rule



 

Canto 5

S'rī Rādhika Stava

 

 

Chapter 13: Further Talks between Mahārāja Rahūgana and Jada Bharata

(1) The brahmin said: 'With a karmic [profit-minded] vision being divided [acting alternately] in passion, goodness and ignorance, the conditioned soul, having trodden the difficult path of a material life, wanders around in the forest [of illusion], which he entered with the purpose of gaining a higher position and wealth, and cannot find [lasting] happiness [that way]. (2) He who, following the wrong lead, chases dreams, oh god of men, is in that place plundered by the six brigands [of the senses and the mind]. Entering his heart just like foxes they seize the maddened social climber, the way tigers seize lambs. (3) In the bowers, full of creepers, grasses and thickets, where he sometimes [in a daydream] imagines to have landed among the Gandharvas and then again in no time gets possessed [by an evil spirit], he is cruelly disturbed by biting mosquitos [nasty consequences].  (4) On that worldly path moving hither and thither to call some place, water and wealth his own, oh King, he has lost his direction and is sometimes blinded because of the smoky dust raised by a whirlwind. (5) Disturbed by the noises of invisible crickets in his ear, upset in his mind and heart by the vibrations of owls, and suffering from hunger taking shelter of fruitless trees, he at times runs after the waters of a mirage. (6) One time going for rivers that ran dry [earning nothing] and asking food [or financial support] from others who themselves ran out of stock, he some other time despairs about the forest fire of his material existence and the wealth that was seized by the rogues [other profit-minded people]. (7) Sometimes finding himself taxed by his ruling superiors [the 'demigods'], he experiences grief in his heart and loses his mind getting bewildered in his complaints, and then again he, for a moment, is filled with joy having entered a heavenly kingdom [on earth] as if he would have found true happiness. (8) Sometimes, wandering around, his feet are hurt by thorns and small stones when he wants to climb the hills [of social convention], which depresses him at every step, and sometimes he, as a family man, is dispirited with a hungry stomach [his ambitions], and gets angry with his own family members. (9) At times left to his own devices in the forest the conditioned soul is swallowed by the python [of indolence] and does not understand a thing. Attacked by poisonous snakes and bitten [disadvantaged by egoists], he then sometimes, fallen into an unseen well [in adversity], then lies his head down blinded in utter darkness. (10) Then again searching for some honey [for sense gratification] he is disappointed by the disquieted beehive in question [by institutes of social control]; or else, at the very moment he with great difficulty tries to have his way, his object of desire next is harshly stolen away by a [sexual] rival. (11) Sometimes, also not able to fight the cold, the heat, the wind or the rains, he feels helpless and miserable; and then again, with others trying to do a little business, he lands - as is commonly known - in the mutual enmity of cheating for the profit. (12) Now and then in that forest being destitute, he has to do without bedding, a place to sit, a house and family comforts and then begs from others. Not getting what he needs, he desires the possessions of others and resorts to disgraceful actions. (13) When he tries to progress materially by getting married [getting settled], a greatly troublesome life results in which enmity grows as a consequence of the financial entanglement with others. On the path of material existence he is then completely ruined by misfortune and a lack of funds [financial crises].  (14) Thus wandering about for their own interest, all living beings are put up with the duty to leave the ones who died behind and take along the ones they gave a life. Oh hero, even until now, no one here following this material path, has ever reached the ultimate goal of [devotional service and beatitude in] yoga.

(15)
They who cleverly managed to conquer the elephants [the greatest heroes] of the directions, are in this world caught by the concept of 'mine' and [ultimately] all have to lay down their lives in battle with the enmity they created. They do not reach the reality of the staff of renunciation [the voluntary penance, sannyāsa] that, free from enmity, does lead to the perfection. (16) Clinging to the shelter of the arms of one's spouse, who is like a creeper, one sometimes sings a strange [adulterous] song in one's desire to hear the song of another bird of shelter. And when one happens to be scared enough by the Lord of the Cakra [by the compelling order of Time], one makes friends with the cranes, the herons and the vultures [cheaters and leeches]. (17) Cheated by them one next contacts the swans [brahmins, intellectuals], but dissatisfied with their practices one approaches the monkeys [debauchees, preachers of sense gratification] in the association of whom one, most satisfied in one's sensuality, stares one another in the face unaware of one's impending death. (18) Enjoying in one's [bourgeois] tree, being attached to wife and children and poor of heart, one cannot let go, being bound to the consequences of one's actions. Beset by fear for the elephant of death clasping the creeper, one sometimes lands in a cave in the mountains where one gets trapped [an incurable disease]. (19) Somehow or other escaping from this danger, oh killer of the enemies, one again takes up the same life of that path of enjoyment, which is followed by the soul conditioned under the influence of māyā, wherein one until one's death fails to understand a thing. (20) Oh King Rahūgaṇa, you surely also walk this path [through the forest] of material existence, but once you have given up your political power and are acting friendly towards all living beings, you will feel no longer drawn towards the untrue and take up the, by means of service to the Lord, sharpened sword of knowledge to pass over to the supreme reality in the beyond!' 

(21)
The king said: 'Oh, a human birth is the best of all births! What use has it to be of a higher birth [among the gods]? There is nothing superior about it when one in a new life cannot enjoy abundantly the association with truly great souls [like you], whose hearts are purified by the glory of Hrishīkes'a [the Lord and master of the senses]. (22) To be completely freed from all contamination by the dust of your lotus feet of love and devotion unto Adhokshaja [the Lord in the Beyond], is not that surprising at all. Being associated with you for just a moment, the root of  ignorance of my false reasoning was completely vanquished. (23) My obeisances unto all the great personalities, whether they appear as boys, as young men or as elderly celibates. Let there because of these self-realized souls of transcendence, who walk this earth in different guises of forsaking, be happiness for all the dynasties!'

(24)
S'rī S'uka said: 'Because of the quality of his great kindness and supreme spiritual realization, oh son of Uttarā [Parīkchit], that son of brahmin wisdom, despite being insulted, thus could be of instruction for the ruler of Sindhu about the reality of the soul. He whose lotus feet by Rahūgana so full of pity were worshiped and who had a heart in which, like in a full ocean, all the waves of [sensory input of] the senses were completely silenced, [thereafter in freedom] continued to roam this earth [compare 3.25: 21]. (25) Oh King, the king of Sauvīra who from [being instructed by] an elevated person had arrived at the full understanding of the reality of the supreme soul, thus managed to completely give up on the physical conception of the self that he in his ignorance had entertained, and [from then on] faithfully followed the path of disciplic succession originating from the Lord.'

(26)
The king [Parīkchit] said: 'That what you, oh greatest of devotion, described here in figures of speech so knowledgeable about the individual soul’s path in material existence, is set in words comprehensible to those who developed their minds, not so much directly to common people of a lesser experience. Can you, for the sake of a full understanding of this subject matter which is so hard to grasp, therefore please tell us in different words what it exactly means?'

 

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Third revised edition, loaded April 28, 2018.
 

 

 

Previous Aadhar edition and Vedabase links:

Text 1

The brahmin said: 'With a karmic [profit-minded] vision being divided [acting alternately] in passion, goodness and ignorance, the conditioned soul, having trodden the difficult path of a material life, wanders around in the forest [of illusion], which he entered with the purpose of gaining a higher position and wealth, and cannot find [lasting] happiness [that way].
The brahmin said: 'Trying to get ahead in life, which is difficult being captivated by illusion, is the eager one, divided in looking after the workload of his passion, ignorance and goodness, wandering around in his worldly existence and is he, bent upon the profit, not able to find happiness. (Vedabase)


Text 2

He who, following the wrong lead, chases dreams, oh god of men, is in that place plundered by the six brigands [of the senses and the mind]. Entering his heart just like foxes they seize the maddened social climber, the way tigers seize lambs. 

O god of men, there do these six plunderers [of seeing, smelling, tasting, touching, hearing and minding] ransack the conditioned souls that are chasing the false; by force they in that position like foxes seize the maddened zealous one his heart, just like tigers seizing lambs. (Vedabase)

 

Text 3

In the bowers, full of creepers, grasses and thickets, where he sometimes [in a daydream] imagines to have landed among the Gandharvas and then again in no time gets possessed [by an evil spirit], he is cruelly disturbed by biting mosquitos [nasty consequences]. 

In the bowers of many creepers, grasses and thickets he is cruelly disturbed by biting mosquitos, sometimes imagining himself to be with the Gandharvas and sometimes as fast as a meteor getting possessed. (Vedabase)


Text 4

On that worldly path moving hither and thither to call some place, water and wealth his own, oh King, he has lost his direction and is sometimes blinded because of the smoky dust raised by a whirlwind.

Running here and there for their home, water and wealth, o King, they consider that their one and all, and sometimes, blinded by their infatuation, have they lost their way [in life] because of the smoky dust [of lust] raised by a whirlwind [of some outer attraction]. (Vedabase)

 

Text 5

Disturbed by the noises of invisible crickets in his ear, upset in his mind and heart by the vibrations of owls, and suffering from hunger taking shelter of fruitless trees, he at times runs after the waters of a mirage. 

By the noises of invisible crickets disturbed in his ear, by the vibrations of owls upset in his mind and heart, and suffering from hunger taking shelter of fruitless trees, he at times runs after the waters of a mirage. (Vedabase)


Text 6

One time going for rivers that ran dry [earning nothing] and asking food [or financial support] from others who themselves ran out of stock, he some other time despairs about the forest fire of his material existence and the wealth that was seized by the rogues [other profit-minded people].

One time going for rivers that ran dry and asking food from others who themselves ran out of stock, suffer they some other time from the forest fire of their material existence and worry they about what became of the cherished wealth seized by the rogues ruling the state. (Vedabase)

  

Text 7

Sometimes finding himself taxed by his ruling superiors [the 'demigods'], he experiences grief in his heart and loses his mind getting bewildered in his complaints, and then again he, for a moment, is filled with joy having entered a heavenly kingdom [on earth] as if he would have found true happiness.

Sometimes do they all, seeing themselves taxed by their ruling superiors, experience grief in their hearts and get they, wining, bewildered in losing their minds; and now and then, for a short while, they dream of having entered heavenly abodes where one enjoys like being happy. (Vedabase)


Text 8

Sometimes, wandering around, his feet are hurt by thorns and small stones when he wants to climb the hills [of social convention], which depresses him at every step, and sometimes he, as a family man, is dispirited with a hungry stomach [his ambitions], and gets angry with his own family members.

Sometimes wandering are the feet of someone who wants to climb the hills hurt by thorns and small stones and is such a one depressed with each step he makes; and sometimes gets a family person, agitated with a hungry stomach, angry with his own family members. (Vedabase)

 

Text 9

At times left to his own devices in the forest the conditioned soul is swallowed by the python [of indolence] and does not understand a thing. Attacked by poisonous snakes and bitten [disadvantaged by egoists], he then sometimes, fallen into an unseen well [in adversity], then lies his head down blinded in utter darkness.

Sometimes left to his own devices in the [material] forest [of life] is the conditioned soul swallowed by the python doesn't he understand a thing; attacked by poisonous snakes and bitten, he sometimes, fallen into an unseen well, then lies down blind in utter darkness. (Vedabase)

 

Text 10

Then again searching for some honey [for sense gratification] he is disappointed by the disquieted beehive in question [by institutes of social control]; or else, at the very moment he with great difficulty tries to have his way, his object of desire next is harshly stolen away by a [sexual] rival.

Sometimes searching for some little sexual pleasure is he by the disquieted beehive of the family of the woman insulted; or, concerning these matters with much difficulty spending money to find his comfort, is thereafter by force the object of desire by someone else stolen away from him. (Vedabase)


Text 11

Sometimes, also not able to fight the cold, the heat, the wind or the rains, he feels helpless and miserable; and then again, with others trying to do a little business, he lands - as is commonly known - in the mutual enmity of cheating for the profit.

Sometimes also not able to fight the cold, the heat, the wind or the rains, he is put off; and sometimes selling along with others whatever little bit, he lands in mutual enmity so one says, because of cheating for the profit. (Vedabase)

 

Text 12

Now and then in that forest being destitute, he has to do without bedding, a place to sit, a house and family comforts and then begs from others. Not getting what he needs, he desires the possessions of others and resorts to disgraceful actions.

Now and then being destitute is he in that without bedding, a place to sit, a house and family comforts, and does he bereft beg from others; not getting what he needs he is after the property of others and then finds dishonor. (Vedabase)

 

Text 13

When he tries to progress materially by getting married [getting settled], a greatly troublesome life results in which enmity grows as a consequence of the financial entanglement with others. On the path of material existence he is then completely ruined by misfortune and a lack of funds [financial crises]. 

Because of financial transactions with one another there is a rise of enmity, and married to each other trying to progress materially is that resulting in great difficulties, because one, for want of money following the wrong course, will be completely embarrassed. (Vedabase)


 

Text 14

Thus wandering about for their own interest, all living beings are put up with the duty to leave the ones who died behind and take along the ones they gave a life. Oh hero, even until now, no one here following this material path, has ever reached the ultimate goal of [devotional service and beatitude in] yoga.

All who are thus variously embarrassed, have at times to give up on the beings close to them and are then after newly born lives; being after one's own interest one wanders around here in this world and up to the present day is none of the ones in that position, o hero, able to reach the ultimate end of yoga [to devotional service]. (Vedabase)


Text 15

They who cleverly managed to conquer the elephants [the greatest heroes] of the directions, are in this world caught by the concept of 'mine' and [ultimately] all have to lay down their lives in battle with the enmity they created. They do not reach the reality of the staff of renunciation [the voluntary penance, sannyāsa] that, free from enmity, does lead to the perfection.

They who without much of a mind managed to conquer giants of other heroes, are all caught in this world in the concept of 'mine' and lay down their lives in battle with the enmity created - but they do not reach the reality of the staff of renunciation which, when one is free from enmity, does lead to the perfection. (Vedabase)


Text 16

Clinging to the shelter of the arms of one's spouse, who is like a creeper, one sometimes sings a strange [adulterous] song in one's desire to hear the song of another bird of shelter. And when one happens to be scared enough by the Lord of the Cakra [by the compelling order of Time], one makes friends with the cranes, the herons and the vultures [cheaters and leeches].

More and more attached sometimes do they who enjoy in the arms of their wives, their creeper, sing an odd tune in desiring to hear the song of another bird; and sometimes hearing somewhere the roar of the lion he seeks friendship with cranes, herons and vultures. (Vedabase)



Text 17

Cheated by them one next contacts the swans [brahmins, intellectuals], but dissatisfied with their practices one approaches the monkeys [debauchees, preachers of sense gratification] in the association of whom one, most satisfied in one's sensuality, stares one another in the face unaware of one's impending death.

Cheated by them but not finding satisfaction in contact with the devoted, approach they in their behavior the monkeys with whom associated they are quite at ease with their senses, and staring at each other's faces approach they forgetful their death. (Vedabase)


Text 18

Enjoying in one's [bourgeois] tree, being attached to wife and children and poor of heart, one cannot let go, being bound to the consequences of one's actions. Beset by fear for the elephant of death clasping the creeper, one sometimes lands in a cave in the mountains where one gets trapped [an incurable disease].

Enjoying up their tree are they, attached to wife and children and poor of heart, unable to detach bound to the consequences of their own actions, and fall they at times, beset by fear for the elephant of death, into a cave in the mountains thus getting trapped there. (Vedabase)

 

Text 19

Somehow or other escaping from this danger, oh killer of the enemies, one again takes up the same life of that path of enjoyment, which is followed by the soul conditioned under the influence of māyā, wherein one until one's death fails to understand a thing.

Somehow or other getting out of this danger they again, o killer of the enemies, take up the same life, that path of enjoyment travelled by the conditioned soul under the influence of māyā, in which he up to his death fails to understand a thing. (Vedabase)
 

Text 20

Oh King Rahūgaṇa, you surely also walk this path [through the forest] of material existence, but once you have given up your political power and are acting friendly towards all living beings, you will feel no longer drawn towards the untrue and take up the, by means of service to the Lord, sharpened sword of knowledge to pass over to the supreme reality in the beyond!' 

King Rahūgana, you, surely also walking this path of material existence, will, once you've given up the stick of chastising and are acting friendly towards all beings, by means of service to the Lord be someone who in his mind is no longer drawn to the untrue; taking up the sharpened sword of knowledge now cross over to the supreme of the other side!' (Vedabase)

 

Text 21

The king said: 'Oh, a human birth is the best of all births! What use has it to be of a higher birth [among the gods]? There is nothing superior about it when one in a new life cannot enjoy abundantly the association with truly great souls [like you], whose hearts are purified by the glory of Hrishīkes'a [the Lord and master of the senses].

The king said: 'Alas, o best one among the born, of what use is it, being born into the human form, to be but of a higher birth? Indeed there is nothing superior to it if we, in a new life, can't enjoy the abundance of associating with the truly great ones whose hearts are purified in the glory of Hrishikes'a [the Lord and master of the senses].  (Vedabase)

 

Text 22

To be completely freed from all contamination by the dust of your lotus feet of love and devotion unto Adhokshaja [the Lord in the Beyond], is not that surprising at all. Being associated with you for just a moment, the root of  ignorance of my false reasoning was completely vanquished.

Isn't it wonderful indeed to be completely liberated by the dust of your lotus feet of love and devotion unto Adhokshaja [the Lord in the Beyond], by the association of whom one in a moment is freed from all material contamination and as well the root of nondiscrimination of false arguing is completely vanquished? (Vedabase)

 

Text 23

My obeisances unto all the great personalities, whether they appear as boys, as young men or as elderly celibates. Let there because of these self-realized souls of transcendence, who walk this earth in different guises of forsaking, be happiness for all the dynasties!'

Let there be my reverential homage unto the great personalities, whether they appear as boys, as young men or as total forsakers; let there, from all those selfrealized souls of transcendence who walk this earth under different guises, be the good of fortune over all the dynasties!' (Vedabase)

 

Text 24

S'rī S'uka said: 'Because of the quality of his great kindness and supreme spiritual realization, oh son of Uttarā [Parīkchit], that son of brahmin wisdom, despite being insulted, thus could be of instruction for the ruler of Sindhu about the reality of the soul. He whose lotus feet by Rahūgana so full of pity were worshiped and who had a heart in which, like in a full ocean, all the waves of [sensory input of] the senses were completely silenced, [thereafter in freedom] continued to roam this earth [compare 3.25: 21].

S'rī S'uka said: 'This way, o son of Uttarā [Parīkchit], did he, that son of brahmin wisdom, though being insulted, from the quality of his kindness and the supreme of his spiritual realization, before the ruler of Sindhu expound on the actual reality of the soul; with Rahūgana so piteous, was he whose lotus feet were worshiped, of a heart in which, like in a full ocean, all the waves of the sensory were completely silenced as he continued to roam this earth [compare 3.25: 21]. (Vedabase)

 

Text 25

Oh King, the king of Sauvīra who from [being instructed by] an elevated person had arrived at the full understanding of the reality of the supreme soul, thus managed to completely give up on the physical conception of the self that he in his ignorance had entertained, and [from then on] faithfully followed the path of disciplic succession originating from the Lord.'

The king of Sauvīra sure of an elevated position, came to a full understanding of the truth of the oversoul; within himself he managed to completely give up on the conception of a bodily self that he erroneously in nescience had attributed to his person and thus, o King, followed he faithfully the path of disciplic succession since the Lord.' (Vedabase)

 

Text 26

The king [Parīkchit] said: 'That what you, oh greatest of devotion, described here in figures of speech so knowledgeable about the individual soul’s path in material existence, is set in words comprehensible to those who developed their minds, not so much directly to common people of a lesser experience. Can you, for the sake of a full understanding of this subject matter which is so hard to grasp, therefore please tell us in different words what it exactly means?'

The king [Parīkchit] said: 'That which you described here so knowledgeable, o greatest of devotion, in figures of speech about the individual soul its path in material existence, is set in words comprehensible to the minds of the educated, not so much directly to locals of a lesser experience; therefore, for the sake of a full understanding of this matter so hard to grasp, could you please describe it telling us the exact meaning?'  (Vedabase)

 

 
 

 


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The painting  of the depressed person is painted by  William Blake.
Source:
William Blake Archive.
Production:
Filognostic Association of The Order of Time.


  

 

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