Dakshinamurti Ashtakam

|| SÍ¤ÉhÉÉqÉÔÌiÉïSrÉÉlÉÇ || || SÍ¤ÉhÉÉqÉÔÌiÉï A¹MÇü|| DAKSHINAMURTI DHYANAM & DAKSHINAMURTI ASHTAKAM

Hymn to the “South-Facing” Shiva

“THE SANDEEPANY EXPERIENCE”

Reflections by TEXT SWAMI GURUBHAKTANANDA

42 st

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 Jeevan 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 Dakshinamurti Ashtakam 20 Katha Upanishad 43 Shad Darshanaah 21 “Sara Sangrah” – Yoga Vasishtha 44 Brahma Sootras 22 Vedanta Sara 45 Jeevanmuktananda 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, 21st February 2020, the Sacred Maha Shivaratri Day

Om Namah Shivaaya!

Text 42

|| SÍ¤ÉhÉÉqÉÔÌiÉï krÉÉlÉÇ || || SÍ¤ÉhÉÉqÉÔÌiÉï A¹MÇü|| DAKSHINAMURTI DHYANAM & DAKSHINAMURTI ASHTAKAM “Hymn to the South-Facing Shiva” by Sri Adi Shankaracharyaji

Reflections by Swami Gurubhaktananda on the Series of 15 Lectures by Swami Advaitanandaji Acharya of Chinmaya Vibhooti, Kolwan, Delivered at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Powai, Mumbai from June 17th – June 24th, 2013

Adi Shankaracharya Swami Sivananda Swami Tapovanji Swami Chinmayananda SERVE  LOVE  GIVE  PURIFY  MEDITATE  REALISE Copyright & Author’s Details

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

About This Edition: Web Edition: 21st February, 2020, the Sacred Maha Shivaratri Day Website: Chinmaya International Foundation: www.chinfo.org Series Title : The Sandeepany Experience Series Subject: Vedanta & Supportive Subsidiary Texts

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

Personal Dedication

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

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

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

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

***** DAKSHINAMURTI DHYANAM & ASHTAKAM “Hymn to South-Facing SHIVA”

CONTENTS

SRI DAKSHINAMURTI DHYANAM 1

Stotram 1: The Teacher Established in Brahman 2 Stotram 2: The Destroyer of the Misery of Samsara 4 Stotram 3: The Youthful, Silent Guru 5 Stotram 4: The Disease & the Cure 6 Stotram 5: The Ever-Pure and Ever-Calm 7

SRI DAKSHINAMURTI ASHTAKAM 9

Introduction to the Ashtakam 10 The Plan of the Ashtakam 11 Peace Invocation 12

Verse 1: The Basic Concepts of Vedanta “Realised One” 13 Verse 2: How Maya Projects Herself “Great Yogi” 16 Verse 3: The Discovery of Reality Liberates “Liberated One” 20 Verse 4: The Vedantic Theory of Perception “Perceiver of All” 23 Verse 5: The Range of Concepts of Reality “Remover of Delusion” 25 Verse 6: Refutation of Shoonya Vada “Rememberer” 29 Verse 7: The Persisting Sense of “I Am” “Silent Teacher” 32 Verse 8: The Supreme Seer of Samsara “Ultimate Seer” 34

Verse 9: Upasana for Expanding Our Vision “Supreme Cause” 38 Verse 10: The Phala of God-Realisation “Giver of Fruits” 41 Shad-Vidhi Linga Analysis of the Ashtakam 44

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DAKSHINAMURTI DHYANAM

“Meditation on the South-Facing SHIVA”

|| ´ÉÏ SÍ¤ÉhÉÉqÉÔÌiÉï krÉÉlÉÇ || || ´ÉÏ AÉÌS zÉƒ¡ûUÉcÉÉrÉï || SRI DAKSHINAMURTI DHYANAM

Stotra 1: The Teacher Established in Brahman

qÉÉælÉurÉÉZrÉÉmÉëMüÌOûiÉmÉUoÉë¼iÉ¨uÉÇ rÉÑuÉÉlÉÇ uÉÌwÉï¸ÉliÉå uÉxÉSØÌwÉaÉhÉæUÉuÉ×iÉÇ oÉë¼ÌlÉ¸æÈ | AÉcÉÉrÉåïlSìÇ MüUMüÍsÉiÉÍcÉlqÉÑSìqÉÉlÉlSÃmÉÇ xuÉÉiqÉÉUÉqÉÇ qÉÑÌSiÉuÉSlÉÇ SÍ¤ÉhÉÉqÉÔÌiÉïqÉÏQåû || 1 ||

maunavy¡khy¡praka¿itaparabrahmatattva¯ yuv¡na¯ var½i½¿h¡nt£ vasad»½iga³air¡v»ta¯ brahmani½¿hai¦ | ¡c¡ry£ndra¯ karakalitacinmudram¡nandarÀpa¯ sv¡tm¡r¡ma¯ muditavadana¯ dak½i³¡mÀrtim§¢£ || 1 ||

mouna-vyaakhyaa prakatita para- Teaching through Silence the highest knowledge 1 brahma tattwam yuvaanam; of the Supreme Reality, the young Guru varshishthaante vasad-rishi-ganaih, is surrounded by Rishi-disciples and Vedic scholars, 2 aavritam brahma nishthaih; themselves established in the Truth. aachaaryendram, karakalita chin- He is the Teacher of teachers, holding his hand in Chin- 3 mudram, aananda roopam; mudra (the sign of knowledge), and his form is Bliss. swaatmaa raamam mudita vadanam, He ever revels in His own Self, and is ever content – 4 dakshinaa-moorti meede. I worship that Sri Dakshinaamurti!

1 Mauna: “Silence”. The class conducted by the Lord is in Silence! Some may enjoy such a class – they can have undisturbed sleep! Sri Shankaracharyaji says that ‘Maunam’ should be taken to mean minimum talking and explanation. The teacher has to explain, but he does it in a manner that uses the least words. The student reflects deeply upon what has been said in order to extract the full meaning. ‘Mauna’ is also from the same root as the word ‘Muni’ or sage. The Muni speaks very little, but what he says is very sublime. Yuvaanam: The Teacher is “very young”. Youth today is associated with indiscipline. This is only a perception. Here we have the greatest teacher who is a youth Himself! 2 Brahma Nishtha: The disciples themselves are of the highest calibre, being Self- realised souls. What to speak of their Guru then! This is indirect praise of the Guru. This is also to indirectly tell us that spiritual accomplishment is independent of age. Ante Vaasi: This refers to the Ashramites “living in the Ashram” with the Guru. The simple life in an Ashram signifies that the students are full of dispassion, and practising all the disciplines needed to make their studies fructify into direct experience of the Self. 2

3 Chin-Mudra: ‘Chit’ becomes ‘Chin’ when followed by a nasal word. The Chinmudra is a sign used to symbolize the integration of the individual soul to the universal Soul. The silence in the class could be due to instructions given to students through such signs. In this position, the tip of the index finger is held to the tip of the thumb, forming a good circle, leaving the other three fingers pointing downwards. The thumb stands for Brahman; it is the support for all the other fingers, and without it nothing can be lifted. The index finger is the Jeeva, and the remaining three fingers stand either for the 3 Gunas (Sattwa, etc), the 3 states (waking, etc), or the 3 bodies (gross, etc). When the Jeeva dissociates with these other 3 principles, and unites itself with Brahman, then the knowledge learnt from the Guru is perfected. This is the symbolism. Ananda Roopam: Where does the realized sage enjoy so much Bliss from? . . . 4 Swaatma: It is from “his own Self”. There in the depths of his Being is the limitless spring of joy and happiness, independent of outer objects. The very nature of the Self is pure Bliss. Mudita is “being contented and ever-cheerful”; not a superficial state just to show others, but a deep state of complete contentment and fulfillment arising from being firmly established in one’s Self. Dakshina: “south-facing”. This could be taken to have two meanings: i) The abode of Lord Shiva is Mt. Kailas in the Himalayas in the far north of India. Facing south would mean the Lord is facing the rest of India. If devotees face north when sitting for meditation, they would be facing the Lord, ready to receive His blessings. This is the literal meaning. ii) South is also the direction of Lord Yama, the God of Death. Lord Shiva is facing Lord Yama directly, not afraid of death. This indicates “fearlessness” and the conquest of death. Spiritual realisation makes one immortal, as one is freed from all bondages to body, mind and intellect. This is the implied or indicative meaning. When Markandeya hugged the Shiva Linga, Lord Yama could do nothing to him, because Yama is afraid of Lord Shiva. This story is told in the Puranas.

Dakshinamurti – Five Meanings: Acharyaji gave us five different meanings for this all-important word in this text: 1. The root for ‘Moorti’ is the same as for ‘Uttara’ or north. The North stands for the region to be “crossed over” to reach enlightenment. ‘Tara’ means “crossing over”. 2. The word is said to stand for ‘Shemushi’, or ‘Shehe Moha Ushirati’ meaning the “removal of the power of delusion or ignorance” through the Brahmakara Vritti. It implies a Buddhi which is extremely pure and subtle. 3. Daksha is “one who is alert”. Lord Shiva is the best example of alertness. If the devotee is alert, he will draw a response from the ever-alert Lord. The Lord is alert to the call of His devotees. 4. Daksha also means “efficient, skillful and dexterous”. The Lord is dexterous in removing the ignorance of His devotees, in removing the very cause of all their sorrows. 5. Murti means “form” and Amurti means “formless”. Both meanings together refer to the Lord who is worshipped with form (Sakara) as well as without form (Nirakara). Associated with form is attribute. Thus the Lord is with attributes (Saguna) as well as without attributes (Nirguna).

Stotra 2: The Destroyer of the Misery of Samsara

uÉOûÌuÉOûÌmÉxÉqÉÏmÉå pÉÔÍqÉpÉÉaÉå ÌlÉwÉhhÉÇ xÉMüsÉqÉÑÌlÉeÉlÉÉlÉÉqÉç ¥ÉÉlÉSÉiÉÉUqÉÉUÉiÉç | Ì§ÉpÉÑuÉlÉaÉÑÂqÉÏzÉÇ SÍ¤ÉhÉÉqÉÔÌiÉïSåuÉÇ eÉlÉlÉqÉUhÉSÒÈZÉcNåûS S¤ÉÇ lÉqÉÉÍqÉ || 2 ||

va¿avi¿apisam§p£ bhÀmibh¡g£ ni½a³³a¯ sakalamunijan¡n¡m j²¡nad¡t¡ram¡r¡t | tribhuvanagurum§¾a¯ dak½i³¡mÀrtid£va¯ jananamara³adu¦khacch£da dak½a¯ nam¡mi || 2 ||

vata-vitapi-samipe, Under the banyan tree, 1 bhoomi-bhaage nishannam; seated near him on the ground, sakala muni janaanaam, is an assembly of all the Munis, 2 jnaana daataa ramaaraat; who come to listen to the knowledge he imparts. tribhuvana guru meesham, To that Teacher of the three worlds, 3 dakshinaa-moorti-devam; the Lord Sri Dakshinamurti; jananamarana duhkhah ccheda, who destroys the misery of births and deaths 4 daksham namaami. – to Him do I bow down!

1 Vata-Vitapi-Samipe: The Lord’s classes are held “under the banyan tree”. This is one of the most auspicious venues to conduct spiritual learning classes. The banyan tree itself signifies knowledge in all its numerous branches. Like the wide-spreading banyan tree, knowledge, too, has no end. New branches go on forming. In addition, the peculiarity of these branches is that each branch takes root directly in the ground. This has great significance of its own. It tells us something about the transmission of knowledge. The students who come to learn are like the branches. After having learnt, they become teachers themselves like the main trunk of the tree. They in turn teach other students. And so the knowledge is perpetuated from generation to generation. Nishannam: has the same root as Upani-shad, strongly suggesting the link between the venue and its choice to study the Upanishads. It suggests that the knowledge being taught is the wisdom of the Upanishads. 2 As mentioned in the same Pada of the first verse, it is repeated that the students who are assembled to listen to the Dakshinamurti Ashtakam are highly qualified teachers in their own right. Thus, the teaching to be given is of a very advanced nature and is not suitable for those who are beginning to learn Vedanta. 3 The Teacher is Lord Shiva Himself. He teaches beings that dwell in heavenly worlds, on earth, and those who dwell in the intermediate region in between. 4 Jananamarana Duhkha: This is the benefit one derives from the knowledge studied under the Guru. It hauls one out of Samsara, attended as it is with endless births and deaths, each life filled with the sorrow of separation from the Divine. Knowledge burns ignorance as a forest fire rages through a forest burning down everything in its path.

Stotra 3: The Youthful, Silent Guru

ÍcÉ§ÉÇ uÉiÉiÉUÉåÈ qÉÔsÉå, ÌuÉë®ÉÈ ÍzÉwrÉÉ aÉÑÂrÉÑïuÉÉ | aÉÑUÉåxiÉÑ qÉÉælÉqÉçÇ urÉÉZrÉÉlÉÇ, ÍzÉwrÉÉxiÉÑ ÍNû³ÉxÉÇzÉrÉÉÈ || 3 ||

citra¯ vatatarµ¦ mÀl£, vriddh¡¦ ¾i½y¡ gururyuv¡ | gurµstu maunam¯ vy¡khy¡na¯, ¾i½y¡stu chinnasa¯¾ay¡¦ || 3 ||

1 Chitram vatataroh moole, Strange sight indeed! Under the banyan tree 2 vriddhaah shishyaa guruh yuvaa; there are aged disciples around the young Guru. 3 guroh tu maunam vyaakhyaanam, He teaches them in the language of “Silence”, 4 shishyaah tu china samshayaah. but the doubts of the disciples are all dispelled.

1-2 The glorification implied in this verse is self-explanatory. In today’s culture, it is not often that we see a young teacher with elderly students. This is a rare sight indeed. It also conveys the prevailing tradition, wherein age was immaterial to one’s learning. Old did not mean ‘more learned’, nor did young mean ‘less learned’. 3 The Mudra or “sign language” is again a topic of discussion around this verse. There are numerous Mudras each having a specific meaning. Those interested in the subject can obtain all the details and will realize that by just using a hand sign, a whole instruction is taught to the student. Sometimes a sign would be tailor-made to give an instruction to one particular student amongst a whole group; only that student would know what was meant! Such were the ways of the great Masters of spiritual science. 4 Spiritual instruction is a one to one communication, especially at the highest level. This is another reason why the instruction is done in “Silence”. Each student is given the instruction that is needed by him. Students need not know what another student is being instructed. In this way, the doubts of every disciple are individually cleared. It goes without saying, that in such a class, the Teacher has to have an enormous proficiency in the intricacies of guiding seekers on the Path. He should be able to sense the difficulties being faced by individual students and instruct them accordingly. It is not like a typical university class of today where the same instruction is heard by everyone alike.

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Young, attentive students! 5

Stotra 4: The Disease & the Cure

ÌlÉkÉrÉå xÉuÉïÌuÉ±ÉlÉÉÇ, ÍpÉzÉeÉå pÉuÉUÉåÌaÉhÉÉqÉç | aÉÑUuÉå xÉuÉïsÉÉåMüÉlÉÉqÉç, SÎYzÉhÉÉ-qÉÔiÉïrÉå lÉqÉÈ || 4 ||

nidhay£ sarvavidy¡n¡¯, bhi¾aj£ bhavarµgi³¡m | gurav£ sarvalµk¡n¡m, dak¾i³¡-mÀrtay£ nama¦ || 4 ||

1 nidhaye sarva vidyaanaam, To the abode of all learning; 2 bhishaje bhava-roginaam; to the healer of all who suffer the disease of Samsara; 3 gurave sarva lokaanaam, to the teacher of the whole world; 4 dakshinaa-moortaye namah. to That Sri Dakshinamurti, do I offer my salutations!

A tribute is paid to the teacher of the knowledge which heals us from the disease of Samsara. The Teacher who imparts that knowledge is offered salutation: 1 i) Sarva Vidyaanaam: “all learning”. Indian culture places all learning on a very high pedestal, whether it is secular or scriptural. Any learned person is honoured for his learning, quite apart from any other quality he may possess. 2 ii) Bhava Roginaam : “the disease of worldliness (literally of existence)”. The view of the world is that we are suffering it as a disease if we do not use our existence to progress towards God, towards Oneness with the Lord in everything. The moment the knowledge given by the Guru penetrates our heart, the world is no longer seen as a disease, but as a medicine that cures us of it. There is no pessimism in this view. It is the view which always looks optimistically at the world to remind us of the highest. The knowledge of God is such that it compels us to view the world as the manifestation of God. The world remains as before, but our outlook is healed of worldliness. There can be nothing more positive than this. 3 iii) Sarva Lokanaam: “Teacher of the whole world”. This clearly means something very symbolic. It is not referring to a person, but to a principle of learning that has taken a human embodiment and to whom we relate as a disciple. We need the attitude of discipleship towards the universal Teacher. This means keeping ourselves open to learn from all our encounters in the world. In other words, the teacher of the whole world, really means the whole world is our Teacher. 4 Salutations are offered to such a Guru again and again during meditation. It is the means by which the meditator connects himself to the Lord within. An attitude of adoration and surrender to the inner Guru is conveyed in this Pada.

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Stotra 5: The Ever-Pure and Ever-Calm

Á lÉqÉÈ mÉëhÉuÉÉjÉÉïrÉ, zÉÑ®¥ÉÉlÉæMüqÉÔiÉïrÉå | ÌlÉqÉïsÉÉrÉ mÉëzÉÉliÉÉrÉ, SÍ¤ÉhÉÉqÉÔiÉïrÉå lÉqÉÈ || 5 ||

µ° nama¦ pra³av¡rth¡ya, ¾uddhaj²¡naikamÀrtay£ | nirmal¡ya pra¾¡nt¡ya, dak½i³¡mÀrtay£ nama¦ || 5 ||

1 om namah pranavaarthaaya, Who is the indicative meaning of Om (Brahman); 2 shuddha-jnaanaika-moortaye; who is the embodiment of Pure Knowledge; 3 nirmalaaya prashaantaaya, who is ever-pure and ever-calm; 4 dakshinaa-moortaye namah. to That Sri Dakshinamurti, I offer my salutations!

1 The chanting of Om is the most common spiritual practice to render the mind meditative. The chanting may be done aloud, or in a whisper, or in complete silence. Whatever way we look at it in practice, the thing that matters is that which it signifies. Om is a symbol which signifies or indicates the Divinity within. 2 Shuddha Jnana: “Pure Knowledge”. There are two important points to keep in mind when Om is chanted. i) The first is that it must be connected with Pure knowledge, which is knowledge free from all mental concepts, terminology, elaborate explanations, etc. It is that which enables all knowledge to be known. In short, it is knowledge that one gets when one is attuned to the Self, absorbed and connected to the greatest broadcasting station ever known to man – his own Self within. 3 ii) The second point about Om-chanting is that the practitioner must feel feel connected to his heart; he must be filled with a rare stillness and silence, ever steady and calm. This is described as Pure Bliss in many Vedanta texts. It is the Pure Atman, the supreme Indweller within our heart. What is the perfect reminder of this state? 4 Just to picture a person seated in the steady posture of Lord Shiva in meditation, chanting Om, aloud or softly, sends a thrill into us and we feel immediately a “Purity and calmness” come over our mind.

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LORD SHIVA DAKSHINAMURTI “The South-facing Shiva”

DAKSHINAMURTI ASHTAKAM

“Hymn on the South-Facing SHIVA”

INTRODUCTION TO THE ASHTAKAM

SRI DAKSHINAMURTI IS LORD SHIVA Himself. Dakshina means “facing south”. This is a hymn, a praise of the Lord, and praise is always an exaggeration. But how does one exaggerate praise of the Lord who is Infinite in His glory? If we take an example of the world, we can say, “The light of the sun is a million times that of the glow-worm.” That may not be a true statement, nor may it adequately describe the sun’s brightness. It may be an insult to the sun; or it may be taken as praise of the glow-worm! This happens when we praise worldly objects. What happens in the case of God? However much we praise Him, it will never be sufficient. This is because He is Infinite. There is no danger of exaggeration or of shame in falling short, as our praise will always fall short. Then why do we praise God? It is for our sake. We need to praise Him, for it purifies us. Praising Him makes us humble and in awe before Him. We are the ones who benefit, not God. Acharyaji gave the example of a baby on its day of birth. The mother decorates the baby beautifully. The baby does not feel any happier; in fact, it may even feel more discomfort! It is the mother and the other members of the family who need this decoration to feel good on the occasion, not the baby. It is the same with praise of the Supreme Lord. So praising the Lord is a form of worship. It is called Aradhana. Not praising the Lord is a sin of omission. It is called Aparadha. Both these words come from the same root ‘Rudh’. The prefix makes all the difference. Aparadha is of two kinds: i) One who is worthy of worship is not worshipped. ii) One who is not worthy of worship is worshipped! Thus, the devotee has to ensure that He whom he is worshipping is worthy of being worshipped. Therefore, it is always the Lord Himself who is worshipped. There is a Bhajan by the blind Surdas in which he sings, “I have left the company of those who love the Lord and joined people who have no love for Him. That is my Aparadha. I have become a devotee of the crooked and the wicked, those who have turned their faces away from God. How sinful of me to do so!”

Not For Beginners This text is an advanced text and takes for granted that the student already has a firm foundation in Vedanta philosophy. Without this prior foundation, this text would not be understood; or, so much would need to be explained that its pages would multiply like anything. The proof of its depth is the Vartika that has been written on it by Sri Suresh- waracharya. It consists of over 300 verses! Sri Swayamprakash Yati has also written Tattwa Sudha on this text. This gives us some idea that it is no ordinary text.

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THE PLAN OF THE ASHTAKAM

Verse 1 Verse 2 “THE REALISED ONE” “THE GREAT YOGI” The Field of the Ashtakam’s scope is The Projection of the World is first laid out in the first verse. All the ‘Players’ in compared to the growth of a tree from a the spiritual Game are introduced, directly seed. To improve upon the grossness of this or subtly. The difference between the simile, the juggler or magician is brought in. ordinary human being and the man of He, too, does not come up to the mark. realisation is sharply drawn, using the simile Finally, the “Great Yogi”, Brahman Himself, of the “mirror”. is ushered in as the Divine Juggler.

Verse 3 Verse 4 “THE LIBERATED ONE” “THE PERCEIVER OF ALL” The pain of being a deluded being That is easier said than done. For that living in an illusory world is too unbearable. to happen, our perception of the world has How does one get out of it? The instruction to change. The Theory of Perception is laid to follow is “Tat Twam Asi” as taught by the out. We are taught that all perception is due Guru. When this instruction is followed, and to the Light of Consciousness. Our attention realisation is attained, one is liberated from is shifted from the world to this Light of this worldly existence forever! Consciousness that we really are.

Verse 5 Verse 6 “THE REMOVER OF DELUSION” “THE REMEMBERER OF SLEEP“ Now the problem arises as to how to What is the proof that there is an recognise that Light. We are taken on a tour Atman? When we negate all the sheaths, do of eight schools of thought, each presenting we not end up with “nothing” or Void as it is a view of Reality (Brahman) from the gross called? No. In deep sleep, something in us body right up to the causal “bliss” sheath. remembers that we have slept soundly. That The delusion is removed sheath by sheath, Rememberer gives us the proof of the until what’s left is the Atman. continuous existence of the Atman within.

Verse 7 Verse 8 “THE SILENT TEACHER” “THE ULTIMATE SEER” Now that proof of Atman is there, We are taken up the cause-effect how do we track its presence. That very “I” chain. Finally, our awareness is taken to the who is to do the tracking is the Atman Itself! ‘Causeless’ Cause, to the Ultimate Seer, to It persists throughout our life. It never leaves whom everything else is an effect or the us from birth till death and beyond them. “Seen”. This Seer has nothing superior to it The “Jnana Mudra” sign is shown in silence who sees It. This deepest level of our Being is by the teacher, to direct us to the Atman. our Atman., from whom all else originates.

SRI DAKSHINAMURTI ASHTAKAM

8 Verses + 2 Ancillary Verses

“Hymn to the South-Facing SHIVA”

|| zÉÉÇÌiÉmÉÉPûÈ || || ¾¡ntip¡¿ha¦ || PEACE INVOCATION (from Yogasaara Upanishad)

1 Á rÉÉå oÉë¼ÉhÉÇ ÌuÉSkÉÉÌiÉ mÉÔuÉïqÉç , 2 rÉÉå uÉæ uÉåSÉÇ¶É mÉëÌWûhÉÉåÌiÉ iÉxqÉæ | 3 iÉÇ Wû SåuÉqÉÉiqÉoÉÑÎ®mÉëMüÉzÉÇ , 4 qÉÑqÉÑ¤ÉÑuÉæï zÉUhÉqÉWÇû mÉëmÉ±å || Á zÉÉÇÌiÉÈ zÉÉÇÌiÉÈ zÉÉÇÌiÉÈ

1 µ° yµ brahm¡³a¯ vidadh¡ti pÀrvam , 2 yµ vai v£d¡¯¾ca prahi³µti tasmai | 3 ta¯ ha d£vam¡tmabuddhiprak¡¾a¯ , 4 mumuk½urvai ¾ara³amaha¯ prapady£ || µ° ¾¡nti¦ ¾¡nti¦ ¾¡nti¦

Meaning: 1 Om. He who created (the four-faced) Brahma in the beginning; 2 and who delivers to us the Vedas, to Him, 3 To that God, who is the soul, the Light of the intellect, 4 I, being desirous of liberation, do resort to take shelter. Om, Peace,Peace,Peace!

THE FIRST EIGHT VERSES of this Hymn are the Dakshinamurti Ashtakam. They encompass the whole subject of Vedanta. They form the body of the Hymn. The two verses, 9 and 10, are ancillary to the Ashtakam. Verse 9 prescribes an Upasana or meditational practice by which the seeker can raise his level of receptivity to understand the import of the Ashtakam succintly. Verse 10 gives the Phala or fruit attained through practising all that is taught in the Ashtakam itself. The Upasana caters for all those who find it difficult to control their mind adequately to be able to abide for long periods in the Self. For this reason the Upasana should not be relegated to a status of being unimportant. In most cases it is the Upasana that ushers in the higher spiritual experience, which brings the Phala described in the last verse.

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|| ´ÉÏ SÍ¤ÉhÉÉqÉÔÌiÉï A¹MÇü || || ´ÉÏ AÉÌS zÉƒ¡ûUÉcÉÉrÉï || SRI DAKSHINAMURTI ASHTAKAM

by Sri Adi Shankaracharyaji

Verse 1: The Basic Concepts of Vedanta

ÌuÉµÉÇ SmÉïhÉSØzrÉqÉÉlÉlÉaÉUÏiÉÑsrÉÇ ÌlÉeÉÉliÉaÉïiÉÇ mÉzrÉ³ÉÉiqÉÌlÉ qÉÉrÉrÉÉ oÉÌWûËUuÉÉå°ÕiÉÇ rÉjÉÉ ÌlÉSìrÉÉ | rÉÈ xÉÉ¤ÉÉiMÑüÂiÉå mÉëoÉÉåkÉxÉqÉrÉå xuÉÉiqÉÉlÉqÉåuÉÉ²rÉÇ iÉxqÉæ ´ÉÏaÉÑÂqÉÔiÉïrÉå lÉqÉ CSÇ ´ÉÏSÍ¤ÉhÉÉqÉÔiÉïrÉå || 1||

vi¾va¯ darpa³ad»¾yam¡nanagar§tulya¯ nij¡ntargata¯ pa¾yann¡tmani m¡yay¡ bahirivµdbhÀta¯ yath¡ nidray¡ | ya¦ s¡k½¡tkurut£ prabµdhasamay£ sv¡tm¡nam£v¡dvaya¯ tasmai ¾r§gurumÀrtay£ nama ida¯ ¾r§dak½i³¡mÀrtay£ || 1||

Vishwam darpana drishyamaana The Pluralistic Universe is seen as though in a mirror , 1 nagaree, tulyam reflected in it like a city. nija antah gatam; Although the play is happening within Pashyan aatmani maayayaa in ‘Me’, the Atman. Yet, due to Maya’s power, it is seen 2 bahih iva, udbhootam to be produced outside ‘me’, the Jeeva, yathaa nidrayaa; just as it appears in a dream; Yah saakshaat kurute He who directly experiences 3 prabodha samaye, at the time of realisation, svaatmaanam eva advayam; His own Atman as being one with this Universe, Tasmai shree guru moortaye to that “Realised One”, the Revered Form of the Guru, 4 namah idam, do I offer my salutation; shree dakshinaa-moortaye. He is the Revered Form of Sri Dakshinamurti!

The verse introduces seven key Vedantic concepts that are described in later verses:

1. Jagat – the Pluralistic Universe. 2. Maya – the Power of Illusion which projects it. 3. Jeeva – the individual soul that experiences it. 4. Ishwara – the universal Soul that is the totality of all Jeevas and inert objects. 5. Brahman – the universal Reality, that is identical with 6. Atman – the individual Reality. Realisation of this is the spiritual goal. 7. Guru – the Teacher who leads us to realisation is himself the Reality.

These seven concepts need to be understood clearly by the serious student. Their inter-relationships are elaborated upon in the remaining seven verses of the Ashtakam. The opening verse is the Vastu Sangraha Vakya or “Contents page” for the remaining verses. As mentioned in the Introduction, the basic knowledge of Vedanta is taken as known at the very outset. This is a text which aims to assist the advanced seeker to tighten his grip on the handlebar that steers him to the ultimate Goal.

The Simile of the “Mirror” 1 The simile of a mirror is the key to understanding the message with which the text opens. The mirror is an excellent simile for the subject matter as it clearly demarcates the Real from the unreal, the two being on either side of the mirror. Further, if it is a very large mirror, then the viewer may not even know that it is there, which is another significant point – it makes whatever is seen in it to be considered as real, when in fact it is not. The mirror is used here as a powerful way of visualising the Unreality of the world. What I see in a mirror is not the real object; it is only an illusory reflection of the real object. What the mirror represents is seen in the next Pada. The first message the text delivers is that Jagat, referred to here as Vishwam, the Universe of names and forms, is an unreal, illusory appearance, like any image we see in a mirror. In the case of an ordinary man the world is taken as real, because the presence of the mirror is not known. However, a realised saint knows that a mirror is present, and that whatever he is seeing is a mere reflection. The text provides the advanced seeker who is on his way to the Goal, a very useful means to recognise the Unreality of the world, as he approaches the final stage of his spiritual journey. The immediate fact raised in the very first line is that there are two selves. One is an unreal self or “me” who is the individual, the Jeeva, that is part of the world, part of the reflection; and the other is the Real Self or “Me”, the Atman, who is looking into the mirror and seeing the whole world reflected in it, including the Jeeva. In this sense, the Atman is the Witness of the Jeeva and the world in front. My present experience is only of the unreal “me”, the Jeeva. I do not know anything of the Atman who is the real ‘Me’. *The capital letter in Me or My is to differentiate Atman from Jeeva.] I, the Self, see Myself as the world. I, the seeker-Jeeva, am told that this Universe which I see before me is only an illusion. These are two distinctly different ways of looking at the same world. My two selves see the world in two opposite ways: the Jeeva aspect, ‘me’, sees the world as being different from ‘me’. Whereas the Atman aspect, “Me”, views the world including “me”, as its own Self! 2 What do I see in a mirror? Myself, of course. That means, the Atman within is seeing Itself as the Jagat outside. The real “I” is being equated to the world seen in the mirror. What makes the ‘Me’ within (Aatmani) appear as the ‘world’ outside (Vishwam)? The text says that this is due to a cosmic illusory Power called Maya. That which makes the internal ‘Me’ appear as an external ‘world’ is Maya. It means the mirror is Maya. If Maya were not there, there would be no world out there. That means there will also be no “me” as Jeeva, but only ‘Me’ as the Atman. This immediately throws out a challenge to my intellect. My current experience is that the world appears real to me; I consider myself to be a real entity. But I am told that this world is not real in itself, but is a reflection of ‘Me’, reflected outside by Maya, like the 14 sun being reflected outside itself in a mirror. All the other Jeevas like me are equally reflections of the one Atman in various mirrors; I as an individual am one of them. So, the mirror is Maya. Each Jeeva must surely have its own unique mirror, constituted of varying proportions of Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas, producing its own world. This fact of Jeevas experiencing different worlds unique to each Jeeva, is compared to the appearance of dream. Each Jeeva produces its own dream which no other Jeeva has any access to. Similarly, due to having different mirrors, each Jeeva produces its own ‘world’, which is different from the worlds seen by other Jeevas.

The Equation for Realisation 3 At this point, we are introduced to the realised person’s experience. The equation for realisation is simple – the Maya element has to be removed: JEEVA – MAYA = ATMAN. Without Maya, we can have the true vision, the vision that represents our spiritual goal, the vision that all seekers are striving towards. We will see life from the perspective of the Atman, exactly as the text describes it. There is a shift in our consciousness. It is no longer from the narrow individual Jeeva’s perspective, but we shift to the level of the Atman where we are free from all influences of the intellect, mind and body. From the viewpoint of realisation, the world will certainly appear unreal, as just a reflection before us. And because there is no mirror any more, whatever we see as the world will be seen as being in the Atman. In other words, the Atman and the Universe will be inseparable. That is the vision of realisation. There is a logical extension of this vision: All Jeevas have essentially the same Atman; it is only their unique mirrors that make them appear different. Without that mirror, the realised person will see all Jeevas as himself. In fact, he will see all inert objects, too, as himself. That is nothing short of being Ishwara Himself, the totality of all creation. And the Atman that he realises, not being connected any more to his individuality, is now no different from Brahman, the supreme, universal Reality. What a shift this is! The realised person transcends his individuality completely and lives in universality.

Summary of the Verse The net result of this verse is to make us understand that in ignorance I am Jeeva at the individual level, and a part of Ishwara at the collective level. Then, when I gain knowledge of my true Self by recognizing the illusory mischief of Maya and eliminating it, then I am Atman at the individual level, and no different from Brahman at the universal level. So, in fact, I and Brahman are found to be the same Reality. Amazing, but true!

The Guru is None Other than Brahman Himself 4 This Pada, common to all the verses, is the basic line of salutation to the Guru, who is addressed in the context of this verse as the “Realised One”, known as Sri Dakshinamurti. All the three references to the Lord (Tasmai and Moortaye twice) are in 4th case to indicate who is saluted. This indicates that they are terms to be regarded on an equal footing. This implies that the Guru and the Lord Himself are on equal footing. The Guru is being saluted as an embodiment of the Lord. This is the attitude of an ideal student.

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Verse 2: How Maya Projects Herself

oÉÏeÉxrÉÉliÉËUuÉÉƒ¡ÓûUÉå eÉaÉÌSSÇ mÉëÉÎXçlÉÌuÉïMüsmÉÇ mÉÑlÉÈ qÉÉrÉÉMüÎsmÉiÉSåzÉMüÉsÉMüsÉlÉÉuÉæÍcÉ§rÉÍcÉ§ÉÏM×üiÉqÉç | qÉÉrÉÉuÉÏuÉ ÌuÉeÉ×qpÉrÉirÉÌmÉ qÉWûÉrÉÉåaÉÏuÉ rÉÈ xuÉåcNûrÉÉ iÉxqÉæ ´ÉÏaÉÑÂqÉÔiÉïrÉå lÉqÉ CSÇ ´ÉÏSÍ¤ÉhÉÉqÉÔiÉïrÉå || 2 ||

b§jasy¡ntariv¡±kurµ jagadida¯ pr¡±nirvikalpa¯ puna¦ m¡y¡kalpitad£¾ak¡lakalan¡vaicitryacitr§k»tam | m¡y¡v§va vij»mbhayatyapi mah¡yµg§va ya¦ sv£cchay¡ tasmai ¾r§gurumÀrtay£ nama ida¯ ¾r§dak½i³¡mÀrtay£ || 2 ||

beejasya antah iva angakura i) Like the future tree in a seed, 1 jagat idam praak, this universe, before (creation), nirvikalpam punah; remained unmanifest. maayaa kalpita Then, due to the illusory play of Maya, 2 desha kaala kalanaa, Her creations in Time and Space, vaichitrya chitree kritam; project themselves in endless names and forms; maayaavee iva vijrim-bhayati ii) Just as a juggler unrolls his magic, 3 api mahaa yogee iva even so the “Great Yogi” (Brahman) manifests yah svecchayaa; this universe by His own free will. tasmai shree guru moortaye To that “Great Yogi”, who is the form of the Guru, 4 namah idam, do I offer my salutation; shree dakshinaa-moortaye. He is the Revered Form of Sri Dakshinamurti!

A WARNING NOTE

The Vedantic view of the world is that, relative to the Ultimate Truth which is non- dual and unchanging, the manifested world of names and forms is ever-changing. For this reason alone it is considered to be Unreal. The changing Universe is in stark contrast to the unchanging Reality. Unreal is not to be mistaken to mean that the world is useless. This is a very common criticism levelled at Vedanta; it is also perhaps the most common error made by teachers of Vedanta who have incorrectly understood Vedanta. Unreality should not make us ignore the world, but just wary of it.

THE UNREALITY OF MAYA’S CREATION, JAGAT

We now expand on the first two of the seven concepts listed under verse 1, The cause of the creation of Jagat is said to be Maya. There are many terms used to describe Maya, depending on the aspect we are concerned with. In this text we are concerned with its aspect of projecting an illusory universe, a universe that is not really there, but only appears to be there. This illusion is what is going to be explained. This external appearance of the world is the work of Maya. 16

Maya resides in Brahman; it is the creative power of Brahman. Both Jeeva and Ishwara are effects of Maya. Brahman, although He is the substratum of creation, is not their cause. It is Maya who is their material cause. Whatever aspect we may be interested in, in a given context, we shall always see that two features are common to all of them. These are intrinsic to the power called Maya. They are called Avarana and Vikshepa. The first veils the Self, and the second projects the unreal world or Jagat. These are the two powers or functions of Maya. Two models of how Maya carries out Her work are presented to us:

A. The Future Tree and the Seed 1-2 The seed represents the Unmanifest state of Creation, and the future tree represents the universe that emerges from that unmanifest state. To help us to accept this, we have this simile. Everyone knows that it is possible for a tree to grow out of a small seed. All the potential to become a tree lies in the seed, but the seed is not the tree. A seed requires other things to begin the process of becoming a tree. Water, earth (soil), oxygen and nitrogen from air, proper climatic conditions, and so on, are needed. These provide the nutrients to make the transition from seed to tree. They are thus the Upadana Karana or material cause for the gross object to be created.

TIME AND SPACE

2 Desha Kaala Kalana: Two factors have to be in place before any creation can take place. They are Time and Space. Everything in creation occurs in the framework of these two factors. The definition of Time and Space is “that because of which we can transact in this world.” We cannot make reference to an object or an event independent of time and space. They form an axes system on which any object or event can be plotted. The x-axis runs from “earlier to later”, and the y-axis runs from “here to there”. Time and Space are Maya’s creation, and used as a reference frame. They themselves are related. One cannot think of time unless it is with reference to a space frame. When an object moves in space, the idea of time is born. Movement can be recorded in time. In deep sleep there is no movement, and so there is no sense of time passing. In any measurement of time, a movement is used as a reference. The most common movement is that of the sun. Sunrise and sunset are the oldest time references we can think of. Modern astronomy has taken these calculations to new heights; the relative movement between any two bodies in space is now able to be mapped out on a time axis. One can predict their distance apart over a great period of time. Scientists can now even go back in time and plot what the planetary positions were for any point of time in the past. All these facts are implied in Pada 2. The entire cosmos is interconnected in time and space. But we are reminded that time and space are creations of Maya, and do not exist at the level of Brahman or the Absolute.

Coming back to our example, there is a seed state for the universe which is its causal state. In that state the “blue-print” of the universe exists. The universe is planned and conceived in the drawing office of the Creator. Everything has been designed and goes out to ‘Tender’ to Mother Nature who is the contractor that is going to build it. Time and Space are needed for the process to happen. Nature waits for the right circumstances before the manifestation of Name and Form takes place. Maya as Nature is this material cause, providing all the ingredients for the created object. Brahman is the efficient cause, providing the flash of Consciousness to spark off the idea of creation. As Maya and Brahman are inseparable, many texts declare Brahman to be both the efficient as well as the material cause. There is an objection to this example – no example is exempted from objections. The objection is that the seed gets destroyed (or transformed) when the tree manifests. The seed is no longer manifested. Can this a true representation for the unmanifest Creator? No, the Creator cannot get destroyed. There is certainly a shortcoming in the analogy. To avoid this shortcoming, we go to the second simile.

B. A Juggler Unrolling His “Magic” 3 The ‘Juggler’ simile removes the defect of destruction of the Creator in the above simile. We now have a Creator who creates as a juggler creates his magic performance. The famous Indian magic-show is an example of this. A rope is created by the magician, leading into the sky. He then climbs up the rope and disappears, saying he is going to fight the demons up there. Soon we see pieces of a human body falling down and hear tumultuous sounds of a battle taking place. Then all is quiet and the magician comes down the rope smiling. This is actually seen by the audience. Again it is an undeniable piece of “Magic”. Does this improve on the previous example? Yes, the juggler is not destroyed when the magic-show takes place. Even so, Brahman is not destroyed when creation takes place. Everything else is the same as before. In addition, we have the added benefit of demonstrating that Creation is something unreal; it’s just a piece of ‘magic’. That is perfectly agreeable to Vedanta philosophy! There is a further advantage to this simile. The juggler expresses His own free will (Swecchayaa). That is very accurate for the Creation process, where Brahman is the Nimitta Karana or efficient cause of Creation. Nimitta means “that which stands far apart from the effect and produces it.” Brahman is the efficient cause, providing the “blue-print” of creation, like an architect is the efficient cause for a building being built. The architect has to “live” in a building before it is built! It is the same with Brahman and His creation. There is even a third advantage: The Mayavi’s creation is purely an illusion. The objects he creates cannot be touched. No transaction can take place with them. This is also agreeable to the Vedantin. It helps him to show the illusoriness of the world even better, and to promote dispassion in his students. However, even this simile has a glaring disadvantage: The Mayavi is far being Brahman-like in his own life. The Mayavi is a trickster who does his trade for earning a livelihood. Further, he has a limited number of tricks “up his sleeve”. If he is trained to create potatoes that is all he does; then he cannot produce tomatoes. The Mayavi also needs an assistant to perform these tricks. He cannot do them all on his own. These defects need to be removed. To remove them we have no option but to go to the ‘real thing’ . . .

C. Brahman as the “Great Yogi” 4 There is no simile available that has no defect at all. The only recourse is to take the case of a realized saint who becomes the “Great Yogi”, Brahman Himself. Such a Guru is completely identified with Brahman. He is not a simile any more but the actual thing! This Pada, common to all the verses, is the basic line of salutation to such a Guru, who is addressed in the context of this verse as the “Great Yogi”, known as Sri Dakshinamurti. He is able to manifest Divine Aishwarya or Vibhootis. His acts resemble the creation by Brahman perfectly. Indeed, he is the very image of Brahman on earth, in flesh and blood. He is able to create just by the power of his pure thoughts, exactly as Brahman does. In the example of the “Great Yogi” , Maya Herself is transcended, leaving us with Brahman alone. Brahman now has to play the role of both Nimitta and Upadana Karana. He is the substratum of all Creation. He is there in the very midst of His Creation as their support. That is His role as Upadana Karana. Further, He has determined through His Will what the individual names and forms would be. That is His role as Nimitta Karana. This perspective can only be from Non-duality. Through this verse, we have made significant progress in our vision of Creation. It is now seen to be entirely an appearance, and the appearance is reversible; that is, it can merge back into the substratum. This reversible nature of creation from the manifest to unmanifest and back to manifest is called Vivarta Vada. It points to the false appearance of the world, wherein the only Reality is Brahman the Substratum of the appearance. Thus the ultimate relationship of Brahman to the manifested world may now be written as:

“ABHINNA-UPADANA-NIMITTA-VIVARTA KARANA” “Undifferentiated Material and Efficient Cause of this Falsely Appearing World.”

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Verse 3: The Discovery of Reality Liberates

rÉxrÉæuÉ xTÑüUhÉÇ xÉSÉiqÉMüqÉxÉiMüsmÉÉjÉïMÇü pÉÉxÉiÉå xÉÉ¤ÉÉ¨É¨uÉqÉxÉÏÌiÉ uÉåSuÉcÉxÉÉ rÉÉå oÉÉåkÉrÉirÉÉÍ´ÉiÉÉlÉç | rÉixÉÉ¤ÉÉiMüUhÉÉ°uÉå³É mÉÑlÉUÉuÉ×Ì¨ÉpÉïuÉÉqpÉÉåÌlÉkÉÉæ iÉxqÉæ ´ÉÏaÉÑÂqÉÔiÉïrÉå lÉqÉ CSÇ ´ÉÏSÍ¤ÉhÉÉqÉÔiÉïrÉå || 3 ||

yasyaiva sphura³a¯ sad¡tmakamasatkalp¡rthaka¯ bh¡sat£ s¡k½¡ttattvamas§ti v£davacas¡ yµ bµdhayaty¡¾rit¡n | yats¡k½¡tkara³¡dbhav£nna punar¡v»ttirbhav¡mbhµnidhau tasmai ¾r§gurumÀrtay£ nama ida¯ ¾r§dak½i³¡mÀrtay£ || 3 ||

Yasya iva sphuranam He whose manifestations are themselves 1 sadaatmakam, nothing but the Reality alone asat kalpaarthakam bhaasate; appearing as the delusory objects of the world; Saakshaat tat twam asi Direct enlightenment, through “Tat Twam Asi” 2 iti veda vachasaa, the Mahavakya or ‘Great Vedic statement’, yah bodhayati aashritaan; is imparted to those who have surrendered to Him. Yat saakshaat karanaat After having such a direct experience, 3 bhavet na punah aavrittih, never again shall the realised one return to bhavaam-bho-nidhau; this ocean of worldly existence. Tasmai shree guru moortaye To that “Liberated One”, the Revered Form of the Guru, 4 namah idam, do I offer my salutation; shree dakshinaa-moortaye. He is the Revered Form of Sri Dakshinamurti!

The main points of discussion in this verse are: 1 i) the Jagat & Brahman & Maya; 2 ii) Surrender & Enlightenment through Atma Vichar or Self-Enquiry; 3 iii) Freedom from Transmigration & Rebirth 4 iv) All this is attained by the Grace of the Guru.

Relationship Between Jagat, Brahman & Maya 1 This Pada has the first main point. As mentioned in the opening verse, the universe is Brahman Himself manifested in the form of a multitude of names and forms. The big point made here is that from Reality, only Reality can arise; the names and forms are merely unreal appearances over the Reality. Maya’s connection with these manifestations is to veil the Reality from the manifestations. That is the delusory nature of Maya at work. Maya’s purpose is to keep our attention fixed on the names and forms and take it away from the Reality which is found in the Existence, Knowledge and Bliss aspects of the manifestations. Jagat appears delusory only because Brahman is veiled from us by Maya. The Jagat is not delusory in itself, but made to appear delusory because of our ignorance of Brahman.

Sat and Sphuranam are Swaroopa Lakshanas (direct pointers) indicating Brahman; Kalpaarthakam Bhaasate is the Tatastha Lakshana (indirect pointer).

Surrender & Enlightenment 2 The Guru first ensures that the student has the spirit of surrender before imparting to him the knowledge of “Tat Twam Asi”. One has to surrender to a Guru (who is the Lord Himself) and learn about the nature of God and the nature of his own Self. By checking this single quality, all the sixfold Virtues, named Shat Sampati, are guaranteed to exist in the student. Only to such a student is the precious knowledge of “Tat Twam Asi” imparted. After receiving the instruction from the Guru, the student still has much Self-enquiry to do before enlightenment follows. This Sadhana has been dealt with thoroughly in several previous texts, namely Vedanta Sara (Text 22) and Vakya Vritti (Text 25), and are therefore not repeated here. Enlightenment comes when we realize that Twam or “Thou”, the microcosmic Reality Atman at the individual level, is none other than Tat or “That”, the macrocosmic Reality Brahman at the total level. To experience this identity is enlightenment. The Sadhana for God-realisation, under the direction of a perfect Master, is pointed out in this Pada. The main elements of this Vedantic Sadhana are Manana and Nididhyasana. The essence of this Sadhana is Self-enquiry, “Who am I?”. Regarding the special relationship of Guru and disciple, Acharyaji said, “No one can teach another. In a loving and disciplined atmosphere, learning happens by itself. Surrender and obedience must be there in the disciple. An example was given in class of a donkey to illustrate this. The Guru said anyone can come to him and learn. A sceptic said, “Then teach this donkey your Vedanta.” The Guru accepted the donkey and began teaching him. The sceptic returned after a week to see what the donkey had learnt. The Guru asked it to repeat the verses taught. The donkey stood and stared as though nothing was happening. The Guru did all this just to teach the sceptic a lesson: He explained, “You see, I did my duty and taught him. But he did not learn. It is not my fault.” The sceptic felt ashamed and walked away.

Misconceptions about Meaning of “Tat Twam Asi” Since the whole point about this text is to answer the critics, Sri Sureshwaracharya brings out various misconceptions of how this Mahavakya is misinterpreted by people. i) Some simply see it as a praise of the student, encouraging him, as when one is told, “Oh, you are a genius!” Similarly, the student is told “Oh, Thou art That!” ii) Some say it is only a simile, meaning “You are like Brahman.” For instance, we say, “He is full of fire” meaning “He is like fire.” iii) Some see it as a statement of Kaarya-Karana, effect-cause relationship between Jeeva and Brahman. They say it means “Jeeva is an effect of Brahman”. iv) Some see a Jaati-Vyakti relationship, i.e. group/individual relation. The Jeeva is a member of a larger group called Brahman. v) Some hold it as a Guna-Gunee relation, i.e. a quality-qualified (owner of that quality). Thus, to them Jeeva is a quality owned by Brahman. vi) Others say that it is for the sake of an Upasana. In an Upasana a worship is performed or a thought meditated upon in order to develop a certain quality in oneself. Like

21 that the student Jeeva is being asked to meditate on Brahman in this manner. It is like an affirmation. vii) Some say there is an Anga-Angee relation, i.e. part/whole relation. The Jeeva is a part of Brahman. Some who are versed well in Samskrit even say that Tat-Twam is a Samasya Pada, a compound, which can be interpreted in several ways: viii) Tat cha Twam cha Asi. “As is Brahman, so is Jeeva”. They are independent of each other. This then becomes open to be interpreted in any way, for example, if Brahman is the Ruler, then Jeeva is the ruled, and so on; ix) Tat Iva Twam Asi, “You are like Him.” We have seen this earlier; x) Tasya Twam Asi, “You are of Him”; xi) Tasmin Twam Asi, “You are in Him.” All these versions reflect the many pet ideas that people have to which they like to bend the Truth. The Upanishads warn people of these twisted concepts, and ask the student to beware of them. That is why it is best to go to a God-realised Guru who will instruct the truth properly. Then no such danger will arise.

Freedom from Transmigration & Rebirth 3 Na Punah Aavrittih: “Never again returns”. By realizing one’s unity with God, one is elevated to the Paramarthic Satta, the highest or Absolute level of Reality, beyond this transitory world. This is called transcending worldly life; it means never returning to take birth again in this relative world. It is Liberation from the bondage to all sorrow. It is the ultimate spiritual freedom. This is the emphatic message of this Pada. There are hundreds of Shruti passages which speak of this fruit of Vedantic Sadhana. Hence, we need not elaborate on it. However, it is interesting that not all schools of thought aim for such a fruit. The Karma Kandis aim specifically for a material result for their actions. They want some material gain. That is their goal and therefore they perform action. The Upasakas aim for a a place in heaven, but that is also in the realm of Samsara. They follow the rules of Dharma, earn merit and then spend it in heavenly pleasure. At the end of it, they have to return to earth to take another birth. Vedanta is the only path where renunciation is the main Sadhana and the goal is to transcend this cycle of rebirths and coming out of Samsara. 4 This Pada, salutes the Guru in the context of this verse as the “Liberated One”, known as Sri Dakshinamurti. The verse provides us with the knowledge of Reality, the means to attain it, and the Liberation resulting from it – all in one crisp, compact and beautiful stanza saluting the Lord Dakshinamurti, the Divine Teacher in our heart.

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Verse 4: The Vedantic Theory of Perception

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n¡n¡cchidragha¿µdarasthitamah¡d§paprabh¡bh¡svara¯ j²¡na¯ yasya tu cak½ur¡dikara³adv¡r¡ bahi¦ spandat£ | j¡n¡m§ti tam£va bh¡ntamanubh¡ty£tatsamasta¯ jagat tasmai ¾r§gurumÀrtay£ nama ida¯ ¾r§dak½i³¡mÀrtay£ || 4 ||

Naanaa-cchidra-ghatora- (Just think of) a jar having many holes, 1 sthita-mahaa-deepa with a great lamp placed inside it, prabhaa bhaaswaram; having a bright light; Jnaanam yasya tu (Now imagine) it is the Light of Consciousness! 2 chakshuh aadi karana dvaaraa Through the ‘inner instrument’ and sense organs, bahih spandate; that Light ‘flashes’ outside, Jaanaami iti and declares “I know”. [Consciousness is knowledge.] 3 tam eva bhaantam anubhaati, Only after He (Consciousness) shines His Light, etat samastam jagat; does the whole universe become known; Tasmai shree guru moortaye to that “Perceiver of All”, the Revered Form of the Guru, 4 namah idam, do I offer my salutation; shree dakshinaa-moortaye. He is the Revered Form of Sri Dakshinamurti!

The main point here is how Jeeva obtains knowledge of Jagat, helped by Atman. This verse is primarily about the “Theory of Perception”, by which our senses obtain knowledge for us from the world of sense objects. It is based on the principle of the all- pervading Consciousness which works in conjunction with the senses. A simile is presented to illustrate the whole theory. We have encountered this theory in Vedanta Sara (Text 22) already. Nevertheless, it is briefly repeated here:

Simile of “Lantern with Holes” 1 There is a lantern with solid sides having seven holes in it. The light from the lantern goes out through these seven holes. The lantern represents the Body equipments, both subtle and gross. The lamp inside the lantern represents the Light of Consciousness. The seven holes in the cover of the lantern represent the seven sense organs, i.e. two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and one mouth (tongue). 2-3 The Light of Consciousness goes out, first through the subtle instruments (mind and intellect) and then through the sense organs to the gross sense objects. The Vritti Vyapti (reflected consciousness) from the intellect and mind envelopes the object and removes the ignorance covering the object. Thereafter, the Phala Vyapti of Consciousness reveals or illumines the object, making it known to us. Consciousness is associated with ‘knowing’. In this way, mind, intellect and Consciousness work together to bring knowledge to us.

This is the simplified “Theory of Perception” in Vedanta. This process is going on in the waking state at all times. There is reflection of Consciousness taking place in the intellect; only after that, does the reflected consciousness go out through the senses and return with the knowledge. The reflected consciousness varies from person to person according to the intellect it is reflected from. For this reason different people have different capacities to obtain knowledge. In a Shruti passage in Chandogya Upanishad it is said, “Everything is kissed by our Consciousness.” This is the same principle at work. Here only Vastu Jnana is spoken of, i.e. perception of objects of the world. The internal perception of the Self through the Brahmakara Vritti is not touched upon.That follows a similar procedure, but there are slight differences in the application. 4 This Pada salutes the Guru in the context of this verse as the “Perceiver of All”, known as Sri Dakshinamurti.

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Verse 5: The Range of Concepts of Reality

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d£ha¯ pr¡³amap§ndriy¡³yapi cal¡¯ buddhi¯ ca ¾Ànya¯ vidu¦ str§b¡l¡ndhaja¢µpam¡stvahamiti bhr¡nt¡ bh»¾a¯ v¡dina¦ | m¡y¡¾aktivil¡sakalpitamah¡ vy¡mµhasa¯h¡ri³£ tasmai ¾r§gurumÀrtay£ nama ida¯ ¾r§dak½i³¡mÀrtay£ || 5 ||

Deham praanam api (Taking to be Reality) their body or even Prana, 1 indriyaani api chalaam buddhim, or senses, or even the ever-changing intellect, cha shoonyam viduh; or even a void, consider such ideas to be Stree baala andha jada effeminate, childish, blind or idiotic, 2 upamah tu aham iti, uttering “Thus I am” in ignorant innocence. bhraantaa bhrisham vaadinah; Deluded as they are, they vigorously stick to their words. Maayaa shakti vilaasa Then follows the play of the power of Maya, 3 kalpita mahaa, which gives rise to terrible misconceptions. vyaamoha samhaarine; He who removes these delusions at their root – Tasmai shree guru moortaye to that “Remover of Delusion”, the Revered Form of Guru, 4 namah idam, do I offer my salutation; shree dakshinaa-moortaye. He is the Revered Form of Sri Dakshinamurti!

Common Misconceptions of Reality The main point in focus here is Brahman, the Reality. In this terse presentation we are shown eight false viewpoints of Brahman. They are contradictory to Vedanta. The intention is to provide a suitable reply to strong criticisms of Vedanta by other schools of thought. The class discussion centered largely on evaluating the philosophies of other schools against the Vedantic viewpoint which takes Brahman, the Non-dual Absolute, alone as the Reality and nothing short of it. In general, any philosophical system is assessed under four basic requirements: i) Pramana: the means of obtaining knowledge (this text uses logical inference); ii) Tattwa: What is the ultimate Truth or Reality? (Verse 3.1) iii) Sadhana: What are the means to reach it? (Verse 3.2) iv) Srishti: How is Creation viewed? (Verse 2) In the following discussion we are mainly concerned with Tattwa, that which is considered to be the ultimate Truth of each philosophy.

Schools of Thought on Reality 1 When it comes to the Truth, Sri Shankaracharyaji insists on pinpointing clearly what it is. He does not compromise on matters of the ultimate Truth.

Eight schools of thought are discussed below. None of them come up to the ultimate Non-dual Truth proclaimed by Vedanta. They are all within the scope of the hierarchy accepted in Vedanta, but they fall short at different levels without pursuing the highest. We begin by considering them from the grossest view to the closest that reaches Non-Duality.

i) Body is Self: Charvakas 1 – Everything related to the body is considered as being most important. They are “vital statistics”. This is the maximum level of delusion. The fundamental logic which refutes this belief (and all the other beliefs also) is Drig- Drishya. This says that if a thing is seen then it cannot be ‘me’, it can only be ‘mine’. So I must be something above it. Since I see the body, the body cannot be ‘me’. Then we come to the changeability of the body – the modifications from birth, growth, decay, death, etc. Yet we always feel we are the same person. That is everyone’s experience. That means we must be something other than the body. Lastly, on this point, what would the concept of liberation be for such believers? It will be death of the body. This does not hold out to reason. For only a dead man will enjoy the fruit of such liberation!

ii) Senses are the Self: Charvakas 2 – The next group take the senses to be the Self. They say without the senses the body is useless. “I love my senses more than the body.” The problem lies in selecting which of the ten senses are we? If I am one of these senses, then if that is removed, then I will die. But this does not stand up to proof.

iii) Prana is Self: Charvakas 3 – More subtle than the senses are the Pranas which give life to them, and the whole body. Most people fall into this category of belief. The life- force is worshipped. People go to any extent to ensure a long life. They do anything to look younger. Strength and energy become the deities for this group, as they display power. Breathing exercises are emphasized. Such people claim that Prana is the greatest as it works 24/7 with no rest. Only at death does it rest. Life is measured by its presence. When breathing stops, a person is declared ‘dead’. But there is something greater than Prana – the mind. We can control Prana through the mind. That which controls is greater – that is the principle. Something is there which knows more than what the Pranas know.

iv) Mind is Self: Charvakas 4 – This school says “Mind is me.” When mind is absorbed in work, one feels very happy and contented. This implies that thought is me. There are many thoughts. Which thought is ‘me’? I ‘see’ my mind, therefore I cannot be mind. I feel different emotions which I know. So I cannot be mind.

v) Intellect is Self: Kshanika Vijnana Vadins – The intellect is a higher instrument than the mind. The Buddhists or Kshanika Vijnana Vadins believe in this theory. All objects are nothing but thought. Thought changes all the time. So that implies that I change every moment. This is called Alaya Vijnana Dhara. The Aham Vritti is the Adhar of all thoughts, but the Kshanika Vadins take the Idam Vritti as the Adhar. Thus they have the unavoidable conclusion that they are changing all the time. This leads to endless identification problems, as I am not the 26 same person as I was a moment ago! To which ‘me’ does memory belong? The absurdity grows and the whole theory falls flat on logic.

vi) Ignorance is Self: Meemamsakas – There are those who take the Anandamaya Kosha to be their Self. That is where all the happiness is ignorantly observed to reside. Sleep gives us a good taste of this happiness. But at other times, too, as when one is enjoying a sense object, the joy experienced is from the Anandamaya. This school is supported by Prabhakar.

vii) Ignorance with Consciousness is Self: Kumarila Bhatta – This school believes that Self is a combination of inertness and sentiency, like a firefly, which has half its body in light and half in darkness. After sleep one feels, “I did not know” (inertness) as well as “I slept well” (sentiency).

viii) Non-existence is Self: Shoonya Vadins – Finally, we have Vedanta’s most powerful opponent, the believers of non-existence. Their Reality is a Void. They have the problem of never being able to prove their theory, as one would have to be in a void to experience it, and no one can believe that they are a Void. It is impossible. Nevertheless, the school has its supporters, mainly the Buddhistic section of Shoonya Vadins. There are those who say that Shoonya is just another word for Brahman, for the indefinable Brahman appears to them as a void. They have never known of anything in their experience that resembles the correct definition of Brahman. That simply means that no one among them has realized Brahman! The Chandogya Upanishad has a direct counter to their belief. It poses the question, “How can anything be produced out of nothing?”

Qualities that Define Delusion 2 This has become a controversial verse due to the inclusion of Stree “woman” among the other terms used. The Rishis of the Vedic period did not have narrow ideas regarding gender. In any case, this text is concerned only with intellectual qualities, and the word means effeminate qualities which could exist even in man. That is clearly intended. i) Stree: “woman” or “effeminate qualities”. Being too emotional, attached or highly strung or having strong likes and dislikes are considered unsuitable for knowledge of Self. These are classed as effeminate qualities. There is no insult to women intended here. ii) Baala: “child”. This really means one who is intellectually not developed fully. It indicates immaturity, living in one’s own world, playfulness, childishness. In the scriptures, ignorant people are often called ‘Baala’. Again, there is no insult to children intended here. iii) Andha: “blind”. This does not mean being literally blind, but refers to one who does not adopt the right means or Pramana to obtain knowledge. Those who look for God outside when He is inside are adopting the wrong means. They may not be physically blind, but they are intellectually blind. Swamiji gave the example of one who attends Vedanta classes for a year, and then complains that in spite of that he has not got a good job yet! The Vedanta class is not the right means to get a good job. The wrong means will never bring the right result. If one has no eyes, of what use is a mirror to him? This is how ‘Andha’ has to be understood. iv) Jada: “inert”. It refers to an inert, dull intellect. It is of no use in understanding the subtleties of a subject like Vedanta. A blunt knife can never cut anything. 27

Bhraantaa Bhrisham: These are persons being clouded firmly with gross delusion. They can never get to the truth of things with such poorly equipped intellects.

Removal of Delusion 3 Mahaa Vyaamoha: This is an unusual word describing the degree of delusion. ‘Moha’ is the basic word meaning delusion. All mental diseases are born of Moha. Everyone is deluded in some way or other. When ‘Aa’ prefix is added to Moha, ‘Aamoha’ makes the delusion related more to one’s life. From the general state, we are going to a more specific state. It indicates the contagion of delusion has crept into our very life. Then a further prefix ‘Vi’ is added, and we get ‘Vyaamoha’. This is even more deep and intense. The delusion is now not just in ordinary superficial matters of life, but the very principles of life are subject to delusion. Our concept of right and wrong, our standards of morality, are confused. There is no discrimination in adopting values in life. We cannot decide properly which path to follow. There is no anchorage in life and our boat is rudderless. These are fundamental delusions we are speaking of. Finally, the adjective ‘Maha’ is added to all this, which takes it to another level altogether. Now, not only this single life is affected, but life after life is lived in a deluded state. There is something very fundamentally wrong in our makeup that is dragged through every life. This is the most intense form of delusion a person can ever suffer from. It is the delusion that engulfs us endlessly birth after birth. The very root of life is infected! That is the acute state which is being treated here. How have we got into all this mess? It is by cumulative reckless living, excessive negligence of the thoughts we permit into our minds. We have neglected to filter them; we have permitted all sorts of wild thoughts to run unchecked in our mind. This Tamasic intellect has grown like weeds in our mind and formed a thick veil over our intellect. The intellect no longer has the sharpness and purity to understand its original nature. 4 This Pada salutes the Guru in the context of this verse as the “Remover of Delusion”, known as Sri Dakshinamurti. It is when we realize that we are entrapped by this delusion, that the Guru comes into our lives and rescues us from going even deeper into the mud of delusion. This is the rescue operation referred to in this line. How grateful should we be to the Guru who comes into our life to perform this massive ‘clean-up’ operation!

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Verse 6: Refutation of Shoonya Vada

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r¡hugrastadiv¡kar£ndusad»¾µ m¡y¡sam¡cch¡dan¡t sanm¡tra¦ kara³µpasa¯hara³atµ yµ:'bhÀtsu½upta¦ pum¡n | pr¡gasv¡psamiti prabµdhasamay£ ya¦ pratyabhij²¡yat£ tasmai ¾r§gurumÀrtay£ nama ida¯ ¾r§dak½i³¡mÀrtay£ || 6 ||

Raahu grasta divaakara During an eclipse, the sun 1 indu sadrishah, or moon is obscured. maayaa samaacchaadanaat; (So also), enveloped in Maya, Sat maatrah Existence alone remains 2 karana upasamharanatah, when, folding up the functions of the senses and mind, yah abhoot sushuptah pumaan; one enters the state of deep sleep; Praak asvaapsam iti “I have had a good sleep” – 3 prabodha samaye, upon waking up, yah prati-abhijnaayate; He remembers that very well. Tasmai shree guru moortaye to that “Rememberer”, the Revered Form of the Guru, 4 namah idam, do I offer my salutation; shree dakshinaa-moortaye. He is the Revered Form of Sri Dakshinamurti!

Eighth in the category of beliefs on Reality in the last verse was the Shoonya Vadin. This verse provides the logical grounds for refuting this belief, since it comprises the strongest opponent of Vedanta. They believe that it is not Brahman at the root of Existence but an utter Void. One may ask: What is the urgent need to disprove this philosophy? If this philosophy is left unchallenged, it means Void is God! What sort of morals and values would that philosophy engender in our society? It will lead to a complete breakdown of all worthy values which uphold life. Hence this extra effort is considered worth spending in meeting the challenge of the Shoonya Vadins at the philosophical root level.

The Gist of the Battle Acharyaji equated the situation to a tournament. Vedantins are already in the final. And the Shunya Vadins have knocked out all the other schools and come to the finals to play the Vedantins. This is the match that decides the winner! The state of deep sleep is the battleground or venue for the tournament. Deep sleep brings our minds to focus on the root of the matter. We can say that in deep sleep the opposition is in the very goalmouth of the Vedantins, and they are closest to scoring a goal! So the Vedantins have to defend to the utmost. In deep sleep all the superficial variables are eliminated. The mind is not there, which greatly simplifies the analysis. We are in a state of root ignorance, we are merged into

29 our causal state. The supreme Consciousness is the Truth of our being, but we cannot recognize the Supreme because there is a major obstruction – the veil of Maya – that covers it from our view. We take up the argument Pada by Pada, as it is presented: 1 A well-chosen simile is used to explain this veiling. In the very choice of this simile we see the truth that Vedanta stands for. It is the eclipse, of the sun or the moon, it does not matter which. These two events occur when the sun, the moon and the earth lie in one straight line. The sun is eclipsed when the moon is in the middle, or the moon is eclipsed when the earth is in the middle. This perfectly symbolises the situation where Brahman (Existence) is eclipsed from the Jeeva due to the intervening presence of Maya (Avidya). It tells us that the light is there, but it is just eclipsed. The Shoonya Vadins contend that there is no light there at all, and darkness is the basic state of the universe. But it is a simile only; it is not proof. We have to proceed to prove that Light is there.

2 The mechanics behind the state of deep sleep is now described in this Pada. The functioning of the senses and the mind ‘folds up’ (Upa-sam-harana-tah). There are no dreams, since the mind also has folded up. What is still present then? How do we even know that we are in deep sleep? These questions are asked because we know nothing when we are in deep sleep. The answer is crucial because depending on it we can deduce that ‘something’ was still present while we slept. The answer is given in the next Pada.

3 “Upon waking up, we remember we have slept well.” In this recollection lies the clue as to who was present when we slept peacefully. Acharyaji explained it in terms of the key word ‘Pratyabhijna’ , which means “remember well”. We remember the moment just before going to sleep. Then we lose all awareness. The next link in our awareness is the moment when we just get up. Pratyabhijna is the technical word which explains this step by step. When we see someone for the first time, that perception is called ‘Pratyaksha’. Then we see the person again some days later. At this second meeting, the ‘Pratyaksha’ is of course there, but in addition there is an instant recollection of the previous meeting. That memory together with the Pratyaksha of the second meeting is called by the technical term ‘Pratyabhijna’. It is a Pratyaksha that is bolstered by a memory. In the case we are analyzing, the two events referred to are the moment of going to sleep and the moment we get up. The recognition that it is the same person who slept and has woken up is ‘Pratyabhijna’. What does that tell us? It tells us that the Consciousness must have been present throughout the duration of our peaceful sleep without our knowledge of It. That is the Light in us which is eclipsed by Ignorance. Although we did not see the eclipse taking place because we had no awareness, we can deduce it from the fact of the ‘Pratyabhijna’. This is the answer to the Shunya Vadins – “Yes, there is light behind this darkness”; it is certainly not a Void (or total darkness) behind this universe. Vedantins have a ‘living’ proof of this argument – the realized sage. The sage dwells in the Light at all times. He is in touch with the Self at all times, even while he is in deep sleep. We must remember that to him the three states of waking, dream and sleep are all in the realm of unreality. He is in the state of consciousness that underlies all three. 30

Acharyaji asked at the end of the discussion, “Why do we go to sleep?” He himself answered: “Two things are needed in order to go to sleep. Firstly, there has to be Tamas present. And secondly, there has to be Punya or merit for us to deserve to have a good sleep. We deserve a good sleep only after having done good deeds. Paapis (those who have sinned) go to sleep only because of Tamas overpowering them, not because of Punya. Hence, their sleep is a bit restless or disturbed, or sometimes ‘sleepless’.” Acharyaji joked about the Punya that is needed to have a good sleep. He said, “If the Punya runs out at the same time as the alarm goes, we get up at that moment. If Punya is still there, we sleep through the alarm and only get up when the Punya is exhausted!” Only a Vedantin can think so clearly about all the circumstances surrounding our sleep. Vedantins must surely make very good sleepers! Acharyaji agreed, “Yes, I see them sleeping even while the class is going on, because of their surplus Punya!” 4 This Pada salutes the Guru in the context of this verse as the “Rememberer”, known as Sri Dakshinamurti. He reminds us that He is there, even when we completely forget everything, including Him, during sleep.

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Verse 7: The Persisting Sense of “I Am”

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b¡ly¡di½vapi j¡grad¡di½u tath¡ sarv¡svavasth¡svapi vy¡v»tt¡svanuvartam¡namahamityanta¦ sphuranta¯ sad¡ | sv¡tm¡na¯ praka¿§karµti bhajat¡¯ yµ mudray¡ bhadray¡ tasmai ¾r§gurumÀrtay£ nama ida¯ ¾r§dak½i³¡mÀrtay£ || 7 ||

Baalya aadishu api In all stages such as childhood, etc; 1 jaagrad aadishu tathaa, in all states such as waking, etc; sarvaasu avasthaasu api; and in all other conditions also; Vyaavrittaasu Through all these constantly changing manifestations 2 anuvartamaanam aham iti, the feeling of “I am” persists, antah sphuratam sadaa; remaining ever as the illuminating Presence within, Swaatmaanam prakatee karoti The Atman reveals His own Self 3 bhajataam yah, to His devotees. He who imparts his teaching (in silence) mudrayaa bhadrayaa; through the auspicious “Jnana Mudra” sign – Tasmai shree guru moortaye to that “Silent Teacher”, the Revered Form of the Guru, 4 namah idam, do I offer my salutation; shree dakshinaa-moortaye. He is the Revered Form of Sri Dakshinamurti!

This verse focuses attention on the Atman, the Pure Consciousness within the individual, whose Presence is there within us under all the varying conditions through which we pass. It is present within from birth till death, and is there even beyond them.

The Different Passing States 1a Baalya Aadishu: “in childhood, etc”. The states referred to here occur over the whole life-cycle. As we move on in age, we pass certain identifiable stages. The Charvakas, specialists as they are on the body, identify these as babyhood (0-3 years), childhood (4-15 years), youth (16-30 years), adulthood (31-45 years), middle age (46-60 years), seniors (61- 75 years) and old age (76+ years). All these modifications are included under this category. In each of these we feel that we are the same person who has experienced all the stages. It does not change. Through all changes in life, the Atman remains changeless. 1b Jaagrat Aadishu: “in waking, etc”. The three states mentioned here – waking, dream and deep sleep – occur over a daily time-cycle. There are some other states which we pass through as well. Moorcha (unconsciousness or coma) is one of them. Then we have sub-states for each of these three states. In the waking state, there are walking, talking, eating, drinking, working, playing, etc. In dream we can include day- dreaming and ruminating. All these states are falsified because they come and go – i.e. they are subject to Vyavrittan. As one state passes, the next one is ushered in automatically.

2 Vyaavrittan: This is the constant change from one state to another that has just been described so thoroughly above. In the midst of all this change, there is something that remains ever constant. That is now described. Aham Iti: “I am”. The sense of “I am” was mentioned in the last Pada under deep sleep to prove a point. However, it is there in the other two states as well. This Pada cuts across the trend of the previous verse by introducing the constant element in all our experiences – the “I”-sense in us. Life gives us a clue as to who we are in reality; the clue is available at every moment in life. If we only pause and ponder over our past we will pick up the clue: No matter what has changed in our life, no matter how old we have grown, no matter whether we are waking, dreaming or fast asleep, it is the same person who is experiencing all this. And we can safely say that it was the same person even in the previous life and the life before that; and it will be the same person for the rest of this life and in all future lives, too. There is no change in the real “I”; everything else may change, but the sense of “I-ness” never changes at all, birth after birth. This is the Truth being held out in this verse. The Atman is birthless and deathless. Here is another aspect of Vyaavrittan. The mind can hold one thing only at a time. As we call the name of one object, all others recede from our conscious mind and only that one object comes forward. If the word “Gandhiji” is uttered, his picture comes up in our mind, and all others vanish. The three states are also mutually exclusive; we can experience them only one at a time. It is the same with childhood, youth, etc; again we experience them in the right sequence one at a time. So they all fall into the same category – as temporary states. However, the “I” is the same in them all. 3 The Divine Guru, Sri Dakshinamurti, is the one who reveals this Truth to His devotees using the auspicious “Jnana Mudra”, which we came across in Stotras 1 and 3 of the “Dakshinamurti Dhyanam”. 4 This Pada salutes the Guru in the context of this verse as the “Silent Teacher”, known as Sri Dakshinamurti.

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Verse 8: The Ultimate Seer of Samsara

ÌuÉµÉÇ mÉzrÉÌiÉ MüÉrÉïMüÉUhÉiÉrÉÉ xuÉxuÉÉÍqÉxÉÇoÉlkÉiÉÈ ÍzÉwrÉÉcÉÉrÉïiÉrÉÉ iÉjÉæuÉ ÌmÉiÉ×mÉÑ§ÉÉ±ÉiqÉlÉÉ pÉåSiÉÈ | xuÉmlÉå eÉÉaÉëÌiÉ uÉÉ rÉ LwÉ mÉÑÂwÉÉå qÉÉrÉÉmÉËUpÉëÉÍqÉiÉÈ iÉxqÉæ ´ÉÏaÉÑÂqÉÔiÉïrÉå lÉqÉ CSÇ ´ÉÏSÍ¤ÉhÉÉqÉÔiÉïrÉå || 8 ||

vi¾va¯ pa¾yati k¡ryak¡ra³atay¡ svasv¡misa¯bandhata¦ ¾i½y¡c¡ryatay¡ tathaiva pit»putr¡dy¡tman¡ bh£data¦ | svapn£ j¡grati v¡ ya £½a puru½µ m¡y¡paribhr¡mita¦ tasmai ¾r§gurumÀrtay£ nama ida¯ ¾r§dak½i³¡mÀrtay£ || 8 ||

Vishwam pashyati He who sees / witnesses the World 1 kaarya kaaranatayaa, of cause and effect, related as svasvaami sambandhatah; i) possessions and possessor, Shishya aachaaryatayaa ii) taught and teacher, 2 tathaa eva pitr-putraadya, iii) father and son, aatmanaa bhedatah; in Himself as Atman; these being further differentiated Swapne jaagrati vaa into the dream and waking states – 3 yah eshah purushah, He who is the Purusha (Brahman), maayaa paribhraamitah; (seeing / witnessing these) when whirled in Maya – Tasmai shree guru moortaye to that “Ultimate Seer”, the Revered Form of the Guru, 4 namah idam, do I offer my salutation; shree dakshinaa-moortaye. He is the Revered Form of Sri Dakshinamurti!

The main topics discussed here are Jagat, Atman, Brahman and Maya. Brahman is experiencing the Jagat as Atman under the influence of Maya. Whatever and whenever He experiences, He remains unaffected by them all. For in the ‘Seen-seer’ chain, Brahman or Purusha is the ultimate Seer. There is no Seer higher than Him. All else is seen by Him. This verse captures Drig-Drishya Viveka (Text 13) in a nutshell. Initially, these lines may not mean very much unless we introduce two concepts well-known in Vedanta philosophy. These are 2 different outlooks on life. They are: A. The Srishti – Drishti Model “As is the world, so is our vision.” B. The Drishti – Srishti Model “As is the vision, so is our (own) world.”

A. The Srishti – Drishti Model: In this verse all the varieties mentioned are from this view of life. This is the conventional view of the world. The world is transactional reality (Vyavaharic). Relative to it, on one side we have our dream world which is unreal (Pratibhasic) in comparison; and on the other side we have Absolute Reality (Paramarthic) or Brahman, which is transcendental. This is the model most of us are used to and which we find ourselves quite comfortable with. It’s essential feature is that Creation is posited first, and our Drishti follows to suit what is created. There is one Creation and many individual Drishtis.

1-2 It is a world of relationships, with people and things, all being related to each other by the law of cause and effect. What is spoken of in these two Padas – the possessor and the possessed, the teacher and the taught, father and son, etc, are all experienced from this view of life. 3a In addition to what we experience, there is the Time element which determines when we experience them. Deep sleep, dream and waking follow each other on a time-axis. Deep sleep is omitted here because there is no mind available to experience anything. 3b The above experiences of the Srishti-Drishti model are experienced by Brahman, as the Atman within man when “whirled” or tossed about by Maya. Relative reality is given to all the experiences encountered in the world. 4 This Pada salutes the Guru in the context of this verse as the “Ultimate Seer”, known as Sri Dakshinamurti.

B. The Drishti – Srishti Model Now we look at the alternate view, and one might say that philosophers favour this view. Being uncommon, there is not much written about this view, except in Vedantic literature. Hence, it remains a realm within philosophy that is of little interest to the common man. This other view, the D-S Model, is now outlined: As this model is the unusual one, a little more explanation is needed. It may be difficult for some students to grasp, but once understood, there is a simplicity to it which is not seen in the former model. Let us see what it is all about . . . In this model, no creation is posited. Everything originates with knowledge, in the world of thought, in the MIND. This is in accordance with one’s own Drishti or vision. Everything is happening in the mind. There is no world out there. The immediate result is that the Vyavaharic world is cut out. Only two planes of reality exist: the Absolute Reality and the Mental (or dream) reality. The waking state is incorporated into the dream state, which has Pratibhasic reality. In this model, knowledge is creation, and thoughts are the main objects of reality. By now, the student will already be noting that there is a huge shift in the vision of such a reality. What else is there that is mind-boggling? If “Mind is World”, there is no need to have any cause and effect relationship. There is no need for any transactional relationships of the previous model. This means no possessor or possessed, no teacher and taught, no father and son, no husband and wife – in other words no cause/effect relationship. [Kindly wait a while before protesting!] There are two key principles in this model: i) One’s experience is considered as a ‘Dream’. Like any dream, this Dream, too, exists only whilst one is dreaming. It ends as soon as the dreamer awakes! Beware, this is a huge shift in thinking.

ii) Knowledge and the object of knowledge arise together. This is termed ‘Yugpat’ or simultaneous. One sees a thing as soon as the thought of it arises. In fact, thought has replaced the physical object. No action is needed; thoughts are the action!

These are two powerful principles which radically alter the way we look at life.

Drishti-Srishti – the Model for Rapid Spiritual Transformation Famous sages and saints have written about this model. Sri Ramana Maharshi and Nisardatta Maharaj are two recent exponents of this model, and they are great saints of our times. One Sant Nischaldas, a contemporary of Sant Tulsidas, also spoke of this model in his book Vichar Sagar. To Sri Ramana Maharshi it was not correct enough to say “Whole world appears in me.” He used to say, “Mind is the world.” This Drishti-Srishti model is the “Uttam Siddhanta” of Vedanta. The Mandukya Upanishad takes it up almost from the very outset, when it insists on taking the letters of Om to mean the objects of the respective states, and when it lumps together the waking and dream states in the very first chapter. In this text, too, this verse consciously drives us to become aware of this model. The very first verse referred to the world as “a reflected city in a mirror” and we said that the mirror is Maya. This Maya manifests in us as our mind. Transcending mind is equivalent to transcending Maya. In this model, there is no botheration with theories of creation, no Pancheekarana of elements, no subtle body, no gross body, no different states, etc. Everything becomes enormously simplified. One is faced with the Truth directly. No concern with Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas, and its infinite varieties of manifestations. This is the model that will suit the full-time meditator. It is the model for the spiritual outlook on life. It is the model where the only Sadhana to be done is to go beyond the mind. No other external Sadhana is needed. Therefore, it stands to reason that only the most qualified ones are able to benefit from this model. The pre-requisite for this model is to have detachment, dispassion and a mind that is very meticulously trained to reason and think. Hence, this model is not so popular among the majority of people. There are no unknown objects in this model. What one sees, that alone exists. That which is not seen simply does not exist as far as the person is concerned. The Sadhaka’s whole world is in his mind. Everything becomes within his control. He takes full responsibility for any changes to be made in his life. This is the direct path.

Comparison With the Kshanika Vijnana Vadins There is a close tie between the Drishti-Srishti model and the belief of God held by the Kshanika Vijnana Vadins who say that the intellect is the Self. The one big difference between the two is that the Kshanikas feel that thought and perception rise together, but they do not explain from where. Vedanta has an explanation for that; the Vedantins say that they arise from the awareness which pervades the mind and intellect. And awareness is the Consciousness which is the substratum for all thought and perceptions. The Kshanika Vijnana Vadins, who hold that the highest reality is the intellect, do not believe in the need for there to be a Substratum for the intellect. To them the intellect is supreme and supports everything else.

The Truth About Relationships Having understood the two theories relating the world to the mind, we now come back to the verse and explain its message in terms of the latter theory. If the Drishti-Srishti (D-S) model is used, then all the relations mentioned are considered to be delusions.

The no.1 delusion is cause and effect. Since there is no creation in the D-S model, there is no need for a system of cause and effect to explain the origin of objects. From this primary delusion, are born the other delusions: the possessor and the possessed; the teacher and the taught; and father and son. These disappear in the D-S model. However, as we have seen, the verse may be interpreted using the Srishti-Drishti (S- D) model. In this case it can be reconciled with the Truth by saying that all these relationships are superimpositions on the Self. Being superimpositions, they have relative reality, but in relation to the Absolute, they are unreal or false. It is admitted that their relative reality does have some purpose. For example, the teacher and disciple relationship is of great value, even though it exists on the relative plane, because it promotes the growth of understanding. Most relationships will exist purely in the realm of unreality. All relationships which do not lead one to an understanding of the Truth are of no worth at all. This applies to the majority of cases which are based on worldly interchanges without any reference to the Truth. The D-S model may appear to many to be rather “cruel” because it is so direct.

***** Om Tat Sat End of Ashtakam

At this point, as mentioned at the outset under Verse 1, the Ashtakam ends. The remaining two verses are ancillary to the text. The first aims to assist the Sadhaka to raise his level of eligibility for the Ashtakam; and the second tells us about the fruit of studying the Ashtakam.

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Verse 9: Upasana for Expanding Our Vision

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bhÀrambh¡¯syanalµ:'nilµ:'mbaramaharn¡thµ him¡¯¾u¦ pum¡n ity¡bh¡ti car¡car¡tmakamida¯ yasyaiva mÀrtya½¿akam | n¡nyatki²cana vidyat£ vim»¾at¡¯ yasm¡tparasm¡dvibhµ¦ tasmai ¾r§gurumÀrtay£ nama ida¯ ¾r§dak½i³¡mÀrtay£ || 9 ||

Bhooh ambhaamsi analah “1 Earth, 2 water, 3 fire, 1 anilah ambaram aharnaathah, 4 air, 5 space, 6 sun, himaamshuh pumaan; 7 moon and 8 man (the individual soul)” – Iti aabhaati Thus, shining everywhere are 2 chara achara aatmakam idam, the movable and immovable (sentient and inert) objects yasya eva moorti ashtakam; of His Eightfold Manifestation; Na anyat kinchana vidyate Other than this, there exists nothing else, 3 vimrishataam, to those who reflect well. yasmaat parasmaat vibhoh; From that One Supreme Cause arise all manifestations. Tasmai shree guru moortaye To that “Supreme Cause”, the Revered Form of the Guru, 4 namah idam, do I offer my salutation; shree dakshinaa-moortaye. He is the Revered Form of Sri Dakshinamurti!

Pujya Gurudev has written a very appropriate introduction to this verse: “The usual technique of Upasana is prescribed for those diligent students who, even after a deep and careful study of the Ashtakam (verses 1-8), are not able to appreciate the import of them all. Lack of integration within will make students unfit for such subtle flights to the lofty heights of Vedanta, when it discusses the ultimate theme. To help them gain the necessary integration, this stanza prescribes an Upasana.”

The “Ashta Murti” Upasana to Develop Bhakti 1 i) The 5 elements of the universe are also the constituents of the body. ii) The sun and the moon are the two eyes. iii) As Ishwara rules the external world, so too the Jeeva rules the inner world. iv) Thus, all the eight components listed in the verse are seen within the body. v) The Upasaka feels that whatever is done by the body is worship of Ishwara.

Acharyaji told us of a saint who used to feel that when he slept, he was prostrating to the Lord; when he bathed, he was bathing the Lord; when he ate, he was feeding the Lord. In this way, he took his whole body to be the temple of God. Such practices enrich Indian culture and spirituality. They take the practice of religion to the highest pedestal. There is no superstition in such practices. They arise from a sincere love for the Lord, and a strong desire to please Him and serve Him in every way possible.

The Sarvatma-Bhava Upasana We have come across this eightfold manifestation of the Lord’s material nature in Sri Ramana Maharshi’s Upadesha Sara (Text 7), where it is used for the same purpose – as an Upasana to broaden the devotion of the Bhakta. The same is enumerated here as the five elements, sun, moon and the Jeeva (man). Aharnaatha: This means “God of the Day”; it stands here for the sun. Himaanshu: This means “having cool rays”; it stands here for the moon. Pumaan: is the individual soul or Jeeva, the living being, that is bound in Samsara. 2 All movable and immovable objects are covered by these 8 items. Acharyaji gave a more detailed list of these 8 items: 5 elements, 5 Pranas, 5 Karma Indriyas, 5 Jnana Indriyas, 4-fold Antahkarana, Jeeva, Time, Prakriti, Maya, Vidya, Purusha, Bindu, Nada, Shakti, Shiva, Shanta and Ateet. The 8-fold manifestation is a simplification of these 36 components. 3 The Upasana is to see everything in creation as a manifestation of God. Various means may be adopted to do this. It may not be a formal ritual, but an attitude of reverence for all creation, knowing that it is God in manifestation. 4 This Pada salutes the Guru in the context of this verse as the “Supreme Cause”, known as Sri Dakshinamurti.

The Three Stages of Upasana The Upasana develops in three distinct stages of growth. Eventually it encompasses all three of the following, in order: i) Ishtha Roopa: This is a start. The Upasaka uses an idol to focus his mind on. He superimposes all the divine qualities of the Lord on it while worshipping. iii) Atma Roopa: The devotee takes the Upasana within his body. In effect, the Lord’s idol shifts into his body. He is not worshipping himself, but the Lord who dwells within him. ii) Vishwa Roopa: Once both these are done, the devotee is ready to see the Lord in all His manifestations, internal and external. This extends the Upasana to include everything.

Purity of Mind – the Fruit of the Upasana The ego-centred attitude melts away. Likes and dislikes dwindle away. Since everything is God, why should he like only certain things, and hate other things? A life lived in the spirit of this Upasana develops great purity of mind. It is the purity attained in this way that is the whole purpose of the Upasana. The purity is what enables the student to have a clearer mind and a more subtle intellect, and take his understanding higher up.

Tips on the Practice of Upasana 1. In Upasana we see the great Indian tradition of worshipping everything, and why not? There is great meaning behind such worship. Although it is usually prescribed for those who have yet to develop the necessary purity to receive knowledge of the Self, it is not limited to that category of aspirants. All can benefit from doing such Upasana. Even the advanced aspirant finds that Upasana helps him to keep the ideal “alive” in his mind. It gives him that dimension of devotion which is essential to bring his Vedantic Sadhana to fruition. 2. Upasana is a “Paatra” or a vessel to hold the knowledge received during Sravana. It prevents it from ‘falling to the floor’, i.e. from being dispersed. It protects knowledge in

39 this manner from getting contaminated. Intellectual understanding alone is dangerous; it has to be accompanied by worship, meditation, repetition of God’s Name, and so on. 3. For those who have done Sravana, and are engaged in Manana and perhaps Nididhyasana, the Upasana of seeing the Lord in all His manifestations is a Vedantic Sadhana which will certainly add to their clarity and removal of doubts. Those who practise Upasana easily get established in the single thought of Brahman. To them, Na Anyat Kinchana Vidyate – “there exists nothing else” becomes an actuality. It is not just their own fancy that they reflect upon, but it is the structured knowledge imparted to them by the Guru which constantly occupies their mind during the Upasana. 4. Acharyaji gave us the example of the noble Mandodari’s advice. Mandodari was the wife of Ravana, the abductor of Sita. She told her husband of the glory of Sri Rama. She told him that He was no ordinary person but the Avatara of the Lord Himself. This would have been Sravana for someone who was turning towards spirituality. But in the case of Ravana, it made no impact. Mandodari’s advice to him gave him a great chance to redeem himself even at the last moment, but the accumulation of vices in him was too much; they repelled all sound advice that arrived upon his ears. 5. Pooja and Japa of the Lord’s Name have the benefit of bringing the agitations of the mind under control. They are scientifically developed techniques to aid the human mind to overhaul itself of all past impurities.

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Verse 10: The Phala of God-Realisation

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sarv¡tmatvamiti sphu¿§k»tamida¯ yasm¡damu½min stav£ t£n¡sya ¾rava³¡ttadarthamanan¡ddhy¡n¡cca sa±k§rtan¡t | sarv¡tmatvamah¡vibhÀtisahita¯ sy¡d§¾varatva¯ svata¦ var tata¦ siddhy£ttatpunara½¿adh¡ pari³ata¯ cai¾varyamavy¡hatam || 10 ||

Sarvaatma-tvam iti “All this is Atman” – 1 sphutee-kritam idam, this knowledge has just been explained yasmaat amushmin stave; in this Ashtakam. It follows from it that: Tena asya shravanaat  By hearing this knowledge, tadartha mananaat,  by reflecting upon it, 2 dhyaanaat  by meditating on it, and cha sankeertanaat;  by reciting it regularly; Phala: The Benefits gained are: Sarva aatmatva mahaa i) one attains the glorious state of Self-hood; 3 vibhooti sahitam, ii) along with it, he gains all the divine glories; syaat eeshwaratvam svatah; iii) he gains the world of Ishwara Himself; Siddhyet tat punah iv) he regains his state of perfection; 4 ashtadhaa parinatam, v) he manifests the eightfold supernatural powers; cha aishvarya avyaahatam. vi) he gains all divine opulence without any obstruction.

The Headline 1 This is the final verse of one of the deepest and most compact texts one can get in Vedanta. Its first line, therefore, is perhaps more attention-grabbing than the headlines of the national newspaper. It has to contain something very special. “All this is Atman”. This headline has been chosen by the great Sri Adi Shankaracharyaji to conclude this Super-text. How precious must those words be! Indeed, the theme of the entire Ashtakam lies in this headline – “All this is Atman!” The whole of spiritual knowledge is aimed at this realisation. The statement is a positive one. But the hint is there that we are so extremely bound in the opposite feeling. Our ego-centredness is such that we pay little heed to our Self, and even less to the same Self in others. The true spiritual journey begins by renouncing ego-centredness and ends with attaining Sarvatma Bhava – “All this is Atman!” We remove our shoes before stepping into the temple of the Lord. This is symbolic of removing our ego and pride before sitting at the feet of a Guru and learning the science of spirituality. Removing the shoes of our ego, we enter the hall of knowledge. Acharyaji said we should not study independently, but always under a qualified Guru, especially to learn the subtle science of Vedanta. 41

Vedantic Sadhana 2 Four steps of Vedantic Sadhana are mentioned in this Pada. i) Sravana: this step removes “I do not know”, i.e. our Abhavana or ignorance. ii) Manana: this step removes “I do not understand”, i.e. Asambhavana or doubts. iii) Nididhyasana: this step removes “I do not experience”, i.e. our Viparita Bhavana or the past tendencies which cloud our vision of the Self. iv) Sankeertana: this step removes the “I” itself, by glorification of the Lord. In this manner the barrier between us and the Lord is systematically broken down through practising these four primary Sadhanas of Vedanta. To the extent one practices and perfects these Sadhanas, one becomes eligible for the fruit of the Sadhana:

The Six Phalas of Realisation 3-4 The six fruits declared here are not like the progressive grades in an academic career, but the scope that opens up after attaining the highest grade. This is mentioned first; the remaining five benefits arise from this first attainment. They all have their purpose to fulfill in the life of a realised saint. These are fruits for all seekers who worship the Lord. Each seeker gets what he wants.

i) Sarva-Atmatwam: “Self-hood”; this is the highest attainment of Self-realisation or God-realisation. It is earned by the Vedantic Sadhaka who has practised Sravana, Manana, and Nididhyasana to the point of perfecting them. He attains the highest State, namely complete union with the non-dual Brahman. This is the pinnacle of spiritual attainment. He truly sees the Self in all beings. To him it is not just a practice any more, but an actuality in day-to-day life. This is the “Ph.D Degree” in spirituality. There is no higher attainment. ii) Vibhooti: “Divine glories”. There are 71 Vibhootis of the Lord described in the Bhagavad Geeta, in Chapter 10. It is also mentioned that there are an infinite number of manifested Vibhootis, and that Sri Krishna as an Avatara is the foremost Vibhooti. In the same vein, the God-realised saint is also one of the very special Vibhootis. iii) Eeshwaratwam: “Ishwara-hood”; this is earned by the devout Upasaka who does the worship of the Lord with no selfish desires, but merely to please the Lord. He attains great purity, and goes to the region of Brahmaji (Ishwara), which is termed Brahmaloka. iv) Siddhi: “state of perfection”. If one serves an artist, he will more than likely get the talent of the artist as his Phala. In the same way, if one serves some Deity, all of whom come under the rule of Ishwara, the Creator, then he will get what that Deity represents. If he worships Ishwara Himself, then he will receive “Ishwara-hood”. And if he devotes himself to the contemplation of Brahman he will get the fruit of Non-duality or Oneness. As far as the Brahma Jnani is concerned, having attained the highest that is to be attained, all other fruits come to him without his asking. Swamiji gave us the example of a garland of jasmine flowers. If one handles it, without even asking for it, his hands pick up the fragrance of the flowers. So also, the Jnani obtains all the Siddhis without asking for them. They come to him of their own accord, as he has attained the ‘Jasmine of Perfection’. Parinatam: This means “manifested”, which implies that these Siddhis are in the realm of Maya. They do not belong to Brahman. They are part of the Unreal. Hence, Jnanis give them little importance; in fact, they are positively a nuisance factor to them as it attracts the “flies” of curiosity-mongers to them.

Pujya Gurudev used to say, “All Siddhis are in the Jnani’s pocket, but he never uses them.” Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa used to say, “These Siddhis are only distractions.” Acharyaji told us of Sant Tukaram who was approached by the personification of these Siddhis and asked if they could do him any service. They were willing to do his bidding. He said to them, “Go back to Vaikuntha, and don’t ever come back!” Sometimes, however, the Siddhis are used by saints to alleviate the sufferings of people. There are Siddhis by which certain cures can be performed. Saints may use powers such as foretelling an event for protecting a devotee who is likely to face physical danger, if it helps the person to develop faith in God. But on no account will he publicise these Siddhis for the sake of popularity. v) Ashtadhaa: “the eight supernatural powers”. The eight supernatural powers are: i) Anima: the power to assume a very small form. ii) Mahima: the power to become very large, to pervade everything. iii) Garima: the power to make oneself very heavy. iv) Laghima: the power to become very light like a feather. v) Praapti: the power to attain whatever one desires. vi) Prakamya: the ability to go anywhere in the three worlds. vii) Ishitvam: the power to rule over all the three worlds. viii) Vashitvam: the power to control others, to make them follow your lead. These Siddhis usually come a little at a time, appearing quite harmless. If they find that the Siddha is attracted towards them, a little more comes, and before he knows it, he gets completely swarmed by them! Therefore, Jnanis show them the same respect which they show to sense objects – i.e. none at all! Siddhis may be earned by the Karma-Upasaka who performs various rites and rituals with a desire-motive. He attains various heavenly worlds where he can enjoy his wishes. vi) Aishwarya: “divine opulence or excellence”. Traditionally, this is one of the six virtues possessed by ‘Bhagavan’. The other five are Veerya, Yashas, Shree, Jnana and Vairagya – i.e. valour, fame, prosperity, knowledge and dispassion.

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SHAD-VIDHI LINGA ANALYSIS OF SRI DAKSHINAMURTI ASHTAKAM

This analysis is often used to give a quick resume of a literary work. It is used often to summarise a Vedantic text. It is meant to highlight the main features of the text. The Shad Vidhi Lingas are: 1. Upakrama-Upasamhara: the introduction and conclusion; 2. Abhyasa: repetition, stress, highlighting; 3. Apoorvata: originality, uniqueness, special feature; 4. Phala: the fruit, benefits, advantages; 5. Arthvada: the eulogy, praises, prestige, etc; 6. Upapatti: example, demonstration, illustration, stories, proofs, etc.

In this text we have the following as references for the above six Lingas. Perhaps by co-incidence, all of them except the examples occur in the 3rd Pada of the concerned verse. The notation used here is X/Y = verse X, Pada Y. 1. 1/3 Introduction – Advayam Swatmaanam, “the non-dual Self”. 10/3 Conclusion – Sarva-Atmatwam, “All this is the Self”. 2. Pada 4 is repeated in each stanza for the purpose of emphasizing the importance of the Truth “Guru is God”. A feature of the poetry is that the words ‘Namah Idam’ are inserted in between the salutation to the Guru and the salutation to Lord Dakshinamurti, since it is meant to address both as well as to equate them both. 3. 3/2 and 3 – ‘Tat Twam Asi’ is the unique teaching of Vedanta. 4. 3/3 – Samsara is transcended; no further birth and death. 5/3 – ‘Vyaamoha’ the greatest delusion is destroyed. 5. 2/3 – Maha Yogee, a great Yogi. 10/3 – Obtain glory of ‘Selfhood’ and ‘Ishwarahood’. 6. As illustrations / similes the following references are in the text, all in Pada 1: 1/1 – ‘Darpam Drishyamaan Nagaree’, like a city in a mirror. 2/1 – ‘Beejasya Antar Iva’, like a tree within a seed. 4/1 – ‘Naana Chidra’, lantern having many holes. 6/1 – ‘Raahu Grasta’, like a solar or lunar eclipse.

Om Tat Sat! ***** 