June 9, 2013
In Bhagavad Geeta 6-8, there is an interesting phrase. समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः
....to whom a lump of earth, a stone and gold are the same
Literally, such a person described by this phrase could be considered a fool who is easily separated from his money. Personally, I recall my mother telling me the story of a stranger who approached my grandfather while travelling by train in India in the 60s. He claimed to be a jeweller and told that my grandfather that what he thought were diamond ear-rings were worthless. My grandfather came home to report how the kindly stranger did him a favor by offering to buy those off him for a small sum. My poor grandfather sold the earrings and never was forgiven for this by his daughters!
Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayanandaji in commenting upon this verse, puts it very all in context, very simply. He says (and what follows below is not a direct quote) that this सम or sameness (now you know where the English word comes from) implies a few things:
In the Holy Geeta, Param Puya Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji places it in context spiritually:
Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post
....to whom a lump of earth, a stone and gold are the same
Literally, such a person described by this phrase could be considered a fool who is easily separated from his money. Personally, I recall my mother telling me the story of a stranger who approached my grandfather while travelling by train in India in the 60s. He claimed to be a jeweller and told that my grandfather that what he thought were diamond ear-rings were worthless. My grandfather came home to report how the kindly stranger did him a favor by offering to buy those off him for a small sum. My poor grandfather sold the earrings and never was forgiven for this by his daughters!
Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayanandaji in commenting upon this verse, puts it very all in context, very simply. He says (and what follows below is not a direct quote) that this सम or sameness (now you know where the English word comes from) implies a few things:
- Each of them is a material object. What this means that they have limited capability of giving us happiness. The object themselves and the joy they give us are short lived
- They have value. To a builder a ton of stone has a specific value, likewise to a ceramic artist (aka potter) and to a jeweller
- Unfortunately, we impose on these objects different interpretations. Someone with jewellery, is assumed to be rich and have higher status, a potter or a ceramic artist is lower down the pecking order. These are purely superimposed on the objects and are not intrinsic to the value of the object.
- Depending on the context, the objects are not interchangeable. Pujya Guruji quoted a nice Rahim doha to illustrate this: रहिमन देखि बड़ेन को, लघु न दीजिए डारि | जहां काम आवै सुई, कहा करै तलवारि || rahīmana dekha baDena ko laghu na deejiye Daari. jahaan kaama aave suii kahaan kare talavaari .. Rahim does not distinguish between big and small, for when there is need for a needle (as in stitching), of what use is a sword. Note: Free translation is mine.
In the Holy Geeta, Param Puya Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji places it in context spiritually:
to a master who has gained perfection and transcended the world of the mind and intellect, and achieved the true awakening of the Soul, thereafter, a lump of earth, a piece of gold or a precious stone of this world are all equally futile things. They cannot add even a jot of extra joy or pain unto him.
Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post
Great words Sundar.....including the translation....
ReplyDelete@ Sahasranaman - Thank you!
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