The Solution
The prince wants to take a tour of foreign lands. The prince and the king are inseparable. After all, the son is his father’s image. As the king of the future is lying dormant in the prince, the king is full of apprehensions. The king has kept a sharp eye to make sure that the prince’s foreign tour is completed without hindrance and dressed him with all kinds of adornments. The large entourage that accompanies the prince always stands guard upon him in sleepless vigil and poised to obey his command. Under the firebrand personality of the prince, his companions carry out his will with unwavering loyalty. On one hand the tour becomes enjoyable and on the other, the dormant power of a great ruler gradually surfaces within the prince. The coronation of the future king becomes imminent. This is normal and in accordance with the king’s desire. However, if by the turn of events, the prince fell under the degrading influence of his companions and forgets his own true self, if he is unable to establish his personality as the future king and becomes weak, then his companions will take advantage of this situation resulting in anarchy and indiscipline. The princely image will obviously be tarnished. He will then be forced to lead a lowly life of grief and poverty. The establishment of the regal power will be stalled forever and he will be unable to return to his homeland in his rightful position as the king.
Similarly, every one of us, human beings, is the image of our Supreme father, the God, the King of all kings – The Creator and is inseparable from him. In time immemorial we have become dislodged from our source on a tour of foreign lands. After many a birth we have finally taken the human form. Our kind father has made all arrangements so that we can return to him after our journey. He has equipped the nature with all that we need. The sky, the wind, water, light; sun, moon and the stars; hills, valleys and mountains; animals, birds, insects, trees and bushes – he has dressed the nature in all perfection for us, human beings. He has also given us suitable company so that we utilize them properly and complete our foreign tour successfully with their assistance and return to our homeland. But regretfully, we have forgotten our true identity due to the extrovert nature of our mind since time immemorial. Who I am; what are my actual needs or what is my goal, all have been obliterated from our memory. Taking advantage of the situation, the companions that our father had provided us with, have become unruly and undisciplined. They refuse to obey our command. On the contrary we have become slaves to their demands. As a result we are compelled to lead a rudderless, undisciplined life and are tormented by the inescapable dragnet of grief and sorrow. The joy of the foreign tour has slipped far away.
But this was not what was meant to be. Our father had made all arrangements to make our tour comfortable catering to all our needs. A beautifully made physique comprising the five basic physical elements (pancha bhuta), the five modes of life-breath (pancha prana), the five sense mechanism for action (pancha karmendriya), the five sense mechanism for perception (pancha jnanendriyas) and above all the mind (manas), the intellect (buddhi), the mind’s arena of activity (chitta) and the ego (ahankar) – he has endowed us with all of these 24 powerful companions. But if we forget to put them under our command and instead, become their slaves, it is inevitable that we have to drown in the ocean of grief under the illusory spell of maya. Our Supreme Father is perturbed by our helplessness arising out of our ignorance. This is the reason for His innumerable descent as Avatars, Guru making His children alert and inspired through his messages and vibrations. He sounds the clarion call to all his children inviting them to join the war of sadhana in order to break out of the chains of slavery and regain their true nature.
This brings us to the detail and comprehensive analysis of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita by the most revered Sri Madhab in the light of the intricate interaction of the physical and subtle elements of the human body. He has opened up a new horizon in the area of spiritual pursuit by the simple and universal manner in which he has revealed the inner meaning of the Gita from the perspective of the human body and the detailed explanation of its application techniques. In his analysis he has revealed the manner in which all beings having the human form irrespective of caste, creed or religion, can enter the arena of the internal spiritual battle (sadhan samara) while carrying out all duties of the family and crush the rebellious and unruly elements within him thereby regaining his own true self and the traits of humanity. He has presented in a unique style how, thereafter, he can proceed to obtain the ultimate knowledge of the Supreme and reach the final solution, making his birth as a human being a success. The group of followers, devotees, brothers and sisters in Kalpataru Jagaran Sangha wait in great eagerness for the day when we can make this priceless wealth available to the men and women of the entire world. This topic will remain incomplete unless I relate certain excerpts from Sri Madhab’s analysis of the Gita that I can recollect.
The whole world, including the leaders of great nations, is anxious to know how it is possible to find the true solution. What is the proper way to guide people or what is the proper education that should be imparted that can bring peace and discipline to the society. For now it is clear that mere theoretical discourses, imposition of laws, disciplinary actions or punitive measures can never take the society to a permanent solution. As such, it is now universally accepted that the only path that leads to the solution is by retrieving and awakening the true traits of humanity within mankind that has hitherto been lying submerged in the murky waters of inhumanity, through education in the light of truth. The awakening of humanity and engagement in the spiritual battle can only make possible reestablishment of humanity in its rightful position in the kingdom of truth. Humanity is the true nature of mankind and is the integral entity of the truth absolute.
Now let us try to find out with the help of Sri Madhab’s analysis of the Gita how our senses, the faithful companions, have enveloped our true identity under the malicious influence of the six cardinal passions (shad_ripu) and hundreds of other antagonist forces. How these companions have ousted us from our own kingdom or the kingdom of the Self (atma rajya) making the Mind as the monarch of the physical kingdom (deha rajya) and compelling us to bow to its commands leading to restlessness and instability. How, from nation to nation, man to man, religion to religion, the gratification of the ego that tries to dominate over others, jealousy and intolerance have led to initiate people in the lessons of separatism and discrimination. In Gita we observe that instigated and assisted by his hundred sons, Duryodhan etc, the Kaurava King Dhritarashtra expelled the Pandava king Pandu’s five sons – Yudhisthir, Bhim, Arjun, Nakul and Sahadev from their kingdom. Further, he even refused to part with even that much land that can be held on the tip of a needle without engaging in battle. The Pandavas were forced to lead a life of destitution being banished from their own kingdom. As a consequence the clash of swords between the two sides in the battlefield of Kurukshetra became inevitable. Sri Madhab said that through this battle of Kurukshetra, Sri Krishna had taught the world the technique of attaining the final solution, using Arjun as an example. He said, try to think deeply and find out, who, in the arena of the human body is the Kaurava king Dhritarashtra. Dhritarashtra in Sanskrit can be split up as dhritang, rashtrang yena sah, meaning – he, who bears the nation. In the arena of the body Dhritarashtra is the personification of the mind. Mind, as its king, holds the bodily kingdom in its power and for this reason the mind is known to be its controller. We find that the mind is blind as also Dhritarashtra is blind. The mind cannot enjoy the fruits of its desire without the help of the passions (ripu) and the senses (indriya). On a proper analysis it is seen that the blind mind’s desires are actually instigated by the senses and the passions. The passions are mind’s faculties and, therefore, can be called its offspring. The hundred sons of Dhritarashtra are the personification of the mind’s faculties. For example, sensual desire, anger, infatuation, greed and other hundred faculties are personified as Duryodhan, Dushasan etc. These are the adverse forces or asura shakti whose dynamic influences within our body keeps us enshrouded in dark ignorance and imprisons us in an intricate web of animal instincts and prejudices. Sri Madhab said that in our body the worldly inclination (Pravritti) is personified as the spouse of the blind mind – the similarity can be drawn with Gandhari being the spouse of Dhritarashtra. Pravritti often tries to act in a desperate and uncontrolled manner. It throws to the wind all judgment as to which is good and which is bad. Hence, in spite of her vision she keeps her eyes blindfolded meaning, therefore, that by nature Pravritti does not pay heed to the right or the wrong; it is blind.
This, in brief was about the asura shaktis in our body. Let us now proceed to identify the benevolent forces or the Sura Shakti in the human body. The blind mind has expelled man from his own kingdom (atma rajya) and has assumed the role of the king thereby establishing the kingdom of the mind (mano rajya) in the body. Now the battle to regain the lost kingdom has been illustrated as the battle of Kurukshetra. This battle is actually the spiritual battle (sadhan samar). The five sons of Pandu, called the five Pandavas are the main sura shakti. Yudhisthir, Bhim, Arjun, Nakul and Sahadev are nothing but the five basic elements of the human body (pancha bhut) i.e. kshiti, ap, tej, marut and byom. While the pancha bhut are the basic constituents of this material world, they can also help man to break free of maya as the sura shakti in our body and return to his homeland. Kshiti, or the soil, is the first of the pancha bhuta. In the human body it is the solid part. Sahadev, the fifth pandav, is protecting the body as kshiti, the structural part of the body comprising the flesh and bones. Again, from the spiritual aspect, in the state of introspection, it enters the sadhan samara as ‘tolerance’ in confrontation with adverse forces. Next is the fourth pandav, Nakul. In the body, Nakul is the ap element. Ap means water – the sap. The word ap brings to our mind’s eyes, vast stretches of water- shoreless, endless. Hence it is Na-kul (one that does not have shore). The soft and serene features of water have given the attributes of glowing beauty and peace to the body. In the introspective state this Nakul stands face to face with the adverse forces in the battlefield as ‘humbleness’. Before we discuss about the third Pandava, let us look into the role of the second Pandava, Bhim. As regards the body, Bhim is the Marut bhut – the wind. The swiftly moving wind, the possessor of gigantic strength, exists in our body as Bhim. In the battle of Kurukshetra Bhim breaks the knee of Duryodhan, the personification of sensual desire or kam, with the stroke of his mace. The symbolism reveals that it is only possible for the mace like life-breath (pran) to break the knee of sensual desire. Although kam is present throughout the body, its main seat is in the portion between the groin and the knee. Yudhisthir, the first Pandava, is known as dharma raj, the king of religion. In the arena of the human body, it is the byom bhut. Byom means space or vacuum – expansive, limitless and serene. In the physical body, Yudhisthir as byom facilitates the movement of all other constituents of the body. In the introspective state it confronts the mean and narrow minded evil forces in the spiritual battlefield. Finally let us come to the hero of the spiritual battlefield of Kurukshetra – the third pandava Arjun. In our body Arjun is the tej mahabhut. Tej is also known as manly spirit and vigour or purushakar. On the one hand tej is the source of warmth in our body; on the other it brings completeness to the body by providing strength and vigour. Tej is the driving force in the spiritual battle and is the image of the Supreme Being (param purusha). Arjun, therefore, is inseparable from the Truth Absolute. It is the Nar of Narayan, companion of Krishna, the conscious element (chetana) of the Supreme Consciousness (chaitanya). When the manly spirit or tej awakens in mankind to seek freedom from the adverse forces and he enters the battle ground, the Supreme Consciousness (chaitanya) steers the warrior in all directions making victory quick and inevitable. In the case of humans, Guru, in its own form as the force of Krishna, becomes the charioteer and helps in defeating the adverse forces and regain the lost kingdom of atma rajya. Enthroned in his rightful position in his own kingdom, man becomes the epitome of service (seva), love (prem) and peace (shanti).
Thus we get an idea of how the Kauravas and Pandavas engage in the spiritual battle in our body as the adverse and benevolent forces (sura and asura). Further we also see that when Arjun or tej takes up his bow, the ‘Gandiv’ against the adverse forces, the Supreme Consciousness (chaitanya shakti) Sri Krishna becomes his charioteer. Similarly in the case of mankind, Sri Guru as the force of Krishna becomes the charioteer. Now one may ask – when the all powerful guru as the charioteer comes to one’s aid, victory becomes inevitable. Knowing this why don’t people want to follow the spiritual path? Why are they so reluctant to enter the spiritual battlefield? Isn’t it sheer cowardice to accept the bonds of captivity under the influence of the mind and the senses? To surrender to bondage is worse than death itself. Our history is replete with stories of brave persons who have sacrificed their life in order to free the motherland from the humility of subjugation. So many of them had sacrificed their lives and became martyrs. We have heard about their lives and some of us have even been witness to these incidents. This is what is healthy, natural and manly. But surprisingly, though it is a fact that all of us, the human beings, have been exiled from our own homeland and live the life of slavery under the lordship of the mind, there are a handful who get the inspiration to revolt against this and engage in the spiritual battle. Is this our weakness, cowardice or fear? If we think a little deeply, it becomes clear that in reality we have forgotten our own self. As such, the search of one’s own self has been prescribed in all scriptures. Under the dominance of the mind we assume that our ‘I’ is the mind. This ‘I’ is the immature self or asmita. As long as we are under the influence of this asmita it gives us the feeling that ‘I am the controller of my action and enjoyer of its effects. During this state Krishna or chaitanya (Supreme Consciousness) remains a silent witness residing within us in a dormant state or outside as Sri Guru because we do not seek His shelter. As soon as we yearn for his shelter he actively assists us in all our work. It is an indisputable truth that without the kind wishes of Sriguru the will to engage in spiritual battle does not arise in man. Sri Madhab says, “fulfilment in the traits of humanity, desire for spiritual emancipation, the opportunity to be in company of holy men or spiritual teacher (guru) – all three of them are very hard to attain and impossible without the kind will of Sri Guru. In this situation men shirk away from engaging into the spiritual battle and are thus deprived of having Chaitanya as his charioteer. While men, under the influence of material knowledge, consider the mind as the Self, he also feels that the six cardinal passions (shad_ripu) and the eight illusory bondages (astha_pash) are very dear to him, like close relatives. This is the reason why Arjun is in a state of grief at the commencement of the battle of Kurukshetra. He is hesitant to take up arms against his close relatives. The nectar of advice that flowed from Sri Krishna in order to remove Arjun’s dilemma stretched all through the eighteen chapters of Gita. In a similar manner Sri Guru provides strength to grief stricken men to proceed toward victory through his innumerable advices and instructions. Arjun represents mankind in general. Symbolically, Srikrishna or Narayan ‘s words of enlightenment were directed towards Arjun (Nara) or the universal mankind. He inspired them to enter the battlefield.
As long as we are directed by asmita under the lordship of the Mind-king, we shall not be eligible to fight the spiritual battle. As it is not possible to win the spiritual battle unless one engages in it, it is also not possible to arrive at the final solution unless the battle is won. However deep may be the knowledge arising out of asmita, however wide may be the material knowledge, none of these can elevate beings from the state of jivatwa and we are far from reaching the final solution till such time as we are in this state. It is true that refinement of material knowledge (jada jnan) assists in attaining the knowledge of the Supreme (param jnan). It is also true that in the material world doctors, engineers, academicians, scientists, barristers, poet, novelists, artists, film directors, political leaders, even the country’s topmost leaders are mainly the contribution of material knowledge. Further it also cannot be denied that it is not possible to maintain the progress of a country without the help of the knowledge of the material. In spite of this, it can be said that we acquire material knowledge mainly for earning a living. This knowledge only helps in the initial stages of the search for divine enlightenment (para jnan) in order to equip one with the necessary weapons for the spiritual battle, but later it loses all significance. In case of spiritual battle, an illiterate (nir_akshar) daily labour, who is innocent and has been released from the bonds of ego, can be dearer to the Eternal (akshar) Divinity and eligible to have Supreme Consciousness (Chaitanya) as his Charioteer than an intellectual who has excelled in academic knowledge and achieved worldly fame and repute. The reason is that unless one is free of the illusions of the ego, vigour or tej personified as Arjun will not be able to take up arms against the adverse forces. In this context I remember that while discussing regarding Abhimanyu, Sri Madhab had said that in our physical being, Abhimanyu, the son of Arjun or tej, is the sense of pride or vanity out of our worldly achievements. The son is the forbearer of the father’s pride. We also observe that after Abhimanyu’s death Arjun, established in his true self, makes the thunderous resolution that a solution must be sought in the next day’s battle. ‘Either the adverse powers will be demolished or I shall perish’. Therefore, it is clear that if excellence in material knowledge, engulfs a person in pride of academic prowess, social status, wealth or popularity, then it becomes impossible for him to engage in the spiritual battle and progress towards the final solution. Again, it is a different matter for a person, who even after reaching the height of material success, can be devoid of the sense of ego and can depend on almighty Sri Guru by considering himself a tool in his hands.
Now I shall try to express in writing the stage in which a person engages in spiritual battle as I have understood it. The other name of asmita is abhas chaitanya. If an object having some aroma is kept in a vessel, its smell lingers in the vessel. Similarly, as Chaitanya resides in our true self, it’s high level feeling or abhas stays in our immature self. As such, asmita is called abhas chaitanya. The touch of chaitanya exists in purified mind. This touch of chaitanya exists in asmita as abhas chaitanya. Whatever we learn under the influence of the mind is in effect a materialistic knowledge. With the purification of mind and consequent emergence of innocence, the touch of Chaitanya gradually refines the material knowledge. Gradually the realisation of the limitation of our powers, the illusory foundation of our pride and ego and that chaitanya is the ruler and the guide grows in us. In this situation the mind tends to become introspective in the search of the One who is Chaitanya or Chaitanya-moy. It is at this moment that the initiation for spiritual battle takes place. A person who is engaged in such a battle to regain the lost kingdom of his true Self (atma_rajya) is called a spiritual seeker or sadhak. It is at the beginning of the spiritual battle that the sadhak gets the inspiration to be introspective. As the asura_shakti or the adverse forces get their satisfaction from outwardness, they revolt and react violently at this stage, denying even a needle-tip of earth without battle. At this time the adverse forces or those sired by the blind mind and born out of the womb of worldly propensity (pravritti), summon up all their strength to defeat the sadhak through repeated attacks. Sadhak, on the other hand, inspired by the beckoning of chaitanya and with assistance of sura_shakti or benevolent forces, continues to remain engaged in the battle.
The spiritual battle is mainly centralised in the arena of the body. All sadhak and sadhika, irrespective of caste, creed, country, religion or era, have to declare war against the same enemies. As all persons in the stage of sadhak, have to remain under the influence of the mind (manas), attributes (guna) and senses (indriya), he has to fight the battle with Nam (sounds and vibrations), Rup (visual perceptions) and guna. Although there are differences in nam and rup according to various philosophies and religious sects, basically there is no difference in the objective and goal of the spiritual battle. All nam and rup are in reality are that of One Divinity. Those who stir up the hateful chapter of communal differences between religions on the basis of nam and rup, do this due to their ignorance. Communalism recedes away with the awakening of true knowledge. Enlightenment or awakening of true knowledge is only possible on transition from the kingdom of the mind (mano rajya) to the kingdom of the Self (atma rajya) or in other words reaching the final solution. Therefore, all human beings must be directed towards achieving this target. However, when sadhak’s progress is hindered continuously by the adverse forces, he takes the shelter of nam and rup according to his convictions, traditions or the religious path and philosophy he follows. Different persons have different visual image or the sound and vibration that attracts him/her. Whatever it may be, by imposing the infinite attributes of the deity that he worships on the image or the sound he likes, he makes the mind concentrate and surrender. As the blind mind, imprisoned in the hands of the physical elements (vritti), is habituated in enjoying the material in an outward manner, the sadhak finds it difficult to make the restless mind concentrate. In this stage the sadhak’s condition is like the musk-deer, who gets crazy with the irresistible musky smell emanating from its navel and tries to find its source. Similarly, the sadhak, getting the hint of the storehouse of infinite joy within his/her body, runs here and there in eager search for atma rajya. Unless the mind is tamed and made to sit listless in meditation, it is not possible to destroy the adverse forces and win the battle. As such, on one hand the sadhak tries to immerse himself in the nam and rup of his deity, on the other he seeks the company of holy men, guru to acquire the arms to fight against the inimical forces. Regarding the companionship of holy men, Sri Madhab had said, “In order to find out the truth that lies hidden in falsehood, the companionship of holy men is necessary. Holy men’s company makes one eligible for Sri Guru’s grace and only with his grace it is possible to have the realisation of the Truth”. As a result of the continuous companionship of holy men, sadhak feels the necessity of guru and ardently prays to his deity so that he can find him. He tries to be engrossed only in the thought of divinity. All other irrelevant discussions fail to satisfy him. This makes him face criticism and adverse comments in day to day life. However, a state of serenity resulting from restraint on speech, keeps the sadhak’s mind immersed in divine nectar (bhava ras). Restraint on speech is a necessity in spiritual journey. In this context Sri Madhab has said, “By nature men tend to engage in unnecessary conversations which brings more trouble than satisfaction. As such, by changing this habit with the grace of Sri Guru, try to speak only when necessary. Only then you will find peace. In place of excessive speech or unnecessary conversations or gossips, make a habit of speaking about your deity, divinity and topics related to the truth. Only then you can become eligible to attain ultimate peace”.
Param Chaitanya, or the Supreme Consciousness awakened in a suitable body on ardent pleas of the sadhak, takes him as a disciple and gives him sermons and instructions. Moreover, by arming him with weapon of beej mantra, expedites his victory against the adverse forces. Now the question arises that how can one find his guru? My scope of discussion is neither for those who seek guru to satisfy some worldly need nor for those who search guru out of hearsay and emotion. I intend to discuss on the subject for those who are truly seeking divine enlightenment breaking the shackles of slavery under the subjugation of Mind-king and are eager to find his guru as his charioteer as he has already entered the spiritual battlefield to find the solution. I have heard from the lips of Revered Gurudev Sri Madhab that unless one spends ninety days in the company of a person, one should not accept him as his guru. Regarding the scriptural dictates Sri Madhab had said that unless you can perceive the importance of the person you have placed in the seat of your guru, if you are unable to get lost in his greatness, if you cannot humble yourself at his lotus feet, if you are unable to completely rely on him or you indulge in critical analysis after accepting him as your guru, you cannot get him as your charioteer. In this context Sri Madhab’s message needs to be mentioned. He says, ‘Whoever may be the guru, if one is hesitant in following Sri Guru’s messages, he will never be able to progress in sadhana. If one disobeys guru’s instructions, even the Lord Vishnu cannot save him. This is the reason why companionship is a necessity. As a consequence of regular companionship, the sadhak gets enlightened by the greatness of Sri Guru’s words. Sadhak realises who is his desired gurudev. It is true that when men become bewildered by the action of the adverse forces in the spiritual battle and pray ardently to his deity for his shelter, Krishna in the form of Sri Guru attracts the sadhak and fulfils his desire. Sadhak then gets his desired Sri Guru as his charioteer.
Many a times Sri Madhab had said during the course of discussion that, ‘You are human beings. You are eligible to be reinstated in the kingdom of the Self (atma rajya). But the ignorance due to one’s outward ness since time immemorial, supplemented by the instincts accumulated through birth and rebirth have resulted in forgetting one’s own self. Taking this opportunity the mind has conquered your kingdom and has made you a slave. The objective of sadhan samara (spiritual battle) is to awaken one’s own self and make the mind your faithful and obedient servant. If you win the sadhan samar, you will be able to come out of the influence of the mind and the material senses. Finally in the state of being beyond the realms of scriptures and Vedas, your inner self will be illuminated with the dazzling glow of Divine Wisdom. The mental elements born out of worldly inclinations are the Kauravas.’ Sri Madhab said that ‘They cannot be defeated only with nam as the weapon. Nam cleanses the mind. The adverse forces become weak but do not lose their potential power. In order to destroy their potency, the seed as the beej mantra must be implanted in the disciple’s inner being as the womb through Sri Guru’s tongue as the linga and the disciple’s ear as the yoni. As soon as the beej mantra given by Sri Guru is conceived within one’s inner being, a dramatic change takes place in the spiritual arena. The mind gradually attains the fathomless depth of introspection. The outward ness becomes incapable of creating waves in the arena of inner mind. With increase in contemplation of beej mantra, the person experiences the spread of intense warmth in his mind and body. The strength of this inner bodily warmth gradually diminishes the prowess of the adverse elements of the mental plane. As regards the family and the society, one can observe a gradual change taking place in the attitude of friends and relatives. One by one all of them start showing an attitude of respect towards the person’s manners. A desired transformation in his physical nature and behaviour takes place which compels others to feel a respectful attraction towards him. Those who meet such a friend after a long time look at him in amazement and repeatedly speak about the change in him. How such a change took place, in what way he could progress this much towards a solution – everyone is eager to know. In fact only the solution (samadhan) can take a person to the state of joy and the spiritual battle is the only way to reach this solution. It is only possible for a person who has reached the solution to show others the way to reach it. As it is not possible for person with material knowledge to reach this solution through his own capability, it is also impossible for him to lead others to the solution through material knowledge. It is the thought of divinity that makes it possible to reach the solution. In this respect Sri Madhab says that the perception of divinity is not possible with scholarly excellence. The person who is always immersed in the thoughts of the Supreme can only know how to find Him.
The bubble that surfaces in the ocean may have some definite name, property or form but it is an inseparable part of the ocean itself and finally dissolves in its waters. Similarly we are also bubbles in the ocean of Consciousness and have name, attribute and separate form. But these things are temporary and perishable which means that they finally get dissolved in Consciousness. Although, they can assist in the way to solution, they themselves cannot reach the solution. Sri Guru, in his form (murti) having the primal attributes (guna), exists in the physical body made of the five primal constituents (pancha bhut) and 24 basic bodily elements (tatwa). This form is seen, worshipped and served as a matter of sensory perception. On reaching the inner self beyond the mental and sensory plane by meditating on Sri Guru’s image, reciting guru mantra and serving him, the haloed image of Sri Guru appears before him as the formless (nirakar), attributeless (nirguna), eternal Supreme Soul (paramatma), the Supreme Consciousness (Parameswar). Hence, in order to become eligible for this realisation worship Sri Guru as inseparable to Brahma or the Supreme Consciousness. After initiation (diksha) it is desirable for the disciple to remain continuously immersed in the reflection, contemplation and rumination of Sri Guru nam and meditate upon the image of Sri Guru. As the realisation deepens regarding the inseparability of mantra, deity (Ishta) and guru as well as guru and brahma, only the image of Sri Guru appears in the mind’s canvas. All other images and attitudes including the image of one’s deity mingle and become one with the image of Sri Guru. During this stage only the image of Sri Guru appears in meditation. Sri Madhab said that, ‘If you remain engrossed in images and forms throughout your life, if you lose yourself in the matters of external appearance, if you remain confined within finite boundaries, you can never reach the stage that is beyond the mental and sensory plane and shall not be able to break away from the bondage of mind’. Your tour of foreign land will end in a rudderless travel in unending circles under the influence of the wheel of time (kalchakra), as you have forgotten your own true self. You shall never be able to reach the solution and returning to your homeland will be a Herculean task.
Sri Madhab says that, ‘Brahma or guru is formless (nirakar). All forms that exist in this universe are His form (akar). He has no definite form and, as such, He is known as nirakar. All forms float in Him and also He is present in all forms. By practicing meditation in the way shown by Sriguru gradually, at some unknown moment, Sri Guru’s physical image also melts away. Meditating upon the form of the infinite, one by one all forms dissolve away. Stretching across the infinite expanse of the universe probably even the mind finally loses itself. Sri Madhab said, ‘The person who is immersed in the great thought (maha bhavna) of One to many and many to One and who, churning all other thoughts peruses only about the One, is the Great Thinker (Maha bhabuk).’ Sri Guru, in the state beyond the mental plane, appears in his illuminated form in the inner core of the Maha Bhabuk. The adversaries like the ripus and others are brought under control by this light and are made to stand as obedient servants. Asmita or the element of I-Ego-sense and that which belongs to me, dies a self-willed death (Iccha-Mrityu). All differences fall apart. Big or small, rich or poor, scholar or ignorant, intellectual or labour all seem to be the same. The entire creation appears to be the inseparable being of Sri Guru and the conviction takes root that all, whether an eminent intellectual or an illiterate lay person, have to engage in the spiritual battle (sadhan samara). One must adorn the five forms of the pancha Pandavas – innocence or simplicity, humbleness, tolerance or magnanimity, broadness and expansiveness. The external and inner senses must be brought under control. No indulgence in articles of luxury, but one must remain satisfied in items of necessity. One must always remain immersed in the thought of Sri Guru. We must replace the state that centres on the element of I and that which belongs to me with the Maha Bhav of Sri Guru. On coming through victorious in the spiritual warfare following the directions of Sri Guru, one must reach beyond the mental plane and be positioned at par with Sri Guru in the state of In-Separateness (A-bheda, A-bhinna). This appears to sadhak to be the only means to reach the solution.
The defeated Kaurava soldiers in sadhan samara like mind, senses etc. behave like faithful servants ready to carry out the commands of the victorious human. The mind, therefore, reaches the zenith of concentration, free of the influence of the mental faculties. Often during meditation he loses the sense of bodily existence. Sadhak, by the grace of Sri Guru and His unfailing steering of the chariot visualises all around him as Consciousness (chaitanya-moy). Like the person gazing at the ocean gradually becomes oblivious of his surroundings and does not see the floating bubble on the surface of the ocean as a separate object, similarly to the person who has emerged victorious in the sadhan samara the manifested world does not appear as a separate identity. He sees it as the integral part of One Consciousness. To see Oneness in multitude upon formation of the bond of inseparability with guru on awakening of the Supreme Consciousness (Chaitanya) within the element of consciousness (chetana), is the permit to return to one’s homeland after a tour of foreign countries. With this permit, as in likeness to Arjun or Nara and Sri Krishna or Narayana, Sri Guru and the disciple are placed in the same plane, which is known as samadhan – the solution.
Dissociated from the Supreme Father in the far away past and in time immemorial, the prince had ventured out to tour unknown foreign territories facing innumerable hurdles and adorning innumerable names, forms and attributes. Forgetting the true self, he has been compelled to swing in the cradle of happiness and sorrow, tears and laughter, pride and sentiment. Through evolution and transformation one day he was also born as a human being. This human body is the most suitable form to take one across the dark ocean of self oblivion to reunite with the father. The one who is blessed with the kindness of Sri Guru does not let this opportunity slip away. With Sri Guru as the charioteer, he returns to his homeland after the foreign tour. Then he is no longer a sadhak. He then appears in the role of a true servant being eligible as Soham Brahmasmi (I am He). His life is then dedicated to the welfare of the world in order to make mankind oriented towards Ishta, towards the truth and towards Sri Guru.