MANKI GITA

Contents

.  Introduction

.  Teachings of the Manki Gita

.  Conclusion

Introduction

Manki Gita is in the epic Mahabharata Book 12 Mokshaparva as a part of Shanti Parva. A number of Gitas are present in the Mahabharata other than the Bhagavat Gita like Anu Gita, Bodhya Gita, Brahmana Gita, Hari  Gita, Manki Gita, Harita Gita, Parasara Gita, Pingala Gita, Sampaaka Gita, Uttara Gita, Vicakhnu Gita, Vidura Gita, Vritra Gita, Vyaadha Gita out of which most of them appear in book 12 Mokshaparva as a part of Shanti Parva. Manki Gita consists of fifty verses. It’s the story of a Muni named Manki who had two bullocks. He wished to utilise them for agricultural work to earn more money so he tied them to a yoke with the intention of training them. Unfortunately there was a camel lying in the field and the bullocks hit it. When the camel woke with a start, it was shocked to find that two bullocks were dangling on either side of its neck and in fear it began to get up and run. The Muni realised that this would cause injury to his bullocks and they could even die. Suddenly the thought of this loss brought in the Muni a state of awakening and enlightenment.

Teachings of the Manki Gita

In the Mahabharata, Yudhishthira asks Bhishma what a person should do if he wishes to perform acts of charity and sacrifices but cannot find the necessary wealth and this desire overwhelms him, then how should he find happiness.

Bhishma replies that one who attains the state of equanimity where joy or sorrow, riches or poverty etc does not affect him, who speaks the truth and who is free from all attachments will achieve happiness. He narrated the story of Manki who had tried all means to acquire more money and when his plan backfired realised that if one was not destined to acquire wealth, no matter how clever and accomplished a man was, it could never be acquired if destiny did not will it. Manki then realised that the root cause of all evil was desire and by his foolishness he had succumbed to the lure of his senses and become foolish and greedy. He realised how he had been wasting his time pursuing his desires and had become a slave to his passions. He felt that even if he had acquired wealth, maintaining it and preserving it would have been a futile task and on its consumption he would have required to employ means to acquire it regularly which would result only in more and more worry and craving of the mind. He immediately awakened to the force of his desire and berating himself renounced it totally. Developing compassion, forgiveness, restraint, renunciation  and giving up greed and desire he realised the Brahma Tattva.

Conclusion

It is said that only a spark is required to start a conflagration, similarly Manki had reached the state of spiritual maturity where he required only a spark in the form of the death of his two bullocks to awaken him to give up desire and greed and attain enlightenment. By cutting the very roots of desire Manki gained  immortality.