Sri Suka
The kings of Janakapuri have been known as Sri Janaka Maharajas. The best known of them is Sri Janaka, the father of Sri Sitadevi, who ruled Janakapuri during the Ramayana period. Tradition says the Ramayana period is said to be trethayuga and that of the Mahabaratha period is dwaparayuga. Sri Ganesha, as told to him by Sri Vyasa Maharishi, wrote the Mahabaratha. Sri Vyasa Maharishi had a son, Sri Suka. He is known as Sri Suka Brimham since he is a Brimha Gyani. He is the main narrator in the great epic Sri Bhagavat, which is read world over and covers the entire knowledge of the universe and is known as the encyclopaedia of the Dharma of mankind.
Sri Suka Brimham
To illustrate the Brihmatwa of Sri Suka there is an anecdote. Sri Sukdevji, son of Sri Veda Vyasa, is a Brihma Gyani from his birth itself. He was revelling in Brihmasukam after realising the eternal bliss, hence known as Suka Brihman. He was able to see Brihman in everything, be it trees or the chirping of birds. It is known that seeing or hearing an enlightened soul makes our pranna raise, for the very presence of the enlightened soul elevates us and the pranna in us. Once, when Suka was passing a riverbank, the women who were taking baths in the river rose to see the enlightened soul—the Suka. The cloths wrapped around them were falling off, but they seemed immersed at the sight of Sri Suka Brihma. Sri Veda Vyasa was following Sri Suka, and on seeing Sri Veda Vyasa, the women realised that their clothes had fallen, and they wrapped them on their bodies again. When the women were questioned by Sri Vyasa, they replied, ‘One who is not conscious of his body or his nakedness, how can he know of our nakedness? Suka is Suka Brihman’. Such is the state of Sri Sukadevji, the Jeevan muktha. Nothing disturbed him. He was revelling in Brihma Suka. Nothing mattered to him.
Sri Suka Brimham the Brihma Gyani
Sri Suka Brihma, so called since he is a Brihma Gyani, was camping at the place called Naimisaranya. The place Naimisaranyam was a dense forest, and many sages, including Sri Vyasa, had performed thapas there. It is said that Lord Narayana Himself had created a pond known as Chakragund with the Sudershan Chakra for the use of sages. Sri Suka Brihma, who had no worldly attachment, heard the chirping of the birds and talk of insects and animals in Naimisaranyam. They were all talking of Sri Krishna the Parabrimha Paramathma there. Sri Suka, who was revelling in 'ananda,’ was disturbed, and the mind was inquisitive for knowledge on Sri Krishna. He proceeded to enquire about Sri Krishna and the Krishna amrith from his father, Sri Veda Vyasa, the embodiment of ‘gyana’. To which Sri Vyasa told Sri Suka to go to Janakapuri and meet Sri Janak Maharaj to seek a reply.
Sri Janak Maharaj and Sri Krishnaamritha
As directed by Sri Vyasa, Sri Suka travelled to Janakapuri to meet Sri Janak Maharaj. He was received with reverence and honours offered to a great sage by Sri Janak. He requested that he stay in the kingdom for some time. He showered his hospitality on Sri Suka. He then returned to attending to his duties relating to his royal position as ‘dharma paripalanan’. Sri Suka seeked enlightenment with the gyana about ‘Sri Krishnaamritha'. He awaited an opportunity to speak to Sri Janak. While he stayed at the palace, Sri Suka observed Sri Janak attending to all his duties as a noble king and enjoying the royal comforts. Sri Suka was unable to understand why his guru and father, Sri Vyasa, had sent him to Sri Janak, who seemed to not have abandoned any worldly pleasures. Impatient as he was, he thought of enquiring from Sri Janak. Sri Janak, who had just retired to his chamber, was informed that Sri Suka wants an audience with him. When Sri Suka was brought into Sri Janak’s chamber, the chamber was warm with the fire from the wood, and the king sat beside his wife in her warmth. On seeing this, Sri Suka could not bear it and thought it was better to return. He thought a person who is revelling in royal comforts couldn’t be a gyani who could enlighten him about ‘Sri Krishaamritha’.
Sri Janak Maharaj the Brihma Gyani
While he was about to leave the chamber, he smelt as if skin were burning. Sri Suka turned and saw inside the chamber. To his astonishment, he saw that Sri Janak’s hands were burning in the fire lighted for heating the chamber. There was no reaction to this by Sri Janak Maharaj. Alas! Sri Janak was unaware of this and absolved in thoughts of the Lord. Sri Suka then realised that Sri Janak is a great sage even while performing the role of a ruler.
Trethayuga Brihma Gyani
While this was the reference to the Brihma Gyani of the Dwaparayuga, there was a Brihma Gyani in the Trethayugam, the Ramayana period. The reference is Lord Anjaneya, the Hanuman. He is the son of Sri Vayu, who performs his duty without any anticipation of what so ever. Sri Anjaneya is the only person who has been embraced by Sri Rama, the Parabrimha Paramathma. In the Ramayana dhyana sloka, “veda vedye pare pumsi," it is stated that Sri Dasaratha’s son, Sri Rama, is the Parabrimha Paramathma as seen in the Vedas. None other than Sri Rama himself had enlightened Sri Anjaneya the Brihma Gyani.
Hanuman in search of Sita
Hanuman goes in search of Sita to Lanka. He had the descriptions of Matha Sri Sita, whom he had never seen before. He comes across several women who were in shabbily dressed states. They had been playing music to entertain Ravana and had fallen asleep over those very musical instruments in an intoxicated state. He was bound to see them while searching for Sita in Lanka. He sees Ravana there for the first time, lying like a heap of black gramme who hissed like a serpent while he breathed.
Then he enters the anteroom, where he finds a royal lady wearing all ornaments and sleeping comfortably. Looking at her, he thinks that she must be Sita and feels happy that he has found Sita. At that joyous moment, he just kisses his tail, as any vanara would have done it, happily sings, climbs the pillar, and jumps to the ground. Then he thought again for a moment to himself and came to the conclusion that she cannot be Sita.
Na Ramena Viyukthasa Swapthumarhato bhamini |
na bhokthum napyalankarthum napanampasevitham |
aneyamathi nischithya pana bhomow chacharasaha ||(val. s.k. 11.2)
न रामेण वियुक्ता सा स्वप्तुमर्हति भामिनी ।
न भॊक्तु नाप्यलंकर्तु न पानमुपसेवितुम् ॥
अन्येयमिति निश्चित्य पानभूमौ चचार सः ॥
i.e., having been separated from Rama, Sita cannot sleep like this; she would not use ornaments or make-up and drink and sleep like this. So she must be someone other than Sita. So, he moved on to search for her elsewhere.
Now look at the ease with which Sri Anjaneya Swami had scanned the entire area of Ravana’s palace for Sita, whose description is known to him. Great is his thinking even while there in Lanka; he places Ravana in esteem as "Mahatma," but for the act of kidnapping Sita (val s.k. 9.75). The women in the palace had not disturbed his mind. At one stage he had seen Mandodhari, wife of Lankeswara, and mistook her to be Sita. Look at the reaction, his joy for having traced Sita, especially the words “ashpotayaamasa susumbha pucham” (val s.k. 10.55), and how innocent he is without any vikalpam. There was not an iota of kalmisha in his thinking, even for a moment.
Anjaneya, the Brihma Gyani of Trithayuga
To make us understand this, Sri Valmiki had made Sri Anjaneya think loudly with the word “kinchit vaikritya mupapadyate” (val s.k. 11.41). Sri Anjaneya Swami being a Naistika Brahmachari had not even for a moment thought about the women. Such is the thinking of this great Brihma Gyani of Trithayuga, who is wedded to the idea of serving the cause of his Lord. He thereby served humanity and the dharma. He had witnessed the last two Yugas. He refused to return to Vaikunta in order to serve the needs of the devotees of his lord Sri Rama during the Kali yuga too. Let us serve our prayers to these Brihma Gyanies and serve humanity in what we might we could.
Jai Anjaneya Jai Sri Rama Jai Jai Sri Rama Anjaneya.
|| Sri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram ||
|| Sri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram ||
ED [2nd January 2003]