The glory of Intelligence and knowledge
Sri Vasista
With such contemplation and reflection, King Janaka started performing all his kingly duties without any attachment and with steadfast and wise understanding.
His mind was never enticed into sensuous pleasures. He was always like a person asleep to worldly things.
He was indifferent to the manifest phenomenon, neither accepting nor casting it off. He was always living in the present without any hesitation (completely).
By constant discernment, the present was like the eternal for him (the present and eternal were same). Impurity never came on to him.
Due to such constant union with his discening self, his integral knowledge of the infinite became increaingly clear and pure.
The undifferentiated infallible Self of consciousness started rising in his heart- space like sun in sky.
The King, who was enlightened about the self-existent infinite self, the self of all existences, saw clearly that all states of existences and becomings are embedded in consciousness - force.
And so Janaka was always of equal mind and attitude without being affected by the movements of the world and nature. He remained unmoved without joy or sorrow.
The worship - worthy man of great wisdom and the best of the knowers of both the worlds, King Janaka become a Jivanmukta, one liberated while in life.
Janaka never came under the grip of joy or grief while ruling over the lives of his people of Videha.
In him the viles of qualities were inactive. They never arose nor were they absent. The miseries and achievements that are part of ruling over a kingdom never caused either sorrow or joy in him.
Even while performing works, he did not have the sense of ownership. And so, he was always established in his consciusness of Self.
Janaka was always in a state of sleep towards the mutable world. And so all thoughts about the various states of existence were absent in him.
He was never relating himself to the future, nor was he thinking of the past. He was committed to the present moment with a sense of elation.
O lotus - eyed Rama, Janaka achieved the infinite by his own inquiry, not though any other activity.
One should continue inquiry into self to the extent one can pursue that - almost till one realizes Self.
Whatever can not be obtained through association with wise and noble people and inquiry along with them, cannot be obtained through a teacher or though study of scriptures or by any kind of meritorious work.
The all-wise, discerning Intelligence is like a charming woman - companion. Through such a companion alone the absolute state can be attained, not by any other means.
The night of ignorance will not harass one who has the torch of the subtle and sharp intelligence, capable of discerning right and wrong, pros and cons.
O man of intelligence, through the ship of prajna, the all - wise intelligence, one can cross mighty calamities and turbulent perplexities and griefs.
Even a simple waft can unsettle a leaf of grass. Similarly a stupid person, lacking any intelligence, can be shaken by simple adversity.
-23 . O slayer of foes, a man of wisdom and intelligence can easily cross the ocean of the mutable world on his own strength even without any knowledge of scriptures. He will achieve his purpose. Not so a person without intelligance.
And so one has to increase his intellectual abilities and wisdom (prajna) through association with men of knowledge and scriptural studies. It is like watering a creeper for its proper growth.
Prajana (all-wise intelligence) is the massive root of the time - bound tree of virtuous actions. It gives sweet fruits (because of its roots). Prajana energises those actions like Sun who makes Moon shine as his reflection.
People should make the same effort, as a duty, to increase their 'prajna' as they make to increase their worldly possessions.
Sluggishness in 'prajna'should be wiped out. Otherwise it will cause untold misery and lead to enormous calamites. It is the very seed of the tree of 'samsara'.
Whatever is obtained in celestial heavens and the pleasures that are available in nether worlds - all that is gained by wise and noble souls by their treasure of 'prajna'.
O Raghava, gift-giving, piligrimages etc., cannot carry a person over the fearsome ocean of 'sansara', the way 'prajna' can ferry a person.
Whatever providential prosperity is gained by human beings, is in fact the sweet fruit born out of the creeper of 'prajna'.
With the claws, called prajna, one can bite away even wild elephants, vily foxes and lions. It is like a deer clawing away a lion.
Kingship can be gained even by a common man with 'prajna'. Eligibility for life in celestial regions is also due to one's 'prajna'.
Those endowed with 'prajna' can (easily) defeat in debates those who gloat in their own mental modifications. Even cowardly kings who pretend to be warriors can be defeated by people with 'prajna'.
Prajna is like the diamond, called Chintamani, ensconed in the casket of the heart. Like 'kalpa' tree 'prajna' delivers/grants/yields all kinds of fruits one desires.
Wise and noble people with 'prajna' can safely cross the ocean of samsara. Lowly and unwise ones keep floating on the ocean. Only those who are well- trained (in prajna) can navigate to the end. Others can not.
The boat will merely keep swinging on the ocean of samsara if the intellect is not properly employed and directed or if employed in an unholy manner.
Desires will not harass the discerning and intelligent who are like warriors, ready with their arrows.
The world looks integrated and well knit because of 'prajna'. Those who have this integrated perception will not be affected by either calamaties or riches.
The dark cloud of ego that covers the Supreme can be blown away by the strong winds of 'prajna'.
One who desires that incomparable state of Supreme should first coax and nourish his Intelligence, the 'prajna'. A farmer who desires good yield of crop should first prepare the soil.
