The fourth purushartha of life is moksha. Moksha is liberation. It means freedom from all limitations. The four purusharthas teach us to live life with ethics, morals, sensitivity to needs of others. We earn wealth in a moral way and fulfill our desires ethically. We share our wealth, time and energy with all and provide for the needy in society. We live an ideal life.
We have enough means at our disposal but we are still striving for more wealth and fulfillment of desires. We are not as yet satisfied or content. What are we seeking liberation from?
We have enough means at our disposal but we are still striving for more wealth and fulfillment of desires. We are not as yet satisfied or content. What are we seeking liberation from?
Liberation comes when there are no self centred desires. Under such conditions, we live a balanced life. We neither jump with joy nor go into depression with pain. We are the same in prosperity and pain. Therefore we live in a peaceful state of mind, whatever are the conditions of life. Living in this manner and being free from the need to fulfill desires, we overcome fear and insecurity. As dharma is the basis of our life and moksha the end, we live our lives sharing with love and compassion the wealth and gifts we have and see all creation as one. We become free from the limitations of desire, ego, time and space. We know that we are not limited beings but are a spark of the Eternal which reflects in all animate and inanimate beings around us. We understand that – this is that and that is this –which means the self and God are same and hence all creation is one. Then we live for a higher purpose, for service to others like all saints live. We leave our mark in the soil of the Universe.
Let us see the story of King Bhagirath of the Raghuvamsha who brought the Ganga river to earth. He was an ideal king, virtuous and compassionate. He ruled well and brought prosperity to his kingdom. He handed over the reins of the kingdom to his son at an early age and did tapas to bring Ganga to earth so that his ancestors could get moksha or salvation. By giving up his desires selflessly and working for the salvation of his ancestors, he attained his own moksha. The story of the tapas of this king is a mighty one which shows us how one man stood firm against rejection and dejection and worked tirelessly to attain his goals and then achieved the ultimate goal of immortality.
King Sagar had 60,000 sons. He defeated all the demons on the earth. He started an Ashwamedha Yagya to declare his supremacy. For this, as was the practice prevalent, he sent his horse across the earth accompanied by his sons.
The King of Heaven, Lord Indra feared that King Sagar would grow more powerful than him. In order to stop King Sagar, he stole the horse and tied it to the ashram of Sage Kapil. When the 60,000 sons came searching for the horse, they saw the horse tied near Sage Kapil who was in deep meditation. They got furious and abused Sage Kapil. On hearing the vile shouts, Sage Kapil opened his eyes in anger and all the 60,000 sons of King Sagar were reduced to ashes, except for Prince Asamanjas.
Anshuman was the son of Asamanjas and the grandson of King Sagar. He went to Sage Kapil and sought his forgiveness and brought the horse back. Sage Kapil told him that the burnt sons of King Sagar could get salvation only if Ganga was brought from heaven to earth. Neither Anshuman nor his son Dilip were successful in their tapas to do so.. But Dilip's son, Bhagirath was determined to get this task done. He started meditating intensely for several years and finally Ganga got pleased and agreed to descend to the earth provided she was allowed to fall safely without flooding earth. So Bhagirath did tapas and pleased Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva agreed to hold the waters in His Hair and allowed the river current to fall in a controlled manner. Then Bhagirath did tapas and pleased Ganga and she came thundering down from heaven to earth. Lord Shiva received Ganga on his matted locks and she got locked up there and no waters were released as she came down with pride. Bhagirath then worshipped Lord Shiva and Lord Shiva blessed him and released Ganga from his locks in a stream. The stream moved behind Bhagirath towards the sea where the ashes of the sixty thousand sons lay. On the way the waters of Ganga flooded the ashram of Sage Jahnu and he caught the waters in his kamandalu or jar and locked her up. Again Bhagirath did tapas and pleased the sage who let the water flow from his kamandalu. So Ganga is called Janhvi . Finally the river flowed freely and the water of Ganga touched the ashes of Sagar’s sons who rose to the eternal rest in heaven.
The selfless efforts and tapas of Bhagirath brought the Ganges to earth. Today her waters give life to all of North India.
The selfless efforts and tapas of Bhagirath brought the Ganges to earth. Today her waters give life to all of North India.
