OSHO - Bhamati

There is an ancient story...

One very famous book, one of the greatest ever written, is a commentary on the Brahma Sutras written by Vrihaspati. The name of the commentary is very strange: the name of the commentary is Bhamati. It is strange because it has nothing to do with the Brahma Sutras, one of the greatest expositions of the philosophy of advaita, nondualism.

Bhamati is the name of Vrihaspati's wife. What connection can there be between the commentary on the Brahma Sutras and Vrihaspati's wife? There is some secret hidden in it. Vrihaspati must have been a man of deep concentration - he was a great philosopher. He got married because his father was getting old and he wanted Vrihaspati to be married. And in the old days obedience was the simple way; it was naturally so - people used to follow their parents' wishes. There was no question of saying no, so Vrihaspati said yes.

He was married to Bhamati but he was not a man who needed a wife or needed a family. His whole concentration was on the great commentary that he was writing on the Brahma Sutras. He was so absorbed that he brought the wife home and forgot all about her.

The wife took every care of Vrihaspati. That too is no longer possible - who can take care of such a husband who has completely forgotten her? He had no idea who she was or what her name was. He had never even asked her name. She served him like a shadow. She never came in front of him because he might get distracted, disturbed.

And he was continuously writing his commentary. He was in a hurry because he had taken a vow in his heart that the day the commentary was complete he would renounce the world, and he wanted to renounce the world as soon as possible. Day in, day out, he was writing. Late into the night he would go on writing. Sometimes the candle burned out, and the wife would come up from behind and just put a candle there. Once in a while he will see the wife's hand bringing food, taking away the thali and the plates, but he was so concentrated on his work he never inquired. "Who is this woman?"

It is a beautiful story; whether it really happened or not is not the point. But I don't think that wives could have been so nice even in those old days. One hopes... but hopes are never fulfilled.

Years passed and the night came when the commentary was completed. Vrihaspati closed the book, the wife came and removed the candle. Now he was free from the commentary and the absorption. He asked the woman, "Who are you? And why do you go on serving me like this"
The woman said, "I am absolutely blessed that at least you ask my name. It is more than I could have asked for. You must have forgotten... many days have passed. And you were so absorbed in your work, how can you remember, how can one expect to remember? I am Bhamati; you married me a few years ago. Since then I have been serving you."

And tears rolled down Vrihaspati's cheeks, and he said, "Now it is too late because I have taken a vow that the day the commentary was completed I would renounce the world. It is too late; I cannot be a husband to you anymore. I have renounced the world. Closing the book is closing this chapter of my life. I am now a sannyasin. But I feel tremendously grateful to you. You are a rare woman. Just out of gratitude I will call my commentary Bhamati."

Hence his commentary on the Brahma Sutras is called Bhamati. On the surface there is no relation between Bhamati and the Brahma Sutras, but that is what Vrihaspati called it. And he said to his wife, "That way your story will be remembered for centuries."

Yes, many centuries have passed, and I have remembered it, and now you will remember it. A rare woman, and a rare man, and a rare story....

From Osho Book