चरैवेति! चरैवेति! (CharaivEti! CharaivEti!) - Keep moving! keep moving!

Its been more than a year since I wrote anything here. First work and then the world caught me up in their grip, and my writing came to a standstill. Recently I came across this aphorism, and it hit me hard - I have to keep moving!

Stillness of the mind is a much celebrated aim in not just Hindu philosphy, but practically every evolved system of thought. But does stillness of the mind necessitate stillness of the body? A still body commits no action - and that is not something to be celebrated. 


In the Aitareya Brahmana (7.15) of the Rg Veda, the learner (SunahSEpa) is exhorted to keep moving:


चरन् वै मधु विन्दति चरन् स्वादुमुदुम्बरम् ।

सूर्यस्य पश्य श्रेमाणं यो न तन्द्रयते चरंश्चरैवेति ॥


Charan vai madhu vindati

Charan svadum uDumbaram |

sUryasya paSya SrEmANam

yo na tandrayatE charan, Charaiveti ||


“Only by movement can you gather honey,

Movement is what gets you tasty fruits,

Look at the greatness of the Sun

Who keeps moving without fatigue, (you) keep moving”


But why this exhortation to keep moving? Stagnation is the result of being still. For any progress, moving on from your current position is necessary. To those of us in the corporate world, the biggest impediment to progress is change management. And why? Because however much you hate your present, most people are loathe to let it go for fear that the new may be worse than this!


Today, when there is hopelessness and despair all around us, it is all the more essential for those of us who can, to keep moving, and taking those who can’t along with us. Stagnating here or giving up the fight is not an option.


I like to believe that the arguably most famous verse of the Bhagavad Gita (BG 2.47: karmaNyEvAdhikArastE...) is saying the same thing, particularly its last part - mA tE sangah astu akarmaNi - let not your attachment be to inaction. Action without attachment to your individual benefit is what is desired, NOT inaction.


More modern poets have also urged the primacy of movement. A few off the top of my head are


Pt Dvarika Prasad Maheshwari with “वीर तुम बढ़े चलो! धीर तुम बढ़े चलो! (vIr tum baDhE chalO, dhIr tum baDhE chalO)” 


Robert Frost with “The woods are lovely dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep”


And this last one, at the risk of sounding political


Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore with “যদি তোর ডাক শুনে কেউ না আসে তবে একলা চলো রে (jodi tor DAk SunE keu nA AShE tobE ekla Cholo rE)”




Comments

  1. Dharmender Bharti25 May 2021 at 11:29

    Yes, I agree,

    Action is required to bring in the change. Too many of us, are in our comfort zone fearing the unknown future. But what if, one is progressing in its current environment & still attached with it...?

    Stillness of mind (which is part of body) is required to avoid useless thoughts cluttering ones perception.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jackie Jaishankar30 May 2021 at 21:52

      Hmmm... Not sure I agree that mind (as against the organ brain) is part of the physical body. It has to be something beyond that.

      On the topic of progressing within the same environment, that is still progress - hence change. It may be a more comfortable change to accept, or adapt to, but it is still change nevertheless.

      Delete

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