Aila Gita (ऐलगीता)
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Aila Gita (Samskrit: ऐलगीता) refers to the outpourings of Aila (the son of Ila), also known as Pururavas. It is found in the 26th chapter of the 11th canto in the Bhagavata Purana and appears within the conversation between Shri Krishna and his friend Uddhava known as Uddhava Gita.
परिचयः ॥ Introduction
In the chapter preceeding the Aila Gita, Shri Krishna describes the effects of the trigunas and their combinations one by one. It is mentioned therein that human beings are bound to trigunas because they manifest in the mind and lead to attachment to life-forms and sense-objects (12) [see also B.G. 4: 14]. However, those who take shelter of the Supreme Being become free from the trigunas (26) and attain the Supreme Being (22) [see also B.G. 9: 25, 14: 18].[1]
It also emphasizes that (29) happiness generated by sense objects is rajasik in nature while that which arises from realising the Supreme Being is beyond the Gunas.[2] [see 11.15: 17 & B.G. 5: 21, but also 6: 7].
It is explained that material substance, place, fruit of action, time, knowledge, activity, the performer, faith, the state of consciousness and the species and the destinations of life, all are affected by the trigunas (30). In fact, all that exists is a composition of the trigunas (31). These forms of existence and stages of life of the repeatedly incarnating living beings are bound to the operation of the gunas. However, those who being dedicated to the Supreme Being in bhakti yoga conquer these gunas that manifest in the mind, qualify for the transcendental love of the Supreme being (32).[1]
पार्श्वभूमिः ॥ Background
Having elaborated on the human body as the substratum of the trigunas that lead one to be bound by attachments, it is said, in the chapter preceeding the Aila Gita (Chapter 25) that the human body is also the means by which one acquires knowledge and develops wisdom. Therefore, it is suggested that those who obtain the human body should be smart enough to shake off their attachment to the gunas and worship the Supreme Being (33).[1]
It is said that when the wise worship the Supreme Being with alertness, controlled senses and without attachment to anything else; when one conquers Rajas and Tamas by developing Sattva and thereafter overcomes even Sattva by means of desirelessness and by concentrating the mind on the Supreme Being, one goes beyond the Gunas, abandons the body and attains the Supreme Being.
And such a person who is released from the body and from the Gunas which arise in the mind, being full of the Para Brahman, shall not do anything external or internal i.e., leading to Samsara or Moksha. Such a person will have nothing to do with the objects of sense externally through actual contract nor internal through thought.[2]
This discussion on the trigunas highlighting the need to go beyond material desires and develop the quality of detachment forms the basis for the Song of Pururava or Aila Gita that appears in the succeeding chapter (Chapter 26) of the 11th Canto in the Bhagavata Purana.
Subject Matter
Chapter 26
The Song of Purūravā
(1) The Supreme Lord said: 'Having acquired this human body that is My characteristic, one achieves, being situated in My dharma, Me, the Supreme Soul of Spiritual Happiness situated in the heart.
(2) Someone who fixed in spiritual knowledge has become free from the cause of material life that is based upon the products of the modes, does not get entangled in their illusory qualities despite of being surrounded by them; although present before his eyes they are insubstantial and nothing but illusion to him.
(3) One should never at any time seek the company of materialists devoted to the gratification of their sense organs and cravings because they who follow such people will fall into the darkest pit, like a blind man following another blind man.
(4) The descendant of Ilā [called Aila or Purūravā, see also 9.14: 15-16], the well-known great emperor, sang the following mighty song when he bewildered being separated from Urvaśī, in resignation managed to restrain his grief.
(5) The moment she abandoned him and left, he naked crying like a madman ran after her calling out: 'Oh my wife, oh you terrible woman, please stop!'
(6) With his mind possessed by Urvaśī he after years of insignificantly gratifying his lusts, was not satisfied and did not notice the nights coming and going.'
(7) Purūravā said: 'Just see how bewildered I got! With my consciousness contaminated by lust I, in the embrace of this goddess, did not notice my life time passing.
(8) I had no idea whether the sun was rising or setting and was, thus spending my days, alas robbed by her of countless years.
(9) Oh what a pity this total bewilderment of mine because of which the body of this mighty emperor, this crown jewel of kings, became a toy animal for women!
(10) When she abandoned me, the mighty controller, together with all of my kingdom as if I were a blade of grass, I ran crying naked like a madman after the woman.
(11) Where is now the influence, strength and sovereignty of the person I am? I ran after this woman leaving me, just like an ass with the hoof
being kicked for punishment!
(12) What is the use of knowledge, austerities, renunciation, the scriptures or of solitude and silence for the one whose mind is stolen by women?
(13) To hell with the fool I am not knowing what his best interest would be; I who thought to be a scholar in achieving the position of a lord and controller but who, just like a bullock or ass, was conquered by women!
(14) For so many years serving Urvaśī's lips I, with the lust born from my mind, never got enough of the nectar, just like a fire one can never satisfy with oblations.
(15) Who else but the Innerly Satisfied Lord of the Sages, the Supreme Lord Beyond the Senses, can free someone else who lost his mind with a courtesan?
(16) Out of control with myself being dull-minded, I saw no end to my confusion, even though the goddess [Urvaśī] eloquently gave me advice [see 9.14: 20-22].
(17) What would she have done wrong to a 'seer' like me who, taking a rope for a snake, has no notion of his real nature [his svarūpa]? I am the one out of control with his senses is it not?
(18) What does this filthy body, unclean, full of bad odors, have to offer; what are those 'pleasing [feminine] qualities' and so on anyway? They constitute an influence originating from ignorance!
(19-20) One can never tell whether this body belongs to one's parents, wife or employer, to [the funeral] fire, the dogs and jackals or to the [indwelling] soul or one's friends. One gets attached to this unholy matter and praises it, in case of a woman, for having such a cute nose, beautiful smile and face, but one heads with it for the lowest destination [of decay].
(21) In what sense would one differ from worms when one enjoys that what is composed of skin, flesh, blood, muscle, fat, marrow and bone, urine, stool and pus?
(22) A man understanding what's best for him, should never run after women or associate with men thus engaged, for the sole reason that the mind united with the senses reaches for sense objects and thus gets agitated [compare 5.5: 2, 7.12: 9, 9.19: 17, 9.14: 36].
(23) [Because] a thing not heard or seen gives no rise to mental agitation, the mind of someone not engaging his senses becomes fixed and pacified.
(24) When not even wise men can rely on the six enemies [lust, anger, greed, bewilderment, intoxication and envy; the ṣaṭ-varga], then what about persons like me? One therefore should not get sensorily attached to women or to men attached to women [see also yoṣita].'
(25) The Supreme Lord said: 'He, the worshipable lord of gods and men, who thus sang his song [of complaint], then gave up the world of Urvaśi. Realizing Me, the Supersoul in his heart, he with the transcendental knowledge found peace within himself and ended his illusion.
(26) An intelligent person having abandoned bad association therefore should be fixed on devotees, for only by their words he can cut off the deep attachment of his mind.
(27) Devotees with their minds fixed on Me do not depend [on lusts] and are, with an equal minded vision, completely peaceful and free from possessiveness, false ego, the dualities and greed.
(28) Oh most fortunate one, these greatly fortunate souls are constantly discussing My stories that have the power to completely eradicate the sins of anyone who chooses for them.
(29) They who, faithfully dedicated to Me, hear, chant and respectfully take them [My stories] to heart, will attain My bhakti.
(30) What else would there remain [to be accomplished] for a devotee once he has achieved devotional service unto Me, the One of Countless Qualities who is the Absolute Truth comprising the experience of spiritual happiness?
(31) Just as cold, fear and darkness will dissipate for the one who resorts to the supreme grace of fire [Agni], similarly dullness, apprehension and ignorance will dissolve for someone who serves the devotees.
(32) For those who submerge and again rise in the fearful ocean of material life, the saintly devotees, peaceful in understanding the Absolute, constitute a supreme shelter as good as a life boat for people drowning in the water [compare 11.23: 28 and 11.17: 44].
(33) Devotees constitute the refuge of those afraid to fall down, as good as food is there to grant the living beings their life, I exist as the shelter for the distressed and dharma is there as the wealth of the deceased.
(34) The devotees grant you the [divine] eyes while the sun [only] shows the external world after having risen; they are the worshipable ones, one's [true] relatives, they are one's actual self and Me as well [see also e.g. 1.1: 15, 3.5: 47, 3.6: 28, 11.2: 6].
(35) He [Purūravā] who for that reason no longer desired the world of Urvaśī, then liberated from all attachment, innerly satisfied wandered this earth.'
श्रीमद्भागवते महापुराणे पारमहंस्यां संहितायामेकादशस्कन्धे श्रीकृष्णोद्धवसंवादे ऐलगीतं नाम षड्विंशोऽध्यायः ॥ २६॥
Aila-gita: The Song of Pururava (11.26.7–24)
The Aila-gita also is part of the Uddhava-gita. To explain how unfavorable association is a threat to one's position in devotional service, Lord Krishna gave the example of the emperor Pururava (also called Aila). Aila was bewildered by the association of the heavenly beauty Urvashi, and later became renounced after being separated from her. Expressing his contempt for undue attachment to the opposite sex, he sang a song called the Aila-gita:
"Persons who are attached to the body of a woman or a man – which is simply a mass of skin, meat, blood, bones, and so on – are not much different from worms. When one's mind is stolen away by the opposite sex, what is the worth of education, austerity, renunciation, Vedic knowledge, and so forth? Learned men should distrust their six mental enemies, headed by lust, and thus avoid degrading association."
Thus Pururava was freed from illusion and eventually attained peace by realizing the Lord.
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