Shri Dattatreya's Teachers - Teacher #25 : Body

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Namaste,

 

eva.n gurubhyaH etebhyaH eshha me shikshitaa matiH .

svaatmaa upashikshitaaM buddhi.n shruNu me vadataH prabho .. 24..

 

Bhagavata Purana: XI:ix:25-31 [tr. C.L.Goswamy; Gita Press,

Gorakhpur].

 

Teacher #25. Body -

 

 

O king, I thus learnt this wisdom from these preceptors. Now hear as

I tell you what I have learnt from my own body. 24 .

 

dehaH guruH mama virakti/-viveka/-hetuH

bibhrat sma sattva/-nidhana.n satata artyut arkam.h .

tattvaani anena vimR^ishaami yathaa tathaa api

paarakyam iti avasitaH vicharaami asa~NgaH .. 25..

 

This body subject to birth and deathand constantly and ultimately a

source of afflictions, is my preceptor as it promotes renunciation

and discrimination. Though it helps me to contemplate on realities,

it really belongs to others [who devour it]. Realising this I wander

renouncing all. 25 .

 

jaayaa/-aatmaja/-artha/-pashubhR^itya/-gR^iha/-aaptavargaan.h

pushhNaati yat priya/-chikiirshhayaa vitanvan.h ..

svaante sakR^ichchhram avaruddha/-dhanaH saH dehaH

sR^ishhTvaa asya biijam avasiidati vR^ikshadharmaa .. 26..

 

Man earns money with difficulty in order to enjoy pleasures and

maintain the growing number of wife, children, possessions, cattle,

servants, houses and relations and friends. Like a tree which when

ultimately destroyed leaves behind seed for another tree to,grow, he

too dies leaving seeds for his next birth. 26 .

 

jihvaa ekataH amum avakarshhati karhi tarshhaa

shishnaH anyataH tvak udara.n shravaNa.n kutashchit.h .

graaNaH anyataH chapala/-dR^ik kva cha karma/-shaktiH

bahvyaH sapatnyaH iva gehapati.n lunanti .. 27..

 

His tongue drags him to one side, thirst to another and the organ of

generation to some other; so do the touch, stomach and ear in some

other directions; the senseof smell in another and the restless eye

to something else; and every physical organ draws him in a different

direction. Thus like the lord of the house torn up by co-wives, his

senses and organs pull him on all sides. 27 .

 

sR^ishhTvaa puraaNi vividhaani ajayaa aatma/-shaktyaa

vR^ikshaan sariisR^ipa/-pashuunkhaga/-da.nsha/-matsyaan.h .

taiH taiH atushhTa/-hR^dayaH purushha.n vidhaaya

brahmaavalokadhishhaNaM mudamaapa devaH .. 28..

 

Having created through His innate energy the bodies of the different

speciesof living beings, such as trees, reptiles, animals, birds, gad-

flies, fish, etc., the Lord was not satisfied. He rejoiced only when

He created the human bodyendowed with reason and capable of realising

the Supreme Deity. 28 .

 

labdhvaa sudurlabham idaM bahusambhavaante

maanushhyamarthadamanityamapiiha dhiiraH .

tuurNa.n yateta na patet anumR^ityuH yaavat.h

niHshreyasaaya vishhayaH khalu sarvataH syaat.h .. 29..

 

Having after many births in this world acquired the rare human body,

however frail, which is still the means of attaining the object of

life, a wise man should speedily strive to attain Liberation, before

this body, constantly subjected to annihilation, is not destroyed.

The enjoyment of sense pleasures can of course be had in all species.

29 .

 

eva.n sa~njaata/-vairaagyaH vij~naanaloka aatmani .

vicharaami mahiim etaaM mukta/-sa~NgaH anaha~NkR^itiH .. 30..

 

Having thus freed myself from all attachments and egotism and

developed dispassion, and possessing the light of knowledge [acquired

from several preceptors], I wander in this world established in the

Self. 30 .

 

na hi ekasmaat guroH j~naana.n susthira.n syaat supushhkalam.h .

brahma etat advitiiya.n vai giiyate bahudhaa R^ishhibhiH .. 31..

 

Stable and comprehensive knaowledge cannot be acquired from one

preceptor. This Brahman, without a second, has been variously sung by

Rishis. 31 .

 

THE END

 

 

 

Regards,

 

s.