Slokam 5

Ajamila is dragged away by the messengers of Yama.  At first the representatives of Sriman Narayana requested that Ajamila be released, but when the messengers of Yama do not do so,  Ajamila is forcefully released from them.  The messengers point out that Ajamila is a man of many sins committed.

It must be noted from the experiences of Ajamila that Moksham is not the only gift of the Paramathma.  Ajamila is actually granted a new lease of life.  This is an illustration of the multifaceted understanding and intervention that the Paramathma is constantly exercising to come to our aid. The understanding and compassion of the Paramathma to those that invoke the supreme is infinite.

This invocation of the supreme can be either direct or it can even be unintentional and unknowing.  However, there is no room for pretention.  The invocation of the Paramathma, as well as the devotion towards him should be from the heart.  That means it must be unconditional.  All of us are undoubtedly aware of the supreme nature of the Paramathma.  However,  for most of us, that awareness resides in the mind and not in the “heart”. 

Anything that resides in the mind is subject to conditions. Such “devotion” from the mind is subject to ifs and buts. It is not unconditional.  Such devotion is subject to the needs of the mind being met.  These needs would typically be happiness that is brought on by material wealth.  Worldy happiness changes day to day.  Consequently,  the “devotion” (rom the mind) to the Paramathma will also change day to day. 

Whereas if the devotion originates from the unchanging consciousness, the devotion would be unwavering.   This is what the test of life is.  Most of us know that we owe our existence and well being to the Paramathma.  However, unless this knowing is transformed into an unwavering devotion that is born out of eternal love,  we will not transition out of the state of flux that the mind lives in.

The messengers of Yama point to the multiple sins committed by Ajamila,  which they felt, deserved punishment.

In Ajamila’s narrative,  we see the extent to which the Paramathma is willing step towards us,  on the merest saying of his name,  which is in itself intended for Ajamila’s son.  We can only imagine the extent of the Paramathma’s commitment to step towards us to sustain us and move us along the correct path. 

Also it is clear that the Paramathma does not evaluate our devotion just by conventional means.  He has His inscrutable ways and means of making an assessment of our commitment to isolate our devotion from the events of everyday life, 

Ajamila,  because he spoke the Paramathma’s name at the moment of death,  is given the gift of an extension of life, so that he has a chance to redeem himself and move onto the correct path. Otherwise Ajamila would have hopelessly degenerated into a life of base existence, from which it would have been very difficult to arise again.

One must be blessed to speak the name of the Paramathma with one’s last breath.

May we elevate and locate our devotion at the level of our consciousness rather than make it subject to the vagaries of everyday existence.