Human existence or any other biological existence is goaded by the propensive propulsion of the psyche. Let me explain why the human body is a biological machine and goaded by propensities.

The physical body is not yours. It belongs to another Entity who has placed the mind in this body, so now you think, “It is my body.” The mind has been authorized to use this body, so the mind is thinking, “It is my body.” The átman [unit consciousness] is watching, witnessing what the mind is thinking. If the átman stops watching, the mind will stop working. So what is the science by which the biological machine is being goaded?

There are ten indriyas [organs] – five jiṋánendriyas [sensory organs] and five karmendriyas [motor organs] – and one antahkarańa [internal faculty]. The sensory and motor organs are bahihkarańa [external organs]. Antahkarańa is directly associated with the body. It is one intrinsic portion of the mind itself. It is by dint of this portion that the mind feels the emptiness of the stomach, and thereby hunger. Once the stomach becomes empty, the mind starts searching for food, and this is expressed through the physical actions of the body. So there are two portions – antahkarańa and bahihkarańa. One consists of an intrinsic portion of the mind itself, and the other of the ten organs – five sensory organs and five motor organs.

The propensive propulsion comes from antahkarańa. The origin or source of the propulsion is antahkarańa. Antahkarańa is made of the conscious and subconscious portions of the mind – thinking, memory, etc., all belong to antahkarańa. Antahkarańa is doing these things. Now, whenever antahkarańa does something, the physical body is activated accordingly. The body is also transformed accordingly. Thus, this biological machine is goaded by propensive propulsion.

The Inner Significance of the Mahábhárata

In Sanskrit there are six main directions – north, south, east, west, up and down – which are called disha or pradisha. There are also four corners – northwest, southwest, southeast and northeast, termed iishána, agni, váyu and naerta respectively – which are collectively called anudisha. So four plus six makes ten.

Now, the mind is blind. With the help of the viveka [conscience] it is able to see and visualize. So the mind is Dhritarastra [the blind king of the Mahábhárata], and its forces – that is, the ten agents, the bahihkarańa – can work in ten directions simultaneously. So the mind has ten by ten or one hundred external expressions. Or in other words, Dhritarastra has one hundred sons.

What about the Pandavas [five brothers of the Mahábhárata]? They are the five fundamental factors in the human structure. Sahadeva is the solid factor represented by the múládhára cakra (capable of answering everything). Next is Nakula at the svádhiśt́hána cakra. Nakúla means “water which flows having no boundaries”. Na means “no” and kúla means “boundaries” – the liquid factor. Next is Arjuna, the representation of energy or force, luminous at the mańipura cakra – always fighting to maintain balance. Then Bhima, the son of Pandu, is váyu, the aerial factor, at the anáhata cakra. Finally, the position of Yudhisthira is at the vishuddha cakra where matter ends and the other world starts.

So in the fight between materialists and spiritualists, in the struggle between matter and the sublime, Yudhisthira remains undisturbed, unperturbed. Yudhi sthirah Yudhiśt́hirah [“One who remains steady in battle is called ‘Yudhiśt́hira’”].

Krśńa is at the sahasrára cakra. Now when the kuńd́alinii [sleeping divinity] is awakened, rises and reaches the shelter of Krśńa with the help of the Pandavas, the jiiva [unit being] merges in Cosmic Consciousness. The Pandavas are rescuing the jiiva and bringing it to the shelter of Krśńa.

Sanjaya is the minister of Dhritarastra. Sanjaya is viveka. Dhritarastra is asking Sanjaya, because he cannot see by himself, “Oh, Sanjaya, tell me, in the battle of Kurukśetra and Dharmakśetra, what did my party [and that of the Pandavas] do? How did they fare?”

The hundred sons of Dhritarastra, the blind mind, are trying to control the jiiva, which is being rescued by the Pandavas through a constant fight. Finally, being triumphant, they bring the jiiva to the shelter of Krśńa. This is the inner significance of the Mahábhárata.

Kurukśetra is the world of action, the external world, which is asking you to work and work. Work is the order. Kuru means “work”. [And kśetra means “field”.] Dharmakśetra is the internal psychic world. Here the Pandavas dominate.