सदाशिव समारम्भम् शन्कराचार्य मध्यमम् |
अस्मद् आचार्य पर्यन्तम् वन्दे गुरु परम्परम् ||
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There lived a poor man who is of soft nature (sattvic); he followed his Dharma, but lived existence of hand to mouth. People ignored him,. But the poor man had a teacher who is well versed in sciences. The poor man used to go the teacher and used to complain about lack of money. Teacher used to console him. The poor man once asked the teacher if there is any secret education (विद्या) that would give him wealth. The teacher discouraged the man in this pursuit.
Many years passed but the man persisted in asking the same question again and again. Finally the teacher relented and gave him a mantra and asked the man to recite this one crore times. The poor man followed the teacher's advice with sincerity and did the repetition of the mantra. When the man finished the task, a genie appeared. The genie said "O master, you invoked me and summoned me, what is that you want me to do? I will do everything you asked but with one condition: you constantly give me work and keep me employed. If you fail to do so, I will eat you alive."
The poor man was worried. But he was poor so he had plenty of work for the genie, The man asked for a big building in place of the hut he was presently living. The building was constructed soon. The man asked for cattle so that he can sell the milk and buy food. It was done. He asked for diamonds and asked for many children of good conduct. He soon received what ever he wanted. What ever he could think of, he owned. The genie came back and said " give me more work." Now the man has to give more work to the genie else he would be eaten alive,
The man became worried as he wanted to live and enjoy his wealth. He then remembered the teacher and approached him with reverence. "O teacher, show me a way I can control the genie so that I can live and enjoy the wealth." But the teacher reminded the man that this was a risky proposition the man entered in invoking the genie. The man, since he wanted to live, repented and said "please show me a way."
The teacher gave the man a way out: soon the man returned home and erected a huge pillar in front of the house. He told the genie this much: if I have some work for you I would call you. Otherwise your work is this: you constantly go up the pillar and come down the pillar. While you do so, please clean the pillar. I will summon you for other works as needed and when you finish them go back and do the pillar work.
The genie always had some work to do. The man lived happily with contentment.
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Sri Krishna advises devotees for constant repetition of Lord's name. The genie in the above story is one's mind and the teacher is proxy for intellect. If the mind is not properly employed by the intellect, then one is tempted in many directions and that leads to the downfall of a man. In the second chapter of Bhagavad Geeta, Sri Krishna talks about consequences: When one constantly thinks about objects, he gets attached to them. Attachment leads to desires and the desires when not fulfilled leads to anger that leads loss of discrimination.
The verses 326-327 in Viveka Choodamani state:
विषययेेषु आविशच्चेेतः संकल्पयति तद्गुणान्
सम्यक्सँकल्पनात्कामः कामात्पुुँसः प्रवर्तनम्
ततः स्वरूपविभ्रँशः विभ्रष्टस्तुु पतत्यधः
पतितस्य विना नाशं पुुनर्नरोह ईक्ष्यते
When a man constantly thinks about objects, the mind enters sense-objects and from reflection desire arises. Man behaves (directed by mind which is directed by sense-objects) to fulfill the desire. By forgetting his real nature, the man falls. It is rarely seen that he rises again.
Genie is asked to constantly go up and down the pillar, similarly the spiritual student should constantly chant the Lord's name while not engaged in the transactions. One has to engage in transactions to live, to support himself and family, but if mind is not content, then the mind would devour the spiritual student. Hence, Chant HIS name always.
The great acharya Sankara states in Siva Manasa puja:
The great acharya Sankara states in Siva Manasa puja:
आत्मा त्वं गिरिजा मतिः
सहचरा प्राणा शरीरं गृहं
पूजा ते विषयोपभोग रचना
निद्रा समाधिस्थितिः
सञ्चारः पदयोः प्रदक्षिणविधिः
स्तोत्राणि सर्व गिरो
यद्यत्कर्म करोमि
तत्तदखिलं शम्भो तवाराधनम्
Siva is consciousness and Shakti is mind. All pranas are ganas and body is home. All enjoyment due to objects is your worship. The sleep is Samadhi. All movements are your circum-ambulations. All my actions are your worship.
In the Siva Sahasranama, this is compared to inner worship of the Lord:
In the Siva Sahasranama, this is compared to inner worship of the Lord:
ॐ अन्तर्यागाय नमः
To that inner worship, my salutations.
Constant reminder of HIS name is what Sri Krishna instructs in the Bhagavad Geeta for contentment of mind.
ॐ नमः शिवाय