AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA VEDANTA DARSHANAM Apr 10 Vedanta Darshanam Salutations to all. Yet another eventful month has passed by. As Sankara beautifully puts it in Bhaja Govindam, Kaalah kreedathi gacchathi aayuh (time passes and aging happens); the only questions that a seeker should ask himself or herself is whether desires are getting reduced; at least are desires just staying the same instead of increasing; is our happiness level increasing or decreasing (happiness not based on external objects but happiness irrespective or independent of external objects/situations/environment). These questions are what a seeker needs to ask constantly in order to remain focused on the spiritual path. If at any point of time, the happiness level is decreasing or desires are increasing then it means the seeker is not progressing but going down in the opposite direction. Already we have accumulated lot of vasanas and karma phalas in the innumerous previous births. It is easy to answer this through Vedanta saying that “I am not the body therefore there is no karmaphala or vasana for me” but do we really mean it? Are we able to remain blissful even when faced with physical troubles? If yes, then we have nothing to worry about. If no, then we are just using Vedanta as a shield and as an excuse to our miserable state. Irrespective of whether we make such foolish and idiotic statement or not, we will be suffering here and in the future as well. Thus it all boils down to whether internally we are blissful or not. It is impossible to remain blissful without knowledge of the Self as all- pervasive Consciousness and this knowledge can be achieved through Vedanta alone. Thus it is high-time that we as seekers seek out the Self through learning and implementing Vedanta so that even as another month passes by, we don’t remain in the same level as the previous month but are able to progress towards the ultimate reality of Brahman. The sooner we progress, the sooner we will be able to rejoice in bliss. And since ultimately the goal of life is to rejoice in bliss untainted and unaffected by sorrow, therefore it is essential that we start in the path at least now. Starting now will ensure that we attain the goal of eternal bliss at least by the end of this birth or at least in a few births. http://vedantatattva.org/vedantagroup/VedantaDarshanam Page 1 of 53 AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA VEDANTA DARSHANAM Apr 10 This is not the time to say “later” and give excuses. Already we see so many natural and manmade calamities happening in the world. It just takes one moment to be in one of those calamities and thereby will end our life. We don’t know whether we will get a spiritual environment or spiritual temperament in the next birth as births depend on our previous actions and knowledge accumulated (balance of both). Hence only a fool will try to take risk. A wise person will try to achieve the goal here and now itself so that yet another birth isn’t wasted in futile activities that we have been doing for many births and for many years in this very birth itself. AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA th Apr 11 http://vedantatattva.org/vedantagroup/VedantaDarshanam Page 2 of 53 AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA VEDANTA DARSHANAM Apr 10 Anukramaanika Vedanta Darshanam ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Guru Mahima ................................................................................................................................................ 4 Mukhya Vishayam ......................................................................................................................................... 9 Sankshiptha Vedanta .................................................................................................................................. 18 Gitaamritham .............................................................................................................................................. 23 Upanishad Prachaaram ............................................................................................................................... 27 Raga Varsha ................................................................................................................................................. 32 Madhuraamritham ...................................................................................................................................... 35 Praadeshikam .............................................................................................................................................. 38 Charitham ................................................................................................................................................... 43 Sthuthi ......................................................................................................................................................... 46 Vedanta Pariksha ........................................................................................................................................ 49 Ghatanaa ..................................................................................................................................................... 52 Anukramaanika Nirdesham ........................................................................................................................ 53 http://vedantatattva.org/vedantagroup/VedantaDarshanam Page 3 of 53 AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA VEDANTA DARSHANAM Apr 10 Guru Mahima Let us continue with the slokas of Gita where a seeker offers prostrations to the Guru. Yatsattvena jagatsatyam yatprakaashena bhaathi tat Yadaanandena nandanthi tasmai sreegurave namaha By whose existence, this world appears existent (real); who shining (or whose light) makes the world shine; whose bliss spreads into the world, unto such a Guru my prostrations. World dependent on Guru We have seen previously that Guru is one with Brahman. Brahman is defined in the scriptures as of the nature of Sat Chit Anandam or Existence, Consciousness and Bliss. Thus the Guru is of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss. The world that we currently perceive is just names and forms of Brahman or Guru – the differences in the world are due to names and forms which aren’t real at all but appear real due to Satchidanandam. If not for Sat, the world wouldn’t exist at all. It is very easy to understand this – the world is constantly changing whereas Brahman is changeless. As a variable depends on the constant for its very existence, similarly the changing world depends on Brahman for its existence. If not for Brahman the world would cease to exist. This can be understood through the analogy of water in desert – the water in desert doesn’t have any existence but for the desert. If the desert were to cease to exist, the water would also cease to exist instantly. Thus the world exists because of the existence of Brahman (since world is an illusion in Brahman even as water is an illusion in the desert). Any existence requires a light to fall upon it or a light to illumine it. The light which always illumines temporary as well as permanent existence is the light of Consciousness – this is the light of all lights. Even the various lights that we see in the world like Sun, moon, stars, lamps etc. are depended on the light of Consciousness. But for Consciousness, all these lights will have no power to illumine anything (a person has to be Conscious in order to experience any existence). It is but a fact that Existence and Consciousness go hand in hand. If something exists, then a light is falling upon it – if a light is falling upon an object then the object exists. http://vedantatattva.org/vedantagroup/VedantaDarshanam Page 4 of 53 AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA VEDANTA DARSHANAM Apr 10 Thus Ramana Maharshi says Sattva bhaasikaa chit kvavetharaa Sattaya hi chit chittayaa hi aham Who can illumine existence other than Consciousness; since I exist (at all times) therefore I am Chit or Consciousness in nature as well. Since the Guru is Chit in nature, therefore Guru illumines the entire world. The light that illumines the world is that of the Guru. The world doesn’t have any sentience or power of illumining anything of its own. It is the light of Guru which makes it appear as if the world has the power to illumine objects even as an iron rod kept in fire for a period of time might appear to be like fire (and it might seem to possess qualities of fire but it doesn’t really possess – it appears like fire because of being near to fire). Since the world is pervaded with Guru of the nature of Sat therefore the world appears not just existing but appears as if it is sentient (and has a light to illumine objects). The objects of the world give us happiness even if the happiness is short-lived or temporary. The world which doesn’t exist at all cannot give us any happiness – thus the world requires a source of happiness from which the world appears to take a part of the happiness and give it to people who experience the world. The source of happiness is Guru. The Guru’s very blissful nature is imparted to the world but partially as the world limits the happiness (names and forms limit eternal bliss thereby making them temporary blissful and not eternally blissful). A seeker who is able to go beyond the names and forms of the world will experience the entire world as eternally blissful as the world is just names and forms of Brahman or Guru (remove names and forms and Guru alone exists). To sum it, the world exists only because