The Ring

Note

Dear readers: I hope you are enjoying my retelling of the story of Shakuntala. As source materials I have culled from the Ganguli translation of Mahabharata, the Arthur Ryder translation of Kalidas, and the retelling of my own Guru Maharaja, Bhakti Rakshak Shridhar Dev Goswami, as I heard it from him at his ashram in 1982.  

One may wonder about the value of recounting this story, which appears on its face to be an ordinary romance. The story of Shakuntala is an important part of Indian history and culture, as Shakuntala herself is the mother of the famous Bharata. 

In a sense, she is the mother of India itself, as India proper is known as Bharata. Sanskrit students love the poetry of Kalidas, who, writing in around the 5th century or so, took certain liberties with the original Mahabharata version. Shridhar Maharaja himself could quote passages from memory, as he was a great expert in the Sanskrit language. Without any further justification, we continue with the story. Michael Dolan, B.V. Mahayogi

The Ring

Kunti held her children spellbound with the tale. She continued her narration.

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"Shakuntala held up her hand to show all the royal signet ring of King Dushyant with which her had married her and pledged eternal loyalty. But it was gone.

“The ring!” She cried. “Where is the ring?”

The ring had disappeared as if by magic from her hand.

 Shocked as she beheld her bare fingers, Shakuntala was dumbfounded. "The curse!" She said.

As the king had no idea what she was referring to, and being under the curse of Durvasa Muni, he sat there puzzled as the courtiers laughed.

Turning to the court brahmaṇa, the King asked, “O wise one, what is your council? What should we do with this innocent girl? She believes me to be her husband and has lost her wits. And yet, she is under the protection of Kanva Muṇi. She is obviously with child and should be protected.”

Gandhari, the matron of the ashrama, crossed her arms. Shakuntala looked at the wise old brahmaṇa. The court was still. The brahmaṇa thought a while. 

Then he said, “O King. We must take the middle path. You may know the girl. With all respect for your lordship, you are a warrior and sometimes stay in faraway places during your adventures. You may not be as innocent as you pretend to be.

You may have forgotten this child. She is an innocent so perhaps she has a real case. We should proceed with caution. There is a test. We can wait until she bears the child and see if the child has the royal marks. All children born in the line of Puru must be born with the royal mark of the lotus in the palms of their hands. We can agree to take care of this girl until then. She can stay in the ashram here at court until such time as she bears the child. Then we shall see who is the father.”

The King smiled. "Make it so." he said, and stood up, prepared to leave the hall.

Shakuntala, hearing this was disgusted. She had heard enough. Shocked at the king’s insensitivity, she could tolerate no further insults to her purity. 

She ran from the court and from the palace. Anasuya and Priyamvada ran after her, but Shakuntala was fleet of foot and raced past the palace gates and kept running. Soon she reached the place by the river where they had bathed the day before. Perhaps she had lost the ring in the river when they were bathing. It all seemed so long ago.

But as she stared into the waters of the Sachi River, she was witness to a miracle. An airship approached from the sky and came towards her. An angelic figure appeared from the biman airship and bid Shakuntala to join her. Once aboard,  the airship bore Shakuntala up to the heavens. 

An airship appeared from the sky

From a distance, Priyamvada and Anusuya watched Shakuntala run into the forest. But they were astonished to see the descent of the celestial ariship and as they  witnessed this miracle they were amazed and offered prayers. 

The king in his amnesia returned to his chambers where the Queen and prince awaited him. 

Gandhari, Priyamvada, Anusuya and the other followers of Kanva, with prayers on their lips, and wonder in their hearts at the ways of the gods, returned to their ashram in the forest. Shakuntala had disappeared.

Biman from Ramayana

Comentario

Comentario

En el post de ayer, terminamos con la oración que dijo Uttara, con una cita del Srimad-Bhagavatam. Aquí está el verso con el comentario de Srila Prabhupada.

uttarovaca

pahi pahi maha-yogin

deva-deva jagat-pate

nanyam tvad abhayam pasye

yatra mrtyuh parasparam

SYNONYMS

uttarā uvāca — Uttarā dijo; pāhi pāhi — protege, protege; mahā-yogin — el místico más grande de todos; deva-deva — el venerable entre los venerables; jagat-pate — ¡oh, Señor del universo!; na — no; anyam — cualquier otro; tvat — que Tú; abhayam — valentía; paśye — veo yo; yatra — donde hay; mṛtyuḥ — muerte; parasparam — en el mundo de la dualidad.

Uttarā dijo: ¡Oh, Señor de señores, Señor del universo!, Tú eres el más grande de todos los místicos. Por favor, protégeme, pues en este mundo de dualidad no hay nadie más que pueda salvarme de las garras de la muerte.

Comentario

Este mundo material es el mundo de la dualidad, en contraste con la unidad que hay en el reino absoluto. El mundo de la dualidad está compuesto de materia y espíritu, mientras que el mundo absoluto es todo espíritu, sin ningún vestigio de las cualidades materiales. En el mundo dual, todos están tratando falsamente de volverse el amo del mundo, mientras que en el mundo absoluto el Señor es el Señor absoluto, y todos los demás son Sus servidores absolutos. En el mundo de la dualidad todos están envidiosos de todos los demás, y la muerte es inevitable debido a la existencia dual de la materia y el espíritu. Para el alma entregada, el Señor es el único refugio contra el temor. En el mundo material, uno no puede salvarse de las crueles manos de la muerte, sin haberse entregado a los pies de loto del Señor.

Un lector preguntó lo siguiente:

Tengo una pregunta que tu artículo me ruega a preguntar:

¿Cómo puede Kṛṣṇa ser Mahayogi cuando él mismo es el objeto del yoga (yugo, enlace)?

Shiva es conocido como Yogisvara porque es el amo y líder de todos los yoguis que tienen poderes místicos.

Así que, ¿Cómo puede Kṛṣṇa ser un Mahayogi cuando el Señor Shiva es conocido como Mahayogi o el más grande de todos los yoguis?

¿Es Kṛṣṇa un yogui? ¿A qué se enlaza en su práctica de yoga?

¿Es Kṛṣṇa un yogui o la verdad suprema absoluta- el objeto de todo yoga?

KB en Florida

Querido KB: Gracias por tu lectura.

En respuesta a tu pregunta, primero me gustaría hacer el comentario acerca de mi propio nombre. Cuando tomé sannyasa, Sridhar Maharaj me dio el nombre de Bhakti Vidhan Mahayogi. Yo le pregunté acerca de su significado, al respecto él me dijo “Uno cuya regla (vidhan) es que bhakti es el yoga supremo.”

De acuerdo con mi guru, “bhakti es el yoga supremo.” Así que mi comentario está visto desde ese punto de vista. También, has notado correctamente que he deslizado un verso del Bhagavatam en mi “recuento” del Mahabharata. Me tomé esta libertad porque el autor del Mahabharata, Vyasa, expande su versión en el Bhagavata, y yo le di seguimiento a esto en mi recuento.

Tradicionalmente, Shiva es llamado “Mahayogi” porque es un gran maestro del poder yóguico, y Kṛṣṇa es conocido como “Yogeshwara,” o el controlador del Yoga. Kṛṣṇa es el maestro de Yogamaya, por ello Yogeswara. El autor del Mahabharata, Vyasa, llama a Kṛṣṇa “Yogeshwara” en el último verso del Bhagavad-Gita.

 yatra yogesvarah krsno

yatra partho dhanur-dharah

tatra srir vijayo bhutir

dhruva nitir matir mama

SYNONYMS

yatra--donde; yoga-isvarah—el amo del misticismo; krsnah--Señor Krsna; yatra--donde; parthah—el hijo de Prtha; dhanuh-dharah—quien lleva arco y flecha; tatra--ahí; srih—opulencia ;vijayah--victoria; bhutih—poder extraordinario; dhruva--ciertamente; nitih--moral; matih mama—es mi opinión.

Traducción

Dondequiera que esté Kṛṣṇa, el amo de todos los místicos, y dondequiera que esté Arjuna, el arquero supremo, es seguro que estarán también la opulencia, la victoria, el poder extraordinario y la moralidad. Ésa es mi opinión.

El autor del Mahabharata, Vyasa, llama a Krsna “Yogeshwara”  en el último verso del Bhagavad-Gita. Pero Vyasa ha llamado a Krsna “mahayogi” en su versión de las oraciones de Uttara. Así que, hasta cierto punto, las palabras Yogeshwara, “Gran Yogui” y Mahayogi “Controlador del Yoga” podríamos decir que tienen el mismo significado: el Amo del Yoga.

Ahora consideremos el contexto

Aśvatthāmā acababa de utilizar su poder místico para invocar un arma poderosa en contra de Uttara. El poder místico de Aśvatthāmā descendía de su adoración a Shiva. Algunas tradiciones le consideran un avatar de Shiva.

Uttara deseaba protección. ¿Fue acaso hacia Shiva en busca de protección? Esa sería la posición lógica, ya que Shiva es amo de Aśvatthāmā. Pero no. Ella se aproximó a Kṛṣṇa como amo de todos los místicos y todo poder místico. Ella considera a Kṛṣṇa como el amo incluso de Shiva. Kṛṣṇa es superior a Shiva (Vaisnavanam yatha shambu) Shiva es un devoto de Kṛṣṇa.

Y ya que Kṛṣṇa es el amo de Shiva, es un yogui superior. Lo que Vyasa apunta aquí o en todo caso el Bhagavata, es que Kṛṣṇa puede protegerte. Aún en contra del poder místico otorgado por Siva. Como Prabhupada solía decir, mare krsna rakhekem rakhe krsna mareke. “Si Kṛṣṇa quiere protegerte, nada puede matarte; y si Kṛṣṇa quiere matarte, nadie puede protegerte.” La evidencia para este dicho se ve a través de la historia del Mahabharata: Bhisma, Drona, Karna Jarasandha, y Aśvatthāmā eran todos invencibles, pero cuando Kṛṣṇa quiso matarlos, nadie les pudo proteger, ni siquiera Shiva.

De acuerdo al Bhagavata, no hay competencia entre Shiva y Kṛṣṇa. Shiva es un bhakta, un devoto de Kṛṣṇa, y un practicante de bhakti-yoga. Él otorga poderes místicos a las almas condicionadas determinadas a controlar la naturaleza material, y ofrece ayuda a aquellos que desean la liberación del mundo material a través de la meditación, el yoga y las austeridades.

Otro punto importante de mencionar es que el propio Kṛṣṇa practica bhakti en la forma de Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, quien asume el corazón y halo de Sri Radha para descubrir la naturaleza del amor divino, así que en ese sentido Kṛṣṇa es un Mahayogi habiendo dominado el yoga más elevado.

Es más, la palabra yoga tiene varios significados: yugo es uno, y como haz mencionado (N/T aquí el autor de esta versión del Mahabharata recurre a un juego de palabras inglesas usa yoking/joking yugo/bromeando y dice y no yoking/joking al respecto).  Significado o “método,” incluso “religión.” La palabra religión viene del verbo Latín ligo, como religo, ligar o reconectar, para resumir. Si yoga significa “yugo o juntar” y religión significa “re-unir” puedes ver como la palabra yoga puede usarse en su sentido de religión.

En el Bhagavad-gita encontramos que se mencionan diferentes tipos de yoga: karma-yoga, kriya-yoga, buddhi-yoga, hata-yoga, y bhakti-yoga. Las personas que siguen esas sendas las convierten en una especie de religiones. Al final del Bhagavad-gita, Kṛṣṇa es identificado como Yogeshwara o el maestro de todas estas sendas, métodos, religiones, o aproximaciones a lo divino.

Así que Kṛṣṇa ha de ser considerado el objeto de la práctica del yoga, pero también es el sujeto. No es un yogui en el sentido de que no está buscando en una senda, sino el amo de todos los poderes yóguicos místicos, incluso aquellos accesible a un mahayogi como Siva

Espero que esto pueda ser útil en consideración a tu pregunta.

Humildemente, B.V. Mahayogi.

Definiciones del Yoga del Monier Monier William's Sanskrit-English Dictionary

http://andhrabharati.com/dictionary/sanskrit/index.php

Royal Visit

The Court of King Dushyant

Shakuntala with ladies of Kanva's ashrama

Kunti continued, "When the time came, Shakuntala and the ladies bid farewell to  Kanva Muni and the members of his forest ashram. Kanva felt proud that his disciple would soon be the Queen of Hastinapura. No doubt her son would become a great king in his own right. He was sad to see her go; she was the only daughter he would ever know.

"And so it was that in joyful anticipation, the ladies of the ashrama set out together for the court of King Dushyant. Shakuntala said goodbye to the deer and parrots, and the family of Shakuntha birds that had saved her life. They went on through the lush green forest by the river where every creeper wept tears of nectar to see her go. 

"As she waved farewell to the forest of her childhood, Shakuntala glanced at her hand. The royal ring that Dushyant had placed on her slender lotus-like finger shined brilliantly in the morning sun. 'Perhaps the curse of Durvasa had affected the king's mind,' She thought.  "Perhaps that's why he never answered the letter. But once he sees the ring, the spell will be broken," 

Anasuya and Priyamvada went along with Shakuntala.  The girls were accompanied by Gautami, the  matron of the ashram. Shakuntala was confident that when they arrived in court, everything would be settled. She had no idea of the misfortune that was to befall her. 

Kunti said, "In a few days they approached the great city of Hastinapura, where your ancestors ruled and where your descendants will also rule. Shakuntala and their company reached the Sachi river and could see the towers of the king's palace on the horizon. In the intense heat of the day they bathed in the cool waters of the river. 

"They heard the birdcalls of Shakuntha birds through the mango trees. The bamboo reflected in the stream gladdened their hearts. They frolicked in the stream for a while, laughing, splashing water and forgetting their cares, Shakuntala and her friends squeezed the sandy mud through their toes and giggled when the tiny fish wriggled through their feet.

 At night they made camp on the river's banks. Gautami enlivened them with talk of Shakuntala's royal prospects. How lovely she would look, dressed in the finest silk of the land, wearing the tiara of a queen. The ladies slept peacefully with visions of royalty in their heads.  

The following day, after bathing in the river again, they put on clean white saris and approached the imposing palace gates of the great city of Hastinapura. 

"Deep inside the cool halls and vaulted marble ceilings of the great palace was the royal court of King Dushyant. The King was absorbed in a game of chess with his minister of war. They discussed the disposition of elephants and horses and the defenses of the city. True to the curse of the hot-headed Durvasa Muni, the King had forgotten all about his long lost love, the fair Shakuntala. He had forgotten the moments of love and passion he had shared with the daughter of Menaka under the mango trees in the forest ashram of the sage Kanva. 

'Your move,' said the minister of war with a sly grin.

'I'm thinking,' said the King. His position was lost. But perhaps the last-minute sacrifice of a piece might have bought him time enough defeat his rival. He contemplated his move on the chess-board. Seated on a fine silk pillow, sipping a cool drink, he stared at the chess-board. As his hand touched a piece he looked at his ring finger and wondered what happened to his signet ring. Where had he misplaced it? He would need to make some inquiry.

Just then a messenger burst into the chambers.

'Maharaja Dushyant Ki Jai!'

'What is it?' said the King?

"What is it?" said the King

'I beg forgiveness for this discorteous interruption, Sire, but it seems you have some visitors.'

'Visitors?' said the king, holding the chess piece in his hand. He looked up from the board.  

'Yes, Sire. The ladies of Kanva's forest ashrama.'

'Kanva Muni? What does he want?'

'Not Kanva, Sire. The ladies of his ashrama.'

Seeing an opportunity to confuse his minister, the King played the knight sacrifice. 'Check!' he said.

'Sire, these ladies have arrived in court, desiring an audience with the king.'

'Right away,' said the King, and stood to go. 'Study that move,' he said to the minister, smiling.

And so the King,  a busy man oppressed with the weighty cares of government, left his chambers. 

Shakuntala at court

With much pomp and ceremony the heralds announced the arrival of the lady hermits and their charges and the chamberlains ushered the king into his court. They bowed as he approached his throne and sat. The ladies of Kanva's ashram bowed. Only Shakuntala remained standing, smiling.

King Dushyant made himself comfortable on his royal throne, adjusting his silk garments. An attendant brought him a silver bowl filled with fruit and placed it on a stand. The king began to peel a grape. He looked at the ladies present and at his courtiers. The girl who was standing was unusually beautiful, but he had never seen her before.

“What brings you all here?” said the King. “Whenever noble saints and sages grace this court with their presence, we feel blessed. And when angelic ladies come to bless us we feel doubly graced. How is Kanva Muni? I've been meaning to make a pilgrimage. His ashram is in the forest somewhere isn't it? Is he in good health?”

With this the ladies greeted the king and bowed again. Gautami stood and took Shakuntala by the hand, approaching the king.

Gautami said, "My dear King: the humble sage Kanva, our preceptor, sends his humble obeisances and respects. He regrets that when you visited his ashrama and met the lady Shakuntala he was out on holy pilgrimage. But he has sent me along with your wife and soon to be mother of your child. We missed you so much. But now that we are all reunited, we are happy to see you again. Here is your beloved wife, Shakuntala."

The King smiled. "I'm very sorry, but I don't remember visiting Kanva's ashrama. Shakuntala? Who is she?"

Shakuntala stepping forward, smiled, radiant. At last she was standing before her beloved Dushyant.

“My Lord.” she said. “It's been so long since we last saw each other. But the day that we professed our love under the mango tree seems like yesterday to me. I know it isn't your fault. The fault is all mine. You promised to send a chariot for me to bring me here to your court. I have written you so many letters, but because of the curse of  Durvasa Muni you haven't replied to any of them. I can no longer wait for your return to the ashram by the banks of the river Ganges. Forlorn and forgotten I have come to surrender myself to you that you might do with me as you please.”

Curse?

“Curse? Who is this woman?” asked the king, frowning, his memory shattered by the curse of Durvasa.

“Don’t you recognize your own wife?” asked Gautami, the matron of the ashrama, shocked and indignant at the king’s insensitivity.

“My wife?” said the king. “I'm not sure I see the humor in your remarks. My wife, the Queen, awaits in her chambers. Why wouldn't I recognize her. What is the meaning of all this? Who is this woman, I say?”

"Don't you remember me?"

“O, my love. Don’t you know me? It is I, Shakuntula. Don’t you remember when we talked together in the mango grove and sipped the clear water of the Ganges in a cup you made of lotus leaves?”

“I remember nothing of the kind,” said the king. “What are you implying. Are you saying I know this girl? That I....?  Listen my child. You're a very nice young lady, and very pretty if I do say, but   If I accepted all the women who claimed I had married them, I would have to maintain a harem. If you need some charity, my Lord the minister of charity will be happy to help you. Kanva was always honorable with my father. If he wants gold and silver all he needs to do is ask. But you are accusing me of what?  Fathering your child?  This is an outrage!– Guards! remove them.”

"Have you no shame? Where is your honor? You are a king. Is your promise worth nothing? Oh, but you must be under the spell of the curse. The curse of Durvasa Muni!"

"Curse! You dare to curse me? Guards!"

The guards began to move from their posts. They stood close to Shakuntala to escort her from the royal court.

The ring had vanished

“Wait!” cried  Shakuntala. Everyone looked at her. She held out her hand. "Look!" she said. "Behold   

the royal signet ring of Dushyant!" She held up her hand for all to see.


But alas! The ring had vanished from her hand.

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