The meaning or essence of Life

There in the eternal flow of time in one’s life, a situation will come when the individual harbours
doubts on the very existence. One such instance has been cited by one of my friends in his email:
I am very confused about the definition of living!
Radha Govinda Mandir tells me to leave everything and only chant Maha mantra and that is their
definition!
If I drop off studying, working and earning to live, then how do I get clothes, food and shelter!
If no money, no one wants me including wife, daughter and sometimes mother as each one of them
kicks me away to go and earn money!
Even in the Krishna Mandir, I cannot get free food rest of my life.
No money no life!
No money, no wife, no family, no relationships and no friends and no life!
Earning money no life!
Daily Govinda Nama Sangeertham, no free food forever!
What is life! What a life!
What to do Sir?
The contents of that email triggered my mind. Here is one of the most esoteric queries. In fact the
raison d’etre of life is being questioned.
My way of looking at this query is “had it been understood or answered, there would not be these
many religions, these many preachers, Gurus, Saints, Ascetics! Or anthologies or tomes and tomes of
written word on this abstract concept! “
At some point of everyone’s life journey this question props up. What I learnt (still trying to
understand with my limited comprehension ability) is the following:
In the 18th Adhyaya of Bhagavad Gita there are three stanzas 46-48 which I do always reminisce in
situations when I also fall into the trap of trying to decipher the query raised. These stanzas are:
यतः
वृिभूतानां येन सविमदं ततम्
वकमणा तमयय िसं वंदित मानवः (46)
yataù pravåttir bhütänäà yena sarvam idaà tatam
sva-karmaëä tam abhyarcya siddhià vindati mänavaù
(By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings and who is all-pervading, a man can attain
perfection through performing his own work.)
ेयावधम िवगुणः परधमावनुि तान्
वभाविनयतं कम कु व"ा#ोित %कि&बषम् (47)
çreyän sva-dharmo viguëaù para-dharmät sv-anuñöhität
svabhäva-niyataà karma kurvan näpnoti kilbiñam
(It is better to engage in one’s own occupation, even though one may perform it imperfectly, than to
accept another’s occupation and perform it perfectly. Duties prescribed according to one’s nature
are never affected by sinful reactions.)
सहजं कम क)तेय सदोषमिप न यजेत्
सवारंभा िह दोषेण धूमन
े ाि+,रवावृताः (48)
saha-jaà karma kaunteya sa-doñam api na tyajet
sarvärambhä hi doñeëa dhümenägnir ivävåtäù
(Every endeavor is covered by some fault, just as fire is covered by smoke. Therefore one should not
give up the work born of his nature, O son of Kunté, even if such work is full of fault.)
Underlining principle is rely on one’s own occupation and internal resources; do not get carried away
by the extraneous enticements however much attractive they seem to be. Life becomes simple and
“living” has a definitive meaning which has a natural flow dictated by one’s own occupation.
This has been very beautifully illustrated in Mahabharatha (Aranya Parvam 5th Aswasam) by the
revered sage Bhagawan VedaVyasa.
Once the sage Markandeya came to see the Pandavas and he recited the following story:
There was once a Brahmana, named Kausika who observed his vow of brahmacharya with great
steadfastness and devotion.
One day, he sat under a tree reciting the Vedas. A crane, perched on the top of the tree, defiled his
head with its droppings. He looked up at it, and his angry look killed the bird and it fell down dead.
The Brahmana was pained when he saw the dead bird lying on the ground.
(How frightful it would be if wishes fulfilled themselves, if each hasty or angry wish took effect at
once! How much there would be to regret or repent afterwards! It is lucky for us that wishes depend
on outward circumstances for accomplishment, since that saves us from much sin and sorrow.)
Kausika sorrowed that the evil thought that passed in his mind in a moment of anger had killed an
innocent bird. But for a fleeting moment he was proud of himself for having achieved power to
realise the wishes.
Sometime later, he went as usual to beg alms.
He stood before the door of a house to receive his dole. The housewife was cleansing utensils at that
time. Kausika waited in the hope that she would attend to him after her work was over. In the
meantime the master of the house returned, tired and hungry, and the wife had to attend to his
wants, wash and dry his feet and serve him with food. In this preoccupation she seemed to have
forgotten the mendicant waiting outside.
After her husband had been cared for and fed, she came out with alms to the mendicant. She said: "I
am sorry to have kept you waiting long. Pardon me."
Kausika, burning with anger, said: "Lady, you have made me wait for such a long time. This
indifference is not fair."
The woman told the Brahmana: "Best of Brahmanas, kindly do forgive me. I was serving my husband
and hence the delay."
The Brahmana remarked: "It is right and proper to attend on the husband, but the Brahmana also
should not be disregarded. You seem an arrogant woman."
She said: "Be not angry with me and remember that I kept you waiting only because I was dutifully
serving my husband. I am no crane to be killed by a violent thought and your rage can do no harm to
the woman who devotes herself to the service of her husband."
The Brahmana was taken aback. He wondered how the woman knew of the crane incident.
She continued: "O great one, you do not know the secret of duty, and you are also not aware that
anger is the greatest enemy that dwells in man. Forgive the delay in attending to you. Go to Mithila
and be instructed in the secret of good life by Dharmavyadha living in that city."
The Brahmana was amazed. He said: "I deserve your just admonition and it will do me good. May all
good attend you."
With these words he went to Mithila.
Kausika reached Mithila and looked for Dharmavyadha's residence, which he thought would be
some lonely hermitage far from the noise and bustle of common life.
He walked along magnificent roads between beautiful houses and gardens in that great city and
finally reached a butcher's shop, in which was a man selling meat. His amazement was great when
he learnt that this man was Dharmavyadha.
The Brahmana was shocked beyond measure and stood at a distance in disgust.
The butcher suddenly rose from his seat, came to the Brahmana and inquired:
"Revered sir, are you well? Did that chaste Brahmana lady send you to me?"
The Brahmana was stupefied.
"Revered sir, I know why you have come.
Let us go home," said the butcher and he took the Brahmana to his house where he saw a happy
family and was greatly struck by the devotion with which the butcher served his parents. Kausika
took his lessons from that butcher on dharma, man's calling and duty.
Afterwards, the Brahmana returned to his house and began to tend his parents, a duty, which he
had rather neglected before.
Maharshi Vedavyasa emphasizes this great truth by making a scholarly Brahmana, who did not know
it, learn it from a butcher, who lived it in his humble and despised life.
Man reaches perfection by the honest pursuit of whatever calling falls to his lot in life, and that this
is really worship of God who created and pervades all. The occupation may be one he is born to in
society or it may have been forced on him by circumstances or be may have taken it up by choice.
But what really matters is the spirit of sincerity and faithfulness with which he does his life's work.
That is “living!”

It is not only the Hindu mythology teaches us what is “Life” and how does one go about “living a
perfect life”. Let me take an example from English literature. Erich Segal’s book “The Class” captures
this philosophy very poignantly without ever overtly stating even for once.
The Class is the tale of five men of the fictional Harvard class of 1958. The story starts at an age of
innocence and spans across 25 years taking the reader through the life and loves of the five
protagonists. The book is divided neatly into three parts 'The College Years', 'Real life' and 'Reunion'.
The story culminates in the 25th reunion of the class where they have to confluence their classmates
and a balance sheet of their own lives. Each character has flaws in itself and we see these flaws in
ourselves too. It captures the innocence of the thoughts of a few of the best minded men of the
world. Danny Rossi, Jason Gilbert, Theodore Lambros, George Keller and Andrew Eliot.
The journey of these young minds start within the safe and closed walls of the Harvard premises and
as a tributary flows them into something which grownups call 'life...as an adult'. From the safe nest
of their alma mater, with memories to treasure, values to remember and friends to admire, they set
out on their own, each on a different goal, towards their ideal life. Soon though, they realise what
life has in store for them. Past encounters, loved ones splitting up and getting back together, a
discovery of faith and religion, sort of a 'Born Again Jew' if that concept existed and above all the
sacrifices they make to reach the top.
This book is perhaps the real eye opener as to what often people very casually quote as 'Life's
unfair...deal with it'. This has been elegantly captured in the character of Andrew Eliot. One can
easily relate himself to this character. We read most of his story in an autobiographical fashion
through his dairies. He has nothing extraordinary about him on the surface. Scratch the surface and
what you see is an amazingly wonderful human being.
We may think of a miracle as something out of the ordinary, yet that which is ordinary is itself a most
wonderful miracle. From ordinary days come exceptional joys. From ordinary lives come outstanding
accomplishments. The character of Andrew Eliot is something that can be described thus.
His brand of self-deprecatory humor stays unforgettable in the memory of the reader. He comes
across as one who takes life as it comes but never stops from being the good guy. He does his good
deeds in an unassuming manner. Andrew Eliot stands tall as one full of virtues but himself not
knowing them.

One of the names of Lord Vishnu in Sri Vishnusahasranama is a beautiful name “Adhokshaja” It is the
417th name in stanza 44.
वैकुंठः पु.षः
ाणः
ाणदः
णवः पृथुः
िहर1यगभ3शतृ5ो 6ा7ो वायुरधो8जः (44)
vaikuNThah purushah praaNah praaNadah praNavah pruthuh |
hiraNyagarbhas satrughno vyAptO vAyuradhOkshajah ||

There are many interpretations and anubhavams of erudite scholars and saints. One of the
interpretations (I should say the anubhavam of Adi Sankara) given by Adi Sankara for the Name
“Adhokshaja”
He who is perceived when the sense organs (aksha gaNa-s) are made inward-looking is Adhokghaja.
Adi Sankara gives reference to the following verse in support of the above anubhavam:
अधो भूते98गणे
य:ूप
वािहते
जायते तय वै<ानम् तेन अधो8ज उयते
adho bhUte hyakshagaNe pratyag-rUpa-pravAhite |
jAyate tasya vaij~nAnam tena adhokshaja ucyate ||

Please look inwardly to perceive the Lord. Please look inwardly to perceive what you want to be!
When the former is possible there should not be any iota of doubt that the latter is not possible!
There could be many other examples to exemplify the essence of “looking inwardly” for realisation.
I strongly believe in Adi Sankara’s philosophy namely look inwardly for solution and not outside!

Life as given by the Lord is simple without any complications. It is we make it more complex by
giving unrealisable and impractical attributes.
My friend raised so many queries:
“I am very confused about the definition of living!
Radha Govinda Mandir tells me to leave everything and only chant Maha mantra and that is their
definition!
If I drop off studying, working and earning to live, then how do I get clothes, food and shelter!
If no money, no one wants me including wife, daughter and sometimes mother as each one of
them kicks me away to go and earn money!
Even in the Krishna Mandir, I cannot get free food rest of my life.
No money no life!
No money, no wife, no family, no relationships and no friends and no life!
Earning money no life!
Daily Govinda Nama Sangeertham, no free food forever!
What is life! What a life!
What to do Sir?”
The essence of the three stanzas of Bhagavad Gita and the story of Dharmavyadha in Mahabharatha
and even the contents of the novel The Class or the name Adhokshaja do not advise any individual to
take recourse mentioned in the email.