Why Bhartruhari Became a Vairagi
Gaudapadacharya was the propounder of Advaita Vedanta. His disciple was Govinda Padacharya. Govinda Padacharya was the Guru of Adi Shankaracharya. Shankaracharya starts Viveka Chudamani with a salutation to Govinda Padacharya.
Bhartruhari, the famous Sanskrit poet, was the son of Govinda Padacharya. Bhartruhari is famous for his three books called Shataka Trayam – Shringara Shatakam, Vairagya Shatakam, and Neeti Shatakam. Each of these books has 100 verses, that’s why they are called shatakas.
Bhartruhari was a great vairagi — rather, he became a great vairagi. There is a story behind this.
Once, a noble sanyasi visited Bhartruhari’s home. He gave Bhartruhari a mango and said, ‘If you eat this, you will never become old and you will also live long.’
Bhartruhari was very fond of his wife. He thought, what is the point if I don’t become old, but my wife becomes old and dies? I won’t be able to bear that grief. So, let me give it to her.
He gave the mango to his wife and also told her the greatness of that mango. She had a lover — the horse keeper of Bhartruhari. She thought, if he is going to become old, then what is the point in me staying young? Let me give it to him.
She gave the mango to the horse keeper. The horse keeper, even though he was having an affair with her, his real affection was towards his own wife. So, he gave the mango to his own wife.
The horse keeper’s wife was also a maid in Bhartruhari’s house. As she was going home with the mango in her hand, Bhartruhari saw her on the way. He immediately recognized the mango. He asked, ‘Where did you get this mango?’ She said, ‘My husband gave it to me.’
He called the horse keeper and enquired. First, he told some lies, then finally admitted the truth. Bhartruhari’s heart was broken.
By this time, his wife came to know that Bhartruhari had found out what had happened. Her affair with the horse keeper had come to light. Now what all is going to happen, God only knows. The only way to protect her honour was to kill him — kill Bhartruhari.
She prepared food, mixed poison in it, and gave it to him. Bhartruhari understood.
Is this kind of fallacious life really worth living? Only sanyasa can give real peace and happiness. He left his home. As he walked out, the house caught fire and was destroyed.
Bhartruhari went to Chidambaram. He took an earthen begging bowl in his hand and went there. At the eastern gate of the temple of Chidambaram, another well-known sanyasi was sitting. So Bhartruhari went and sat at the western gate. He used to live upon whatever someone dropped in his begging bowl.
One day a beggar started begging in front of the sanyasi at the eastern gate. He said, ‘I don’t have anything, I am also a beggar like you. There is a rich man sitting at the western gate. Go and ask him.’
The beggar approached Bhartruhari. He said, ‘I am also a beggar. What can I give you?’
So the beggar said, ‘That sanyasi at the eastern gate said you are very rich.’
Bhartruhari realized, ‘Oh! He is referring to my begging bowl.’ He threw even that away. It broke to pieces. He realized — when you keep a begging bowl, you will have expectations. Even that should not be there.
That way Bhartruhari became a real vairagi, a real virakta.
He has described the mango incident in a beautiful shloka:
यां चिन्तयामि सततं मयि सा विरक्ता
साप्यन्यमिच्छति जनं स जनोऽन्यसक्तः।
अस्मत्कृते च परितुष्यति काचिदन्या
धिक् तां च तं च मदनं च इमां च मां च॥
English
Rare Topics
Click on any topic to open
7
30
Astrology
Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavatam
Bharat Matha
Devi
Devi Mahatmyam
Ganapathy
Garuda Puranam
Glory of Venkatesha
Hanuman
Kathopanishad
Mahabharatam
Mantra Shastra
Mystique
Practical Wisdom
Purana Stories
Radhe Radhe
Ramayana
Rare Topics
Rigveda Explained
Rituals
Sages and Saints
Shiva
Spiritual books
Sri Suktam
Story of Sri Yantra
Temples
Vedas
Vishnu Sahasranama
Yoga Vasishta
26
17
10
0
