गागर में सागर (Gagar mein Sagar)

गागर में सागर (Gagar mein Sagar)

"If all the Upanishads and all the other scriptures happened all of a sudden to be reduced to ashes, and if only the first verse in the Ishopanishad were left in the memory of the Hindus, Hinduism would live for ever." - MK Gandhi

The Isha Upanishad, is reminding the reader that neither routine life and rituals are right nor are they wrong. They may be necessary to many, nevertheless, to prepare a person for emancipation, to show the path where cravings feel meaningless, and to produce a serene mind that longs for meaning and one that can discern highest knowledge. Max Muller

"The very first stanza of this matchless Upanishad is in itself a miniature philosophical textbook." Swami Chinmayanand

One of the smallest Upanishad with only 18 verses, but full of greatest messages (gagar mai sagar). With only one word, "vasudhaiva kutumbkam" Hinduism united all creatures on earth to bring peace and happiness. Similarly with one word, "ten tyakten bhunjitha" it removes greed from the mankind.

Gandhi propounded his principle of trusteeship from the first Hymn of the Isopanishad. (the wealthy people would be the trustees of his wealth that looked after the welfare of the people in general)

What is that first Hymn? You all know.

ॐ ईशा वास्यमिदँ सर्वं यत्किञ्च जगत्यां जगत् ।
तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्यस्विद्धनम् ॥१॥

(Isavasyam idam sarvam yat kim ca jagatyam jagat, tena tyaktena bhunjitha, ma gridhah kasyasvid dhana)

(All- everything in the Universe is enveloped by the God (Isa). Therefore enjoy things by renunciation. Do not covet because it doesn't belong to you)

It is very easy to translate the hymn but very difficult to understand it's one word "ten tyakten bhunjitha". If followed, it has capacity to change the direction of our life.

We know enjoyment by covet/possession but enjoyment by renunciation is something unusual to believe and understand. 

Day before yesterday, I happen to meet two ministers of Gujarat cabinet. "I feel very happy if people eat at my house. If I eat alone I don't get pleasure but if people eat at my home, I get more happiness", One said. Another said, generally for eating we use word 'khai lyo' but when we say "jamo" the bhava improvise. It further improvise when we say it "prasad" but the best is "thakorji jamadya" (offering to God). 

The jatgaragni in all creatures is of "vaishvanar", when we offer food to any stomach, it is offering to the Vaishvanar/God. अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः ।
प्राणापान समायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधं ।। 
(Becoming the life-fire in the bodies of living beings mingling with the subtle breaths, I digest the four kinds of food.) Wonderful Country India is, where Guest is God, food(ann) is considered Dev (deity) and the fire in every stomach is "vaishvanar". Therefore giving food to the hungry person (भुखे को अन्न) before eating is considered the best service. Ten tyakten bhunjitha.

The money, wealth, designation, power, knowledge,...whatever we have is not for our pleasure but for giving happiness to others. We have been selected as trustees of that wealth so that we distribute them for others happiness.

Happiness is a state of being and not a consequence of possessing. So, enjoy everything without possessing anything.

Enjoy a flower without plucking it from the garden. No need to pluck it to own. Many came to possess the land but they went and land remained. Many sat on power chairs, they went and the chairs remained. 
If all land lords, rulers, people in power, capitalists, wealthy people, etc in the world follow the mantra, "ten tyakten bhunjitha", the earth will become heaven. Nobody will starve here and nobody die in unhappiness. And mother earth will be free from the fight of possession.

ॐ ईशा वास्यमिदँ सर्वं यत्किञ्च जगत्यां जगत् ।
तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्यस्विद्धनम् ॥१॥

Enjoy by Renunciation. तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा (त्याग कर भोगो)।

Punamchand
1 March 2015