Slokam 5-3

Gnanam is not born out of only the experience of life and the consequences of adharmic way of life.  Gnanam is an endowment for the effort that we put in to stay on the right path.  No matter how much we resist,  temptation will prevail, unless the seeds of goodness, tyagam, and selflessness that are planted in us by the supreme, are watered and nourished.  The seeds of the opposites are planted in our minds, by the Paramathma, as part of its construction and design.  The seeds are watered by the experience of the events of life.  The events of life always  give us the options to water and nourish either of the two opposites.  Our scriptures support the watering of the seed of selflessness and dharma.  Temptation draws us towards  sense gratification.  The choice that we make partly depends on Gnanam, partly on karma,  and quite a bit on Bhakthi.  However,  ultimately,  Gnanam is an endowment for the sincerity of effort that we  make to stay on the path of selflessness. The measure of sincerity is the assessment of the Paramathma,  and the endowment is the reward for the highest effort and attainment.  The grant of the permanent is the domain of the Paramathma.  Transience is the domain in which we are born.  The graduation from transience to permanence will happen only as an endowment.  No matter how much we try,  we cannot do this transition without the intervention of the Paramathma.  This intervention will happen only when we seek it.  This seeking of the supreme intervention is an acknowledgement of our limitations and the infinite expanse of the supreme. 

Bhakthi is the resolve or conviction in the guidance of the supreme.   Bhakthi is not blind faith.  It is born out of Karmic experience,  Karma nurtures and feeds gnanam which results in knowledge of the self and ultimately, our immersion in Bhakthi.

Bhakthi is the complete surrender of the self to the supreme.

Our endless stream of experiencing of alternating bouts of success and failure results in the knowledge of our capabilities and limitations.  We conclude that our inner self is the universe that we reside in,  and that it is the Paramathma that holds the control panel of this universe. 

Bhakthi is the recognition of the significance of our assigned role and perform it selflessly.

Bhakthi is the recognition that if we are to perform and live this life selflessly,  and not fall into the traps of temptation,  we have to be perpetually aware that there is an ultimate attainment of a very high order, to which our dharmic participation in life leads up to.  This unflinching resolve and confidence that we will reach the ultimate objective is Bhakthi.  Without this confidence in the reality of the ultimate objective,  the everyday obstacles will overwhelm us into despair and stagnation.

Hiranyakashipu represents one extreme of the spectrum, which is total selfishness, full of worldly desires, fears, insecurities and conflict. 

Prahalada is at the other extreme of the spectrum,  with pure Bhakthi permeating every pore with no conflict, confusion, fear or insecurity.

They are the Paramathma’s team sent to our midst to illustrate to us as to what is right and what is incorrect.

All of the rest of us are situated somewhere in between Hiranyakshipu and Prahalada. 

Hiranyakashipu is the starting point for all of us and attaining the state of Prahalada is the objective. 

Paradoxically, Hiranyakashipu is portrayed as the father and Prahalada as the son. It should actually be the other way,  since it is the children that are vulnerable to worldly temptation.  The reason it is portrayed the opposite way is to highlight the fact that age and experience are not the sole  criteria  for attainment of self realization, or more appropriately, the realization of the Paramathma.  It is also to demonstrate the fact that once realization sets in,  our physical stature,  wealth, or social standing are not relevant in determining the infiniteness of the innerstrength that will overcome all worldly obstacles.

May we all aspire to attain the strength and resolve of Prahalada and attain a place of residence in the unchanging universe of the Paramathma.