BANGALORE: Lord Krishna in Bhagavadgita categorically states:
“whoever worships me with total surrender and steadfast devotion will be protected by me, and I shall ensure their “yoga-kshema.”
What does this oft used expression “yoga-kshema “ mean? Yoga ,in the above context means ‘to receive something which we have been wishing for a long time’ and Kshema means to retain those desired things with us forever’. God, the loving father, grants whatever we pray for. But we have to be careful when we beseech Him for favours. For example, a person suffering from diabetes may crave for sweets, but dislike the medicine which is good for him. Sweets may bring him brief happiness but deep misery. Medicine may be bitter but beneficial. He has to make the wise choice , keeping in mind what is good for him in the long run.
Similarly, we too must seek from God that which is good for body, mind and soul. Such a gift or yoga will stay forever with us. God bestows what we seek and if that wish later turns out to be a curse, why blame God for the defect in our choice?
Now let us look at the concept of kshema. It means , “ to retain permanently what we have got.” The truth is there is no kshema in this material world, because nothing remains forever. The meaning of the very word “ sharira” is ,”that which does not sta’’ — sheeryanthe ithi shariram. Body, mind, sense organs, property, wife and children — nothing remain in this transient and changing world. All fail the test of kshema. The story of the king and four wives illustrates this truth.
A king had four wives. He loved the fourth wife most and took great care of her. Next, he cast his affection on the third and the second wives respectively. But he completely neglected the first wife who loved him sincerely. After a few years, the king fell sick and was on his death bed. He felt miserable to leave behind his kingdom, wealth, family and friends. He summoned his fourth favourite wife and told her, “I have loved you the most and given you whatever you wanted, now that I am dying, will you come with me?” She said, “ No way,” and walked off. This broke the heart of the king. The sad king called his second wife and asked her to go with him. She said, ” Lord, I shall come with you till the cremation ground and then have to bid you goodbye.”
Acutely disappointed, the
dying King turned to his third wife and said, “I have loved you all my life, will you come with me? She replied, “ Not at all, this life is enjoyable, I am going to remarry after you die.” At this juncture, the king heard the feeble voice of his first wife whom he had neglected all his life. She said, “ husband, even if you don't call me, I will accompany you where ever you go, till eternity.” That was the voice of his athma. The king regretted that in pursuit of power and pleasures he had neglected his true and constant companion and failed to nourish her. The fourth wife in this story represents our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it good, it will desert us when we die. The third wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, we cannot take any of it with us, instead it will then belong to others. The second wife is our family and friends. No matter how much they love us, the farthest they can stay by us is till the grave.
The first wife is our Soul; often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and worldly pleasures. But it is only our soul that will follow us wherever we go. We must cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for, it is the only kshema of our life. Finally, to understand “yoga” and “kshema” in proper perspective , we must consider Patanjali maharishi’s definition of yoga: ”yoghaha chittavrutthi nirodakah”- to control the wanderings of the mind is yoga. If we control the wavering thoughts and direct our energy towards one specific higher goal, that is yoga. The only yoga or aim of their lives was to seek the grace of God and to retain it forever. Like them if we bind our soul to the Lord, He will ensure our yoga and kshema.
Shrimadjagadguru Shankaracharya Shree Shree Raghaveshwara
Bharathi
Mahaswamiji, Shree
Ramachandrapuramath. Log on to www. Hareraama.in for
Sri Swamiji’s blogs and discourses