(8) Ahamkaara meets Dambha

{AHAMKAARA SEES DAMBHA}

AHAMKAARA-

“Hey!

 मृदुबिन्दुलाञ्चितललाटभुजोदरोरः कण्टोष्टपृष्टचिबुकोरुकपोलजानुः

चूडाग्रकर्णकटिपाणिविराजमानदर्भाङ्कुरः स्फुरति मूर्त इवैष दम्भः [6]

Crescent shaped marks (of sandal paste) adorn

the fore-head, shoulders, stomach, chest, neck, lips, back, chins, cheeks, and knees.

Darbha grass adorns the head, ears, waist, hands.

This must be indeed Dambha in person.

So be it. I will approach him. (approaches)

May auspiciousness befall you!”

(Dambha avoids him with a snort)

(enters a young lad/BATU)

(In hermitages, there will many such ‘Batus’ who will  parade as great disciples of their great Guru and disrespect people who try to have the ‘Darshan’ of their Guru. This Batu is a sample product.}

BATU (Disciple of Dambha) - (with apprehension)

“Hey Brahman! (meant as a ridicule) Stay away! Wash your feet and then enter the hermitage.”

AHAMKAARA- (with anger)

“Ah! You sinner! Are we in the land of the Turks that the householders do not welcome those well versed in Vedas even by washing their feet and offering a seat?”

DAMBHA-

(pacifies him with a signal from the hand)

{Batu interprets Dambha’s sign language}

BATU-

“The great Guru worthy of worship by all, orders thus- the family and character of the gentle-man who has arrived from far is not known to us.”

 {HYPOCRISY COLLIDES WITH AHAMKAARA AND ANGER EXPLODES}

AHAMKAARA-

“Ah! How dare you want to enquire about my family and character?

Hear then-

गौडं राष्ट्रमनुत्तमं निरुपमा तत्रापि राढापुरी

भूरिश्रेष्टकनामधाम परमं तत्रोत्तमो नः पिता

तत्पुत्राश्च महाकुला न विदिताः कस्यात्र तेषामपि

प्रज्ञाशीलविवेकधैर्यविनयाचारैरहं चोत्तमः [7]

   Gouda is an excellent country.

Even there, Radaapuri is unparalleled.

Even there, Bhoori-Shreshtaka is a splendid house.

There, our father is the most excellent man.

Who does not know his sons are born in a great family?

Among them also, I am the excellent one in wisdom,

conduct, discrimination, politeness and behavior.”

(Dambha stares at the boy)

BATU- (brings a copper vessel)

“Lord! Let the feet be washed!”

AHAMKAARA- (to himself)

“Let it be so! What is there to object? Let it be done so!”

(He washes the feet and approaches Dambha)

DAMBHA- (clenches his teeth and stares at the boy)

BATU-

“Please remain at a distance. The sweat drops from your body will spread through the wind.”

AHAMKAARA-

“Aha! What an amazing thing this Brahmin-hood is!”

BATU-

“Brahman! So it is! That is why-

{EVEN KINGS DO NOT COME NEAR OUR GREAT GURU}

अस्पृष्टचरणा ह्यस्य चूडामणिमरीचिभिः

नीराजयन्ति भूपालाः पादपीठान्तभूतलं [8]

The kings unable to touch his feet,

 bathe the ground where his foot-stool is placed,

by the rays emanating from their crest-jewels.”

AHAMKAARA- (to himself)

“Oh! This country is indeed under the control of Dambha.

(loudly) Let it be so! I will sit on this mat.”

(He tries to do so)

{NOBODY CAN SIT IN FRONT OF OUR GURU AND DISRESPECT HIM}

BATU-

“No! Do not do that! No one else should sit when the ‘Great one worshipped by all’ remains seated!”

AHAMKAARA-

“Ah Sinner! Even we, the holy ones, famed in the south Raadda country are not to be seated; is it so? Hey fool listen!”

{AHAMKAARA BOASTS ABOUT HIS OWN GREATNESS}

नास्माकं जननी तथोज्ज्वलकुला सच्छोत्रियाणां पुनर्व्यूढा

काचन कन्यका खलु मया तेनास्मि ताताधिकः

अस्मच्छ्यालकभागिनेयदुहिता मिथ्याभिशप्ता

यतस्तत्संपर्कवशान्मया स्वगृहिणी प्रेयस्यपि प्रोन्झिता [9]

My mother does not belong to such a renowned family.

But I married a girl belonging to the family well versed in scriptures.

So I am greater than my father.

My brother-in-law’s nephew’s daughter was falsely accused as characterless.

I threw out my wife, though loved by me, because she was related to that girl.”

DAMBHA-

“Brahman! If it so, I do not know anything about you.

Because-

{DAMBHA BOASTS ABOUT HIS OWN GREATNESS}

सदनमुपगतोsहम् पूर्वमंभोजयोनेः सपदि मुनिभिरुच्चैरासनेषून्झितेषु

सशपथमनुनीय ब्रह्मणा गोमयाम्भः परिमृजितनिजोरावाशु संवेशितोsस्मि [10]

I had once visited Brahma’s world!

Immediately all the Sages got up from their seats.

Brahma (to honor me) made me quickly sit on his thigh purified by cow-dung and water

forcing me to do so, with oaths and pleadings.”

AHAMKAARA- (to himself)

“Aha! This hypocrite Brahmin is simply exaggerating his glory!

(thinking)

Or he is the Hypocrisy personified! Let it be so.

(loudly)

Hey! What are you proud of?

(angrily)

{WHAT BRAHMA? WHAT INDRA? EVERYONE IS A SLAVE OF ME!}

अरे क इव वासवः कथय कोsत्र पद्मोद्भवो

वद प्रभवभूमयो जगति का मुनीनामपि

अवेहि तपसो बलं मम पुरन्दराणां शतं

शतं च परमेष्टीनां पततु वा मुनीनां शतं [11]

HEY! Who is that Indra? Tell me who is that Lotus-born?

Where do the Sages originate from?

Understand well that

hundreds of Indras or hundreds of Brahmas or hundreds of Sages

collapse in front of my power of penance!”

{DAMBHA RECOGNIZES AHAMKAARA AND APOLOGISES}

DAMBHA- (looks) (expressing joy)

“OH! This is our grandfather Ahamkaara! Noble Sire! I, the son of Lobha (Greed) salute you!”

{Greed for wealth and pleasures leads one to become a hypocrite in the society.}

AHAMKAARA-

“Dear! Live long! You were a child when I last saw you at the end of Dvaapara Yuga! Now, being old I was not able to recognize you after such a long time-span. Is your son Anrita (Falsehood) doing well?”

{Hypocrisy was less in DvaaparaYuga. He grew well in Kali Yuga. But Ahamkaara is very old. He is there from the beginning of Brahma’s times.

Hypocrisy leads to falsehood and lying. Anrita (falsehood) is Dambha’s son. Falsehood is always in the company of hypocrisy.}

DAMBHA-

“How else? He also stays here as per the orders of MahaaMoha. I cannot even for a second be without him.”

{‘Desire for pleasures along with Greed’ gives way to hypocrisy. Trishnaa and Lobha are the parents of Dambha.The whole family is always seen together. Where one is there, others will be surely present.}

AHAMKAARA-

“Are your parents Trishnaa (Thirst for pleasures/Mother) and Lobha (Greed/Father) doing well?”

DAMBHA-

“They also are staying here as per the orders of King MahaaMoha. I cannot even for a second be without them both. What purpose has made Thine noble Self to grace this place?”

AHAMKAARA-

“Dear! I heard that MahaaMoha is facing danger from Viveka. I have come here to enquire about the true facts.”

{The individual ego, Ahamkaara is worried because, if Viveka kills MahaaMoha, the ego will also face death.}

DAMBHA-

“Welcome to thine noble self! The great king is due for arriving here from Indra’s world! So it is heard! There is a rumor that Lord has chosen the capital city Vaaraanasee as his future abode.”

{MahaaMoha has conquered the heavens. Indra and his followers are all under his spell and are drowned in pleasures. They never seek knowledge and are always suffering. Now, MahaaMoha has entered the earth to claim his supremacy.}

AHAMKAARA-

“What again is the reason for the Moha (delusion) to settle down here once for all?”

{MahaaMoha is afraid that men on earth are enquiring about Truth and Viveka will soon be crowned as the king. Viveka will surely kill MahaMoha. He should be destroyed before he gains strength. That is why MahaaMoha is here.}

DAMBHA-

“Viveka has to be stopped at any cost! And also-

विद्याप्रबोधोदयजन्मभूमिर्वाराणसी ब्रह्मपुरी निरत्यया

असौ कुलोच्छेदविधिं चिकीर्षुर्निर्वस्तुमत्रेच्छति नित्यमेव [12]

Vaaraanasee the City of Brahman, is imperishable and

is also the birth-place for Vidyaa (Knowledge) and Prabodha (Awakening).

This Viveka wants to always live here

purposing to destroy his own family (Mind and others).”

AHAMKAARA- (with fear)

“If that is the case, then whatever is done by Moha may not be fruitful!

{THE GREAT CITY OF VAARAANASEE}

परममविदुषां पदं नराणां पुरविजयी करुणाविधेयचेताः

कथयति भगवानिहान्तकाले भवभयकातरतारकं प्रबोधं [13]

Lord Shiva, the conqueror of the Tripura demons,

feeling extremely compassionate, imparts here

the ‘Awakening state’ (Prabodha)

which makes one cross over the fear of worldly existence,

to those men who are ignorant of the Supreme state, at their death-time.”

  

{NOT ALL CAN BE INSTRUCTED BY SHIVA}

DAMBHA-

“It is true!  Yet it cannot happen to those overcome by Kaama (desire) and Krodha (Anger). That is why the learned state that-

यस्य हस्तौ च पादौ च मनश्चैव सुसंयतम्

विद्या तपश्च तीर्थं च स तीर्थफलमश्नुते [14]

He whose hands, feet and mind

and whose learning, penance and sexual organs are under control,

he alone will receive the fruits of a sacred place.”

{योनिरुपथेन्द्रियं तीर्थं}

DAMBHA- (to the back of the screen)

“Hey Hey people! Lord MahaaMoha has arrived!

Therefore-

निष्यन्दैश्चन्दनानां स्फटिकमणिशिलावेदिकाः संस्क्रियन्तां

मुच्यतां यन्त्रमार्गाः प्रचरतु परितो वारिधारा गृहेषु

उच्छ्रीयतां समन्तात्स्फुरदुरुमणयः श्रेणयस्तोरणानां

धूयन्तां सौधमूर्धस्वमरपतिधनुर्धामचित्राः पताकाः [15]

Embellish the platforms made of crystal stones by sprinkling sandal paste all over.

Open up the fountains.

Make the water, flow to all the houses nearby.

  In all the entrances in all the directions, hang aloft

 the decorative garlands threaded with huge diamonds.

Hoist the flags painted with varied hues of rainbow (Indra’s bow)

on all the terrace tops.”

DAMBHA-

“Aarya! The king is approaching this place. May the noble one honor him by welcoming him personally.”

AHAMKAARA-

“Let it be so!”

(Both of them leave)