Prajnana Vani
The Fleeting Nature of Life
Nalini dala gata jala mati taralam tadvat jivita matisaya capalam
viddi vyadhi abhimana grastam lokam shoka hatam ca samastam
Bhaja Govindam
Life is uncertain like the drop of water on a lotus leaf. The world is constantly afflicted by disease, ego, sorrow and conceit.
To understand what life is or the transitory nature of life Shankara uses a simile - like the water on the lotus leaf. You will find this example in the Bhagavad Gita also - Padmapatra mivambhasa - This simili could be interpreted to explain many things about life.
First let us look at the symbolism of the lotus itself. Lotus is a flower taken as a symbol in yogic scriptures. The lotus plant is born from mud and comes up through the water but stays above the water. It has another uniqueness that it opens with the sunrise and closes with the sunset. Water gives support and strength but the real purpose of life is to look at the Sun or God. Let the flower of life be always directed towards God. Lotus is a plant where the stem is in the water but the leaf and the flower are above. If this world is like the pond life should be like the lotus - staying in the world but staying above it. The water on the lotus leaf stays like a pearl. The water cannot touch the leaf. The drop of water or even a dew drop only moves on the leaf.
The body is like the lotus leaf. The soul in the body is like a drop of water. Below is the water, the vast formless God. The soul in the body is vibrant with wind or breath but with a strong wind if the water drops falls into the water it goes back to the source or to the cosmic consciousness.
The same example could be used to demonstrate the fleeting nature and uncertainty of human life. The life in this body is for how long? Is there any guarantee? You may be the president of a country and a very powerful person. But no one can give you a guarantee. Like that water drop on the lotus leaf, life is very unstable and fleeting As long as the drop of water is able to remain on the leaf, it can shine like a pearl but with the slightest breeze it can disappear.
In another one of his works Shankara said,
"O God, forgive me for my forgetfulness. Every day we see life span decreasing, youth is fleeting, the day gone does not come back, and everything is disappearing in the mouth of time, material prosperity is fickle like the waves in the ocean, but we are still deluded. You are the only refuge, please save from this "( Sivaaparadhakshamapana Stotram).
It is not how long one lives but how one lives that matters .It is the beauty with which life is measured not with time.
In the second half of the verse, Shankara describes the world as afflicted with the disease of ego and sorrow and everyone is overpowered with disease and ego.
The word Vyadhi is a compound word. adhi means mental illness and vyadhi is physical trouble. Physical illness could lead to mental depression and mental suffering could be the cause of physical suffering. All are suffering from the bhava roga or the worldly disease of ignorance and infected with abhimana - ego and as a consequence the entire world is in sorrow. Ego hinders one from leading a virtuous life.
There are three lokas or planes of existence - heaven, earth and hell. All these three are not free from grief and suffering. There is suffering even in heaven. Heaven is also only a place of temporary pleasure. Adi Shankara is saying even the people in heaven suffer.
We all are in search of permanent happiness which drives us to find it by various actions. But permanent unlimited happiness cannot be found in the impermanent limited world. That joy is derived only when one has the relationship with God with his consciousness merging in divine consciousness.
Shankara is reminding us that life is temporary. All are afflicted with disease and ego. Ego is the biggest problem. Ego enters us in such a nice way that we think we have no ego. If you are sad when someone scolds then you have a measurable ego. We have so much expectation that people should praise us, be around us and appreciate us. Adi Shankara is pointing out that the world is temporary and that people are suffering with vyadhi and abhimana. How many of us really want to be in knowledge and truth? If we sincerely want to be how intensely should you be trying for that? We forget but let us try again and again. Main cause is the ignorance and the guru removes that ignorance.
First let us look at the symbolism of the lotus itself. Lotus is a flower taken as a symbol in yogic scriptures. The lotus plant is born from mud and comes up through the water but stays above the water. It has another uniqueness that it opens with the sunrise and closes with the sunset. Water gives support and strength but the real purpose of life is to look at the Sun or God. Let the flower of life be always directed towards God. Lotus is a plant where the stem is in the water but the leaf and the flower are above. If this world is like the pond life should be like the lotus - staying in the world but staying above it. The water on the lotus leaf stays like a pearl. The water cannot touch the leaf. The drop of water or even a dew drop only moves on the leaf.
The body is like the lotus leaf. The soul in the body is like a drop of water. Below is the water, the vast formless God. The soul in the body is vibrant with wind or breath but with a strong wind if the water drops falls into the water it goes back to the source or to the cosmic consciousness.
The same example could be used to demonstrate the fleeting nature and uncertainty of human life. The life in this body is for how long? Is there any guarantee? You may be the president of a country and a very powerful person. But no one can give you a guarantee. Like that water drop on the lotus leaf, life is very unstable and fleeting As long as the drop of water is able to remain on the leaf, it can shine like a pearl but with the slightest breeze it can disappear.
In another one of his works Shankara said,
"O God, forgive me for my forgetfulness. Every day we see life span decreasing, youth is fleeting, the day gone does not come back, and everything is disappearing in the mouth of time, material prosperity is fickle like the waves in the ocean, but we are still deluded. You are the only refuge, please save from this "( Sivaaparadhakshamapana Stotram).
It is not how long one lives but how one lives that matters .It is the beauty with which life is measured not with time.
In the second half of the verse, Shankara describes the world as afflicted with the disease of ego and sorrow and everyone is overpowered with disease and ego.
The word Vyadhi is a compound word. adhi means mental illness and vyadhi is physical trouble. Physical illness could lead to mental depression and mental suffering could be the cause of physical suffering. All are suffering from the bhava roga or the worldly disease of ignorance and infected with abhimana - ego and as a consequence the entire world is in sorrow. Ego hinders one from leading a virtuous life.
There are three lokas or planes of existence - heaven, earth and hell. All these three are not free from grief and suffering. There is suffering even in heaven. Heaven is also only a place of temporary pleasure. Adi Shankara is saying even the people in heaven suffer.
We all are in search of permanent happiness which drives us to find it by various actions. But permanent unlimited happiness cannot be found in the impermanent limited world. That joy is derived only when one has the relationship with God with his consciousness merging in divine consciousness.
Shankara is reminding us that life is temporary. All are afflicted with disease and ego. Ego is the biggest problem. Ego enters us in such a nice way that we think we have no ego. If you are sad when someone scolds then you have a measurable ego. We have so much expectation that people should praise us, be around us and appreciate us. Adi Shankara is pointing out that the world is temporary and that people are suffering with vyadhi and abhimana. How many of us really want to be in knowledge and truth? If we sincerely want to be how intensely should you be trying for that? We forget but let us try again and again. Main cause is the ignorance and the guru removes that ignorance.
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