The ABC of Penance

[Guest guest]

Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya

nama:

 

 

 

The ABC of Penance

 

 

The boy (nay, he was but an infant) was supporting himself with just a toehold

on earth. His palms were held high above his head, joined in supplication. His

young and thin body was emaciated with continuous fasting, with not even liquids

to sustain the physique. Bones were covered with just a thin layer of flesh, the

body having long back exhausted the accumulated reserves of baby fat. His eyes

were shut tight, to ward off external distractions. He had retracted his

listening faculty too into his mind, so that no mundane sounds disturbed his

concentration. The only sign of life in him was the barely perceptible rise and

fall of the chest. Unbeknownst to himself, his body was covered with an aura, a

halo, that signifies all arduous spiritual endeavour.

 

 

 

Despite all this, Dhruva was awash inside with an indescribable bliss, the bliss

of constant contemplation of the Ultimate, which made him oblivious to the

aching leg (he had forgotten how long he had been on his feet-correction-on his

left foot, for he was standing on a single foot, with the sole of the right foot

placed on the instep of the left), the razor-sharp hunger gnawing at his innards

and all the attendant physical inconveniences. All mundane thoughts had been

banished long back from his pure mind, which now had space and focus only for

the glorious form and magnificent attributes of Sri Hari-"Atmani asEsha DEvEsam

stthitam VishNum amanyata" says the Vishnu Puranam, describing Sri Dhruva's

unprecedented penance for God-realisation.

 

 

 

This, then, is the form of Tapas that Dhruva engaged in. Having heard such tales

from our childhood, of Dhruva and of other worthies who performed penance of

such high order, we have a healthy respect of the word "Tapas"-the respect we

reserve for exalted things which we admire in characters from the Scripture,

whether it be the infant Dhruva or the hardened VisvAmitra Maharshi. It is a

respect we reserve for things, which we know well, are much beyond our own

contemplation, leave alone achievement. When we hear the word "Tapas", we do not

think of it as being applicable to ourselves, but only to mythological or

Puranic characters. The very word, and the accompanying thought of attendant

physical and mental hardships, make us decide that Tapas is not for weaklings

like us-we can at best admire its practitioners, that too from a healthy

distance, but adopting it ourselves appears beyond our limited reserves of

physical and mental strength.

 

 

 

Before we decide whether "Tapas" is for us or not, let us see how the Shruti

extols Penance. Of all spiritual endeavours, Tapas appears to command a pride of

place, if the numerous adulatory references to it in the Vedas are any

indication.

 

The Narayanavalli of the Taiitiriyopanishad tells us that for acquiring wisdom

regarding the Ultimate, Tapas is indispensable. In fact, the Upanishad accords

Penance such an exalted stature that it regards all spiritual endeavour (((,

whether it be common good qualities like Truthfulness-- "Ritam" and its variant,

Satyam--, lending our ears to words of wisdom-Shrutam--, acquisition of inner

peace and tranquillity-ShAntam--, munificence and philanthropy--'DAnam"--,

performance of various sacrifices-"Yagyam" ))) as but different forms of

"Tapas". Here is the beautiful quote from the Upanishad-

 

 

 

"Ritam Tapa: Satyam Tapa: Shrutam Tapa: ShAntam Tapa: DAnam Tapa: Yagya: Tapa:"

 

It is thus clear that Tapas is the Crowning Glory of all forms of activities

aimed at liberation.

 

 

 

The very same Upanishad also tells us that not only should we ourselves practice

Penance, we should teach it to others too, so that the glorious practice lives

on to confer its generous benefits on mankind, generation after

generation-"Tapascha svAdhyAya pravachanE cha". A TapasvI of renown named

"Poursishti" asserts that more than everything, it is Tapas which is

overwhelmingly superior-"Tapa iti tapO nitya: Pourusishti:". Not to be outdone

by Pourusishti, VaruNa, the Deity of the Waters, tells his son Sage Brighu that

the latter should regard Tapas as verily the Lord Himself: it also doubles as

the strategy for realising the Lord-

 

"TapasA Brahma vigigyAsasva, TapO Brahma iti". Making us wonder whether the

Taittiriyopanishad is one continuous eulogy to Tapas, the Upanishad has an

adulatory reference to Penance, at the end too-

 

 

 

"TapasA dEvA dEvatAm agra Ayan, TapasA Rishaya: Suva: anva vindan, TapasA

sapatnAn praNudAm ArAtIm, Tapasi sarvam pratishttitam"

 

 

 

The Celestials have attained their exalted status due to Penance, which is also

the reason for Rishis reaching Svargam. If you want to overcome those who have

nothing but hate for you, Tapas is the strategy therefor. With all this,

inquires the Upanishad, is it any wonder that Tapas is touted to be the best

among all its contemporaries which pass as spiritual endeavours?-_"TasmAt Tapa:

paramam vadanti". All the others are based on Tapas, without which they are but

empty shells, comments this compendium of wisdom--"Tapasi sarvam pratishthitam".

 

 

 

The importance of Tapas can be understood from the fact that the great Epic

Srimad Ramayanam begins with the same word-

 

"Tapa: svAdhyAya niratam tapasvI vAgvidAm varam

 

nAradam paripapraccha VAlmIki: muni pungavam"

 

Both Sri Narada and Sri Valmiki are glorified as being adept at Tapas, having

performed it for long.

 

 

 

Azhwars too consider Tapas to be extremely important. When Sri Tondaradippodi

lists his own shortcomings, it is primarily to the lack of Tapas in him that he

alludes first-"TavattuLLAr tammil allEn". The same Azhawar says that exalted

deities like Rudra and BrahmA practice penance for aeons, just to have a glimpse

of the Lord-

 

 

 

"PeN ulAm sadaiyinAnum Piramanum unnai kANbAn

 

eNNilA oozhi oozhi tavam seidAr".

 

 

 

If this Azhwar rues his lack of Tapas, there is another who boasts of being

endowed with the virtue in good measure. Here is Sri BhootattAzhwar bragging

about his accomplishment-

 

"yAnE tavam seidEn Ezh pirappum eppouzhudum

 

yAnE tavam udayan Emperuman!"

 

 

 

Perhaps the best definition and classification of Tapas are to be found in the

Gita, in the 17th Chapter. Here, the Lord gives a detailed discourse on the

form, attributes, types and requisites of Penance. Classifying Tapas into three

categories, that using the body, the spoken word and the Mind, the Gitacharya

tells us in detail about each of these.

 

 

 

1. What constitutes Tapas in the physical sense? Sri Krishna enumerates the

constituents of physical Tapas-

 

 

 

"DEva dvija Guru prAgya poojanam Shoucham Arjavam

 

Brahmacharyam ahimsA cha shAreeram Tapa uchyatE"

 

 

 

A. Worshipping the Celestials led by the Lord, Brahmins well versed in the

Scripture, one's AchAryAs and the wise ones.

 

B. Keeping the body pure through frequent baths in sacred rivers like the

Ganga

 

C. Complete identity of thought, word and deed, with scrupulous avoidance of

hypocrisy

 

D. Eliminating base thoughts that occur at the sight of beautiful women,

treating them as mere objects of pleasure ("YOshitsu bhOgyatA buddhi varjanam").

The eye, upon falling upon the fairer sex, should regard them as one's own

mother-"MAtruvat para dArEshu"

 

E. Absolute avoidance of HimsA in any manner to anyone and espousal of

non-violence in its most comprehensive form.

 

 

 

2. Coming to Tapas that can be performed by the spoken word, the Gitacharya

tells us how to fashion our speech. It is here that we recognise the Gita to be

the comprehensive manual of practical wisdom, for, most of what is said by the

Lord in this context is what forms the basis for the lengthy lectures delivered

by our Management Gurus and Behavioural Specialists. What, then, constitutes

Tapas of the Spoken Word?

 

A. Our speech should not create a feeling of fright, terror or unnecessary

excitement in others. Revealing of other's personal frailties, verbal abuse,

words of anger and hate, etc. are to be shunned.

 

B. We should speak the absolute Truth, as we know it. As has been emphasized

elsewhere too, lying is an abuse of the God-given faculty of speech and is to be

avoided at all cost.

 

C. Our speech should be pleasing and beneficial to others. Enquiring after

others' welfare, praising their good qualities, making them feel at ease and

comfortable in our company-all these fall under this category.

 

D. Perhaps the best and most superior component of this type of Tapas is the

learning and recitation of Veda, which is the sacred duty of all TraivarNikAs.

Since each letter and syllable of the Shruti denotes the ParamAtmA, Veda

adhyayanam and PArayaNam represent the best type of Penance that can be

performed through the spoken word. This is why the Upanishad exhorts us never to

forsake learning and propagating the Vedas-"SvAdhyAya pravachanAbhyAm na

pramaditavyam". This is also glorified as "Japa Yagyam".

 

Here are beautiful words of the Lord, extolling the "VAngmayam Tapa:"-

 

"anudvEga karam vAkyam, Satyam, Priyahitam cha yat

 

SvAdhyAya abhyasanam chaiva vAngmayam Tapa uchyatE"

 

 

 

3. The third and last type of Penance is that performed with the Mind. This

too has several components, as enumerated by the Lord:

 

A. Clarity of mind, unclouded by anger, jealousy and attendant maladies. The

mind should be like a clear and inviting pond, full of pure and pleasing waters,

and not a muddied cesspool or a raging sea, incessantly pounded by waves of

unwanted emotions.

 

B. Benignity or Soumyatvam is another attribute, which constitutes mental

Tapas. Our intentions towards others should be the best possible, shorn of all

possible anger, jealousy, etc. that are the root causes of ill will.

 

C. Silence is one of the best virtues one can cultivate and forms a penance

in its own right. Though Silence is really a virtue of the tongue, since it is

really the Mind that prompts speech, it is indicated as a function of the Mind

too. And Silence can extend to the Mind too-when the Mind is absolutely

tranquil, with no waves of emotion buffeting its shores, silence is what

prevails, inside and out.

 

D. Mind Control-this refers to ensuring that thoughts do not travel in

undesirable channels.

 

E. Since it is highly difficult to eliminate thoughts altogether and keep

the mind blank, the Lord prescribes the strategy of canalising all thought

towards Himself and His glorious form and attributes.

 

 

 

"Mana: prasAda: Soumyatvam Mounam Atma vinirgraha:

 

bhAva samshuddhi: iti Etat Tapa: MAnasam uchyatE"

 

 

 

These, then, are the three types of Tapas expounded by Sri Krishna in the

Gita-Bodily, Mental, and that through the instrument of Speech.

 

 

 

Based on the intentions behind this Tapas, the Lord classifies Penance into

three more classes-SAtvikam, RAjasam, and TAmasam.

 

 

 

Penance performed with absolute devotion, with no specific object other than the

Lord's pleasure, is the best of all Tapas and is called SAtvika Tapas.

 

 

 

Tapas undertaken with the intention of attaining recognition, appreciation and

admiration is classified as "RAjasam". The fruits of such penance are extremely

ephemeral and lead to temporary attainments like Svargam.

 

 

 

Penance undertaken by adamant fools, who have no assessment of their own

capabilities for performing such exalted tasks but are prompted by obstinacy and

obduracy, as well as Tapas aimed at causing harm to others, come under the

category of TAmasam. Penance undertaken by most of the asurAs would fall under

this class.

 

 

 

We must acknowledge that our idea of Tapas as a forbidding endeavour, reserved

for the Rishis and Sages of yore and beyond the contemplation of simple mortals

like us, must have undergone a change, after the aforesaid clarifications

offered by the Lord. What the Gitacharya says does put Tapas within the ambit of

even our limited capabilities, provided we have the requisite devotion and

firmness of purpose.

 

 

 

All this is fine, but what about people like us, who are unable to focus our

minds on the Lord even for a second, leave alone for interminable aeons, and

unable to skip even a single meal without pangs of hunger consuming us alive,

leave alone foregoing food for long?

 

 

 

For those like me, for whom even the relatively simple prescriptions of the

Lord appear much beyond their capabilities, here is Sri Tirumangai Mannan

telling us that what can be achieved by severe penance (involving extreme

physical hardship, prolonged fasting, exposure to extremes of heat and cold, an

extremely Spartan diet consisting of fruits, roots and leaves intended solely to

keep body and soul together) can be attained easily by seeking refuge in the

Lord at Tirucchitrakoodam. In fact, Azhwar categorically forbids us from

undertaking the aforesaid arduous forms of penance, having found an effective

and unfailing alternative for achieving the avowed objective of liberation. Here

is the beautiful pasuram, which relieves us of all responsibility of having to

perform such gruelling Tapas-

 

 

 

"oon vAda uNnAdu uyir kAval ittu udalil piriyA pulan iyndum nondu

 

tAm vAda vAda tavam seyya vENda tamadA imayOr ulagALakirpeer!

 

KAnAda maggyai kaNamAda mAdE kayalAdu kAneer pazhanam pudai pOi

 

TEn Ada mAda kodi Adu Tillai Tiruchchitra koodam chendru sErmingaLE!"

 

 

 

What a graphic description of the travails of Tapas! The body becomes skinny and

emaciated due to prolonged denial of essential nutrition. However, one cannot

forego food altogether, as body and soul have to be kept together through

minimal intake in the form of water, fruits, roots, etc., so that continued

penance is possible. All faculties are under terrific strain, due to this great

physical distress. In some forms of penance, the devotee is required to stand

amidst raging fire, exposing his body to the enervating heat and flames, and in

others, to stand neck deep in the bitterly cold waters of lakes and ponds,

during the severest of winters.

 

 

 

All these, says Azhwar, are totally unnecessary when the merciful and

magnificent Lord of Tirucchitrakootam awaits us with open arms. If we study the

aforesaid pasuram and the one that follows, it would appear that a mere journey

to Tirucchitrakootam and reaching there would suffice, without even any positive

act on our part, for us to achieve all that can be accomplished through hard

penance of the sort described above.

 

 

 

"KAyOdu needu kani uNdu veesu kadum kAl nugarndu nedum kAlam-iyndu

 

teeyoodu nindru tavam seyya vENdA TirumArbanai sindayuL vaitthum enbeer!"

 

 

 

Merely fixing our thoughts on the Lord with the inseparable Consort would obtain

for us the hard-to-attain fruits of liberation, which are otherwise to be

achieved through tough Tapas, says Azhwar.

 

 

 

Here is Sri BhootattAzhwar prescribing an equally effective manner of Penance,

for those who insist on espousing the same, without any of the rigours indicated

above. This Azhwar gives us a new definition of Tapas, telling us (who are

afraid of the hard physical strain it involves) that it is nothing but paying

obeisance to the Lord, worshipping Him with the choicest of flowers and singing

paeans of praise on Him, in the form of the Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram-

 

 

 

"Etthi paNindu avan pEr eeraigyooru eppozhudum

 

sAtti uraitthal Tavam".

 

 

 

The basic idea behind the prescriptions of the Azhwars is that highlighted by

the Upanishad, telling us that what is to be achieved by hard Tapas can be

equally accomplished by an extremely simple strategy, viz., Absolute Surrender

or Sharanagati. The concluding passages of the Upanishad reveal the esoteric

truth that Sharanagati is by far superior to Tapas, achieving in a trice and

without sweat or tears, what unstinting and uncompromising penance would take to

accomplish, in births spanning several millennia-"TasmAt nyAsam EshAm TapasAm

atiriktam Ahu:"

 

 

 

With matters simplified so much, tell me, who is afraid of Tapas now? Gone are

the notions that Penance is reserved for the sages of yore, with Azhwars placing

it very much within the reach of the common man. Gone from our mind are the

forbidding images of Dhruva and others, which we normally associate with Tapas.

First the simplified norms prescribed for Penance by the Gitacharya and then the

more compassionate ones advocated by Sri Kalian and Sri Bhootattazhwar and the

eminent alternative unfolded by the Taittiriyopanishad, make it an eminently

possible exercise, even for the likes of us.

 

 

 

Srimate Sri LakshmInrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

dasan, sadagopan