Back to Content

Three Realizations by Suresh Vyas aahaara in.ndraa bhaya maithunam cha saamaanyam etad pashubirnaraaNaam This is the first realization of mankind found in Vedic literature.  It says eating, sleeping, self protecting, and mating are common between men and animals.  Animals do not do anything more than that.  So, if human being do that only, then they are animals too.  There are animal life or wild life programs coming on TV (promoted by insurance companies) that give the message of “survival of the fittest or strongest.”  They subtly give the message that man is animal.  Many people some how like to identify them selves as animals.  For example, each High School student in US identifies him or her self with the logo animal of their High School. The second and higher realization of mankind found in Vedic literature is this: saahitya sangIta kalaa vihInaH saakshaat pashuH puchchha vishhaaNa hInaH It says:  A man without literature, music, and art is only an animal without a tail.  So, if man wants to be a man and not an animal, he has to have interest in literature, music, and art.  Animals do not have these things.  So, there is a variety of good and bad literature, music and art and many people are interested in these things.  Even then the sages and risis found that man is no much better than animals if he does not choose certain kind of literature music and art or use these in certain way. So there was third and higher realization given in Bhagavad Gita and other scriptures like Bhagavata, Ramayana, etc.  This realization is: You are not body, but a soul within it. There is Supersoul or Bhagavan, and you have forgotten the eternal loving relation with Him. The purpose of human life is to revive this eternal love for God. To revive this love, Krishna says in Gita:  Whatever you do, do it as on offering to Me.  Bow down to Me.  Always remember Me.  Then you will come to Me. Anger, lust, and greed are three gates to hell.  Control them. Develop interest in the Vedic literature like Gita and Bhagavatam, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas, Upanishads, etc.  Develop interest in music that is not like noise, and is used for singing prayers to God or pleasing Him.  Develop interest in art that helps to know God or His pastimes.  Give up interest in mundane literature, music, and art that is created by animals in the form of men.  It does not help to realize God. A man with the third realization is man, and not an animal.   The realization of God also happens in three steps per Srimad Bhagavatam: brameti paramaatmeti bhagavaan iti. In the initial stage one knows God as formless impersonal Brahman. If one advances more spiritually, one knows God as the Supersoul within each living being as the companion to the soul. If one advances even further, then one finally knows that God is the Supreme Personality of Godhead with a form of Vishnu or Krishna. Jai Sri Krishna.