Uma Shankara Samvada (उमाशङ्करयोः संवादः)

Uma Shankara Samvada or the conversation between Uma and Shankara is about the greatness of grhastha ashrama, the role and duties of a grhastha as described in the Anushasana parva of Mahabharata. The yajnas of the grhasthas of course cannot rival either the splendour of the yajnas of the kings, or the sacrificial intensity of the yajnas of the tapasvins. But the disciplined regularity of the performance, described in the classical Indian texts, indeed has a grandeur of its own. In any case, the yajnas of the grhasthas constitute the basic annadana, that so deeply enriches social living in India. And this is probably what endows the grhastha with a crucial centrality in the Indian scheme of things.

Once the the great rishis assembled around Sri Krishna and Maharshi Narada begins to recall a long discussion on different aspects of dharma that takes place between Shankara and Uma. Both are living the life of a happy man and wife on the Himalayas, which in the presence of the divine couple joyously blossoms with natural splendour and beauty. Narada recounts this episode,

"Once Uma, standing behind Shankara, playfully covers his eyes with her hands. Instantly the whole world is enveloped in deep darkness. Soon Shankara opens his third-eye that bathes the world in its brilliant gaze. But the Himalayas, unable to bear the sun-like radiance of Shankara's third-eye, catch fire. And Uma, filled with compassion for the Himalayas, appears in front of Shankara with folded hands. Seeing her thus, Shankara recovers his benign tranquility. He looks at the world with a happy gaze. And the world becomes happy too."

It is then that Uma begins to ask Shankara various questions about the meaning of his forms and that of the various aspects of dharma.

Grhasthadharmas

In the course of this dialogue between the divine husband and wife, Uma also seeks to know the dharma of ashramas, of the way a man ought to lead his life at different stages during a lifetime. And, Shankara begins his answer to Uma's queries with the unequivocal assertion that of the four asramas the grhastha ashrama is indeed the foremost and rests on the garhastha dharmas:

गृहस्थः प्रवरस्तेषां गार्हस्थ्यं धर्ममाश्रितः। पञ्चयज्ञक्रिया शौचं दारतुष्टिरतन्द्रिता॥ (Maha. Anush. 13.141.60)

ऋतुकालाभिगमनं दानयज्ञतपांसि च। अविप्रवासस्तस्येष्टः स्वाध्यायश्चाग्निपूर्वकम्॥

Conducting Panchamahayajnas, maintaining inner and outer saucha (cleanliness), being faithful to one's wife, devoid of laziness, conducting agnihotra rituals as nityakarma are a few qualities of a grhastha. Shankara then briefly describes the discipline of the four asramas, but his heart seems to be in describing the grhastha ashramadharma for Uma. Dealing with vanaprasthasrama, the discipline of the forest-dweller, and the sannyasasrama, the discipline of the renouncer, in just six and a half verses, Shankara soon returns to a very detailed description of the grhastha ashrama. And the core of the discipline of grhastha that Shankara describes is in looking after and generously providing for the sustenance of all, and especially of the guests who arrive at the door of the householder. This opportunity to look after and sustain others is what makes the grhastha ashrama so great that, as Shankara says, the severest austerities like tapas in cold water and in heat of summer during vanaprasthasrama cannot measure up to even the one-sixteenth part of the merit acquired by properly fulfilled grhastha ashrama:

सम्यक्तपश्चरन्तीह श्रद्दधाना वनाश्रमे॥ गृहाश्रमस्य ते देवि कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम्। (Maha. Anush. 141 p.5923)

Greatness of a Grhastha

Shankara of course also describes in detail the various observances and fasts that a grhastha is expected to undertake, and even the rules of personal hygiene and social practice that he is expected to scrupulously follow. But he reverts again and again to the sustenance that flows from the grhastha in all directions, and concludes by an expansive listing of the diverse people and other living beings who keep looking up to the grhastha for their livelihood. Thus, says Shankara:

यथा मातरमाश्रित्य सर्वे जीवन्ति जन्तवः॥ तथा गृहाश्रमं प्राप्य सर्वे जीवन्ति चाश्रमाः।

Just as all living beings live under the protection of their mothers, so do all the asramas derive sustenance from the grhastha ashrama. And further,

राजानः सर्वपाषण्डाः सर्वे रङ्गोपजीविनः॥ व्यालग्रहाश्च डम्भाश्च चोरा राजभटास्तथा। सविद्याः सर्वशीलज्ञाः सर्वे वै विचिकित्सकाः॥

दूराध्वानं प्रपन्नाश्च क्षीणपथ्योदना नराः। एते चान्ये च बहवः तर्कयन्ति गृहाश्रमम्॥

Kings, impostors, artists and acrobats, snake-charmers, cheats, thieves and officers of the king: all of them look up to the grhastha for their sustenance; so do the scholars, the wise, and the sceptics; so do the men on the road, who have travelled a great deal and have exhausted the victuals they carried for the journey; and, so do many others." (Maha. Anush. 141 p. 5924)

मार्जारा मूषिकाः श्वानः सूकराश्च शुकास्तथा। कपोतका कर्कटकाः सरीसृपनिषेवणाः॥ (Maha. Anush. 141 p. 5924)

Cats, mice, dogs, pigs, parrots, pigeons, crows, reptiles of all kinds, the bevies of birds and herds of animals that live in the forest, and also the hundreds and thousands of moving and unmoving creatures of diverse kinds that live in the house, the field or the burrow, all of them, O devi, live off what the grhastha earns through his karma, his actions. The merit of the one whose labours sustain so much of life on earth is of course great. It is no wonder that Shankara tells Uma:

उपयुक्तं च यत्तेषां मतिमान्नानुशोचति। धर्म इत्येव सङ्कल्प्य यस्तु तस्य फलं शृणु॥

सर्वयज्ञप्रणीतस्य हयमेधेन यत्फलम्। वर्षे स द्वादशे देवि फलेनैतेन युज्यते॥

Listen to the virtue earned by the one who does not spare a second thought for what has been used up by the men and other living beings that look up to him for sustenance, and who knows that sustaining them is indeed his dharma. Such a one, having fulfilled the dharma of grhastha ashrama for twelve years, attains the merit that accrues to those who perform an asvamedha after having first accomplished all other yajnas. Such is the glory of grhastha ashrama. And such are the yajnas of the grhastha, that sustain the whole world day after day.

Panchamahayajnas

These are the five great yajnas that a grhastha is expected to perform everyday. In fact, it is the performance of the Panchamahayajnas that defines a grhastha: one who does not undertake these yajnas everyday probably does not even qualify to be called by the name of a grhastha, a householder. Thus, the householder shares his daily rituals with the representatives of different aspects of creation, and seems to remind himself afresh everyday of his responsibility towards all creation and re-dedicate himself to the sustenance of at least as much of creation as falls within his reach.

Amongst the references in the vedas, the definition given in the Shatapatha brahmana is perhaps the most emphatic. In its authoritatively resonant phrases, the Shatapatha brahmana lays down thus:

पञ्चैव महायज्ञाः। तान्येव महासत्त्राणि भूतयज्ञो मनुष्ययज्ञः पितृयज्ञो देवयज्ञो ब्रह्मयज्ञ इति - ११.५.६.[१] (Shat. Brah. 11.5.6.1)

अहरहर्भूतेभ्यो बलिं हरेत् तथैतं भूतयज्ञं समाप्नोत्यहरहर्दद्यादोदपात्रात्तथैतं मनुष्ययज्ञं समाप्नोत्यहरहः स्वधाकुर्यादोदपात्रात्तथैतं पितृयज्ञं समाप्नोत्यहरहः स्वाहाकुर्यादा काष्ठात्तथैतं देवयज्ञं समाप्नोति - ११.५.६.[२]

अथ ब्रह्मयज्ञः। स्वाध्यायो वै ब्रह्मयज्ञः।

Only five are the mahayajnas. These alone are the mahasatras. And these are:

1. Yajna for the bhutas, all created beings; Take out shares for the bhutas everyday. That constitutes bhutayajha.
2. Yajna for manusyas, the human beings; Give away food everyday till the pot is exhausted. That constitutes manusyayajha.
3. Yajna for pitrs, the ancestors; Give away food for the sake of the ancestors' everyday till the pot is exhausted. That constitutes pitryagya.
4. Yajna for devas, the gods residing in various aspects of creation; and Give into the fire till the wood is all consumed. That constitutes devayajna.
5. Yajna for Brahman, the font of all knowledge.

Here follows the description of brahmayajna:

svadhyaya, reverential and careful study of the branch of knowledge assigned for oneself, is indeed brahmayajna.

And these five are also the mahasatras, the great sessions, because these are performed everyday till the end of one's life, by the grhastha himself, without looking for a priest to conduct them.

Incidentally, the Taittriya Aranyaka lays down almost exactly the same discipline for the panchamahayajna, insisting that this is an observance that has to be initiated and accomplished every day.

Rnam

Man is born in and lives in rna, debt, to all creation, and it therefore becomes his duty to recognize this debt and undertake to repay it everyday. Explaining the principle, the Shatapatha brahmana says:

ऋणं ह वै जायते योऽस्ति । स जायमान एव देवेभ्य ऋषिभ्यः पितृभ्यो मनुष्येभ्यः - १.७.२.[१] (Shat. Brah. 1.7.2.1)

Whosoever is, is born in rna. In being born, he is in rna to the devas, rsis, pitrs and manusyas.

He performs yagya, because he is born in rna to the devas. It is because of the rna that he does this for them; it is because of the rna that he performs yajfia for the devas and offers homa to them.

And he learns and recites what the rsis have taught, because he is born in rna to the rsis. It is because of the rna that he does this for them; learning and reciting thus, he is acknowledged by the wise as the protector of the treasure of the learning of the rsis. And he desires for progeny, because he is born in rna to the pitrs. It is because of the rna that he does this for them; it is because of this that he keeps the line of progeny of the pitrs continuing without a break.

And he offers hospitality, because he is born in rna to the manusyas. It is because of this rna that he does this for them; it is because of this that he offers hospitality and food to others. He, who does all this, fulfils all his obligations; for him all is attained and all is conquered.

Pancamahayajha, thus, is not an observance that is undertaken for the sake of earning merit or virtue. It is merely a matter of accepting and endeavouring to repay debts that are incurred by the fact of being born and living in the world. It is merely being humanly responsible.