Save Yourself From Falling Prey to Hell! Pray!
H H Maa Purnananda
“Trividham Narakasyedam Dvaaram Naashanamaatmanah; Kaamah Krodhastatha Lobhastasmaadetattrayam Tyajet.”. (Sreemad Bhagawad Geeta 16/21)
By close observation of our mind and its moods, we would find that the root cause of all and sundry mental disturbances is “desire”. It can be agitation, distress, fatigue, frustration, stress and so on; or it can be even peace, happiness, love, prosperity, success and so on, that singularly or collectively disturbs the mind.
The very cause of birth is the bundle of desires-‘Vaasna's’ which the individual soul carries forward birth after birth. The quality of desires depends upon the inherent tendencies-‘Guna's’ which functions as the individual’s inherent nature-‘Prakriti’. The thoughts-‘Manovritti's’ are the effect of the inherent nature. The thoughts in turn determine the quality of speech and actions. So, the ‘Daivi Vritti’ predominantly consists of Saatvik Gun, the ‘Aasuri Vritti’ of Raajsik Gun and the ‘Raakshasi Vritti’ of Taamsik Gun.
In Sreemad Bhagawad Geeta, Sree Bhagwaan talks about Daivi Sampatti and Aasuri Sampatti, leaving aside Raakshasi Sampatti. It seems that those who nurture Raakshasi Sampatti, are considered to be almost incorrigible! It is therefore so very important to save oneself from falling into the category of ‘incorrigibles’.
People generally fall prey to their desires without evaluating the outcome. If the desire has propped up from and is backed by Raajasik Vritti, then surely it is going to be selfish or could even be vicious! Sree Bhagwaan warns Arjun in the given Shlok to save himself from the first door itself to hell that is desire-‘Kaam’. Desire leads to anger-‘Krodh’, the second door to hell and anger leads to the third door which is greed-‘Lobh’. Therefore, Sree Bhagwaan tells him to give up these three evils that are the three doors to hell.
And what about the desires coming up from and nurtured by Saatvik Vritti? Such desires too could ultimately lead to anger and greed. Hence, the Lord advises Arjun to drop all sorts of desires. But then, desire is the very cause of the birth of beings! So how does one deal with the storehouse of desires that he has been born with? How would one live a life without desiring? Can one really be desire-less? What is exactly meant by Sree Bhagwaan when He advises to give up desires? What are we supposed to do with the constant flow of thoughts through which the countless desires keep peeping out into the mind? Is it advisable to suppress them and later let them burst out terribly, aggressively and harmfully? Or, should they be entertained irrespective of the consequences? Or should one leave them unattended and eventually get buried under their unbearable load to suffer from depression?
The parched earth grows thorny cactuses and the dry soil grows weeds. A well nurtured and sufficiently watered land alone is capable of growing proper flora and in turn, of nourishing the habitant fauna. Similarly, the mind parched of Daivi Vritti's gives birth to terribly harmful desires. The dry mind born out of Aasuri Vritti's, which uses devotion and prayers for selfish and low purposes, entertains desires indiscriminately. It is only when the mind is absorbed in the devotion to the Supreme, that it is capable of overcoming the desires which it observes but refrains from entertaining them. Such a prayerful and well-nourished mind is saved from falling prey to the hell!
When one keeps the very first door to hell well-guarded, the second and third doors are almost shut anyways! So the prime duty of the seeker is to minimize the desires by being very careful and selective while dealing with the desires. As long as one suffers from the influx of Rajas, one is in the danger zone. When the mind is purified to quite an extent by cultivating Sattva by means of sincere and steady devotion which is free from pretence and pomp, the seeker would thereafter be able to tackle and subsequently grow out of the impact of the ‘bundle of Vaasna's’.
Desires push you in the hell of bondage; the Divine pulls you up to Liberation! Try hard with sincere prayer to be saved from the hell!