Ashtottaram 63

 

 

 

 

63) OṀ JĪVITĀRDHA BO'DHAKA- 

                                           BHŨMYAINAMAH:

      OṀ (AUM) - JII-VI-ṪAAR-DHA- BO'-DHA-KA- BHOO- MYAI- NA-- MA- HA

 

 

(Jīviṫa: means-Life; Ardha: means-meanining; Bodhaka: means-that which teaches)

 

 

What is born has to die. Anything that has form and shape has to degrade over time. The question is, how one has lived his life rather than how long he has lived? The vanity toward their bodies, their desire for longevity, and material indulgence the westerns have; you don't see anywhere else on the planet. The struggle and time they spend on a daily basis to improve their bodies and beauty, is astonishing and mind blowing. Even elderly, very old women with wrinkles on their face go to beauty parlors, get their hair perm regularly and they put tons of makeup on their faces and people in their old age do not wear clothes according to their age and they wear shorts and tight jeans like youngsters do. However, in Hindu philosophy, it's quite opposite to that. When someone dresses inappropriate to their age, irrespective of their gender, they get criticized and ridiculed not only by the family members but also from the neighbors and the outsiders alike.

 

Our scriptures and sacred texts teach us that there are 8.4 million species born and every living being that is born, indeed dies; and human life is the highest species because of the highest awareness and has the opportunity to redeem himself or herself in this life with the 'free will' given to them. We have the faculties of 'power of action', 'power of freewill' and 'power of knowledge'. These faculties make humans to be different than all the other animals, which are programmed to eat, procreate and sleep. Our ancient spiritual scientists (sages and seers) educated us to think about the temporary nature of our bodies which we take it granted that we live forever; and,  even when we see people around us and our own family members passes away, still, we live in a delusional thinking that we don't die and live happily ever after. But our rishis constantly remind us that we should work toward liberation while living in this body (jēvanmuktah).

Only our sacred texts like Vedas and Upanishads, can answer  the deep philosophical questions like, what is the purpose of our universe?, reason for our lives?, meaning of the life?, and purpose of our life? You do not find answers for these questions in any other religion, but in our religion. Our philosophy does not stop at going to heaven after death, but discusses very thoroughly about karma, rebirth, and liberation, in depth. Our Vedas discuss, how to get out of the wheel of birth and death (punarapi jananam; punarapi maraṇam). They laid 'dharmasūtrās' (do's and don'ts) for us to live by. They clearly explain about 'heaven' (if you believe in and desire) and the journey 'jīva' (pure spirit) takes after the death of the gross body, based on the results of our actions while alive. Vedas have established the four 'purushārthās' (dharma, artha, kama and mokṣha), the human pursuits as the goals of life. Vedas are the means of knowledge for Hindus and living by the knowledge enjoined by the Vedas is the goal of a person who wants to live a Vedic life.

 

Hence, our land is the one which teaches the ends to be striven for by human beings and is 'Jīvitārdha Bodhaka Bhūmi'.