Q. Swami! Of the four Asramas, the Brahmacharya, the Grihastha,
the Vaanaprastha and the Sanyasa, which is basically important?
A. As all living things are dependent on the Pranavayu
(life-giving breath), so are all Asramas dependent on the
Grihastha. It is he who provides food and drink to the rest and
fosters them. He promotes the study of the Vedas; he guards the
scriptures. So, the Grihasthasrama is the most important. In the
Sruthis, the Narada Parivrajakopanishad and in the
Manudharmasastra, it is declared that a Grihastha who strictly
adheres to his Asramadharma is worthy of the greatest respect.
Q. But Swami, some people say that the Sanyasi is superior to
the Grihastha; how far is this correct?
A. Whatever be the Asrama, if the person follows the Dharma laid
down for that stage and carries it out in practice and steadfastly
yearns for Liberation, he can get it; there is no doubt. To win
Atmajnana, one need not prefer this Asrama to that; all are
capable of securing it. There is no superior or inferior. It is
only conduct and character that can be labeled as superior and
inferior.
Q. Swami! They say that the Grihastha-asrama binds while
Brahmacharya and Sanyasa liberate. How did that opinion arise?
A. I will not agree with that. Why, he who earns money by lawful
means, he who honours his guests, who serves and pleases his
fellowmen, attains liberation along with those learned in the
Sastras and those who are well established in the fundamental
philosophy of the Spirit. No one can cross the ocean of birth and
death because he is a Sanyasi or Brahmachari. High ancestry,
attainments in asceticism, the status of a monk, profound
scholarship - nothing will help, by itself. There must also be the
faithful and steady pursuit of Swadharma, the study of the
scriptures, like the Veda or the Bhagavadgitha, and a disciplined
spiritual life of Japam and Dhyanam.
Q. Swami! What virtues should persons in each of these four
Asramas cultivate in order that they may be saved?
A. There are ten virtues which together comprise the basic Dharma
of the aspirants: Daya, A-stheya, Dhee, Vidya, Sathya,
Indriya-nigraha, Soucha, Kshama, Dhrithi and A-krodha; these ten
all persons must cultivate, whatever their Asrama may be. They are
enough to save you, wherever you are. And if one has not acquired
them, his life is a waste, whatever be his Asrama. The daily
routine of his life is the essential thing and it should reflect
these ten qualities. It is this very thing that Lord Krishna told
Arjuna, in reply to his question.
Q. Swami, you said that this same question about the importance
of Nithyakarma observed with the ten conditions was asked by
Arjuna; what was the reply that Krishna gave?
A. Krishna said: "The highest stage of liberation that is attained
by Sankhyayogis, adepts at Jnanayoga, is also attained by those
who are adepts at Nishkama-karmayoga; both yield the self-same
result. Know that this is the Truth. There is no difference in
this between the Grihastha and the Sanyasi. What is needed is
unremitting practice and sincere endeavour. This requires the
renouncing of desire; the giving up of egoism and the sense of
possession, even the discarding of active thinking; and
single-pointed contemplation of the Brahmathathwa. For one who has
achieved this, there is no grief, for there is no shade of
ignorance. The wise man who has won this height can never be
deluded by the false and the temporary. Even if at the last moment
of his life one is able to realise this Jnana, he is certain to be
liberated from the cycle of birth and death.
Q. Then why were these castes, these Varnas, established?
A. They relate to the physical aspect of man; they cannot affect
the spiritual aspect at all. They indicate physical make-up. Of
course, 'physical' includes the intellect, the mind, the Chiththa,
the Anthah-karana etc. Unless these are trained and regulated, the
Atma-dharma cannot be understood. Jathi, matha, dharma are all to
help in regulating and sublimating the instincts and impulses of
man. That is the reason why wise men accepted and honoured these.
The Atma is Sath, Chith and Annada; those are its nature, if
somehow it has to be indicated. This can be realised only by
purifying the heart, mind and intellect of man. Persons who have
that purity, whatever their Varna or Asrama, can attain Moksha;
that is what the Sastras declare. When a person is beset by
attachment to some and hatred towards others even in the solitude
of the jungle, he will meet only evil. Even if one is leading the
Grihastha life in the midst of the family, if he has achieved
victory over the senses, he is a real Thapasvi. Engaged in Karma
that is not condemned, he is entitled to become a Jnani. For one
who is un-attached, the home is a hermitage. Then, even by means
of progeny, of activity, of riches and of Yajna, Yaga and similar
rituals, Liberation can be achieved. What is wanted for Liberation
is just freedom from the impurity of attachment. Attachment is the
bondage.