Sad-Darshana

|| xÉ¬zÉïlÉ || SAD-DARSHANA

The Vision of Truth

“THE SANDEEPANY EXPERIENCE”

Reflections by TEXT SWAMI GURUBHAKTANANDA

Sandeepany’s Vedanta Course

List of All the Course Texts in Chronological Sequence:

Text TITLE OF TEXT Text TITLE OF TEXT No. No. 1 Sadhana Panchakam 24 Hanuman Chalisa 2 Tattwa Bodha 25 Vakya Vritti 3 Atma Bodha 26 Advaita Makaranda 4 Bhaja Govindam 27 Kaivalya Upanishad 5 Manisha Panchakam 28 Bhagavad Geeta (Discourse -- ) 6 Forgive Me 29 Mundaka Upanishad 7 Upadesha Sara 30 Amritabindu Upanishad 8 Prashna Upanishad 31 Mukunda Mala (Bhakti Text) 9 Dhanyashtakam 32 Tapovan Shatkam 10 Bodha Sara 33 The Mahavakyas, Panchadasi 5 11 Viveka Choodamani 34 Aitareya Upanishad 12 Jnana Sara 35 Narada Bhakti Sutras 13 Drig-Drishya Viveka 36 Taittiriya Upanishad 14 “Tat Twam Asi” – Chand Up 6 37 Jivan Sutrani (Tips for Happy Living) 15 Dhyana Swaroopam 38 Kena Upanishad 16 “Bhoomaiva Sukham” Chand Up 7 39 Aparoksha Anubhuti (Meditation) 17 Manah Shodhanam 40 108 Names of Pujya Gurudev 18 “Nataka Deepa” – Panchadasi 10 41 Mandukya Upanishad 19 Isavasya Upanishad 42 Dakshinamurty Ashtakam 20 Katha Upanishad 43 Sad-Darshana 21 “Sara Sangrah” – Yoga Vasishtha 44 Brahma Sootras 22 Vedanta Sara 45 Jivanmuktananda Lahari 23 Mahabharata + Geeta Dhyanam 46 Chinmaya Pledge

A NOTE ABOUT SANDEEPANY Sandeepany Sadhanalaya is an institution run by the Chinmaya Mission in Powai, Mumbai, teaching a 2-year Vedanta Course. It has a very balanced daily programme of basic Samskrit, Vedic chanting, Vedanta study, Bhagavatam, Ramacharitmanas, Bhajans, meditation, sports and fitness exercises, team-building outings, games and drama, celebration of all Hindu festivals, weekly Gayatri Havan and Guru Paduka Pooja, and Karma Yoga activities. This series is an effort to promote the learning of Vedanta; it does not replace the Course, but hopes to inspire young people to spend two years of their life for an experience that is sure to make a far-reaching spiritual impact on their personal lives. Sandeepany is an all-round spiritual course that gives proper direction to the youth and to those approaching retirement. Hinduism is in dire need of a band of systematically trained teachers or Acharyas who can serve this Eternal Religion.

– The Author, 2nd April, 2020, the Sacred Ram Navami Day

Om Namah Shivaaya!

Text 43

|| xÉ¬zÉïlÉ || SAD-DARSHANA “The Vision of Truth”

by Sri Ramana Maharishi Tamil Original Translated into Samskrit by Sri Vasishtha Muni

Reflections by Swami Gurubhaktananda on the Series of 9 Lectures by Acharyaji Swami Advayanandaji at 15th Batch Vedanta Course, Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Powai, Mumbai August 30th – September 6th, 2013

Adi Shankaracharya Swami Sivananda Swami Tapovanji Swami Chinmayananda SERVE  LOVE  GIVE  PURIFY  MEDITATE  REALISE

Author: Swami Gurubhaktananda (ex Krishna Chaitanya, born Bipin R. Kapitan in Durban, South Africa) Email: [email protected]

About This Edition: Web Edition: 2nd April, 2020, the Sacred Ram Navami Day Website: Chinmaya International Foundation: www.chinfo.org Series Title : The Sandeepany Experience Series Subject: Vedanta & Supportive Subsidiary Texts

Declaration by the Author: The material in this series is under inspiration of the Sandeepany Vedanta Course, but largely consists of the Author’s reflections on the Course. He is deeply indebted to the Chinmaya Mission for its excellent presentation of the Course by their renowned and dedicated Acharyas.

Personal Dedication

1. To my Late Parents, Smt Sharadaben & Sri Ratilalbhai Kapitan who inspired me to study in life, to stick to the path of Dharma and pursue the highest ideals; and swamped me with their abundant Love;

2. To Pujya Sri Swami Vimalanandaji Maharaj (1932-2019) the Late President of the Divine Life Society of Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India, who constantly encouraged and supported this effort;

3. To Pujya Sri Swami Tejomayanandaji (Guruji) for his boundless vision and inspiration to create a vibrant organisation;

4. To Sri Swami Advayanandaji and Sri Swami Sharadanandaji my Acharyaji and Upa-Acharyaji at Sandeepany, who imparted their bountiful knowledge and wisdom with rare selfless Divine Love, just as the Rishis of yore would wish to see them do.

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SAD-DARSHANA

“The Vision of Truth”

Sri Ramana Maharshi

SAD-DARSHANA “The Vision of Truth”

CONTENTS:

Hymn to Sri Ramana Maharshi 3 Brief Life Sketch of Sri Ramana Maharshi 4 Sad-Darshana Begins 5

CHAPTER 1 PRELIMINARIES (Verses 01-06) 06 Verse 1: Firm Abidance Is the Best Mangalacharan 7 Verse 2: The Fear of Death 8 Verse 3: Nimitta Karana: The Primary Cause 9 Verse 4: The Best Philosophy 10 Verse 5: Purposelessness of Arguments 11 Verse 6: The Lord With or Without Form? 12 CHAPTER 2 THE WORLD OF PLURALITY (Verses 07-10) 13 Verse 7: Without Body No World 14 Verse 8: The World: A Mental Construct 15 Verse 9: The Reality Underlying the World 16 Verse 10: The Means & the Goal 17 CHAPTER 3 EXPERIENCE OF THE WORLD (Verses 11-16) 18 Verse 11: Root of All Experiences 19 Verse 12: Example: Pairs of Opposites 20 Verse 13: Example: The Triads 21 Verse 14: What Is True Knowledge? 22 Verse 15: Like Gold & Its Ornaments 23 Verse 16: The Merging of Relations 24 CHAPTER 4 SPACE & TIME (Verses 17-20) 25 Verse 17: The Present Alone Is 26 Verse 18: Relativity of Space & Time 27 Verse 19: The Limited Body-Consciousness 28 Verse 20: The Limited World-Consciousness 29 CHAPTER 5 HURDLES TO TRUE VISION (Verses 21-24) 30 Verse 21: Destiny & Self-Effort 31 Verse 22: Vision of Deities 32 Verse 23: Dissolution of Ego 33 Verse 24: Turning the Intellect Inwards 34 1

CHAPTER 6 THE ILLUSIVE EGO (Verses 25-33) 35 Verse 25: Birthplace of the Self 36 Verse 26: Birth of the Illusive Ego 37 Verse 27: Biography of the Ego 38 Verse 28: Victory Over the Ego 39 Verse 29: Hunt for the Ego 40 Verse 30: Finding the Ego 41 Verse 31: Art of Self-Enquiry 42 Verse 32: Fall of The Ego 43 Verse 33: The State of Egolessness 44 CHAPTER 7 POINTS TO PONDER (Verses 34-39) 45 Verse 34: Twisting Scriptural Teachings 46 Verse 35: Self Is Not Twofold 47 Verse 36: Source of All Garrulous Talks 48 Verse 37: The Highest Accomplishment 49 Verse 38: Pointers Can be Helpful 50 Verse 39: The “Tenth-ness” of the Tenth 51 CHAPTER 8 BONDAGE & LIBERATION (Verses 40-42) 52 Verse 40: Meaning of Liberation 53 Verse 41: Bondage & Liberation 54 Verse 42: Three Types of Liberation 55 EPILOGUE by SRI VASISHTHA MUNI (Verses 43-44) 56 Verse 43: The Samskrit “Sad-Darshana” 56 Verse 44: A Tribute to Shree Ramana Maharshi 57

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The Ganga River at Rishikesh

Hymn to SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI

AliÉrÉï¶É oÉÌWûÌuÉïkÉÔiÉÌiÉÍqÉUÇ, erÉÉåÌiÉqÉïrÉÇ zÉÉµÉiÉÇ xjÉÉlÉÇ mÉëÉmrÉ ÌuÉUÉeÉiÉå ÌuÉlÉqÉiÉÉÇ, A¥ÉÉlÉqÉÑlqÉÔsÉrÉlÉ | mÉzrÉÎluÉµÉqÉmÉÏSqÉÑssÉxÉÌiÉ rÉÉå, ÌuÉµÉxrÉ mÉÉUå mÉUÈ iÉxqÉæ ´ÉÏUqÉhÉÉrÉ sÉÉåMüaÉÑUuÉå, zÉÉåMüxrÉ Wûl§Éå lÉqÉÈ ||

antarya¾ca bahirvidhÀtatimira¯, jyµtirmaya¯ ¾¡¾vata¯ sth¡na¯ pr¡pya vir¡jat£ vinamat¡m, aj²¡namunmÀlayan | pa¾yanvi¾vamap§damullasati yµ, vi¾vasya p¡r£ para- stasmai ¾r§rama³¡ya lµkagurav£, ¾µkasya hantr£ nama¦ ||

antara yascha bahira vidhuta timiram, jyotirmayam saashwatam, sthaanam praapya viraajate, vinamataam ajnaanam unmoolayan; pashyan vishwam api idam ullasatiyo, vishwasya paare parah, tasmai shree ramanaaya loka gurave, shokasya hantre namah.

He who removes the darkness from within and without, full of Light and Eternal is the state he obtains and rules. He uproots the ignorance of his devotees. Though he sees this universe and even sports in it, He is higher than and beyond it. To him, Sri Ramana, Guru of the world, destroyer of sorrow, I offer my salutation!

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The sacred Arunachala Mountain.

Brief Life Sketch of SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI

(Extracted from our Textbook, by Guruji, Swami Tejomayanandaji) Bhagavan was born on 30th December, 1879, in Tirucuzhi in Ramnad District, Tamil Nadu. His father, Sri Sundaram Iyer, was a lawyer by profession. His childhood name was Venkata Ramana. Relations and close acquaintances report that from his early childhood he would go into trance many a times. In reality he was only introspecting. His deep inborn devotion was centred on Arunachala, which is worshipped as a Jyotirlinga, the very embodiment of Lord Shiva. At an early age, one day Venkat had the feeling that he was going to die. He stood still and actually felt that he was now going to die. So he lay down in preparation for it. If he was going to die, he should remain still, which is what he did. While fully conscious, he went through the experience of “dying”. It was a life-transforming experience, as he consciously went through the various states of losing body consciousness. At the age of 17 he left home for good, leaving a note asking his family not to waste any money in his search. He reached Tiruvannamalai, threw away whatever remaining money he had into the lake opposite the Temple, and renounced all worldly ties with the words, “At Your command, I have come to You.” He never left Arunachala. For the first 5 months he lived at the temple premises at the foot of the Arunachala mountain. He would go into long periods of self-absorption. Later, he shifted to the place of bhu-samadhi of a Mahatma, and still later to a mango orchard. He lived in silence and solitude for years in two different caves of Arunachala (Skandashram and Virupaksha) and in the final years near the place of the bhu-samadhi of his mother, who lived with him from 1916 to 1922. Sri Ramana Maharshi spent his early days at Tiruvannamalai in detachment, silence and self-enquiry. He was known as man of severe penance, a saint and a divine soul. Some believed him to be an incarnation. His fame spread far and wide, and people from all parts of India and foreign lands came to him and became his ardent devotees. Sri Ramana Maharshi was the very embodiment of divine virtues and his life manifested them fully. To this day, he inspires lakhs of people, irrespective of class, colour, gender and nationality. He attained Mahasamadhi on 14th April 1950, at the age of 71.

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|| xÉ¬zÉïlÉ ||

SAD-DARSHANA

44 Verses by Sri Ramana Maharshi on

THE VISION OF TRUTH

SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI (1879 – 1950)

CHAPTER 1

Verses 1-6 (6 No.)

PRELIMINARIES

Sri Ramana Maharshi writes this text having in mind the seeker of Truth who has already come a long way along the path of Jnana Yoga. As with Text 42 Dakshinamurti Ashtakam, this text is also for advanced seekers, taking preliminary Vedanta for granted. Verse 1 sets the theme for the whole text. It is a reminder to us to remember the Divine. And the best way to remember Him is to abide silently in one’s Self. Sad-Darshana is the best way we can glorify and honour the Supreme Truth. There are two types of seekers. Verse 2 differentiates them by examining their attitude towards Death. The novice who is on his way to the goal still has the sense of “I” which he has yet to remove. He seeks shelter in the Lord as His devotee. Under the Lord’s protective care, he becomes fearless. The second type is advanced and has already arrived at the goal. His immortality makes him fearless of Death. The foundation of the Vision of Truth is laid in Verse 3. The Supreme Truth manifests itself in every atom of His creation. He is not different or apart from it. Although He is One and Alone (Transcendent), yet He is at the same time in every speck of creation (Immanent). In Verse 4 we are ready to relate the Jeeva or individual to the Jagat or World, and to Parameshwar, the Supreme Lord. Sad-Darshana takes place when the Jeeva no longer exists as an individual entity, but has united with the universal Truth. In this rarest of all spiritual state, there is the experience of Non-duality. There are no differences in this state. Regarding the experience of Truth, the Maharshi is anxious to tell us that there can be no arguments in such a state of Oneness. There is no ‘other’ to argue with! Why, there are not even any thoughts to make up an argument! Is this not a most desirable state to experience? Finally, the Maharshi closes the Preliminary chapter by describing the glorious Vision of the Formless Truth. The common experience of man is always with form and name. This is based on the body-idea which is basically form-based. Sad-Darshana is something totally different from such a limited experience. It is “limitless” and “complete”. Nothing that we commonly know in this world can be described using these two words. And so all the parameters around which the text develops are introduced in this opening Chapter. The Maharshi has given us a taste; we cannot help asking for more. That is delivered in the remaining seven Chapters.

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Verse 1

THE BEST MANGALACHARAN – FIRM ABIDANCE IN HIM

xÉimÉëirÉrÉÉÈ ÌMÇü lÉÑ ÌuÉWûÉrÉ xÉliÉÇ, ™±åwÉ ÍcÉliÉÉUÌWûiÉÉå ™SÉZrÉÈ | MüjÉÇ xqÉUÉqÉxiÉqÉqÉårÉqÉåMÇü, iÉxrÉ xqÉ×ÌiÉxiÉ§É SØRæûuÉ ÌlÉ¸É || 1 ||

satpratyay¡¦ ki¯ nu vih¡ya santa¯, h»dy£½a cint¡rahitµ h»d¡khya¦ | katha¯ smar¡mastamam£yam£ka¯, tasya sm»tistatra d»¢haiva ni½¿h¡ || 1 ||

Satpratyayaah kim Can there be thoughts of existence 1 nu vihaaya santam without the Existence principle? (No.) hrit eshah chintaa- This existence named as ‘hrit’, is free 2 rahitah hrit-aakhyah; from thought, and is in the heart-space itself. katham smaraamah How can we remember 3 tam ameyam ekam, that one immeasurable Existence? tasya smritih tatra The remembrance of That can only be 4 dridhaa eva nishthaa. in the form of “Firm Abidance” in Him.

A SPIRITUAL TEXT usually starts with a Mangalacharan, the remembrance of the Lord. Here, Sri Ramana Maharshi is in a quandary – his problem is, How can he forget Him? 1-2 How can I forget You when every thought of mine has you as its foundation? I can have no thought of existence without the Existence principle. It is really impossible for me to forget You! The Great Lord whom I wish to invoke and whose blessings I seek to write this text is seated in my heart as Existence Itself. Pure Existence is the underlying support of all thoughts, words and deeds. Every thought I think, every word I utter, every act of mine glorifies that Supreme Lord. Any word I find will contain You, so there is no chance of me forgetting You. Just as I offer to You these flowers made by You, so also these very words (of this text) are Your creation! 3-4 It is no longer a puzzle to me; I am joyous of having found You: The only way I can offer my salutations to You is to abide firmly in You. That is the best salutation I can offer to You who are the basis of all thoughts, words and acts of offering. This is Sad-darshana.

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Verse 2

THE FEAR OF DEATH

qÉ×irÉÑgeÉrÉÇ qÉ×irÉÑÍpÉrÉÉÍ´ÉiÉÉlÉÉ-qÉWÇûqÉÌiÉqÉ×ïirÉÑqÉÑmÉæÌiÉ mÉÔuÉïqÉç | AjÉ xuÉpÉÉuÉÉSqÉ×iÉåwÉÑ iÉåwÉÑ, MüjÉÇ mÉÑlÉqÉ×ïirÉÑÍkÉrÉÉåÅuÉMüÉzÉÈ || 2 ||

m»tyu²jaya¯ m»tyubhiy¡¾rit¡n¡-maha¯matirm»tyumupaiti pÀrvam | atha svabh¡v¡dam»t£½u t£½u, katha¯ punarm»tyudhiyµ:'vak¡¾a¦ || 2 ||

Mrityunjayam mrityubhiyaa i) Afraid of death, in the “Conqueror of Death” 1 aashritaanaam, do they seek their shelter (i.e. surrender), aham matih mrityum- But the death of the “I” notion” 2 upaiti poorvam; has to come first, before (seeking that shelter). atha svabhaavaat ii) Then there are those who by nature 3 amriteshu teshu, dwell in Immortality. In them katham punah mrityu- how can there ever be Death again? 4 dhiyah avakaashah. There is no room for the very thought of it!

Fear of Death is the greatest fear among people. There is a type of person who wants to die: He is afraid of life; so he contemplates suicide. To him, the world says, “We will meet again on your next visit!” Two situations make one truly fearless of death: 1-2 i) Seeker of Shelter: This type is very common. I seek and obtain protection from a higher power who has Himself conquered death: I become a devotee and surrender myself to the “Conqueror of Death”. However, in order to do that, I first need to surrender my notion of ego. This I find is a very hard thing to do. I take to the path of the Bhakta. 3-4 ii) The Seeker of Immortality: This type is the Jnani. I take the path of Jnana. I first seek knowledge. I make myself eligible for knowledge of my true Self. Through Sravana I get this knowledge, through Manana I reflect deeply on it, and through Nididhyasana I meditate on this Truth and become fearless of death. I transcend death by becoming immortal. Now Death holds no fear for me. I become identified with my immortal Self. There is room in my heart for only one Ruler – either Death or Immortality. This is Sad-darshana.

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Verse 3

THE PRIMARY CAUSE of world

xÉuÉæïÌlÉïSÉlÉÇ eÉaÉiÉÉåÅWûqÉ¶É, uÉÉcrÉÈ mÉëpÉÑÈ MüÍ¶ÉSmÉÉUzÉÌ£üÈ | ÍcÉ§ÉåÅ§É sÉÉåYrÉÇ cÉ ÌuÉsÉÉåÌMüiÉÉ cÉ, mÉOûÈ mÉëMüÉzÉÉåÅmrÉpÉuÉixÉ LMüÈ || 3||

sarvairnid¡na¯ jagatµ:'hama¾ca, v¡cya¦ prabhu¦ ka¾cidap¡ra¾akti¦ | citr£:'tra lµkya¯ ca vilµkit¡ ca, pa¿a¦ prak¡¾µ:'pyabhavatsa £ka¦ || 3||

Sarvaih nidaanam By all, the Primary Cause 1 jagatah ahamah cha, of the world and of the ‘I’, vaachyah prabhuh is accepted to be the Lord, 2 kaschid apaara shaktih; some Being with immeasurable power. Chitre atra lokyam Here, in this picture, the seer 3 cha vilokitaa cha, and the seen, patah prakaashah the canvas and the light – 4 api abhavat sah ekah. That One alone has become the World.

The Lord is meditated upon as the Abhinna Nimitta Karana, the undifferentiated efficient or primary cause of all creation. 1-2 I generally accept that this world, and the living beings dwelling in it, are created by an immeasurable Power whom I call God. God, to me, is the primary cause of creation. That is my present perception or understanding of God. There may be many other conceptions prevalent as to who God is. The great Maharshi shares his own vision of Reality: 3-4 In his grand vision, the whole world is pervaded by that Reality. Every single manifestation in this world of multiplicity is pervaded by the Lord of his conception. i) Chitra: the picture; the world that forms the scene presented to our vision. ii) Lokyam: the seer; the one who sees this picture. iii) Vilokita: the seen; the objects or details of this picture. iv) Patah: the canvas; the substratum upon which the picture is painted. v) Prakaashah: the light; the light shining upon the picture which enables us to see. In the Maharshi’s cosmic vision, all these five elements of a picture are but aspects of the Lord Himself. He does not differentiate them but integrates them all. Drik, Drishya and Drishti (seer, seen and sight) are merged into one Reality. This is Sad-darshana.

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Verse 4

THE KEY PRINCIPLES IN philosophy

AÉUprÉiÉå eÉÏuÉeÉaÉimÉUÉiqÉ-iÉ¨uÉÉÍpÉkÉÉlÉålÉ qÉiÉÇ xÉqÉxiÉqÉç | CSÇ §ÉrÉÇ rÉÉuÉSWÇûqÉÌiÉ xrÉÉiÉç, xÉuÉÉåï¨ÉqÉÉÅWÇûqÉÌiÉzÉÔlrÉÌlÉ¸É || 4||

¡rabhyat£ j§vajagatpar¡tma-tattv¡bhidh¡n£na mata¯ samastam | ida¯ traya¯ y¡vadaha¯mati sy¡t, sarvµttam¡:'ha¯mati¾Ànyani½¿h¡ || 4||

Aarabhyate jeeva Beginning with the Principles of the individual, 1 jagat paraatma, the world and the Supreme Soul – tattwa abhi-dhaanena with the naming of these three, 2 matam samastam; are all philosophies founded. idam trayam yaavat These three are present, 3 aham matih syaat, as long as the notion of “I” remains. sarva uttamaa “aham- But the best of all philosophies is: 4 mati-shoonya-nishthaa”. “Abidance in the absence of the ‘I’ notion.”

To explain creation, the Creator and the individual soul, various philosophies have been created. Here, the Maharshi strikes at the root of all these vast systems of thought that have become a complex web into which the best thinkers of the world are enmeshed. 1-2 The Maharshi observes that the key ideas of all philosophies are first given names – Jeeva, Jagat and Paramatma, etc. With the creation of these names for each manifested item, arises all the differentiation of ideas about them. Have these names helped to resolve my understanding, or have they taken me further into the darkness of ignorance about them? 3-4 The Maharshi, with deep insight, advises me as follows: “All these concepts have evolved around the notion of ‘I’. If the I-notion is given up in the first place, then all philosophies would fold up; there will be nothing to quarrel about; and I will be left in peace to simply abide in ‘the absence of the I-notion’!” This is the best philosophy he proposes for me who am confused to the extreme by erudite scholars who see with a divisive vision rather than an integrative vision. When I cultivate the latter, I will have Sad-darshana.

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Verse 5

PURPOSELESSNESS OF ARGUMENTS

xÉirÉÇ qÉ×wÉÉ uÉÉ ÍcÉÌSSÇ eÉQÇû uÉÉ, SÒÈZÉÇ xÉÑZÉÇ uÉåÌiÉ qÉÑkÉÉ ÌuÉuÉÉSÈ | ASØ¹sÉÉåMüÉ ÌlÉUWÇûmÉëiÉÏÌiÉ-ÌlÉï¸ÉÅÌuÉMüsmÉÉ mÉUqÉÉÅÎZÉsÉå¹É || 5||

satya¯ m»½¡ v¡ cidida¯ ja¢a¯ v¡, du¦kha¯ sukha¯ v£ti mudh¡ viv¡da¦ | ad»½¿alµk¡ niraha¯prat§ti-rni½¿h¡:'vikalp¡ param¡:'khil£½¿¡ || 5||

Satyam mrishaa vaa “Is it Real or is it false”; 1 chit-idam jadam vaa, “Is it Sentient or is it inert”; duhkham sukham vaa iti “Will it give me Sorrow or joy” – 2 mudhaa vivaadah; Arguments such as these serve no purpose. adrishta-lokaa When the world is not seen, 3 nir-aham prateetih, and when the knowledge “I am not” dawns, nishthaa avikalpaa that state – being free from all thoughts – 4 paramaa akhila ishtaa. is the Supreme State desired by all.

This verse is addressed to the common man who has not made any spiritual study yet, but who goes on arguing about his observations on life without really doing anything serious to resolve them. The time spent on vascillation of the mind is a sheer waste. Later, in verse 36, the Maharshi speaks of a similar folly but that is for the one who has gone to the other extreme – too much intellectualization of spirituality. 1-2 I am a beginner trying to find my way in spirituality. There is always the danger of being undecided due to my mind vascillating on mundane issues. The Maharshi has a message for me: “You ought not to pay too much attention on the world and its problems. You are not embarking on your spiritual journey in order to change the world, but to change yourself. To try and straighten the world without first straightening yourself is foolish.” 3 I realise that the worldliness of the world will not take me anywhere. I should begin an enquiry into myself, and look straight at my Ego, “Who am I?” The Maharshi assures me that this procedure will bring me to a firm foundation to launch my spiritual life. 4 It will reduce the number of thoughts that generally engage my mind. The idea is to free myself eventually from all thoughts – therein lies the Supreme State of realisation. This is what I really desire – the state that brings me peace of mind, free from all agitations of the world. This is Sad-darshana.

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Verse 6

THE LORD WITH OR WITHOUT FORM ?

xÉÃmÉoÉÑÎ®eÉïaÉiÉÏµÉUå cÉ, xÉÃmÉkÉÏUÉiqÉÌlÉ rÉÉuÉSÎxiÉ | AÃmÉMüÉiqÉÉ rÉÌS MüÈ mÉëmÉzrÉåiÉç, xÉÉ SØÌ¹UåMüÉÅlÉuÉÍkÉÌWïû mÉÔhÉÉï || 6||

sarÀpabuddhirjagat§¾var£ ca, sarÀpadh§r¡tmani y¡vadasti | arÀpak¡tm¡ yadi ka¦ prapa¾y£t, s¡ d»½¿ir£k¡:'navadhirhi pÀr³¡ || 6||

Saroopa buddhih “With form” is an idea that 1 jagati eeshware cha, relates to the world and its Creator. saroopa dheeh aatmani It is based on the idea “I am with form (the body)”. 2 yaavat asti; As long as this idea persists, (the former also persists, aroopa aatmaa yadi and) while it does, the “Formlessness” of theSelf – 3 kah prapashyet, who is there to behold It? (Alas, none!) saa drishtih ekaa Indeed, He who does behold the One 4 anavadhih hi poornaa. who has no limiting form, he sees the full picture.

The concept of “Form” is a serious limitation we plant in our intellect. It gives validity to our sense perception. This verse helps to free us from this limitation and in the process go beyond it to the “Formless”. 1-2 Firstly, my faith in form is grounded in my attachment to my own body. That is my first error. I am stuck with the idea that I am the body. That is my present faith. It follows from this that the world I relate to is also full of forms. And I carry this idea into my conception of God – I behold Him, too, in a form clad to my liking. As is my faith in form, so will be my faith in the Lord – limited to form. That limits my potential to grow spiritually, for I set a limitation on God. 3 The Maharshi instructs me that the Self is formless. At once I react against such a ‘strange’ idea, foreign to my accustomed way of thinking. I imagine, “If He is without Form, then how am I to see Him?” I want everything, even God, to be propped up by form. 4 The Maharshi consoles me by saying, “Rare is the sage who can go past form and behold the Formless!” The moment I relinquish my security in form, then, according to the Maharshi, I drop my most serious limitation, my vision deepens, and I learn to see Him as being limitless. This eventually leads me to see the Oneness of the Lord. Yes, I still see the form, but I go beyond it and see the Formless, too. This is Sad-darshana.

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CHAPTER 2

Verses 7-10 (4 No.)

THE WORLD OF PLURALITY

THE TEXT PROPER now begins with an account of the inter-relationship between the World, Jeeva and Truth. This chapter sets up the chain of relationships between them in a step by step manner. The World, when it is seen as a collection of innumerable objects perceived by the senses, may be described as a World of Plurality. The description of the objects begins with our own Body. Our Body is also an object of this World. The word ‘Body’ (with capital B) means not only the gross, physical body, but includes the invisible subtle body as well, i.e. all the five sheaths that make up the individual human being known as the Jeeva. For example, a home is not just the bricks which make it up. The bricks form the gross body. Within the brick structure or the house, there is so much more that goes into it to make the ‘house’ into a ‘home’. There is the electrical wiring network which provides power to it. This represents the Pranic body. There is the network of piped services that supply water, and lead out the waste water and storm water. These also represent the Pranic body. There are the living occupants who create the atmosphere in the home, be it pleasant or unpleasant, peaceful or rowdy. They represent the subtle body. All of these together make up the home. The experience of living in the home is described in the next chapter. The World and the Jeeva keep changing all the time. Both of them have to have a support or foundation which is changeless, against which all their changes may be measured. This changeless support is called Truth or the Reality. A house has a foundation as its support. In the same way, the World and the Jeeva have Truth as the support. This Truth is also invisible like the subtle body, but it is far superior than the subtle body. I can never be destroyed; it has an eternal existence. The Vision of this Truth is called Sad-darshana.

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Verse 7

WITHOUT BODY NO WORLD

rÉimÉgcÉMüÉåzÉÉiqÉMüqÉÎxiÉ SåWÇû, iÉSliÉUÉ ÌMÇü pÉÑuÉlÉÇ cÉMüÉÎxiÉ | SåWÇû ÌuÉlÉÉ mÉgcÉÌuÉkÉÇ iÉSåiÉiÉç, mÉzrÉÎliÉ Måü uÉÉ pÉÑuÉlÉÇ pÉhÉliÉÑ || 7||

yatpa²cakµ¾¡tmakamasti d£ha¯, tadantar¡ ki¯ bhuvana¯ cak¡sti | d£ha¯ vin¡ pa²cavidha¯ tad£tat, pa¾yanti k£ v¡ bhuvana¯ bha³antu || 7||

Yat pancha koshaat- Made up of the five sheaths 1 makam asti deham, is the body which is there. tat antaraa Apart from it (the body with its five sheaths), 2 kim bhuvanam chakaasti; how can we experience the world? deham vinaa Without this body 3 pancha vidham tat etat, comprising of the five sheaths, pashyanti ke vaa Who, if any, can perceive that 4 bhuvanam bhanantu. world? Let them explain this.

The Chain is being set up: This verse describes the World and the Body. Although World comes before Body in the chain, the Maharshi has a good reason to begin with the Body. After all, without this Body, we will not know the World. 1 I am made up of five sheaths. They make up my gross, subtle and causal bodies: i) The Annamaya Kosha: This is my gross body, made of food or Anna; ii) The Pranamaya Kosha: This is my Pranic body or life-principle that enlivens the body. It is made of the life-forces or life-energies that drive all the movements of the body. It is the Rajasic part of my subtle body. iii) The Manomaya Kosha: This is composed of my mind and my subconscious mind or memory. It determines all my likes and dislikes that govern my desires, emotions and feelings. It controls the five organs of action. It is the Sattwic/Rajasic part of my subtle body. iv) The Vijnanamaya Kosha: This is composed of my intellect together with my sense of ego, the “I”-feeling that pervades everything that I think. It determines all my decisions, my power of discrimination and my rationality. It controls the five organs of knowledge. It is the Sattwic part of my subtle body. v) The Anandamaya Kosha: This is made up of my accumulated Karmic seeds It is called the ‘bliss’ body because, when its desires are satisfied, it becomes very happy; if they are not fulfilled, it feels very sad. 2-4 Without the body, I cannot transact with the world. There is no world for me without this body. My experience of the world is related entirely to my fivefold equipment that engages with the world. Where am I heading with the body? To Sad-darshana.

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Verse 8

THE WORLD: A MENTAL CONSTRUCT

zÉoSÉÌSÃmÉÇ pÉÑuÉlÉÇ xÉqÉxiÉÇ, zÉoSÉÌSxÉ¨ÉåÎlSìrÉuÉ×Ì¨ÉpÉÉxrÉÉ | xÉ¨ÉåÎlSìrÉÉhÉÉÇ qÉlÉxÉÉå uÉzÉå xrÉÉiÉç, qÉlÉÉåqÉrÉÇ iÉ°ÒuÉlÉÇ uÉSÉqÉÈ || 8||

¾abd¡dirÀpa¯ bhuvana¯ samasta¯, ¾abd¡disatt£ndriyav»ttibh¡sy¡ | satt£ndriy¡³¡¯ manasµ va¾£ sy¡t, manµmaya¯ tadbhuvana¯ vad¡ma¦ || 8||

Shabda aadi roopam Of the form of sound, etc (i.e. the sense objects), 1 bhuvanam samastam, is the make up of this entire world. shabda aadi sattaa The existence of the above objects 2 indriya vritti bhaasyaa; is made known by the functions of the sense organs. sattaa indriyaanaam The existence of the sense organs 3 manasah vashe syaat, is in the control of the mind. manomayam tat Made of the mind, therefore, 4 bhuvanam vadaamah. is the world – so do we say.

The chain is being extended: World – sense objects – body – sense organs – mind. 1 World & Sense Objects: I am taken to the next level of understanding. I know already of the five sheaths that make up my Body. Outside my body is the world, like a huge Cosmic Body. My body is a part of this Cosmic Body. It also has its own ‘five sheaths’, as it were, constituted of the sense objects, etc. 2 Sense Organs: How do I know this world? I receive signals from it – the five signals of sound, sight, taste, touch and smell. These signals enter through my senses. They are my only contact with the world. My senses tell me what the world consists of. 3 The Mind: The signals are conveyed to my mind by my senses, which are then freed from further duty, except to wait for the next signals. The mind, receiving the data from the senses, takes full charge of processing them. It takes many factors into account in processing them, primarily its likes and dislikes. 4 The Chain So Far: My concept of the world is constructed entirely in my mind. As is my mind, so is my world. My next step is . . . to reach Sad-darshana.

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Verse 9

THE ONLY TRUE RESTING-PLACE

ÍkÉrÉÉ xÉWûÉåSåÌiÉ ÍkÉrÉÉxiÉqÉåÌiÉ, sÉÉåMüxiÉiÉÉå kÉÏmÉëÌuÉpÉÉxrÉ LwÉÈ | kÉÏsÉÉåMüeÉlqÉ¤ÉrÉkÉÉqÉ mÉÔhÉïÇ, xÉ²xiÉÑ eÉlqÉ¤ÉrÉzÉÔlrÉqÉåMüqÉç || 9||

dhiy¡ sahµd£ti dhiy¡stam£ti, lµkastatµ dh§pravibh¡sya £½a¦ | dh§lµkajanmak½ayadh¡ma pÀr³a¯, sadvastu janmak½aya¾Ànyam£kam || 9||

Dhiyaa saha udeti Arising with the “I” thought, and 1 dhiyaa astam eti, setting with the “I” thought, lokah tatah dhee- it follows logically that the World 2 pravibhaasya eshah; is illumined by the “I” thought. dhee-loka-janma-kshaya- The birth and death of “I” and the world, 3 dhaama poornam, must surely have their support in an All-pervasive sad-vastu janma-kshaya- Reality, in which birth and death 4 shoonyam ekam. do not exist, and which is Non-dual (One).

The Maharshi now takes us to the subtlest level within us, extending the chain to its ultimate level. For reasons explained in the verse, we cannot stop at the mind. There is a Witness Consciousness which ‘witnesses’ all that happens within the mind. That is the level we now move on to: 1 My body, sense organs and mind in the above chain may be grouped together as the “I” thought, which is essentially ‘me’, the Jeeva. This simplifies the chain so far to two items: World and Jeeva, i.e. a summary of the previous verse. 2 This “I” thought illuminates my world. The “I” thought attaches itself to every thought that runs through my mind and intellect. It is the common component of all thoughts. The result is that I see the world as though I am the centre of it! At this point, the chain can be written as: World = “I” thought = Jeeva. 3 I pause and ponder a little deeper: At present I have World at one end and “I” at the other. Each thought and the world it makes up is ‘born’ and soon ‘dies’. To support both, there must be something that does not keep changing, that knows and observes this changing world. There has to be an unchanging abode in which all this change happens. What is that Abode? It is my true Self and it is complete in itself, not needing anything to make it any more complete. That Abode has to contain ‘me’ and ‘my world’. It is an Abode in which I must be fully contented, and live without any agitations and fear. 4 Thus the Maharshi brings me to a centre within my being where I enjoy complete freedom from all ups and downs in life. This Abode is my true resting place. Nothing changes in it. There is no birth and death here. In it, I experience Oneness. This is Sad-darshana.

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Verse 10

THE MEANS AND THE GOAL

pÉuÉliÉÑ xÉ¬zÉïlÉxÉÉkÉlÉÉÌlÉ, mÉUxrÉ lÉÉqÉÉM×üÌiÉÍpÉÈ xÉmÉrÉÉï | xÉ²xiÉÑÌlÉ mÉëÉmiÉSÉiqÉpÉÉuÉÉ, ÌlÉ¸æuÉ xÉ¬zÉïlÉÍqÉirÉuÉåÌWû || 10||

bhavantu saddar¾anas¡dhan¡ni, parasya n¡m¡k»tibhi¦ sapary¡ | sadvastuni pr¡ptad¡tmabh¡v¡, ni½¿haiva saddar¾anamityav£hi || 10||

Bhavantu sad-darshana Towards the vision of Truth let these 1 saadhanaani, be the Means: parasya naama- i) The Name of the Lord; and 2 aakritibhih saparyaah; ii) Worship of the Form of the Lord. sad-vastuni praapta But the Goal to be attained 3 tad aatma bhaavaa, is the experience of “That is me”; nishthaa eva sad-darshanam Abidance in this Goal alone is the True Vision – 4 iti avehi. This has to be known (kept in mind).

The previous verse has brought us very logically from the external to the internal – a very delicate shift performed successfully by the Maharshi. The success of the journey consists in the means as well as the Goal. Both have a role to play. 1 The means I adopt to reach the destination may vary to suit my temperament. But I should strive, knowing what I am aiming to achieve. The car is only the means to reach the destination. I should not remain seated in the car for ever! 2 The Maharshi encourages me to continue my Japa and Puja for as long as I need them to purify my mind. He does not ask me to stop this Sadhana. I can go on with my chanting of His Name if that is helping me to calm my mind. I can even do Puja of the Lord’s Form if I am over-restless. All these practices may be necessary for me. 3 However, at no time should I forget that my Goal is to attain Oneness with God. I have to remember that I am striving to find out “Who am I?” The answer to that is “I Am Brahman”. Nothing else should be allowed to divert my mind from that Goal within. 4 As I progress in the spiritual path, the day has to come when I shall be blessed by His Grace to remain in abidance with this Truth for longer and longer periods. This is the vision I am to strive for. This is Sad-darshana.

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CHAPTER 3

Verses 11-16 (6 No.)

EXPERIENCE OF THE WORLD

CHAPTER TWO WAS a portal to the Truth via the gross and the subtle levels, i.e. the world, the body and the mind. In this Chapter we enter Truth through the portal of the causal body where resides our root Ignorance. The direct route to the vision of Truth is to harness the power of Knowledge of the Self. Just as light and darkness cannot co-exist, so also Ignorance cannot co-exist with Knowledge. Knowledge and Ignorance are dealt with in this Chapter in conjunction with the Jeeva’s experiences. The way to have the Vision of Truth is clearly shown with a directness that is characteristic of the Maharshi’s enlightened pen. The causal level consists of Ignorance of the Truth. It is what keeps us away from the Vision of Truth. It conceals the Truth. The fact that we think we are independent experiencers of joy and sorrow is shown to be a myth due to this Ignorance.

The Jeeva’s Experiences The Jeeva is the key element in the chain: World – Jeeva – Self; on one side of it lies the World and on the other, the Self. The Jeeva experiences the world of names and forms. It is clearly accountable for all that it experiences. The Jeeva seeks liberation from the world that It is tied to by its desires, thoughts and deeds. In its experiences it encounters joys and sorrows. By enquirying further into these experiences, we come face to face with two aspects of every experience: i) Pairs of Opposites: Every experience has a content ranging from joy to sorrow. ii) The Triad: Every experience also has a triad made up of i) the subject who experiences it; ii) the object that is experienced; and iii) the experiencing process itself. As long as we are dealing with objects of the world, our experiences will follow the superficial pattern governed by these two aspects. The Maharshi is not interested in such experiences. He wants to lead us to the permanent experience of Truth, to Sad-darshana. The Truth lies beyond the ups and downs of ordinary sense experiences.

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Verse 11

ROOT OF ALL EXPERIENCES

²l²ÉÌlÉ xÉuÉÉïhrÉÎZÉsÉÉÎx§ÉmÉÑšÈ, ÌMüÎgcÉixÉqÉÉÍ´ÉirÉ ÌuÉpÉÉÎliÉ uÉxiÉÑ | iÉlqÉÉaÉïhÉå xrÉÉªÍsÉiÉÇ xÉqÉxiÉÇ, lÉ mÉzrÉiÉÉÇ xÉŠsÉlÉÇ MüSÉÌmÉ || 11||

dvandv¡ni sarv¡³yakhil¡stripu¿ya¦, ki²citsam¡¾ritya vibh¡nti vastu | tanm¡rga³£ sy¡dgalita¯ samasta¯, na pa¾yat¡¯ saccalana¯ kad¡pi || 11||

Dvandvaani sarvaani All pairs of opposites 1 akhilaah triputyah, and all triads, kinchit samaashritya take their support on some 2 vibhaanti vastu; Entity and shine. tad-maargane When that entity is enquired into, 3 syaat galitam samastam, all of them (opposites and triads) get dropped. na pashyataam sat To those who have the Vision of Truth, never 4 chalanam kadaapi. is there any wavering (of their mind).

1 Each experience of mine has a certain content and structure. The content can be positive or negative, something I like or dislike. It may bring me joy or sorrow, pleasure or pain, etc. Content is classified into pairs of opposites. Secondly, experiences are structured into triads called Triputis. There are many triads, depending on what I am experiencing. 2 The support for these experiences is vaguely mentioned as “some entity”. This temporarily hints at ‘me’, the ego entity. I, the Jeeva, place myself as the subject of the experience. The Maharshi alerts me that In doing so, I am making a serious mistake. 3 What is the true supporting entity? To know the truth, I need to make a deeper Enquiry into my experiences, i.e. I need to examine the pairs of opposites and the triads to see if they are temporary or permanent. Then I need to examine the ego entity to check if it is also permanent. In order to qualify as a support, they have to be permanent, but they are not. This means I as an ego am not the experiencer. There is something higher than my Ego whose Light I borrow to illumine my experiences. That Light is the true experiencer. 4 The Maharshi now leaps from the imagined experiencer to the true experiencer, without giving an explanation. He leaps from the Jeeva to the Atman. The ony clue he gives me is that the requirement to be a true support is to have an unwavering mind. The explanation is left for the next two verses. The fact is that when I make my mind still and unwavering, I shall arrive at the Vision of the Truth. This is Sad-darshana.

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Verse 12

Example: pairs of opposites

ÌuÉ±É MüjÉÇ pÉÉÌiÉ lÉ cÉåSÌuÉ±É, ÌuÉ±ÉÇ ÌuÉlÉÉ ÌMÇü mÉëÌuÉpÉÉirÉÌuÉ±É | ²rÉÇ cÉ MüxrÉåÌiÉ ÌuÉcÉÉrÉï qÉÔsÉ-xuÉÃmÉÌlÉ¸É mÉUqÉÉjÉïÌuÉ±É || 12||

vidy¡ katha¯ bh¡ti na c£davidy¡, vidy¡¯ vin¡ ki¯ pravibh¡tyavidy¡ | dvaya¯ ca kasy£ti vic¡rya mÀla-svarÀpani½¿h¡ param¡rthavidy¡ || 12||

Vidyaa katham bhaati How does knowledge shine? 1 na chet avidyaa, – if there is no ignorance. vidyaam vinaa kim What if there is no knowledge? (i.e. relative knowledge) 2 pravibhaati avidyaa; Then Ignorance shines. dvayam cha kasya iti On what are both of these founded or supported? 3 vichaarya moola- By enquiring in this manner one reaches his original swaroopa nishthaa nature; one eventually gets firmly established 4 paramaartha vidyaa. in the Knowledge of the Supreme Truth.

The opposites, mentioned in the last verse, form pairs, as two sides of the same coin. Here the Maharshi does an analysis on one of the main pairs of opposites – knowledge and ignorance, thereby making us enter the causal level of our being. This level is little understood by the majority of people. Some assistance is needed from Vedanta to grasp it. 1-2 Knowledge and ignorance are relative to each other. My knowledge is measured against another’s ignorance. If knowledge of a thing is gained, its ignorance disappears. This is the case with all relative, secular knowledge. Both knowledge and ignorance are found to be based on thought, and thought itself is unreal in Vedanta philosophy. 3 What can their underlying support be? The enquiry takes me up the pathway from the senses, to my mind, then to my intellect, and finally to the experience of my “original nature”. 4 The enquiry traces me back to an understanding of “Who am I?” I come to a point where I see that true knowledge is free from all thoughts. This is the fundamental level to which the Maharshi leads me. This is Sad-darshana.

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Verse 13

example: the triads

oÉÉå®ÉUqÉÉiqÉÉlÉqÉeÉÉlÉiÉÉå rÉÉå, oÉÉåkÉÈ xÉ ÌMÇü xrÉÉimÉUqÉÉjÉïoÉÉåkÉÈ | oÉÉåkÉxrÉ oÉÉåkrÉxrÉ cÉ xÉÇ´ÉrÉÇ xuÉÇ, ÌuÉeÉÉlÉiÉxiÉÎSè²iÉrÉÇ ÌuÉlÉzrÉåiÉç || 13||

bµddh¡ram¡tm¡namaj¡natµ yµ, bµdha¦ sa ki¯ sy¡tparam¡rthabµdha¦ | bµdhasya bµdhyasya ca sa¯¾raya¯ sva¯, vij¡natastaddvitaya¯ vina¾y£t || 13||

1 Boddhaaram aatmaanam ajaanatah yah, A knower who does not know himself – 2 bodhah sah kim syaat paramaartha bodhah; can he be said to have true knowledge? bodhasya bodhyasya cha But, of knowledge and the object of knowledge, 3 samshrayam swam vijaanatah tat he who knows himself to be their support, 4 dvitayam vinashyet. to him, both of them vanish.

In verse 12, a pair of opposites was the doorway to the Self. This verse analyses the main triad – the knower, knowledge and the known – as a doorway to the Self. The Knower is the person at the source of the ray of knowledge. The problem is that there are two possible knowers in the same person – the first is the false knower, the Ego- self; the second is the true knower, the Self or Atman. The former is a formation of Ignorance; the latter is possible only in the state of full Knowledge. 1 If I, the ego-self, think I am the knower, I do not know the truth of who I really am. My ego-self is the ignorant self that does not know the Atman, the true Self. 2 In this condition, whatever knowledge I possess will be relative knowledge, not the absolute knowledge. It will be equivalent to secular or mind-based knowledge. 3 The implication of this Pada is that I have to be Self-realised. I have to know who I truly am. To know this, I must be free from the ego-sense. Only then will I be able to recognise myself as the Knower who supports both knowledge and the object of knowledge. 4 The Maharshi says that once I come to know my true Self as the knower, then the entire triad of knower, knowledge and known gets merged together into one. There remains no distinction between the three components of the triad. I become the true Knower. Pujya Guruji writes: “The Upanishads talk of Self-knowledge as the knowledge by knowing which all is known and without which, all is ignorance.” This is Sad-darshana.

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Verse 14

WHAT IS TRUE KNOWLEDGE?

ÌlÉSìÉ lÉ ÌuÉ±É aÉëWûhÉÇ lÉ ÌuÉ±É, aÉ×ºûÉÌiÉ ÌMüÎgcÉ³É rÉjÉÉjÉïoÉÉåkÉå | ÌlÉSìÉmÉSÉjÉïaÉëWûhÉåiÉUÉ xrÉÉiÉç, ÍcÉSåuÉ ÌuÉ±É ÌuÉsÉxÉlirÉzÉÔlrÉÉ || 14||

nidr¡ na vidy¡ graha³a¯ na vidy¡, g»h³¡ti ki²cinna yath¡rthabµdh£ | nidr¡pad¡rthagraha³£tar¡ sy¡t, cid£va vidy¡ vilasantya¾Àny¡ || 14||

Nidraa na vidyaa i) Sleep does not give any knowledge; 1 grahanam na vidyaa, ii) Perception (of objects) is not (true) knowledge. grihnaati kinchit na Not holding anything is the nature of 2 yathaa artha bodhe; true knowledge, (i.e. it is “objectless”). nidraa-padaartha grahana Sleep and the perception of objects – 3 itaraa syaat, other than (these two), chid eva vidyaa Pure Awareness alone is true knowledge. 4 vilasantee ashoonyaa. It is a positive entity, not a void.

What causes the triad to merge into the Knower? The answer lies in the “objectless” nature of true Knowledge, which is explained in this verse. 1 Our experience of the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep is referred to here under two states – sleep and perception. Perception covers both the waking as well as dream states. The point made here is that these experiences are not the knowledge that is considered to be “knowing which all else is known.” Why is this so? It is because the Knower remains unknown in these three states. There is another state, the “Fourth” state in which one gets acquainted with the real Knower. 2-3 In effect, all three states are actually one state of “spiritual Sleep”. It is the slumber of ignorance. Philosophically, sleep means ignorance. One can be in such ‘sleep’ even while fully awake; and this ‘sleep’ can go on birth after birth! Only knowledge ends it. 4 Real waking is when one has pure awareness alone. This is the state of true knowledge. When one is in this state, it is like being immersed in Pure Knowledge! Nothing else is there but pure Awareness of one’s Self, says the Maharshi. We can now begin to feel the vast chasm between true knowledge and the semblance of knowledge which is what we are all familiar with. Sri Krishna spells it out in His words in the Geeta: “In that which is night for all beings, the man of self-control is awake. That to which all beings are awake, is like night to the realized man.” Knowledge is diametrically opposite to ignorance. This is Sad-Darshanam.

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Verse 15

LIKE GOLD & ITS ORNAMENTS

xÉirÉÍ¶ÉSÉiqÉÉ ÌuÉÌuÉkÉÉM×üÌiÉÍ¶ÉiÉç, ÍxÉkrÉåimÉ×jÉYxÉirÉÍcÉiÉÉå lÉ ÍpÉ³ÉÉ | pÉÔwÉÉÌuÉMüÉUÉÈ ÌMüqÉÑ xÉÎliÉ xÉirÉÇ, ÌuÉlÉÉ xÉÑuÉhÉïÇ mÉ×jÉaÉ§É sÉÉåMåü || 15||

satya¾cid¡tm¡ vividh¡k»ti¾cit, sidhy£tp»thaksatyacitµ na bhinn¡ | bhÀ½¡vik¡r¡¦ kimu santi satya¯, vin¡ suvar³a¯ p»thagatra lµk£ || 15||

Satyah chit aatmaa The Truth is Consciousness; It is the Self. 1 vividha aakritih chit, The knowledge of various forms (Plurality), sidhyet prithak satya is neither separate from Truth, 2 chitah na bhinnaa; nor is it different from Consciousness. bhooshaa vikaaraah The varieties of ornaments – 3 kim u santi satyam, can they really exist vinaa suvarnam prithak without gold, separately? (No.) 4 atra loke. So also is it with this world (of Plurality).

A well-known Upanishadic simile is used here to illustrate the relationship between true knowledge and ordinary thought-based knowledge: 3-4 Without gold, the ornaments cannot exist. Gold pervades the ornaments. When I am attracted by the ornaments, the knowledge of the gold becomes secondary. Similarly, when my attention is focused on the gold, the awareness of the ornaments becomes secondary. When a jeweller buys second-hand jewellery, he only sees the gold in them. Now the application of this simile: 1-2 Truth or Consciousness (these are two terms for the same principle) is like the gold; the knowledge of various forms in the world is like the ornaments made of gold. This is the relationship that exists between true knowledge and ordinary knowledge of the world. The Truth is all-pervading. The world cannot exist without it. It is the support of the world. A man of realisation is fully aware of this all the time. He is the true Knower, the one who is anchored in his own Self. This is Sad-Darshana.

The point about Truth and Consciousness being the same has an interesting logical application. If they were different, then surely at some time, even if only once, we should experience one without the other! But that can never be. As Acharyaji put it, “Never can I SEE the world without ME!” (Here ‘me’ refers to Sat, and ‘see’ refers to Consciousness.) Knowledge cannot exist without Consciousness. It is Consciousness by which we come to ‘know’ knowledge. Knowledge can be added into the list of synonyms for Reality.

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Verse 16

THE MERGING OF RELATIONS

iÉ±ÑwqÉSÉåUxqÉÌS xÉqmÉëÌiÉ¸É, iÉÎxqÉlÉç ÌuÉlÉ¹åÅxqÉÌS qÉÔsÉoÉÉåkÉÉiÉç | iÉ±ÑwqÉSxqÉlqÉÌiÉuÉÎeÉïiÉæMüÉ, ÎxjÉÌiÉeuÉïsÉliÉÏ xÉWûeÉÉiqÉlÉÈ xrÉÉiÉç || 16||

tadyu½madµrasmadi samprati½¿h¡, tasmin vina½¿£:'smadi mÀlabµdh¡t | tadyu½madasmanmativarjitaik¡, sthitirjvalant§ sahaj¡tmana¦ sy¡t || 16||

Tad yushmadoh The notions of ‘that’ and ‘you’ 1 asmadi sampratishthaa, are based firmly in ‘I’. tasmin vinashte asmadi When that ‘I’ has perished 2 moola-bodhaat; as a result of knowledge of the origin, tad yushmad asmat the notions of ‘that’, ‘you’ and ‘I’ 3 mati varjitaa ekaa, are replaced by the notion of Oneness. sthitih jvalantee That state then shines forth 4 sahajaa aatmanah syaat. which is natural to oneself.

In human beings this sense of separation is particularly devastating because it is almost always accompanied by an inflated sense of self-importance. The discussion on our experiences is brought to a climax when the notion of “I” ends: 1 This verse tells me that with the birth of “I”, my sense of individuality, all other relations arise like mushrooms around me. The whole problem of Plurality is built around false relationships with others which starts with “I”. Acharyaji gave us examples of animals and birds that live in large herds or flocks as one single ‘family’. They develop a group sense. When one feels threatened, the whole herd starts running to escape together. We see how orderly and uniform is the group movement of a flock of birds or a shoal of fishes. If one bird changes direction, the whole flock does the same instantly! 2 This unity of behaviour is absent in human beings due to the inordinate “I”-sense. The Maharshi’s solution is to dissolve the ego-consciousness. Then a miracle happens . . . 3 The dissolution of the ego, “I”, leads to the dissolution of ‘you’ and ‘he’ as well. Our relationships take a new turn for the better. There is harmony in them, as in a flock or a shoal described above. In the bargain, these divisive notions are replaced by Non-dual Consciousness, or Oneness. 4 The Maharshi asserts that this state of unity is our natural state. This is to set our doubts at rest, doubts which make us believe that such harmony is merely a Utopian dream. No, the Maharshi gives us his word that it certainly exists and it is possible to attain this state, since that is natural to us all. This is Sad-Darshana.

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CHAPTER 4

Verses 17-20 (4 No.)

SPACE & TIME

THIS CHAPTER MARKS THE start of a new facet of Truth that comes under the Maharshi’s scrutiny – Time and Space. These are inseparable from our experience of this world. As helpful as these are in experiencing this world, the Maharshi is interested in teaching us to view life beyond Time and Space. Time and Space can be thought of as a co-ordinate axes system on which we can plot all of our experiences. However, from a Vedantic perspective, both of them belong to relative reality, not Absolute Reality. It is very difficult to define time, as difficult as it is to know the beginning of Creation. For this reason, many Vedantins place Time in the same hierarchy as Maya, the cosmic power of Illusion. Some would even go as far as to say that Time and Maya are not different. Time can have meaning only when Space also exists. An incremental movement in space takes an incremental amount of time. Conversely, any change in time is recorded as a movement of a dial on a time-piece; or a change in the digits of a digital clock. But this is not what engages the Maharshi’s intellect. He is more concerned about the Absolute realm in which there is no Time and no Space, a realm which is beyond the reach of our mind. In these four verse, somehow the thought gets put across to us of the ultimate experience beyond Time and Space. That experience is equivalent to the Sad-Darshana.

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Verse 17

THE PRESENT ALONE IS

pÉÔiÉÇ pÉÌuÉwrÉŠ pÉuÉixuÉMüÉsÉå, iÉ²iÉïqÉÉlÉxrÉ ÌuÉWûÉrÉ iÉ¨uÉqÉç | WûÉxrÉÉ lÉ ÌMÇü xrÉÉªiÉpÉÉÌuÉcÉcÉÉï, ÌuÉlÉæMüxÉXçZrÉÉÇ aÉhÉlÉåuÉ sÉÉåMåü || 17||

bhÀta¯ bhavi½yacca bhavatsvak¡l£, tadvartam¡nasya vih¡ya tattvam | h¡sy¡ na ki¯ sy¡dgatabh¡vicarc¡, vinaikasa±khy¡¯ ga³an£va lµk£ || 17||

Bhootam bhavishyat The ‘past’ and the ‘future’ 1 cha bhavat svakaale, are both in the ‘present’ only, in their own time. tad vartamaanasya Of that ‘present’, 2 vihaaya tattwam; to abandon the precious Truth it holds – haasyaa na kim syaat is it not laughable to 3 gata bhaavi charchaa discuss in its stead the ‘past’ and the ‘future’? vinaa eka sam-khyaam Without the number ‘one’, 4 gananaa iva loke. can one count in this empirical world?

1 We never meet the future or the past except in the present. The only time that is available to us to make any input is NOW. In the present alone is the Truth. Guruji expresses this as: The present is a dot on the axis of time. the past runs away from that dot towards infinity, and the future runs towards the dot from infinity. The dot is dimensionless, meaning that the present is immeasurable, its potential is limitless. 2 It is strange that although the present is our only point of entry to do something concrete to change our life, we seem to pay little attention to it. Our minds get distracted from it so easily, by a few anxieties and worries. When we do not give our full attention to what we are doing in the present, we are denying ourselves the only way in which any benefits can come to us – through the present. 3 Why do we not give our full attention to the present? It is because we are too busy discussing the past and the future. Fortune-telling is a big business today. Palm-reading, astrology and predictions draw away much of our energy into wasteful channels. Betting is another example of our preoccupation with the future. The scandals that accompany it are a measure of this waste of energy. We lose precious ‘present moments’ by spending them on the past or the future. 4 The Maharshi reminds us never to forget the most important One who matters– the Lord Himself. Any number of zeros are worthless, unless a number is placed in the front of it. Without Him, nothing has value in life; with Him, even the most ordinary action becomes extraordinary. This is Sad-Darshana.

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Verse 18

RELATIVITY OF SPACE & TIME

YuÉ pÉÉÌiÉ ÌS‚üÉsÉMüjÉÉ ÌuÉlÉÉÅxqÉÉlÉç, ÌS‚üÉsÉsÉÏsÉåWû uÉmÉÑuÉïrÉÇ cÉåiÉç | lÉ YuÉÉÌmÉ pÉÉqÉÉå lÉ MüSÉÌmÉ pÉÉqÉÉå, uÉrÉÇ iÉÑ xÉuÉï§É xÉSÉ cÉ pÉÉqÉÈ || 18||

kva bh¡ti dikk¡lakath¡ vin¡:'sm¡n, dikk¡lal§l£ha vapurvaya¯ c£t | na kv¡pi bh¡mµ na kad¡pi bh¡mµ, vaya¯ tu sarvatra sad¡ ca bh¡ma¦ || 18||

Kva bhaati dik-kaala Where appears space and time? 1 kathaa vinaa asmaan, Without ‘us’, this is only idle talk. dik-kaala leelaa iha The play of space and time here 2 vapuh vayam chet; is only if we are the body. na kvaapi bhaamah Nowhere do we shine; 3 na kadaapi bhaamah, at no time do we shine. vayam tu sarvatrah Yet, indeed, everywhere do we 4 sadaa cha bhaamah. shine, and at all times (in Reality).

What is Space and Time? This verse helps us to ponder the mystery over them. 1 Sleep is an example of a time when I am not there. In sleep, I lose all sense of space and time. As soon as I get up and my mind becomes available to me, space and time return. That means space and time are intimately related to my mind. They have been created by my mind to help me to live in this relative world. 2 Space and time are relative to the body. Both of them are measured in relation to the position of my body in space or time. 3 From the standpoint of “I” as the Jeeva or individual, when my existence is plotted on the infinite axes of Space and Time, I am barely a dot on the map. I “shine” nowhere and at no time. I am an insignificant little being in the vast universe. 4 But from the standpoint of Truth, from beyond the region of Time and Space. Since the Self is Absolute, it does not exist in time and space. Absolute means infinite. Infinite means that I shine “everywhere” and “at all times”. It is from this standpoint that I have the Vision of Truth. I am not just here, there, nowhere, somewhere or anywhere – I am everywhere! I am also not just now, then, sometime or never – I am ever! If I am able to reach this understanding, then this is Sad-Darshana.

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Verse 19

THE LIMITED BODY-CONSCIOUSNESS

SåWûÉiqÉpÉÉuÉå ¥ÉeÉQûÉæ xÉqÉÉlÉÉ-uÉåMüxrÉ SåWåû ™ÌS SÏmiÉ AÉiqÉÉ | AÉ¢üqrÉ SåWÇû cÉ eÉaÉŠ mÉÔhÉïÈ, mÉUxrÉ qÉårÉÇ iÉlÉÑqÉÉ§ÉqÉÉiqÉÉ || 19||

d£h¡tmabh¡v£ j²aja¢au sam¡n¡-v£kasya d£h£ h»di d§pta ¡tm¡ | ¡kramya d£ha¯ ca jagacca pÀr³a¦, parasya m£ya¯ tanum¡tram¡tm¡ || 19||

Deha aatma bhaave In the state of being the body, 1 jna jadau samaanau, the wise man and the fool are the same. ekasya dehe hridi For the former (the wise), at the very heart of his 2 deepta aatmaa; body is the Light of the Self; Aakramya deham cha It encompasses not only the body, 3 jagat cha poornah, but also fully encompasses the whole world! parasya meyam The latter (the fool), is measured 4 tanu maatram aatmaa. only by the size of his (tiny little) body!

On the surface no one can tell the difference between a sage and a fool. Where does the difference lie? The Maharshi, through this very succinct verse, explains this difference. 1 When I speak of only the body level, there is no difference visible. All the Upadhis look alike. For that matter, even animals are just like me in most matters relating to the physical. They also eat, sleep, drink and procreate. They have fear just like me. And they, too, exhibit territorial behaviour like me. However, it is only when I go a little deeper I see where the mind of each one is. 2-3 Jna: “the Sage”. The sage is intensely aware of the divine Presence within his heart. He beholds, values and gives importance to this Presence which is the Self. He lives his life fully conscious of this Presence. Not only that, but he also does not have any egoistic notion of his own importance. He lives recognizing the presence of God not only fully in himself, but also equally present in all Its glory in all other beings. His world is indeed very vast for him. His world is well-lit up, bright, friendly, with the co-operative spirit and a sense of selflessness towards others. 4 Jadau: “the Fool”. The fool is almost the very opposite of this. He measures himself according to the size of his puny body only. Everything outside that range is considered to be ‘other’. He fights for space with that ‘other’. He struggles for his existence for fear of the other. He cannot see the Lord’s glory in this whole wide world, and not even in himself! This is folly, indeed! What a pity! He lives in a self-made prison, his own puny creation. And he suffers in it birth after birth! Truly, it takes a sage to have Sad-Darshana.

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Verse 20

THE LIMITED WORLD-CONSCIOUSNESS

A¥ÉxrÉ ÌuÉ¥ÉxrÉ cÉ ÌuÉµÉqÉÎxiÉ, mÉÔuÉïxrÉ SØzrÉÇ eÉaÉSåuÉ xÉirÉqÉç | mÉUxrÉ SØzrÉÉ´ÉrÉpÉÔiÉqÉåMÇü, xÉirÉÇ mÉëmÉÔhÉïÇ mÉëÌuÉpÉÉirÉÃmÉqÉç || 20||

aj²asya vij²asya ca vi¾vamasti, pÀrvasya d»¾ya¯ jagad£va satyam | parasya d»¾y¡¾rayabhÀtam£ka¯, satya¯ prapÀr³a¯ pravibh¡tyarÀpam || 20||

Ajnasya vijnasya cha For both the fool and the wise man, 1 vishwam asti, the world exists. poorvasya drishyam For the former (the fool), the seen 2 jagat eva satyam; world alone is real. parasya drishya aashrayah For the latter (the wise), the seen has 3 bhootam ekam, a substratum that is its sole Reality. satyam pra-poornam This Truth, in all its fullness, 4 pra-vibhaati aroopam. shines forth through the Formless (Infinity)!

A comparison is made here of the World as seen by the fool and the wise man. 1 In its physical aspects both see the same world. However, in their inner attitude towards the world, the two are very far apart. 2 The Fool’s World: In the case of the ignorant fool, what he sees is alone what there is for him. It is a very limited world, indeed. The range of perception in man’s senses is extremely small in comparison to what actually exists in nature. That is just considering the physical range of sensitivity of each sense. When we take into account all the other aspects, the fool’s world is a microcosmic speck of the glory of the world out there. 3-4 The Wise Man’s World: The wise man’s vision goes beyond the physical. To him the world has a substratum, which is the “sole Reality”. This Reality extends beyond the limits of the perceivable world. His focus is more on the underlying Reality of the world rather than the changing external appearance of the world. The wise man sees the world play as a show on a stage. Each one is given a role to play in the drama of life. Knowing that he is only acting, he enjoys his performance. He is able to remain detached by having this attitude. The sorrows of the world do not touch him. Acharyaji gave an example: A carpenter shows his little son his latest work – a wooden elephant. The child is scared of it and approaches it with much suspicion. But when he is told it is only a wooden toy, he plays with it. The wood now shines out more. This is Sad-Darshana.

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CHAPTER 5

Verses 21-24 (4 No.)

HURDLES TO TRUE VISION

WE HAVE BEEN dealing with the world and our experiences in it so far. Our playing field was Time and Space. The Maharshi now wishes to take our quest for God-Vision within where we confront our Ego face to face in the next chapter. This chapter is the bridge of hurdles that we must overcome in making the transition from the outer into the inner. Four specific hurdles we meet in the given order are discussed: 1. Destiny & Self-effort: One of the early hurdles that has to be overcome is our tussle with the debate on whether self-effort is to be made or whether we should resign ourselves to our destiny. Aspirants can be seriously hampered if they choose to take the easy way and accept destiny. 2. Vision of Deities: When the above debate is resolved, and we begin our effort, we see the first results coming to us at the mind level. People often get visions and dreams according to the devotional practices they do. These can be misinterpreted to mean the final achievement. Light is thrown on this dilemma by the Maharshi. 3. Dissolving the Ego: Linked to the above experiences are the scriptural statements which are made to encourage us. They are the statements which urge us to strive “to see God”, as though God ere an object to be seen. The Maharshi warns us of this danger. The purpose of the scriptures is to reduce our ego by glorifying the Divine. We cannot see God unless we eliminate the Ego-consciousness. 4. Turning the Intellect Inwards: Finally, one of the last hurdles is the one that compels the intellect to turn inward. This can only be done when the ego is well under control. The indrawn intellect is the ultimate instrument that takes us to the Vision of Truth, by directing all our effort to silencing and dissolving the mind. This opens the last lock that withholds the Vision.

The above are only a selection of the main hurdles that need to be overcome. More details follow in the next chapter on how to deal with the stubborn, illusive Ego.

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Verse 21

DESTINY & SELF-EFFORT

ÌuÉkÉåÈ mÉërÉ¦ÉxrÉ cÉ MüÉåÅÌmÉ uÉÉS-xiÉrÉÉå²ïrÉÉåqÉÔïsÉqÉeÉÉlÉiÉÉÇ xrÉÉiÉç | ÌuÉkÉåÈ mÉërÉ¦ÉxrÉ cÉ qÉÔsÉuÉxiÉÑ, xÉgeÉÉlÉiÉÉÇ lÉæuÉ ÌuÉÍkÉlÉï rÉ¦ÉÈ || 21||

vidh£¦ prayatnasya ca kµ:'pi v¡da-stayµrdvayµrmÀlamaj¡nat¡¯ sy¡t | vidh£¦ prayatnasya ca mÀlavastu, sa²j¡nat¡¯ naiva vidhirna yatna¦ || 21||

Vidheh prayatnasya Destiny and Self-effort: 1 cha kah api vaadah, What fat talk is there tayoh dvayoh of these two things among those 2 moolam ajaanataam syaat; who know not their Source! vidheh prayatnasya (However), Destiny and Self-effort: 3 cha moola vastu, when their Source or substance sanjaanataam na eva is known well, there exists neither 4 vidhih na yatnah. destiny nor effort!

“Which Is stronger, destiny or self-effort?” Thus goes the eternal debate among people. Not knowing the truth of either, the debate rages on which causes the other. This inexplicable situation can be expressed in practical terms as follows: 1-2 One side of the argument is this: My fate today is due to my effort yesterday; but my effort today will be my fate tomorrow. The counter argument to this is: The effort I put in today is determined or limited or restricted by my fate of yesterday. In this way there is no answer to the problem posed. It is an infinite regression and is common among those who do not know what the source of fate or self-effort really is. 3 However, the wise ones know the Source of both, self-effort and destiny. Both arise from the ego only. The ego makes effort to get what it wants. Then, when the result is not to its expectations, it consoles itself by saying, “Ah, well, it was my destiny!” 4 Once I discover the truth of the origin, the idea of effort and destiny drops off. When I know that I am neither the ‘Doer’ of the effort, nor the enjoyer of the result of that effort, nor the sufferer being denied the result, I come to realize the Truth. I remain as an observer of both destiny and effort. This is Sad-Darshana.

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Verse 22

VISION OF DEITies

rÉSÏÍzÉiÉÑuÉÏï¤ÉhÉqÉÏÍ¤ÉiÉÉU-qÉuÉÏ¤rÉ iÉlqÉÉlÉÍxÉMåü¤ÉhÉÇ xrÉÉiÉç | lÉ Sì¹ÒUlrÉÈ mÉUqÉÉå ÌWû iÉxrÉ, uÉÏ¤ÉÉ xuÉqÉÔsÉå mÉëÌuÉsÉÏrÉ ÌlÉ¸É || 22||

yad§¾iturv§k½a³am§k½it¡ra-mav§k½ya tanm¡nasik£k½a³a¯ sy¡t | na dra½¿uranya¦ paramµ hi tasya, v§k½¡ svamÀl£ pravil§ya ni½¿h¡ || 22||

Yat eeshituh veekshanam That vision of the Lord 1 eekshitaaram, where the Lord is the Seen aveekshya tat maanasika and not the Seer, that is a mental 2 eekshanam syaat; vision of the Lord only; na drashtuh anyah For not other than the Seer 3 paramah hi tasya, is verily He, the Supreme. veekshaa sva-moole The true Vision is, in one’s own source, 4 pravi-leeya nishthaa. to be absorbed and firmly established.

This verse carefully distinguishes between a true spiritual vision, and a vision which is mind-based. The seer-seen sequence is: Reality – mind – senses – sense objects. From left to right we have the seer followed by the seen. The Reality (Vision of God) is only a Seer, never the seen. On the other hand, objects are only seen, they cannot be seers of anything else. 1-2 I get a vision of a Deity whom I worship. The Maharshi says this is most certainly mind-based. That does not make it a false vision; such a vision also has value. It can inspire me to make greater effort in my Sadhana. Such a vision, which takes the form of the Deity that I worship is due to my intense concentration on the form of that Deity. The concentration crystallizes as a vision under certain conditions. Such a vision is considered to be a mental projection as it requires a thought form. The Lord becomes the Seen, very much in the same way as an external object or a dream is ‘seen’. It cannot be considered the Reality, for Reality is beyond thought. Such a vision also comes and goes frequently. This shows that it is limited to time and space. The Maharshi cautions me not to mistake a mental projection to be the true vision of God. 3-4 The true vision is when the Lord is experienced as the Seer of the vision. Such a vision is an experience which occurs within one’s being, not outside it. It springs from one’s inner core. It will also have an integrality, universality or all-inclusiveness about it. It occurs when one is firmly established in the abidance of one’s Self, having noconnection to one’s personality or thoughts. This is Sad-Darshana.

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Verse 23

DISSOLUTION OF EGO

AÉiqÉÉlÉqÉÏ¤ÉåiÉ mÉUÇ mÉëmÉzrÉå-ÌSirÉÉaÉqÉÉå£åüÈ xÉÑsÉpÉÉå lÉ pÉÉuÉÈ | lÉÉiqÉæuÉ SØzrÉÉå rÉÌS MüÉ MüjÉåzÉå, xuÉrÉÇ iÉS³ÉÏpÉuÉlÉÇ iÉSÏ¤ÉÉ || 23||

¡tm¡nam§k½£ta para¯ prapa¾y£-dity¡gamµkt£¦ sulabhµ na bh¡va¦ | n¡tmaiva d»¾yµ yadi k¡ kath£¾£, svaya¯ tadann§bhavana¯ tad§k½¡ || 23||

Aatmaanam eeksheta “One should behold the Self”; 1 param prapashyet, “One should see the Supreme Lord” – iti aagama ukteh such sayings in the scriptures 2 sulabhah na bhaavah; have meanings that are not easy (to grasp). na aatmaa eva drishyah If the Self within cannot be seen, 3 yadi kaa kathaa eeshe, then what to speak of seeing the Supreme Lord? swayam tad-annee bhavanam When one’s ego-self becomes his ‘food’ – 4 tad-eekshaa. that is the true Vision of Him.

‘Success’ is being represented by “Vision of the Self”. The road to it necessarily involves dissolving the Ego. At the heart of spiritual life lies the dissolution of Ego-consciousness. That is top priority on this path. The Maharshoi warns me that I can come to this path looking for name and fame, wanting to look important in the eyes of others, and so on. These are wrong reasons and if I pursue them, it would lead me into grave danger. 1 The quotations here are from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (2.4.5). 2 The instructions on “seeing the Lord’s vision”, etc, are intended to slay my ego as a seeker of Truth. It is very difficult for me to surrender my Ego. Tracking it down is like guerilla warfare. That is what makes the scriptures “so hard to grasp”. (See also Pada 4.) 3 This Pada makes me introspect and look deep into myself to search my own motive in coming to the spiritual path. Do I think it is an easy matter to have the Lord’s vision? If I cannot even have the peace of mind needed to abide in my own Self, how can I talk of seeing the Lord manifest as the Universe? It makes me realise that hypocrisy has no place on the spiritual path, and has to be eliminated from all the nooks of my heart. 4 Acharyaji said: “Ego, you cease; let the Lord increase!” Having my best interest at heart, the Maharshi places dissolution of my Ego as the acid test for success on the spiritual path. I am required to have an attitude of total surrender. I should “make my ego my food” before I can hope for the Lord to manifest Himself to me. This is the way to Sad-Darshana.

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Verse 24

Turning tHE INTELLECT INWARDs

ÍkÉrÉå mÉëMüÉzÉÇ mÉUqÉÉå ÌuÉiÉÏrÉï, xuÉrÉÇ ÍkÉrÉÉåÅliÉÈ mÉëÌuÉpÉÉÌiÉ aÉÑmiÉÈ | ÍkÉrÉÇ mÉUÉuÉirÉï ÍkÉrÉÉåliÉUåÅ§É, xÉÇrÉÉåeÉlÉÉ³ÉåµÉUSØÌ¹UlrÉÉ || 24||

dhiy£ prak¡¾a¯ paramµ vit§rya, svaya¯ dhiyµ:'nta¦ pravibh¡ti gupta¦ | dhiya¯ par¡vartya dhiyµntar£:'tra, sa¯yµjan¡nn£¾varad»½¿irany¡ || 24||

Dhiye prakaasham To the intellect, the Light 1 paramah viteerya, of the Supreme is distributed by Him; swayam dhiyah antah Then He Himself, inside the intellect, 2 pravi-bhaati guptah; shines as though hidden (as reflected consciousness). dhiyam paraavartya When the intellect is turned inwards, 3 dhiyah antare atra, then here, within the intellect, sam-yojanaat na eeshvara- by a divine union, the Lord’s 4 drishtih anyaa. Vision takes place, and in no other way.

The Maharshi gives all seekers on this path something very precious in this verse. 1-2 I need a pure, Sattwic intellect that is subtle and sharp, and capable of deep concentration within to take me to the pinnacle of the spiritual journey – the Vision of the Lord of my heart. I am safe if I stay introverted in every one of my five sheaths, right up to the intellect level. 3-4 An inward-turned intellect facing the Self is required to have the Vision of Truth. Acharyaji added: “Withdraw the intellect from all engagement outside. Don’t intellectualise or theorise, just do it. Just trace the ego back to its source. This is the direct method being placed before us by the Maharshi. Note that there is no other way to experience the Self; abidance in the Self is the only way.” Tha assurance is given to us that the divine union with the Lord takes place within, in the intellect that is turned away from outer distractions, and when the ego has completely melted away. This is Sad-Darshana.

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CHAPTER 6

Verses 25-33 (9 No.)

THE ILLUSIVE EGO

INDIVIDUALITY IS THE biggest obstacle on the path to universality; its presence has to be hunted out and destroyed. The Vision of the Lord is not possible until the Ego in us “dies”. That said, who is to carry out this operation? Who else is there but the individual himself. This is the difficulty. Who will want to vote himself out of power! By far the biggest hurdle to the Vision of Truth is the Ego. It is fact that this whole text is all about overcoming this hurdle. How much more would that apply to this chapter which especially focusses on this hurdle. The athlete in a hurdle race may remember all the hurdles ahead of him, but when he is actually jumping over one of them, his whole mind is focussed entirely on that hurdle. That is the position we are in with regard to the Ego. Now, we drop every other consideration and put our whole mind solely on this hurdle. The Ego appears from nowhere, like a phantom creation or an unwelcome guest into our home. It is like an impostor, pretending to be the Self. When we try to trace it, we are puzzled to find how illusive it really is. We are tempted to ask the question, “Is it really there at all, or am I just imagining it?”

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Verse 25

Two Selves – false & true

lÉ uÉÌ£ü SåWûÉåÅWûÍqÉÌiÉ mÉëxÉÑmiÉÉæ, lÉ MüÉåÅÌmÉ lÉÉpÉÔuÉÍqÉÌiÉ mÉëuÉÌ£ü | rÉ§ÉÉåÌSiÉå xÉuÉïqÉÑSåÌiÉ iÉxrÉ, ÍkÉrÉÉÅWûqÉÈ zÉÉåkÉrÉ eÉlqÉSåzÉqÉç || 25||

na vakti d£hµ:'hamiti prasuptau, na kµ:'pi n¡bhÀvamiti pravakti | yatrµdit£ sarvamud£ti tasya, dhiy¡:'hama¦ ¾µdhaya janmad£¾am || 25||

Na vakti dehah The (ego-conscious) Body does not say 1 aham iti pra-suptau, “I am” in deep sleep; na kah api nor does anybody (on waking up) 2 na bhoovam iti pravakti. say, “I was not”. yatra udite sarvam Upon the rise of which everything 3 udeti tasya, rises, for that dhiyaa ahamah shodhaya true “I” the intellect sets off to search; 4 janma-desham. (Its discovery) is like a ‘new birth’.

There appears to be a contradiction in the first two Padas. It can be reconciled when we realise that the two “I”s spoken of are not the same. 1 The Relative “I”: This is the “I” which I am very familiar with. It is the Ego which is connected with my body, mind and intellect. In deep sleep, all these three items are not available to me. Hence, I cannot say “I am” when I am sound asleep. There is no sense of ego for me to say that. 2 The Real “I”: This is the “I” which is my sense of being conscious or aware. It has nothing to do with the ego. I am always aware that I exist. This is my real “I”. It is there from birth to death. In fact it is also there before birth and after death! It is the immortal part of me. Of course, it is there even during deep sleep, although my mind is unable to know that. As soon as I wake up, my mind gets enabled and reconnects with this ever-existing “I”. Hence, I am able to say, “I was there” in sleep even though I did not know it. This is the best clue I have of the existence of my true “I”. It is the “I” the Maharshi wants me to seek. 3 When the reconnection takes place, it is, as it were, the rising of the true “I”. On arising in my mind, I again become aware of all my bodily functions. In particular, I become aware of my ego-consciousness, and come under its tyranny yet again. 4 When the Ego takes over, forgotten once more is the real “I”. To search for it and find it is the big task of my entire spiritual pursuit. Should I succeed in discovering it, it would be like a ‘new birth’ to me. I rediscover my original state, the state of Sad-darshana.

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Verse 26

BIRTH OF THE ELUSIVE EGO

SåWûÉå lÉ eÉÉlÉÉÌiÉ xÉiÉÉå lÉ eÉlqÉ, SåWûmÉëqÉÉhÉÉåÅlrÉ ESåÌiÉ qÉkrÉå | AWûƒ¡ÙûÌiÉaÉëÎljÉÌuÉoÉlkÉxÉÔ¤qÉ-zÉUÏUcÉåiÉÉåpÉuÉeÉÏuÉlÉÉqÉÉ || 26||

d£hµ na j¡n¡ti satµ na janma, d£hapram¡³µ:'nya ud£ti madhy£ | aha±k»tigranthivibandhasÀk½ma-¾ar§rac£tµbhavaj§van¡m¡ || 26||

1 Dehah na jaanaati satah na janma, Body does not know of the “birthless” Truth. deha pramaanah anyah Another entity of the size of the body 2 udeti madhye; arises in between these two; 3 ahamkriti granthi vibandha As Ego, knot, bondage sookshma shareera cheto bhava jeeva subtle body, mind, existence, individual soul 4 naamaa. – by these various names is it called.

This verse reveals the illusory nature of the Ego, its nature as an imposter: Imagine an engagement is about to take place. The bride-to-be has not seen the groom-to-be. At her home she awaits the boy’s party anxiously. Suddenly, well before the appointed time, a handsome man with his entourage enter the home. The girl blushes before him. The family entertain the visitor and his party with profuse hospitality. He receives their gifts with courtesy, has a royal treatment, and then departs. In due course, the actual groom and his parents come to the house. The situation is best left to the imagination. This is what happens in the case of every person born on earth. 1-2 I do not know my Origin, but await Him with great anxiety. Another entity appears to me, a replica of myself. I entertain him lavishly as being my own self. Everything I do is only to please him. He is Mr Ego, my companion throughout life. He misleads me to suit his own needs. He ignores my spiritual welfare. 3-4 I do not know that he is an imposter. He is very charming and places all his attention on me. I cannot do without him. From birth till death I become his slave. My association with him soon reveals his true colours. He ties me into knots of grief. He binds me to worldliness with all his fanciful likes and dislikes. He always has his own way. Although he says he loves me, I do not see any selflessness in his love. He uses me for his own ends. I am very afraid of telling him what I really think of him. However, when I meet the Maharshi, he asks me to question this person, “Ask him ‘Who are you?’ How could you accept such a low, sensual person as your self. If only you examine his credentials, you will discover his falsity and will eventually have Sad-Darshana.”

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Verse 27

enquiry into THE EGO

ÃmÉÉå°uÉÉå ÃmÉiÉÌiÉmÉëÌiÉ¸Éå, ÃmÉÉzÉlÉÉå kÉÔiÉaÉ×WûÏiÉÃmÉÈ | xuÉrÉÇ ÌuÉÃmÉÈ xuÉÌuÉcÉÉUMüÉsÉå, kÉÉuÉirÉWûƒ¡ûÉUÌmÉzÉÉcÉ LwÉÈ || 27||

rÀpµdbhavµ rÀpatatiprati½¿hµ, rÀp¡¾anµ dhÀtag»h§tarÀpa¦ | svaya¯ virÀpa¦ svavic¡rak¡l£, dh¡vatyaha±k¡rapi¾¡ca £½a¦ || 27||

Roopa-udbhavah Born amidst forms; 1 roopa-tati-pratishthah, based on a group of forms; roopa-ashanah the eater of forms; 2 dhoota-griheeta-roopah; the one who has given up and held forms; swayam vi-roopah formless by itself; 3 swa vichaara-kaale, and into itself at the time of Enquiry dhaavati ahamkaara does it run away (implode) – such is the Ego, 4 pishaacha eshah. behaving as though it were a “ghost”!

The Maharshi is intent as ever on this theme of the Ego. He now comes to the most curious fact about this Ego, this mysterious entity that governs our whole life, yet is so elusive to find or track down. Who is Mr Ego? 1 At the body or gross level, the Ego is associated with form after form, an endless variety of forms. It wants to latch on to any form it sees. It gets associated with a group of forms such as relatives, a community, a nation, a religious body, and so on. 2 “Eater of forms” – this means that it goes on consuming everything around it, starting of course from food, and moving on to just about everything else. Every sight or sound makes an impression on it. Basically this shows how changeable the Ego is. Each moment it is being modified by all that it consumes into itself. What it acquires today, it spits out tomorrow; this is another meaning of ‘eater’. 3-4 And now the most curious fact about it: The moment I make enquiries to find out who he is, he escapes from my enquiry. He is terribly afraid of the searchlight of knowledge and wisdom. He can’t stand their glare, and tries to hide away from them. In this respect, he behaves as a ghost! The moment we track him down and corner him, he disappears. In his place, arises the true vision, Sad-Darshana.

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Verse 28

THE EGO & the world

pÉÉuÉåÅWûqÉÈ xÉuÉïÍqÉSÇ ÌuÉpÉÉÌiÉ, sÉrÉåÅWûqÉÉå lÉæuÉ ÌuÉpÉÉÌiÉ ÌMüÎgcÉiÉç| iÉxqÉÉSWÇûÃmÉÍqÉSÇ xÉqÉxiÉÇ, iÉlqÉÉaÉïhÉÇ xÉuÉïeÉrÉÉrÉ qÉÉaÉïÈ || 28||

bh¡v£:'hama¦ sarvamida¯ vibh¡ti, lay£:'hamµ naiva vibh¡ti ki²cit| tasm¡daha¯rÀpamida¯ samasta¯, tanm¡rga³a¯ sarvajay¡ya m¡rga¦ || 28||

Bhaave ahamah In the presence of the Ego 1 sarvam idam vibhaati. everything in this whole world shines. laye ahamah In the absence (or dissolution) of the Ego 2 na eva vibhaati kinchit; nothing at all (in this world) shines. tasmaat aham roopam As a result of this, the form of the Ego 3 idam samastam, pervades this entire world. tat maarganam Enquiry into that Ego, 4 sarva jayaaya maargah. is the way to conquer the whole world.

Now another facet of the Ego – its inter-relationship with the world: A thing is said to be ephemeral when it has a limited lifespan. It comes, does some task, and then goes away. That is how the Ego is. The word ‘shines’ in this verse is used in a sense of temporary shining, unlike the Self, whose shine is eternal. The ego’s shine is like a flash of lightning. It comes, does all the damage, and then hides away from all the blame! 1 Whilst my Ego is active, it does things in the world to satisfy its needs. The Ego craves, desires, wants, is never contented, and always needs to be kept entertained. It initiates the endless stream of activities to meet its desires. 2 Every night, during sleep, the ego takes a break. At that time, there is no activity around it. On getting up, the ego is the first dress we put on, and all the frenzied activity resumes as before. 3 Thus, everything we do is imbued with the “Ego-flavour”. Nothing can escape from that. The Ego leaves its footprints (and fingerprints and tongueprints!) wherever it goes. 4 But Ego is illusory and does not last forever. It changes daily. Today’s likes become tomorrow’s dislikes. One cannot establish anything firm on such an unstable foundation. Therefore, the search for the ego becomes so important. This particular search is like a police hunt for a wanted criminal. When the ego is finally arrested, tried, convicted and executed, the road to illumination is wide open. This is Sad-Darshana.

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Verse 29

treat the cause, not the effect

xÉirÉÉ ÎxjÉÌiÉlÉÉïWûqÉÑSåÌiÉ rÉ§É, iÉŠÉåSrÉxjÉÉlÉaÉuÉåwÉhÉålÉ | ÌuÉlÉÉ lÉ lÉzrÉå±ÌS iÉ³É lÉzrÉåiÉç, xuÉÉiqÉæYrÉÃmÉÉ MüjÉqÉxiÉÑ ÌlÉ¸É || 29||

saty¡ sthitirn¡hamud£ti yatra, taccµdayasth¡nagav£½a³£na | vin¡ na na¾y£dyadi tanna na¾y£t, sv¡tmaikyarÀp¡ kathamastu ni½¿h¡ || 29||

Satyaa sthitih That is the true Being 1 na aham udeti yatra, where the Ego does not arise. tat cha udaya sthaana The cause from which the Ego emerges 2 gaveshanena; has to be known through enquiry. vinaa na nashyet Without knowing it, the Ego will not perish. 3 yadi tat na nashyet, And if the Ego does not perish, swaatma aikya roopaa then the Oneness with one’s Self – 4 katham astu nishthaa. how can it ever be established?

The Maharshi makes an extra effort to guide us on what is needed to overcome the Ego. The ego will not perform its own assassination. The only way is to intellectually enquire into its root cause. That cause has to be searched. The intellect has to be sharp and subtle enough to do this task. This and the next verse are about such an intellect. 1-2 At present I am aware only of my Ego. The Maharshi (the scripture) tells me that there is another “true Being” inside me. This Being and the ego cannot co-exist. One is Light and the other is darkness. Knowledge of the true Being is the only antidote for ignorance of it. My efforts have to be directed positively towards first obtaining Knowledge about my Self. That is the only way I can succeed in breaking away from my Ego. In Vedanta, this step is called Sravana, listening to the knowledge from one who is well-established in the Self and who can explain it to me through scriptural authority. 3-4 I cannot destroy my ego by the power of my ego. How can I destroy myself? I am not ready for that kind of operation on myself. The Maharshi suggests that I only need to treat the cause which produced my ego. That would lead naturally to its death. Without eliminating the cause, it is impossible to eliminate the Ego. The Ego will not dare to remove itself. Only by acquiring the knowledge that will destroy its cause can I hope to be free from its influence. The Light of the Self will eliminate that cause, and with it the Ego. No other effort is needed from me. The searchlight of enquiry will itself raze the edifice of the Ego. The brilliance of the Self can alone overpower the shadow of Ego. This will herald the vision of Truth, Sad-Darshana.

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Verse 30

the enquiry into ego’s cause

MÔümÉå rÉjÉÉ aÉÉRûeÉsÉå iÉjÉÉliÉ-ÌlÉïqÉeerÉ oÉÑSèkrÉÉ ÍzÉiÉrÉÉ ÌlÉiÉÉliÉqÉç | mÉëÉhÉÇ cÉ uÉÉcÉÇ cÉ ÌlÉrÉqrÉ ÍcÉluÉlÉç, ÌuÉlSåÍ³ÉeÉÉWûƒ¡ÙûÌiÉqÉÔsÉÃmÉqÉç || 30||

kÀp£ yath¡ g¡¢hajal£ tath¡nta-rnimajjya buddhy¡ ¾itay¡ nit¡ntam | pr¡³a¯ ca v¡ca¯ ca niyamya cinvan, vind£nnij¡ha±k»timÀlarÀpam || 30||

Koope yathaa gaadha Just as in a well of deep 1 jale tathaa antah, waters, so also inside (oneself): nimajjya buddhyaa Diving in with an intellect 2 shitayaa nitaantam; that is extremely sharp, praanam cha vaacham with Prana and speech 3 cha niyamya chinvan, well controlled, he enquires vindet nija aham into the very source of his Ego, 4 kriti moola roopam. going down to its very root form.

To make the enquiry into the cause of the Ego, we need a sharp, pure intellect. A description of this procedure is given here, using an example of a diver diving into a well to help us understand it. Acharyaji weaved a brilliant story around the whole verse. Each step of the story was dramatised. Be free to use your imagination while reading this story: 1 A lady in a typical Indian village gets up before dawn daily to fetch water from the well. It is quite a tiresome task. One day, to make it more comfortable for her to work, she removed her gold ornaments and placed them on the edge of the perimeter wall of the well. On finishing her work, she reached for them, still in the dark, and carelessly pushed her necklace into the well. 2 A professional diver was hired to retrieve the necklace. This gives us an idea of the kind of intellect needed to dive into the well of our heart to bring out the pearl of the Self! 3 With a rope tied around his waist, the diver took a deep breath to give him maximum time under the water to find the necklace. This required mastery over his breath. The breath control of the diver represents the Sadhana that the seeker does in order to accomplish his task. 4 The rope he uses to guide him to the bottom of the well is the Ego which he traces down to its source. There he finds the necklace of the Self and returns vey happy to give it to the lady. This represents the Bliss and enlightenment of finding the Self. The story illustrates that the elimination of the Ego on the journey to Self-discovery requires one to be very disciplined and focussed. This is Sad-Darshana.

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Verse 31

ART OF SELF-ENQUIRY

qÉÉælÉålÉ qÉ‹lqÉlÉxÉÉ xuÉqÉÔsÉ-cÉcÉæïuÉ xÉirÉÉiqÉÌuÉcÉÉUhÉÇ xrÉÉiÉç | LwÉÉåÅWûqÉåiÉ³É qÉqÉ xuÉÃmÉ-ÍqÉÌiÉ mÉëqÉÉ xÉirÉÌuÉcÉÉUhÉÉ…¡ûqÉç || 31||

maun£na majjanmanas¡ svamÀla-carcaiva saty¡tmavic¡ra³a¯ sy¡t | £½µ:'ham£tanna mama svarÀpa-miti pram¡ satyavic¡ra³¡±gam || 31||

Maunena majjan Diving in silence, 1 manasaa swa-moola, with the mind fixed on one’s own root, charchaa eva satya aatma enquiring alone on the true Self – 2 vichaaranam syaat; this is called Self-enquiry. eshah aham etat “This is what I am”; “This 3 na mama swaroopam, is not my nature”; iti pramaa satya (enquiring thus) such knowledge is a limb 4 vichaarana-angam. of true Self-enquiry.

The symbolism of diving within is continued into this verse, in the same context – the search for one’s true Self through enquiry. The verse is essentially on the art of Self-enquiry. 1 Mauna or keeping silence is an important Sadhana for me to turn my mind inward and become more contemplative. Controlling one’s speech is the usual meaning of Mauna. But turning away the senses from outer objects is “Mauna” of the senses. Then, restricting the mind only to thoughts of the Self, is Mauna of the mind. 2 By observing such self-discipline, the mind becomes more available to do the Self- enquiry. A reflective mind is needed for this purpose, not a distracted mind. 3 Then comes the need for discrimination or Viveka. The intellect that is pure, Sattwic in nature, and capable of engaging itself in subtle thinking, is the ideal instrument to discriminate between “what I am” and “what I am not”. 4 Such discrimination is the first limb of the process of Self-enquiry or Atma Vichara. The flow of our thoughts in this direction eventually leads us to grasp the limitedness of our ego-conscious life. With practice, we can progress to firm abidance in the Self. This is Sad-Darshana.

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Verse 32

FALL OF THE EGO

aÉuÉåwÉhÉÉimÉëÉmrÉ ™SliÉUÇ iÉiÉç, mÉiÉåSWûliÉÉ mÉËUpÉÑalÉzÉÏwÉÉï | AjÉÉWûqÉlrÉixTÑüUÌiÉ mÉëM×ü¹Ç, lÉÉWûƒ¡ÙûÌiÉxiÉimÉUqÉåuÉ mÉÔhÉïqÉç || 32||

gav£½a³¡tpr¡pya h»dantara¯ tat, pat£dahant¡ paribhugna¾§r½¡ | ath¡hamanyatsphurati prak»½¿a¯, n¡ha±k»tistatparam£va pÀr³am || 32||

Gaveshanaat praapya As a result of the search, one reaches 1 hrit-antaram tat, the heart centre within. patet ahantaa The “I” notion of the Ego falls, 2 pari-bhugna sheershaa; and its head gets broken. atha aham anyat Then, another “I” (the Self), 3 sphurati prakrishtam, the effulgent one, shines forth; na aham-kritih tat It is not the Ego, 4 param eva poornam. but the supreme Fullness alone.

The Maharshi makes sure that every aspect of rooting out the ego is explained. 1 Self-enquiry, when accompanied by the above disciplines of silence and discrimination, soon takes me into the heart-centre, where resides the Self, so to speak. 2 In this Pada, I witness the dramatic “beheading” of my Ego, as though it were some bad character found guilty of a heinous crime and sent to the gallows to face its gruesome death. I do notcomplain about its fate; I am happy to see it get what it deserves. The shattering of the head of the Ego is also symbolic of what the ego mainly consists of. Pujya Guruji reminded us of the beheading attempted on Ravana by Sri Rama. Every attempt failed, until the tenth head was “sheared off”. Then Ravana fell dead. The ten heads of Ravana represent the ten senses. In Ravana all ten were corrupted by the ego. They were all put to the service of the evil desires of Ravana. Only when all ten were destroyed, did Ravana attain liberation and return to Sri Rama. This is perhaps the meaning intended in “its head gets broken”. All my evil qualities that get nourished through the ten senses have to be destroyed. This is a path of sense control to the point of perfection, when no negative quality lingers in my personality. 3 When the impostor Ego is crushed in this manner, then the effulgent ‘I’ shines forth and steps into the throne, its rightful place. Divine rule is restored in my Being. 4 The “supreme fullness” of the Self suggests that up until that stage, when my Ego was on the throne, that effulgence was clouded by it. Now, with the rightful heir seated there, the radiance is unrestricted. My divinized personality becomes radiant and effulgent like the sun in a cloudless sky. This is Sad-Darshana.

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Verse 33

attaining THE EGOLESS STATE

AWûƒ¡ÙûÌiÉÇ rÉÉå sÉxÉÌiÉ aÉëÍxÉiuÉÉ, ÌMÇü iÉxrÉ MüÉrÉïÇ mÉËUÍzÉ¹qÉÎxiÉ | ÌMüÎgcÉÌ²eÉÉlÉÉÌiÉ xÉ lÉÉiqÉlÉÉåÅlrÉiÉç, iÉxrÉ ÎxjÉÌiÉÇ pÉÉuÉÌrÉiÉÑÇ ¤ÉqÉÈ MüÈ || 33||

aha±k»ti¯ yµ lasati grasitv¡, ki¯ tasya k¡rya¯ pari¾i½¿amasti | ki²cidvij¡n¡ti sa n¡tmanµ:'nyat, tasya sthiti¯ bh¡vayitu¯ k½ama¦ ka¦ || 33||

Aham-kritim yah He whose Ego 1 lasati grasitvaa, has been devoured, he shines. kim tasya karyam What is there that remains 2 pari-shishtam asti; to be done by him? kinchit vijaanaati sah He knows nothing 3 na aatmanah anyat, other than the Self. tasya sthitim bhaava- Who is capable of 4 yitum kshamah kah. conceiving his state of being?

This ends the long stretch of verses on the theme of eliminating the Ego. It marks the culmination of a protracted period of Sadhana when intense effort combined with divine Grace made it possible to root it out. The state of egolessness is ushered in its place, and it is as if Lord Rama Himself is being coronated in the heart of our personality. 1 Lasati: “shines”. This refers to the effulgence that takes over me as a result of the conquest over the ego accomplished in the previous verse. 2 As a sage, what more has he to do? The sage is freed from all duties that engage most of us. He may still do things, but no longer with a sense of ‘doership’. He is free to do whatever his nature calls him to do. He has no functions to fulfil any longer. However, he still acts for the well-being of all, in order to set a good example. Duties only cling to “I”. If the “I” is not there then duties become redundant to such a person. For this reason, the sage is absolved of doing any duties. 3-4 The sage henceforth lives in Non-dual consciousness. His only preoccupation is the Self. Ordinary beings who are still governed by duality cannot understand such a life. Guruji explained beautifully what impels even the sage to perform actions, even though he is absolved of doing all actions by the scriptures themselves: “We work to gain something; he works to share his inner joy. Our work starts from inner discontent; his from a deep sense of fulfillment. If we do not work, we stand to lose materially or feel guilty; he does not lose anything nor does he feel guilty. Even the scriptures shy away from giving him injunctions.” This is Sad-Darshana.

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CHAPTER 7

Verses 34-39 (6 No.)

POINTS TO PONDER

WE NOW ENTER A new chapter which covers some important matters, concerning protection of those who are striving for the Vision of Truth from the forces which try their best to drag them away from it. The most common way of doing this is the illogical rejection of scriptural injunctions. This is dealt with first. Then comes the confusion between the two selves, the false and the true. This is another ageold problem that poses an obstacle to the progress of the seeker. The third obstacle is Doubt. If the faith in the Self is not firm, then a whole series of questions are posed by the lower self, all of them designed to create doubt in the mind about the correct route to follow to Sad-darshana. As though all the above are not sufficient to dislodge the earnest seeker, there come the psychic powers when one has almost reached the goal. This is a very severe text of one’s grit to reach the ultimate. Powers that are extraordinary in a human being start manifesting in the seeker and can easily derail one from the path. Then come certain pointers to the Truth. These are needed for one who is yet far away from the Truth. But the very same pointers become redundant for one who has already reached the Truth. Any confusion regarding this doubt is also cleared up in this chapter. And lastly, the case is taken up by which shows that Non-duality is considered as something which exists only when one realises God, and that prior to realisation only Duality exists. This is shown to be a wrong understanding. Non-duality is there all the time, even when we have not realised the Truth. There is never a time when there is no Non- duality. It is the only thing that really exists. Duality is only an appearance on Non-duality. It all makes for an enlightening discussion that provides valuable guidance to the prospective seeker who is already well on his way towards the highest vision possible – the Vision of Truth or Sad-Darshana.

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Verse 34

TWISTING SCRIPTURAL TEACHINGS

AÉWû xTÑüOÇû iÉ¨uÉqÉxÉÏÌiÉ uÉåS-xiÉjÉÉmrÉxÉqmÉëÉmrÉ mÉUÉiqÉÌlÉ¸ÉqÉç | pÉÔrÉÉå ÌuÉcÉÉUÉå qÉÌiÉSÒoÉïsÉiuÉÇ, iÉixÉuÉïSÉ xuÉÉiqÉiÉrÉÉ ÌWû pÉÉÌiÉ || 34||

¡ha sphu¿a¯ tattvamas§ti v£da-stath¡pyasampr¡pya par¡tmani½¿h¡m | bhÀyµ vic¡rµ matidurbalatva¯, tatsarvad¡ sv¡tmatay¡ hi bh¡ti || 34||

Aaha sphutam It is clearly said: 1 “tat-twam-asi” iti vedah, “That Thou Art” in the Vedas. tathaa api asampraapya In spite of that, not succeeding 2 paraatma nishthaam; in abiding in the Self, bhooyah vichaarah many argue in other (perverse) ways, 3 mati durbalatvam, thereby revealing a debility of mind. tat sarvadaa The Reality, at all times, 4 swaatmatayaa hi bhaati. shines as their very own Self!

The manner in which a scriptural teaching is twisted to suit the inclinations of people is being exposed through this verse. It requires a Rajasic Buddhi and an ulterior motive to indulge in such perverse arguments. 1 The Mahavakya of the Chandogya Upanishad clearly says, Tat Twam Asi, meaning “That Thou Art”. This is explained as the individual soul and the Universal Soul are identical in their essence. When I remove the Upadhis of both the Jiva as well as Ishwara, the identity is seen clearly. What remains on both sides of the equation is Pure Consciousness. 2 Those who cannot live their lives along the straight and honest path of Truth, or who cannot even acknowledge this statement at an intellectual level, begin to reframe the words to suit their own ideas. There are people who have no interest in Brahman, but who study the Brahma Sootras to dig up arguments like this! 3 The same Mahavakya has been interpreted is many perverse ways. Taking recourse to various Samskrit grammar rules to formulate word compounds, they have derived various meanings to suit their own philosophies, such as ‘Thou shalt attain That’, or ‘Thou art like That’, or ‘Thou shalt become That’, or even ‘Thou art His’. The Truth, instead of being faced, is conveniently circumvented. 4 The Truth, fortunately, does not depend on the opinion of people. It is not by vote that the Truth stands. Regardless of the opinions of people, Truth remains the same. The Mahavakya is a statement of true experience, and has stood the test of time. Statements like ‘That Thou Art’ will always be true. They represent Sad-Darshana.

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Verse 35

SELF IS NOT TWOFOLD

lÉ uÉåSèqrÉWÇû qÉÉqÉÑiÉ uÉåSèqrÉWÇû qÉÉ-ÍqÉÌiÉ mÉëuÉÉSÉå qÉlÉÑeÉxrÉ WûÉxrÉÈ | SØaSØzrÉpÉåSÉiÉç ÌMüqÉrÉÇ Ì²kÉÉiqÉÉ, xuÉÉiqÉæMüiÉÉrÉÉÇ ÌWû ÍkÉrÉÉÇ lÉ pÉåSÉÈ || 35||

na v£dmyaha¯ m¡muta v£dmyaha¯ m¡-miti prav¡dµ manujasya h¡sya¦ | d»gd»¾yabh£d¡t kimaya¯ dvidh¡tm¡, sv¡tmaikat¡y¡¯ hi dhiy¡¯ na bh£d¡¦ || 35||

Na vedmi aham maam uta “I know not myself” or 1 vedmi aham maam, “I know myself” – iti pravaadah manujasya such statements made by man 2 haasya; are a laughable matter. drig drishya bhedaat By discriminating the Seer from the Seen, 3 kim ayam dvidhaa aatmaa, does the one Self become two? swaatma ekataa ayaam The Oneness of one’s Self – 4 hi dhiyaam na bhedaah. in that knowledge, there are no differences.

If the previous verse exposes a man’s devious motives or his Rajasic Buddhi, here is a verse which shows one who understands an instruction as being the opposite of what is really meant. This is the result of a Tamasic Buddhi. 1-2 In the triad Knower, Knowledge and Known, the Self is described as being all three combined. In ordinary knowledge of objects or concepts, all three are different. But in talking about the Self, this threefold distinction does not apply, as the Self is all three together. The Self can never be an object of knowledge; for then the knower of that will be superior to the Self! It cannot be the knower alone and not the object known, because then it will not be all-inclusive! The statements given in the verse are illogical and indicate that a Tamasic Buddhi is at work. Such an intellect sees everything as the opposite of what it actually is. Haasya: “laughable”. in philosophy this simply means “untenable”, or an immature deduction. It is not meant to mock people holding such views. 3 Since knowledge can never be something that is seen. For that which is ‘seen’ has to have a seer to see it. There is nothing higher than the Self who can know the Self. This is the irony that is being pointed by the question asked in Pada 3. 4 The Truth according to Advaita is One. There cannot be another Truth. There is only one Non-duality. There can therefore be no differences experienced in Non-duality. This is Sad-Darshana.

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Verse 36

GARRULOUS TALKS of doubters

™imÉëÉmrÉ xÉ®ÉqÉ ÌlÉeÉxuÉÃmÉå, xuÉpÉÉuÉÍxÉ®åÅlÉÑmÉsÉprÉ ÌlÉ¸ÉqÉç | qÉÉrÉÉÌuÉsÉÉxÉÈ xÉSxÉixÉÃmÉ-ÌuÉÃmÉlÉÉlÉæMüqÉÑZÉmÉëuÉÉSÉÈ || 36||

h»tpr¡pya saddh¡ma nijasvarÀp£, svabh¡vasiddh£:'nupalabhya ni½¿h¡m | m¡y¡vil¡sa¦ sadasatsarÀpa-virÀpan¡naikamukhaprav¡d¡¦ || 36||

Hrit praapya saddaama i) Reaching the ‘heart’, ii) the abode of Truth, 1 nija swaroope, iii) which is one’s own nature, swabhaava siddhe an- iv) and which is self-evident – 2 upalabhye nishthaam; if one fails to gain abidance in It; maayaa vilaasah then the play of Maya (starts): 3 sad-asat-saroopa, “Is it Real or unreal?”; “Is it With form or viroopa-naanaa-eka- without form?”; “Is it many or one?” – 4 mukha-pravaadaah. such garrulous talks (are raised by those who doubt)!

This third verse of the chapter is an example of both Rajasic & Tamasic Buddhi. Clearly these people are not eligible to abide in the Self, which is the main purpose of all this knowledge. Unable to do so, they pick an argument with their friends and colleagues over the dining table and spend hours arguing against the Shastras. Their talks are high-flown and appear impressive, but do not have the substance of experience in them. 1-2 The simplicity (not ease!) of the practice of Self-abidance is described in the first two Padas. It is not really a complicated technique. My egoistic intellect makes it appear complicated so that it can get a bigger ‘boost’ from it. I am only expected to go deep within myself, quieten my mind and remain silent in order to tune into my true nature. I must be regular in this practice and must have great interest in this field in order to succeed. Without these, I will surely fail. The Maharshi is not being unreasonable in saying this. 3-4 But, if I am insincere, irregular,and uninterested, this is what happens to me: I become ripe material for Maya to play Her charms. Maya first stirs me up by giving me a little praise through fellow colleagues. That sets me going in Her direction. She begins Her play by giving me thoughts such as – “Is it Real or unreal?”, etc. When I am ‘out of my depth’, my ego does not allow me to admit my improper understanding, but seeks to show how well I have understood the subject by engaging me in vociferous debate! Clearly the objective of the scriptures is totally overlooked. Maya wins a landslide victory. Mukha Pravaadaah – “garrulous talkers” is how the Maharshi describes my clan! This is the very opposite of Sad-Darshana.

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Verse 37

THE truth about psychic powers

ÍxÉ®xrÉ ÌuÉÌ¨ÉÈ xÉiÉ LuÉ ÍxÉÎ®È, xuÉmlÉÉåmÉqÉÉlÉÉÈ ZÉsÉÑ ÍxÉ®rÉÉåÅlrÉÉÈ | xuÉmlÉÈ mÉëoÉÑ®xrÉ MüjÉÇ lÉÑ xÉirÉÈ, xÉÌiÉ ÎxjÉiÉÈ ÌMÇü mÉÑlÉUåÌiÉ qÉÉrÉÉqÉç || 37||

siddhasya vitti¦ sata £va siddhi¦, svapnµpam¡n¡¦ khalu siddhayµ:'ny¡¦ | svapna¦ prabuddhasya katha¯ nu satya¦, sati sthita¦ ki¯ punar£ti m¡y¡m || 37||

Siddhasya vittih Direct knowledge of the established 1 sata eva siddhih, Truth is itself the (highest) accomplishment. swapna upamaanaah Comparable to a dream are 2 khalu siddhayah anyaah; all other psychic powers, indeed. swapnah prabuddhasya To one who has woken up from a dream 3 katham nu satyah, how can (these powers) be seen as true? sati sthitah kim How can one who is abiding in Truth 4 punareti maayaam. ever again enter into Maya?

The subject matter here is Siddhis, translated as accomplishments or perfection. Popularly, these are termed psychic powers or even “miracles”. They are a natural offshoot of spiritual practices and come of their own accord when perfection in a Sadhana is reached. 1 As a true aspirant I should regard as an accomplishment only the highest goal, namely the realisation of the Self. Nothing less than that should satisfy me. I should not have interest in psychic powers. They are lesser ‘achievements’, if that term is admitted. 2 By “other Siddhis” are meant powers of a lower order. I can demonstrate them to others, purely to attract curiosity mongers and compliments. This is extremely dangerous to my spiritual life. Hence, I am councelled to ignore them or treat them as a dream. Without desiring them, Siddhis may come to me when I discipline my mind and practise intense meditation. I develop a peculiar attractive aura around myself which attracts others to me. This power of attraction may also be called a Siddhi. 3 I am to regard such Siddhis as a dream. If I have awoken from that plane of attention-mongering (i.e. the worldly plane) I will not be place any value on them. I will go on with my Sadhana to reach the final goal, which is the only worthwhile accomplishment. 4 When I come to be established firmly in Self-abidance, these ‘other’ Siddhis or miracles will not touch me. Maya will not be able to drag me down all over again. Indeed, when the whole world belongs to me, why would I chase a few paltry Siddhis? The power of Renunciation is being praised throughout this verse. Resistance to temptations may be another way of expressing the same thing. This leads to Sad-Darshana.

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Verse 38

POINTERS – helpful & redundant

xÉÉåÅWÇûÌuÉcÉÉUÉå uÉmÉÑUÉiqÉpÉÉuÉå, xÉÉWûÉrrÉMüÉUÏ mÉUqÉÉaÉïhÉxrÉ | xuÉÉiqÉæYrÉÍxÉ®Éæ xÉ mÉÑlÉÌlÉïUjÉÉåï, rÉjÉÉ lÉUiuÉmÉëÍqÉÌiÉlÉïUxrÉ || 38||

sµ:'ha¯vic¡rµ vapur¡tmabh¡v£, s¡h¡yyak¡r§ param¡rga³asya | sv¡tmaikyasiddhau sa punarnirarthµ, yath¡ naratvapramitirnarasya || 38||

Sah aham vichaarah Contemplation such as “He am I”, 1 vapuh aatma-bhaave, while still taking the body to be the Self, saahaayya-kaaree may be a very helpful pointer 2 para maarganasya; in one’s search of the Supreme. swaatma-aikya siddhau But to one who has accomplished unity with his Self, 3 sah punah nirarthah, such (contemplation) is rendered redundant; yathaa naratva just as knowledge of his manhood 4 pramitih narasya. is redundant to one who is a man.

In spiritual practice, every stage has its own primary Sadhana and secondary Sadhana. An example is cited in this verse of a practice which suits a preliminary stage but becomes redundant in the advanced stage. 1-2 “He am I” (Soham) is the same as the more familiar Mahavakya, “I am Brahman” (Aham Brahma Asmi). It is prescribed to me to engage my mind on one idea alone. This is a very useful Sadhana for me when I am doing Sravana, Manana and Nididhyasana. It can help hmeim to reduce the thoughts in my mind. 3 But when I reach the stage of Nirvikalpa Samadhi and have thus gained the higher perfection of being in abidance with my Self, there is no need for me to practice this. To me it is now “redundant”, as described here. It is something that serves no purpose. 4 A simile is given to impress this point into my mind: A man has no need to be reminded of his manhood; it is useless knowledge to him. When I am learning a new language, I keep a dictionary beside me all the time; but when I know the language, I do not need the dictionary any more. One who is established inSelf-abidance does not need an aid to remain there. This is Sad-Darshana.

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Verse 39

THE “tenthness” oF the tenth

²æiÉÇ ÌuÉcÉÉUå mÉUqÉÉjÉïoÉÉåkÉå, iuÉ²æiÉÍqÉirÉåwÉ lÉ xÉÉkÉÑuÉÉSÈ | aÉuÉåwÉhÉÉimÉëÉaSzÉqÉå ÌuÉlÉ¹å, mÉ¶ÉÉŠ sÉokÉå SzÉqÉiuÉqÉåMüqÉç || 39||

dvaita¯ vic¡r£ param¡rthabµdh£, tvadvaitamity£½a na s¡dhuv¡da¦ | gav£½a³¡tpr¡gda¾am£ vina½¿£, pa¾c¡cca labdh£ da¾amatvam£kam || 39||

Dvaitam vichaare To say, “There is duality during enquiry; 1 paramaartha bodhe, and only in the supreme knowledge tu advaitam iti eshah is there certainly Non-duality” – it is 2 na saadhu vaadah; improper to talk in that manner. gaveshanaat praak (Here is an example): Before the search 3 dashame vinashte, for the lost tenth man, paschaat cha labdhe and after when he is found, 4 dashama twamekam. his “tenth-ness” is one and the same.

Another subtle point is being brought out in this final verse of the chapter. We progress from duality to non-duality. In the early stages, prior to realisation, it is natural that all instruction will be imparted through means and language which are dualistic in nature. 1-2 It is improper for me to say that before realisation, there is Duality; and that Non-duality exists only after realisation! This is factually incorrect, and not just a poor way of expressing an idea. The truth is that Non-duality alone exists, before and after I realise. Moreover, for me to criticize the means of instruction because they are dualistic is also considered incorrect. In fact, it is absurd if I do so. It shows my lack of understanding that it is from the dualistic known that I move forward to the Non-dual unknown. 3-4 There is a common example quoted in the scriptures of the case of ten men out on a walk. One of them is appointed to count everyone to see if the group is still intact. He counts all except himself. His count is nine only. He himself is the tenth man who is considered ‘lost’. In a re-count by an outsider, he is found to be the tenth man. The point of the example is that the man’s “tenthness” was there always – in the first and second count. In the same way, the ‘Non-duality’ of Advaita is always there, before as well as after realisation. Even when apparently in Dvaita, one is really in Advaita! This is Sad-Darshana.

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CHAPTER 8

Verses 40-42 (3 No.)

BONDAGE & LIBERATION

WE NOW HAVE three verses on the theme of Bondage and Liberation. The text closes with the discussion of this theme. The final two verses are only concluding verses. Verse 40 gives the definition of what Bondage is and what is meant by Liberation. It is the Karma Yogi’s way of seeing bondage and liberation. The entire concept of Bondage is based on the actions one performs. Actions produce merit or demerit, both of which bind a man to Samsara. When we learn the art of doing actions in such a way that our Karmas do not produce neither merit nor demerit, then we are liberated from all actions. Verse 41 provides an alternative way of seeing Bondage and Liberation. It is the Jnana Yogi’s method. He stands apart and questions for whom is there bondage and for whom is the liberation. He accepts that the Self, which is his true nature, is immortal and eternal and cannot be bound nor liberated. This is how he enquires and discovers that the bondage and liberation are only for his pseudo-Self, his individual soul or Jeeva. The Self cannot be bound and therefore has no need for being liberated! Finally we have Verse 42, which is the Maharshi’s method. It is a combination of the above two methods. The Maharshi simplifies the whole subject of bondage and liberation by asking just one question: “Who am I?” Who is the person that is making this anxious enquiry about being bound? Who is the one that wants to be liberated? He discovers that such a person does not exist at all! There is no individual soul as such. It is just a fantastic myth created by the mind and which makes a fool of us by demanding our attention. The Maharshi ignores this mischievous, mysterious entity, called Ego. He gives it no attention at all: neither punishment for its mischief, nor compliment for its superb performance!

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Verse 40

bondage & LIBERATION defined

MüUÉåÍqÉ MüqÉåïÌiÉ lÉUÉå ÌuÉeÉÉlÉlÉç, oÉÉkrÉÉå pÉuÉåiMüqÉïTüsÉÇ cÉ pÉÉå£ÑüqÉç | ÌuÉcÉÉUkÉÔiÉÉ ™ÌS MüiÉ×ïiÉÉ cÉåiÉç, MüqÉï§ÉrÉÇ lÉzrÉÌiÉ xÉæuÉ qÉÑÌ£üÈ || 40||

karµmi karm£ti narµ vij¡nan, b¡dhyµ bhav£tkarmaphala¯ ca bhµktum | vic¡radhÀt¡ h»di kart»t¡ c£t, karmatraya¯ na¾yati saiva mukti¦ || 40||

Karomi karma iti “I do work” – thus 1 narah vijaanan, when a man thinks, baadhyah bhavet karma he becomes bound to the action’s 2 phalam cha bhoktum; fruit, and to the enjoyment thereof. vichaara dhootaa By enquiry can be washed away 3 hridi kartritaa chet, the “doership”, and if this is done in one’s heart, karma-trayam nashyati the three types of results of actions perish. 4 saa eva muktih. That alone is Liberation.

First come the definitions of Bondage and Liberation: 1 A fundamental misunderstanding in my life is pointed out in this line. “I do work” represents the feeling of ‘Doership’ accompanying my action. The prefix ‘Vi’ magnifies the misunderstanding. Why is it considered such a major problem? 2 By doing any act with the attitude of being its Doer, I am bound to the fruit of that action, which may be joy or sorrow. Ultimately, even joy can be regarded as sorrow only, since it leads to sorrow. ‘Doership’ is followed necessarily by ‘Enjoyership’, even as sowing is followed by reaping. 3 As a spiritual aspirant, I am taught how to detach myself from the fruit of my action. The only way is to give up the ‘Doership’ attitude. I should feel that it is the Lord who does everything, that He works through me, and I am only the His instrument. Then I am not bound by the action. This is called Akartritva Bhava, the “attitude of non-doership”. To be able to give up Doership requires deep Self-enquiry. It needs an intense conviction that the indwelling Lord is in charge of all works. I have to build up Witness-ship. 4 When this is done over a protracted period, all my past Karmas, of all three types, get dissolved. The three types of Karma are Sanchita, the bundle of Karmas accumulated from the entire past; Agama, the Karma that is being accumulated now and added to Sanchita; and Prarabhda, the portion of my Sanchita Karma that I am required to work out in this birth. My present body is ordered by my Prarabdha Karma. Bondage can thus be defined as the state of being bound to one’s past actions. The dissolution of all this Karma is true Liberation. This is Sad-Darshana.

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Verse 41

no BONDAGE & no LIBERATION

oÉ®iuÉpÉÉuÉå xÉÌiÉ qÉÉå¤ÉícÉliÉÉ, oÉlkÉxiÉÑ MüxrÉåÌiÉ ÌuÉcÉÉUhÉålÉ | ÍxÉ®å xuÉrÉÇ xuÉÉiqÉÌlÉ ÌlÉirÉqÉÑ£åü, YuÉ oÉlkÉÍcÉliÉÉ YuÉ cÉ qÉÉå¤ÉÍcÉliÉÉ || 41||

baddhatvabh¡v£ sati mµk½racant¡, bandhastu kasy£ti vic¡ra³£na | siddh£ svaya¯ sv¡tmani nityamukt£, kva bandhacint¡ kva ca µk½acint¡ || 41||

Baddhatva bhaave When there is the sense of bondage, 1 sati moksha chintaa, anxiety for liberation will also be there. bandhah tu kasya “For who is the Bondage?” – 2 iti vichaaranena; enquiring along this line, siddhe swayam swaat- it is established that one’s own 3 mani nitya mukte, Self is ever free. kva bandha-chintaa Then where is the thought of bondage? 4 kva cha moksha-chintaa. And where is the concern for liberation?

Putting aside the empirical standpoint just covered, we take up the absolute standpoint. We find that the very existence of the concept obondage and liberation is denied: 1 From the empirical standpoint, it is very useful for me to know exactly what bondage and liberation are. They provide me the incentive to strive to be liberated from a situation which I see as being bondage. Only when I feel bound will I seek to be liberated. Right or wrong, the empirical viewpoint places my feet onto the spiritual track. 2 Then comes the Self-enquiry: Step 1 is that I enquire deep into myself to find the “I” that is bound. I go through Kosha by Kosha to locate exactly the victim of bondage. Where is the location of the Jeeva or ego-sense that says “I-am”? The body says, “I don’t know; I am just the house for all the sheaths.” The Prana also says, “I am just the life- force energizing everything. The mind also claims to be only a bundle of thoughts of various desires. At the intellect, we get some clue. There is an “I am” feeling that is discovered in every thought. Everything gets referred to this “I”. But still it cannot be located. At the bliss sheath I have no access except when I am in deep sleep, and cannot know anything. 3 As the search goes deeper through the five sheaths, I end at the Self, which is ‘me’. But the Self is always free and limitless. The “I” is found to be an imaginary entity, a sort of reflection of the Self. My effort to find it ends in a wild-goose chase! 4 That is when I realize that there is no such a thing as bondage or liberation. They are only imaginations in the mind. But this is only known to me when I come to the end of my search, not at the beginning. Had I known this earlier, I would probably never have started the journey in the first place. Arrival at the source of “I” is Sad-Darshana.

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Verse 42

THREE TYPES OF LIBERATION

ÃÌmÉhrÉÃÌmÉhrÉÑpÉrÉÉÎiqÉMüÉ cÉ, qÉÑÌ£üÎx§ÉÃmÉåÌiÉ ÌuÉSÉå uÉSÎliÉ | CSÇ §ÉrÉÇ rÉÉ ÌuÉÌuÉlÉYirÉWûlkÉÏ-xiÉxrÉÉÈ mÉëhÉÉzÉÈ mÉUqÉÉjÉïqÉÑÌ£üÈ || 42 ||

rÀpi³yarÀpi³yubhay¡tmik¡ ca, muktistrirÀp£ti vidµ vadanti | ida¯ traya¯ y¡ vivinaktyahandh§-stasy¡¦ pra³¡¾a¦ param¡rthamukti¦ || 42 ||

Roopinee aroopinee “With form”, “without form”, 1 ubhayaatmikaa cha, and “of the nature of both” – muktih tri-roopaa are the three types of Liberation; 2 iti vidah vadanti; thus have the wise spoken. idam trayam yaa But these three are 3 vivinakti ahan dheeh, analysed by the “I” notion, tasyaah pranaashah whose destruction is itself 4 paramaartha muktih. the Supreme Liberation.

In this last verse of the text proper, we have the third verse on the theme of Liberation. We learn of the three forms of Liberation, as spoken of by the wise. 1-2 The three forms are: i) Jivanmukti – “liberation while living”; this is liberation “with form”, i.e. while I am in my body. This group believes that the only meaningful liberation is while one is living. Of what use is a liberation that is obtained only after death? Where is the incentive to strive for such a freedom? ii) Videhamukti – “liberation from the body”; this means “at death”. It is liberation “without form”, i.e. obtainable only after the body drops off. This group believes that there cannot be any Jivanmukti, for as long as there is a body, there will always be all the usual worldly concerns over it. iii) Ubhayaatmika – “a combination of these two”; this is the Maharshi’s view of liberation. It is explained below: 3-4 The Maharshi says Liberation is attained while living with form, and continues even after death without form. He proposes the following approach: Adherents of the above two schools of thought enter the scene and use their ego or the “I”-notion to analyse their respective opinions. How smart of them! They try to find out which is the best form of liberation. They are like people who bet on the outcome of a horseracing event, but have no interest in the horses themselves. Little do they realize that the destruction of that very Ego is itself the highest Liberation! The attainment when ego is destroyed is Sad-Darshana!

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EPILOGUE

Verses 43-44 (2 No.)

by Sri Vasishtha Muniji (Translator)

Verse 43

´ÉÏpÉaÉuÉSìqÉhÉqÉWûÌwÉï-ÌuÉUÍcÉiÉ- SìÉÌuÉQûaÉëljÉxrÉ xÉÇxM×üiÉÉlÉÑuÉÉSÉiqÉMüqÉç qÉ…¡ûsÉqÉç Sri Ramana Maharshi wrote this poem in the Dravida language (Tamil). It was later translated into Sanskrit.

[These last two verses are written by Sri Vasishtha Muni, the translator of this text.]

the SAMSKRIT version of “SAD-DARSHANA”

xÉ¬zÉïlÉÇ SìÉÌuÉQûuÉÉÎXçlÉoÉ®Ç, qÉWûÌwÉïhÉÉ ´ÉÏUqÉhÉålÉ zÉÑ®qÉç | mÉëoÉlkÉqÉÑiM×ü¹qÉqÉirÉïuÉÉhrÉÉ-qÉlÉÔ± uÉÉÍxÉ¸qÉÑÌlÉurÉïiÉÉlÉÏiÉç || 43 ||

saddar¾ana¯ dr¡vi¢av¡±nibaddha¯, mahar½i³¡ ¾r§rama³£na ¾uddham | prabandhamutk»½¿amamartyav¡³y¡-manÀdya v¡si½¿hamunirvyat¡n§t || 43 ||

Sad-darshanam The book “Sad-darshana”, 1 dravida-vaak-nibaddam, was written in the Dravida language (Tamil) maharshinaa shree- ramanena by Shree Maharshi Ramana 2 shuddham prabandham; in an impeccable and superb style. utkrishtam This composition, 3 amartya vaanyaam, in the language of the immortals (Samskrit), anudya vaasishtha is a translation (of that work) 4 munih vyataaneet. by Vasishtha Munih.

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Verse 44

a TRIBUTE TO Sri RAMANA MAHARSHI

xÉ¨É¨uÉxÉÉUÇ xÉUsÉÇ SkÉÉlÉÉ, qÉÑqÉÑ¤ÉÑsÉÉåMüÉrÉ qÉÑSÇ SSÉlÉÉ | AqÉÉlÉÑwÉ´ÉÏUqÉhÉÏrÉuÉÉhÉÏ-qÉrÉÔZÉÍpÉÌ¨ÉqÉÑïÌlÉuÉÉaÉç ÌuÉpÉÉÌiÉ || 44||

sattattvas¡ra¯ sarala¯ dadh¡n¡, mumuk½ulµk¡ya muda¯ dad¡n¡ | am¡nu½a¾r§rama³§yav¡³§-mayÀkhabhittirmuniv¡g vibh¡ti || 44||

Sat-tattwa-saaram The essence of the Truth 1 saralam dadhaanaa, is conveyed here in simple form, mumukshu lokaaya to the world of seekers of Liberation, 2 mudam dadaanaa; giving them great joy. amaanusha shree This sublime composition 3 ramaneeya vaanee, the divine words of Shree Ramana (Maharshi), mayookha bhittih are like the rays reflected ‘off a brick wall’ * 4 muni-vaak vibhaati. in the words of the Muni.

* In humility, the Muni underrates his own translation.

|| saddar¾ana¯ sam¡ptam || END OF SAD-DARSHANA

OM TAT SAT !

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