In the previous episode, we had witnessed the continuation of the discussion on how money and wealth can be extremely impermanent in nature. Sage Shaunaka compares our youth and physical beauty and uses these two variables as proxies to describe the impermanent nature of wealth. Just like how youth and physical beauty can be highly impermanent, something that is our possession today can easily be someone else’s tomorrow! Hence, life is extremely transient and Sage Shaunaka advises Yudishtra to move on with it, without getting carried away by any of those impermanent materialistic pleasures of the world. However, having said all these, Sage Shaunaka explains now about something that is always permanent! He says thus, “Oh Yudishtra! Even though there are so many things that might be impermanent, there is something that is permanent too – Your “Gnyaanam” (Knowledge of the Atman). This is something that is totally undestroyable in nature. If you have this knowledge within you, it would automatically lead you towards the ultimate “Moksha”. Hence, try and develop this “Gnyaanam” in you for the next thirteen years!”
As Sage Shaunaka explains this point, there is an interesting connotation to this – Till now, we’ve witnessed that youth, physical beauty, money, name, fame, wealth, etc. only keep diminishing every passing day, isn’t it? But when it comes to “Atma-Gnyaanam”, it only keeps growing day by day! Why do we say that? If we learn something today with deep involvement and interest, it would motivate us to learn more and more about that something, isn’t it? We’re witnessing this phenomenon in our ordinary modern-day education itself. For instance, if one is highly interested in smartphone technology and its latest trends and upgrades, everyday morning he / she might be searching all over the newspaper, online articles, etc. with regards to some news on mobile phone technology, isn’t it? Now if he / she ends up buying a latest smartphone, this person would spend hours together getting to know how the phone is functioning, what are the salient features that the phone consists of, etc. isn’t it? Moreover, if we’re having even more deeper interest, we would even start comparing the features of this smartphone with various other smartphone brands in the market! Our analysis would go deeper and deeper with more and more interest and involvement, wouldn’t it?
Hence, what are we observing here? If we have the interest and involvement, obtaining the “Gnyaanam” (Knowledge) will only keep increasing and it would never come down. We would love to learn more and more of our interested subjects, even without someone pushing us to study, won’t we? This is exactly what Sage Shaunaka is explaining here – The more involved we are in knowing about our “Atman” and Bhagawan, the more we would get to understand the intricacies on the subject. Thus, “Gnyaanam” would only keep growing on and on without a break and this is the thing upon which Yudishtra should focus for the next thirteen yeas, according to Sage Shaunaka! Of course, it is not only for Yudishtra, but it is an important lesson for all of us!
So for today, let us understand up to this point and in the next episode, we’re going to witness an important conversation, wherein Draupati is going to chip in with some questions! Till now, Sage Shaunaka and Yudishtra were conversing and all the others were mute spectators to the conversation. Now Bheemasena and Draupati try to sneak in with a few important queries and observations. What are they? Let us wait till the next episode to find out! Stay tuned! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 