Translation
The learned, wise and gentle people (vidyā-vinaya-sampanne) see
with oneness (sama-darshinah), a brahmin, gavi (a cow), hastini (an elephant),
suni (a dog) and a chandala (sva-paka).
Here, Krishna talks about looking at everyone with the same
vision because no matter who they are, Krishna is present in each animate and
inanimate being. The body is different, but what is within, is a reflection (bimba)
of him.
The story of Avadhuta brahmana and his twenty-four
Gurus.
Lord Kṛiṣhṇa tells
Uddhava, his most trusted aide about an ancient conversation between an avadhūta
brāhmaṇa – a spiritually
enlightened sage, and the great king Yadu, the son of Yayāti.
Mahārāja Yadu, once met an avadhūta who was traveling without
a destination, behaving as if he were haunted by a ghost. The avadhuta was in
an ecstatic condition, and on being asked by the King, the avadhūta
replied that he had received various instructions from twenty-four different
gurus and hence he was able to travel in a liberated state. He spoke about his
twenty-four gurus and what he had learned from them.
The pancha mahabhootas – earth, air, sky, water
and fire.
Earth - be forbearing and serve others
(mountains and trees).
Air - remain aloof and untouched.
Sky - the soul, which pervades all
material substances, is both indivisible and imperceptible.
Water- be naturally clear and
purifying.
Fire - absorb things and yet not be tainted
by them, destroy all the inauspicious desires.
The Sun, Moon and ocean.
Moon - changes in the body— birth,
growth, dwindling and death — do not affect the embodied soul.
Sun - avoid entanglement even while
coming into contact with sense objects.
Ocean - remain steady and serene
irrespective of success or failure.
Birds.
Pigeon - be careful of excessive
affection and attachment.
Kurara Bird (osprey) - attachment creates
misery.
Reptiles.
Python - accept whatever comes of its
own accord or is easily obtained.
Fish – control your tongue or lose
your life.
Snake – a sage must wander alone, stay
hidden and speak little.
Insects.
Moth – do not fall prey to the
allurement of sense objects.
Bumblebee and Honeybee - collect
the essential truths from all scriptures, be they great or insignificant
(bumblebee), guard against greed and over-consumption (honeybee).
Spider – God creates the entire universe
from himself and winds it up into himself.
Wasp - Whatever one constantly
meditates on, that he will surely become.
Animals.
Elephant – celibacy is important for
sadhana.
Deer – do not waste time in mundane/
unfruitful activities.
People.
The Honey Thief - stealing wealth and storing
it greedily, inevitably leads to him being plundered.
Pingala - hopes for sense gratification
are the root cause of all suffering.
A foolish, lazy child - give
up concerns of home, children and reputation and wander freely without any
anxiety.
A young girl and bracelets - even if
two people reside in the same place, there is every chance of mutual quarrel
and useless gossip.
The arrow maker - strictly control one’s
mind, concentrating it in the worship of Maha Vishnu.
The avadhuta did not see the earth different from the bee or the girl different from the deer. It does not mean that there is no difference between them, of course differences do exist. But the essence of the story is that he looked at everything with oneness as a result of which he could learn something valuable from each of them.
(** The story of how these animate and inanimate beings taught
the lesson to avadhuta, is quite an elaborate topic to be contained in one blog post. I
have therefore mentioned in brief, only the lessons that were imparted.)
Sama darshana.
Since Krishna is present within each being – living or
non-living, each being has some wisdom to impart. When we look at everything
with the same vision (sama darshana), we realise that the same truth pervades
everything, so everything becomes a teacher.
Krishna himself says in the Gita,
yo māṁ paśyati sarvatra sarvaṁ ca mayi paśyati
tasyāhaṁ na praṇaśyāmi sa ca me na praṇaśyati
