Behind a Great Master like Swami Chinmayananda are masters like Swami Sivananda and Swami Tapovanam, who not only teach the Highest Knowledge but also live it.
Bhagavad Gita tells about the goal of Life, the various ways or paths one can follow to reach the goal. It also tells characteristics of a Realised Master, a Sthitapragya and cautions to be taken by the sadhak who is treading on the path.
People generally associate Bhagavad Gita with Karma Yoga. True! Bhagvan has dedicated so many chapters on Karma Yoga, Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga, Karma Sanyasa Yoga etc. He has dwelt so much on explaining the importance of action, the attitude behind the action and about the acceptance of result of actions.
Today we are going to focus on one particular shloka of Bhagavad Gita chapter 4, Jnana Karma Sanyas yoga.
किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिता: |
तत्ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात् || 16||
kiṁ karma kim akarmeti kavayo ’pyatra mohitāḥ
tat te karma pravakṣhyāmi yaj jñātvā mokṣhyase ’śhubhāt
What is action? What is inaction? As to this, even the wise are deluded. Therefore, I shall teach you action (the nature of action and inaction), knowing which, you shall be Liberated from evil (of samsara – the wheel of birth and death)
In the next shloka, Bhagavan declares that the nature of action is imponderable (गहना कर्मणो गति: ) Today let us understand more about action and inaction and we find two role models that beautifully depict both – the path of action and inaction.
Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda in his commentary says ‘Physical inactivity is no criteria to call one an idler. Whenever we are in a state of creative thinking, we are invariably quiet and inactive physically. A Buddha under the fig tree, an artist at his easel punctuate their activities with still moments of inactivity. At all these moments of physical cessation, their mind and intellect are functioning with highest velocity. So the one who introspects, can detect perfect action in complete inaction.’
While defining the ‘inaction in action’, Gurudev explains that an intelligent mind can detach itself even when it is actively functioning in the world outside. He says ‘A perfect Sage is one whose mind is ever hitched to the cognition of the Divine. He functions in the world outside, reveling in his own consciousness within.’ So he may seem to be in the midst of highest activity, but he is still experiencing complete inactivity. Thus he defines inaction in action.
The Diksha Guru of our Gurudev, Swami Sivananda displayed the second trait – ‘inaction in action’. Swami Shivananda was a doctor by profession in his purvashrama. Besides being competent in the medical field, he knew the secrets of pharmacy. Cases that were pronounced as hopeless by great doctors were cured by him. He was a very enthusiastic worker. He trained many young men in his hospital and fixed them up in good positions.
In an article titled “the Prophet and His Methods”, Swamiji writes about what he called the ‘Sivananda Method’.
‘Though a perfect saint and master Swami Sivananda remained a scientist – he employed wireless stations for broadcasting spiritual talks and kirtans. He seems to have ignored none of the modern facilities for coming in contact with one’s fellow beings.’
Swami Sivananda could see through the personality of a devotee and bring out the best. It is said that once a young man said he knew the technique of paper manufacturing. The following morning, Swami Sivanandaji asked for pits to be dug and raw material to be ordered so as to enable the young man to experiment with his idea. When a couple of musicians joined, he organized music classes, bought the instruments and set apart a room for it.
Aren’t you reminded of the shloka 25 from the Chapter 3, Karma Yoga which says:
सक्ता: कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत |
कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसंग्रहम् || 25||
As the ‘ignorant’ men act from attachment to action, O Bharata, so should the ‘wise’men act without attachment, wishing the welfare of the world.
Swami Sivananda followed this path of Karma Yoga as declared by Bhagvan. Swamiji insisted on regular sadhana by waking up the disciples before dawn for meditation. He urged them to study and do nama sankirtana, made fasting or salt less diet a part of the weekly discipline. While he was strict about these aspects, Swami Venkatesananda mentions ‘Swamiji worked ceaselessly so that the disciples could be free from wasting precious mental energy over the ordinary comforts like food, clothing, shelter and medical care. He also saw to it that they got nutritious food and had enough warm clothes.’
Bhagvan says:
न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन |
नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि || 22||
There is nothing in the three worlds, O Partha, that has to be done by Me, nor is there anything unattained that should be attained by Me; yet, I engage Myself in action.
So when the Master works out of compassion, he is following the footsteps of the Lord.
However, not all masters follow the same path. Another Master, Vidya Guru of Swami Chinmayananda, Swami Tapovanam’s life is in a sharp contrast to this. His mind was always tempered with dispassion. There was a tremendous urge to renounce the world and become a monk. About his purvashram days, Swami Tapovanam writes in “Isvara Darsanam’, ‘I shall spend here a few more years in meditation, study and tapas. For a devotee who has his mind and senses in control, his home is as good as a cavern in the Himalayas’.
In the same chapter, taking a complete u turn, Bhagvan says
यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानव: |
आत्मन्येव च सन्तुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते || 17||
But the man who rejoices only in the Self, who is satisfied with the Self, who is content in the Self alone, for Him verily there is nothing (more) to be done.
नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह कश्चन |
न चास्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्चिदर्थव्यपाश्रय: || 18||
For him there is here no interest whatever in what is done, or what is not done, nor does he depend upon any being or object.
These lines aptly describe the life of Swami Tapovanam.
It is said that He was requested to become the Mahant of Brahmananda Ashram, but he politely declined the honour. Swami Govindgiri wanted him to establish a matha for the South Indian sanyasis. He refused even this request. He had no interest in establishing the institutions. And he did not bestow sannyasa on any of his disciples. He preferred solitary communion with Nature.
Swami Tapovanam taught only to those who came to him. It is said that once he put on the ochre coloured robe, he moved his residence to Rishikesh. After that he never came down to the plains.
The tough conditions he had put and the discipline he followed while teaching Swami Chinmayananda are well known. Initially He also discouraged his disciple’s desire to go down to the plains and share the Vedic and Upanisadic knowledge to the masses. In fact, he compared mahatmas with ashrams to managers of dharmashalas.
While describing the uniqueness of his Vidya Guru, Swami Chinmayananda writes ‘All types of seekers came to Swamiji. Each got an advice best suited to his temperament. At one moment He would be having a philosophical conversation in pure Sanskrit. In the very next moment, He would come down in his talk and enquire with an old village woman about her children. He would convince her that all her sins would be washed off by her visit to Gangotri.’ He would answer the questions asked by diligent seekers, villagers and guide them. But only a rare few could learn from him on a regular basis.
During His last illness, Swami Chinmayananda requested Him to get admitted in a hospital in Delhi or at least come down to Rishikesh. Then He refused and compared the death to an old man who had come to see Him and had been kindly waiting for long for Him to complete his interactions with others.
Life of Gurudev, Swami Chinmayananda portrayed a beautiful combination of both the Masters. Reading about the lives of the Masters and their favourite disciple, one is awestruck. The mind again gravitates to the 16th and 17th shlokas of Jnana Karma Sanyas yoga which talks about action, inaction and imponderable nature of action.
Heartfelt gratitude to the great Guru–Shishya Parmpara that made me do some mananam on the occasion of Tapovan Jayanti and Gita Jayanti. My humble prostrations at the lotus feet of the Master and the Masters of the Master.
Reference material: 1. The Holy Geeta by Swami Chinmayananda, 2. A Sage is Born by Swamini Kaivalyananda and Paravathy Raman
Written by Smt. Manisha Deole