CHINNA KATHA FROM BHAGAVAN’S DISCOURSE. No. 2

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2 - Knowledge of Atma

 

Once upon a time, king Janaka sent a message to the people in his kingdom: " If

there be amongst you a great scholar, a Pundit, a Mahatma, a Yogi, a Maharishi,

a Sage, whoever he may be, let him come and teach me the knowledge of Atma. " In

his message he said that he expected to attain Atma Jnana, Self-knowledge,

within a matter of a few moments of being properly instructed.. Even while

climbing onto his horse, before he was completely settled on to it, he should

have attained Atma Jnana. He said: " If the person offering to teach me Atma

Jnana is not able to accomplish this task of providing me an experience of

instant illumination, then I don't want to see him, even if he is the greatest

scholar, or the most learned person, or the highly educated person in the land. "

Well, all the Pundits and Rishis were a little frightened by this requirement.

They saw that this would be a severe test on their scholarship and learning, and

so none dared to come forth and

offer himself to instruct the king and meet the conditions that had been posed.

 

It was at this point that the boy Astavakra entered the kingdom. While he was

going on the road towards the capital city of Mithilapuram, he met a number of

people coming from there, including scholars and Pundits; all of them had long

faces, looking worried and grief-ridden. Astavakra asked them what the cause for

their worry and grief was. They explained to him all the things that had

happened. But Astavakra couldn't understand why they should get frightened over

such a small thing. He added: " I will gladly solve this problem for the king. "

So saying he directly entered the court of Janaka. He addressed the king: " My

dear King, I am ready to enable you to experience the knowledge of Atma as you

desire. But this sacred knowledge cannot be taught so easily. This palace is

full of Rajo Guna and Tamo Guna. We must leave this place and enter an area of

pure Satva. " So, they left the palace and went along the road leading out of the

city towards the forest.

As was the custom whenever the emperor went outside his palace walls, the army

followed behind; but Janaka had them remain outside the forest.

 

Astavakra and Janaka entered the forest. Astavakra told King Janaka: " I am not

going to fulfill your wish unless you accept my conditions. I may be only a boy,

but I am in the position of a preceptor; and you may be an all-powerful emperor,

you are in the position of a disciple. Are you prepared to accept this

relationship? If you agree then you will have to offer the traditional gift to

the Guru, the Gurudakshina that is given by the Sishya to the Guru. Only after

you give your offering to me will I start my instruction to you. " King Janaka

told Astavakra: " The attainment of God is the most important thing to me, so I

am prepared to give you absolutely anything you want. " But Astavakra replied: " I

don't want any material things from you; all I want is your mind. You must give

me your mind. " The king answered: " Alright, I offer my mind to you. Up to now I

thought that this was my mind, but from now onwards it will be yours. "

 

Astavakra told Janaka to dismount from his horse and made the horse stand in

front of the king and then he told the king to sit down in the middle of the

road. Astavakra walked into the forest and sat quietly under a tree. The

soldiers waited for a long time. Neither the king nor Astavakra returned from

the forest. The soldiers wanted to find out what had happened to them, so one by

one, they proceeded to look for them. When they went along the road leading into

the forest, they found the king seated there, in the middle of the road. The

horse was standing in front of the king. The king had his eyes closed and sat

still almost immobile. Astavakra was not to be seen. The officers were afraid

that Astavakra might have exercised some magic spell over the king and had made

him lose consciousness. They went to look for the Prime Minister.

 

The Prime Minister came and addressed Janaka: " O King! O King! O King! " But King

Janaka did not open his eyes; he did not move at all. The Prime Minister became

frightened. Not only the Prime Minister but all the officials were now getting

frightened, because the time when the King usually took his food and drink had

passed and the king still had not stirred. In this way the day went on and

evening came, but the king did not move from his position, sitting there

immobile on the road. Left with no alternative, the Prime Minister sent the

chariot back to the city to bring the queen thinking that if the queen spoke to

the king, he would surely respond. The queen came and addressed the king:

" Rajah, Rajah, and Rajah! " The king did not stir; there was absolutely no

response from the king. Meanwhile the soldiers searched throughout the whole

forest for Astavakra. There, under a tree, Astavakra was seated peacefully, in

absolute calm and serenity.

 

The soldiers caught hold of him and brought him towards the place where the king

was. Astavakra told them: " Why are you all so worried? The king is safe and

everything is alright. " But still they insisted and brought him before the King

seated on the road with his eyes closed, his body completely still. The soldier

said: " Here, look for yourself! See what has happened to the king!†Until that

time, whether the Prime Minister, or the ministers, or the queen or any of the

other court officials or common people, had called out and addressed the king,

he neither opened his mouth in answer nor opened his eyes in acknowledgment. But

now Astavakra came and spoke to the king. King Janaka immediately opened his

eyes and replied, " Swami! " Astavakra questioned the king: " Well, the ministers

have come, and the soldiers have come, and also many others have come, why did

you not reply to their entreaties? " Janaka answered: " Thoughts, words and deeds

are associated

with the mind, and I offered my mind entirely to you. Therefore before I can

use the mind for anything, I need your permission. What authority do I have to

speak to anyone or use this mind in any way without your permission and

command? " Then Astavakra said: " You have attained the state of God-realization. "

 

Astavakra told Janaka to put one foot in the stirrup and get up on the horse. By

the time he had climbed up and seated himself on the horse and put his other

foot in the stirrup, he had attained the experience of Atma. Once a person has

offered his mind, and with it all his words, deeds and thoughts, then he will

not have the authority or the power to perform any actions without the

permission of the one to whom he has surrendered his mind.