Sha Philosophy – Chapter20: WOMAN AND WEALTH
In general people think a yogi is verily a recluse, who goes away to some mountain region to accomplish the Supreme Knowledge. He knows all things. His followers feel, the words, which come out of his mouth are Upanishads ( Devine revelations ). His touch itself will give salvation. He won’t have any worldly attachments or desires. He eats the food , which is given to him voluntarily as alms by others by understanding his needs. Otherwise he bears the hunger and can live on drinking some water.
This is how people think about a yogi and propagate and spread his name by telling tales about him again. His followers publicize that, there is profound and esoteric meaning in the heavy words he speaks ( In fact, the words he speak are mugged up from the spiritual literature ) and also none can speak such words, unless he has a very strong dislike towards woman and wealth. Then people in the society yield to such propaganda of the followers of such an individual and worship him with great amazement. The following is the appearance or description of such a person. He may be with a long beard and hair with matted locks and attired in saffron clothes and he wears garlands of rosaries made of Rudrakshas ( seeds of elaocarpus gantrus ) around his neck. Otherwise he may be with a cleanly shaven head, mustaches and beard with the above attire. He always carries a Danda ( staff ) and Kamandal ( small vase or vessel to hold water ). With closed eyes; he speaks in his speeches as if he had complete knowledge of the Supreme Truth of God.
People listen to such standard propaganda about yogis, and with misapprehension, they decide such pseudo persons to be worthy of worship, images of God, conquerors of all the six inner enemies ( lust, anger, covetousness, enamor, pride and jealousy ) and express their faith and devotion towards them. Indeed such pseudo persons are becoming famous in these days as yogis and incarnates of God.
“ Ye tathvishaye tathpurvam pracheenam “, before deciding that such persons only know the Supreme Knowledge , one should question: How were the Jnanis ( scholars of Supreme Knowledge) and Rishis ( sages ) of ancient time? Had they really lived in the aforesaid manner and learnt the Supreme Truth and made the Vedas and Upanishads known to the society? The sage Vasishta had one hundred sons. His wife’s name was Arundhati. The daughter of sage Viswamitra was Sakuntala. Sage Vyasa’s sons were Prince Dhritharashtra, Prince Pandu, Vidura and sage Sri Suka. In this manner the history of all sages, who spoke every word in accordance with Vedas, reveals that they had women. Incamates like Sri Ram, Sri Bala Ram, Sri Krishna also had wives. Every Prophet , starting from Prophet Adam to Prophet Mohammad had wives. However , Jesus Christ was exceptional and was without woman. The reason was, before his marriageable age he was crucified. In this way even the authors of Upanishads were also not unmarried. Even Lord Buddha had children.
However , in the present age , many became famous for giving up woman and wealth. If their private lives are looked into, the vile deeds they committed or are committing and the episodes about their lust or sexual relationships will come to light or one can realize their secrets, when the hearts, which know their affairs, spell the truth. Such pseudo Yogis never touch money in front of us as if they had rejected wealth. But they may touch money only when it is collected secretly by their followers ( disciples ) in the form of Gurudakshina ( offering made to a teacher or a holy man ) and that is deposited in their Bank accounts! Like this if we look into the activities of the persons who are in disguise of Yogis, who claim to be disinclined to have woman and wealth, we can realize, they have amassed wealth ( heaps of gold and money ), which is beyond their normal earning capacity and also our imagination. If such persons are admitted into our houses with a misapprehension that they reject woman and wealth, then none can count the vile and wicked deeds they commit. We often hear about such episodes. At present such a disguise as “ Yogi , who doesn’t accept woman and wealth “ is indeed becoming a privilege for great cheats.
However, in true sense the Yogi , who dislikes woman and wealth, is a virtuous Samsari ( householder or married man ). He manages all his sensual desires with his own rightful wife. By means of his hard work only he earns money to bring up his children, who are born of his rightful wife. He takes the entire onus of his family by himself and strives for the success of his children. He sincerely performs his Sadhana ( spiritual practice ) to comprehend the Supreme Knowledge while living a normal family life.
Such persons won’t aspire or think about another woman and wealth of others. His mind won’t go after them. He indeed is the real Yogi , who is genuinely devoid of woman and wealth.
