Episode
60
This is an
interesting episode discussing two small stories narrated to Yudhishtir by sage
Markendeya. What are the objects that give happiness to people of extreme
longevity? What objects cause pain to them? What is the importance of cooking and
eating the food in one’s own house? These are questions that revolve around ‘दिनचर्या- dinacaryā’ as we do find in Ayurvedic texts for longevity.
The
episode also discusses the importance of charity and the qualities of the
giver. Can we boast of our own charity? Can we despise the donee? What is
ordained for the donor as per the Sanatana dharma? Like many other episodes of
Vana Parva, this episode revolves around the importance of purification of the
self for spiritual rejuvenation.
The
Story
In
continuation of our previous episode, Yudhishtira inquisitively asked Mārkaṃḍeya to
narrate the story of Baka Maharshi and the secrets of his longevity (Baka Maharshi,
as per legend, had lived for one lakh years). Mārkaṃḍeya started telling the story.
Once upon
a time there occurred a ferocious war between gods and demons. Gods became
victorious and Indra became the lord of all worlds. Indra intended to survey all
the worlds and explore the great people of his land. He was roaming on the back
of his mighty elephant, Airāvata and
reached a beautiful hermitage nearer to a seacoast.
Indra was
impressed by the serene surroundings of the hermitage and alighted from his Airāvata and he saw a maharshi, Baka. Baka
received the lord of gods with courtesy and presented him all pleasantries. The rishi had lived a life of more than one lakh years and
his experiences impart marvelous life lessons and Indra did not want to
waste even a single moment.
Indra
asked, ‘Oh great sage! Please tell me the things that cause misery to long
living people (किम् दुःखं चिर जीविनाम् - kim duḥkhaṃ cira jīvinām, Vana
Parva 193.17). Baka smiled and started telling.
‘Oh,
Indra! Living with persons whom we dislike and the
departure of people whom we like – this is the misery for people with extreme
longevity’.
‘The death of spouse and children, the death of close friends
and thriving the life by depending on someone else – this is the misery
of people with extreme longevity’.
‘A person
devoid of wealth is despised by the society – what more misery is there in the world
for people with extreme longevity?’
‘The learned people become servants to foolish people and
wealthy people enslave the poor people. This has to be seen by the
people with extreme longevity. What more misery can I explain to you?’
Indra
listened attentively and wanted to know what gives
pleasures and what are secrets of extreme longevity. Baka again started
telling.
अष्टमे
द्वादशे वाऽपि शाकं यः पचते गृहे।
कुमित्राण्यनपाश्रित्
किं वै सुखतरं ततः ॥
(Oh,
Indra! If one can live on the food being cooked in one’s own house even on the eighth
or twelfth day and if one can live independently, and do not count the days- that
is the greatest pleasure for people of extreme longevity. Those people cannot
become gluttons)
अपि
शाकं पचानस्य सुखं वै मघवन्गृहे ।
(‘Oh, Indra! If one can earn independently without depending
on anybody and cook in one’s own house – that gives pleasure for people of extreme
longevity’)
‘Eating
fruits and vegetables in the house without any sorrow is far superior to eating
great meal in someone’s house under despise’.
‘The man who craves food in other man’s house is like a dog
that sucks blood. Pious people avoid enjoying the pleasures in other
people houses’
‘Oh,
Indra! Listen! The man who can eat the remains after
sumptuous feast to guests and other living beings is the man who is happy, and
this attitude promotes longevity and happiness to people of extreme longevity’.
Indra heard
the wise words of Baka. He took blessings from Baka and left to his place.
Sibi’s
Glory
In Episode
53, we have read the story of Sibi and his bounteousness. We have read as to
how he pierced his own body and gave out his flesh as charity to an eagle (Indra
disguised as eagle). Yudhishtira wanted to know much more about Sibi and his
glorious deeds. Markendeya started telling the story.
One days
the son of Viswamitra viz Ashtaka,.and his brothers, Pratardhana, Vasumana and
Sibi were travelling on a chariot. They saw Narada on their way and asked him
to alight the chariot. Narada obliged their request.
All the
four brothers were men of great character and known for their liberal
charitable nature and dharmic deeds. All were sure of
reaching heaven after their demise; yet they wanted to know who would stay long
in heaven and who would come out of heaven
first. They requested Narada to enlighten and answer their question.
Narada immediately
told, ‘Yes! Ashtaka shall come out of heaven first’.
‘Why is it
so?’, they asked.
“Once I
was travelling with Ashtaka in his chariot. We saw thousands of cows on the
path. I asked- ‘whose cows are these?’. Then Ashtaka told, ‘All these are
donated by me’. Since he was boasting his own charity,
he cannot stay in heaven for long’.
Then they
asked, ‘We agree Swamiji! Who has to come out of heaven after Ashtaka?’
Narada
thought for a moment and told, ‘Next turn shall be Pratardhana’.
‘Why is it
so?’, they enquired.
Narada
told, ‘One day I was travelling with Pratardhana in his chariot. A brahmin came
and asked a horse. Pratardhana was willing to give on the following day. But
the brahmin wanted it immediately and so he gave away one horse. By the time
one more brahmin appeared on the scene and asked one more horse. Pratardhana
obliged and gave out the other horse. He started pulling the chariot. But alas! He told, ‘these brahmins do not possess
discriminating intellect’. Pratardhana gave
everything that is asked but exhibited anger against the donee. So, he shall
have to leave heaven’.
All the brothers
were inquisitive to know about the third person who was supposed leave the
heaven after Pratardhana.
Narada
told, ‘Vasumana has to leave the heaven later on’.
‘Why?’,
they asked.
“One day I
was travelling with Vasumana in his flower decked chariot. I told- ‘it is so
beautiful’. Vasumana immediately told me, ‘Swamy the chariot is yours since you
have praised it’. But he has not given the chariot”, Narada told to the
surprise of everybody.
Only Sibi
was left out. All others asked, ‘Oh sage Narada! If you
and Sibi happen to be in heaven, who has to leave the heaven first?’
Immediately
Narada told, ‘I have to leave the heaven. I am not as great as Sibi’.
It was
surprising. They wanted to know the reason.
Narada
began telling, ‘One day a brahmin approached Sibi for food. He asked the flesh
of Sibi’s son. Sibi cut off the head of his son and got the dishes ready with
his flesh. Then the king pleaded the brahmin to eat it. Then the brahmin asked
him to eat it first. Sibi sat and started eating as asked by the guest without
any agony or anxiety in his face. Then the brahmin told, ‘Oh, Sibi! You have conquered the anger. You have given out
everything as charity and nothing is left with you’. Sibi lifted his
head and there was no brahmin. Lord Brahmā was
standing before him to bless him’, Narada concluded.
Everyone
was awestruck and no one was knowing the story. Narada again started telling, ‘The
Brahmā blessed Sibi and gave back the life of his
son. All his ministers approached Sibi and asked him as to why he was so adventurous.
Then Sibi told,
नैवाहमेतद्यशसे
ददानि न चार्यहेतोर्न च भोगतृष्णया।
(I am giving charity not anticipating fame, wealth or any future
luxury. Sinners cannot follow this path. So, I am following this path’)
Everyone
admired Narada’s intellectual analysis and left to their places.
Understanding
the story of Indra- Baka Saṃvādaṃ
It is an
interesting story from the perspective of ‘दिनचर्या- dinacaryā’ as we do find in Ayurvedic texts for longevity. We see Indra
asking Maharshi to explain the objects that give pleasures and pains to a
person of extra longevity (चिरजीवनः - cirajīvanaḥ) and also
the secrets for longevity. The things that give pleasures and sustain longevity
can be classified as follows:
1.
Eating the food of one’s own house (पचते
गृहे-
pacate gṛhe). We find Maharshi Baka emphasizing this
point at least three times. It means that our seers encouraged cooking in the
house. Maharshi also condemns those who crave for outside
food and compare them as blood-thirsty dogs (श्ववत्
कीलालपो यस्तु परान्नं भोक्तुमिच्छति। - Vana Parva 193. 31).
2.
Eating the food after serving to guests, insects
and birds give out pleasure and promote longevity.
3.
Earning the food on one’s own labour and do not
depend on others (आर्जितं स्वेन वीर्येण - ārjitaṃ svena vīryeṇa) even if
it entails eating once in eight or twelve days. Scholars interpret it in two
ways – 1. In Maha Bharata times, rishis and highly learned and humble brahmins
were leading a life of penury and their focus was never on food but on
learning, meditation and teaching. ‘Eat to live but not
live to eat’ was their tenet which they had scrupulously adhered. 2. A
few scholars opine that one should eat with a gap of eight or twelve hours and nothing
in between.
Any
way the idea is avoiding taking food very frequently so that they should not
become gluttons.
4.
It is better to sustain on leaves and fruits than
to crave for dishes in other’s houses.
From
the above, we can know that probably, this was the bhojanam (food) for the
seekers or rishis. To keep one’s own body healthy, it was always advised to
avoid frequent meals. Frugal meals were encouraged, and
frequent heavy meals were frowned at. Even when the little food that was
taken was half stomach full.
Aṣṭāṃga hṛdaya famously states:
अन्नेन कुक्षेर्द्वावंशौ पानेनैकं प्रपूरयेत् |
आश्रयं पवनादीनां चतुर्थमवशेषयेत् ||[v]
(Meaning: Half of the stomach is to be filled with food and
one fourth with water. The rest of the stomach is to be left empty for the doṣās (to aid normal
physiology of digestion)).
Eating full stomach is never an ideal for people
of sātvik nature.
To
sum up, when we strictly avoid food made in other places and maintain the daily
rhythm, the body gets purified and helps in avoiding many diseases. आहार
सम्भवं वस्तु रोगाश्चाहार सम्भवाः (The body
is made of food and alas, diseases also come from food).
Ved
Vyasa also discusses the miseries of cirajīvanaḥ. Gerontology is a vast subject discussing the
caring of the old. The misery of the old, excepting a few, is pathetic. The
passing away of the friends before their own eyes is painful. When the body
fails to cooperate, relying on someone for day today activities bring forth
mental depressions. Maharshi Baka story is utilised by Ved Vyasa to highlight
the plight of old people.
Understanding the story of Sibi
The
predominant narrative of this story revolves around one issue, ie, charity. How
should one give charity? By introducing four brahmin characters, Ved Vyasa has given
out a message as to how a charity has to be done.
a.
If a man boasts of his charity, it does not merit
as great charity
b.
If a man donates but despises the donee, his
donation does not deserve as great charity
c.
If a man announces a donation, but backtracks, his
donation is not a charity.
d.
But, if a person donates anything of
donee’s choice with sraddha (faith or devotion) and sahana (patience), that
alone qualifies real charity.
In fact, we
come across a sloka in Taitiriya Upanishad which goes like this:
श्रद्धया
देयम् अश्रद्धया अदेयम् श्रिया देयम् ह्रिया देयम्। भिया देयम् सम्विदा देयम्।
(Meaning: Thou shalt give with faith and reverence; without faith thou
shalt not give.
Thou shalt give with shame, thou shalt give with fear; thou
shalt give with fellow-feeling).
Taitiriya Upanishad says that while
giving charity, we should do with shame because it may demean the dignity of
the donee. We should give with respect and treating him as equal to you. Why
should we give with fear? It is because the donee may refuse to take donation
from you. The spirit and glory of Hindu philosophical thought
never advocated charity for boasting or for exhibition.
In the
same vain, Gita delineates charity into three varieties- sātvik, rājasik and tāmas (Gita 17- 20,21 and 22) and eulogises the charity that does not expect any reward from the donee and
denounces charity that is given for wrong person and for wrong cause.
By
highlighting the character of Sibi, Veda Vyasa has highlighted the importance
of charity in one’s life. The exaggerated demand of brahmins is just an allegory
to sustain the grand narrative which is of course the ‘virtues of charity’.
Points
to ponder
1.
What are the secrets for longevity?
2.
How is food both sustainer and killer of a person?
3.
How should a charity be done? Discuss.
Footnotes
[i] This
Story is taken from Vana Parva of Maha Bharata written by sage Veda Vyasa (Gita
Press)
kumitrāṇyanapāśrit
kiṃ vai sukhataraṃ tataḥ ॥
yatrāhāni
na gaṇyante nainamāhurmahāśanam। - Vana
Parva 193. 27, 28
ārjitaṃ svena vīryeṇa nāpyapāśritya kañcana ॥ - Vana
Parva 193. 29)
pāpairanāsevita eṣa mārga ityevametatsakalaṃ karomi ॥ -Vana
Parva 198. 26
āśrayaṃ pavanādīnāṃ caturthamavaśeṣayet || -Aṣṭāṃga Hṛdaya, sūtra sthāna - Chapter
8.46 (English translation by Dr T.Sreekumar)
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