The Dharma and Iśt́a of a Yogi
Now, what is Iśt́a? The word Iśt́a has two meanings: the entity which you love most, or which is your most favourite, is your Iśt́a. Now the question is, what do you love most or what is your most favourite object? Every microcosm has an existential "I" feeling, and every such microcosmic "I" feeling is an expression of the supreme "I" feeling. Therefore, each microcosm has two “Iʼs”: one is the small “I”, and the other is the greater “I”. Parama Puruśa is the greater “I”; the small “I” is finite happiness, whereas the greater “I” is infinite happiness. Every microcosm desires finite happiness, but the dearest object of all is infinite happiness. Finite happiness is an individualʼs affair, whereas infinite happiness is a universal affair. Infinite happiness is that aspect of Parama Puruśa which is generally called the Personal God.
According to philosophy, the Supreme Entity who controls this universe is Parama Puruśa; He is also the nucleus of the cosmological order. But the Parama Puruśa of philosophy, the hub of the universe, is a formless, impersonal entity, whereas human beings always prefer a personal God whom they can love, and to whom they can explain the pleasures and pains of their life. Human beings cannot feel extreme love and affection towards an impersonal God or [God] of philosophy because that is only a metaphysical concept, and the human heart cannot fully identify itself with an abstract idea. People cannot reveal the stories of their joys and sorrows, pains and pleasures, loves and affections, to an abstract idea. They want a personal God to whom they can fully convey their feelings and sentiments. This is an absolute necessity. Human beings do not search for their God in distant nebulae and meteors – they seek Him right near them, in their very midst. They want to accept Him totally as their shelter in life. In the play of abstract imagination, people may derive some temporary satisfaction, but not lasting peace. The God of philosophy cannot provide complete fulfilment of peopleʼs deep internal urges: they want One to whom they can open their hearts. Such an entity is oneʼs Iśt́a.
What is the difference between dharma and Iśt́a? Dharma is defined as Yah dhárańaḿ karoti sah dharma or Dhriyate dharmah ityáhuh sa eva paramaḿ Prabhuh – “Dharma is that which sustains.” A microcosm is distinguished by its innate property. We say “this is oxygen” because it has such-and-such characteristics. We say “this is fire” because it has its own properties. Similarly, air also has its own unique properties. Thus every object in the universe is distinguished by its unique characteristics. If fire ceases to burn, we no longer call it “fire”; if air stops blowing, we no longer call it “air”, because mobility is its inherent characteristic. In Sanskrit there are two words: nila and niila. Niila means “blue”, whereas nila means “fixed, stationary.” If air is immobile, then it becomes nila or stationary, and not anila [anila, literally “mobile”, is one Sanskrit word for “air”. Thus it is by their innate properties or characteristics that [various property-bearing] animate and inanimate, organic and inorganic, movable and immovable entities are distinguished from each other.
Human beings, animals and plants all have life. Just as plants have certain common characteristics, animals too have certain common characteristics. Of the numerous differences between plants and animals, the major difference is that plants are relatively static, whereas animals are dynamic. Now, if plants become more dynamic, then they too will come within the category of animals. Now, what is the difference between human beings and animals? Human beings follow Bhágavata dharma but animals do not. The common characteristics shared by humans and animals are eating, sleeping and dying. But human beings have the unique property of Bhágavata dharma, which is lacking in animals. This is the speciality of human beings.
Now, if this unique characteristic is lacking in human beings, then they will degrade themselves to the level of animality; and if animals develop this characteristic then they will be elevated to the status of humanity.
What does Bhágavata dharma [consist of]? Vistára [expansion], rasa [flow], sevá [service], and tadsthiti [realization of the Supreme]. The first criterion of human greatness is the spirit of expansion. Human beings want to give an aesthetic expression to all internal feelings and propensities; this is the first aspect of Bhágavata dharma – vistára.
Rasa means “flow”. Endless waves are emanating from the hub of the cosmological order, and surging in troughs and crests in all directions. These Macrocosmic thought waves are dancing according to the cosmic will of Parama Puruśa. Human beings are also dancing in the rhythm of these aesthetic waves, to the tune of the sweet musical cadence of Krśńaʼs flute as He remains in the nucleus of the universe. This is the second aspect of Bhágavata dharma.
The third aspect is sevá [service]. Now, what is “service”? Prańipátena pariprashnena sevayá. Among animals there is no spirit of service, but among human beings it is certainly present. Prańipátena means “through total surrender”. Pariprashnena means “through proper queries”. And sevayá means “through service” – that is, Parama Puruśa is attainable through total surrender, spiritual queries, and selfless service. Parama Puruśa Himself does not require any service, but in this universe each and every created object is His progeny. If you serve the children of Parama Puruśa, if you serve the distressed and afflicted human beings, if you render all-round service to humanity in the physical, mental, mundane, supramundane, social and spiritual spheres of life, Parama Puruśa will surely be pleased. This is the real service to the Supreme. If you want to please a mother, simply serve her children and the mother will be pleased. This is the third aspect of Bhágavata dharma.
Service is always unilateral or one sided: that is the major difference between service and business, for business is mutual – you give some money and take something, say, pulses in return. The transaction is mutual. But service is quite different: it is always unilateral. You give something to Parama Puruśa without asking for anything in exchange. When you offer everything unto Parama Puruśa, what else can He ask for? Moreover, who will ask? When you have offered everything to Parama Puruśa, then you have become one with Parama Puruśa, what else can He ask for? Moreover, who will ask? When you have offered everything to Parama Puruśa, then you have become one with Parama Puruśa, and obviously there cannot be anything left to ask for.
The fourth aspect of Bhágavata dharma is tadsthiti: it means “to merge your individual identity in Him, your Supreme Goal.” I have already said that Parama Puruśa is Táraka Brahma; He is your Iśt́a, your personal God. This is not a theoretical concept. The human mind can be delighted with some philosophical ideas, but the heart is not satisfied thus. This four-fold Bhágavata dharma is like a silver line of demarcation between human beings and animals. Bhágavata dharma is the human dharma, mánava dharma; besides this there is no other dharma for humanity.
In the Bhágavad Giitá, Lord Krśńa proclaimed, Shreyán svadharmo viguńah paradharmát svánuśt́hitát. What is paradharma or “othersʼ dharma”? Here paradharma means that dharma which is followed by plants and animals. The dharma of human beings is Bhágavata dharma. Animals and plants also have their own dharma, but this should not be followed by human beings. Thus Lord Krśńa further declared, Svadharme nidhanaḿ shreyah paradharma bhayávaha; “Death is preferable to the neglect of oneʼs own dharma: one should never follow anotherʼs dharma”. Out of ignorance, some people misconstrue paradharma to be Hindu dharma, Islamic dharma, Christian dharma, and so on, but this is not correct; paradharma means “the dharma of animals and plants”.
Human dharma is one, and that is Bhágavata dharma. And Iśt́a means “the personal God with whom all unit beings can establish a relation of love and affection, to whom they can reveal their pains and pleasures, and surrender themselves and take the safest shelter in Him”. That Parama Puruśa, that personal God, is not the God of philosophy. Human beings cannot establish a very close relationship with something theoretical. If one closely follows Bhágavata dharma, the final result will be the realization of the Supreme, becoming one with oneʼs Iśt́a. Some time ago I said Yato dharma tato iśt́ah, yato iśt́a tato jayah. When spiritual aspirants become one with their Iśt́a, they no longer remain as insignificant people; in that case their finite happiness is transformed into infinite happiness. Then with their limited strength they become able to perform gigantic tasks. So although there is a theoretical difference between ádarsha and Iśt́a, practically both are the same. Human beings can become one with their Iśt́a through the relentless pursuit of Bhágavata dharma. Those who do not follow Bhágavata dharma are almost like animals.
A mystic poet has said,
Miche máyáy baddha haye brkśa sama hainu.
Human beings have come onto this earth only to follow Bhágavata dharma, and not for any other purpose. You have many tasks to perform: whatever you do, you should always feel that all your actions are part of Bhágavata dharma. Wherever you are, you must do something to remove the poverty and distress of the people in that area, to ameliorate their socio-economic condition. But even while discharging your duties thus, you should always remember that whatever you are doing is not a mundane duty, it is an inseparable part of your Bhágavata dharma.
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