Atma Samyama Yoga

English

The essence of this verse finds reflection in a stanza from the Rām-charit-mānas by the saint-poet Tulasidāsa: Siya-Rām maya sab jag jāni, karaun pranām jori jug pāni^1 —which translates to “I humbly bow to everyone with folded hands, recognizing God in all beings!” (7 d:1, Bāl-Kānd, Rām-charit-mānas). In the 16th century, there lived in India a revered Marathi saint named Eknath. A story from his life illustrates the principle conveyed in this verse. Once, Saint Eknath was traveling from Prayāgarāja in the province of Uttar Pradesh to Rāmeshwaram in Tamil Nadu, a southern province of India, accompanied by a group of fellow saints. They carried holy water from the sacred Gangā River to offer it to Bhagawān Shiva, one of the three primary deities in the Hindu Holy Trinity. During their journey, they crossed a hot and parched region plagued by water scarcity. In this desolate land, they encountered a thirsty and distressed donkey. Most of the saints observed the suffering animal but continued on their way without extending any assistance. However, Saint Eknath, recognizing that God resided within all living beings as their soul, poured all the holy water he carried for Bhagawān Shiva into the parched mouth of the thirsty donkey. Upon reaching the Rāmeshwaram temple with the other saints, Saint Eknath had no holy water left to offer to Bhagawān Shiva. Consequently, he stood at the back of the temple’s sanctum sanctorum while the other saints proceeded to pour the sacred waters onto the Shivalingam, a representation of Bhagawān Shiva in stone. At that moment, a miraculous event occurred. A voice, seemingly that of Bhagawān Shiva, resonated within the temple’s sanctum sanctorum, addressing Saint Eknath. The voice expressed gratitude for Saint Eknath’s offering of holy water through the donkey’s mouth and invited him forward, desiring to have his divine darshan, or to behold his holy presence. This narrative aligns with the teachings of Bhagawān Krishna in the Bhāgawata Purāna, where He explains the process of perceiving one’s cherished Personified God in every living being. Bhagawān Krishna encourages His devotees to worship Him, the divine presence dwelling within all living creatures as their soul, and to treat them all with respect and kindness. He advises envisioning His tranquil four-armed form, which carries sacred symbols like the conch shell (shankha), Sudarshan Chakra (a revolving disc-shaped weapon), and a lotus flower. Saint Eknath’s ability to recognize Bhagawān Shiva within the donkey exemplifies this profound spiritual insight, as he saw the divine presence within all beings.