In the previous episode, we had witnessed a very important discussion on two important aspects of the world – “Sthoola” and “Sookshma”. Sage Sukhaachaarya explains all of this to King Parikshit as he asks the important question of how this world came into existence and what is the real nature of this world. Sage Sukhaachaarya thus gives a detailed response to King Parikshit by saying that the world is an ever-perpetuating entity that can never have an end as such. All the beings in this world go through two states called “Sthoola” and “Sookshma”. Whereas the world that we see around us every day in the physical form, is “Sthoola” in nature, all of this would attain the state of “Sookshma” after a period of time. This state of “Sookshma” can be invisible in nature, but it is still there and not disappeared. We’ve to understand this concept very clearly. I’ve tried to explain this with various examples in the previous episode.
However, in all of these Sthoola and Sookshma states, Bhagawan is present! This is why we always keep saying that Bhagawan is “omni-present” everywhere in this world, and He exists in the “Sookshma” form. If we say that Bhagawan Krishna exists in the form of Shrimad Bhaagawatha Puraana text itself, it means that Bhagawan Krishna is existing in the “Sookshma” form inside this text. Similarly, Bhagawan resides inside all of us. However, He cannot be visibly seen, isn’t it? This is exactly like how milk goes through various stages to take the form of ghee. How do we get ghee? We’ve to boil the milk, transform it into curd, drill the curd and process it to make it into butter, heat the butter to a high temperature and make ghee out of it. However, even though ghee has its own properties and taste, it is still a milk product and milk is very much existent as part of the ghee, isn’t it? Similarly, Bhagawan is present inside all of us. But how do we realize Bhagawan’s presence? Just like how we process the milk through several stages to realize the ghee in it, we’ve to process our mind and heart by performing various spiritual practices to realize Bhagawan. Thus, the main purpose behind performing spiritual practices regularly is to slowly condition and tame our mind in such a way that we would be able to realize Bhagawan within us. It is just like processing milk through several stages to obtain ghee, which is the most desired forms that we like and consume. We’ve to realize that Bhagawan is everywhere and within all of us, just like how milk is present in abundance in this world. However, just like we realize the ghee from milk by putting it into innumerable processes, we’ve to realize Bhagawan within us by putting our mind into innumerable spiritual practices and conditioning it.
Moreover, who is controlling all the activities that are happening in this world? It is Bhagawan himself! Out of His kindness and mercy towards all of us, Bhagawan has created this wonderful earth and has given us an opportunity to experience its beauty. It is just like what a male peacock does. We must have observed – Whenever the male peacock comes across a female peacock, or a bunch of rain clouds gathering around the sky, it becomes very happy. As a result of the happiness, the male peacock expands its beautiful wings and starts to dance here and there with joy. Similarly, out of happiness, Bhagawan too expands his beautiful “wings” in such a way that this beautiful world is created. However, when the period of happiness ends, the male peacock again shreds its wings into itself, isn’t it? Similarly when the appropriate time comes, Bhagawan too shreds off this world and takes off its beauty by “destroying” it (Samhaaram)! This process keeps happening at the end of every “Yuga”, wherein “Adharma” increases and Bhagawan has to incarnate on the earth, to set things right and restore the Dharma back on the earth. In this process, there would be varying amounts of destruction (Samhaaram) that the world would have to undergo. Thus, it is important for all of us to understand how the world transforms from the state of “Sthoola” to “Sookshma”. As “Samhaaram” happens, the world goes into the state of “Sookshma”. However as time progresses, the world again transforms itself from the state of “Sookshma” to “Sthoola”, wherein people get born, population increases, activities are on the rise, “Adharma” increases, etc. and again Bhagawan takes an incarnation to convert this Sthoola into Sookshma state.
Thus from this explanation we can witness that this process of transformation between the two states of Sthoola and Sookshma is a continuous cycle and is a perpetual one. It is only within this cycle that we as “Jeevaatmas” are stuck too! This is what we precisely call the “birth-and-death-cycle” too. How do we get ourselves released from this vicious cycle and reach Bhagawan? He has again given us the golden opportunity of being born as a human being and has given us the apt infrastructure to perform spiritual practices to train our mind towards spiritual growth. It is upto us to use this opportunity given by Bhagawan to utilize the “tools” and “guidelines” to attain “Moksha” and to liberate ourselves from this vicious cycle of birth and death.
So for today, let us ponder over this important point once more and let us take a conscious effort to do the needful! We shall wait till the next episode to witness the continuation of Sage Sukhaachaarya’s reply to King Parikshit! Stay tuned! 😊
The Indian Dharma 