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37th sutra is the sutra connected to the asteya.
अ॒स्ते॒यप्र॑तिष्ठा॒यां सर्वरत्नो॑पस्था॒नम् ॥ २.३७॥
Asteya pratiṣṭhāyām sarva-ratna-upasthānam - Asteya is non-steeling, pratiṣṭhāyām established in that, rooted in that, Sarva ratna, Sarva is all. Ratna generally refers to ornaments, jewels, wealth. So sarva ratna, all wealth, all jewels, all ornaments. Sarva-ratna-upasthānam - upasthānam - Come near , they come near. So by established, by being established in asteya, all wealth comes near to him. This is the importance of asteya, non-steeling. But we should always remember the practices are not just simply external practices of just non-steeling like that. Even at the thought level, we have seen the highest dimension of the practices - mahāvrata. Kāyena vācā manasendriyair vā buddhyātmanā vā prakṛteḥ svabhāvāt - At that level. Kāyena vācā manasendriyair vā buddhyā - And even this spontaneously. Prakṛteḥ svabhāvāt - Even by naturally practicing asteya -Non-steeling. Not just steeling something. Even that thought in the mind of possessing something that is to be removed. Then what happens? Sarva-ratna-upasthānam. But just if we see the sutra, it looks that a person who has mastered or established in asteya practice, all jewels come to him.
It looks something very typical. That he doesn't want anything, but jewels will come. It doesn't mean that it is just dropping from the sky and coming flying over from somewhere. A clear understanding should be is that when we have risen above this tendency of asteya completely. And would not even think of taking anything. Even if a treasure, wealth fall within our grasp. We are walking somewhere and we see a thousand rupee note or you see a gold coin or somebody is having a wealth, that thought of not taking, that thiefishness and then when we rise. Then the law is very clear. That sarva-ratna-upasthānam it is. That is the important dimension which we see here. And that is the practice is so clear so important that it is something like a person who doesn't steal at all people trust him, people honor him, of his simplicity and being a trustee, being a man of honesty, being a person who doesn't have an idea of grabbing. People trust and preserve their own things with them and this is how the sutra has to be properly understood.
From all directions precious things will come to him. People will present themselves before him. Vivekananda says "the more you fly from the nature. The more she follows you. And if you don't care for her at all. She becomes your slave." The nature means this wealth Ratnas. That is true even in our own lives. And we should be clear that ratna-upasthānam means - it is not that we recognize some hidden treasures, we recognize some closed treasures. Out of our own respecting and honoring, our own sincerity and honesty people trust our character and offerings will come. And that is the sarva-ratna-upasthānam.
And the 38th sutra is one of the most important and powerful sutra where maharishi talks about the importance and the result of brahmacarya.
ब्र॒ह्म॒च॒र्यप्र॑तिष्ठा॒यां वी॑र्यला॒भः ॥ २.३८॥
Brahmacarya pratiṣṭhāyām vīryalābhaḥ.
He calls it, brahmacarya is continence, free from sensual sexual thoughts. pratiṣṭhāyām - established rooted in that. What happens? vīryalābhaḥ vitality, vigar comes. We have to understand these words quite carefully, more deeply and more subtly with a wide range brahmacarya. Though it means generally understood as free from the sensual enjoyment or particularly the sexual enjoyment, sexual thought, sexual pressure, brahmacarya means - brahmaiva caranti movement towards brahman , the oneness that spirit in all. Means, a life, an attitude, a behavior, a lifestyle towards recognition of the īśvaratva in all, way of life, the style of life which is towards realizing the īśvaratva, the oneness in all, that common power in all, the one in all. That lifestyle is brahmacarya - brahman.
And normally, little bit deeper is a life of dedication, a life of commitment, a life of absolute one pointedness, a fixed goal, positive goal and we train the life, we tailor the life, adjust the life in such a way the whole life is moving in the particular direction. All the resources connected to the life, all the requirements of the body needs, all the mental thoughts, all the direction of the flow of the thoughts, all the movement direction requirements, hungers of the indriyāḥ, all are directed to one direction, one point, one pointed intelligence - vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ, all these things are put together, we should name it as brahmacarya.
A life of dedication and a life of commitment, a life where we live for a high ideal, a high philosophical ideal where a life is a dedicated and devoted life for the common cause and benefit of the many people sevā-vrataḥ. dharma-vrataḥ. Yajña-vrataḥ. And that is the brahmacarya life. And that way of life what it comes, it rejuvenates the whole body and the mind, tremendous energy comes. And that is the vīrya. That is the vitality. And that intense power of the mind, power of the character, a fiery character, a fiery behavior as it is said generally, people will think twice, People will be afraid to point a finger against a person's character because the character is like an agni - fire that is called brahmacarya. And that character brings out tremendous inner strength, that is vigar. And dependent on himself or herself. Because brahmacarya is not only for the men. It is also for the women. As we are seeing. The entire yoga practices and yoga shastra it is not just men and women, it is for all, humanity, human being. Not strī and puruṣa, it is for all. Just for a reference, we should remember that. Brahmacarya is not only for the or it is not addressed only for the men. It is for all and it is not addressed, concerned only with grown up, old, young or child, it is for all. But when it is specifically a sense enjoyment and particularly, a sexual pleasure, then it comes, a particular class and particular age but brahmacarya is a totality of the life has to be taken into it.
And it is laid down that then alone the person becomes fit in part of the yoga. Some of the traditional texts and interpretations will say unless a person has conquered this pleasure of the sex is not fit to impart yoga. As a caution we should remember because when we teach yoga many people come to our classes. Our behavior, our handling of the practically the students should be very careful. Whether instructor is a man or a woman, student can be a man or a woman, what relationship we develop with what eye with what view, we teach and look, the inner attitude and vision brahmacarya principle should guide all the practitioners of yoga. And that is then the inner strength that self confidence comes into us. And let us be practitioners of this brahmacarya. And as it was part of the yama, one of the upāṅga of the yama. Let us see the further sutras.
Om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः||
To Be Continued.. ---------------------------------------
These are transcription of session delivered by Vice-President of Vivekananda Rock Memorial & Vivekananda Kendra, Sri M. Hanumantha Rao Ji.
Audio Link - https://youtu.be/vCpzES39mJA?si=qinGuOqHcoMJPK7-
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मुक्तसंग्ङोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वित:।
सिद्धयसिद्धयोर्निर्विकार: कर्ता सात्त्विक उच्यते ॥१८.२६॥
Freed from attachment, non-egoistic, endowed with courage and enthusiasm and unperturbed by success or failure, the worker is known as a pure (Sattvika) one. Four outstanding and essential qualities of a worker. - Bhagwad Gita : XVIII-26
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