How and why Silk is considered Pure and even adorned by Bhagwan?
Concept: Puri Peethadhishwar Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Nishchalananda Saraswati Ji Maharaj
Credits: Sandeep Sehgal Ji
Tulsidas Ji has written on this. He said that the silkworm is grossly impure. It gives beautiful clothing so people rear it well with enough conviction. What does Shastra (scriptures) say about this? In the Eleventh Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, there is a chapter named Guna (Virtue)– Dosha (Vice). Virtue and vice is explained there. There is an observation available there to consider deeply.
This world is the work of Maya. According to Bhagwat Gita 9.10, Bhagwan Krushna has said the same thing, and the same meaning is discovered in Srimad Bhagavad. In this situation, the whole world is full of vices but it can’t be left as such. Then, virtue-vice are differentiated from Shastra’s point of view. When Shastra terms something like virtue, it is identified as a virtue. Similarly, if Shastras consider something as a vice, it is identified as a vice. The vices are abandoned and virtues defined are adopted and thereafter, one reaches the supreme being bereft of those virtues as well.
Now, why the worm is considered grossly impure, as per Saint Tulsidas Ji? We get these silk cloths from worm only; it forms webs, and then why these silk cloths are considered pure? Demonstration in Shastras should be the answer to this. In the same way, persons are allowed to play drums in temples, but the dhol (drum) is made of leather. Normally if you touch leather, it is considered impure but the same drum is played in temples. Different kinds of drums like ‘Tabla’, ‘Mridang’ are played and are considered untainted. Similarly, why Kusha grass is pure, why Tulsi is pure, why Durva grass is pure?
If we examine this scientifically, we will get the reason much later. But, first Shastras has explained their purity. Shankha (Conch) is the bone of an aquatic, why it is considered pure? When we fill water therein and sprinkle on somebody, why is the person is considered pure? The answer to this: Shastras has recommended its purity. So, the description of virtue and vice is accepted by Shastras. Tulsidas Ji translated the Guna-Dosha chapter of the eleventh canto of Bhagavatam to pacify the view of virtue-vice. These virtue-vice has been explained in Shastras.
When the person becomes ‘Gunatit ’(ability to go beyond the attributes of the world), one part becomes ‘Grahya’ (admissible), the other becomes inadmissible. Which is admissible according to Shastras, should be accepted. It makes one rise above it. In the 10th chapter, Verse 17, of Bhagwat Gita, Shri Krushna has explained this to Arjuna. This is our power as this cosmos is the manifestation of the supreme lord, the manifestation of ‘Satchitananda’ form of the supreme lord. In this scenario, the whole world cannot be renounced as such, so one thing needs to be accepted and others can be renounced. The manifestations of Bhagwan having predominated by ‘Sattva’ described as Kriyasaar (origin of all actions), Deshsaar (substratum for all dimensions), Vastusaar (cause for all materials), Bhavsaar (source of all worldly emotions).
The power of Bhagwan is described in the 10th chapter of Bhagwad Gita. It is also describing it in the seventh chapter, in the fifteenth chapter, in the ninth chapter, from the seventh to the fifteenth chapter. These have been described in their own scientific ways. If we take the support of each of these powers, then the mind gets possession of divinity and in the end, the mind of the person gets progressed directly to Bhagwan.
Climbing the stairs, we leave the lower one to reach the high one. In the end, the last stair is also left.
Similarly, what Shastras termed as Guna, holding onto that, we gradually transgress the unreal delusion. From the first standard to second, then second to third. In the end, we get our Graduation or higher degrees. Similarly, the Shastras termed silk cloth as pure. If one has doubt, we can study the divinity of silk and it’s the ability to fight pollutants in modern research labs. If lab research is ever done for silk cloth, then we can prove the word of ‘Shastras’ through experimentation results.
It may take ten years and thousands of dollars, so what Shastras had described something like virtue, that should be considered Guna. If something is termed pure, it should be considered pure. It is the duty of modern intellectuals to find it in their way to get the result and utilization. Take another example. Parrots munch fruits, particularly mangoes when they are ripe. Those ripened mangoes which a parrot eats with its beak; those are considered the best among the lot. Now that mango is leftover or not? Though eaten by parrot it is still eaten after washing and it’s not like that we leave it as Scriptures. Our Shastras have considered admissible.
Similarly, silk clothing and its purity have been explained by the Scriptures. You can do more tests for this. Turmeric is used in prayers, saffron is also used. In ‘Shaligram Bhagwan’ also there is gold. It is in Vedic science. Saffron is used in rituals and there is a scientific reason behind their use but if we try to find the scientific reason through research labs for everything, it will take years. On the other hand, scientists only see the utility part in all available objects. They don’t see it in a prospect of Vedic philosophy of life.
As explained earlier, it has its own argument, and keeping this in mind you should contemplate it. ‘Shastras’ should be followed, virtue and vice. As propagated by Shastras, virtue shall be considered accordingly. If one wants to experiment, then one can do it. Take this similarly for Cow dung of Indian sort. When Bhagwan takes incarnation, then even he doesn’t refrain from it. Even better, when Bhagwan takes incarnation, he doesn’t refrain from Desi (Indian) Cow urine. Why Cow dung and cow urine are considered divine? Researches are going on and it will take hundreds of years to justify our Scriptures.
Logical intellectuals played a strange game, Morar Ji established his stand as Human urine is consumable, being urine as cow urine. It is absolute ignorance. Forensics made this assumption. There can be a Fallacy. There is no surprise in assuming that. From an argument point of view, there is no fault in this assumption, but Forensics said their points. So now we have to decide which assumption as the correct one.
‘Shastras’ declared cow urine as drinkable but not human urine. Even after not fault an assumption, the speculation presented is void. So, from one point of view, both urines look the same. So, if someone has individual ideas of purity & impurity which are against Shastras, those are not suitable. It is mentioned that one should operate as per Shastras. Because our brain may or may not work on that today, or the conclusion may take time. We must understand that there must reason associated with the prescription of Shastras.
Narayana !!!
