Acharya Mahaprajna
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Soahamtaihaapitava bhakti-vashaan-muneesha! Kartumstavamvigata-shdkti-rapipravrittah|
Preetyaatma-veerya-mavi-chaaryamrigomrigendramNaabhyetikimnija-shishohparipaala-naartham||
O Apostle of apostles! I am incapable of narrating your finite virtues. Still, inspired by my devotion for you, I intend to compose a stotra in your praise. It is well known that to protect her fawn, even a doe puts her feet down and faces a lion, without evaluating her own strength. The reason is love.
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Alpa-shrutamshruta-vataamparihaasa-dhaamaTvad-bhakti-revamukharee-kurutebalaan-maam|
Yat-kokilahkilamadhaumadhuramvirautiTachchaaru-chaamra-kalikaa-nikaraika-hetuh||
I am so ignorant that I am an object of ridicule for the wise. Still, my devotion for you compel me to sing hymns in your praise, just as the beautiful bunch of mangoes compel the cuckoo to produce its melodious voice in spring.
Acharya Maantung was ready to concede defeat when he did self introspection based on intellect. He found himself incompetent for the task. Nonetheless, he realized that a person's life is not guided by intellect alone. Life is regulated by two factors - intellect and emotion. Our emotions affect our life much more than we realize. This is clear in the questions that arise now and then. Despite being an intellectual person how did he do this? We forget the fact that intensity of emotions masks our intellect.
When Acharya Maantung weighed the task of eulogizing the Lord against his own intellect, he was ready to give it up. But, as soon as he viewed it from the emotional perspective of devotion, his way of thinking changed.
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Soahamtaihaapitava bhakti-vashaan-muneesha! Kartumstavamvigata-shdkti-rapipravrittah|
Preetyaatma-veerya-mavi-chaaryamrigomrigendramNaabhyetikimnija-shishohparipaala-naartham||
Acharya Maantung says - 'My intellect may become a subject of mockery for the intellectuals. But, my level of devotion is not inferior to anyone else. Therefore, I will definitely hail you.' Intensity of devotion and faith became so magnified that intellect became insignificant for him. Dominance of intellect weakens faith. However, when impulses of faith and devotion strengthen, intellect becomes trivial.
The Power of Emotions
Emotions act behind every action. In the case of Acharya Maantung, the emotion of devotion was intense. He exclaimed - 'For me, there is nothing to be fearful of. It is apparent that a feeble animal such as a deer gets ready to fight a ferocious lion to protect its fawn.Be it human or animals all have a natural tendency to protect their off-springs.They forsake their lives for their children's well being.What compels them to do so? What motivational factors work in the background?It is the love towards their child. The intensity of love increases so much that it overshadows fear.'
Dominance of intellect weakens faith. However, when impulses of faith and devotion strengthen, intellect becomes trivial.
According to theory of karma (A type of body; the subtle most body which is formed by material clusters qua karma), a new paradigm is revealed - two contradictory sub-categories of karma cannot produce results at the same time. Fear and anger are the sub-categories of the same karma i.e., mohaniya karma (deluding karma). Since they are contradictory in nature, they cannot produce results in conjunction with each other. When the intensity of fear increases, it diminishes anger, and when anger rises it diminishes the intensity of fear. Why is a soldier not frightened when going for battle considering he may die in battle? It is because courage, aggravation and the prospect of defeating the enemy overpowers the impulse of fear of death. Similarly, whenever a businessman indulges in any immoral or illegal act, he has a fear of being caught, but the intensity of the instinct of greed dominates that of fear. The intensity of one instinct diminishes the other instinct.
In jest, a person said to a young man - I saw your wife talking to a stranger last night. The man lost his temper as soon as he heard this. Armed with a stick, he took his position near the door and exclaimed -'Let her come. I will break her head.' After some time, when his temper subsided he was baffled by the thought - 'Oh What am I doing? I am not even married yet'
Increase in the intensity of impulses or emotions, decreases the knowledge of reality. It is not only the body that fights, but impulses fight too. Acharya Maantung exclaimed - I will glorify you on the basis of bhakti (devotion). Without thinking about its own fragility even a feeble deer gets ready to fight a fierce lion in order to protect its child, then why should I be concerned about my mediocre power of intellect?'
Here is a story that describes emotions beautifully:
A hunter aimed an arrow to kill a deer. The deer realized the impossibility of escaping the situation. In pitiful words, it said to the hunter –
Aadaaymaansa-makhilamstana-varjitaan-gaad, Maam munch vaagurika!yaamikuruprasaadam|
Addyaapishasya-kavala-grahanaana-bhigyaah, Man-maarga-vikhshan-paraahshishavomadiyaah||
'Hunter! Before killing me, please listen to me. You may take away all parts of my body but, I request you to leave my two breasts. I have two small kids who have not yet started eating grass. Both are anxiously waiting for me to feed them milk. Not for me but have mercy on my kids and release me for some time.'Who do you think is speaking here? This is the voice of the emotion of love. Whenever love, devotion and faith are intensified, intellect becomes secondary. Acharya Maantung wishes to praise the Lord using the strong emotions of faith and devotion. The resolution which was shaken earlier because of the inferior notion of intellect got balanced with the support of faith and devotion. When impulse of devotion is intensified intellect becomes negligible and when faith and devotion strengthen they marginalize intellect.
Energized by emotion of devotion Acharya Maantung said:
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Alpa-shrutamshruta-vataamparihaasa-dhaamaTvad-bhakti-revamukharee-kurutebalaan-maam|
Yat-kokilahkilamadhaumadhuramvirautiTachchaaru-chaamra-kalikaa-nikaraika-hetuh||Despite my incompetence and being a subject of mockery for competent scholars and intellectuals, I will nonetheless praise Lord Rishabh. The cuckoo sings only after the mango trees bear the sprouts, and its voice becomes melodious only after eating them. Clearly, mango sprouts are the cause of the melodious voice of cuckoo. Similarly, you are the cause of my devotion that has led me to create this stuti.
We have many elements in our body which enhance power. The state of intense emotion stimulates the functioning of inner organs of our body. Adrenal gland secretes excess hormones making the person bolder and consequently he is able to do anything.
Never Act on an Impulse
Just like intellect, emotions also have limitations. Emotions alone cannot function everywhere. It is essential to evaluate emotions too. How much devotion is there? How much faith one has?
Great poet Bharvi has aptly said: Sahasaavidadheetanakriyaam- We should never act on an impulse.
If we act out of impulse, we will be left with nothing but repentance.Lying on his death bed, Great poet Bharvi said to his son - I am leaving an asset for you.
The son asked - What is that asset?
He wrote a stanza on a slip of paper and handed it over to his son saying - 'If you get into a financial crisis or any other problem, sell this stanza for one lakh rupees.'
During that era people used to erect stalls in the town's market place. There was a tradition that after selling items throughout the day if anything remains unsold with the merchant, it would be purchased by the state. After Bharvi's death, his son was engulfed by economic difficulties. In those difficult moments, he decided to sell the verse given by his father. As per his father's suggestion, he went to the market with the note. He hung the slip with the verse at one place. Bharvi's son priced the verse at one lakh rupees. People came, saw the verse and as soon as they heard its price, they left. Nobody was ready to buy that verse. In the evening, as per the tradition the king bought the verse for one lakh rupees. He got that verse framed and hung it in his bedroom.
Soon the king had to travel abroad for some work. He spent many days there and returned home on a dark night. He reached his palace and peeped into his bedroom. In dim light, he was surprised to see the queen sleeping with a young man. As soon as he saw this, he got furious. In a bid to kill both he took his sword out from the sheath. Just as he was about to attack, the verse 'Sahasaavidadheetanakriyaam' caught his eyes The king was a scholar of Sanskrit As soon as he read the verse he lowered his sword and woke up the queen. She heartily welcomed him.
He then asked her in a raised voice - Who is sleeping beside you?
The queen replied - 'Did you not recognise her? She is your daughter, Vasumati. Today in the theatre she played the role of a king. She came late at night and slept with me without changing her costume'.
The queen woke her daughter. She got up and bowed to her father.
Overwhelmingly, he said - 'While buying this verse I had thought that I was wasting one lakh for a worthless thing, but today I have understood that this verse is priceless. It has saved me from a great tragedy!
It is essential to understand the limit of both intellect as well as emotions. Acharya Maantung realized its limits and was assured. Only devotion or faith is not enough to eulogize lord. It requires intellect too. Intellect and devotion blend at a conciliatory level as they understand the limitations of each other. When intellect found itself inefficient, devotion elevated it and when devotion found itself incompetent, intellect took over.
Reaching beyond the initial conflict of emotion and intellect Acharya Maantung became completely absorbed in his resolve to eulogize Lord Rishabh.
