“Shatashloki” of Shrimad Shankaracharya –IV (Shloka – 4 & 5)
The goal of life

Shloka – 4 & 5

Essential Meaning of Shloka 4 & 5:

Through experiences in the world, we find that the Atman is Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute). Because of the Atman, the body and mind function. This is the Truth, but deluded people always think that the perishable body is one’s real self. In reality, the body is made out of bones, muscles, bone marrow, flesh, blood, membrane, and skin and inside it is filled with filth like excreta, urine, and mucus.

Further, deluded people think that their bodies, spouses, children, friends, servants, pets and possessions are the sole source of their happiness; they spend their valuable time to protect and nourish them. They never think that it is because of the Atman that they have their lives and they continue to function. Such people never reflect on the Atman that resides within, the Atman that controls life and is immortal and blissful.

Comments:

Sat-Chit-Ananda

If we are aware and reflect on our day-to-day activities, we find that as a motor runs an engine, there is some power that keeps us alive and allows our mind and body to function. When we think of this power, we begin to understand the idea of the ‘Sat” (Existence Absolute) part of the Atman lying within.

In our dreams, even though our eyes are closed and our body is not moving, we can still see and do things! Who illumines the world we see in our dreams? As we think about this, we can begin to understand the ‘Chit’ (Knowledge Absolute) part of the Atman. In reality, the Atman illumines our intellect and because of this illumined intellect we see (when we are awake and when we are dreaming) and know things of the world.

When we come out of deep sleep, we sometimes experience joy. Where does this joy come from? We did not eat anything, we did not do anything and yet we experience joy. This experience gives us an idea of the ‘Ananda’ (Bliss Absolute) part of Atman.

The Goal of life:

A thoughtful person questions the goal of life: “Is the goal to earn a college degree or any diploma? Is it money-making? Is it acquiring name, fame, power and position? Is it just producing children? Why am I running around like a chicken without head from morning to night doing the same routine day after day?” When we do not have clear picture of our ultimate goal, then we sometimes lose interest in what we are doing.

Many great thinkers and saints have thought about this question. Sri Ramakrishna, in following the thought process of the great rishis and saints and through his own reflections, said that the goal of human life is God-realization. Swami Vivekananda makes this even more explicit. Swamiji said that the goal of human life is to realize the potential divinity lying within ourselves (the Atman) and to manifest this divinity in our thoughts, speech, and actions. Many great personalities and saints have shown through their lives that all our activities can be integrated around this goal and we can live a normal life free from all fear, and one that is filled with satisfaction, infinite happiness, a deeper understanding of our life and of the world, and unselfish love for all.

Generally, in order to be happy, we often try to acquire many things and run after the pleasures of the body and mind. But a great saint, Bhatruhari says, in Shloka 34 of “Vairagya Shatakam,” that we face fear in every worldly thing we try to cherish.

When one tries to enjoy worldly things, there is a fear of disease.

When one has acquired a higher position, then there is a fear of losing that position.

When one has acquired wealth, one has a fear of the king (government taxes).

When a person keeps silence, then there is a fear of being considered as a weak person.

When one has developed physical strength, one has a fear of an enemy.

When one has acquired beauty, then there is a fear of old age.

When one has acquired knowledge of scriptures, then there is a fear of a challenge.

When one practices virtues, then one has a fear of wicked people finding faults in one’s character

When one is attached to one’s body, then there is a fear of death.

Thus, every worldly thing has a fear attached to it.

Detachment is the only way to attain a state of fearlessness. Here, detachment means to understand that all worldly things are impermanent and then to make efforts to realize the permanent Atman

People and Worldly Things:

Consciously or unconsciously we make the mistake of thinking that our relatives, other people, animals, plants and worldly objects are made for our pleasure. With this attitude, our expectations grow beyond the limit and when people or things do not satisfy our expectations, we either become sad or angry.

We have to remember that our relatives and worldly objects have their own purpose for existence. We have to perform our own responsibilities, help others as much as we can, and refrain from keeping any expectations. This is the way to happiness.

Another mistake we make is that we are attracted to people because of their external appearances and/or roles. In Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (II.4.5) we find the following:

Rishi Yajnavalkya tells his wife,

“Verily, not for the sake of the husband, my dear, is the husband loved, but he is loved for the sake of the Self (Atman).”

“Verily, not for the sake of the wife, my dear, is the wife loved, but she is loved for the sake of the Self (Atman).”

…..

“Verily, not for the sake of the beings, my dear, are the beings loved, but they are loved for the sake of the Self (Atman).”

“Verily, not for the sake of the All, my dear, is the All loved, but it is loved for the sake of the Self (Atman).”

Thus, the Upanishad teaches us that all people and things look attractive because of the existence of the Atman lying within. When that Atman is gone, people and things lose their luster. When our loved one dies, we become sad. But, we know that the person has gone and the body was just an instrument and it will deteriorate.

In Shatashloki Shloka 4, Shri Shankaracharya asks us to think about this, and ask ‘what the body is made out of and what is in the body?’ He says that the body is made out of bones, muscles, bone marrow, flesh, blood, membrane, and skin and it is filled with filth like excreta, urine, and mucus.

Lust brings the mind down to the body-level which is impermanent and remaining on the body-level causes many problems. God has created lust to populate the earth, but to live a lustful life is not the goal of human life. In the “Shrimad Bhagavatam,” there is a story of King Yayati. He was cursed to lose his youth for his improper lustful behavior. After begging for the pardon, Yavati was allowed to switch his old age with the youth of a young person. He asked his sons to switch their youth with his old age. The youngest son agreed to the switch. After a few years, King Yayati realized that his lustful desires would be impossible to fulfill no matter how many years he tries. He switched back his youth with his son’s old age. He shared the following truth about this experience:

“Lustful desires cannot be fulfilled by trying to fulfill them. The more we try to fulfill lustful desires, the more they increase in their intensity just as a fire blazes more when we pour ghee into it.” Shrimad Bhagavatam 9.19.14

Thus, focusing the mind on the higher goal of life and striving to attain this goal gives us natural control of our lower desires. Sri Ramakrishna explains this using a simple analogy: if we have tasted a delicious mango, then we do not like the lower kind of cheap mangoes anymore.

 God-realization:

Sri Ramakrishna said that the goal of life is to realize God. To householders, he said that after having one or two children, the husband and wife should focus their minds on this main goal of God-realization and help one another other in the attainment of this goal.

Shri Shankaracharya in the “Viveka Chudamani” says that by it is by God’s grace that one attains the following three things: (1) a human life, (2) desire to realize God, and (3) proper guidance of a proper teacher.

Human life is rare to get and we should not waste the precious time in our lives by running after impermanent things of the world. These things cannot give us permanent satisfaction, a deeper understanding of our life and the world, inner peace, immortality, fearlessness, infinite bliss and unselfish love for all. The only realization of God (our true divine Self – Atman) can give us all of these wonderful things. Hence, we have to perform our worldly responsibilities as an offering to God and strive to achieve the goal of God-realization. For this, we have to learn the ways to realize God from the scriptures, holy people and saints, and practice them.

(Thanks to Nisha Parikh for editing this post.)