Who am I? – 4 (Deep Amavasya)

अरे अरे ज्ञाना झालासी पावन ।
तुझें तुज ध्यान कळों आले ॥१॥

तुझा तूंचि देव तुझा तूंचि भाव ।
फिटला संदेह अन्यतत्वी ॥२॥

मुरडूनियां मन उपजलासी चित्तें ।
कोठें तुज रितें न दिसे रया ॥३॥

दीपकीं दीपक मावळल्या ज्योती ।
घरभरी वाती शून्य झाल्या ॥४॥

वृत्तीची निवृत्ति अपणांसकट ।
अवघेंची वैकुंठ चतुर्भूज ॥५॥

निवृत्ति परमानुभव नेमा ।
शांतिपूर्ण क्षमा ज्ञानदेवो ॥६॥

In our journey to find oneself, Dnyaneshwar Maharaj, one of the Saints of the Bhakti Movement (Warkari Sampradaay), will help us.

At a very young age, Dnyaneshwar lost his parents and had taken his elder brother, Nivruttinath, as his guru, his guiding light. Nivruttinath is considered as one of the Yogi’s of the Nath Sampradaay (sect).

He pursued his path of truth amongst all odds and this is one of his “ABHANGS” verses on self realisation. The second line of the first verse is the answer to all our quests. “TUJHE TUCH DHYAAN KALO AAHE“. He explains that at the end of the search one realises that the one we are trying to find is within oneself and nowhere else. The third line “TUJHA TUCHI DEV TUJHA TUCHI BHAAV“, emphasises the same thought in another way. He says you are your own God, and the day one realises this thought, all the doubts will vanish in thin air and the rush to find HIM in others will stop right away. Again at the same time one should also know that Dnyandev in no way denies HIS existence in others. He just says that once you find HIM within you, the quest for running here and there will stop. Again the Vedic slogan of “TAT TVAM ASI” is also understood through these lines.

The third verse “MURDUNIYA MANN UPAJALASI CHITTEIN, KOTHE TUJH RITEIN, NA DISE RAYAA“. He further explains that on Self Realisation, that is, reigning in our senses, the God has entered our heart. God resides in our heart. God himself says so in the Chapter 15 Verse 15 of the great poem Shreemad Bhagwad Geeta.
सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो
मत्त: स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च |
वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो
वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम् || 15||
sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto
mattah smrtir jnanam apohanan ca
vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo
vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham

It is just that we had forgotten but remembering this thought is the first step to self realisation. And once HE resides in our heart, all the emptiness leaves. We realise that we are not alone, but the Creator is with us.

In the fourth verse, Dnyandev says “DEEPAKI DEEPAK MAVALLYA JYOTI, GHARBHARI VAATI SHUNYA JHALYA“. On self realisation, the flame of desires are extinguished. They are extinguished not dowsed. There is not even a hint of desire left. Here let us also be clear that when Dnyandev says that no desire is left. He means that no desire for personal self is left. Without desire, it’s practically impossible to survive. But on self realisation, it is only the desire “To live for Thee” which is left and so all actions performed will be selfless and for the good of the society and for HIM.

The essence of life is to alight the flame of light, The Deepak, in our lives. The Lamp, as called Deep, is a very important symbol of realisation. It has used by mnay to explain the life we have to lead. Many a great poets have written about it.

Today is Deep Amavasya. The last day of the month of Asadh. The month of Shravan sets in tomorrow. People in the Malabar region, cleanse all the lamps that they have in their house and light them tonight. It is for cleanliness of the lamps and the soul. We should sit in front of those lamps and pray to remove all the darkness within and walk on the path of enlightenment.

The worship has its own significance. It is spreading light in our lives and the lives of others too. Light is considered auspicious. It removes the darkness from the outer world and at the same time enlightens the inner self. We, Indians, light a Diya everyday and say the following shlokas invoking the blessings of the Gods :

शुभं करोति कल्याणं आरोग्यं धनसंपदः ।
शत्रुबुद्धिविनाशाय दीपज्योतिनमोऽस्तु ते ॥

दीपज्योतिः परब्रह्म दीपज्योति जनार्दनः ।
दीपो हरतु मे पापं दीपज्योतिनमोऽस्तु ते ॥

(I bow to the Light, which brings abundance and prosperity of Health, and wealth and which destroys the intelligent enemy [darkness]…

It is you O Light! That is the creator and the operator and you will lead me to light away from sins, so I bow down unto you…)

Dnyandev wants us to realise the importance of lightening and worshipping of lamps. The last two verses, He talks about the omnipresence of GOD. Once we retire from our own desires, we have to feel, see and understand GOD in everything. He is also offering his Namaskaars to his Guru, Nivruttinath, in the last verse. When he says “NIVRUTTI PARAM”, he means to tell us that whatever I have got is because of my Guru, my teachers and the self contentment and all embracing mercy is a prasad of my Guru.

Today on the Day of Deep Amavasya, let the light the lamp of Knowledge in our lives and understand what these great saints have realised and tried to tell us in a language we understand.

Let us move from selfish motives to selfless ones.

Let us move from darkness to light.

Let us move from the world outside to world inside.

Let us realise the GOD residing inside.

Let us understand the meaning of ‘I’.