Story of King Janaka
How King Janaka attained Self Realization and became a Videha mukta.
Vasistha said: Rama, Know that this world is illusory. The universe is of the nature of Self Knowledge only. Men of action and ignorance are deluded by the idea of births and deaths. Men with purity and transparency lay aside this deep rooted illusion and be ever free from the apprehension of births and deaths. Learn to discriminate between real and unreal. Through the association with the wise (Satsang), study of scriptures (Vicara), practice of right conduct (Self Control) and endowed with insight, discrimination and right understanding (Contentment), you will attain eternal peace (Santi).
That which is not there before, nor will be in the end, is no reality at all. It is the mind that creates the world. Dispassion, association with the Sages and Self Knowledge by inquiry about Spirituality will destroy the illusion created by the mind. Pleasure and pain, birth and death, heat and cold, gain and loss, praise and censure and respect and disrespect are imaginations of the mind.
There are two paths for the salvation of the souls. The first path is where the student follows where closely the instructions of the teacher. Salvation will result either in the very birth or in some succeeding births. The second path is the attainment of knowledge by self culture. Knowledge arises spontaneously in a man like a fruit falling from heaven. I will recite a story in which Self Knowledge arose in one like a fruit falling from Heaven.
Over this universe, ruled once a King of kings Janaka. He wielded the sceptre over a country called Videha which had not the least taint of jealousy or envy.
This king rejoiced in the possession of good qualities transcending the ocean and befitting him to protect his subjects like Vishnu. In the beautiful season of spring, this king with a great joy of heart stepped into his Elysian garden redolent of sweet smelling flowers, whilst his courtiers, armies and others were stationed outside the garden.
Walking in the garden alone, the king heard the songs of Siddhas whose minds had attained to the one Chit. Now, oh Rama, listen attentively to the songs containing the experiences of the Siddha hosts residing on the fragrant hills and withdrawing themselves from all pleasures of the visibles and heard by Janaka.
They are “That Knowledge-bliss which arises out of the commingling of the knower and the known is of Atma- Knowledge. And it is this Self Knowledge bliss, that should be longed after.” So said one Siddha. Another Siddha said “ After eradicating the seen and the visual with their Vasanas, one should contemplate upon Atmic Reality which is the primeval Light to the eagle vision (of high spiritual personages).
Another Siddha remarked : “After having become all- pervading like that One which occupies the neutral centre between Sat and Asat, we should ever be contemplating upon Self Knowledge, that eternal Light which illuminates all other lights.“
Another Siddha remarked: “We will contemplate upon that effulgent Self Knowledge which always calls itself I in all Individuals.”
Other Siddhas also remarked thus “To look for the God without, relinquishing the God within, is like going in quest of conch shells after giving up the Kousthubha gem on hand.
Atma (Self Knowledge) can be attained only by those who have destroyed completely the forest of the lilies of desires.
Those persons who, in spite of their knowledge of the non-existence of happiness both in the past and the present in the baneful objects (of the world), do yet entangle themselves in them with their thoughts clinging to them, deserve the appella tion of an ass, if not a worse one.
The serpents of Indryas (organs) which are hissing again and again, should be slain in the seat of the mind by the rod of firm discrimination, just as Indra reduced to dust the mountains through his adamantine Vajra (thunderbolt).
A mind, devoid of pains, which has developed an equal vision over all, through quiescence, will attain the state of its Atmic Reality which is the plenum of complete bliss. This is Moksha.”
So said many Siddhas. Having heard clearly these indubitable words of sage counsels emanating from the Siddhas, Janaka was deeply moved by the songs of the Siddhas. He at once left the garden, sent away his ministers and attendants and shut himself in a quietroom in the topmost room of his Palace.
He began to contemplate deeply upon the true significance of the words given out by the Siddhas. Observing the actions of the world where men and others ever flutter like birds always on their wings and then perish, he could no longer contain himself and cried out the following words.
I am ever whirling with delusion and afflicted with pains, like dusts of sand floating in the midst of a large stone. Now reflecting upon Time which is eternal (in its true nature), how is it I estimate my life greatly and fall into all sorts of despondencies through my powerful desires ? Who is there so debased in life as myself, who am spoiled through my gross mind ?
Comparing this earth over which I rule to the countless universes, I cannot but consider it as an atom. It is really surprising that I should rate high this universe full of pains. Indeed I am unable to find one object in this archaic universe which is uncreate and sweet and beneficent for one twinkling of the eye at least. While so, it is really marvellous to see the heterogeneities of the universe.
Even the greatest of persons will in course of time become the lowest of the low.
Oh, my mind which fancies as real the temporary wealth of this world, when did these illusory thoughts of yours come?” All enjoyments and many great men have disappeared in former times. Where then is the guarantee of existence of objects now ?
The innumerable earths with their rulers and their wealth, have all perished like fine sands ; Oh afflicting mind, where then are all the objects that have vanished out of sight? Where then is the permanency of your existence? It is only by bestowing my desires on the illusion of the long dream of bodily delusion in the night of the unreal Maya that I have debased myself to this ignorant state. Enough, enough with all the deaths I had undergone in previous times.
I have never been able to find that beneficent Kala (time) which does not put an end to any object. Not one beneficent object exists on this earth, either in the beginning, middle or end, Are not all created objects coated over with the varnish of destruction ?
The ignorant, every day of their lives, perform sinful acts, painful deeds and vices. In youth, they will be enveloped with Ignorance ; in adult age, they are entangled in the meshes of women ; in old age, groaning under the burden of Samsara (Repeated births), they die. Being thus always occupied, when will they find time to devote themselves to the commission of virtuous deeds ? How came this Maya to play and dance in this world ? This ghost of my mind dances in the theatre of this universe to the music of the organs.
Ignorance is perched on the crown of Truth. Similarly pains is ever seated on the crown of pleasures in this universe. If pains are seated on the crown of pleasures, how can we discriminate them? If in the opening and the closing of the eyelids, many Brahmas are created and destroyed, what am I, a puny self, before them ?
A rare marvellous wealth becomes a source of pains with the affliction of the mind ; even an object of infinite danger is the source of great happiness through the mind rightly directed. It is only the Samsaric life that is the source of all pains. How can happiness be generated in those lives that are drowned in Samsara (repeated births)?
The mind of delusion constitutes the root of the tree of Ignorance which ramifies in all directions. It is this mind which is called thought. With the destruction of thought, the mind will be also destroyed easily. The baneful root of mind being destroyed, the tree of birth and death will also be destroyed. Oh, I have detected the thief who robbed me of my Atmic Jewel, viz., my Self. His name is Mind.
I have been long suffering through this villain. I will make him die. I have learnt it all through the omniscient Siddhas, as my Guru. I am now in the enjoyment of that bliss which pertains to the pure Brahman. I have gradually dispelled from my mind such unrealities as I, you and other differences of conception. I am now victorious in the conflict with my great adversary of the mind which spoiled my Self Knowledge.
I have completely divested myself of all the pains which afflicted me. I have attained the life of quiescence. Oh, discriminative Knowledge which uplifted me to this lofty state, I adore you.”
Thus did king Janaka remain statue-like in Samadhi, after having destroyed all fluctuation of mind. After being in it for a long time, he returned from it and then surveyed the universe through his quiescent mind, his impure mind having been destroyed past resurrection, with the following remarks.
What object is there in this world for me to encompass? What is illusory? To my present scrutinizing eye, all is pure Knowledge only. I cognize nothing but the one immaculate Self Knowledge my own Reality. I will never long for any object, I do not come across ; nor will I evince any dislike towards any object that I do not come by. I will remain immutably fixed in my own Self of Self Knowledge. Things will happen as pre-ordained. I am desireless. I am egoless. I have equal vision to all. I possess equanimity at all times. So saying the king was absorbed with Brahmic bliss in the non-dual state.
Janaka contemplated upon performing, without any desires, all actions of his life which crop up spontaneously every day. So never for a moment ruminating upon the past or future, productive as they are of evil, he began to perform his present duties with a full heart.
Only through the Self enquiry created by the words of the Siddhas, did Janaka attain quiescence of mind and Self Knowledge. The supreme seat of Self Knowledge can be attained only through the Self enquiry and discrimination.
The worldly-inclined cling to sensual objects; but the longing after the extraordinary enjoyment of spiritual bliss is only through previous efforts of Self Inquiry. Therefore one should destroy Ignorance, which is the source of dangers and all kinds of pains.
Should one aspire for the supreme Brahmic Seat, he should previously have killed out all desires, cravings and ego in his mind. Is not grain obtained, only after previously ploughing the field on this firm earth.
Those who are acute enough to always discern the unreality of this universe will, like king Janaka, cognize through their subtle intelligence the non- dual Pararnartha (Reality) at the proper time.
When attraction and repulsion (towards objects) become of the nature of the mind (and commingle with it), it alone is bondage and nothing else. Having: avoided all desires and pains arising through the ripened love and hatred towards objects, may you be immovable, devoid of attrac tion or repulsion towards them.
The great Vasanas (psychological conditioning) are the net composed of the string of powerful thoughts due to ignorance. Having cut asunder, with the sword of Knowledge, the net of Vasanas, may you be with your mind as still as the clouds unaffected by the winds. After having destroyed the impure mind through your pure mind like a tree felled by an axe, may you be firmly seated in the supreme ParaBrahma (infinite consciousness).
Dispassion joined with the knowledge of unity, melts down the substance of the mind and confers the best and highest state of happiness and rests in the Supreme Self. Now Rama, reflect and meditate on the Self like King Janaka and attain Atma Jnanam (Self Knowledge).
“There are two paths by which the Vasanas can be destroyed. Instead of thinking with certainty as we do now we live for objects or the objects live for us ; or in the absence of these invaluable objects, the I does not exist or these objects do not exist in the absence of I.”
One should, through pure enquiry, differentiate himself (as separate) from the objects, with the idea the I does not belong to the objects or the objects do not belong to the I ; and his mind should give up all Vasanas. This is what is called renunciation of that fit to be given up.
Then having destroyed the Vasanas and looking with an equal vision over all, if one should abandon this burden of the body, then such an extinction of Vasanas constitutes the stainless renunciation of the Known. Those only are the wise who have given up all the Vasanas which have concreted themselves into the tangible shape of the body of Ego.
Those sturdy persons who come under the first category are called Jivanmuktas ; while those who come, under the second heading, after destroying to the root all Vasanas and actions and rendering their mind completely quiescent, are called Videhamuktas. Oh victorious Rama, these two kinds of renunciation resemble one another. They pertain to Jivan- muktas and Videhamuktas respectively. They lead one to Brahman, free him from the trammels of pains and enable him to attain Moksha.
May you, Oh Rama, be immovable like an ocean without foams or waves.
Listen attentively to what I am now going to give out to you. In the case of the stainless enquirers after Atma, there are four kinds of certitudes.
The first kind is that where the “ I” identifies itself with this body from head to foot and thinks itself to be no other than the one generated by the parent. As this idea is not real, this certainty leads to dire bondage.
The second kind arises when the “ I” finds itself to be above and other than all (gross) objects and to be more subtle than the tail end of paddy. This certainty when attained leads to Moksha and arises in the case of the wise.
The direct cognition within, without doubt, that all the universes are no other than the modes or aspects of I and that the I is indestructible is the third kind of certitude. This is the Moksha lacking nothing.
The fourth kind of certainty arises when the perishable universe and the knower are cognized to be unreal and all the four ever are, like the Ether pervading everywhere.
This is the incomparable and supreme Moksha. Of these, the first kind of certainty is ever associated with bondage. But the other three being associated with the emancipated and pure God Consciousness, is to be found in Jivanmuktas only.
Those persons who, being above all, concentrate their attention uponlhe supreme Seat with a cool mind unaffected by pleasures or pains will never subject them selves to the trammels of re -births.
Those persons following the footsteps of the ancients who shew the same leniency and mercy towards both their friends of virtuous deeds and their enemies of vicious deeds will never render themselves liable to the trammels of re-births.
Such persons will never think of nobility or lowness ; will never have love or hatred ; will not have actions to do or not to do ; will not associate them selves with re-birth. Shining with divine effulgence, they will speak lovingly to all.
Having known the true proper ties of all objects, they will be ignorant of re-birth.
Therefore, oh Rama, ever sport in this world attaining the Atmic Reality in a state of Jivanmukti when the Dheya Vasanas are given up and the illuminated vision takes place.
Aum Namoh Narayanaya
Aum Pranayama Pratyahara Purushottamaya ParaBrahmane Namaha
Aum Namoh Bhagavateh Vasudevayah
Aum Loka Samastha Sukinou Bhavantu
