The Vigilant Witness

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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

 

 

The Vigilant Witness

 

 

 

" The case is dismissed! " rules the Judge, banging his gavel to give

the proceedings a touch of finality. The murderer walks free, with a smirk on

his face and an unholy joy in his heart. The chagrined Public Prosecutor looks

on helplessly, for he knows full well that the man is indeed guilty, but, in the

absence of an eyewitness to the crime, he has not been able to prove his case to

the judge's satisfaction. There might be any amount of circumstantial evidence

to indicate guilt, but there is nothing like an eyewitness to impart

authenticity to the averments of the prosecution. There are other cases where

the prosecution, lacking credible evidence of guilt, but convinced that the man

is indeed guilty, tutors the so-called eyewitness to tender damning evidence

against the accused, thus securing a conviction. You only have to peruse a few

Perry Mason novels to discover how witnesses can be " persuaded " to tender

evidence for or against a person, how easy it is to mislead, confuse, browbeat

and intimidate them, so as to elicit a response favourable to one's case. There

are also " professional " witnesses, who will say what they are told to, for a

consideration. They think nothing of perjury and are for hire to the highest

bidder.

 

 

 

The very term witness evokes images of courts and law, where there is no

reward for good behaviour but only punishment for offences. We, however, are

about to consider a different type of witness, who stands testimony not only to

lapses but also to good deeds. While the aforesaid witnesses are present mostly

by coincidence at the scene of the crime, the witness we are to deal with is

present always, everywhere and with everybody. While the aforesaid witnesses are

liable to lapses like " bhramam " (faulty perception), vipralambam(deliberate

intention to mislead) etc., the witness we shall speak of has perfect perception

and sincerity. He cannot be bought and would not perjure Himself for anything

( " anritam na uktam poorvam mE, na cha vakshyE kadAchana " ). None can confuse,

mislead or intimidate Him, and He remains steadfast in His version. While

ordinary witnesses lose their importance once the particular case is disposed

of, the role of our witness is perennial and unchanging. While normal witnesses

cringe before the Judge, this Witness stands tall and honourable, automatically

inviting the worshipful attention of all around Him.

 

 

 

The Vishnu Sahasrama Stotra, amidst the one thousand plus tirunAmAs it

attributes to the Lord, highlights one particular name, which stands out for its

beauty, simplicity and significance- " SAkshI " . The MundakOpanishad says that the

luminescent Lord, residing in the same body as the Jeevatma, is a mute witness

to whatever actions, good or bad, the Jeeva s to, every moment of his

waking life. Having given us our bodies in accordance with our past Karma,

having endowed us with intelligence for discerning good from bad and having

given us the Scripture too, for guiding us on the right path, He just watches

while we use or abuse our lives.

 

 

 

What makes the Lord a reliable witness? It could be His innumerable

eyes, spread all over the Universe, able to perceive what happens everywhere.

That the Lord's eyes are countless, is brought out by the Purusha Sukta vakya,

" Sahasra SirshA Purusha: SahasrAksha: sahasra path " . There is thus no place on

earth or heaven where His sight doesn't penetrate. Nothing can happen in this

vast Universe and others, without His being aware of the same. What is more, He

doesn't come to know of things post facto, but is aware of happenings as they

take place, as His eyes are present everywhere- " YO vEtthi yugapat sarvam " says

Sri Nathamuni, paying tribute to the Lord's omniscience and simultaneous

perception.

 

 

 

More than His all-pervasive vision, there is another and more

important reason for His knowing everything everyone does. He is the antaryAmi

or inner-dweller of all beings, sentient and otherwise. Residing within us, He

is aware of each and every move of ours. People harbouring secret vices or

having skeletons in cupboards may think nobody knows about them, but the Lord,

residing inside their hearts, knows only too well.

 

Whenever people embark on some unholy enterprise, if they feel a prick of

conscience, it is the Lord telling them not to go ahead with their nefarious

agenda. More often than not, their accumulated Karma forces people to disregard

such early warnings and continue on their

evil endeavour. Be that as it may, the point is that there are no secrets in

this world, for the Lord always knows what we are up to. He knows this not

merely when we execute our design, but even at the conceptual stage.

 

 

 

" uLLuvAr uLLittru ellAm udan irundu aridi " says Sri Tondaradippodi Azhwar,

advising us not to harbour hypocritical thoughts, for the omniscient Lord, who

resides with us constantly ( " uLLatthE urayum MAl " ), knows each and every

intimate idea of ours, even before it is conceived. While most witnesses only

see or hear things while or after they happen, the Divine Witness knows about

happenings much before they are even thought of.

 

 

 

It is indeed difficult to develop the idea that the Lord resides within us

constantly, seeing all that we do, hearing all that we utter and divining all

that we think: but develop it we must, for, it helps us a lot in the long run.

 

If we are able to feel the presence of a witness to all our actions, we would

surely refrain from acting in any but the most righteous of ways. If we know

that somebody inside is listening intently to all that we say, no harsh word or

untruth would ever pass our lips. And once we understand that there is someone

who is privy to the most intimate of our thoughts, surely our mind would eschew

all the garbage of emotions that pass through it and fill itself with the purest

of thoughts. However, in picturising this, we should not think of the Lord in

terms of a Peeping Tom, prying into the innermost of our thoughts, words and

deeds. He is the benevolent father, watching constantly over us, wishing us well

and anxious that we adhere to Dharma in all our actions, happy when we do or say

the right things and indescribably sad when we don't. When we become aware of

this antaryAmi, this ever Vigilant Witness to all our actions, our lives become

harmonious, our path dovetailing delightfully with the one the Paramatma has

chosen for us. Once we feel this vigilant well-wisher within us, we are assured

of Liberation, says the Upanishad-

" ya Enam vidu: amrutA: tE bhavanti " .

 

 

 

Srimate SriLakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dasan, sadagopan