SANATSUJATA GITA

Contents

. Introduction

. Teachings of the Sanatsujata Gita

. Conclusion

Introduction

The Sanatsujata Gita is contained in the Mahabharata in the Udyoga Parva, chapters 41 to 46 and is in the nature of a dialogue between Dhritharashtra the Kaurava king and Rishi Sanatsujata.

The Udyoga Parva or the book of effort is the fifth of the eighteen books or Parvas of the Mahabharata. It describes the period immediately after the exile of the Pandavas has ended and it includes the efforts to make peace between the Pandavas and the Kauravas which fails and then describes the efforts to prepare for the great Kurukshetra war.

Sage Sanatsujata was one of the Manas putras of Lord Brahma. Adi Shankara wrote commentaries on Sanatsujatiyam as it was referred to as it contains several highly philosophical discussions on Brahma Vidya.

Dhritharashtra was highly disturbed about the impending war and asked Vidura for moral words of encouragement and support. Vidura tried to offer solace to the King by speaking on fairplay, righteousness, justice,           and royal duties and when he said that they were not ultimate ends in themselves but there is a higher goal in life called Amritatvam or immortality, Dhritharashtra was intrigued and wanted to know about this higher Truth. Vidura said that he was unfit to impart this instructions and requested his preceptor Sage Sanatsujata, a Brahma Jnani to instruct King Dhritharashtra.

Teachings of the Sanatsujata Gita

Dhritharashtra bowed to Rishi Sanatsujata and asked him that how is it he says that there is no death when the Gods and Asuras perform austerities to avoid death. Sanatsujata said that both are truths since creation as the wise say that death results from ignorance so absence of ignorance results in knowledge which declares immortality. Ignorance leads to the belief of defeat and death as the Asuras believed in while the Gods through knowledge attained the state of Brahman. Weakness of the mind deludes one to think of Yama as death. Desires and attachment clouds the reasoning in man and keeps him away from his real nature. Falling prey to their senses they repeatedly wander through lifetimes in various cycles of birth and death. Those who have conquered their minds and senses through knowledge escape death. Just as the body is destroyed under the influence of death, death itself is destroyed under the influence of knowledge. Then Dhritharashtra asked as to why a learned person should not have recourse to religious acts like prayers and sacrifices. Sanatsujata said that he who regards the material body to be self, at once attains Brahman if he succeeds in renouncing desire. Without renouncing desire, it is impossible to achieve success on the spiritual path. Prayers and sacrifices and all spiritual practices are performed to still the vagaries of the mind and concentrate it on the Self. They are aids to help the seeker and only means to an end and not the end in itself.

Dhritharashtra then asks about the ordinary soul and the Supreme soul and Sanatsujata replies that both are not identical. They resemble the space inside a vessel and the space outside. One is limited and finite while the other is unlimited and infinite. The individual soul is limited due to ignorance. Through knowledge it becomes expansive. Dhritharashtra asks can virtue destroy vice or does it succumb to vice. Sanatsujata says that virtue is strong and destroys all sins if it is tempered by knowledge.  Dhritharashtra then asks what are the eternal regions that can be attained as fruits by persons engaged in virtue. Sanatsujata replies that the most perfect ones reach heaven, those who practice austerities and sacrifices proceed to the abode of the deities. The Brahmana seeks only Supreme knowledge. He says that it is better to concentrate on the means to attain self realisation and practise the various techniques with prayer, devotion, meditation, simple living and grace of a Guru rather than concentrate on the eternal regions. Dhritharashtra then asks what is the true aspect of mauna(ascetism). Sanatsujata said that the whole universe is said to have originated with Pranava or aum. So Mauna meant restraining the mind and the external senses. By means of such restraint, the internal and external worlds ceased to be perceived as existing and thus the highest goal could be attained. Dhritharashtra asked if the knowledge of the Vedas was sufficient for being free from sins and grasping the concept of Brahman. Sanatsujata said that without restraining the senses and stilling the mind, knowledge of Vedas would not be of any use to such a person. Along with the knowledge of Vedas, the seeker has to destroy sin by virtue and lead the mind from bondage to liberation by controlling and harnessing it. Ascetism has to be accompanied by virtue and negative qualities which come under the six categories of greed, pride, jealousy, lust, anger and attachment have to be removed. Only then can one attain the Brahman and gain immortality. Even one evil tendency can bring down the seeker and lead to his downfall. Emancipation can occur only with knowledge of the self, self restraint and renunciation. The six kinds of renunciation are- never being elated by prosperity, offering of gifts at Vedic ceremonies and charity, abandonment of desire, being unaffected by pain or grief, not soliciting one’s family or anyone who may be dear and gifting to a deserving person who solicits. These acts help to gain knowledge of the Self. Truthfulness, meditation, contemplation, reflection, indifference to worldly objects, refraining from stealing, abstinence and non acceptance of gifts are the attributes to be cultivated. Dhritharashtra asks what is required to be known like Vedas, Puranas, worship of deities etc to possess knowledge of the Brahman. Sanatsujata replied that there is only one Brahman which is Truth’s self. Intellectual knowledge only makes one a good reader. Realisation of the truth from within and practising the truths should be the main goal. The true Brahmana is one who has experienced the Truth for himself. After the senses have been restrained and the mind withdrawn from worldly objects has merged in the pure intellect, it abides in the Brahman. The first step to Brahmacharya is performing duties according to one’s class. The second step to Brahmacharya is respecting the preceptor’s family. The third step is following the preceptor’s instructions faithfully. The fourth step is offering Guru Dakshina to the preceptor. By the grace of the preceptor, mind control, yoga practices and perseverance the disciple gains true wisdom. The Brahman cannot be described. It is beyond the reach of the limited intellect, it can never be made or destroyed. It is Eternal. Immutable, Unchangeable, Effulgent. It is manifest as the universe, free from all kinds of duality and all pervading. Restraining all senses, one should seek the Brahman alone. It is due to the Brahman that there is creation, expansion, luminosity and divinity. It is not limited by time, space or matter. The Eternal One endued with divinity is beheld by Yogis in consciousness. He then explains concepts of three attributes, states of consciousness, sense organs of action and perception, the mind, intellect and other concepts to explain further the Supreme Effulgent Brahman.

Conclusion

The Sanatsujata Gita explains the Concept of Brahman, mind, intellect and the methods of attaining the Brahman. It explains the means to attain self realisation and the obstacles that prevent the seeker from attaining the goal.