Adhikara Bheda

The Master shared many secrets of living. One of them was to be as a flower shedding its fragrance for all while drawing all its needs from the soil and the sun. “Be like a flower,” he would say, “open, frank, generous, equal and kind.” Or else sometimes he would teach the disciples to emulate the best quality in each creature, the faithfulness of a dog, the sensitivity of a cat, the swiftness of a deer, quiet strength of a lion, the purity and discernment of the swan, the concentration of the kingfisher and the perseverance of the crow. He would also teach through material nature saying that the language of God is everywhere. This was the Veda written through material objects as letters. Be as the mountain, firm and high, carrying the aspiration of earth heavenwards. Or be as the star, stationed high yet guiding man and showing him the direction and the path through stormy seas. Or else, be as the river, he would say, that knows its origin and the goal and rushes towards it circuiting through every obstacle on its way.

The disciples would thus learn through images of earth something which could be reflected in their own human nature. One day the subject turned towards how to know one’s own true nature. “Each one of us has something divine in us”, he said, “and it is our business to cultivate it and live according to it.” But he cautioned that there is also in each one something covering this true divine nature, diverting us from our true divine impulsion into lanes and by-lanes that were never meant for us, thereby, creating much confusion within the individual and the society. In the course of such a conversation, the subject turned to ‘Adhikara bheda’ or the distinction that needs to be made between different aspirants and seekers. It is for this reason that the Master was not in favour of a standardized practice to be given to one and all who came to him. To some he would ask to meditate, while to others he would assign a work, some he would ask to till the fields while to others he would ask to work in the kitchen. Yet others were asked to read and write or paint and draw while some others were even sent for a vigorous training in physical education. Each, therefore, had his own unique path through which one moved towards his self-development towards a higher spiritual evolution which he foresaw as the imminent future of man. The disciples unable to understand asked him as to why it was so. The Master replied that the ancient Indian Society was built upon this profound understanding that each individual is at a different stage of evolution and has his or her own unique calling. Not all can or should do the same thing, he stated, which was, of course, an obvious fact. It is this that was known as Adhikara Bheda, which was lost to the modern mind.

And then to illustrate he went on to narrate the Eklavya story from the Mahabharata.

“Do you remember how Dronacharya asked Eklavya his right-hand thumb as guru dakshina?”

“Oh yes Master,” one remarked, expressing his dismay at the injustice meted out to the apprentice by Dronacharya.

The Master smiled and explained the story thus.

“You see Dronacharya was the teacher appointed for the royal princes. In those days, the task of war was left to the Kshatriyas to avoid a large-scale conflict. It was the Kshatriya alone who could learn the various skills of war which sometimes involved high technology skills as were available in those times. It would be a disaster if this high technology of wielding powerful and devastating weapons, some of which were as good as our modern nuclear arms, was offered to all. Hence it was not made available to all and sundry, even if one could pay a fee. Hence, Eklavya was denied the right to study under Dronacharya. But you see he could have tried to find another teacher as Karna did. But instead, he chose to steal knowledge in hiding.”

“Master we can understand that. But still what was the need to take away his thumb and incapacitate him from using what he had already learned?” One among them asked.

“Don’t you know how the circumstances unfolded? There was a hound that was accompanying the entourage of Dronacharya. The dog smelt that someone was hiding and began to bark. Seeing him thus and worried about his identity and stealth being disclosed Eklavya shot a volley of arrows stuffing the mouth of the dog. What do you think of such a warrior if the actions of a man were a judge of things?” the Master asked.

One of them answered, “It was quite a cruel thing to do.”

“Yes, a cruel misuse of one’s prowess. No wonder Dronacharya felt it wiser to stay the errant warrior then and there, lest he become a menace for mankind.”

Then returning to the disciples, the Master remarked, “You see a Master is like a wide river that carries whatever enters in his flow. But then not all are ready to bear the shock of the journey. Hence some are accepted while others are not. People who do not understand the ways of a Master think he is being partial. But, in fact, even his rejections are simply postponements and are a sign of compassion and grace. The Master waits and prepares the disciple, even though, he is not yet part of the mighty spiritual current until they are ready and grow strong enough to bear the force and the flood of the Divine Force and the love and the intensity of His Light.”

Alok Pandey