Divine Sound and the Holy Name I

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the cult of the holy name has been an esoteric practice at least from the time of St. John Chrystostom of Greece. The Early Church Father, born in 349 AD was the Archinishop of Constantinople. While he was known for his golden-tongued oratory and his denunciation of abuses by Church authorities, he is perhaps best known as a contributor to the Philokalia, an important theological work in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. While Chrysostom was an initiator of the cult of the holy name in Orthodox Christianity, the Philokalia was collected by different spiritual masters of the Orthodox tradition somewhere between the 4th and 15th centuries.

In the 18th centuries two Greek monks, Saint Nicodemus and Saint Makarios, gathered the texts and reflections that form the basis of the Philokalia and had them published at Venice in 1782. The text was originally pubished in Greek. But it is the Russian translation of the book that was to capture the imagination of the Eastern world. Paisi Velichkovsky, the translator, was a Russian monk who had visited the Holy Mountin of Athos where Nicodemus had lived an worked. Velichovsky appreciated the transcendental character of the work and translated a section of the work into Slavic. His selection was published in Moscow in 1793 with the title Dobrotolubiye.

A popular novel, The Way of the Pilgrim, or The Pilgrim’s Tale incorporated this fragment of the Philokalia into its story. The Way of the Pilgrim recounts the story of a spiritual truth-seeker and pilgrim who wanders through Russia while chanting the holy name of Jesus, in the formula first mentioned in the Philokalia. The pilgrim carries with him a copy of the fragment of Philokalia referred to above as the Dorbrotolubiye.

The fictional story of the pilgrim serves as a device for exploring the Philokalia’s teachings about constant inner prayer, using the holy name of God, as well as surrender.

The version of the holy name prayer found in The Way of the Pilgrim was widely read and known in 19th Century Russia. Sections of the book may have served as a model for Dostoyevksy’s own Father Zossima in The Brothers Karamazov.

A Russian Pilgrim

The religious passion that animates the Way of a Pilgrim resonates through the novels of Tolstoy and Dostoyevksy, and echoes though even such modern works as Pasternak and Solzhenitsyn. The Way of the Pilgrim unfolds a profound mystical initiation into the ecstasy and reality of the Kingdom of God promised by Jesus Christ and promises to raise the practitioner up into a transcendental state of divine knowledge and love.

Father Zossima

In his foreword to “The Way of a Pilgrim” the Jesus Prayer Journey--Annotated and Explained, translated by Gleb Pokrovsky, 2013, Andrew Harvey explains his experience, comparing the Jesus prayer with the practice of chanting japa he had discovered in India:

“In India I had encountered for the first time the practice of japa--of repeating the name of God in the heart--and now realized that in the Jesus prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me,” the Eastern Orthodox tradition had made the same simple, all-transforming discovery of the power of the divine name.

The ecstasies and revelations of the anonymous narrator of the Way of a Pilgrim were no less profound and poignant than those that had so shaken me in Mirabai, Kabir, and Toukaram, the great hindu and Sufi mystics the discovery of whom had changed my life. And in the string of quotes from the Philokalia--from figures such as Symeon the New Theologicn, Isaac the Syrian and Gregory Palamas--then totally unknown to me--I recognized the pure sober note of mystical certainty and rigor that had thrilled me in the Bhagavad-Gita and the Upanishads.”

The esoteric path followed in the Way of a Pilgrim is not to be penetrated by the uninitiated. The pilgrim or truth-seeker is unsatisfied in his quest until he meets a starets--the Russian equivalent of a mystic holy man of guru. Since his attempts were unguided forays into wisdom before meeting the starets, the pilgrim could not enter into the secrets of a holy life. Mere curiosity wasn’t sufficient for divine illumination. But as the spiritual mentor guides the steps of the pilgrim, he understands the need for humility and surrender. The guru instructs him, “It is the humble, simple heart that attains to such prayer, through poverty of the spirit and a living experience of it.” The pilgrim’s surrender to God and his communion through prayer is realized through constantly taking the holy name.

J.D. Salinger

The Way of a Pilgrim might have been consigned to the dusty back shelves of used book stores and university libraries had it not been for the writing of J.D. Salinger. Salinger was the notoriously reclusive author of The Catcher in the Rye, a short novel about a crazy mixed-up teenager in the 1950s. While disarmingly adolescent in its appeal, the novel was originally written for adults. Salinger had been shell-shocked during the Second World War and returned shaken from the violence. His maladjusted teenager was a metaphor for the adults who had been devastated by the ravages of war. The World War II generation, the “Greatest Generation” fought and defeated Hitler’s program of genocide, but returned marked and wounded by the experience.

Postwar America did its best to console itself with cheap gasoline, TV comedies, and Rock and Roll, but the psychological damage had been done. Salinger’s promising career never really quite gelled as he never overcame the trauma from the war. Salinger was present at the liberation of the Dachau death-camp and later told his daughter, “you could live a lifetime and never really get the smell of burning flesh out of your nostrils.” He invested the dark traumatic psychology of war-torn Europe in the psyche of his adolescent hero, Holden Caulfield.

"Rebel without a Cause" James Dean

His book’s “troubled teen” syndrome was an instant hit. Holden Caulfield exemplified the 50s teenage "Rebel without a Cause," later incarnated by James Dean. Catcher in the Rye continues to sell millions and is often assigned reading in high school lit classes, both for its breezy prose and conversational style as for its theme of maladapted youth. His criticism of “phony” people hit home. Holden Caulfield became the emblem of existential teenage angst for generations. But fans of Salinger waited in vain for a follow-up book that would equal or surpass Catcher in the Rye. Salinger never published a major novel after his initial offering.

Readers who loved Catcher in the Rye waited years for a sequel or a new novel, only to be offered a curious short story, called Franny. Later published as a small book with the novella Zooey under the title Franny and Zooey, Franny tells another story of teenage angst. This time the protagonist is an intellectual college undergraduate, a young woman, who, estranged by the phoniness of the consumer society around her suffers a nervous breakdown. In the story, she escapes her tension and anxiety by following the spiritual discipline explained in a book she’s reading, The Way of a Pilgrim.

Just as the truth-seeking pilgrim in the story carries with him the Dorbrotolubiye given him by his mentor, Franny carries in her handbag The Way of the Pilgrim and takes shelter of the Jesus Prayer when she can no longer tolerate the hypocrisy of American middle class society in the 1950s. Franny is concerned with overcoming ego, I'm sick of not having the courage to be an absolute nobody,” she says, “I’m just sick of ego, ego, ego. My own and everybody else’s. I’m sick of everybody that wants to get somewhere, do something distinguished and all, be somebody interesting. It’s disgusting.” 

In an attempt to achieve some modicum of psychic peace, Salinger had gone from Jewish mysticism to Zen Buddhism to the teachings of the Bengali mystic Ramkrishna and Kriya-yoga. Just as Franny recovered her composure by taking shelter of the Jesus prayer, Salinger himself is rumored to have passed hours in meditation, intoning the ancient mantras of the Vedas. His reclusive life precludes our entering too deeply into his own mystic search for the truth, but it is quite clear that this quintessential of American authors, whose work is required reading for high school students everywhere, took great interest not only in the Christian mystic tradition of the holy name, but also in its far more profound Hindu version, the chanting of the holy name of Krishna.

Salinger’ Franny explains the power of the Jesus Prayer in the voice of an undergraduate student sharing a soda with a friend, "Anyway," she went on, "the starets tells the pilgrim that if you keep saying that prayer over and over again—you only have to just do it with your lips at first—then eventually what happens, the prayer becomes self-active.

Something happens after a while. I don't know what, but something happens, and the words get synchronized with the person's heartbeats, and then you're actually praying without ceasing. Which has a really tremendous, mystical effect on your whole outlook. I mean that's the whole point of it, more or less. I mean you do it to purify your whole outlook and get an absolutely new conception of what everything's about."

This dialogue takes place in a restaurant. Franny tries to explain to her boyfriend how mysticism works, while he eats a plate of Frog’s legs and she smokes.

"As a matter of fact, that makes absolute sense," Franny said, "because in the Nembutsu sects of Buddhism, people keep saying 'Namu Amida Butsu' over and over again—which means 'Praises to the Buddha' or something like that— and the same thing happens. The exact same—"

If you keep in mind that Franny was published in 1955, this dialogue seems quite advanced, considering that a friend of mine was recently arrested in Russia for discussing yoga.

"You get to see God. Something happens in some absolutely nonphysical part of the heart— where the Hindus say that Atman resides, if you ever took any Religion—and you see God, that's all." She flicked her cigarette ash self-consciously, just missing the ashtray. She picked up the ash with her fingers and put it in. "And don't ask me who or what God is. I mean I don't even know if He exists. When I was little, I used to think—"

She stopped. The waiter had come to take away the dishes and redistribute menus.

"You want some dessert, or coffee?" Lane asked.

Salinger did his best to hide from publicity, from the press and from the outside world, living as a recluse in upstate New York and dedicating himself to religious study. It is said that he may have come in connection with the teachings of A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swāmī Prabhupāda who advocated a life of strict discipline and dedication to the chanting of the holy name.

Bhaktivedānta Swami first came to New York in the 1960s where his Hare Krishna movement influenced poets like Alan Ginsburg, Bob Dylan, and later the Beatles.

Poets of the Beat with Dylan and Alan Ginsberg

But perhaps his influence was most deeply felt on J.D. Salinger whose fascination with the holy name had already become manifest in his novels. If the key to enlightenment expressed in Philokalia and the Way of a Pilgrim involved humility, surrender, and constant absorption in the holy name, Bhaktivedānta Swāmi stressed exactly these elements to his students and in his books.

Poet Alan Ginsberg with spiritual leader Bhaktivedanta Swami

Bhaktivedānta Swami was a tireless exponent of the holy name of Krishna and left behind volumes of writings supporting the thesis that the holy name gives deliverance from all evil. In support of this thesis, for example, he quotes from different authorities. You may find the following in his writings.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura quotes the following verses from the scriptures:

नाम्नो हि यावती शक्तिः पाप-निर्हरणे हरेः

तावत् कर्तुं न शक्नोति पातकं पातकी नरः

nāmno hi yāvatī śaktiḥ pāpa-nirharaṇe hareḥ
tāvat kartuṁ na śaknoti pātakaṁ pātakī naraḥ

बृहद्-विष्णु पुराण

"Simply by chanting one holy name of Hari, a sinful man can counteract the reactions to more sins than he can commit." (Bṛhad-viṣṇu Purāṇa)

अवशेनापि यन्-नाम्नि कीर्तिते सर्व-पातकैः

पुमान् विमुच्यते सद्यः सिंह-त्रस्तैर् मृगैर् इव

avaśenāpi yan-nāmni kīrtite sarva-pātakaiḥ
pumān vimucyate sadyaḥ siṁha-trastair mṛgair iva

गरुड पुराण

"If one chants the holy name, even in a helpless condition or without desiring to do so, all of one's sinful reactions immediately depart, just as a lion's roar causes the small animals in the forest to flee in fear." (Garuḍa Purāṇa)

सकृद् उच्चारितं येन हरिर् इत्य् अक्षर-द्वयम्

बद्ध-परिकरस् तेन मोक्षाय गमनं प्रति

sakṛd uccāritaṁ yena harir ity akṣara-dvayam
baddha-parikaras tena mokṣāya gamanaṁ prati

स्कन्द पुराण

"A person who once chants the holy name of the Lord, consisting of the two syllables ha-ri, guarantees his path to liberation." (Skanda Purāṇa)

Bhaktivedānta Swāmi founded a worldwide association of truth-seekers dedicated to the chanting of the holy name Kṛṣṇa, the Personal Godhead. The movement's main purpose is to promote the well-being of human society by teaching the science of God consciousness (Kṛṣṇa consciousness) according to the timeless Vedic scriptures of India. But while the ancient Vedic scriptures define universal truths and values, the Godhead may be known by many names, according to His different qualities and activities. In the Bible he is known as Jehovah ("the almighty one"), in the Koran as Allah ("the great one").

The Way of a Pilgrim and the Philokalia advocate the Jesus Prayer and the taking of the holy name in that way. The ancient Bhagavad-gītā reveals God as Kṛṣṇa. The world Krishna means “infinite beauty, infinite love.” a Sanskrit name meaning "the all-attractive one." There are many conceptions of the infinite--infinite time, infinite space, infinite power. But these are external to the ultimate reality. Infinite love attracts infinite love and surrender infinitely and irresistably. The holy name calls upon God’s mercy and his mercy and love are infinite. This is the most elevated concept of infinite--divine love. And one who calls upon that divine love by immersing herself in the holy name of God--be it, Krishna or Christ--will ultimately achieve the goal.

Bhaktivedānta recommended the chanting and vibration of the holy name of Krishna: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This is transcendental sound vibration. It will help us to cleanse the dust from the mirror of the mind. At the present moment we have accumulated so much material dust on the mirror of the mind, and as a consequence we are unable to see things in perspective. This vibration of transcendental sound (the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra) will cleanse away this dust and enable us to see clearly our real constitutional position. As our consciousness is purified by this process of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, all our material miseries will disappear.

Dandi wins case!

Good news. Dandi Swami innocent.  All charges dropped. Russians may practice Yoga... for now. 

The Gandharva

In my last post, I mentioned the story of the Pandavas and the Kurus and how they met the Gandharva warriors.  I remember the tale as told to me by my Guru Mahārāja, B.R. Śrīdhara. The way he told it, we must overcome sectarian differences to find unity among brothers, even when the family differences are strong. I have adapted this section from my memories of his telling the tale and by consulting the excellent translation of K.M. Ganguli, which is in the public domain. This is a retelling of the Mahābharata I've been working on. I hope you find it to your satisfaction.

The Pandavas. Left to right: Bhima, kneeling with mace, Yudhisthira seated with Draupadi, Arjuna on the Right. The twins, Nakula and Sahadeva in back.

Krishna meets with the Pandavas in Exile in the Forest

And so it was that Markandeya spent a long time in the forest, with Krishna and Satyabhama, the Pandavas and all the gathered saints and spoke at great length about the purpose of life citing many examples and stories from the ancient histories and Puranas. He discussed the importance of brahmanas and the rules for kings as well as the proper conduct for women. And when it came time for him to leave, he departed into the deep heart of the forest.

And Krishna also, the slayer of Madhu, also called Janardana, having conversed at great length for many days with the sons of Pandu and with those brahmanas headed by Markandeya, mounted his golden chariot and called for Satyabhama. Satyabhama was sad to say goodbye to Draupadi and told her, “O thou of black eyes, it has been foretold that one day you will rule Hastinapura in peace with your husbands. So be it.” And so saying bade them farewell, mounting the chariot of  Krishna. And Krishna, vanished into the woods just as a lightning flash that appears in the sky briefly and then disappears.

With the end of Krishna’s visit, the sons of Pandu moved once again through the forest until the had reached the lake and woods known as Dwaita.

Now it came to pass that a learned brahmana had been following the company of the Pandavas for some time.

A Brahmana in Hastinapura

And so it came to pass, that one day that brahmana left the forest and the Pandavas behind, and in his wanderings came to Hastinapura. There he was received by the old blind King, Dhritarasthra.  And when the king asked him about his adventures, seeking truth in the universe, the brahmana replied that he had spent time in the forest with the exiled Yudhisthira.

With this the blind King took a great interest and so the brahmana who was an excellent storyteller described the sons of Pandu. He told the King that they were weak and emaciated from fasting and from performing penances and austerities in the forest. Shadows of their former selves they were reduced going to exposure to wind and sun. And hearing this the old blind King took pity on them, and was afflicted with grief to think that those royal princes were now swimming in a river of sorrow.

He asked, "and how is Yudhisthira?"

The brahmana described what he'd seen. He told of how Arjuna had returned from the heavenly planets armed with godly weapons: how he was readier than ever to march against the Kurus in deadly battle. How Bhima had sent many a ghostly warrior and many of forest monster to the court of death. He mentioned that the twins spent hours daily readying themselves for war. He told of how Yudhisthira had spoken with Krishna and that the Pandavas now had many allies: The Vrishnis, the Madhus, and even Yakshas and Rakshasas, friends of Bhima's son Ghatotkacha. He spoke of Bhima's alliance with Hanuman and the godly weapons bestowed by Shiva, Vayu, and Indra. He explained that while the sons of Pandu had suffered various kinds of hardships, they were now hardened by experience and readier than ever for war.

And thanking the brahmana, giving him arms, and sending him on his way, the blind King went to his son Duryodhana and told him everything. Duryodhana in his turn sought counsel with Shakuni and Karna. And in this way by discussion they began to make a conspiracy.

And Shakuni argued that the best course would be to attack the Pandavas in the forest, now while they were weak.  He said, "Your rivals the Pandavas have been exiled to the forest lo these long years. And so you rule the kingdom of Hastinapura alone. Yudhisthira and his brothers have been forgotten and are nothing more than the stuff of legends, while the people love you and kings from north and south offer you treasure in tribute. Now is the time to consolidate your power. Let us ride forth into the forest with a huge entourage of followers. You can ride with your queens dressed in fine silks of gold thread. And when the starving and miserable Draupadi, dressed in rags and deerskins beholds the opulence of our retinue she will be humiliated and tear her hair in despair.  We shall humiliate the Pandavas with our wealth.  And by so doing either they will be so disheartened that they will renounce the idea of war, or so feverish that they shall attack us unprepared. When they attack we shall waste them and cut them down like so many dried sheafs of wheat after the harvest.”

A Plot is hatched

And hearing the words of the clever Shakuni, the cruel Duryodhana took heart and said, “I like this. This is a good plan. But what of my father the king. He is always melancholy and rues the day we exiled the Pandavas. He feels sympathy for Yudhisthira and his brothers. I don’t think he will allow us to penetrate the forest where they are exiled. And he has the backing of Drona our military guru and of Bhishma the great grand-father of us all. O clever Shakuni, we need a pretext to go into that forest.”

Karna said, “Our herds of cattle are passing through that very forest. What if we go under the pretext of caring for the many cows and bulls that wander there now?”

“Brilliant!” said Shakuni. “The very idea I was looking for. The king shall surely give us permission to care after our kine.”

And so the three laughed and rubbed their hands with glee. The plot was set and they planned on the humiliation of the Pandavas.

And so they went off to see the king, Dhritarastra. They sat in the throne room, asking after his health when their cowherd, Samanga, entered. On a sign from Duryodhana, Samanga turned the conversation to cows and their needs and began to talk of how the herd was stranded in the Dwaita forest. Karna joined the talk. Careful not to mention the Pandavas, he went on about the importance of cow protection. He turned to his friend Duryodhana and said, “O Kaurava, our cattle-stations are now set in a delightful place in the Dwaita forest. Some of the cows are calving. It is an auspicious time to visit them, now that we are in the holy month of Kartikka. The hunting is very good right now after the rainy season and many stags are running free.”

And Dhritarasthra said, “Yes, this is an excellent time there for cow protection and for hunting the wild boars and stags that range free there. But we have heard that those great souls, the Pandavas, have made their home there. After all, they were cheating of their kingdom by deceitful means. It would be a shame to offend them. I do not think it good that you disturb or offend them.”

Shakuni said, “King Yudhisthira is the very emblem of righteousness. Why would he be disturbed if we are engaged in the protection of our own cows? And his brothers follow him, knowing that his decision is true. I don’t think they will be angry with us. Anyway, we are all interested in a good hunt, but we won’t go that way. We will avoid any clash with the Pandavas and will stay away from their camp.”

And having listened the the expert arguments of the clever Shakuni, Dhritarastra gave his permission for a hunting picnic to take place in the Dwaita forest, near where the Pandavas held their camp, provinding Yudhisthira and his brothers were not disturbed.

In this way, Duryodhana, the son of Gandhari set out for the Dwaita forest accompanied by Karna and surrounded by a large host.  Shakuni and Dushasana went with him as well as many other armed prince. The entourage included many ladies of the court dressed in their finery. They set out with many elephants and horses, foot-soldiers and body-guards, as well as many shops and pavilions and traders eager to do business in the great picnic in the Dwaita woods.  Slowly they left Hastinapura behind and wended their way down the road to the great Kamyaka forest. Gradually Duryodhana’s company approached the woods and leaving behind the king’s paved road and the dust and clamour of the city, they entered that sylvan paradise of verdant groves and flowery vales.  And moving from one grove to another, King Duryodhana with  many followers and vehicles penetrated the Kamayaka forest and entered the Dwaita woods.  The long train of followers was astonishing to behold with its many horses and elephants, soldiers ready for battle and brilliant chariot cars. Duryodhana rode at the head along with Karna and Dushashana and their uncle, Shakuni. The cowherd Samanga was their guide and showed them where their cattle-stations were and where the cows were grazing. They reached a delightful shady area with trees and water and began raising tents and pavilions with all the comforts of a palace.  They spent the night there and the next day King Duryodhana set out along with his brothers and inspected the cows and bulls that grazed in that part of the forest.  In this way they marked the bulls and cowsf with special marks, counting all the three-year-old calves. And in the evening the princes along with the cowherds played different sports and picnicked there. The herdsmen played their pipes and drums and danced and sang. They ate lavishly, and then, as the moon rose over the woods, sylvan virgins decked in jewels sported with the son of Dhritarastra, assuring his every princely satisfaction.  And the following day the king surrounded by the ladies of the court gave wealth in charity, and lavished food and drink upon all.

The cruel Duryodhana loved hunting and slaying animals of all kinds and sported by killing hyenas and buffaloes and deer and wild bear who inhabited those hillls. In this way Duryodhana and his followers despoiled that forest, cutting down trees to enjoy the beehives whose fine honey intoxicated his followers and their ladies.   He pierced many an animal with  fast-flying darts from his bow. They chased the blue-throated jays from the trees and ran and sported everywhere. Finally they beheld the wonderful lake, Dwaitayana, near the place where the Pandavas and Draupadi had made their camp. And when his  spies had confirmed  that indeed the Pandavas were near, Duryodhana ordered his men saying, “Let pavilions and pleasure house be constructed here near this lakeside with great splendour and opulence, and spurning no opportunity to humiliate the Pandavas.”

The Gandharvas are not pleased

But as Duryodhana’s men began entering the woods near the lakeshore with the purpose of collecting wood for construction they were turned back by a number of Gandharvas who forbade them to enter, saying, “Dear sirs, the King of the Gandharvas is now within these woods sporting with the celestial apsaras, the courtly dancing girls of heaven. It is not an auspicious time to enter.”

 Now Gandharvas are godlike beings with mystic powers and it is best to avoid offending them. But Duryodhana did not heed the warnings of his men and ordered his soldiers saying, “Punish those wretches who wish to oppose my will.”

And hearing these words of Duryodhana his officers and sons, endowed with great strength, armed for battle and rushed at the Gandharvas who had been guarding the gates of the woods near the lake.

The Gandharvas, upon seeing that warlike host, gently forbade them to enter. But the Kuru soldiers disregarded them and began advancing into the woods, prepared to chop down trees, gather wood, hunt the boars and deers there, and do the will of their master, the cruel king Duryodhana.  So when the Gandharvas realized that the warriors of Duryodhana could not be stopped by words they went to their king, Chitrasena. Chitrasena, upon hearing of the madness and pride of Duryodhana, became enraged, saying, “Punish these miserable curs. Advance and make war.”

Gandharvas versus duryodhana

With this the Gandharvas took up weapons against the followers of Duryodhana and rushed their ranks.

With this the Gandharvas took up weapons against the followers of Duryodhana and rushed their ranks. The soldiers fled they had ran back to Duryodhana. They told the Duryodhana everything that the fierce Gandharva had said. And Duryodhana became enraged. He said, "Punish them. Ride forth and slay them." And so it was that the Army of the sons of Dhirtarastra wrote in their chariots to destroy the Gandharvas. The Gandharva's rushed towards the followers of Duryodhana with the upraised weapons vibrating divine mantras. And the sight of those celestial warriors was such that the Kuru soldiers turned and fled the field of battle. Only the heroic Karna stood his ground. And seeing the mighty host of Gandharvas rushing toward him thirsty for blood, Karna dispatched many of them to the land of the dead. With great dexterity and a light hand he struck down hundreds of soldiers using different kinds of arrows and weapons made of bone and steel. The great warrior made many Gandharva's heads roll, causing panic in their ranks.

And as the troops of Chitrasena were slain in battle, that Gandharva King became enraged and led his warriors forth to crush the army of the kurus. Chitrasena was determined to exterminate the kurus. And being celestial creatures born of the gods the Gandharva's employed there mystic powers and weapons of illusion. With this the kuru warriors were stripped of their senses. They were confused and saw Gandharva's on all sides's pressing them with their sharp weapons. Terrified by the onslaught of Chitrasena the soldiers who had so valiantly supported Karna his attack now turned and fled. Karna himself fought valiantly, but soon the Gandharva warrior's fell upon him in close combat with swords and battle axes and spirits. They smashed the axle of his chariot, and stampeded his horses. They cut down the umbrella of his chariot and destroyed it, breaking his chariot in half. Karna leapt from his chariot, sword and shield in hand. He ran to his friend Vikarna's chariot and to his shame fled the battle.

And as he ran from the battle King Duryodhana himself entered the fray, speeding through the ranks and his chariot and laying down a curtain of fierce arrows. But the Gandharvas paid no heed to his iron darts, but closing upon him cut his chariot into pieces. They killed his horses and driver and shattered his car with their battle axes. All at once the great King of the Gandharvas, Chitrasena himself grabbed Duryodhana by the hair. He seized him with such strength that it appeared that he had torn the very soul from his body. In the same way the Gandharvas arrested Dushasana and the clever Shakuni and took them to their camp.

the pandavas react

And as this was taking place on the battlefield, those soldiers who had fled from the action raced to the ashram of Yudhisthira. And before the proud Bhima and Arjuna, they fell on their knees and prayed for the protection of the Pandavas. Their eyes bulged from their head in terror and sweat dripped from therefore heads as they recounted the events on the field.

"The mighty armed son of Dhirtarastra has been taken captive by the warlike Gandharvas. And now that King, his brothers headed by Dushasana, as well as their queens and all the ladies of the royal xourt are being dragged away in chains. Help us oh my brothers! Only you can save us."

And so the followers of Duryodhana, mad with grief, fell at the feet of the Pandavas and begged for help. The mighty Bhima shook his sides with laughter. He said, "What we might have done with great labor the Gandharva has done for us. It seems to me that a ruthless and deceitful King is trapped in the reactions to his own karma."

But the righteous Yudhisthira turned to his brother and said, "Hold thy tongue. After all, Duryodhana is family. It is true that there is dissension between us, and that we are five against his 100. But, when we are attacked from without, we are 105. Let us ride forth in the chariots that were left behind. We shall see how they deal with the powerful right arm of Arjuna."

And even then, Arjuna himself said, "if the Gandharvas do not surrender and release the son of Dhirtarastra, then I swear by my powerful right arm that this day the earth shall drink the blood of their King."

The pleasure pavilions and tents with different goods and wares were all surrendered to the protection of the Pandavas as were horses, elephants, foot-soldiers, chariots, bows, arrows, and all the weapons of Duryodhana’s royal entourage. The Pandavas prepared themselves for war encasing themselves in chain-mail decorated with gold and armed with celestial weapons of all kinds. And cheered by the words of Yudhisthira, Bhima led the warriors into battle. The Kuru army reformed with a mighty should with Bhima and Arjuna at their head.

They rode into battle against the Gandharvas who were heady with victory. Yudhisthira had instructed that the Pandavas engage in a skirmish only to demonstrate the force of their arms, but the Gandharvas were proud and began a murderous charge. Arjuna appealed to their good sense, reminding them that he was friends with Chitrasena, but the headstrong and reckless Gandharvas ran against him. So it was that Arjuna rained a shower of sharp arrows against them and cut down many Gandharvas. and while the sons of Pandu were only four and the Gandharvas thousands, the battle was terrible. The Gandharvas tried and failed to break the chariots of the Pandavas. And Arjuna became angry and rained celestial weapons upon the Gandharvas, using his fire weapons to burn their ranks. Bhima slew many with his own mighty bow and Nakula and Sahadeva sent many a Gandharva to the court of Yamaraja.

Finally Chitrasena himself came forward and said, “Behold! My old friend Arjuna is battling with me.”

And drawing up his chariot between the hosts, he said, “Hold! Hold thy weapons. I would speak with Arjuna.”

With this the soldiers paused their arms and watched in silence as Arjuna approached Chitrasena on the field of battle. As they grew closer they lay down their weapons and greeted each other with great friendliness, remembering their adventures among the celestials and the affair of Urvasi. Chitrasena sat in his chariot and talked to Arjuna and inquired after the health of his brothers.

And Arjuna said, “What have you against the Kurus, my friend? What is the cause of this bloodshed.”

And Chitrasena smiled, saying, “Why I heard from my spies of Duryodhana’s plan to come here and humiliate you. Indra himself, the lord of rain, your father came to me and said, ‘Capture Duryodhana and his minions. Protect my son.’ For this purpose I have come to Lake Dwaipayana and set my camp. This wicked prince even now is in chains. I shall deliver him to the court of the gods for his judgment. There is no doubt he will be executed for his crimes. I am sorry if I have caused any trouble to your or your brothers. There must be some misunderstanding. But why do you fight my Gandharva soldiers? We are your friends.”

“Release him.” said Arjuna.

“But this vain wretch has deceived and wronged both you and your lord Yudhisthira.”

Yudhisthira appeared before them on a golden chariot. “Release him.” said the king. “You have done us a great act of kindness by humiliating our enemies. But this is not your fight. In good time we shall take Hastinapura by force of arms, but the time is not yet ripe. We thank you for defending the honor of our family and of Draupadi. The envious king who wanted to humiliated us has been humiliated.”

“So be it,” said the Gandharva Chitrasena. He gave orders for his men to retire from the field of battle. Others set about freeing Duryodhana, Dushasana, and the ladies of the court. The Pandavas were pleased to see their sisters and cousins freed from the Gandharva warriors. Finally Duryodhana stepped forward, burning with envy and shame.

Yudhisthira addressed him, saying, “My child, you must avoid such rash acts in the future. The time will come when you will be judged for your deceit, but that time is not now. Return to your capital and take your men. We shall see Hastinapura again soon enough. Now go.”

And Duryodhana was overwhelmed with shame and anguish. He bend his head in grief and melancholy and, gathering his troops and entourage he left the Lake of Dwaitayana and disappeared through the forest the way he had come. He proceeded towards his city thinking of his defeat and burning with envy. On the path he met with Karna who also felt the shame of cowardice having run from the enemy. And Karna saluted him saying, “Duryodhana! You are alive. Then you have conquered the foe where I have failed. I turned and ran like a coward, but you stood your ground and prevailed. You are a true warrior, where I have been shamed by the enemy.”

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And Duryodhana replied, “No, Karna, it is not so. It is true that we fought hard with the Gandharvas, but I owe my life to our enemies the Pandavas. They have humiliated me once again by rescuing me from the Gandharvas who conquered us all. It was Arjuna who rescued me, having made peace with Chitrasena the lord of the Gandharvas. It is with a heavy heart that I return to Hastinapura, knowing that once again I have been bested by Arjuna and company.” And with this, Duryodhana hung his head and wept.

"Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”

Dmitri Ugai, Dandi Swami

I was surprised and shocked to learn recently, that my friend Dmitri Ugai, Dandi Swami had been arrested for giving a mild talk on Yoga under new anti-terrorist laws on so-called "missionary activities" so vaguely written as to include practically any kind of speech.

Of course, no “terrorists” have been arrested for radicalizing followers. The new law is basically a cudgel for punishing religious minorities. Since July the only people detained or arrested under the new laws have been a handful of Jehovah's witnesses, 7th Day Adventists, a Christian pastor, and a few devotees of Krishna. No conspirators have been found, no foaming-at-the-mouth Islamic madmen, no bomb-throwing communists. People have been arrested for talking about books or for singing the names of God as they walk down the street.

Kafka's world. The Trial.

My friend is a soft-spoken, mild-mannered Russian intellectual. In our conversations, he would listen carefully before making a considered reply. I first met him in Thailand where he was working in website design. We collaborated on some projects together. He was interested in Vedic cosmology and how ancient India interpreted the Ptolemaic universe in its astrological literature.

Last October, he was invited to speak on the benefits of yoga for a VedaLife convention at a hotel in downtown Petersburg. He was wearing a green sweater, sitting cross-legged in the lotus position, and peacefully beginning his lecture, when undercover police appeared and forcibly escorted him to a waiting car. Apparently someone had tipped the KGB that an important meeting was going down.

The local VedaLife program was a place for Russians tired of Vodka drinking and cheap thrills. In the winter months in Petersburg the cold weather makes it difficult to go out. People spend time indoors and when they go out, they like to visit museums or take in a lecture. The people seated at the hotel waiting for the talk were interested in hearing about alternative yoga lifestyles, minimalism, a nonalcoholic vegetarian diet, Vedic food recipes. These folks are admitedly unusual Russians; followers of Gandhi who like peace, yoga and Indian food. Mantra meditation and sitar music. No drugs or alcohol. Apparently this was too much for some local church people who found that a discussion about simple living and high thinking is a threat to the Russian Orthodox Church.

And so it was that Dmitri was denounced for telling people about vegetarian diet and his ideas about the meaning of Yoga. Uniformed officers took him to the station and held him for hours, threatening prison if he didn’t put his signature on a blank confession. Shades of Kafka. He was released, apparently free to go. Two months later, in January, he was informed that he was on trial for expressing views in violation of the “Yarovaya Laws.”

This may seem like madness, or fake news. It’s not. There’s no punchline to the joke.

Russia has a long tradition of imprisoning poets, intellectuals and men of conscience.  Pushkin was exiled for his poetry. Exile matured him and his beautiful lyric developed the bitterweet note of tragedy. Dostoyevsky was imprisoned for writing articles critical of the Tsar. He was condemned to death and only reprieved when fainting before the firing squad provoked the beginning of a lifetime of epileptic attacks. It may be argued that his epilepsy gave him a window into higher consciousness and in that sense the police did him a favor by helping him to write his greatest work. Boris Pasternak, author of Dr. Zhivago, was not allowed to accept his Nobel Prize for having run afoul of the authorities.

While my Russian friend, Dmitri, Dandi Swami, may have some interesting opinions to share, common sense should tell the judge that speaking on Yoga is hardly a “missionary” activity. “Missionary activity” would imply recruiting people to serve an orthodox religion. Yoga, while it might be considered a branch of “Hinduism” is hardly an orthodox religion.

Hinduism itself is rarely orthodox. In fact, with thousands of deities and different social castes expressing themselves in hundreds of languages, the diverse population of India is as heterodox as one may find. The followers of Vishnu, Shiva, Durga and hundreds of gurus all have their differences, as do the various yoga schools.

On the other hand, in spite of all the differences among the peoples of India, there may be certain values, ethical considerations, and time-honored practices that may be considered “Vedic,” or even “Hindu.” These are shared cultural considerations, shared truths about life; you might call it the “Ancient wisdom tradition of India.” And while there is a great disparity among these rich traditions, there are certain things held in common. One of these is the saga of the Pandavas and the Kauravas.

The ancient Mahabharata tells the story of family troubles between the Pandavas led by Yudhisthira and the Kurus led by his cousin, Duryodhan. The sectarian strife between them culminated in the battle of Kurukshetra, fratricidal war that ended the reign of scores of militaristic kings during the Hastinapura era.

It might be worthwhile for those of us who appreciate yoga to take an interest in helping Dmitri defend his right to freedom of expression against the powers that be. Those who are in the minority should be protected against the tryrany of the majority. Even if we may not share his beliefs, we must recognize his right to speak openly. I would appeal here especially to the people of India and those interested in her traditions to take an interest in his defense.

India is a great example of unity in diversity. With its thousands of gods and hundreds of languages it is the largest democracy on earth. There is a famous story about unity in diversity that is told by the Mahabharata. Once upon a time, when the Pandavas were living in exile in the Aranyaka forest, Duryodhana and his brothers decided to humiliate them. He brought a vast company to picnic in the woods near the Pandava’s camp that the exiles might see the splendour of their cousins and burn with envy. Without realizing it, Duryodhana’s group picnicked near a lake owned by a powerful Gandharva. The Gandharva, angered, attacked and captured many of the Kaurava’s including the ladies who had come out to see the fun. And as this was taking place on the battlefield, some of the Kauravas fled to the camp of Yudhisthira to beg for help. Duryodhana had been taken prisoner. The whole family was humiliated. And so it was that before the proud Bhima and Arjuna, Duryodhana’s brothers fell on their knees and prayed for the protection of the Pandavas, to save them from the fierce Gandharva king. Vyasa records that as they recounted the terrors of battle and begged for help, their eyes bulged from their head in terror and sweat dripped from their brows in desperation.

One of the soldiers said, "The mighty armed son of Dhirtarastra has been taken captive by the warlike Gandharvas. And now that King, his brothers headed by Dushasana, as well as their queens and all the ladies of the royal court are being dragged away in chains. Help us oh my brothers! Only you can save us."

And so the followers of Duryodhana, mad with grief, fell at the feet of the Pandavas, wept and begged for help. The mighty Bhima shook his sides with laughter. He said, "What we might have done with great labor the Gandharva has done for us. It seems to me that a ruthless and deceitful King is trapped in the reactions to his own karma."

But the righteous Yudhisthira turned to his brother and said, "Silence. Hold your tongue my dear brother. After all, Duryodhana is our family. The Kauravas are our own flesh and blood. It is true that there is dissension between us, and that we are only five brothers against our one hundred cousins. When there is a fight between us, we are five and they are one hundred. But, when we are attacked by an outside force, we must stand together, as one hundred and give. Let us ride forth in the chariots that were left behind. We shall see how they deal with the powerful right arm of Arjuna."

And so it was that the Pandavas, even as rivals to the Kauravas stood together as one to defend the family of Bharat; the family that would carry the values and traditions of India forward for generations.

The idea of the story is that there may be factions and sectarianism, but when the cultures and traditions of India are at stake they should be protected and upheld. When Hindu scriptures are laughed at and reviled, people should be allowed to speak up and defend them.

Today much of the greatest cultural heritage of India is becoming popular in the West. Yoga is being taught as a system to relieve the stress and tension of the modern way of life. But as soon as one wants to go deeper into the meaning of the Yoga system one may face strong opposition from those who feel this is anti-Christian or pagan or worse.

At the present moment, Yoga is under attack in Russia, where Yoga teachers are being imprisoned for discussing ideas such as self-control or vegetarian diet. Laws against terrorism are being used to arrest Yoga teachers. This is an affront to freedom of expression and an insult to sincere truth-seekers, interested in the ancient wisdom traditions.

The people of India are free to disagree about the true meaning of Yoga practice, but when Indian tradition is attacked as being “terrorism,” it’s time to take a stand. Perhaps the followers of Shiva and the followers of Vishnu have their differences. But like the Pandavas and Kurus of old we must put aside such differences when repressive regimes decide it’s time to attack precious freedoms.

And even Westerners who follow the teachings of Christ may also consider whether the state should have the power to repress religious minorities. America was founded on the principle of freedom of religion after many abuses were committed by the Church. Minorities are attacked precisely because they are weak and can’t afford much resistance. But the attack against minorities is only the tip of the spear. Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) was a prominent Protestant pastor who realized too late that he had waited too long to speak out.

While spending the last seven years of Nazi rule in a concentration camp, he famously observed:

“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”

Martin Niemöller