Jivanmuktananda Lahari

eÉÏuÉlqÉÑ£üÉlÉlSsÉWûUÏ JIVANMUKTANANDA LAHARI

The Liberated Sage: Ever Blissful, Never Deluded

“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 Shad Darshanaah 21 “Sara Sangrah” – Yoga Vasishtha 44 Brahma Sutras Chatuh-sutri 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, 29th May, 2020, 1st Punyatithi of Sri Swami Vimalanandaji Maharaj

Om Namah Shivaaya!

Text 45

eÉÏuÉlqÉÑ£üÉlÉlSsÉWûUÏ JIVANMUKTANANDA LAHARI “The Ever-Blissful Liberated Sage”

Composed by Sri Adi Shankaracharyaji

Reflections by Swami Gurubhaktananda on the Series of 5 Lectures by Swami Tejomayanandaji Guruji, then Spiritual Head, Chinmaya Mission, at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Powai, Mumbai. September 18th – September 22nd, 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: 29th May, 2020, 1st Punyatithi of Sri Swami Vimalanandaji 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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JIVANMUKTANANDA LAHARI

“The Ever-Blissful Liberated Sage”

SRI SWAMI VIMALANANDAJI MAHARAJ 10TH OCTOBER 1932 – 9TH JUNE 2019

In Loving Memory on the Occasion of his 1st Punyatithi, 29th May 2020 (Jyeshth Shukla Saptami)

eÉÏuÉlqÉÑ£üÉlÉlSsÉWûUÏ JIVANMUKTANANDA LAHARI

18 No. Verses by Sri Shankaracharyaji

The Ever-Blissful Liberated Sage

INTRODUCTION

GURUJI BEGAN THIS text with a brief overview of the spiritual path prior to its culmination in Jivanmukti. He identified nine steps within the Vedanta system of Sadhana that take one from entry-point to Jivanmukti. The steps are as follows: 1. Shishya-Lakshana: In this stage, the qualities of a good student are cultivated. These have the group name Sadhana Chatushtaya. By the Grace of the Lord and self-effort from the student, he cultivates mind-control, sense-control, mastery over the mind, faith in God, Guru and himself, power to endure hardships – all of which finally end in developing a one-pointed mind. 2. Guru Lakshana: In this part, the characteristics of a Guru are described. They are twofold: i) the Guru is firmly established in Brahman; and ii) he is well-versed in the scriptures to be able to explain the spiritual path to the student. 3. Guru Upasadana: The meeting of the Guru and the disciple can now take place, with due humility on the part of the student and acceptance by the Guru. 4. Twam-Pada Vichara: The student begins by carefully discriminating between the Real and the Unreal, as regards his own constitution of the five sheaths. 5. Tat-Pada Vichara: He then learns about the cause and constitution of the world. 6. Asi-Pada Vichara: Thereafter he learns of the aim of spiritual life, which is the complete identity of the individual with the universal. Steps 4, 5 and 6 are called Sravana. 7. Aikya Virodhi Shanka Parihar: This is the removal of all doubts that obstruct him from realizing this identity. This requires serious self-introspection called Manana. 8. Viparita Bhavana Nivritti: After the doubts regarding Self-knowledge are cleared, the doubts regarding one’s ability to realize need to be eliminated. This requires a long practice of meditation or abidance in the Self. Firm abidance eliminates all the latent desires that obstruct the student. This step is called Nididhyasana. 9. Jivanmukti & Ananda: Finally, the last topic covered in Vedanta is the realization of Brahman while one is still living. It is called Jivanmukti. This is the state we are going to be engaged with in this text. Lahari means “waves of Ananda” that the Jivanmukta experiences. How a Jivanmukta lives in the world is the subject matter covered by this text.

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JIVANMUKTANANDA LAHARI “The Ever-Blissful, Liberated Sage”

CONTENTS:

Introduction 1 Verse 1: In the City 3 Verse 2: In the Forest 5 Verse 3: His Dwellings 7 Verse 4: Among All Age Groups 9 Verse 5: His Intellectual Fellowship 11

Verse 6: Attributes in Worship 13 Verse 7: His Worship 15 Pictures of the Divine Mother 17-20 Verse 8: His Bathing 21 Verse 9: Three States of Consciousness 23 Verse 10: His Attire 25

Verse 11: The Three Gunas & Beyond 27 Verse 12: His Verbal Expressions 29 Verse 13: His Non-Dual Worship 31 Verse 14: His Vision of Oneness 33 Verse 15: Form & Formless 35 An Essay on Jivanmukti 39

Verse 16: The Vision of the Mahavakyas 40 Verse 17: The Yogin, Tyagin & Kavih 42 Verse 18: A Panorama of Contradictions 44

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Verse 1: In the City

mÉÑUå mÉÉæUÉlÉç mÉzrÉlÉç lÉUrÉÑuÉÌiÉlÉÉqÉç AÉM×üÌiÉqÉrÉÉlÉç xÉÑuÉåwÉÉlÉç xuÉhÉÉïsÉƒ¡ûUhÉMüÍsÉiÉÉÇÍ¶É§ÉxÉSØzÉÉlÉç | xuÉrÉÇ xÉÉ¤ÉÏ Sì¹åirÉÌmÉ cÉ MüsÉrÉÇ iÉæÈ xÉWû UqÉlÉç qÉÑÌlÉlÉï urÉÉqÉÉåWÇû pÉeÉÌiÉ aÉÑÂSÏ¤ÉÉ¤ÉiÉiÉqÉÉÈ || 1 ||

pur£ paur¡n pa¾yan narayuvatin¡m ¡k»timay¡n suv£½¡n svar³¡la±-kara³akalit¡¯¾-citrasad»¾¡n | svaya¯ s¡k½§ dra½¿£-tyapi ca kalaya¯ tai¦ saha raman munirna vy¡mµha¯ bhajati gurud§k½¡k½atatam¡¦ || 1 ||

1 pure paurān-pashyan nara-yuvatinām ākrtimayān In the city, he sees the citizens, young men and women of a variety of forms. 2 suveshhān-svarṇa-alangkaraṇa-kalitān chitra-sadrshān; They are clad in attractive dress and decked with ornaments of gold, just like pictures. 3 svayaṁ sākshhāt drshhṭa iti api cha kalayaṁ taih saha raman He actually sees himself in them and is mixing merrily with them. 4 munih na vyāmohaṁ bhajati gurudīkshhā kshhatatamāh. The sage, with ignorance dispelled by Guru's Grace, is not at all deluded by these.

Puram is a city; Pure is “in a city”. The setting for the opening verse is a bustling City, comparable to a modern metropolitan or cosmopolitan city. 1 A city is full of various institutions like educational centres, medical centres, municipal offices, business offices, manufacturing centres, postal services, parks and gardens, roads and freeways, etc. Lots of people are there of all types from the educated to the illiterate. Our body itself is called a “nine-gated city” in the Geeta, because of the many functions that take place within it, all harmoniously doing its work to keep the body alive. 2 What does a saint see there? Attractiveness attracts attention. People deck themselves in ornaments to vie for more attention. Nothing pleases the human personality more than satisfaction of the ego’s needs. “Like pictures” – this expresses the superficiality of the attractiveness that has taken a grip over the people. There is no depth in it. Although the desire is there to dress attractively, not all can afford to do so. There are always the poor people who are dressed simply; the tramps who do not have spare clothes to change into daily and appear who very untidy, rough, and unkempt hair. 3 The saint sports (i.e. identifies himself) with all without making any distinctions in what he sees. He does not feel out of place in the midst of all these attractive scenes. He mixes with all. “Merrily” includes “with sadness”; the opposites always go hand in hand, like the two sides of a coin. Guruji switched easily between Sri Shankaracharyaji’s days and modern times:

He described what happens when people are in the grip of Desire. They go to buy one thing and come back with a trolleyful from the supermarket. The only place where they buy just what they want is the pharmacy. There the thought never arises, “Oh, a new anti- biotic! Let me try some.” This is because there is no desire for medicine, desire is only for enjoyment. But little is understood that enjoyment is the very reason for the medicine! It is said that Socrates used to go to the shopping ‘malls’ of his times. Why did he go? It was not to buy anything but “just to see how many things I am happy without.” Guruji mentioned another place where Desire runs rampant – the duty-free shops at airports. Travellers buy all that they do not really want. They get into a shopping mood, or rather a shopping mode! Guruji quoted a popular supermarket slogan: “Shop till you Drop!” With so much fun and entertainment going on in a city, people have developed an aversion for village life, and a dislike for poor villagers. “I am a city man, you know!” Mixing with people leads to attachment. In this connection, Guruji mentioned a problem he has to deal with many times. When Brahmacharis have to be transferred to other centres, the common response is, “No, no, it is okay here. Everything is fine here.” That is when Guruji tells them, “Then you must go today itself from here!” People may get attached to the Brahmachari, but the Brahmachari should not get attached to the people.

The Repeated Pada on Jivanmukta 4 The point about this verse (and all the others) is that the Jivanmukta remains undeluded by all these experiences in life. He observes them and remains inwardly unaffected by them. He has passed the stage of fascination for the world; he has cultivated some discrimination to recognize what is Real or lasting happiness and what is Unreal or temporary happiness. The result is that he is free from delusion and its concomitant sorrow. “Vi” added to Moha makes it “extreme delusion”. Common experiences of delusion were given by Guruji: “Should I cross before the car comes or after it?” “Should I study Engineering or Medicine, or go to Sandeepany?” “Should I watch the TV or go to sleep?” But there are more serious issues under delusion: “What is my duty?” This is very common these days, as people are out of touch with their Dharma. And “Who am I?” Because of delusion we do not know. What happens to delusion in a saint? It has been destroyed – the darkness of ignorance has been destroyed by the Light of knowledge of the Self. By the Grace of his Guru, the delusion has been swept away. Lack of discrimination, fascination for the world, and infatuation – these three do not arise in a saint who has the Guru’s Grace that comes by following his teachings.

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Verse 2: In the Forest

uÉlÉå uÉ×¤ÉÉlmÉzrÉlÉç SsÉpÉUpÉUÉlÉç lÉqÉëxÉÑÍzÉZÉÉlÉç bÉlÉcNûÉrÉÉcNû³ÉÉlÉç oÉWÒûsÉMüsÉMÔüeÉSèÌ²eÉaÉhÉÉlÉç | pÉeÉlbÉxÉëå UÉ§ÉÉæ AuÉÌlÉiÉsÉMüsmÉæMü zÉrÉlÉÉå qÉÑÌlÉlÉï urÉÉqÉÉåWÇû pÉeÉÌiÉ aÉÑÂSÏ¤ÉÉ¤ÉiÉiÉqÉÉÈ || 2 ||

van£ v»k½¡npa¾yan dalabharabhar¡n namrasu¾ikh¡n ghanacch¡y¡cchann¡n bahulakalakÀjaddvijaga³¡n | bhajanghasr£ r¡trau avanitalakalpaika ¾ayanµ munirna vy¡mµha¯ bhajati gurud§k½¡k½atatam¡¦ || 2 ||

1 vane vrkshhān pashyan dala-bhara-bharān namra-sushikhān He sees in the forest, trees with foliage and fruit bending their lovely heads; 2 ghanat ćhāyāt ćhannān bahulakala kūjad-dvija-gaṇān; spreading their thick shade, and full of many groups of birds singing their sweet songs; 3 bhajanghasre rātrau avanitalakalpaika shayanah After watching them all day, when night sets in, he lies with mother earth as his bed; 4 munih na vyāmohaṁ bhajati gurudīkshhā kshhatatamāh. The sage, with ignorance dispelled by Guru's Grace, is not at all deluded by these.

The venue shifts to the opposite of a city. We enter a forest scene. What attracts us immediately in a forest? 1-2 The thought of a multitude of trees arises when we think of a forest. Their beauty is the first impression – huge, overhanging branches filled with leaves and luscious fruit. Just as people find the shade of trees comforting on a hot day, so, too birds come to rest on the branches every night. Guruji thrilled us with his lively description: There are sparrows, crows and cuckoos, all making a variety of sounds. In the early morning, soon after dawn, they all meet on the tree and plan what to do the whole day. They sound so excited as they share their ideas with each other. It is like the noisy spectators waiting for the cricket match to start. In the evening, they all come back to the same tree. Again, there is a big noise; they report to each other what they experienced during the day. And then just suddenly they all become quiet. Imagine, hundreds of birds on the tree, all sitting quietly, perhaps in meditation. If they were so many ladies gathered together, will it ever be as quiet? 3 The sage watches all this and enjoys the birds’ performance. Up to that point, all people would enjoy the show put up by the birds. It sounds so exciting to be in the forest. But then, soon one gets tired and sleepy. Where to rest? It is no problem for the sage who is unattached and whose home is the wide world. He simply rests on the earth as his bed and the stars as his blanket. Totally carefree, he goes to bed.

It may sound very adventurous when we read about it, but how would we feel to go through the same experience? In the middle of the night, we may get up and feel something slippery coiled up around the legs – “O, a snake!” Or we see the flashing flight of a tiger or leopard and get terrified. Guruji asked us, “If you saw something like that, what step would you take?” He himself answered, “A loooong one.” The thought of attachment will not leave us. We will be thinking of the comfort of our bed at home. But the Jivanmukta has no such thoughts of attachment, and is able to have a good sleep. 4 That is the point about this experience. Bringing both experiences together, we can contrast them: One is a totally natural environment; the other is a man-made environment. The saint is balanced in both – the experience of the city and the experience of the forest. In both conditions, the saint is happy and remains undeluded. Whether in the midst of the attractions of a city or the natural fears of a forest, the saint faces both equally. If the saint is a devotee, by seeing the forest, he will be reminded of Sri Krishna’s life in Brindavan and start reveling in the Lord’s Lilas. Then, how can there be any fear!

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Verse 3: His Dwellings

MüSÉÍcÉimÉëÉxÉÉSå YuÉÍcÉSÌmÉ cÉ xÉÉækÉå cÉ kÉuÉsÉå MüSÉ MüÉsÉå zÉæsÉå YuÉÍcÉSÌmÉ cÉ MÔüsÉåwÉÑ xÉËUiÉÉqÉç | MÑüOûÏUå SÉliÉÉlÉÉÇ qÉÑÌlÉeÉlÉuÉUÉhÉÉqÉÌmÉ uÉxÉlÉç qÉÑÌlÉlÉï urÉÉqÉÉåWÇû pÉeÉÌiÉ aÉÑÂSÏ¤ÉÉ¤ÉiÉiÉqÉÉÈ || 3 ||

kad¡citpr¡s¡d£ kvacidapi ca saudh£ ca dhaval£ kad¡ k¡l£ ¾ail£ kvacidapi ca kÀl£½u sarit¡m | ku¿§r£ d¡nt¡n¡¯ munijanavar¡³¡mapi vasan munirna vy¡mµha¯ bhajati gurud§k½¡k½atatam¡¦ || 3 ||

1 kadāchit prāsāde kvachidapi cha saudhe cha dhavale Living sometimes in a palace, then somewhere in the mansions of the rich; 2 kadā kāle shaile kvachidapi cha kūleshhu saritām; At times (living) on a mountain and then somewhere on the banks of rivers; 3 kuṭīre dāntānāṁ munijanavarāṇām api vasan And sometimes in the huts of ascetics rich in the virtue of self-restraint; 4 munih na vyāmohaṁ bhajati gurudīkshhā kshhatatamāh. The sage, with ignorance dispelled by Guru's Grace, is not at all deluded by these.

The theme shifts to dwelling places of the Saint. Does he have any preferences? 1 Prasade: “in palaces.” On some nights he may taken into a king’s palace or into the mansion of a rich man. This is what most people dream of. That would be heaven for them. 2 But on some nights, the saint is equally happy to live on a mountain-top, where there are no “creature-comforts” available. He may have to use a stone as his pillow, and an animal skin as his blanket. If he is not on a mountain-top, then he is in a valley where a small stream flows. The saint clears the ground a little by chopping off some bushes along the banks and making his bed in dry sand. 3 Perhaps, if it is a matter of preference, the saint will be happy to dwell among other ascetics in their humble huts made of straw and some thatching. There he finds like- minded company among those who are also devoted to God. Here he finds congenial company with those who are “rich in virtues”. Example: Once a king was riding on his horse through the countryside. He saw a holy man lying on the ground without any shirt to cover himself. The king thought, “Why should there be such suffering in my kingdom?” He asked the holy man to come with him to his palace. At the palace, the king said, “Now we are equal, we are at the same level. There is no difference between us.” The holy man said, “No, we are still not equal.”

The king wondered what else he could give to the holy man to make him equal. He offered, “Okay, you can have half my kingdom!” The holy man said, “No, I was not thinking like that. That will not make us equal.” The king persisted, “Then what do you suggest? How can we be equal?” The holy man said, “Come, I will show you.” He went inside his room and brought out his kamandalu (water-pot) and said to the king, “Come let us go to the forest together and live by begging.” The king was surprised. He could not do this. Nevertheless, he went. He could not adjust to the lifestyle of a mendicant. He told the holy man, “Look, I am used to living in the Whitehouse, like the President of America.” The holy man took him to a house that was painted white. “Come, I think you will be comfortable here!” 4 Again the point about this verse is attachment to one’s dwelling-place. Most people get too comfortable in a place that they are used to. They cannot adjust to a variety in their environment, where they do not get what they are used to getting. Only a saint who has no delusion is able to adjust to all types of environments.

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Verse 4: Among All Age Groups

YuÉÍcÉ¯ÉsÉæÈ xÉÉkÉïÇ MüUiÉsÉeÉiÉÉsÉæ¶É WûÍxÉiÉæÈ YuÉÍcÉ²æ iÉÉÂhrÉÉÇÌMüûiÉcÉiÉÑUlÉÉrÉÉï xÉWû UqÉlÉç | YuÉÍcÉSè uÉ×®æÍ¶ÉÇiÉÉÇ YuÉÍcÉSÌmÉ iÉSlrÉæ¶É ÌuÉsÉmÉlÉç qÉÑÌlÉlÉï urÉÉqÉÉåWÇû pÉeÉÌiÉ aÉÑÂSÏ¤ÉÉ¤ÉiÉiÉqÉÉÈ || 4 ||

kvacidb¡lai¦ s¡rdha¯ karatalajat¡lai¾ca hasitai¦ kvacidvai t¡ru³y¡¯kitacaturan¡ry¡ saha raman | kvacid v»ddhai¾ci¯t¡¯ kvacidapi tadanyai¾ca vilapan munirna vy¡mµha¯ bhajati gurud§k½¡k½atatam¡¦ || 4 ||

1 kvachid bālaih sārdhaṁ karatalajatālaih cha hasitaih Sporting somewhere in the company of boys clapping hands and laughing together; 2 kvachit vai tāruṇyān kita chaturanāryā saha raman; And elsewhere enjoying the company of young beautiful girls full of laughter; 3 kvachid vrddhaih chintām kvachidapi tadanyaih cha vilapan And sometimes lamenting with aged folk, pensive with heavy hearts; 4 munih na vyāmohaṁ bhajati gurudīkshhā kshhatatamāh. The sage, with ignorance dispelled by Guru's Grace, is not at all deluded by these.

How is the sage able to be comfortable with little children, with young people and with the elderly? This is seen in this verse. 1 With Children: Children are completely into what they are doing. Guruji said we should attend some Bal Vihar classes to see what makes children tick. Clapping hands and laughing with them works very well. They are quick in giggling, laughing and smiling. The saint gets through to them by using these methods. He plays with them. There are teachers who can teach only children. When they are promoted to higher grade youngsters, they cannot teach. 2 With Youth: Then there are some teachers who do not have patience with the little children. They can only teach the grown-up students. They consider it a waste of time to teach children. With youth they are in their element. But the sage adapts himself to both. The bigger children ask more questions and learn by reasoning, so they have to be taught in a different way that suits them. 3 With the Elderly: Then there are the elderly who have their own problems to deal with. Some teachers have no patience to be with old people. They say, “Oh, we cannot listen to their stories day and night!” But the sage understands them well. They have worries that younger people do not understand. The saint sits with them and gives them a hearing. He empathizes with their age-related problems. Sometimes he may even sit and lament with them.

Sometimes a doctor who does not understand the psychology of old people, may tell them, “You may have got cancer.” That is enough. The old person starts worrying over it for days together. Just one careless remark can have a big impact on old people. Then there are persons who just try to wave aside the problems of the elderly by saying, “Oh, it is just your mental projection!” This is also very damaging. We cannot say such things to old people. We have to give them a hearing. If an old person has a problem, it is real for him. He is not making up a story. And we should not start philosophizing with old people. 4 So, children, youth and the aged – each group has its own wavelength to reach them. They have to be approached accordingly. The Jivanmukta becomes child-like (not childish) when he is with children; he gives proper explanations based on reason to young people who ask many questions; and he lends an attentive ear to the problems of the elderly. Guruji said, “Do not seek the innocence of children; seek the purity of a saint.” It means the innocence of children will not be there for long, but the purity of a saint is permanent. Even youthfulness can become arrogance, over-confidence or over-enthusiasm, sometimes utterly foolish also – lusty, passionate, etc. These are their characteristics. The Jivanmukta does not become like that when he is with them. And when handling old people, he does not get overwhelmed by their sorrow. He reaches them in order to teach them. He does not get deluded by their delusions. That is the secret of his interactions with all three age levels.

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Verse 5: His Intellectual Fellowship

MüSÉÍcÉÌ²²Î°È ÌuÉÌuÉkÉ xÉÑmÉÑUÉlÉÇS UÍxÉMæüÈ MüSÉÍcÉiMüÉurÉÉsÉÇM×üiÉUxÉUxÉÉsÉæÈ MüÌuÉuÉUæÈ | uÉSluÉÉSÉÇxiÉMæïüUlÉÑÍqÉÌiÉmÉUæxiÉÉÌMïüMüuÉUæÈ qÉÑÌlÉlÉï urÉÉqÉÉåWÇû pÉeÉÌiÉ aÉÑÂSÏ¤ÉÉ¤ÉiÉiÉqÉÉÈ || 5 ||

kad¡cid vidvadbhi¦ vividha supur¡na¯da rasikai¦ kad¡cit k¡vy¡la¯k»tarasaras¡lai¦ kavivarai¦ | vadan v¡d¡¯s tarkair-anumiti paraist¡rkikavarai¦ munirna vy¡mµha¯ bhajati gurud§k½¡k½atatam¡¦ || 5 ||

1 kadāchid vidvadbhih vividha supurānanda rasikaih Sometimes (conversing) with the eminently learned and those keen on learning; 2 kadāchit kāvyālaṁkrta-rasa-rasālaih kavivaraih; Sometimes with eminent poets versed in poetic figures and sentiments; 3 vadan vādāns tarkaih anumiti paraih tārkikavaraih And at times with eminent logicians prone to reasoning and inferences; 4 munih na vyāmohaṁ bhajati gurudīkshhā kshhatatamāh. The sage, with ignorance dispelled by Guru's Grace, is not at all deluded by these.

This verse is about the flexibility a saint has in mixing with various types of people from different walks of life, of different interests and different talents. Whoever, the saint is with, he is able to appreciate the person’s talents and take a genuine interest in his life. 1 Rasikaih: “with those who appreciate the nuances of art, music, dance, drama, etc”. He is someone who has a taste for the fine arts. These are very cultured people who are also very talented in the arts. They have an in-depth knowledge of their field of interest, not just a superficial or ‘passing’ knowledge. The word can also be interpreted to mean those who have a fine taste for ornaments, perfumes, sculpture and painting, etc. These are very stylish people, high on style, a cut above the ordinary people. Guruji explained how in matters of clothing, such people dress immaculately, taking care of every detail such as matching colours, the occasion, the weather, the host whom they are visiting, etc. Everything is well-thought of before choosing what to wear. These are people who have a flair for the subtle joys of life. In contrast to these people, Guruji mentioned those who have similar tastes but out of vanity, not out of taste. A vain person will show how much he is enjoying a musical performance by tapping, clapping and applauding; but he understands nothing of the music! Others dress fashionably in order to impress people, not out of good taste. 2 Kavyalankrita: These are great poets, who enjoy the joys of literature, be it prose or poetry. Kavya is poetry, including the classic Epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

The poetry is of exceptionally high quality, full of various subtle sentiments. Just as there are six tastes in food, there are nine sentiments portrayed in dance and drama, and even poetry. One needs to be specially trained to identify these sentiments when portrayed. They alone can truly appreciate these performances. Guruji mentioned some of the sentiments: love, anger, compassion, pride, arrogance, simplicity, humility, etc. All these can be portrayed in literature as well as dance and drama. The names of Kalidasa in Samskrit literature and Shakespeare in English literature are the first to pop up in our minds when we think of such great works. Guruji mentioned the case of some poetry that is so artistic, that if you read it left to right it is “Ram-charitra” and read right to left it is “Shiv-charitra”! It is mind-boggling how poetry can be made so creative. Even if we do not have talent to create such poetry, at least we should appreciate it in those who do. 3 Tarkaih: “logicians.” The saint, although not an argumentative person, sometimes enjoys listening to those skilled in debates and arguments. This itself is an art. It is interesting to see how by sheer skill these people are able to prove black is white, truth is false, virtue is vice, etc! This may require the use of “twisted logic” also, which the ordinary person will not be able to detect, as it is so well disguised. The saint may not himself have that skill, but he enjoys seeing it displayed by others, purely from the skill point of view, not from the point of view of Dharma. There are students of Vedanta who will ask very intellectual questions. They will not accept a reply such as, “Have faith.” And they cannot be brushed aside with, “O, there is no need for all this.” They need to be answered with logic. We have to talk to them in their language of reason, otherwise they will not be satisfied. 4 Now the main point of it all: Although the saint can relate to each of these types of people, he is able to remain undeluded. The saint can appreciate all the fineries of the arts, but he does not get carried away by them. He knows well that, however skillful they may be, these arts are all plays within the realm of Unreality. He anchors himself in the Self. Guruji stressed an important point here. We should be careful not to get caught up in too much of these arts. For example, some skilled scholars will explain the scriptures with such intricate logic that the listener is unable to follow what he is saying. Similarly, a classical singer can have the most meaningful lyrics, but his style of presenting them drowns the meaning. The message contained in the song is overpowered altogether. The point is that poetry and the fine arts have to have some limits beyond which they lose their purpose. Guruji gave an example of a Bhajanist who kept repeating “Madana Mohana, Madana Mohana” in different tunes. One listener thought the man had forgotten the full name of Madan Mohan Malaviya, the famous politician, so he thought he would help the singer by shouting out the missing name, so that he could continue with the song! The saint is able to remain “sound asleep” to all the varieties even while engaging in them! He never loses sight of the Truth behind all the display of skills.

*****  12

Verse 6: Attributes in Worship

MüSÉ krÉÉlÉÉprÉÉxÉæÈ YuÉÍcÉSÌmÉ xÉmÉrÉÉïÇ ÌuÉMüÍxÉiÉæÈ xÉÑaÉÇkÉæÈ xÉimÉÑwmÉæÈ YuÉÍcÉSÌmÉ SsÉæUåuÉ ÌuÉqÉsÉæÈ | mÉëMÑüuÉïlÉç SåuÉxrÉ mÉëqÉÑÌSiÉqÉlÉÉÈ xÉÇxiÉÑÌiÉmÉUÉå qÉÑÌlÉlÉï urÉÉqÉÉåWÇû pÉeÉÌiÉ aÉÑÂSÏ¤ÉÉ¤ÉiÉiÉqÉÉÈ || 6 ||

kad¡ dhy¡n¡bhy¡sai¦ kvacidapi sapary¡¯ vikasitai¦ suga¯dhai¦ satpu½pai¦ kvacidapi dalair£va vimalai¦ | prakurvan d£vasya pramuditaman¡¦ sa¯stutiparµ munirna vy¡mµha¯ bhajati gurud§k½¡k½atatam¡¦ || 6 ||

1 kadā dhyānābhyāsaih kvachidapi saparyāṁ vikasitaih Sometimes engaged in some abstract meditation; sometimes with fully blossomed 2 sugaṁdhaih satpushhpaih kvachidapi dalaireva vimalaih; fragrant flowers or even with just plain washed petals and leaves, 3 prakurvan devasya pramuditamanāh saṁstutiparah performing the worship of the Lord, and singing His praises with a cheerful mind; 4 munih na vyāmohaṁ bhajati gurudīkshhā kshhatatamāh. The sage, with ignorance dispelled by Guru's Grace, is not at all deluded by these.

The modes of connecting with the Lord of one’s heart are described here. 1 It may be through meditation on the abstract, formless Supreme Reality, without using any external aid to assist one’s concentration; or it could be worship of the Lord using some means: 2 For example, offering fully blossomed fragrant flowers at the shrine of the Lord with form. Some worshippers take great pride in decorating their sacred shrines with flowers, especially on special festive occasions. At other times it need not be done in such an elaborate manner, but simply by offering clean, washed leaves or a few flower petals, not even a whole flower. The leaves that are plucked can be according to the Deity worshipped: for Lord Shiva it is usually bael or bilva leaves; for Lord Vishnu it is tulsi leaves; and for Lord Ganesha it is durvang leaves. 3 The important item not to be missed is the singing of the Lord’s praises. There are many Stutis or hymns that can be used for this purpose for each different Deity or for all of the deities jointly in one hymn. All choices are available for the saint to select from. When Sri Shankaracharyaji went to different temples throughout the length and breadth of India, he sang the Stuti of the Deity of that temple. That is how he has composed so many Stutis. There are hymns chanted for different Deities, such as Vishnu Sahasranam, Lalita Sahasranam, Shiva Sahasranam, etc.

4 The main point of all this is that the saint is balanced and flexible in the form he chooses to adore the Lord. Guruji explained that there are many people who are so much into Nirguna and Nirakara worship that they cannot stand the Saguna and Sakara forms of worship. They feel agitated when Pujas are done. This was not the case with Sri Shankara- charyaji. Although he stood for Non-duality, he was still deeply connected to the variety of forms in which the Lord is worshipped. In fact, it is his Non-duality that enabled him to adapt himself to many forms and not limit himself to just one form. Some Nirguna people even criticize Saguna worship. They say, “What, Puja! That can go on for hours – it never ends!” And Guruji, with tongue in cheek, added, “Look at our meditation on the other hand – in five minutes we are finished and we can get up!” And then we also have the reverse type of critic who says, “Meditation is for lazy people. They don’t want to prepare all the things for Puja, so they just sit and do meditation.” So there is a ‘war’ among these two types. They criticize each other. But the saint is equally comfortable with both forms. The irony is that the saint does not need either type. He is always fixed in the Absolute consciousness. Yet it is he who is comfortable with both. To him, there is no such thing as, “This alone is meaningful; the other is meaningless.” Now let us look at what worship he does . . .

*****

Verse 7: His Worship

ÍzÉuÉÉrÉÉÈ zÉÇpÉÉåuÉÉï YuÉÍcÉSÌmÉ cÉ ÌuÉwhÉÉåUÌmÉ MüSÉ aÉhÉÉkrÉ¤ÉxrÉÉÌmÉ mÉëMüOûiÉmÉlÉxrÉÉÌmÉ cÉ MüSÉ | mÉPûluÉæ lÉÉqÉÉÍsÉÇ lÉrÉlÉUÍcÉiÉÉlÉÇSxÉÍsÉsÉÉåå qÉÑÌlÉlÉï urÉÉqÉÉåWÇû pÉeÉÌiÉ aÉÑÂSÏ¤ÉÉ¤ÉiÉiÉqÉÉÈ || 7 ||

¾iv¡y¡¦ ¾a¯bhµrv¡ kvacidapi ca vi½³µrapi kad¡ ga³¡dhyak½asy¡pi praka¿atapanasy¡pi ca kad¡ | pa¿hanvai n¡m¡li¯ nayanaracit¡na¯dasalilµ munirna vy¡mµha¯ bhajati gurud§k½¡k½atatam¡¦ || 7 ||

1 shivāyāh shaṁbhoh vā kvachidapi cha vishhṇoh api kadā He does worship of the consort of Shiva, at times Shambhu (Shiva), at times Vishnu, 2 gaṇādhyakshhasya api prakaṭatapanasya api cha kadā; At other times of Ganapati, and sometimes of the visible Sun; 3 paṭhanvai nāmāliṁ nayana-rachita ānandasalilah Chanting the many Names with tears of joy welling in the eyes, 4 munih na vyāmohaṁ bhajati gurudīkshhā kshhatatamāh. The sage, with ignorance dispelled by Guru's Grace, is not at all deluded by these.

There is a wide choice of Names to choose from in all religions, and especially in Hinduism, the variety is so vast that it can tend to become confusing at times. This verse resolves the very cause of such conflicts. 1 Shivaayaah: This is the Lord Shiva’s consort, Mother Parvati. Worshippers of the Divine Mother are called Shaktas. The manner in which texts like this are to be understood is that when one Name is mentioned, all other Names in the same family are to be taken as understood. Thus all the Goddesses are included. During the nine-day Navaratri festival, Devi Puja starts with Mother Kali, then Mother Lakshmi and finally Mother Saraswati. In many places a different form of the Mother is worshipped on each of the nine days. When we were at Sandeepany, on the first Navaratri, Swami Sharadanandaji performed in detail the worship of all nine forms of the Mother. Each day, the murti of the Mother was dressed differently in colourful costumes. One of these forms depicted the Mother with her child. (See pictures after this verse.) Shambhoh; This is Shambhu or Lord Shiva Himself, worshipped by the Shaivites. Vishnoh: This is Lord Vishnu, worshipped by the Vaishnavites. 2 Lord Ganesha and Surya Bhagavan are also mentioned. The list is impossible to complete as each household in India has its own Kula Devi or Devata, who will have a Name that is different from others. The point to note is that the saint does this worship without seeing any differences. 15

3 Whatever is the Name being chanted, he chants them with uniform joy in his heart. The tears show how much feeling he attaches to this worship. Guruji emphasized the need not to become fanatical in the worship of any particular forms of the Lord. There is no need to differentiate between them as they all represent the Supreme Being. If we start forming ‘camps’ for each Deity, then it means that we are not seeing the Non-dual Reality in the Deity. That means other Deities are seen as being different to one’s own. This is an ignorant concept. There should be no rivalry in worship. People may have different Ishta Devatas (favourite deities) but they should not quarrel over the difference. Sometimes people become so fanatical that they refuse to chant the Names of other deities. Guruji demonstrated this with a common Kirtan: “Vaikuntha Vasa Narayana; Kailasa Vasa Sadashiva.” This Kirtan aims to unify the worship of Vaishnavites and Shaivites. Thus, merely because of attachment or fanaticism, or both, one group cannot enjoy listening to the divine glories of another Deity. The devotee who sees God in all names and forms, chants all the Stutis, and for all of them, tears of joy stream out of his eyes! 4 The saint does not lose sight of the Reality in all forms. He does not get attached to one thing in opposition to many other things. When the vision of God is there, the external form is immaterial. A Brahma Jnani, by that fact alone, becomes Brahman. Now let us apply the logic of Drig-Drishya Viveka: The Atman is the Seer; It can never be contaminated by the Seen. It is always superior to the Seen. One aspect of Brahman is that He is the Illuminator; another aspect is that He is the Substratum of the entire universe. As the Illuminator, He is unattached; as the Substratum, He is unopposed to anything. It is like the ocean and the wave. The waves may think they are opposed to the ocean, but the ocean can never feel that the waves are opposed to it. This point has to be understood well, and then only will this text make sense. Without this background, it is not possible to understand the attitude of equanimity. Guruji gave another example: Suppose two children in a family are fighting. Will the parents side with any one of them? No, they will try to stop the fight in a neutral way. Once again, the crucial point is that the appearance does not contaminate the Sub- stratum. The Jivanmukta is not affected in any way by the variety in the manifestations. He calmly remains balanced, even though the varieties may be opposed to each other.

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The Mother on Day 1, The Mother on Days 2 and 3, as a Brahmacharini ready for studies. as a young woman having reached marriageable age. 17

The Mother on Day 4, The Mother on Day 5, as Katyayani, as a married adult with child Karthikeya. who protects, respects, expands, makes sacrifices, and shares. 18

The Mother on Day 6, when She goes through many hardships The Mother on Day 7 and Day 8, as Maha Gouri, golden in colour, and experiences the phase of many physical changes in life. emerging as a changed person after the previous stage of hardship. She is radiant, universal and reaching out.

The Mother on Day 9, as the Mother of Society. The Mother on Vijaya Dasami (Day 10), She is respected and honoured as a symbol of sacrifice. victorious over the conquest of Evil.

Verse 8: His Bathing

MüSÉ aÉ…¡ûÉÇpÉÉåÍpÉÈ YuÉÍcÉSÌmÉ cÉ MÔümÉÉåÎijÉiÉeÉsÉæÈ YuÉÍcÉiMüÉxÉÉUÉåijÉæÈ YuÉÍcÉSÌmÉ xÉSÒwhÉæ¶É ÍzÉÍzÉUæÈ | pÉeÉlxlÉÉlÉæpÉÔïirÉÉ YuÉÍcÉSÌmÉ cÉ MümÉÔïUÌlÉpÉrÉÉ qÉÑÌlÉlÉï urÉÉqÉÉåWÇû pÉeÉÌiÉ aÉÑÂSÏ¤ÉÉ¤ÉiÉiÉqÉÉÈ || 8 ||

kad¡ ga±g¡mbhµbhi¦ kvacidapi ca kÀpµtthitajalai¦ kvacitk¡s¡rµtthai¦ kvacidapi sadu½³ai¾ca ¾i¾irai¦ | bhajansn¡nairbhÀty¡ kvacidapi ca karpÀranibhay¡ munirna vy¡mµha¯ bhajati gurud§k½¡k½atatam¡¦ || 8 ||

1 kadā ganggām-bhobhih kvachidapi cha kūpotthi-tajalaih, Bathing at times in the waters of the Ganges, at times with water drawn from a well, 2 kvachit kāsārotthaih kvachidapi sadushhṇaih cha shishiraih; At times with the waters of the pond, and at times with waters warm or cold, 3 bhajansnānaih bhūtyā kvachidapi cha karpūranibhayā Yet, at other times he besmears the body with ashes white as camphor; 4 munih na vyāmohaṁ bhajati gurudīkshhā kshhatatamāh. The sage, with ignorance dispelled by Guru's Grace, is not at all deluded by these.

The saint is accustomed to bathing at any place, not necessarily only in those places that are considered holy or sacred due to past history. 1 Bathing in the Ganga is considered by Hindus as a purificatory act of exceptional merit. It is said to ‘wash away’ the sins of many births. Symbolically this means bathing in the Jnana Ganga, or the River of Knowledge. But, literally millions flock to the River Ganga annually to take the ceremonial dip. The saint also takes his bath in the holy rivers of India as and when the occasion arises. But other means of cleaning oneself are also resorted to without differentiating them from the Ganga bath. At times, he may have to draw water from a well. Using a bucket attached to a long rope, he throws it down the well and pulls up the full bucket to pour over himself for his bath. Guruji mentioned that he used to do this daily at a certain time in his days as a young Brahmachari, “not because of Jivanmukti or anything like that, but out of sheer necessity.” That was the only means available. 2 A kaasaar is a lake or a pond. The water is still in comparison to a river, otherwise there is no difference. Sometimes in these still waters, there could be crocodiles; this is an additional danger here. Pilgrims going to Badrinath will be accustomed to bathing in the natural hot springs that surface there. They can have a bath in hot water provided by Nature. Those who go to

Gangotri, need to bath there in the icy waters of the melting snows. This is the very opposite of the hot springs. But in both these waters, or in the neutral waters of ponds, the saint is equally comfortable to take his bath. 3 At times, a traveller may find no water available at all. In such cases what he does is to smear his body with a white ash produced from burning the wood of certain trees. The devotees of Shiva are accustomed to this method as a matter of ritual, not because of lack of water. It helps them to remember Lord Shiva who is said to smear Himself with white ashes. The saint is quite happy to follow this method whenever necessary. Guruji mentioned an exceptional case of such usage of ash. Pujya Gurudev would occasionally hold a class at 4 am, perhaps because he had to leave early that day on some urgent travel. It may not necessarily be to deliberately impose some austerity on the Brahmacharis. But when this was the case, the students had little time to bathe. They would then smear ashes all over their body and rush to the class. That would make them feel clean and smell clean! Today we have modern facilities for bathing. If Shankaracharyaji were to write this Stuti today, he would have included geysers for a hot bath, showers for a cold bath, and saunas for a health bath! He may even mention mixer taps that mix hot and cold, and water jets in a tub for bathing. Surely, the saint will be at ease even with them. 4 What is the big deal about this variety of ways to bathe? Many people are doing it all the time. The big point here concerns Rules for bathing. The problem is that many people, who try to adhere strictly to tradition, impose on themselves the rule to adopt only one particular means for bathing. That may be okay when one is at his own home, but when travelling, the same facility may not be available everywhere. To insist on a particular type of bath will put others into great difficulty to obtain the facility. Some people are accustomed to bathing 3 times a day. If there is a water shortage, they cannot insist on this. They have to adjust their need. One cannot go on strike if he does not get his accustomed bath. The lesson here is Anagraha or Non-insistence. There is a need to be flexible regarding rules such as the above. Obsessions on doing things in a fixed way may not be practical and for that reason they are a sign of attachment if insisted upon. A saint will never put people into inconvenience over these personal matters. Being flexible is the main point being taught through this verse. Pujya Gurudev had a novel way of expressing this flexibility. He would say, “there is a horizontal Ganga (the actual river itself); and there is also a vertical Ganga (meaning standing under a shower!). Both are okay.” So we should make sure our desire for a simple life should not make life complex for others who are serving us! We can co-operate by not insisting on any fixed rules. Knowledge produces three results in a saint: 1. First, it eliminates ignorance. This wipes away the wrong notions about the Self. 2. Second, it makes one free from obsessions and insistence. There is no such thing as “Only this way” for a saint. 3. Third, it frees him from likes and dislikes, by removing desire itself.

***** 22

Verse 9: Three States of Consciousness

MüSÉÍcÉ‹ÉaÉ×irÉÉÇ ÌuÉwÉrÉMüUhÉæÈ xÉÇurÉuÉWûUlÉç MüSÉÍcÉixuÉmlÉxjÉÉlÉç AÌmÉ cÉ ÌuÉwÉrÉÉlÉåuÉ cÉ pÉeÉlÉç | MüSÉÍcÉixÉÉæwÉÑmiÉÇ xÉÑZÉqÉlÉÑpÉuÉ³ÉåuÉ xÉiÉiÉÇ qÉÑÌlÉlÉï urÉÉqÉÉåWÇû pÉeÉÌiÉ aÉÑÂSÏ¤ÉÉ¤ÉiÉiÉqÉÉÈ || 9 ||

kad¡cijj¡g»ty¡¯ vi½ayakara³ai¦ sa¯vyavaharan kad¡citsvapnasth¡n api ca vi½ay¡n£va ca bhajan | kad¡citsau½upta¯ sukhamanubhavann£va satata¯ munirna vy¡mµha¯ bhajati gurud§k½¡k½atatam¡¦ || 9 ||

1 kadāchit jāgrtyāṁ vishhayakaraṇaih saṁvyavaharan At times in the waking state, operating well the sense-organs amidst sense objects; 2 kadāchit svapnasthān api cha vishhayān eva cha bhajan; At times in the dream state, enjoying also the objects presented therein; 3 kadāchit saushhuptaṁ sukham-anubhavan eva satataṁ And then, in deep sleep, enjoying continuously the bliss of that state; 4 munih na vyāmohaṁ bhajati gurudīkshhā kshhatatamāh. The sage, with ignorance dispelled by Guru's Grace, is not at all deluded by these.

Some people have strange ideas about saints. They want to know whether he sleeps or not, and if so, does he dream or not? They are curious to know such things, because there is a lot of hype about people who do not sleep for months, or who do not have dreams at all. These are then considered by some to be marks of saintliness! Let us see whether saints depart from ordinary folk on these matters: 1 Waking State: Yes, the saint goes through this state with all his senses performing their respective functions by engaging themselves with their respective sense objects. 2 Dream State: Saints have dreams also. Not that they have to have dreams. There are no such rules, but occasionally they do. 3 Deep Sleep State: And they enjoy having a good sleep also. So, asks the doubting Thomas, what is the difference then between a saint and an ordinary person like me? 4 The difference is that the saint goes through these states without delusion. Saintliness does not lie in having or not having sleep, dreams, etc. It lies in not having delusion, or not having ignorance or knowing one’s true nature. In other words, the saint is a saint not because he has super-physical abilities, but because he has super-spiritual qualities. The difference between a wise man and a fool lies in knowledge, nothing else. The fool may be able to jump higher than the wise man, but that does not make him any wiser! 23

Actually, saints are not queer people; our ideas of saints are queer. We hold such ideas because we are so fixed in those ways, that it is hard for us to believe that others can be different. The only difference between saints and ordinary people is that they are not deluded. We need not look elsewhere for any differences, such as whether they sleep or whether they dream. All such enquiries take us away from the main point – that they are undeluded. Let us take another look at the waking state: The ordinary man relates to every object by saying either “I like it” or “I do not like it.” This does not happen in a saint. Because of the absence of likes and dislikes, all the senses of the saint are under control. This is not the case with ordinary people. The important conclusion to be made is that in the externals, we do not see any differences, but if we look at the mind, there is a huge difference. There is one more noticeable difference as a result of having no likes and dislikes. The wise man is always pleased and pleasant, never in an agitated state of want. So much for the waking state. Now let us look at the dream state: It is not necessary to expect one to have a dream every day. And when dream does come, we should be looking at the quality or content of the dream to tell the difference. Ordinary people look at dreams superficially. We say, “Sweet dreams”. What does this mean besides an act of social courtesy? Will it stop him from dreaming that he falls over some cowdung? What can we or the dreamer do about his dream? It is totally a private affair. Even to our dreams we get attached. “Ah, it was such a nice dream; I don’t know why I had to get up.” This is out of ignorance. The wise man never responds in this manner. Guruji told us of a man who used to regularly dream he was a king. He got so used to it that he began liking his dream more than the waking state. This is the deep level that our attachment can reach. And, lastly we revisit the deep sleep state: It is said that the wise man’s sleep is also a meditation. For many of us, the reverse is true – a fool’s meditation is also a sleep! In this way, Guruji taught us how to examine a verse from various angles. There is so much meaning we can draw from it. The bottom line is that in all the three states, the wise man is undeluded. This is the ripened fruit of knowledge of the Self. It is directly opposite to the ordinary man’s experience. The wise man never forgets that he is the Atman; the ordinary man never forgets that he is the body. The wise man knows that he is the illuminator of all the three states of experience, even while he goes through them.

*****

Verse 10: His Attire

MüSÉmrÉÉzÉÉuÉÉxÉÉÈ YuÉÍcÉSÌmÉ cÉ ÌSurÉÉÇoÉUkÉUÈ YuÉÍcÉimÉÇcÉÉxrÉÉåijÉÉÇ iuÉcÉqÉÌmÉ SkÉÉlÉÈ MüÌOûiÉOåû | qÉlÉxuÉÏ ÌlÉÈzÉÇMüÈ xÉÑeÉlÉ™SrÉÉlÉÇSeÉlÉMüÉå qÉÑÌlÉlÉï urÉÉqÉÉåWÇû pÉeÉÌiÉ aÉÑÂSÏ¤ÉÉ¤ÉiÉiÉqÉÉÈ || 10 ||

kad¡py¡¾¡v¡s¡¦ kvacidapi ca divy¡¯baradhara¦ kvacitpa¯c¡syµtth¡¯ tvacamapi dadh¡na¦ ka¿ita¿£ | manasv§ ni¦¾a¯ka¦ sujanah»day¡na¯dajanakµ munirna vy¡mµha¯ bhajati gurud§k½¡k½atatam¡¦ || 10 ||

1 kadāpi āshāvāsāh kvachidapi cha divyāṁbaradharah Sometimes clad in the quarters (i.e. nude), and at times attired in costly, silken robes; 2 kvachit panchāsyotthāṁ tvacham api dadhānah kaṭitaṭe; Sometimes wearing the tiger’s (or deer’s) skin around the waist, 3 manasvī nihshankah sujana-hrdayānanda-janakah with restrained mind, in complete detachment and gladdening the heart of the good; 4 munih na vyāmohaṁ bhajati gurudīkshhā kshhatatamāh. The sage, with ignorance dispelled by Guru's Grace, is not at all deluded by these.

This verse focuses on what the saint wears. How does a wise man regard clothes? 1 Aashaa: Here, the word does not mean “expectation” or “anxiety”. It means the ten directions. What does that mean? The clothes are the space that extends from his body in all the ten directions. That means he has no clothes! He is a Dig-ambara, “one who has space in all directions as his clothes.” On the other hand, the saint is just as comfortable in expensive “Divya-ambara”, which means silken wear, or clothes that are for a man of fine taste, as worn by the gods. 2 Or, he could be wearing just a loin-cloth made of tiger-skin or deer-skin. The above clothes could be referring to the same saint at different times, or it could be referring to the preferences of different saints who are used to wearing a particular dress. For example, Sri Ramana Maharshi always wore a kaupin. You will never see him “in a suit and tie”. Samarth Ramdas also only wore a kaupin no matter who was visiting him. 3 What determines the dress that a saint chooses to wear? The primary consideration is detachment (Nihshankhah) and modesty. Manasvi is one whose mind is so well-disciplined, that there is an implication in the word that whatever thought arises in such a mind will come to fruition. Here is an example of Sri Gajanan Maharaj: Once all the townspeople and Maharaj went to some forest and under a tree they lit a fire for cooking. They did not notice a beehive directly above them on the tree. Naturally, 25 with the heat from the fire, the bees came buzzing out. Just one sting from a bee could be unbearable. So, the people ran helter skelter as fast as they could. They forgot about Sri Gajanan Maharaj, who was left all alone, bare-bodied – a welcome target for the bees! Soon a swarm of bees were sitting on his body. The people noticed this from afar, but no one dared to go to his aid. Then due to a Sankalpa (a strong thought) that he made, all the bees left him suddenly. There were no stings at all on his body. He had a Yogi’s body and a Yogi’s mind that was free from all body consciousness and all fear. There is a beautiful phrase in this line: Sujana-Hrdayananda-Janakah – “the creator of joy in the hearts of the virtuous.” This is what determines what he wears. He must bring joy to others. His own appearance and comfort is not a consideration. 4 The absence of delusion lies in the fact that the saint has understood that he is not the physical body.

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Verse 11: The Three Gunas & Beyond

MüSÉÍcÉixÉ¨uÉxjÉÈ YuÉÍcÉSÌmÉ UeÉÉåuÉ×Ì¨ÉrÉÑÑaÉiÉÈ iÉqÉÉåuÉ×Ì¨ÉÈ YuÉÉÌmÉ Ì§ÉiÉrÉUÌWûiÉÈ YuÉÉÌmÉ cÉ mÉÑlÉÈ | MüSÉÍcÉixÉÇxÉÉUÏ ´ÉÑÌiÉmÉjÉÌuÉWûÉUÏ YuÉÍcÉSWûÉå qÉÑÌlÉlÉï urÉÉqÉÉåWÇû pÉeÉÌiÉ aÉÑÂSÏ¤ÉÉ¤ÉiÉiÉqÉÉÈ || 11 ||

kad¡citsattvastha¦ kvacidapi rajµv»ttisugata- stamµv»tti¦ kv¡pi tritayarahita¦ kv¡pi ca puna¦ | kad¡citsa¯s¡r§ ¾rutipathavih¡r§ kvacidahµ munirna vy¡mµha¯ bhajati gurud§k½¡k½atatam¡¦ || 11 ||

1 kadāchit sattva sthah kvachidapi rajah vrtti yugatah Sometimes firm in Sattwa-Guna, and then motivated by Rajas-Guna, 2 tamovrttih kvāpi tritaya rahitah kvāpi cha punah; Then influenced by Tamo-Guna and later free even from these three; 3 kadāchit saṁsārī shruti-patha-vihārī kvachid ahah Then a man of the world, and lo! revelling anon in the realm of Vedic lore; 4 munih na vyāmohaṁ bhajati gurudīkshhā kshhatatamāh. The sage, with ignorance dispelled by Guru's Grace, is not at all deluded by these.

In the Geeta it is said that the wise one sits like a witness, undisturbed by the Gunas, knowing that the Gunas alone move among the Gunas. This witness-ship of the Gunas is brought out in this verse. 1-2 Just as the outer climate keeps on changing, the mind also is an ‘outer’ state (relative to the Self) and keeps on changing. It cannot remain in one state. The Geeta again: “Overpowering Rajas and Tamas, Sattwa prevails; overpowering Sattwa and Tamas, Rajas prevails; even so, overpowering Sattwa and Rajas, Tamas prevails.” This is the gist of these two Padas. But these changes happen to all of us. What is so special about observing it in a saint? The difference is that the Jivanmukta does not get attached to these states. When Sattwa is there, he enjoys it; when Rajas comes, he observes it; when Tamas comes, he does not try to chase it away or feel dejected about it. He remains as an observer of all the three Gunas, whenever they come. Certain things happen in Nature in their own time – they are unstoppable; they are also non-enforceable. They can neither be stopped nor rushed. For instance, we cannot force ourselves to get hungry. When we eat, we cannot force the digestion process. It will happen in its own time. No one can stop the clouds from gathering and the wind from blowing. All this happens according to the rhythm of the Gunas. The Jivanmukta understands this and lets the flow just happen.

The mind is Prakriti; it has to undergo Vikriti or change. The mental modifications come and go. The wise Jivanmukta does not get upset or elated by these changes. He does not insist that a thing should be like this only. That goes against Nature. Health is another factor that changes unpredictably. Of course, we all wish to remain healthy, but at any time ill-health can visit us. We have to be ready for that also. 3 There is a song which runs as follow: “Sometimes, Shiva is seen with Parvati as a worldly person. We should not think that He is a Samsari. He also has a bull near Him. We should not think that that makes Him a trader just like everyone else.” It is quite an eye-opening song. There are so many cases of Bhaktas engaged in ordinary services, but their minds are high above all the activities they do. They are engrossed in God-Consciousness. Shruti-Patha-Vihari: “within the realm of Vedic lore”. This is another beautiful phrase. It means abiding by all the scriptural rules and injunctions. This means different things to people in the four Ashramas. To a Sannyasi it will mean keeping to his vow of renunciation. To a householder it will mean doing all his duties perfectly. To a Brahmachari it means dedicating himself fully to his studies. The “Aho” at the end stands for Ahah, which expresses wonder at how different people follow the tenets of the scriptures and beautify their lives by doing so. 4 The Jivanmukta, with the full knowledge of how the Gunas operate through the human instruments, is undeluded by the manifestations of these Gunas. He simply observes them passing by as a wave, and remains unaffected by them.

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Verse 12: His Verbal Expressions

MüSÉÍcÉlqÉÉælÉxjÉÈ YuÉÍcÉSÌmÉ cÉ uÉÉauÉÉSÌlÉUiÉÈ MüSÉÍcÉixuÉÉlÉÇSå WxÉÌiÉ UpÉxÉÉ irÉ£üuÉcÉxÉÉ | MüSÉÍcÉssÉÉåMüÉlÉÉÇ urÉuÉ™ÌiÉxÉqÉÉsÉÉåMülÉmÉUÉå qÉÑÌlÉlÉï urÉÉqÉÉåWÇû pÉeÉÌiÉ aÉÑÂSÏ¤ÉÉ¤ÉiÉiÉqÉÉÈ || 12 ||

kad¡cinmaunastha¦ kvacidapi ca v¡gv¡danirata¦ kad¡citsv¡na¯d£ hasati rabhas¡ tyaktavacas¡ | kad¡cillµk¡n¡¯ vyavah»tisam¡lµkanaparµ munirna vy¡mµha¯ bhajati gurud§k½¡k½atatam¡¦ || 12 ||

1 kadāchit maunasthah kvachid api cha vāgvāda niratah Sometimes, he observes silence, at other times he is active in wordy discussions; 2 kadāchit svānande hasati rabhasā tyaktavachasā; Sometimes he laughs aloud while reveling in the Bliss of his own Self; 3 kadāchit lokānāṁ vyavahrtisamā-lokanaparah And at other times he closely observes the behaviour of people around him. 4 munih na vyāmohaṁ bhajati gurudīkshhā kshhatatamāh. The sage, with ignorance dispelled by Guru's Grace, is not at all deluded by these.

The Muni who has overcome delusion by the Grace of his Guru’s teaching, enjoys life fully. Here we see how he expresses his joy verbally. 1a At most times, the expression is through Silence. There are three types of silence: i) Due to Vow: There is a silence which may be due to a Vow. A person says, “I will not speak on a Monday.” This is a vow that he enforces upon himself as a means to cultivate self-discipline. Guruji quoted the case of a couple that observed a Mouna which doubled the practice of each one. He observed mouna on a Saturday, and she observed mouna on a Sunday! So they had very peaceful weekends! ii) Due to Thought: Then there is the Mouna which is due to deep thought. When a man is in serious thought, he cannot speak at the same time. When he is seeing the Oneness in all, he becomes speechless. When he is in deep meditation, his tongue is disengaged. This type of mouna is not enforced by anything external, but by an internal condition of absorption of the mind. iii) Due to God-vision: The ultimate stage of silence is when one has the vision of God. This is the state when the experience is beyond “the reach of mind and speech”. 1b However, this does not mean that the saint dislikes speaking. There are times when he engages in deep discussions depending on who he is speaking to. When it is called for, he does not hesitate to give expression to the rich thoughts that flow in his mind and 29 the noble sentiments and feelings that course through his heart. His words, like his silence, have a wealth of knowledge and experience to convey. At such times he will speak on any subject matter that arises on the occasion. It does not have to be the routine “Brahman, Maya, Jagat and Jeeva” scenario. People have the idea that a Jivanmukta speaks, or should speak, only on these topics. That is a stereotype only. He is ready to speak on any matter that is of interest to people. Some may come to him to pour out their personal problems. Some may ask about the political situation of the country. Others are interested in social matters, or economical matters. All these subjects are welcomed by the Jivanmukta. 2 However, a form in between the above two also exists. He is neither silent nor is he discussing anything. He simply laughs! What makes him burst out spontaneously in laughter, even when he is alone? It is reveling in the experience of Bliss within. That is so intense, that the saint cannot contain his joy and lets out a hearty laugh to express it. The Upanishads have their own way to describe this state. In sentences that contain the experience of God, one finds that the line ends in “Haa, Hoo Haa, Hoo Haa, . . .” Guruji demonstrated it to the class. It is called the Song of Realisation. He asked us to learn it, even if we were not realised! He said, “If realisation happens one day, at least you will know what to sing. You should be prepared for it!” Guruji then sang from memory the full song of realisation as it appears in the Taittireeya Upanishad. When he was done, he said, “Now you are all realised souls!” 3 Sometimes, the Jivanmukta is just sitting among some people. He watches them carefully to see how they are acting, reacting or interacting, behaving and conducting themselves. He is not classifying them, but is just curious to know how they respond to their surroundings. Guruji suggested that we can try this experiment. “On a day when you are free, go to the railway station or the airport. Just sit there and watch what goes on. There is so much entertainment just in watching others. Of course, no one stops others from making you into a piece for their entertainment! Just by observing, you can identify who is a seasoned traveler and who is a first-time one; who is on some serious business, and who is just showing off; who is thinking and who is just allowing his mind to wander. 4 In this verse we see more meanings of delusion arise: i) we see people without discrimination; ii) people who are infatuated; iii) people fascinated; iv) people attached to things or other people – this is in addition to the types we have already come across: those who are obsessed or insistent, and those who just do not know themselves. In the Jivanmukta, we see absence of delusion in his spontaneity. He just flows with all that is happening around him. Guruji narrated this anecdote to illustrate: An old man fell down a waterfall . . . into the pool of water below. A young man jumped inside and pulled him out. Then he started with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and other first-aid. The old man told him, “Calm down, young man, I know how to fall with the flow and flow with the fall!” He was a Jivanmukta!

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Verse 13: His Non-Dual Worship!

MüSÉÍcÉcNû£üÏlÉÉÇ ÌuÉMücÉqÉÑZÉmÉ©åwÉÑ MüuÉsÉÉlÉç Í¤ÉmÉÇxiÉÉxÉÉÇ YuÉÉÌmÉ xuÉrÉqÉÌmÉ cÉ aÉ×ºûlxuÉqÉÑZÉiÉÈ | iÉS²æiÉÇ ÃmÉÇ ÌlÉeÉmÉUÌuÉWûÏlÉÇ mÉëMüOûrÉlÉç qÉÑÌlÉlÉï urÉÉqÉÉåWÇû pÉeÉÌiÉ aÉÑÂSÏ¤ÉÉ¤ÉiÉiÉqÉÉÈ || 13 ||

kad¡cicchakt§n¡¯ vikacamukhapadm£½u kaval¡n k½ipa¯st¡s¡¯ kv¡pi svayamapi ca g»h³ansvamukhata¦ | tadadvaita¯ rÀpa¯ nijaparavih§na¯ praka¿ayan munirna vy¡mµha¯ bhajati gurud§k½¡k½atatam¡¦ || 13 ||

1 kadāchit shaktīnāṁ vikachamukha-padmeshhu kavalān Sometimes he feeds rice-balls into the open lotus-like mouths of the Goddesses, 2 kshhipaṁstāsāṁ kvāpi svayam api cha grhṇan-svamukhatah; And sometimes while he is feeding them, he slips some into his own mouth also! 3 tad advaitaṁ rūpaṁ nijaparavihīnaṁ prakaṭayan After all, it reveals his Non-dual nature – he is not distinct from the Goddesses. 4 munih na vyāmohaṁ bhajati gurudīkshhā kshhatatamāh. The sage, with ignorance dispelled by Guru's Grace, is not at all deluded by these.

Earlier in Verse 7 we came across the many Deities that are worshipped by the saint. In this verse those very Deities are being fed and the Jivanmukta adds his own juicy bits to it. 1 We mentioned the three Creatrixes already, we also have the three Shaktis or manifestations of three powers, namely, Iccha, Kriya and Jnana – the power of Desire, of Actions, and of Knowledge. These are the Goddesses who are being fed as part of the act of worship by the Jivanmukta. The saint actually places the food offering into the mouths of the Goddesses. This act is called Mukha Padmeshu. 2 Simultaneous with this Kshipam, “act of feeding” the Goddesses, the saint also puts one or two pieces of the offering into his own mouth. Is this not a desecration of the offering? Some people add a cause to the action: “He was feeling hungry so he ate some.” 3 Well, both those reasons are untrue. He is only experiencing the truth of the scriptures that Brahman and the Atman are essentially one. If Brahman can be one with Atman, then it does not require very much extrapolation to feel that the worshipper is also one with the Mother being worshipped. To feel that Oneness, the saint treats himself in the same way as he treats the Goddesses. There is nothing rude about his behaviour. It is a perfectly logical and legitimate stand to take. Let the others standing by think what they like, in his mind he feels fully justified in having the Prasad offered to the Goddesses. The feeling while feeding is: “That Chaitanya which is there in the sun is the same Chaitanya in my eye. That which is in this individual is the same as that in the Total – both

31 are one and the same.” This is the feeling. That is the Truth that the saint beholds. People, not being able to observe that, jump to all sorts of conclusions. And Guruji quipped: One lady to another lady: “The only exercise my husband does is jumping to conclusions!” To the Jivanmukta, there is no such thing as “I” and you. It is all One. And Guruji quoted a real incident from the life of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa: Sri Ramakrishna used to do the Arati for Mother Kali at the Dakshineshwar Temple built by Rani Rasmani. Then he would also do Arati to himself. People who saw this, took it as a complaint to the Rani. They considered it to be blasphemy, as they only saw the body of Ramakrishna. They did not see what Ramakrishna saw. The Rani knew of Ramakrishna’s greatness, but still to satisfy the people, she asked Ramakrishna for the reason. He said, “Wherever I see the Mother, I do the Arati. What’s wrong with that?” Ramakrishna’s idea was that She is in the hearts of all beings. Nijaparaviheenam: “without any thought of another.” Another incident is there about Akhanda Swami Maharaj. His Guru was Odiya Baba. He used to go to Krishna’s temple in Brindavan. He used to just stand there, without doing any Namaskar, and then he would walk back. The people took that, too, as an insult to Bhagavan. One day, one of the devotees watching this took courage and asked him, “If you go there, why do you not do Namaskar?” The truth about the people’s thinking is that they only look at the externals and come to their own conclusion. Odiya Baba said, “I did not know that I did not do Namaskar.” He was so absorbed in the thought of Krishna while in the temple, that he did not even know whether he did or did not do Namaskar! You can also see it this way. If he had any arrogance, he would not have gone to the temple in the first place. Sri Ramana Maharshi has said, “Who can comprehend the state of mind of a Jnani Purusha?” Now a third incident: Sant Tulsidas went to a Krishna temple and saw the Deity there. He thought to himself, “Why this flute and all that? Where is your bow and arrow?” Even Samarth Ramdas went to Pandharpur and thought, “What is this? You are just putting your hand on your hip and standing on a brick!” He also said, “Come on, I want to see your bow and arrow. And where are Sitaji and Hanuman?” It is impossible to judge a Jnani from his actions alone. His words may give us some idea, but even that is not proof enough. We have to go into his mind and see what intention is there. We have to go into his heart and see what feeling is there. 4 The saint has no problem with such acts that appear as blasphemy to others. He has no delusion over such things. But the saint does have one problem – a big one: Others do not understand him! Somebody asked Odiya Baba, “Are you a dualist or a non-dualist?’ Babaji said, “I am neither; I am Non-dual, I am Non-dual!”

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Verse 14: His Vision of Oneness

YuÉÍcÉcNæûuÉæÈ xÉÉkÉïÇ YuÉÍcÉSÌmÉ cÉ zÉÉ£æüÈ xÉWû UqÉlÉç MüSÉ ÌuÉwhÉÉåpÉï£æüÈ YuÉÍcÉSÌmÉ cÉ xÉÉæUæÈ xÉWû uÉxÉlÉç | MüSÉÍcÉªÉhÉåzÉæaÉïiÉxÉMüsÉpÉåSÉåÅ²rÉiÉrÉÉ qÉÑÌlÉlÉï urÉÉqÉÉåWÇû pÉeÉÌiÉ aÉÑÂSÏ¤ÉÉ¤ÉiÉiÉqÉÉÈ || 14 ||

kvacicchaivai¦ s¡rdha¯ kvacidapi ca ¾¡ktai¦ saha raman kad¡ vi½³µrbhaktai¦ kvacidapi ca saurai¦ saha vasan | kad¡cid g¡³£¾airgatasakalabh£dµ:'dvayatay¡ munirna vy¡mµha¯ bhajati gurud§k½¡k½atatam¡¦ || 14 ||

1 kvachit shaivaih sārdhaṁ kvachidapi cha shāktaih saha raman Living at ease somewhere in the company of Shaivas and elsewhere with Sháktas, 2 kadā vishhṇoh bhaktaih kvachidapi cha sauraih saha vasan; And still in another place with the devotees of Vishnu or the Sun, 3 kadāchit gāṇeshaih gatasakala bhedah advayatayā Sometimes with Ganapati's worshippers; with all differences gone in Oneness; 4 munih na vyāmohaṁ bhajati gurudīkshhā kshhatatamāh. The sage, with ignorance dispelled by Guru's Grace, is not at all deluded by these.

In a previous verse we have seen that the saint worships all the Deities without seeing any differences. Here we see that he has same attitude towards the devotees of those Deities also. This verse is about how the saint relates to the devotees of God. 1a Shaivaih: “with the devotees of Shiva”. For example, when he is with devotees of Shiva, they may be discussing, say, Kashmir Shaivism. He is happy to join them and get to know something about Kashmir Shaivism. 1b Shaktaih: “with the Shakti worshippers.” The same applies when he happens to be with devotees of Shakti or the Divine Mother. Among these devotees, there is a lot of discussion on customs, traditions, rituals, etc. That, too, the Jivanmukta enjoys. 2a Vishnoh: “with Vishnu devotees.” These are Krishna and Rama Bhaktas. They follow the philosophy of Dvaita founded by Madhvacharya. 2b Sauraih: “with worshippers of Sun God.” There are not many of them left today. 3a Gaaneshaih: “with devotees of Lord Ganesha.” 3b Advayataya: “merged in Oneness”. Almost all the followers of a single group get attached to their own brand of philosophy, and begin to see the others as being faulty. They see differences among themselves. But the Jivanmukta is able to attend all their talks and grasp their meaning in an integrated way. He sees no differences in them. He is free from all notions of differences and is aware only of the Non-dual Truth.

The Path of Integration If there is no integration, we find people getting very confused. In this verse are mentioned six types of devotees, as listed above, but we have to read it as including all the other numerous schools of philosophy, such as the Jains, the Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, etc. All these, if not integrated with the others, can cause confusion if seen independently of them. Sri Rama Tirtha, before going to the West to preach Vedanta, grounded himself well in all the philosophies such as Islam, Sufism, Christianity and Judaism. That is why he was able to make a big impact on Western audiences. We can even consider the inclusion of secular philosophies like Communism, Socialism and Capitalism, etc. These are also different schools of thought. Guruji suggested that even Atheism can be included. That is the spirit of this verse. However, he also said that we will find that all of them will fight with each other, but the Jivanmukta can mix freely with all because of his intrinsically integrative approach.

The Jivanmukta Cannot be Labelled The tendency today is to place each person in a pigeonhole and leave him there for good. This is the trend we see especially among the media. However much we try doing this in the case of a Jivanmukta, we cannot tell which pigeonhole to place him in! When Shiva Puja is going on, people will think he is a Shiva Bhakta. When Vishnu Puja is being done, he will appear as though he were a Vaishnavite. We will never be able to tell who is his Ishta Devata, because he is equal to them all. Due to his realization of the Non-dual Brahman, he is at ease wherever he goes. He does not agitate people, and is not agitated by them. This is proof that he can truly make himself one with all. 4 The Jivanmukta is firm in his fundamental knowledge, and so no one can shake him from his ground. Most importantly, he remains ever undeluded, which means he has no obsessions, does not insist on having his own way, and harmonises with all.

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Verse 15: Form & Formless

ÌlÉUÉMüÉUÇ YuÉÉÌmÉ YuÉÍcÉSÌmÉ cÉ xÉÉMüÉUqÉqÉsÉÇ ÌlÉeÉÇ zÉæuÉ ÃmÉÇ ÌuÉÌuÉkÉaÉÑhÉpÉåSålÉ oÉWÒûkÉÉ | MüSÉ¶ÉrÉïÇ mÉzrÉÎlMüÍqÉSÍqÉÌiÉ ™wrÉ³ÉÌmÉ MüSÉ qÉÑÌlÉlÉï urÉÉqÉÉåWÇû pÉeÉÌiÉ aÉÑÂSÏ¤ÉÉ¤ÉiÉiÉqÉÉÈ || 15 ||

nir¡k¡ra¯ kv¡pi kvacidapi ca s¡k¡ramamala¯ nija¯ ¾aiva rÀpa¯ vividhagu³abh£d£na bahudh¡ | kad¡¾carya¯ pa¾yankimidamiti h»½yannapi kad¡ munirna vy¡mµha¯ bhajati gurud§k½¡k½atatam¡¦ || 15 ||

1 nirākāraṁ kvāpi kvachidapi cha sākāra-mamalaṁ Although God is formless, yet sometimes he can be visualised as with form. 2 nijaṁ shaiva rūpaṁ vividha-guṇa-bhedena bahudhā; His own pure auspicious form is one of many that arise due to the interplay of Gunas; 3 kadā āshcharyaṁ pashyan kim idam iti hrshhyan api kadā That which is a wondrous form to the eye; is also a formless delight to the heart! 4 munih na vyāmohaṁ bhajati gurudīkshhā kshhatatamāh. The sage, with ignorance dispelled by Guru's Grace, is not at all deluded by these.

We return to the theme of Form and Formless, but not in the context of worship. This time it is from a practical perspective of how both have their respective good points. 1 Nirakara is “formless”; Sakara is “with form”. How is it possible for Brahman to be both at the same time? Sant Tulsidas explains how: “A lake is beautiful; it represents Nirakara. Place a lotus flower in it, and it becomes even more beautiful; this represents Sakara.” In the above strain, so much poetry has been written to equate Nirakara and Sakara by those who have experienced the glory of both. To such people, there is no difference between the two. 2 The word Shaiva is interpreted by Guruji in its etymological sense as “auspicious”, not its implied sense as Lord Shiva. Guruji sees it as meaning that all forms have auspiciousness about them. In particular, one’s own form is to be regarded as auspicious together with all other forms. They are all the interplay of the three Gunas. In order to do this, we will discover that we need to have quite a detached attitude towards our own ego-self and be able to see ourselves as no different from others. Further, to be able to see it as auspicious takes away all negative attitudes we may have towards ourselves. We strengthen the attitude that “man is made in the image of God.” 3 Now we come to a very poetic line, simply constructed, but expressive of a beautiful attitude towards life. It beautifully integrates Sakara with Nirakara. 35

The Sakara is beheld with the eye; the Nirakara is beheld by the “inner eye” or the heart, the centre of our feelings. If we open our eyes, we see the Sakara form of the Lord; if we shut them in meditation, we see the Nirakara formless.

Wonderful Moments Another important word here is Aascharya, meaning “wonder” and it gave Guruji occasion to elaborate considerably on this theme of Wonder. When we see something wonderful, we spontaneous utter, “Aah!” Guruji smilingly said, “that is where the word Aascharya comes from. Such moments in life are the “Aah” moments. Very much related with “Aah” moments, are the moments when we appreciate anything. That is when we spontaneously utter, “Waah!” Guruji again linked this as the short form of “Wanderful!” Such moments in life are the “Waah” moments. Different people have different ideas of what constitutes a wonder and what constitutes an appreciation. “Aah” and “Waah” moments differ from person to person. But to the Jivanmukta, this whole world experience is an “Aah” experience, worthy of a “Waah”.

“Wonderful” vs. “Rational” The discussion took a deeper turn: Aascharya is when we experience something but we cannot rationalize it. The experience bypasses the intellect. Intellect always looks for an explanation. In Aascharya, it can’t find it. Sometimes, even if a logical explanation is given, or rather attempted, it still appears as a wonder. These are exceptional wonders! Example 1: Consider a cellphone. There are no visible wires, nothing that can satisfy the prying senses. Yet, the voice comes, the picture comes. Is it not a wonder of modern science? The explanations of how this happens is given in hundreds of university courses. Nonetheless, it still remains a wonder. Guruji gave other examples from Nature: Example 2: A seed sprouts from rocky ground with tender leaves and flowers that are so delicate – is this not a wonder? Example 3: You eat bread, butter, pizza, etc – how does it all become bone, blood, flesh, etc? This, too, is a wonder. Now for the example that Guruji was converging on: Example 4: The Nirguna Brahman appears as this world – this is a wonder to the Jivanmukta. What a wonder it must be to him? What makes it such a wonder, asks the Jivanmukta. There is no reason for Pure Existence to appear in so many varieties of forms, but It does. And why choose this form and not any other? If even the Jivanmukta finds it hard to answer these questions, how much more difficult will it be for you and I to answer them? We do not even see what the Jivanmukta sees. It is impossible for us to appreciate the wonder that is the world. One question leads to another. The next question will be: “What is the power that makes it happen? The questions are endless – because the wonder is ceaseless! Now there was no stopping Guruji. He just kept going on the theme. . .

The Wonder of Brahman In the field of Science, we start our attempt to find an explanation by making an assumption. It may be the correct one or it may be far from the truth, but we have to start with it. That assumption itself is a kind of wonder while we are working on it. This applies to mathematics and logic as well. When the subject is Brahman, how do we go about making an assumption? Even to make an assumption requires some basic knowledge and understanding. For knowledge in science is always associated with an object to be known. In most philosophies, the assumption is made on the basis of the investigator’s personal level of growth. In the field of philosophy that assumption is rarely given up. The more it is worked on, the more convinced does the person become that it is true. This is why Scriptures are needed, to place before us the correct assumption to work towards. The Upanishads provide us with the ‘prototype’ of Brahman as a working model. It tells us, “There is only One; a second thing is not there. That One is Brahman.” The Jivanmukta is a living example of one who has discovered the truth of this assumption, by carefully following all the directions, clues and assistance given in the Scriptures. By having followed the prescribed path, he reaches Brahman. When he reaches Him, He is truly a Wonder of all wonders. To us who observe the Jivanmukta, we can take the Jivanmukta as a wonder, as we can see how different he is from the rest of us. This text tells us exactly where the difference lies. The wise have this message for scientists who try to probe Brahman with their intellects: “Reality which becomes an object of the intellect, ceases to be the Reality.” On the contrary, the scientists say, “If it does not become an object of our intellect, what is the proof that He exists?” And so, the intellectual search for Brahman itself becomes a wonder, for it never ends!

The Bhagavad Geeta on “Aascharya” The Bhagavad Geeta and the Katha Upanishad have near-identical verses on the theme of Aascharya. The focus in both of them is on the teacher and the student. Both are considered as wonders. Why? Here is the reason: The teacher has to explain the Reality without making it into an object. And the student has to receive the teaching of Reality without making it into an object. The wonder is that they both succeed! The Upanishadic statement is thus verified by practical direct experience of Brahman. In the same verse is stated the third wonder: This is the person who does not understand what Brahman is. How can one not understand Brahman, since Brahman is his very own Self. He is That, yet he does not understand Him! That must surely also be a wonder. Guruji, conscious that he was addressing a group that had been studying Brahman for the last two years, said, “Not to know our own Self is a matter of utter shame. We say in Vedanta, ‘I have no birth, I have no death’. But to realize that I have to take another hundred births! Is this not a wonder? I should know I am ‘birthless’, otherwise this knowledge is ‘worthless’.” Guruji continued, and took his message to its crescendo –

“Now I want to tell you something that will make you think. We have had so many Q & A sessions on the course. So many questions you have asked, and so many answers have been given to you. With all those answers, tell me honestly, is there any one of you who has realized during the Course? Is it not, therefore, also a wonder that, after all the answers given, yet some degree of confusion, some delusion still remains? What a wonder that is! We don’t know what God is up to. He has many tricks up His sleeves.” Guruji ended with the following observation from his own experience: “Many people say that if we cannot comprehend anything, it does not exist. What a wonderful logic that is! They say, ‘It does not appeal to my intellect.’ Oh, so your intellect is so great, even greater than God, whom it wants to try and understand!” Guruji’s labour on this verse paid rich dividends to the students on the penultimate day of the entire Course. Every student remained seated and in deep thought long after Guruji got up and left the hall. One person remarked, “Only a Jivanmukta could have said all these things!”

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PATNA FALLS a few kilometers beyond Rishikesh

AN ESSAY ON JIVANMUKTI By Swami Tejomayananda

The concept that we hold of Liberation determines our whole idea of the person who is liberated, the Jivanmukta. There are various ideas of Liberation. Among certain people, liberation is going to another plane of existence such as Heaven. That is very different from the Liberation that Sri Shankaracharyaji is talking about in this text. In such a Heaven, there are again two options: Do we still retain our identity as Jeeva or do we relinquish it? In Vedanta Shastra (Upanishads) the concept of Liberation is this: Bondage is only ignorance and the mistaken notion of our real identity. As soon as that wrong notion is corrected, we are instantly free – we are Liberated! Suppose I am walking on the road and I somehow feel that my shadow is ‘me’. Then at every moment, I will be thinking of my shadow. I will look at it again and again to see if it is following me around, and also if it is safe. If a car runs over my shadow, it will give me great distress! Consider these two views of Liberation: A. Liberation Now & Here: Bondage is a state associated with some discomfort, pain, unease, unnaturalness. If these are removed, then I am free from Bondage. So, to understand what liberation is, we need to understand our Bondage. If our suffering is now, in this place, in this body, on this earth – then naturally the solution also has to be found here and now, in this life, in this body, and while living. It is futile seeking for a solution somewhere else. That is the Liberation we are talking about. That is Jivanmukti. B. Liberation in Heaven: Somebody who is suffering here and who feels that liberation is in heaven, will resign himself to suffer here any amount. He will not do anything about his suffering. He will consider it to be a futile effort. Only heaven will end his suffering. Such a person’s life will clearly be very different from the previous case. In fact, Heaven does not provide any relief to the person here on earth. So what kind of a relief is it? It is of no use at all. The person’s suffering continues more and more, till he dies! Only Type A Liberation, the Vedantic type, brings true freedom from sorrow. In Vedanta, the definition of a Sthitaprajna in the Geeta gives the best definition of Liberation. It is described there as “freedom from Desire.” Once desire ceases, one is free from his bondage, for all suffering can be traced to desire. That is real freedom. Kaamana Nivriti and Atma Santushti: “freedom from desire” and “contentment in the soul” – that is the Geeta’s definition of Jivanmukti. The Geeta emphatically says that one who is free from desire, fear and anger is free. When can one be free from desire, fear and anger? The only solution offered in the Geeta is to become one with everyone. It is very hard to understand this, yet it is true. Most people cannot believe that such a thing is possible. That is why Jivanmuktas are so rare. This is stated at the very outset of the Geeta. The remaining discourses add the nuts and bolts to fix this idea in our mind. It is called Sarvatma Bhava in the Geeta, the feeling of oneness with all beings. The implication of such a statement is that there is one Self in all. Individuals differ only because of variations in our subtle body – mind and intellect.

Verse 16: The Vision of the Mahavakyas

MüSÉ ²æiÉÇ mÉzrÉ³ÉÎZÉsÉqÉÌmÉ xÉirÉÇ ÍzÉuÉqÉrÉÇ qÉWûÉuÉÉYrÉÉjÉÉïlÉÉqÉç AuÉaÉÌiÉxÉqÉç AprÉÉxÉuÉzÉiÉÈ | aÉiÉ²æiÉÉpÉÉuÉÈ ÍzÉuÉ ÍzÉuÉ ÍzÉuÉåirÉåuÉ ÌuÉsÉmÉlÉç qÉÑÌlÉlÉï urÉÉqÉÉåWÇû pÉeÉÌiÉ aÉÑÂSÏ¤ÉÉ¤ÉiÉiÉqÉÉÈ || 16 ||

kad¡ dvaita¯ pa¾yannakhilamapi satya¯ ¾ivamaya¯ mah¡v¡ky¡rth¡n¡m avagatisam abhy¡sava¾ata¦ | gatadvait¡bh¡va¦ ¾iva ¾iva ¾iv£ty£va vilapan munirna vy¡mµha¯ bhajati gurud§k½¡k½atatam¡¦ || 16 ||

1 kadā dvaitaṁ pashyan akhilam api satyaṁ shivamayaṁ Even though he sees the Duality, yet he is fixed in the Absolute Conscious Reality, 2 mahāvākyārthānām avagatisam abhyāsa-vashatah; owing to the realisation and practice of the import of the Mahāvākyas; 3 gata-dvaitā-bhāvah shiva shiva shiva iti eva vilapan freed from the mistaken notion of duality and always uttering the word ‘Shiva’; 4 munih na vyāmohaṁ bhajati gurudīkshhā kshhatatamāh. The sage, with ignorance dispelled by Guru's Grace (dīkshā), is not at all deluded.

The Mahavakyas are key sentences found in the Upanishads which refer to the identity of the individual soul with the Universal Soul. There is a Mahavakya in every Upanishad; however, four have been chosen to represent all of them. These four are one from each of the four parts of the Vedas (Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharvana). 1 The Jivanmukta, although he sees the duality of the world, yet he has his consciousness fixed on the Absolute Self. Dvaitam means “two”. In this context, the person concerned is one, and the world is the other. I am the “Seer”, and the world is the “Seen”. This is relative from the seer’s perspective. In fact, the seer is also part of the world, but this is not how we view ourselves. We always consider ourselves as separate from the world. Duality refers to this faulty vision of seeing ourselves as separate from the world. No two persons are the same. The world is full of variety. Guruji said even identical twins will have some differences. In contrast to this vision, the Absolute is characterized by Oneness, by uniformity. This Oneness is the basis of all the plurality superimposed upon it. This is what the Jivanmukta sees within the Dvaitam. He does not deny the perception of Duality, but neither does he deny the essential Oneness behind Duality. If we look at the objects from the perspective of their cause, we find that they are all made of the five elements only. So, even the physical essence of all bodies is the same five

40 elements. If our sight is set on the effect (Karya Drishti) then we see variety; but if our sight is set on the cause (Karana Drishti) then we see Oneness. 2 How did the Jivanmukta get the idea of seeing the cause instead of the effect? It is because of the teaching of the Mahavakya, followed by his practice of it. What is the practice? It is Sravana, Manana and Nididhyasana. One has to do Sravana from the Guru, then do Manana by himself, and Nididhyasana through deep meditation. He meditates on the meaning of the Mahavakyas. 3 Dvaita-Bhava: this specifically refers to the root cause of Duality, namely “the acceptance of the world as Real.” Only after we accept the world as Real, does the proliferation of duality begin. If the world were taken as Unreality in the first place, then Duality would be stopped in its tracks. On that single condition, one starts questioning what one sees. Guruji gave a practical example: When you watch a movie, even though you are actually seeing the variety on the screen, you know that it is not real. That is how the Jivanmukta sees this whole ‘World Movie’. The chanting of “Shiva Shiva Shiva” has to be taken in a broader perspective as including all the other Names by which the Supreme Truth is meant. “Ram Ram Ram” or “Narayana Narayana Narayana” and many other names are also to be included, as long as what is being held in one’s awareness is the One Supreme Reality. Ravana, the King of Lanka, also chanted “Shiva Shiva Shiva” but he did not have the proper attitude of Advaita. He only chanted the words, but in his heart the thought was, “When will I have Sita and be happy?” So he did not attain God, but only increased his ignorance. The message is that Jnana must always accompany Bhakti. Guruji cautioned us about the use of the last word of the Pada. It is Vilapan, not Vilaapan. The former means “uttering, chanting or remembering”; the latter means “crying”. 4 The Jivanmukta, who does not give Reality status to the world, ever remains undeluded. This verse thus gives the root principle followed by the Jivanmukta which liberates him.

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Verse 17: The Yogin, Tyagin & Kavi

CqÉÉÇ qÉÑ£üÉuÉxjÉÉÇ mÉUqÉÍzÉuÉxÉÇxjÉÉÇ aÉÑÂM×ümÉÉ- xÉÑkÉÉmÉÉ…¡ûÉuÉÉmrÉÉÇ xÉWûeÉxÉÑZÉuÉÉmrÉÉqÉç AlÉÑÌSlÉqÉç | qÉÑWÒûqÉï‹lqÉ‹lpÉeÉÌiÉ xÉÑM×üiÉÏ cÉå³ÉUuÉUÈ iÉSÉ rÉÉåaÉÏ irÉÉaÉÏ MüÌuÉËUÌiÉ uÉSliÉÏWû MüuÉrÉÈ || 17 ||

im¡¯ mukt¡vasth¡¯ parama¾ivasa¯sth¡¯ guruk»p¡- sudh¡p¡±g¡v¡py¡¯ sahajasukhav¡py¡m anudinam | muhurmajjanmajjanbhajati suk»t§ c£nnaravara¦ tad¡ yµg§ ty¡g§ kaviriti vadant§ha kavaya¦ || 17 ||

1 imāṁ muktāvasthāṁ parama-shiva-saṁsthāṁ - This state of Liberation is abidance in supreme auspiciousness 2 gurukrpā-sudha-apāngga-avāpyāṁ sahaja-sukha-vāpyām anudinam; achievable by the Guru’s graceful and compassionate side-glance, which is a reservoir of natural, pure Bliss. One who resorts to it daily, 3 muhuh majjan majjan bhajati; sukrtaih chet naravarah again and again, moment to moment, such a blessed person who does this, 4 tadā yogī tyāgī kaviriti vadantīha kavayah. is declared by the wise ones as being a “Yogin, Tyāgin and Kavi”.

Guruji said this verse has some descriptions in it of rare poetic beauty. The layout of the translation is done in such a way that these phrases can be picked up and appreciated for what they describe: 1a The state being described is that of Liberation. 1b It is a supremely auspicious state. 2a It can be experienced through the Grace of one’s Guru. Just by a brief side-glance of his eye movement, the disciple feels the compassion flowing from his Guru that spurs him onwards on the path of inner exploration in meditation. One such glance is sufficient. 2b The glance is so powerful in its effect that it is compared to a reservoir, filled to the brim with crystal-clear waters of pure Bliss! We have in this line the juxtaposition of two words that appear to be the opposite of each other, but which mean two totally different things. This is to the poet’s credit: Avaapyaam: this means “achievable”. What is achievable? Liberation. Vaapyaam: this means “a reservoir or a pond”. How is Liberation made so easily achievable? By the subtle side-glance of the Guru – that is the reservoir of Bliss! Guruji took great pains to bring out the pearls of poetry wrapped into these lines. We could see that he was himself greatly inspired by them, and wished us to feel and appreciate the same inspiration that he did. 42

2c, 3a Even though, one of those glances is sufficient, the disciple goes again and again to receive it daily, nay, moment to moment! So great is his thirst for Divine Grace. 3b The disciple who opens himself in this manner to his Guru’s Grace, his Guru’s teaching, and his Guru’s compassion – 4 He is very blessed, indeed. He is called by wise people as being a “Yogi, Tyagi and a Kavi”. This “certificate” is given by the wise ones, not any worldly person. Also, the one who deserves and gets this certificate, does not actually need it! Then why is it given to him? It is only to tell us that only the wise know the wise. Only the wise are able to judge another wise one. How can ignorant weaklings certify the Jivanmukta? The ignorant may say the same thing but it means very little. When they say it, it is more to win your favour for some selfish end, and therefore it is meaningless. The state of Liberation described in this verse is natural, Sahaja Swarup, not created. It is something that is always there, even when not experienced. The three terms, Yogi, Tyagi and Kavi carry the following meanings: i) Yogi – he is united to the Paramatman. His mind is absorbed in the Truth. ii) Tyagi – he is a renunciate; he has renounced his ignorance. The ignorance manifested in him as a wrong notion of himself as well as a wrong notion of the world. iii) Kavi – he is ‘omniscient’. How is this? It is said in the scriptures that one who knows Brahman becomes a knower of all. From this arises his omniscience. Kavi thus effectively means a Jnani, an all-knowing one.

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Verse 18: A Panorama of Contradictions

qÉÉælÉå qÉÉælÉÏ aÉÑÍhÉÌlÉ aÉÑhÉuÉÉlmÉÎhQûiÉå mÉÎhQûiÉ¶É SÏlÉå SÏlÉÈ xÉÑÎZÉÌlÉ xÉÑZÉuÉÉlpÉÉåÌaÉÌlÉ mÉëÉmiÉpÉÉåaÉÈ | qÉÔZÉåï qÉÔZÉÉåï rÉÑuÉÌiÉwÉÑ rÉÑuÉÉ uÉÉÎaqÉÌlÉ mÉëÉæRûuÉÉaqÉÏ kÉlrÉÈ MüÉåÅÌmÉ Ì§ÉpÉÑuÉlÉeÉrÉÏ rÉÉåÅuÉkÉÔiÉåÅuÉkÉÔiÉÈ || 18 ||

maun£ maun§ gu³ini gu³av¡npa³¢it£ pa³¢ita¾ca d§n£ d§na¦ sukhini sukhav¡nbhµgini pr¡ptabhµga¦ | mÀrkh£ mÀrkhµ yuvati½u yuv¡ v¡gmini prau¢hav¡gm§ dhanya¦ kµ:'pi tribhuvanajay§ yµ:'vadhÀt£:'vadhÀta¦ || 18 ||

1 maune maunī guṇini guṇavānpaṇḍite paṇḍitashcha Silent among the silent; virtuous amidst the virtuous; learned amidst the learned; 2 dīne dīnah sukhini sukhavānbhogini prāptabhogah; Meek amidst the meek; exuberant among the joyful; enjoyer among the revellers; 3 mūrkhe mūrkho yuvatishhu yuvā vāgmini prauḍhavāgmī Among fools, lo, a fool, too; youthful among young women; eloquent among orators; 4 dhanyah ko’pi tribhuvanajayī yo’vadhūte’vadhūtah. Indeed, the monarch of the three worlds, blessed is this Avadhuta among Avadhutas!

This verse, in Guruji’s opinion, is the best of all verses of this text. Sri Shankara- charyaji has left the best for the last. Why is this so? i) It is a panorama of similarities in the midst of contrasts; ii) It is poetically pleasing, elevating and inspiring; iii) As a clear crystal takes the colour of its surroundings, so does the ‘clear’ mind of the Jivanmukta appear in the colours of his surroundings. In all the different situations in which we find him, whatever talent is present there, simply manifests in the Jivanmukta, not that he has to try to invent something to say regarding that talent. Even if he is not talented in that field, some aspect of the talent will just manifest in him spontaneously because he is fully attuned to his surroundings and the people he is in the company of. Without further explanation, Guruji went straight into each situation described: 1a Maune Maunee: Among those who are sitting quietly, the Jivanmukta, too, is happy to remain silent. He has no inclination to break the silence, as a chatterbox would if he were to walk into this group. (Here, Guruji described the chatterbox as “bak-bak-bak- bak” – someone who just goes on talking without bothering about who is listening!) 1b Gunini Gunavan: In general, Guna is a quality. Applied here to people, it means a “virtue”. Among the virtuous or the men of achievement, he, too, appears splendidly virtuous or accomplished. Here Guruji gave an example: 44

Imagine all grammarians are sitting there. Somebody comes along and says, “I am a musician”. He says this just to escape their questions. Then when he goes to a group of musicians, he says, “Oh, I am a grammarian; I don’t know anything about music.” Actually, he is neither a grammarian nor a musician. He bluffs his own call. 1c Pandite Panditah: Where there is a scholarly discussion going on, then he also appears as one of them – not artificially, but because he actually does possess scholarship. 2a Dine Dinah: Dinah has many meanings. One of them is “helpless, needy or in distress”. Amidst them, he is ‘like them’, which means he is able to sympathise with them. He is empathetic. The Jivanmukta identifies with them, and he will do what is to be done at that moment. In contrast to this, Guruji mentioned the case of people who, instead of having sympathy, have apathy or no feeling at all. 2b Sukhini Sukhavan: Among cheerful people, he will be cheerful. Guruji gave an example: Suppose you have just visited a cancer patient, and immediately afterwards you go to a group that is celebrating some event. You should not talk about the cancer patient to this group as it will make them feel gloomy. Or, it could be the other way around. If you go to the cancer patient after visiting the celebrating group, then you should not talk to the patient about those happy moments. It will not be the proper thing to say. Another example (we can safely assume these are coming from Guruji’s personal experiences): Suppose you walk into a home and they are enjoying watching some Olympic Games on TV. Then it will be proper for you to sit for some time and enjoy it with them. You don’t lose anything. The idea is to join them at their wavelength and not be a disturbing presence in their company. But in doing so, one should be careful of the following: 2c Bhogini Bhogah: When amidst people who are reveling in pleasures, he too revels. This does not mean that if they are drinking or smoking, then you also start doing the same. (Here, Guruji imitated a drunkard who cannot speak clearly!) 3a Moorkhe Moorkhah: In the midst of fools, he also plays the fool! What does this mean? A Moorkha is an ignorant person. Guruji said, “It means that when you are among those who are ignorant, don’t try to show how much you know. Suppose they ask you to say something. Then you get up and start: ‘Yushmad-asmad pratyaya vishaya gochara . . .’ (These are the opening words of Shankara Bhashya on Brahma Sutras, and Guruji chose this deliberately because he knew we had just studied the Brahma Sutras! The whole class burst out in laughter.) They will all laugh at you in the same way. Guruji continued, “Suppose you visit a Bal Vihar class, and the organizers introduce you as a great Swami who has come to enlighten them on spiritual culture, since they are so much steeped in material culture. You get up to speak. The children are playfully engaged in pinching each other. They probably did not even hear what the organizer said. Now, you should not get up and start a discourse on Vedanta!” 3b Yuvatishu Yuva: Among young, youthful women, the Jivanmukta is also youthful, meaning that he will say something that they will understand. He always speaks only that which he knows will suit the listeners. 3c Vagmini Vagmee: Among orators he waxes eloquent. When the occasion calls for it, then you can afford to show your talent as a speaker. Then one should not say, “I am too shy to speak in front of all these great speakers.” That would be too self-conscious. The Jivanmukta does not shy away when the occasion calls for him to display his talent.

4 The Jivanmukta who can conduct himself in the above-mentioned ways under different situations, is considered to be a truly blessed person (Dhanyah) and a conqueror of the three worlds. The Avadhuta is usually described as one who is completely free from his Upadhis. He allows Pure Consciousness the maximum manifestation of Its power through his Upadhis. Therefore, the Jivanmukta is being called the Avadhuta among Avadhutas.

The Simile of Petrol Pure Consciousness may be compared to petrol. The petrol can work through various types of vehicles – cars, buses, scooters, motor-bikes, tractors, airplanes, etc. As is the vehicle available, it will perform the needed function. If the vehicle is not well-maintained, the petrol cannot be blamed for its poor performance. Similarly, Brahman cannot be blamed if the human instrument available to Him is weak, frail, untrained or badly maintained.

This whole verse covers various types of vehicles through which Brahman is seen to function. The Jivanmukta, who is in touch with Brahman, is able to adapt himself to the instruments in whose company he is at a given time, and respond in harmony with it. The Jivanmukta is with all, but he is also above all. The greatest wealth of our tradition is such a Maha Purusha. He is the living proof of the great Vedanta philosophy. Many Jivanmuktas remain unknown, or known only to a few. Only a small percentage rise to great fame, for example, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Sri Swami Sivananda, Sri Ramana Maharshi, and others – and, of course, Sri Shankaracharyaji himself, who has virtually written his biography in these lines. Guruji’s closing message to us, not only on closing this text but on closing the whole two-year Course, was as follow: “Let us live in this world as the very forms of Ananda, not as beggars of Ananda. We are Ananda itself. With this we come to the end of the entire Vedanta Course. May God and the entire Guru Parampara bless you! Hari Om!”

Om Poornamadah, Poornamidam, Poornaat Poornamudachyate, Poornasya Poornamaadaaya, Poornamevaavasishyate!

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CÌiÉ ´ÉÏqÉcNûƒ¡ûUpÉaÉuÉiÉÈ M×üiÉÉæ eÉÏuÉlqÉÑ£üÉlÉlSsÉWûUÏ xÉqmÉÔhÉÉï iti shrīmachćhangkarabhagavatah krtau jīvanmuktānandalaharī sampūrṇā Thus Ends the “Jivanmuktananda Lahari”, written by Sri Adi Shankaracharya. Om Tat Sat!