Thread by @DefiledGod

There is a curious story of Mankanaka occuring in the vana parva.

It illustrates the importance of understanding the futility of a difficult path like j~nAna yoga without meditation on Brahman. Translating it here+

पुरा मङ्कणको राजन्कुशाग्रेणेति नःश्रुतम् । क्षतः किल करे राजंस्तस्य शाकरसोऽस्रवत् ।स वै शाकरसं दृष्ट्वा हर्षाविष्टः प्रनृत्तवान्

[Mankanaka was pierced by kusha grass. From the wound, vegetable juice came out (instead of blood). Seeing that, he was joyous & started dancing]+

Mankanaka was pursuing j~nAna yoga, meditating on the true nature of the jIvAtma.

He had subsisted on roots as part of his austerities and to indicate his vairAgya was meritorious and successful, his blood had become vegetable juice+

ततस्तस्मिन्प्रनृत्ते तु स्थावरं जङ्गमं च यत्

[As Mankanaka danced in joy, the entire Universe also “danced”, ie, they felt tormented by his dance.]

This was because of the merit he had obtained due to his penances+

The gods went to mahAdeva and requested his help to quell the rishi. Why go to Shiva?

Long back, Shiva himself had undertaken this penance & was interrupted by kAma who he burnt to ashes. He realized that this jIvAtmopAsana was not as desirable as paramAtmopAsana+

Due to this prior experience, Shiva wanted to set Mankanaka too on the right path.

He asked Mankanaka the reason for dancing, to which the latter replied that vegetable juice had come out from his wound, signifying success in vairAgya+

अङ्गुल्यग्रेण राजेन्द्रस्वाङ्गुष्ठस्ताडितोऽनघ । ततो भस्म क्षताद्राजन्निर्गतं हिमसन्निभम्
 
[mahAdeva, who is free of the sins of attachments, struck his own thumb and ashes white as snow came out.]+

In shAstra, ashes signify vairAgya – a lack of wealth. The body becomes ashes, signifying it is perishable.

Thus, upAsakAs smear themselves with ashes to indicate their vairAgya - knowledge of objects of prakR^iti being temporary and distinct from the self+

Mankanaka was a meditator on the individual self, so had subsisted on roots & so his blood had become vegetable sap. He gained ego from this.

But mahAdeva subsisted on nothing – so his blood was ashes signifying lack of “wealth” in the form of food. His was the greater penance+

What is this superior penance of mahAdeva? Meditation on Brahman – a bhakti yogI does not need any food as Azhwar says “uNNum soRu parugu nIr  thinnum vetRilaiyum ellAm kaNNan” – bhagavAn alone is food, nothing else is.

It is superior to Mankanaka’s meditation on the jIvAtma+

mahAdeva thus told Mankanaka, "You meditate on the jIvAtma & have some vairAgya. But I meditate on Brahman, by which no food is required for me. My vairAgya is greater. Therefore, do not become proud"+

Mankanaka is referred to as “रागेन मोहित” – bewildered by desire for an object not yet attained.

In reality, he had not yet obtained a vision of the self which was his desire; yet, some preliminary success in meditation as indicated by the vegetable sap filled him with ego+

Realizing the error of his thinking, Mankanaka worshipped mahAdeva.

He performs pratIkopAsana – he superimposes Rudra with the attributes of vishNu and worships rudra-sharIraka-paramAtma. This is as per the brahma sUtra 4.1.5 – ब्रह्मदृष्टिरुत्कर्षात्+

नान्यद्देवात्परं मेने रुद्रात्परतरं महत् ।
 
[I do not reflect on any god as superior to Rudra.]

This means, “I do not meditate on any manifestation of Brahman superior to you. For he has favored me in your form. You are his body and his AveShAvatAra.”+

सुरासुरस्य जगतो गतिस्त्वमसि शूलधृत् । त्वयासर्वमिदं सृष्टं त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम्
 
[Bearer of the shUla! You are the refuge for this Universe of gods and asurAs. By you, have these three worlds with movables and immovables been created]+

त्वमेव सर्वान्ग्रससि पुनरेव युगक्षये । देवैरपि नशक्यस्त्वं परिज्ञातुं कुतो मया
 
[During dissolution, everything enters into you alone. Even the gods cannot know your nature in reality, how can I know you?]+

“नशक्यस्त्वं परिज्ञातुं  ” – That nature of yours, described as “तद् विष्णोः परमं पदं” cannot be seen by the gods or me.

He next says this meditation on Rudra is possible due to sharIrAtma bhAva and the purity of Rudra due to his upAsana+

त्वयि सर्वे प्रदृश्यन्ते सुरा ब्रह्मादयोऽनघ . सर्वस् त्वम् असि देवानां कर्ता कारयिता च ह

[Sinless one! In you, all gods from brahmA are seen (supported as the bodies). You are indeed all the gods (as their self). You are brahmA, the creator of the gods and the cause of brahmA]+

This is sharIrAtma bhAva. All gods are his bodies & he is their self. He is brahmA, ie, brahmA-sharIraka & he is the Cause of brahmA.

These guNAs of vishNu are superimposed on rudra as the latter is devoid of sins obstructing upAsana. A pure object can be meditated as Brahman+

त्वत्प्रसादात् सुराः सर्वे मोदन्तीहाकुतो भयाः

[By your grace, the gods are blissful and devoid of fear].

mahAdeva then blessed the rishi saying,

 “तपस् ते वर्धतां विप्र मत्प्रसादात् सहस्रधा” – “May your knowledge of Brahman become thousand-fold by my grace” and left+

This story shows that even to gain a vision of the self, just meditating on the individual self is not enough to gain full vairAgya and meditation on Brahman is needed for that.

And beyond that, meditation on bhagavAn to attain a vision of him via bhakti yoga is far superior+

mahAdeva’s j~nAna pradatva, in imparting knowledge to upAsakAs is also demonstrated.

This story appears very weird outwardly; blood becoming vegetable sap and a dancing rishi.😄 So I thought of explaining the intent of this narrative.//