World-renowned spiritual leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar shares deep insights into three energies of life: desires, knowledge, and action.
Ancient seers have expressed spiritual experience in verse, forms, and deities that represent the profound secrets of life. One such embodiment of valor, beauty, and intelligence is Karthikeya, also known as Murugan. The word Murugan is formed from the divine trinity. He is present in us and around us in both form and formless aspects. I am also made of the same energy, and you are, too. All living beings are manifestations of this energy and are sustained in it.
Life has three energies: Iccha Shakti, Jnana Shakti, and Kriya Shakti. Valli, consort of Murugan, represents Iccha Shakti, or desire. Devasena, also the consort of Murugan, symbolizes Kriya Shakti, which is action and effort. And Murugan is Jnana Shakti, which means knowledge.
Desires
Iccha Shakti forms the very basis of our existence. We need to develop the right attitude towards desires and understand its nature. When someone says, “I don’t want anything in this world,” that is also a desire.
When desires arise, observe them. What happens to your mind when the desire is fulfilled? What is the state of your mind when the desire arises? Were you happy, in anger, or haste? This will indicate whether or not to act upon them. This observation is possible only when the mind is free of craving or aversion.
Beyond mundane desires of food and shelter, the greatest desire in any being is to be free from bondage. When the desire moves towards the divine, towards the highest knowledge, it is said that Valli, the power of desire, becomes one with Murugan, the power of wisdom.
Knowledge
“Pazham Nee Appa” – you are the fruit – sang poetess Avvaiyar to Murugan, implying that Murugan himself is the fruit of knowledge. Nowhere else do we see such an instance where the devotee reminds the Lord of who he is!
Murugan represents Jnana Shakti. He is himself the secret. It is easy to tide over challenges in life when our mind is aligned with the divine, with Murugan. His Vel, or spear, reminds us to be deep-rooted in knowledge, broaden our perspective, and have sharp intellect. His mount is the peacock, a symbol of the mind. When the mind follows wisdom and is filled with divinity, it dances and is blissful. Murugan’s flag has a rooster. The rooster crows at sunrise without fail and is a symbol of alignment with the rhythm of nature. All these are qualities that come along with the manifestation of Jnana Shakti in our life.
Action
When you have the right desire and knowledge, it has to be followed by action. Devasena or Kriya Shakti represents this. The sign of life is activity. There are no actions in a corpse. However, actions need to be properly channeled.
Often, a leader is chosen to channel the collective energy of society towards particular actions. Here, it is important to choose the right leader. Murugan is a unique leader. He is both king and recluse. You can only be a good leader when you act from the space of helping others without wanting anything for yourself. Actions in the collective consciousness that are done with respect and prayerfulness for the benefit of all are represented by Devasena.
When both our desires and our actions are directed toward the divine, life becomes a celebration!
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Editor’s note:
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