Page 28 - Bhakthinivedana 2011 September English Magazine.pmd

DIVINE VISION - TRUE KNOWLEDGE

RUSHIS

Who is a rushi? Is he a person with a thin body frame, matted hair, a long beard, wearing saffron
clothes and living in a hermitage?

Translated By Ramanujamma Mudumbai

Rushis are great visionaries who as their inner vision. The facts and that many point out those aspects

have dedicated their lives to the experiences they shared with the rather than appreciating and
pursuit of Supreme Reality. With world are engaging and crystal applying the great knowledge they
their austerities and meditation, clear. Such rushis were born on contributed to the present world.
they realized the Ultimate Truths this land of ours. It is foolish to judge rushis based

of the external world and the on present criteria. We cannot
world within. Based on those Foreigners recognized the value comprehend the situations they
realizations, they made several of the truth rushis presented, and were in, and the circumstances
recommendations to mankind

about what can be accepted, what There is a saying that we should not contemplate on the origin of a river.
Similarly, it is not necessary to focus too much on the background of a sage.
can be followed and the extent We have to grab the real knowledge they provided, and put in efforts to
to which they can be followed. grasp its essence.
Because they were very generous

and devoid of any selfish attitudes, translated them into their own under which they continued their
they handed over those truths languages. They were awestruck at pursuit of truth. Even travel was
to seekers exactly as they were the wisdom the rushis handed over difficult in those days. Earlier, a
without any elaborations. to posterity – “How could they earn person on tour from one village to

this much jna:na (knowledge) with another had to go through dense

Who is a rushi? Is he a person with no tools or facilities whatsoever?” forests on deserted paths fearing
a thin body frame, matted hair, Unfortunately, we were only able attacks from wild animals. They
a long beard, wearing saffron to understand the value of their had to carry every necessity with

clothes and living in a hermitage? wisdom once the foreigners’ them – food, firewood, water,
Though that may physically translations reached us. axes, clothes and so on.
describe a rushi, scriptures declare
that a rushi is a ‘kra:ntha darsi’, Rushis recorded their lives Even safely reaching the

one who visualizes the Ultimate in autobiographies without destination was doubtful. But
Truth and conveys the same to concealing any facts. They did not today’s era provides many
others. They were great souls object to displaying details of their facilities to travellers. They do
whose outer vision was as perfect tarnished lives. It is unfortunate not need to carry anything and

28 Bhakthinivedana • Sep, Oct 2011