Long Term Course at AVG: June - July, 2014

born in a family where there is favourable atmosphere for spiritual growth and . When one chants “” at the time of death, understanding its meaning as , he will not have rebirth. The one who understands the meaning of Brahman will not have rebirth.

This chapter is chanted as a prayer for the departed .

CHAPTER IX: TOPIC OF THE KING OF KNOWLEDGE, THE KING OF SECRETS

Brahma destroys ignorance about the Self and creates the awareness of the fact that everything is Brahman. vidya or raja vidya (king among knowledge) reveals that I am Brahman, which is sat chit A summary of the classes held ananda. Brahma vidya will give moksha to during June - July, 2014, is presented below: the one who is prepared and ready. When CLASS BY PUJYA a secret is told, it is no more a secret. But SRI SWAMI DAYANANDA SARASVATI Brahma vidya will remain a secret even after it is told many times, unless the CHAPTER VIII: TOPIC OF person hearing it is ready. IMPERISHABLE BRAHMAN When one performs the rituals mentioned The Eighth Chapter begins with Arjuna’s in the khanda of the Veda, he goes question regarding the meaning of some to (a world of enjoyments, music terms: Lord explained the meaning and dance). After the exhaustion of his of those terms. Brahman is limitless and not in svarga, he is born again in this subject to change. Adhyaatma is awareness world. Getting desirable things that have in the physical body. Karma refers to the not been obtained already is . Retaining actions that result in repetitive births of those desirable things that have been living beings. Adhibhuuta is the obtained is ksema. Isvara promises that he subject to change. Adhidaiva is will take care of yoga and ksema of those Hiranyagarbha. Adhiyajna is the Lord who who always dwell upon him and resides in the body. understand him. The entire jagat is pervaded by him and sustained by him. When one remembers Isvara at the time of death, he may go to svarga or he may be Isvara is the maker and material cause of the jagat. The entire jagat has its being in

6 Arsha Vidya Newsletter - July 2014 Isvara. Jagat is Brahman but Brahman is not Krishna to talk in detail about his glories. jagat. This is a paradox in Vedanta that can The Lord starts by telling that he is meaning be resolved by understanding. of the word “I”, the consciousness. He then gives a brief list of his important glories, Isvara wields the power of . Maya is adding that his glories cannot be fully the material cause of this jagat. The listed, as they are infinite. He concludes by manifest jagat is because of maya. Before saying that he is the very existence in all creation, Isvara alone was there with all beings. knowledge and the jagat was unmanifest. After creation too, Isvara alone is there with All attributes that are glorious, rich or all knowledge and the jagat is manifest. powerful are expressions of the Lord’s glory. All that is here is Isvara. An object When one understands Isvara properly, he or person becomes sacred when one is considered a Saadhu. His earlier improper recognizes the object as a manifestation of conduct if any is not going to continue. He Isvara. understands all emotions as Isvara’s manifestation of psychological order. He CHAPTER XI – TOPIC OF THE VISION will offer his prayers and rituals to Isvara. OF A COSMIC PERSON He understands Isvara–this is figuratively told that he reaches Isvara. Arjuna prayed to the Lord to show his cosmic form. The Lord blessed Arjuna with CHAPTER X- TOPIC OF THE GLORIES a divine vision and Arjuna could see the OF THE LORD brilliant form of the Lord adorned with divine ornaments. He saw all beings in the The entire universe is a manifestation of cosmic body of the Lord. He saw celestial Isvara. All the glories that we find in this beings and celestial objects. The Lord’s body universe, relating to any person or thing, appeared with thousands of hands and legs belong to Isvara. Arjuna prays to Lord

Arsha Vidya Newsletter - July 2014 7 without having any beginning, middle or CHAPTER XII- TOPIC OF DEVOTION end. Arjuna asked Lord Krishna, which devotee He saw many persons entering the mouth was superior: the devotee worshipping the of the Lord and getting destroyed. Arjuna Lord with a form or the one worshipping was terrified by seeing the destructive the Lord without a form. The Lord replied power of the Lord. Taittriya Upanisad says that the devotee worshipping the Lord if one fails to see oneness, he will be fearful. with a form was great, but a Jnani was the Brhadaranyaka Upanisad says the one who most exalted devotee. sees duality will experience fear. As Arjuna did not include himself in the cosmic The Lord described various types of form, he was terrified. devotees. One may meditate on the universe as the form of Isvara. One may do Arjuna repeatedly saluted the Lord. He said his svadharma as an offering to the Lord that the whole world was pervaded by the with the attitude of and accept Lord. He is the creator of the world. He the results as prasada from the Lord. asked for pardon for taking the liberty of calling the Lord as O! Krishna, O! Yadava, The Lord lists the characteristics of a Jnani. O! Friend as he was ignorant of his glories. He is compassionate, free from doer-ship, He requested the Lord to withdraw the has no hatred for any one and has cosmic form as he could not endure it. equanimity. He neither disturbs others nor is he disturbed by others. He is free from All that is here is Isvara. The one having elation, intolerance, fear and anxiety. this vision will see the entire universe as the cosmic form of the Lord.

8 Arsha Vidya Newsletter - July 2014 CHAPTER XIII- TOPIC OF THE NATURE CHAPTER XIV- TOPIC OF THE OF KNOWER AND THE KNOWN DIVISION OF THREE GUNAS

Ksetram means the field where crop is Every individual is a combination of three raised. Here it refers to one’s body through gunas, sattva, and tamas. Sattva is which karma is done, and it also refers to thinking, knowing, happiness and cheerful the whole world. Ksetrajna is the one who mind. Rajas is ambition and desire. Tamas objectifies Ksetram i.e. the whole world, is simple desire and slothfulness. One can including one’s body. become sattva predominant by satsanga: even when one falls short, one can fake it Jnaanam : The Lord talks of 20 important temporarily with the objective of becoming values and says that those who possesses genuinely saatvika and eventually make it. these alone will gain atma jnanam. Hence, One gets the attitude of karma yoga and the values themselves are termed here as accepts the results as Isvara prasada. There Jnaanam. These 20 values are humility, is a sameness of mind when there are simplicity, harmlessness, accommodation, desirable and undesirable results. This straightforwardness, reverence for the makes the person ready for the study of Teacher, cleanliness, steadfastness, self- Vedanta. After gaining the knowledge, he discipline, dispassion for sense objects, will be free. He will not be affected by absence of pride, seeing clearly the defects praise or censure. in birth, death, old age and disease, absence of ownership, absence of excessive affection CHAPTER XV- TOPIC OF THE WHOLE to relatives, equanimity during desirable PERSON and undesirable situations, unswerving devotion to the Lord, seclusion, absence of This chapter is chanted at the Gurukulam longing for people’s company and always daily before lunch and dinner. This dwelling on self-knowledge. chapter is chanted before bhiksha in the Ashrams at Rishikesh. Jneyam is Brahman who is to be known. Brahman is the creator, sustainer and the Like Aswatha tree, samsaara is vast and one in whom the creation resolves. multi-branched. As the leaves keep the tree Brahman is the consciousness in and of all alive, keep the tree of samsaara beings. going. Just as how the tree can be felled, samsara too can be destroyed with the Purusa is consciousness, independent and weapon of knowledge. Those who do not changeless. Prakrti is dependent on Purusa have binding desires and are committed to for its existence and is inert and changing. spiritual pursuit reach the ultimate abode.

Ksetrajna, Jneyam and Purusa are Isvara is the light that lights up the sun, synonyms. Ksetram and Prakrti are moon and the fire. He enlivens and synonyms. nourishes the jagat. As the digestive fire, he digests the food. He gives memory, One needs to purify his mind by living a knowledge and forgetfulness. He is the life of karma yoga. Later, he should gain author and the knower of . atma jnana through , after gaining the required preparedness. When one understands the oneness between the and Isvara, who is

Arsha Vidya Newsletter - July 2014 9 manifest as the universe, the connection resolves into the earth. It is the modification with all that is here is automatically of food. Annamayah kosah is mistaken as established. He is the epistemological order, the atma. physiological order, and the physical order. “I am all” is a thing to be understood. This PRAANAMAYAH KOSAH: The 5 is the vision. physiological functions or 5 pranas along with the 5 organs of action forms the There are two , one that is pranamaya kosah. It represents kriya sakthi. destroyed in the form of beings and the The 5 pranas are Prana (respiration), apana other that is not destructible in the form of (excretion), vyana (circulation), udana maya. There is another uttama in (reversal) and samana (digestion). The 5 the form of Isvara, which pervades and organs of action are: the organ of speech, sustains the three worlds. The one who hands, legs, the organs of excretion and the knows Purushottama in this manner organs of procreation. Pranamah kosah is becomes the knower of all and gains mistaken as the atma. fulfilment. MANOMAYAH KOSAH: The mind along BODHAH CLASS BY SWAMI with the 5 organs of perception forms the SADATMANANDA: manomayah kosah. It represents iccha sakthi. The 5 organs of perception are: ears, TVAM PADA skin, eyes, tongue and nose. Manomayah AVASTHAATRAYAM: There are 3 states kosah is mistaken as the atma. of experience – waking, dream and deep VIJNAANAMAYAH KOSAH: The intellect sleep. Waking state is the state of experience along with the 5 organs of perception forms where the sense objects are experienced by the vijnaanamayah kosah. It represents the sense organs. In this state, atma is jnana sakthi. Vijnaanamayah kosah is mistaken as a gross body. When atma is mistaken as the atma. identified with the gross body, then it is called VISVA. Dream state is the state of ANANADAMAYAH KOSAH: The experience that is projected by the experiential happiness in different degrees impressions gathered in the waking state. (of gradation) is the anandamayah kosah. Atma identified with the subtle body is This happiness is due to impure sattva called TAIJASA. Deep sleep state is that mixed with ignorance, which is in the form state of experience where one does not of a causal body. Aanandamayah kosah is know anything. Upon waking from deep mistaken as the atma. sleep, one says that I enjoyed the sleep. Atma identified with the unmanifest causal MINE IS NOT ATMA: The attitude body is called PRAAJNA. towards various objects such as bracelet, earring, house, etc. is that these are mine. PANCAKOSAHS: Atma ‘appears to be’ But they are not me. Similarly my body, my covered by 5 layers. These 5 layers form the physiological functions, my mind, my loci for mistaken identification of the atma. intellect and my ignorance are mine. They They are annamayah kosah, praanamayah are not I, or the atma. I, the subject, am kosah, manomayah kosah, vijnaanamayah different from mine, the object. Atma is sat- kosah and aananadamayah kosah. cit-ananda svarupah.

ANNAMAYAH KOSAH: Annamayah ATMA IS CHIT: Chit means consciousness kosah is the gross body. Annamayah kosah or awareness. I the atma am consciousness. is born out of food, grows by food and Consciousness is not a part of the body, nor

10 Arsha Vidya Newsletter - July 2014 a property of the body nor a by-product of appear as possible. It is the power of the body. It is the fundamental principle. Brahman. The tatparya of sastra is not to It is atma which illumines the Sun, the establish maya. Lamp, the Eyes and the Mind. Atma is not to be experienced because atma is the truth Isvara is maya sahitam Brahman. Isvara is behind every experience. Atma is not to be also called saguna Brahman. Maya is realized but to be understood. unmanifest name and form. Initially, Maya is introduced in the sastra. Later, maya is ATMA IS SAT: Sat is that which remains dismissed as apparent not having unchanged in all the three periods of time independent existence other than Brahman. – past, present and future. To be self- existent is the nature of atma. ‘Present’ can EVOLUTION OF 5 ELEMENTS: From that be used to denote anything from the present maya, which is dependent on Brahman, nano second to the present millennium. The Akasa(space) was born. From Akasa, truth of time, or ‘now’, is consciousness. (wind) was born. From Vayu, (fire) was born. From Agni, ATMA IS ANANDA: When one is a Apah(water) was born. And, from Apah, wanting person, he is unhappy. When that (earth) was born. Thus, all the 5 want is fulfilled he experiences happiness. great elements (pancha maha bhootani) are This happiness is a manifestation of manifestations of Brahman. limitless ananda. Although the atma can be explained in many ways, it is commonly From satva aspect of each of the 5 elements, explained as sat chit ananda. This is to particular sense organs evolved. From the negate the common conclusion that I am total satva aspect of these 5 elements, the mortal, I am ignorant and I am unhappy. Antahkarana or inner instruments of mind, intellect, ego and memory were formed. TAT PADA VICARA From the rajas aspect of each of the 5 BRAHMAN: Brahman is both the efficient elements, particular organ of action as well cause and material cause of this jagat. To as the 5 praanas were born. illustrate this, the sastra gives 2 examples. One example is that of the spider, which From the tamas aspect of 5 elements, the is both the maker and material for the web. grossified 5 elements were born. Another example is that of the dream world for which the dreamer is both the maker PANCHIKARANAM: Panchikaranam or and the material cause. Brahman appears Grossification takes place as follows: the manifold due to maya. It is independently tamas aspect of each of the subtle elements existing, changeless and without attributes. divide into two equal parts; one half of each The tatparya(commitment) of the sastra is remains intact; the other half of each gets to reveal Brahman. divided into four equal parts. Then to the intact half of each element, one-eighth MAYA: Maya is dependent on Brahman for portion from each of the other four elements its existence. It consists of 3 gunas –sattva gets joined. (knowing power), rajas (acting(doing) power) and tamas (inertia). It is changing, This grossified akasa, vayu, agni, apah and with attributes and apparent (not real). prithvi form the 4 types of gross bodies and Brahman and Maya both are beginning less. the universe with 14 . There is thus an Maya makes impossible looking situations identity between microcosm and macrocosm.

Arsha Vidya Newsletter - July 2014 11 ASI PADA VICHARA: empirical level. At the absolute level, there is no difference. ONENESS BETWEEN JIVA AND ISVARA: The identity of jiva and Isvara is JIVAN MUKTHI: By the teaching of the tatparya of all the Upanisads. One space Vedanta by a Sadguru, the vision of is taken as limited by many conditioning Brahman in all beings is gained. The person factors like pot space. This is called who gains this vision is called a jivan avacheda vada. One sun light is reflected mukta. Sadguru is the one who has learnt in many mirrors and appears as many. This from a traditional teacher, the one who is called prati-bimba vada. Similarly, one knows the methodology of teaching limitless consciousness (Brahman) is preserved by the teaching tradition. reflected in many upadhis (jivas). Jivan mukta while living is free from Brahman manifesting in avidya upadhi is bondage. He has understood that he is jiva. The jiva wrongly identifies with gross, consciousness and that he has no death. A subtle and causal bodies. Due to ignorance, jivan mukta has the understanding that he jiva considers itself different from Isvara. is sat chit ananda svarupa. He is not the Brahman manifesting in maya upadhi is doer or enjoyer. He is free from attachment. Isvara. There is no real difference between He is the indweller of all beings. He is like jiva and Isvara. The difference is only in the prakasa and akasa. He has the firm upadhi. As long as this apparent difference conclusive knowledge of atma, and he is is mistaken as real difference, samsara will free from doubts and opposing conclusions. be there with the cycle of birth and death. VIDEHA MUKTHI: Jnani exhausts his DOUBT RAISED: Upanisad proclaims Tat Prarabdha karma by going through the Tvam Asi. It means that there is an identity experiences. It is like an arrow already between the jiva and Isvara. The jiva has released. Sanchita karma is destroyed by ego and limited knowledge; Isvara has no atma jnana with the conviction that ego and all knowledge. How can there be “Brahman only I am”. It is like the karma identity between them is the doubt raised. done in dream getting destroyed upon waking up. The connection of a Jnani with TAT TVAM ASI: The literal meaning of agami karma is like drop of water resting Tvam is jiva, or the atma identified with on a lotus leaf. gross and subtle bodies. The implied meaning of Tvam is atma which is pure The agami punya of a Jnani goes to one consciousness free from the upadhi of gross, who praise, worship and serve Jnani. The subtle and causal bodies. The literal agami papa of a Jnani goes to one who meaning of Tat is Isvara, or the atma abuses, hates and gives discomfort to the identified with maya upadhi. The implied Jnani. meaning of Tat is atma which is pure consciousness free of the maya upadhi.To After death, the gross body of a Jnani make the maha vayka meaningful, we have merges with the gross universe. The subtle to take the implied meaning of tat and body of the Jnani merges with the subtle tvam: that is, both are consciousness. universe. The causal body merges with the causal universe. Jnani has no more births. The difference at the upadhi level is mithya. The vyasti upadhi merges with the samasti Hence, it is not real. Between the jiva and upadhi. Isvara, there is difference only at the Report by N. Avinashilingam

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