Part 3: A Roman sthitha-pragnya -- Marcus Aurelius AD 121-180

[Guest guest]

Dear friends,

 

This is in continuation of the 2 parts I posted on the

list a few weeks ago.

 

*******************

 

IN the 18 chapters of the Gita , a variety of

human " role-models " or " ideal human-being " templates

are described.

 

There is the " gnyAni " role-model, for example. There

is the " karma-yOgi " model. Then there is also the

" sad-bhakta " ideal of man. There is also the ideal of

the " prapanna " and " sannyAsi " role-models described in

the penultimate and concluding chapters of the

ancient text.

 

All these " Ideal Man " archetypes, the Gita holds up

to us, and exhorts us ordinary men of the world to

choose and embrace in life -- as may well suit

individual temperament and predilection -- and then

strive to realize the ideal...

 

In Chapter 2, from verses #54 through #72 (which were

translated in my posting of Part 2) the Gita portrays

yet another picture of the " ideal human being " i.e.

the Ideal called " stitha-pragnya " . This is indeed a

very special, very extraordinary conception of " Ideal

Manhood " . In a remarkable chapter fully devoted to

describing this " Ideal Man " , in verses that sparkle

with profound and soul-stirring ideas, the

Bhagavath-Gita describes how and why we should all

aspire to become " stitha-pragnya-s " and in the process

end up becoming " Ideal Men " of the world. The great

Swami Vivekananda of Sri Ramakrishna Math, and one of

the greatest sons of India, was known to have been

greatly inspired by it in life.

 

It is a marvellous concept and a glorius inspiration

indeed.... this Ideal of " sthitha-pragnya " .

 

***************

 

The Gita in verses 54-72 of the Gita deals with the

ideal of " sthitha-pragnya " in purely philosophical

terms i.e. of inquiry, examination and elucidation.

 

Unfortunately, not all of us who are either unfamiliar

or unschooled in the discipline of Vedantic thinking

can by mere study these Sanskrit verses (or even the

simplest of translation such as the one offered by Sri

Eknath Eswaran reproduced here in the Part 2 posting)

hope to fully grasp or appreciate their true content,

meaning and message. To ponder over these Sanskrit

verses and to understand them in the fullness and

richness of their significance calls for a very high

level indeed of wisdom and spiritual development. One

simply cannot arrive at an intuitive understanding of

who is a true " sthitha-pragnya " by a mere reading of

these verses. Equally, it would be impossible too to

be able to embrace the ideal itself and then strive to

realize it in life.

 

***************

 

Thankfully, in order to help us overcome this

particular difficulty or deficiency of philosophical

understanding, the school of Vedanta offers us the aid

of " purAna " and " itihAsA " -- the age-old tradition of

epics, stories, fables and illustrative narratives

collectively known as the ancient " paurAnic " tradition

of India. Many of the most abstract or abstruse of

philosophical ideas of Vedanta, as found in original

texts such as the " Brahma Sutras " , " Upanishads " and

the " Bhagavath-Gita " , which otherwise would remain

beyond our comprehension, are rendered accessible and

palatable to the intelligence of the ordinary

man-on-the-street in India via hundreds of stories,

fables and narratives of the age-old " paurAnic "

tradition.

 

Thus, to understand the role-model of a " gnyani " in

the purely philosophical terms of the Gita is

difficult, but if one turns to the Mahabharata and

follows closely the story there of BhismAchArya, and

how his his character in the entire " itihAsa " unfolds,

one can easily grasp who a true " gnyAni " is and how he

conducts himself in life.

 

Similarly, if one follows the story of Bhakta Prahlada

in the " purAna " Srimadh BhAgavatam, one can easily

appreciate the philosophical hallmarks of a true

" Bhakta " exactly in terms of how the Bhagavath-Gita

recounts and relates that human Ideal in abstract

terms.

 

Again, if we follow the story of Bharata in the

Ramayana, we can easily glean from his behaviour and

actions in that epic-story how a true " karma-yOgi "

behaves in life.

 

If we follow the story of HanumAn in the Ramayana we

can easily understand who a true servant of God is..

i.e. how one who has embraced the ideal of a " dAsa "

conducts himself in life.

 

Likewise, if we follow the story of Vibhishana we get

the picture of who the Gita describes in the abstract

as a true " prapanna " -- in purely philosohical

terms....

 

************

 

From all such " paurAnic " role-models or characters,

therefore, it becomes exceedingly clear to us what

indeed is the purpose of " paurAnic " tradition with all

its dramatic, fantastic flourishes -- i.e. its great

stories of battle, revenge, love life, death. All of

it is merely to illumine and illustrate the larger and

more profound truths contained in the purely

philosophical works of Vedantic scripture.

 

When " purAna " adds flesh and blood and dramatic

clothes or costumes to a colorful character in one of

its stories or fables, only then does a great and

profound idea, concept, truth or a theme of deep

Vedantic philosophical inquiry suddenly come alive ...

 

 

It is only through a " paurNic " character such as a

Bhisma or a Dhruva or a Prahlada that we are thus

enabled to comprehend an abstract Vedantic concept or

ideal...

 

******************

 

The question now is: Where in the " paurANic " tradition

-- i.e. in the wealth of stories and fables therein --

can we find the character or characters who typify the

Ideal Man described as " sthitha-pragnya " by the

Bhagavath-Gita?

 

If Bhisma is the character who symbolizes the Ideal of

the " gnyAni " and if Prahlada symbolizes the role-model

of a true " bhaktha " , and if Hanuman is the

quintessential " daasa " .... which character or actor

in our ancient " itihAsa " and " purAnA " may be said to

be similarly the archetypical " sthitha-pragnya " ?

 

To whom may we point out, and say without a shadow of

doubt or debate, that he or she perfectly embodies or

personifies every quality possessed by a

" stitha-pragnya " according to Verses 54-72 of the

Bhagavath-Gita?

 

This question we will take up for discussion in the

next posting.

 

*****************

(to be continued)

 

daasan sudarshan m.k.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Warm Regards,

Sudarshan

 

" A life is perhaps worth nothing; but nothing certainly is worth as much as

life " .

(Andre Malraux)

 

 

5, 50, 500, 5000 - Store N number of mails in your inbox. Go to

http://help./l/in//mail/mail/tools/tools-08.html

[Guest guest]

Dear friends, gnAni is one who is aware that he has

the Lord as antharyAmi. When he realizes this, the

Lord takes care of him. The knowledge that one is

shEsha and the Lord is shEshi makes a person gnAni.

The definition of the self is given by SrI nammAzhvAr

in a verse. When this verse came as the subject of

KalashEpam, EmpeumAnAr sent SrI KoorathAzhvAn to Sri

ThirukOshtiyur Nambi to learn the meaning of the

verse,After waiting for several months, when Sri

AzhvAn was about to leave, Sri Nambi called him and

revealed that the word " adiyEnuLLAn " (ThiruvAimozhi,

8-8-2)is the definition of the self.

When one is established in realisation of his self he

becomes gnAni as he will be fit for attaining the

Lord's abode.

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

--- sudarshan madabushi <mksudarshan2002

wrote:

 

>

> Dear friends,

>

> This is in continuation of the 2 parts I posted on

> the

> list a few weeks ago.

>

> *******************

>

> IN the 18 chapters of the Gita , a variety of

> human " role-models " or " ideal human-being " templates

> are described.

>

> There is the " gnyAni " role-model, for example. There

> is the " karma-yOgi " model. Then there is also the

> " sad-bhakta " ideal of man. There is also the ideal

> of

> the " prapanna " and " sannyAsi " role-models described

> in

> the penultimate and concluding chapters of the

> ancient text.

>

> All these " Ideal Man " archetypes, the Gita holds up

> to us, and exhorts us ordinary men of the world to

> choose and embrace in life -- as may well suit

> individual temperament and predilection -- and then

> strive to realize the ideal...

>

> In Chapter 2, from verses #54 through #72 (which

> were

> translated in my posting of Part 2) the Gita

> portrays

> yet another picture of the " ideal human being " i.e.

> the Ideal called " stitha-pragnya " . This is indeed a

> very special, very extraordinary conception of

> " Ideal

> Manhood " . In a remarkable chapter fully devoted to

> describing this " Ideal Man " , in verses that sparkle

> with profound and soul-stirring ideas, the

> Bhagavath-Gita describes how and why we should all

> aspire to become " stitha-pragnya-s " and in the

> process

> end up becoming " Ideal Men " of the world. The great

> Swami Vivekananda of Sri Ramakrishna Math, and one

> of

> the greatest sons of India, was known to have been

> greatly inspired by it in life.

>

> It is a marvellous concept and a glorius inspiration

> indeed.... this Ideal of " sthitha-pragnya " .

>

> ***************

>

> The Gita in verses 54-72 of the Gita deals with the

> ideal of " sthitha-pragnya " in purely philosophical

> terms i.e. of inquiry, examination and elucidation.

>

> Unfortunately, not all of us who are either

> unfamiliar

> or unschooled in the discipline of Vedantic thinking

> can by mere study these Sanskrit verses (or even the

> simplest of translation such as the one offered by

> Sri

> Eknath Eswaran reproduced here in the Part 2

> posting)

> hope to fully grasp or appreciate their true

> content,

> meaning and message. To ponder over these Sanskrit

> verses and to understand them in the fullness and

> richness of their significance calls for a very

> high

> level indeed of wisdom and spiritual development.

> One

> simply cannot arrive at an intuitive understanding

> of

> who is a true " sthitha-pragnya " by a mere reading of

> these verses. Equally, it would be impossible too to

> be able to embrace the ideal itself and then strive

> to

> realize it in life.

>

> ***************

>

> Thankfully, in order to help us overcome this

> particular difficulty or deficiency of philosophical

> understanding, the school of Vedanta offers us the

> aid

> of " purAna " and " itihAsA " -- the age-old tradition

> of

> epics, stories, fables and illustrative narratives

> collectively known as the ancient " paurAnic "

> tradition

> of India. Many of the most abstract or abstruse of

> philosophical ideas of Vedanta, as found in original

> texts such as the " Brahma Sutras " , " Upanishads " and

> the " Bhagavath-Gita " , which otherwise would remain

> beyond our comprehension, are rendered accessible

> and

> palatable to the intelligence of the ordinary

> man-on-the-street in India via hundreds of stories,

> fables and narratives of the age-old " paurAnic "

> tradition.

>

> Thus, to understand the role-model of a " gnyani " in

> the purely philosophical terms of the Gita is

> difficult, but if one turns to the Mahabharata and

> follows closely the story there of BhismAchArya, and

> how his his character in the entire " itihAsa "

> unfolds,

> one can easily grasp who a true " gnyAni " is and how

> he

> conducts himself in life.

>

> Similarly, if one follows the story of Bhakta

> Prahlada

> in the " purAna " Srimadh BhAgavatam, one can easily

> appreciate the philosophical hallmarks of a true

> " Bhakta " exactly in terms of how the Bhagavath-Gita

> recounts and relates that human Ideal in abstract

> terms.

>

> Again, if we follow the story of Bharata in the

> Ramayana, we can easily glean from his behaviour and

> actions in that epic-story how a true " karma-yOgi "

> behaves in life.

>

> If we follow the story of HanumAn in the Ramayana we

> can easily understand who a true servant of God is..

> i.e. how one who has embraced the ideal of a " dAsa "

> conducts himself in life.

>

> Likewise, if we follow the story of Vibhishana we

> get

> the picture of who the Gita describes in the

> abstract

> as a true " prapanna " -- in purely philosohical

> terms....

>

> ************

>

> From all such " paurAnic " role-models or characters,

> therefore, it becomes exceedingly clear to us what

> indeed is the purpose of " paurAnic " tradition with

> all

> its dramatic, fantastic flourishes -- i.e. its great

> stories of battle, revenge, love life, death. All of

> it is merely to illumine and illustrate the larger

> and

> more profound truths contained in the purely

> philosophical works of Vedantic scripture.

>

> When " purAna " adds flesh and blood and dramatic

> clothes or costumes to a colorful character in one

> of

> its stories or fables, only then does a great and

> profound idea, concept, truth or a theme of deep

> Vedantic philosophical inquiry suddenly come alive

> ...

>

>

> It is only through a " paurNic " character such as a

> Bhisma or a Dhruva or a Prahlada that we are thus

> enabled to comprehend an abstract Vedantic concept

> or

> ideal...

>

> ******************

>

> The question now is: Where in the " paurANic "

> tradition

> -- i.e. in the wealth of stories and fables therein

> --

> can we find the character or characters who typify

> the

> Ideal Man described as " sthitha-pragnya " by the

> Bhagavath-Gita?

>

> If Bhisma is the character who symbolizes the Ideal

> of

> the " gnyAni " and if Prahlada symbolizes the

> role-model

> of a true " bhaktha " , and if Hanuman is the

> quintessential " daasa " .... which character or actor

> in our ancient " itihAsa " and " purAnA " may be said to

> be similarly the archetypical " sthitha-pragnya " ?

>

> To whom may we point out, and say without a shadow

> of

> doubt or debate, that he or she perfectly embodies

> or

> personifies every quality possessed by a

> " stitha-pragnya " according to Verses 54-72 of the

> Bhagavath-Gita?

>

> This question we will take up for discussion in the

> next posting.

>

> *****************

> (to be continued)

>

> daasan sudarshan m.k.

>

=== message truncated ===

 

 

 

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____

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[Guest guest]

>

> -

> " srinivasan sowmianarayanan " <vasans2004

> <Oppiliappan >

> Monday, March 03, 2008 9:42 AM

> Re: Part 3: A Roman " sthitha-pragnya " -- Marcus

> Aurelius AD 121-180

>

 

Dear friends, gnAni is one who is aware that he has

the Lord as antharyAmi. When he realizes this, the

Lord takes care of him. The knowledge that one is

shEsha and the Lord is shEshi makes a person gnAni.

The definition of the self is given by SrI nammAzhvAr

in a verse. When this verse came as the subject of

KalashEpam, EmpeumAnAr sent SrI KoorathAzhvAn to Sri

ThirukOshtiyur Nambi to learn the meaning of the

verse,After waiting for several months, when Sri

AzhvAn was about to leave, Sri Nambi called him and

revealed that the word " adiyEnuLLAn " (ThiruvAimozhi,

8-8-2)is the definition of the self.

When one is established in realisation of his self he

becomes gnAni as he will be fit for attaining the

Lord's abode.

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

--- sudarshan madabushi <mksudarshan2002

wrote:

>

>

>> Dear friends,

>>

>> This is in continuation of the 2 parts I posted on

>> the

>> list a few weeks ago.

>>

>> *******************

>>

>> IN the 18 chapters of the Gita , a variety of

>> human " role-models " or " ideal human-being " templates

>> are described.

>>

>> There is the " gnyAni " role-model, for example. There

>> is the " karma-yOgi " model. Then there is also the

>> " sad-bhakta " ideal of man. There is also the ideal

>> of the " prapanna " and " sannyAsi " role-models described

>> in the penultimate and concluding chapters of the

>> ancient text.