The Kerala Onam

It is the bounden duty of bhaktas (devotees) to preserve and protect the rich culture and heritage of this country which has been the birthplace of many great spiritual leaders, and whose past is resplendent with the glory of prowess in music, arts, and science. 

Alas, this glorious land of Bharat (Mother India) is now bedevilled with problems which are mostly the result of ego, jealousy, hatred, and selfishness. Only by removing such traits can the glorious past of this great land again be brought back to life.

The story of the festival Onam is that of Bali Chakravarti, who was an embodiment of tyaga (sacrifice), but who suffered from traces of ahamkaram (egoism). However, due to the predominance of other virtues, Bali was even able to overcome the ill-effects of ahamkaram and bury it deep in hell through the grace of Lord Vishnu, who appeared before him in the form of a vatu (Brahmin ascetic) named Vamana.

Bali Proved Himself Far Superior To Indra

Bali was dedicated to rule his subjects by the observance of and strict adherence to the principles of dharma. He was the son of Virochana and the grandson of Prahlada. So it is not surprising that Bali possessed rich traditional qualities of bhakti. Once after obtaining the permission of his Guru Shukracharya, Bali wanted to perform a great Yaga (sacrifice) called Vishvajit. Vishvam means the totality of pancha bhutas (five elements), pancha Indriyas (five senses), and pancha koshas (five regions or sheaths) of the human body. It is the victory over such a Vishvam which the word Vishvajit symbolizes.

Indra is so called because he is the ruler of the Indriyas (senses), and the ruler of the Indriyas in man is the Manas (mind). The nature of the interplay of Indriyas is such that it is possible to gain as well as to lose through it. Indra wanted to rule heaven, but Bali wanted nothing of the sort. Indra used to propitiate and beg Vishnu in order to achieve what he desired, but Vishnu Himself descended in the form of Vamana to beg from Bali. Thus Bali proved himself to be far superior to Indra.

Vamana belonged to the famous Siddhashrama which was founded by Kasyapa (representing purusha or man) and Aditi (representing the feminine Prakriti or nature). It is through the union of this Purusha and Prakriti that the progeny is known as Siddhi (in the form of Vatu), the embodiment of Vishnu-tattvam, was born. The Siddhashrama was located on the banks of a sacred river called Pavitra, which represents life. Siddhi will always be found on the banks of flowing life whenever the bhava-shuddhi (purity of mind) and chitta-shuddhi (purity of heart) predominate in man. It is due to the fact that all sankalpas (resolutions) could be realized at this sacred ashram that it has come to be known as Siddhashrama. Vishwamitra, after the successful completion of his Yaga with the help of Rama and Lakshmana, brought them to reside at this ashram for some time. It was at this ashram, too, that Bali attained moksha (liberation).

The spreading of Vishnu-tattvam (nature of Vishnu) is known as Trivikrama tattvam (nature of Vishnu expanding to the three worlds). The aspect of Trivikrama tattvam is represented by the Gayatri mantra: ‘Bhur Bhuvah.’ The Bhu-loka, Bhuvar-loka, and Suvar-loka constitute the Trivikrama tattvam. It is wrong to conceive of these three Lokas (worlds) as existing one on top of the other and thus capable of being reached by climbing a ladder, as it were. In fact, the three Lokas are intertwined with each other and one exists within the other.

The Real Meaning Of The ‘Three Worlds’

The real meaning of this kind of geometrical configuration of the three Lokas is that the pancha Indriya, pancha bhutas, and pancha koshas (five senses, elements, and sheaths) aspects of man’s deha (body), is Bhu-loka; the aspect of prana-shakti or Manas-tattvam is Bhuvar-loka; and the microscopic state of Anandam (bliss) represents Suvar-loka.

So it can be said that the three worlds, Bhu-loka, Bhuvar-loka, and Suvar-loka, are nothing but the Deha-tattvam, Manas-tattvam, and Ananda-tattvam (essential nature of body, mind, and bliss) respectively, and the totality of these three represents the Trivikrama-tattvam.

Again, these three aspects of Trivikrama-tattvam can be understood in terms of the three states of an individual, viz., the one you think you are, the one others think you are, and the one you really are. Hence only by proper sadhana can one transcend from Bhu-loka through Bhuvar-loka to Suvar-loka. The attainment of Suvar-loka is known as moksha (liberation), and it represents the stage of complete merging with the Lord. Since it is a state where the aspect of moha (attachment) is made to disintegrate, it is known as moksha (moha+kshayam, moksham).

Remember Bali By Practising His Ideals

Bali was an embodiment of tyaga (renunciation) and he personified the aspects of dhatru tattvam (principle of charity) and dharma-tattvam (righteousness). Since Onam is a festival day to be celebrated in memory of the re-appearance of Bali in his sukshma rupam (microscopic subtle form), it is imperative for everyone to remember and practice the ideals for which he stood when he was alive. It should be remembered that Bali, as portrayed above, should be visiting us every day and not just once a year. But we forget this because in our daily life we leave ample room for the cultivation of undesirable traits such as greediness, selfishness, and egoism, which in present-day man are reaching gigantic proportions. It is precisely due to this kind of situation that the world periodically gets plunged into wars. Bali’s life-message is that the above-mentioned traits in man should be eliminated at all costs, thus rendering the heart pure for the Lord to reside in it.

Another important aspect of Bali’s life is his demonstration of the fact that the quality of tyaga (selfless sacrifice) should be an integral part of one’s karma (actions). All beings perform actions, but only the man, if he so desires, can act, making sacrifice an integral component of his actions. Again, the existence of this trait in man is possible because of his ability to think and reflect. Unfortunately, man uses these God-given faculties to enunciate theories and to preach, but never to practice what is preached.

Sacrifice Everything And Attain Liberation

Thousands of Onams have come and gone and people have been preaching for years as to what Onam signifies. Yet the heart of man remains impure. Bali practiced what he preached, whereas his revered Guru, Shukracharya, did not, as was evident when he intervened to stop Bali from giving away everything that he possessed to Vamana. Preaching and practicing are like the two eyes. Since Shukracharya only preached and did not practice, his one eye was symbolically made ineffective. ‘A man with a dual mind is half blind.’ In our lives, we must be Balis and not Shukracharyas. We should realize that in order to get one thing, something else must be sacrificed.

Bali demonstrated through his tyaga svabhava (sacrificing nature) that if one sacrifices everything, one will attain moksha (liberation). The real sacrifice involves two things: First, to realize the cause of our bondage in this life, and second, to sever this bondage. Man mistakenly thinks that wealth, a family, etc., are his bondages, and that by severing connections with them he will be able to sacrifice everything and become eligible to attain moksha. But these are not the real bondage of man. His real bondage is his ignorance in identifying himself with his body. He who cuts off this bondage as Bali did, will attain moksha. For cutting off this bondage a purification of the heart is very necessary. Purification of the body with soap and water and by applying perfume does not result in the purification of the mind.

In this Kali-yuga, Nama-smarana (constant remembrance of God) is the easiest way to purify one’s mind; and surrendering to God with a pure mind is the surest way to attain moksha. Bali offered two of his three aspects, namely, adhi bhautikam (his body) and adhi daivikam (his life), for two feet of space demanded by Vamana. As for the third foot of space required by Vamana, Bali offered his adhyatmika (soul) aspect to the Lord, thus surrendering to Him completely. That is why the Lord placed His third step on the heart of Bali and pushed him into hell, thus completely pushing all trace of Bali’s ego into the bottom-most layers of the universe. Bali was thus delivered from the bondage of birth and death.

The Essence Of The Message Of Onam

The word Bali has another meaning, which is, charge for service rendered, or tax. We pay money to the department which supplies water, knowing fully well that it is not responsible for the creation of the water. But what charges are we paying to the creator of water? Nothing. Yet we wish to get His grace. How is it possible to get His grace without giving Bali or sunkam (tax)? The tax which the Lord expects is devotion and purity of heart. This is the essence of the message of Onam. Onam is not to be treated as a festival which comes once a year, but as an event, the message of which should become a way of life for everyone. The three events which Onam symbolizes should always be kept clear in one’s mind: 1. The Incarnation of Lord Vishnu as the Vatu 2. The attainment of moksha by Bali, and 3. The Antardhanam (merging) of Bali with the Lord.

Brindavan, 4-9-1979