- Author: Dr. Vamshi Krishnacharya Purohit
- Translation: Lakshmi
- Illustration : Smt. Vandana Karatagi
In this way, the Pandavas had truly made their home a “gr̥ha”. For this reason, Lord Krishna spent more time at Indraprastha than at His home. Haridasas say, where conversations about the glories of Lord Hari are the favoured pastime, no misfortune befalls that place; Lord Hari Himself resides in such a place and these words were brought to reality by Lord Krishna in the house of the Pandavas. To recapitulate, when one resides where stories of the Lord are narrated, there is daily chanting and worship, Lord Krishna leaves His home and makes our residences and hearts His home and actually transforms them into “gr̥ha”.
In this context, “gr̥ha” does not refer to the houses we construct on the outside. “gr̥ha” is defined as “parakr̥taṁ vēśma” by Avadhoota in Bhagavata. “para” is the Supreme Lord Hari, “kr̥taṁ” is made or created and “vēśma” is home. When put this together, it refers to the house created by the Lord, which is our physical body. This is what Lord Krishna said in the Gita: “idaṁ śarīraṁ kauntēyakṣētramityabhidhīyatē”.
We furnish our houses with all necessary comforts. However, there are more amenities in the bodily home created by the Lord. Just as an ever luminescent lamp, we have six sensory organs such as the auditory system. We have organs of action like the mouth that serve as servants. We have excretory organs to flush waste out of our bodies similar to the drainage system in homes. We have systems to carry fresh air throughout the body, like an air-conditioning conduit. We have sleep to keep us relaxed, functioning as the bedroom of the house. By living in this well-furnished house (our body), we must achieve spiritual upliftment. This spiritual upliftment can be accomplished by letting go of our arrogance and attachment and by offering back to the Lord all that He has bestowed upon us with a sense of gratitude and humility. Like Prahlada, we should always be on the side which is with the Lord no matter what hardships befall us, we must never switch sides. Such a life led throughout by praising Lord Hari’s attributes is counted as being fruitful by the Haridasas. In this way, invoking the presence of Lord Hari in this “kṣētra” (described in the bhagavadgītā as our mortal bodies and also as the entire universe) as the “kṣētrajña” (described in bhagavadgītā as one who knows all about “kṣētra”) would in the real sense make our physical bodies “gruha”. Once the omnipresent Lord Hari reveals His presence in this house, things that were once beyond our reach will very much be reachable.
Sri Madhwacharya speaks of Bheema ruling over Indraprastha thus:
tēṣāṁ rāṣṭrē śāsati bhīmasēnē |
na vyādhitō nāpi viparyayānmr̥tiḥ ||
If Lord Hari, along with Lord Vayu, resides in a body, such a soul will not suffer or die from the disease of ignorance and wrong knowledge. Lord Hari would grant flawless immortality to those who follow the path of salvation as advised by Bheema—Sri Madhwacharya. Therefore, as advised by the Avadhoota, “parakr̥taṁ vēśma praviśya sukhamēdhatē”, instead of vainly trying to extend life in this mortal body, we should make good use of it as instructed by Bheema and try to achieve the permanent bliss of salvation. Our efforts should progress along this path. The houses we build outside should pave way for our spiritual awakening.
