Chinna Katha - 66 (Knowledge of Atma) (Short Story, As told by Bhagavan Sri Satya Sai Baba)

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"Knowledge of Atma"

 

(Short Story, as told by Bhagavan SRI SATHYA SAI BABA)

Once upon a time, king Janaka sent a message to the people in his kingdom: "If

there be amongst you a great scholar, a Pundit, a Mahatma, a Yogi, a Maharshi,

a Sage, whoever he may be, let him come and teach me the knowledge of Atma."

In his message he said that he expected to attain Atma Jnana, Self-knowledge,

within a matter of a few moments of being properly instructed.

Even while climbing onto his horse, before he was completely settled on to it,

he should have attained Atma Jnana.

He said: "If the person offering to teach me Atma Jnana is not able to

accomplish this task of providing me an experience of instant illumination,

then I don't want to see him, even if he is the greatest scholar, or the most

learned person, or the highly educated person in the land."

Well, all the Pundits and Rishis were a little frightened by this requirement.

They saw that this would be a severe test on their scholarship and learning, and

so none dared to come forth and offer him self to instruct the king and meet the

conditions that had been posed.

It was at this point that the boy Astavakra entered the kingdom. While he was

going on the road towards the capital city of Mithilapuram, he met a number of

people coming from there, including scholars and Pundits; all of them had long

faces, looking worried and grief-ridden.

Astavakra asked them why they are looking sad. They explained to him all the

things that had happened.

But Astavakra couldn't understand why they should get frightened over such a small thing.

He added: "I will gladly solve this problem for the king." So saying he directly

entered the court of Janaka.

He addressed the king: "My dear King, I am ready to enable you to experience the

knowledge of Atma as you desire. But this sacred knowledge cannot be taught so

easily. This palace is full of Rajo Guna and Tamo Guna. We must leave this

place and enter an area of pure Satva."

So, they left the palace and went along the road leading out of the city towards the forest.

As was the custom whenever the emperor went outside his palace walls, the army

followed behind; but Janaka had them remain outside the forest.

Astavakra and Janaka entered the forest.

Astavakra told King Janaka: "I am not going to fulfill your wish unless you

accept my conditions. I may be only a boy, but I am in the position of a

preceptor; and you may be an all-powerful emperor, you are in the position of a

disciple.

Are you prepared to accept this relationship? If you agree then you will have to

offer the traditional gift to the Guru, the Gurudakshina that is given by the

Sishya to the Guru. Only after you give your offering to me will I start my

instruction to you."

King Janaka told Astavakra: "The attainment of God is the most important thing

to me, so I am prepared to give you absolutely anything you want."

But Astavakra replied: "I don't want any material things from you, all I want is

your mind. You must give me your mind."

The king answered: "Alright, I offer my mind to you. Up to now I thought that

this was my mind, but from now onwards it will be yours."

Astavakra told Janaka to dismount from his horse and made the horse stand in

front of the king and then he told the king to sit down in the middle of the

road.

Astavakra walked into the forest and sat quietly under a tree. The soldiers

waited for a long time. Neither the king nor Astavakra returned from the

forest.

The soldiers wanted to find out what had happened to them, so one by one, they

proceeded to look for them.

When they went along the road leading into the forest, they found the king

seated there, in the middle of the road. The horse was standing in front of the

king. The king had his eyes closed and sat still almost immobile.

Astavakra was not to be seen. The officers were afraid that Astavakra might have

exercised some magic spell over the king and had made him lose consciousness.

They went to look for the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister came and addressed

Janaka: "O King! O King! O King!"

But King Janaka did not open his eyes; he did not move at all.

The Prime Minister became frightened.

Not only the Prime Minister but all the officials were now getting frightened,

because the time when the King usually took his food and drink had passed and

the king still had not stirred.

In this way the day went on and evening came, but the king did not move from his

position, sitting there immobile on the road.

Left with no alternative, the Prime Minister sent the chariot back to the city

to bring the queen thinking that if the queen spoke to the king, he would

surely respond.

The queen came and addressed the king: "Rajah, Rajah, Rajah!" The king did not

stir; there was absolutely no response from the king.

Meanwhile the soldiers searched throughout the whole forest for Astavakra.

There, under a tree, Astavakra was seated peacefully, in absolute calm and

serenity.

The soldiers caught hold of him and brought him towards the place where the king was.

Astavakra told them: "Why are you all so worried? The king is safe and everything is alright."

But still they insisted and brought him before the King seated on the road with

his eyes closed, his body completely still.

The soldier said: "Here, look for yourself! See what has happened to the king!"

Until that time, whether the Prime Minister, or the ministers, or the queen or

any of the other court officials or common people, had called out and addressed

the king, he neither opened his mouth in answer nor opened his eyes in

acknowledgment.

But now Astavakra came and spoke to the king. King Janaka immediately opened his

eyes and replied, "Swami!"

Astavakra questioned the king: "Well, the ministers have come, and the soldiers

have come, and also many others have come, why did you not reply to their

entreaties?"

Janaka answered: "Thoughts, words and deeds are associated with the mind, and I

offered my mind entirely to you. Therefore before I can use the mind for

anything, I need your permission. What authority do I have to speak to anyone

or use this mind in any way without your permission and command."

Then Astavakra said: "You have attained the state of God-realization."

Astavakra told Janaka to put one foot in the stirrup and get up on the horse.

By the time he had climbed up and seated himself on the horse and put his other

foot in the stirrup, he had attained the experience of Atma.

Once a person has offered his mind, and with it all his words, deeds and

thoughts, then he will not have the authority or the power to perform any

actions without the permission of the one to whom he has surrendered his mind.

(Story #2, from the Book: "CHINNA KATHA - Vol 2")

 

 

Willing to attain Atma gnana?

 

It may not be difficult, if you're willing to Surrender yourself, to Bhagavan -

Meaning, surrendering your mind to HIM, and, let him do whatever he want, to

fetch you, Atma Gnana.

 

Also, as mentioned in this story, once the mind is surrendered, one should not

do anything, on his own, on his own wish.

 

Once we surrender our monkey mind to Bhagavan, HE'll be with us, always... YES,

ALWAYS, and, HE mentally instructs us, what to do, and, what not... HE

instructs each and every action, at micro level.

 

HE's the doer - you merely obey his orders, through your body.

 

(Last time, over abt 4 months back, when i read this story, I was wondering

like, how MIND, and, ATMA are related.

 

Dear Sai devotees, pls. post your thoughts, and, ideas on this topic.)

 

 

 

 

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