“Etat jneyam nityamevabhisamstam
Nataparam veditavyam hi kincit
Bhokta bhogyam preritharam ca matwa
Sarvam proktam trividham Brahmametat”
“The Eternal which dwells in the soul has to be known. Beyond that there is nothing else to be known. By knowing the enjoyer, the object of enjoyment and the Ruler everything has been said. This is the threefold Brahman.”
vivekananda Kendra Vedic Vision Foundation
During his parivrajaka days, once while Swami Vivekananda was meditating under a Peepal tree, a wonderful realization dawned on him. He shared this vision with his Gurubhai Gangadhar thus. “There under the Peepal tree one of the greatest problems in my life was solved. The microcosm is one with the macrocosm.”
The inspiration and the expansion of mind that resulted from this realization of the Truth of oneness of the soul with the whole universe, stayed with Swamiji as a very vivid awareness all through his life contributing to the wholesomeness of his Being, his utterances and his actions. This grand idea of the Oneness of “Vyashti” and “Samashti”, where lies centred the glory of Vedic Vision of our great Seers, Swamiji shared with one and all through his lectures, writings and work, because, like our great Rishis he also realised that in this enlightened awareness of consciousness lay the ultimate solution to all the problems that confront mankind.
To enjoy the bliss of a full life, our micro level awareness needs to be expanded and merged in the macrocosm. An imagery or blue print can help us so that our “Vyashti” consciousness gets harmoniously merged in the magnificence of “Samashti.”
The cosmos can be imagined as a grandiose mansion, a ‘nalukettu’, an infinite treasure house, supported by four gigantic pillars – Satya, Dharma, Yajna and Tapas. Their beauty and uniqueness lie in the fact that each pillar integrates the other three. The four mahavakyas, ‘Aham Brahmasmi,’ ‘Tatwamasi’, ‘Ayam Atma Brahma’ and ‘Prajnanam Brahma’ connect the pillars and also contribute to the Oneness of the vyashti and samashti.
The Supreme Reality seems to have delegated the duty of the upkeep of this cosmic mansion to the five mighty elements – Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth which through the agency of the panchatanmatras – sabda, sparsa, roopa, rasa and gandha interact with the vyashti, making use of their jnanedriyas and karmedriyas, ( sense organs of knowledge and action). In addition, the five pranic forces directly supply the much needed vital energy for their upkeep.
The presiding deities of this great household are none other than Purusha and Prakriti who are the Eternal Universal Parents. They have provided the roof for the mansion with their pure Love, The Almighty has kept in this magnificent treasure house everything needed to fulfill each and every need, whim and fancy of its inhabitants, provided, they submit themselves to the unwritten basic cosmic law which has been de-coded by our Great Seers and passed on to us through Vedas and Upanishads. A classical example is the following much quoted sloka from Isavasya Upanishad :
“Isavasyamidam sarvam
Yat kincit jagatyam jagat
Tena tyaktena bhunjeetha
Ma gridha kasyasvit dhanam”
Four powerful transformers, Karma, Bhakti, Raja Jnana yogas transfer the Divine energy from the Supreme Reality for use by the humans, who, conditioned though they are by their own three inherent qualities of satwa, rajas and tamas, can plug on to one or more or all of them and enrich their individual and collective lives. When earnestly followed these conduits can lead man to total emancipation from all bondages and miseries and lead him onward and Godward.
There exist a multitude of Divine energy sources which can be invoked by man with rituals, prayers, upasanas, sadhanas, acharas, anushtanas, etc. which are time tested techniques discovered and gifted by our great sages for seeking Divine Blessings. Hindu Religion is replete with these which bring humans nearer to God. These are unique formulations meant for expanding the microcosm (vyashti-individual) to the level of macrocosm (samashti), thereby getting rid of the sense of the ‘I’ ness (with all its attendant problems) and merging it with the Supreme Self or Reality. These Self-Realization techniques are left to individual choice and constitute the backbone of Hindu Religion contributing not only to its Uniqueness, Eternality and Universality, at the same time emphasizing the unity of the micro and the macrocosms.
There exists a mystical formula to unlock and enter into the mansion to enjoy the bliss therein. This is inscribed on the frontal arch and reads thus ‘Idam na mama’. It is essential to understand the deep meaning and implications of this key for fullsome enjoyment of the facilities provided in this heavenly abode. No other religion insists on such an absolute sacrifice, surrender and detachment for full emancipation of an individual.
Attuning themselves to these cosmic principles, if the inhabitants reside in this Heavenly Abode they become the natural inheritors of all the Divine Bliss and abundance characteristic of the Cosmic Whole. They can transform their lives into one of deep fulfillment and be also assured of onward evolution towards Godhood. No wonder the great Seers used the term ‘Amritasya putrah’ to refer to the Divine Potential that lies hidden within each one of us and for calling upon us for manifesting the Divinity within.
The Eternal Vedic Vision, centred in the fundamental unity of creation is the eternal gift of the Indian Seers for the welfare and onward evolution of the entire mankind. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that in India it was not just a philosophical speculation, but the very object of human life was to realize this great harmony in feeling and in action. The realization of one’s infinite nature and one’s living unity with all things around brings eternal joy to the individual and hence the Truth is referred to as Satchitananda in the Sanatana Dharma. No other religion or culture has provided such a unifying and all inclusive vision which has conceived of the whole universe as one family, ‘vasudhaiva kutumbakam’. Thanks to this vision Sanatana dharma developed an unsurpassed uniqueness in breadth and toleration as also an ability to enrich all the planes of existence with due reverence, accepting them all as steps or links in a continuous chain at the end of which stands the Infinite and Merciful God Almighty addressed differently by different faiths.
This is the cosmic blue print of the Eternal Vedic Vision which should necessarily become a part of the human awareness, as one works out one’s destiny at the individual, family, social or higher levels. Man should do his utmost not to disturb the rules and laws of this Cosmic Life, because his life and onward evolution are strictly ordained by the irrevocable cosmic principles. The foundations of one’s life, rules for self unfoldment, as well as the multitude of actions and interactions which sustain life on this planet and contribute to its peace and wellbeing, must bear the insignia of this unbroken Cosmic awareness.Any individual, organization, society or Nation, which intends to make wholesome contribution for the spiritual welfare of humanity, must adhere to this cosmic blueprint of Life in totality, embodying the principles of satya, dharma, yajna and tapas. The glory of our Motherland lies in the fact that from time immemorial she has remained as the lighthouse from where radiated this great knowledge and vision. To uphold and spread the glory of our nation this vision should become a necessary ingredient of the character of every Indian, bereft of which he or she would become just a nomad in the jungle of worldliness. We, born into the tradition of Sanatana Dharma in particular, have an ordained duty to preserve our nation’s spiritual idealism generated over millennia through the sustained tapas of thousands of Rishis, which stands unmatched to this day as seen in the immortal inscription-Satyameva jayate on our national emblem. We are also gifted with an unparalleled treasure house of literature embodying this vision, like the immortal Vedas, Upanishads, Dharma shastras and Itihasas and Puranas, in almost all the main languages of our country notably in Sanskrit. The precise scientific technology as to how to make their vision practical in real life has also been handed over to us.
Swami Vivekananda’s emphasis on ‘man-making and nation building’ underscores this ideal. Every human effort at self unfoldment through education, religion or any of the spiritual exercises should be aimed at enhancing this cosmic awareness. How wonderfully meaningful and practical become Swamiji’s utterances when viewed in the light of this cosmic awareness! To cite just some examples-
“Expansion is Life, contraction is death”.
“Love is expansion, hatred is death”.
“Knowledge is expansion, ignorance is death”.
Equally clear becomes Swamiji’s ideal of man with capital M, as also his insistence on ‘renunciation and service’ as the keynotes of character building. Swamiji’s immortal words provided the inspiration and the much needed guidelines in our efforts to share the Vedic Vision with common people, men, women and children struggling for their day to day existence clinging only to their micro level awareness.
The more an individual acquires the traits of the ‘Samashti’ , Satya, Dharma, Yajna, or Tapas, the more he\she gets absorbed unto the Universal and comes under the benign influence lf the Cosmic Power. This is the secret behind a truly enlightened person, of spiritual wellbeing, a state when one is at peace with everything in the Universe.
