Sthit Pragya
(Hinduism / Sanatan Dharma)
स्थितप्रज्ञ
Mother tells a story from when she was a young bahu. We used to stay in our grandfather's professor's quarters, as a joint family. Every morning, he would do a puja which would run for more than an hour, and then leave for college. He used to take lunch at home. One of the bahus had to prepare meals for him. One fine morning, mother forgot to add salt in daal/pulses. He sat for lunch, finished it like any other day and went back. An hour later, mother got to know that there was no salt in dal! Why didn't he speak then? Did he hide his anger? Did he forcefully choose not to speak? Knowing him, I would say no
I got reminded of this incident, when I read this legend behind Grishneshwar Temple in Maharastra: (Ref).
The legend comes in Shivapuran. A Brahman called Brahmavetta Sudharm used to live on a mountain called Devagiri in Southern India along with his wife Sudeha. They didn't have a child. When all prayers and remedies failed, Sudeha got her own sister Ghushma married to her husband. Ghushma prayed to Lord Shiva for a child. She used to make 101 shivalingas and after worship she used to discharge them in the lake. Her prayers were answered and she gave birth to a baby boy. With turn of fate, now her sister Sudeha became jealous of her. One night she killed Ghushma's son and threw him in the same lake. Next morning, everyone started doing the daily prayers and ablutions. While Ghushma was absorbed in worshiping Shiva, she and her husband got the news, as blood drenched clothes and parts of body were found on her son's bed. Ghushma did not deter. Even her husband Sudharma did not move an inch. Even when Ghushma saw the bed drenched in blood she did not break down and said he who had given her this child shall protect him and started reciting 'Shiva-Shiva'. Later, when she went to discharge the Shivalingas after prayers she saw her son coming. Seeing her son Ghushma was neither happy nor sad. At that time Lord Shiva appeared before her and said that he was pleased with her devotion. Ghushma asked the Lord to forgive Sudeha and emancipate her. Pleased with her generosity, Lord Shiva asked her another boon. Ghushma asked that He should reside there eternally for the benefit of the multitudes in the form of a Jyotirling and may He be known by her name. On her request, Lord Shiva manifested himself in the form of a Jyotirling and assumed the name Ghushmeshwar and the lake was named as Shivalaya thereafter
It makes me wonder why seeing her son; Ghushma was neither happy nor sad! What is this stage in our life or devotion when we become like that? When we trust God so much, that we are neither happy nor sad, and His miracles look mundane to us? It seems that when we really connect with Him, we get disconnected with other things in life, and other things become trivial in comparison
In Geeta, Lord Krishna explains about a Sthit Pragya (or Sthitprajna) person to Arjuna:
When one is completely free from all desires of the mind and is satisfied with the Eternal Being (Brahma) by the joy of Eternal Being, then one is called an enlightened (Sthita-prajna) person, O Arjuna. (2.55) A person whose mind is unperturbed by sorrow, who does not crave pleasures, and who is completely free from attachment, fear, and anger, is called Sthita-prajna ¾ a sage of steady intellect. (2.56) Those who are not attached to anything, who are neither elated by getting desired results nor troubled by undesired results, their intellect is considered steady. (2.57) When one can completely withdraw the senses from sense objects, as a tortoise withdraws its limbs into the shell for protection, then the intellect of such a person is considered steady. (2.58) The desire for sensual pleasures fades away if one abstains from sense enjoyment, but the craving for sense enjoyment remains. The craving also disappears from one who has known the Supreme Being. (2.59) Delusion or wild ideas arise from anger. The mind is bewildered by delusion. Reasoning is destroyed when the mind is bewildered. One falls from the right path when reasoning is destroyed. (2.63) A disciplined person, enjoying sense objects with senses that are under control and free from likes and dislikes, attains tranquillity. (2.64) All sorrows are destroyed upon attainment of tranquillity. The intellect of such a tranquil person soon becomes completely steady and united with the Eternal Being (Brahma). (2.65) There is neither Self-knowledge nor Self-perception to those who are not united with the Eternal Being (Brahma). Without Self-perception there is no peace, and without peace there can be no happiness. (2.66)
Gandhiji also writes in his discourse on Gita: (Ref)
He whose understanding is secure, who is undeluded, who knows Brahman and who rests in Brahman, will neither be glad to get what is pleasant, nor sad to get what is unpleasant. He who finds happiness only within, rest only within, light only within,?that yogi, having become one with nature, attains to oneness with Brahman.
Looking at the direction in which we are going and the way we are doing things, I think we are going away from what was found to be best for us by our ancestors Western civilisations are totally based on the consciousness of body. Material gains and adventures are the endless pursuits they consume their life in. Are not we going on the same path: making their ideals as our goals, and taking their thinking as our way of life? One ideal of Hinduism ' in the form of a Sthit Pragya person still reminds us that the journey has to be inwards When there is so much turbulence outside, we can't grow spiritually without peace inside And our mind should be so clear that we shouldn't say, "I believe", but we should say, "I know". Personally, without doubt, I am earning more than what my grandfather used to at my age. But am I as wise and learned as he was? If not, then where are we heading to?
At least reading the above verses and explanation, now I know for sure why my grandfather didn't speak when there was no salt in his food
(Rahul)
