of Śvetaketu and Pravāhaṇarāja (chāndogya) continued

The summary is this. Daiva is hidden, a secret. It comes suddenly and unexpectedly, and cannot be grasped by the logic of causality. The word in Saṃskṛta is “ākasmika” — kasmāt means from where — “akasmāt” means that one doesn’t know from where it came. It is not possible to determine the causes and effects of such an occurrence. Since daiva is not directly perceptible, we forget it. The blow of despondency, if it hits us, becomes tolerable if we keep daiva in our minds while performing karma.

The superiority of Prāṇa (Chāndogya) continued