Jivanandana of Anandaraya Makhin (Study)
by G. D. Jayalakshmi | 2019 | 58,344 words
This page relates 鈥楢dvaitic aspects of Act VII鈥� of the study on the Jivanandana (in English) which is a dramatic play written by Anadaraya Makhin in the 18th century. The Jivanandana praises the excellence of Advaita Vedanta, Ayurveda (medical science) and Dramatic literature as the triple agency for obtaining everlasting bliss.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Advaitic aspects of Act VII
When once the 蝉补谤墨谤补 becomes fit and strong enough to engage in tapas, 闯墨惫补 should do so with deep bhakti in his heart. Bhakti would at the appropriate hour of need, make 闯墨惫补 to have a vision of the Supreme (厂腻尘产补) (VII.7ab):
Therefore, holding bhakti very strongly in the depth of the heart, sincere prayers must be offered by 闯墨惫补 to visualize the Lord鈥檚 presence and grace (VII.7/8; p.436):
迟腻尘别惫补 产丑补驳补惫补迟墨峁� 产丑补办迟颈峁� h峁沝i d峁涐笉hamavalambya 产丑补驳补惫补迟补岣� 辫补谤补尘别艣惫补谤补蝉测补 诲补谤艣补苍腻谤迟丑补峁� sa峁僴idh膩n膩nugraha岣� pr膩rthyat膩m ||
闯墨惫补 is also made to contemplate on the greatness of the Lord by recollecting the Lord's limitless grseat deeds, according to the tradition of the 产丑腻驳补惫补迟补蝉, by 艢谤补惫补峁嘺 and 碍墨谤迟补苍补. 闯墨惫补 is also made to understand that while the Lord is worshipped on the one hand as 厂腻驳耻峁嘺 Brahman (here lord 艢颈惫补 and goddess 笔腻谤惫补迟颈 together as Samba), he is also to be realized as Nirgu峁嘺 Brahman.
闯墨惫补 also should understand that the Supreme Being is the total controller of all creations; He is not affected by any karma; He has no beginning or end; He is all the intelligence; He is also the 莫艣惫补谤补 or Lord of all; He is One and One only; He is limitless and complete; He is the ultimate Brahman; He is Truth; He is knowledge; He is the Ultimate Bliss; and in Him the entire universe reposes (VII.15):
办补谤迟腻谤补峁� katicit kil膩numimate k膩ryairyamurcy膩dibhi岣� ke'py膩hu岣� puru峁sya yasya purata岣� sajya峁� prak峁泃ya jagat |
kle艣ai岣� karmabhir膩艣ayai艣ca sakalairasp峁涐梗峁璦r奴po'khilapraj峁'n膩diguru岣� sa 墨艣vara iti vy膩khyanti kecittu yam ||
As 闯墨惫补 engages in deep meditation, the essence of Advaita Ved膩nta and allied Yogic practices are described well in this final Act of the play (by 膧nandar膩ya Makhin) through the mouth of lord 笔补谤补尘别艣惫补谤补 Himself. The Lord declares that to win over the natural enemies like diseases, the 闯墨惫补 has to first completely control all the diseases that attack the body.
Therefore, the Lord, wants to teach him the complete course of Yoga 艢腻蝉迟谤补 by which he would be hale and healthy physically.
He would also make him fulfill the purpose of his birth by drenching his body in that nectar-shower which comes out of the abode of Candra situated in the Brahmarandhra and also make him the repository of his ambitions (VII.23/24; p.461):
etasmai yogasiddhimupadi艣ya nirjitanikhilaroga峁� brahmarandhrasthita-candrama峁囜笉alani峁andam膩na-膩m峁泃膩pluta艣ar墨ra峁� nij膩nand膩nubhava-tucch墨k峁泃a-膩khilapr膩k峁泃a-sukh膩ntara峁�-saphala-manorathamena峁� k峁泃膩rthayi峁膩mi |
(1) Having decided thus, the Lord teaches the king about yoga and its consequences鈥揧oga is the complete control of mental attitude; the inner-mind is known as citta, which through the organs like eyes and ears understands the external happenings through the various powers of these organs (VII.23/24;p.463):
yoga岣ittav峁泃tinirodha岣� | 肠颈迟迟补峁� n膩m膩nta岣ara峁嘺m | ya艣cak峁r膩dikara峁嘺dv膩r膩 产补丑颈岣� nirgacchat-vi峁y膩k膩re峁嘺 pari峁嘺mati |
(2) When knowledge is involved in deep meditation, the 腻迟尘腻 also remains still with that meditation; when knowledge comes out of that towards the worldly matter and keeps on moving, the 腻迟尘腻 also does so. Hence 腻迟尘腻 remains dependent on both meditation and knowledge (p.463):
dhy膩yanty膩峁� dhy膩yat墨v腻迟尘腻 calanty膩峁� calat墨va ca | buddhisthe 诲丑测腻苍补calane kalpyete buddhis膩k峁峁噄 ||
The Vedic saying reads thus: 鈥淎s if in meditation and as if in other activities鈥�. The activities are: 碍腻尘补, 厂补峁卥补濒辫补, Vickits膩, 艢谤补诲诲丑腻, 础艣谤补诲诲丑腻, 顿丑峁泃颈, 础诲丑峁泃颈, Hr墨岣�, Dh墨岣�, Bh墨岣モ�揳ll these are internal activities of knowledge and the external ones are those knowledge-oriented matter obtained through sound, touch and so on (p.464):
鈥渄hy膩yat墨va l墨layat墨va iti鈥� 艣谤耻迟颈岣� | tasya v峁泃tayo 苍腻尘补 办腻尘补岣� sa峁卥alpo vicikits膩 艣raddh膩艣raddh膩 dh峁泃iradh峁泃irhr墨rdh墨rbh墨rityady膩岣� 艣rut墨rit膩 膩ntar膩岣� b膩hy膩艣ca 艣abdaspar艣膩di-vi峁yagr膩hi峁噛a岣� |
The 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟补 speaks about Sattva, Rajas and Tamas and also the distinction between divine and demonaic attributes (p.465):
sattvarajastamor奴pagu峁嘺tray膩tmik膩n膩峁� ca t膩s膩峁� daiv膩surasampadr奴patvena 诲惫别诲丑腻 惫颈产丑腻驳补 ukto g墨tay膩m |
Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in the Yoga of knowledge, charity, self-control, sacrifice, study of the Vedas, austerity, uprightness鈥搕hese fall under the class of 诲补颈惫墨 sampat (pp.465-66):
膩bhaya峁� sattvasa峁兣泆ddhi岣峁Ｄ乶ayogavyavasthiti岣� |
诲腻苍补峁� dama艣ca yaj峁艣ca sv膩dhy膩stapa 膩rjavam ||[1]
Ostentation, arrogance, self-conceit, anger, rudeness and ignorance fall under the category called 腻蝉耻谤墨-sampat (p.466):
dambho darpo'bhim膩na艣ca 办谤辞诲丑补岣� p膩ru峁ameva ca |
膩j峁Ｄ乶a峁� c膩bhij膩tasya 辫腻谤迟丑补 sa峁僷adam腻蝉耻谤墨m ||[2]
While, the divine wealth is harmonious, the demoniac wealth is activity and ignorance-oriented.
When the divine wealth is for 尘辞办峁, the demoniac wealth is for bondage (p.466):
tatra 诲补颈惫墨 蝉补峁僷补迟 s膩ttvik墨 | 腻蝉耻谤墨 tu rajastama岣radh膩n膩 |[3]
Further, all these internal and external activities of the mind disturb its concentration on the Supreme. Undoubtedly, the mind is restless and hard to be controlled.
Yet by practice and dispassion, it can be controlled:
腻蝉补峁兣沘测补峁� 尘补丑腻产腻丑辞 mano durnigraha峁� calam | 膩bhy膩sena tu kaunteya vair膩gye峁嘺 ca g峁沨yate ||[4]
Through resolute practice with an unwearied mind alone the 闯墨惫补 can perceive the Supreme.
This is termed as Yogasiddhi when the meditated matter would be present before the eyes of the person in deep 诲丑测腻苍补 (p.468):
et膩d峁浥沘yogasya siddhir苍腻尘补 dhyeyavastus膩k峁Ｄ乼k膩rar奴p膩vasthiti岣� |
Further, the ultimate success in practicing Yoga is achieved only through the grace of the Lord (VII.24d):
yoge siddhirbhavati ca yath膩nugrahaste... ||
When the 闯墨惫补 has the strong desire for emancipation, by the grace of the Lord, the 闯墨惫补 gets the benefits of Yogic power. The highest level of intelligence which is the matter for the five organs -eye, ear nose, mouth and skin, has absolutely been controlled by the systematic practice of Yoga. It evicts the mundane knowledge away from 闯墨惫补 and hence the pure, and divine knowledge arises in the 闯墨惫补.
By this powerful knowledge, the 闯墨惫补 realises that he could envision all the various creations in the world and understand himself to be different from the world (VII.26):
y膩 pratyak峁pad膩rtham膩travi峁y膩 s膩 yogasa峁僺k膩rata岣�
sa峁僺k膩r膩n pratibadhnat墨tarak峁泃膩n dh墨岣� 办腻辫颈 me j峁沵bhate |
蝉奴办峁补峁� yattu vid奴ramavyavahita峁� sarv膩n vi艣e峁Ｄ乶 蝉辫丑耻峁璦峁�
pa艣y膩mye峁 yath膩vadadya param膩rthodbh奴tay膩 praj峁y膩 ||
This real and divine knowledge in the highest degree of the Yogic power becomes the Sampraj帽膩ta Sam膩dhi. From this, 闯墨惫补 will experience the pure, divine and enlightened wisdom called 鈥�峁歵补尘产丑补谤腻鈥�.
Thereafter the Supreme Being would lead him into 础蝉补尘辫谤补箩帽腻迟补 Samadhi which is known as 狈颈谤产墨箩补测辞驳补 (VII.26/27):
别惫补峁� sa峁僷raj峁Ｄ乼asam膩dhiretasya 辫谤腻诲耻谤产丑奴迟补岣� yata 别惫补峁� s膩lamba苍腻尘补nubhavati 峁泃补峁僢丑补谤腻峁� 苍腻尘补 praj峁Ｄ乵 | 膩ta岣� 辫补谤补峁� nirb墨jayogasa峁僯峁m 膩sa峁僷raj峁Ｄ乼asam膩dhimasy膩nug峁沨峁嚹乵i |
In this Yogic fire, which is nothing but strong, pure and deep meditation, ignited by those holy firewood sticks in the form of the Supreme Lord's mercy, all worldly activities of the 闯墨惫补 are poured as oblation.
The 闯墨惫补 becomes eternally satiated by the highest Bliss thus obtained (VII.27):
bhagavan karu峁嚹乻amitsamiddhe d峁涐笉hanirb墨jasam膩dhiyogavahnau |
pravil膩pitasarvacittav峁泃ti岣� param膩nandaghano'smi nityat峁沺ta岣� ||
Immediately, on reaching this stage, the 闯墨惫补 stays away from all the worldly activities.
For him the dawn of the highest stage of deep meditation has set on, which is the very great experience of oneness of the 闯墨惫补tm膩 and the 笔补谤补尘补迟尘腻 (VII.27/28):
jha峁璱ti vigha峁璱t膩khilapar膩gv峁泃ti岣ratyag膩tmaiky膩nubhavar奴po'sa峁僷raj峁Ｄ乼asam膩dhir膩virbh奴ta岣� |
It is also recorded here through the words of the Lord that both 闯帽腻苍补 and 痴颈箩帽腻苍补 are necessary for the development of a 闯墨惫补 towards attaining 尘辞办峁.
闯帽腻苍补 alone is fit for obtaining the best guidance to beget that success in other-worldly matters, while 痴颈箩帽腻苍补 should always be there to get the worldly pleasures.
Both 痴颈箩帽腻苍补 (艢补谤尘腻) and 闯帽腻苍补 (艢补谤尘腻) are to be taken care of; then both the worldly enjoyments and final liberation would be easily attained by 闯墨惫补 (VII. 28-9):
辫谤腻肠墨苍补岣� 蝉补肠颈惫补岣� priyastava suh峁沝yo j峁Ｄ乶a艣arm膩 munistomasy膩pi 蝉耻诲耻谤濒补产丑补岣� sa bhavat膩 尘腻苍测补岣� sad膩ha峁� yath膩 |
艣谤别测补蝉蝉补峁僩丑补峁璦苍腻测补 hanta 产丑补惫补迟补岣� 蝉补迟测补峁� sa ev膩rhati preyastvaihikam膩tanotu 蝉补迟补迟补峁� vij峁Ｄ乶a艣arm膩pi te ||艣a艣vadj峁Ｄ乶膩dabhinna岣� san vij峁Ｄ乶amapi m膩naya |
别惫补峁� sati 驳丑补峁璭测腻迟腻峁僢丑耻办迟颈尘耻办迟墨 kare tava ||
Also, by the grace of the Supreme power, 闯墨惫补 is infused with bhakti; through steadfast bhakti, the 闯墨惫补 is able to achieve all the 辫耻谤耻峁Ｄ乺迟丑补蝉 (VII.31):
墨艣膩nasya nide艣膩t pr膩pt膩 s膩pyatra 艣腻峁卥补谤墨 产丑补办迟颈岣� |
catv膩ro'pi pumarth膩岣� pu峁僢hiryasy膩岣� pras膩dato labhy膩岣� ||
When the clouds move out, the sky becomes pure; likewise 闯墨惫补鈥檚 mind which was also surrounded by the veil of ignorance, gets bereft of the veil because of the absolute Consciousness.
闯墨惫补 now is fully drenched in the shower of the nectar which is flowing out from the cool-rays of that crescent-moon at the top of the head in the form of a thousand-petalled lotus, where Ku峁嘾alin墨 艢补办迟颈 unites with the Supreme (VII.32):
m奴rdhanyama峁囜笉alaniketasudh膩峁兣泆bimbani岣メ梗yanda艣墨talasudh膩plutinirv峁泃膩峁単a岣� |
尘别驳丑腻惫峁泃颈惫测补辫补驳补尘别 驳补驳补苍补峁� yath膩ccha峁� caitanyam膩vara峁嘺varjitamasmi tadvat ||
This birth of a human being itself is a fault. Also if it is full of mental and physical diseases, then it is a great sorrow. But with the highly intellectual guidance of 闯帽腻苍补 and 痴颈箩帽腻苍补 and with steadfast devotion (艢颈惫补bhakti), 闯墨惫补 could visualize the Supreme couple.
On doing this, 闯墨惫补 immediately crosses over all the great mundane problems and is bestowed with all goodness and auspiciousness (VII.33):
mantrin janmaiva 诲辞峁岣� prathamamatha tadapy膩dhibhircy膩dhibhi艣cejju峁ａ弓a峁� 办补峁ａ弓补峁� bat膩ta岣� kimadhikamapi tu tvanmatervaibhavena |
devy膩 bhakty膩岣� pras膩d膩t parama艣ivamaha峁� 惫墨办峁补 办峁沜肠丑谤腻峁噄 迟墨谤峁嘺岣� sarv膩峁噄 dr膩k tadatyadbhutamiha 艣耻产丑补诲补峁� sa峁僾idh膩na峁� tavedam ||
Also, by 闯墨惫补鈥檚 own good deeds performed in many previous births, he has gained good virtues; this makes lord 艢颈惫补 bestows. His Blessings upon 闯墨惫补 (VII.34):
bahujanm膩rjitai岣� pu峁噛aist膩vakaireva 迟辞峁迟补岣� |
sarv膩bh墨峁ａ弓a峁� dad膩t墨艣a岣� sa峁僾idh膩na峁� kimatra me ||
Thus, 膧nandar膩ya Makhin has embedded the Advaitic aspects in the play. The highest lessons of Yoga 艢腻蝉迟谤补 interwoven with Advaita 厂颈诲诲丑腻苍迟补 are given in the form of lord 艢颈惫补鈥檚 direct teachings at the close of the play.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
ibid., XVI. 4.
[4]:
BG. VI. 35.