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Shri Datta Swami

Posted on: 03 Jul 2021

               

Pravrutti Nivrutti Sutram - Chapter 2

DHARMA BRAHMA SŪTRAM
(INSTRUCTIONS FOR WORLDLY AND SPIRITUAL LIVES)

GṚHASTHĀŚRAMO NĀMA DVITĪYA PĀDAḤ
(SECOND CHAPTER CALLED LIFE OF FAMILY)

1) द्विधा श्रूयते प्रजार्थे ।
Dvidhā śrūyate prajārthe ।

Regarding getting issues through marriage, the Veda says in two ways. After finishing the education, one has to settle in the materialistic life earning livelihood for self and family. This second phase of life is called Gṛhasthāśrama, the ultimate of which is to generate children that form the future generation so that the humanity continues forever. This is also service to God because unless humanity exists forever, the continuous program of entertainment of God while God descends as human incarnation in every generation does not exist. The Veda says that one shall marry and generate children (Prajātantuṃ mā vyavacchetsīḥ). The same Veda says that the children can’t protect the soul (kiṃ prajayā kariṣyāmaḥ yeṣāṃ nāyamātmā, Na prajayā...) and this second opposing statement is applicable to the case of a special soul interested in doing the God’s work straight from Brahmacaryam. Such divine souls like Śaṇkara are very rare and the Veda supports such direct path also (Yadahareva virajet tadahareva pravrajet).

2)  दिव्यः प्रजातन्तुः तत्कामश्च ।
Divyaḥ prajātantuḥ tatkāmaśca ।

The continuity of humanity through issues and its related sex are divine. Divine souls like Śaṇkara are very very rare in this world. Most of the humanity is involved in marriage to extend the human race for the continuous entertainment of God. If the soul is with such view of service to God, even the sex becomes very holy in the service of God. Because of this divine aim only, almost all the human beings are provoked by the hormones to develop desire for sex, which is the rule of creation. The sex shall be justified and ethical to be confined to legal sex only and not to illegal sex. This gives answer to some people questioning God about the creation of sex in this world, about which they feel in negative way. The legal sex is divine in the service of God and hence, it is depicted on the walls of temples as holy subject.

3) संसारिणो बन्धः परीक्ष्यो न त्यागिनः ।
Samsāriṇo bandhaḥ parīkṣyo na tyāginaḥ ।

It is meaningful to test the worldly bond of householder and not the same of a saint, which does not exist at all. A soul in isolated state can be easily dedicated to God and in such case, there can be no test to measure the strength of devotion of soul to God. But, if the soul is with family, the above test is possible. If one is away from the fire and says that he is not burnt, there is no surprise in it. If one sits in the fire and says that he is not burnt by the fire, he can be appreciated to be great. Hence, the soul existing in the family life alone can be tested for its detachment from its family in the light of his attachment to God. Therefore, the state of a householder is said to be greatest among all the four Āśramas.

4) अस्मिन्नेव धनबन्धपरीक्षा न तु संन्यस्ते ।
Asminneva dhanabandhaparīkṣā na tu saṃnyaste ।

Test for the love in the strongest wealth-bond is possible only in a householder and not in a saint. Sacrifice of fruit of work is possible only for a householder. You may say that a saint may be employed and can also do the sacrifice of fruit of work. Such sacrifice is not great because there are no worldly bonds for him. But, when a householder sacrifices the fruit of work to God rising above his worldly bonds, such sacrifice is greatest! In fact, God competes with the existing strongest family bonds of the soul and this is possible only when the soul is householder and not a saint.

5) ऋषिगोपिकाकृष्णप्रसङ्गात् ।
Ṛṣigopikākṛṣṇaprasaṇgāt ।

We see this very well in the case of sages born as Gopikas and God born as Kṛṣṇa. The sages after doing very long penance for millions of births were made to be born as Gopikas, the householders, who were tested in their worldly bonds by God competing with those three strongest worldly bonds (money, issues and life partner). God Kṛṣṇa stole the butter or wealth preserved for their children and by this both former bonds were tested. Kṛṣṇa danced with Gopikas testing their third bond with their life partners. Such final testing of strong worldly bonds (eṣaṇas) is possible if the soul is existing as householder and not as the saint, who does not have these three strong worldly bonds at all. This is the reason for the sages to be born as house holders in their final stage of salvation. Salvation means liberation from worldly bonds by the influence of bond to God.

6) अर्थे स्त्रियोऽपि पुरुषतुल्याः ।
Arthe striyo'pi puruṣatulyāḥ ।

You need not doubt that how females can be tested in the bond of wealth since they are unemployed. This is not correct even in ancient days since females like Gārgī were educated in the Vedas and spiritual knowledge, who earned rewards from kings like male sages. In the present time, females are also well educated and employed equally with males. The Veda says that they have equal right for parental property like sons since the word ‘putra’ means both son and daughter (Manuḥ putrebhyo dāyamadāt—Veda). Of course, if some issues are weak, unequal distribution of property can be done as Āpatdharma. In the marriage, the wife also promises to participate equally in rituals, financial matters, sexual affairs and spiritual efforts (Dharme ca Arthe ca Kāme ca Mokṣe ca nā'ticarāmi). Gopikas were working hard to prepare butter to be sold for livelihood and they donated it to God Kṛṣṇa as owners of butter-wealth and this shows that females were also earning.

7) शब्दस्यैव लिङ्गवचनम् ।
Śabdasyaiva liṇgavacanam ।

In Sanskrit language, the gender and vacanam or number (single, dual and plural) apply only to word and not to its meaning. Whenever the soul is mentioned in masculine gender, such words do not mean males only, but mean females also. Even the word Puruṣa applies to both male and female because puruṣa means the awareness pervading all over the body (puri śete iti puruṣaḥ). The wife is said by the word ‘Dārāḥ’ and this word is in masculine gender and plural (Dārāḥ puṃsi ca bhūmnyeva), which do not touch the meaning in anyway. This word does not mean that the wife is a male and plural based on the gender and vacanam of the word! Lack of this basic knowledge of grammar made fools to interpret that males are only eligible for salvation and other benefits and not females! Both male and female are equal in all aspects in the ancient days of sages and misinterpretations have come in the recent middle age only in which the blind tape recorder-priests of the Veda never enquired the meaning of the Veda.

8) उभयोः समत्वं सर्वत्र ।
Ubhayoḥ samatvaṃ sarvatra ।

Both husband and wife have equal powers and responsibilities in running the family. The husband shall not feel that the wife is just a servant giving him enjoyment in the sex. The wife also shall not feel that the husband is indebted to her because she is giving enjoyment to the husband. This is basically an illogical concept coming from long time. The fact is that both husband and wife are equal in the sense that both are giving enjoyment to each other. None is indebted to the other. Both are equal in all concepts and shall behave like equal friends. There shall be no domination of one on the other. Both shall co-operate with each other in equal sense and shall not insult each other. Both shall equally share the burden of the family like two wheels of a cart. If the wife is not an earning member, she shall look after all the duties of house and nourishment of children etc.

9) गुणादेव साम्यसहकारात् च ।
Guṇādeva sāmyasahakārāt ca ।

In marriage - qualities, equality and co-operation are important. While doing marriage, both shall give importance to the permanent qualities that help the family life to run on smooth lines and finally to co-operate in the spiritual line, which is eternal. Beauty and colour are not important, which will disappear shortly in the old age. Marriage is not for sex, but, is for extending the human race in the service of God. A thorough study of psychology of both is needed for both. This is very important in the present time, when all human beings have become equal irrespective of gender. In any case, parents shall not force their issues in marriage because both shall have synchrony in all aspects and shall like each other without any external force. The parents shall co-operate with their issues in mental selection and the issues also shall co-operate with their parents, who are their best well-wishers.

10) श्रमो न दुःखं न सुखमश्रमः स्त्रीणाम् ।
Śramo na duḥkhaṃ na sukhamaśramaḥ strīṇām ।

In the case of ladies, work is not misery and rest is not happiness. The unemployed wife shall take care of all the works in house. The instruments discovered by science are spoiling the health of the females because their physical work is very much reduced. Avoiding the physical work gives temporary happiness only, but, in long run the body gains weight leading to several problems of health. In ancient days, the health of the woman was excellent because they were always involved in the physical work. The physical work shall not be felt as misery and this is the highest misunderstanding. Similarly, comfort shall not be felt as happiness and this is another highest misunderstanding.

11) अनहन्ता पुंसां स्वकर्मणामरोगः ।
Anahantā puṃsāṃ svakarmaṇāmarogaḥ ।

In the case of males, doing their personal works without ego gives good health. Even males must not be egoistic to treat the females meant for doing service. This aspect spoils their health. If the male is doing all his works without ordering the females, the health of males will be maintained perfectly. Ego always kills the sharpness of the intelligence, which makes you not to find the truth in a concept. This is the basic foundation for showing the equality of males and females. If the females understand the value of work, they will be healthy. If the males avoid their ego and do all personal works, they will be also healthy.

12) शबरीमनुसरेत् यदुच्चिष्टं न भोज्यम् ।
Śabarīmanusaret yaducchiṣtaṃ na bhojyam ।

The wife shall follow the example of Śabarī to taste the food before offering to God and then to husband for adjustments to improve the taste of cooked food. If the wife is unemployed, she shall take the responsibility of cooking the food. If both are employed, the husband must also assist the wife in her work of cooking the food. The most important point of cooking is that the food must have good taste. If the food has no taste, there is no use of serving the food to husband without eating the food. This does not help the husband in anyway! If the food is tasty and even if the wife serves the food to the husband after eating the food, it doesn’t matter at all. After cooking the food, it must be offered to God. Even before offering to God, a little of it can be tasted by the wife and necessary adjustments can be done to bring the taste so that tasty food is offered to God and then to husband. The wife shall take Śabarī as an example, who tasted the food (fruits) before offering to God Rāma. At least, after offering to the God in the form of statue or photo, the food can be tasted and adjustments must be done before serving it to the husband.

13) भौतिकाग्निः यज्ञसाधनं न तु उपास्यः ।
Bhautikāgniḥ yajñasādhanaṃ na tu upāsyaḥ ।

The physical fire is only an instrument in the sacrifice, but not to be worshipped. In fact, cooking the food is the very performance of sacrifice or yajña in which both husband and wife were equally participating since there was no concept of the present employment in the ancient days. The physical fire lit by sticks (bhautikāgni or laukikāgni) is not to foolishly burn the most precious food called ghee. This physical fire is only an instrument of the sacrifice (yajña sādhanam) to cook the food. This physical fire is not at all the fire to be worshipped in the sacrifice (yajña – upāsyaḥ) by offering the food to it.

14) होतृहवनीययोरेकत्वं प्रथममन्त्रात् ।
Hotṛhavanīyayorekatvaṃ prathamamantrāt ।

The first hymn of the first Ṛgveda says that both the supplier of food (hotā) and receiver of the food (havanīya) are one and the same. The fire to be worshipped in the sacrifice is the hunger fire called Vaiśvānara agni existing in the stomach of a hungry living being. The cooked food shall be served to the hungry living being, who supplies it to his hunger fire and this is called doing yajña or homa. By this process the eating person (hotā) and the receiver of supplied food (havanīya – Agni) become one and the same. In the first hymn of the Ṛgveda, the fire is said to be both hotā as well as havanīya (Agnimīḷe…hotāraṃ…).

15) गीयते वैश्वानरो भिन्नो भौतिकात् ।
Gīyate vaiśvānaro bhinno bhautikāt ।

The receiver-fire called Vaiśvānara Agni is mentioned in the Gītā differing from the physical fire (Ahaṃ vaiśvānaro…). When the priest supplies the ghee-food to the external fire existing outside himself, how the supplier and receiving fire can become one? This clearly means that what is done by the priest is totally wrong. But, when the fire exists as hunger fire in the stomach of the priest, the supplier-priest and receiver-fire become one and the same and the meaning of first hymn of the first Veda is perfectly correlated. Hence, the physical fire used to cook the food is not the fire to receive the food supplied. Inert physical fire is only used for cooking the food and the hunger-fire receives the cooked food and burns it. The Gītā says that God is in the form of Vaiśvānara Agni or hunger fire in every hungry living being. Hence, cooking the food and feeding a hungry living being is the total essence of yajña or sacrifice in which both husband and wife participate.

16) घृतं लक्षणया भ्रमैरपार्थः ।
Ghṛtaṃ lakṣaṇayā bhramairapārthaḥ ।

By lakshaṇāvṛtti, ghee means the food fried with ghee and in this way a misunderstanding leads to misinterpretation. You need not doubt that how ghee can be called food because nobody eats pure ghee. By the concept of lakṣaṇāvṛtti, ghee-fried food can be called as ghee. You are calling the seller of apples by saying ‘O apples! come’. The possessor of apples is said to be the apple fruits. Similarly, the food possessing ghee can be called as ghee. Without understanding the meaning of the word ghee, the foolish priest is burning the ghee directly in the physical fire and here also the fire (hunger fire) is misunderstood as the physical fire. In this way in every angle of the sacrifice, cluster of blunders due to misunderstanding and misinterpretation occur.

17) क्षुधा प्रशमनादयं वरिष्ठः ।
Kṣudhā praśamanādayaṃ variṣṭhaḥ ।

This gṛhasthāśrama is said to be the best of all four āśramas because it pacifies the hunger of hungry living beings. The Veda says that food shall not be destroyed (annaṃ na paricakṣīta). Since, the recent priests are only blind tape recorders of the scripture without knowing its meaning, all these misinterpretations resulted. Kṛṣṇa asked the wives of priests to supply the cooked food in yajña to His hungry friends without burning it in fire. God Kapila while preaching spiritual knowledge to His mother said that a fool only burns the ghee in the fire. Hence, both husband and wife shall understand that the importance of this gṛhasthāśrama is to cook food and feed the hungry living beings. Due to this concept only this gṛhasthāśrama is said to be the top most of all the four āśramas.

18) एतेनैव पञ्चयज्ञाः ।
Etenaiva pañcayajñāḥ ।

By this procedure of pacification of hunger all the five types of yajñas are to be done. This process of pacifying the hunger of hungry living beings is done in five ways:-
1) Brahmayajña, which means pacifying the hunger of the Divine Preacher called Sadguru. Agni means first to be worshipped (Agni) and hence, Sadguru is called Agni.
2) Devayajña, which means pacifying the hunger of devotees of God.
3) Pitṛyajña, which means pacifying the hunger of old people and elders of the family.
4) Manuṣyayajña, which means pacifying the hunger of any hungry human being.
5) Bhūtayajña, which means pacifying the hunger of hungry animals, birds etc.
After doing these five sacrifices only, the couple shall eat the remains, which is called Ātmayajña.
19) आद्यौ प्रथमे तृतीयो द्वितीये फलाय ।
Ādyau prathame tṛtīyo dvitīye phalāya ।
In the previous first phase (gṛhasthāśrama), both the theoretical knowledge and the theoretical devotion are attained and in this second phase, the third practice is attained, which alone gives the practical fruit. In the first phase of brahmacarya āśrama, the theoretical worldly as well as spiritual knowledge is perfectly learnt. Along with this theoretical knowledge or Jñana yoga, devotion to God or Bhakti yoga is also developed in this first āśrama. The leftover phase is only practice, which is called Karma yoga that consists of service (karma saṃnyāsa) and sacrifice of fruit of work (karma phala tyāga). In the first āśrama, you have collected both water (jñāna yoga) and fertilizer (bhakti yoga). In this second phase, you have collected the mango plant (karma yoga) from which alone the practical fruit can be attained. Service is the process of cooking and serving the food. Sacrifice of the food materials purchased by money is the sacrifice of fruit of work. Hence, yajña stands for the practical karma yoga.

20) कामपशू श्रुतेरहिंसा परमधर्मः ।
Kāmapaśū śruterahiṃsā paramadharmaḥ ।

The ghee to be burnt is the aspiration for fruit and the animal to be cut in sacrifice is rigid ignorance. Non-violence is the top most justice. Hence, one shall not burn ghee in the physical fire. Instead, one shall burn the aspiration for fruit in return as said in the Veda. The Veda also says that no animal shall be killed in the sacrifice because the foolish rigidness to the blind traditions must be cut in the sacrifice (Kāma ājyaṃ manyuḥ paśuḥ – Veda). Non-violence is the highest justice and hence non-vegetarian food shall be avoided to avoid the greatest sin of killing a living being. It is stupid illusion that non-vegetarian food gives more physical strength because science says that secondary synthesized proteins in non-vegetarian food spoil the health whereas the primary synthesized proteins in vegetables are good for health. Paraśurāma was pure vegetarian, who killed all the non-vegetarian kings.

21) गुणकर्मानुसारी वर्णः ।
Guṇakarmānusārī varṇaḥ ।

Caste is based on qualities and subsequent deeds only. The caste system must be based on the qualities and deeds only and not by mere birth. The Veda calls any human being to be a Brāhmaṇa if such human being helps the entire society to reach God through spiritual knowledge and devotion (Brahma nayati iti brāhmaṇaḥ). A human being by mere birth in the family of Brāhmaṇas can’t be called as Brāhmaṇa if such spiritual knowledge, devotion and spiritual service to the society is absent. The Veda says that such a human being born in the family of Brāhmaṇas without the prescribed quality and deed is only called as Brahmabandhu (which means related to the family of Brāhmaṇas by birth). Rāvaṇa born in the family of sage Kaśyapa is only Brahmabandhu and not Brāhmaṇa. Even though Rāma was born in the family of Kṣatriyas, He is the real Brāhmaṇa. Even the pot maker called Bhūriśrava is made to sit in the position of the President (Brahmā) by sages in a sacrifice. The qualities and deeds are important and not mere birth in a caste.

22) उपनयनगायत्रीवेत्ता नाऽहम्युः ।
Upanayanagāyatrīvettā nā'hamyuḥ ।

The scholar knowing the meanings of the words Upanayanam and Gāyatrī is always without ego. The males shall not be egoistic by saying that the females and low castes are not having the right for Gāyatrī and its corresponding ritual called Upanayanam. Really Gāyatrī means the mode of praying God through sweet songs and Upanayanam means becoming closer to God through such songs. The males reciting a Vedic hymn called Gāyatrī are misled because that hymn is simply constructed in the meter called Gāyatrī, which is not in the real meaning of Gāyatrī. Upanayanam and Gāyatrī are universal because the founder sage of Gāyatrī is Viśvāmitra, who means that he is the friend of the entire universe irrespective of caste, gender, region, religion etc. Hence, every human being has been given equal opportunity by the Divine Father like a father dividing his property equally to all issues. By knowing the background real interpretations, every human being in this Gṛhasthāśrama is expected to live without any ego keeping the omniscient and omnipotent God in the view.

।।इति गृहस्थाश्रमो नाम द्वितीयपादः।।
।।Iti Gṛhasthāśramo Nāma Dvitīya Pādaḥ।।

Second Chapter Called Life of Family is completed.

 
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