“When your personal and supreme interests can be easily obtained from one place, it is not sensible for you in weakness to beg at the doors of others, O Tulsi.” (Dohavali, 54)

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स्वारथ परमारथ सकल सुलभ एक ही ओर
द्वार दूसरे दीनता उचित न तुलसी तोर

svāratha paramāratha sakala sulabha eka hī ora
dvāra dūsare dīnatā ucita na tulasī tora

“Can we discuss two Sanskrit words in particular, today? They often get overlooked. They are not used as much within the Gaudiya tradition of Vaishnavism, based on my experience. These terms are still important, as I think they relate well to questions people have today about formal religion. These terms are present in Hindi dialogue, as well, though the short ‘a’ sound gets reversed at the end. Not sure how that happened, but you see that with a lot of Sanskrit words. Dharma becomes dharam. Karma becomes karam.

“Anyway, the two words in question are svartha and paramartha. First, let’s cover the textbook definition. These are compound words. Artha appears in both. Artha is interest. Expanded out further, artha becomes profit. In explaining the nivritti aspect to the formal training in bhakti-yoga, the guiding spiritual master might reference the word ‘anartha.’ This is a simple negation of artha. The activities to avoid are anartha, which means they are not profitable. We should try to stay away from meat-eating, gambling, intoxication, and illicit sex. These are the most potent anarthas.

“The ‘sva’ prefix refers to the self. Svartha is thus self-interest or profit for the individual. The ‘param’ prefix refers to something supreme or superior. Paramartha is thus the superior interest. Taken together, we reach the general understanding of the difference between short-term interest and that which affects the individual after death. Svartha is interest right now and paramartha is interest in spiritual life, like credits to be redeemed after the life experience ends.

“A wise person realizes they need both. It is foolish to only consider svartha. What happens when life reaches its conclusion? That conclusion is guaranteed. The same for exclusive focus on paramartha. You can pray and pray right now, but how about eating? How about maintaining yourself? You can’t continue on if you are not living. You can’t intentionally end your life, either, as that sinful act would negate a lot of your paramartha.

“Then you have the teachings of the Vaishnavas. Goswami Tulsidas says that svartha and paramartha can be fulfilled in the same place, through the same activity. Prahlada Maharaja says something similar, that the real goal of svartha is at the lotus feet of God the person. But how does this play out in a practical sense? It is a clever play on words, if you ask me, but I don’t think worshiping Vishnu is going to get me that new car, if you know what I mean. If my svartha is revenge on my enemies, why would God indulge something so petty? Do you see what I am saying? Where is the evidence that paramartha and svartha can merge, like lanes on a highway, based on the association with Vishnu?”

Imagine the situation of a first-time father interacting with their young child. The father tries to balance two contradictory interests. The first is the discipline and regulation in habits. The second is seeing a smile on the face of the dependent. The father does not want to reach the extreme in either direction. Too much structure will dampen spirits and perhaps lead to life-long trauma. Too much indulgence and the child will never be able to hold down a job in adulthood, incapable of maintaining regulation and routine to meet critical responsibilities.

On one particular day, the child is eager for ten dollars. They want to purchase something. They have had their eye on it for a while. The child gives a presentation resembling the opening arguments from the expert attorney in a courtroom presided over by an honorable judge. You see, the child will make good use of this ten dollars. They will not spend it frivolously. The sacrifice of the father will not go to waste. Moreover, the child has been well-behaved leading up to this moment. If ever the father would feel inclined for making an exception, for deviating from the strict boundaries well-established within the home, this would be the time.

The father is impressed. Their heart is immediately won over. They cannot believe their own child could be so intelligent and so thoughtful. The interaction is so endearing that the father almost wants to record everything in audio form, to be revisited with fondness in the future. It would be like creating nostalgia while the event is going on. Not only will the father agree, but they are ready to give the child one hundred dollars. They reach into the wallet and then hand over the bill. They expect an embrace in response. They anticipate excitement in the child. To someone so young, this is a lot of money.

Except the child returns a puzzled look. As if they are uncertain how to proceed, they slowly hand the bill back to the father. The child reiterates their initial request. They would like ten dollars. What are they going to do with one hundred, they ask. They want to make sure that the father understood the request. Perhaps something got lost in the translation. The father then carefully explains that ten dollars is already included in the one hundred dollar bill. The child is getting what they asked for and more. There is no gap. There is nothing missing.

यावानर्थ उदपाने सर्वतः सम्प्लुतोदके
तावान्सर्वेषु वेदेषु ब्राह्मणस्य विजानतः

yāvān artha uda-pāne
sarvataḥ samplutodake
tāvān sarveṣu vedeṣu
brāhmaṇasya vijānataḥ

“All purposes that are served by the small pond can at once be served by the great reservoirs of water. Similarly, all the purposes of the Vedas can be served to one who knows the purpose behind them.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.46)

The merging of svartha and paramartha travels a similar road. At the foundation, svartha involves some kind of taste. Whether we want a new bike, a video game, a new job, the victory of our preferred candidate in the upcoming election, or revenge on someone who wronged us, there is always a corresponding taste, to be experienced when the interest is met. The paramartha involved in worshiping the Supreme Lord without motive brings the highest taste there is. This taste is so extraordinary that the individual forgets about what they were previously interested in.

क्रीडन्ती राजहंसेन पद्मषण्डेषु नित्यदा
हंसी सा तृणषण्डस्थं कथं पश्येत मद्गुकम्

krīḍantī rājahaṃsena padmaṣaṇḍeṣu nityadā
haṃsī sā tṛṇaṣaṇḍasthaṃ kathaṃ paśyeta madgukam

“How can that female swan who is accustomed to sporting with the king of swans amidst lotus flowers ever cast her eyes on a water-crow that stays amidst bunches of grass?” (Sita Devi speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 56.20)

We have the historical example of Dhruva Maharaja. He went to the forest in the hopes of meeting Vishnu. For a small child, the intense austerities were out of the ordinary. Dhruva was determined, though. He had been insulted. He was not allowed to sit on the lap of his father due to the circumstances of his birth. He was told that only God could help him.

Amazingly, Dhruva was able to get that meeting. Vishnu appeared in front of him. Except something amazing occurred. Through the interaction, Dhruva forgot about his original desire. The revenge was no longer on his mind. The paramartha took care of the svartha. The taste experienced through the paramartha dwarfed whatever resolution could be achieved through the original svartha.

नान्यैरधिष्ठितं भद्र यद्भ्राजिष्णु ध्रुवक्षिति
यत्र ग्रहर्क्षताराणां ज्योतिषां चक्रमाहितम्
मेढ्यां गोचक्रवत्स्थास्‍नु परस्तात्कल्पवासिनाम्
धर्मोऽग्नि: कश्यप: शुक्रो मुनयो ये वनौकस:
चरन्ति दक्षिणीकृत्य भ्रमन्तो यत्सतारका:

nānyair adhiṣṭhitaṁ bhadra
yad bhrājiṣṇu dhruva-kṣiti
yatra graharkṣa-tārāṇāṁ
jyotiṣāṁ cakram āhitam

meḍhyāṁ go-cakravat sthāsnu
parastāt kalpa-vāsinām
dharmo ’gniḥ kaśyapaḥ śukro
munayo ye vanaukasaḥ
caranti dakṣiṇī-kṛtya
bhramanto yat satārakāḥ

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead continued: My dear Dhruva, I shall award you the glowing planet known as the polestar, which will continue to exist even after the dissolution at the end of the millennium. No one has ever ruled this planet, which is surrounded by all the solar systems, planets and stars. All the luminaries in the sky circumambulate this planet, just as bulls tread around a central pole for the purpose of crushing grains. Keeping the polestar to their right, all the stars inhabited by the great sages like Dharma, Agni, Kashyapa and Shukra circumambulate this planet, which continues to exist even after the dissolution of all others.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 4.9.20-21)

This is the reason Goswami Tulsidas gives the advice to beg only from the Supreme Lord. He worships God as Rama, who is the same Vishnu. Svartha and paramartha will be accounted for. They will turn into one. The taste experienced is not of this world. It is a transcendental taste, delivered by the benefactor with the most resources, who happens to be the most benevolent to those who approach Him with kindness and devotion.

विषया विनिवर्तन्ते
निराहारस्य देहिनः
रस-वर्जं रसो ऽप्य् अस्य
परं दृष्ट्वा निवर्तते

viṣayā vinivartante
nirāhārasya dehinaḥ
rasa-varjaṁ raso ‘py asya
paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate

“The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.59)

In Closing:

If only acquired dollars ten,
Supremely happy then.

The father to approach,
Rules of home to encroach.

But by endearing words appeased,
For gift of one hundred seized.

As child puzzled and bewildered so,
Secret of svartha and paramartha to show.

Categories: questions

Tags: dailyprompt, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry, religion