Of course you do. All of us love our husband, wife, children, parents and so on. Whatever we do is ultimately for their sake.
But did you notice something? We love our spouse, our son, our daughter, our friend, our mate, and so on and so forth. In all these relations what do we have in common? What else, it is we!
We love someone because that someone is related to us in some way. Not only related, but there is something that we get from them. That is the reason why we all love someone. Or else we won’t. So it is for our own sake that we love someone else.
But did you notice something? We love our spouse, our son, our daughter, our friend, our mate, and so on and so forth. In all these relations what do we have in common? What else, it is we!
We love someone because that someone is related to us in some way. Not only related, but there is something that we get from them. That is the reason why we all love someone. Or else we won’t. So it is for our own sake that we love someone else.
I am talking about ‘normal people’. I am sure that there are great souls who love unconditionally, even those who are not at all related to them or from whom there is nothing to be got in return. I am not talking about such great people.
What if someone loves somebody for one’s own sake? Absolutely nothing wrong under normal circumstances. But when this me, mine go beyond a limit, that is when the problem starts.
The story that I am going to start today is the story of Yajnyavalkya and his wife Maitreyi from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. This Upanishad is a part of Yajur Veda.
As with most stories in the Upanishads, even this story aims at ultimate realization and eternal peace. The story goes as follows.
The great Vedic sage Yajnyavalkya had two wives – Maitreyi and Katyayani.
After having lived a householder’s life for several years, one day the sage wanted to take up Sanyasa as it was usual in ancient India. A person who takes up Sanyasa is supposed to sever all bonds from society including his own near and dear ones and lead a solitary life. The main aim is to attain the ultimate realization.
So Yajnyavalkya also decided to part with all his wealth and belongings and lead a solitary life. He informed his two wives about his decision. He also divided his belongings between the two of them and prepared to leave the house.
Maitreyi, one of the two wives of Yajnyavalkya, was a Brahmavadini. In ancient India, though the society was predominantly patriarchal, women did have a choice to pursue Vedic studies if they wished so. They could either dedicate their complete life for studies or study till they get married or probably even after that. Such women were called Brahmavadinis.
A Brahmavadini is basically a woman who is well versed in scriptures and dedicated to know the ultimate truth or Brahma.
Being a Brahmavadini, Maitreyi was not very much interested in Yajnyavalkya’s wealth that he was going to leave back. She had higher goals. She asked an unusual question to her husband who himself was a great Brahmavadin.
What did Maitreyi ask Yajnyavalkya? Let us see that in the next episode.
A
story of Yajnyavalkya and Maitreyi from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad,
which is part of Yajur Veda. Upanishads are concluding parts of
ancient Indian Vedic scriptures believed to be at least 5000 years
old. The interpretation is by Dr.King (Copyright © 2019 Dr. King).
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