In the ancient city of Patliputra, there lived a great scholar of Nyaya Shastra (philosophy of different laws). As an pundit, he was fond of doing Digvijaya meaning he used to go from place to place to argue and win. However, even after getting wealth, victory, respect, opulence, etc., he did not get any peace in his mind. Feeling unrest in the mind, he went to a Mahatma who asked him to study Vedanta. Now, our Panditji was a learned scholar; he did not like to sit with the book in front of others. So he started studying alone.
There were strange ideas that he came accross. He got to study that the soul does not have any form. He found a detailed interpretation of the soul and also read that the soul is inexhaustible and at the same time nothing can be said about it at all! He thought that these things are impossible, this scripture is useless. Scriptures says that Souls are formless but Vedanta says even more ludicrous things. They are asking people to gain knowledge of things which cannot be experienced by mind, intellect or sense organs. Can you see the sun through your nose?
Disappointed with Vedanta, he went to a recluse Mahatma and expressed his curiosity. He was asked to read the Adhyatma Ramayana. The Book elaborated on how there is no one other than us who can give us happiness and sorrow. To believe that someone else can give us happiness and sorrow is ignorance. To believe that one does everything and is the doer is absolutely false pride.
Pandit ji did not like all these things. If there is no one to give happiness and sorrow, then why are there so many courts? What is the king for? Our worldly conduct are based on the assumption that the other man has hurt us. Therefore Vyasji's (author of Adhyatma Ramayana is Ved Vyasa) talk is meaningless. If everything happens due to one’s own karma, then why did Lord Rama take incarnation? Why did he go to rescue Sita? He left that book too.
While roaming around, he reached the Gaudiya Vaishnavas in West Bengal. He was told the remedy of peace is the study of Puranas and Bhagwat. He started reading Bhagwat. In the book, he came across a line which said that sensual people are burnt in the fire. Pandit ji thought that Kama itself is a fire, what will the fire burn? This book is not reliable.
Finally, he reached Kashi (old name of Varanasi). There he heard about a Mahatma who being a worshiper of Lord Dakshinamurty, does not speak to everone and anyone and can tell the remedy for peace. Lord Sri Dakshinamurty used to give a silent sermon. In the south India, he was also called silent lord and everyone used to observe silence in front of him. Pandit ji went to that Mahatma and asked for the solution of peace. The Mahatma thought that Panditji is a scholar, if he answers then he will ask ten more questions and today's day will go away in this debate. That's why he didn't say anything. Panditji bowed before the Mahatma with great humility, 'I know lot of philosophy, but have allegiance with none. I have really come for peace of mind, not to distract you.'
The Mahatma felt pity. He said to him 'Ask whatever you want to ask.' Pandit ji said 'Maharaj! When I first read Vedanta for peace, it asks me to believe what cannot be grasped and experienced by mind and intellect. Similarly, it was found in the Adhyatma Ramayana that no one gives happiness or sorrow; How can this be considered, what will be the benefit of this? On the contrary, misconduct will increase. The Mahatma remained silent.
Panditji said, "Your Majesty, now that are also refusing to answer my questions, I am suffering from sorrow so much that I will commit suicide by jumping into the Ganges." The Mahatma understood that his curiosity was intense. He hit the Pandit with a stone. Panditji got hurt, got angry, said, 'You became a Mahatma and you act like an Angry man! I came to you to seek peace from the world, you made me more sad. In anger, he punched the Mahatma. Mahatma was laughing peacefully.
In the end the Mahatma said, 'Brother, I have answered your questions. What is the use of hurting you?' Pandit ji asked how did the answer come from the hurting? The Mahatma said, 'You are in pain. What is the form, tone, language, dimension, touch, taste etc. of that pain? Which of my senses validate this ? I do not believe that there is such a thing as pain. You say it is pain. Now with what evidence should I know that there is suffering?"
The Pandit ji said, “Even if it is not the subject of any proof, but it is certainly there. “The Mahatma replied ' Similarly Vedanta says that Parabrahman God cannot be known through the senses and other evidences but surely it is.' The pundit said, 'I am aware of this pain within me. But I could not see that divine element in me.'
The Mahatma said, "Before hitting the stone, were you experiencing pain? Didn't you feel it when the stone was hit? Similarly, although God is always there, just like the pain was manifested by hitting the stone, similarly by properly studying the scriptures like the Upanishads, deliberating on its words and Mahavakyas, God will be known. Their words acts like stone to make one realize God. When the mind is filled with right conduct and faith, then only the words of great scriptures will help in imbibing supreme knowledge. You read Vedanta without faith and right conduct, so no knowledge got ignited in you.
Satisfied with that answer, Pandit ji raised the next question: is there is no other one who can give us happiness and sorrow? The Mahatma said, 'I have answered this too. When I stoned you, you were sure that I stoned you and I’m the one who has hurt you. You got angry too. Then you noticed that even at your punching, I just kept laughing. Why? The reason is that I knew that you are not hurting me, it’s my karma that is hurting me. So there was no disturbance in me. There is no one else to give happiness and sorrow. Once you have ascertained and determined this in your mind, it will give you the peace that you have been searching for long. This is very important to understand. Otherwise, the action-reaction will continue. The only way to end it is to not react. My own karma is acting on me, so what should I react? Hence Vyasa's word is correct.'
Pandit ji asked the solution of his third question. The Mahatma said, 'That too has been answered. Get that stone. Smell it and it has fragrance because of earth element. You smell your body too; it smells because it is also composed of earth element. So both are composed of earth element, still the stone hurt you. Similarly, our body has fire element but still burnt by fire of hell. So, Bhagwat is also correct.
Pandit ji's intellect was calmed down, the turmoil of the mind ended. He prayed to the Mahatma to help him with Self-realization. The Mahatma slowly explained all the things, due to which Panditji also became self-realized.
Story Credit: This story is taken from book Charam Lakshya(The Ultimate aim) by Sri Maheshanand Giri ji Maharaj, Sri Dakshinamurthy Math Publications
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