In the previous episode, we had witnessed a significant aspect of what Jada-Bharata’s answers to King Rahuguna contain. Although outwardly it might seem a little arrogant and back-answering to the king, if we look deep into the words that Jada-Bharata employed, we would get astounding meanings of “Vedanta” that our Sanaatana Dharma tries to convey. As Jada-Bharata says that he wasn’t carrying the carriage of the king, the inner meaning to it was that, it was not his “Atman” that carried it, but the ever-changing physical body. Moreover, it was his shoulders lifting the carriage. His shoulders were in turn being lifted by his knees and his knees were in turn being lifted by his feet! His feet were in turn being supported on the ground by Mother Earth! So ultimately who lifted the King’s coach? It was Mother Earth who did it and it wasn’t Jada-Bharata or any of the three other people! It’s a beautiful explanation wherein we understand the link between various objects and aspects in this world. It’s a beautiful message that everything in this world are inter-dependent on each other and all of us living beings too, co-exist with each other!
This is perhaps the ultimate message that our Sanaathana Dharma tries to convey in various ways, which we should understand. We can never see anything or anybody as a stand-alone entity. Just like how rice is boiled – We keep a cup of rice immersed into water in a pressure cooker, which in turn is placed on the stove to allow it to boil. How would it be if the rice grains directly come in contact with fire? Won’t the grains be burnt and fried up? Similarly, what if the water comes in direct contact with the fire? Ultimately the fire would be put off, isn’t it? Thus, rather than all of these – rice, water and fire being stand-alone elements, the right combination of all the three would only yield the best possible result.
Similarly, all elements in this world, inclusive of living and non-living objects are in unison with the basic fundamental principles of existence of this world. If we try and disturb this co-existence mechanism, we would right royally mess up our own existence in this world. This is where in today’s scenario, all of us talk about “Climate change”, “global warming”, etc. that is happening across the world. Of late, we’ve been witnessing “freak” weather conditions in many parts of the world, including in our own India as well! We’re seeing unseasonal rainfall, unusual cold conditions in many places, raging forest fires in several parts of Australia of late, due to unusually higher temperatures, etc. Why is all of it happening? It is primarily because we human beings have forgotten the very principle of co-existence of this world. We’ve started destroying trees in thousands and thousands across various parts of the world. Forests are being converted into cities! Lakes are being converted into residential apartments! Ponds are being encroached! Rivers are being polluted with excessive amounts of effluents and sewage, which have tendered them extremely harmful and unusable! Animals are being tortured and slaughtered in the name of religious killing and other activities! All of this happens only because man has become selfish over time and has started to think that he alone can exist and rule this whole world with his “inventions”! Little does man remember that Mother Nature wants us to co-exist with all living beings happily and peacefully! Even within human beings itself, we’ve started to see happiness in other people’s sufferings! This is the worst ever thing that can happen! Now where is the question of “co-existence” if we do not want our own fellow human beings to be happy? The moment we start seeing happiness when other people suffer, we’re not only insulting our own mankind, but also leaving a deep scar in Bhagawan’s heart!
We’ve to be very careful here and this is exactly what Jada-Bharata tries to explain in this context. When he talks about co-existence, we should always remember the relationships that each living being and non-living being have in this world. We should understand how different is the “Atman” from the “Physical body” and how Atman is all-prevalent across all living beings in this world. We should realize that all are “ONE”, and follow this principle of harmony with our fellow human beings, animals, plants and other living beings. Only if we understand this “ONENESS” amongst all living beings and follow the process of co-existence, would we be able to have a “peaceful” and a “joyous” world around us! In fact, this is the very reason that we chant the sacred Mantra “Lokah Samastah Stukino Bhavantu”, which means “May all living beings in this world live happily and peacefully!”
Thus, the message from this episode and the previous one put together is that, we should understand the term “co-existence” in the right manner and try to follow it in our daily lives too. Thus, rather than blaming each other for whatever shortfalls, we should ensure that we walk on the correct path as prescribed by our Sanaathana Dharma. If all of us start doing this carefully and meticulously, won’t the world become a much more peaceful place to live in? Let’s think about it and start doing the needful! We shall wait till the next episode to move on with the Jada-Bharata Upaakyaanam! Stay tuned! 😊
The Indian Dharma 