The God and The Sage
Clear your mind. Forget everything you know as you do when you go to sleep. But don’t sleep. You are innocent like a child, your mind an open book. Let this story write a new chapter for your life. Make a note to return and investigate irritating feelings and thoughts that arise.
The non-dual Self is all-pervading peace, intelligence and compassionate wisdom and Vishnu is It’s wise humorous, non-dual, all-pervading avatar. Compassionate people see no difference and only express goodwill to others. Protectors and saviors, they come to our aid when necessary. Trust them. Understanding Vishnu’s story as it is unfolded by a sage, a seeker gains freedom from change and security, life’s highest goal.
When righteousness declines and living a purposeful holy life becomes difficult, the Self, all-pervading unborn existence shining as blissful awareness appears on earth in a human body to destroy adharma and re-establish adharma. Listen to Its story.
Narada, a Self-realized soul and a devotee of Vishnu, whose mind abides effortlessly in the Self, informed his father, a celestial sage, that the gods, who live on the remnants of sacrifices were emaciated and near death because the altar fires on earth had gone out owing to a long period of godless materialism.
His father said, “The universe is your home; you will always be wandering here and there. There is nothing unknown to you. Merely by thinking you create problems and solve them too. I needn’t teach you, nor can I do anything for you because you have done everything that needs to be done. Do what is required to rectify the situation. I wish you all success.”
So Narada went to earth chanting Om Namo Narayana, one of the thousand names of Vishnu. When he reached the banks of the Ganges, he happened upon a group of sages performing a sacrificial ritual, a yagna, for the universal good.
Sages are enlightened people who don’t worship for personal gain but for the spiritual welfare of the world by honoring the deities prescribed by the Vedas.
Deities are uplifting spiritual powers in God’s mind that keep good people on the path of Dharma, linking the formless all-pervading Self, the source of everything, to life on earth. The cosmos runs on the sacrificial principle, each part transforming what is given into something necessary to give life to other parts. Trees consume carbon dioxide and provide us with oxygen, without which we die.
Every animate entity implicitly follows this principle, except humans who sometimes to their undying shame lose their connection to the spirit of sacrifice and exercise their right to lie, steal, covet and hoard resources that belong to everyone. To rectify this defect in human nature, sages invest their energies demonstrating the spirit of sacrifice for the well-being of the world. They help others, give satsang, plant trees, and diligently return what they have taken.
Since this is a conscious universe, every action has an effect in keeping with the cosmic order. Religious rituals are specific kinds of actions that have beneficial subtle effects on the minds of those who perform them and on those for whom the ritual is performed.
The ritual lasted many days and during a break Narada, who had a reputation as a provocateur asked the sages which of the three deities should receive the Yagna effect, the remnant of their sacrifice. The three deities are Brahma, the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva, the Destroyer of the universe. In short, the tree gunas.
Each sage felt that the good karma should go to his or her personal deity and eventually the ritual disintegrated into a nasty argument.
When he realized he had provoked them enough, Narada suggested that Brighu, a leader of the Galactic Congress of Saints and Sages, test the three gods to determine which one was worthy of the yagna benefits. Brighu had acquired exceptional powers from long and arduous penance and was blessed with gargantuan spiritual ego, so Narada decided to give him an assignment that would cut him down to size.
Brahma, the Creator
Flattered, Brighu left the yagna and went to satya loka, the “realm of truth,” where Brahma, the Creator and his consort, the Divine Mother, were seated next to their thrones conversing with a group of celestial denizens. Brighu strode haughtily into the room and sat on Brahma’s throne without acknowledging the Creator’s presence.
Brahma felt inclined to lecture Brighu and said, “A person who acquires such great power through yoga and Vedanta should also be humble and well-mannered. But you think you are superior to everyone, including me, the Creator, who gave you life, your most precious asset. Who do you think you are?”
Brighu stepped down from the throne and thought, “Owing to an excess of rajas Brahma is exceptionally proud and does not deserve the yagna effect.”
Before he strode angrily off he said to Brahma, “You, not me, are lacking in manners. You made no attempt to understand why I came, but continued your conversation with these exalted celestials when I arrived. Not only that, but you also had the temerity to rebuke me. Therefore, I curse you. Henceforth, you will not be worshipped in any temple on earth.” [1]
Three subtle energies make up the universe animate and inanimate all names and forms: sattva, rajas and tamas. Sattva is responsible for knowledge, truth, dharma and sustaining all forms. Tamas is entropy, the power that gradually degrades and eventually destroys all things. Rajas is a spiking, projecting, grasping energy that produces great passion and aversion. Religious ritualism has very little long-term benefits for those who are burdened with this temperament because their minds are so confused and agitated by its disturbing waves, they are in capable of the sustained concentration necessary to properly perform secular and sacred rituals. Nor are they suitable recipients of its beneficial effects.
Shiva
Still hurting from Brahma’s truthful but unsolicited advice and in need of the calming effects of nature, Brighu angrily strode off to Kailas, the holy mountain where Lord Shiva lives, the whole Himalayan range echoing with the sound of his disciples chanting Om Namah Shivaya, his holy name.
When he arrived at Shiva’s humble abode Shiva happened to be making love with his wife, the Divine Mother, Parvati. Without knocking, Brighu rudely strode into the bedroom unaware that he was repeating a pattern that recently got him in trouble. Parvati covered herself immediately and Shiva threatened him with his trident. Keeping in mind that Shiva was famous for incinerating Rati, the god of love with a mere glance from his third eye, he said, “You belong to the same class as the Creator. You are a very learned and powerful man who knows the Vedas and has done extreme penance, yet you are completely lacking in manners. Leave immediately or I will destroy you.”
Unbowed, Brighu aggressively replied, “You may be a big god, but you are the one lacking in manners. You ignored me and continued to make love with your wife without even inquiring why I came. Now you have the temerity to point your weapon and insult me. Had you shown some manners, you may have been the recipient of the yagna effect, but I curse you now. “You will be worshipped on earth only in the form of an idol[2] and not in your true form.”
Vishnu
When Brighu arrived at Vaikunta (heaven) he found Vishnu, surrounded by worshipful gods and goddesses, reclining on the infinite coils of the cosmic serpent Sesha, who was floating on a limitless ocean .
Vishnu, who is omniscient, divined Brighu’s intention but pretended to be unaware of the sage. Recalling his treatment at the hands of Brahma and Shiva, Brighu furiously rushed up to Vishnu and violently kicked him in the chest, the abode of his wife Laxmi, the goddess of wealth.
Vishnu, who is never perturbed, took the insult without batting an eye. In fact, he smiled and invited Brighu to sit with him on Sesha’s soft coils, whereupon he proceeded to lovingly massage Brighu’s foot, which had sustained a terrible injury when it struck a huge jewel adorning his chest. As he massaged the damaged foot, he surreptitiously opened Brighu’s third eye, which is concealed in the right foot and spoke these pleasing words, “Oh, esteemed and noble soul, forgive my negligence. I didn’t see you. This terrible injury and the unbearable pain you are suffering is on me. But don’t worry as we are only instruments of the divine plan.”[3]
Brighu realized that Vishnu, an embodiment of sattva, was the only god qualified to receive the blessings of the sacrifice, so he returned to the Ganges and informed the sages who were very happy. The yagna continued for forty days and on the last day Vishnu appeared to receive its effects.
When he got back to heaven, he found is wife Laxmi in a terrible state. She had taken Brighu’s kick as an insult and was furious that her husband had treated the proud sage with such kindness. Contemptuously she said, “You are the ruler of the whole cosmos and command the respect of millions of gods and billions of creatures, yet you loved and served that vain rishi who dared to kick you in the chest where I live. I cannot tolerate your behavior.”
“Calm down, sweetheart,” Vishnu replied. “Evidently, you don’t realize that Brighu is my devotee and that it is my duty to save devotees. Do parents get angry and kick their children when their children kick them? He came here with a purpose, not to dishonor me. His actions were part of the divine plan. Why worry about it?”
Laxmi was feisty because she enjoyed madurya bhava, passionate love of God, her husband. Continuing her rant she said,
“Since you are the intelligence that runs the entire cosmos, you are exceptionally clever at justifying your actions, but I don’t swallow your lame arguments. I am leaving you once and for all. And that arrogant Brahmin will not go unpunished!”[4]
So she decreed that the entire Brahmin community would be deprived of wealth and would only subsist henceforth by selling their knowledge. She then prostrated to her husband and went to a lonely place on earth where she sat in meditation.
When Laxmi left, the parties in heaven stopped because all the money belongs to the Goddess of Wealth. Poverty became the norm so they all went to Vishnu and requested him to persuade his wife to return. Feeling their distress and eager to relieve it, he went to earth in search of his beloved. Tired and exhausted after searching many days he eventually arrived at the Tirupathi hills and took shelter in an ant hill under a tamarind tree where he sat in meditation praying for her return wife. [5]
During his stay on earth Vishnu suffered all the problems that befall human beings. His memory of his previous life deserted him so he became lonely, fell in love and married another woman. The marriage caused him a big problem because he was a pauper since his wife, the Goddess of Wealth, deserted him.
While he was thinking about the problem, Narada appeared and suggested that he take a loan from Kubera, the cosmic treasurer to pay for the wedding and support his new wife. Kubera agreed because Vishnu promised to pay interest until the end of the Kali Yuga and return the principal immediately thereafter.
The wedding was a festive affair attended by beings from all the fourteen worlds, subtle and gross. When it was over the bride and bridegroom spent six months enjoying the beauty of the Tirupathi hills. The Lord so enjoyed himself that he decided to reside there until the end of the Kali Yuga. To that end he asked two kings to build him a temple on the hill above Tirupathi at a place now called Tirumala.[6]
At the inauguration of the temple the Lord entered and lit two lamps that will burn until the end of the present Yuga.
While all these events were taking place Laxmi was still deep in meditation, unaware of what was happening and the whereabouts of her husband. She saw Narada walking by chanting the name of Vishnu and expressed concern about her husband’s fate. Narada said, “Why worry? He is quite happy with his new wife, Padmavati. Isn’t it strange that he married a new woman without your knowledge?”
The news so upset her that she rushed to Tirupathi and confronted Vishnu and his new bride. The women immediately began quarreling.
Vishnu couldn’t stand the racket, silently stepped back and converted himself into a stone idol. Realizing they had lost their beloved, the women began to weep.
Then Vishnu said to Laxmi. “I have borrowed a lot of money from the cosmic treasurer for my wedding and am deeply in debt. I don’t like this situation and am always thinking how to pay the steep rate of interest. I request that you give my devotees great wealth so they will be tempted to sin more and pray to me for relief. I will appear in dreams and visions and advise them to fill my coffers in the form of offerings to facilitate the fulfillment of their vows.”
Laxmi agreed.
Then he said, “My chest, which was polluted when Brighu kicked me, has since been purified as a result of all the trials and tribulations I have gone through while on earth looking for you. You may therefore occupy your original place. Laxmi was pleased with the Lord’s words and occupied her place on the right side of his chest while Padmavati occupied the space on the left.
[1] Temples are as ubiquitous in India as supermarkets, gas stations and fast-food outlets are in America, but because of this story there is only one temple dedicated to Brahma in all of India.
[2] The self cannot be objectified into a form. But to gain a refined abiding mind, it can be worshipped symbolically. The word ‘linga’ means a sign or symbol. The Shiva lingam, mistakenly thought to be a phallic symbol, represents impersonal featureless consciousness, the Self. It is always embedded in a yoni, a womb, which symbolizes primordial matter. Consequently, humans are uncertain if they are spiritual beings blessed with material bodies or material beings devoid of spiritual tendencies.
[3] In this version of the story Vishnu stands for sattva, the a calm, peaceful, non-reactive mind. The wound is retribution for his arrogant behavior and the massage softens him up so Vishnu in the role of a guru can open his third eye. The third eye is the knowledge that reality is non-dual. The only cure for duality, the result of which is personality inflation owing to a sense of inadequacy.
(continued from page 6) …intense penance, Brighu was ready for self knowledge. When Vishnu didn’t react to Brighu’s aggression, he became aware of his anger and was forced to let it go, setting himself up for the teaching, “You are That.”
4. A ‘Brahmin’ is a person with a pure mind, one that is responsible for keeping the idea of truth alive in the culture. The idea is that wealth and spiritual knowledge do not mix.
5. When love goes, you composure goes and you need to turn within to find it. The anthill is a common Vedic symbol for the Heart Cave, where the mind can meditate on the blissful Self.
[6] The temple at Tirumala is the most spiritually powerful temple in India. It is visited by tens of thousands of devotees on a daily basis. Because of their generosity it is very rich.