The Story of the Ten Brahmins - Suri Nagamma Letters

I went to Bhagavan’s presence rather late this afternoon. When I looked at the clock it was 3-30. Bhagavan was replying with a smile to a question about Atmanandam asked by a new arrival who sat close to him, “Please find out first who you are.

Taking up the thread of the conversation, one Asramite said, “When I requested you to bless me so that I could always be in Anandam, you said, ‘Anandam is your nature; that is your Self; that is moksha.’” Bhagavan replied with a smile, “Yes, yes.” So saying, he looked at Dr. Srinivasa Rao who was there and said, “What do you say, doctor? We say that a doctor should be called and he should give medicine only if there is sickness. Otherwise why is he required? Yesterday the health was good. Today there is a headache. As there is a headache, you say medicine is required. Why? Just to see that it goes off and you remain natural. It is the same thing with Ananda, otherwise why do you yearn for it?”

The doctor said, “Bhagavan always says that these things come on because of the mind and that they will disappear if you try to get rid of them yourself. In Vasishtam also it is stated that all these come upon a person by the desires of the mind and it is the mind that creates them all. But how is that possible, Bhagavan?”

“How, you say. Is this not stated in the story about the ten Brahmins? That story is also in the Vasishtam,” said Bhagavan.

“Will you kindly tell us what that story is?” asked another devotee.

Bhagavan thereupon cheerfully began telling us the story.

“Once upon a time Brahma, the Creator, after performing his duties the whole day, went to sleep at night fall. When the night was over, he woke up. After completing his morning ablutions, he looked at the sky before beginning his day’s work of creation, when he saw that there were several other worlds. His work of creation was being performed properly and so there was no justification for the other worlds to come into existence. ‘What! The worlds that should remain dormant until I created them, have come into existence! How have these come into existence?’ Greatly surprised at this, with the power of his mind he summoned one of the suns in those worlds and asked, ‘Sir, how have these worlds come into existence?’

“The sun replied, ‘Oh, my Lord, you are the Brahma. What is there that you do not know? Even so, if you want to hear from me, I will tell you.’ So saying, he began relating as follows: ‘Swami, a brahmin, living with his wife, in a city near Mount Kailas prayed to Parameswara for children as he had none, and ultimately begot ten children. The children in due course grew up and studied all Sastras. After some time, the parents passed away. The boys were filled with grief. They had no near relatives and consequently could not continue to live in their parents house. So they climbed Mount Kailas and decided to do tapas there. They then began considering what exactly they should do to get rid of their sorrows. At first they thought wealth would give them happiness but dismissed the idea as there would always be wealthier people than themselves. It would be the same thing with regard to kingship or even the Lordship of Mahendra. They therefore felt that there was no fulfilment in any of those things. Finally the eldest amongst them said, ‘He who

creates all these is Brahma and so Brahma is the highest of them all.’ They all felt likewise and so said, ‘What is the way to achieve Brahma-hood (Brahmatvam)?’ After thinking for a while, the eldest said, ‘It is not so difficult. Mind is the basic cause of everything. So let us all sit in a lonely place and concentrate the mind on attaining Brahmatvam, giving up thoughts on all other matters including the body. Continuously feel that you are seated on a lotus; that you are lustrous and that you are creating this world and destroying it. I will also do likewise.’ All of them felt happy at the idea. The idea ‘I am the Brahma with four faces’ became firmly fixed in their minds and they forgot completely about their bodies. Subsequently those bodies fell off like dry leaves from a tree. On account of the intensity of their desires, ten worlds have come into existence as all the ten of them have become Brahmas. The force of their desires is now stationary in the Chit Akasa. I am the sun of one of the ten worlds.’ So saying, the sun went back to his original place. This is the story of the ten Brahmas. It is given in full detail in Vasishtam under the heading ‘Naveena Srishti’,” said Bhagavan.

“That means that if one consistently desires Ananda, that Ananda comes and remains permanently, is that so?” asked that questioner.

“Yes. If that desire becomes strong, it will remain so, but then there should be no other desire in the mind.” So saying Bhagavan resumed silence.