The devoted Bachelor - Part 5

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Dear Friends,

 

One of the earliest of the popular yogas was the Samkhya Yoga of Kapila which

emphasised " Purushartha " (self effort) and " Samyak Karma " (Right action).

Buddha, while evolving his rational philosophy based on the development of man,

did not reject this philosophy but incorporated it. The Khatriyas who were the

rulers, encouraged these philosophies as Brahminism led people to be unworldly

and neglect their duties. Swamiiji borrowed heavily from Samkhya Yoga to again

reestablish the forces of self effort and right action.

 

The Brahmins retaliated this rationilistic approach to religion by incorporating

various rites and rituals into Hinduism and forbade the participation of and

denied the fruits of these rituals to those who remained unmarried. They also

enforced the view that a man was incomplete without a wife or wives. The male

and female were two wings of the soul, they said.

 

To discredit this theory is not difficult. We have before us the ardhanarishwar

form of Lord Shiva. This clearly denotes that all individuals are composed of

both male and female qualities. It also clearly paves the way for the more

masculine males to develop the feminine side of him and the feminine female to

balance herself by developing masculine traits (We find the latter already

happening today. Today's women so longer wish to remain subjugated). Swamiji

also extolls the theory of the " sexless self " which every bachelor or spinster

should constantly identify with to retain an unblemished character and also to

see beyond the physical form and not be enamoured by it. Even Shankaracharya who

revived Brahminism embraced sannyasa and remained a bachelor. He also advocated

advaita. He established monasteries so that those willing could follow his

example.

 

Another reason for extolling the virtues of marriage was the decimation of the

population after the Kurukshetra war. Similiarly after the Kalinga war in

Orissa, which drastically reduced the population of the state, marriage was made

obligatory (there is still a superstition in Orissa that a unmarried person

becomes a ghost after death) and even temples were decorated with erotic art to

encourage the population to lead married lives.

 

Today with the population explosion and the complexities of married life

reaching its peak such theories are no longer valid. The seven year itch is

today reduced to an year and a half after which most ordinary couples become

sworn enemies of each other. It is for the unmarried population to decide

whether they want to throw away their spiritual potential for the sake of such

temporary enjoyment. Especially those youngsters who though swayed by passions

seek a way out of it should remember the example of King Yayati, who after

enjoying sensual pleasures for a thousand years, ultimately renounced stating

that sensuality only increases upon enjoyment just as a flame flares up when

butter is poured into it. The Holy Mother states that a person who has led a

bachelor life has already traversed half the distance.

 

To be continued.

 

Love & Regards,

Jagannath.

 

 

 

 

 

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