This Sunday, we have a story from Deivathin Kural(Voice of god). Understanding Advaita is quite tough but understanding through a story gives us a small idea about it. Let us go straight away to the story.
There was a king. If a king was there, there is war and there is an enemy. This king too had an enemy and the enemy declared war. Unfortunately, the king was defeated and his enemy started ruling his kingdom.
This king fled from the battlefield riding a horse, taking only his wife with him and no one else. Only his minister knew where he was going. Fleeing doesn't mean that he is not a warrior. To catch its prey, a tiger hides itself. His wife was pregnant. While riding the horse, he saw troops from the enemy's side coming in search of him. He didn't know what to do. There was a hut near them. Suddenly an idea struck him.
"My wife! Please obey me. You please stay in the hut. My end is nearing. Let the troops kill only me and not you and your unborn son. Let my child avenge my death. Please accept this as my last wish", he said.
His wife became so worried that his husband is going to leave her forever. But, she just obeyed. After a while, the troops found the king and executed him. His wife stayed in the hut which was of a hunter's. The wife of the hunter accepted her as her daughter and she started living with the hunter. After a few months, the king's wife delivered a baby boy. Soon after giving birth to a son, she left the world. The hunter family accepted this child as their son and he started growing there.
After 12 years, the minister of the king who knew where the king fled, wanted to take the king's son to avenge his father's death. He went deep into the forest and he found the hut. He found a child who resembled the king and he was sure he must be the king's son.
The minister told the whole story to the hunter's wife and told her that he wanted the child. The hunter's wife couldn't accept this. The minister explained everything in a patient way and told her that this is for the welfare of the kingdom. She had no way other than leaving him. The minister took the child to his house. The king's son tried to go back to his old house but the minister told everything. After knowing that he was a king's son, automatically courage and braveness came to him. He also learnt warfare under the minister.
The subjects of the kingdom also loved their previous king's rule. The minister introduced the king's son and told his plan to defeat the king who is ruling. The subjects, the king's son, and the minister united and got the kingdom back. The king's son has now become a king!. He forgot everything about his old house which was of the hunter's.
From this story, we understand the philosophy of Advaita. Did the one who lived in the hunter's house really transform into a king? Even when he was thinking that he was a hunter's son, he was also a king's son. First he didn't know that he was a king's son, but later he realised the truth. Did the form of the king's son change while becoming a king? No, he himself became the king. He was living the hunter's life until he realised that he was a King's son. The same person has then become a king with the help of the minister. We, humans are also in a disguise of Jivaatma. Even though we are in the disguise of Jivaatma, inside us, there is Paramaatma. To get back the kingdom, the king's son needed someone, who is the minister. We, humans too, need someone to guide us to realise the Paramaatma in us. That is Guru.
