Sarga-57
Acquiring the Status of a Brahmin 1.57
Matanga episode
Viswamitra’s mind was sullied by anger. He had committed the sin of forcibly taking away the cow that belonged to Vasishta, a brahmin. Having thus offended both the brahmin and the cow, kshatriya Viswamitra must first purify his mind which alone could pave the way to penances intended for acquiring the status of a brahmin. Even then it does not stand to reason as Matanga, born of a brahmin mother could not acquire the status of a brahmin despite the purification of his mind and practice of penance for years. The Anushasanaparvaof the Mahabharata tells the story of Matanga’s failure. Matanga decides to do penance to acquire the status of a brahmin. Indra tells him that it is difficult to achieve It is only after going through the cycle of births over thousands of years of repeated births from sudra to vaisya to kshatriya and from kshatriya to a brahmin community. It is only after he rotates four hundred times he may be born a Vedic scholar.
Matanga contnues his penance, undeterned for a hundred years on his big toe. Indra reappeared and said to him: “O Matanga! a brahmin is the best of all beings. After countless births and living through countless species and castes one is born a brahmin. Ask for a different boon. This one is hard to confer.”
Matanga chooses to be transformed into a bird who can assume any form and wander at will so that he can be worshipped by brahmins as well as kshatriyas.
Episode of Chyavana and Kusika:
Sage Chyavana foresaw the calamity of admixture of castes befalling the family of Kusika. In order to avoid it, he planned to terminate the family unit by involving innocent Kusika in a sin. When Kusika saw him, he received him respectfully and said “O sage, I offer you my kingdom, wealth, cows, the fruit of my sacrifices or charities or whatever else you ask for. Just mention it”. The sage replied, “I have no desire for kingdom. I seek neither wealth nor women. The only thing I ask is: ‘You along with your wife must attend upon me without any hesitation’. As the sage looked drowsy, he took him into a bedroom. “Here is your bed, sir”, said the king. But, said Chyavana, “both of you must continue pressing my feet without waking me up till I choose to get up”. He slept for twentyone days on one side and then getting up, vanished. The king searched for the sage, but returning, found the sage sleeping in the bedroom as before. Now he was asleep on the other side for the same duration of time, while the king and queen pressed his feet. And then suddenly waking up, Chyavana had his bath and when food came, he wrapped it along with the bed with a piece of cloth and set it on fire. The royal couple till then did not lose their cool. Then the sage ascended a war-chariot kept ready for him to view the city and ordered the king to pull the chariot along with his wife. The king did not mind the pain caused by the whip, nor regretted the service rendered yet continued to respectfully serve the sage with a calm and composed mind. “Go back to the city and rest. Come tomorrow,” commanded the sage. The king with his queen came back and found him seated inside a golden palace decorated with bejeweled pillars and surrounded with beautiful trees and creepers. The king was amazed. “How powerful is sage Chyavana! On the strength of his penance, he can create a whole new world. Let only brahmins be born here, brahmins who are holy in word, thought and deed. The status of a brahmin is more difficult to achieve than a kingdom”. When asked for a boon Kusika answered, “Give me the status of a brahmin”. Chyavana said, “Be it as you wish. The position of a brahmin is rare and of a brahmin and a sage rarer still. To be an ascetic is the rarest. O king, your wish shall be fulfilled. The person born in the third generation from Kusika will be a Kausika brahmin. Your family will be as illustrious as that of the Bhrigus. Your grandson will be an ascetic”.
Richika and Gadhi Episode:
The Tirthayatra of Vanaparva gives an account of Gadhi. There lived a mighty king Gadhi by name in Kanyakubja. He went to reside in the forest. He had a daughter, Satyavati, beautiful like a nymph. Richika of the Bhargava family chose her as his wife. Pleased with his daughter-in-law, Bhrigu granted her and her mother a boon, saying, ‘You and your mother after taking bath in the period favourable for conception, respectively embrace an Udumbara and an Ashvattha tree for a male child. Take this charu (divine oblation of rice, barley and pulses). The two women made a blunder, each embracing the tree meant for the other. One day Bhrigu, who knew the mistake made, came to Satyavati and told her that because of the error she will have a son, a brahmin by birth and a kshatriya by nature, while her mother will have a son, a kshatriya by birth and by nature a brahmin.
Brahmanya and penances
The wife of Gadhi gave birth to Viswamitra. Viswamitra, the great ascetic, acquired the status of a brahmin through penance as stated in Anushasanaparva’. On the other hand, Matanga practised rigorous penance and yet failed to acquire brahmanya in the absence of a brahmin’s blessings. Finally, the example of Vitahavya clearly shows that even in the absence of penance, a born kshatriya could acquire brahmanya only as a result of the boon by Bhrigu, a great brahmin.
Brahmanya conferred on Vitahavya by Bhrigu:
This occurs in Anushasanika. On being defeated by Vitahavya, Divodasa approached sage Bharadvaja who blessed him with a son ever victorious in war. This son, Pratardana by name, defeated Vitahavya who took refuge in the hermitage of sage Bhrigu. Pratardana went to Bhrigu and requested him to hand over Vitahavya. Bhrigu said, “No kshatriya lives here. These are all brahmins”. Pratardana went away, thinking that Bhrigu must have made Vitahavya discard his kshatriya caste. Vitahavya too, acquired Brahmanya, which is very difficult to achieve, soon after the great sage uttered those words out of compassion.
Therefore, Brahmanya is all the more difficult to acquire only through penance. Nor does this contradict the words, ‘O Kaushika, you have acquired Brahmanya by virtue of your rigorous penance’, as stated earlier. These words refer to Kaushika’s acquiring Brahmanya consequent on the boon of a brahmin. Thus penance was only a remote cause of his brahmanya. So there is no contradiction. Karma is the means of final liberation only through acquiring knowledge of the Self consequent on purification of one’s mind”.
Karma is a direct means of moksha:
“We drank soma and became immortal” writes Rigveda (99 VI-4-11). “A year-long Yajna with milk as oblation frees one from the fear of untimely death”. (Brihada I-5-2). “Then I ignited the Nachiketa fire. I have obtained the eternal through the non-eternal material” (Katho II-10). A learned brahmin meditates on Aditya as Brahman. He becomes Brahman (Sahavai 2). “Only through Karma have Janaka and others realized their goal; (The Gita)
Thus Shrutis, Smritis and Sutras speak of karma as the direct means to moksha.
Knowledge is the means to moksha
“The highest state is achieved by one who knows the Brahman” [Taitt II-1-1]; “Knowing Him to be so, one becomes immortal” [Taitti Ara. III-1-3]; “He who knows the real nature of the Self goes beyond suffering” [Chhan VII-1-3]; “He who knows the Brahman becomes Brahman” [Munda. III-2-9]; “One goes beyond the fear of death by knowing Him alone” [Shveta III-8, VI-15];“So whoever of the gods knew that, only those became that” [Brihada. I-4-10]; “Stationed in Brahman he reaches immortality” [Chhan II-23-1]; [Brihada IV-4-14]. “That Supreme Self who pervades all this dwells in all created things, moving as well as stationary”; “When the soul sees himself in all beings and all beings in himself, realizes Brahman” [The Gita VI-29]; “When he sees as much self in others as he sees within himself, he is entitled to immortality”; “The goal of a man (moksha) is realized independently from the knowledge of self-realization elucidated in Vedanta as per the scriptures” so says Badarayana” (Br.su.III-4-1).
The Sutra (Br.su.III-4-3) relates karman to the knowledge of Self. Although Uddalaka had the knowledge of Brahman he undertook karman. ‘If one can procure honey from the Arka flower why would one take the trouble to climb a mountain’? Hence knowledge alone does not yield fruit [Chhan Vi-8-1]. Knowledge must be followed by karman [Chhan.I-1-10]. The ‘fruits of knowledge and karman commence simultaneously’ [Brihada IV-4-2] speaks for knowledge being useful in yielding the fruit of karman.
These scriptural passages speak for karma as being obligatory even for those who have obtained the knowledge of all the Vedas. ‘Only by continuously performing the karman in this world, can one aspire to live for hundred years. karman does not contaminate the person’ [Isha 2]; ‘this vow called Agnihotra has to last till old age or death. [Mahana XVIII-10].
Thus, karman has to be performed even after knowledge and, therefore, mere knowledge does not by itself lead to moksha. The Upanishads, however preach knowledge relating to Ishvara who is higher than the Atman bound by the body and Badarayana (Br.su.III-4-1) says mokshapurushartha is achieved through the knowledge contained in the Vedas (Br.su.III-4-8). They preach the knowledge of Ishvara endowed with qualities like being a non-doer, opposite to those of the self who is a doer, an enjoyer, is delimited by body and so on. The knowledge of such Ishvara, which is opposite to karman, cannot possibly expect further karman:
‘It contemplated, ‘Let me become several. Let me reproduce’. It produced Tejas [ChanVI-2-3].
On the other hand, after knowledge karman no more remains obligatory. “This is what the learned sages, the sons of Kavasha said, ‘What are we studying for? What are we sacrificing for?’ So, saying Yajnyavalkya took to renunciation” [3 Aita II-6-3].
The continuation of karman pointed out in “O Gods, I am indeed going to perform a sacrifice” [Chan V-11-5] has Vaishvanaravidya (and not Brahmavidya) for its subject. There is no context of self-realization.
The passage, ‘whatever is done with knowledge’ (Chhan I-1-10) is cited to prove that knowledge is subservient to karman on the strength of Sruti. But this is not correct. The primary subject being discussed there is Udgithavidya and the Sruti supports it. It does not have all the vidyas for its subject. The passage, ‘the fruit of vidya and karman commence simultaneously’ (Bri. IV-4-2 quoted in Br.su.III-4-5) is used to argue the subservience of vidya but that is not acceptable. The argument based on the sutra ‘One who has the knowledge of the Veda is directed to continue karman’ [Br. Su.III-4-6] is refuted. The passage, ‘Having learnt Veda from the preceptor’ etc. refers to such study as is useful for performing the religious rituals and not to the knowledge of the Self as preached in the Upanishads.
So the argument that even after vidya, karman has to be performed does not stand to reason. Vidya irrespective of karman is the means for mokshapurushartha. ‘According to Badarayana mokshapurushartha is achieved through the preaching of the Vedas’, (Br.su.III-4-1).
Jnanakarmasamucchayavada:
Let vidya and karman together be the means of mokshapurushartha. “This is the path. This is karman. This is Brahman. This is the Truth. One must not swerve from it” [1 Aita. I-1-1]. “This Self is always to be realized by truth, penance, right knowledge and celibacy” [Munda. III-1-5]. “He who knows vidya as well as avidya surpasses death through avidya and obtains immortality through vidya” [Isha.11+Maitra.VII-9, Bhavasantaranopanishad]. “Just as birds navigate through the sky with both wings similarly Brahman, the Absolute, is realized with the help of both knowledge and Vedic karman. Both knowledge and karman are stated to be the means of its realization” [Bhavasan. I-33]. “Vidya expects all the duties as per the ashrama to be fulfilled by the individual as goes the Shruti [Br.IV-4-26]. ‘Brahmins desire to learn Him by reciting the Vedas after the preceptors and also by sacrifice, charity and penance’ Just as a horse is not yoked to a plough but to a chariot due to its ability, similarly knowledge does not expect rituals for the attainment of the goal although it expects them as a prerequisite. These passages from Shrutis, Smritis and Sutras speak for both knowledge and karman being the means of moksha.
But this is untenable. It is not possible that both knowledge and karman together, can become the means for moksha since the two represent different paths leading to different results [Katha.I-2-4].
Lured by various material pleasures, these ignorant men never think of the right course leading to the other world. For them, all that matters is this world. They do not think of the other world. They have to submit themselves to my power again and again” [Katha.I-2-6]. These (sacrifices) in which eighteen types of inferior karman are enjoined are like fragile boats. The ignorant, who believe these to be good and welcome them, must return to the cycle of birth and death” [Munda.I-2-7]. “Mostly enveloped by avidya, these ignorant men consider themselves to be successful. As they do not understand the real nature of karman due to their attachment (to the fruits to be gained), they suffer in the end and are deprived of the heavenly abode when the merit is exhausted” [Munda.I-2-9]. “They consider sacrifices and charitable deeds to be of supreme importance and do not know the real means of moksha in their folly. After enjoying the fruits of their meritorious deeds in heaven they return to the mortal world or even to an inferior world” [Munda.I-2-10]
“After assessing the fruits of meritorious deeds a brahmin should take to renunciation. Non-eternal karman cannot achieve eternal fruit” [Munda.I-2-12]. “Wealth cannot lead to the fruit of eternity” [Br.IV-5-3]. The word ‘wealth’ here indicates sacrifices and other meritorious deeds which can be achieved by wealth. “There are only three worlds, the world of mortals, the world of manes and the world of gods. One can fulfil his duty to the world of mortals only by producing a son and not by any other karman. Through karman one can fulfil his duty to the world of manes and with that ends efficacy of karman”. [Br.I-5-16]
“And now the Self. It is like a bridge. He sustains the worlds (saves them from destruction). Day and night cannot delimit Him. Old age, death, suffering, merit, demerit and all other evils turn back without reaching Him. This is Brahmaloka devoid of evil” [Chhan.III-4-1] That karman is destroyed before reaching Brahmaloka is clearly stated here. “This Self, realized by eliminating all that is Non-Self, is agrihya i.e. cannot be grasped; is ashirya i.e. cannot be destroyed, and asanga i.e. does not get attached. He is not bound. He is not subject to suffering or injury. It stands to reason that he who knows Him to be so is beyond these two (sorrow and joy), as there is no need for him to regret, “He verily goes beyond both these (merit and sin) as the karman, which is done and the one which is not done (likely to be done in future) do not afflict him by the fruit of the merit or by the obstruction of the sin” [Bri.IV-4-22] ; “That is what the Rik says plainly. This greatness of him who knows the Self is invariable. It neither grows nor is it reduced by virtue of karman. One should know this nature of his greatness. By knowing it one is not tainted by sin” [Bri. IV-4-23]. “Knowing Him one becomes peaceful, self-restrained, and indifferent to worldly attachments, enduring and composed and sees the Self within his self. He sees everything as Self. Sin does not torment him. He transcends sin. Sin does not confine him. He destroys all sin. Free of sin, free of passion, free of disbelief he becomes a brahmana (one who knows Brahman). ‘This is the Brahmaloka, O king (Janaka)’ thus said Yajnavalkya” [Bri.IV-4-23]
“Relatives who love him share his merit. Those who hate him share his sin. It is like one who travels in a chariot (only) seeing the two wheels of the chariot (from a distance). He only sees the day and night, only watches all the merits and sins and such other pairs of opposites (without getting affected). Stripped of the good and the bad deeds, he realizes Brahman and becomes Brahman” [Kaushi.I-4].As the fruits obtained by meritorious deeds perish here, similarly they perish in the heavenly abode” [Chhan.VIII-1-6].
Therefore karman and jnana cannot have aggregation in attaining the state of emancipation, as the future course of journey after death of the performers of karman on the one hand and of the pursuers of knowledge of Atman on the other, are entirely different, Pitriyana for the former and Devayana for the latter. Their destinations are different (the region of the Moon for the former and the region of Brahman for the latter) and as the final rewards achieved by them are also different. (While the former has to re-enter the cycle of birth and death, the latter are rewarded with self-realization).
Righteous actions are basically incongruous with the knowledge of the self
1. ‘Karmana badhyate---upasate’ [1Sanyaso.II-28] ‘Actions bind the doer. Knowledge of the self emancipates the knower. So ascetics who have the power to visualize things far beyond do not follow the path of actions. Only those with very limited understanding recommend the course of righteous deeds. As a result their efforts for the search of the hereafter end up with the enjoyments in different physical forms ensnaring them to the mortal world’.
‘Yathaidhamsi---tatha’[Bh.G.IV-37] ‘Just as blazing fire reduces to ashes the fuel put into it, similarly the fire in the form of knowledge obliterates all the (obligatory, occasional and desire-prompted) deeds’.
The Sutra, ‘Tadadhigama----etc.’ [VI-1-13] after the self is realized the sins that may be committed later do not adhere to him and those committed earlier are wiped off as is stated by the scriptures. ‘Tadyatha pushkara-- shlishyate’ [Chhan. IV-14-3] says, ‘As water does not stick to the lotus-leaf so also a sinful act does not adhere to one who knows the self’.
‘Tadyathaishika----praduyante’ [Chhan. V-24-3] the knower of the self torments all sinful deeds as fire torment the tuft of the reed-grass.
The Sutra, ‘Itarasya--etc.’, the deed other than the sinful one i.e. the meritorious deed, too, does not adhere to the enlightened one. The Shruiti, ‘Ubhe---tarati’, [Brihada. IV-4-22] authenticates that the knower of Atman goes beyond deeds both good and bad. [As far as bondage is concerned, good deeds are as obstructive to spiritual progress of the seeker as bad ones and the Shruti treats them on par]. The Sutra ‘Upamardam cha’ [III-4-16] states that after the realization of the self, the doer and the deed cease to exist as is validated by the Shruti, ‘Yatra tvasya---kam pashyet’ [Brihada. II-4-14], when for the enlightened one everything becomes ‘Self’ who would be the seer and what would be seen?’ All duality like seer and the seen, knower and the known, subject and the object disappear after the realization of the self.
Thus Sruitis, Smritis and the Sutras unanimously state that actions are contradictory to knowledge, as yielding temporary fruit, as being perishable and as leading to further rebirths.
The role of karman in the attainment of moksha:
Performance of righteous deeds leads to purification of mind. Purity of mind helps attainment of moksha. The learned desire to know him through recitation of the Vedas, sacrifice, charity and penance not prompted by desire for material pleasures [Brihada.IV-4-22]. These righteous deeds are the cause of the desire for the knowledge of Atman. Only after being purified by the performance of pious deeds the seekers of knowledge can know Atman as elucidated by the Upanishads. Thus states the Atharva: With his mind purified, he sees Him, the one without attributes’.‘Sacrifice, charity and penance purify the seekers’ [Bh.G.XVIII-5] or ‘all of them, knowing thoroughly the path of sacrifice have their sins wiped off by performing the sacrifices’. The word ‘yajnyena’ in the Shruiti [Brihada. IV-4-22], refers to sacrifice for wealth, sacrifice for knowledge the purpose of which is purificatory in nature. Thus purified and having an unsullied mind, the seeker can have the knowledge of the self unobstructed. The word ‘danena’ means pious gifts are also the cause of removing the effect of sinful deeds and of piety in general. ‘Tapas’ is used here with an adjective ‘anashaka’ i.e., which is not intended for fulfilling material wishes. This precludes its allusion to vows like kricchra and chandrayana (which are prompted by material desires). ‘Anashanam’ thus does not mean desisting from food. By desisting from food, only death will follow and not the knowledge of the self. By Vedic recitation, sacrifice, charity and penances all the obligatory deeds are alluded. Thus the whole lot of obligatory duties with the exception of the desire-prompted vows etc., being helpful in acquiring the knowledge of the self is the means to the attainment of moksha. This is accepted by the expounders of the doctrine of aggregation of knowledge and action, too. The obligatory and occasional duties being thus accepted as removers of obstructions and removing obstruction being the same as purifying of the mind (by removing the evil effect of sins), they can become the cause of moksha by virtue of their interposition. However, their being an independent and direct cause of moksha is nothing but a fancy as there is no proof to authenticate it. The Shruiti, ‘Nanyah----etc.’ [Shveta. III-86-15] clearly negates the existence of any other path for Moksha excepting knowledge of the self. Even Smriti, ‘Kashaya---pravartate’ which means, ‘Karman leads to progressive alleviation of sin but knowledge leads to the final destination. After the dirt of sin is washed off by the righteous deeds knowledge dawns’. ‘Jnyanena---sanatanam’ states that the eternal Brahman shines forth only when the seeker dispels the darkness of ignorance with knowledge. ‘Yoginah---shuddhaye’ affirms that the pursuers of yoga perform righteous deeds by discarding attachment to material gains only for the sake of self-purification’. ‘Dhyana---pravardhate’, say that meditation, Vedic studies, charities, truth, modesty, simplicity, forgiveness, cleanliness, purification through accepted rules of good conduct and restraint of organs lead to enhancement of effulgence and reduction of sins. Equipped with these qualities a seeker progresses on the path of knowledge. ‘Shreyan---parantapa’[Bh.G.3-15]. ‘O Arjuna, a sacrifice for knowledge is superior to the sacrifice for wealth’; ‘Sarvam-----parisamapyate’[Bh.G.IV-33] i.e. ‘O Partha, all the deeds without exception must end after knowledge is attained’; ‘Tapo---ashnute’ which means, ‘Penance and learning are highly valuable for the seeker. Penances wipe off his sins while learning helps him to attain the status of immortality’. Hence righteous deeds can be the cause of moksha only through purification of mind.
Penance as a means of acquiring the status of a Brahmin
Similarly penance can be the means of acquiring the status of a brahmin only by the blessings of a brahmin through God’s grace. Since the most covetable status of a brahmin is unattainable without the blessings of a brahmin, Viswamitra proceeded south to practise penance for acquiring that status.
Sarga-57
Acquiring the Status of a Brahmin 1.57
Matanga episode
Viswamitra’s mind was sullied by anger. He had committed the sin of forcibly taking away the cow that belonged to Vasishta, a brahmin. Having thus offended both the brahmin and the cow, kshatriya Viswamitra must first purify his mind which alone could pave the way to penances intended for acquiring the status of a brahmin. Even then it does not stand to reason as Matanga, born of a brahmin mother could not acquire the status of a brahmin despite the purification of his mind and practice of penance for years. The Anushasanaparvaof the Mahabharata tells the story of Matanga’s failure. Matanga decides to do penance to acquire the status of a brahmin. Indra tells him that it is difficult to achieve It is only after going through the cycle of births over thousands of years of repeated births from sudra to vaisya to kshatriya and from kshatriya to a brahmin community. It is only after he rotates four hundred times he may be born a Vedic scholar.
Matanga contnues his penance, undeterned for a hundred years on his big toe. Indra reappeared and said to him: “O Matanga! a brahmin is the best of all beings. After countless births and living through countless species and castes one is born a brahmin. Ask for a different boon. This one is hard to confer.”
Matanga chooses to be transformed into a bird who can assume any form and wander at will so that he can be worshipped by brahmins as well as kshatriyas.
Episode of Chyavana and Kusika:
Sage Chyavana foresaw the calamity of admixture of castes befalling the family of Kusika. In order to avoid it, he planned to terminate the family unit by involving innocent Kusika in a sin. When Kusika saw him, he received him respectfully and said “O sage, I offer you my kingdom, wealth, cows, the fruit of my sacrifices or charities or whatever else you ask for. Just mention it”. The sage replied, “I have no desire for kingdom. I seek neither wealth nor women. The only thing I ask is: ‘You along with your wife must attend upon me without any hesitation’. As the sage looked drowsy, he took him into a bedroom. “Here is your bed, sir”, said the king. But, said Chyavana, “both of you must continue pressing my feet without waking me up till I choose to get up”. He slept for twentyone days on one side and then getting up, vanished. The king searched for the sage, but returning, found the sage sleeping in the bedroom as before. Now he was asleep on the other side for the same duration of time, while the king and queen pressed his feet. And then suddenly waking up, Chyavana had his bath and when food came, he wrapped it along with the bed with a piece of cloth and set it on fire. The royal couple till then did not lose their cool. Then the sage ascended a war-chariot kept ready for him to view the city and ordered the king to pull the chariot along with his wife. The king did not mind the pain caused by the whip, nor regretted the service rendered yet continued to respectfully serve the sage with a calm and composed mind. “Go back to the city and rest. Come tomorrow,” commanded the sage. The king with his queen came back and found him seated inside a golden palace decorated with bejeweled pillars and surrounded with beautiful trees and creepers. The king was amazed. “How powerful is sage Chyavana! On the strength of his penance, he can create a whole new world. Let only brahmins be born here, brahmins who are holy in word, thought and deed. The status of a brahmin is more difficult to achieve than a kingdom”. When asked for a boon Kusika answered, “Give me the status of a brahmin”. Chyavana said, “Be it as you wish. The position of a brahmin is rare and of a brahmin and a sage rarer still. To be an ascetic is the rarest. O king, your wish shall be fulfilled. The person born in the third generation from Kusika will be a Kausika brahmin. Your family will be as illustrious as that of the Bhrigus. Your grandson will be an ascetic”.
Richika and Gadhi Episode:
The Tirthayatra of Vanaparva gives an account of Gadhi. There lived a mighty king Gadhi by name in Kanyakubja. He went to reside in the forest. He had a daughter, Satyavati, beautiful like a nymph. Richika of the Bhargava family chose her as his wife. Pleased with his daughter-in-law, Bhrigu granted her and her mother a boon, saying, ‘You and your mother after taking bath in the period favourable for conception, respectively embrace an Udumbara and an Ashvattha tree for a male child. Take this charu (divine oblation of rice, barley and pulses). The two women made a blunder, each embracing the tree meant for the other. One day Bhrigu, who knew the mistake made, came to Satyavati and told her that because of the error she will have a son, a brahmin by birth and a kshatriya by nature, while her mother will have a son, a kshatriya by birth and by nature a brahmin.
Brahmanya and penances
The wife of Gadhi gave birth to Viswamitra. Viswamitra, the great ascetic, acquired the status of a brahmin through penance as stated in Anushasanaparva’. On the other hand, Matanga practised rigorous penance and yet failed to acquire brahmanya in the absence of a brahmin’s blessings. Finally, the example of Vitahavya clearly shows that even in the absence of penance, a born kshatriya could acquire brahmanya only as a result of the boon by Bhrigu, a great brahmin.
Brahmanya conferred on Vitahavya by Bhrigu:
This occurs in Anushasanika. On being defeated by Vitahavya, Divodasa approached sage Bharadvaja who blessed him with a son ever victorious in war. This son, Pratardana by name, defeated Vitahavya who took refuge in the hermitage of sage Bhrigu. Pratardana went to Bhrigu and requested him to hand over Vitahavya. Bhrigu said, “No kshatriya lives here. These are all brahmins”. Pratardana went away, thinking that Bhrigu must have made Vitahavya discard his kshatriya caste. Vitahavya too, acquired Brahmanya, which is very difficult to achieve, soon after the great sage uttered those words out of compassion.
Therefore, Brahmanya is all the more difficult to acquire only through penance. Nor does this contradict the words, ‘O Kaushika, you have acquired Brahmanya by virtue of your rigorous penance’, as stated earlier. These words refer to Kaushika’s acquiring Brahmanya consequent on the boon of a brahmin. Thus penance was only a remote cause of his brahmanya. So there is no contradiction. Karma is the means of final liberation only through acquiring knowledge of the Self consequent on purification of one’s mind”.
Karma is a direct means of moksha:
“We drank soma and became immortal” writes Rigveda (99 VI-4-11). “A year-long Yajna with milk as oblation frees one from the fear of untimely death”. (Brihada I-5-2). “Then I ignited the Nachiketa fire. I have obtained the eternal through the non-eternal material” (Katho II-10). A learned brahmin meditates on Aditya as Brahman. He becomes Brahman (Sahavai 2). “Only through Karma have Janaka and others realized their goal; (The Gita)
Thus Shrutis, Smritis and Sutras speak of karma as the direct means to moksha.
Knowledge is the means to moksha
“The highest state is achieved by one who knows the Brahman” [Taitt II-1-1]; “Knowing Him to be so, one becomes immortal” [Taitti Ara. III-1-3]; “He who knows the real nature of the Self goes beyond suffering” [Chhan VII-1-3]; “He who knows the Brahman becomes Brahman” [Munda. III-2-9]; “One goes beyond the fear of death by knowing Him alone” [Shveta III-8, VI-15];“So whoever of the gods knew that, only those became that” [Brihada. I-4-10]; “Stationed in Brahman he reaches immortality” [Chhan II-23-1]; [Brihada IV-4-14]. “That Supreme Self who pervades all this dwells in all created things, moving as well as stationary”; “When the soul sees himself in all beings and all beings in himself, realizes Brahman” [The Gita VI-29]; “When he sees as much self in others as he sees within himself, he is entitled to immortality”; “The goal of a man (moksha) is realized independently from the knowledge of self-realization elucidated in Vedanta as per the scriptures” so says Badarayana” (Br.su.III-4-1).
The Sutra (Br.su.III-4-3) relates karman to the knowledge of Self. Although Uddalaka had the knowledge of Brahman he undertook karman. ‘If one can procure honey from the Arka flower why would one take the trouble to climb a mountain’? Hence knowledge alone does not yield fruit [Chhan Vi-8-1]. Knowledge must be followed by karman [Chhan.I-1-10]. The ‘fruits of knowledge and karman commence simultaneously’ [Brihada IV-4-2] speaks for knowledge being useful in yielding the fruit of karman.
These scriptural passages speak for karma as being obligatory even for those who have obtained the knowledge of all the Vedas. ‘Only by continuously performing the karman in this world, can one aspire to live for hundred years. karman does not contaminate the person’ [Isha 2]; ‘this vow called Agnihotra has to last till old age or death. [Mahana XVIII-10].
Thus, karman has to be performed even after knowledge and, therefore, mere knowledge does not by itself lead to moksha. The Upanishads, however preach knowledge relating to Ishvara who is higher than the Atman bound by the body and Badarayana (Br.su.III-4-1) says mokshapurushartha is achieved through the knowledge contained in the Vedas (Br.su.III-4-8). They preach the knowledge of Ishvara endowed with qualities like being a non-doer, opposite to those of the self who is a doer, an enjoyer, is delimited by body and so on. The knowledge of such Ishvara, which is opposite to karman, cannot possibly expect further karman:
‘It contemplated, ‘Let me become several. Let me reproduce’. It produced Tejas [ChanVI-2-3].
On the other hand, after knowledge karman no more remains obligatory. “This is what the learned sages, the sons of Kavasha said, ‘What are we studying for? What are we sacrificing for?’ So, saying Yajnyavalkya took to renunciation” [3 Aita II-6-3].
The continuation of karman pointed out in “O Gods, I am indeed going to perform a sacrifice” [Chan V-11-5] has Vaishvanaravidya (and not Brahmavidya) for its subject. There is no context of self-realization.
The passage, ‘whatever is done with knowledge’ (Chhan I-1-10) is cited to prove that knowledge is subservient to karman on the strength of Sruti. But this is not correct. The primary subject being discussed there is Udgithavidya and the Sruti supports it. It does not have all the vidyas for its subject. The passage, ‘the fruit of vidya and karman commence simultaneously’ (Bri. IV-4-2 quoted in Br.su.III-4-5) is used to argue the subservience of vidya but that is not acceptable. The argument based on the sutra ‘One who has the knowledge of the Veda is directed to continue karman’ [Br. Su.III-4-6] is refuted. The passage, ‘Having learnt Veda from the preceptor’ etc. refers to such study as is useful for performing the religious rituals and not to the knowledge of the Self as preached in the Upanishads.
So the argument that even after vidya, karman has to be performed does not stand to reason. Vidya irrespective of karman is the means for mokshapurushartha. ‘According to Badarayana mokshapurushartha is achieved through the preaching of the Vedas’, (Br.su.III-4-1).
Jnanakarmasamucchayavada:
Let vidya and karman together be the means of mokshapurushartha. “This is the path. This is karman. This is Brahman. This is the Truth. One must not swerve from it” [1 Aita. I-1-1]. “This Self is always to be realized by truth, penance, right knowledge and celibacy” [Munda. III-1-5]. “He who knows vidya as well as avidya surpasses death through avidya and obtains immortality through vidya” [Isha.11+Maitra.VII-9, Bhavasantaranopanishad]. “Just as birds navigate through the sky with both wings similarly Brahman, the Absolute, is realized with the help of both knowledge and Vedic karman. Both knowledge and karman are stated to be the means of its realization” [Bhavasan. I-33]. “Vidya expects all the duties as per the ashrama to be fulfilled by the individual as goes the Shruti [Br.IV-4-26]. ‘Brahmins desire to learn Him by reciting the Vedas after the preceptors and also by sacrifice, charity and penance’ Just as a horse is not yoked to a plough but to a chariot due to its ability, similarly knowledge does not expect rituals for the attainment of the goal although it expects them as a prerequisite. These passages from Shrutis, Smritis and Sutras speak for both knowledge and karman being the means of moksha.
But this is untenable. It is not possible that both knowledge and karman together, can become the means for moksha since the two represent different paths leading to different results [Katha.I-2-4].
Lured by various material pleasures, these ignorant men never think of the right course leading to the other world. For them, all that matters is this world. They do not think of the other world. They have to submit themselves to my power again and again” [Katha.I-2-6]. These (sacrifices) in which eighteen types of inferior karman are enjoined are like fragile boats. The ignorant, who believe these to be good and welcome them, must return to the cycle of birth and death” [Munda.I-2-7]. “Mostly enveloped by avidya, these ignorant men consider themselves to be successful. As they do not understand the real nature of karman due to their attachment (to the fruits to be gained), they suffer in the end and are deprived of the heavenly abode when the merit is exhausted” [Munda.I-2-9]. “They consider sacrifices and charitable deeds to be of supreme importance and do not know the real means of moksha in their folly. After enjoying the fruits of their meritorious deeds in heaven they return to the mortal world or even to an inferior world” [Munda.I-2-10]
“After assessing the fruits of meritorious deeds a brahmin should take to renunciation. Non-eternal karman cannot achieve eternal fruit” [Munda.I-2-12]. “Wealth cannot lead to the fruit of eternity” [Br.IV-5-3]. The word ‘wealth’ here indicates sacrifices and other meritorious deeds which can be achieved by wealth. “There are only three worlds, the world of mortals, the world of manes and the world of gods. One can fulfil his duty to the world of mortals only by producing a son and not by any other karman. Through karman one can fulfil his duty to the world of manes and with that ends efficacy of karman”. [Br.I-5-16]
“And now the Self. It is like a bridge. He sustains the worlds (saves them from destruction). Day and night cannot delimit Him. Old age, death, suffering, merit, demerit and all other evils turn back without reaching Him. This is Brahmaloka devoid of evil” [Chhan.III-4-1] That karman is destroyed before reaching Brahmaloka is clearly stated here. “This Self, realized by eliminating all that is Non-Self, is agrihya i.e. cannot be grasped; is ashirya i.e. cannot be destroyed, and asanga i.e. does not get attached. He is not bound. He is not subject to suffering or injury. It stands to reason that he who knows Him to be so is beyond these two (sorrow and joy), as there is no need for him to regret, “He verily goes beyond both these (merit and sin) as the karman, which is done and the one which is not done (likely to be done in future) do not afflict him by the fruit of the merit or by the obstruction of the sin” [Bri.IV-4-22] ; “That is what the Rik says plainly. This greatness of him who knows the Self is invariable. It neither grows nor is it reduced by virtue of karman. One should know this nature of his greatness. By knowing it one is not tainted by sin” [Bri. IV-4-23]. “Knowing Him one becomes peaceful, self-restrained, and indifferent to worldly attachments, enduring and composed and sees the Self within his self. He sees everything as Self. Sin does not torment him. He transcends sin. Sin does not confine him. He destroys all sin. Free of sin, free of passion, free of disbelief he becomes a brahmana (one who knows Brahman). ‘This is the Brahmaloka, O king (Janaka)’ thus said Yajnavalkya” [Bri.IV-4-23]
“Relatives who love him share his merit. Those who hate him share his sin. It is like one who travels in a chariot (only) seeing the two wheels of the chariot (from a distance). He only sees the day and night, only watches all the merits and sins and such other pairs of opposites (without getting affected). Stripped of the good and the bad deeds, he realizes Brahman and becomes Brahman” [Kaushi.I-4].As the fruits obtained by meritorious deeds perish here, similarly they perish in the heavenly abode” [Chhan.VIII-1-6].
Therefore karman and jnana cannot have aggregation in attaining the state of emancipation, as the future course of journey after death of the performers of karman on the one hand and of the pursuers of knowledge of Atman on the other, are entirely different, Pitriyana for the former and Devayana for the latter. Their destinations are different (the region of the Moon for the former and the region of Brahman for the latter) and as the final rewards achieved by them are also different. (While the former has to re-enter the cycle of birth and death, the latter are rewarded with self-realization).
Righteous actions are basically incongruous with the knowledge of the self
1. ‘Karmana badhyate---upasate’ [1Sanyaso.II-28] ‘Actions bind the doer. Knowledge of the self emancipates the knower. So ascetics who have the power to visualize things far beyond do not follow the path of actions. Only those with very limited understanding recommend the course of righteous deeds. As a result their efforts for the search of the hereafter end up with the enjoyments in different physical forms ensnaring them to the mortal world’.
‘Yathaidhamsi---tatha’[Bh.G.IV-37] ‘Just as blazing fire reduces to ashes the fuel put into it, similarly the fire in the form of knowledge obliterates all the (obligatory, occasional and desire-prompted) deeds’.
The Sutra, ‘Tadadhigama----etc.’ [VI-1-13] after the self is realized the sins that may be committed later do not adhere to him and those committed earlier are wiped off as is stated by the scriptures. ‘Tadyatha pushkara-- shlishyate’ [Chhan. IV-14-3] says, ‘As water does not stick to the lotus-leaf so also a sinful act does not adhere to one who knows the self’.
‘Tadyathaishika----praduyante’ [Chhan. V-24-3] the knower of the self torments all sinful deeds as fire torment the tuft of the reed-grass.
The Sutra, ‘Itarasya--etc.’, the deed other than the sinful one i.e. the meritorious deed, too, does not adhere to the enlightened one. The Shruiti, ‘Ubhe---tarati’, [Brihada. IV-4-22] authenticates that the knower of Atman goes beyond deeds both good and bad. [As far as bondage is concerned, good deeds are as obstructive to spiritual progress of the seeker as bad ones and the Shruti treats them on par]. The Sutra ‘Upamardam cha’ [III-4-16] states that after the realization of the self, the doer and the deed cease to exist as is validated by the Shruti, ‘Yatra tvasya---kam pashyet’ [Brihada. II-4-14], when for the enlightened one everything becomes ‘Self’ who would be the seer and what would be seen?’ All duality like seer and the seen, knower and the known, subject and the object disappear after the realization of the self.
Thus Sruitis, Smritis and the Sutras unanimously state that actions are contradictory to knowledge, as yielding temporary fruit, as being perishable and as leading to further rebirths.
The role of karman in the attainment of moksha:
Performance of righteous deeds leads to purification of mind. Purity of mind helps attainment of moksha. The learned desire to know him through recitation of the Vedas, sacrifice, charity and penance not prompted by desire for material pleasures [Brihada.IV-4-22]. These righteous deeds are the cause of the desire for the knowledge of Atman. Only after being purified by the performance of pious deeds the seekers of knowledge can know Atman as elucidated by the Upanishads. Thus states the Atharva: With his mind purified, he sees Him, the one without attributes’.‘Sacrifice, charity and penance purify the seekers’ [Bh.G.XVIII-5] or ‘all of them, knowing thoroughly the path of sacrifice have their sins wiped off by performing the sacrifices’. The word ‘yajnyena’ in the Shruiti [Brihada. IV-4-22], refers to sacrifice for wealth, sacrifice for knowledge the purpose of which is purificatory in nature. Thus purified and having an unsullied mind, the seeker can have the knowledge of the self unobstructed. The word ‘danena’ means pious gifts are also the cause of removing the effect of sinful deeds and of piety in general. ‘Tapas’ is used here with an adjective ‘anashaka’ i.e., which is not intended for fulfilling material wishes. This precludes its allusion to vows like kricchra and chandrayana (which are prompted by material desires). ‘Anashanam’ thus does not mean desisting from food. By desisting from food, only death will follow and not the knowledge of the self. By Vedic recitation, sacrifice, charity and penances all the obligatory deeds are alluded. Thus the whole lot of obligatory duties with the exception of the desire-prompted vows etc., being helpful in acquiring the knowledge of the self is the means to the attainment of moksha. This is accepted by the expounders of the doctrine of aggregation of knowledge and action, too. The obligatory and occasional duties being thus accepted as removers of obstructions and removing obstruction being the same as purifying of the mind (by removing the evil effect of sins), they can become the cause of moksha by virtue of their interposition. However, their being an independent and direct cause of moksha is nothing but a fancy as there is no proof to authenticate it. The Shruiti, ‘Nanyah----etc.’ [Shveta. III-86-15] clearly negates the existence of any other path for Moksha excepting knowledge of the self. Even Smriti, ‘Kashaya---pravartate’ which means, ‘Karman leads to progressive alleviation of sin but knowledge leads to the final destination. After the dirt of sin is washed off by the righteous deeds knowledge dawns’. ‘Jnyanena---sanatanam’ states that the eternal Brahman shines forth only when the seeker dispels the darkness of ignorance with knowledge. ‘Yoginah---shuddhaye’ affirms that the pursuers of yoga perform righteous deeds by discarding attachment to material gains only for the sake of self-purification’. ‘Dhyana---pravardhate’, say that meditation, Vedic studies, charities, truth, modesty, simplicity, forgiveness, cleanliness, purification through accepted rules of good conduct and restraint of organs lead to enhancement of effulgence and reduction of sins. Equipped with these qualities a seeker progresses on the path of knowledge. ‘Shreyan---parantapa’[Bh.G.3-15]. ‘O Arjuna, a sacrifice for knowledge is superior to the sacrifice for wealth’; ‘Sarvam-----parisamapyate’[Bh.G.IV-33] i.e. ‘O Partha, all the deeds without exception must end after knowledge is attained’; ‘Tapo---ashnute’ which means, ‘Penance and learning are highly valuable for the seeker. Penances wipe off his sins while learning helps him to attain the status of immortality’. Hence righteous deeds can be the cause of moksha only through purification of mind.
Penance as a means of acquiring the status of a Brahmin
Similarly penance can be the means of acquiring the status of a brahmin only by the blessings of a brahmin through God’s grace. Since the most covetable status of a brahmin is unattainable without the blessings of a brahmin, Viswamitra proceeded south to practise penance for acquiring that status.