THE JOURNEY OF INDRIYAS THROUGH PUNARJANMA

Architha S N
M.A in Vedic Studies
Department of Sanskrit and Vedic Studies
Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, Karnataka
Email id – snarchitha6@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Indriyas – senses, are eleven (11) in number. They are five senses (hearing, touch, sight, taste, smell) Tanmatras- five sense organs (Ears, skin, eyes, tongue, nose,) and the mind. These are the fundamental cause for one’s rebirth. An abstained person can easily follow this path. Such a person will never have perplexion until merging of self with the cosmos. This journal will help the reader to improve in broadening reader’s thinking and progress in spirituality.

Key words – Senses, sense organs, mind, rebirth, cosmos, Punarjanma, spirituality.

OBJECTIVES

How senses will be the cause of rebirth.
Is it really going to work practically.
To give more details and understanding of Rebirth.
To identify the relationship of senses, sense organs, karma and Punarjanma.

INTRODUCTION

The Creator had created the world. Then He had concealed himself in every being just to guide them to merge back into Himself; But, fate is that, immersed in enjoying the petty worldly pleasures, humans have completely forgotten their creator God. This is the kind of life being spent by the present generation. Guru plays a major role in everyone’s life when it comes to earning the Grace of God. To attain Guru’s blessings, one has to follow the discipline, dedication and have devotion towards Guru. In the ancient days, due to distortion of formal education and highly rigid and misinterpreted caste system, and other factors, except the brahmins, most others were denied access to learning. As a result, humans forgot the very purpose of their Birth. In the era of Guru-shishya Parampara*, where the students/ disciples were sitting at the feet of the Guru to receive the knowledge, the disciple with control of mind and subdued senses, was able to achieve success because of the constant practice of meditation and the guidance from the Guru. Mind is the tool that helps one attain Moksha-liberation and also for falling trap- bandha or bondage**.

*Guru-shishya Parampara- lineage descending from the Master to Disciple.

**mana eva manushyanam kaaranam bandha mokshayoh it is said.

HOW SENSES LEAD ONE TO PUNARJANMA

Jagadguru Sri Adi Shankaracharya says in Vivekachudamani* that, if animals enslaved by just one sense are meeting with their fatal end, imagine the fate of a human being constantly bombarded by all five senses, having to face an incredibly dangerous challenge in pursuit of spiritual liberation. The shlokas go like,

Śabdādibhiḥ pañcabhireva pañca pañcatvamāpuḥ svaguṇena baddhāḥ |
Kuraṅgamātaṅgapataṅgamīna bhṛṅgā naraḥ pañcabhirañcitaḥ kim ||

The deer, the elephant, the moth, the fish, and the bumblebee*—these five meet with their fatal end, being bound to one or the other of the five senses (sound, touch, sight, taste, and smell, respectively). What then, is the fate of a human being, who is simultaneously bound by all five senses?

Let us investigate these in depth now…

1. Touch: The cause of Elephant’s Downfall:

How the trap is set: In the dense forest, male elephants have an extreme drive for tactile stimulation, specifically for physical contact with female elephants. Historically, hunters utilized this urge by constructing large, camouflaged pits covered with grass and leaves. They would then use a trained, captive female elephant (a decoy) to lure the wild male into that trap.
The result: Overpowered by the irresistible desire to touch and caress the female’s body, the wild elephant would rush forward, blind to its surroundings, and falls directly into the concealed pit. Once trapped, the elephant gets captured, shackled, and stripped of its freedom.

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Vivekachudamani*- an Adwaita vedantic text by Sri Adi Shankaracharya

**The Deer:gets captivated and trapped by the hunter’s sweet music (sound).

The Elephant: gets entrapped in a pit due to its desire to rub against a mate (touch).

The Moth: Perishes by rushing into a flame (sight/form).

The Fish: gets caught on a hook due to its urge for bait (taste).

The Bee: gets trapped inside a lotus flower due to its intoxication caused by the fragrance (smell).

2. Sight: The Moth and the Fire:

How it works: A moth is instinctively drawn to sources of light to navigate. However, when it encounters artificial, intense light (like a flame), its navigational instincts get hijacked.
The result: Blinded by the sudden brightness and unable to distinguish a small light source from the sun, the moth rushes directly into the fire, perishing in the flames.

3. Sound: The Deer and the Hunter’s Music:

How it works: Deer are highly alert animals, but they have a fatal attraction to certain enchanting, harmonious melodies. Hunters often take advantage of this by playing a flute, horn, or drumbeat.
The result: Captivated by the beautiful sound, the deer loses all awareness of danger and approaches the source of the music, walking directly into a net or trap laid by the hunter.

4. Taste: The Fish and the Baited Hook:

How it works: Fish have a highly developed sense of taste and rely heavily on it to locate food. When an angler places a tasty worm or an enticing piece of food on a hidden hook, the fish’s desire for gratification overrides its natural caution.
The result: Upon biting and swallowing the bait to enjoy its taste, the fish is hooked and dragged to its death.

5. Smell: The Bumblebee and the Lotus:

How it works: Bumblebees and various insects seek out sweet floral fragrances to find pollen and nectar. A bee can become so completely intoxicated by the heavy, sweet scent of a blooming lotus flower that it forgets its surroundings.
The result: The bee burrows deep inside the flower, continuing to indulge its sense of smell and taste. When evening approaches, the petals of Lotus flowers close, the bee gets trapped inside and perishes there itself.

The Philosophical Lesson: These five examples are used to teach a deeper lesson about the fatal impact of yielding to sensory attachments. While these animals meet with their ends being lured by just one of the five senses; humans are constantly being simultaneously lured by all the five-sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. They can easily fall into deep psychological or physical dangers when they fail to control their sensory desires.

वदन्तु शास्त्राणि यजन्तु देवान् कुर्वन्तु कर्माणि भजन्तु देवताः ।
आत्मैक्यबोधेन विनापि मुक्तिः न सिध्यति ब्रह्मशतान्तरेऽपि ॥ ६ ॥

Vadantu shastrani yajantu devan, kurvantu karmani bhajantu devatah.
Atmaikya-bodhena vinapi muktih, na sidhyati brahma-shatantare’pi || 6 ||

Meaning; speaking of scriptures, offering sacrifices to gods, performing actions, praising the gods, all these are okay to go on doing. But, without realising ones Oneness with the supreme self, liberation can never be attained even if one tries as long as the hundred years of Brahma* also.#

In the verse, Adi Shankaracharya** emphasizes that while rituals, scripture-reading, and worshipping deities (Karma Kanda) are helpful for purifying the mind, they cannot grant final liberation (Moksha) on their own. The goal of human life is to realize the true, non-dual nature of the Atman (the inner self). Without this profound self-knowledge (Atma-Jnana), true freedom from the cycle of birth and death is impossible, regardless of how many rituals or good deeds a person performs.

THE GREAT TIME SCALE OF LORD BRAHMA

As we mentioned in the shloka above- Brahmashatantarepi means 100 years of Brahma. Here, is an account of our ancient sages’ calculation of time of Sathya yuga

Brahmanandavalli of taitreya Upanishad, presents a famous cosmic calculation of bliss (Ananda). It gives a picture of the progressive scale of joy, measuring human bliss against the bliss of Gandharvas, Pitrus, Devas, Indras, Brihaspati, Prajapati, and finally, Lord Brahma. The Upanishad utilizes established Vedic timeframes to quantify these states of bliss. The detailed cosmic calendar and time calculations are as follows:

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#This shloka is taken from the sacred text called Vivekachudamani*, written by Jagadguru Sri Adi Shankaracharya**. He is said to be one of the avatars of Lord Shiva Himself. It is said, he was born at Kaladi in Kerala. His parents were Shivaguru and Aryambha. His Guru was Govinda Bhagavadpada.

*Hundred years of brahma- longest span of life one can imagine as a human being.

** Sri Adi Shankaracharya- the one who founded the school of Advaita Vedanta (Non-duality) philosophy.

1. Human Time & The Yugas (Mahayuga)

In Vedic philosophy, time is cyclical and divided into four repeating Yugas, which together form one Maha-Yuga (or Chaturyuga). A Maha-Yuga lasts for 4,320,000 human years.

Satya Yuga: 1,728,000 human years
Treta Yuga: 1,296,000 human years
Dvapara Yuga: 864,000 human years
Kali Yuga: 432,000 human years

Total Maha-Yuga: 4,320,000 human years

2. Deva Time (Divine Years)

The Hindu time scale calculates time in higher realms proportionally. [1]

1 human year = 1 day for the Devas (celestial beings).
360 human years = 1 divine year (Deva Varsha).
Therefore, 1 Maha-Yuga is equivalent to 12,000 divine years (12,000 × 360 = 4,320,000 human years).

3. Days of Lord Brahma

According to the foundational texts of time calculation like the Srimad Bhagavatam, 1,000 cycles of Maha-Yugas constitute one daytime for Lord Brahma.

1 Day of Brahma (Kalpa): 1,000 X 4,320,000 = 4.32 billion human years.
1 Night of Brahma (Pralaya): Of equal duration (4.32 billion human years)
1 Full Day and Night: 8.64 billion human years.

4. The Lifespan of Lord Brahma

Using the daily rate, the total life cycle of the universe matches Lord Brahma’s lifespan of 100 years.

1 year of Brahma = 360 of his days (including nights) = 360 × 8.64 billion human years.
Lifespan of Brahma (100 years): 311 trillion 40 billion human years

(311.04 × 10¹²).

According to the Brahmananda Valli of the Taittiriya Upanishad, as a seeker’s consciousness expands beyond these vast cosmic scales and sheaths (Koshas), the supreme, boundless joy of Brahman is realized to be infinite and unquantifiable.

FOCUS MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

As it is said concentration is the Gateway to Knowledge. By seeing few examples we will get to think more and deeper. Here it goes…

THE FOCUSED

Example 1;

The Great Emperor Parikshit, the grandson of Arjuna, achieved liberation in just 7 days after renouncing his kingdom and wholly immersing himself in listening to the narration of the Srimad Bhagavatam by the radiant sage Shukadeva Gosvami ,. He mastered the fear of death, allowing his soul to attain eternal moksha, as per the curse to be bitten by the fatal serpent.

The narration goes that while hunting in a dense forest, an exhausted and parched King Parikshit arrived at the ashram of Sage Shamika. The sage was in deep meditation and failed to notice the king. Feeling ignored and fatigued, the King disrespectfully placed a dead snake around the sage’s neck lifted by his bow. Shortly after, Sage Shamika’s young and impulsive son, Shringi, learnt of the insult. Enraged, he cursed the King to die within seven days by the venomous bite of Takshaka, the king of serpents. When Sage Shamika awoke, he deeply regretted his son’s hasty reaction and sent word to warn the King.

The Path of Renunciation – Upon hearing of the curse, Parikshit felt profound remorse for his momentary arrogance. Viewing the remaining seven days of his life as an unexpected blessing, he abdicated the throne in favour of his son, Janamejaya. He travelled to the banks of the sacred Ganges and fasted completely, asking the arriving rishis what a human being must do to prepare for the moment of death.

Seven Days of Bhagavata** – Hearing of the King’s absolute surrender, the great sage Shukadeva Gosvami appeared. He narrated the Srimad Bhagavatam continuously for seven days and nights without a break.

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*Shukadeva Gosvami – the son of Veda Vyasa : Srimad Bhagavatam – —a magnificent scripture detailing the glories of the Supreme Lord, the purpose of creation, and the ultimate truth of the soul

The Ultimate Liberation – Absorbing himself entirely in the divine narrations, Parikshit withdrew his mind from the material world and transcended all fear of death. On the seventh day, Takshaka arrived disguised as a worm inside a fruit and bit the King. However, the poison could not affect Parikshit’s inner consciousness, as his soul had already ascended to the divine realm of Vaikuntha, long before his physical body was consumed by poison of takshaka.

This reading enables us to know about the way he attained the self-realisation in just seven days. This happens only to those who have the concentrated mind and restrained senses and the mind.

Example 2;

King Khatvanga, who attained liberation (moksha) in just a fraction of time (traditionally cited as 48 minutes, or one muhurta, rather than 20 minutes). His story is narrated in the Ninth Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam.

King Khatvanga was a mighty warrior who helped the demigods to defeat demons in the heavenly planes. When Lord Indra offered him any boon as a reward, Khatvanga asked how much time he had to live on earth. Indra used his divine vision and revealed that the King only had exactly 48 minutes left before death. Realizing his time was critically short, the King instantly detached himself from all worldly attachments, meditated completely on the Supreme Lord, and surrendered to His will, thus attaining ultimate liberation.

This is the 2^nd example which makes it clear that, the focused mind and controlled senses can reach the destiny in short period of time.

THE DISTRACTED

Example 1;

The story of Ajamila is a celebrated legend from the Bhagavata Purana (Canto 6) that illustrates the redemptive power of uttering God’s divine name. It teaches that sincere, or even unintentional, chanting of the Lord’s name can cleanse a lifetime of sins and grant liberation.

Ajamila was born in the city of Kanyakubja* to a virtuous and learned Brahmin family. He was raised with strict adherence to the Vedas, highly respectful of his parents, and known for his gentle, obedient, and religious nature.

One day, while returning from the forest after gathering sacrificial wood and kusha** grass, Ajamila came across a sudra (a member of the servant class) who was heavily intoxicated and in the embrace of a prostitute. Overcome by a sudden burst of lust, Ajamila abandoned his Vedic duties and his devoted Brahmin wife.

*Kanyakubja -modern-day Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh ; **kusha- a special type of grass used in sacred activities.

He gave away his ancestral wealth, left his family, and moved into a life of sin with the woman to satisfy his carnal desires. To support her and their ten children, Ajamila resorted to a life of crime, which included thievery, gambling, fraud, and holding people for ransom.

The Moment of Death – Ajamila spent his life this way until he was very old. He had an immense attachment to his youngest son, whom he had named Narayana (one of the many names of Lord Vishnu). When Ajamila was on his deathbed at the age of 88, he saw three terrifying messengers of death (Yamadutas) approaching him with nooses to drag his soul to the realms of hell (Naraka). Out of extreme fear, the old and helpless man called out loudly for his youngest son by his name, “Narayana!”

As he had chanted the divine name of the Lord at his final hour, even though it was for calling his son, four radiant messengers of Lord Vishnu (Vishnudutas) instantly appeared there. A theological debate ensued between the messengers of death and the messengers of Vishnu.
The Yamadutas argued that Ajamila was one of the most sinful men alive, he had abandoned his practice of religion, and thus rightfully belonged in hell. [, 2, 3, 4, 5]
The Vishnudutas countered that, all of Ajamila’s sins were instantly dissolved the moment he chanted the holy name ‘Narayana,’ regardless of his intent or awareness, as the Lord’s name acts like an all-consuming fire. [, 2]

Redemption

The Vishnudutas stopped the Yamadutas from taking Ajamila to hell, causing the servants of Yama to return to their master in defeat. Overhearing this divine conversation, Ajamila woke up to the realization of his rescue, felt profound remorse for his past sins, and completely repented. Granted a second chance, he renounced all his worldly attachments, travelled to the sacred banks of the Ganges in Haridwar, and spent the remainder of his life in deep penance and pure devotion. At the end of his life, he peacefully departed in a celestial aircraft to the spiritual realm of Vaikuntha.

Example 2: Gajendra Moksha*

THE STORY IS AS FOLLOWS:

Gajendra, the majestic king of a massive elephant herd, lived on Mount Trikuta. One summer, tormented by heat, he went to a beautiful lake to play and refresh himself. While he was bathing, a powerful crocodile residing in the lake suddenly plunged forward and grabbed Gajendra’s leg. What began as a playful water sport had turned into a ferocious, 1,000-year battle between the two.

*The Gajendra Moksha is a celebrated event from the Bhagavata Purana where Lord Vishnu rescues Gajendra the elephant from the clutches of a crocodile, granting both of them spiritual Liberation. It symbolizes how complete surrender to the Divine frees the soul from the illusions of the material world

Gajendra’s wives, children, and herd members initially tried their best to rescue him but ultimately abandoned him out of fear of death of themselves. When his physical strength was completely exhausted and he realized his impending doom, Gajendra lifted a fresh lotus flower with his trunk and surrendered his life completely to the Supreme Lord, reciting powerful hymns known as the Gajendra Stuti. Pleased by his pure devotion, Lord Vishnu instantly arrived on his mount, Garuda, and beheaded the crocodile using his Sudarshana Chakra, thereby saving Gajendra.

The Previous Lives of the Animals:

Both animals were not ordinary beasts but elevated souls fulfilling the consequences of their actions in previous births.

1. Gajendra (The Elephant)

Previous Life: King Indradyumna, a highly devoted and righteous king of the Pandya dynasty in Dravida. [1]
The Curse: King Indradyumna was once in a deep state of spiritual meditation, completely absorbed in worship, when the revered Sage Agastya visited his court. As he was so deeply entranced in meditation, he failed to formally welcome and respect the sage. Offended by mistaking it for arrogance, Sage Agastya cursed the king to be born as a dull-witted elephant in his next life.
The Liberation: As Indradyumna had been a true devotee, he retained his spiritual awareness and remembered his past-life prayers even in his birth as an elephant. After Vishnu rescued him, he attained Sarupya Mukti*
2. The Crocodile (Makara)
Previous Life: King Huhu, a celestial musician (a Gandharva).
The Curse: While King Huhu was playfully frolicking and bathing in a celestial river with celestial women, the great Sage Devala was performing his evening prayers nearby. In a moment of arrogant jest, Huhu swam underwater and playfully pulled the sage’s leg. Infuriated by this disrespect during a solemn ritual, Sage Devala cursed the king to be reborn as a man-eating crocodile.

The Liberation: When a terrified Huhu begged for forgiveness, the sage softened and added a blessing: the curse would end when Lord Vishnu himself kills the crocodile. Since Lord Vishnu beheaded him to save Gajendra, the crocodile shed his beastly body and was immediately restored to his beautiful Gandharva form, attaining immediate liberation.

Sarupya Mukti* (a liberated form resembling Lord Vishnu) and was taken to Vaikuntha.

CONCLUSION

The Destiny is same for every being, but it depends on us whether we take short span of time or longer. A distracted mind is not a weak mind; it is simply an untrained one. Mastery comes when you realize that your senses are servants of the mind, and the mind is a servant of your higher intellect. By consistently practicing sensory withdrawal and building mental stamina, you transit from being controlled by your environment to having complete command over your internal state.

These are the stories taken from the text called Srimad Bhagavatam, to enable the readers understand the journeys through rebirth. This Human birth is very rare to get, the purpose of the human birth is just to realise ourselves, to get the Liberation, to redeem ourselves from the clutches of illusion called maya which was created by the Lord himself. This is how the senses and the mind is related to the Punarjanma.

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This journal is a soul stirring experience to go through. The ancient wisdom shared here in modern language, is a blend of novelty and modernity. The roots of ancient wisdom supporting the tree of modern understanding by its shoots of narration in modern language will enthrall the reader and enlighten too if one immerses in its reading with one;s heart and soul in it.