Namaskar Mahatmas!
This week we will meditate on the 3rd sloka of the Isha Upanishad. This sloka talks about the man who is unspiritual and is devoid of knowledge.
asuryaa naama te lokaa andhena tamasaavrtaah
taams te pretyaabhigacchanti ye ke chaatmanhano janaah (3)
Asuryaah – belonging to the Asuras (demoniac); andhena tamasaa – with the blinding darkness; aavrtaah – shrouded; naama – verily; te – those; lokah – births; ye ke – whoever; ca – and; janaah – persons; aatmahanah – slayers of Atman; te – they; pretya – after death; taan – those (worlds); abhigacchanti – attain.
VERILY, THOSE BIRTHS ARE DEMONIAC, ENSHROUDED IN BLINDING DARKNESS. THOSE WHO SLAY THE SELF ATTAIN TO THEM AFTER DEATH.
This sloka describes the destiny of those who indulge in unlawful or prohibited karma and are intently unrighteous. The scriptures explain that the entire affluence of this world has its importance or worth only in the presence of the Consciousness/Atman. When the spiritual vision of ‘Who am I’ is attained, the entire secret of life becomes clear. Such is the greatness of the Self within us.
In the Bhagavat Gita, the Lord explains in the second chapter that the Atman cannot be the killer and the killed. Then what is the meaning of ‘those who slay the self’? Who are the slayers of Atman? Veda declares that they are those who are full of sensual desires and are engrossed in related worldly objects to fulfill such desires. Whosoever gives importance to things and objects other than the Atman is an Asura, a slayer of the Atman.
Asuras are noted for their attachment to sensual enjoyment. The Asuras have the highest ego and we have seen in many stories they even challenge the Lord. The births in various spheres (lokas), high and low, are conducive only to the life of the senses. Hence they are called demoniac. In the 16th chapter of Gita, the Lord explains in great detail the qualities of the demoniac type of people.
Where do they, the Asuras, go after death? They go into ‘asurya nama te loka’, worlds of Asuras (demons) completely engulfed in blinding darkness – ignorance. The word Loka stands for wombs or births. These wombs or births are such as those of pigs, boars, dogs, insects, worms and the like. In these wombs there is neither an enlightened intellect nor is there any possibility of enlightenment. There are no means in them to express feelings and emotions. How distressing and painful would be the condition of beings born in these wombs? The Lord says in Gita: “These vicious men, oppressive, cruel and sinful as they are, – are always hurled down by Me into demoniac wombs in life and after life, in the transmigratory cycle without attaining Me (The soul, the knowledge)”
The decisive opinion of the scriptures is: The Lord has made Karma the ruling factor in the world. Whatever one does, he himself reaps its fruits. One should for all time detach himself from adharma- unrighteousness and unlawful action. One should resort to satkarma and saddharma– virtuous, meritorious benevolent karma and spiritually oriented righteous conduct. The latter disciplines when practiced without attachment will take one to the highest perfection, realization of the Supreme Consciousness. This sloka describes the destiny of those who contravene such an inspired living.
This human body is equipped with all divine qualities. Those who do not make the best use of this divine gift to uplift their Atman lose their right to get this human body again. It should be remembered that no one, not even the divine incarnations or saints and sages, is able to change an individual. They can only guide and show the path. One has to firmly resolve and work himself to achieve the higher state of living. In the sixth chapter of Gita (sloka 5) the Lord says “Let everyone raise his own self by the Self; let him not depress it by lust and sensuality”. Those who are behind lust and sensuality are the Asuras, who finally lose this valuable human birth and are born in the wombs of lower species with total darkness. The child in the womb comes out in nine months time to the light but the persons who are in Tamas do not come into light even after nine koti janmas.
SUMMARY:
The teachings in slokas one to three are linked and are now summed up.
The first sloka states: visualize the Lord in all names and forms and enjoy all the objects of pleasure, treating them as His divine gift; do not be greedy and attached.
The second sloka states: with this awareness, desire to live a full hundred years performing works of public welfare in the spirit of Karma Yoga; in this way action will not cling to us.
The third sloka states: one is born in demonical wombs as a result of performing unrighteous and prohibited ignoble actions.
HARI OM!
We will see sloka 4 in the next week.
