When Gods Are Defeated……

There is a beautiful story in the third chapter of kenopanishad.

Once upon a time, Devas/Gods won a victory over the Rakshasas/demons. They started gloating over their achievements. They were feeling that no one can defeat them and  the whole world was their’s.
When the Gods were enjoying the event, they saw the divine and enchanting  form of Yaksha at some distance. Actually;  He was non other than Non dual Absolute Truth/ The Brahman in the form of Yaksha. ( Parabrahma has manifested in the form of Yaksha.)
When Gods saw his glorious look, they were surprised and amazed. In order to enquire about him, Gods requested Lord Agni to approach that divine form.
Lord  Agni, the deity of the fire element went towards the Yaksha with full attitude of might and power to enquire his identity. But the Yaksha himself asked him his identity.  Lord Agni boastfully replied, ‘I am the Lord of fire. I can burn anything in this world within moments.”
The Yaksha placed a blade of grass in front of Lord Agni and requested him to burn it, if he could.  However, Lord Agni could not even warm that grass blade.

Lord Agni returned back to the other Devas, defeated and replied, ” I don’t know who he is “
Being curious about the divine guest, Gods sent Lord Vayu to enquire and ascertain the identity of the divine form; Yaksha.
Proud and egoistic Lord Vayu approached Yaksha to enquire but the Yaksha himself asked his identity. Lord Vayu boasted , ” I am the mighty Lord Vayu who can toss the universe like paper toys. Yaksha placed the same grass blade before him and requested to move it a bit; if he can.  But Lord Vayu couldn’t even move the blade of grass. He returned back in disgrace.
When Gods found the mighty Lords; failing in their asigned task, they requested Lord Indra, the king of God( Lord of mind) to approach the Yaksha for enquiry.
Lord Indra moved forward. He was neither egoistic neither boastful. In fact; as he has seen the other Lords failing to identify the divine guest, he was more curious and humble. Even if he was the king of the Gods, he was not that much selfconsciouss about his image and post but very eager to know the identity of the Yaksha. When he was about to reach him,  Yaksha suddenly disappeared. ( The Supreme Truth/ Brahman has suddenly withdrawn his manifest form).  But Lord Indra was not despaired. In fact; he stood there with more curiosity, earnestness to know that divine. Instead of returning back, he looked forward with hope and intense wish to know the divine image; which has disappered. When he looked at the spot from where the divine form has disappered, with the attitude of surrender and faith, a beautiful lady with spledour appeared at the very spot. She was the Goddess of Brahmavidya/Shruti. Lord Indra approached her like a honest seeker with full devotion and surrender and enquired about the divine form; which has just disappeared.  Goddess Shruti told him that he was non other than Eternal Nondual Brahman; manifested in the name and form of the Yaksha. She also reminded him that the every victory is of the Brahman and of no one else and it is the God’s foolishness in boasting that they had won a victory over the Rakshasas.
Lord Indra returned and all the Gods came to know that the divine form who has disappeared was the Brahman.

Although this story appears to be simple, it is of immence importance for a  spiritual seeker as a guide to approach the Truth.
This story has many investigating points which are helpful to know the Truth and how to approach it.

These points are-
1. We have the five sense organs. Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin. These are called Jnanedriyas. We get all the worldly knowledge through these five senses. These five senses are related with five great elements as-
Akasha/ ether— shabda/sound— Ears
Vayu/ Air- –sparsh/ touch—Skin
Agni/ Fire— sight/vision- –Eyes
Jal/water— rasa/ taste— Tongue
Pruthvu/ earth- –gandha/ smell- –Nose.
There is one presiding deity for each great element and in turn for our five respective senses.
Lord agni and Lord Vayu ( Lord of senses) failed to know the identity of Yaksha( Brahman).This shows that the Self/ Brahman can not be known by the senses because It is beyond the reach/capacity of the senses.

2. Lord Indra/ the Lord of the mind ( Mind controls the senses that is why  mind is said to be the Lord of senses. In the same way Lord Indra is the Lord of Gods.); didn’t identify the divine form (Brahman) directly;  but at least he could succeed to know about Him indirectly; through the Goddess Shruti.
Brahman is beyond the reach of the mind too…Mind can know the Brahman indirectly through the scriptures / Goddess of Brahmavidya/ the Shruti but only when it becomes eligible for it. ( Lord Indra got it because of his complete surrender;  without any trace of arrogance. When the Yaksha disappeared, he was not impatient and didn’t return but he waited and continued his quest untill he found the knowledge of the Truth through the Goddess. He was the true  adhikari for the self knowledge. The Shruti herself guided and encouraged him. This is only the paroksha jnana / indirect knowledge and not the Self experience. Self experience is called the aparokshanubhuti. So to be the adhikari for the Self knowledge, mind must be purified. There is the story in the Chhandogya upanishad about how the Lord Indra got the Self knowledge by the Prajapati. )

3. The Goddess was the mother Shruti/the Goddess of the Brahmavidya. All the four vedas are called shruti. According to 4th Brahmasutra, “Shastrayonitvat”. Brahman is the source of the shruti and shruti is the source of (knowing) the Brahman. That means Shruti is originated from the Brahman and we can know the Brahman from the shruti ( source/yoni). This too is a paroksha jnana / indirect knowledge only.

4. With the help of the mother Shruti, Gods could understand that everything is Brahman and there is no other. Without the Brahman; no one can even move and the victory they achieved over the demons was only because of the Brahman. They were just as the instruments.

5. Lord Agni; by repling that he is the Lord of fire and can burn the universe, and Lord Vayu; repling that he is the Lord of the air and can toss the universe, limited themself to be ‘somebody; having a particular power”. They didn’t identify with the Brahman. Their very doership limited their power and capacity.

6. For those; who are not yet ready to walk the path of Self Realisation, this story gives some practical tips to succeed in material goals- #  Never underestimate anybody. # Don’t think that no one is more intelligent than you. # Never  underestimate any challenge even if you think it is a toy play for you. # Whenever you win or whenever you achieve something, don’t boast for it  like Devas, otherwise you too will fail to move even a blade of grass. # Understand that the Nondual Brahman  is using your body mind intellect as an instrument, to make everything happen in this world.

Accepting everything as the Nondual Brahman and seeing Nondual Brahman in all is our real victory.
    Hari Om !

( Source- Kenopanishad; commentary by Swami Chinmayanandaji)

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